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US falling behind China and Russia in AI race: Report
 Story highlights Both China and Russia have recently highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence to the future of the global economy and military power A new report warns that the US military must now decide if it wants to "lead the coming revolution or fall victim to it"

Washington CNN —

More than 60 years after a space race rivalry with the Soviet Union ushered in a new era of ballistic missile development, the US is facing another “Sputnik moment” amid a rapidly escalating international competition over artificial intelligence, according to former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work.

The idea that rapid advances in artificial intelligence will define the next generation of warfare – a concept known as the “Third Offset Strategy” – was first articulated by former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in 2014.

Possible AI applications for the military include: creating more nimble systems, possibly at lower cost; developing more effective training systems; software that processes mountains of data from surveillance systems or for “pattern-of-life” surveillance; improved facial recognition capabilities; war games support and automated combat in so-called manned-unmanned operations, according to a September report from the RAND Corporation.

But a new report published Wednesday and provided exclusively to CNN by Work and Govini, a data and analytics firm that conducts government analysis, warns that the US military must now decide if it wants to “lead the coming revolution, or fall victim to it” amid emerging challenges from China and Russia.

“This stark choice will be determined by the degree to which the Department of Defense (DoD) recognizes the revolutionary military potential of AI and advanced autonomous systems,” the report said.

Specifically, the White House and Pentagon must determine the extent to which the US will ramp up research and development in technologies associated with artificial intelligence – including advanced computing, artificial neural networks, big data, machine learning, unmanned systems and robotics, it said.

The US must also determine a national strategy for how aggressively it will develop new systems, operational concepts and organizational constructs that exploit artificial intelligence advancements in warfare, according to the report.

An important part of that strategy relates to “autonomy” which results “from delegation of a decision to an authorized entity to take action within specific boundaries,” Work told CNN.

The technology

While critics have often warned against the development of autonomous offensive weaponry for fear of losing operational control, Work told CNN that the US pursuit of “narrow AI” will always prioritize human control but allow the machine to “independently compose and select among different courses of action to accomplish assigned goals based on its knowledge and understanding of the world, itself, and the situation.”

Musk, Zuckerberg feud over future of AI 05:05 - Source: CNN

“They are worried about the Terminator, but the US view is more like the Iron Man,” Work said in reference to the Marvel superhero who is a man equipped with a powerful and adaptable suit of armor.

The US has already begun to apply elements of AI to military platforms and strategy – a move perhaps no more evident than in its investment in the $400 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Combining an array of sensors and software used to quickly collect data and interpret data, the F-35 “is the key example of human elaboration,” Work told CNN.

“It sucks up data and portrays that to the pilot in a way they couldn’t have done on their own,” he added, calling the aircraft a “perfect example of human-machine collaboration” that should be applied to other military platforms.

But despite some success in implementing AI technology to date, Work told CNN that he does not “don’t believe our national response is nearly good enough to this point.”

The race

Both China and Russia have recently highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence to the future of the global economy and military power.

Speaking to students during a national “open lesson” in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country that takes the lead in the sphere of computer-based artificial intelligence will rule.

“Artificial intelligence is the future not only of Russia but of all of mankind,” said Putin. “There are huge opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to foresee today.”

The words of the Russian President echo what scientists in Russia and around the world have been mulling over for quite some time.

Work on developing drones and vehicles for military and civilian usage is well under way in Russia, according to state media.

The Russian military is also developing robots, anti-drone systems, and cruise missiles that would be able to analyze radars and make decisions on the altitude, speed and direction of their flight, according to state media.

And in July, the Chinese government published a detailed road map outlining a national plan to prioritize the development and application of AI – a move Work said he considers a “Sputnik moment.”

“Artificial intelligence has become the new focus of international competition. Artificial intelligence is the strategic technology that leads the future,” the Chinese government publication said.

“The major developed countries in the world regard the development of artificial intelligence as a major strategy to enhance their national competitiveness and safeguard their national security,” it added.

China’s hopes to lead the world in AI technologies by directly linking defense and commercial development.

The funding

While DOD and Silicon Valley have recently invested in AI research and development, relying on American commercial research and development is not going to be enough, according to Work.

The US has lacked a clear plan to keep pace with foreign rivals despite predictions that AI “has the potential to be a transformative national security technology, on a par with nuclear weapons, aircraft, computers, and biotech,” according to a recent study by Greg Allen of Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International studies.

But according to Work and Govini, Wednesday’s report aims to help build the foundation of a national response to, what they view, as a clear challenge by foreign powers.

By providing an analysis of government spending on key components of AI between 2012 and 2017, the report provides guidance for defense leaders and the White House on how the US should respond to challenges from China and others, Work said.

A full breakdown of Govini’s analysis can be viewed here.

And while the report generally concludes that DOD is “putting its money where its mouth is” when it comes to the Third Offset Strategy, Work told CNN that there is still “a long way to go.”

The report’s analysis of unclassified government spending on AI over the last five years indicates that DOD is focusing on collecting data and applying it to two primary components of the offset strategy: virtual reality (simulations and training technology) and computer vision (the data that tells a system what to strike and not to strike).

While important foundational elements of artificial intelligence, the US must begin to prioritize measures toward applying those advancements toward mission concepts, according to Matt Hummer of Govini.

DOD should increase its investment in “advanced computing” technology – which represents the lynchpin for broader application – and analytical technology – which is used to display information to a human operator, he said.

Further development of the Cloud – a critical part of increasing processing speed – is also an area the US should emphasize, he said.

Ultimately, an emphasis on prioritizing artificial intelligence spending is going to “require a national response led from the White House,” according to Work.

“This is designed, I hope, to not only help DOD leaders to think about what to invest in but help the White House to think about broad contours of a national response,” he said.

Output: The US military risks falling behind China and Russia in the artificial intelligence (AI) race, according to data and analytics firm Work and Govini. The US government needs to determine its commitment to research and development in AI technologies, as well as a national strategy for developing systems that exploit AI advancements in warfare, to avoid falling behind its rivals, according to the report. Russia is already developing military robots and anti-drone systems, while China hopes to lead the world in AI by linking defence and commercial development.


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Litter and waste on UK beaches increase by 10% this year
 The rubbish washing up on the UK’s beaches is continuing to increase, rising by 10% in 2017, the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) annual beach clean has revealed.

Much of the waste is plastic, leading the MCS to call on the government to urgently introduce a charge on single-use plastic items, such as straws, cups and cutlery. The chancellor, Philip Hammond, recently announced the government is considering such action.

About 12m tonnes of plastic litter enters the oceans every year, killing millions of marine animals. People are also believed to be inadvertently eating the plastic, potentially contaminated with toxic chemicals, via seafood.

The MCS beach clean in September saw 7,000 volunteers scour 340 beaches and collect an average of 718 pieces of rubbish every 100 metres. The survey uses a standard methodology and data from the last decade and shows a rising tide of litter along the coast.

Most of the litter is small, unidentifiable fragments of plastic, broken down in the sea from larger objects and often mistaken for food by fish and birds. But 20% of the rubbish is packaging from “on the go” food and drink, such as cups, bottles, cutlery, stirrers and sandwich packets.

“Our beach clean evidence shows a shocking rise in the amount of litter this year,” said Sandy Luk, MCS chief executive. “Our oceans are choking in plastic. We urgently need a levy on single-use plastic as a first step.”

“We are concerned we are continuing on this upwards trend,” said Lizzie Prior, beach and river clean project officer at the MCS. “Plastic never goes away – it does not decompose. It just goes to smaller and smaller pieces and becomes much more harmful for our marine environment.”

She said the tax on plastic bags introduced in 2015, which has seen their use drop by 85%, had a rapid impact, with the number of bags found on beaches down by 40% since 2014. “It is really fantastic to see that small charge completely changed people’s behaviour,” she said. “A levy [on other single use plastic] would be a fantastic next step.”

The populous south-east of England had the highest amount of litter, with 1,092 items per 100 metres of beach, a jump of 46% from last year. South-west England was second, with 1,036 items per 100 metres.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are taking significant steps to tackle plastic waste including plans to introduce a ban on plastic microbeads and a call for evidence around deposit reward and return schemes for plastic bottles. We recognise there is more to do in this area, and we will be working with industry to explore how we can further reduce the amount of single-use plastic waste.”

Iceland and the Co-op announced on Thursday that they would back a UK-wide bottle deposit return system (DRS), while the Natural History Museum in London has said it will stop selling single-use plastic bottles to the 4.5 million people who visit each year.The MCS 2017 survey found the second highest amount of litter in the 10 years for which there is comparable data. The peak in 2014 is thought likely to be the result of unusually severe storms early that year, which washed up more rubbish.

The MCS also found a big leap in wet wipes litter in 2017, up 94% on the previous year, though the cause is unclear. Most wet wipes contain plastic and Prior said she knew of no wet wipes on sale today that meet water company standards for degradability.

She said people should not flush them down the toilet and that labelling on wet wipes needs to improve: “If they don’t meet the water company standards, they should say ‘non-flushable’ very clearly on the front of the packet.”

Prior said only three things should be flushed down toilets: “If you remember the three Ps – pee, poo and paper – you’re doing the right thing.”

Output: The amount of rubbish washed up on UK beaches rose by 10% in 2017, according to the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) annual beach clean. The event enlisted 7,000 volunteers who cleaned 339 beaches, collecting an average of 718 pieces of litter for every 100 metres. Most of the rubbish was small fragments of plastic, but 20% was packaging for takeaway food and drink. As a result, the MCS is calling on the government to impose charges on single-use items including cups, cutlery and straws. In his recent budget, chancellor Philip Hammond announced that he was considering such charges.


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Redrow Redrow finishes construction at Devonport in Plymouth
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The budget would have been a disappointing blow to anyone hoping for major investment in the South West - the exception was a very welcome £79million for the A30 St Austell link road.

Speaking at the recent Western Morning News’ Business Awards, held in St Mellion, Cornwall on November 16, Gary Streeter, MP for South West Devon said the region had three priorities: “Infrastructure, infrastructure and infrastructure.”

And we agree. A key aim of the #BackTheSouthWest campaign is to secure investment so the region can reach its potential.

And there could be good news in the budget, if you scour the small print.

For example, the region could tap into the £316billion National Infrastructure Productivity Fund, extended for another year, £500million for AI, 5G and Full Fibre Broadband, half of the £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund designed to improve transport links and £1billion being made available of discounted lending for high value infrastructure projects.

For Back The South West campaigners, the link between investment and prosperity is clear.

Michael Beadel is chairman and a partner in the real estate team at Stephens Scown. The firm is a partner in the Back The South West Campaign.

He said: “History has shown that regions which continue to invest in their infrastructure, even in uncertain times, are more likely to prosper. The South West has so much to offer, but to reach our full potential it is crucial for public spending and private investment in our big infrastructure projects to continue.”

Let's take a look at the big projects currently under way that are transforming the region.

Inward investment is unlocking hundreds of jobs for Exeter in the shape of the Ikea store, set to open next year and the vast regional distribution centre for Lidl that has opened just in time for Christmas.

The vast investment at Exeter and East Devon Growth Point, Skypark and Exeter Science Park is creating a cluster for innovative businesses and housing for its relatively well-paid workers.

In Plymouth, Oceansgate is showing how the region can turn its seascape into a specialism with the UK’s pioneering marine hub and in Newquay, Cornwall’s bid to become a UK spaceport is creating huge opportunities for like minded businesses.

These developments are widely welcomed but there is still so much more we need to do to secure the investment we need to create the Great South West.

Chairman of the Heart of the South West LEP, Steve Hindley CBE DL, said: “We are passionate about our area; the Heart of the South West and the wider Great South West region, and we will continue to strive fervently to get our true potential recognised.”

(Image: Kier)

A30 – Temple, Cornwall

Value: £60million

Completion: Current phase completes this winter but next phase of the A30 dualling could start in 2020.

The three-mile section of road over Bodmin Moor and Preeze Cross Bridge was formally declared open for business on July 14, bringing to an end two years of roadworks misery. Cardinham Bridge opened to traffic three days later.

The first major benefit of the new road was the fact that on the first weekend of the school summer holidays, traffic on the A30 was flowing freely.

In previous years, tailbacks of over 10 miles would have been witnessed in the switch from dual to single carriageway on the approach to the original road or the roadworks.

The A30 road was completed ahead of a revised schedule after a project which suffered delays when an exceptionally wet winter undermined some of the initial work.

During its busiest time, the road carries around 40,000 vehicles a day, meaning that roughly 280,000 cars, lorries, camper vans, caravans and motorbikes could have trundled along the new stretch in the first week.

The horrendous congestion caused by the previous road layout - a dual carriageway narrowing to a single lane - was estimated to have cost businesses, residents and visitors £235 million a year.

However, the successful completion of the scheme is expected to bring more than £134million into the Cornish economy - meaning that in just seven days the new road could have provided a £2.5million boost.

Around 70% of residents in Cornwall and more than 80% of workers are based to the west of Temple, with more than three quarters of businesses surveyed at the start of the scheme predicting that it would have a positive impact on their business.

The construction on the new dual carriageway involved the cutting of 300,000 tons of earth, equivalent to filling 226 Olympic sized swimming pools, and 130,000sqm of asphalt, the equivalent of surfacing 18 Wembley-sized football pitches and 15,000 metres of vehicle safety barrier equivalent to the distance between Chiverton Cross to Mitchell.

The contractors have also built 5,500 metres of Cornish hedge as part of the environmental works, and planted 15,000 trees and shrubs and 95,000 square metres of seeding, equivalent to seeding 13 Wembley-sized football pitches.

Aerohub – Newquay Airport : Phase 1

Budget: £7m

Completion: 2020.

As part of the diversification strategy for Cornwall Airport Newquay, Cornwall Development Company working on delivering the Aerohub Enterprise Zone project based at Newquay airport.

A designated Enterprise Zone, Aerohub offers the largest planning free development site in the UK, with over 348 acres of development land.

Combined with uncongested and unrestricted airspace, one of the UK’s longest runways, direct maritime access, and an unparalleled aviation environment, Aerohub is the best location in Europe for aerospace businesses.

Work on the Aerohub Business Park at Cornwall Airport Newquay started this year, and will be completed in early 2019. The first phase of the project will include a three-storey landmark office building and a further eight business and light industrial units.

The Aerohub Business Park is located on the south side of the airport and falls within the UK's only aviation-focused Enterprise Zone. Enterprise Zones were created by the Government in 2011 to boost business investment and job creation. Once fully developed the business park could support up to 1,000 jobs.

The new £7.4million project will address the lack of high-quality employment space that is perceived to be a real barrier to growth in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Of that figure £4.3 million is coming in the form of a grant from the current round of European funding and will be matched by £3.1 million of investment from Cornwall Council.

Aerohub is now home to 14 businesses employing more than 450 people at an average annual wage of £33,400 - almost twice the average wage in Cornwall.

The business park will become the gateway to the 850-acre site Enterprise Zone, which is a focus for future flight technologies and aims to become a future UK Spaceport.

The Aerohub is also hoping to host the UK’s first spaceport and tap into the £25bn spaceflight launch market by 2020.

Aerohub Enterprise Zone manager Miles Carden and the man behind Cornwall's spaceport bid to the government, said: “There's something intangible about space flights and space travel. We all relate to the Apollo programme and the Man on the Moon. It's right there in people's psyche.

“Becoming Britain's first spaceport is a 25-year project which could create 5,000 highly paid jobs in Cornwall. But it won't happen overnight. It will happen in phases and the first phase will still deliver hundreds of jobs.”

In the summer it was announced that Orbital Access Limited (OAL) has teamed up with Spaceport Cornwall – the group which includes Cornwall Airport Newquay and Goonhilly Earth Station, on the Lizard peninsula.

News of the partnership was announced at the UK Space Conference in Manchester. It means OAL will work alongside Spaceport Cornwall as its principle operator on the dream to develop a system where aircraft can be used to launch satellites into orbit.

Anchorwood Bank, Barnstaple

Value: £60million

Completion: Retail units by 2018 and residential development in 2019

One of the biggest commercial developments in recent years in North Devon, Anchorwood Bank in Barnstaple, formerly home to Shapland and Petter, will host 172 houses and a retail area with shops and restaurants.

An Asda store opened on site in November last year, the first spade has gone in the ground for the residential development and a large steel structure which will house the shopping district has been erected.

The development is headed by social housing provider North Devon Homes with partners Wessex Investors and Pearce Construction.

It is hoped that the housing development, shopping and restaurant area, will transform a derelict site into a vibrant, waterside space.

(Image: Paul Slater Images)

Beckley Point, Plymouth

Value: £30.79million

Completion: January 2018

What is the tallest building in the South West, this 505-bed student accommodation block, in the centre of Plymouth, is managed by The Student Housing Company, part of leading provider Global Student Accommodation (GSA).

Construction on the project started on the August 15, 2015, and is being delivered by developer Kier Group.

All internal work was completed in September 2017, and completion of the external works is expected by the end of January 2018.

With the tip of the tower reaching 78 metres high, the 23-storey tower will be the region’s tallest building.

With students already living in the tower, more than 100 have already rebooked for the 2018/19 academic year.

Rooms cost about £8,000 for a 45-week tenancy, but enjoy spectacular views.

Students are housed in a combination of single en-suite studios, double bedroomed “twodios”, and “clusters” where six bedrooms share a kitchen and living area.

There are communal study and common rooms, games and “chill-out” spaces, and even a cinema.

The skyscraper is staffed around the clock, with a team of 10 full-time workers including managers, cleaners and maintenance roles.

And topping the pile is the 23rd storey Sky Lounge, which has panoramic views and will be available to the public for hire.

The pioneering technology behind the £60million Mayflower Water Treatment Works In March next year South West Water will publish its business proposals for 2020-25 for public consultation as part of the water industry price review, which occurs every five years. The flagship project for the current 2015-20 period is the Mayflower Water Treatment Works. This £60m infrastructure project means that by this time next year Plymouth and the surrounding area will be enjoying tap water treated using advanced technology found nowhere else in the UK. Around two and a half years in construction, the Mayflower Water Treatment Works is designed to deliver high quality drinking water to the area in a more efficient and environmentally sustainable way than ever before. The existing water treatment works at Crownhill was built in the 1950s and is reaching the end of its useful life. Water treatment technology and standards have improved dramatically since it was built, the city’s population has grown significantly, and, as a result of urbanisation, the site’s location would make further expansion difficult. Work on its replacement began back in 2013, with the setting up of a research facility to trial ‘ceramic membrane filtration’ - an innovative treatment process which is less chemical and energy-intensive than traditional methods. Ceramic membranes are durable, have a long working life (they have been operating in Japan for more than 20 years) and require minimal support and maintenance, making them a cost-effective alternative. Over the course of 18 months, a dedicated team from South West Water worked in close collaboration with Dutch water treatment specialists PWNT to trial the process with water from a range of local sources including Burrator reservoir, the River Tavy and River Tamar. The pilot proved successful and planning began for the new works. A 24-acre site on the edge of Roborough was identified as the location for the build – this already had the benefit of planning approval, granted in 1991, for a new water treatment works. Ahead of construction, South West Water enlisted a team of specialist ecologists to ensure there would be minimal impact on wildlife and habitats. Slow worms, adders, grass snakes and lizards were among the animals safely captured and re-homed, one-way badger ‘gates’ were installed, and the initial site clearance was carried out using hand tools under the careful supervision of the experts. By carrying out the clearance over winter there was no danger of disturbing any nesting birds. Trees with the potential to support roosting bats were carefully inspected and ‘soft-felled’ to minimise disturbance. In addition to the works itself, construction has also involved the laying of seven kilometres of water mains pipeline and the addition of a hydro-electric plant and solar panels which will provide a proportion of onsite energy, thereby helping reduce carbon emissions. Delivery is on schedule by South West Water’s H5O engineering delivery alliance (including Arcadis, Pell Frischmann and Balfour Beatty as the main construction contractor alongside Interserve) and PWNT. During the construction phase, the project has sustained more than 150 jobs. The new works will be capable of producing up to 90 million litres (megalitres) every day and will ensure a sustainable supply of high quality drinking water to homes and businesses for decades to come.

Hinkley Point C Nuclear Plant, Somerset.

Value: £19.6bn

Completion: First nuclear reactor scheduled for completion in 2025

On our doorstep is Europe’s biggest construction project with 2,000 workers every day currently on site.

The construction will provide 25,000 jobs and is set to have a major impact across the region with opportunities in the construction, supply chain and associated businesses.

Around £435 million worth of contracts have been signed so far with businesses in the region.

There are a number of initiatives under way to ensure the region has the right skills to meet the demand that is predicted to drain workers across Devon and Cornwall. At its peak, 5,600 people will work on site and the finished power plant will employ 900 people.

Built by EDF and its partner, costs over the coming years will rise to around £19.6bn after an announcement earlier this year that the project is likely to be over time by 15 months and over budget by £1.5billion.

The French state-controlled energy firm is funding two-thirds of the plant with China investing the rest.

In return, EDF will receive a guaranteed price for Hinkley's electricity for 35 years in a complex subsidy arrangement.

The construction has not been without controversy.

The level of subsidy has been criticised by experts and the National Audit Office because it guarantees the company a revenue of £92.50 per megawatt-hour of power, well above current market prices.

The reliance on nuclear energy has also been criticised by environmental campaigners who argue that the Government should instead be investing in solar and wind energy.

(Image: Neale Abbott/aeroplaneviews.co.uk)

Ikea, Exeter

Value: £80million

Completion: Summer 2018

The wait for an Ikea west of Bristol is almost over.

It will be the Swedish chain’s 21st store and will employ around 250 staff.

The development off the A379 also includes plans for 220 new homes at Newcourt.

The cash contribution to the city's Community Infrastructure Levy amounts to £3,921,002.

Lidl Regional Distribution Centre, Exeter

Value: £55million

Completion: November 2017

The new, 50,000 m² hub in the Exeter Gateway business park close to Junction 29 of M5 comes as part of Lidl’s wider investment and modernisation programme across the South West. Lidl was given planning approval in June last year after Sainsbury's scrapped a plan to build a depot there.

Creating 500 jobs, the Regional Distribution Centre will serve Lidl stores from Penzance to as far as Burnham-on-Sea and across to Weymouth, with 1,700 pallets of products projected to go through its premises every day.

It is phase one of a scheme with planning permission for a further 110,000 sq m of logistics and distribution space in phase two of the development secured this September.

The massive development on land at Hayes Farm would create between 1,530 and 1,817 new jobs and contribute an extra £90 to £105m to the regional economy, the applicants, the Church Commissioners For England claim.

Infrastructure will take a step forward post Brexit As the region weighs up what life may the look like in the region post Brexit, infrastructure features largely on the horizon, says Richard Walford, Foot Anstey Partner and Head of Property, Infrastructure and Construction The good news is that, as we all know, the South West is an attractive place for people to live and work. The challenge is to encourage potential movers to follow up sentiment with action and take the steps to actually relocate and build a life in the region. For some parts of the South West the promotion of our region is working. I recently attended a meeting of the Property Chamber at Exeter City Council and was impressed truly with the success of the City. Relatively well connected by roads and rail and with a forward thinking, pro-development Council, Exeter claims the 4th highest rate of housing growth of any city in the UK. Alongside this it has made gains in productivity, jobs and population growth. Exeter's good fortune is a cause for celebration but it is important to understand what underlies the growth in order that the region's politicians and businesses don’t overlook, or even worse, kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Being an attractive location set in the midst of a region blessed with great natural beauty helps but it is Exeter's comparative success compared to the rest of the region that is interesting. In my role I deal with a range of businesses daily, both those already within as well as those looking to relocate to the region. For all of these businesses Exeter's transport infrastructure at the end of the M5 and the more navigable part of the high speed rail network are decisive factors that make Exeter the place of choice to locate a South West hub or headquarters. Businesses that are based or choose to develop there have fared very well. Burrington Estates, for example who moved to Exeter in 2011 has very quickly established itself as a high quality developer of commercial and residential sites. Looking ahead to a post Brexit world, the region's authorities are recognising the need to come together and combine their efforts to stand up for the peninsula. The Greater Exeter Strategic Plan and Great South West are two such initiatives. It is great to see the willingness to cooperate and lobby on behalf of the whole region. But what cannot be ignored is what these bodies lobby for. Whilst politically it may be pragmatic to spread the jam, all the evidence on the impact of infrastructure points to the importance of focussing on central growth hubs; be that London, Manchester, Bristol or perhaps even Exeter. Infrastructure projects on the scale required to truly unlock the full potential of the South West economy (think A303 upgrade or fast rail link to Plymouth) cannot be fully funded by the private sector. They will require public funding from both the region and Westminster. Garnering that support will require close cooperation and targeted campaigns of the regions decision makers. The sooner the region can set aside its local concerns and differences and fully throw its weight behind those campaigns, the better.

The huge chunk of land is earmarked for more storage and distribution warehouses, offices and business space as part of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point.

As for Lidl, it says it is continuing to invest in the South West region, with half of its stores being refurbished in the next year.

The retailer has also confirmed contracts with 14 suppliers, including Wyke Farms, County Confectionery , Kanes Foods and Crediton Dairy in the region, which will be worth over £100million across the next five years with extensive export opportunities to Lidl markets.

Lidl's regional director Mark Henry said: “The South West is an important region for Lidl and it’s an area where we’ve experienced particularly strong growth.”

Lidl says it has ambitious expansion plans across the UK, with an investment aim of £1.45bn by 2019. Regional Distribution Centres will make up a significant part of this objective, with this latest RDC opening becoming the 12th in the Lidl portfolio.

And it is good news for workers too. Lidl has made a pledge to pay the Living Wage Foundation’s Real Living Wage, now £8.75 an hour.

How Cornwall is being transformed by its mining future Cornwall is on the brink of a transformation into a world class centre of excellence in modern mining and a potential return to the glory days of mining in the county, writes Michael Beadel is chairman of Stephens Scown LLP. This renaissance couldn’t have come at a better time. As a supporter of the Back The South West campaign, I am a passionate believer in the need for the region to pull together and get behind the sectors and industries that are going to secure jobs for the future. The demand for lithium is set to soar, driven by the need for lithium-ion batteries for the growing electric car market. The price of lithium has tripled in the past 18 months, rising to US$16,000-18,000 per tonne. Recent studies have suggested that the price could increase by 16% year on year until at least 2025. If this happens, the price of lithium will have grown the fastest of any commodity in the last 100 years. And Cornwall could be at the centre of this development. Cornish Lithium’s exploration is being focused on the underground hot springs of Cornwall, where lithium is dissolved in liquid brines. What makes this development all the more exciting is that it comes on the back of several years of good news for mining in the South West. Whilst china clay extraction, led in Cornwall by Imerys Minerals, continued to be an important part of the local economy, metal mining started again in 2015 with Wolf Minerals’ major tungsten and tin project, the Drakelands mine in Devon, going into production. This was an historic achievement: the first metal mine to open in the UK for 45 years. The heavy lifting on the Wolf Minerals project by all those involved has very greatly advanced the viability of metal mining in the UK. The benefit to the locality has been very real – more than 200 people are permanently employed at Drakelands, many of them local people, and including some who had previously emigrated in search of mining work but have now been able to return to their home country. Additional indirect UK jobs created are estimated at approximately 1,000. Then, in the summer of 2016, Strongbow Exploration achieved another momentous step for Cornwall, in saving the third largest tin deposit in the world from extinction. A deal was signed to buy the mineral rights and assets necessary for South Crofty to become a producing mine again. Other significant operators in the sector include Cornwall Resources Limited (the JV between Strategic Minerals plc and New Age Exploration Limited), which started its exploration drilling programme at Redmoor, near Callington in Cornwall, in March 2017. There will be many who hope, like me, that there is a new dawn for mining in the South West, supported by local and central government, which brings much needed jobs for Cornwall.

(Image: Penny Cross)

Oceansgate Marine Hub, Plymouth

Value: Phase 1: £7.8million

Completion: Phase 1: End of 2017

Work on two rows of industrial units and a three-story office block only began in January 2017.

But by March the team from Midas had dug foundations and even begun assembling the steel skeleton for the office building.

The area, once the heart of Devonport, had been destroyed and was then turned into the post-war South Yard naval site.

But now it will become offices, labs and light industrial units.

The Enterprise Zone marine hub is expected to give Plymouth’s economy a mighty shot in the arm, providing world class facilities for marine manufacturing and engineering companies.

With two more phases to follow the project has already attracted so many firms the overall scheme could be completed within five years creating thousands of jobs.

Midas, which has about 60 staff working on the patch, is expecting to hand the Phase One buildings back to Plymouth City Council in December 2017, to be rented out to firms.

The initial phase of Oceansgate will deliver 1,270sq m of office space, over the three floors, which will be leased to one firm, or several, by Plymouth City Council.

Up to 14 firms could move in – or one company could take the entire space.

The entire site is 35 hectares – five times the size of Royal William Yard.

Skypark, Exeter

Value: £210million

Completion: Current phase completes this Autumn with work continuing over the 20 years

Skypark is being billed as the South West’s most significant Business Park development combining office, industrial and distribution space with hotel, local facilities and a biomass and gas combined heat and power plant in a landscaped environment of over 100 acres.

Over the next 20 years, this £210 million development is predicted to create up to 6,500 new jobs with a significant impact on the local economy as part of the wider Exeter and East Devon New Growth Point initiative.

The first tenant in the first office building, which offers 17,142 sq ft of employment space, is due to move on site in December.

Software development company Oneserve is marking a new era for the company in the move with plans to increase its workforce to 60 in the coming years.

Work on the flagship DCH headquarters is well underway and the Ambulance Special Operations Centre (ASOC West) and DPD UK’s new 60,000 sq ft distribution centre will be located there.

The development, spearheaded by regeneration specialists St Modwen and Devon County Council, follows £3.5million of investment in road and services infrastructure at Skypark and the five-acre public realm area, including trim trail exercise stations.

Ian Guy, senior development manager for St Modwen and Devon County Council’s development partner for the £210m Skypark development, said:

“Skypark reflects demand for good quality commercial space in the South West through the development of the Enterprise Zone which will further enhance the site’s commercial appeal and help to attract more inward investment and business occupiers to the area in the long term.

“The new office available at Skypark is part of our ongoing programme of speculative building for the South West , which currently comprises over 180,000 sq ft of new commercial space, providing a solid platform from which to generate sizeable income and long term value right across the region. When the development completes, in the next 20 years, Skypark will provide up to 1.4 million sq ft of industrial and office space with potential for up to 6,500 jobs.”

STEM Regional Centre of Excellence is a game changer New in 2017, City College Plymouth’s Regional Centre of Excellence for STEM is the most significant investment in the city’s skills infrastructure for many years. The £13million state-of-the-art facility, which has been shortlisted for the Best New Building at this year’s Abercrombie Awards, provides a flexible learning environment that simulates ‘real work’ scenarios with industry-standard workshops, science and sport laboratories and media studios. It is equipped with high-tech resources to support a broader and more relevant STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) curriculum. The centre will have a huge impact on the training and education of STEM-related subjects for the city and the wider region. It will focus on the city’s priority STEM sectors to promote and provide growth and investment in skills development, connectivity and innovation. This will include support for job creation, particularly in high-growth sectors, to drive productivity and promote enterprise. These aspirations are an integral part of the STEM Plymouth Strategic Plan, helping to ensure Britain’s Ocean City is recognised as a world leader in STEM development. The success of the new centre will depend in no small measure on the continued involvement of more than 200 employers who are working with the College to create Plymouth’s future workforce. The College’s commitment is to train and develop those young people and adults required by local employers and the city’s economy, to ensure a bright future ahead for all. Phil Davies, Principal and Chief Executive of City College, said: The £13million facility is the greatest investment in skills training in Plymouth for many years. It is the College’s direct response to the skills shortages that have been identified in the region’s economic strategies and planning over the past decade. With a greater emphasis on STEM skills, the College is now perfectly placed to support young people and businesses who need the next generation of students to be equipped with STEM-related skills and knowledge. “I extend my thanks to our funders, the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Plymouth City Council and the Regional Growth Fund, and to all our employer partners for making this Regional Centre of Excellence a reality.” Chris Garcia, Heart of the South West LEP Chief Executive, said: “This was one of our first Growth Deal projects to get off the ground, helped by our funding of £5.43m. In the early days of the LEP we recognised that our area’s labour market would benefit from a significant injection of skills in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths to meet the demands of the growing economy. “This new centre offers students state-of-the-art facilities to encourage young people to take up STEM subjects and enable those already in work to upskill and take on higher value careers.” The STEM Regional Centre of Excellence is just one of a number of capital projects recently completed or under way at Devon’s four principal further and higher education colleges. Together, City College Plymouth, Exeter College, Petroc and South Devon College make up the Devon Colleges Group (DCG), launched a year ago with a shared vision focussed on enhancing skills, raising aspirations and driving regional economic growth and productivity. Through their collaboration, the Colleges are backing the region’s future and supporting its strategies for growth and prosperity. The Group has pledged to analyse the skills needs and gaps in the region, respond quickly to emerging trends in order to deliver Devon’s growth ambitions and continue serving their local communities by providing high quality and relevant education and training.

The Skypark is a key part of the East Devon Growth Point initiative, designed to unlock the economic potential of East Devon.

Already on the ground is Exeter Science Park with long term plans is to deliver 20,000 new homes, including the new town at Cranbrook and over 25,000 jobs up to 2026.

Vision, Plymouth

Value: £70million

Completion: October 2017

This is the biggest city regeneration scheme in the South West and the firm behind it has vowed it is not done building in Plymouth.

Developer Redrow has finished construction at the vast 464-property project in what was once the Royal Navy South Yard Enclave, in Devonport, surrounded by Plymouth’s “Berlin Wall”.

The immense estate is now home to more than 1,100 people living in a mixed-use development of one- and two-bedroom apartments alongside two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, shops, offices and a 42-flat extra care housing block for older people.

Vision has also contributed to the South West economy by employing 50 contractors at any one time and on average, 80 jobs were sustained and supported on a daily basis.

Redrow directly employed 10 apprentices during its 10 years, leading them all into construction industry jobs.

NFU Mutual is investing in its local offices to protect South West businesses To protect the South West’s farmers and businesses, insurer NFU Mutual is investing heavily in its network of 45 local offices across the region whose expert teams know their customers and are on hand to step in when fires floods strike. “At a time when many financial institutions such as banks and insurers are closing local offices and offering services only by ‘phone or online, we’re investing in our local offices,” said Tim Price, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual. “We know that customers really value having a local office with staff who know them and their business – and that’s why we’re investing millions to ensure we have modern offices across the countryside with expert staff on hand and sophisticated IT systems. “That means that we have the expertise and products to insure a wide range of businesses from farms to hotels and shops and major food processors who make some of the South West’s finest dairy and meat products. “We use our expertise to ensure that customers have the right insurance in place to protect their businesses – and keep them running if an incident like a serious fire means they need alternative premises to stay in production. Business Interruption “In today’s highly competitive business environment, it’s often not the damage a fire causes to a firm’s premises and equipment that puts its future at risk, but any failure in its ability to continue supplying goods and services. “That’s why business interruption insurance is a vital protection measure. When disaster strikes in the form of fire, flood, storm and accident, NFU Mutual’s local infrastructure enables it to come to the aid of customers quickly. Our fast response helps keep the wheels of the economy turning and maintains jobs in the local community. “We pride ourselves on getting on scene very quickly when a serious incident happens. Our local offices and specialist back up claims handlers can quickly provide emergency funding, help arrange alternative accommodation and get the claims process underway.” This philosophy is part of our ethos as a mutual insurer. Our customers are members of the organisation, with a say in how the business is run – and are our first priority. Managing risks Today, keeping modern businesses up and running isn’t just about insurance. Well-run businesses use risk management as a key principle to help them work efficiently. This means expert analysis of all the potential risks in its activities, changing procedures and equipment to remove as many risks as possible and then putting in place measures to manage the remaining risks. NFU Mutual’s own Risk Management Services company provides this consultancy service to farmers and businesses.

Redrow also donated more than £3.7million towards education, transport and roads, including new buses, and supporting public areas such as Granby Green.

The house builder also invested £700,000 to support the restoration of Devonport Market Hall and Clock Tower which is to become a digital hub for Plymouth.

Nigel Palmer, managing director for Redrow West Country, insisted: “The completion of Vision is not the end of Redrow in Plymouth – we have not finished in the city by any means.”

Output: Redrow has completed construction at the £70m ($94m) Vision development in Devonport, Plymouth. The 464-property project, in the former Royal Navy South Yard Enclave, is home to over 1,100 people and includes homes, offices, shops and a 42-flat extra care housing block. Redrow also invested £700,000 towards the restoration of the local market hall and clock tower, which is to become a digital hub, and donated more than £3.7m towards education, transport and roads in the area.


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Australian banks Bendigo and Adelaide offer Apple Pay
 Starting today, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank in Australia is offering support for Apple Pay. The announcement means account holders in Australia can now use Apple Pay with their Bendigo Blue Bank cards.

People who use Apple Pay with their Bendigo Bank MasterCard will continue to get the rewards and benefits that their Mastercard credit and debit cards provide.

Eligible cards also include:

Act. Mastercard® debit

Basic Black Mastercard credit

Blue Mastercard debit

Business Mastercard credit

Business Mastercard debit

CSB b-entertained Mastercard

CSB b-packaged Mastercard

Low Rate Mastercard

Low Rate Platinum Mastercard

Platinum Mastercard

Pokitpal Mastercard debit

Qantas Platinum Mastercard

Ready Red Mastercard credit

RSPCA Mastercard

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank was one of several banks that lost a fight in March to gain access to the NFC chip used in iPhones so they could offer their own integrated digital wallets to customers.

They also unsuccessfully lobbied the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to be allowed to collectively bargain with Apple and boycott Apple Pay.

(Thanks, Adam!)

Output: Australian banks Bendigo and Adelaide Bank are now supporting Apple Pay. For Bendigo customers, it means they can use Apple Pay with their Bendigo Blue bank cards as well as their Bendigo Mastercard while retaining the existing benefits linked to the cards. Bendigo and Adelaide's support comes reluctantly, however, as they had previously fought unsuccessfully to be granted access to the NFC chip used by Apple in order to offer their own competing digital wallet service.


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Co-op and Iceland support plastic bottle deposit return schemes
 Iceland and the Co-op have become the first supermarkets to support a bottle deposit scheme after the government sought views on the idea to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans.

The retailers came out in favour of setting up a mandatory deposit return scheme (DRS) in England and Wales as the environment secretary, Michael Gove, began to review the results of a seven-week consultation on whether to introduce a system to increase recycling rates of plastic bottles and reduce leakage into the oceans.

Other leading supermarkets, in a survey carried out by Greenpeace, were non-committal over whether to support a deposit scheme, but none appeared openly hostile. Morrisons said: “With mixed views in the industry, it may be that the government will have to decide which way to go.”

Pressure is growing on the government, retailers and consumers to increase rates of plastic bottle recycling, reduce plastic littering and cut marine pollution.

Recycling rates in the UK have flatlined for five years and last year fell to 44%, according to Keep Britain Tidy. Just 57% of all plastic bottles are collected for recycling, compared with levels of up to 90% in countries that have deposit return schemes. It comes as plastic usage across the globe is surging.

Richard Walker, the director of sustainability for Iceland Foods, responding to the Greenpeace survey, said the failure in Britain to recycle up to 16m single-use plastic bottles every day was causing untold damage to oceans and wildlife.

“This cannot carry on … deposit return schemes work. In Norway theirs has led to 96% of all bottles being returned, with similar results in other countries that have adopted a DRS. Britain urgently needs to do the same.”

At the Co-op, Jo Whitfield, the retail chief executive, said the company was a firm supporter of initiatives to boost recycling rates.

“The Co-op is in favour of creating a deposit return scheme which increases the overall recycling of packaging and significantly reduces litter and importantly helps tackle marine pollution,” she said.

The environment secretary believes a DRS could improve the recycling rate of plastic bottles and cut leakage into the oceans.

The Scottish government has said it will introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers but has not yet released details of how it will operate.

More than 8m tonnes of plastic are discarded into the oceans each year, putting marine wildlife under serious threat. The first global analysis of plastic use found humans have produced 8.3bn tonnes since the 1950s, with the majority ending up in landfill or polluting the oceans and other ecosystems.

In its call for views on a DRS, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs cites far better recycling rates in South Australia and Denmark for bottles and cans (90% and almost 80% respectively), where a form of deposit return scheme operates.

Louise Edge, an oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, welcomed the backing from the two supermarket chains.

“It is possible to prevent throwaway plastic polluting our rivers and oceans, but to do this we really need companies to step up to the plate,” she said.

“Iceland and Co-op have shown some vision and set the standard – now it’s time for other companies to follow suit and start publicly backing deposit return schemes.”

In February, Coca-Cola in Europe came out in favour of a DRS and in evidence to MPs last month, Nick Brown, the company’s head of sustainability, said such a scheme needed to be UK-wide.

He said: “We have seen that other countries which have a deposit scheme have improved recovery rates of packaging and reduced littering, which is important to us.

“We understand that things need to change both with household waste collection and packaging on the go. We think a deposit scheme can work in that context.”

Meanwhile, the Natural History Museum in London has announced it will end the sale of single-use plastic water bottles at its sites to help reduce the pollution of the oceans.

Prof Ian Owens, the director of science at the museum, said: “Our plan to stop selling single-use plastic water bottles is about becoming part of the movement towards a refillable culture and doing our part to encourage a mass lifestyle change that will help reduce the deluge of plastic into our seas.”

Supermarkets’ responses to Greenpeace survey

Tesco is not hostile to changes to the current system, if the scheme is “as easy and accessible for consumers as possible” and “ensures good quality” for end use.

Waitrose believes kerbside recycling is the most effective solution but if a DRS was introduced would work with the government to consider how it would operate in a supermarket setting.

Sainsburys says drinks containers are only a small part of the broader waste and recycling challenge, and a more holistic approach is needed.

Morrisons is concerned about the cost of a DRS, and says government will have to decide which way to go.

Aldi supports the British Retail Consortium position, which is against a DRS and argues for a more holistic approach.

Lidl admits return schemes have potential benefits but need to be fully analysed and evaluated and will require significant investment.

Marks & Spencer agrees there is a need to increase recycling rates for plastic bottles. It says a mandatory DRS is “an important solution to consider” but may pose challenges.

Output: The Co-op and Iceland have become the first UK supermarkets to back a bottle deposit scheme, following a government consultation on reducing plastic pollution in the oceans. The two companies support the creation of a mandatory deposit return scheme (DRS) in England and Wales. In the UK, just 57% of plastic bottles are recycled, compared with up to 90% in countries such as Australia, Denmark and Norway that use DRS. The Scottish government has pledged to introduce a DRS for drinks containers but has not yet disclosed details of the proposed scheme.


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MIT engineers create 3D printer that works 10-times faster
 Nov 29, 2017 | By Benedict

Engineers at MIT have developed a laser-assisted FDM 3D printer that prints around 10 times faster than average desktop machines. The new 3D printer’s unusual printhead uses a laser and novel screw mechanism to increase flow rate.

MIT researchers Jamison Go and Anastasios John Hart have developed a novel 3D printer printhead

Lasers are a common component in many 3D printers. Stereolithography (SLA), selective laser melting (SLM), and selective laser sintering (SLS) all have a laser at their core that is used to turn their respective base materials into 3D printed objects.

But the most common type of desktop 3D printer, the fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer, doesn’t usually come with a laser, instead using a heater cartridge in its printhead “hot end” to melt plastic.

But could a laser improve your average FDM 3D printer? MIT researchers Jamison Go and Anastasios John Hart have just developed a desktop 3D printer that is reportedly 10 times faster than most commercial counterparts. And the secret to this speed, the researchers say, is a laser-assisted, screw mechanism printhead.

These two new mechanisms are not common features of FDM printheads, yet both serve to increase material flow rate. The screw mechanism feeds the plastic filament through a nozzle at high force, while the laser rapidly heats and melts the material.

A tenfold speed increase is definitely food for thought, and Hart thinks this new kind of printhead could make FDM 3D printing a more viable production technique—as opposed to a tool for prototyping only.

It’s easy to see why: a one-hour print job could be shortened to five or 10 minutes, which means skilled workers like repair technicians could use such a 3D printer on the job, quickly printing a new spare part after diagnosing a problem.

Even emergency medicine applications could benefit from a simple yet speedy 3D printer like the one developed at MIT.

Selection of objects 3D printed on the new MIT printer

(Image: Chelsea Turner)

But the new 3D printer wasn’t made for any particular end task; rather, its development was an attempt to overcome three problems associated with FDM 3D printing: slow printhead speed, low extrusion force, and slow heat transfer.

“Given our understanding of what limits those three variables, we asked how do we design a new printer ourselves that can improve all three in one system,” Hart says. "And now we've built it, and it works quite well.”

The screw mechanism replaces the standard "pinch-wheel" mechanism of FDM printheads, which can only go so fast without losing grip of the filament.

The new device, which turns within the printhead, is able to process a specially developed textured filament, which increases grip and allows the printhead to feed the filament through at much higher speeds.

The laser, on the other hand, serves to heat and melt the 3D printing filament before it passes through the nozzle. It ensures the filament is more quickly and thoroughly melted than is possible using the conduction heating of standard FDM printheads.

The heat of the laser can be adjusted by quickly turning it on and off.

Another speed-increasing feature of the new 3D printer is its new gantry design. An H-shaped frame is powered by two motors and connected to a motion stage holding the printhead. The system is fast enough to keep up with the increased flow rate of the printhead.

To prove the power of the new 3D printer, the MIT researchers printed several complex parts, each of which took only five to 10 minutes. These included a miniature chair, a simplified model of Building 10 at MIT, eyeglasses frames, a spiral cup, and a helical bevel gear.

Unfortunately, the machine isn’t yet perfect. While attempting to print at such high speeds, the researchers found that the printed layers, being subject to such high force and temperature, sometimes haven’t cooled down and hardened by the time the next layer is applied.

This means the researchers have had to actively cool a part as it prints—a challenge they will continue to address as they refine the printer over time.

The MIT team also plans to try printing with high-strength polymers and composite materials, as well as attempting to tackle large-scale 3D printing.

The research, “Fast Desktop-Scale Extrusion Additive Manufacturing,” has been published in Additive Manufacturing.

Posted in 3D Printer

Maybe you also like:

kr_ wrote at 12/2/2017 3:23:36 PM:It's quite easy to extrude 10 times faster... The real challenges, as many found out before, are to obtain accurate prints with sharp corners and layer adhesion.Chris wrote at 11/30/2017 6:35:23 PM:I wonder if Jim Combs and Stratasys will have anything to say about this. He invented this years ago.RepRapper wrote at 11/29/2017 6:19:43 PM:Unfortunately, the machine isn’t yet perfect. While attempting to print at such high speeds, the researchers found that the printed layers, being subject to such high force and temperature, sometimes haven’t cooled down and hardened by the time the next layer is applied. Yes... all the RepRappers have known this for years..Maave wrote at 11/29/2017 2:59:16 PM:Thankfully Mr Hart has also posted this research paper on Cornell's ArXiv reposity, so it's not locked behind a journal paywall https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.05918Banker Overlord wrote at 11/29/2017 2:55:30 PM:At those kinds of speeds, it's a game changer.

Output: A laser-assisted 3D printer that works 10-times after than other models has been developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers. While lasers are common in many 3D printers, the most common – fused deposition modelling (FDM) printers – use heater cartridges in the printheads to melt plastic. MIT engineers have now developed a FDM printer that uses a screw mechanism to feed through plastic filament at high force and then a laser to rapidly melt it. The speed improvement means that 3D printing will be viable for production as well as prototyping, researchers said.


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Redrow Construction lorries spreading mud hazard, neighbours complain
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Residents living near the former Frenchay Hospital say nearby roads have been left in a dangerous state by construction lorries driving out of the site.

The B4058 Bristol Road was left thick with sticky red mud outside the entrance to the site, which is being developed into 500 new homes.

Resident Tony Williams called on South Gloucestershire Council to make developers Redrow Homes clean up the roads, and stop making the situation worse.

He said he feared there would be an accident soon, given the slippery state of the road – especially as the weather gets colder.

Mr Williams said all the roads around Frenchay were thick with the red mud, going from the entrance to the site and up to the north where the B4058 meets the A4174 Avon Ring Road.

Redrow began work at the start of this year on the huge redevelopment of the site, which will provide 500 new homes in that corner of north Bristol.

A spokesperson for the developer said they had acted after seeing the state of the road.

"Redrow strives to keep its sites and their surrounding areas as clear and orderly as possible for the safety and convenience of local communities," she said.

"We are aware that the movement of our vehicles can sometimes cause discolouration of roads due to the type of debris being transported off site.

"As such we have a strict policy of vehicle wheel washing and road brushing to ensure as little staining occurs as possible.

"Unfortunately, due to the marl ground conditions at this site some discolouration has occurred. In response we have increased both the road and vehicle cleaning to ensure the crossing remains in use.

"In addition, we have applied to the council to bring forward the repainting of the crossing lines so that they are more prominent," she added.

"This exit is only used by vehicles when there is an increased load to remove that would be too disruptive for us to send through the main exit. We are investigating other solutions to help keep this exit clear when it is in use.

"We are committed to building quality, and much-needed, new homes in Frenchay and will continue to listen to and engage with local residents in the area at each stage of the development," she added.

Output: Neighbours have accused construction lorries used in the conversion of a former Bristol hospital of creating a safety hazard on nearby roads. They say the trucks are spreading slippery thick mud over a crossing near Frenchay Hospital, which Redrow is turning into 500 new homes. Redrow said it's increased "road and vehicle cleaning to ensure the crossing remains in use".


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Scientists design translation AIs that can learn languages
 Language-Learning AI

Computers have become much more adept at translating from one language into another in recent years, thanks to the application of neural networks. However, these AI systems usually require a lot of content translated by humans for the computers to learn from, while two new papers demonstrate that it's possible to develop a system that doesn't rely on parallel texts.

Mikel Artetxe, a computer scientist at the University of the Basque Country (UPV) and the author of one of these papers, compares the situation to giving someone various books in Chinese and various books in Arabic, without any of the same texts overlapping. A human would find it very difficult to learn how to translate from Chinese into Arabic in this scenario, but a computer might not.

In a typical machine-learning process, the AI system would be supervised. This means that it would make its attempt at the right answer for any given problem, a human would tell it whether or not that's correct, and it would amend its activity as needed. That isn't the case with these two papers.

Instead, they hinge upon the way that words are connected in similar ways across different languages – for instance, 'table' and 'chair' are frequently used together, no matter the dialect. By mapping out these connections for each language and then comparing them, it's possible to get a decent idea of which terms relate to one another. This process is not supervised by a human.

The systems can be used to translate full sentences, rather than just individual words, using two complementary training strategies. Back translation sees a sentence written in one language roughly translate into the other, then back to the first, with the system tweaking its protocols if the result isn't exactly the same. Denoising is a similar process, but with words being removed or added to the sentence for different translations. Working in sync, these methods help the machine get a greater understanding of how language actually operates.

Vocabulary Test

The two systems – one developed at UPV and the other by Facebook computer scientist Guillaume Lample – are yet to be peer-reviewed, but they have shown promising results in early testing. Click to View Full Infographic

The only way to make a direct comparison between their capabilities is by gauging their ability to translate between English and French text that comes from a shared pool of around 30 million sentences. Both managed to score a bilingual evaluation understudy score of around 15.

Google Translate, which uses supervised machine learning, scores around 40 by this measure, whereas human translators can score 50. However, the unsupervised scores are a significant improvement over basic, word-for-word translation.

Indeed, the researchers behind both papers agree that they could each enhance their system by drawing on the other's work. They could also be made more capable if they were semi-supervised, by introducing a few thousand parallel sentences to their training program – which would still cut down on the time and data required to learn the ropes.

Output: Two research papers have highlighted the promising potential of artificial intelligence (AI) systems capable of teaching themselves languages without human supervision. The studies by computer scientists at Facebook and University of the Basque Country describe AI systems  that can teach themselves to translate by searching for connections between languages. The researchers said some supervision could enhance the systems' capabilities.


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Redrow Site manager wins National Residential Site Agent of the Year
 Redrow site manager Martin Caldwell has cemented his place at the top of the construction trade after taking the title of National Residential Site Agent of the Year.

The 35-year-old won the coveted award at the Grand Finals of the LABC Building Excellence Awards, held at the Westminster Park Plaza Hotel in London.

Boss of the builder’s Ricksby Grange development in Wrea Green Martin, from Lytham, had already secured the North-West accolade of LABC Site Agent of the Year earlier this year.

But his latest victory, hotly contested across 10 regions, sees him declared the best in the whole of the country.

“I am absolutely delighted – although the news hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” says Martin. “As I sat around the table at the awards ceremony I didn’t think, for one moment, I was going to win. I am only 35 and there was a lot of competition from site managers with many more years’ experience than me. “So, yes, I was immensely proud but, as I always say, while it might be my name written on the award, it should really have all those of every person I work with, every member of my team, because they have won it too. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

The LABC (Local Authority Building Control) Awards recognise outstanding working relationships between building companies and their managers with the local authorities and their surveyors; as well as build quality, control on site for technical awareness, good communication and management of safety.

The awards event is one of the most well-known and prestigious within the building industry. At the Grand Finals – attended by more than 800 building professionals – the winners were announced by writer, broadcaster, actor and former conservative MP Gyles Brandreth.

Martin, who already has two NHBC Pride in the Job Seals of Excellence – the first of which he won at just 23 – among a host of other awards, went on:

“The industry has changed. It’s not just about building houses these days, but about looking after the people you work with, your clients, health and safety rules, the cleanliness of the site, and so much more … and with Redrow rightly running such a tight ship, all of that becomes second nature. “It does make my job more difficult of course, but it’s also helped me become national champion!”

Though he also added:

“I became a dad five months ago. To be honest my baby boy William was the best and biggest ‘award’ that either myself or my wife Lauren could have been given.”

Redrow construction director for Lancashire, Keith Collard, said:

“Martin has never given anything less than 100% to Redrow, and that’s at the heart of everything we do. “Site managers like Martin make sure that the people who buy our homes can have absolute confidence in us from the moment they reserve a house to the minute they put the key into the door – and beyond. “We are proud of him and all our site managers.”

Martin hopes to continue his career ever upwards with Redrow, aiming for project manager and contracts manager, meanwhile striving always for the next award.

Output: Redrow site manager Martin Caldwell has won the National Residential Site Agent of the Year award. The award adds to Caldwell's already impressive list of industry accolades, including LABC Site Agent of the Year and two NHBC Pride in the Job Seals of Excellence. Redrow construction director for Lancashire, Keith Collard, commented on the news, saying: “Martin has never given anything less than 100% to Redrow, and that’s at the heart of everything we do".


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TalkTalk TalkTalk suffers major outage affecting thousands of customers
 T housands of TalkTalk customers were left without broadband after the internet giant suffered a "major outage".

Broadband outage monitor Down Detector experienced a spike of 6164 reports of TalkTalk broadband outages at around 3pm on Wednesday.

The problems are believed to have been caused by a "major" outage.

TalkTalk said it had resolved the issue within an hour but outraged customers said on Twitter that they were still experiencing problems.

Paul Saunders said it seemed like "almost total UK blackout" and tweeted an image of Down Detector's live outage map.

Others said TalkTalk products were "awful" and said they often experience similar incidents.

Annabella wrote: "This happens at least twice a month."

In an update, TalkTalk tweeted: "We're aware that some customers are having intermittent browsing issues.

"We have our engineers investigating this as a matter of priority. We apologise for any inconvenience whilst we investigate the cause of this."

TalkTalk said it had resolved the "Web Page Browsing Issue" on its status dashboard at around 3.30pm.

A TalkTalk spokesperson said: “Technical issues led to some customers experiencing disruption to their service for a limited period this afternoon.

"Our engineers resolved this quickly and all services are now restored. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Output: Abstract: TalkTalk's broadband service suffered a major outage which left thousands of UK customers without internet. On Wednesday 29 November, the Broadband outage monitoring service Down Detector received 6,164 outage reports at around 3pm. TalkTalk said it had resolved a "Web Page Browsing Issue" by 3:30pm and apologised for any inconvenience caused. Users took to social media to complain about the service, with one describing TalkTalk's products as "awful" and another stating that similar instances occur "at least twice a month".


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RWE faces compensation claim over climate change
 A German court has ruled that it will hear a Peruvian farmer’s case against energy giant RWE over climate change damage in the Andes, a decision labelled by campaigners as a “historic breakthrough”.

Farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya’s case against RWE was “well-founded,” the court in the north-western city of Hamm said on Thursday.

Lliuya argues that RWE, as one of the world’s top emitters of climate-altering carbon dioxide, must share in the cost of protecting his hometown Huaraz from a swollen glacier lake at risk of overflowing from melting snow and ice.

RWE’s power plants emitted carbon dioxide that contributed to global warming, increasing local temperatures in the Andes and putting property at risk from flooding or landslides, Lliuya argues.

“Even people who act according to the law must be held responsible for damage they cause to property,” the judges said.

Now the court must decide whether “the accused’s contribution to the chain of events depicted here is measurable and calculable,” they added.

“This is a major success not just for me, but for the people of Huaraz and everywhere in the world threatened by climate risks,” Lliuya said in a statement circulated by NGO Germanwatch.

He wants RWE to pay €17,000 ($20,000) towards flood defences for his community in Peru’s northern Ancash region.

The 37-year-old also wants the German company to reimburse him for the €6,384 he himself has spent on protective measures.

Lliuya bases his claims on a 2013 climate study which found that RWE was responsible for around 0.5% of global emissions “since the beginning of industrialisation”.

The court said in a statement that it will choose experts to evaluate the claim in cooperation with both plaintiff and defendant, with Lliuya paying about €20,000 in fees up front.

“It will be up to the experts to quantify [RWE’s] role, which could be different” from the amount he claims, the judges said.

After an initial hearing in mid-November, the court in the north-western city of Hamm gave both sides until Thursday to provide further arguments to help them decide whether the case should go ahead.

The decision to hear the case is a “historic breakthrough with global relevance,” Germanwatch, which has backed Lliuya’s claim, said in a statement.

“Major emitters of greenhouse gases can be held responsible for protective measures against climate damage.”

RWE could not immediately be reached for comment.

But the firm has insisted that the complaint was “not admissible” and was even “unjustified”, arguing that a single company cannot be held liable for specific consequences of climate change.

A lower court in the German city of Essen, where RWE is based, initially found that the lawsuit against the energy giant was unfounded.

The company has in the past said it did not understand why it has been singled out for legal action, stressing the efforts it had made to become more environmentally friendly.

In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, a group of tourists walk past a photo featuring an image of the Pastoruri glacier before its retreat, during a tour called “The Route of Climate Change” in Huaraz, Peru. Benjamin Morales Arnao, the head of Peru’s National Institute for Glacier Research, said that while the country’s glaciers “are a source of life, due to their water resources and biodiversity ... these glaciers are also a source of glacier glacial catastrophes.” (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) Photograph: Martin Mejia/AP

As well as modernising its coal-fired power plants to reduce CO2 emissions, RWE has invested billions in renewable energy as part of Germany’s move away from fossil fuels, it says.

Shares in RWE fell on the news, losing 0.31% in Frankfurt against a DAX index of blue-chip German shares up 0.52%.

The Peruvian’s case comes at a time when German politics is sharply divided over how to balance climate action against economic growth.

A government-directed “energy transition” to renewables, rather than nuclear power and fossil fuels, is making only halting progress, while environmentalists are pushing the country’s powerful auto industry to produce less polluting vehicles after a series of scandals.

Climate and energy policy was among the most bitterly disputed issues in three-way coalition talks between chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, the pro-business Free Democrats and the ecologist Greens before they broke down this month.

Output: Energy giant RWE will face legal action in Germany over claims by a Peruvian farmer that, as a leading carbon dioxide emitter, the firm must share the cost of protecting his home town from flooding resulting from melting ice. Saul Luciano Lliuya argues that emissions from RWE’s power plants contributed to global warming, which led to rising temperatures and increasing flood and landslide risks in the Andes. Lliuya is calling for RWE to pay €17,000 ($20,000) towards flood defences in Huaraz, and for €6,384 in personal compensation.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Commercial spaceport proposed in Georgia, US
 On the southeast coast of Georgia, around 20 miles north of the Florida border, a few concrete slabs and a handful of roads lie on 4,000 acres of luscious green land. They are the remnants of a now-defunct manufacturing plant. The area hasn’t seen much action in 50 years, but soon, it could be teeming with activity again — as the site of future US rocket launches.

The new proposed commercial spaceport, the first one ever for Georgia, is known as Spaceport Camden. Local government officials have big plans for the area over the next few years: they hope to build a launchpad to support rocket launches to orbit, as well as a landing area that would allow rockets to touch down after takeoff. Built through partnerships with private companies, the area could become the first exclusively commercial spaceport on the East Coast; the others in Florida and Virginia are operated by or associated with federal agencies.

“I think we have the opportunity to build the first exclusive non-federal range on the East Coast.”

The county thinks the project could be a smart way for Georgia to enter the booming commercial spaceflight economy, which was valued at $329 billion in 2016, according to the Space Foundation, a nonprofit advocating for spaceflight. Spaceport Camden is strategically located on the coast, which would allow rockets to launch east over mostly open ocean, posing little risk to populated areas on land. So far, many commercial space companies have shown interest in the place, according to county officials. Once the site is up and running, it could also serve as a hub for business and tourism, as well as an educational outpost for local schools.

There’s still a long way to go before that happens, though. Camden County, which the spaceport is named after, is currently working to get the site licensed for launches by the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s a lengthy process that involves analyzing the property to see how the site will affect surrounding areas. But if Spaceport Camden is cleared, officials hope that major structures of the spaceport can be built as soon as possible. “I think we have the opportunity to build the first exclusive non-federal range on the East Coast,” Steve Howard, the Camden County administrator and head of the Spaceport Camden initiative, tells The Verge.

An aerial view of what the Spaceport Camden layout could look like. Image: Camden County

Spaceport Camden already has a unique connection to spaceflight. The old plant that once sat on the site was actually used in the 1960s to build rocket engines that ran on solid propellant for NASA. In 1965, the most powerful rocket engine at the time was fired up during a test at the plant. NASA even considered the area as an alternative launch site for its Apollo missions to the Moon, according to documents declassified in 2005. Florida was ultimately chosen, and NASA also wound up relying on liquid fuel rocket engines instead, rendering the engine plant somewhat obsolete. So for the last half century, the site has been mostly dormant.

Then, a little less than five years ago, a space company reached out to the state of Georgia, looking for a new location to launch its rockets. (Howard wouldn’t say which company that was, but SpaceX considered Georgia for a new launch site between 2012 and 2014 before settling near Brownsville, Texas.) That initial meeting prompted Camden County officials to meet with other private spaceflight companies to gauge interest in a Georgia spaceport where the booster plant once lived. “When they visited they all came to the same conclusion: that it’s a great site,” Howard says. “Obviously there was a reason why the site was chosen back in the ’60s.”

“Obviously there was a reason why the site was chosen back in the ’60s.”

Along with its prime location on the coast, Spaceport Camden is pretty far south in the US, putting it relatively close to the equator. That makes it easier for companies that want to launch rockets into orbit from the US. The equator is the widest section of the planet, as well as the fastest spinning part of the Earth's surface. That means launching closer to the equator actually gives rockets an extra boost of speed that helps them achieve orbit more easily.

Plus, Howard touts the site’s location between two well-established NASA spaceports along the East Coast: Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. “I think there is synergy opportunity there,” says Howard. The spaceports could work together or share resources, he says.

For a while, the Spaceport Camden initiative was just a promising idea, but now the state of Georgia has shown it’s serious about the project. In May, Georgia governor Nathan Deal signed a bill called HB 1, or the Georgia Spaceflight Act. The bill helps to limit the liability of spaceflight companies that launch people into space from the state. HB 1 was a signal to the industry that Georgia welcomes commercial space.

Space startup Vector’s prototype rocket launching from Spaceport Camden in August. Photo: Vector

Since then, Spaceport Camden has even seen its first launch... sort of. In August, a spaceflight startup named Vector launched one of its test rockets from the site — though the vehicle didn’t reach orbit. The rocket, which Vector wants to use to launch small satellites someday, was only a prototype, originally meant to reach an altitude lower than 10,000 feet. Because of this, the launch didn’t require the same kind of licensing that the FAA demands for missions that achieve orbit. “Overall it was an A-plus experience,” Jim Cantrell, CEO and co-founder of Vector, tells The Verge. “We hope they get approval for orbital launches soon so we can go back.”

Currently, 10 sites throughout the US hold FAA licenses to operate as commercial spaceports

Currently, 10 sites throughout the US hold FAA licenses to operate as commercial spaceports. These sites have undergone environmental impact reports, to see how the spaceports might affect surrounding wildlife and property. Camden County is currently funding a third-party researcher to conduct that report, and the analysis has been ongoing for a couple of years. The process involves conducting numerous public hearings and scientific studies, but Howard is hopeful that report will be complete early next year.

Once that’s finished, Spaceport Camden can start to grow. Howard says the plan is to partner with commercial companies to get the various structures of the property built. These companies would lease parts of the property, similar to how SpaceX leases launchpads and a landing site at Cape Canaveral, and even build their own launchpads (and landing zones, if necessary) for their specific vehicles. Howard says he has a number of operators already interested, and he’s confident the county will be able to make substantive construction deals.

A conceptual rendering of what a landing zone at Spaceport Camden could look like. Image: Camden County

Aerospace technology is already Georgia’s biggest export, but a spaceport could help bring even more spaceflight business and educational opportunities to the area. A report done by space consulting firm Astralytical found that Spaceport Camden could be a great home for businesses that not only launch from the site, but also design their vehicles there. “Launch is only one small component of the entire space industry,” Laura Forczyk, the owner of Astralytical, tells The Verge. “When you’re looking at the future growth of a spaceport, you look at the whole process — from research and development, to design of spacecraft, to launching... The whole process could happen from start to finish within Spaceport Camden.”

Output: Proposals have been drawn up for the first exclusively commercial spaceport on the American East Coast, called "Spaceport Camden". The Spaceport's strategic coastal location would allow rockets to largely launch east over open ocean, while proximity to the Kennedy Space Centre and Wallops Flight Facility would encourage resource sharing, according to the head of the Spaceport Camden Initiative, Steve Howard. The launch site is currently awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Galaxy Resources jumps on Asian lithium deals
 Shares in the lithium company Galaxy Resources jumped 8.6 per cent (31¢) on Wednesday, making it the best performed stock in the ASX 200 after investors welcomed news that it had signed a series of long-term off-take agreements with customers in Asia.

The binding agreements cover five-year terms and are for a minimum of 200,000 tonnes per annum of lithium concentrate. They mean that lithium concentrate produced at Galaxy's Mt Cattlin mine in Western Australia as far ahead as 2022 already has a guaranteed buyer.

Charging cables connect to a row of electric taxis in Shenzhen, China. Credit: Bloomberg

Galaxy Resources, which is headquartered in Perth and also has projects in Canada and Argentina, did not name the customers in its ASX statement but said they were "all key suppliers of lithium products and materials throughout Asia".

Galaxy also said it would be paid a higher "headline" price for its product in 2018 than 2017.

Output: Shares in Galaxy Resources jumped on 29 November after it said it had signed a series of long-term lithium off-take agreements with customers in Asia. The five-year deals cover are for a  minimum of 200,000 tonnes per annum of lithium concentrate, guaranteeing buyers for all the output of Galaxy's Mt Cattlin mine in Western Australia as far ahead as 2022. Galaxy also said it would be paid a higher "headline" price for its product in 2018 than 2017.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Snapchat allows users to separate friends from brands in update
 An Update On Our German Community: 15 Million And Growing!

Output: Snapchat has announced a feature allowing users to view friends and publisher content in separate feeds. Messages and photos from friends will now be partitioned off from the brand content, with friends' Chats and Stories sitting on the left-hand side of the interface, and the brand-centric Discover page located on the right. The move is intended to "separate social from media" and address the criticism that users too frequently see unwanted content from publishers and brands mixed up with that of their own social network.