Emerging Technology, Government Business
Globenewswire | July 04, 2023
The Government of Canada has announced its intent to lead the fight against cancer at home and around the world with funding announced today that will support the development of a medical isotope ecosystem in Canada. The partnership includes Indigenous communities, Ontario’s nuclear industry, and leading research facilities, academics, and firms working to commercialize novel therapies.
As part of the funding announced today at the Bruce Power Visitors’ Centre, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) will take the next step in their partnership with Bruce Power to jointly produce, advance and market new isotopes in support of the global fight against cancer, while also working together to create new economic opportunities within the SON territory.
This funding will ultimately enable a pan-Canadian consortium – the Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem (CMIE) – to advance and accelerate the development of the next generation of novel medical isotopes and technologies. The CMIE will position Canada as a leader across all stages of the isotope production cycle, most importantly to ensure cancer patients and health care professionals have access to the critical isotopes they need, when they need them.
“Canada is a world leader in medical isotope research and production, and Bruce Power is proud to be among the innovative companies that places Canada at the forefront of nuclear medicine,” said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s President and CEO. “We are honoured to partner with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation to market isotope production and thank the federal government for its support in leveraging this historic opportunity, while creating sustainable economic benefits within the SON territory.”
The Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, advanced the funding to support projects that strengthen Canada’s leadership position in research, development and production of medical isotopes and pharmaceuticals.
“Our government is proud to partner in the creation of the Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem, which includes support for the SON First Nations communities’ partnership with Bruce Power to innovate in the fight against cancer,” said Minister Champagne. “The pandemic has shown us how important it is to have strong domestic production of pharmaceuticals, and we are delivering on our commitment to providing Canadians with the best therapies they need to care for their health. With this investment, we are making our country a major player in the global biomanufacturing and life sciences industry while creating good jobs for Canadians and stimulating the local economy.”
Pam Damoff, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and the Member of Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington, has been a strong advocate for Canada’s medical isotope sector, and announced the funding on behalf of Minister Champagne at today’s event.
“With this investment in the creation of the Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem, the Government of Canada is taking another major step towards building resiliency in our domestic medical production capabilities, which will help to ensure the health and safety of Canadians in the event of any potential future global supply chain disruptions,” said Damoff. “This investment will not only grow the economy, as the Ecosystem is expected to attract over $75 million in investment, and create or maintain over 600 highly skilled, well-paying jobs, but also contribute to economic reconciliation with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.”
Bruce Power partnered with the SON in 2019 in an historic collaboration for the marketing of current and new isotopes produced through the first-of-a-kind Isotope Production System (IPS) that was installed at Bruce Power in 2022. The partnership, named Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin, which translates to ‘We are Teaming Up to Fight the Sickness,’ includes a revenue-sharing program that provides a direct benefit to the community.
“Today marks another important milestone in the Gamzook’aamin Aakoziwin partnership between Bruce Power and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation,” said Chief Veronica Smith, Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. “By working together, patients around the world have access to cancer-fighting treatments made possible through medical isotope production.”
“We are proud to be part of this innovative project, which will deliver benefits beyond the local community, to people across the world in the global fight against cancer,” said Chief Conrad Ritchie, Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation.
The Made-in-Ontario IPS, designed and installed by Isogen (a joint venture between Framatome and Kinectrics) at Bruce Power, irradiates ytterbium-176 to produce lutetium-177, which is then transported to ITM’s manufacturing facility in Germany for processing of pharmaceutical-grade, non-carrier-added lutetium-177 (n.c.a. lutetium-177) and used in various clinical and commercial radiopharmaceutical cancer treatments.
“With commercial production of lutetium-177 well underway at Bruce Power, physicians and their patients worldwide now have access to a new, dependable, large-scale supply of lutetium-177 for their cancer treatments,” said John D’Angelo, Chair, Isogen Corp.
The funding announcement was made possible through Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s Strategic Innovation Fund, which provides major investments in innovative projects that will help grow Canada’s economy for the well-being of all Canadians. The investment will help develop Canadian technologies and support advancements in Canada’s medical isotope industry, supporting projects at Bruce Power, TRIUMF, Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and BWXT Medical.
About Bruce Power
Bruce Power is an electricity company based in Bruce County, Ontario. We are powered by our people. Our 4,200 employees are the foundation of our accomplishments and are proud of the role they play in safely delivering clean, reliable nuclear power to families and businesses across the province and life-saving medical isotopes around the world. Bruce Power has worked hard to build strong roots in Ontario and is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which we live. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is a Canadian-owned partnership of TC Energy, OMERS, the Power Workers’ Union and The Society of United Professionals.
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Infrastructure, Cybersecurity
PR Newswire | August 01, 2023
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) today announced that it was selected by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to support coordination between federal and commercial licensees of the 3450 - 3550 MHz spectrum band. Palantir will provide its software platform to enable end-to-end automation that will enhance coordination between the Department of Defense and commercial spectrum licensees for shared use of the 3450-3550 MHz band within cooperative planning area (CPA) and periodic use area (PUA) coordination zone boundaries.
As part of an ongoing interagency effort to facilitate the shared usage of critically important mid-band spectrum, Palantir's software will enable DISA's Defense Spectrum Organization (DSO) to support formal and informal coordination processes between the Department of Defense and commercial licensees. Existing and future government activities in the spectrum band are vital to protect national security and ensure military readiness.
Palantir software will be used to integrate multiple existing functions and capabilities into a single infrastructure that will result in more efficient workflows, reducing the timelines for licensee coordination with DoD to establish sharing agreements and enable deployment of 5G wireless services within CPA/PUA boundaries. Palantir software will also be used to demonstrate the ability to support more advanced spectrum sharing use cases.
"We are proud to partner with DISA DSO to support the complex task of sharing limited spectrum resources between federal and commercial users," said Akash Jain, President, Palantir USG. "We are excited to rapidly deploy software that will accelerate and automate coordination workflows and enable the increasingly dynamic and efficient use of spectrum."
"As military and commercial use of radio-frequency spectrum continues to grow, spectrum coordination will be increasingly necessary to preserve the effectiveness of critical national security capabilities while enabling U.S. commercial leadership in 5G and other critical technology areas. Palantir looks forward to working alongside the Department of Defense to deploy innovative software solutions that support advanced spectrum sharing workflows and processes," said Miriam Marwick, SVP, Emerging Technologies, Palantir USG.
About Palantir Technologies Inc.
At Palantir, we're helping the world's most important institutions use their data to solve their most urgent problems. Our software lets our customers integrate and analyze all of their data so they can answer questions that they couldn't before. From delivering disaster relief to building safer automobiles, we're honored to help make our partners better at their most important work.
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Emerging Technology
PR Newswire | July 21, 2023
FM:Systems, provider of the most scalable and intuitive all-in-one workplace management platform, announced today its FMS:Workplace solution has achieved the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program's (FedRAMP) "In Process" designation.
FedRAMP is a government-wide program that promotes the adoption of secure cloud services across the federal government by providing a standardized approach to security and risk assessment for cloud technologies, like FM:Systems solutions. Through its sponsorship with the U.S. Department of Education, FM:Systems is working to reach full FedRAMP authorization for FMS:Workplace within one year.
"With the rise of remote and hybrid work, many organizations are looking for smart ways to optimize their real estate, reduce expenses, and deliver productive workplace experiences," said Kurt von Koch, CEO of FM:Systems. "Achieving the FedRAMP In Process designation for our FMS:Workplace solution allows federal clients to access our trusted workplace management suite of software solutions in a secure cloud environment so they can gain the data-backed insights needed to make strategic decisions about their real estate and workplace needs."
As a flexible, easy-to-use Integrated Workplace Management Solution, federal agencies can use FMS:Workplace to seamlessly manage, analyze, and report on facilities and real estate operations and maintenance (O&M) information all in a single system. The FMS:Workplace solution includes:
Space Management
Sustainability Management
Move Management
Maintenance Management
Strategic Scenario Planning
Real Estate Management
Asset Management
Project Management
"The increase of data breaches and phishing campaigns taking place across the U.S. and globally means it's critical for government agencies to take every step they can to safeguard sensitive information and data privacy," said the Chief Information Officer (CIO), of the U.S. Department of Education. "FM:Systems provides workplace management solutions that meet FedRAMP authorization requirements and federal cloud security standards."
FM:Systems workplace management solutions are used by over 150 government institutions, including 10 of the 15 federal government departments.
About FM:Systems
FM:Systems all-in-one workplace management platform helps more than 1,200 of the world's largest organizations access, manage, and measure every aspect of their real estate portfolio. With the most complete range of intuitive and scalable space management, hybrid work, workplace analytics and smart sensor solutions, our customers gain the data-backed clarity and vision necessary to make strategic real estate decisions and deliver high-performance workplaces today and long into the future. For more information about FM:Systems, please visit www.fmsystems.com.
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