Author: jezzabellemente

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Bernama) — Thingspire, a Korean decarbonisation startup, has initiated its research with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on environmentally extended input-output (EEIO).

Designed to facilitate organisations of varying sizes to effectively measure and report its Scope 3 emissions on purchased goods and services, Thingspire adopted a novel approach of cross-validating Korean Standard Industrial Classification (KSIC) subcategories against physical data.

As stricter reporting and reduction standards emerge, the often resource-stricken Korean small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are left to cope with the downstream pressures such as Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act.

Offered as both application programming interface (API) and cloud-based web service, Thingspire’s carbon accounting software, “Carbonscope”, is already filling this void by onboarding SMEs across major industrial complexes in Korea.

“Carbonscope was designed to exceed sustainability metrics for even the smallest organisations outside the regulatory framework.

“We aspire to empower SMEs, and multinationals alike, in cementing their place in the market, instead of being baffled by global carbon regulations,” said its Founder, Kwangjae Cho in a statement.

Aimed at generating 381 or more emission factors, this research will produce the first set of spend-based emission factors that are uniquely tailored for seamless integration with any existing enterprise resource planner (ERP) in Korea, thereby helping organisations to measure and report Scope 3 emissions at ease.

Thingspire’s spend-based emission factors from this ongoing research will complement its existing global emission factors database, which has its core strength in Asia Pacific coverage and can serve as a benchmark for both sustainability and purchasing managers to meet their sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs).

Hundreds of SMEs have already begun measuring their carbon footprints to secure their place in the global supply chain, using industry-specific data entry forms prepared by carbon analysts.

To be showcased at the upcoming ENLIT Europe 2023 in Paris between Nov 28 and 30, Carbonscope seeks to establish its presence in the European Union market and beyond.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) — The 2023 Rong County Shatian Pomelo Cultural Tourism Festival and “Meeting of Overseas Chinese in Guangxi and Shatian Pomelos of Beautiful Rong County – Tour of Homeland by Overseas Chinese” were recently held in Rong County, Guangxi.

The Publicity Department of the Rong County Committee in a statement said the “Shatian Pomelo Quality Assessment Gold Prize” awards were presented to the winners at the opening ceremony.

In addition, the introduction of Rong County tourist routes revolving around themes such as the homeland of overseas Chinese and the charm of the home of Shatian Pomelos, exhibition and sales of unique local products, and Duqiao Mountain – Music Camping Festival were also featured.

Relying on Shatian Pomelos as the focal point, these activities allowed guests from different areas to thoroughly experience the joys of picking Shatian Pomelos, savour the tastes of various Shatian Pomelo products, and experience the charm of Shatian Pomelo engraving, among others.

Rong County which is located in the southeastern part of Guangxi and neighbouring the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, is well-known for its extensive history, mesmerising views, large number of distinguished individuals, profound culture and abundant natural resources.

In particular, the world famous Rong County Shatian Pomelo is often dubbed a “treasure” among Chinese fruits and it has been cultivated in the county for over 2,000 years, in addition to winning numerous gold prizes in national Shatian Pomelo competitions.

In recent years, Rong County has adhered to the primary mission of high-quality development by speeding up the in-depth integration between agriculture and cultural tourism, giving full play to the county’s advantage as a producer of the distinguished Shatian Pomelos, among others.

Rong County has successfully blazed a unique pathway of economic progress, and its achievement is epitomised in various accolades including Best Eco-Culture Tourism County in China, and National Leisure Agriculture and Rural Tourism Demonstration County.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) — H2SITE has successfully validated the first ammonia cracker to produce high-purity hydrogen for onboard power generation using a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell.

In a statement, the company said an integrated membrane reactor has been installed and operated on board of the BERTHA B supply ship, sailing the shores of the Gulf of Biscay.

“Our innovative membrane reactor technology not only brings an improvement in system efficiency but also reduces the footprint of the installation. This is especially important in applications where space is limited, such as onboard a vessel.

“We have focused our design efforts on minimising the ammonia consumption, which will be key for the scale up to suit higher power output units,” said H2SITE Technical Director, Jose Medrano.

Maritime transport is responsible for two per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, presenting significant potential for emission reduction by transitioning from hydrocarbons to green fuel options, such as hydrogen.

Ammonia cracking is gaining traction as a potential hydrogen carrier for onboard applications and it can be used directly in engines, or can be cracked into hydrogen and used in fuel cells. Before hydrogen is used, purification is necessary, especially if traces of ammonia are present.

H2SITE’s membrane reactors make sure all the ammonia is transformed, while delivering a high purity hydrogen to the fuel cell in a single process step. During navigation, as part of the H2OCEAN project, H2SITE’s cracker has successfully powered the ship’s auxiliary services.

This achievement was made possible by working together with players active in the maritime decarbonisation segment such as Zumaia Offshore, Erhardt Offshore, Ajusa, and TECNALIA, along with the participation of Enagas and ABS.

This project is a stepping stone for H2SITE in the decarbonisation of maritime transport.

Based in Spain, H2SITE was established in 2020 and possesses exclusive technology for reactors and separators, facilitating the conversion of various feedstocks into hydrogen.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) — OPEN Health is bringing together experts in strategic patient innovation and engagement, deepening the organisation’s existing commitment to building patient-first solutions.

“I am excited to bring together our global experts to focus on engagement with patients, caregivers, community leaders, and advocacy groups. Together, we will use the patient voice to improve life-changing treatments across the globe,” said OPEN Health Patient Engagement President, Cherie Myatt in a statement.

Meanwhile, its Chief Medical Officer, Dr Annemarie Clegg said: “By working as one, united team, we can better leverage our respective talents and methodologies to unlock patient engagement opportunities across the product life cycle and drive more effective engagement solutions.”

The organisation is combining the strength, expertise, and proven track record of the Px Group, a division of the CM Group which was acquired in 2022, and its own patient engagement team into a unified global patient communications, patient research and creative patient engagement partner.

The combined team will be led by Myatt who is also CM Group co-founder; alongside Senior Vice President, Alexandra Dubois; Registered Health Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, Dr Sumira Riaz; and Patient Centricity Global Lead, Gavin Jones.

Collaborating with more than 1,300 global OPEN Health experts, the Patient Engagement team provides a wide range of solutions to address specific challenges for clients.

Its full suite of solutions includes strategy, insights & market research; health psychology & behavioural science; patient content & storytelling; as well as Patient Engager programmes and advocacy engagement.

OPEN Health is a preeminent global provider of consulting, Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) and market access, patient engagement, and scientific and creative communications services.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) — The International Center for Genetic Disease (iCGD) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, launched a six-month nationwide programme to train 100 physicians across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in clinical genomic medicine and genetic counselling, to help further genomic medicine’s global promise.

According to a statement, this training programme is implemented in collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

The comprehensive partnership between iCGD, Mass General Brigham, and the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi will help advance life sciences and health care outcomes globally while leveraging the advanced genomics capabilities of the Emirate.

Genomic medicine, also known as precision medicine, offers transformative opportunities to reshape health care and public health from a ‘one size fits all’ approach to one utilising an individual’s genetic profile, informing their personalised care pathway from prevention and diagnosis, to treatment of diseases and the development of novel and more effective drugs.

With an emphasis on screening, diagnosis, and treatment of a wide spectrum of genetic conditions, clinicians will become deft with the necessary knowledge and skills to address genetic and genomic challenges in a clinical setting.

Additionally, the programme ensures the successful execution of the Emirati Genome Program, bringing precision medicine to the forefront of public health policy formulation and implementation across the UAE.

Delivered by globally recognised Harvard-affiliated experts within the Mass General Brigham system and elsewhere, the programme will enhance the knowledge and expertise of Emirati physicians, who will then be able to further incorporate the latest innovations in genomic medicine and genetic counselling into the clinical care of patients.

The iCGD designed the programme to specifically address the public health needs of the UAE.

By integrating clinical data and genetic information, healthcare providers can improve population screening, diagnosis, prognosis, risk management, and in some cases, offer new and innovative targeted therapy for conditions including cardiovascular diseases, lipid disorders, diabetes, among many other clinically complex morbidities.

— BERNAMA