A project dubbed the “Development of a Detection System for Pest and Disease Resistance in Philippine Coffee Varieties” was released by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD). The study will employ molecular markers to distinguish indigenous coffee kinds that are resistant from others that are prone to illnesses and insect pests.
The experiment is also being implemented by Dr Ernelea P. Cao of the Institute of Biology at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), who claims that the influence of coffee pests is only apparent when they are common. Through the study, early detection of coffee seedlings using the detection system can help to lower the incidences of insect pests and diseases.
The berry borer and coffee leaf rust disease have had the biggest negative effects on coffee production. Given this, a detection method will help farmers, researchers, and coffee growers by allowing them to identify the vulnerable coffee kinds using the system.
On the other hand, the project created and synthesised primers for the detection system during its first year. To detect coffee white stem borer, coffee leaf rust, and coffee berry disease, Coffea Arabica and C. Canephora types were subjected to loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology.
In the future, the project will collect leaf samples from C. arabica varieties registered with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) at the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) in Baguio City -one of the main sources of coffee in the Philippines.
The berry borer and coffee leaf rust disease have had the biggest negative effects on coffee production. Given this, a detection method will help farmers, researchers, and coffee growers by allowing them to identify the vulnerable coffee kinds using the kit.
To validate resistant and susceptible genes identified through RNA profiling, the team will compare healthy coffee leaves with coffee leaf rust and white stem borer-infested ones. The team’s LAMP primers will also be validated in coffee plantations in Batangas and Cavite.
To introduce the resistant genes to other coffee kinds, the study stressed the significance of incorporating a breeding component. The early resistance screening of local coffee types made possible by the detection system that uses molecular markers is anticipated to help prevent the distribution and planting of impacted coffee plants, which could result in further losses for coffee producers.
By doing this, researchers want to support the local coffee sector and aid in the rehabilitation of coffee estates in various Philippine regions, like Batangas and Cavite, which were severely damaged by significant ashfalls from the Taal volcano eruption in 2020.
The Remote Online Surveillance for Banana (ROSANNA) mobile application improved banana production while lowering disease control costs. This app was developed by the University of South-eastern Philippines (USeP) and is a mobile agricultural disease surveillance system capable of gathering and disseminating disease-related data at the banana farm level. It enables farm managers and field workers to monitor disease prevalence in the field in near real-time.
The Collaborative Research and Creation to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE) Programme of the DOST provided funding for the development of the app. The software mostly addressed Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD), Black Leaf Streak (BLS), and other widespread banana diseases.
The ROSANNA app is currently being used by HRC to keep tabs on banana diseases in the field. With HRC, continuity plans, and the procedures required for its deployment and expansion to other locations have also been explored.
To advance the innovation, incubation, and scaling of climate FinTech solutions in Asia, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and a major tech company jointly launched the Point Carbon Zero Programme under MAS’ Project Greenprint. This programme aims to use climate FinTech solutions to improve financial sector access to precise and granular climate-related data, allowing for more effective deployment of capital toward green and sustainable projects.
“The effective employment of technology allows us to greatly enhance the quality, availability, and comparability of the ESG data needed to facilitate these financial flows, to accelerate our transition to a low-carbon economy. We see the Point Carbon Zero Programme as a key enabler for bridging ESG FinTechs, finance, and real economy businesses through a shared data and innovation platform,” says Dr Darian McBain, Chief Sustainability Officer, MAS. He added that Singapore’s financial and FinTech sectors can play a critical role in the efficient channelling of private capital toward long-term sustainable projects and businesses.
In support of the programme, a technology company will launch the world’s first open-source cloud platform dedicated to climate finance, facilitating the deployment of these climate FinTech solutions and their adoption by the financial sector.
Despite accounting for more than half of all startup investments globally, climate FinTech is still a relatively new sub-segment. As a result, the Program aims to accelerate the expected growth of climate FinTech solutions in Asia over the next three years.
To begin, FinTech firms and solution providers will be invited to submit innovative technological solutions to a variety of climate finance problem statements that have been co-crafted by stakeholders from the financial sector and the real economy.
On their ability to facilitate capital flows towards green and sustainable projects in Asia, 100 solutions will be shortlisted for further development and tested with a pool of 1,000 financial institutions. The programme also aims to equip 10,000 multinational corporations and small and medium-sized businesses with the ability to set, track, and achieve sustainability goals.
The programme’s main features are as follows:
The open-source cloud platform for climate financing has just been built by the tech company, and participants will be encouraged to use it to deploy their solutions. The platform, which is based in Singapore, will allow FinTechs to work with financial institutions to develop, host, and scale climate FinTech solutions by utilising the data management and carbon-neutral infrastructure of the cloud.
To further deepen their collaboration, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and a not-for-profit chamber of commerce in Hong Kong announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently. The MoU aims to integrate the strengths of the academy and industry, cultivate more innovation and technology (I&T) talents for Hong Kong in the future and drive the application of the results of PolyU’s research on various industries to facilitate the knowledge transfer and industrialisation, contributing to the development of I&T and advanced manufacturing of the city, and promote the brand image of “Made in Hong Kong”.
To complement the development of the country, PolyU has recently established the largest interdisciplinary research platform in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area – the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) to further foster interdisciplinary research and advance the development of an international innovation hub.
PolyU will organise seminars with the not-for-profit company through PAIR on a regular basis to explore the development and opportunities of different industries and listen to their views. Leveraging PolyU’s research results in various scientific technology areas, the two will enable the transformation of traditional manufacturing industry, give impetus to the development of Hong Kong’s advanced manufacturing, and complement the country’s intense implementation of the strategy of “manufacturing-strong nation” with licensed patents and advanced technologies.
PAIR will drive the development of advanced manufacturing industries and strategic emerging industries, including biotechnology, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment and new energy vehicles, with the help of innovative technologies.
The President of PolyU said that ramping up the cooperation between the two parties would further drive innovation and technology in Hong Kong, promote the development of advanced manufacturing industry and strategic emerging industries, and speed up the process of developing the city into an international I&T hub.
The President of the not-for-profit company stated that the MoU reflects that industry and academia are determined to accelerate the development of re-industrialisation and I&T. He said through the partnership will see the two jointly creating a more vibrant ecosystem, advancing the city’s technological development and bringing more positive impacts to various industries.
Through the regular sharing activities held by both parties, the University’s scientific research technology and the PolyU-nurtured start-ups have been thoroughly introduced to the members of the company. In addition to supporting technology transfer and expansion to more areas, these knowledge exchange activities have also opened the collaboration among PolyU’s research teams and start-ups, on the one hand, and the firm and its members in other areas.
Moreover, a start-up founded by Professor ZHENG Zijian of PolyU School of Fashion and Textiles will join efforts with the firm’s Pilot Manufacturing Support Center of CMA Testing to apply the flexible Textile Lithium Battery developed by Prof. Zheng on construction work clothes so as to broaden the application of wearable electronics.
Since its establishment, PolyU has been working closely with the commercial and industrial sectors in Hong Kong. The University has developed a reputation within the manufacturing industry with its numerous contributions. By leveraging on the not-for-profit company’s advantages, PolyU is working to encourage corporates to invest in research and development in Hong Kong, advance in translation and commercialisation of PolyU’s research results, and develop manufacturing with high added value.
Combining I&T with industry will drive the development of advanced manufacturing in Hong Kong, promote the brand image of “Made in Hong Kong”, and make significant contributions to the establishment of the international I&T hub.
The government is keen on connecting Indian citizens through digital inclusion and earlier this week, the Union Cabinet approved a project for the saturation of 4G mobile services in 24,680 uncovered villages in remote areas of the country.
The total project cost, US $3.3 billion, includes capex and a five-year opex. The initiative also has a provision to include 20% additional villages on account of rehabilitation, new settlements, or withdrawal of services by existing operators, etc. Additionally, 6,279 villages that only have 2G or 3G connectivity will be upgraded to 4G, according to a government statement.
The project will be executed by government-owned telecommunications service provider BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) using its Atmanirbhar Bharat’s 4G technology stack. It will be funded through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). The statement claimed the project is a significant step towards the government’s goal to provide total mobile connectivity in rural areas. Through it, citizens in far-flung parts of India will have access to a variety of e-governance services, banking services, telemedicine products, and online education platforms. This is expected to increase the rate of digital literacy and generate employment in remote parts of the country.
Broadband, especially mobile broadband, has become an integral part of life. Its adoption was accelerated through the rapid expansion of 4G services across the country since 2015. Currently, 800 million subscribers have broadband access, compared to 100 million subscribers in 2014. Last year, the government approved a project to provide 4G mobile services to 7,287 uncovered villages in 44 districts across five states.
Recently, the Minister of Communications and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, stated that India’s telecom market has the potential to attract new players now that the government has put in place significant reforms and is auctioning the 5G spectrum. According to Vaishnaw, in India, 5G will start later this year. So far, four rounds of the 5G auction have been completed. It is estimated that the revenue generated is around US$ 18.2 billion. “We have to complete this process by August 14 and 5G service in the country will start by September to October,” he said.
5G networks will meet the demand for high-definition videos, virtual reality, and augmented reality, allowing users to download movies, videos, and music in seconds. Apart from high speeds, 5G technology has lower latency than 4G and can better support Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Countries around the world are heavily investing in and rolling out the technology. Earlier this week, Singapore became the first country in the world to be fully covered by standalone 5G, as telecommunication group Singtel announced it achieved over 95% 5G nationwide coverage, three years ahead of the regulatory target of end-2025. As OpenGov Asia reported, Singtel’s standalone 5G network covers more than 1,300 outdoor locations and over 400 in-building, as well as underground. Singtel was officially awarded the 3.5GHz and the millimetre wave spectrum as part of the 5G licence issued by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in June 2020, and an additional 2.1GHz spectrum last November.
Senators from the United States have sponsored a bill that would fortify national security by preparing the federal government’s defences against data breaches made possible by quantum computing. Federal agencies must actively endeavour to ensure that federal cybersecurity defences are kept up to date as quantum computers, particularly those being developed by adversaries, continue to become more potent and accessible.
The advancement of quantum computers is one of the subsequent technological frontiers, and with this promising technology comes up with new risks. As this technology advances, the national security information of the United States will remain secure, and the federal government must be prepared to address cybersecurity concerns. Senators from both parties have urged their colleagues to support the bill to strengthen cybersecurity defences and protect national security.
Quantum computing, on the other hand, will provide significant advances in computing power while also introducing new cybersecurity challenges. The bill requires the government to inventory its cryptographic systems, determine which are most vulnerable to quantum computing, and upgrade those systems accordingly.
The Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act would do the following:
In the meantime, OpenGov Asia previously reported that determined adversaries are subjecting the industrial control systems that run the crucial energy infrastructure to increasingly serious and sophisticated cyberattacks. To avoid disruptions to the nation’s essential energy services, energy systems must be built to withstand intentional cyber intrusion, exploitation, and misuse.
Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) is a new method for integrating cybersecurity into the conception, design, development, and operation of any physical system with digital connectivity, monitoring, or control. It employs architectural decisions and technology controls to reduce or eliminate cyber-enabled attack vectors, or to mitigate the damage of an attack.
Furthermore, following an executive session, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced that it has adopted the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act and the Kids Online Safety Act.
The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act specifies criteria for the acquisition of minors’ and children’s personal information, including information that must be disclosed to a parent or minor, as well as data subject rights such as rectification, erasure, and access.
Notably, the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act restricts the sale of internet-connected gadgets designed for children and adolescents unless specific cybersecurity and data security requirements are met.
Similarly, the Kids Online Safety Act establishes standards for covered platforms concerning their duty of care and the protection of children. Specifically, the Kids Online Safety Act states that a covered platform has a duty to act in the best interest of a minor who uses the platform’s products or services and must prevent other individuals from viewing a minor’s gathered or shared personal data. In addition, the Kids Online Safety Act includes disclosure and transparency obligations.
Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is boosting Australia’s advanced manufacturing capability by providing free research and development (R&D) support to businesses to help them develop new products or services.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are working on new advanced manufacturing solutions can sign up for the free, 10-week online Innovate to Grow program, to support their commercial idea by building their R&D knowledge, with 25 spots available. Upon completion of the program, participants may be able to access facilitation support, through CSIRO, to connect to research expertise nationally, along with dollar-matched R&D funding.
The Director of Manufacturing at CSIRO stated that global supply chain disruptions highlighted the need to build Australia’s advanced manufacturing capability. Advanced manufacturing plays a crucial role across a variety of sectors, with manufacturing contributing about six per cent of Australia’s GDP, from biomedical manufacturing to smart robotics and automation.
Enhancing Australia’s advanced manufacturing capability is a key part of Australia’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and much of this capability will be driven by SMEs, which make up 99.8 per cent of all businesses in Australia, he said.
The Deputy Director of CSIRO’s SME Connect team noted that to help businesses take their products or services to the next level, R&D is essential to better understand what opportunities might be presented to them. While what R&D drives innovation is known, it can be an expensive undertaking for businesses, risky and time-consuming for those without the right guidance and support.
Thus, through this program, participants will be given help to refine a new idea they want to explore and better understand their idea’s business and scientific viability. They will also be exposed to industry knowledge, hear from innovation and industry experts, and work with an R&D mentor.
The program is open to all companies, regardless of sector, who incorporate, or would like to incorporate, advanced manufacturing to improve their existing business operations.
While collaboration is key in driving good R&D outcomes, CIRO’s research from 2021 found that less than 15 per cent of Australian businesses engage universities or research institutions when they are thinking of exploring new innovation opportunities – our goal through this program is to up that percentage.
CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow: Advanced Manufacturing program, commences on 6 September 2022 and is available for up to 25 SMEs. Applications close on 22 August 2022. This program is being delivered in partnership with the CSIRO Lindfield Collaboration Hub and Investment NSW.
In 2021, the global smart manufacturing market size was valued at US$249.56 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow from US$277.81 billion in 2022 to US$658.41 billion in 2029 and it will grow at a CAGR of 13.1% during the 2022-2029 period.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and staggering, with smart manufacturing witnessing a positive impact on demand across all regions amid the pandemic. Based on recent research, the global market exhibited a substantial growth of 10.2% in 2020 compared to the average year-on-year growth during 2018-2020. The rise in CAGR is attributable to this market’s demand and growth, returning to pre-pandemic levels once the pandemic is over.
Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, big data, and machine learning are projected to enhance market growth as well as the Internet of Things (IoT), which is closely related to the concepts of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) on the connectivity side, and Big Data in terms of the content outcomes produced. IoT also comprises the data produced and transmitted between machines (M2M) and between machines and people (M2P). These technologies are expected to uplift the market.
The Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET) Sandbox has recently been launched by the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in order to assist businesses who, seek to pilot PET initiatives that address typical business concerns.
“Privacy Enhancing Technologies, while nascent, occupy a sweet spot by allowing the extraction and sharing of insights while ensuring the security and confidentiality of personal data. These qualities are appealing to data protection regulators. We are keen to support adoption for suitable use cases,” says Yeong Zee Kin, Deputy Commissioner, PDPC.
The PET Sandbox, he continued, aims to identify with commercial sector participants the best PET to use case fit and their technological limitations to produce guidelines and best practices that would encourage more adoption.
PETs may be able to extract value from confidential or proprietary data that companies may be reluctant to share. Businesses have requested help in implementing PET solutions in practical applications as PETs develop and are ready for deployment.
To do this, the PET sandbox will offer a secure setting and a testing ground for PET ideas. These initiatives will assist companies in choosing the best PET to meet their data sharing goals and gain a better understanding of technical constraints.
IMDA and PDPC want to compile case studies, identify common software tools that can facilitate the industry’s adoption of PETs, and offer policy guidelines to establish standards and best practices based on the experiences learned from the pilots.
Owners will be expected to submit their use cases that address three common data-sharing goals. This approach can assist potential owners in locating pertinent use cases and allow IMDA and PDPC to concentrate their efforts on creating future technical and policy solutions.
Following the initial industry consultation, the following typical business concerns emerged:
A panel of PET solution providers will be readily available to participants in the PET Sandbox, and a full range of support services, including funding and regulatory guidance, will be available to assist with the piloting of PET use case scenarios.
Meanwhile, data centres (DCs) are significant catalysts for the digital economy. The need for data processing and storage among organisations and consumers has increased significantly as the use of digital apps and services has increased. However, DCs also use a lot of electricity, water, and other resources, which increases our carbon footprint.
Singapore will have to sustainably manage the expansion of its DC capacity to adhere to its climate change obligations. The government started a review and warned the industry that the rise of DCs would temporarily halt in 2019. Since then, to establish the requirements for the installation of new DC capacity, EDB and IMDA have had extensive consultations with the DC industry, their industrial clients, and suppliers of sustainability solutions.
EDB and IMDA will collaborate with the sector to support DCs that: strengthen Singapore’s international connectivity and position as a regional centre; introduce cutting-edge technology and best practises for sustainability, notably in the fields of energy efficiency and decarbonization; and contribute significantly to Singapore’s larger economic goals.
Many DCs are already actively working to become more energy efficient and sustainable. The Pilot Call for Application (CFA) exercise by EDB and IMDA aims to leverage the industry’s expertise and capabilities to further push the technology boundaries in these areas, helping to level the sector’s baseline while providing new capacity for DC growth to support our digital economy.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed the first circling spacecraft plasma sensors that were entirely digitally produced. Satellites utilise these plasma sensors, also known as retarding potential analysers (RPAs), to evaluate the atmosphere’s chemical composition and ion energy distribution.
“Additive manufacturing can make a big difference in the future of space hardware. Some people think that when your 3D-print something, you have to concede less performance. But we’ve shown that is not always the case. Sometimes there is nothing to trade-off,” says Luis Fernando Velásquez-García, a principal scientist in MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) and senior author of a paper presenting the plasma sensors.
3D-printed and laser-cut hardware outperformed state-of-the-art semiconductor plasma sensors manufactured in a cleanroom, which is costly and takes weeks to complete. 3D-printed sensors, on the other hand, can be produced in a matter of days for tens of dollars.
The sensors are ideal for CubeSats due to their low cost and quick production. These low-cost, low-power satellites are frequently used for communication and environmental monitoring in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
The researchers created RPAs out of a glass-ceramic material that is more durable than traditional sensor materials like silicon and thin-film coatings. By using glass-ceramic in a fabrication process developed for 3D printing with plastics, they were able to create sensors with complex shapes that can withstand the wide temperature swings that a spacecraft would encounter in lower Earth orbit.
The sensors are made up of a series of electrically charged meshes with tiny holes. Electrons and other particles are stripped away as plasma passes through the holes, leaving only ions. These ions generate an electric current, which the sensor detects and analyses.
The housing structure that aligns the meshes is critical to the success of an RPA. It must be electrically insulating while also being able to withstand sudden, drastic temperature swings. The researchers used Vitrolite, a printable glass-ceramic material with these properties.
Ceramic powder is typically hit with a laser to fuse it into shapes in 3D printing, but this process often leaves the material coarse and creates weak points due to the high heat from the lasers. Rather, the MIT researchers used vat polymerisation, a decades-old process for additive manufacturing with polymers or resins. A 3D structure is built one layer at a time using vat polymerisation by repeatedly submerging it in a vat of liquid material, in this case, Vitrolite.
After each layer is added, ultraviolet light is used to cure the material, and the platform is submerged in the vat once more. Because each layer is only 100 microns thick (roughly the diameter of a human hair), smooth, pore-free, complex ceramic shapes can be created.
Objects described in a design file can be very intricate in digital manufacturing. The researchers were able to create laser-cut meshes with unique shapes, allowing the holes to line up perfectly when they were set inside the RPA housing. More ions can pass through, resulting in higher-resolution measurements.
Because the sensors were inexpensive to produce and could be manufactured quickly, the team prototyped four distinct designs. While one design was particularly effective at capturing and measuring a wide range of plasmas, such as those encountered by a satellite in orbit, another was well-suited for sensing extremely dense and cold plasmas, which are normally only measurable using ultraprecise semiconductor devices.
This level of precision may enable 3D-printed sensors to be used in fusion energy research or supersonic flight. Rapid prototyping may even encourage more innovation in satellite and spacecraft design.
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