Category: Innovation

Medical technology

MoHAP showcases its expanded telemedicine and digital health services at GITEX

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

As part of its active participation in GITEX Technology Week 2020, which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 6 to 10 December 2020, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, showcased the recent updates of its world-class telemedicine and health monitoring services, which aim to provide innovative digital health solutions and services, deliver specialized care and medical advice remotely, and to cut down the number of visitors to hospitals.

MoHAP’s upgraded telemedicine service includes all medical consultation services and constant follow-up, based on the audio and visual communication between patients and their attending doctors without the need to leave their homes.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak, the ministry has been keen to boost its telemedicine system to ensure the safety of community members, reduce health risks, and mitigate the burden of commuting between hospitals and outpatient clinics. MoHAP has developed more than one way to enable patients to communicate with doctors, whether by sending an electronic link to patients’ phones reminding them of the appointment or by directly contacting MoHAP’s hotline number. This has contributed to ensuring the continuity of providing patients with top-notch health services.

At present, telemedicine services include cardiology, pediatrics, internal medicine and nutrition, and remote mental health services, such as psycho-social support, rehabilitation programs for drug-addicted patients, and other psychiatric departments and community psychiatry of different age groups, such as adults, the elderly, children, and adolescents.

The service is also featuring motherhood, childhood, public health, and disease prevention educational programs, with the availability of video calling services to connect patients with abroad consultants to get remote 2nd opinion consultations in critical conditions, as part of the Visiting Doctors Program. At the end of the second quarter, the number of virtual visits has amounted to 44,529, while it jumped to 49,599 visits at the end of the third quarter.

Leveraging digital solutions in treatment services

His Excellency Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Director-General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation, said: “MoHAP is committed to developing innovative tools and smart services befitting all circumstances, as well as providing high-quality health and treatment advisory services, by leveraging smart technologies in digitizing health services according to the most sophisticated global practices.”

“In line with the directions of the UAE government to improve the quality of life and the sustainability of health care, we provide smart preventive home services to patients, senior citizens and people of determination, using the AI technology and telemedicine devices, virtual and augmented reality, and home care tools and devices,” he added.

In this regard, the Ministry was keen to make the most of the latest technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to meet the needs of patients, support future medical decisions, and cut down health care costs.

Al Serkal went on to say: “Over the years, MoHAP’s telemedicine and health consultation services have constituted a key pillar in supporting the UAE strategy for artificial intelligence to invest in and apply the latest technology tools and in the health sector.”

Concluding his remarks, Al-Serkal affirmed that MoHAP has state-of-the-art technological infrastructure the presence of a highly competent medical and technical staff who are capable of dealing with telemedicine services, at a time when global health facilities are facing formidable challenges to prepare for the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Top-notch health services

Dr. Kalthoum Al Baloushi, Director of MoHAP’s Hospitals Administration, said: “To provide patients with top-notch health services, we have applied the latest technology in our telemedicine services. This has helped us provide 24/7 medical consultations since the Covid-19 outbreak, in addition to increasing our outreach activities via media outlets and SMS, as well as MoHAP’s website and social media platforms.”

“Such efforts have contributed to strengthening MoHAP’s efforts to spread the telemedicine culture and figuring out solutions to tackle the technical challenges faced by the elderly in cooperation with family members to facilitate communication and provide comprehensive and integrated health care to them,” she added.

Instant Vitals

SA Company Launches A World First: AI-Based Risk Screening Mobile App – Key for Covid-19

Posted on | by root

The Instant Vitals app converts a mobile phone into a key vital signs medical device that could save lives when screening for Covid-19 symptoms. The AI screening and risk management app safeguards people through detection of health risks by measuring key vital sign indicators.

South African company, UC-Wireless (Pty) Ltd, has launched Instant Vitals, the world’s first smart mobile-based app that provides advanced healthcare risk wellness and Covid-19 screening for business staff, clients and personal users. The app screens the main recognised symptoms and measures vital signs, which are key early indicators for health risk especially Covid-19, including oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiratory rate, using the mobile phone’s camera and Artificial Intelligence (AI) incorporated into the app, turning mobile devices into an easy-to-use clinical tool exhibiting an acceptable standard of medical device accuracy.

The presentation of Covid-19 in respect of the various signs and symptoms from several reviews, studies and reports, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), state that temperature measurement alone is ineffective in detecting a possible Covid-19 infection. Asymptomatic patients don’t reveal symptoms and aren’t aware of an infection. There’s proof that the critical early warning signs of Covid-19, include a reduction in oxygen saturation (below 95%), and/or a high resting heart rate (above 100 beats per minute), or an increase in respiratory rate (above 20 breaths per minute) in a resting person.

It has been indicated that temperature checks alone have had their own limitations in screening. In recent weeks, the WHO and medical experts from across the globe, including Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, Jim Seffrin, an expert on infrared devices at the Infraspection Institute in New Jersey, and Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, confirmed the ineffectiveness of temperature screening. They report that temperature checks are unreliable for detecting Covid-19 symptoms in people as temperature and fever often do not exhibit, or it is detected late in the disease progression as infected individuals may be in the incubation period, or they may not exhibit symptoms in the course of the disease. 

Fauci describes the adoption of infrared thermometers in safety protocols, as theatrical, while Tam said, “The more you actually understand this virus, the more you begin to know the temperature taking is not effective at all.” 

This can only mean that a lot of cases are being missed at the screening points, especially considering the effects of the external environmental elements that can alter the skin temperature in comparison to real body temperature. Measuring temperature is still important; however, its ineffectiveness highlights the need for the advanced screening that Instant Vitals now presents together with its integrated QR Code mechanism to manage access to businesses and venues.

The Instant Vitals app and its embedded AI were designed in collaboration with medical doctors, engineers, professors, and digital and tech experts. Instant Vitals extracts vital signs with good clinical lab-tested accuracy within approximately 20 – 50 seconds by processing video which the AI detects from skin regions of the face. Instant Vitals supports any age, gender and skin colour. It runs like any other app on a mobile phone or tablet. The app calculates a risk status from the vital signs and the answers to the screening questions, which are encrypted and stored in the Instant Vitals secure cloud service for each person.

Once individual and organisation licenses are purchased and registered on the app, Instant Vitals generates a unique encrypted QR code for each person’s device for screening. When the QR code is scanned, and the symptom questionnaire is completed, the vital signs are measured. It’s a simple step-by-step process. The information captured is kept private; it’s POPIA and EU-GDPR compliant. The only data made available publicly is the person’s risk status at the point of entry when their QR code or mobile number (for visitors) is provided for screening. The organisations using Instant Vitals for their business premises can see risk status reporting on their Instant Vitals dashboard.

The risk status of screened individuals is flagged as green (healthy), amber (caution; vital signs and/or symptoms are not normal but not high risk) or red (one or more vital signs and/or symptoms are indicating a risk which should be referred for medical attention or diagnosis). The app also shows a critical status, which is an extreme red status and means urgent medical treatment should be sought by the individual, based on the vital signs measured and symptoms analysed by the app. Those whose risk results are red or critical status should be referred for Covid-19 testing. The app can save lives by alerting individuals at risk when they screen to get to medical attention in time. The app is not intended to replace medical advice, therefore individuals should consult with qualified health care professionals for diagnosis and advice.

Instant Vitals was developed by UC-Wireless as a health and wellness risk management solution, incorporating its licensed AI technology. UC-Wireless has been registered with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) as a manufacturer incorporating the certified AI and the app Instant VitalsTM. Global adoption for the AI is in place with organisations, including Canada Health and NHS. This licenced technology meets the requirements of global accuracy regulations and applications for approvals from the FDA and CE are in progress. Further global adoption of Instant Vitals in Africa, APAC, Europe and North America is already well underway. 

Quentin Daffarn, managing director of UC-Wireless, says, “There are so many benefits for personal and multi-person entry screening using the Instant Vitals app. Because it detects key vital signs, which indicate risks as early as possible, it can minimise the risk of cross-infection, and consequences such as business downtime, loss of skills and sales. The benefits of business continuity through the general health and wellness monitoring tool for early detection minimizes compromised individuals from putting others at risk of infection when accessing public places. Peace of mind is a significant benefit with the easing of the lockdown restrictions across the world as more people to return back to work.

The app caters for mass QR code scanning by individuals who screened at home. It also enables screening for visitors and staff without phones at corporate offices, restaurants, retail stores, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, public transport facilities, schools, universities, airports, industrial sites and mines, amongst others.”

Dr T L Legodi, professional consultant, clinical advisor and partner involved in the clinical aspects of the development of the app with UC-Wireless, did an extensive literature survey of over 63 recent medical papers and publications, where she states in her conclusion that, “The complications of Covid-19 include acute respiratory distress syndrome which in itself has hypoxia1 as its main feature with most of the deaths resulting due to this complication.” She added, “Instant Vitals can save lives through widespread screening and detect risks before it’s too late.”

Two licence options (a personal app and business screening verifier app, including the dashboard) are available. The app will be accessed from the Apple iStore and Google Play store. The licenses will initially be available via resellers and partners of UC-Wireless across Africa and globally.

For more information, visit https://instant-vitals.com/. 

healthcare industry

Networks, AI, Analytics and Security will Accelerate Digital Transformation Roadmaps in Middle East Healthcare Industry

Posted on | by root

With the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe over the past few months, prominent stakeholders in various industries have had to adjust their strategy with the rapidly evolving situation. The healthcare industry in the Middle East will have to undergo crucial reforms once the crisis takes a back seat. Technological advancements, cost control, and greater access will be indispensable part of these reforms.

In health systems all over the world, there is what’s known as a rapid response team. When a patient’s clinical status deteriorates, the best practice is to assemble a multi-disciplinary team of medical experts to rapidly solve the problem. As the world continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, health organizations are quickly initiating Rapid Response plans.

Jacob Chacko Regional Business Head – Middle East, Saudi & South Africa (MESA) at HPE Aruba, a leading provider of secure, intelligent networks, says, “Aruba sees itself as being an integral part of this multi-disciplinary team to help address the critical challenges facing Healthcare IT during this time. The company is responding to this crisis with the same ‘Customer First, Customer Last’ approach that has long endeared it to healthcare customers all over the world.”

 

Digital Transformation Technologies in Healthcare

While the use of technology in healthcare has risen to prominence in the last few years, it is likely to take bigger strides during and post COVID-19. Aruba provides an insight into how technology in healthcare will evolve and how the company’s solutions are driving this transformation:

 

Remote Working and Connectivity
Healthcare has traditionally been a worksite dependent industry, but with the need to follow social distancing and self-quarantine guidelines, enabling workers to be productive at home is now essential. Aruba Remote Access Points (RAPs) extend the same network services and security policies to an employee’s home, just as if they were in a hospital, clinic or office.

 

Expanded Network Coverage
Many hospitals are building drive-through testing stations and rapid triage areas outside of their facilities. These environments can be challenging, but through the use of Aruba’s Zero-Touch Provisioning, a network can be installed and configured without IT being physically involved. Aruba Access Points (APs) can easily be made to work over cellular connections if needed.

Aruba technology helps organizations leverage the power of the cloud. One key facet of cloud service delivery is the ability to grow capacity as needed. This current pandemic is a great example of how this capability proves valuable. Aruba Central for cloud-managed networking allows healthcare institutions manage new (and existing) networks simply and without on-site presence. When the need for these temporary installations passes, they can simply scale back to normal delivery.

 

Easily Monitor the User and Mission Critical Application Experience

Traditional methods of performance monitoring need to adapt to the current deployment and application needs. One way to ensure those who are working on the front lines and treating patients receive a quality network experience is by using Aruba User Experience Insight (UXI) to report on connectivity and application performance throughout the day. UXI also provides a simple way identify issues before they can cause problems – even if on-site support is not possible.

 

Telemedicine to Deliver Primary Care

While the focus is on COVID-19, the regular healthcare needs of communities remain and many healthcare services cannot be electively rescheduled. Where possible, the Aruba solutions described above will allow providers (MD/DO, PA-C, ARNP, etc.) to see patients via traditional telemedicine apps from the security of their own homes. By securely extending the hospital’s network to a provider’s home, a semblance of normal patient-provider interaction can be preserved.

The goal of a rapid response is to quickly identify and solve the most critical issues facing a patient and stabilize the treatment plan going forward. This is the response healthcare is seeing, as care-providing organizations have begun adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. This proves yet again how powerful and essential those that provide care for our communities truly are. Aruba is honoured to be a part of the Rapid Response Team for many of its healthcare partners around the world.

 

Countering Cybersecurity Risks

Most health systems have managed to stay ahead of cybersecurity attacks so far during the pandemic. However, it is a matter of time before cybercriminals swoop in to take advantage of heightened vulnerabilities. Health systems that have seen a doubling of their remote workforce have had to enable staff with remote connectivity devices to connect to enterprise IT systems seamlessly, with minimal data flow between devices in and outside firewalls. 

The right technology, used at the right time, can be transformational for healthcare. Integrated correctly within the patient journey, it becomes a vital tool that supports clinicians, not hinders them, and contributes to a much-improved experience for patients.

The right technology, used at the right time, facilitates long-term change and creates an eco-system of integrated solutions that work as one to manage patient flow; think everything from a patient checking-in for their appointment on their smartphone, to clinicians booking follow-up appointments using electronic outcome forms.

“While the world’s leading researchers race to uncover a vaccine, governments realize that the key to recovery is an increase in COVID-19 testing. The ability to test, track contacts, and quarantine those infected hinges on the ability to test large numbers of the population. As the healthcare community in the Middle East continues to shift with these changing priorities, we will continue to support them with Rapid Response healthcare solutions that allow secure connectivity. Whether they are planning for pop-up testing, a triage tent, or a makeshift hospital in a stadium to prepare for a surge in patients, Aruba will be there to help,” concludes Jacob.

To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com

telehealth

Starkey MEA expands hearing telehealth solution on Google Cloud in response to COVID-19 crisis

Posted on | by Kathryn Hall

Action provides stronger telehealth technology to benefit
hearing providers and their patients

As the world continues to address the challenges presented
by the COVID-19 pandemic, one trend emerging across industries is the rapid
acceleration and adoption of services enabled by cloud technologies. The hearing
industry is among those increasingly using telehealth technologies to respond
to the changing needs of our consumers. Recently, Starkey worked with Google
Cloud to launch the expansion of Hearing Care Anywhere. This cloud-based
approach allows hearing healthcare providers to now meet the needs of all
patients across all technology tiers of Starkey’s groundbreaking Livio hearing
aids without the need for an in-office visit.

Giscard Bechara, Director, Starkey MEA FZCO, Dubai, UAE
stated that, “Close to 16 million people in the Middle East suffer from
disabling hearing loss. The newest generation of this remote programming
capability for hearing healthcare practitioners means that more patients
worldwide who use Starkey’s Thrive mobile app will be able to receive care from
their homes. This gives hearing professionals the ability to continue their
care with patients who remain at home during the current public health crisis,”

Starkey connects hearing providers and their patients using
a number of Google Cloud products. When a patient makes a remote programming
request from the Thrive Hearing Control App on their smartphone, the request,
along with a snapshot of the settings from their hearing aids, are uploaded to
Google Cloud Storage and Firestore. From the Hearing Care Anywhere dashboard,
the hearing provider can then manage and service the patient’s request,
uploading the modifications through Google Cloud Functions. The uploaded
modifications are then run through algorithms hosted on App Engine to prepare
them for the patient’s review in Thrive.

“In a public health emergency, hearing is critical,” said
Archelle Georgiou, M.D., Starkey’s Chief Health Officer. “Consider how much
important information is being shared in the news and in public service messages.
It can be difficult for any of us to keep up. Imagine how vulnerable those with
hearing loss are feeling.”

“The safety of providers and patients is of the utmost
importance,” said Starkey’s Chief Innovation Officer Dave Fabry, Ph.D. “Hearing
during this time is critical, but so is practicing social distancing. We
believe patients should not have to choose.”

“We are proud of our work with Google Cloud and our ongoing
dedication to staying on the cutting-edge of hearing technology,” said
Starkey’s Chief Technology Officer Achin Bhowmik, Ph.D. “While the immediate
benefits of this partnership pertain to Hearing Care Anywhere and telehealth
during the COVID-19 crisis, the long-term significance of providing secure and
robust cloud solutions will revolutionize hearing aid outcomes by leveraging
the combined benefits of artificial intelligence and human professional expertise.”

“Our focus at Google Cloud right now is helping healthcare providers, medical device makers, and other companies navigate through the impact of COVID-19, while at the same time providing a technology foundation for the future,” said Philip Moyer, Vice President of Industry Sales at Google Cloud. “We’re excited to partner with Starkey to bring game-changing benefits to hearing healthcare providers and their patients around the world.”

website: https://www.starkeymea.com/

sky

Sky News Arabia Helps People Get Responses To COVID-19 Queries On New Interactive Facebook Live News Show ‘Corona Question And Answer’

Posted on | by root

Sky News Arabia has announced the launch of a new daily interactive Live news show, dedicated to examining the facts surrounding the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The new interactive show is the result of a partnership between Sky News Arabia and Facebook, which enables audiences to submit questions on Sky News Arabia’s Facebook and Instagram Live streams so that expert guests can address the questions with credible and accurate information in real-time.

‘Corona Question and Answer’ aired its first episode yesterday and is scheduled daily at 7 p.m. UAE Time and 3 pm GMT.

Youssef Tsouri, Head of News at Sky News Arabia, said, “With the wealth of misleading rumors and fake news that continues to circulate, Sky News Arabia felt compelled to bring its audiences a transparent, fact checked program that centers on today’s most important topic, the Coronavirus. We have partnered with Facebook to use the social media giant’s technology to live stream the hour-long evening show and answer viewers’ daily questions and concerns.”

‘Corona Question and Answer’ is Sky News Arabia’s second program to be live streamed on Facebook and demonstrates the strong partnership and synergy between the two brands. Sky News Arabia has always ensured that audiences have access to the latest facts and news from around the world, and Facebook helps connect people and provides a platform for users to express their thoughts.

Mohamed Omar, News Partnerships Manager, Middle East and North Africa at Facebook, said: “As the COVID-19 outbreak escalates, we’re focused on making sure everyone can access credible and accurate information through our platforms. We’re working closely with news partners across the Middle East region, as part of our global efforts, to ensure they’re using the power of our platforms to connect with people, understand their biggest concerns, and share timely, relevant and accurate information to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

During the one-hour live episodes, there will be a CrowdTangle Live Display, with real-time streams of COVID-19-related posts from public Pages and accounts. Earlier this week, Facebook launched a CrowdTangle Live Display Hub that consists of over 100 COVID-19 Live Displays; each Live Display features post streams sorted by relevant keywords and public accounts to each region. This includes content from local media organizations, regional World Health Organization Pages, government agencies, local politicians, in more than 50 countries. These Live Displays will also track 10 countries in the MENA region including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE, Lebanon and Iraq. Built within the Live Displays and unique to the MENA region is The Hope Feed – a dedicated Live Display, customised to showcase real-time streams of positive COVID-19-related posts from public pages and accounts on Facebook.

To ensure that SNA addresses as many questions as possible, the show’s followers can post their questions on the Instagram and Facebook group called ‘Facebook COVID-19 Group’, as well as Sky News Arabia’s dedicated Coronavirus Facebook group (SNACovid19).

HUAWEI

The Wait Is Over; HUAWEI MateBook D Series Pre-Booking in Saudi Arabia Is ready to kick off

Posted on | by root

With The Smart Connectivity, Fingerprint Login, and Huawei Share; Every Ground-Breaking Innovation Was Conceived to Bring You Better Experience.

 Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia Company announced the kick-off the pre-booking phase for their innovative HUAWEI MateBook D Series which is now open. 

The new Huawei laptop series introduces a revolutionary cross-platform experience that allows users to seamlessly work with multiple devices through a single pane of glass.

 

Huawei Share

The latest HUAWEI MateBook D Series comes with a range of new features including support for Huawei Share Equipped with a full array of smart capabilities, the HUAWEI MateBook D Series stands as a powerful companion to today’s tech-savvy youth. The new Huawei Share feature allow users to project their smartphone display to a PC and control both devices simultaneously. Once the connection is established, users may drag and drop files across the systems to seamlessly transfer files and operate mobile apps directly on the PC – including editing documents.

 

Slim and Portable

The HUAWEI MateBook D Series is designed for young consumers. Its aesthetics reflect the characteristics of its target audience, the curvy, streamlined design endows it with a stylish and unique aesthetic identity. Compared to the rounded design of its predecessors, the new HUAWEI MateBook D Series has a bolder and sleeker design. The enhancements made to the small details – such as the thinner bezels and recessed camera – allow Huawei to further shrink the form factor of the laptops, further improving their portability.

Packing a FullView Display into an Ultra-slim laptop is difficult. Starting from the development of the first generation of HUAWEI MateBook, Huawei’s R&D team has been trying to solve the dilemma between size and weight. With size comes a better viewing experience, but often it comes at an expense of portability. 

 

Fingerprint Power Button

HUAWEI MateBook is the first Windows PC to feature a fingerprint sensor for user login. It is equipped with the fingerprint scanner. It is integrated into the power button, so users can power on their device while simultaneously having their identity authenticated. This means users don’t have to scan their fingerprint or input their password at the login screen to unlock their device. Using this scanner, users can get to Desktop immediately. The fingerprint scanner in HUAWEI MateBook D supports sensitivity much greater than the average. The scanner improves recognition consistency with use – the more it is used, the more consistent it becomes.

 

Availability and price:

The HUAWEI Matebook D Series is available for pre-order starting from February 6th till the 13th  of February 2020 at the price of 2,499 SAR  for the HUAWEI MateBook D 14 and 2,699 SAR for HUAWEI MateBook D 15 with valuable gifts (limited quantity) including HUAWEI WATCH GT,  12000mAh 40W SuperCharge Power Bank, HUAWEI Bluetooth Mouse and HUAWEI Backpack (during the pre-order period only) at the Huawei Flagship Store in Riyadh Park, Huawei E-shop, and several authorized retailers in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Launches Third Round Of National Renewable Energy Program

Posted on | by root

Saudi Arabia has launched the third round of its national program to build up solar power generation capacity in the Kingdom.

The Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) of the Ministry of Energy has issued the request for qualifications (RFQ) for Round Three of the Kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said on Thursday.

The new phase comprises of four solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a combined generation capacity of 1,200 megawatts (MW). The RFQ window for round three closes on February 6, 2020.

The statement said the third round would be divided into two categories – Category A targets smaller companies, and includes the 80 MW Layla and the 120 MW Wadi Al Dawaser solar PV projects while Category B includes the 300 MW Saad and 700 MW Ar Rass solar PV projects.

Projects within round three will carry a minimum requirement of 17 percent local content in order to increase the value-added contribution of products and services in the national economy, the statement quoted REPDO head Faisal Alyemni as saying.

In 2017, REPDO had tendered the first round which included the 300 MW Sakaka solar PV and the 400 MW Dumat Al Jandal wind power projects.

In July 2019, REPDO launched Round Two of the NREP which comprised of six solar PV projects totaling 1,470 MW. The deadline for receiving proposals is 20 January for Round Two projects and 3 February for Categories B and A.

FRV

FRV To Develop Energy Storage Projects Globally

Posted on | by root

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy and a leading global developer of renewable energy projects, has announced its first battery project as a part of  its long-term investment plan to develop energy storage projects globally.

The plan includes long-term investments in battery energy storage projects that play a central role in the market, supporting the increasing penetration of renewables in the global energy mix.

FRV’s first battery energy storage project is located at Holes Bay, in Dorset, United Kingdom, in collaboration with the British developer Harmony Energy, which builds, owns and operates renewable energy assets across the UK.

The Holes Bay project will be comprised of lithium-ion batteries with a combined capacity of 15 MWh, connected to the Southern Electric Power distribution network, with the capability to store energy and provide flexibility to the grid.

Holes Bay will be a first-of-a-kind development in the UK and Europe, utilising cutting-edge control and storage technologies. Construction will start in January 2020, with commissioning expected within three months, for what will be one of the largest battery energy storage systems in the South of England.

Harmony Energy, with the backing of FRV, has also conditionally pre-qualified 300 MW of new battery energy storage systems in the UK Capacity Market, with this pre-qualified capacity making up 16% of the total 1.8 GW battery energy capacity. The UK has been a pioneer in deploying these systems in a competitive and open market, creating perfect conditions for integrators, developers and investors to embrace the benefits of incorporating these clean technologies into the energy mix. FRV believes investing in low-carbon initiatives in the United Kingdom is essential to support the Country´s ambitious 2030/50 decarbonisation targets and believes battery energy storage will provide the capacity and flexibility National Grid needs.

Felipe Hernandez, Managing Director Engineering and Asset Management of FRV, notes: “FRV is already collaborating with governments, regulators, and partners around the world to lay the foundations for a new energy model. Energy storage plays a central and critical role to fully realise the power of renewable energy, and FRV acknowledges the value of this technology as a key element to achieve a decarbonised society.”

“The Holes Bay project will be the first in a strategic energy storage pipeline to be launched both globally and within the UK. We are pleased to join efforts together with Harmony Energy, demonstrating the economic and technical feasibility of the battery energy storage system.”

Peter Kavanagh, CEO of Harmony Energy, said “This is a hugely significant project for Harmony, because it is the first in a large pipeline of utility-scale battery storage plants in the UK, and we’re looking forward to working with FRV to bring Holes Bay forward in the new year”.

“Wind and solar projects remain key but battery storage is the missing link in the UK’s renewable energy strategy, both in terms of controlling grid frequency and providing backup during periods of peak demand and supply. We have over 500 MW of battery energy storage assets construction-ready and with the backing of FRV, we have also pre-qualified 300 MW of new battery energy storage systems into the UK’s Capacity Market. It’s a critical time for battery energy storage in the UK and we are pleased to be at the forefront of development.”

Fady Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman, Abdul Latif Jameel International, further commented: “Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, through our pioneering renewables operation FRV, continues to advance a sustainable energy future through innovation and strategic partnerships, progressing the economic viability of renewables and eventually arresting the impacts of climate change. We are proud to partner with Harmony Energy and be part of the ground-breaking development of the UK’s strategic sustainable energy programme.”

greenpack

GreenPack Empowers Innovative Mobility Projects In Kenya

Posted on | by root

• GreenPack delivers 50 battery packs to Kenya
• GreenPack battery provides offroad e-cargobike with energy
• E-bikes are used, among other things, for transporting clean drinking water

Providing green energy for everyone as needed – this GreenPack leitmotif is currently being implemented not only at more and more sites in Germany, but also at Lake Victoria in Kenya. This is where the high-performance standardised rechargeable battery of the Berlin-based GreenTech company is used as part of the Siemens Foundation’s WeTu project.

In addition to the “WeWater” and “WePower” business units, which stand for clean drinking water and sustainable energy solutions, the “WeMobility” division has set itself the goal of introducing innovative electromobility solutions in the region. With solar energy, sharing economy approaches and local production, the infrastructure will be expanded and will enable added value to be created locally.

The GreenPack battery supplies all-terrain cargobikes in the WeMobility project area. The oversized e-cargobikes of the Berlin start-up Anywhere.berlin have electric motors and extra-wide tires to reliably transport loads of up to 160 kilograms, even beyond paved roads. The e-cargobikes are used, for example, for the transport of drinking water, which is obtained as part of the WeTu project area WeWater using modern filter systems in Mbita and other locations on the shores of Lake Victoria – an important contribution, because in the region, only 35 percent of people have access to clean drinking water.

Kenya

Electric vehicles and electromobile applications are very well suited for use in rural areas of East Africa and represent an environmentally friendly alternative to existing means of transport – especially against the background that due to the favourable climatic conditions, an energy-autonomous charging infrastructure can be built and operated.

The standardised, exchangeable GreenPack battery in conjunction with a solar charging infrastructure enables efficient and sustainable use. In total, the Berlin start-up has sent 50 batteries to the WeTu locations on Lake Victoria.

“We are proud to support this Siemens Foundation project with our replaceable batteries, thereby helping to promote environmentally friendly mobility, affordable transportation and local production, as well as creating sustainable jobs at Lake Victoria,” said Tobias Breyer, CMO of GreenPack.

“Electromobility makes sense not only in Europe, but especially in rural regions in Africa. We chose the GreenPack battery as part of the WeMobility project because of its high performance, ease of use and easy changeability, enabling it to build an efficient mobility system based on rental batteries,” explains Marah Köberle, Project Manager of E Mobility at the Siemens Foundation.

Africa tech

Seedstars Summit Africa to build the future of entrepreneurship with the most promising early stage

Posted on | by root

Announced in August as one of the leading regional startup events of the season, the Seedstars Summit Africa will gather the region’s top startups, investors, industry leaders, and innovative partners from over 25 countries, to foster change and sustainable growth in the region.

Seedstars, the leading emerging market startup community and investor, is launching the 5th Seedstars Summit Africa in Johannesburg on December 3rd to 5th. Concluding the 2019 Seedstars World Competition for the African region, the Summit will showcase more than 23 of the most promising startups from Africa who will pitch in front of investors and industry experts. The event is supported by Microsoft, DOEN, The German Cooperation and GIZ, The African Development Bank and the Swiss Embassy amongst others.

The event will take place at The Fox Junction and gather over 300 key stakeholders from over 25 countries in a 3-day journey that will conclude with the main stage conference, where the major technology and innovation trends of the region will be showcased and thoughtfully discussed. This year, a particular spotlight will be put on female entrepreneurship.

Traditionally, the Seedstars Summit is divided into three days. On December 3, at Tshimologong Precinct, previous to the main event, the journey will begin with an intensive private growth bootcamp for more than 46 startups. Together with mentors and experts, the participating teams will learn growth strategies, refine their business model and prepare to the pitching session in front of the investors.

It will be followed by the well known Investor Forum of Seedstars on the second day, aimed at connecting startups with regional mentors and over 60 investors. Over the morning of the 4th, more than 25 high-quality experts and founders will partake in themes sessions with panels, including Marcello Schermer (Head of Expansion at Yoco), Clyde Vacher, (founder of Interaction), Ngasuma Kanyeka, (Deputy Chief of Party, Feed the Future Tanzania Advancing Youth) and many more.

In the afternoon, influential Investors as Greentec Capital, the African Business Angel Network or Newton Partners, among others, will meet the founders in 1:1 meetings to potentially invest in the most promising ideas.

To conclude it all, the third and main day (December 5) will welcome all the participants willing to learn the latest tech trends, network and meet inspiring founders and entrepreneurs. Inspiring speakers and expert founders and CEOs of well-known African and international companies will gather, such as Jason Eisen, founder and CEO at Utu, and many more.

In the afternoon, multiple prizes and programs will be highlighted by prestigious partners of the Seedstars World Tour Africa:

• DOEN Land Restoration Prize, rewarding the best tech(-enabled) solutions in the land restoration and land degradation space and enabled by the DOEN Foundation (Stichting DOEN)
• The Gender Equality Entrepreneurship Track, focusing on achieving gender balance, enabled by  GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)
• The “AFDB JOB CREATION TRACK”, aiming to find startups “the potential for job creation”, enabled by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab (IEL), created by the African Development Bank under the Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department (AHHD).

The ten most promising ventures will then be selected to participate in the Seedstars Summit 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland and compete for the title of the Seedstars Global Winner. The participating teams will get a chance to pitch their idea on the main stage along with 60+ startups from all over the world and win up to USD 500 000 in equity investments.

To get updates on more event speakers and agenda, please subscribe to the event monthly digest (choose Africa a region of your interest).

According to Anne-Alice Fievet, Seedstars Summit Africa Manager, “The Seedstars Summit Africa is not just an event. It’s the completion of six months of intense work and travel in more than 25+ countries of the continent, to meet the people who are building the future of Africa today. So almost every person you’ll meet at the event was personally invited to the Summit by one of our team members on the ground, because she or he is making a difference in her/his community, either as an entrepreneur or a strong believer and supporter of the local ecosystem.”

4C

4C Sets Up Marketing Consultancy Practice to Give Middle East Marketeers a Decisive Digital Edge

Posted on | by root

The company has appointed Salesforce veteran, Ali Saeed to lead the new division as Marketing Cloud Practice Lead for the Middle East and North Africa.

Digitalization is undoubtably a key trend in the Middle East as is evidenced by the fact that today, internet penetration in the region stands at 67.2%, compared to the global average of just 56.6%. Recognizing that this high degree of connectivity is changing consumer behaviours and placing new digital marketing demands on regional businesses, 4C, the customer-obsessed digital transformation consultancy, today announced the establishment of a dedicated Marketing Consultancy practice. The new division will be headed by Ali Saeed who joins 4C as Marketing Cloud Practice Lead for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Ali will be responsible for building the high performing professional services unit, specialized in delivering a range of marketing automation services. He will report directly to Jake Callaway, Managing Director, MENA at 4C who said, “There is a monumental shift in market dynamics in recent years, influenced largely by ease of access to digital services and smart devices. Whether it’s in the B2C or B2B space, hyper-personalized customer experiences are taking precedence. Backed by the benefit of having a well-established Marketing Cloud practice in the United Kingdom, 4C is ready to replicate this successful model and deliver an incredibly valuable and relevant offering to our Middle East customers.”

While 4C’s digital marketing consultancy services can help organizations across all verticals deliver next-level customer experiences, Ali and his team intend to initially focus on the travel, hospitality, entertainment, retail, automotive, energy, and financial sectors. As the largest independent Salesforce Platinum Partner in EMEA, 4C’s new practice will extensively leverage the Salesforce Marketing Cloud platform to enable businesses to deliver relevant, personalized journeys for their customers across channels and devices – enabling marketers to deliver the right messages to the right people via the right channel.

Ali said, “Digital marketing in the Middle East is still in its nascent stages but this is changing rapidly – driven not by businesses but rather by consumer preferences. There is a tremendous first-mover advantage for those businesses that adapt their marketing models to successfully engage the new breed of tech-savvy, digital-first customers.

“The Salesforce Marketing Cloud is the ideal platform to empower this evolution, and as the clear regional expert in this domain, 4C is ready to be the long-term partner in helping businesses efficiently and effectively navigate this transformation.”

Ali has over 12 years of experience in the Digital Marketing industry. Prior to joining 4C, he spent eight years working with Salesforce in London as a Marketing Cloud Solutions Architect & Solution Engineer. Ali has delivered successful Marketing Cloud projects for companies such as Ticketmaster, Sony PlayStation and other leading brands in the aviation, retail and software sectors. Most recently, he led the successful implementation of the Marketing Cloud platform for the iconic Atlantis, The Palm Resort in Dubai.

Pictured: Ali Saeed, the newly appointed Marketing Cloud Practice Lead, MENA at 4C.

Mindware

Mindware launches Microsoft Azure Marketplace: A seamless partner experience enabling their journey

Posted on | by root

Mindware, one of the leading Value Added Distributors (VAD’s) in the Middle East and Africa, announced the launch of its new cloud Marketplace today. Offering superior transactional experience to the channel community as well as a wide variety of cloud solutions and services, the Mindware Marketplace will increase cloud adoption for partners and their customers.

The new Marketplace which is hosted on Microsoft Azure, will, in addition to making cloud services purchase easy and intuitive, offer Mindware’s regional partners the ability to set up and manage their own “white labeled storefront”, thereby offering cloud solutions directly to end-customers.

Vijay Kumar, CTO and cloud Director at Mindware said, “There has been an acceleration in cloud adoption in the region as a result of major cloud service providers such as Microsoft establishing physical data centers in the Middle East.

“Organizations are more comfortable with consuming these services now that data sovereignty and security matters are no longer a concern. As a leading regional distributor and in line with our ‘partner experience first’ philosophy, we realized the need to offer a feature-rich platform to enable our partners to develop their capabilities and offerings and to take their business to the next level.”

“We’re transforming the way our partners define their growth, and we’re helping them drive digital transformation in their customers’ businesses. Mindware is a great example of how partners are differentiating themselves today and recognizing the changing digital technology to solve problems utilizing cloud computing.There is a huge opportunity around cloud migration and together with our partners, our goal is to help our customers find the right solution at the right time,” said Karim Hanafy, Microsoft Area Services Partners Lead, One Commercial Partner – Middle East & Africa.

The new marketplace, which can be custom-branded by partners, has several new and enhanced capabilities including a robust and customizable billing engine, which allows partners to easily automate ordering and billing the entire Microsoft portfolio including Office 365, Microsoft Azure and Microsoft ESD. Partners can monitor and control their customers’ Microsoft Azure consumption with automated provisioning of cloud services and utilization-based billing.

The Marketplace will allow partners to deliver hosted Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings via the platform. The interface is intuitive and helps partners to place orders faster and it offers recommendations when products are being purchased to provide an optimized solution.

Mindware has more than 2 decades of product, technical and licensing expertise as an Authorised Microsoft Distributor and collaborates with qualified cloud consultants throughout the region.