Monthly Archives: July 2021

[author: Jim Gill, Legal Technology Writer]

The rise of electronic evidence -- and the advent of the legal technology needed to handle that data -- has certainly changed the way attorneys practice.

While initial adoption was slow, the continued growth of legaltech cant be ignored, particularly when it comes to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics, which enable legal teams to search and better handle previously unmanageable volumes of data.

But often when technology makes one part of life easier, it tends to make us grow lax in other areas. Sometimes this doesnt cause a major issue (e.g. not memorizing phone numbers anymore because theyre all saved in our phones), but when compounded, they can certainly add up.

This is why developing and practicing the processes that complement legal technology -- well call these the soft skills of eDiscovery -- is more important than ever.

Here are 5 eDiscovery Soft Skills which can help your legal team increase effectiveness:

Interdepartmental / Intradepartmental Communication

This is something that humans will need to work on for the rest of time. Any good therapist will tell you communication issues are at the heart of any relationship problem, and this seems to hold true with professional relationships, both within a team and between departments.

Often, managers will just create task forces or throw more technology at the problem without getting to the root causes. Once, I was on a sub-committee created to figure out why people werent using the comms platform the organization had invested in. After the first meeting, it was suggested the committee invest in another comms platform, so we could more easily talk about why no one used the old one.

Often, it helps to have dedicated personnel in place to develop protocols and manage such issues. Which takes us to the next soft skill.

Legal Operations

Legal Operations (or Legal Ops) has been a growing profession in the past several years, particularly on corporate legal teams, but also within large law firms. According to a white paper published by the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC), Legal Operations is defined as, a set of business processes, activities, and the professionals which enable legal departments to serve their clients more effectively by applying business and technical practices to the delivery of legal services. Legal Operations provides strategic planning, financial management, project management, and technology portfolio investment expertise that allows legal professionals to focus on providing legal advice.

This notion of allowing attorneys the time and focus to practice law and leave the management up to other professionals makes a lot of sense, particularly with the increase of data and technology required to do so. Legal Ops professionals can also come up with strategies which leverage processes, analytics, and technology to turn legal department activities which were traditionally cost centers into profit centers.

Legal Project Management

If Legal Ops covers the big picture, then Legal Project Management handles the day to day. Project Management is nothing new in business, but its still gaining its footing in the legal world. Doug Austin, editor of eDiscovery Today, wrote a great two-part blog covering 20 eDiscovery Project Management Tips (which you can read here and here).

One standout from Dougs list is understanding the Triple Constraint of Project Management, which he describes in this way:

All projects are carried out under three specific constraints time, cost and scope. These three factors (commonly called the triple constraint) are represented as a triangle, with the idea being that: projects must be delivered within cost, projects must be delivered on time and projects must meet the agreed scope no more, no less. Ive been involved with eDiscovery projects where the scope has grown sometimes considerably for a variety of reasons and when it does, the time or the cost, or both, to complete the project will have to be greater. The typical saying for a project manager to set client expectations is to say you can have it fast, cheap or good pick two. Make sure your clients understand that too.

Templatized Workflows / ESI Protocols

I recently read an analogy from a legal professional comparing the current legal technology industry to the early automotive industry. Adoption is growing, the benefits are clear, and there are lots of players trying to get in the game.

But the 100 years ago, the real game changer wasnt some breakthrough automotive technology, but Henry Fords revolutionary process around the moving assembly line.

Repeatable, templatized workflows are the key to streamlining any process, and eDiscovery is no different. Having established workflows for common scenarios and set protocols around handling common forms of Electronically Stored Information (ESI) seems like a no brainer, but there are still many legal teams who handle things on a case-by-case basis.

I remember a question once on a webinar where we were discussing this very topic and an attendee asked the clarifying question, Whats a workflow? (which we gave a nod to in this months eDiscovery Blues cartoon). Its not a jab at that persons intelligence; on the contrary, it highlights a very real challenge in the legal place: people are often so busy and overwhelmed staying afloat in their current process, they dont have time to consider anything else.

Which leads us to our final eDiscovery Soft Skill.

Training

Its no secret that eDiscovery and other legal technology related areas are not taught in law school or paralegal training. This is why so many organizations within the industry provide learning opportunities for practitioners, both experienced and new. Technology changes at a rapid pace, so what worked well five years ago may need updating today. And as technology becomes easier and more intuitive (which is a good thing), the skills needed to effectively use that technology grow as well.

A great example of this is good old boring run-of-the-mill Microsoft Excel. We all say we know how to use it. Some of us maybe even put it down as a special skill on our resumes at some point.

But have you ever seen someone who really knows how to tap into that software? Its a pretty remarkable tool for something all of us have been taking for granted since the early 90s.

Now imagine a highly specialized eDiscovery platform with high end data processors, AI, analytics, and more. Sure, someone who has been working in eDiscovery for a while could probably jump in and start using it right away. But chances are, they wont be able to use it to its full potential without dedicated training.

The same holds true for the processes around eDiscovery, including the soft skills listed in this article, which are often overlooked. Continuing to train and understand your teams weak spots can really make a difference on how your corporate legal team, law firm, service provider, or government agency operates.

So, while youre working on sharpening those technology chops, dont forget to hone those soft skills as well!

[View source.]

Original post:

Even with Advanced Technology, You Still Need the Soft Skills of eDiscovery - JD Supra

COMPANIES

Lockheed Martins vision and road map of connecting people, platforms and systems into a single networking architecture certainly has the companys own offerings in mind.

But the worlds largest defense company is also mindful of helping the U.S. military avoid being locked into a single provider of the technologies that are shaping Lockheeds own 21st Century Warfare concept that corresponds with 5G.mil.

During Lockheeds second quarter earnings call Monday, CEO Jim Taiclet told investors the end game is to eventually build out the network effect across all the platforms out in the field.

The company is building an internal road map for how its own products and platforms fit into the larger vision given it has more control over the trials, demonstration and production aspects.

At the same time, we're open to collaborating with our industry partners that are traditional in defense and aerospace and eagerly and already successfully with some of my old counterparts and my former counterparts in telecom and tech where we're trying to build out the Internet of Things network of the future here, Taiclet said to analysts.

Lockheed has already taken one public step in that direction through its partnership with Omnispace announced in March to build out a space-based 5G global network with the ability to let users switch between satellite and terrestrial connectivity.

The bigger picture idea at Lockheed is to take an approach based on open architecture, a concept Taiclet knows well given his tenure as CEO of American Tower Corp. That company owns and operates wireless communications infrastructure as a real estate investment trust.

As Taiclet pointed out, the telecommunications and technology industries became what they are because open architecture was the baseline for building up those networks.

One internal example Taiclet brought up during the call saw the company demonstrate an open radio architecture in a U-2 aircraft as basically a cell tower in the sky connecting F-35 and F-22 data lengths back to the first platform.

We could add an F-18 or another aircraft, even an allied aircraft, a Eurofighter, for example, down the road, Taiclet said.

He also brought up the obvious example of how the F-35 fighter jet would figure into the broader network of people, platforms and systems.

Taiclet said the F-35 becomes a much more valuable platform when you take advantage of the network effect that it can deliver by connecting sensors across domains, adding 5G.mil capability to our (communications) system so that we can communicate with satellites directly. You end up getting a whole network effect with the value to the defense enterprise and the deterrent value is going to go up by implementing this across our technology road map over the next number of years.

Creating that network effect and bringing partners into the fold are key pieces in Lockheeds push for mid-single-digit revenue growth over the next five years. Lockheed is holding to its outlook for this year of $67.3 billion-to-$68.7 billion in revenue and $7.38 billion-to-$7.52 billion in operating profit.

Second quarter revenue of $17 billion was roughly 5-percent higher over the same period last year, while net earnings of $1.8 billion included a $225 million loss on a classified program in the aeronautics segment.

That charge is for the development portion of the program with 40 percent of the cost already incurred, Chief Financial Officer Ken Possenriede told investors. The other 60 percent is embedded in the new schedule.

Possinriede said the unnamed program will ultimately turn into a production program and Lockheed believes there are additional opportunities out there.

Meanwhile, Lockheeds agreement to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne remains under an antitrust regulatory review at the Federal Trade Commission and examination by DOD.

Taiclet said Lockheed remains in the process of responding to the FTCs second request for information sent in February, but still expects to complete the deal in the fourth quarter of this year.

About the Author

Ross Wilkers is a senior staff writer for Washington Technology. He can be reached at rwilkers@washingtontechnology.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rosswilkers. Also connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Lockheed wants industry partners to help connect people & platforms - Washington Technology

ZHUHAI, China, July 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Powerbridge Technologies Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq:PBTS) ("Powerbridge" or the "Company"), an innovative technology services provider, revealed that the Company is currently building a Blockchain enabled Supply Chain Management SaaS Platform, embracing Blockchain technology to optimize and integrate traditional supply chain systems.

Powerbridge Technologies is an innovative technology company focusing on providing AI, loT, Blockchain, and financial technologies, as well as SaaS solutions and operational services in various fields such as cross-border trade, smart cities and government services.

Powerbridge's Blockchain enabled Supply Chain Management SaaS Platform will serve to connect suppliers, logistics service providers, distributors, retailers and end users into an integrated feature network, implementing real-time information sharing for all participants, while ensuring the efficiency of information transmission and the credibility of the information.

Stewart Lor, President and Chief Financial Officer of Powerbridge, commented: "We hope that through our Blockchain management platform, Blockchain technology can be applied into more practical scenarios and deeply integrated with businesses. We will continue to perform more trials and innovations in the Blockchain applications as well as SaaS. We expect the application of Blockchain technology to bring continued growth to the company's revenue. Powerbridge will also extend its application to supply chain financial technology and other fields in the future."

About Powerbridge

Established since 1997, Powerbridge Technologies Co., Ltd., a Nasdaq listed company (stock symbol PBTS) provides a series of smart-technology based products and solutions, including global trade related ports and customs management platforms, cross-border and global trade solutions, smart city technology products and solutions, as well as technology-enabled financial services, utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as Big Data, AI, Blockchain and IoT.

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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT

Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, our expectations for future financial performance, business strategies or expectations for our business. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Company cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Words such as "may," "can," "should," "will," "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek," "target," "look" or similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. There is no assurance that the supercomputing center will be established as planned, when it will start operation nor any of the planned activities will be implemented by the supercomputing center. Specifically, forward-looking statements may include statements relating to the Company's:

ability to execute its business plan;

changes in the market for Company's products and services; and

expansion plans and opportunities.

These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and our management's current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but not are limited to, the risk factors described by Powerbridge in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). These risk factors and those identified elsewhere in this press release, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from historical performance.

Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements in deciding whether to invest in our securities. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact our expectations and projections can be found in our periodic filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. Powerbridge SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Powerbridge disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate:Powerbridge Technologies Co., Ltd.Stewart LorPresident and Chief Financial OfficerEmail: stewartlor@powerbridge.com

Investor Relations:ClearThinkPhone: 917-658-7878nyc@clearthink.capitalEmail: IR@powerbridge.com

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/powerbridge-technologies-to-build-a-supply-chain-management-saas-platform-based-on-blockchain-technology-301341794.html

SOURCE Powerbridge Technologies Co., Ltd.

See the rest here:

Powerbridge Technologies to Build a Supply Chain Management SaaS Platform Based on Blockchain Technology - Yahoo Finance

Gray sludge, left, is transformed into clear water, right, in these screenshots from a demonstration ... [+] video.

So-called toxic forever chemicals are a concern across the United States. A recent analysis by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group found nearly 30,000 sites where man-made perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are likely used or discharged into water.

A North Carolina company called 374Water recently announced an agreement with an Indiana biosolids company called Merrell Bros. to help tackle the problem. The pact means Merrell will be making and servicing 374Waters AirSCWO NIX systems and installations throughout the United States and Canada.

SCWO stands for supercritical water oxidation, which 374Water says may fundamentally change the way waste management is deployed. Simply said, this technology just makes toxic sludge turn to water!

The AirSCWO NIX systems are advanced oxidation units for recovering valuable resources from waste. The units are compact and prefabricated so they can be installed at existing treatment plants.

At a wastewater treatment plant, thesystem treats sludges and biosolids, reducing volume by 97% and rendering the material into recoverable and reusable clean water, inert minerals, heat and electricity, according to the company.

Our vision is to transform wastewater treatment plants to water resource recovery facilities, says Rick Davis, director and officer at 374Water.

The first of two commercial units are being fabricated at a Merrell Bros. facility in Kokomo, Indiana.

Of course, this doesnt mean PFAS contamination is solved. But 374Water says its technology can go a long way toward cleaning up the environment when it comes to discharges.

SCWO uses the unique properties of water above its critical point (374 C and 221 bar), the company explains.

In these conditions, in the presence of oxygen, organics are rapidly converted to clean water, inert gases, recoverable mineral salts and reusable heat with >99% reduction in solids volume. The process has proven effective at eliminating emerging contaminants such as PFAS and 1,4-Dioxane, drugs, microplastics and pathogens.

Davis notes that a unit with 1 metric ton capacity (the equivalent of sanitary waste from 1,000 people) has beenoperating on the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina, since 2015.

It has operated over 1,000 hours, treating dozens of different waste streams, ranging from wastewater sludges, biosolids and food waste to firefighting foam that contains PFAS.

The supercritical water oxidation process developed at Duke and now being commercialized by 374Water was unofficially coined by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency as the "3rd generation of SCWO" during AFFF and PFAS elimination testing, Davis says.

AFFF stands for aqueous film forming foam, a type of firefighting foam that contains PFAS. The process is unique, he adds. It incorporates several important patented improvements that eliminate the historical issues off corrosion, charing, and clogging experience by previous generations of supercritical water oxidation processes.

The 374Water project was launched in 2013 and initially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In April, a merger with PowerVerde Inc. was announced.

The units in production in Kokomo are six times larger than the one at Duke University, Davis says.

We are in discussion with two U.S. municipal wastewater treatment utility authorities as well as several waste service firms for deployment at one of their sites.

Once these units have been successfully deployed, we will commence mass producing of the 6-ton units while designing the next scaled up unit, which will be 30 tons per day.

Continued here:

Cleantech Company 374Water Touts PFAS-Eliminating Technology That Makes Toxic Sludge Turn To Water - Forbes

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT) announced that its Board of Directors has approved $56 million in strategic capital investments to expand the capacity and capabilities of its Minnesota facility and to accelerate the companys entry into the 200 mm GaN market.

These strategic investments evidence our commitment to our customers to co-create emerging technologies and help ensure we are in position to deliver long-term value to our shareholders, said Thomas Sonderman, president and CEO of SkyWater. We believe our investment in GaN technologies which expand possibilities for next generation microelectronics enhances SkyWaters position for leadership in the aerospace and defense, industrial and automotive markets. As recently noted in the White House 100 Day Supply Chain Review, there is a significant need for a U.S.-based foundry to offer technology services for GaN. We firmly believe SkyWater is that foundry.

In connection with its upcoming earnings webcast on August 4, 2021, the company also today announced selected preliminary financial results for the second quarter ended July 4, 2021.

For the second quarter ended July 4, 2021, the company expects to report net sales of $41.0 to $41.5 million, a net loss attributable to shareholders of $8.0 to $7.0 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $(1.5) to $(0.5) million. Preliminary net sales, excluding tool sales, grew between 18% to 20% compared to first quarter 2021. Total preliminary net sales increased between 33% to 35% compared to second quarter 2020.

SkyWater accomplished much in the second quarter, including our initial public offering. This achievement is a great testament to our team members, customers and partners. In the midst of this, we were able to deliver significant sales growth, said Steve Manko, SkyWater CFO.

During the second quarter, SkyWaters other accomplishments include:

Investments in advanced packaging and RH90 are anticipated to be significant long-term growth drivers for the company but are a near-term headwind to profitability.

I am very pleased with our ATS pipeline growth as the industrys awareness of SkyWaters TaaS offering continues to build, said Sonderman. There is strong demand in the semiconductor market for a U.S. investor-owned pure play foundry with unique manufacturing capabilities. We believe our strengthening fundamentals and TaaS business model provide a solid foundation for long-term performance in our targeted end markets.

Selected preliminary financial results:

Second Quarter Ended July 4, 2021

Amounts in USD millions

Low

High

Net Sales

$41.0

$41.5

Net loss attributable to SkyWater Technology

$(8.0)

$(7.0)

Adjusted EBITDA

$(1.5)

$(0.5)

A reconciliation between historical GAAP and non-GAAP information is contained in the tables below in the section titled Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

The preliminary financial results set forth above are based solely on currently available information which is subject to change. The companys actual results for the second quarter ended July 4, 2021 may vary from these preliminary financial results and will not be finalized until after the date of this press release.

SkyWater has not provided quarterly or full year outlook for net sales or earnings because these estimates are difficult to predict on a forward-looking basis due to certain factors that are materially significant to SkyWaters ability to accurately forecast certain items that are out of its control and/or cannot be reasonably projected.

The company intends to report actual second quarter fiscal 2021 financial results following the close of the market on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. The following morning, management will host a webcast to discuss its business and financial results.

SkyWater Technology Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 Earnings WebcastWhen: Wednesday, August 4, 2021Time: 9:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. ET)Live Webcast: https://ir.skywatertechnology.com

An archived webcast will be available on SkyWater Technologys Investor Relations page, https://ir.skywatertechnology.com.

About SkyWater TechnologySkyWater is a U.S.-owned and U.S.-based pure play semiconductor foundry and is a DOD-accredited Trusted supplier, specializing in custom technology development services, volume manufacturing and advanced packaging capabilities. Through its Technology Foundry model, SkyWaters world-class operations in Bloomington, Minnesota and Kissimmee, Florida provide unique processing capabilities to enable quality production and advanced packaging for mixed-signal CMOS, power, rad-hard and ROIC solutions. SkyWaters Advanced Technology Services empower development of superconducting and 3D ICs, along with carbon nanotube, photonic and MEMS devices. The company serves customers in growing markets such as aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. Please visit http://www.skywatertechnology.com/ for more information.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Companys current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including information or predictions concerning the Companys future business, results of operations, financial performance, plans and objectives, competitive position, market trends, and potential growth and market opportunities. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as intends, estimates, predicts, potential, continues, anticipates, plans, expects, believes, should, could, may, will, targets, projects, seeks or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Companys actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to: our goals and strategies; our future business development, financial condition and results of operations; our ability to continue operating our sole semiconductor foundry at full capacity; our ability to appropriately respond to changing technologies on a timely and cost-effective basis; our customer relationships and our ability to retain and expand our customer relationships; our ability to accurately predict our future revenues for the purpose of appropriately budgeting and adjusting our expenses; our ability to diversify our customer base and develop relationships in new markets; our expectations regarding dependence on our largest customer; the performance and reliability of our third-party suppliers and manufacturers; our ability to control costs, including our operating and capital expenses; the size and growth potential of the markets for our solutions, and our ability to serve and expand our presence in those markets; the level of demand in our customers end markets; our ability to attract, train and retain key qualified personnel; adverse litigation judgments, settlements or other litigation-related costs; changes in trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs; our ability to raise additional capital or financing; our ability to accurately forecast demand; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy; our ability to maintain compliance with certain U.S. Government contracting requirements; regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; and other factors discussed in the Risk Factors section of the prospectus the Company filed with the SEC on April 22, 2021 and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

SKYT-IR

Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresThe following table presents a reconciliation of net loss to adjusted EBITDA, our most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Adjusted EBITDAAdjusted EBITDA is not a financial measure determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We define adjusted EBITDA as net income or loss before interest expense, income tax provision (benefit), depreciation and amortization, equity-based compensation and certain other items that we do not view as indicative of our ongoing performance, including fair value changes in contingent consideration, fair value changes in warrants and management fees.

We believe adjusted EBITDA is a useful performance measure because it allows for an effective evaluation of our operating performance when compared to our peers, without regard to our financing methods or capital structure. We exclude the items listed above from net income or loss in arriving at adjusted EBITDA because these amounts can vary substantially within our industry depending upon accounting methods and book values of assets, capital structures and the method by which the assets were acquired. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Certain items excluded from adjusted EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing a companys financial performance, such as a companys cost of capital and tax structure, as well as the historic costs of depreciable assets, none of which are reflected in adjusted EBITDA. Our presentation of adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an indication that our results will be unaffected by the items excluded from adjusted EBITDA. In future fiscal periods, we may exclude such items and may incur income and expenses similar to these excluded items. Accordingly, the exclusion of these items and other similar items in our non-GAAP presentation should not be interpreted as implying that these items are non-recurring, infrequent or unusual, unless otherwise expressly indicated.

July 4, 2021

July 4, 2021

Low

High

In USD Millions

Net loss attributable to SkyWater Technology, Inc.

$

(8.0

)

$

(7.0

)

Interest expense

0.9

1.0

Income tax benefit

(3.6

)

(4.3

)

Depreciation and amortization

6.9

6.9

EBITDA

(3.8

)

(3.4

)

Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness

(6.5

)

(6.5

)

Corporate conversion and initial public offering related costs (1)

1.4

1.5

SkyWater Florida start-up costs (2)

0.4

0.5

Management transition expense (3)

0.4

0.4

Fair value changes in contingent consideration (4)

(1.0

)

(0.9

)

Equity-based compensation (5)

6.7

6.8

Original post:

SkyWater Technology to Strategically Invest $56 Million in Capacity Expansion and Gallium Nitride Technology - Business Wire

August 4th, 2021

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM PDT

Join the San Diego Paralegal Association (SDPA) and the ACEDS Orange County Chapter for an eDiscovery Summer Refresher Virtual Conference.

About this event

Session One: Applying Technology to Address Discovery Challenges Today and Tomorrow

Presented by Doug Austin from eDiscovery Today. Introduction by Marla Mohr, President of ACEDS Orange County and Legal Technology Consultant

*Attendees are eligible for One Hour of CA MCLE - Courtesy of San Diego Paralegal Association.

In todays world of dramatically increased remote work due to the pandemic, growing data privacy concerns with GDPR, CCPA and other data privacy legislation, increase in harassment claims with #metoo and rising corporate malfeasance concerns, organizations have more challenges than ever that require the application of discovery technology and workflows even if those challenges never lead to litigation. This session will discuss the drivers and challenges facing organizations today to leverage technology and best practices to address todays evolving discovery needs. Topics include:

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[Virtual Conference] eDiscovery Summer Refresher 2.0 - Session One: Applying Technology to Address Discovery Challenges Today and Tomorrow - August...

Guanajuato/Mexico, Sevilla/Spain, July 20th 2021.- Fortune Growers BB #:192013, a leading broccoli producer in Mexico, and ec2ce, an agriculture technology company based in Spain, announced today their collaboration to deploy advanced predictive analytics in the broccoli sector in Mexico to improve operations by maximizing high quality products for the export market.

The prediction of broccoli productivity and cycle-optimum harvest timing will improve commercialization of vegetable production from different farms and varieties planted, as well as harvesting and logistics operations to match supply and demand with superior food safety compliance.

Another project being deployed in the state of Guanajuato is for predictive pest and disease control, which allows farmers to diminish crop damage through data-informed preventive actions, instead of solely relying on reactive scouting practices.

The predictive pest and disease system from ec2ce is calibrated with historical data from monitoring and scouting, updated with geolocated climatic and satellite indexes, and is able to provide actionable information for the farmer to prevent aggressive pest evolution.

This strategic alliance with ec2ce represents an extraordinary opportunity to increase the digitalization of our farms and improve the decision-making process in our operations, said Luis Solarte, president of Fortune Growers.

Fortune Growers Mexico operations have a proven process for growing and sourcing vegetables for over 15 years. We efficiently manage an optimal cold-chain for exportation in addition to direct transportation to facilities with no cold-chain breakage, providing a reliable year-round availability thanks to a complete and truly vertically integrated supply chain.

The strategic focus of Fortune Growers is to integrate different technologies for optimizing safety, productivity, and sustainability of vegetable production. In addition to ec2ce, Fortunes strategy includes partnerships with Bayer, Sakata, AgTools, and Famous Software, resulting in state-of-the-art, full tech solutions that are piloted, scaled, and deployed across its grower network and operations.

The goal of the company is to become the leading vegetable producer and distributor from Mexico into high value markets in the US and Canada, explained Mr. Solarte.

According to Pedro Carrillo, CEO of ec2ce, this partnership is a very important step in the strategic roadmap of the company entering in the Mexican specialties agriculture sector, Fortune Growers demonstrate a visionary strategy for managing the complete supply chain to provide clients with the best quality product on time.

The Spanish technological company is initiating its operations in Mexico and North America after demonstrating a successful track record in the past 7 years with leading vegetable and fruit companies in Europe, from multinational seed companies to major specialties producers and processors.

This is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the value that data analytics and predictive analytics provides to decision makers in companies who care about quality food and optimum distribution to match supply and demand, said Mr. Carrillo.

Additionally, our company is able to provide predictive pest and disease management systems which are able to anticipate the pest pressure and prevent the damage occurred at farms. This system works with the same predictive analytics technology but feeding pest monitoring data bases integrated with weather, satellite indexes, and crop development. ec2ce and Fortune Growers are already in conversations with the Comit Estatal de Sanidad vegetal de Guanajuato (Cesaveg) to prepare a Predictive Pest and Disease Predictive Management System for all veggies producers affected by the Plutella xylostella pest in the region.

Luis Solarte highlights that Fortune Growers is working directly with producers, companies, government agencies and other organizations to accelerate and deepen the positive impact the company can make. Fortune Growers is growing its partnerships in the change process, where we (Fortune Growers) have invested directly in the continuous improvement of agricultural production with interest-free financing programs, food safety support services, a full range of training offerings, technical support, etc. using all possible financial resources to continue our mission of social and economic development in the region.

Fortune Growers has expanded and diversified the markets and we continue to work on optimizing this entire chain, seeking efficacy and efficiency to achieve the highest levels of sustainability, zero waste, and the highest levels of safety.

Fortune Growers has initiated a broccoli pilot program with its small and medium-size farmers in the state of Guanajuato. This initiative, now supported by ec2ce can be replicated and applied for all vegetable products with over fifty producers in the Fortune Growers network.

Fortune Growers continues to grow and expand its network across Mexico and is committed to promoting and supporting small and medium farmers, supporting the implementation of a complete program that includes commercialization, marketing, legal support, regulatory compliance, business administration, logistics, relations with institutions in the countries involved, strategic alliances with suppliers, financial structuring, risk management and brand positioning.

Fortune Growers model combines the Secretariat of Agriculture, the National Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality Service (SENASICA) public policies and Contamination Risk Reduction Systems (SRRC) with US FDA requirements to ensure full compliance from multiple concurring perspectives. Under this model, Fortune Growers verifies that all products satisfy U.S. Good Agricultural Practices and contribute to a sustainable network of farmers.

About Fortune GrowersWith over 75 years of combined produce experience, Fortune Growers is a true innovator in the produce industry and takes great pride in being on the cutting edge when it comes to Growing, Sourcing, Food Safety and Produce Logistics across North America. With a multinational growing approach, Fortune Growers consistently supplies the freshest and highest quality produce on a year-round basis. Fortune Growers is among one of the largest growers of Broccoli in Mexico, but also grows large volumes of Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Green Onions, Cauliflower, Lettuce and a variety of other commodities at their growing cooperatives in California, Mexico and Canada. Since Fortune Growers customers are working directly with a premier grower/shipper, they have direct access to a consistent supply of high-quality produce. This eliminates additional markups, and reduces the time involved so that our customers receive the freshest produce possible.

About ec2ceec2ce operates a proprietary AI-powered engine with a suite of add-on services that helps farmers, processors, and wholesalers to make smarter decisions to improve return and sustainability. ec2ces innovative mathematical solutions provide novel insights and best-in-class predictive analytics to customers to anticipate better decisions affecting profitability and sustainability in food supply chain, such as seeds selection and performance forecasting, productivity forecasting, predictive pest management, and optimization of inputs. ec2ce has operations and recurrent customers in Europe and LatAm, with targeted markets in expanding operations in Mexico and California. ec2ce is one of the startups highlighted by different analysts, as CB Insights, The Mixing Bowl, Better Food Ventures, and Marketsandmarkets, as a key player in predictive modelling within the ag-tech arena.

Link:

Fortune Growers to deploy predictive analytics technology in vegetable supply chain Produce Blue Book - Produce Blue Book

NEW YORK, July 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- InsideQuantumTechnology.com, a media property of 3DR Holdings announced today the worldwide publication of Quantum Tech Pod -iqtpodcast.com - the first podcast on the topic of Quantum Technology/Computing. The premiere episode features host Chris Bishop in discussion with researcher Lawrence Gasman, founder of Inside Quantum Technology news, and chairperson of the international series of hybrid conferences including IQT Fall (New York), IQT Spring (San Diego), IQT Asia Pacific and IQT the Hague.

Alan M. Meckler, CEO of 3DR Holdings stated that, "the launch of Quantum Tech Pod is an exciting dimension to our coverage of the rapidly growing field of Quantum Technology and Computing." Meckler adds that, "presently 3DR Holdings is the only organization worldwide offering daily news, research and consulting, conferences and podcasts and that additional services are in the offing."

3DR Holdings currently streams the 3DPod as part of its3DPrint.comfamily. Started in 2019, the 3D Pod now features more than 50 episodes featuring some of the biggest names in the 3D Printing industry. It is expected that Quantum Tech Pod will accomplish something similar forInsideQuantumTechnology.com

The first episode of Quantum Tech Pod is available on iTunes, Spotify and InsideQuantumTechnology.com.

About 3DR Holdings3DR Holdings is an international tech media organization based in New York City that produces events, publishes daily news, offers research/consulting and broadcasts podcasts in the fields of Quantum Technology and Computing and 3D Printing. For additional information, please visit https://3drholdings.com

Contact:[emailprotected] 917-403-6300

Press contact: Barry Schwartz, [emailprotected], 212-677-8700 ext. 118

SOURCE Inside Quantum Technology

http://InsideQuantumTechnology.com

Originally posted here:

Inside Quantum Technology Announces Launch of QUANTUM TECH POD, the First Podcast Covering the Field of Quantum Computing - PRNewswire

DALLAS, July 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In this post- COVID world, making buildings safer is a top priority for educators, companies and builders nationwide. To help meet that demand, CASPR Grouptoday announced a distributor venture with Dakota Safety, a leading national distributor of building safety products, to help bring CASPR's disinfection technology to their customers nationwide.

"Safety is our first, middle and last name. We pride ourselves on being a value-added distributor that can help our customers grow their businesses with the best products in the market," said Andrew Miller, Founder and President, Dakota Safety. "We've brought on the CASPR Group's line of products because we believe they offer tremendous value for businesses and spaces needing continuous surface and air disinfection. Combining CASPR's strong product line and proven technology with Dakota Safety's 10-year track record of delivering safety products in the built world, you have an absolutely winning solution."

"This is a natural fit. We are both passionate about helping businesses bring back their employees and customers to safe buildings," said Dr. Suchy, co-founder and CTO of the CASPR Group. "Our disinfection technology has been proven to kill 99.99% of SARS-CoV-2 viruseswithin 24 hours, according to a study by the University of Wisconsin, and this new agreement will ensure that we can further expand our solutions and help together get companies back to work."

Unlike disinfection processes that use an episodic ultraviolet (UV) light or harmful chemicals, CASPR's technology uses a proprietary Natural Catalytic Converter (NCC) process to naturally extract oxygen and moisture from ambient air and then produce and safely deliver continuous trace levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to disinfect indoor spaces. The result is an automated and continuous reduction of air and surface viruses and bacteria in a way that is safe for use in spaces occupied with people and pets, and with no need to modify existing custodial processes.

About CASPR Group

CASPR Group is on a mission to make the world indoors a better place. As the leader in smart environmental indoor technology, our solutions work to ensure the indoor air we breathe is the healthiest it can be, living out our well-being and our performance in the process. Our award-winning continuous disinfection technology based on photocatalysis, creates safe levels of hydrogen peroxide to attack viruses, bacteria, and mold at the molecular level. The innovative technology is completely automated and does not require an operator to work. The company is based in Addison, Texas. To learn more, visit http://www.casprgroup.com.

About Dakota Safety

Dakota Safety are the champions of workplace safety through specialized safety and guarding solutions. They have established a reputation of creating innovative and cost-effective safety solutions for clients of all sizes and in numerous industries across North America. Dakota Safety's employee specialists are dedicated to making the workplace a safer environment. The company is based in Saint Paul MN. To learn more, visit http://www.dakotasafety.com

Media Contact

Malikka Smith

CASPR Group

(214) 396-3314

[emailprotected]

SOURCE CASPR Group

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Dakota Safety Adds CASPR Group's Disinfection Technology to Their Lineup - PRNewswire

Potential for Affordable COVID-19 Immunization Coverage in Underserved African Countries

Arrangement includes C1 COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer and licensing agreement

Provides potential funding pathway for a C1 manufactured COVID-19 vaccine to progress through Phase II and Phase III clinical trials

Establishes co-development basis for researching, developing and manufacturing multiple other C1 produced vaccines in addition to DYAI-100

Intends to reduce African dependence on foreign vaccine suppliers

Combined with previous C1 COVID-19 vaccine collaborations in India and South Korea (including Southeast Asia), this agreement further supports the potential for C1 produced COVID-19 immunization coverage to more than 40% of the worlds population

JUPITER, Fla., July 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dyadic International, Inc. (Dyadic, we, us, our, or the Company) (NASDAQ: DYAI), a global biotechnology company focused on further improving, applying and deploying its proprietary C1-cell protein production platform to accelerate development, lower production costs and improve access to biologic vaccines and drugs at flexible commercial scales, today announced it signed a COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer and licensing agreement (the Rubic Agreement) with the Rubic Consortium (Rubic), a South African-based company whose mission is to develop a South African-based solution for the discovery, development, evaluation and manufacture of high-quality, cost-effective vaccines for distribution primarily to the African markets.

Rubic was founded by a consortium of public health, medical, academia, vaccine technology, technology transfer and economic sector experts interested in addressing the regions specific challenges related to vaccine availability and affordability. Overseeing the implementation of the technologies introduced or developed is a team of leading academics directed by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits) academic team, with the support of Wits Health Consortium (WHC), a wholly owned company of Wits.

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Rubics strategic vision includes:

Establishing a vaccine research hub and center for higher learning and R&D facilities.

Establishing a vaccine manufacturing unit with the infrastructure, processing operations and capabilities for the manufacture and distribution of high-quality vaccines throughout the African continent.

As recently noted by the World Health Organization, there are currently fewer than 10 African manufacturers with vaccine production capacity based in 5 countries with no immediate readiness to repurpose facilities for large scale production in the event of an emergency. The need to quickly acquire and commercialize technology and manufacturing capabilities, which addresses the infrastructure necessary to deploy vaccinations for broad populations affordably and timeously has never been a more strategic imperative of African nations than today, said Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology, Dean Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, who is leading COVID-19 vaccine trials in South Africa. Professor Madhi continued, We expect that the high yields and low costs of the C1 cell line have the potential to provide affordable solutions for multiple diseases that African countries are likely to benefit from.

Michael Tarnok Chairman of the Board stated, Global health professionals have long known of the varying levels of health services available around the world. However, the COVID-19 global pandemic has specifically highlighted the inequities in vaccination rates. We believe that the efficiency and flexibility of the C1 expression system can reduce the cost and increase worldwide access to vaccines and biologic medicines and contribute to improving global health equity. With anticipated clinical successes, together with our collaborators, we expect our C1 manufacturing platform will be positioned to provide affordable COVID-19 immunization to more than 40% of the global population, including significant areas that have been historically underserved. In addition, this collaboration will also prepare Africa for potential new pandemics and help to address multiple other existing disease states. Further, Dyadic is currently in discussions with other countries that may further expand the Companys global coverage.

Some of the highlights of the Rubic Agreement are as follows:

Rubic will be licensed to utilize the C1 Platform for the research, development, regulatory approval, manufacture, launch, marketing, and commercialization of a COVID-19 vaccine(s) that may be manufactured in South Africa and sold in multiple countries on the African continent.

Rubic will be responsible for presenting the proposed design and funding of a Phase II clinical trial within a specified timeframe of the executed technology transfer and licensing agreement.

Rubic, subject to certain terms and conditions, may utilize the C1 platform to conduct research and development, conduct pre-clinical studies and clinical studies and commercialize COVID-19 and other vaccines.

Rubic will initiate a detailed review of locations in South Africa suitable for use as a cGMP Source for CoV-2 bulk materials at a facility owned or controlled by Rubic.

Dyadic will facilitate technology transfer of the C1 Platform to Rubic through the completion of clinical trials.

Other than as provided by the Rubic Agreement, Dyadic will have the exclusive license and right to make, have made, use, sell, offer to sell, market, and commercialize any COVID-19 commercial product arising from joint development with Rubic.

The agreement provides Rubic with the ability to conduct research and development activities with multiple other C1 produced vaccines in addition to DYAI-100. Dyadic will maintain and own all background and foreground intellectual property rights relating to the C1 platform, derived from any and all research and development as a result of the project.

Dyadic will provide certain technical tools and assistance to Rubic, in addition to providing certain genetically modified and engineered C1-cells for the discovery, development and manufacturing of novel SARS-CoV-2 RBD variant of concern antigens, potentially leading to a therapeutic and/or prophylactic COVID-19 vaccine(s) which address SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

If Dyadics COVID-19 (i.e., DYAI-100) Phase I vaccine clinical trial is successfully completed, starting with Phase II, all costs for the development, regulatory approval, manufacturing, launch and/or commercialization of a COVID-19 commercial product in the Territory as defined in the Rubic Agreement will be borne by Rubic.

Rubic and its authorized sublicensees will pay to Dyadic a licensing fee equal to (i) a percentage of the sales of the applicable COVID-19 commercial product(s) or a per vaccine fee per dose (as defined in the agreement).

About The Rubic Consortium

The Rubic Consortium is made up of promoters of the project representing public health, medical, academia, vaccine technology, technology transfer and economics sectors. Development and the implementation of vaccine technologies will be overseen by leading academics directed by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits) academic team, with the support of Wits Health Consortium (WHC), a wholly owned company of Wits. The Consortium collectively has a long track record in the fields of vaccinology, public health medicine, clinical trials, research, technology transfer, project management and health economics. This entity will coordinate the project, ensuring a synergistic outcome between the components of drug discovery/research and manufacture. It will also drive the strategic and operational direction. This will be accomplished by engaging with stakeholders and public health experts and academics to ensure that the company moves forward in a sustainable, Afro-centric manner, rooted in public good. Please visit Rubic's website at http://www.rubicconsortium.co.za for additional information.

About Dyadic International, Inc.

Dyadic International, Inc. is a global biotechnology company that is developing what it believes will be a potentially significant biopharmaceutical gene expression platform based on the fungus Thermothelomyces heterothallica (formerly Myceliophthora thermophila), named C1. The C1 microorganism, which enables the development and large-scale manufacture of low-cost proteins, has the potential to be further developed into a safe and efficient expression system that may help speed up the development, lower production costs and improve the performance of biologic vaccines and drugs at flexible commercial scales. Dyadic is using the C1 technology and other technologies to conduct research, development and commercial activities for the development and manufacturing of human and animal vaccines and drugs, such as virus like particles (VLPs) and antigens, monoclonal antibodies, Fab antibody fragments, Fc-Fusion proteins, biosimilars and/or biobetters, and other therapeutic proteins. Certain other research activities are ongoing, which include the exploration of using C1 to develop and produce certain metabolites and other biologic products. Dyadic pursues research and development collaborations, licensing arrangements and other commercial opportunities with its partners and collaborators to leverage the value and benefits of these technologies in development and manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. As the aging population grows in developed and undeveloped countries, Dyadic believes the C1 technology may help bring biologic vaccines, drugs, and other biologic products to market faster, in greater volumes, at lower cost, and with new properties to drug developers and manufacturers, and improve access and cost to patients and the healthcare system, but most importantly save lives.

Please visit Dyadic's website at http://www.dyadic.com for additional information, including details regarding Dyadic's plans for its biopharmaceutical business.

Safe Harbor Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Dyadic's expectations, intentions, strategies, and beliefs pertaining to future events or future financial performance. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of the words expect, should, intend, aim, anticipate, believe, will, project, may, might, potential, pursue, or continue and other similar terms or variations of them or similar terminology. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Actual events or results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements because of various important factors, including (1) general economic, political and market conditions; (2) our ability to generate the required productivity, stability, purity, performance, cost, safety and other data necessary to carry out and implement our biopharmaceutical research and business plans and strategic initiatives; (3) our ability to implement and successfully carry out Dyadics and third parties research and development efforts; (4) the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, governmental regulatory and other agencies willingness to adopt, utilize and approve the use of the C1 gene expression platform; and (5) other factors described in the Company's most recent filings with the SEC. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and Dyadic does not intend, and except as required by law assumes no obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise. For a more complete description of the risks that could cause our actual results to differ from our current expectations, please see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Dyadic's annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), as such factors may be updated from time to time in Dyadic's periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website and http://www.dyadic.com.

Contact:

Dyadic International, Inc.Ping W. RawsonChief Financial OfficerPhone: (561) 743-8333Email: prawson@dyadic.com

Rubic Consortium (Pty) LtdDr. Julian NaidooDirectorEmail: jnaidoo@witshealth.co.za; julian@rubic.co.za

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Dyadic Announces Technology Transfer and Licensing Agreement With South Africas Rubic Consortium Aiming to Develop and Commercialize Vaccines for...