Here is Read Magazine’s Weekly Roundup of the top news from global markets. In this fast paced world, breaking down information helps readers grasp the nuances that follow the news.
In Aerospace News this week…
Space Software Provider Antaris™ Announces Launch Readiness of World’s First Cloud-Built Demonstration Satellite. Antaris, the software platform provider for space, announced that the first-ever satellite fully conceived, designed and manufactured using the company’s end-to-end software is ready for launch. Creation of the satellite, dubbed JANUS-1, involved eight organizations spanning seven countries collaborating virtually through the Antaris cloud-based platform, which features open APIs and core open source elements.
The project was completed in just 10 months from concept to launch readiness with a cost savings of 75% over comparable satellite missions. Based on data captured during the build, Antaris anticipates that future spacecraft missions can be ready for launch in as few as six months.
In Agritech News this week…
Phinest Cannabis Introduces Symbiotic Genetics into the Tissue Culture Roster. Phinest Cannabis, California’s leading cannabis micropropagation nursery and operator of North America’s largest cannabis tissue culture facility announces a new licensing agreement with Symbiotic Genetics. Under the agreement, Phinest nursery is granted a license for two cannabis cultivars, one exclusively, for sale to licensed cultivators and retailers throughout California.
Founded in 2014, Symbiotic Genetics has proven their reputation as a leading California genetics team, introducing strains like Purple Punch 2.0, Mimosa, Banana Punch, and Wedding Crasher to market. Trey Ish, President of Symbiotic Sacramento says, “Symbiotic Genetics is very excited to team up with Phinest, the pioneer of commercial cannabis tissue culture. Our agreement allows for our premium genetics to be delivered as vigorous, disease-free plants to both home and commercial growers throughout California.
In Automotive News this week…
National Carwash Solutions (NCS) Announces Strategic Partnership with Rockyview Industries. National Carwash Solutions, the world’s premier provider of end-to-end car wash solutions, is pleased to announce its strategic partnership with Rockyview Industries. This partnership will expand the premier direct installation and service capacity in North America, powered by NCS.
Jesse Wurth, CEO of National Carwash Solutions stated: “We’re excited for John and his team to join the NCS family. He’s built a great business with a rock-solid reputation in the market. Rockyview exemplifies the level of customer care, disciplined processes, and quality work that will not only bring sustainable growth for NCS but new opportunities to customers in Western Canada. We couldn’t be more honored to welcome the Rockyview Industries team into the NCS family.”
In BFSI sector news this week…
NMI Acquires Agreement Express’s Payments Solutions, Providing More Value for Partners. NMI, a leading full commerce enablement technology company, has acquired the Agreement Express payments solutions, including onboarding, underwriting and risk monitoring capabilities designed for current and emerging leaders in financial services. Together, the pair’s joint offering enables ISV, ISO and fintech partners to sign up and monetize merchants more quickly and easily.
With the addition of Agreement Express’s payments solutions, NMI has expanded its full commerce enablement offering to include world-class underwriting and risk monitoring capabilities that substantially enhance its merchant sign-up offering. This acquisition further strengthens NMI’s vision to enable payments from sign-up to pay-out for its channel partners and merchants.
In Medical Devices news this week…
MicroPort MedBot NaviBot Announces First Clinical Use of Skywalker Surgical Robot. Shanghai MicroPort MedBot (Group) Co., Ltd. announced that on November 22nd, 2022 MicroPort NaviBot International, LLC in recent collaboration with MicroPort Orthopedics has completed the first clinical use of the SkyWalker Robotic System in the United States. Dr. Joseph Kavolus, of Lighthouse Surgical Suites in Hollis, N.H., conducted the successful procedure. Dr. Kavolus specializes in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of orthopedic injuries.
The SkyWalker™ Robotic System provides the surgeon information that can help achieve the desired joint line reconstruction while providing data to optimally balance soft tissues. Combined with MicroPort’s Evolution® Medial-Pivot Knee System, it replicates the natural stability and motion of the knee delivering a functionally restorative design that offers surgeons an innovative solution to problems such as instability, anterior knee pain, and functional limitations.
In Chemicals sector news this week…
Inexpensive Catalysts and Syzygy Plasmonics Photoreactors Open the Door for Broader Hydrogen Adoption. Scientists from Syzygy Plasmonics have engineered a new kind of reactor designed to work with earth-abundant, light-activated catalysts created by a joint team from Rice University’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics, Syzygy Plasmonics, and Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. The reactors use light instead of heat from combustion to power chemical reactions and can produce clean-burning hydrogen fuel from ammonia.
Members from the photocatalyst development team include Syzygy co-founders and Rice professors Naomi Halas and Peter Nordlander, Syzygy co-founder and CTO Suman Khatiwada, and Syzygy Lead Scientist Hossein Robatjazi. All four contributed to a recent publication in the highly prestigious journal of Science detailing the effectiveness of iron-based, earth-abundant photocatalysts. As reported by Rice, the inexpensive copper-iron catalysts tested in their labs maintained efficiency at a scale 500 times larger when tested in a Syzygy photoreactor.
In Energy & Power news this week…
Sion Power Announces Plans to Expand Battery Manufacturing Operations in Tucson, Arizona. Sion Power Corporation, a leading technology developer of next-generation batteries for electric vehicles (EV), announced plans to expand its existing manufacturing operations in Tucson, Arizona. The planned expansion site is the 111,400-square-foot building at 6950 South Country Club Road.
The expansion is expected to be complete by 2026 and create over 150 jobs. New jobs will primarily be engineering, skilled technicians, and other manufacturing-related positions. The overall economic impact of the expansion is $341 million over the next five years. Sion Power’s headquarters will remain in its nearby location at 2900 East Elvira Road, doubling its footprint.
In Food & Beverage news this week…
Ferrero Group to acquire Wells Enterprises, maker of ice cream brands Blue Bunn and Bomb Pop. The Ferrero Group (Ferrero) and Wells Enterprises (Wells) announced an agreement for Ferrero to acquire Wells, its operations and its strong ice cream brands, which include Blue Bunny®, Blue Ribbon Classics®, Bomb Pop® and Halo Top®. The acquisition is part of Ferrero’s strategic growth ambitions for the ice cream category and Wells’ vision for accelerated growth.
Ferrero and Wells are both family companies with extensive confectionery and ice cream experience, quality products, proud heritage and a strong portfolio of well-loved brands.
In Healthcare news this week…
Spine Surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Carlson Implants First of Its Kind Intervertebral Cage for Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion Surgery. spine surgeon Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD, of Orthopaedic & Spine Center, performed the first implant of the Align Peek T/PLIF Intervertebral cage at Mercy Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, Va. The Align Peek is a narrow, bulleted nose intervertebral cage specifically designed by Dr. Carlson with medical engineers from Acuity Surgical (Irving, Texas) for minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery and is the first of its kind in the world.
The surgery was performed on a 39-year-old female patient who had a L5 spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, and left side disc protrusion. She did well during surgery and at the post-operative ten-day mark, the patient met all recovery benchmarks, was off all pain medication and walked with no assistance or assistive devices.
In IT news this week…
PLVision Announces SONiC Core Initiative to Extend Community SONiC for New Markets. PLVision, a custom software product development company focused on open networking systems, announced the launch of its SONiC Core initiative aimed at extending the reach of Community SONiC to drive its adoption in new, demanding markets. PLVision’s initiative will help simplify and speed up SONiC deployments and SONiC-based product development.
SONiC, an open-source network operating system initiated by Microsoft, has proven to be a huge success in hyper-scale data centers, enabling a fast pace of innovation thanks to its powerful ecosystem support of 1,000 members. Offering cost-effectiveness and the ability to avoid vendor lock-in, SONiC is now extending its reach to new markets such as Tier 2 DC, Enterprise and the Edge (5G, Campus, IoT, etc.).