MSC’s new record-breaking container ship
Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has built the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) the world’s biggest container ship by carrying capacity, which set sail from North China’s port of Tianjin on Monday.
The ‘MSC Gulsun’ has a maximum load of 224,986.4 tons and is capable of transporting 23,576 TEUs at a time. The behemoth measures at around 399.9 meters long and 61.5 meters wide. It’s expected to arrive in Northwestern Europe soon after visiting various ports including Qingdao, Shanghai, Algeciras, Gdansk, Kaliningrad and Rotterdam. For its maiden voyage, it is mainly carrying steel, furniture and chemicals. The vessel also features SHI’s latest technology Svessel, a smart ship system that analyses navigation data to suggest the most appropriate sea route based on pricing and safety measures. In line with IMO regulations, it will be fitted with a scrubber and its design allows it to be easily adapted to run on LNG fuel.
Check out the ship and read more on this here.
Blockchain for school lunches
This week it was reported that LG CNS, a subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate LG Corp, will be launching a blockchain platform aimed at increasing transparency for food served in schools, thereby helping parents to make better informed decisions on their child’s nutrition, and to protect children’s health.
The new system will be developed in conjunction with IT service provider SayIT, and it will be based on LG’s blockchain proprietary platform known as “Monachain”- first launched in May of last year. Regional governments will support the implementation of the platform across national schools. The system will provide data, on the production, processing, distribution, acquisition and consumption of each food product. All data recorded on the platform will then be made available to the public via smart mobile devices. Additionally, the platform will support an advertising, in which farmers and food producers can distribute mobile flyers to promote their produce. This is a great example of how blockchain technology is gradually edging its way into everyday life.
Click here to read more.
Amazon commits $700 m to fulfill “upskilling 2025” pledge
Amazon recently announced its plans to invest $700 million over a six year period to “upskill” 100,000 of its workers – one third of its US workforce. This announcement comes not long after after criticism regarding Amazon’s tax payments and employee pay rates.
Its 2025 upskill initiative will include several new training programs, which were designed to help employees make the transition to more – or different – technical roles. This will involve employees from its fulfillment centers, transportation network, retail stores and corporate hubs. The programs include the Machine Learning University (ML), targeted at existing technical workers with training in ML roles; the Amazon Technical Academy, which will train people for software engineering roles; and the Associate2Tech program, which is aimed at helping fulfillment center workers move towards more “technical roles”, irrespective of their previous experience. Senior VP of HR at Amazon, Beth Galetti, said the company wants to invest in its workers so that they can “create more professional opportunities for themselves.”
For more information, click here.
Have a great weekend.
