Technology
NASA Astronaut Don Pettit, Crewmates Complete Space Station Expedition
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3 weeks agoon
By

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth Saturday, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station.
The trio departed the space station at 5:57 p.m. EDT aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft before making a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 9:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, Kazakhstan time), southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Pettit also celebrates his 70th birthday on Sunday, April 20.
Spanning 220 days in space, Pettit and his crewmates orbited the Earth 3,520 times, completing a journey of 93.3 million miles. Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner launched and docked to the orbiting laboratory on Sept. 11, 2024.
During his time aboard the space station, Pettit conducted research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitization technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behavior in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions. He also used his surroundings aboard station to conduct unique experiments in his spare time and captivate the public with his photography.
This was Pettit’s fourth spaceflight, where he served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 71 and 72. He has logged 590 days in orbit throughout his career. Ovchinin completed his fourth flight, totaling 595 days, and Vagner has earned an overall total of 416 days in space during two spaceflights.
NASA is following its routine postlanding medical checks, the crew will return to the recovery staging area in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Pettit will then board a NASA plane bound for the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. According to NASA officials at the landing site, Pettit is doing well and in the range of what is expected for him following return to Earth.
For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a strong low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of Artemis in preparation for future astronaut missions to Mars.
Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
https://www.nasa.gov/station
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SOURCE NASA
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Technology
Baylin Announces Financial Results for the First Quarter of 2025
Published
5 minutes agoon
May 7, 2025By

Gross profit increased $0.3 million or 3.6% over Q1 2024 due to improvements in product mix on lower revenues.Gross margin of 42.4%, an increase of 10.1% over Q1 2024.Adjusted EBITDA(2) of $0.7 million, an increase of 47.8% over Q1 2024.
Investor Conference Call on May 8, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET
TORONTO, May 7, 2025 /CNW/ – Baylin Technologies Inc. (TSX: BYL) (OTCQB: BYLTF) (the “Company” or “Baylin”), a diversified global wireless technology company focused on the research, design, development, manufacture, and sale of passive and active radio frequency and satellite communications products, and the provision of supporting services, today announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025. All amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.
FIRST QUARTER SUMMARY
Revenue of $18.9 million in the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of $1.2 million compared to the first quarter of 2024. The decrease was mainly due to softer demand in the Embedded Antenna and Satcom business lines in the first quarter of 2025, offset in part by strong sales volume increase in the Wireless Infrastructure business line compared to the prior year period.Despite the decrease in revenue, gross profit of $8.0 million in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of $0.3 million or 3.6% compared to the first quarter of 2024. The increase was primarily attributable to the Wireless Infrastructure business line which generated stronger revenue and favourable product mix compared to the prior year period.Gross margin of 42.4% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 38.5% in the first quarter of 2024. The higher gross margin in the first quarter of 2025 was due to improved product mix mainly generated by stronger sales of multibeam, small cell and innovative antennas in the Wireless Infrastructure business line.Adjusted EBITDA of $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of $0.2 million compared to the first quarter of 2024. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2025 was mainly due to the increase in gross profit as discussed above.Net loss of $2.0 million in the first quarter of 2025 was largely consistent with the net loss in the first quarter of 2024. The net loss in the first quarter of 2025 was primarily due to an operating loss of $1.1 million plus interest and other finance expenses. On a per share basis, a net loss of $0.01 per share in the first quarter of 2025 compared to a net loss of $0.01 per share in the first quarter of 2024.Net debt(3) of $12.1 million at March 31, 2025, a decrease of $2.2 million from December 31, 2024, mainly resulted from the cash generated by operating activities in the first quarter of 2025.Backlog(4) of $32.5 million at March 31, 2025 compared to $30.2 million at December 31, 2024. The higher level of backlog was primarily due to an increase in new order intake across all business lines during the first quarter of 2025. Backlog was $29.4 million at April 30, 2025.
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The table below discloses selected financial information for the periods indicated.
(in $000’s except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2025
2024
Change
Change
$
$
$
%
Profit and Loss
Revenue
18,866
20,053
(1,187)
(5.9 %)
Gross profit
8,003
7,722
281
3.6 %
Gross margin
42.4 %
38.5 %
3.9 pp
10.1 %
Net loss from continuing operations
(2,042)
(1,972)
(70)
3.5 %
Net loss from discontinued operations
–
(786)
786
(100.0 %)
Net loss
(2,042)
(2,758)
716
(26.0 %)
Basic and diluted net loss per share from continuing operations
($0.01)
($0.01)
$0.00
0.0 %
Basic and diluted net loss per share from discontinued operations
–
($0.01)
$0.01
(100.0 %)
Basic and diluted net loss per share
($0.01)
($0.02)
$0.01
(50.0 %)
EBITDA from continuing operations
(525)
(671)
146
(21.8 %)
EBITDA from discontinued operations
–
281
(281)
(100.0 %)
EBITDA(1)
(525)
(390)
(135)
34.6 %
Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations
680
460
220
47.8 %
Adjusted EBITDA from discontinued operations
–
(43)
43
(100.0 %)
Adjusted EBITDA(2)
680
417
263
63.1 %
As at
As at
As at
As at
March
31, 2025
March
31, 2024
Change
Change
March
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Change
Change
$
$
$
%
$
$
$
%
Balance Sheet and Other
Current assets – Continuing operations
35,072
38,335
(3,263)
(8.5 %)
35,072
37,292
(2,220)
(6.0 %)
Current assets – Assets held for sale
–
9,576
(9,576)
(100.0 %)
–
–
–
N/A
Total current assets
35,072
47,911
(12,839)
(26.8 %)
35,072
37,292
(2,220)
(6.0 %)
Total assets
47,372
63,978
(16,606)
(26.0 %)
47,372
49,166
(1,794)
(3.6 %)
Current liabilities – Continuing operations
44,068
43,291
777
1.8 %
44,068
44,375
(307)
(0.7 %)
Current liabilities – Liabilities related to assets held for sale
–
10,628
(10,628)
(100.0 %)
–
–
–
N/A
Total current liabilities
44,068
53,919
(9,851)
(18.3 %)
44,068
44,375
(307)
(0.7 %)
Total liabilities
57,825
65,943
(8,118)
(12.3 %)
57,825
57,689
136
0.2 %
Net debt(3) from continuing operations
12,096
15,689
(3,593)
(22.9 %)
12,096
14,271
(2,175)
(15.2 %)
Backlog(4) from continuing operations
32,502
30,336
2,166
7.1 %
32,502
30,195
2,307
7.6 %
(1)
See “Non-IFRS Measures”. “EBITDA” refers to net income (loss) plus interest and other finance (income) expense, tax expense (recovery), depreciation, and amortization.
(2)
See “Non-IFRS Measures”. “Adjusted EBITDA” refers to EBITDA adjusted for the impact of certain items, including asset impairment charges, expenses related to mergers and acquisitions, gain or loss on the sale of a business, including related expenses, costs of reorganization of a business, legal costs arising from significant non-operating activities, severance and executive recruitment costs, and share-based compensation.
(3)
See “Non-IFRS Measures”. “Net debt” refers to total bank indebtedness less cash and cash equivalents.
(4)
See “Non-IFRS Measures”. “Backlog” refers to the value of unfulfilled purchase orders placed by customers.
A copy of the Company’s unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and corresponding management’s discussion and analysis (the “MD&A”) are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Products
The Company’s products continue to be used in a wide variety of applications. Wireless Infrastructure’s innovative multibeam antennas continue to deliver value for its customers, particularly major carriers and third-party infrastructure operators. They are uniquely adept at handling high-capacity environments, such as indoor and outdoor stadiums. Satcom received a $0.9 million follow-on order for its high-power amplifiers from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They will use the amplifiers to carry telemetry, tracking and control links for their fleet of geostationary weather observation satellites.
Credit Facilities
The Company and its principal lender have agreed to another short-term extension of the Company’s revolving credit facility from April 30, 2025 to May 30, 2025. The Company had expected to negotiate a longer extension but uncertainty caused by US import tariffs delayed the negotiation process. The Company expects that the current one-month extension will enable it to complete the negotiation of a new credit agreement to extend the revolving credit facility until April 30, 2026.
Litigation Settlement
The Company has settled certain litigation involving two former principals of Alga Microwave Inc. and entities related to them. For further details, see Note 8 to the Company’s Interim Financial Statements.
Share Consolidation
In March 2025, the Board of Directors approved a consolidation (the “Consolidation”) of the Company’s outstanding common shares on the basis of 40 pre-Consolidation common shares for one post-Consolidation common share. The Consolidation is subject to shareholder approval at the Company’s Annual and Special Meeting on May 8, 2025. The Consolidation also requires approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange.
OUTLOOK
The Company has now achieved five consecutive quarters of positive Adjusted EBITDA and has consistently improved gross margins since the first quarter of 2024 other than the fourth quarter of 2024, which was mainly due to soft performance by Satcom. The Wireless Infrastructure business line continued its strong financial performance, again exceeding the plan, by delivering strong results in the first quarter of 2025, with substantial increases in revenue, gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA compared to the prior year period. The Embedded Antenna and Satcom business lines fell below expectations in the first quarter of 2025, which was largely impacted by reduced customer demand as a result of market fluctuations and global economic uncertainty. The macro-economic environment in 2025 remains a concern, principally due to high level of uncertainty concerning the impacts of US tariffs and retaliatory tariffs from the countries subject to US tariffs, changes in customer purchasing behaviour driven by uncertainty over tariffs, as well as the overall level of inflation and interest rates. In addition to their effect on inflation, tariffs could also affect exchange rates and disrupt supply chains on which the Company relies in producing its products. Based on our current assessment, we expect revenue from the Wireless Infrastructure business line will further grow in 2025 but with higher tariff costs resulting in a combined financial performance comparable to 2024, which was a very strong year. The Embedded Antenna and Satcom business lines are currently expected to deliver lower revenue than 2024 due to uncertainty over the effect of tariffs and customer delays. We continue to prioritize product mix, emphasizing products that generate higher margins and gross profit, with a view to growing Adjusted EBITDA and positive cash flows while reducing the overall debt.
Embedded Antenna Business Line
We expect Embedded Antenna will perform at reasonable levels over the remainder of 2025 albeit potentially lower than or in line with 2024 revenue. While the backlog of purchase orders remains at its highest level in the business’ history, order flow through due to uncertainty on tariffs is having an impact on its revenue attainment in the first half of 2025. See “Tariffs” below. The number of active bids for new projects remains at a strong level.
Wireless Infrastructure Business Line
Wireless Infrastructure had a very strong first quarter of 2025 compared to each of the preceding four quarters in 2024. We expect strong sales of its higher margin multibeam and innovative small cell antennas as well as stadium deployments will continue in the remainder of 2025. We are continuing to leverage the competitive advantages that these products afford in order to open up new global opportunities and drive sales with wireless carriers and third-party operators who operate wireless mobile networks for their customers. We are continuing to expand into new markets, particularly with multibeam antenna sales in Europe and Mexico. Although there remains a risk of spending cutbacks by carriers and third-party operators, we expect to see further spending on multibeam and small cell antennas continue in 2025, which will drive higher sales volumes for the business. However, gross margin of the Wireless Infrastructure business line is likely to be adversely affected by the US tariff currently imposed on imports from China. See “Tariffs” below.
Satcom Business Line
Satcom expects to generate lower revenue in 2025 compared to 2024 mainly due to a reduction in demand for its products, particularly its specialized custom engineered products, such as high powered amplifiers for use in military, government, and broadcast applications.
We continue to see softness in the commercial lower power market, but broadcast applications remain solid. Our Genesis and Summit lines of solid-state power amplifiers are generating sales from clients due to the improvements in performance, monitoring and failover they provide over our older technology and products of our competitors. Importantly, these new amplifiers are consistent in architecture, meaning they will allow the business to simplify supply chain requirements over time and thereby improve efficiencies in manufacturing.
We expect to see continued opportunities for military and other government-related uses as many western countries continue to maintain high levels of defence and scientific spending. Conversely, the new US government administration and the Department of Government Efficiency activities may cause some delay in orders due to uncertainty with our customers. Our plan is to retire legacy products and replace them with the new Genesis architecture.
Satcom has taken steps to better align its cost structure to reflect its lower revenue and production volume. In April 2025, it temporarily laid off approximately 30 workers at its facility in Quebec, which will result in savings of approximately $0.2 million per month. Employees will be recalled if and when business conditions improve. Additionally, since the majority of Satcom’s products are made in Quebec, we expect the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (“CUSMA”, also called “USMCA” in the United States) tariff exemption applies to the vast majority, if not all, of the satellite communications products produced there. See “Tariffs” below.
Tariffs
The Company’s business is being significantly affected by uncertainty over the timing, level, duration and extent of US tariffs. Currently, Canadian goods other than those that are compliant with the CUSMA are subject to a 25% tariff, with a lower tariff rate for non-CUSMA compliant energy and potash. On April 2, 2025, the US President announced a sweeping set of new reciprocal tariffs on almost all foreign imports to the US, including some of the US’s major trading partners such as China and Vietnam. As of now, the US has imposed a 145% tariff on imports from China, with some exemptions, and different reciprocal tariff rates on a number of other countries. With the exception of China, a 90-day pause on their tariffs was put into effect by the US.
The Company is proactively taking steps to mitigate the effect of the tariffs across all of its business lines.
The Embedded Antenna business line is not expected to be directly affected by the increase in the China tariff. This has been our experience with the previous US tariffs levied on imports from China starting in 2018. Although Embedded Antenna’s products are manufactured in our facility in China, they are shipped from there to the contract manufacturers elsewhere in Asia for embedding in the final products of those contract manufacturers. There remains a risk that the new tariffs on other Asian countries, if resumed after the 90-day pause, could impact future order volumes for Embedded Antenna’s products as well as result in requests for some price concessions. Additionally, if end customer demand declines due to the inflationary impact of tariffs, the Embedded Antenna business may be indirectly impacted in revenue attainment.
Wireless Infrastructure’s products are also manufactured in our facility in China and are then purchased by Galtronics USA for delivery to customers in various jurisdictions, including the United States. Products shipped into the US enter under a US Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code that subjects them to the 25% tariff on imports of steel and aluminum based on the value of those metals. According to the US Customs and Border Protection’s public information on application of the 25% steel and aluminum tariff, the pre-reciprocal tariff on goods from China of 27.5% continues to apply (but not the increased reciprocal tariff on goods from China). When the steel and aluminum tariff is applied to the value of steel and aluminum of Wireless Infrastructure’s products, the effective tariff rate is approximately 30.5% and not the maximum 145% on imports from China generally. This result has also been evidenced by containers recently cleared through customs by the US Customs and Border Protection. There is a risk that the US Customs and Border Protection will change the basis on which it applies the tariffs to our products. In that case, the higher tariff is expected to result in Wireless Infrastructure incurring a higher cost of sales and thus reduce the gross margin for this business line. We are working with our US customers and taking other appropriate measures to mitigate the effect of the China tariff.
In the case of Satcom, most of its products are produced in Canada, of which a significant proportion – between 40% and 50% annually – is delivered to customers in the United States. Although we believe Satcom’s products are compliant with the CUSMA and therefore are not subject to the 25% Canada tariff, we are assessing other measures to mitigate the effect of the Canada tariff, particularly if this exemption is removed in the future. This may include a change in the structure and operation of Satcom’s business so that its products will remain competitive in the US market. Despite Satcom’s products being compliant with the CUSMA, the uncertainty surrounding the effect of the Canada tariff and other tariffs generally could result in delays or cancellations of existing orders and reduced new orders for Satcom’s products, impacting Satcom’s backlog and its revenue attainment.
There can be no assurance (i) as to the timing, level, duration or extent of the existing or new tariffs or the temporary or permanent nature of them or (ii) that our efforts to mitigate the effect of the tariffs will be sufficient or adequate to counteract (in whole or in part) the potential negative financial or other impacts the tariffs may have on our business, and those impacts may be material.
INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL
Baylin will hold a conference call on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The conference call will be hosted by Leighton Carroll, Chief Executive Officer, and Cliff Gary, Chief Financial Officer. All interested parties are invited to participate using the dial-in details provided below.
Date:
May 8, 2025
Time:
10:00 a.m. (ET)
Dial-in Number:
(+1) 800-836-8184 or (+1) 289-819-1350
Conference ID#:
91567
Rapid Connect:
To instantly join the conference call by phone, please use the following URL to easily register and be connected into the conference call automatically: https://emportal.ink/4daug4h
Webcast:
This call is also on webcast and can be accessed at: https://app.webinar.net/LXAlorRo2n7
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND STATEMENTS
This press release includes forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (together, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact. Rather, forward-looking statements are disclosure regarding conditions, developments, events or financial performance that we expect or anticipate may or will occur in the future including, among other things, information or statements concerning our objectives and strategies to achieve those objectives, statements with respect to management’s beliefs, estimates, intentions and plans, and statements concerning anticipated future circumstances, events, expectations, operations, performance or results. Forward-looking statements can be identified generally by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “should”, “would”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “indicate”, “intend”, “likely”, “may”, “outlook”, “plan”, “potential”, “project”, “seek”, “target”, “trend” or “will” or the negative or other variations of these words or other comparable words or phrases and is intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.
The forward-looking statements in this press release include statements concerning the outlook for our business generally and each of our business lines in particular, including our expectation for future financial performance, the effect of the macroeconomic environment, higher interest rates, timing of and potential impacts from US tariffs and retaliatory tariffs from countries subject to US tariffs, and other disruptions to our business and financial performance. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and estimates made by us in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments, including projected growth in the sales of passive and active radio frequency and satellite communications products, and supporting services, and other factors we believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, but there can be no assurance that such assumptions and estimates will prove to be correct.
Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including the risk factors discussed in the Company’s most recent Annual Information Form, which is available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. All the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors in this press release. There can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Unless required by applicable securities law, the Company does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
NON-IFRS MEASURES
This press release includes a number of measures that are not recognized under International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and as such may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Management believes that these measures provide useful information to analysts, investors and other interested parties regarding the Company’s financial condition and results of operation as they provide additional key metrics of the Company’s performance. While management believes that non-IFRS measures provide useful supplemental information, they are not intended to represent, and should not be considered as alternatives to, net income (loss), cash flows generated by operating, investing or financing activities, or other financial statement data presented in accordance with IFRS. For further information, see “Non-IFRS Measures” on page 3 of the MD&A.
ABOUT BAYLIN
Baylin Technologies Inc. is a diversified global wireless technology company focused on the research, design, development, manufacture, and sale of passive and active radio frequency and satellite communications products, and the provision of supporting services.
SOURCE Baylin Technologies Inc.
Technology
Indoor Air Innovation Leader Madison Air Acquires Research Products Corporation
Published
5 minutes agoon
May 7, 2025By

Research Products Corp, including flagship brand AprilAire, joins Madison Air’s premier platform of indoor air quality companies
CHICAGO, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Madison Industries, one of the world’s largest privately held companies, announced the successful acquisition of Research Products Corporation (RPC), a leader in innovative indoor air solutions for both residential and commercial environments. RPC will become a part of Madison Air’s premier platform of air quality solutions.
Madison Air was established under the visionary leadership of Madison Industries Founder and CEO Larry Gies, with a mission to make the world safer, healthier and more productive. Gies set a clear goal – to build an industry-leading air solutions platform through strategic acquisition and focused growth. Today, Madison Air, led by President and CEO Jill Wyant, has rapidly established and expanded category leadership across the indoor air innovation spectrum, from residential and commercial to high-impact sectors including data centers, advanced manufacturing, education and healthcare.
“As Madison Air expands its market opportunity and scales a portfolio of best-in-class brands, we remain disciplined in our approach to M&A, acquiring only companies that align with our mission and enhance our platform,” said Gies. “RPC stood out for all the right reasons: it has a phenomenal team making a real difference in people’s lives, fills a critical gap in our indoor air quality offering, and strengthens our ability to deliver more value to customers.”
“This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in our company’s journey and opens new avenues for growth and innovation that will benefit our customers and employees,” said Wyant. “RPC has a strong track record of innovation and a stellar reputation for excellence in our industry. Their expertise, offerings, people and entrepreneurial culture will extend our ability to deliver what we call Return on Air™ for our customers – the measurable impact on people and performance that our companies and brands uniquely deliver. We’re excited to welcome RPC and their talented teams to the Madison Air family.”
Since its founding in 1938, RPC has been dedicated to enhancing indoor environments by delivering innovative air quality solutions including humidification, dehumidification, air purification, filtration, ventilation, radon mitigation and integrated indoor air quality control systems. “Madison Air shares our passion for improving indoor air quality and our commitment to delivering industry-leading solutions,” said Dale Philippi, CEO of Research Products Corporation. “By joining the Madison family, we gain greater access to resources and expertise allowing us to strengthen our ability to deliver more healthy air solutions to the markets we serve.”
About Research Products Corporation
Research Products Corporation is a leading provider of residential and commercial solutions for Healthy Air where we live, learn work, and play. Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, RPC has been designing and manufacturing Healthy Air solutions for all types of residential and commercial environments since 1938. RPC brands (AprilAire, driSteem, Anden & RP Filter) have an unparalleled reputation with tens of thousands of professional contractors because RPC’s Healthy Air solutions make a difference in the lives of the millions of people who rely on our products every day. For more information, please visit www.researchproducts.com.
About Madison Air
Madison Air, one of the world’s leading privately held companies, combines the innovation and nimble, responsive service of a startup with the sophistication and scale of a global enterprise. Madison Air’s best-in-class portfolio of innovative brands make the world safer, healthier and more productive through the power of better air. Our purpose is rooted in the belief that whether it’s protecting valuable data or equipment, optimizing crop quality and yield, or improving the productivity, health and retention of your workers, there’s a direct correlation between air and outcomes. Please visit us at www.madisonair.com.
About Madison Industries
Madison Industries is one of the largest and most successful privately held companies in the world. Madison builds entrepreneurially driven, branded market leaders that are committed to making the world safer, healthier and more productive by creating innovative solutions that deliver outstanding customer value. The team at Madison is committed to building something truly remarkable that long outlasts them while coaching others to reach their highest potential. Please visit www.madison.net to learn more.
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SOURCE Madison Air
Technology
SIGGRAPH 2025 Honors the 30th Anniversary of Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’, Celebrating a Legacy of Innovation and Storytelling
Published
5 minutes agoon
May 7, 2025By

The groundbreaking first fully computer-animated feature film returns to the SIGGRAPH stage with a special introduction by Ed Catmull, a 4K screening, and a tribute to the community that helped bring it to life.
VANCOUVER, BC, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SIGGRAPH 2025 will open its conference this August by honoring a film that forever changed the course of animation, technology, and storytelling. Pixar’s “Toy Story”, the world’s first fully computer-animated feature film, will be celebrated in a special 30th anniversary event that captures the spirit of innovation, perseverance, and creativity that defines both the film and the SIGGRAPH community.
Presented by SIGGRAPH’s Computer Animation Festival in partnership with ACM SIGGRAPH Pioneers, the tribute will be held on Sunday, 10 August 2025, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The celebration will begin at 12:30 p.m. PDT with a featured introduction by Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar and a pioneering figure in computer graphics. In “Pioneers Featured Speaker: Catmull Story: To SIGGRAPH and Beyond”, Catmull will share personal reflections on the breakthroughs, challenges, and triumphs that made “Toy Story” possible.
Following the talk and a live audience Q&A, attendees will enjoy trivia and giveaways before a special 4K screening of “Toy Story”, transporting audiences back to where the magic — and CG revolution — began.
SIGGRAPH itself played a vital role in “Toy Story’s” journey. Catmull explained that the technical hurdles to make the film were tremendous. Rendering realistic surfaces, modeling characters, and creating lifelike lighting were challenges no one had solved for feature-length storytelling. But SIGGRAPH’s annual gathering of researchers and artists helped Pixar find answers. Innovations like new illumination models from Cornell, early ray tracing from the University of North Carolina, stochastic sampling methods developed at Lucasfilm, and advancements that led to the creation of Pixar’s “RenderMan” were all born from SIGGRAPH papers and conversations.
“SIGGRAPH wasn’t just a conference; it was our lifeline,” Catmull emphasized. “We published everything we did because we believed in growing the field together. The breakthroughs shared openly at SIGGRAPH — on lighting, shading, rendering — they became the building blocks that we stitched together to make ‘Toy Story’.”
Before Woody and Buzz became household names, Pixar presented early test footage at SIGGRAPH, holding its breath before an audience of computer graphics pioneers and artists. “Showing work-in-progress footage at the conference was a milestone moment for us at Pixar,” said Bill Reeves, supervising technical director of “Toy Story”. “We didn’t know how it would be received. Everyone sat in silence as we waited for the footage to finish. When it ended, and the applause exploded in the room, it was a mind-blowing moment for us. We were in shock. We were excited. We knew we were on to something big. The audience at SIGGRAPH that day gave us a much-needed boost of confidence.”
Released in 1995, “Toy Story” redefined what was possible in animation and storytelling, creating a new standard for the industry. The film’s success showcased not just technical innovation, but the power of blending technology and art to craft compelling stories that would stand the test of time.
“Looking back on making ‘Toy Story’, I realize now that none of us really knew what we were doing,” said Pete Docter, who served as a supervising animator on the film and is now Pixar’s chief creative officer. “At the time it didn’t feel that way; the young, talented team was brimming with confidence and optimism, too inexperienced to seriously consider that the whole thing might fail. Maybe that was why it worked! What we did understand early on was that the film’s success would depend on the strength of its story and characters. Without that, even the world’s first fully computer-animated feature would just be a gimmick. Thirty years later, people around the world are still enjoying ‘Toy Story’ and its sequels, shorts, and theme park attractions — so I guess we got something right!”
The 30th anniversary tribute will not only look back on the film’s historic legacy but also spotlight its enduring influence. The modern CG animation pipeline, still rooted in the innovations pioneered for “Toy Story”, has since fueled countless advancements in visual storytelling.
“‘Toy Story’s’ place in history is a remarkable milestone for computer graphics,” said Dawn Fidrick, SIGGRAPH 2025 Computer Animation Festival Director. “It showed CG wasn’t just about producing images — it proved CG images could create the illusion of life, emotion, and storytelling. It paved the way for everything that followed.”
Thirty years since the film’s release, SIGGRAPH continues to embody the same spirit of innovation and collaboration that nurtured Pixar’s earliest ambitions. Today’s animators, researchers, and technologists stand on the shoulders of a community that believed creativity and technology could, together, transform what is possible.
SIGGRAPH 2025’s tribute to “Toy Story” is more than a celebration of the past. It is a call to the next generation of dreamers and pioneers: to keep pushing, collaborating, and telling stories that change the world.
To learn more about the production and animation content featured at SIGGRAPH 2025, check out the Computer Animation Festival and Production Sessions programs. More information about SIGGRAPH 2025, including registration options, is available at s2025.siggraph.org.
About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH, and SIGGRAPH 2025
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), is the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field’s challenges. SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world’s leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2025, the 52nd annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place live 10–14 August at the Vancouver Convention Centre, along with a Virtual Access option.
About ACM SIGGRAPH Pioneers
The SIGGRAPH Pioneers is a distinguished network of researchers, developers, artists, and educators who have contributed to the fields of computer graphics and interactive techniques for more than 20 years, some for nearly six decades. For years, the SIGGRAPH Pioneers have hosted an annual private reception featuring a speaker whose career profoundly shaped the field, but in a significant shift beginning this year, and continuing forward, the Pioneers Featured Speaker will be part of the official conference schedule, open to all SIGGRAPH attendees. Ed Catmull joins a prestigious roster of Pioneers Featured Speakers that includes industry legends such as Alvy Ray Smith, Douglas Trumbull, Donna Cox, Ken Perlin, James D. Foley, and Andries van Dam – visionaries whose groundbreaking work has shaped the field of computer graphics.
About Computer Animation Festival
SIGGRAPH’s Computer Animation Festival is an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival, awarded to the “Best in Show” short film. Its screening of the Electronic Theater and Animation Theater are widely recognized as celebrating storytelling in computer animation, VFX, advertising, cinematics, real-time graphics, simulation and scientific visualization.
PRESS ROOM:
s2025.siggraph.org/for-the-press
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SOURCE SIGGRAPH 2025


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