Elon Musk’s Starlink has blocked access to social media app X in Brazil. The billionaire Tesla owner initially skirted a Supreme Court order banning the platform in the country.

Earlier this week, the Brazilian Supreme Court banned X — formerly known as Twitter — based on concerns about misinformation after it failed to appoint legal representation.

A Supreme Court panel unanimously upheld the block on Monday, undermining Musk and his supporters’ efforts to portray Justice Alexandre de Moraes as attempting to censor political speech in Brazil.

Starlink initially appeared to refuse to comply with the Supreme Court justice’s order to prevent users from accessing the app – but it has now released a statement saying it will block X.

Had Starlink continued to disobey Judge Moraes by providing access, it could have faced repercussions from Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel.

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Volvo slams brakes on EV-only 2030 target

Carmaker Volvo has abandoned plans to only see electric vehicles by 2030, saying it will continue to offer some hybrid models by that date.

Citing changing market conditions, Volvo said it was rowing back the EV ambitions that it unveiled three years ago, joining rivals including General Motors and Ford in reassessing plans.

Volvo said it now expects at least 90% of its output to be electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2030, but it will also continue to sell a small number of traditional hybrids with conventional engines.

“We are resolute in our belief that our future is electric,” said Jim Rowan, chief executive of Volvo.

“However, it is clear that the transition to electrification will not be linear, and customers and markets are moving at different speeds.”

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Nokia downplays mobile sale rumours

Finnish telecommunications vendor Nokia has downplayed reports that it is preparing to offload its mobile network business to rival Samsung.

A report from Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources, claimed Nokia has explored various options for its mobile telecoms arm, including selling part or the entirety of the division, spinning it off into a separate entity, or merging with a rival.

This prompted the Finnish firm to release a statement reaffirming its commitment to the mobile division.

“Nokia has nothing to announce in relation to the speculations published in an article today, and no related insider project exists,” the company stated. “Nokia is committed to the success of its mobile networks business, a highly strategic asset for both Nokia and its customers.”

The company highlighted recent progress in the division, stating: “The business has made significant progress this year both on right-sizing its cost-base while protecting its product roadmap and winning new deals with new customers and increasing share with existing customers.”

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EU, US, and the UK sign agreement on AI standards

As stated by the Council of Europe human rights organisation, the first legally binding international AI treaty is open for signing by the countries that negotiated it, including European Union members, the US, and the UK.

The AI Convention, which has been in discussion between 57 countries in total, addresses risks AI may pose while promoting responsible innovation.

“This convention is a major step to ensuring that these new technologies can be harnessed without eroding our oldest values, like human rights and the rule of law,” said Britain’s justice minister, Shabana Mahmood.

The Council of Europe is an international organisation separate from the EU with a mandate to safeguard human rights. The AI Convention will mainly focus on protecting people affected by AI systems and is separate from the EU AI Act.

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Verizon to buy Frontier in an all-cash deal with $20 billion

Network provider Verizon has stated that it will buy fibre-optic internet provider Frontier Communications for $20 billion.

The deal will enable Verizon to better compete against US rivals AT&T and T-Mobile as they double down on unlimited plans and bundling options.

Frontier has 2.2 million fibre subscribers in 25 states, which will add to Verizon’s 7.4 million such users in nine states and Washington, D.C.

“The acquisition of Frontier is a strategic fit,” Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg said.

The deal is expected to close in about 18 months and will expand Verizon’s coverage from the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions to multiple states in the Midwest, Texas, and California.

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So far, the government-funded organisation has awarded around £500,000 spread across the two initiatives.

The supply chain project Seamless Trade Across Borders aims to enhance cross-border trade and is supported by defence firms Leonardo and BAE Systems, the International Chamber of Commerce, and UK telco BT Group.

In a statement, Digital Catapult said that it hoped the incubator would support the UK Government’s Electronic Trade Documents Act, which aims to modernise international trade by making electronic documents easier to use.

The government claims that the act could unlock £25 billion in economic growth. Over 60% of international trade transactions are expected to be digitalised within the next five years.

As part of this incubation, Digital Catapult matches industry partners with technology innovators to address international supply chain challenges, including achieving seamless cross-border trade.

Technology providers involved in the project include inventory tracker Kavida AI, eTEU, an industry tech body for the shipping industry, AI tool builder Linear Works, and Exabler, which produces an AI tool that helps facilitate cross-border trade. Each provider will receive up to £85,000 to develop their solutions.

Kavida AI has previously partnered with Digital Catapult and UK manufacturing SMEs to achieve national-scale visibility. Founder and CTO Sumit Sinha added that the new initiative aligned with its vision of developing AI agents that empower businesses to conduct seamless cross-border trade at scale.

The innovation agency’s second initiative, the Product Carbon Footprint Measurement project, hopes to drive advances in how carbon footprint data is measured and exchanged internationally. It is backed by FMCG giant Unilever, GS1 UK and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

IBM announces new clean energy cohort for sustainability accelerator

Two startups, Altruistiq and Siccar, will also join the programme. Both will receive up to £125,000 to develop solutions to improve the carbon management process using artificial intelligence (AI), distributed ledger technology, and advanced identification systems to improve reporting on Scope 3 emissions.

Both initiatives build on the success of the Digital Catapult’s Digital Supply Chain Hub, which is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and has helped over 40 startups and SMEs to secure more than £3 million in funding

To learn more about the programme and how to collaborate with supply chain leaders, please visit https://hub.digitalsupplychainhub.uk.

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The agreement will see Provenance-validated claims appear on labels across Holland & Barrett’s online channels in the UK and Ireland. The company aims to give its customers trustworthy information to help them make informed purchasing decisions.

The sustainable product labelling with include the sustainability credentials of Holland & Barrett’s own products and those of partners from brands including Weleda, Westlab, Pukka Herbs, Grass & Co, and Faith in Nature.

The Provenance data will include background information on things such as whether the packaging has been recycled and whether the product is vegan-friendly, supported by verification and evidence.

Guy Farmer, commercial trading director at Holland & Barrett, said, “We’re delighted to partner with Provenance to further meet the growing consumer demand for transparent sustainability claims.

“Our customers have always looked to us for natural, ethical, and sustainable products. This initiative reinforces our commitment to sustainability whilst also providing our suppliers with powerful tools to build trust and loyalty with our customers around the claims they are making.”

The labels will begin appearing on the Holland & Barrett website initially, with some in-store sustainable product labelling to appear from 2025.

Green claims

Leveraging Provenance’s data platform will also allow the retailer and its partners to meet the criteria for sustainability regulations set out in the UK’s Green Claims Code.

In a Google Cloud study last year, over 70% of executives said they believe that if investigated thoroughly, most organisations in their industry would be guilty of greenwashing, and almost 60% admitted to exaggerating their own sustainability activities.

Provenance aims to support businesses that want to be more transparent about their impact to reduce greenwashing. It supports more than 300 businesses, including Unilever, Estee Lauder, and Princes.

“Holland & Barrett’s commitment to transparency and sustainability is truly inspiring. Being one of the first high street retailers to integrate our platform, they set a powerful example for the retail industry. We are excited to help their brands communicate their sustainability journeys in a compliant, customer-friendly way, setting a new benchmark for the retail sector,” said Provenance founder Jessi Baker.

“In a market where products marketed as sustainable are growing 2.7x faster than the rest, this collaboration will empower brands stocked by Holland & Barrett to better meet consumer demand for transparent sustainability and reap the rewards.”

The post Holland & Barrett strike Provenance deal for green labelling appeared first on TechInformed.

Every building in the region, spanning 2,413 square kilometres, has been modelled in the virtual 3D replica.

The digital twin allows users to test, model, and refine different parameters in real time. For the buildings, factors include energy usage, renewable energy generation, and heat networks.

The simulation then presents the carbon emissions produced by the energy used to heat and power the region’s domestic and non-domestic buildings – taking in other factors that would affect the result such as building fabrics and heating systems, to fuel types and usages.

Covering energy efficiency, heat management, and energy generation, the area’s ‘Regional Energy Masterplan’ spans four stages between 2023 and 2045.

The digital model found that low-carbon energy systems should be deployed across the area to create the most effective results from economic, environmental, and social sustainability perspectives.

It discovered that emissions can be reduced by 98% by 2045, when compared to a 2022 baseline, through such actions and projects.

Read: Can AI and digital twins fix our cities’ crumbling infrastructure?

“By creating a digital twin of the entire Stirling and Clackmannanshire region, we can see how things are actually working in practice and identify what could be done to make the biggest impact in the most efficient way,” says Craig McKendrick, public sector lead at IES.

“It also helps us to model a range of prospective scenarios, identifying potential risks and barriers that could crop up along the journey to 2045.”

Stirling council leader, Chris Kane, added: “By transforming our energy use and generation we can protect the natural environment for future generations, reduce fuel poverty and create new skilled jobs in a growing sector.

“Our road map to achieving these ambitions is the Regional Energy Masterplan. The importance of collaboration at the core of the plan and working with IES has enhanced our understanding of regional energy consumption on our journey to creating a net-zero energy system.”

The digital twin remains live and will be utilised as an ongoing resource for the councils to test future scenarios and access the data they need.

The post Stirling and Clackmannanshire digital twin sets road to carbon-neutral future appeared first on TechInformed.

Where trams, trains and buses prove faster and easier than car travel, those in metropolitan cities depend on streamlined public transit for their everyday life.

However, in some cases, delays and cancellations are the norm, and inner-city traffic jams have become an accepted part of life.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), wants to change this. In a city with a worker bee as its icon, the buzzy centre is optimising with AI to ease traffic flow, make public transportation more seamless and communicate it to its users.

Traffic flow

Working with AI traffic monitoring firm VivaCity, TfGM has installed over 100 camera sensors at junctions across the region to gain deeper travel data insights into the city.

While existing sensors beneath junctions can detect when an object moves across them, the new cameras leverage AI and machine learning to identify the exact type of object—be it a bike, car, lorry, or pedestrian—and communicate with each other via a 5G small-cell network.

Traffic lights at these ‘smart junctions’ can then reduce congestion and carbon emissions by responding more quickly to real-time traffic conditions.

“As a result,” explains Malcolm Lowe, CIO for TfGM, “a smoother traffic flow means vehicles aren’t idling and emitting carbon dioxide.”

During the COVID pandemic, when bicycle usage surged, these smart junctions proved particularly valuable by recognising and prioritising cyclists and pedestrians when necessary.

Now, TfGM can also collect comprehensive data on the types of traffic moving through the region, whether it’s bikes or cars, and potentially adapt roads to better suit people’s transport choices.

The Bee Network

This week Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has taken another step towards its digital transformation by partnering with public transport optimization platform CitySwift to use its AI and data analytic technologies.

As part of an ambitious plan to bring the entire regional bus network under local control by 2025, TfGM is hoping to completely integrate and optimise its ‘Bee Network’.

“This is one of the most significant transformations in public transport in 40 years,” said Lowe, highlighting the changes ahead. “We can start to take control of the bus network and create something called the Bee Network.”

Using AI technology, TfGM will analyse travel patterns and fine-tune timetables to eliminate delays, “so you don’t get that issue of having two or three buses turning up at the same time.”

Additionally, AI and data will ensure bus, tram, and train schedules are coordinated, creating a seamless journey for commuters.

“Our vision is to make the Bee Network an integrated transport system,” said Lowe.

“We aim to get more people using public transport, cut down congestion, and push for sustainability.”

The Bee Network aims to grow bus use by around 30% by 2030 – or about 50 million additional bus journeys annually – which it hopes will be made possible when users can confidently rely on a frequent network.

“It’s all about sustainability, and helping users get from A to B,” says Lowe. “Many people rely on public transport for school runs, work commutes and hospital visits, so it’s helping make their lives easier.”

By using data from monitoring ticket sales, TfGM will also pinpoint busy times and roll out additional services when they’re needed most.

“Customers are at the heart of the Bee Network and by working with CitySwift we will be able to see more clearly than ever how services are performing,” says Catherine Towey, senior lead for bus franchising at TfGM.

“We can then use this information to prioritise improvements and deliver a better service for passengers.”

Future hopes

Moving forward, Lowe imagines opportunities to digitally advance its current transportation application, ‘the Bee Network app’ to include a generative AI chatbot that can answer simple queries.

“People crave information, so if you’re able to tell them a bus or a tram has been disrupted, an AI could measure this and provide an alternative route,” suggests Lowe.

The post How Transport for Greater Manchester is transforming with AI appeared first on TechInformed.

Before even entering the stadium, food and beverage vendors close by benefit from private 5G to take smartphone payments – they also use it to monitor stock in real-time.

Blind and visually impaired fans join in the fun with a ‘Touch to See’ tablet. At rugby games, the pitch-shaped tablet is equipped with a magnetic disc that replicates the movement of the ball as it happens – enabled with 5G, edge computing and AI, alongside in-ear commentary.

And, for those lucky enough to be inside Orange’s Terrace (a private box), they can talk to players ‘face to face’ through a full body-length screen called La Vitre, livestreaming to another, La Vitre placed outside the locker rooms.

Even at home, fans of non-TV broadcast events, such as women’s football can still watch via a livestream that is connected to the Wi-Fi and powered remotely. Online, of live streams of these events can change the angle of the camera.

How Orange is kicking off private 5G in France

Event staff in the Orange Velodrome can talk through connected equipment called ‘Team Connect’ which works like a walkie-talkie, except Orange claims the private 5G makes it secure and clearer.

And, photographers who need to share content in real-time, make use of the 5G network to upload their high-quality photos on the sidelines. With this, Orange developed an AI tool that can detect certain objects within the many photos.

For instance, thanks to its collaboration with sportswear brand Puma, an AI tool autodetects any photos of players wearing its shoes so the retailer can upload to its social media accounts.

Orange is also using smart technology to ensure that the velodrome is on track for its sustainability goals.

TI speaks with Orange Business’ Laurent Godicheau, director of strategy, partnerships & sustainable development, and Solene Verdier, partnership success manager, within the company’s 5G Lab, nestled in the venue.

Sustainability goals 

According to Godicheau, Orange Business has an aim to produce 45% less CO2 by 2030, and to be completely net zero by 2040. As part of its net zero plan, Godicheau adds that the firm is taking steps to measure how much energy its current products are consuming.

At the Orange Velodrome, with as many as 67,000 fans entering the stadium one day, and an empty arena the next, the focus has turned to the amount of energy the Wi-Fi consumes.

Since 2016, the venue has had 1,100 Wi-Fi devices, including 1,041 access points (APs), and forty-three switches across seven floors – the challenge, they are always on.

“We have 30 big events per year, we don’t need them every day,” says Verdier.

By installing an appliance on the Wi-Fi devices that were able to capture and monitor real-time power consumption, Orange Business discovered that, whether the venue was at full capacity or completely empty, energy consumption levels stayed the same.

After that, the partnership placed a ‘Smart Power Delivery’ solution, or a switch, on each access point that can be remotely turned on or off – this worked alongside a dashboard that could monitor energy levels as it was controlled.

“Through the connected switches, we could shut down the internet connection for APs, so it doesn’t consume any power,” explains Verdier.

While no one is there, the APs remain off, but during small events, Orange Business can implement the amount of Wi-Fi that’s needed.

“For one year, it has a proven potential to save 52% of Wi-Fi energy consumption,” says Verdier.

She says that this type of technology is interesting for customers such as banks, who can choose to turn off their Wi-Fi during the night, reduce energy consumption, and keep more secure.

Notably, Verdier says Orange Business didn’t need to replace or waste any existing equipment that still worked and instead was able to adapt what was currently there.

“A big part of our footprint as a telco company is driven by hardware,” Godicheau explains.

“A lot of effort is about making sure that you extend the lifetime of the hardware by recycling it, reselling it to another customer if it’s still fit for purpose, and buying refurbished equipment.”

Godicheau explains that Orange Business’s clients are requesting the carbon footprint of a product more frequently.

To this end, Godicheau says that its product developers are applying an ‘eco design methodology’ to every new product it’s making – ensuring that all options are considered to optimise the footprint for products during the design and usage phases.

Orange is also measuring the footprint of existing products, and gauging the amount of CO2 the business is expected to produce as it evolves and changes.

Within the Orange Velodrome, it has also implemented Cisco Webex devices and sensors in its conference rooms. The cameras can detect whether the room is empty and thus turn off the lights and any temperature control.

Booking the rooms online means that the rooms can prepare the temperature in advance, and the firm can monitor energy consumption.

Gen AI monitor 

In terms of using generative AI for use cases such as the autodetection for Puma sneakers – Godicheau assures that there are several measures in the pipeline in terms of optimising its footprint.

According to studies by the International Energy Agency, the rise of generative AI has taken a toll on the environment. For instance, simply training an AI model is estimated to use more power than one hundred households in a year.

“One of the key optimisations Orange Business is making, will be using generative AI only when it’s required, not just for anything,” says Godicheau.

“Then, the models themselves will be optimised and simplified in terms of their intensity,” he explains.

This in turn will hopefully reduce the amount of infrastructure needed, such as data centres, reducing consumption there.

“We do have a specific task force with Orange Business assessing the CO2 impact of generative AI and how we can master it,” he says.

The post Boosting sustainable connectivity and AI at Orange Velodrome appeared first on TechInformed.

The neighbourhood, to be called ‘Siemensstadt Square,’ will house up to 7,000 people over roughly 188 acres of floor space.

According to the industrial technology firm, its Siemens Xcelerator platform will introduce technologies such as digital twins and AI to make the district “livable and fit for the future.”

The aim is to develop a 100-year-old industrial site, situated in Berlin’s Spandau area, and bring together manufacturing, research, learning and living.

According to the announcement, a third of the space will comprise social housing and 20,000 jobs will be created through numerous companies and partners.

Through connectivity and smart data, a digital twin of the district has been created and will detect any errors happening within the area and thus avoided in the real world.

The digital twin will also be used to plan further improvements in the area before physically implementing it.

The virtual replica consolidates three separate twins created by Siemens: a campus twin, a building twin, and an energy twin.

The campus twin brings together relevant data such as building information and planning status, the building twin presents photorealistic replanning of the existing area, and the energy twin is used to generate energy forecasts.

UK launches industry-focussed digital twin in Belfast

Alongside this, with the help of data analysis, AI will optimise energy efficiency, traffic and waste management and will also enable energy forecasting.

Plus, Siemens claims it will install a wastewater heat exchanger at the location, which will combine with heat pumps to start supplying the district with 100% carbon-neutral heating and cooling in 2026.

The electricity required for the system will be generated from renewable and local energy sources.

While the physical construction phase has only just begun, visitors and partners will be able to “walk-in” to the digital twin of Siemensstadt Square in a showroom at the location – as unveiled by the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz.

“This laying of the foundation stone is encouraging. Because it shows what we can already achieve in Germany today – in urban planning and in the construction of modern neighbourhoods,” Scholz said at the ceremony.

Siemens is investing €750 million into the space, and it expects a total investment of €4.5 billion by 2035.

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“Safety and responsibility and the good use of something are not contradictory,” says Unicef’s Irina Mirkina.

If it were, Mirkina adds, then it would be like believing “that cars should not have seatbelts because seatbelts somehow intervene with how good cars are.”

In other words, she believes that AI regulations will not prevent it from becoming a technology that will benefit the world, but, like a car, without any safety precautions, AI can be hazardous, particularly if mishandled.

“If we are building algorithms that supposedly help humans in their work, lives, healthcare, education, but in a way that harms some people, we are not actually helping,” she says.

Speaking at London Tech Week, Mirkina explained that, as a humanitarian aid organisation aimed at helping children globally, Unicef approaches artificial intelligence from a human rights perspective.

“When we are talking about technology of any kind, including AI, it’s about where it makes human lives better,” she says. “Where we are building a world in which humans will have better lives. Not robots, not machines, but humans and children.”

Last year, Unicef found that growing inequities, conflicts and climate change have slowed progress in aiding children’s health around the world.

For lack of access to food specifically, the organisation found that food poverty affects 181 million children under five in its most severe form, and around 200 million children under five suffer from stunting or wasting (caused by malnutrition).

Additionally, while the under-five mortality rate has fallen by over half since 2000, almost five million under-fives died in 2022.

Unicef managed to reach 6 million children with severe wasting treatment in the 15 acutely affected countries last year, exceeding the target of 4.5 million.

With statistics like these, reaching more children with support from technologies such as AI may help – but it needs to bring value for social good, health, education, as well as saving and protecting lives, says Mirkina.

“It also means using technology responsibly,” she adds. “Making sure that the systems we are building are safe, explainable, unbiased, and trustworthy.”

Where charities and enterprises align

From Mirkina’s perspective, there is not a big difference between Unicef’s approach to AI as a public international company and what private enterprises do.

“It’s still about building a robust system of processes and governance on top of ethical principles,” she says.

Three years ago, Unicef published policy guidance on AI for children, which Mirkina believes is still valid today.

The guidance, published in November 2021, a year before the breakthrough of generative AI solutions such as ChatGPT, outlines the opportunities and risks around AI, as well as “requirements for child-centred AI.”

The report suggests firms, governments and policymakers that develop and implement AI ensure that the tool is child-inclusive, fair, secure, and accessible.

But “how do we operationalise the policies in practice?” says Mirkina.

According to the AI lead, each day the team reviews and mitigates risks as it builds its products.

“It’s all about assessing and mitigating risk and impact for every solution and building proper accountability systems.”

AI use cases

Like many other organisations, Unicef is creating its own tools in partnership with technology firms.

“We are not a technology company, we never will be, but what do we actually do with AI?” asks Mirkina.

She reveals that the charity is building software tools that range from support for healthcare systems, and assistive technologies in education, social work and sustainability.

For instance, it’s combining satellite data and science to identify where underground, clean water is in dry regions of the world. Called ‘Unicef’s More Water More Life’, the initiative uses satellite imagery and conventional exploration techniques to map deep “aquifers” – bodies of permeable rock which contain groundwater.

According to the charity, this data-driven approach saves time and money that may have been spent unsuccessfully drilling for water in other locations.

In fact, in 2021, in a pilot the technology found drilling success rates almost doubled in Ethiopia, increasing from 50% to 92%, improving water access for 1.2 million people, including 74,000 children.

Similarly, the charity is using satellite imagery to map every school in the world, and together with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), it’s ensuring children have access to education and knowledge.

According to Mirkina, the organisation’s global map of schools, as well as its deep learning techniques, will help identify gaps in internet connectivity, and serve as evidence when advocating for connectivity and to help national governments optimise their education systems.

The map will also help Unicef measure vulnerabilities and improve its emergency response and resilience against natural disasters and crises.

“For us, it’s balancing the impact and finding valuable use cases,” says Mirkina.

“The value is what we can achieve together when we bring expertise together, ethicists, technologists, human rights workers, with actual practical expertise on the ground, and scale this across many countries, I think that’s incredible.”

The post How Unicef balances disruptive AI with safety appeared first on TechInformed.

The app is designed to help users determine their optimal clothing size, eliminating uncertainty and reducing the need to buy multiple sizes and return the rest. Fashion brands using the tech include Fred Perry, Lacoste, and Vivienne Westwood.

What activated your interest in fashion and where did the idea for the Unisize come from?

All our founding members were interested in fashion. As we saw more people buying clothes online, we wondered: ‘Sizing is crucial in fashion, so how are people buying clothes without knowing the fit?’. After asking around, we found many people were experiencing issues, which we saw as a business opportunity. We then researched competing companies but found no size recommendation engines optimised for smartphones.

I had played rugby since junior high and had thick thighs, so often struggled to find pants that fit. Wanting to help users like me, we launched a service called “unisize” that determines size through a simple questionnaire and allows comparisons with previously purchased items.

Can you explain how the app works and what technologies it utilises?

We have a patented technology that allows us to estimate users’ body shapes through a simple questionnaire. By collecting numerous samples for each ethnicity, we have developed our unique algorithm.

Additionally, apparel brands create a model torso called a “Body” to determine sizes when making clothes. Although almost all brands keep this Body information confidential, we have developed techniques to estimate these Body size details through diligent research. By combining our ability to estimate the Body size information of clothing with our algorithm for estimating users’ body shapes, we can provide highly accurate size recommendations.

Which fashion retailers are currently using your technology?

In Japan, our service is utilized by nearly 300 fashion e-commerce sites. In the UK, some well-known brands that use our service include Fred Perry, Lacoste, and Vivienne Westwood.

Lots of sizing guides rely on the customer having access to a tape measure – can your tech suggest sizing without exact measurements?

Our recommendation methods consist of four approaches. The first is the questionnaire method mentioned above. By asking about the brands and sizes of clothes frequently worn, we can easily and accurately infer the user’s body shape. The second is AI photo measurement. By taking photos from the front and side, we can accurately measure the user’s body shape.

The third is the purchase history comparison feature. This allows users to compare the sizes of items they have previously bought with the items they are considering buying now. The fourth method is registering clothes and comparing those clothes with the items they want to buy. Like the purchase history comparison feature, users can register the clothes they have on hand and compare their sizes with the sizes of the clothes they intend to buy.

How else do you think AI is informing sizing technology in fashion retail?

It will have a significant impact. We have also recently launched a service called FaceChange. Until now, we could only provide size solutions, but with FaceChange and the use of generative AI, customers can now add their faces to the online model and see how the clothing will look on them when worn. If you think of it in terms of a fitting room in a store, it’s like we’ve added a mirror to a fitting room that previously had none. Furthermore, with generative AI, we can create a more vivid image of how the clothes you intend to buy will look on you, which is very exciting.

How can products like Unisize help online retailers with their sustainability goals?

The act of returning items consumes a significant amount of energy and is entirely unproductive. By reducing such activities, we aim to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions by online retailers, even if only slightly. Additionally, by lowering return costs, we can increase profit margins, which in turn allows us to reduce clothing prices or enhance usability.

What other products do you have in the pipeline?

We’re launching Unisize DX,  a service designed to provide insights to our clients using Unisize, based on purchase data and browsing data. Additionally, we recently launched a service called Unisize for Kids. This service recommends clothing for rapidly growing children, providing information on whether the clothes will still fit one or two years later and what the length will be. This design makes it easier for users to make decisions.

We also plan to release a service called Unisize for Bag. This service will visually show users what can fit inside a bag and how large the bag will appear when they carry it (as bags often look smaller when carried by models). This information helps users make informed purchase decisions. Beyond these, we have plans to release various other services related to sizing.

Who would you give your ‘Best Dressed Man’ award to and why?

The rugby player Marcus Smith. Having played rugby myself, I have always been following him closely.

How do you take your coffee?

I buy coffee beans from my favourite coffee shop, grind them with a coffee mill, and brew coffee using a hand drip method. I adjust the strength to suit my condition and sometimes make iced coffee, all while relaxing. There is a terrace at my office, and having coffee there is simply the best.

What else do you do to switch off from tech and relax?

Gardening is my hobby. Currently, I am growing ginger, corn, shiso (a Japanese herb) and molokhia (jute) in my garden. My university major was agriculture. I initially pursued it with the desire to combat desertification, but my interest waned when I learned that poverty was the underlying cause of desertification, a problem not easily solved through technical means. Despite this, my connection with nature is very soothing, so I spend my free time working in the soil.

The post A coffee with…Shingo Tsukamoto, CEO and president, Makip appeared first on TechInformed.

Cotton mills and power looms hailed a shift in apparel production, which has since evolved into a highly automated industry powered by advanced sewing machines, precision cutting tools, and sophisticated computer-aided design.

Despite this technology, little has changed over the years in how clothing is produced. The journey of a garment from fabric to the storefront remains labour-intensive with a trail of carbon emissions.

Take, for instance, a pair of trousers: the fabric must be sourced, shipped to a factory, produced, designed for each body shape, cut, sewn, detailed, and then delivered across borders.

Altogether, these processes contribute to the 10% of greenhouse gas emissions that the fast fashion industry accounts for, as well as 20% of the world’s water use, according to the UN Conference of Trade and Development (UNCTD).

In an era where 3D printing is reshaping industries such as factory 4.0, and healthcare, 3D weaving firm unspun is hoping to apply the tech to cut carbon emissions and achieve efficiencies in the fashion sector.

According to founders Beth Esponnette, Walden Lam, and Kevin Martin  the aim of the tech is to streamline production, enhance efficiency, and significantly reduce waste, heralding a new, greener age of ready-to-wear clothing.

Spinning a yarn

The name ‘unspun’ came from the fact that any piece of clothing made on its machine ‘Vega’ can be unwoven from a singular piece of thread.

Explaining how a garment is created on its 3D weaving Annika Visser, unspun’s brand lead, says “Thousands of yards are fed into Vega where they are woven in a circular pattern to form a seamless 3D tube.”

The process is computer-controlled and runs off a digital, autogenerated design, which also allows the weave to produce different patterns such as jacquard or stripes.

Then, the 3D tubes can be made into garments such as trousers, tops, and accessories with a few additional steps – attaching two pant leg tubes at the centre seam or adding a button and a pocket.

Unspun claims that this process reduces carbon emissions by just over 50%, energy consumption by nearly half (49%), and water by almost 40% – all in its ability to manufacture on demand, and streamline and localise supply chains by placing ‘micro factories’ locally.

Crucially, the clothing’s ability to be unwoven means that the thread can be reused to create second-life garments.

“Our main goal is to address waste in the fashion industry,” continues Visser, “We are concentrating on mitigating the environmental effects of overproduction and assisting brands in decarbonising their global supply chains.”

Made in Hong Kong

Back in 2017, Esponnette and Lam, both with backgrounds in apparel, Esponnette in textiles and design, Lam in retail strategy, came together to find a solution to tackle waste in the fashion industry.

With the vision that on-demand manufacturing could be a solution, Esponnette and Lam brought Martin, an engineer, on board to help create a solution.

The start up started out in The Mills Fabrica, an incubator and workspace for sustainable solutions, with offices in London and Hong Kong.

“Our relationship with unspun began in Hong Kong,” explains head of Europe at The Mills Fabrica, Amy Tsang, “That’s where we first incubated them and supported their business growth in the very early stages.”

This included housing the team, connecting unspun with its network of partners, and helping them raise brand awareness.

“From day one, we’ve been building the hardware,” says Visser. “Given that hardware invention is a slower process than software creation, we initiated software development while waiting for hardware to reach commercial readiness.”

The software is used to create a 3D rendition of the items of clothing which will then be created through the machine: “Our focus lies in using software to create better-fitting, size-inclusive clothing, while also minimising waste and overproduction.”

“Vega, however, is a physical weaving machine that employs a combination of hardware and software tools that produce seamless 3D clothing directly from yarn. This eliminates the need for large order quantities and inventory,” Visser adds.

Brands

To date, unspun has launched six partnerships, including a collaboration with the H&M-owned retailer Weekday in 2020. Over nearly two years, customers in the retailer’s Stockholm store could have their body scanned to discover their ‘true’ jean size.

It has also launched its own project, allowing customers to scan their body using their mobile app and receive a completely custom-made pair of jeans.

While it benefits the customer with a perfect fit, it also reduces waste by not having to predict what customers want to buy, over-ordering for inventory, and reducing the number of ill-fitting returns.

Now with Vega at the ready, unspun is able to initiate partnerships with retail giants such as Walmart, which is using its 3D weaving tech to make on-demand chinos.

“Two main sources of pre-consumer waste are excessive inventory and production scrap,” explains Visser, “We aim to use our technology to help Walmart reduce waste and localise their supply chains.”

She says that the apparel industry discards about 20% of unsold garments due to long lead times in manufacturing and forecasting difficulties.

“Our technology reduces this lead-time to a week, allowing brands to respond to trends and only produce what’s needed, eliminating waste.”

Unspun finds that its ability to take over cut-and-sew manufacturing techniques means it reduces cut-waste from between 8 to 15% to just 3% by weaving the yarns directly into 3D garments.

Cutting waste isn’t the only upside to unspun’s technology. At first glance, the 3D-woven chino won’t look any different from a traditionally manufactured pair, but – according to Walmart, there are features only achieved with 3D weaving.

There will be no leg seams in the 3D-woven chino, making for a stronger and lighter product, and labels will be woven into the garment instead of sewn in, creating greater comfort.

Unspun’s on-demand model also allows for potential customisation and brings the manufacturing process much closer to home through localised production.

The disruptive start up’s long-term vision is to commit to improved sustainability by establishing multiple microsites closer to retailers and lessening supply chain emissions.

“By establishing more 3D-weaving powered microfactories, we can shorten global supply chains, enabling brands to manufacture products locally and near their customers,” explains Visser.

With a more efficient turnaround of design-to-shop floor, brands can also order less inventory with confidence and can cater to any demand and, in turn, allow for less unsold inventory waste.

Challenger brand

Circular 3D weaving currently exists in industries such as medical textiles, but for the retail industry most firms are early stage.

Fledgling outfits include Weffan, which is in partnership with the University of Leeds in trialling 3D weaving. The UK firm has received supported from the government’s Innovate UK; research and development organisation Future Fashion Factory;  The Prince’s Trust social enterprise as well as the European Commission.

Other firms such as 3DLook and Fit:match offer scan-to-fit software – yet unspun claims that it is ahead in terms of taking both its hardware and software to market.

“Several academic projects are exploring 3D weaving, some using jacquard looms to create 3D woven elements, but none have reached our stage or approach 3D weaving in the same way,” Visser claims.

She adds that unspun’s unique value proposition includes highly accurate fit analysis, auto-generating patterns for production, and eventual integration with its 3D weaving machines for a seamless purchase-to-manufacturing process.

“Our differentiation lies in building a supply chain from scratch, focusing on sustainability, and offering made-to-measure, on-demand apparel—all made possible by our novel technology.”

Future fit

The firm’s very first microfactory sits in Oakland, California, which also now serves as its HQ and will be the home production of its brand partnerships.

In the mid-term, unspun aims to integrate Vega into its brand partner’s existing production facilities as it scales: “the ecosystem and know-how of these seasoned apparel manufacturers will be a critical part of Vega’s success,” Visser says.

“Long-term, we envision localising these 3D weaving micro factories essentially anywhere where there is existing delivery infrastructure – just outside large cities and within range of next-day delivery” says Visser – meaning that no international shipping or cross-country trucking is required.

She adds that the aim is to have 350 Vega machines across the US by the end of 2030 so that products in New York, or instance, can be made within the city, with the microfactories small enough to fit into existing commercial warehouses.

The Mills Fabrica’s Tsang enthuses that eventually the technology will be deployed globally and adopted by “the biggest brands on the planet.”

“With zero inventory, zero waste, reducing carbon emissions, and efficient production, it makes total sense for brands to embrace unspun’s innovation and use it to accelerate their sustainability efforts,” says Tsang.

The start up plans to establish a presence in Europe by the end of this year and has secured its first major commercial partners in the US and the EU.

“There’s still a lot to accomplish, but with supportive legislation, we believe that brands and manufacturers are realising the need for changes in their production methods,” says Visser.

“Relying solely on material innovation won’t suffice; we must alter the way we manufacture garments.”

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