October 24, 2023

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Announces Innovative Clinical Pharmacogenomics

Enhances Drug Effectiveness and Patient Safety

Genomic building – KFSH&RC

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) is proud to announce the launch of the inaugural phase of its clinical pharmacogenomics service within its Heart Center. This pioneering service leverages the patient’s DNA to tailor drug dosages and selections, heralding a new era in healthcare that prioritizes personalized treatment for each individual. This groundbreaking approach is poised to enhance treatment outcomes and reduce potential harm.

KFSH&RC’s experts have said that this analysis empowers physicians to prescribe medications customized to each patient, factoring in their unique health conditions and genetic traits. Patients’ responses to pharmaceuticals can significantly differ based on their genetic profiles. As a result, what proves effective for one patient may have minimal impact in another. It is worth noting that statistics reveal that 15% of hospital admissions stem from adverse drug reactions, imposing substantial financial and human burdens on healthcare systems across the globe.

This innovative service is a collaborative endeavor between the Centre for Genomic Medicine, Healthcare Information Technology Affairs, and the Pharmaceutical Care Department at KFSH&RC. In its initial phase, this service encompasses six of the most frequently prescribed medications, as determined by hospital data, whose efficacy is known to be influenced by genetic variations.

KFSH&RC has made it clear that it remains committed to expanding the scope of this service progressively, encompassing all hospital departments. This expansion underscores the hospital’s unwavering dedication to providing personalized healthcare to every patient, ensuring the utmost level of safety, and minimizing harm, while adhering to the latest globally endorsed scientific practices.

At the Global Health Exhibition held in Riyadh from October 29th to 31st, where KFSH&RC plays a vital role as a strategic health partner, the hospital is set to unveil the innovative service that promises to advance healthcare outcomes in the region.

KFSH&RC stated that it is moving to gradually expand the scope of application of the service to include all medical specialties as part of its commitment to providing personalized health care for each patient at the highest level of safety and prevention of harm and to harness the latest scientifically proven practices around the world.

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center is considered among the most prominent in the world in providing specialized health care, a pioneer in innovation, and an advanced medical research and education center. It also seeks to develop medical technologies and raise health care worldwide in partnership with prominent local, regional and international institutions. To achieve world-class service in the clinical, research, and educational fields.

Contact information:

kfshrc@mcsaatchi.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e826983-52ae-4fe5-8579-0cbdfcca9d1c

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8964787

October 24, 2023

Hitachi Energy passes 150 GW in HVDC links integrated into the power system, expands capacity to meet accelerating energy transition demand

• $3 billion investment globally, in manufacturing and engineering footprint, R&D and partnerships • Workforce expansion with more than 8,000 people hired • 150 GW of HVDC links integrated into the power system by Hitachi Energy

Zurich, Switzerland, Oct. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, announced today that it has enabled more than 150-gigawatts (GW) of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) links around the world integrated into the power system – sufficient to meet the peak power demand for Japan. The announcement follows the delivery of the first power from Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind development, via the UK’s first-time use of HVDC technology on a wind farm.

The company has consistently expanded its capacity to meet accelerating demand driven by the clean energy transition. Since 2020, when Hitachi began its strategic investment, Hitachi Energy has increased its workforce by more than 8,000. Within the same period, the company also invested $3 billion in manufacturing and engineering footprint, and Research & Development (R&D), expanding collaboration and driving the company to become the strategic partner throughout the customers’ entire lifecycle.

“Electricity will be the backbone of the entire energy system and will help to drive the clean energy transition. Today’s announcement shows how we are enabling our customers to accelerate the development of the power grids that energy system requires,” said Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy.

The continuing investments are in line with the Hitachi Energy 2030 Plan and Hitachi’s Mid-term Management Plan 2024.

Investments in the three focus areas of Hitachi Energy 2030 Plan:

1. Continuously strengthening the power grid core business
The company has invested heavily in expanding capacity and new hires across the globe in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, North and South America, and Asia Pacific. Examples from this year alone are the power quality factory and the global technology and innovation center in India, and the transformer factory in China. In addition, it has recently invested in Sweden, Switzerland, and the US.

Investments in R&D
Sustainable solutions: EconiQ contains no sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) proven to significantly reduce carbon footprint throughout the entire life cycle. Next-generation power semiconductors like RoadPak for e-Mobility. Digital technologies like Lumada Asset Performance Management and IdentiQ for HVDC and power quality.

2. Doubling efforts on digital and services and expansion at the edge of the energy system
Digitalization and Service: The new generation of Lumada Asset Performance Management software solution features advantages of Artificial Intelligence; the acquisition of majority stake in eks Energy, a power conversion technology provider to enhance storage and flexibility at the edge of the energy system.

3. Innovation, synergies, partnerships, and M&A to accelerate growth
Increasingly strong collaborations have led to new business models, framework agreements for capacity reservation, and global standards, allowing for better planning to meet demands. Some key projects enabled by the company’s technologies are Champlain Hudson Power Express, TenneT’s 2GW Program, and Project Lightning, a first-of-its-kind subsea power transmission project.

The IEA report, “Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions” states that grid investment needs to nearly double by 2030 to over $600 billion per year after stagnation at the global level, and building out of grids requires a secure supply chain and a skilled workforce.

Rapid electrification of transport, buildings, and industries is increasing the demand for secure, sustainable, and flexible electricity globally. The company is committed to continuously strengthening its business toward the forecast of the 2050 energy system; where it sees an installed global power generation capacity of four times today and a transfer of electrical energy, which is three times compared to what it is today.

“Since we started the journey with Hitachi in July 2020, we have been able to accelerate our growth and expansion, also leveraging synergies across Hitachi Group,” Facchin added. “With more than a century of energy expertise, combined with digitalization as an enabler, we can scale at pace and provide innovative services and solutions to our customers. As Hitachi, we have a unique position across IT, OT and product capabilities to support our customers throughout the entire lifecycle.”

About Hitachi Energy Ltd.

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of over $10 billion USD.
https://www.hitachienergy.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy
https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.

Attachments

Jocelyn Chang
Hitachi Energy
media.relations@hitachienergy.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8964623

October 24, 2023

Hitachi Energy acquires eks Energy

Strategic acquisition adds advanced power electronics and energy management software capabilities to meet accelerated, global demand for battery energy storage solutions

Zurich, Switzerland, Oct. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, announced today that it has acquired a controlling stake of eks Energy, a leading supplier of power electronics and energy management solutions for storage and renewables integration, based in Seville, Spain, from Powin LLC (Powin), a top global energy storage system provider. The investment also marks the establishment of a strategic partnership with Powin, who maintains a significant ownership stake in eks Energy.

As the world transitions to more renewable energy sources, the global demand for battery energy storage systems (BESS) continues to surge and is expected to grow more than 20 percent per year through 2030¹. By combining eks Energy’s power electronics and advanced control capabilities with its own highly complementary automation, software, and system integration offerings, Hitachi Energy fortifies its position as a leading-edge technology provider to the renewables and BESS market. With the strategic partnership, Hitachi Energy and Powin aim to apply the strength of the two firms to develop power conversion products specifically designed for the next generation of energy storage systems.

“Hitachi Energy has been an innovative force in the BESS and microgrid space for more than 30 years, and this strategic acquisition demonstrates our continued commitment to deliver the most advanced and proven solutions for our customers,” said Massimo Danieli, Managing Director for the Hitachi Energy Grid Automation Business Unit. “The market, including leading BESS system integrators, has made it clear that it needs and wants energy solutions powered by best-in-class power electronics integrated with control and digital capabilities. New applications and use cases are emerging every day, driven by the ever-increasing need for integration of renewable resources in the grid and electrification at the grid edge. eks Energy has an impressive product deployment footprint in North America and Europe, and under Powin has further extended their global reach. With this significant addition to our portfolio, Hitachi Energy is ready to address the demands of the fast-growing global BESS market with speed and scale.”

“This strategic investment marks a significant milestone in the energy storage industry, as it paves the way for Hitachi, Powin and eks Energy to align their strengths in exploring new opportunities on a global scale as well as an ability to better serve new and existing customers,” said Jeff Waters, CEO of Powin. “We are proud of what we have already developed with eks Energy, including one of the world’s largest battery projects in history, the Waratah Super Battery (WSB) where eks Energy’s unrivaled power conversion systems are able to meet the Australian grid operators’ high standards of performance. We look forward to continuing to work with eks Energy and Hitachi Energy to bring more projects like WSB to the world.”

The addition of eks Energy to the Hitachi Energy portfolio demonstrates accelerated traction on the company’s 2030 strategic growth plan. Hitachi Energy is continuously strengthening its power grids core business while advancing the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure. This acquisition increases our core capabilities at the edge of the grid including digital, power electronics and services, toward the larger goal of advancing a sustainable energy future for all.

Nomura Greentech acted as exclusive financial advisor and Shearman & Sterling acted as legal advisor to Hitachi Energy.

Footnotes
¹From BNEF 1H 2023 Energy Storage Market Outlook

About Hitachi Energy Ltd.
Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of over $10 billion USD.
https://www.hitachienergy.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy
https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy

About Powin
At Powin, we are advancing the next frontier of energy and changing the way we power our daily lives by ensuring access to clean, resilient, and affordable power. As a global energy platform provider, we offer fully integrated battery storage solutions, software, and services to optimize grid performance and enable the transition to cleaner energy sources. To date, Powin has deployed over 3,200 MWh of battery systems worldwide with 11,900 MWh under construction. To learn more, please visit www.powin.com

Attachment

Hitachi Energy acquires eks Energy

Jocelyn Chang
Hitachi Energy
media.relations@hitachienergy.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8964622

October 24, 2023

Third Round Talks on Rules, Guidelines for First Filling and Annual Operation of GERD Concludes

Addis Ababa, The third round of talks on the Rules and Guidelines for the first filling and annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) ended today, 24th October 2023, in Cairo, Egypt, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the two-day intensive negotiations, the Ethiopian delegation was led by Ambassador Seleshi Bekele, Chief Negotiator while the Egyptian delegation was led by Prof. Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt, and the Sudanese delegation was led by Eng. Dawelbeit Abdelrahman, Acting Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources of the Sudan.

The delegations of the three countries conducted a discussion to find areas of convergence to conclude agreement, the ministry said in a statement , adding that at the conclusion of this round of talks, it was agreed to hold the next round in December 2023, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia remains committed to reaching a win-win outcome based on the cardinal principle of equitable and reasonable utilization of the Nile River.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

October 24, 2023

National Army Day Honors heroes and renews the commitment of ENDF to peace and stability.

Addis Ababa, The 116th National Army Day would honor heroes who have sacrificed their lives to protect their country for centuries, Ethiopian Defense Force Deputy Chief of Staff General Abebaw Tadesse said.

Army Day will be colorfully celebrated on October 26, 2023.

Briefing the media in connection with Army Day, Deputy Chief of General Staff General Abebaw Tadesse said Ethiopia is a country with a long-lived army that has been protecting the country from enemies together with the people.

The main purpose of marking the day is to honor the heroes who have fought enemies for centuries and to renew their oath to protect and pass the country on to the next generation.

He also said that it is a commemoration when the army can prepare for future duties by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the past year and strengthening the responsibility of protecting the country.

“It is a commemoration where we say it is impossible to provoke and harass our country.”

According to him, the day is also a time when we send a message to our people to play their part in protecting the country by being on our side.

Meanwhile, a panel discussion was organized today in connection with Army Day.

At the panel discussion, Defense Intelligence Department Chief General Getachew Gudina said that the defense forces have been struggling to protect the country and ensure peace and security.

According to him, the National Defense Force will continue strengthening its efforts to maintain the country and ensure peace and security in the region.

Ethiopia has built an army that will overcome recurring challenges and carry out its mission with quality and efficiency, as well as better discipline, General Getachew noted.

The national army is a true symbol of the country, and Ethiopia’s military power, population size, relative internal stability, and diplomatic strength have enabled it to position itself as a regional power and to drive regional peace and security initiatives.

Ethiopia has also been able to influence regional security agendas through sub-regional and regional organizations.

Undoubtedly, Ethiopia plays a key role in the security complex of the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia, which is located in a geographically strategic location, also enjoys relative power among the countries in this region.

Regardless of the external and internal problems, Ethiopia’s position is growing from time to time, just as its economic and political potential has developed

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

October 24, 2023

DPM Demeke Launches Next Ethiopian Startup (NEST) Initiative

Addis Ababa, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen has launched Next Ethiopian Startup (NEST) initiative today.

Launching the initiative, Demeke noted that technology is crucial for realizing development ambitions and building strong nation.

NEST is a great opportunity for a country like Ethiopia and its huge population to overcome poverty and be competent at the global level, it was learned.

Accordingly, NEST is a groundbreaking national startup ecosystem development initiative which will be a central element for the startup innovation.

The need for policy and financial support to startups was also stressed during the occasion as they are instrumental to expedite economic development by creating sustainable jobs.

The NEST was launched in collaboration with Ministry of Innovation and Technology and Ministry of Labor and Skills as the objectives of the initiative include building the culture of entrepreneurship, innovation and creating competent startup.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

October 24, 2023

Forage Project Launched in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, A project aimed at establishing commercially viable and sustainable forage markets for dairy producers in Ethiopia was launched today.

Speaking during the launching ceremony, Livestock Development Institute Director-General Asrat Tera said the project focuses on increasing the demand for climate-smart forage among small-scale producers in dairy villages, increasing the supply of nutrient-dense climate-smart forage grown locally, and strengthening the enabling environment for forage market development.

The project will be implemented in six regions of Ethiopia—Oromia, Amhara, Sidama, Central, Southern, and South West Ethiopia—and bring best practices to the other regions, he added.

The Nourishing Prosperity Alliance Forage project in Ethiopia will be implemented in collaboration with various pertinent bodies, including CortevaAgriscience, Forage Genetics International (FGI), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and local partners of the Nourishing Prosperity Alliance (NPA), with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Land O’Lakes Venture 37, it was learned.

According to Asrat, the project directly aligns with the millstone of Yelemat Tirufat, and hence the Ministry of Agriculture renders whatever support is needed to achieve the milestones of the project through its local partner institutions.

Land O’Lakes Venture 37 Group Director, Dai Harvey, said the project will be implemented in the next 5 years.

The Nourishing Prosperity Alliance Forage project is looking at the commercialization of forage in Ethiopia and also in Kenya to improve animal nutrition so as to improve the productivity of animals across East Africa.

The group director pointed out that in Ethiopia’s context, the project will significantly contribute to improving the productivity of the dairy animals with the view to enhancing the amount of milk being produced from existing dairy animals across Ethiopia, starting in high-dairy potential regions of the country

Source: Ethiopian News Agency