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Thomas McCarthy industry principal- life sciences AVEVA. (Image source: AVEVA)

Connected ecosystems are informed by nature’s penchant for collaboration and adaptation. By optimising for efficiency and sustainability, they pave the way for transformative advancements in the sector, says Thomas McCarthy, Industry Principal – Life Sciences, AVEVA

Natural ecosystems are one of life’s wonders. They show us how interconnectedness builds resilience and efficiency while spurring growth and innovation. It’s something that should inspire the life sciences industry as it tackles growing challenges around operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Individual trees, plants and animals cannot operate in isolation within a forest. Likewise, industrial enterprises cannot afford to have their stakeholders working in silos. Collaborative thinking, by contrast, generates benefits across ecosystems, in this case the life sciences industry.

When license holders, contract manufacturers, equipment vendors, and regulatory agencies partner across company lines, they can drive collective value and support industrial sustainability. Within a connected ecosystem supported by robust data management, standardised formats, and proactive regulatory communication, these organisations can break down barriers, enhance efficiency, and ensure seamless compliance throughout the value chain.

Digitising drug discovery to speed time to market

Taking a data-centric approach to operations enabled Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, to develop the world’s first MRNA vaccine for Covid-19 in record time. With so much at stake during the pandemic, the global pharmaceutical leader needed to ramp up the complex process of discovering, developing, and manufacturing a new drug—while decreasing time to market. The company used advanced technologies, including a data management system in the cloud, to collect, manage, standardise and contextualise process information from across its worldwide plant network into a single, comprehensive source of truth.

Digitizing the drug discovery process gave Pfizer’s stakeholders information from different areas of the vaccine value chain anytime and anywhere. Not only has the new software made it easier to collaborate remotely, but transferring knowledge and technology between sites is simplified. For example, storage data from freezer farms enables quality checks on cold-chain integrity. Similarly, machine learning analytics can predict mRNA concentrations. And production cycle times are faster with real-time scheduling.

This shared digital ecosystem has improved healthcare outcomes at scale. As of 2022, approximately 79,000 Pfizer colleagues from around the world had come together in 125 countries, with 15 sites and 45 assets connected. More than 1.4 billion patients were treated with Pfizer products, and pandemic-linked vaccine delivery alone increased 5x. The company is now applying the successful new process to 104 research and development projects.

Eliminating silos, elevating data and supporting compliance

Pfizer’s experience shows how Pharma 4.0 technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are transforming the entire pharmaceutical supply chain.

By enabling cooperation between internal and external stakeholders, these sophisticated technologies are helping to create a stronger, more closely connected value chain. As a result of this stronger collaboration, information silos are eliminated, data management becomes more robust, and it is easier to support compliance with evolving regulations.

Life sciences executives report that ecosystem models can provide significant advantages over traditional business approaches. The majority (59%) of all life sciences C-suite executives polled in EY’s 2023 Ecosystem Survey say these models increase efficiency and reducing costs.

Likewise, more than half (54%) said they lead to the creation of new, joint products, while a similar number (55%) said the joined-up approach promotes improvements in creativity and innovation.

Ecosystem oversight on demand for better decisions

A connected ecosystem supports holistic end-to-end visibility of the entire industrial value chain. It pulls together data from different entities and puts it into context, creating a digital source of truth akin to the central nervous system in the human body. Because teams at every connected organisation have oversight of all industrial processes on demand, they can make better and faster decisions supported by empirical data and insights.

Experience from a global manufacturer of biologic medicines shows how such cross-company connectivity helps bring health care to more people around the world. Creating new drugs involves a dizzying and intricate array of equipment, often at different facilities around the world. Each unit must therefore necessarily work in silos, and exchange drug development information in laborious, time-consuming ways.

To speed up research, development and roll-out, the company pulled all this disparate information into a virtual cloud-based model at its laboratory. This solution, known as a digital twin, becomes a single point of truth. Real-time and historical data from across the network can be contextualised and analysed in one place, enabling the company and its partners to model different drug combinations and processes at a fraction of the cost.

Not only did the solution reduce the costs of running experiments at full scale, but efficiency improvements have been measured at up to 70%. In fact, pharmaceutical executives see the innovative process as the basis for a future of “lights out” continuous end-to-end processing, where the cost of production could decrease by a factor of 10 in the next decade.

A golden data thread for transformative benefits

Much like a natural ecosystem where every element works together harmoniously, the flow of data within a connected ecosystem democratises superior decision-making, enhancing collaboration and operational efficiency. Such an integrated industrial ecosystem offers similarly transformative outcomes for life sciences.

With the transparency and accessibility of a single golden data thread, everyone—from license holders to regulatory agencies—comes together on the same page, aligned around common goals. There are fewer errors because everyone works from the same source of accurate information. Processes are streamlined. And the need for rework drops.

With smoother collaboration and decision-making, productivity increases and teams can adhere to project timelines. Consistent and reliable outcomes improve customer satisfaction. And profitability rises as processes become more efficient and fewer resources are used.

Just like in nature, seamless integration leads to faster problem-solving in business, enabling industry-wide partners to tackle future challenges adroitly and confidently.

Building Africa’s digital infrastructure. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Raxio Group has secured an agreement for US$100mn in financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to accelerate the roll-out of data centres across Africa

The debt funding will help Raxio double its deployment of high-quality colocation data centres within three years, addressing growing demand in underserved markets across the continent.

The company is currently developing a data centes in countries including Ethiopia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania and Angola.

“This funding from IFC is a powerful endorsement of Raxio’s vision,” said Robert Skjødt, CEO of Raxio Group.

“It will allow us to bring critical infrastructure to the regions that need it most and attract further investment as we continue to grow. Together with our other partners, we’re building the foundation for Africa’s digital future and setting new benchmarks for sustainability.”

Raxio’s facilities are designed for 24/7 reliability, ensuring uninterrupted service even during maintenance or unforeseen disruptions.

It integrates renewable energy solutions to minimise its environmental footprint and uses innovative energy-efficient equipment to reduce electricity and water consumption for cooling in several of its countries of operation.

In the DRC, Raxio’s Kinshasa facility is poised to meet growing demand for data services in one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing urban centres.

In Côte d’Ivoire, it is establishing a digital hub to serve Francophone West Africa, connecting regional markets and facilitating cross-border trade.

“Raxio’s business model shows how digital infrastructure can empower businesses, governments and communities to thrive in the digital economy,” said Sarvesh Suri, IFC regional industry director, infrastructure and natural resources in Africa.

“This partnership between Raxio and IFC is set to strengthen Africa’s digital ecosystem and catalyse further investments and regional integration, building a more inclusive and sustainable future.”

IFC is the private investment arm of the World Bank Group.

Read more: 

Raxio's DRC data centre lands prestigious certification

Powering the CIV1 data centre in Cote d'Ivoire

Raxio achieves Tier III facility certifications from Uptime Institute

Cassava partners with NVIDIA to build Africa’s first AI Factory, accelerating innovation with secure, high-performance computing infrastructure. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Cassava Technologies has announced its plans to establish Africa’s first AI factory—an advanced, highly secure data centre equipped with NVIDIA AI computing technology

This initiative aims to provide African enterprises, governments, and researchers with state-of-the-art AI computing resources, enabling them to enhance AI-driven solutions, optimise processes, and maintain a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving landscape. The facility will supply the necessary supercomputing power and software for AI training while ensuring data remains within Africa.

Cassava intends to implement NVIDIA’s accelerated computing and AI software through NVIDIA Cloud Partner (NCP) reference architectures at its South African data centres by June 2025, with future expansions across Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria. The AI Factory will integrate Cassava’s high-speed, low-latency fibre-optic network with its energy-efficient data centres to deliver AI as a Service (AIaaS). These sustainable data centres are designed to minimise energy consumption while supporting AI workloads.

Africa's AI future begins now!

Powered by NVIDIA GPU-based supercomputers, the AI Factory will facilitate rapid AI model training, fine-tuning, and advanced inference. As an NCP, Cassava aims to introduce these cutting-edge computing platforms to Africa, positioning itself as a key player in the continent’s AI landscape.

The AI Factory will provide businesses and researchers with the computational resources needed for scaling AI applications, increasing efficiency, and driving innovation. With this secure, high-performance AI environment, African enterprises and governments can develop localised AI solutions while adhering to both global and local data regulations.

“Building digital infrastructure for the AI economy is a priority if Africa is to take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution. Our AI Factory provides the infrastructure for this innovation to scale, empowering African businesses, startups and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure to turn their bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs — and now, they don’t have to look beyond Africa to get it,” said Strive Masiyiwa, founder & chairman of Cassava. “Collaborating with NVIDIA gives us the advanced computing capabilities needed to drive Africa’s AI innovation while strengthening the continent’s digital independence.”

“AI is helping innovators solve our greatest challenges in agriculture, healthcare, energy, financial services and many other industries creating opportunity in Africa,” said Jaap Zuiderveld, vice-president EMEA at NVIDIA. “As an NVIDIA Cloud Partner, Cassava is providing essential infrastructure and software to help pioneering companies and organizations accelerate AI development to foster innovation across the continent.”

Cassava’s AI Factory represents the latest step in the company’s longstanding commitment to delivering cutting-edge digital solutions, reinforcing its dedication to responsible AI adoption, technological advancement, and productivity growth throughout Africa.

Brady Corporation unveils the i7500, a 76mm core label printer with auto-calibration, reducing waste and setup time to 40 seconds. (Image source: Brady Corporation)

No calibration, no formatting, no ribbon fumbling, no trial & error, no waste - the new i7500 redefines the 76mm core premium printing experience in electronics, electrical, manufacturing and laboratory industries.

Fed up with old-school high-volume label printing? The new BradyPrinter i7500 reimagines 76mm core high precision label printing.

The identification specialist Brady Corporation’s new BradyPrinter i7500 for 76mm core label rolls automatically adjusts all of its settings when new consumables are loaded. Ready to print in just 40 seconds, the printer also removes all calibration waste by printing the first label right.

Set up, don’t touch?

The approach in most industries to high volume, high precision thermal heat transfer 76mm core (3’’ core) label printing to date has almost always been “set it up and don’t touch”. Crucial for traceability and compliance, yet excruciating to set up and calibrate, the 76mm core label printing experience has been a notorious pain point for many manufacturing, electronics, electrical and laboratory industries.

Watch the i7500 in video >>

Ready in 40 seconds

Not anymore. In a new proprietary printer model, global identification specialist Brady Corporation removed all label printing hassle to redefine the 76mm core label experience. “The new BradyPrinter i7500 does not require users to adjust sensors, heat settings, define label dimensions or waste labels in calibration”, commented Ömer Adisen, product manager benchtop printers & software at Brady Corporation. “We call it LabelSense. The technology reduces the frustrating trial and error of manual printer calibration to print readiness in just 40 seconds. That includes loading Brady consumables, designed so they can only be loaded the right way.”

Efficient, flexible printing

The new BradyPrinter i7500 with LabelSense technology makes high precision 76mm core label printing a lot more intuitive, and efficient. There is no need to maintain multiple printers just to avoid the classic consumable and calibration hassle. “All optimal settings are already preloaded and the printer automatically recognises every Brady consumable. The i7500 offers considerable print flexibility by enabling users to switch from printed circuit board labels to rating plates, raised profile labels and cable sleeves, or between relevant specialised laboratory labels, in just 40 seconds. Even when loading the tiniest 3.18mm QR-coded labels, the i7500 prints the first label right, reducing waste and supporting sustainable label printing practices.”

Brady 2

Open core

In addition to auto-calibration, the BradyPrinter i7500 can print 76mm core labels from any manufacturer in manual mode. “When considering a switch to the new label printing experience provided by the BradyPrinter i7500, there is no need to devalue current label stock. The BradyPrinter i7500 can print any 76mm core labels, from any manufacturer, with great speed and precision.”

Software compatible

When combined with Brady Workstation label design, the software instantly recognises the dimensions of loaded Brady consumables for fast and intuitive label creation. Next to label design protection, Brady Workstation also includes an easy scan to print app and a data automation app to print labels at the right time with the right ERP-system data. The BradyPrinter i7500 supports print languages like ZPL, and can print labels via other label design software.

Brady 3

Premium printing redefined

“The new BradyPrinter i7500 defines a new premium high precision printing experience for 76mm core labels”, Ömer stated. “Fully automated calibration enables printing on different consumables within 40 seconds. Supported by a clear user interface on a large on-board screen, the i7500 prints a wide range of labels without any hassle. We can provide a hands-on demo at your premises to show your teams just how intuitive label printing can be.”

Discover the BradyPrinter i7500 >>

Are you wondering how to choose the right label for your application? Download the free guide now >>

BRADY Africa

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www.brady.eu

LINX expands in Kenya with a new IXP in Mombasa, enhancing interconnection, reducing latency, and supporting digital growth in Africa. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has officially launched LINX Mombasa, a new interconnection hub designed to enhance digital connectivity in Africa

Located within iColo’s MBA1 and MBA2 data centres, LINX Mombasa is a multi-site, interconnected Internet Exchange Point (IXP). It provides a resilient, future-ready platform for networks to exchange traffic efficiently, reducing latency and improving overall performance. This peering model ensures data remains closer to end users, offering greater control and reliability.

Strengthening Africa’s digital infrastructure

Mombasa is experiencing rapid interconnection growth and is among Africa’s most globally connected locations. The city is linked to seven submarine cables that connect Kenya to Africa’s coastline, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Following the successful launch of LINX Nairobi, this expansion marks LINX’s continued commitment to supporting African digital ecosystems. LINX Mombasa will serve both content delivery networks and local ISPs, offering an alternative interconnection point with added services on a robust and redundant network.

Nurani Nimpuno, LINX head of global engagement, stated, "We are thrilled to be extending our synergies with iColo with whom we have had a successful journey at LINX Nairobi. We were seeing a demand for LINX services in Mombasa when we came to Kenya, and I am very pleased we can now start delivering the same value here.”

LINX is the first IXP to establish a presence in both Nairobi and Mombasa. Its technical infrastructure mirrors that of LINX Nairobi, incorporating Nokia switches for seamless connectivity.

Ranjith Cherickel, founder & CEO of iColo, added, "We are delighted to host LINX Mombasa at our highly connected data centre facilities; MBA1 and MBA2. This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing best-in-class infrastructure and services that drive digital transformation in Africa. The new IXP will create significant opportunities for partnerships, innovation, and growth in the region.”

With the addition of LINX Mombasa, peering traffic in the region is set to rise, reinforcing Mombasa’s status as the Gateway to East Africa. 

Also read: Zambia’s digital economy creates youth opportunities

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