Artificial Intelligence
DLH Reports Fiscal 2021 Third Quarter Results
Revenue of $61.6 Million; Operating Margins Hit 8.0%
Year-to-Date Operating Cash Flow of $15.4 Million
ATLANTA, Aug. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DLH Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: DLHC) (“DLH” or the “Company”), a leading provider of innovative healthcare services and solutions to federal agencies, today announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2021.
Highlights
- Third quarter revenue increased to $61.6 million in fiscal 2021 from $51.5 million in fiscal 2020, reflecting the acquisition of Irving Burton Associates (“IBA”) and organic program growth
- Operating margins rose to 8.0% in the current year third quarter from 7.4% in the prior-year period
- Earnings were $2.9 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, for the fiscal 2021 third quarter versus $2.1 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2020
- The Company generated $15.4 million in operating cash through June 30, 2021, including $9.3 million in the fiscal third quarter, versus $10.7 million in the comparable prior-year nine-month period
- The April 2021 contract award of the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (“CMOP”) logistics recompete with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) was protested, and subsequently cancelled, in accordance with applicable requirements to address elements of the procurement process. As the review continues, the Company’s existing contract was extended through November 2021 and may be extended further
- Contract backlog was $566.2 million as of June 30, 2021
Management Discussion
“Fiscal 2021 continues to be one of achievement for DLH, as we once again grew the top line, increased margins, and improved overall operating performance in the third quarter,” said DLH President and Chief Executive Officer Zach Parker. “Revenue rose to $61.6 million and operating margins expanded to 8.0%, reflecting strong demand for our technology-enabled solutions across the core federal agencies we serve. At the same time, we generated $9.3 million of cash from operations in the quarter, allowing us to further pay down debt and de-lever the balance sheet. Our backlog remains robust, even as we await resolution on the previously-announced CMOP logistics recompete, for which we expect a favorable outcome. Overall, we anticipate ending fiscal 2021 with strong results against all key metrics, positioning us well for fiscal 2022 against a backdrop of increased healthcare spending, a focus on digitization and cloud computing, and enduring support for Veterans Affairs.”
Results for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2021
Revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2021 was $61.6 million versus $51.5 million in the prior-year period. The increase was due principally to the Company’s IBA acquisition, completed September 30, 2020, which added approximately $7.3 million in revenue, and increased work across other DLH programs.
Income from operations was $4.9 million for the quarter versus $3.8 million in the prior-year period and, as a percent of revenue, the Company reported an operating margin of 8.0% in fiscal 2021 versus 7.4% in fiscal 2020. The current year performance reflects increased revenue contribution from time and materials programs, which generally yield stronger returns than cost reimbursable contracts, and lower general and administrative (“G&A”) expenses, partially offset by higher depreciation and amortization.
Interest expense in the quarter increased to $0.9 million, versus $0.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020, due to higher outstanding debt levels, reflecting the acquisition of IBA. Income before taxes was $4.0 million for the quarter versus $3.0 million in fiscal 2020, representing 6.5% and 5.8% of revenue, respectively, for each period.
For the three months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, DLH recorded a $1.2 million and $0.9 million provision for tax expense. The Company reported net income of approximately $2.9 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2021 versus $2.1 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the third quarter of fiscal 2020. As a percent of revenue, net income was 4.7% for the third quarter of fiscal 2021 versus 4.1% for the prior year period.
On a non-GAAP basis, EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2021 was approximately $7.0 million versus $5.5 million in the prior-year period, or 11.3% and 10.7% of revenue, respectively.
Key Financial Indicators
Fiscal year to date, DLH has generated $15.4 million in operating cash, and has paid down $16.2 million of its secured loan facility. We have satisfied mandatory principal amortization on the loan facility until March 31, 2023. The Company anticipates strong operating cash flow for the remainder of the fiscal year and intends to continue using cash to make debt prepayments when possible.
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $0.7 million and debt outstanding under its credit facility of $53.8 million, versus cash of $1.4 million and debt outstanding of $70.0 million as of September 30, 2020.
At June 30, 2021, total backlog was approximately $566.2 million, including funded backlog of approximately $76.4 million, and unfunded backlog of $489.8 million.
Conference Call and Webcast Details
DLH management will discuss third quarter results and provide a general business update, including current competitive conditions and strategies, during a conference call beginning at 11:00 AM Eastern Time Thursday, August 5, 2021. Interested parties may listen to the conference call by dialing 888-347-5290 or 412-317-5256. Presentation materials will also be posted on the Investor Relations section of the DLH website prior to the commencement of the conference call.
A digital recording of the conference call will be available for replay two hours after the completion of the call and can be accessed on the DLH Investor Relations website or by dialing 877-344-7529 and entering the conference ID 10149431.
About DLH
DLH delivers improved health and readiness solutions for federal programs through research, development, and innovative care processes. The Company’s experts in public health, performance evaluation, and health operations solve the complex problems faced by civilian and military customers alike, leveraging digital transformation, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, cloud-based applications, telehealth systems, and more. With over 2,200 employees dedicated to the idea that “Your Mission is Our Passion,” DLH brings a unique combination of government sector experience, proven methodology, and unwavering commitment to public health to improve the lives of millions. For more information, visit www.DLHcorp.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or DLH`s future financial performance. Any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances or that are not statements of historical fact (including without limitation statements to the effect that the Company or its management “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “intends” and similar expressions) should be considered forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or DLH’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among others, statements regarding estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings and cash flow. These statements reflect our belief and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Our actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements made in this release due to a variety of factors, including: the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”), including the measures to reduce its spread, and its impact on the economy and demand for our services, are uncertain, cannot be predicted, and may precipitate or exacerbate other risks and uncertainties; the risk that we will not realize the anticipated benefits of our recent or any future acquisition; the challenges of managing larger and more widespread operations resulting from our recent acquisition; contract awards in connection with re-competes for present business and/or competition for new business; compliance with new bank financial and other covenants; changes in client budgetary priorities; government contract procurement (such as bid and award protests, small business set asides, loss of work due to organizational conflicts of interest, etc.) and termination risks; the ability to successfully integrate the operations our recent acquisition and of any future acquisitions; and other risks described in our SEC filings. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, as well as subsequent reports filed thereafter. The forward-looking statements contained herein are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections about our industry and business. Such forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and may become outdated over time. The Company does not assume any responsibility for updating forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.
CONTACTS:
DLH HOLDINGS CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Amounts in thousands except per share amounts)
| (unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended | Nine Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 61,555 | $ | 51,459 | $ | 180,913 | $ | 158,495 | ||||||||
| Cost of Operations: | ||||||||||||||||
| Contract costs | 48,365 | 39,615 | 143,092 | 123,895 | ||||||||||||
| General and administrative costs | 6,237 | 6,323 | 18,522 | 18,497 | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 2,014 | 1,721 | 6,105 | 5,340 | ||||||||||||
| Total operating costs | 56,616 | 47,659 | 167,719 | 147,732 | ||||||||||||
| Income from operations | 4,939 | 3,800 | 13,194 | 10,763 | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 893 | 813 | 2,977 | 2,659 | ||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | 4,046 | 2,987 | 10,217 | 8,104 | ||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 1,166 | 863 | 2,956 | 2,352 | ||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 2,880 | $ | 2,124 | $ | 7,261 | $ | 5,752 | ||||||||
| Net income per share – basic | $ | 0.23 | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.58 | $ | 0.47 | ||||||||
| Net income per share – diluted | $ | 0.21 | $ | 0.16 | $ | 0.54 | $ | 0.44 | ||||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic | 12,545 | 12,354 | 12,529 | 12,246 | ||||||||||||
| Diluted | 13,655 | 13,228 | 13,568 | 13,050 | ||||||||||||
DLH HOLDINGS CORP.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands except par value of shares)
| June 30, 2021 |
September 30, 2020 |
|||||||
| (unaudited) | ||||||||
| ASSETS | ||||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 739 | $ | 1,357 | ||||
| Accounts receivable | 36,409 | 32,541 | ||||||
| Other current assets | 3,632 | 3,499 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 40,780 | 37,397 | ||||||
| Equipment and improvements, net | 2,226 | 3,339 | ||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 20,481 | 22,427 | ||||||
| Deferred taxes, net | — | 37 | ||||||
| Goodwill | 65,643 | 67,144 | ||||||
| Intangible assets, net | 49,115 | 52,612 | ||||||
| Other long-term assets | 506 | 606 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 178,751 | $ | 183,562 | ||||
| LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY | ||||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||||
| Debt obligations – current, net of deferred financing costs | $ | — | $ | 6,727 | ||||
| Operating lease liabilities – current | 2,186 | 2,045 | ||||||
| Accrued payroll | 10,208 | 10,611 | ||||||
| Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other current liabilities | 32,630 | 28,578 | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 45,024 | 47,961 | ||||||
| Long-term liabilities: | ||||||||
| Debt obligations – long term, net of deferred financing costs | 51,537 | 60,544 | ||||||
| Operating lease liabilities – long-term | 19,944 | 21,620 | ||||||
| Total long-term liabilities | 71,481 | 82,164 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 116,505 | 130,125 | ||||||
| Shareholders’ equity: | ||||||||
| Common stock, $0.001 par value; authorized 40,000 shares; issued and outstanding 12,545 and 12,404 at June 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, respectively | 13 | 12 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 87,415 | 85,868 | ||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (25,182 | ) | (32,443 | ) | ||||
| Total shareholders’ equity | 62,246 | 53,437 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 178,751 | $ | 183,562 | ||||
DLH HOLDINGS CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in thousands)
| Nine Months Ended | ||||||||
| June 30, | ||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| (unaudited) | ||||||||
| Operating activities | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | 7,261 | $ | 5,752 | ||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 6,105 | 5,340 | ||||||
| Amortization of deferred financing costs | 610 | 551 | ||||||
| Stock based compensation expense | 1,317 | 566 | ||||||
| Deferred taxes, net | 2,177 | 1,987 | ||||||
| Gain from lease modification | — | (121 | ) | |||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities | ||||||||
| Accounts receivable | (3,868 | ) | (6,409 | ) | ||||
| Other current assets | (133 | ) | (1,941 | ) | ||||
| Accrued payroll | (403 | ) | 636 | |||||
| Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other current liabilities | 1,912 | 3,620 | ||||||
| Other long-term assets/liabilities | 410 | 726 | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 15,388 | 10,707 | ||||||
| Investing activities | ||||||||
| Business acquisition adjustment, net of cash acquired | 59 | — | ||||||
| Purchase of equipment and improvements | (53 | ) | (152 | ) | ||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | 6 | (152 | ) | |||||
| Financing activities | ||||||||
| Repayment of secured term loan | (16,200 | ) | (11,500 | ) | ||||
| Payment of deferred financing costs | (43 | ) | (3 | ) | ||||
| Repurchased shares of common stock | — | (211 | ) | |||||
| Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of options | 231 | 27 | ||||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | (16,012 | ) | (11,687 | ) | ||||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents | (618 | ) | (1,132 | ) | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year | 1,357 | 1,790 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of year | $ | 739 | $ | 658 | ||||
| Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information | ||||||||
| Cash paid during the period for interest | $ | 2,321 | $ | 2207 | ||||
| Cash paid during the period for income taxes | $ | 396 | $ | 432 | ||||
| Supplemental disclosures of non-cash activity | ||||||||
| Non-cash cancellation of common stock | $ | — | $ | 211 | ||||
Revenue Metrics
| Nine Months Ended | ||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | |||||
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| Market Mix: | ||||||
| Defense/VA | 58 | % | 48 | % | ||
| Human Services and Solutions | 15 | % | 20 | % | ||
| Public Health/Life Sciences | 27 | % | 32 | % | ||
| Contract Mix: | ||||||
| Time and Materials | 76 | % | 70 | % | ||
| Cost Reimbursable | 20 | % | 28 | % | ||
| Firm Fixed Price | 4 | % | 2 | % | ||
| Prime vs Sub: | ||||||
| Prime | 88 | % | 93 | % | ||
| Subcontractor | 12 | % | 7 | % | ||
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses EBITDA and EBITDA as a percent of revenue as supplemental non-GAAP measures of performance. We define EBITDA as net income excluding (i) interest expense, (ii) provision for or benefit from income taxes and (iii) depreciation and amortization. EBITDA as a percent of revenue is EBITDA for the measurement period divided by revenue for the same period.
These non-GAAP measures of performance are used by management to conduct and evaluate its business during its review of operating results for the periods presented. Management and the Company’s Board utilize these non-GAAP measures to make decisions about the use of the Company’s resources, analyze performance between periods, develop internal projections and measure management performance. We believe that these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in evaluating the Company’s ongoing operating and financial results and understanding how such results compare with the Company’s historical performance.
Reconciliation of GAAP net income to EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure:
| Three Months Ended | Nine Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Amounts in Thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | 2021 | 2020 | Change | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 2,880 | $ | 2,124 | $ | 756 | $ | 7,261 | $ | 5,752 | $ | 1,509 | ||||||||||||
| (i) Interest expense, net | 893 | 813 | 80 | 2,977 | 2,659 | 318 | ||||||||||||||||||
| (ii) Provision for taxes | 1,166 | 863 | 303 | 2,956 | 2,352 | 604 | ||||||||||||||||||
| (iii) Depreciation and amortization | 2,014 | 1,721 | 293 | 6,105 | 5,340 | 765 | ||||||||||||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 6,953 | $ | 5,521 | $ | 1,432 | $ | 19,299 | $ | 16,103 | $ | 3,196 | ||||||||||||
| Net income as a % of revenue | 4.7 | % | 3.7 | % | 1.0 | % | 4.0 | % | 3.6 | % | 0.4 | % | ||||||||||||
| EBITDA as a % of revenue | 11.3 | % | 10.7 | % | 0.6 | % | 10.7 | % | 10.2 | % | 0.5 | % | ||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 61,555 | $ | 51,459 | $ | 10,096 | $ | 180,913 | $ | 158,495 | $ | 22,418 | ||||||||||||
Artificial Intelligence
IBM, Government of Canada, Government of Quebec Sign Agreements to Strengthen Canada’s Semiconductor Industry
Up to $187M CAD to be invested to progress expansion of chip packaging capacity and capabilities and to strengthen R&D at IBM Canada’s Bromont plant
BROMONT, QC, April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM), the Government of Canada, and the Government of Quebec today announced agreements that will strengthen Canada’s semiconductor industry, and further develop the assembly, testing and packaging (ATP) capabilities for semiconductor modules to be used across a wide range of applications including telecommunications, high performance computing, automotive, aerospace & defence, computer networks, and generative AI, at IBM Canada’s plant in Bromont, Quebec. The agreements reflect a combined investment valued at approximately $187M CAD.
“Today’s announcement is a massive win for Canada and our dynamic tech sector. It will create high-paying jobs, invest in innovation, strengthen supply chains, and help make sure the most advanced technologies are Canadian-made. Semiconductors power the world, and we’re putting Canada at the forefront of that opportunity,” said the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
In addition to the advancement of packaging capabilities, IBM will be conducting R&D to develop methods for scalable manufacturing and other advanced assembly processes to support the packaging of different chip technologies, to further Canada’s role in the North American semiconductor supply chain and expand and anchor Canada’s capabilities in advanced packaging.
The agreements also allow for collaborations with small and medium-sized Canadian-based enterprises with the intent of fostering the development of a semiconductor ecosystem, now and into the future.
“IBM has long been a leader in semiconductor research and development, pioneering breakthroughs to meet tomorrow’s challenges. With the demand for compute surging in the age of AI, advanced packaging and chiplet technology is becoming critical for the acceleration of AI workloads,” said Darío Gil, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research. “As one of the largest chip assembly and testing facilities in North America, IBM’s Bromont facility will play a central role in this future. We are proud to be working with the governments of Canada and Quebec toward those goals and to build a stronger and more balanced semiconductor ecosystem in North America and beyond.”
IBM Canada’s Bromont plant is one of North America’s largest chip assembly and testing facilities, having operated in the region for 52 years. Today, the facility transforms advanced semiconductor components into state-of-the-art microelectronic solutions, playing a key role in IBM’s semiconductor R&D leadership alongside IBM’s facilities at the Albany NanoTech Complex and throughout New York’s Hudson Valley. These agreements will help to further establish a corridor of semiconductor innovation from New York to Bromont.
“Advanced packaging is a crucial component of the semiconductor industry, and IBM Canada’s Bromont plant has led the world in this process for decades,” said Deb Pimentel, president of IBM Canada. “Building upon IBM’s 107-year legacy of technology innovation and R&D in Canada, the Canadian semiconductor industry will now become even stronger, allowing for robust supply chains and giving Canadians steady access to even more innovative technologies and products. This announcement represents just one more example of IBM’s leadership and commitment to the country’s technology and business landscape.”
Chip packaging, the process of connecting integrated circuits on a chip or circuit board, has become more complex as electronic devices have shrunk and the components of chips themselves get smaller and smaller. IBM announced the world’s first 2 nanometer chip technology in 2021 and, as the semiconductor industry moves towards new methods of chip construction, advances in packaging will grow in importance.
“Semiconductors are part of our everyday life. They are in our phones, our cars, and our appliances. Through this investment, we are supporting Canadian innovators, creating good jobs, and solidifying Canada’s semiconductor industry to build a stronger economy. Canada is set to play a larger role in the global semiconductor industry thanks to projects like the one we are announcing today. Because, when we invest in semiconductor and quantum technologies, we invest in economic security.” — The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“This investment by IBM in Bromont will ensure that Quebec continues to stand out in the field of microelectronics. An increase in production capacity will solidify Quebec’s position in the strategic microelectronics sector in North America.” — The Honourable Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region
About IBMIBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.
Media ContactLorraine BaldwinIBM [email protected]
Willa HahnIBM [email protected]
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Artificial Intelligence
HITACHI ACQUIRES MA MICRO AUTOMATION OF GERMANY IN EFFORT TO ACCELERATE GLOBAL EXPANSION OF ROBOTIC SI BUSINESS IN THE MEDICAL AND OTHER FIELDS
HOLLAND, Mich., April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501, “Hitachi”) has signed a stock purchase agreement on April 26 to acquire all shares of MA micro automation GmbH (“MA micro automation”, headquartered in St. Leon-Rot, Germany) from MAX Management GmbH (a subsidiary of MAX Automation SE). MA micro automation is a leading provider of robotic and automation technology (robotic SI) including high-speed linear handling systems, high-precision assembly lines, and high-speed vision inspection technology for Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia, for EUR 71.5M million. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2024, pending completion of the customary regulatory filings. After the acquisition is completed, MA micro automation will join JR Automation Technologies, LLC (“JR Automation”), a market leader in providing advanced automation solutions and digital technologies in the robotic system integration business for North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia as a continued effort to expand the company’s global presence.
MA micro automation is a technology leader for automation solutions within micro-assembly. Through its state-of-the-art proprietary high-speed and high-precision automation know-how, combined with unique optical image inspection capabilities, MA micro automation serves high-growth med-tech automation end-markets, covering the production, assembly, and testing medical and optical components including contact lenses, IVD and diabetes diagnostics consumables, and injection molding for medical use. The company was established in 2003 through a carve-out from Siemens*1 and since 2013 has been part of the MAX Automation group.
JR Automation is a leading provider of intelligent automated manufacturing technology solutions, serving customers across the globe in a variety of industries including automotive, life sciences, e-mobility, consumer and industrial products. With over 20 locations between North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, the leading integrator offers nearly 2 million square feet (185,806 sq. m) of available build and engineering floorspace. This acquisition allows JR Automation to further grow and strengthen both the company’s geographical footprint and their continued commitment on expanding support capabilities within the European region and medical market vertical.
“MA micro automation provides engineering, build and support expertise with established capabilities in complex vision applications, high-speed and high-precision automation technologies. When integrated with JR Automation’s uniform global process and digital technologies, this partnership will further enhance our ability to deliver added value and support to all of our customers worldwide and continue to grow our capabilities in the medical market,” says Dave DeGraaf, CEO of JR Automation. “As we integrate this new dimension, impressive talents and abilities of the MA micro automation team we further enhance our ability to serve our customers, creating a more robust and globally balanced offering.”
With this acquisition, Hitachi aims to further enhance its ability to provide a “Total Seamless Solution*2” to connect manufacturer’s factory floors seamlessly and digitally with their front office data, allowing them to achieve total optimization and bringing Industry 4.0 to life. This “Total Seamless Solution” strategy links organizations’ operational activities such as engineering, supply chain, and purchasing to the plant floor and allows for real time, data-driven decision-making that improves the overall business value for customers.
Kazunobu Morita, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Industrial Digital Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd. says, “We are very pleased to welcome MA micro automation to the Hitachi Group. The team is based in Europe, providing robotic SI to global medical device manufacturing customers with its high technological capabilities and will join forces with JR Automation and Hitachi Automation to strengthen our global competitiveness. Hitachi aims to enhance its ability to provide value to customers and grow alongside them by leveraging its strengths in both OT, IT, including robotic SI, and “Total Seamless Solution” through Lumada*3’s customer co-creation framework.”
Joachim Hardt, CEO MA micro automation GmbH says, “Following the successful establishment and growth of MA micro automation within the attractive automation market for medical technology products, we are now opening a new chapter. Our partnership with Hitachi will not only strengthen our global competitive position, but we will also benefit from joint technological synergies and a global market presence. We look forward to a synergistic partnership with Hitachi and JR Automation.”
Outline of MA micro automation
Name
MA micro automation GmbH
Head Office
St. Leon-Rot, Germany
Representative
Joachim Hardt (CEO)
Outline of Business
Automation solutions within micro-assembly
Total no. of Employees:
Approx. 200 (As of April 2024)
Founded
2003
Revenues (2023)
€ 46.5 million
Website
*1
“Siemens” is a registered trademark or trademark of Siemens Trademark GmbH & Co. KG in the U.S. and other countries.
*2
“Total Seamless Solution” is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. in the U.S. and Japan.
*3
Lumada: A collective term for solutions, services and technologies based on Hitachi’s advanced digital technologies for creating value from customers’ data accelerating digital innovation. https://www.hitachi.com/products/it/lumada/global/en/index.html
About JR AutomationEstablished in 1980, JR Automation is a leading provider of intelligent automated manufacturing technology solutions that solve customers’ key operational and productivity challenges. JR Automation serves customers across the globe in a variety of industries, including automotive, life sciences, aerospace, and more.
In 2019, JR Automation was acquired by Hitachi, Ltd. In a strategic effort towards offering a seamless connection between the physical and cyber space for industrial manufacturers and distributers worldwide. With this partnership, JR Automation provides customers a unique, single-source solution for complete integration of their physical assets and data information, offering greater speed, flexibility, and efficiencies towards achieving their Industry 4.0 visions. JR Automation employs over 2,000 people at 21 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.jrautomation.com.
About Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the 3 business sectors of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s revenues as 3 sectors for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totaled 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.
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Artificial Intelligence
$10 million Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize appoints further advisory committee members
D. Sculley, Kevin Buzzard, Leo de Moura, Lester Mackey and Peter J. Liu appointed to the advisory committee for the Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize.
LONDON, April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — XTX Markets’ newly created Artificial Intelligence Mathematical Olympiad Prize (‘AIMO Prize’) is a $10mn challenge fund designed to spur the creation of a publicly shared AI model capable of winning a gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).
XTX Markets is delighted to announce the appointment of five further advisory committee members. This group brings great expertise in machine learning, including D. Sculley, the CEO of Kaggle; Lester Mackey, a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research and a Macarthur Fellow; and Peter J. Liu, a research scientist at Google DeepMind.
Prolific mathematicians Kevin Buzzard, who achieved a perfect score in the International Mathematical Olympiad, and Leo De Moura who is the Chief Architect for Lean, the automated reasoning tool, also join the advisory group.
They join the existing advisory committee members Terence Tao and Timothy Gowers, both winners of the Fields Medal, as well as Dan Roberts, Geoff Smith and Po-Shen Loh.
The AIMO Advisory Committee will support the development of the AIMO Prize, including advising on appropriate protocols and technical aspects, and designing the various competitions and prizes.
Simon Coyle, Head of Philanthropy at XTX Markets, commented:
“We are thrilled to complete the AIMO Advisory Committee with the appointments of D., Kevin, Leo, Lester and Peter. Together, they have enormous experience in machine learning and automated reasoning and are already bringing expertise and wisdom to the AIMO Prize. We look forward to announcing the winners of the AIMO’s first Progress Prize soon, and then publicly sharing the AI models to support the open and collaborative development of AI.”
Further information on the AIMO Prize
There will be a grand prize of $5mn for the first publicly shared AI model to enter an AIMO approved competition and perform at a standard equivalent to a gold medal in the IMO. There will also be a series of progress prizes, totalling up to $5mn, for publicly shared AI models that achieve key milestones towards the grand prize.
The first AIMO approved competition opened to participants in April 2024 on the Kaggle competition platform. The first progress prize focuses on problems pitched at junior and high-school level maths competitions. There is a total prize pot of $1.048m for the first progress prize, of which at least $254k will be awarded in July 2024, There will be a presentation of progress held in Bath, England in July 2024, as part of the 65th IMO.
For more information on the AIMO Prize visit: https://aimoprize.com/ or the competition page on Kaggle: https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/ai-mathematical-olympiad-prize/
Advisory Committee member profiles:
D. Sculley
D. is the CEO at Kaggle. Prior to joining Kaggle, he was a director at Google Brain, leading research teams working on robust, responsible, reliable and efficient ML and AI. In his career in ML, he has worked on nearly every aspect of machine learning, and has led both product and research teams including those on some of the most challenging business problems. Some of his well-known work involves ML technical debt, ML education, ML robustness, production-critical ML, and ML for scientific applications such as protein design.
Kevin Buzzard
Kevin a professor of pure mathematics at Imperial College London, specialising in algebraic number theory. As well as his research and teaching, he has a wide range of interests, including being Deputy Head of Pure Mathematics, Co-Director of a CDT and the department’s outreach champion. He is currently focusing on formal proof verification, including being an active participant in the Lean community. From October 2024, he will be leading a project to formalise a 21st century proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem. Before joining Imperial, some 20 years ago, he was a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, where he had previously been named ‘Senior Wrangler’ (the highest scoring undergraduate mathematician). He was also a participant in the International Mathematical Olympiad, winning gold with a perfect score in 1987. He has been a visitor at the IAS in Princeton, a visiting lecturer at Harvard, has won several prizes both for research and teaching, and has given lectures all over the world.
Leo de Moura
Leo is a Senior Principal Applied Scientist in the Automated Reasoning Group at AWS. In his spare time, he dedicates himself to serving as the Chief Architect of the Lean FRO, a non-profit organization that he proudly co-founded alongside Sebastian Ullrich. He is also honoured to hold a position on the Board of Directors at the Lean FRO, where he actively contributes to its growth and development. Before joining AWS in 2023, he was a Senior Principal Researcher in the RiSE group at Microsoft Research, where he worked for 17 years starting in 2006. Prior to that, he worked as a Computer Scientist at SRI International. His research areas are automated reasoning, theorem proving, decision procedures, SAT and SMT. He is the main architect of several automated reasoning tools: Lean, Z3, Yices 1.0 and SAL. Leo’s work in automated reasoning has been acknowledged with a series of prestigious awards, including the CAV, Haifa, and Herbrand awards, as well as the Programming Languages Software Award by the ACM. Leo’s work has also been reported in the New York Times and many popular science magazines such as Wired, Quanta, and Nature News.
Lester Mackey
Lester Mackey is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, where he develops machine learning methods, models, and theory for large-scale learning tasks driven by applications from climate forecasting, healthcare, and the social good. Lester moved to Microsoft from Stanford University, where he was an assistant professor of Statistics and, by courtesy, of Computer Science. He earned his PhD in Computer Science and MA in Statistics from UC Berkeley and his BSE in Computer Science from Princeton University. He co-organized the second place team in the Netflix Prize competition for collaborative filtering; won the Prize4Life ALS disease progression prediction challenge; won prizes for temperature and precipitation forecasting in the yearlong real-time Subseasonal Climate Forecast Rodeo; and received best paper, outstanding paper, and best student paper awards from the ACM Conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation, the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, and the International Conference on Machine Learning. He is a 2023 MacArthur Fellow, a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, an elected member of the COPSS Leadership Academy, and the recipient of the 2023 Ethel Newbold Prize.
Peter J. Liu
Peter J. Liu is a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind in the San Francisco Bay area, doing machine learning research with a specialisation in language models since 2015 starting in the Google Brain team. He has published and served as area chair in top machine learning and NLP conferences such as ICLR, ICML, NEURIPS, ACL and EMNLP. He also has extensive production experience, including launching the first deep learning model for Gmail Anti-Spam, and using neural network models to detect financial fraud for top banks. He has degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Toronto.
About XTX Markets:
XTX Markets is a leading financial technology firm which partners with counterparties, exchanges and e-trading venues globally to provide liquidity in the Equity, FX, Fixed Income and Commodity markets. XTX has over 200 employees based in London, Paris, New York, Mumbai, Yerevan and Singapore. XTX is consistently a top 5 liquidity provider globally in FX (Euromoney 2018-present) and is also the largest European equities (systematic internaliser) liquidity provider (Rosenblatt FY: 2020-2023).
The company’s corporate philanthropy focuses on STEM education and maximum impact giving (alongside an employee matching programme). Since 2017, XTX has donated over £100mn to charities and good causes, establishing it as a major donor in the UK and globally.
In a changing world XTX Markets is at the forefront of making financial markets fairer and more efficient for all.
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