Climate change is altering the quality of forest fires. They are getting hotter and spreading faster. In Canada alone, an area of around 185,000 km burned in 2023² - This is slightly more than the combined area of Greece and Switzerland. In Germany, too, the forest fire season is starting earlier and earlier: in dry regions such as Brandenburg, the first hectares of forest were already on fire on March 1 this year. Researchers at Fraunhofer EMI, in close collaboration with their cooperation partner Caurus Technologies GmbH, want to make a decisive contribution to fighting forest fires from the air with a new type of extinguishing method. The modular system, consisting of hardware and software, combines digital technology with innovative extinguishing approaches and complements conventional extinguishing methods. The Fraunhofer Ahead program is funding the project.

High extinguishing effect due to targeted generation of water aerosol cloud

Most of today's airborne firefighting technology dates back to the 1970s/80s. Helicopters or airplanes still fly over burning forests with buckets of extinguishing water. At an altitude of 40 to 50 meters, the pilots open the bottom of the bucket. Winds and thermals blow the extinguishing water away, which then spreads over a large area - as a result, only a small amount actually ends up in the flames.

"We can provide fire departments with better and more sustainable extinguishing methods and use the amount of extinguishing water with improved discharge precision through digitally supported control," says Dr. Dirk Schaffner, scientist at Fraunhofer EMI in Freiburg. The project partners are also working on an opening mechanism that produces a significantly more efficient extinguishing cloud. This enables both the smallest possible, fine water droplets and the precise placement of the extinguishing cloud close to the source of the fire. These factors have a decisive influence on the extinguishing success by helping to quickly reduce the temperature of the fire and bring it below the ignition point, as well as depriving the fire of the necessary oxygen over a wide area.

"The mechanism allows us to generate a targeted cloud of water aerosol, which is activated at a height of a few meters above or in the flames. The water is not dispersed beforehand, but held together in a bag until just above the fire. Almost 100 percent of the water volume lands precisely in the flames," says Schaffner. The water aerosol cloud succeeds in removing the heat from the fire very quickly. "The heat transfer rate at which energy can be removed from a system depends on the surface area. The more surface area the absorbing medium provides, the faster the heat energy is transferred from the burning medium to the absorbing medium. And the aerosol cloud has a high surface area," explains the researcher. A significantly higher heat transfer rate can therefore be achieved with an aerosol cloud than with a block of water.

The displacement of oxygen also works very well, which weakens the combustion process. Particular attention is paid to compatibility with existing successful extinguishing tactics on the ground and the safety of all emergency personnel.

Efficiency of water use multiplies

The new technology, or the aerosolization of water, is already being used today in high-pressure dispersion nozzles used by firefighters on the ground - the researchers at Fraunhofer EMI and Caurus Technologies are now applying it for the first time in the air, thus significantly expanding the areas of application. Based on studies, the project partners expect the extinguishing effect to be five to ten times greater than that of current systems. "For every liter of water used, we can extinguish a fire five to ten times larger with the new method," says Schaffner, emphasizing one advantage of the technology in view of increasingly scarce water resources worldwide. The safety of the emergency services is also guaranteed, as they do not have to fly unnecessarily close to the source of the fire and can maintain greater dropping distances.

Another plus point: the new extinguishing method contributes to the reduction of CO₂ as vegetation fires can be contained much more quickly. This is because forest fires are an immense CO₂-emitters: On average, 6.9 gigatons of CO₂-emissions were released by forest fires. This is more than double the emissions of all 27 members of the European Union in the same period.

The first prototypes of the innovative extinguishing process have already been successfully tested and the project partners are currently working on a demonstrator.

Source: www.fraunhofer.de

 "Technology alone is not enough - we must be prepared to accept and use it," emphasized Nina Warken, Member of the Bundestag and Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, in her opening statement at the panel discussion. "The innovative strength of SMEs will be decisive in overcoming competitive pressure," added Josef Stumpf, Director of the Federal Economic Senate for the Baden-Württemberg region. Jürgen Rieger, Managing Director of Perfect Production GmbH, a company of the MPDV Group, referred to the enormous advantages of networked data in companies and the increasing importance of professions such as data analysts who integrate artificial intelligence and automation into operational practice. Dr Andreas Hildenbrand, Managing Director of the Rhine-Neckar Chamber of Industry and Commerce, also highlighted the potential of digitalization to reduce bureaucracy and make processes more efficient.

Diverse perspectives in a high-caliber panel discussion

Under the motto "Digitalization concerns everyone", the well-attended event in the DHBW's Audimax offered an examination of the future of digitalization. The focus was on the question of how Germany is positioned internationally in Industry 4.0 and what skills are required for a successful transformation. Participants included entrepreneurs, students, alumni and teaching staff, who engaged in an intensive exchange about the Internet of Things (IoT) and the transformation of industry. The panel included the aforementioned representatives from various areas of society as well as Prof. Dr. Max Mühlhäuser, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at DHBW Mosbach. The panel discussion was moderated by Alexandra Gorsche, who ensured a lively debate by asking specific questions.

Prof. Dr. Gabi Jeck-Schlottmann, Rector of the DHBW Mosbach, opened the event with an inspiring speech about the importance of practical education for Industry 4.0. She thanked MPDV, a long-standing partner company that had already made the "Living Lab" at the DHBW possible in 2015 - a model factory equipped with modern IoT technologies that was named one of "100 Places for Industry 4.0".

MPDV and the World Smart Factory Day

Launched by MPDV in 2021, the day of action, which is held annually on 15 September, aims to inform as many people as possible about the importance and possibilities of digitalization and the Smart Factory in particular.

Nathalie Kletti, Managing Director of MPDV Mikrolab GmbH, emphasized the company's social responsibility: "Our goal is to inspire not only companies, but above all the next generation for the opportunities of the smart factory. Digitalization and sustainability go hand in hand and offer a unique opportunity to make our future worth living."

Source and further information: www.mpdv.com

The winners received their certificates from jury president Hans-Peter Nehmer on Thursday evening, September 26 at the SIX Convention Point in Zurich. The Swiss Annual Report Rating is organized annually by the HarbourClub - Chief Communications Officers. Around 160 participants took part in the event.

The Swiss Annual Report Rating includes the annual reports of all listed companies represented in the SPI. The list is supplemented with the companies from the 50 companies with the highest turnover, the 15 insurance companies with the highest premium volume and the 25 banks with the highest balance sheet total. 235 companies were evaluated in 2024.

With this year's annual report rating, the process will undergo an adjustment: the previous three juries will become two. The final jury, which previously assessed the twelve best reports, has been removed. This will give the Value Reporting and Design juries more weight in the nomination and award process. The Value Reporting jury of the Institute for Banking and Finance at the University of Zurich is headed by Prof. Dr. Alexander F. Wagner, while the Design jury is under the patronage of the ZHDK and headed by Jiri Chmelik Noir Associates. The overall winners are determined by adding the ratings of these two juries.

Another change concerns the "Rising Star of the Year" award. It will be replaced by the "Special Mention" award in the Design and Value Reporting categories. The new award recognizes innovative reports that set outstanding and creative accents. Jury president Hans-Peter Nehmer: "We share the ambition of the companies evaluated in the annual report rating to not only remain good, but to become better and better.

Overall winner Annual reports of the final jury

1st place: Sika

2nd place: Geberit

3rd place: VPB Vaduz

Category Design (Online and Print)

1st place: Hiag

2nd place: Avolta

3rd place: ZKB

Category Value Reporting (online and print)

1st place: Novartis

2nd place: SGS

Third place: Clariant

Awards Special Mention

Design: So

Value Reporting: BeKB

Category Text

Raiffeisen Switzerland

Source: www.geschaeftsberichte-rating.ch

Reto Zbinden laid the foundation stone for Swiss Infosec in 1989. In recent years, the company based in Sursee (LU) has developed into the leader in integral security in Switzerland. The unique combination of the security areas of technology, law, organization and people, which Swiss Infosec AG offers from a single source, has also contributed to this. 

35 years as an entrepreneur and consultant

In an interview with presenter Nicole Frank, Reto Zbinden looked back on the year 1989 and his feelings about founding a company at the age of 24. "Flexibility, courage, conviction and determination," said Reto Zbinden, "are the prerequisites that young entrepreneurs should have, then as now." He also emphasized the importance of a motivated and committed team, which is essential for further development. This team produced a short film in his honor. It shows Zbinden as a person who has breathed life into an idea, remains approachable and, even after 35 years, still says: "Totally ready for whatever comes next." 

The wild boys

When video and content creator Peter Bolliger talks about his path to self-employment, there are many reminders of the early days of Swiss Infosec and the qualities of its founder. Enthusiasm and the motto "Life is too short for later" are the guiding principles of the successful influencer with over 45,000 followers on Instagram. His refreshing, carefree appearance has not only earned the young entrepreneur a lot of sympathy, but has also shown that the challenges and requirements for a successful start have hardly changed. Not even for generations Y and Z.

From the Stone Age to the Internet and cyber attacks

What do the flood of information associated with digitalization and the infinite possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) do to people and their brains? Neuroscientist Prof. Dr. Lutz Jäncke from the University of Zurich got to the bottom of these questions in his presentation and said: "Even if digitalization and AI have undeniable advantages and opportunities and are a blessing in many areas, the human brain has not evolved for this new world." This is because no technological development in the entire history of mankind has spread in such a short space of time and changed everything profoundly.

Felix Guggenheim (Arctic Wolf) and Lukas Mäder (Editor Technology NZZ) dealt with changes of a different kind. Their fascinating presentation on the anatomy of a cyberattack and the hackers' million-dollar business made it clear how important it is not to underestimate the danger of cyberattacks such as ransomware and to focus on prevention. Although such attacks cannot be eradicated, their effects can at least be greatly reduced. 

AI can be used for the comprehensive security of data, as Roger Halbheer (Microsoft (Schweiz) AG) demonstrated in his presentation. Data-based security, i.e. the improved and, thanks to AI, automated use of security-specific data, can be an important step towards more effective security. 

Never stupid again or stupid forever

The program item raised expectations. And Anitra Eggler, digital therapist, easily fulfilled them. In an inimitable way, the woman who says of herself that she "loves and lives digital innovation without side effects" (website quote) revealed what she means by this and how you can learn to stay digitally fit without aching muscles. This digital fitness is a must in order to stand up to the negative effects of digitalization and AI and not run the risk of actually remaining stupid forever. This is a real possibility. Unless you know digital detox pioneer Anitra Eggler, who brings people and companies into screen-life balance.

The Swiss Infosec AG team brought the event to a worthy close with a cinematic performance in honor of Reto Zbinden, which was also the prelude to a social get-together. The next Meet Swiss Infosec is scheduled for 20 January 2025. Without cake, but certainly with exciting content from the world of security.

Source: www.infosec.ch

Studies show that generative AI (GenAI) has the potential to increase annual productivity growth by USD 2.6 to 4.4 trillion, with revenue growth from GenAI being greatest in the financial services, high-tech, media and life sciences sectors. "Technology has a significant impact on the business development of many companies. It accelerates product development, supports competitive analysis and enables the achievement of important goals such as increasing productivity," explains Manju Naglapur. He is Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cloud, Applications & Infrastructure Solutions at Unisys. Unisys is a technology company that provides solutions in the areas of digital workplaces, cloud infrastructure, enterprise IT and business processes. 

Three examples of innovation and how companies are implementing the digital transformation:

Example no. 1 - new digital IT infrastructure using cloud migration and microservices

A provider of systems for automated test procedures was working with an outdated IT infrastructure and a network of more than 190 applications, each of which had complex dependencies. To implement its digital transformation, it moved the applications to the cloud and transitioned from a monolithic to a dynamic, microservices-based environment. This required the development of a phased approach to migrating and modernizing applications and preparing them for a cloud-native environment.

Among other things, this has reduced the total cost of ownership and shortened the time to market. At the same time, security, compliance, business agility and productivity have been significantly improved. The company is convinced that the reduction in total cost of ownership and the shortening of time-to-market are already paying off.

Example no. 2 - Automation of workflows for more agility

Traditional AI has been helping to automate business processes for years. Generative AI now enables even faster and easier automation of workflows. One example of increased efficiency through automation is the successful implementation at a Fortune 100 mortgage company in the USA. Before the introduction of a managed pipeline service framework, 95 % of the change management processes were manual.

The introduction of automation technologies led to an increase in productivity and collaboration, which in turn improved overall employee satisfaction. This led to an annual saving of USD 3 million and a reduction in build time to create a new building model on the computer by 93 % - from four hours to just 17 minutes.

Example no. 3 Increase operational efficiency

A large US financial services company shows how efficient a modernization of the application architecture can be. The company's monolithic architecture led to performance problems and delays in the introduction of new functions. By implementing a microservices architecture, CI/CD pipelines and managed services, the release speed was increased fivefold and application performance fourfold. The company is now much more efficient and ready for multi-cloud.

"Every successful technology reaches a turning point - like the automobile, electricity, the telephone and the Internet. Its use begins on a small scale and increases as soon as people recognize its revolutionary advantages. AI is at exactly this inflection point, and at a rapid pace," Naglapur continues. "Organizations that focus on business outcomes can use it to achieve incredible results such as AI-driven operational efficiencies. The success stories mentioned above illustrate how technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, microservices and automation can lead to significant benefits."

Source: www.unisys.com

The award-winning packaging for Medela AG exemplifies the sustainable orientation of the packaging industry: it was specially developed for bottles and teats and uses no plastic at all. In addition to its ecological advantages, the packaging impresses with its well thought-out design: the clever automatic base enables quick erection, while the flat delivery optimizes transport costs. With features such as a Euro hole hanger and an insert for different bottle sizes, the packaging is also particularly user-friendly.

The packaging of the Samarité care line from Zeme Pharm, which won an award in the "General packaging - fresh fibers" category, impresses with its combination of elegance and functionality: made of bright white cardboard, coated and printed on both sides, it offers a pleasant feel thanks to the use of a soft-touch coating. Fine golden accents, which were applied using a hot stamping process, give the packaging an exclusive and sophisticated look.

"The award in both categories is a great honor for us and confirms that our sustainable and high-quality packaging solutions are in tune with the times," says Artur Szor, Managing Director of Pawi Packaging Poland Sp. z o.o.

The European Carton Excellence Award, organized by Pro Carton and the European Carton Makers Association (ECMA), is one of the most prestigious awards in the packaging industry. The award ceremony took place on September 19, 2024 at a festive gala in Berlin, Germany.

Source: www.pawi.com                    

Cybercrime: on the hunt for answers

On November 14, GOhack24 will kick off with a symposium that will bring together leading minds from politics, science and business. The focus will be on the most pressing issues surrounding cybercrime. What is the situation in Switzerland? How do the police, the federal government and the private sector work together to combat cyber attacks? What laws are in place? And how do you react in a crisis? Viewers will also learn how our brains make decisions in crisis situations and how ethical hacking is used as a protective measure to ward off future threats.

The prominent speakers include Serdar Günal Rütsche, Head of Cybercrime at the Zurich Cantonal Police and Head of NEDIK, as well as Roger Knoepfel, Head of Vulnerability Management at the Federal Office for Cyber Security (BACS) and David Ribaud, CEO Specialty Markets at Helvetia, who will kick off the event with a keynote speech. Bettina Zimmermann, CEO and expert in crisis management, and Wolfgang Maier, neuropsychologist, will provide insights into decision-making in cyber crises. Jon Fanzun, Managing Director of Swico; Ursula Sury, Vice Director HSLU; Marcel Eyer, Co-CEO of GObugfree and Simon Reinhart, Ethical Hacker, will round off the evening with an interesting panel discussion. Afterwards, guests are invited to an aperitif riche and networking.

CHF 60,000 in the bounty pot: the hunt is on

The Live Bug Bounty Challenge on November 15 and 16 is about more than just fame: with over CHF 60,000 in the bounty pot, some of the best ethical hackers on the scene will be battling to track down vulnerabilities in real systems provided by the program partners. An event that requires talent, speed and brains - and strengthens cyber security in the long term. Anyone interested in ethical hacking has the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes.

Focus on education and accessibility

A central aspect of GOhack24 is the promotion of education and the accessibility of cybersecurity knowledge. The educational program during the event features sessions covering technical and business aspects of cybersecurity, and is aimed at both newcomers and experienced professionals.

Cyber security for SMEs: practical knowledge in a nutshell

GOhack24 is offering a special program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on 15 November that provides practical knowledge. Topics such as risk management, emergency planning, security awareness and the optimization of existing security measures are the focus. This is not just about theory - participants will receive concrete solutions for the most pressing security issues.

Advanced technical sessions will cover Web Application Firewall (WAF) blocking, Large Language Models (LLM), Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM) and the security implications of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) to provide in-depth insights into the technical aspects shaping the future of cyber security.

Join in, learn, win: Hands-on sessions and workshops

GOhack24 is not just about listening - it's about experiencing. From bug hunting workshops for beginners to a gripping cryptography workshop - everyone gets active here. One highlight: the Switch Escape Room, which takes place six times during the event. Here, participants have to solve tricky cyber security problems as a team under time pressure and put their skills to the test.

Cybersecurity, networking and bounties

GOhack24 stands for innovation, collaboration and education - and offers exciting talks and the bug bounty challenge as well as the opportunity to network and celebrate. With a bounty pot of over CHF 60,000, fame, honor and attractive prize money are guaranteed for the ethical hackers. Celebrate with us at the big award ceremony, where the best ethical hackers will be honored and inducted into the GOhack Hall of Fame. Be there and experience how the best minds in Switzerland and beyond are setting the course for a secure digital world.

Source and further information:  www.gobugfree.com

All employees working in Switzerland are compulsorily insured against occupational accidents and illnesses in accordance with the Accident Insurance Act (UVG). Anyone who works at least eight hours a week is also insured against leisure accidents. Jobseekers and people on IV measures are also compulsorily insured against occupational and leisure accidents.

The 22 UVG insurers in Switzerland registered around 908,000 accidents and occupational illnesses in 2023 (see table). Although this corresponds roughly to the previous year's level (- 0.3%), occupational and non-occupational accident insurance developed differently: While the number of occupational accidents and occupational illnesses fell by 2.4 percent compared to the previous year (to 286,000 claims), leisure accidents increased slightly (by 1.0 percent to 607,000 claims). The number of accidents involving jobseekers fell again (- 14.2% to around 14,000 claims), as there were once again fewer registered jobseekers than in the previous year. Around 1,600 accidents were reported among people undergoing IV measures.

All UVG insurers together spent around CHF 6.9 billion on insurance benefits in 2022, primarily for medical costs (medical and therapeutic benefits), daily allowances and provisions for disability and survivors' pensions. At 63.3%, recreational accidents accounted for the largest share of costs, while 33.5% was paid out for occupational accidents and illnesses.

Composition of the insurance portfolio influences the accident rate

This year's accident statistics are devoted to the differences between Suva and the other insurers. The focus chapter illustrates the effects of the different legal structure of the insured collectives on the occurrence of accidents and consequently on case costs and premiums.

Major differences can be seen above all in occupational accident insurance. As Suva insures almost the entire commercial and industrial sector, as required by law, its policyholder base includes many companies with a high accident risk. With around 83 annual occupational accidents per 1000 full-time employees, the accident risk is around twice as high as that of other accident insurers, which mainly insure companies in the service sector. This is also reflected in the premiums. While Suva collected premiums of CHF 1.6 billion in occupational accident insurance in 2022, which corresponds to around 0.9% of the insured payroll, the net premiums of the other accident insurers were significantly lower at CHF 0.4 billion, corresponding to 0.2% of the payroll.

With regard to leisure accidents, the differences between the Suva and other insurers' portfolios are smaller. Here, the accident risk is roughly the same, with an average of 128 (Suva) and 127 (other insurers) cases per 1000 full-time positions. However, as insured persons with mainly physical work are less able to return to work quickly, Suva's portfolio of insured persons has longer average absences from work and correspondingly higher costs: the average costs per accident at Suva are CHF 5700, compared with CHF 4000 for the other insurers.

The coronavirus pandemic caused a shift in the distribution of occupational diseases. While it was originally mainly manufacturing companies that had a higher risk of occupational illnesses, which are almost entirely covered by Suva, Covid-19 led to a significant increase in recognized occupational illnesses in hospitals, care homes and laboratories, the majority of which are insured by other accident insurers.

Cases registered with all UVG insurers in compulsory accident insurance:

Accident statistics and source of supply

The Swiss Accident Insurance Statistics Unit (SSUV), which is managed by Suva, publishes the annual UVG accident statistics on behalf of the Coordination Group for Accident Insurance Statistics (KSUV). The statistics are based on the results of the 22 UVG accident insurers in Switzerland (Suva, private insurers subject to the Insurance Supervision Act (VAG), public accident insurance funds, recognized health insurance funds, substitute funds), which provide compulsory insurance for employed persons against occupational and leisure accidents and occupational illnesses. Also included are the results of compulsory accident insurance for the unemployed and for persons undergoing IV measures who are insured with Suva.

The UVG statistics do not record accidents involving children, schoolchildren, students, housewives and househusbands, self-employed persons and pensioners. Essentially, therefore, it covers employees and apprentices aged between 15 and 65 who are permanently resident in Switzerland. These people make up a good half of the resident population.

The newly published UVG 2024 accident statistics present the statistical results for the cases in 2023 and the costs and accidents in 2022. The accident statistics are available in printed form and online in German and French.

Source: www.suva.ch

The shortage of ICT specialists in Switzerland is becoming particularly acute in the area of cybersecurity: 3,000 additional experts will be needed by 2030. To promote the next generation of these sought-after specialists, the ETH Zurich is running the ETH Cyber Group student initiative, which offers platforms for students from various disciplines to develop their skills in this field and exchange ideas with specialists in the industry. Huawei, with more than 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, an impeccable track record and annual investments of more than USD 1.1 billion in technology security, is also committed to education and research programs for future digital experts and security specialists.

Huawei and the ETH Cyber Group have entered into a partnership based on this shared interest. Their aim is to build a bridge between the academic world and the private sector, to establish a professional exchange of experience in the field of cybersecurity, to foster networking and to conduct joint training programs. Both partners confirm their intention to work together in an open dialog to strengthen the training of cybersecurity experts.

Riccardo Cicchetti, who initiated the cooperation as former President of the ETH Cyber Group Executive Board, says: "Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. We welcome any commitment that raises awareness of the importance of cybersecurity and the associated skills to recognize and ward off threats for our society, the economy and every individual."

Michael Holzer, Cyber Security and Privacy Officer at Huawei Switzerland, adds: "The digital economy is growing and is a key factor in Switzerland's innovative strength. We want to use our experience and expertise to help meet the associated growing demand for cyber resilience and create a robust ecosystem for cyber security in Switzerland."

The ETH Cyber Group and Huawei have agreed to develop a roadmap on how knowledge about cyber security can be expanded through joint information and exchange platforms and how the networking of interested parties can be supported. Joint events, reciprocal invitations to key events and other collaboration activities are planned. The students and the technology supplier are also considering joint training initiatives and training programs, such as the HCSP-5G Security Solution Training offered by Huawei experts.

Huawei also holds out the prospect of opening up internships on cyber security and data protection in Switzerland or at European level for members of the Cyber Group and students at ETH Zurich, as well as for external parties such as regulatory authorities or industry.

The seriousness of Huawei's efforts in this area is also demonstrated by the fact that Huawei will once again be one of two headline partners at the Global Cyber Conference taking place on November 26/27 at the Dolder in Zurich. The conference has established itself as an important industry event for the "who's who" of the Swiss and international cybersecurity community.

Keynote speakers at the annual event organized by the Swiss Cyber Institute will include Carmen Walker-Späh and Florian Schütz, as well as cybersecurity managers from well-known Swiss companies from numerous sectors and from the administration and authorities. On behalf of Huawei, Patrick McCarthy, Senior Cyber Security & Privacy Protection Advisor for Emerging Technologies, Cloud, AI and Data Governance at the Huawei Cyber Security Transparency Center in Brussels, will speak on "The future of cloud, AI and security from the perspective of Swiss SMEs" and explore this topic in greater depth in a dedicated workshop. This workshop will be supported by other top experts such as Dr. Xavier Valero González (AI and Analytics lead, Dekra Malaga, Spain) and Iva Tasheva (Co-founder & Cybersecurity Lead, at Cyen, member of Enisa).

Source: www.huawei.com / www.cybergroup.ch

SR Technics has opened a new state-of-the-art workshop for Pratt & Whitney GTF engines and the refurbished second test cell. The facility at Zurich Airport is the 17th active site in the global GTF network. It is used for the complete disassembly, assembly and testing of PW1100G-JM engines for the Airbus A320neo series.

To celebrate the occasion, an official opening ceremony was held in Zurich with representatives from Pratt & Whitney, business partners and all employees at the site, during which guests were given an exclusive tour of the newly built factory hall and the second test cell.

SR Technics signed an agreement with Pratt & Whitney in April 2022 to become part of the Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engine maintenance network. SR Technics thus joined the global network of providers. With this agreement, SR Technics expands its portfolio and increases its competitiveness by securing and expanding its highly skilled workforce in Switzerland to meet the increased capacity demand. A double-digit million Swiss franc investment in specialized tools, maintenance equipment, employee training and the new test cell has been made in the facilities at Zurich Airport. SR Technics plans to maintain around 1,000 GTF engines during the agreed contract period and already started work on the first engine in July.

"Over the last 18 months, the SR Technics team has done a great job in building up new employees and new infrastructure. We are grateful for the support of our partners who have been involved in this complex project. This investment marks a new chapter for future business development in our company," says Owen McClave, Chief Executive Officer of SR Technics.

"SR Technics will play an integral role in supporting the growing GTF fleet worldwide," said Rob Griffiths, Senior Vice President, Commercial Engines Operations at Pratt & Whitney. "With more than 90 years of experience, we are confident they will provide the industry-leading services our customers expect."

"With the GTF engines from Pratt & Whitney, SR Technics will be maintaining the engine of the hour - the state of the art in the engine world, so to speak. They are future-oriented, as they consume less fuel, emit fewer pollutants and are quieter overall," says Christian Hegner, Director of the FOCA.

Source: www.srtechnics.com

According to the latest figures from the Sophos management study, the threat of economic damage from cyberattacks is the main reason for investing in cyber protection. Managers in Germany and Austria cite awareness of the economic consequences of cyberattacks as the main reason for investment in the past three years, with 23.4% (Germany) and 24% (Austria) respectively. Switzerland is even more aware in this regard, with 36% emphasizing that they have invested in cyber security due to potential economic damage.

Ransomware and digital transformation

The second most common reason for the expansion of IT security in companies in all three countries was the increasing threat of attacks such as ransomware. This aspect was emphasized by 21.4 percent of respondents in Germany, 20 percent in Austria and 28 percent in Switzerland - once again the most.

Another key motivation for strengthening the protection of IT systems is the digital transformation in companies. It ranks third in all three countries as a reason for investing in cyber protection, with 18.4% of German bosses, 14.9% of Austrian bosses and 20% of Swiss bosses.

Legal or insurance requirements subordinate

Compared to the main motives for investing in cyber protection, aspects such as cyber insurance requirements (Germany 2 percent, Austria 4 percent, Switzerland 4 percent) or applicable IT and cyber protection laws such as GDPR or NIS II were less important. The latter aspect was mentioned by 8% of respondents in both Germany and Austria, while it was not included in the survey in Switzerland.

State-initiated cyberattacks bring up the rear, 10 percent have not invested at all

Very few respondents state that protection against state-initiated cyber attacks was a motive for expanding IT security - in Germany this is 2.5 percent, in Switzerland 2 percent and in Austria this aspect is not even mentioned by anyone.

Despite the constantly increasing threat situation, some companies have stated that they have not strengthened their cyber protection in the past three years. In Germany, 10 percent of respondents, in Austria 14 percent and in Switzerland 6 percent have not done so.

Although the minority say they have not worked on better security in recent years, Michael Veit, Security Evangelist at Sophos, believes that it is a failure if every company does not invest in its cyber protection. "Companies must be aware that investments in IT security must no longer be seen as a cost factor, but as (over)life insurance," he says. "If you don't take this to heart, you can count down until your own business operations are paralyzed by a cyber attack."

Source: www.sophos.com

Detecting unusual or abnormal patterns in industrial data is one of the most common tasks of AI algorithms in commercial applications. It enables the early detection of degradation, defects and errors in production and allows these problems to be rectified in good time, thus saving costs and reducing downtime. 

Anomaly detection in machines is usually based on "learning from normality". This means that AI algorithms are trained using data from perfectly functioning machines in order to later recognize deviations in operating data. In practice, however, there is often no completely error-free data available, which significantly impairs the effectiveness of the models. Training with contaminated data means that the models are no longer able to distinguish between normal and faulty operating conditions - a challenge that has so far hardly been solved by research.

Use of AI algorithms without human intervention

"By working with various companies, we have realized that there is a need for AI algorithms that can be used directly and without prior human intervention for data labeling," explains Dr. Lilach Goren Huber from the Smart Maintenance Team at the ZHAW Institute for Data Analysis and Process Design (IDP). 

New framework for unsupervised data refinement

To close this gap, the ZHAW researchers have developed a novel framework that automatically evaluates historical, potentially contaminated data and extracts normally functioning data samples completely unsupervised. In this way, the cleaned data can be used for training anomaly detection algorithms without the need for time-consuming manual sorting.

Simple concept, powerful effect

The framework is based on a central observation: erroneous data samples have a stronger influence on the performance of the AI models than normal samples. Based on this principle, each data sample is assigned a score that measures its influence on the training. Samples with a high score are identified as potentially erroneous and removed from the training data. In tests, the framework achieved comparable performance to manually cleaned datasets with this refined data.

Successful application and prospects

The ZHAW has tested the method on a variety of machine types, including pumps, valves, fans and engines, and has achieved promising results. In most cases, the framework was able to fully compensate for the lack of error-free training data. "Our approach is not only simple and robust, but also universally applicable. It can be combined with any type of data and existing fault detection methods," explains Dr. Lilach Goren Huber.

Source: www.zhaw.ch