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FTE APEX Asia Expo 2022 in pictures – ‘Transforming Tomorrow’s Journey’

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience
FTE APEX Asia Expo returned to the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore,…

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The following article was published by Future Travel Experience

FTE APEX Asia Expo returned to the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore, on 9-10 November 2022. Here is a selection of the main highlights.

FTE APEX Asia Expo made a successful return to the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore, on 9-10 November 2022 after a three-year hiatus. Firmly established as Asia-Pacific’s biggest free to attend passenger experience and business performance expo, the event was delivered with the support of headline partners Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance and Onboard Hospitality.

It truly was the comeback show for the region to demo the very latest products and services, share learnings and ideas, and for those from further afield to better understand the APAC market, which will see the fastest growth in the coming years.

The event featured a free to attend end-to-end exhibition of the industry’s most progressive companies, a high-level Premium Conference Stage, complimentary Expo Stage sessions, the Onboard Hospitality Forum Asia, expanded ‘Innovation & Tech Briefings’, an FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group meeting, guided tours of the renovated T2 at Changi Airport, and the FTE Airline/Airport Transformation Power Lists Asia-Pac 2022 and APEX Regional Passenger Choice Awards ceremonies. Here is a selection of the main highlights.

CEOs of Changi Airport Group, Jetstar Asia, AirAsia Malaysia and Star Alliance help to get FTE APEX Asia Expo underway

FTE APEX Asia Expo 2022 got underway with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by Jeffrey Goh, CEO, Star Alliance; Tan Lye Teck, Executive Vice President – Airport Management, Changi Airport Group; Barathan Pasupathi, CEO, Jetstar Asia Airways; Dr. Joe Leader, CEO, APEX and IFSA; Ali Loving, Head of Events, Future Travel Experience; Craig McQuinn, Exhibition Director, Onboard Hospitality Forum Asia; Riad Asmat, CEO, Air Asia Malaysia; Ryan Ghee, Chief Operating Officer, Future Travel Experience; and Daniel Coleman, Founder & CEO, Future Travel Experience.

The high-level audience also included a number of other CEOs and C-suite executives from across the industry, including Tony Fernandes, CEO, Capital A, pictured here with APEX/IFSA CEO Dr. Joe Leader.

Join us at FTE EMEA, Ancillary & Retailing in Dublin, 23-25 May 2023 – find out more
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Join us at FTE APEX Asia Expo in Singapore, 8-9 November 2023 – find out more

Innovative airline and airport solutions – from digital identity to baggage and more

The free to attend exhibition at FTE APEX Asia Expo provided a major showcase of progressive solutions, products and services from technology giants and the most innovative startups from across Asia and beyond. They highlighted innovations created to help airlines and airports improve end-to-end customer experiences, reduce costs, increase revenues and enhance operational efficiency on the ground and inflight.

Among the major companies present was Collins Aerospace, which highlighted its Connected Aviation Solutions business that is uniquely positioned to provide revolutionary digital solutions to its airline and airport customers, enabling them to bring forth their vision of a fully connected digital aviation ecosystem.

SITA similarly had a prominent presence on the expo floor, where it showcased its SITA Flex solution. SITA Flex goes beyond traditional common-use – it is a next-generation platform that facilitates innovation via APIs and gives passengers greater control of their journey.

Snowfall offered demos of Junction – a single, multimodal travel operating platform that unifies access to the travel ecosystem. It means travellers can enjoy greater choice, flexibility and a seamless, personalised experience, from door to door. Airlines and providers can simplify and amplify their distribution and unlock ancillary revenue opportunities.

Automation and self-service technologies have been a continued priority for airports and airlines post-pandemic, and these were prominent on the Expo floor. Visitors to the Gunnebo stand experienced mobile enrolment for passenger boarding with a demonstration of a biometric-enabled boarding gate; they also experienced the complete passenger One ID journey using facial biometrics. Amadeus showcased a complete end-to-end biometric passenger flow from check-in through to boarding. Meanwhile, Elenium presented its Automated Bag Drop with advanced camera-based dimensioning technology.

Among the other innovations highlighted was Airport Dimensions’ Connecta In-Lounge – a one-stop e-commerce and traveller relationship platform that enhances and personalises the airport lounge experience. Baggage was another key focus area, with BAGTAG giving product demos and allowing visitors to try out its Electronic Bag Tags.

Inflight-focused showcase – IFEC, digital engagement, 5G, communications and more

The exhibition featured an impressive line-up of inflight-focused suppliers, including Inmarsat Aviation, AERQ, AirFi, Ditto, Exail, Intelsat, Viasat, and many more.

Visitors to the AERQ booth experienced how the company’s open IT platform AERENA can boost digital cabin innovations throughout the travel journey and facilitate greater passenger engagement onboard the aircraft.

AirFi.aero showcased its ‘In-Seat Ordering’ solution, which is now live on airlines including Scoot, easyJet, Corendon and Binter Canarias, and is the backbone of its ‘Mall in the Sky’ platform. The company also introduced visitors to ‘LEO’ – its innovative, lightweight and low-cost connectivity solution using patented window-mounted antenna technology.

Ditto offered live, cross-platform, real-time demos of its Intelligent Edge Platform, with use-cases such as real-time meal order, cabin crew collaboration, maintenance collaboration, and baggage scanning. Meanwhile, Inflight Dublin highlighted Everhub – a one-stop-shop for airlines, incorporating content, design, hardware and software into a single wireless IFE offering.

Inmarsat Aviation launched its ‘APAC Passenger Experience Survey 2022’ during FTE APEX Asia Expo. David Coiley, Asia Pacific Regional Vice President, Inmarsat Aviation, shared details of the survey as part of his presentation in a conference session focused on ‘Successfully digitalising the aircraft cabin’. He explained that the new research among 4,000 APAC airline passengers finds that 74% value inflight Wi-Fi, and 83% would rebook with an airline if high-quality connectivity was available on the flight. “Passenger demand for fast and reliable Wi-Fi has never been higher, so providing access to such services is absolutely essential for airlines,” said Coiley.

Onboard Hospitality Forum Asia – a showcase of inflight catering, customised cabin essentials, well-being and sustainability

The Onboard Hospitality Forum Asia once again took place as part of FTE APEX Asia Expo 2022. Onboard Hospitality invited inflight catering, well-being, design and innovation specialists to meet within a dedicated, free to attend zone in the exhibition, with a strong focus this year on sustainability onboard. The forum combines targeted inflight hospitality, peer to peer networking, and conference sessions.

A number of leading inflight wellness and catering companies showcased their latest products and services, including SATS, Bayart Innovations, Coffee Planet, FORMIA, Global-C, Linstol, Unilever, Zibo Rainbow Airline Appliance, and more.

During the two-day Onboard Hospitality Forum Asia, attendees also had the chance to hear inspiration from a number of leaders in the hospitality sector, such as SAUDIA, En Route International, Aviation Sustainability Forum, APEX and IFSA.

Startup Zone and Startup Pitch Session – a hotbed of innovation

The Startup Zone at FTE APEX Asia Expo 2022 was a hotbed of innovation, featuring progressive companies such as Ariadne Maps, Shabstec Limited and ubiZense Limited.

Ariadne Maps presented its advanced, real-time passenger analytics enabled with award-winning accuracy and certified privacy compliance. Shabstec offered demonstrations of its TagForLife technology – a very low-cost permanent bag tag. Using all existing international standards, passengers will be able to purchase the tags from Amazon, airlines and airports. ubiZense Limited – an AIoT company – showcased how it leverages IoT sensors to monitor operations and uses AI to provide management insights. ubiZense turns existing sensors, such as CCTV or GPS modules, into real-time tracking devices.

The Expo Stage conference agenda also featured the ‘Startup Pitch Session Powered by the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub’. This showcased a diverse range of startups with a selection of pioneering products and services – from advanced artificial intelligence (AI) solutions through to the latest inflight concepts – including Airsiders, Ariadne Maps, Avvinue, Ditto, Shabstec, ubiZense, and Virspatial Technologies.

‘Innovation & Tech Briefings’ and One-to-One Meetings

The popular ‘Innovation & Tech Briefings’ on the exhibition floor returned bigger and better this year. Attendees had the opportunity to join guided tours and meet exhibitors with relevant products, services and concepts across six areas: Airport Technology, Airline Technology, Baggage, Automation & Self-service, IFEC & Inflight Innovation, and Sustainability in Action Onboard.

Attendees were also able to use the One-to-One Meeting system prior to and during the show to connect with companies and individuals and arrange meetings. The system again proved a great success.

Inspirational keynotes by Fiji Airways, Capital A, SAUDIA, Changi Airport, Trip.com, and much more

The theme of FTE APEX Asia Expo 2022 was ‘Transforming Tomorrow’s Journey’ and was reflected throughout the agendas on both the Premium Conference and Expo stages, which highlighted the transformative and collaborative approaches being taken for the benefit of the industry.

Daniel Coleman, Founder & CEO, Future Travel Experience, and Dr. Joe Leader, CEO, APEX and IFSA, opened the Premium Conference Stage before moving into the Opening Keynote Panel featuring Barathan Pasupathi, CEO, Jetstar Asia Airways; Jeffrey Goh, CEO, Star Alliance; Tan Lye Teck, Executive Vice President – Airport Management, Changi Airport Group; Sumesh Patel, President, Asia Pacific, SITA; and Riad Asmat, CEO, Air Asia Malaysia. They shared their perspectives on successfully scaling back up, attracting, empowering and retaining workforce, collaboration, innovation, passenger experience, digital transformation, sustainability, lessons learned from the pandemic, and post-pandemic health and travel requirements.

The Expo Stage opened with two keynotes from Yudong Tan, VP, CEO of the Flights BG, Trip.com Group (a global travel services company that owns and operates Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner and Qunar) and Colin Currie, President (Commercial), Capital A.

Tan shared his insights into the future of travel in Asia-Pac and how Trip.com Group is evolving to serve that. Commenting on the global recovery of flights by region in September 2022, he noted that Asia-Pacific is currently at 40% of 2019 levels compared with 79% in Europe and North America, 86% in the Middle East and 90% in Africa. Currie followed with a fascinating keynote on how AirAsia is transitioning into a digital travel and lifestyle company and revolutionising its commercial activities along the way.

The Premium Conference Stage also featured a truly inspirational Keynote Session on ‘Leadership perspectives in the vibrant Asia-Pac market’. In Part 1, Azman B. Ahmad, GM Product Management, SAUDIA, was interviewed by Dr. Joe Leader, CEO, APEX and IFSA and offered an exclusive look at the airline’s new business class product. In Part 2, Andre Viljoen, Managing Director & CEO, Fiji Airways, then delivered a keynote address on the airline’s journey to success. Viljoen explained that Fiji Airways’ “game-changer strategies” include investment in its leadership and culture transformation, growing its female workforce (currently 41%), modernising its aircraft fleet (Airbus A350 XWBs and Boeing MAX 8s), building “remarkable service quality”, and “a deep commitment to strategic purpose”.

Premium Conference Stage – innovation for airlines and airports

The Premium Conference Stage provided insights into how the world will evolve over the short, medium and long-term, and how effective utilisation of technology, design, hospitality and collaboration can reimagine travel for the better post-pandemic.

Among the many highlights on the Premium Conference Stage was a session focused on ‘Innovative technology utilisation by airlines and their partners’. Moderated by Tomi Maaniemi, Vice President, Snowfall, the session featured two fantastic case studies: Travis Lim, Principal Digital Strategist, Singapore Airlines, delivered a presentation on ‘Singapore Airlines’ digital journey’, while Christine Wang, Managing Director, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, gave a presentation on ‘Pushing the limits of the travel industry’.

Advancing onboard digitalisation efforts to enhance operational, CX and revenue performance was a key focus. Stefan List, Head of Cabin Market Insights, Airbus, moderated a session on ‘Successfully digitising the aircraft cabin’, featuring David Coiley, Regional Vice President Asia Pacific Aviation Sales, Inmarsat; Andre Sousa, Senior Director & Head of Sales and Account Management – APAC, Panasonic Avionics; and Jonas von Kruechten, Head of Strategy and Business Development, AERQ.

Continuing the theme of digitalisation, Carolijn Schoofs, Head of Innovation, Royal Schiphol Group, outlined the steps by which Schiphol will achieve a fully autonomous airside operation by 2050, while Bob Kwik, Global Head of Airports, Amazon Web Services, highlighted the technologies that airports should really be focusing on to transform the passenger experience, operations and revenues.

Focusing on future airports, the transformative approaches being taken to reimagine the ways in which airports are developed, managed, leverage technology and realise potential were addressed by Jayne Wear, Head of Commercial Products & Transport, Auckland Airport, and Jan Michael Wicki, Head Program Development and Coordination, Noida International Airport (by Flughafen Zürich AG).

A prominent theme was airport automation and digital identity efforts, and these were explored by Steven Greenway, President, Commercial, Pangiam; Hideharu Miyamoto, Senior Executive Officer / Deputy Executive Divisional Director of Corporate Planning Division, Narita International Airport Corporation; and Javed Malik, Managing Director APAC, Vision-Box & FTE Advisory Board Member.

Other highlights on the Premium Conference Stage included a special presentation by Gordon Chu, Digital Manager, Conversational Platforms, Cathay Pacific Airways, on ‘Building a strategic mindset in conversational AI driven digital transformation’, plus ‘The FTE Premium Passenger Symposium’ and ‘The FTE Emerging Markets Symposium’.

Expo Stage – free education for all

Attendees benefited from complimentary access to the Expo Stage. ‘The future of e-commerce, ancillaries & loyalty in air transport’ was addressed in a panel led by Apple Ignacio, Director, Ancillaries, Cebu Pacific Air, and featuring Renato Ramos, Director Loyalty, Star Alliance; Jayne Wear, Head of Commercial Products & Transport, Auckland Airport; and Vimal Kumar Rai, EVP Global Sales & Marketing, AirFi.aero.

Highlights on the Expo Stage also included ‘The FTE Self-Service & Biometric Summit’, which heard from Jesse Jalleh, Director Travel Experience, Star Alliance; Jonathan Good, Chief Technology & Marketing Officer, Auckland Airport; Rob Bowring, CCO, Elenium Automation; and Richard Dinkelmann, CEO, ICM Airport Technics, an Amadeus company.

‘Strategic Perspective & Disruptive Approaches’ were explored by Gunardi Minah, GM Marketing, Lion Air, and Member of the FTE APEX Asia Expo Advisory Board; Dr Spencer Dando, VP Middle East & Africa, Snowfall; and Hon Lung Chu, Head of APAC, Volocopter.

A session focusing on ‘Making Sustainability Work Onboard’ brought together Azman Ahmad, GM Product Management, SAUDIA; Nick Wiley, Global Managing Director, En Route International; and Matt Crane, Group Head, SATS Food Solutions Global Innovation Centre and Founder of the Aviation Sustainability Forum, and provided insights into what each organisation is doing today to make the industry greener, followed by a candid discussion on what steps need to be taken to ensure the industry can improve environmental performance going forward.

The Expo Stage agenda concluded with an insightful session on ‘Strategies to simultaneously better serve the passenger, and the business’, with presentations from Deacon Konc, Director, Innovation & Solutions, United Airlines; Yerzhan Akhmetzhanov, Senior Manager Innovation, FlyArystan (Air Astana Group); and Stephen Hay, Global Strategy Director, Airport Dimensions.

In a fitting finale to the conference, Hay delivered an exclusive research unveiling: ‘Understanding Tomorrow’s Traveller and Shaping the Future Airport Experience’. Among the fascinating insights shared, Hay outlined some key trends for airports, including the need to “embrace, understand and engage the new experiential traveller”, “for more travellers, the lounge will become the heart of the revenue journey”, and the need to “pivot towards more relevant incentives and smarter engagement”.

FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group meeting at Changi, plus FTE Baggage Innovation Summit

Members of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group (BIWG) met at Changi Airport on 8 November 2022, where they received an exclusive, guided tour of the airport’s baggage areas before receiving an update on BIWG activities and POCs from Darin Juby, Director Baggage Services, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, and Head of Baggage Transformation, Future Travel Experience.

This was followed by the FTE Baggage Innovation Summit, which took place on the Expo Stage on 9 November 2022. Led by Juby, the session featured fascinating contributions from Jasper Quak, Managing Director, BAGTAG; Paige See, Manager, Customer Experience (Baggage), Star Alliance; David Cho, Senior Manager, Incheon International Airport Corporation; and Dennis van Kleef, Programme Lead Baggage, Royal Schiphol Group.

FTE Airline/Airport Transformation Power List Asia-Pacific 2022 and APEX Regional Passenger Choice Awards 2023 winners announced

The most transformative change enablers within the industry in Asia-Pacific were recognised at the Future Travel Experience Airline/Airport Transformation Power List Asia-Pacific 2022 awards ceremony during FTE APEX Asia Expo. Six winners received ‘Outstanding Achievement’ trophies: Colin Currie, President (Commercial), Capital A; George Wang, Senior Vice President Information Technology, Singapore Airlines; Kenneth Chang, Executive Vice President, CMO (Marketing & IT Division), Korean Air; Jonathan Good, Chief Technology and Marketing Officer, Auckland Airport; Rama Iyer, Head – Innovation, GMR Group; and Hideharu Miyamoto, Senior Executive Officer / Deputy Executive Divisional Director of Corporate Planning Division, Narita International Airport Corporation. Six of the nominees were also presented with ‘Highly Commended’ certificates. View the full report here.

In addition, APEX took to the stage to honour the airlines from across the region that recently achieved 4 star, 5 star, and World Class status in the APEX Official Airline Ratings. Winners of the 2023 APEX Regional Passenger Choice Awards were also announced during the show.

FTE APEX Asia Expo Reception & Awards After Party

The FTE Airline/Airport Transformation Power List Asia-Pacific 2022 awards ceremony was followed by the FTE APEX Asia Expo Reception & Awards After Party, sponsored by Intelsat, which took place on Level 4 of the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. The event provided a perfect opportunity for attendees to network in a relaxed environment following a busy first day and culminated with a viewing of the spectacular Spectra outdoor light and water show.

Changi Airport Terminal 2 tour

FTE APEX Asia Expo 2022 headline partner Changi Airport Group also facilitated guided tours of the renovated Terminal 2. Attendees experienced a refreshed terminal design and gained insights into the T2 Expansion project, newly upgraded facilities, and revamped areas of the terminal, which includes a variety of self-service and automated processes designed to enhance efficiency and the customer experience.

Mark your diary for FTE APEX Asia Expo 2023 – Singapore, 8-9 November

The free to attend FTE APEX Asia Expo will return to the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore on 8-9 November 2023. Mark your diary today! Find out more information about the event here.

Article originally published here:
FTE APEX Asia Expo 2022 in pictures – ‘Transforming Tomorrow’s Journey’

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Net Zero, The Digital Panopticon, & The Future Of Food

Net Zero, The Digital Panopticon, & The Future Of Food

Authored by Colin Todhunter via Off-Guardian.org,

The food transition, the energy…

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March 14, 2024

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Net Zero, The Digital Panopticon, & The Future Of Food

Authored by Colin Todhunter via Off-Guardian.org,

The food transition, the energy transition, net-zero ideology, programmable central bank digital currencies, the censorship of free speech and clampdowns on protest. What’s it all about? To understand these processes, we need to first locate what is essentially a social and economic reset within the context of a collapsing financial system.

Writer Ted Reece notes that the general rate of profit has trended downwards from an estimated 43% in the 1870s to 17% in the 2000s. By late 2019, many companies could not generate enough profit. Falling turnover, squeezed margins, limited cashflows and highly leveraged balance sheets were prevalent.

Professor Fabio Vighi of Cardiff University has described how closing down the global economy in early 2020 under the guise of fighting a supposedly new and novel pathogen allowed the US Federal Reserve to flood collapsing financial markets (COVID relief) with freshly printed money without causing hyperinflation. Lockdowns curtailed economic activity, thereby removing demand for the newly printed money (credit) in the physical economy and preventing ‘contagion’.

According to investigative journalist Michael Byrant, €1.5 trillion was needed to deal with the crisis in Europe alone. The financial collapse staring European central bankers in the face came to a head in 2019. The appearance of a ‘novel virus’ provided a convenient cover story.

The European Central Bank agreed to a €1.31 trillion bailout of banks followed by the EU agreeing to a €750 billion recovery fund for European states and corporations. This package of long-term, ultra-cheap credit to hundreds of banks was sold to the public as a necessary programme to cushion the impact of the pandemic on businesses and workers.

In response to a collapsing neoliberalism, we are now seeing the rollout of an authoritarian great reset — an agenda that intends to reshape the economy and change how we live.

SHIFT TO AUTHORITARIANISM

The new economy is to be dominated by a handful of tech giants, global conglomerates and e-commerce platforms, and new markets will also be created through the financialisation of nature, which is to be colonised, commodified and traded under the notion of protecting the environment.

In recent years, we have witnessed an overaccumulation of capital, and the creation of such markets will provide fresh investment opportunities (including dodgy carbon offsetting Ponzi schemes)  for the super-rich to park their wealth and prosper.

This great reset envisages a transformation of Western societies, resulting in permanent restrictions on fundamental liberties and mass surveillance. Being rolled out under the benign term of a ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’, the World Economic Forum (WEF) says the public will eventually ‘rent’ everything they require (remember the WEF video ‘you will own nothing and be happy’?): stripping the right of ownership under the guise of a ‘green economy’ and underpinned by the rhetoric of ‘sustainable consumption’ and ‘climate emergency’.

Climate alarmism and the mantra of sustainability are about promoting money-making schemes. But they also serve another purpose: social control.

Neoliberalism has run its course, resulting in the impoverishment of large sections of the population. But to dampen dissent and lower expectations, the levels of personal freedom we have been used to will not be tolerated. This means that the wider population will be subjected to the discipline of an emerging surveillance state.

To push back against any dissent, ordinary people are being told that they must sacrifice personal liberty in order to protect public health, societal security (those terrible Russians, Islamic extremists or that Sunak-designated bogeyman George Galloway) or the climate. Unlike in the old normal of neoliberalism, an ideological shift is occurring whereby personal freedoms are increasingly depicted as being dangerous because they run counter to the collective good.

The real reason for this ideological shift is to ensure that the masses get used to lower living standards and accept them. Consider, for instance, the Bank of England’s chief economist Huw Pill saying that people should ‘accept’ being poorer. And then there is Rob Kapito of the world’s biggest asset management firm BlackRock, who says that a “very entitled” generation must deal with scarcity for the first time in their lives.

At the same time, to muddy the waters, the message is that lower living standards are the result of the conflict in Ukraine and supply shocks that both the war and ‘the virus’ have caused.

The net-zero carbon emissions agenda will help legitimise lower living standards (reducing your carbon footprint) while reinforcing the notion that our rights must be sacrificed for the greater good. You will own nothing, not because the rich and their neoliberal agenda made you poor but because you will be instructed to stop being irresponsible and must act to protect the planet.

NET-ZERO AGENDA

But what of this shift towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and the plan to slash our carbon footprints? Is it even feasible or necessary?

Gordon Hughes, a former World Bank economist and current professor of economics at the University of Edinburgh, says in a new report that current UK and European net-zero policies will likely lead to further economic ruin.

Apparently, the only viable way to raise the cash for sufficient new capital expenditure (on wind and solar infrastructure) would be a two decades-long reduction in private consumption of up to 10 per cent. Such a shock has never occurred in the last century outside war; even then, never for more than a decade.

But this agenda will also cause serious environmental degradation. So says Andrew Nikiforuk in the article The Rising Chorus of Renewable Energy Skeptics, which outlines how the green techno-dream is vastly destructive.

He lists the devastating environmental impacts of an even more mineral-intensive system based on renewables and warns:

“The whole process of replacing a declining system with a more complex mining-based enterprise is now supposed to take place with a fragile banking system, dysfunctional democracies, broken supply chains, critical mineral shortages and hostile geopolitics.”

All of this assumes that global warming is real and anthropogenic. Not everyone agrees. In the article Global warming and the confrontation between the West and the rest of the world, journalist Thierry Meyssan argues that net zero is based on political ideology rather than science. But to state such things has become heresy in the Western countries and shouted down with accusations of ‘climate science denial’.

Regardless of such concerns, the march towards net zero continues, and key to this is the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals.

Today, almost every business or corporate report, website or brochure includes a multitude of references to ‘carbon footprints’, ‘sustainability’, ‘net zero’ or ‘climate neutrality’ and how a company or organisation intends to achieve its sustainability targets. Green profiling, green bonds and green investments go hand in hand with displaying ‘green’ credentials and ambitions wherever and whenever possible.

It seems anyone and everyone in business is planting their corporate flag on the summit of sustainability. Take Sainsbury’s, for instance. It is one of the ‘big six’ food retail supermarkets in the UK and has a vision for the future of food that it published in 2019.

Here’s a quote from it:

“Personalised Optimisation is a trend that could see people chipped and connected like never before. A significant step on from wearable tech used today, the advent of personal microchips and neural laces has the potential to see all of our genetic, health and situational data recorded, stored and analysed by algorithms which could work out exactly what we need to support us at a particular time in our life. Retailers, such as Sainsbury’s could play a critical role to support this, arranging delivery of the needed food within thirty minutes — perhaps by drone.”

Tracked, traced and chipped — for your own benefit. Corporations accessing all of our personal data, right down to our DNA. The report is littered with references to sustainability and the climate or environment, and it is difficult not to get the impression that it is written so as to leave the reader awestruck by the technological possibilities.

However, the promotion of a brave new world of technological innovation that has nothing to say about power — who determines policies that have led to massive inequalities, poverty, malnutrition, food insecurity and hunger and who is responsible for the degradation of the environment in the first place — is nothing new.

The essence of power is conveniently glossed over, not least because those behind the prevailing food regime are also shaping the techno-utopian fairytale where everyone lives happily ever after eating bugs and synthetic food while living in a digital panopticon.

FAKE GREEN

The type of ‘green’ agenda being pushed is a multi-trillion market opportunity for lining the pockets of rich investors and subsidy-sucking green infrastructure firms and also part of a strategy required to secure compliance required for the ‘new normal’.

It is, furthermore, a type of green that plans to cover much of the countryside with wind farms and solar panels with most farmers no longer farming. A recipe for food insecurity.

Those investing in the ‘green’ agenda care first and foremost about profit. The supremely influential BlackRock invests in the current food system that is responsible for polluted waterways, degraded soils, the displacement of smallholder farmers, a spiralling public health crisis, malnutrition and much more.

It also invests in healthcare — an industry that thrives on the illnesses and conditions created by eating the substandard food that the current system produces. Did Larry Fink, the top man at BlackRock, suddenly develop a conscience and become an environmentalist who cares about the planet and ordinary people? Of course not.

Any serious deliberations on the future of food would surely consider issues like food sovereignty, the role of agroecology and the strengthening of family farms — the backbone of current global food production.

The aforementioned article by Andrew Nikiforuk concludes that, if we are really serious about our impacts on the environment, we must scale back our needs and simplify society.

In terms of food, the solution rests on a low-input approach that strengthens rural communities and local markets and prioritises smallholder farms and small independent enterprises and retailers, localised democratic food systems and a concept of food sovereignty based on self-sufficiency, agroecological principles and regenerative agriculture.

It would involve facilitating the right to culturally appropriate food that is nutritionally dense due to diverse cropping patterns and free from toxic chemicals while ensuring local ownership and stewardship of common resources like land, water, soil and seeds.

That’s where genuine environmentalism and the future of food begins.

Tyler Durden Thu, 03/14/2024 - 02:00

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Five Aerospace Investments to Buy as Wars Worsen Copy

Five aerospace investments to buy as wars worsen give investors a chance to acquire shares of companies focused on fortifying national defense. The five…

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Five aerospace investments to buy as wars worsen give investors a chance to acquire shares of companies focused on fortifying national defense.

The five aerospace investments to buy provide military products to help protect freedom amid Russia’s ongoing onslaught against Ukraine that began in February 2022, as well as supply arms in the Middle East used after Hamas militants attacked and murdered civilians in Israel on Oct. 7. Even though the S&P 500 recently reached all-time highs, these five aerospace investments have remained reasonably priced and rated as recommendations by seasoned analysts and a pension fund chairman.

State television broadcasts in Russia show the country’s soldiers advancing further into Ukrainian territory, but protests have occurred involving family members of those serving in perilous conditions in the invasion of their neighboring nation to be brought home. Even though hundreds of thousands of Russians also have fled to other countries to avoid compulsory military service, the aggressor’s President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue to send additional soldiers into the fierce fighting.

While Russia’s land-grab of Crimea and other parts of Ukraine show no end in sight, Israel’s war with Hamas likely will last for at least additional months, according to the latest reports. United Nations’ leaders expressed alarm on Dec. 26 about intensifying Israeli attacks that killed more than 100 Palestinians over two days in part of the Gaza Strip, when 15 members of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) also lost their lives.

Five Aerospace Investments to Buy as Wars Worsen: General Dynamics

One of the five aerospace investments to buy as wars worsen is General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), a Reston, Virginia-based aerospace company with more than 100,000 employees in 70-plus countries. A key business unit of General Dynamics is Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a manufacturer of business aircraft. Other segments of General Dynamics focus on making military products such as Abrams tanks, Stryker fighting vehicles, ASCOD fighting vehicles like the Spanish PIZARRO and British AJAX, LAV-25 Light Armored Vehicles and Flyer-60 lightweight tactical vehicles.

For the U.S. Navy and other allied armed forces, General Dynamics builds Virginia-class attack submarines, Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, Expeditionary Sea Base ships, fleet logistics ships, commercial cargo ships, aircraft and naval gun systems, Hydra-70 rockets, military radios and command and control systems. In addition, the company provides radio and optical telescopes, secure mobile phones, PIRANHA and PANDUR wheeled armored vehicles and mobile bridge systems.

Chicago-based investment firm William Blair & Co. is among those recommending General Dynamics. The Chicago firm gave an “outperform” rating to General Dynamics in a Dec. 21 research note.

Gulfstream is seeking G700 FAA certification by the end of 2023, suggesting potentially positive news in the next 10 days, William Blair wrote in its recent research note. The investment firm projected that General Dynamics would trade upward upward upon the G700’s certification.

“General Dynamics’ 2023 aircraft delivery guidance of approximately 134 planes assumes that 19 G700s are delivered in the fourth quarter,” wrote William Blair’s aerospace and defense analyst Louie DiPalma. “Even if deliveries fall short of this target, we believe investors will take a glass-half-full approach upon receipt of the certification.”

Chart courtesy of www.stockcharts.com.

Five Aerospace Investments to Buy as Wars Worsen: GD Outlook

The G700 is a major focus area for investors because it is Gulfstream’s most significant aircraft introduction since the iconic G650 in 2012, DiPalma wrote. Gulfstream has the highest market share in the long-range jet segment of the private aircraft market, the highest profit margin of aircraft peers and the most premium business aviation brand, he added.

“The aircraft remains immensely popular today with corporations and high-net-worth individuals,” Di Palma wrote. “Elon Musk has reportedly placed an order for a G700 to go along with his existing G650. Qatar Airways announced at the Paris Air Show that 10 G700 aircraft will become part of its fleet.”

G700 deliveries and subsequent G800 deliveries are expected to be the cornerstone of Gulfstream’s growth and margin expansion for the next decade, DiPalma wrote. This should lead to a rebound in the stock price as the margins for the G700 and G800 are very attractive, he added.

Management’s guidance is for the aerospace operating margin to increase from about 13.2% in 2022 to roughly 14.0% in 2023 and 15.8% in 2024. Longer term, a high-teens profit margin appears within reach, DiPalma projected.

In other General Dynamics business segments, William Blair expects several yet-unannounced large contract awards for General Dynamics IT, to go along with C$1.7 billion, or US$1.29 billion, in General Dynamics Mission Systems contracts announced on Dec. 20 for the Canadian Army. General Dynamics shares are poised to have a strong 2024, William Blair wrote.

Five Aerospace Investments to Buy as Wars Worsen: VSE Corporation

Alexandria, Virginia-based VSE Corporation’s (NASDAQ: VSEC) price-to-earnings (P/E) valuation multiple of 22 received support when AAR Corp. (NYSE: AIR), a Wood Dale, Illinois, provider of aviation services, announced on Dec. 21 that it would acquire the product support business of Triumph Group (NYSE: TGI), a Berwyn, Pennsylvania, supplier of aerospace services, structures and systems. AAR’s purchase price of $725 million reflects confidence in a continued post-pandemic aerospace rebound.

VSE, a provider of aftermarket distribution and repair services for land, sea and air transportation assets used by government and commercial markets, is rated “outperform” by William Blair. The company’s core services include maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), parts distribution, supply chain management and logistics, engineering support, as well as consulting and training for global commercial, federal, military and defense customers.

“Robust consumer travel demand and aging aircraft fleets have driven elevated maintenance visits,” William Blair’s DiPalma wrote in a Dec. 21 research note. “The AAR–Triumph deal is valued at a premium 13-times 2024 EBITDA multiple, which was in line with the valuation multiple that Heico (NYSE: HEI) paid for Wencor over the summer.”

VSE currently trades at a discounted 9.5 times consensus 2024 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) estimates, as well as 11.6 times consensus 2023 EBITDA.

Five Aerospace Investments to Buy as Wars Worsen: VSE Undervalued?

“We expect that VSE shares will trend higher as investors process this deal,” DiPalma wrote. “VSE shares trade at 9.5 times consensus 2024 adjusted EBITDA, compared with peers and M&A comps in the 10-to-14-times range. We think that VSE’s multiple will expand as it closes the divestiture of its federal and defense business and makes strategic acquisitions. We see consistent 15% annual upside for shares as VSE continues to take share in the $110 billion aviation aftermarket industry.”

William Blair reaffirmed its “outperform” rating for VSE on Dec. 21. The main risk to VSE shares is lumpiness associated with its aviation services margins, Di Palma wrote. However, he raised 2024 estimates to further reflect commentary from VSE’s analysts’ day in November.

Chart courtesy of www.stockcharts.com.

Five Aerospace Investments to Buy as Wars Worsen: HEICO Corporation

HEICO Corporation (NYSEL: HEI), is a Hollywood, Florida-based technology-driven aerospace, industrial, defense and electronics company that also is ranked as an “outperform” investment by William Blair’s DiPalma. The aerospace aftermarket parts provider recently reported fourth-quarter financials above consensus analysts’ estimates, driven by 20% organic growth in HEICO’s flight support group.

HEICO’s management indicated that the performance of recently acquired Wencor is exceeding expectations. However, HEICO leaders offered color on 2024 organic growth and margin expectations that forecast reduced gains. Even though consensus estimates already assumed slowing growth, it is still not a positive for HEICO, DiPalma wrote.

William Blair forecasts 15% annual upside to HEICO’s shares, based on EBITDA growth. HEICO’s management cited a host of reasons for its quarterly outperformance, highlighted by the continued commercial air travel recovery. The company also referenced new product introductions and efficiency initiatives.

HEICO’s defense product sales increased by 26% sequentially, marking the third consecutive sequential increase in defense product revenue. The company’s leaders conveyed that defense in general is moving in the right direction to enhance financial performance.

Chart courtesy of www.stockcharts.com.

Five Dividend-paying Defense and Aerospace Investments to Purchase: XAR

A fourth way to obtain exposure to defense and aerospace investments is through SPDR S&P Aerospace and Defense ETF (XAR). That exchange-traded fund  tracks the S&P Aerospace & Defense Select Industry Index. The fund is overweight in industrials and underweight in technology and consumer cyclicals, said Bob Carlson, a pension fund chairman who heads the Retirement Watch investment newsletter.

Bob Carlson, who heads Retirement Watch, answers questions from Paul Dykewicz.

XAR has 34 securities, and 44.2% of the fund is in the 10 largest positions. The fund is up 25.82% in the last 12 months, 22.03% in the past three months and 7.92% for the last month. Its dividend yield recently measured 0.38%.

The largest positions in the fund recently were Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ: AXON), Boeing (NYSE: BA), L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX), Spirit Aerosystems (NYSE: SPR) and Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE).

Chart courtesy of www.stockcharts.com

Five Dividend-paying Defense and Aerospace Investments to Purchase: PPA

The second fund recommended by Carlson is Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF (PPA), which tracks the SPADE Defense Index. It has the same underweighting and overweighting as XAR, he said.

PPA recently held 52 securities and 53.2% of the fund was in its 10 largest positions. With so many holdings, the fund offers much reduced risk compared to buying individual stocks. The largest positions in the fund recently were Boeing (NYSE: BA), RTX Corp. (NYSE: RTX), Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) and General Electric (NYSE:GE).

The fund is up 19.07% for the past year, 50.34% in the last three months and 5.30% during the past month. The dividend yield recently touched 0.69%.

Chart courtesy of www.stockcharts.com

Other Fans of Aerospace

Two fans of aerospace stocks are Mark Skousen, PhD, and seasoned stock picker Jim Woods. The pair team up to head the Fast Money Alert advisory service They already are profitable in their recent recommendation of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) in Fast Money Alert.

Mark Skousen, a scion of Ben Franklin, meets with Paul Dykewicz.


Jim Woods, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, co-heads Fast Money Alert.

Bryan Perry, who heads the Cash Machine investment newsletter and the Micro-Cap Stock Trader advisory service, recommends satellite services provider Globalstar (NYSE American: GSAT), of Covington, Louisiana, that has jumped 50.00% since he advised buying it two months ago. Perry is averaging a dividend yield of 11.14% in his Cash Machine newsletter but is breaking out with the red-hot recommendation of Globalstar in his Micro-Cap Stock Trader advisory service.


Bryan Perry heads Cash Machine, averaging an 11.14% dividend yield.

Military Equipment Demand Soars amid Multiple Wars

The U.S. military faces an acute need to adopt innovation, to expedite implementation of technological gains, to tap into the talents of people in various industries and to step-up collaboration with private industry and international partners to enhance effectiveness, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. told attendees on Nov 16 at a national security conference. Prime examples of the need are showed by multiple raging wars, including the Middle East and Ukraine. A cold war involves China and its increasingly strained relationships with Taiwan and other Asian nations.

The shocking Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel touched off an ongoing war in the Middle East, coupled with Russia’s February 2022 invasion and continuing assault of neighboring Ukraine. Those brutal military conflicts show the fragility of peace when determined aggressors are willing to use any means necessary to achieve their goals. To fend off such attacks, rapid and effective response is required.

“The Department of Defense is doing more than ever before to deter, defend, and, if necessary, defeat aggression,” Gen. Brown said at the National Security Innovation Forum at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.

One of Russia’s war ships, the 360-foot-long Novocherkassk, was damaged on Dec. 26 by a Ukrainian attack on the Black Sea port of Feodosia in Crimea. This video of an explosion at the port that reportedly shows a section of the ship hit by aircraft-guided missiles.


Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.
Photo By: Benjamin Applebaum

National security threats can compel immediate action, Gen. Brown said he quickly learned since taking his post on Oct. 1.

 

“We may not have much warning when the next fight begins,” Gen. Brown said. “We need to be ready.”

 

In a pre-recorded speech at the national security conference, Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, told the John Hopkins national security conference attendees about the critical need for collaboration between government and industry.

 

“Building enduring technological advances for the U.S. military will help our service members and allies defend freedom across the globe,” Bloomberg said.

 

The “horrific terrorist attacks” against Israel and civilians living there on Oct. 7 underscore the importance of that mission, Bloomberg added.

Paul Dykewicz, www.pauldykewicz.com, is an accomplished, award-winning journalist who has written for Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, USA Today, the Journal of Commerce, Seeking Alpha, Guru Focus and other publications and websites. Attention Holiday Gift Buyers! Consider purchasing Paul’s inspirational book, “Holy Smokes! Golden Guidance from Notre Dame’s Championship Chaplain,” with a foreword by former national championship-winning football coach Lou Holtz. The uplifting book is great gift and is endorsed by Joe Montana, Joe Theismann, Ara Parseghian, “Rocket” Ismail, Reggie Brooks, Dick Vitale and many others. Call 202-677-4457 for special pricing on multiple-book purchases or autographed copies! Follow Paul on Twitter @PaulDykewicz. He is the editor of StockInvestor.com and DividendInvestor.com, a writer for both websites and a columnist. He further is editorial director of Eagle Financial Publications in Washington, D.C., where he edits monthly investment newsletters, time-sensitive trading alerts, free e-letters and other investment reports. Paul previously served as business editor of Baltimore’s Daily Record newspaper, after writing for the Baltimore Business Journal and Crain Communications.

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Health Officials: Man Dies From Bubonic Plague In New Mexico

Health Officials: Man Dies From Bubonic Plague In New Mexico

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Officials in…

Published

8 hours ago

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March 13, 2024

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Health Officials: Man Dies From Bubonic Plague In New Mexico

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Officials in New Mexico confirmed that a resident died from the plague in the United States’ first fatal case in several years.

A bubonic plague smear, prepared from a lymph removed from an adenopathic lymph node, or bubo, of a plague patient, demonstrates the presence of the Yersinia pestis bacteria that causes the plague in this undated photo. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Getty Images)

The New Mexico Department of Health, in a statement, said that a man in Lincoln County “succumbed to the plague.” The man, who was not identified, was hospitalized before his death, officials said.

They further noted that it is the first human case of plague in New Mexico since 2021 and also the first death since 2020, according to the statement. No other details were provided, including how the disease spread to the man.

The agency is now doing outreach in Lincoln County, while “an environmental assessment will also be conducted in the community to look for ongoing risk,” the statement continued.

“This tragic incident serves as a clear reminder of the threat posed by this ancient disease and emphasizes the need for heightened community awareness and proactive measures to prevent its spread,” the agency said.

A bacterial disease that spreads via rodents, it is generally spread to people through the bites of infected fleas. The plague, known as the black death or the bubonic plague, can spread by contact with infected animals such as rodents, pets, or wildlife.

The New Mexico Health Department statement said that pets such as dogs and cats that roam and hunt can bring infected fleas back into homes and put residents at risk.

Officials warned people in the area to “avoid sick or dead rodents and rabbits, and their nests and burrows” and to “prevent pets from roaming and hunting.”

“Talk to your veterinarian about using an appropriate flea control product on your pets as not all products are safe for cats, dogs or your children” and “have sick pets examined promptly by a veterinarian,” it added.

“See your doctor about any unexplained illness involving a sudden and severe fever, the statement continued, adding that locals should clean areas around their home that could house rodents like wood piles, junk piles, old vehicles, and brush piles.

The plague, which is spread by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, famously caused the deaths of an estimated hundreds of millions of Europeans in the 14th and 15th centuries following the Mongol invasions. In that pandemic, the bacteria spread via fleas on black rats, which historians say was not known by the people at the time.

Other outbreaks of the plague, such as the Plague of Justinian in the 6th century, are also believed to have killed about one-fifth of the population of the Byzantine Empire, according to historical records and accounts. In 2013, researchers said the Justinian plague was also caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria.

But in the United States, it is considered a rare disease and usually occurs only in several countries worldwide. Generally, according to the Mayo Clinic, the bacteria affects only a few people in U.S. rural areas in Western states.

Recent cases have occurred mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Countries with frequent plague cases include Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Peru, the clinic says. There were multiple cases of plague reported in Inner Mongolia, China, in recent years, too.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a bubonic plague infection include headache, chills, fever, and weakness. Health officials say it can usually cause a painful swelling of lymph nodes in the groin, armpit, or neck areas. The swelling usually occurs within about two to eight days.

The disease can generally be treated with antibiotics, but it is usually deadly when not treated, the Mayo Clinic website says.

“Plague is considered a potential bioweapon. The U.S. government has plans and treatments in place if the disease is used as a weapon,” the website also says.

According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the last time that plague deaths were reported in the United States was in 2020 when two people died.

Tyler Durden Wed, 03/13/2024 - 21:40

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