Monthly Archives: July 2017

Oakland overflowing with beer gardens – San Francisco Chronicle

Posted: July 5, 2017 at 11:08 pm

On a recent weekday in Oakland, only a few hours before the Temescal neighborhoods post-work crowd found its way to Arthur Macs Tap & Snack, Walter Pizarro, 36, and his wife, Regina Chagolla, 31, sat down at a picnic table in the shops beer garden.

It isnt the kind of place we look for, but its convenient, said Chagolla, who admitted that she and her husband prefer the cozy confines of dive bars. You kind of see these places popping up everywhere.

Fueled by a confluence of economical and cultural factors, beer gardens are multiplying across Oakland at a dizzying rate, outpacing most other Bay Area cities. Its a trend mirrored in Oaklands rise of craft brewers; of the 15 active small beer manufacturer licenses in the city, all but two have been issued since 2014. Over a dozen beer gardens now call the city home, all of which have opened since 2010; however, that number has doubled in the last 18 months alone and there are more on the way.

In particular, Temescal has become a hub. Temescal Brewing, around the corner from Arthur Macs, opened in 2016, and Roses Taproom, just opened last weekend, is a few blocks north. More beer gardens are coming, including a controversial proposal from Golden Road, which is owned by Anheuser Busch InBev, the worlds largest beer corporation. It, too, is in Temescal.

American beer gardens can be traced back to Germanys biergartens, which themselves were born of necessity. In the 16th century, when breweries were banned from making beer during the summer, brewers built cellars in cool areas, often close to riverbanks, to store their wares for consumption between May and September. To cool the spaces even more, breweries planted trees and covered the cellars with gravel. Tables and chairs soon followed, as did the crowds.

Just like those early German pioneers, the Bay Areas modern beer gardens seem to have tapped into a thirsty audience.

Its a trend that isnt new to the Bay Area. Back in 2011, Biergarten in San Franciscos Hayes Valley was considered a pioneer in aesthetics for its use of shipping containers. Zeitgeist has long been a San Francisco destination, and like Biergarten, still draws crowds on sunny days.

In the Bay Area, where dinner and drinks for two at a mid-level restaurant regularly exceed $100, beer gardens have become a cheaper, family-friendly alternative. Arthur Macs menu, for example, is built around $4 pizza slices and $7 beers.

The appeal goes beyond value for consumers, according to Joel DiGiorgio, the owner of Arthur Macs who also had a hand in the opening of Drakes Dealership in Oakland and Westbrae Biergarten in Berkeley. He pointed out that many young people are struggling to find real estate thats relatively affordable and spacious enough, especially for a growing family.

On any given afternoon, the crowd at many Oakland beer gardens has a smattering of young children with their parents, baby strollers parked next to pints. For consumers, beer gardens have become a replacement for dining rooms and backyards, DiGiorgio said. They no longer have that space they may have had generations ago.

Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle

A pedestrian passes by on MacArthur Boulevard as people sit in the sun at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden.

A pedestrian passes by on MacArthur Boulevard as people sit in the sun at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden.

A napkin box sits on a picnic table at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland.

A napkin box sits on a picnic table at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland.

People sit in the sun at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland on June 24, 2017.

People sit in the sun at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland on June 24, 2017.

A dog sits in the sun between tables at Arthur Macs. The Temescal area has become home to several of Oaklands growing number of beer gardens, raising questions over gentrification.

A dog sits in the sun between tables at Arthur Macs. The Temescal area has become home to several of Oaklands growing number of beer gardens, raising questions over gentrification.

Taps Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland.

Taps Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland.

A beer sits in the counter above a daily pizza on display at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack.

A beer sits in the counter above a daily pizza on display at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack.

Children play in a sandbox as parents socialize at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack in Oakland.

Children play in a sandbox as parents socialize at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack in Oakland.

Jing Yu, right, chats with her friend Sarah Kleinman over drinks at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland.

Jing Yu, right, chats with her friend Sarah Kleinman over drinks at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland.

Grace and Rob McGuinness of Oakland sip their beers at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden.

Grace and Rob McGuinness of Oakland sip their beers at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden.

Sever Henna Papineau delivers slices of pizza to Suz Sillett, left, and Tamara Ooms at Arthur Mac's in Oakland.

Sever Henna Papineau delivers slices of pizza to Suz Sillett, left, and Tamara Ooms at Arthur Mac's in Oakland.

Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland.

Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack beer garden in Oakland.

People sit in the sun at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack.

People sit in the sun at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack.

Oakland overflowing with beer gardens

For business owners, Oaklands beer garden market is not yet viewed as saturated, a fact that continues to spur the rapid transformation of the citys bar scene. Craft beer is popular right now, and beer gardens have become a logical, cost-efficient move for many entrepreneurs hopping on the trend.

Our initial thinking was pretty basic, and I imagine not too uncommon: rent and construction costs are crazy high, and were going to spend all our cash on installing a production brewery, said Sam Gilbert, founder of Temescal Brewing, which opened last year. So why not turn the parking lot into pleasant place to hang out, and let good weather and good beer do the rest?

On the corner lot next to Gilberts brewery is a Churchs Chicken. On the opposite side toward 41st Street is Harmony Missionary Baptist Church. The beer garden property is surrounded by fencing and stocked with tables, umbrellas, cinder blocks and plants or as Gilbert describes it, DIY-able stuff. Temescal Brewings construction was driven by local labor, a Kickstarter campaign and the contributions of a few artists.

That never would have been possible working on an interior space of the same size, Gilbert said.

Up the road, Roses Taproom also reaped the benefits of a crowdfunding campaign. Its a relatively small operation a small, seven-barrel brewhouse capable of producing about 215 gallons per batch twice a week but the outdoor drinking space follows a similar design scheme of other setups with wooden benches and plants.

The most common refrain among bar owners is a simple one: With lower costs, beer gardens are better suited for a tumultuous industry, despite being subject to the whims of weather.

Server Mana Shimamura and general manager Nathan Guarrasi joke around as they pour beers for customers at Arthur Mac's Tap and Snack.

Server Mana Shimamura and general manager Nathan Guarrasi joke...

Oakland is cheaper. Licenses are cheaper, rent is cheaper and labor is cheaper, said Thad Vogler, owner of Bar Agricole and Trou Normand, two cocktail bars in San Francisco, where a Type 47 liquor license, which allows for the sale of hard liquor, can cost upward of $300,000. Meanwhile, a Type 41 beer and wine license in Oakland can cost $3,000 to $5,000.

Its difficult separating the idea of gentrification from the beer garden movement. The craft beer industry itself is overwhelmingly white, especially in the Bay Area. And neighborhoods like Temescal are still home to Eritrean, Latin American and Korean restaurants, not to mention the minority-run doughnut-wielding corner stores.

We all have to be aware of it, and we have to make sure we do what we can to keep people from being displaced, said DiGiorgio, an Oakland native whose father lives a mile or so from Arthur Macs. Gentrification became a nasty word when displacement became a component of it. At its core its just taking an area of lower income and bringing it and everyone there up to where its middle income. Thats a good thing.

From 5 p.m. until around 10 p.m., bike racks outside of Arthur Macs and Temescal Brewing slowly fill to capacity, suggesting a significant customer base from the local community. The workforce at many beer gardens is overwhelmingly composed of Oaklanders; three-quarters of the staff at Arthur Macs, for example, live in the neighborhood. Most walk to work.

Its much easier to staff in Oakland as more and more restaurant workers are settling there, Vogler said.

Trends rarely come with a clear indicator of their shelf life, but when it comes to beer gardens, several proprietors admitted they can see the boom lasting a few more years, especially in the East Bay.

On a recent Saturday at Temescal Brewing, a group of 20- and 30-year-olds, clad in T-shirts, sunglasses and skinny jeans, sipped craft beers while posting pictures on Instagram with captions waxing poetic about the weekends paradisaical weather. Its a familiar scene scattered across neighborhoods from Broadway in Uptown to the warehouses of West Oakland, with no signs of slowing down at least for now.

Theres certainly some novelty to the idea, Gilbert said, before adding a final thought: Chances are pretty high that the 101st Bay Area beer garden will jump the shark and folks will get bored.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips

Prominent Oakland Beer Gardens

Beer Revolution: 464 Third St. (Opened 2010)

Telegraph: 2318 Telegraph Ave (2012)

Brotzeit Lokal:1000 Embarcadero (2013)

Lost & Found: 2040 Telegraph Ave. (2014)

Classic Cars West: 411 26th St. (2015)

Drake's Dealership: 2325 Broadway (2015)

Temescal Brewing: 4115 Telegraph Ave. (2016)

Stay Gold: 2635 San Pablo Ave. (2016)

7th Street Cafe: 1612 Seventh St. (2016)

Degrees Plato: 4251 MacArthur Blvd. (2017)

Arthur Macs: 4006 M.L.K. Jr Way (2017)

Old Kan Beer Co.: 95 Linden St. (2017)

Roses Taproom: 4930 Telegraph Ave. (2017)

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Oakland overflowing with beer gardens - San Francisco Chronicle

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Guelph Hillside artists chosen ‘with resistance and protest in mind’ – GuelphMercury.com

Posted: at 11:08 pm


GuelphMercury.com
Guelph Hillside artists chosen 'with resistance and protest in mind'
GuelphMercury.com
She said this movement has largely been influenced by changes to the United States political system and the shifting zeitgeist of U.S. culture. We're looking to reinvigorate faith in the social function of art, she said. We look to particular ...

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Russia’s future looks bleak without economic and political reform … – The Guardian

Posted: at 11:07 pm

Petrorubles If the world continues to move toward a low-carbon future, Russia will confront an inevitable choice, with or without western sanctions. Photograph: Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images

When the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, meets his US counterpart, Donald Trump, at this weeks G20 summit in Hamburg, he will not be doing so from a position of economic strength. To be sure, despite the steep drop in oil prices that began three years ago, Russia has managed to escape a deep financial crisis. But while the economy is enjoying a modest rebound after two years of deep recession, the future no longer seems as promising as its leadership thought just five years ago. Barring serious economic and political reform, that bodes ill for Putins ability to realise his strategic ambitions for Russia.

Back in 2012, when Putin appeared onstage with the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman at a Moscow bank conference, Russias 1998 economic crisis seemed a distant memory. With oil prices well over $100 a barrel, the governments coffers were bursting. So Putin could proudly contrast Russias government budget surplus with the large recession-driven deficits across the west. He surely delighted in having Russian audiences hear Krugmans view that western democracies had come up badly short in handling the global financial crisis.

In a different session, Russian academic economist Sergei Guriev (who later had to flee the country) argued there was no hope for diversification of Russias resource-based economy as long as institutions such as courts were so weak. Too many key decisions rested with one man. Speaking in the same session, I emphasised that without fundamental reforms, a sharp drop in global energy prices would create profound problems.

Inevitably, that drop came, with prices plummeting from $119 in February 2012 (for Brent crude oil in Europe) to $27 in 2016. Even the current level (under $50 in early July 2017), is less than half the 2011-2012 peak. For a country that depends on oil and natural gas for the lions share of export revenue, the price collapse has been a massive blow rippling through the economy.

The fact Russia has avoided a financial crisis is remarkable and largely due to the efforts of the Central Bank of Russia. Indeed, Elvira Nabiullina, the CBRs governor, has twice won international central banker of the year awards.

But the burden of adjustment has largely fallen on consumers, owing to a roughly 50% drop in the rubles value relative to the dollar; real wages and consumption both fell sharply. As one Russian put it to me, he used to take 1,000 rubles to the supermarket and come home with two bags; now he comes home with one.

The shock to the real economy has been severe, with Russia suffering a decline in output in 2015 and 2016 comparable to what the United States experienced during its 2008-2009 financial crisis, with the contraction in GDP totalling about 4%. Many firms went bankrupt, and in 2016 the International Monetary Fund estimated that almost 10% of all bank loans were non-performing (a figure that surely understates the severity of the situation).

In many cases, banks chose to re-lend funds rather than take losses on to their books or force politically connected firms into bankruptcy. At the same time, though, the CBR moved aggressively to force smaller banks to raise capital and write down bad loans (something European policymakers have taken forever to do). And, in the face of intense lobbying by powerful oligarchs, the CBR kept interest rates up to tame inflation, which had reached more than 15% but has since fallen to close to 4%.

Of course, western sanctions particularly restrictions on banks have exacerbated the situation. But the media tend to over-emphasise this aspect of Russias economic woes. All countries that rely heavily on energy exports have suffered, especially those, like Russia, that have failed to diversify their economies.

In a western democracy, an economic collapse on the scale experienced by Russia would have been extremely difficult to digest politically, as the global surge in populism demonstrates. Yet Putin has been able to remain firmly in control and, in all likelihood, will easily be able to engineer another landslide victory in the presidential election due in March 2018.

Russias state-owned media juggernaut has been able to turn western sanctions into a scapegoat for the governments own failures, and to whip up support for foreign adventurism including the seizure of the Crimea, military intervention in Syria, and meddling in US elections. Most Russians, constantly manipulated by their countrys schools and media, are convinced that conditions are much worse in the west (a hyperbolic claim even in the era of fake news).

Unfortunately, such disinformation is hardly a recipe for generating reform. And, without reform, there is little reason to be optimistic about Russias long-run growth trend, given its poor demographic profile, weak institutions and abject failure to diversify its economy, despite having an enormously talented and creative population.

Where will future growth come from? If the world continues to move toward a low-carbon future, Russia will confront an inevitable choice: launch economic and political reforms or face continuing marginalisation, with or without western sanctions. No meeting between the US and Russian presidents can change that reality.

Kenneth Rogoff is professor of economics and public policy at Harvard University and recipient of the 2011 Deutsche Bank Prize in Financial Economics.

Project Syndicate

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Edmonton hopes new brand will help shift the base of its economy … – Edmonton Journal

Posted: at 11:07 pm

It sounded like a big unveil, but Edmontons new slogan is rather simple in the end.

This is it; this is our one-word brand, said Brad Ferguson, posting a slide of the word Edmonton followed by a small Canadian maple leaf for a period.

Its tongue-in-cheek because Edmontons re-branding is more complex than that. Its also critical to its economic future as local corporations struggle to attract the educated talent needed to compete in a technologically based economy, said Ferguson, president of the Edmonton Economic Development Corp.

Our fundamental economic structure is changing, he said, pointing to a shift from a resource-based economy to one based on innovation. That will require an influx of highly-educated 18- to 35-year-olds, in addition to keeping home-grown talent.

Edmontons new brand is more about a story packaged and pitched to different audiences and less about a slogan or logo, Ferguson told councils executive committee Tuesday.

EEDC and city officials believe the words that describe Edmonton are: inventive, open, courageous and co-operative.

Their sentence is: If you have the courage to take an idea to reality, to build, to make something, Edmonton is your city.

Ferguson said for years Edmontons brand or image has been that of an industrial, tough and rough city. Its been discounted on the national and international stage. This re-branding builds on the work of Make Something Edmonton, an online forum where 2,000 local residents posted their own stories about what they are building and making.

A screen-capture from EEDCs Brad Ferguson July 4, 2017.

It seeks to articulate a new vision for something Edmonton already is. Edmonton spends $1.5 million annually on the brand development and associated marketing, targeted campaigns to attract tourists from Nordic countries and to support the KLM direct flight, for example.

Committee endorsed the new brand Tuesday and asked the team to report back in six months on how its being implemented.

Ferguson also evaluated Edmontons cost competitiveness for council, comparing the region to other similar city regions. Edmonton is average when it comes to the cost of setting up a business, he said.

At least were in the game and were average, he said, adding thats not going to be enough for Edmonton to compete if oil is no longer driving a resource-based economy.

Other cities have mountains, sea-side views and direct flights around the world; major employers in Edmonton are struggling to attract the talent they need.

Coun. Michael Walters said Edmonton has the river valley, great festivals and a volunteer community that welcomes and can root newcomers in a supportive community. It needs to proudly share that story, but it also needs to focus on education.

Our big challenge is we dont have a skilled enough workforce (for the emerging economy), said Walters, adding education hasnt been enough of a priority for any level of government. This is starting to ring the alarm bell.

Edmonton also needs to identify exactly where excessively onerous permits and other red tape is causing increased cost for businesses, said Walters. Hes hoping that will come back to committee when EEDC returns in September.

Ferguson and city staff will report back on how to update the citys economic strategy. It has a 10-year plan passed in 2013 thats already starting to feel outdated, said Mayor Don Iveson.

We need a bunch of three-year strategies in rapid succession, said Ferguson. Youll end up being a faster city in the process.

estolte@postmedia.com

twitter.com/estolte

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Opinion: Why Putin can’t make Russia great again – MarketWatch

Posted: at 11:07 pm

Vladimir Putin will meet with Donald Trump on Friday.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Project Syndicate) When Russian President Vladimir Putin meets his American counterpart, Donald Trump, at this weeks G-20 summit in Hamburg, he will not be doing so from a position of economic strength.

To be sure, despite the steep drop in oil prices CLQ7, +0.62% that began three years ago, Russia has managed to escape a deep financial crisis. But while the economy is enjoying a modest rebound after two years of deep recession, the future no longer seems as promising as its leadership thought just five years ago.

Barring serious economic and political reform, that bodes ill for Putins ability to realize his strategic ambitions for Russia.

Back in 2012, when Putin appeared onstage with the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman at a Moscow bank conference, Russias 1998 economic crisis seemed a distant memory. With oil prices well over $100 a barrel, the governments coffers were bursting. So Putin could proudly contrast Russias government budget surplus with the large recession-driven deficits across the West. He surely delighted in having Russian audiences hear Krugmans view that Western democracies had come up badly short in handling the global financial crisis.

In a different session, Russian academic economist Sergei Guriev (who later had to flee the country) argued that there was no hope for diversification of Russias resource-based economy as long as institutions such as courts were so weak. Too many key decisions rested with one man. Speaking in the same session, I emphasized that without fundamental reforms, a sharp drop in global energy prices would create profound problems.

Inevitably, that drop came, with prices plummeting from $119 in February 2012 (for Brent crude oil in Europe) to $27 in 2016. Even the current level LCOU7, +0.59% (under $50 in early July 2017), is less than half the 2011-2012 peak. For a country that depends on oil and natural gas for the lions share of export revenue, the price collapse has been a massive blow, rippling through the economy.

The fact that Russia has avoided a financial crisis is remarkable and largely due to the efforts of the Central Bank of Russia. Indeed, Elvira Nabiullina, the CBRs governor, has twice won international central banker of the year awards.

But the burden of adjustment has largely fallen on consumers, owing to a roughly 50% drop in the rubles value relative to the dollar USDRUB, -0.0002% ; real wages and consumption both fell sharply. As one Russian put it to me, he used to take 1,000 rubles to the supermarket and come home with two bags; now he comes home with one.

The shock to the real economy has been severe, with Russia suffering a decline in output in 2015 and 2016 comparable to what the United States experienced during its 2008-2009 financial crisis, with the contraction in gross domestic product totaling about 4%. Many firms went bankrupt, and in 2016 the International Monetary Fund estimated that almost 10% of all bank loans were non-performing (a figure that surely understates the severity of the situation).

In many cases, banks chose to relend funds rather than take losses onto their books or force politically connected firms into bankruptcy. At the same time, though, the CBR moved aggressively to force smaller banks to raise capital and write down bad loans (something European policy makers have taken forever to do). And, in the face of intense lobbying by powerful oligarchs, the CBR kept interest rates up to tame inflation, which had reached more than 15% but has since fallen to close to 4%.

Of course, Western sanctions, particularly restrictions on banks, have exacerbated the situation. But the media tend to overemphasize this aspect of Russias economic woes. All countries that rely heavily on energy exports have suffered, especially those, like Russia, that have failed to diversify their economies.

In a Western democracy, an economic collapse on the scale experienced by Russia would have been extremely difficult to digest politically, as the global surge in populism demonstrates. Yet Putin has been able to remain firmly in control and, in all likelihood, will easily be able to engineer another landslide victory in the presidential election due in March 2018.

Russias state-owned media juggernaut has been able to turn Western sanctions into a scapegoat for the governments own failures, and to whip up support for foreign adventurism including the seizure of the Crimea, military intervention in Syria, and meddling in U.S. elections. Most Russians, constantly manipulated by their countrys schools and media, are convinced that conditions are much worse in the West (a hyperbolic claim even in the era of fake news).

Unfortunately, such disinformation is hardly a recipe for generating reform. And, without reform, there is little reason to be optimistic about Russias long-run growth trend, given its poor demographic profile, weak institutions, and abject failure to diversify its economy, despite having an enormously talented and creative population.

Where will future growth come from? If the world continues to move toward a low-carbon future, Russia will confront an inevitable choice: launch economic and political reforms, or face continuing marginalization, with or without Western sanctions. No meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents can change that reality.

This article has been published with the permission of Project Syndicate Shaking Russias Weak Economic Hand.

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Trod the salt of the earth in Netarts Bay – Oregon Coast Today

Posted: at 11:07 pm

Walk along the salt marsh of Netarts Bay while learning about how plants survive in a salty world noon- 4 pm Sunday, July 16.

Join Friends of Netarts Bay Watershed, Estuary, Beach, and Sea (WEBS) for a free guided tour along the salt marsh at the southern end of Netarts Bay. Learn about the plants and animals that live in this unique habitat and the importance of this environment from the forest to the waters edge. Learn about how plants survive in a salty world and explore the succession of vegetation from the bay to the dunes.

The tour includes an easy to moderate walk through muddy areas and trails covered by brush. It is best suited for participates 12 years and older comfortable with walking in these environments. Participants should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes for this adventure.

This event is part of the Explore Nature series of hikes, walks, paddles and outdoor adventures. Explore Nature events are hosted by a consortium of volunteer community and nonprofit organizations, and are meaningful nature-based experiences highlight the unique beauty of Tillamook County and the work being done to preserve and conserve the areas natural resources and natural resource-based economy.

If you go:

When: July 16, 2017 from 12pm to 4pm

Where: Netarts Bay area. Register for details.

Cost: There is no cost to attend this program. Tax-exempt donations

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Why the future of this world is reserved for the UAE – The National

Posted: at 11:07 pm

Abdullah Ali Ameri, 14, programs a robot at the Higher Colleges of Technology Men's College in Abu Dhabi designed to encourage more youngsters into a career in the sciences. Silvia Razgova / The National

The UAE will never accept being just an observer to development, especially in the fields of science and technology. The country meticulously plans and maps its way.

The UAE is fully aware that to ensure a leading position in the world, it should be more creative, innovative and productive. Such achievements do not come out of the blue, but instead are a result of planning, determination, ambition and willpower, in addition to having highly qualified human capital equipped with skills and capabilities to compete in the field of progress.

When Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, launched the National Innovation Strategy in October 2014 and declared 2015 to be the Year of Innovation, he reflected on the correlation between innovation and the future and existence itself, which characterises the insightful vision of our wise leadership.

Within this context, the National Innovation Strategy has been launched in order to ensure that the UAE ranks among the most innovative countries of the world in the coming years. Hence, a comprehensive strategy in an institutional framework has been adopted to ensure the implementation and the achievement of the countrys goals. Such endeavours are an integral part of UAE Vision 2021.

Innovation and creativity can never be achieved without providing an excellent and modern education system, establishing adequate infrastructure and institutions, encouraging all social sectors to contribute to innovative efforts and promoting creative people and fostering their ideas and skills.

This also requires the transformation of the prevailing national culture. Accordingly, the UAE has taken major steps to improve education, promote scientific research and prioritise innovation at all national institutions.

It is believed that the promotion of education will make it possible to celebrate the moment that the last barrel of oil is exported in 50 years time, as stated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, in a speech he delivered in 2015.

Innovation is the main source of wealth and income in the age of a knowledge-based, rather than a resource-based, economy. A country that possesses creative ideas and is capable of transforming them into reality will retain wealth, strength and influence over its surrounding area and the worldregardless of its size, demography or geography.

Secondly, innovation has no limits. It is actually an endless line stretching towards the horizon. Some countries have made great steps ahead of us along this pathway, yet there is always enough space for those who possess the will to excel and adopt the means to reach the predefined goalbecause progress is not an exclusive preserve of a certain state or a group of states, but is available to whoever conscientiously and knowledgeably works and plans for it.

Thirdly, innovation is not a luxury, but rather it is the backbone of life, and those who are not engaged in the innovation process in the coming years will condemn themselves to obsolescence in the margins of history.

In February 2014, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said that countries are faced with a simple choice: either to innovate, or become irrelevant, adding that 65 per cent of children in primary school will grow up to work in jobs that do not exist today and 47 per cent of job categories are at high risk of ceasing to exist because they can be automated.

The world has already gone through three industrial revolutions. The first was based on the invention of the steam engine in the 18thcentury. The second, which began in the late 19thcentury and continued until the First World War, was related to the development of electricity and manufacturingand the third, which began in the late 20thcentury, was triggered by information technology and computerisation. Nowadays, the world is heading towards the fourth industrial revolution, revolving around artificial intelligence and all the related advancements in the field of robotics, 3D printing and the likes.

The UAE seeks, through its ambitious innovation strategies, to lead the region in the preparation phase to enter this fourth industrial revolution, which is likely to witness major shifts. In this context, during proceedings at Global Future Councilsin November 2016 in Dubai, the UAE declared that the country was about to establish the worlds first council for the fourth industrial revolution. This reflects the leading role the country plays in this regard, as well as the countrys readiness to embrace the new global technological and scientific developments, relying on tangible actions, plans and self-esteemrather than empty slogans.

Many in the Arab world talk about the importance of knowledge and Arab underdevelopment in the field of technology, discussing the reasons behind such a situation and even suggesting solutions for emancipation from the shackles of this abject condition. Few, however, translate words into actions.

In this regard, the region can extract lessons from the UAE, which is strongly committed to fully engaging in the field of innovation and creativity as a source of inspiration for Arab countries.

Many underdeveloped countries have moved up the progress ladder thanks to the special attention accorded to science and knowledge, while Arabs lagged behind because of their neglectof knowledge and scientific research. Now, it is high time Arabs realised that the future path, status and even the existence of their nations essentially depends on science, innovation and creativity, rather than relapsing into the past and identifying with delusional plans propagated by forces of political Islam. The future of the world is exclusively reserved for creative nations.

Dr Jamal Sanad Al Suwaidi is the director general of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research

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Why the future of this world is reserved for the UAE - The National

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Where to start with automation tools in HR – HR Dive

Posted: at 11:06 pm

When it comes to internal service management, the key to a fast and seamless process lies with automation tools. By tradition, IT departments have tended to be the pioneers, using new technology to create tickets and filter employee service requests through automated systems that lead to quickly resolved issues. As IT teams have evolved from primarily handling break-fix tickets to implementing service catalogs that facilitate a wide range of services, the push for internal automation is amplifying throughout the entire organization.

The modern customer support experience within consumer-facing markets has also become increasingly immediate and comprehensive across a number of communication platforms. These shifts have put increased pressure on organizations to treat employees like customers. And what department has the most employee interaction? Thats right, HR.

Be it managing requests for medical plans or approved time off, its not uncommon for HR departments to require several days before responding. With expectations for on-demand everything, its important for HR departments to keep up with employees service requests. Using automation tools, HR processes can be simplified to ease the burden on HR practitioners and improve turnaround times on approvals and services, ensuring employee needs are met quickly and efficiently.

Many departments track service requests manually through spreadsheets and emails, or using a basic ticket management system. HR departments should consider implementing a service catalog that enables automation of processes, for seamless onboarding and request management throughout the company. Aside from IT teams, human resource departments bear the brunt of service requests that filter through organizations. This makes automation even more vital to providing efficiency in service management.

Service requests are constantly evolving, and their nature shifts with every little change in an organization. Whether it's a request to IT for a device or software for a new hire, a list of documents that need to be signed as a part of onboarding or a 401k enrollment request, HR leaders face a growing list of demands that require timely attention.

Automation is great for workflows that require a high number of approvals and steps. For example, onboarding a new employee, no matter the company, involves several steps from a wide range of departments. These steps include setting up the new hire with payroll by accounting, getting the right devices and software installments to the new employee from IT and everything in between.

HR leaders facilitate the onboarding process, and it can be grueling to manage each aspect of these services, especially given that HR should be modeling business processes and tracking all activities in a way that ensures accuracy and compliance. By automating onboarding procedures, human resources teams can ensure each step of the process is completed and approved.

There are a range of cloud-based service platforms out there that significantly simplify different business operations be it by outsourcing tasks or subscribing to tailored services. As companies increasingly adopt cloud solutions, automation tools are very valuable in enabling speed and scalability. Its up to the HR department to decide if it wants to start small or go big. For example, perhaps moving training to a cloud service makes more sense to start off with, rather than beginning with the entire salary system. Automation is an incremental process and the cloud can be a critical part of that equation.

Rather than deploying HR-specific automation tools, universal solutions can help streamline processes between employees and management, but also between departments. Through a single service portal dashboard, employees can request flights and travel, order a new ID card, submit time-off requests and more. With the proper tools in place, employees can create their own direct service requests, cutting down the workflow time and eliminating the middlemen. Top solutions can streamline service management, keeping requests for IT, HR and other departments in a central location.

Automating HR service delivery via a service catalog can help to ensure that HR activities are modeling business processes. A service catalog describes not only each service and its attributes, but its objectives. This intelligence can help to ensure that the services offered are closely aligned with critical business strategies, and can contribute to the achievement of key corporate goals. Once the service catalog has been set up to ensure business processes are being modeled and compliance needs are met, automation can be introduced to make service delivery easier.

Collaboration cant begin until there is a strong understanding of processes and operations across departments. From there, organizations can create a tailored solution that seamlessly integrates from department to department, as well as employee to employee.

Through a better understanding of how requests and services are managed throughout a business, leaders can set up tools that are tailored to fit the companys unique needs. For human resources, automation is the next step, following the standards set by todays IT departments. Offering employees a consistent and easy method for submitting service requests, and then fulfilling those requests efficiently, will put businesses ahead of competition by maintaining a workplace where employees are happier and are provided the resources they need to do their best work.

Editor's Note: This is a guest contribution from Steve Stover, VP of Product at Samanage

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Where to start with automation tools in HR - HR Dive

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The five stages of automation – Big Rigs

Posted: at 11:06 pm

AUTONOMOUS trucks are here. Today. The technology is highly developed, mature and sophisticated.

But autonomous trucks are not coming onto our roads and highways any time soon, not in any numbers to cause driver unemployment or to change the landscape of road transport.

While the technology has been developed far beyond the needs to drive a truck, think military attack drones with precision missile deployment working in a three-dimensional space globally, the needs to start, stop, steer, and generally manage a truck are comparatively simple.

The Volvo group's Sweden based guru on automation, Hayder Wokil, will not be drawn on a year or a timeline for widespread introduction on public roads.

He sees many hoops yet needed to be jumped through, both political and technological.

Not the least of these potential problems, Mr Wokil agrees, is the likelihood of hacking the current systems in spite of the use of high levels of encryption.

An aggressive hacker could, today, stop the entire freight task of a nation if it was relying on autonomous trucks, or in our current global environment of fear, hack a truck and use it as a terrorist weapon.

I asked Hayder Wokil if there was an answer to protect society from the dangers of hacking.

"No, not at present. But we will, he said, not prepared to put any date onto the technical evolution.

Volvo is a large company whose core marketing values, perceived and in reality, are based on safety. This is a reasonable set of conservative eyes to look at the development of automation in road transport.

To paint a wider picture of the development of autonomous trucks, Mr Wokil explained the five levels of automation.

From a basis of no computerised management of a truck, the levels start to build and we are already partway along this path.

The society of automotive engineers international (SAE) developed these levels in 2014.

Level 1: This level introduces automated assistance on acceleration, deceleration and braking with a human operator monitoring the road and maintaining steering control.

This system is with us today in many sophisticated trucks with adaptive cruise control (ACC) where a truck will indicate road or lane wandering and take autonomous action if a collision is about to occur not noticed by the driver.

Level 2: This level brings the introduction of partial automation where driving software handles all steering, braking and acceleration tasks. All the collision avoidance technology of Level 1 is included. The driver sits at the wheel and is responsible for monitoring the truck, watching traffic and responding to system prompts.

Level 3: Called conditional automation, all steering, braking and navigation tasks are controlled by software however the driver remains at the seat but will be allowed to follow other pursuits, ready to resume control when instructed by the system.

Level 4: This level is described as high automation, where the automated system controls all operational and tactical decisions related to driving assuming good weather and traffic conditions. A driver is in the truck but does not have to be in the driver's seat.

Level 5: Full automation will handle all driving tasks, including failsafe manoeuvres under any traffic or weather conditions. No driver will be required, this is a fully autonomous truck.

At the moment Hayder Wokil says "Level 3 and beyond do not fit with our safety image and safety thinking at present because if the driver does not resume control of the truck, the vehicle could be running uncontrolled.

Yet Level 5 is here technologically and is being used in non-public road situations such as mine sites where the working environment is totally owned by a company and the trucks do not interact in any public landscape.

Platooning, a slightly hybrid version of these levels is being pushed by the Europeans. Much work is being done on this where a lead truck would have a driver probably in a Level 2 or Level 3 with two, three, or four other driverless trucks following closely linked electronically.

"We have already got that system in Australia, I said. "It's called a road train.

If we have the technology now, what are the hurdles stopping the introduction of autonomous trucks to the highways of the world.

And let's face it, they are being introduced on specialised roads and specialised tasks, with manufacturers, both European and North American, making it clear that this is the direction of truck manufacture.

The main hurdles according to Hayder Wokil are broader technological challenges such as introducing technological redundancy that can overdrive and combat any efforts to attack the management network through hacking or other breakdowns.

Secondly it is political will in the various countries, with an expectation that there will be a public resistance to the introduction of driverless trucks and it may take some time.

Possibly even a generation, to get that acceptance, like the introduction of genetically modified grains is a comparative example.

Whatever happens, most development work will be carried out in confined areas near Gothenburg in Sweden but Australia is seen as a major trialling and testing area as driverless trucks develop their wings.

"Australia is one of the test areas. You have tough conditions of roads, from the weather and the heat and the dust so that will give us a lot of input for our product development department for when we introduce a new feature or a new system.

"We have the infrastructure for testing here, the knowledge so with the testing we are on the edge of breaking new ideas coming with automation, Hayder said.

I suggested 2030 as an introductory date for driverless trucks in Australian line haul.

The Volvo man would not be drawn, but taking what he told me into context, I think we can expect autonomous trucks to be working in specialised applications very soon, as they are already in some mine sites, but as an accepted part of our national road transport task, widespread introduction is still a fair way distant beyond the horizon of the future.

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The five stages of automation - Big Rigs

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Finding the Fit for Automation – Automation World

Posted: at 11:06 pm

Guitar manufacturing is an industry known for its intricate, hand-made production processes. But even in such industries, automation is increasingly playing a role for a number of reasonsfrom alleviating workers ergonomic issues to improving quality and aiding materials inspection.

I was recently invited by Tyler Robertson, robotics engineer at Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, Calif., to see how automation is increasingly being used within the companys handwork-intensive production operations. He explained that, at the El Cajon facility, Taylor Guitars currently produces around 100 guitars a day. At the companys Tecate, Mexico, facility, some 600 guitars are produced each day[TR1].

Robertson came to Taylor Guitars a little over two years ago based on his experience as an application engineer experienced in robotics programming and robot software integration at In-House Solutions in Canada. Before working at Taylor Guitars, Robertson developed custom robot programs for complex processes in the plastics, aerospace and fabrication industries. He developed expertise in these industries working with robot end users, integrators and OEMs for job shop welding, laser and water jet cutting, and robotic machining, finishing and drilling applications.

Robertson was keen to discuss how Taylor Guitars has been using automation technologies for well over a decade now and how he is being challenged to expand the use of automation at the company to further improve the production processes and quality of Taylor Guitars already world-renowned products.

The Wood My tour of Taylor Guitars production operations started as you might expectin the wood receiving area. Common wood types used by Taylor Guitars include ebony, mahogany, rosewood, cedar and spruce. All inspections of the wood before processing are performed by hand because of fluctuations in materials.

To automate this inspection process would be a nightmare, Robertson said, not only because of differences in the woods, but also the differences between and within in each batch of wood. Getting the lighting correct for robotic vision inspection of wood, due these differences, is very difficult and inefficient. Ive looked into x-ray, ultrasound and CT scanning methods, but these are either not well-developed for wood scanning or are very expensive and geared more toward the lumber industry.

Despite the difficulties in automating wood inspection, there are other steps in initial wood processing that could be more automated, Robertson said, as he pointed out multiple pallets of wood stacked nearly to the ceiling. We get 2,000 blocks of wood in each day for the manufacture of guitar necks and heads. These blocks of wood are stacked and inventoried by hand, he said.

When it comes to tasks like this, Robertson said workers at Taylor Guitar are very open to the idea of automation. In fact, while Robertson guided me through this portion of the tour, a manager in the department approached him with suggestions for automation.

As often as such automation discussions occur with workers around the company, Robertson noted that automation is still in its infancy here and he is the only full-time staff person focused on automation in addition to his work providing tech support for production. Theres lots of opportunity for automation here, he said. The challenge is prioritization and focus on the projects that can deliver the clearest benefits first.

Like most manufacturers today, Taylor Guitars faces what Robertson referred to as the ticking clock issue of increasing numbers of pending retirements. Taylor Guitar is known for having little turnover among its staff; and having been in operation since 1974, a wave of pending retirements loom for the company. This is troubling for Robertson in an environment where it is not simple to automate many of the tasks due to the high degree of material variances.

Beyond retirement issues, another example of the need for Robertsons investigation into automating the critical wood inspection and classification processes at Taylor Guitars is highlighted by the personal circumstances of a key Taylor employee in this department. Though this employee is not retiring any time soon, she is leaving the company because she is getting married and moving away.

Finding people who want to work at Taylor Guitars is not difficult, Robertson said, but finding experienced people is not easy and getting them up to speed on our processes takes time.

Describing one of the projects he is starting that involves automating the inspection of neck blanks and ebony fingerboards, Robertson pointed out that its not just the workforce timing issue he faces, but also the typical return on investment issues. While such challenges are common, Robertson noted that he has the benefit of what he called the Bob factor, as in Bob Taylor, the owner of Taylor Guitars. Bob may give the green light for a project based on his experience and ability to recognize the production benefits it would bring regardless of any projected return, Robertson said.

Tracking Guitars One aspect of automation that is a critical part of the production process at Taylor Guitars is the tracking of each guitar as it moves through production by means of an RFID chip placed on each guitar topwhich is among the first guitar components made in Taylor Guitars production process.

No information is stored on the RFID chip, Robertson said, but it creates a digital thread for us that allows each guitar to be tracked throughout production. If problems arise at any point, we can follow this digital thread to determine the source of the problem.

Highlighting an example of the effectiveness of the digital thread, Robertson described a time when the company was experiencing issues with guitar finishes. Using the digital thread created by tracking the RFID chip through production, they were able to trace the problem back to the sanding process.

Robertson added that having this digital thread in place also helps the company comply with environmental and regulatory requirements.

The Necks We then moved into the guitar neck milling area of the plant where several 20+-year-old Fadal CNC machines carve the necks out of wood blocks. Were starting to feel the pain with these older CNC machines as they age, Robertson said, noting that its not just maintenance issues, but data collection. I want to have a SCADA system hooked into these machines to help track and monitor resource management, he said.

Looking across racks of recently glued head stocks and necks in this area of the plant, Robertson explained there are a lots of process considerations when it comes to automating and/or speeding up guitar production. By this he meant that what may make sense to automate and move through quickly from a process point of view may not make sense for the materials. For example, we have to let the wood rest after gluing before moving it on to the next assembly step to make sure it reacts correctly.

Clarifying the importance of wood-working knowledge in Taylor Guitars business over automation technology knowledge, Robertson noted: I have a degree in systems engineering, but my boss is a cabinet maker.

This reality is underscored in the guitar body production department where Robertson pointed out that nothing in this department is a focus for automation. The only possible exception to this rule would be in bringing in a robot for some sanding applications to address worker ergonomics.

To alleviate ergonomic issues in this intensive hand-working area, Robertson said that workers here move around constantly to perform different duties. This part of the process could be done in an assembly line fashion, he said, but by moving workers around it avoids repetitive stress injuries and keeps workers interest high.

One area where automation technologies do play a part in this segment of the guitar production process is bending wood to form guitar sides. Robertson said that all of the companys side benders are made in house and use Automation Direct DirectLogic DL06 and DL105 PLCs and Groschopp dc gear motors.

The use of automation is key here because each type of wood has a different bending recipe, Robertson said. He explained that these recipes direct the application of different pressures and temperatures.

Robertson also pointed out the Epilog laser cutting system in this department that is used to cut wood used for the guitars internal bracinga key component of a guitars signature sound. Robertson created a touch screen for this machine to ease the brace-cutting process for workers. Previously, the workers had to look up and enter precise codes into the machine to cut bracing to correct specifications for the various types of guitars. The touch screen he created simplifies the selection process by allowing workers to tap an area of the screen identified by the guitar model for which they are creating the bracing. Once this selection has been made, the proper codes are automatically loaded and the worker only needs to place wood blanks into machine for laser cutting to specifications.

Pickups The three most automated parts of Taylor Guitars production processes are assembly of the piezo pickups, spraying of the polyurethane finishes on the guitars and buffing of the guitars finish.

Assembly of the companys ES2 piezo pickups begins with a vibratory feeder that feeds the pickups crystals onto a conveyor where a Cognex 7010 camera determines the polarity of crystals. These two-sided crystals have a silver (positive polarity) side and a bronze (negative polarity) side. Crystals fed onto the conveyor bronze side up are re-routed through the feeder so that they are all silver side up before being picked by an Epson G3 robot.

In total, three Cognex cameras are used in the pickup assembly process, Robertson saidone to determine polarity of each crystals exposed side via a color sensor camera, another to verify quality of the assembly process, i.e., correct placement of the three crystals into the pickups foil, and assessing final assembly of the pickup.

As the crystals are being selected for correct polarity, a worker puts foil down in the pickup molds. The paper backing on the pickup foil is peeled off and discarded by custom Taylor tooling, after which the Epson robot places insulation on the foil and then installs the printed circuit board (PCB). The first robot which picked the crystals off the conveyor then places the crystals into the slots on the pickup assembly. Once the crystals and PCB are in place, the assembly is folded and a second Epson G3 robot brings the assembly to a foil wrapping station.

Another important aspect of the pickup assembly process is the use of Keyence LR-T sensors to detect presence or absence of parts in pickup assembly.

Finishing The use of a robot to apply a urethane finish to the guitars electrostatically began in the early 2000s, Robertson said. The system for this spray robot application was designed in a joint project between Taylor Guitars and Pinnacle Technologies (a robotics system integrator firm). The system includes an ABB IRB 2400 robot and Rockwell Automation MicroLogix PLCs.

A consistent spray pattern is repeatedly achieved on the various guitars produced here by having the robot move the guitar parts under a stationary sprayer. Having a fixed sprayer and moving the guitars under it achieves a better finish, Robertson said, than by fixing the sprayer to a robot arm and having it move around the guitar part.

My rule of thumb, said Robertson, is if the tool is heavier than the part, its better to move the part than the tool.

Buffing Early this year, the company upgraded its robotic buffing system. Robertson noted that this was one of the first areas ever automated at Taylor Guitars because of the intense ergonomic issues involved in having workers position guitars against high-speed rotating buffers.

The previous buffing system handled 80-85 percent of the buffing process, with the new system handling 95-98 percent of the process. Final finishing, Robertson stressed, is still done by hand.

Like the robotic spraying system for guitar finish application, the robotic buffing system is another joint Taylor Guitars/Pinnacle project which uses an ABB IRB 4600 robot and Rockwell Automation CompactLogix PLCs and Kinetix drives. The Allen-Bradley motors, inverters and PLCs handle compensation of the buffing wheels, said Robertson, which is key to maintaining the correct pressure of the buffing wheels against the guitars.

The ABB robot programs in the buffing system were initially programmed via a root teach pendant. Robertson said he then refined these programs in MasterCam to fine-tune robot movements based on each guitars CAD models. It takes about a week to prove out the process for each guitar type, he said.

Balluff RFID readers in the buffing area are used for digital thread tracking. Though these RFID readers are only used for tracking now, Robertson said he plans to use them to trigger programs in the Allen-Bradley controls to initiate the proper buffing program for the associated guitar.

The robotic buffing system previously used by Taylor Guitar before this years upgrade has been re-purposed by ABB for use in the companys Tecate factory where buffing is still done by hand. This will be their introduction to using robots in the Tecate factory, Robertson said.

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Finding the Fit for Automation - Automation World

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