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SAS Hackathon winners decode real-world dilemmas with data

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International teams awarded for innovative AI and analytics solutions to humanitarian and business challenges

CARY, N.C., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — SAS, the leader in analytics, today announced the winners of its 2022 SAS Hackathon. From 70 qualifying teams from around the world and 50 business case submissions, SAS recognized 13 teams for innovation using cloud-native SAS® Viya®artificial intelligence, Microsoft Azure and other technology. Tasked with tackling a real-world business or humanitarian problem, the winning teams’ projects ranged from optimizing disaster response to reducing food waste.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8827854-sas-hackathon-2022-winners/

More than 100 judges from diverse backgrounds recognized international winners across eight industries, six technologies and three regions. The awards ceremony was broadcast live on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Unique SAS Hackathon format boosts innovation
Rather than a traditional in-person hackathon that gathers coders for a few days, SAS Hackathon participants collaborated online for a month, enhancing their data science skills under the guidance of a SAS mentor through a variety of industry tracks. Each team had access to a learning portal and the ability to try SAS techniques such as machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, data visualization and IoT on SAS Viya, powered by Microsoft Azure. Participants were encouraged to network while solving real-world issues that affected their communities.

“There’s a stereotype that hackathons are just a bunch of coders hunched over computers tackling fluff challenges for the sake of it — and it isn’t true,” said Einar Halvorsen, Global Hackathon Lead at SAS.

“The end goal of the SAS Hackathon is to bring together sharp minds from many backgrounds to create a commercially viable solution for real-world problems. It’s a learning experience, an incubator and a trial for taking world-changing ideas to market.”

2022 SAS Hackathon Winners by category
Global Industries

Banking: Green Swedbank (Sweden): Record-breaking rain and flooding spurred by climate change battered Sweden last year. Team members from Swedbank and KPMG created a dashboard in SAS Visual Analytics to assess flood risk to properties — and price potential losses — for 100-, 200- and 1,000- year flooding scenarios.Energy: Innova Data Hub (Spain): As the European city with the most deaths linked to traffic emissions, Madrid wants to prioritize green transportation. To improve BiciMAD, Madrid’s bike service, Innova Data Hub from Innova-tsn compiled datasets on bike usage, then used predictive modeling to design an optimization solution that can be implemented in less than six minutes and reduce impossibilities by more than 90 percent.Health and Life Science: The Chart Chasers! (U.S.): While value-based care ties doctors’ paychecks to the efficiency of their care, doctors can be underpaid when mistakes are made in the medical coding process. Team members from InformedHC and Pinnacle Solutions built an automated system to uncover lost revenue for medical providers due to mistakes in the use of the International Classification of Diseases codes.Insurance: LiveEO #2 (Germany/Mixed): Dennis Schmargon, head of business development at LiveEO, used SAS analytics, LiveEO and open-source public and commercial satellite data to create a model that monitors and predicts flooding events, empowering insurers to make informed decisions about risk potential.Public Sector: Jakstat (Indonesia): Team Jakstat from StarCore applied SAS and Python to map and optimize the disbursement of COVID financial aid for the micro-, small and medium-sized businesses that make up 97 percent of Jakarta’s economy.Telecom & Media: Funka (Sweden) To improve the accessibility of web forms for people with and without disabilities, team members from company Funka Nu AB used computer vision, optical character recognition, machine learning, and test automation to create a solution for website owners to evaluate the accessibility of their forms — and apply solutions to any indicated problems — by inputting their site’s URL.Retail: TrendsPro (U.S.): Team TrendsPro from Maypro Group LLC used search engine trend analysis to forecast consumer demand for products to optimize ad campaigns. Their solution allows business owners to allocate inventory, discover the most appropriate advertising channels, and decide how many and what kind of ads to deploy.Mixed/Manufacturing: Notilyze (Netherlands): Notilyze created an insight tool for a food manufacturer that monitors processing and quality control. This allows the food manufacturer to optimize the manufacturing process for maximum profit while reducing energy consumption and food waste.

Technologies

IoT: Oges (Singapore/India): Accurate reservoir modeling is crucial for oil and gas companies to drill effectively, protect personnel and prevent oil spills. Team members from Oges Solutions incorporated SAS Visual Data Mining and Machine Learning and Python Libraries to create a hyper-accurate AI-based oil reservoir model, ready to be incorporated by any oil and gas company.Machine Learning: The Positive Thinking Company (Germany/Belgium): As climate change intensifies, farmers most vulnerable to its impacts can benefit from protective, inexpensive microinsurance. Using SAS Viya and machine learning technology, The Positive Thinking Company analyzed climate risk in various states in India, then built a tool for at-risk farmers to explore how climate change can affect their livelihoods — and how microinsurance can help.Computer Vision: Funka [See above.]Decisioning: Linktera4Insurance (Türkiye): Digitalizing the customer journey in insurance would reduce paper usage and automate workflow and decision making for faster and easier underwriting and claims management. Linktera4Insurance from Link Tera Bilgi Teknolojileri employed SAS Viya on Azure to render complex insurance data into easily navigable dashboards and graphs, and used Neula Low Code Platform to automate workflow.Visual Analytics: Disaster Response AI (Canada): Globally, natural disasters cause more than 15,000 deaths and cost $173 billion per year. On SAS Viya, Team Disaster Response AI from Deloitte built an interactive map visualization rich with disaster insights and predictions to advise the Canadian government on how best to allocate relief funds.Forecasting: Team 4-kasting (Norway): To keep its ranking as the fastest mobile network in the world, Telenor Norway requires enough network capacity to stay speedy without tipping into expensive and unsustainable overcapacity. Team 4-kasting deployed machine learning/visual forecasting to create a system that forecasts expected usage at any given site, potentially saving the telecommunications company millions.Natural Language Processing: The Chart Chasers! [See above.]

Regions

Asia: JakstatEMEA: FunkaAmericas: The Chart Chasers!

SAS Viya on Microsoft Azure key to scalability around the globe
Microsoft — the hackathon’s sponsor — and SAS offer integrated technology that fueled innovation among the international cohort at SAS Hackathon. SAS Hackathon participants implemented SAS Viya on Microsoft Azure’s cloud-native, integrated technology to build insight tools, automated systems and models and more.

Analytics and AI answer real-world problems at SAS Hackathon
“Whether it’s ensuring doctors are paid for the quality of their care, optimizing sustainable transportation, or rendering hyper-accurate AI models for the world’s largest companies, our 2022 Hackathon winners applied SAS, Microsoft and open-source technologies in ways that inspired our judges,” said Peter Lundqvist, Global Hackathon Program Manager.

“Competition is fun, but collaboration and curiosity are what truly power the SAS Hackathon.”

For more information on the winners and what sets the SAS Hackathon apart, please visit sas.com/sas/events/hackathon.html and follow #SAShackathon on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

About SAS
SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2022 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial Contact:
Julia Norton 
julia.norton@sas.com
919-741-7474
sas.com/news

 

 

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TTA and O-RAN ALLIANCE Signed Agreement to Cooperate on Standardization of Open RAN Technology

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WASHINGTON and BONN, Germany, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — TTA and O-RAN ALLIANCE have officially announced the signing of a Cooperation Agreement (CA) that enables the adoption of O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications to TTA standards.

The agreement establishes a collaborative process through which individual O-RAN specifications will be selected and adopted by TTA, strengthening the framework for Open RAN development and deployment in the Republic of Korea. By enabling O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications to be adopted as TTA standards, the agreement provides the basis for accelerated progress in mobile network innovation and supports the creation of a more competitive and diverse telecommunications ecosystem.

This agreement aligns with the shared vision of TTA and the O-RAN ALLIANCE to drive the industry towards the development of more intelligent, open, and virtualized mobile networks that comply with global standards. Both organizations are committed to fostering a robust framework that facilitates the adoption of Open RAN technology, ensuring that mobile networks meet evolving technical and architectural requirements in the future.

“TTA and O-RAN ALLIANCE share a commitment to the advancement of Open RAN and recognize the important role it plays in fostering an ecosystem of trusted vendors capable of delivering cost-effective, high-performance mobile network platforms.” said Seung-Hyun Son, President of TTA. “The Cooperation Agreement we have signed will combine the expertise and influence of both organizations to ensure interoperability in the open RAN market and the deployment of systems based on integrated, standards-based technologies.”

“O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications set the global foundation for open, intelligent, virtualized and interoperable Radio Access Networks, building on common RAN standards,” said Abdurazak Mudesir, Chair of the Board of O-RAN ALLIANCE and Group CTO, Deutsche Telekom. “O-RAN ALLIANCE welcomes TTA’s transposition of O-RAN specifications to TTA standards. As with other national SDO’s, this MoU ensures technical alignment and supports mutual efforts to enable truly open RAN ecosystem.”

About TTA

The Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) is a leading organization in the Republic of Korea dedicated to develop ICT standardization and provide testing and certification services. It plays a key role in setting and promoting high-quality ICT standards that enable the development and adoption of innovative communication technologies, ICT convergence, security, software, broadcasting, radio/wireless communications, 5G/B5G, etc. TTA’s extensive range of services includes testing and certification for software and network systems, ensuring that they meet global industry standards. By supporting international cooperation and developing specialized training programs, TTA contributes to the growth and competitiveness of Korea’s digital and telecommunications industries.

For more information, visit www.tta.or.kr

About O-RAN ALLIANCE

The O-RAN ALLIANCE is a worldwide community of more than 300 mobile operators, vendors, and research & academic institutions operating in the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry. As the RAN is an essential part of any mobile network, the O-RAN ALLIANCE’s mission is to re-shape the industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized and fully interoperable mobile networks. The new O-RAN specifications enable a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem with faster innovation to improve user experience. O-RAN based mobile networks at the same time improve the efficiency of RAN deployments as well as operations by the mobile operators. To achieve this, the O-RAN ALLIANCE publishes new RAN specifications, releases open software for the RAN, and supports its members in integration and testing of their implementations.

For more information, please visit www.o-ran.org.

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SOURCE O-RAN Alliance

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The vegetable greenhouse at the foot of the Turpan Flame Mountain ushered in a new era of electrification

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TURPAN, China, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On November 20, in the 10,000-mu vegetable greenhouse base in Sanbao Township, under Huoshan Mountain, Turpan City, Xinjiang, there was a busy and warm scene. Power supply personnel are shuttling between greenhouses, helping growers to debug electric heaters and other electrical equipment to ensure a stable supply of vegetables this winter. Despite the cold wind, the greenhouses are full of greenery, and growers are busy planting fruits and vegetables such as peppers and bok choy in preparation for the upcoming harvest season.

In recent years, with the in-depth promotion of smart greenhouse technology, the electrification of greenhouses has become a common trend in Turpan. Growers have adopted modern equipment such as electric roller shutters, electric heating equipment, temperature and humidity control devices, which not only improve production efficiency, but also greatly improve the quality of fruits and vegetables.

In view of the concentrated area of greenhouse planting, the State Grid Turfan Power Supply Company carried out a survey on electricity demand in advance and vigorously implemented the upgrading and transformation project of the rural power grid. By upgrading transformers and rural power lines in a timely manner, the power supply company has effectively improved the stability and reliability of power supply. At the same time, the company also regularly carries out door-to-door services to help growers check the hidden dangers of electricity, ensure the stable operation of greenhouse equipment, and protect the growers’ “money bags”.

Turpan City has 24,000 greenhouses, and the planting area of fruits and vegetables reaches 36,000 mu, forming 15 relatively concentrated development areas. In November this year, the planting of off-season fruits and vegetables in winter has been in full swing, and it is expected that they will be available from January to April next year. These products are mainly shipped to Urumqi and other medium-sized cities, becoming a veritable “vegetable basket” in Xinjiang.

Electrification not only brings about productivity gains, but also significant environmental benefits. Traditional coal-fired heating methods not only pollute the environment, but also have potential safety hazards. Electric heating equipment is not only environmentally friendly, but also easy to control, which can accurately adjust the temperature in the greenhouse and provide the best growing environment for fruit and vegetable growth.

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SOURCE State Grid Turfan Power Supply Company

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Special Envoy of Indonesia, Hashim Djojohadikusumo Attracts EUR 1.2 Billion of Green Financing in Electricity Sector at COP29

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Government of Indonesia, represented by the Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, has attracted EUR 1.2 billion in green financing for the power sector from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). This agreement was finalized during the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday (11/13). The funding will be allocated to the development of various green power infrastructures, supporting the nation’s sustainable energy transition.

The partnership was formalized by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between PT PLN (Persero) and KfW. This partnership focuses on developing clean energy projects, specifically Pumped Storage Hydropower Plants and transmission network to connect green power plants.

Hashim Djojohadikusumo emphasized that the government of Indonesia is committed to reducing carbon emissions through energy transition by fostering collaborations at the global level, the shift towards renewable energy is expected to support energy self-sufficiency and drive national economic growth. He affirmed, “We have developed a new strategy over the next five years to achieve a minimum of 8% sustainable economic growth.”

He underscored that the development of clean energy sources is crucial for enhancing Indonesia’s industrial competitiveness. Over the next 15 years, the country targets a 75 percent increase in renewable energy generation capacity, contributing to the planned addition of 100 gigawatts (GW) of electricity capacity. “As a major nation, we are committed to fulfilling our responsibility to protect the future of our environment. We deeply appreciate the established international cooperation, which is a testament of our collective efforts in achieving the Net Zero Emissions (NZE) target,”

Darmawan Prasodjo, President Director of PT PLN (Persero) (“PLN”), expressed the corporation’s firm support towards the government’s initiatives in advancing energy transition. Various collaborations and initiatives have been implemented by PLN to ensure the success of sustainable electricity projects.

He noted that KfW’s involvement in PLN’s green projects is expected to drive more international partners to collaborate, cultivating a synergy of sustainable strategic, technical, and investment collaboration to accelerate global climate action. “This collaboration signifies PLN’s proactive steps in expanding international partnerships to enhance national energy self-sufficiency in line with global climate actions.”

Jürgen Kern, Sustainability Officer of KfW Group, explained that KfW’s support for Indonesia demonstrates Germany’s commitment to international cooperation for green transformation. Furthermore, Jürgen highlighted that PLN is at the center of Indonesia’s energy transition, underscoring the company’s unwavering support to greening the energy sector, while maintaining reliable energy access.

“Therefore, we believe that Indonesia and Germany can continue to strengthen partnership in the energy sector, moreover, in clean energy projects, like renewable energy and transmission. Achieving the NZE target requires robust collaboration and partnership,” he concluded.

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SOURCE PT PLN (Persero)

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