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Chinese search engine giant Baidu is among three companies to acquire a license from the city of Wuhan to operate a commercial transportation service using self-driving vehicles, in a first for China. Authorities hail the move as the starting of the world's first 5G-based driverless commercial service.Also granted a license were Shanghai-based DeepBlue Technology, which operates self-driving buses on a trial basis in Tianjin and in other places, and Shenzhen Haylion Technologies, an autonomous-driving technology development unit of a state-owned bus company. Licenses for self-driving transportation have been granted in China before, but only for trial services. The country is emerging as a hotbed of development for autonomous vehicles, which rely on large amounts of data to learn the rules of the road. The three companies are allowed to provide transportation on a total of 28 km of public roads in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province in central China. They are expected to use generally buses. Suppliers of the necessary infrastructure such as fifth-generation wireless networks include state-run China Mobile and telecom equipment giant Huawei Technologies.Wuhan's initiatives in 5G autonomous-driving technology will serve as a model for other cities, a Huawei executive was quoted as saying in local reports. A China Mobile official expressed confidence in the service, which uses China's BeiDou satellite positioning system."The combination of 5G and BeiDou will keep any delay to a matter of thousandths of a second, and allow for centimeter-level positioning accuracy," the official said.Wuhan, home to state-owned Dongfeng Motor, looks to broaden the public roads available for the new services to 159 km, covering 90 sq. km of area. Baidu last year introduced the commercial launch of what it called the world's first mass-produced self-driving bus.NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW

A Complete ApproachDesign is the heart of a healthy home. In early stages of the building process, design must plan for and take into account style, safety, durability, and health, for both multi-family and single family homes. In the status quo, the design process that dominates is “disintegrated”—time is wasted, the trades do not align, productivity falters, and systems fail. And while these are inconvenient to both builders and architects, the occupants are the ones who ultimately suffer.Putting the health and wellness of dwelling occupants, primarily indoor air quality, at the center of design is essential for a truly holistic approach. But it also requires looking beyond just one or two product categories to find a whole-home solution.Integrated DesignIntegrated design is impactful design. It’s all about breaking dow the fragmented processes and demonstrating the cohesiveness necessary to provide builders the best possible solution for their customers.Joe Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.Eng., ASHRAE fellow, and principal, Building Science Corporation, emphasized at a recent Trane Building Science Forum “I don’t think it’s practical anymore to separate the building enclosure design from the mechanical design. They are interrelated, and therefore they must be designed simultaneously.” By taking this approach, there is a greater opportunity to design a more robust mechanical system that can lead to improved IAQ. This should include looking at things like ventilation, humidity management, air infiltration, energy efficiency, and right-sizing best practices.Trane created the Tranquility innovative whole-home approach to building healthier homes, addressing the core needs of humans in the environment where they spend 70% of their time. The method of integrated design in the Tranquility approach helps builders create quieter, healthier, better performing homes. Working with product and building science experts, the solution provides a stronger value proposition than traditional design because it includes important participants at the start of the process and helps curate the elements needed to reach specific performance goals.“Integrated design has provided us with more clarity and understanding of the interdependencies of building products,” says Matthew Orcutt, portfolio leader, Ducted Systems, Trane Residential HVAC & Supply. “Through our holistic approach centered in building science, we take a look at how our products connect with others such as windows, doors, insulation, and air barriers and air infiltration, and take the lead in coordinating with these manufacturers on behalf of the builder, to deliver a more cohesive, energy efficient, comfortable and sustainable solution,” Orcutt added.A Foundation of HealthA recent Energy Pulse, Shelton Group study found consumers want quiet, efficient, and healthy homes: 72% of those surveyed believe their home has a moderate to strong impact on their health while 71% think an energy-efficient home is a healthy home.Healthy homes can’t be an afterthought. Integrated design infuses wellness into every aspect of a home by engaging with experts and stakeholders during the early stages of the design process. This interaction and the investment made upfront in the form of reconfiguring the design process and utilizing premium, right-sized HVAC equipment, will result in reduced call backs and warranty claims, and differentiate builders of healthier homes.By leveraging the best in building science and an innovative, whole-home approach, delivering peace of mind is attainable—for both you and your customers.BUILDER

In the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there is a debate as to whether our technologically advanced economy benefits or disadvantages the U.S. workforce. Artificial intelligence, robotics and the internet of things are cleaning across industries, triggering job security fears among some employees. In reality, companies are utilizing such technology to find the right employees, at the right time. With the help of predictive analytics and similar data processing, companies can reach and hire a larger pool of qualified applicants.Job openings are expected to meet, even surpass, the historical peak of 2001 in the coming years. As the manufacturing industry reevaluates its future, it is clear that there is a substantial skills gap. A report by The Manufacturing Institute reveals that unfilled manufacturing jobs could reach 2.4 million by 2028, causing the U.S. to lose $454 billion. Following the economic recess of 2008, millennials being presented to the workforce were pushed to re-examine the terms of full-time work. This led them to look for part-time contract work, consequently helping the manufacturing industry. To pro-actively fill positions in this changing field, there needs to be a strong collaboration between people, processes and systems.The use of predictive analytics and machine-learning has grow to be an streamlined way to find and employ skilled candidates. Using these processes eliminates the guesswork and time expenditure of placing employees through more traditional methods while allowing for more targeted recruitment strategies.No stranger to product fluctuation and supply chain breakdowns, manufacturers and top-tier suppliers are in an ideal position to hire from the gig workforce. To streamline the process, operations and workforce management teams can take the following steps: No. 1 - Utilize predictive analytics to monitor productivity and identify inconsistencies Gathering quality performance metrics from one end of the supply chain to the other, manufacturers can determine which processes are working and where inconsistencies exist. This type of data-driven decision-making helps target and hire freelance workers who possess the necessary traits and skills to maintain fluidity and performance in meeting objectives. The use of predictive in recruiting from large talent pools allows companies to select and retain talent committed to advancing within the field. Utilizing the gig economy, businesses may find talent to fulfill their need, but that support the long-term mission. Predictive analytics recruits with the goal of retaining; bringing in the best talent and determining best next steps for continued training and advancement. Continuously analyzing workplace and labor data assures hiring and turnover needs are both met and kept. No. 2 - Deploy a mobile platformAs a predominantly millennial-led group, gig workers spend most of their time on mobile devices rather than traditional forms of communication. To reach the key players of the 21st century, businesses must reimagine traditional recruiting channels. With a text or click, employees are being hired and offered incentives to recruit others. , it is just as to continue utilizing the technology that first attracted the talent. a platform where employees can go to train, receive feedback and monitor progress streamlines processes steering away from constant supervision as a means of assuring quality performance.Simultaneously, scalable applications, specifically solutions software, can compile employee related data (tenure, attendance, performance, issue identification) for employers into one presentable dashboard while allowing for real-time communication. To effectively communicate through the multiple channels of the management supply chain, liaisons at each manufacturing and supply chain location need to be trained and fluent in the use of mobile, integrated data platforms.No. 3 - Develop scalable solutionsTo further economize, manufacturers and suppliers should carefully review the ebb and flow of their production needs, as many experience apparent seasonal trends.  A convenient, trained and scalable workforce gained through the above processes can allow manufacturers to lower costs and ensure staffing levels are managed accordingly for seasonal production demands.Leveraging innovative recruiting channels streamlines manufacturing business processes, while lowering overhead and saving time. As competition remains to scale, it is crucial to adapt to the economic environment; in this case, the utilization of the gig economy in tandem with modern technological offerings and trends.This article is originally posted on MANUFACTURING.NET

As the world becomes progressively connected, we are beyond automation and machine learning being disruptors; they are becoming table-stakes technology. On paper, manufacturers across the globe should be transforming old factories and outfitting them for the future of production. But the reality is that converting old factory operations into truly smart factories presents many challenges that can slow down manufacturers’ ability to turn the concept of a digital factory into an operational reality.At TE Connectivity, a manufacturer of sensors and connectors, we have made major progress toward digital transformation. Being technology-driven, we realized the value and virtuous cycle being well-positioned for the new realities Industry 4.0  could create by enabling increased efficiencies through a more connected factory environment. And yet, TE swiftly learned that there’s no “magic bullet” to utilize in the journey toward going digital. Simply put, what might work in one area, might not work for the next. Often, the processes and regulations are different between geographies and sometimes even from line to line in the same plant, requiring a bespoke approach and custom proof of concepts for each different project.TE’s preliminary focus has been on creating new connections between manufacturing and IT, and enabling value throughout its business — mostly by gaining access to, and then operationalizing, data that was not formerly available. A vital part of TE’s transformation journey was developing the digital transformation skills, leadership, and overall mindset required to move its strategy forward. There was a degree of doubt connected with doing something new, essentially around the lack of clarity related to the economic benefits of going digital, so a new approach was needed to help build confidence.Starting with pilots, to help get this clarity before rolling out bigger efforts on a large scale helped gain traction in developing a digital culture at TE, building tolerance regarding potential failures and establishing measures to guarantee any missteps served as learning opportunities. With 8,000 engineers on our team, TE knows that encountering a few bumps on the road is par for the course with innovation, learning, and culture transformation. As a result of our own experiences, TE has identified a number of best practices for manufacturers looking to embark on their own digital transformation journey.1. Create use cases that clearly demonstrate opportunities to drive business impactAs a first step, having solid use cases in place can help demonstrate opportunities to save money, gain flexibility through reduced changeover time, and improve entire performance through predictive maintenance, among other advantages. As TE started its rollout of improvements internally, it put forth different such pilots. Many of these resulted in use cases demonstrating enough added value to gain the internal support needed to make larger changes across the business. The pilots tested proof of concepts to find out whether implementing a digital solution would bring about the anticipated value, whether it’s cost savings or a boost in efficiency.With several digital factory tools available, the choice of which to implement and in what order will depend on each site’s specific requirements. Each site will have different challenges and priorities, which need to be addressed with different tools. A solution that worked in one area won’t automatically yield the same results in another. In some circumstances, the money and effort to connect a machine may even outweigh the anticipated benefits. The bottom line is that using small-scale pilots as a foundation is beneficial for determining specific inefficiencies and challenges when implementing customized solutions.2. Start with existing offerings and add connectivity to what’s already thereRight after the use cases were determined, the next primary step was to identify opportunities for improvement and establish what was needed to enable near real-time data-driven decision-making in the product environment. Whether adding sensors, or processes for aggregating, this can help prevent unnecessary costs as well as efforts to reinvent the wheel. In the same way, manufacturers at the beginning of their digital transformation journey should focus on identifying the high-value-add products and processes that will provide the greatest efficiencies and highest return on investment.3. Ensure you have a data architecture that can support your IoT visionAnother important factor for manufacturers to consider is ensuring they have the data architecture to support their IoT vision, customized according to latency, safety and security requirements. For TE, it was a combination of edge, fog and cloud computing solutions, enabling data to be rapidly processed at the edge, or be sent to an MES (Manufacturing Execution System) or central server system, or which could pipe the data directly to the cloud for storage and processing to enable updates over time.4. Build an ecosystem of partnersImplementing new connected technologies and processes requires elaborate integrations and an ecosystem of partners. No single company can supply all the equipment needed for a complete digital transformation solution. There are just too many specialties involved. The easiest way to overcome this is to identify partners and then work with them to define, enable, and support any remaining pieces. By working closely with the right partner, companies can optimize internal costs related to digital production, and leverage the unique knowledge the partner has gained, developed, and advanced from previous digital transformation initiatives.5. Be flexible, but focusedConnecting machines and visualizing and analyzing the data can be like lessening the water level in a river and exposing proverbial rocks and obstacles. As awareness of what was once hidden increases, navigation becomes important; action and course corrections become imperative. Large, unavoidable 'rocks' – like machine utilization, run time, wait times, and repair times – are no longer hidden by the 'water' (i.e. manually calculated efficiency metrics, or older standards). Remaining flexible enough to course correct when needed while staying focused on your overall digital transformation goals will definitely pay off. Because of its early transformation efforts, TE is already reaping the benefits, including shorter lead times, lower production costs and a reduction in the amount of scrap.INDUSTRY WEEK

Burlington, NJ - Cementex, the safety tool experts, announces that the company has a new Sales Representative for states in the Southeast U.S, including Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the panhandle of Florida. With this new partnership, Cementex looks forward to extended growth in the Southeast region.  The Southeast Electrical Representative Group, understood as SERG, Inc., partners with top manufacturers in the industrial, commercial and residential electrical industry. The company begun representing Cementex in May of 2019. SERG, Inc. prides itself on its reputation for hardworking, honest, loyal customer service, and gives not just sales but also customer service, order entry, expediting, and marketing programs.   All Cementex items are made in the U.S.A. to the best standards of quality. For more ideas about Cementex's industry-leading products, visit our online catalog.This article is originally posted on manufacturingtomorrow.com

PARIS (Reuters) - French authorities have told telecoms operators planning to buy Huawei 5G equipment that they won’t be able to renew licences for the gear once they expire, effectively phasing the Chinese firm out of mobile networks, three sources close to the matter said. Like other countries in Europe, France is laying the ground for its next-generation 5G mobile market in the middle of a growing geopolitical storm between two global superpowers.  The United States say the company’s equipment could be used by the Chinese government for espionage - a charge denied by Huawei and Beijing - and has pressed its allies to ban it. France’s cybersecurity agency ANSSI said this month it would allow operators to use equipment, including Huawei’s, under licences of three to eight years. But it added it was urging telcos not currently using the Chinese company’s gear to avoid switching to it. Operators must each apply for dozens of licences for equipment to cover different parts of the country. The sources said ANSSI had informed operators of most licence decisions for large cities. They said the bulk of authorisations for Huawei gear were for three or five years, while most of those for equipment from European rivals Ericsson (ERICb.ST) or Nokia (NOKIA.HE) received eight-year licences.  ANSSI’s decisions have not been made public, either by the agency or by the companies. The sources added that operators had also been told by French authorities during informal conversations in recent months, not stated formally in documents, that licences granted for Huawei equipment would not be renewed thereafter. ANSSI declined to comment. A spokesman for the prime minister’s office, which oversees the permissions on 5G equipment, said ANSSI was working with operators within the legal framework, adding that any authorisation granted at present did not impinge on whether these would later be renewed or interrupted. Huawei declined to comment. Such restrictions, though, would amount to a de facto phase-out of Huawei within France’s 5G networks by 2028, given the short time-frame of the licenses, according to the sources, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. French operators might still manage to get an eight-year authorisation for Huawei equipment in some cases, and could yet decide to use its gear for that time period, the sources said. But even this meant eventually dismantling it, they added. One of the sources said it would be difficult for a telecom operator to take the risk of investing in Huawei gear, given new mobile technology like 5G takes at least eight years to yield a return on investment. “Granting three years amounts to a flat refusal,” the person added. ‘SIMILAR TO BRITAIN’ An effective ban would be particularly troublesome for Bouygues Telecom (BOUY.PA) and Altice Europe’s SFR (ATCA.AS), the two French telecom operators that already use Huawei’s equipment in their current mobile network. The new authorisations for 5G network equipment are linked to existing 4G gear - meaning that if an operator opts for a different supplier for 5G, it would also have to replace its existing 4G infrastructure. The companies have already said several times this year that such a scenario, in which they may be compelled to replace part of their grid at great cost, would lead them to asking for compensation from the state. Bouygues and Altice declined to comment on whether they had applied for Huawei licences or any licence decisions or whether they had held informal conversations with ANSSI. They also declined to comment on whether they would now drop any purchase plans for Huawei equipment. France’s two other major operators, leader Orange (ORAN.PA) and Iliad (ILD.PA), mainly rely on Nokia, Ericsson or both for their mobile networks. Iliad and Orange declined to comment. In Britain, where major telecoms groups are heavily reliant on Huawei technology, the government has ordered the Chinese company’s equipment to be purged from the 5G network by 2027. “France’s position is similar to that of Britain, but the government’s communication is different,” one of the sources said. “Huawei can’t do much about it.” REUTERS

Japan's biggest supermarket group, Aeon Co Ltd has hired British online grocery pioneer Ocado to develop its e-commerce business, hoping to fend off rivals such as Amazon as more customers buy groceries online.Ocado shares leapt as much as 15% in Friday trading as investors welcomed the latest partnership for the British company, whose technology deals have become more important than its original business of selling food online."Given that Japan must have plenty of rival automated robotic warehouse providers, this is quite a coup for the business," said independent retail analyst Nick Bubb. Internet grocery shopping has yet to take off in Japan, where consumers still often buy fresh produce on a daily basis. But growing numbers of working women and improved technology and logistics networks are expected to change that.Aeon's rival Seiyu, operated by U.S. retail giant Walmart Inc, launched an online grocery venture with e-commerce firm Rakuten Inc in 2018, aiming to compete with the likes of Amazon Fresh. Aeon, which operates more than 21,000 stores and has about 100 million customers, plans to harness Ocado's robotic warehouses, which it calls customer fulfillment centers (CFCs), and its software to create a distribution network serving the whole of the Japanese market. The partnership anticipates Aeon will have an online grocery sales capacity of about 600 billion yen ($5.5 billion) by 2030 and 1 trillion yen by 2035.Initial CFCs will serve Japan's Kanto region, with the first planned to go live in 2023, followed by others over the next two years. Aeon will also use Ocado's product-picking software within parts of its existing store network, and offer click-and-collect services from selected sites. The Japanese firm did not say how much it was paying Ocado, but said the agreement included upfront fees, in addition to later payments which will depend on sales performance and capacity installation. "We see Ocado as a state-of-the-art, exciting and transformative partner aligned with our strategy of accelerating Aeon's digital shift to serve Japan's consumers," said Aeon CEO Motoya Okada.The deal is Ocado's first in Asia.While Ocado's retail business has only a 1.4% share of Britain's grocery market, its technology has powered the group's 8.4 billion pound ($10.8 billion) stock market valuation, enabling it to win partnership deals with supermarket groups including Kroger in the United States and Casino in France. Ocado said it expected an additional 25 million pounds ($32.1 million) of operating costs in its fiscal 2020 year to implement the Aeon deal. In February, Ocado and Marks & Spencer agreed a 1.5-billion-pound joint venture, signaling the end of Ocado's long running supply contract with upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose in September 2020.ONLINE GROCERY

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc is planning to give more data on counterfeit goods to law enforcement in a further crackdown on fakes listed on its e-commerce sites, a person familiar with the program told Reuters. The move comes as Amazon faces public scrutiny over how it polices counterfeits and allegedly unsafe products on its platform. Fakes have long frustrated top labels like Apple Inc and Nike Inc, discouraging some from selling via Amazon at all.In the past, the world’s largest online retailer has informed authorities of counterfeit peddlers when it thought it had enough information for police to pursue a culprit. Now, the company plans to disclose merchant information to European and U.S. federal authorities every time it confirms a counterfeit was sold to customers, increasing the frequency and volume of reporting to law enforcement, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.Why the new program was happening now was not immediately clear. Amazon struck a deal with Apple in 2018 in which it agreed to rid its site of products from merchants not authorized by the Cupertino, California-based technology company. It has sued peddlers of fakes and launched a counterfeit removal tool for brands, actions in tension with its aim to increase profit by offering more products for sale.In recent weeks, Amazon has held meetings with government authorities and related organizations to discuss its new counterfeit reporting strategy and how the company can further their enforcement efforts, the person said. The hope has been that Amazon’s coveted data will help law enforcement make connections about criminals.According to the source, Amazon will report a merchant’s name, company name, product and contact information to authorities, after it confirms a business was selling fakes, closes the seller’s account, and the account holder does not make a successful appeal via Amazon’s typical processes.In an April memo, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a crackdown on fakes sold via online marketplaces while the country was locked in trade talks with China, one source of counterfeits. The Trump administration also considered last year adding some Amazon websites to its "Notorious Markets" list for counterfeits, the Wall Street Journal on.wsj.com/2LtUZOR reported, though similar proposals in 2018 were discarded.The value of global trade in pirated and counterfeit goods is half a trillion dollars per year, according to an estimate cited in the Trump memo.AMAZON

SenseTime, the world’s highest valued artificial intelligence start-up, has signed a pact with the digital currency unit of China’s central bank to speed up adoption of the latest AI technologies in the financial industry.The Digital Currency Research Institute, a unit of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) that is overseeing development of a new sovereign digital currency, entered into a cooperation agreement with SenseTime to pool their research and foster innovative new applications under a joint effort to deploy AI advances across the country’s financial sector, the Hong Kong Science Park-based company said in a statement on Monday.The ultimate goal is to help strengthen “risk control and operational capabilities” across financial institutions, the statement said, without providing details of the initiative.It marks the latest high-profile collaboration between the central government and major companies, as testing of China’s sovereign digital currency escalated this month and more reforms are planned for other domestic industries.Last week, the PBOC included large foreign consumer brands for the first time in tests of the sovereign digital currency. American fast-food chains Starbucks, McDonald’s and Subway were added to the central bank’s list of firms authorised to test the digital currency in small transactions with 19 local businesses.Earlier this month, China formed a national blockchain committee to draw up standards for use of the technology across industries. This so-called National Blockchain and Distributed Accounting Technology Standardisation Technical Committee includes telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies, video games and social media powerhouse Tencent Holdings, Chinese online search market leader Baidu, fintech company Ant Financial Services and e-commerce giant JD.com, according to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.China, which aims to lead the world in AI and 5G mobile communications, would become the first major economy to roll out its own digital currency when its tests are completed. There has been no official timetable announced for launching the digital currency.China’s official digital currency, known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment or DC/EP, came into the public spotlight earlier this month when a screenshot of a test version of an app developed by the Agricultural Bank of China circulated online.Testing of the sovereign digital currency has been going on for several months at China’s state-owned banks, the South China Morning Post reported earlier this month. Internal tests have been carried out in Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu and Xiong’an, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Fermata Energy announced its bidirectional charging system is the first to be certified to the new North American safety Standard UL 9741. The standard covers V2G equipment.UL self-describes as a leading global safety science company. According to Francisco Martinez, business development director of UL’s Energy Systems and eMobility division, the company’s role is in “making the most of the stored energy in electric vehicles is to help ensure that this happens safely”.As with all V2G solutions, Fermata’s technology uses bidirectional charging to turn electric vehicles into sources of energy for use by the power grid. David Slutzky, CEO and founder, Fermata Energy said they were “excited to be the first company to receive UL 9741 certification and look forward to partnering with other organizations to advance V2G applications”.Other charging standards also enable bidirectional charging like ChaDeMo, mostly Asian manufacturers, and CCS in Europe is preparing to do the same.ELECTRIVE.COM