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Artificial Intelligence Challenge: These are the finalists for the 2021 KUKA Innovation Award – MarketScale

Innovations centered on the megatrend of artificial intelligence (AI): the finalists for the 2021 KUKA Innovation Award have been selected. Five teams convinced the international jury with their robotics concepts on the topic of AI. A monetary prize of 20,000 euro awaits the winner.

AI is becoming increasingly important for industry and the combination with robotics, in particular, is opening up completely new possibilities and applications.

An international jury of experts evaluated the concepts for the Artificial Intelligence Challenge and selected five finalists. The teams are provided with a KUKA robot free of charge and are being trained and coached by KUKA experts throughout the competition. The five finalist teams now have until the virtual Hannover Messe in April to implement their ideas. They will present their applications to a large specialist audience at the international industrial trade fair before the jury chooses the winner of the renowned competition during the fair.

These are the finalists of the Artificial Intelligence Challenge:

Implicit knowledge instead of complex programming codes: the goal of the team from theBrandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenbergis intelligent robot programming based on manual manufacturing sequences. The individual process steps are recorded by means of innovative data gloves and reproduced on the industrial robot using an AI-based self-learning system. The operator is freed from the need to formulate explicitly what the task is and how the robot has to perform it. Instead, the implicit knowledge of the operator during the manual manufacturing process is accessed. A corresponding skill sequence is automatically generated with this information, and the robot carries out its task without the need to write a single line of code.

Humans can often easily explore closed spaces with their hands and pick up objects without even looking. The application by the international team of researchers fromthe Indian Institute of Science and the U.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technologyaims to bring such capabilities to robots. The goal is for robots to explore, recognize and pick up objects in vision-denied environments using the sense of touch. To this end, the BlindGrasp team is designing a novel gripper with tactile sensing capabilities that gathers the contact and proximity information. This data, coupled with the force-sensing capabilities of KUKAs lightweight robot LBR iiwa, is used by a machine learning agent to learn motion policies and thus safely explore the environment and pick up objects.

Team Chorrobot

The goal of Chorrobot fromBelgiums Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Flanders Make@KU Leuvenis to leverage artificial intelligence in order to enhance the productivity of car manufacturers as well as small and medium-sized enterprises by facilitating and expediting the deployment of bimanual robot manipulation tasks. The concept enables users without extensive expertise in robotics to demonstrate some aspects of the task and to intuitively specify other aspects via a graphical user interface. This approach facilitates the commissioning of challenging bimanual tasks including fixtureless assembly operations that involve non-rigid and non-fixed elements as well as bimanual inspection operations in unstructured environments.

Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, collaborative robots could help to reduce human-to-human interaction. However, configuring these machines for a set of given tasks still requires a great effort. The team from theA*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research in Singaporeis developing a programming-free approach that leverages the latest developments in AI capabilities. The technology enables more natural and safer human-robot collaboration. This allows the robot to support operators, especially in a high-mix low-volume manufacturing environment. The concept from Team CHRIS is comprised of intuitive object and task teaching, activity understanding as well as multimodal perception (vision, touch and speech) and reasoning.

The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing are increasing the reliance on remote work. However, the impact of online tools for the construction industry is limited. Team CRC from theChair for Individualized Production / RWTH Aachen University & Robots in Architecture Researchis therefore integrating automation technology into online collaboration. Cloud Remote Control enables users to run robots, monitor processes and adapt tool paths from the comfort of their home or international office. This increases accessibility to worldwide robotic production, adding layers of Industrie 4.0 device communication and artificial intelligence to path planning. In this way, Cloud Remote Control empowers teams to remain safely at a distance while still collaborating closely on automated construction.

KUKA launched the innovation competition in 2014, focusing on different technologies each year. The goal of the award is to promote and expedite the transfer of technology from research to industry. All information about the competition as well as the topics and winners in recent years can be foundhere.

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$11.2 Billion Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture Markets – Global Industry Analysis and Growth Forecast to 2030 – PRNewswire

DUBLIN, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture Market Research Report: By Type, Technology, Application - Global Industry Analysis and Growth Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The revenue generated in the global AI in agriculture market share is expected to increase to $11,200.1 million in 2030 from $671.6 million in 2019, at a 30.5% CAGR during 2020-2030

Service, based on type, is projected to be the faster-growing category during the forecast period. With an increasing number of farmers wanting to implement AI in their practices, the demand for training and equipment installation and maintenance services is also rising.

The highest CAGR, under the application segment of the AI in the agriculture market, would be experienced by the drone analytics division. With the surging requirement for high-quality crops by the continuously growing population, heavy investments are being put in agricultural drones. The demand for such devices is rising rapidly in China and the U.S., which is driving the advance of the drone analytics division.

The most important factor leading to the growth of the AI in the agriculture market is the increasing demand for food. The United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs (UN-DESA) claims that the worldwide population would rise from 7.7 billion currently to 8.6 billion by 2030. Additionally, with the changing consumption pattern of the populace, increasing disposable income, and high rate of urbanization, the demand for agricultural products is burgeoning. Due to this, the agrarian community is pursuing an increase in the farms' productivity, by leveraging AI.

Developing regions are expected to offer ample opportunities to the players in the AI in the agriculture market in the coming years. In emerging economies such as Brazil, India, and South Africa, the usage of AI in the agricultural domain is quite low; however, with the governments in these countries extending their support for the adoption of advanced technologies to grow crops, market players can hope to augment their revenue substantially here. For instance, the Maharashtra government began a partnership with the World Economic Forum in January 2019, to use drones for collecting insights on farmlands.

Software is expected to witness the fastest advance in the AI in the agriculture market, on the basis of product type, in the coming years. This is attributed to the fact that the use of AI for smart greenhouse management, soil management, and livestock monitoring necessitates advanced software to control and operate the complex devices and instruments. In 2019, machine learning was the largest technology category in the market, as farmers are rapidly adopting it to augment their yield, by combining data technologies with advanced agricultural science.

On a geographical basis, Europe and North America dominated the AI in the agriculture market in 2019, with a combined revenue share of around 70.0%. During the forecast period, the highest CAGR would be witnessed in Asia-Pacific (APAC), as the developing countries in the region, including China, India, Thailand, and Indonesia, are rapidly integrating agricultural robots, drone analytics, precision farming, and other advanced techniques to raise the productivity of farms.

Owing to the presence of numerous leading players, such as Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, Deere & Company, Bayer AG, AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., A.A.A Taranis Visual Ltd., Raven Industries, AGCO Corporation, Trimble Inc., Ag Leader Technology, Gamaya SA, Google LLC, and Granular Inc., the global AI in agriculture market is quite competitive.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter 1. Research Background1.1 Research Objectives1.2 Market Definition1.3 Research Scope1.4 Key Stakeholders

Chapter 2. Research Methodology2.1 Secondary Research2.2 Primary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Data Triangulation2.5 Assumptions for the Study

Chapter 3. Executive Summary

Chapter 4. Introduction4.1 Definition of Market Segments4.1.1 By Type4.1.1.1 Product4.1.1.1.1 Hardware4.1.1.1.2 Software4.1.1.2 Service4.1.1.2.1 Professional4.1.1.2.2 Managed4.1.2 By Technology4.1.2.1 Machine Learning4.1.2.2 Computer Vision4.1.2.3 Predictive Analytics4.1.3 By Application4.1.3.1 Agricultural Robots4.1.3.2 Precision Farming4.1.3.3 Drone Analytics4.1.3.4 Livestock Monitoring4.1.3.5 Others4.2 Value Chain Analysis4.3 Market Dynamics4.3.1 Trends4.3.1.1 Increasing use of robotics in agriculture4.3.1.2 Increasing use of smart sensors in agriculture4.3.2 Drivers4.3.2.1 Growing demand for agricultural production4.3.2.2 Rising adoption of internet of things (IoT)4.3.2.3 Increasing demand for monitoring of livestock4.3.2.4 Increasing demand for drones in agricultural farms4.3.2.5 Impact analysis of drivers on market forecast4.3.3 Restraints4.3.3.1 Lack of awareness and high cost of AI solutions4.3.3.2 Impact analysis of restraints on market forecast4.3.4 Opportunities4.3.4.1 Growth opportunities from developing countries4.3.4.2 AI powered chatbots4.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Chapter 5. Global Market Size and Forecast5.1 By Type5.1.1 By Product5.1.2 By Service5.2 By Technology5.3 By Application5.4 By Region

Chapter 6. North America Market Size and Forecast

Chapter 7. Europe Market Size and Forecast

Chapter 8. APAC Market Size and Forecast

Chapter 9. LATAM Market Size and Forecast

Chapter 10. MEA Market Size and Forecast

Chapter 11. Competitive Landscape11.1 Analysis of Key Players in the Market11.2 List of Key Players and Their Offerings11.3 Competitive Benchmarking of Key Players11.4 Global Strategic Developments of Key Players11.4.1 Mergers and Acquisitions11.4.2 Product Launches11.4.3 Partnerships

Chapter 12. Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1y6sqo

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [emailprotected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

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Dyno Therapeutics Announces Publication in Nature Biotechnology Demonstrating Use of Artificial Intelligence to Generate Unprecedented Diversity of…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dyno Therapeutics, a biotech company applying artificial intelligence (AI) to gene therapy, today announced a publication in Nature Biotechnology that demonstrates the use of artificial intelligence to generate an unprecedented diversity of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids towards identifying functional variants capable of evading the immune system, a factor that is critical to enabling all patients to benefit from gene therapies. The research was conducted in collaboration with Google Research, Harvards Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard Medical School laboratory of George M. Church, Ph.D., a Dyno scientific co-founder. The publication is entitled Deep diversification of an AAV capsid protein by machine learning.

It is estimated that up to 50-70% of the human population have pre-existing immunity to natural forms of the AAV vectors currently being using to deliver gene therapies. This immunity renders a large portion of patients ineligible to receive gene therapies which rely upon these capsids as the vector for delivery. Overcoming the challenge of pre-existing immunity to AAV vectors is therefore a major goal for the gene therapy field.

The approach described in the Nature Biotechnology paper opens a radically new frontier in capsid design. Our study clearly demonstrates the potential of machine learning to guide the design of diverse and functional sequence variants, far beyond what exists in nature, said Eric Kelsic, Ph.D., Dynos CEO and co-founder. We continue to expand and apply the power of artificial intelligence to design vectors that can not only overcome the problem of pre-existing immunity but also address the need for more effective and selective tissue targeting. At Dyno, we are making rapid progress to design novel AAV vectors that overcome the limitations of current vectors, improving treatments for more patients and expanding the number of diseases treatable with gene therapies.

The Nature Biotechnology paper describes the rapid production of a large library of distinct AAV capsid variants designed by machine learning models. Nearly 60% of the variants produced were determined to be viable, a significant increase over the typical yield of <1% using random mutagenesis, a standard method of generating diversity.

The more we change the AAV vector from how it looks naturally, the more likely we are to overcome the problem of pre-existing immunity, added Sam Sinai, Ph.D., Dyno co-founder and Machine Learning Team Lead. Key to solving this problem, however, is also ensuring that capsid variants remain viable for packaging the DNA payload. With conventional methods, this diversification is time- and resource-intensive, and results in a very low yield of viable capsids. In contrast, our approach allows us to rapidly unlock the full potential diversity of AAV capsids to develop improved gene therapies for a much larger number of patients.

This research builds upon previous work published in Science in which a complete landscape of single mutations around the AAV2 capsid was generated followed by evaluation of the functional properties important for in vivo delivery. In parallel with these works, Dyno has established collaborations with leading gene therapy companies Novartis, Sarepta Therapeutics, Roche and Spark Therapeutics to develop next-generation AAV gene therapy vectors with a goal of expanding the utility of gene therapies for ophthalmic, muscle, central nervous system (CNS) and liver diseases.

About CapsidMap for Designing Optimized AAV Gene Therapies

By designing capsids that confer improved functional properties to Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vectors, Dynos proprietary CapsidMap platform overcomes the limitations of todays gene therapies on the market and in development. Todays treatments are primarily confined to a small number of naturally occurring AAV vectors that are limited by delivery efficiency, immunity, payload size, and manufacturing challenges. CapsidMap uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to engineer capsids, the cell-targeting protein shell of viral vectors. The CapsidMap platform applies leading-edge DNA library synthesis and next generation DNA sequencing to measure in vivo gene delivery properties in high throughput. At the core of CapsidMap are advanced search algorithms leveraging machine learning and Dynos massive quantities of experimental data, that together build a comprehensive map of sequence space and thereby accelerate the design of novel capsids optimized for gene therapy.

About Dyno Therapeutics

Dyno Therapeutics is a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence (AI) and quantitative high-throughput in vivo experiments to gene therapy. The companys proprietary CapsidMap platform rapidly discovers and systematically optimizes Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) capsid vectors that significantly outperform current approaches for in vivo gene delivery, thereby expanding the range of diseases treatable with gene therapies. Dyno was founded in 2018 by experienced biotech entrepreneurs and leading scientists in the fields of gene therapy and machine learning. The company is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Visit http://www.dynotx.com for additional information.

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Genethon and WhiteLab Genomics Join Forces to Enhance Gene Therapy Through Artificial Intelligence – Business Wire

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WhiteLab Genomics, a specialist in artificial intelligence applied to gene and cell therapies, has signed a partnership agreement with Genethon, a pioneering research center in the field of gene therapy.The alliance will harness the power of artificial intelligence to accelerate development of innovative gene therapies.

As part of this partnership, Genethon teams will use WhiteLab Genomics CatalystTM platform to develop new capsids, or vectors, which are essential components for gene therapy products.

While several gene therapy products have already obtained market authorization for the treatment of rare and common diseases, which demonstrates the efficacy of this approach for conditions considered to be incurable, development of these complex therapies continues to face major scientific and technical hurdles. Many vectors used in gene therapy are derivatives of adeno-associated viruses (AAV). Their use has limitations: natural immunization of 30% to 40% of the population and difficulty targeting a specific tissue. As a result, extremely large quantities of vectors are necessary. In this context, the use of artificial intelligence solutions stands out as a deciding factor to overcome these obstacles and produce optimized vectors that better target the relevant tissues, thus making it possible to inject smaller quantities of product while maximizing the effect of the therapy.

Turning to AI for faster development of optimized vectors

Genethons teams will use WhiteLab Genomics CatalystTM platform to accelerate select research programs.

Thanks to its Machine Learning algorithms, the WhiteLab Genomics platform will help researchers develop next-generation gene therapy vectors, with a view to enhancing their precision with regard to the tissues to be treated while reducing their immunogenic qualities.

The tools developed by WhiteLab will make it possible for us to review thousands of sequences and devise new and innovative combinations. We aim to develop a new generation of more specific AAV vectors, contributing to the emergence of original treatments for neuromuscular disorders, said Dr. Ronzitti, who is managing the collaboration for Genethon.

We are thrilled to be working together with worldwide trailblazers and experts in the area of gene therapy, stated David Del Bourgo, CEO and co-founder of WhiteLab Genomics. France is a prime source of innovation in this field, and we look forward to helping research teams, in France and abroad, to make practical use of these extremely complex biological datasets, while also providing assistance to accelerate the development of optimized products.

About White Lab Genomics

Founded in 2019 by David Del Bourgo, Julien Cottineau and Lucia Cinque, WhiteLab Genomics is a French start-up specializing in artificial intelligence solutions dedicated to biotherapies, such as gene and cell therapies. The companys proprietary technology allows for multi-parameter analysis of complex biological data to optimize these treatments while reducing development costs. WhiteLab Genomics provides this unique technology to its clients via the Catalyst platform, available in SaaS mode. Today, the start-up has locations at the Evry Gnopole Frances first biocluster and at Station F. WhiteLab Genomics was recently ranked among Station Fs Future 40, an index of the 40 most promising companies within Europes largest start-up incubator. https://www.whitelabgx.com

About Genethon

Created by AFM-Telethon, Genethon is a non-profit research and development center dedicated to creating gene therapy products for rare diseases, from initial research to clinical validation. Genethon has several programs underway, in clinical, pre-clinical and research phases, to treat rare muscular, blood, immune system and liver disorders. Today, a product incorporating technologies developed thanks to Genethons pioneering research is available on the market in the United States, Europe and Japan to treat spinal muscular atrophy. Ten other products created through Genethon R&D, alone or in collaboration with partners, are at the clinical trial stage, while many more are slated to begin clinical trials in 2021 and 2022. Genethon.fr

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Artificial intelligence for greater sustainability and quality of life in cities: GREENTECH FESTIVAL and Audi give GREEN FUTURE Award to Zencity -…

The GREENTECH FESTIVAL and Audi as one of the founding partners of the sustainability platform created by Sven Krger, Marco Voigt, and Nico Rosberg awarded the GREEN FUTURE award together for the first time as part of the world premiere of the Audie-tronGT. The prize is part of the GREEN AWARDS of the festival and distinguishes projects and persons that promote environmentally compatible urbanization while making an important contribution to improving the quality of life and urban infrastructures at the same time. The award went to Tel Avivbased start-up Zencity, which developed an algorithm that collects and analyzes social media posts and local news from cities.

The UN already predicted that more than two thirds of people will live in cities by the middle of this century in its World Urbanization Prospects study in 2018. Already in 2030, the United Nations expect that there will be 43 megacities worldwide. Making life in cities as environmentally friendly and socially just as possible is therefore one of the major tasks of this decade. By initiating an award precisely for this endeavor, the GREENTECH FESTIVAL and AUDIAG aim to draw attention to this challenge and promote innovative solutions, support founders in the early stages of their projects, and encourage public dialogue.

Nominees included projects from the fields of energy, water, mobility, construction and living, digitalization, safety and security, and resources. The jury was comprised of representatives of the WWF, Deutsche Bahn, the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), and the fashion label of rap artist Marteria Green Berlin, who are also members of the GREEN AWARDS jury of the sustainability platform. The jury evaluated the projects in terms of their contribution to environmental protection, scalability, technical innovation, and future viability. The GREENFUTURE Award is a special prize that is part of the GREEN AWARDS of the festival and highlights the opportunities of sustainable technologies for the cities of the future.

As part of the digital world premiere of the latest electric car from Audi, the Audie-tronG, two of the founders of the GREENTECH FESTIVAL, Nico Rosberg and Marco Voigt, CEO Judith Khn and Henrik Wenders, Senior Vice President Audi Brand, handed the award to Assaf Frances, Director Urban Policy & Partnerships of Zencity in a live ceremony. Nico Rosberg: Time is a critical factor when it comes to climate change, and we need to act now. Start-ups like Zencity provide us with the necessary tools. We need technologies like Zencitys AI to live up to our responsibility and put a stop to the destruction of our environment. With this special award, we are demonstrating what todays technology is already capable of when it comes to shaping our near future in urban areas that is sustainable and offers quality of life. We made a conscious decision to award the GREEN FUTURE Award in a different setting today, so as to reach as many new people as possible and spark their enthusiasm for a sustainable lifestyle. Henrik Wenders, SVP Audi Brand: Audi stands forVorsprung our aim is to use technology to contribute to a sustainable future and to shape urban mobility in such a way that the main focus is on the people. As an active partner of the GREENTECH FESTIVAL, we want to provide real added value and do our part to find answers to the pressing questions of the future.

Zencity was developed by Eyal Feder-Levy and Ido Ivri as an intuitive AI tool for local administrations. It uses an algorithm to find social media posts, websites, local news, and other online sources that contain information referring to the cities in which the people making these posts live. Advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning allow millions of user data points from the defined area, such as within a citys limits, to be processed and to generate informative findings on this basis. Customers of Zencity include municipal authorities that can use this data as a basis for understanding the needs of their inhabitants and making them a reality. This method conserves resources and replaces expensive and time-consuming face-to-face surveys, citizen hotlines, and committee meetings. This way, the tool helps all inhabitants of a city to gain the attention of political decision-makers and does so in an automated way, without complex reporting processes or bureaucratic obstacles. Zencity is already in use in 160cities, including Chicago, Ottawa, and Tel Aviv.

Other nominees included Strabag and its CIAir project and Sensoneo with its solution for intelligent waste management. The clean asphalt from Strabag reduces noise emissions by up to 35percent as compared to conventional asphalt. The gritting material used for the asphalt consists of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) mixed with titanium dioxide. When exposed to sunlight, it breaks down nitrogen oxides bound in the air and converts them into harmless nitrates. The material is incorporated directly into the hot asphalt surface. Sensoneo offers intelligent waste disposal solutions for cities and companies. They range from plant tracking forcontainers and all the way to an automated on-demand solution for more efficient collection planning. This way, three solutions for smart waste management are combined: asset management, waste monitoring, and route planning.

SOURCE: Audi

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Tennessee Awarded Nearly $7M in Grants for Computer Science Pathways and STEM Education – tn.gov

Nashville, TNToday, the Tennessee Department of Educationannouncednearly $7millionin grantshas been awarded to Tennessee to strengthen computer science pathways and STEMeducationand helpmorestudentsbeprepared for successafter high school.Withlocal, state, andnational partners,Tennesseehas been awarded the Education Innovation and Research (EIR)earlyphasegrant for$4,000,000 andwas one of only four states to be awarded theOut-of-School Time Career Pathway Programgrant for$2,900,000.

Thanks to longstanding partnerships with local and national partners, Tennessee is receiving nearly $7 million dollars tostrengthenhigh school achievement, boost postsecondary enrollment and directly benefitTennesseehigh school students,said Commissioner Penny Schwinn.These grants will help ensure students are given additional opportunities to earn credit and build critical skills before leaving high school, which we know is essential for the success of our students and our state.

The EIR Early Phase Grant will supporta newinitiative,the TennesseeSySTEMforCollege and Career ReadinessProject,that will leverage innovative industry-postsecondary partnerships to expand STEM and computer science strategies, including embedded work-based learningopportunities,in 20 high schools across Tennessee.By partnering with regional postsecondary institutions and employers,students will beable to simultaneously earn early postsecondary (EPSO) credit and gain workplace skills that prepare them to enter and succeed incareers inSTEM and computer science.

The TennesseeSySTEMfor College and Career Readiness Projectis developed in partnership withJFF (Jobs for the Future) and the American Institute for Research (AIR), andparticipating schools will be selected through a competitive grant processthat the department will launch thissummer.

"JFF is excited to deepen our long-time partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education through the new TennesseeSySTEMfor College and Career ReadinessProject,said Joel Vargas, Vice PresidentatJFF.It is a privilege to support the state in building on its tradition of innovation by expanding work-based courses in STEM and computer science that improve college and career outcomes for high schoolers."

TheOut-of-School Time Career Pathway Programs grantwill launchtheTennessee Expansion of Computer Science Career (TEC) Pathways Project,which is aligned with Governor Bill Lees Future Workforce Initiative and willexpandcomputer science andSTEM pathways in rural communities across the state.

Led by the department in partnership with the Greater Nashville Technology Council (NTC),the newTECPathways Projectwillbringtogetherfiveruralschool districtsandpostsecondary and industry partners tohelp improve the outcomes of rural and high-need students andpromote the growth of computer science pathways in ruralcommunitiesthrough virtual expanded learning opportunities and out-of-school programs.

Tennessee districts were eligibleto apply toparticipateinthe TEC Pathways Project if theymet two criteria of the federal grant:be inaruralcommunityandofferout-of-school programs through the 21stCentury Learning Center federal program.The five districtsthat willparticipatein the TEC Pathways Project areWhite County Schools, Hamblen County Schools, Gibson County Special School District,CockeCounty Schools and Trenton Special School District.

Through the Tennessee Expansion of Computer Science Career Pathways Project, the Greater Nashville Technology Council is grateful to continue the long-standing relationship with the Tennessee Department of Education to expand STEM pathways in rural communities across the state,said Sandi Hoff, Chief of Staff, Greater Nashville Technology Council.The NTC looks forward to coordinating work-based learning experiences, to connect rural students with local tech professionals in our community, so students may explore and train for IT careers and pursue postsecondary education in the tech industry.

Foradditionalinformationabout Tennessees CareerandTechnical Education initiatives and programs,including Tennessee Pathways,clickhere.For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contactEdu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.

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Kilmer’s Bipartisan Amendment to Boost Computer Science Apprenticeships Included in House-Passed Apprenticeship Bill – The Suburban Times

On February 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 447, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, which invests more than $3.5 billion over 5 years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships. The legislation included Representative Derek Kilmers (WA-06) bipartisan amendment to ensure computer science youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and apprenticeship programs are prioritized for funding through the comprehensive legislation.

We know that apprenticeship programs are one of the most effective paths to high quality, work-based learning in America. And in todays changing economy, its important to continue to find ways to prepare our kids for the jobs of the future jobs in advanced manufacturing, health care, technology, green jobs, and computer science,said Rep. Kilmer. Thats why Im proud that in addition to investing broadly in apprenticeship programs across the board, Congress included my bipartisan amendment to expand access to computer science youth apprenticeship programs. These investments will provide more 21st century job opportunities for our kids, more qualified employees for our local employers, and more economic resiliency for our communities.

CSforALL is committed to high-quality computer science education for all K-12 students, including hands-on practical learning experiences such as career and technical education (CTE), internships, pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships. The tech industry and technology jobs are inherently dynamic,said Ruthe Farmer, Chief Evangelist, CSforALL. Apprenticeships enable students to engage with state-of-the-art technologies and develop job-ready skills that will prepare them for high-demand career pathways in technology the engine that drives innovation in virtually every sector of society. CSforALL strongly supports increased opportunities for practical training for youth in computer science and related disciplines including data science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 94 percent of people who complete Registered Apprenticeships are employed upon completion, earning an average starting wage of above $70,000 annually. Yet, according to the most recent data, only 0.3 percent of the overall workforce in America have completed an apprenticeship.

During a time of record unemployment, the National Apprenticeships Acts of 2021 would mark the first time the National Apprenticeship system has been comprehensively updated since 1937. The bill also takes the critical first step of codifying into federal law youth and pre-apprenticeship programs, a measure that Rep. Kilmer has long supported through his own legislation the Compete for the Future Act. The Compete for the Future Act empowers the Department of Education, with the advice of the Department of Labor, to run a prize competition that would award eligible youth and pre-apprenticeship programs with investments to expand their programs and serve more students.

According to the House Committee on Education and Labor, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 is expected to create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities on top of the current expected growth of the apprenticeship system. It is also expected to yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased workers productivity and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance.

By increasing investments in the national apprenticeship system, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 aims to begin to bring Americas investments in apprenticeships more in line with countries around the world. The U.S. spends only about 0.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on workforce training and employment programs, while peer industrialized nations spend roughly six times as much as a share of GDP.

The legislation aims to expand the nations workforce development system during our nations deepest economic decline since the Great Depression and increase diversity within the national apprenticeship system.

The legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), International Association of Iron Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Jobs for the Future (JFF), Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), National Skills Coalition (NSC), National Taskforce on Tradeswomens Issues (TWTF), North Americas Building Trades Unions (NABTU), National Urban League (NUL), and Third Way.

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Kilmer's Bipartisan Amendment to Boost Computer Science Apprenticeships Included in House-Passed Apprenticeship Bill - The Suburban Times

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Amendment to Boost Computer Science Apprenticeships Included in Apprenticeship Bill – masonwebtv.com

Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 447, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, which invests more than $3.5 billion over 5 years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships. The legislation included Representative Derek Kilmers (WA-06) bipartisan amendment to ensure computer science youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and apprenticeship programs are prioritized for funding through the comprehensive legislation.

We know that apprenticeship programs are one of the most effective paths to high quality, work-based learning in America. And in todays changing economy, its important to continue to find ways to prepare our kids for the jobs of the future jobs in advanced manufacturing, health care, technology, green jobs, and computer science, said Rep. Kilmer. Thats why Im proud that in addition to investing broadly in apprenticeship programs across the board, Congress included my bipartisan amendment to expand access to computer science youth apprenticeship programs. These investments will provide more 21st century job opportunities for our kids, more qualified employees for our local employers, and more economic resiliency for our communities.

CSforALL is committed to high-quality computer science education for all K-12 students, including hands-on practical learning experiences such as career and technical education (CTE), internships, pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships. The tech industry and technology jobs are inherently dynamic, said Ruthe Farmer, Chief Evangelist, CSforALL. Apprenticeships enable students to engage with state-of-the-art technologies and develop job-ready skills that will prepare them for high-demand career pathways in technology the engine that drives innovation in virtually every sector of society. CSforALL strongly supports increased opportunities for practical training for youth in computer science and related disciplines including data science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 94 percent of people who complete Registered Apprenticeships are employed upon completion, earning an average starting wage of above $70,000 annually. Yet, according to the most recent data, only 0.3 percent of the overall workforce in America have completed an apprenticeship.

During a time of record unemployment, the National Apprenticeships Acts of 2021 would mark the first time the National Apprenticeship system has been comprehensively updated since 1937. The bill also takes the critical first step of codifying into federal law youth and pre-apprenticeship programs, a measure that Rep. Kilmer has long supported through his own legislation the Compete for the Future Act. The Compete for the Future Act empowers the Department of Education, with the advice of the Department of Labor, to run a prize competition that would award eligible youth and pre-apprenticeship programs with investments to expand their programs and serve more students.

According to the House Committee on Education and Labor, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 is expected to create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities on top of the current expected growth of the apprenticeship system. It is also expected to yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased workers productivity and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance.

By increasing investments in the national apprenticeship system, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 aims to begin to bring Americas investments in apprenticeships more in line with countries around the world. The U.S. spends only about 0.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on workforce training and employment programs, while peer industrialized nations spend roughly six times as much as a share of GDP.

The legislation aims to expand the nations workforce development system during our nations deepest economic decline since the Great Depression and increase diversity within the national apprenticeship system.

The legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), International Association of Iron Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Jobs for the Future (JFF), Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), National Skills Coalition (NSC), National Taskforce on Tradeswomens Issues (TWTF), North Americas Building Trades Unions (NABTU), National Urban League (NUL), and Third Way.

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Living an Algorithmic Life. The distinction between Computers and | by Jaskaran Singh Bhatia | The Startup | Feb, 2021 – Medium

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

The distinction between Computers and Humans is not as striking as one would initially assume it is. We conventionally say that a computer is a dumb aggregate of semiconductor devices that cant think on its own, and were right in saying so. The common general purpose computer does have to be programmed before we can expect anything out of it it needs to be told what its tasks are, what its constraints are, what it will get from us in the form of an input, and what it needs to compute as the output. At a very high level, a computer is just a machine that maps inputs to outputs subject to some constraints. Humans, on the other hand, are complex emotional beings that have much more going on inside of them, right? We have the capability to think; we have what is called free will. We can make decisions for ourselves, and then act upon those decisions. We can sense whatevers going on around us, and then decide what it is that we want to do. Our speech, actions, gestures etc. basically all forms of ways we interact with our environment and the people around us are shaped by what we see, touch, hear, feel, then interpret and process. At a very high level, humans factor in their surroundings, and based on laws, norms, and various religious, personal, and societal conventions, they act.

Come to think of it, that sounds an awful lot like just mapping inputs to outputs subject to certain constraints. My point is, there may be numerous arguments to be made against the whole concept of comparing Man to Machine, but at the micro-level, everything we do boils down to a decision problem that is sometimes influenced by external factors. Our lives are made of the very problems that computers have been taught how to handle. If you analyse each activity, you will find a striking similarity between said activity and some aspect of the rather vast field of computer science.

Say youre sitting at your desk working on a paper for school. Your stomach makes the characteristic dying whale sound. This is an Interrupt. Youre hungry. Decision point: do you get a snack, or do you finish off your work first. Your mind (consciously or otherwise) weighs in the pros and cons. It is anticipating the outcome and wants to act in the way that would be most beneficial to you, much like a Lookahead mechanism thats implemented in various computer-y contexts. Eventually your brain does a cost-benefit analysis and says:

The analogy doesnt end here. When youve decided to move between tasks, you need to do a Context Switch. You need to save the current state of your process so that you can get back to it and start off where you left. Itll take you some time to get in the zone again when youre back, much like the overhead that a processor has to bear.

Say, then, that you decide to make a sandwich. You check if you have all the ingredients by Searching through your pantry. You realise youre missing some sauces so you decide to drive to the store. Upon reaching, you look at the store map and mentally plot the Shortest Path to the aisle that has the sauces. When you cant find what you need, you Query an employee and they return with exactly what you need. At the checkout, the cashier says Thanks for shopping with us. You say You too. Oops! Cache Miss these werent the words you were looking for.

When you reach home, you cant seem to find your keys. Your house is Encrypted. Thankfully you remember your neighbours have your spare key for Redundancy. You ring their bell but nobody answers. You knock, and call out their name. They come out and say they had to cut off the bell connection because the neighbourhood kids would ring the bell and run away. What you just experienced was the aftermath of a Denial of Service attack

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Living an Algorithmic Life. The distinction between Computers and | by Jaskaran Singh Bhatia | The Startup | Feb, 2021 - Medium

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Do You Need a Four-Year Degree to Get a Job in Tech? – Dice Insights

Do you really need a four-year degree to get a job in tech? That depends on who you ask, as well as the role you seek.

Richard Wang, cofounder andCEO of coding bootcampCoding Dojo,says the skills gap and high cost of education are factors in why some tech professionals focus on skills rather than degrees. Wang noted that tech pioneers such as Steve Jobs,MarkZuckerberg, and Jack Dorsey became tech pioneers without completing college.

I really dont think it should be mandatory, Wang said. Now were seeing the evidence from major tech companies to get rid of that criteria, which is a testament to that.

Jobs that do not require a four-year degree include web developers, system administrators and database engineers, according to Wang.

Wangs assertion is backed up by Burning Glass, a database that collects and analyzes millions of job postings across the country. For many technology jobs, even highly specialized ones, a bachelors degree is often cited as the recommended degree. Thats also good news for technologists who dont necessarily want to earn an advanced degree in order to work in specialized fields.

Examples of companies prizing skills over degrees abound. Although Google lists many tech jobs that require four-year degrees, for instance, you can find positions such asData Center Technicianin which a bachelors degree is preferred (the position requires two years of experience with diagnosing, navigating and troubleshooting computer hardware and server hardware). Amazon posts positions such asSoftware Dev Engineer 1where a bachelors degree in computer science or a related field is likewise preferred.

Bootcamps such as Coding Dojo teach skills such as coding, data science, UX and product management. In addition to technical knowledge, candidates who can demonstrate strong problem-solving skills can often land a job without a formal degree. Some students who attended Coding Dojo had computer science degrees but lacked the basic building blocks of programming such as HTML and CSS, Wang said. (However, its important tocarefully evaluate any bootcampbefore you sign on.)

Sometimes people earn a degree in a general studies area and lack practical skills in more technical disciplines such as computer science. In order to overcome that issue, students with anon-computing backgroundcan take certification programs in computer science, like the Illinois Computing Accelerator for Non-Specialists (iCAN) at the University of Illinois.

Four-year degrees are becomingless of a requirementat companies such as Google and Apple. Google hires some people without technical degrees and trains them in-house, noted Nancy Amato, Ph.D., head of the Department of Computer Science and professor of engineering at theUniversity of Illinoisat Urbana-Champaign.

Some of this is driven simply by the fact that theres just not enough workers trained with these skills, so theyre resorting to other ways to try to build that up, Amato said. She noted that the tech jobs serve as an on-ramp, and the employees may pursue a degree later.

Is forgoing a four-year degree the best way to get a high-paying tech job? Not necessarily, according toEva Tardos, Ph.D., chair and professor of computer science at Cornell University. She explained that, although you can get a job as a computer programmer without a formal BA, if you plan to advance to a higher-paid position such as a software architect or engineer, seriously consider a four-year program.

Software engineers usually need a degree, and in contrast, a programmer does not, Tardos said. Software engineers and architects, like project managers and other advanced technology roles, need to have a grasp of abstract, deep conceptsoften taught as part of four-year programs.

The industry is eagerly hiring people without a degree because theyre so hungry for a capable workforce, but they pay a lot more if you have that degree, Tardos said, noting that, without a four-year diploma, you can land a decent tech job that pays around $60,000-$80,000. But with a diploma, CS graduates could land jobs that pay significantly moreperhaps even in the six-figure range, relatively soon after leaving school.

As Amato also noted, people in a four-year program can receive proper training in data security and privacy, which are important qualities that hiring managers often focus on. I strongly believe that students who are getting an undergraduate degree in computer science are going to be totally well-served, she said. Theyre not going to regret that for a second, and they will be better prepared and more competitive for the really excellent opportunities than someone who doesnt have that.

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