Latest news with #NARO
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Japan Visits: NARO, IEEE Honors Event, Osaka Expo & Electric Fish Finder
Tokyo city illuminated at sunset I just spent a busy week in Japan for the IEEE. During this week I visited the area around Kuramoto in Kyushu Island, Japan, where Matt Frances, Director of IEEE Region 5, and I visited a silk factory and a research and development station for the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, NARO. I then flew to Tokyo to attend the first IEEE Young Professionals and Laurates Program and VICS and the IEEE Awards Ceremony, which included awarding the first IEEE Medal of Honor with a purse of $2M. Afterwards I went to Osaka to attend a Women in Tech Global Summit and then an IEEE Milestone event to celebrate the invention of the Funuro Electric Fish Finder and a visit to the Osaka Expo. Details below. We visited the Atsumaru Yamaga Silk plant along with Kazuo Kyuma, President of NARO. This sericulture facility raises silk worms in a sterile environment so the worms don't get sick and feeds them ground, dried and reconstituted mulberry leaves grown in a small forest in the hills near the plant. This allows 24 iterations of healthy silk worms per year. They call this project Silk on Valley Yamaga. This plant produces a significant percentage of the silk production in Japan. In addition to regular silk for fabrics we were shown silk-based cosmetics and a genetically modified silk that glows in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light. The photo below shows Kyuma-san, Toshiko Shimada, Atsumarau Holdings Inc. CEO, and me in front of the Atsumaru Silk plant. NARO is a supporter of the Atsumaru silk activities. In front of the Atsumaru Yamaga Silk plant While near Kuramoto we visited a NARO research station where we heard about their efforts to grow sweet potatoes that are resistant to fungal rot and other diseases that have impacted sweet potato production in Japan. While there I gave a talk on IEEE and its activities in SmartAg that may be of interest in Japan, see me next to a sign about this talk below. With talk sign outside of NARO Research Station IEEE is creating a comprehensive SmartAg activity including many parts of the IEEE. This focuses on using technology for monitoring and improving food production as well as food safety through the entire food supply chain. This uses satellite and other monitoring, Internet of Things technology where sensors and farm equipment in fields are connected to local and wireless networks so collected data can be analyzed by AI and other technology. In addition to food production, IEEE is developing ways to improve food safety by placing freshness sensors in packaging and using technologies such as blockchain to track contaminated food better so that only the affected food is recalled, reducing food wastage while protecting food supplies. After our visit to Kuramoto, Matt, Kyuma-san and I travelled back to Tokyo. The next day started with the initial session of the IEEE Young Professionals and Laureate Program. This is an initiative that the IEEE board of directors approved last year to bring together young professionals, IEEE medal winners and other people and create an event to inspire young professionals and show that IEEE can be their professional home and help them flourish. The program included talks by 2025 IEEE President, Kathleen Kramer, me, and IEEE COO, Sophia Muirhead to start the day as well as a fireside chat by Steve Wozniak. After this initial 2.5-hour program the rest of the day featured the Vision, Innovation and Challenges Summit or VICS. The next day evening was the IEEE Honors Ceremony where 26 IEEE awards were presented, including the $2M award of the Medal of Honor to Henry Samueli. Samueli donated his prize to support the IEEE Eta Kappa Nu, HKN, honors society. The image below features some important attendees. IEEE Honors Photo Event: From left to right, Sophia Muirhead, Patrick Kennedy, Chair of the IEEE ... More Awards Board, Kathleen Kramer, Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, me, Henry Samueli and Mary Ellen Randall, the 2025 IEEE President Elect. The day after the IEEE Honors Event Kathleen Kramer, her husband Antonio Geremia and I flew to Osaka for a couple of events and then to visit the Osaka Expo. We started by visiting the Women in Tech Global Summit where Kathleen was interviewed, see picture below. This event is connected with the ongoing Osaka Expo and featured the signing of a document by representatives of many governments and companies to promote participation by women in tech industries. Kathleen Kramer, IEEE President, is discussion at the 2025 Women in Tech Global Summit In the afternoon, Kathleen, Antonio, as well as Japan IEEE people and I went to an IEEE Technology Milestone event that celebrated the invention and commercialization of the Electric Fish Finder by Furuno Electric Company in 1949. The picture below shows Kathleen and the CEO of Furuno Electric unveiling the Fish Finder Milestone plaque. The afternoon and evening featured talks on IEEE milestones featuring people from the Kansai IEEE section and the IEEE Japan Council as well as Furuno Electric talks about the history and development of fish finders and other technology at the company over the years. Kathleen Kramer and Furuno Electric CEO reveal the IEEE Milestone plaque for the Fish Finder The day after the Fish Finder milestone event we attended the Osaka Expo with several Japan IEEE members and the Japanese IEEE council office. We visited the NTT, USA and Frech exhibits and walked on the big ring that surrounds the grounds of the Expo. It was an amazing event and the first World's Fair that I have attended. I think IEEE should consider participating in some additional ways in future world expos. I spent a busy week in Japan talking about SmartAg in Kuramoto, attending the IEEE Honors and associated events in Tokyo and then participating in an IEEE milestone and Osaka Expo events in Osaka.
Zawya
12-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Uganda: House approves extra Shs4 trillion for 2024/2025 Budget
Parliament has approved a supplementary request of over Shs4 trillion that will provide outstanding certificates for road construction companies, security and completion of infrastructure for the hosting of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027. The request came under the auspices of the Supplementary Expenditure Schedule No.3 for financial year 2024/2025 where Shs1.1 trillion was spent under the three per cent provided for under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), 2015 whereas Shs3.1 trillion needed prior approval of Parliament. The Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi, said this is in line with Section 24 of the PFMA. The Act provides that where the total supplementary expenditure that requires additional resources over and above what is approved by Parliament, it shall not exceed three per cent of the total approved budget for that financial year, without approval of Parliament. 'We sought and obtained approval from Cabinet to present to this House, the supplementary expenditure amounting to Shs3.1 trillion which is above the three per cent legal limit. It requires prior parliamentary authorisation before the funds are utilised by the respective votes,' said Musasizi. In a report of the Budget Committee on the supplementary request presented by Hon. Dicksons Kateshumbwa, over Shs257 billion is earmarked for completion of Hoima Stadium, commencement of construction of Akii Bua Stadium and upgrade of facilities approved for hosting AFCON. The rollout of at least 20 million doses of anti-tick vaccines requires additional funding of Shs60 billion under the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), that is also seeking an additional Shs10 billion to produce and distribute aflatoxin mitigation products. 'The supplementary will enable NARO to roll out the anti-tick vaccine by June 2025 after which the facility will be self-sustainable. The aflatoxin mitigation products are meant to uplift the standard of Ugandan products on the international market,' said Kateshumbwa. To finance the buyout of Umeme, government requires over Shs725 billion. An additional Shs60 billion is needed to fund Inspire Africa, for completion of standards and certifications, working capital to purchase coffee from farmers, branding and marketing of coffee as well as operational funds to run the factory. According to the minister, the supplementary budget will be financed through the Petroleum Fund, local revenue, non-tax revenue, domestic and external borrowing. A minority report presented by Kira Municipality MP, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju expressed reservations on additional funding of shs298 billion under debt servicing towards Lubowa Hospital. Ssemujju Nganda alluded to a report of the Auditor General which observed that government failed to conduct adequate due diligence on the agreements and the overall project, which he said raised doubts on the validity of the payments relative to the work completed. 'There is significant risk of financial loss for Ugandans if additional funding is allocated to the project. It is recommended that the project be halted until a special audit report is completed and Parliament can deliberate on the findings,' Ssemujju Nganda said. He also queried funding worth Shs115 billion paid to re-operationalise Atiak Sugar factory, Shs67 billion for a coffee value addition park in Ntungamo District and the funds required for the Umeme buyout. 'Your duty as colleagues is to subject every single request to the law. Is it unforeseen, is it unavoidable, and is it an emergency? That is the duty you have on behalf of the country,' Ssemujju Nganda added. Hon. Denis Oguzu Lee (FDC, Maracha County) expressed concern over the supplementary request for the Umeme buyout saying a loan request for the same, is still under consideration. 'Umeme has been recovering their costs through feed-in tariffs where they add their costs. Now they are demanding for money from Ugandans when their concession is about to expire, yet this matter has not been resolved to a logical conclusion,' he said. The Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on National Economy which is considering the loan request, Hon. Robert Migadde said the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has not presented information required for scrutinising the loan request. 'Ministry of Energy was supposed to produce a report of the Auditor General on how they arrived at the US$190 million loan request, but it has not yet come back to the committee,' said Migadde. Musasizi, said the supplementary request for the Umeme loan will be managed through borrowing from the domestic market (Stanbic Bank). The Speaker Anita Among guided that the approval of the supplementary request does not affect the loan request before the committee. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
