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Re:course AI Secures $4.3m to Reimagine Healthcare Training with AI-Powered Digital Humans

The “Flight Simulator for healthcare and life sciences” addresses staffing pressures, continuous learning demands and the pace of innovation in life sciences

Re:course AI, the artificial intelligence (AI) flight simulator for healthcare training, has secured $4.3 million in seed funding in a round led by Par Equity and including Northern Gritstone, the GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura, Rob Wood (founder of STEM Healthcare) and the founders of Current Health.

The company is looking to expand its engineering team and enter new markets at a time when the global healthcare industry must urgently address chronic staffing shortages, the accelerating pace of innovation in life sciences and expectations for improved patient outcomes. Already integrated into healthcare institutions in the US and UK, Re:course AI will develop the skills of doctors and nurses at scale, eventually producing new clinicians autonomously using generative AI models to give digital humans and virtual tutors the ability to hold natural conversations with healthcare professionals.

“Re:course AI has the potential to disrupt how the healthcare professionals of the future are trained, as the demand for virtual AI-based training is growing,” Aidan MacMillan, Senior Investment Manager, Par Equity. “The medical and AI capability within Re:course AI has enabled a unique approach to training for healthcare and life sciences professionals which can handle a wide variety of real world scenarios. We are excited to be supporting Scott, Maksim and the rest of the Re:course AI team at this important step in their journey.”

Flight simulator for healthcare and life sciences

Re:course AI was founded by Dr. Scott Martin, CEO and Dr. Maksim Belousov, CTO who describe the company as the “flight simulator for healthcare and life sciences.” It uses AI models and digital human avatars in virtual training exercises to provide hospital doctors, GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals with realistic patient interactions and automatic feedback. The AI-powered digital human platform can provide training on any scenario as Re:course AI has teamed up with clinical experts to build up a bank of dozens of avatars with different conditions covering every demographic, thus addressing issues around bias. Tutors can also support medical professionals examining multiple conditions, almost acting like a co-pilot to steer individuals through training.

“The strength of Re:course AI’s proposition and the interest it has attracted from the venture capital community underlines how dynamic the tech start-up scene is in the Manchester-Leeds-Sheffield region,” said Northern Gritstone CEO Duncan Johnson. “Re:course AI builds on the strong tradition in artificial intelligence in Manchester that started with the ‘Father of AI’ Alan Turing. We are delighted to be supporting the company’s ambition to fundamentally improve healthcare training and show the commercial potential of the North of England on the world stage.”

Reimagining the potential of healthcare professionals

With all the pressures and cost constraints facing healthcare providers around the world, Re:course AI’s digital human platform provides more capacity and scalability at a time when practitioners are immensely time-poor. The platform is delivered as standardised training to give greater confidence in the consistency of diagnosis and treatment and early indications from evaluation of the technology show it significantly improves the performance of clinicians during patient encounters in role-playing exercises ranging from diagnosing rare cancers to assessing mental health conditions.

“The aviation industry is another sector where safety is of paramount importance, and it has led the way in demonstrating the value of simulated training to maintain and update the skills of pilots,” said Dr. Scott Martin, CEO and co-founder, Re:course AI. “We believe AI will augment, not replace, the healthcare workforce of the future and we have already demonstrated in our customer implementations that Re:course AI can be the flight simulator for medical training. We are delighted to receive the backing of our investors, as we are keen to expand our team to respond to growing global demand for our digital human platform.”

Re:course AI has a joint collaboration with USC Keck School of Medicine, the prestigious US Medical Centre (home of the first “Standardized Patient Actor”) which is exploring the use of its technology in medical training and the company has received $1.2m from NHS England SBRI Healthcare for cutting edge simulations to develop critical communication and decision making skills in healthcare professionals faster and at lower cost. It is also conducting a pilot with the NHS in South Yorkshire across Primary Care clinicians and it has worked with the Ministry of Defence on medical training for clinicians to support mental health outcomes in military personnel and veterans. In the US, Western Michigan University School of Medicine has integrated Re:course AI into its undergraduate and continuing medical education courses to provide anytime access to fully conversational, voice-interactive digital human patient avatars.

“The Re:course AI team has proven that their digital human platform can help healthcare professionals maximise the time they spend on their clinical development” said Sim Singh-Landa, Head of the GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura supported by GMCA, Cheshire & Warrington LEP and Bruntwood SciTech. “Re:course AI put safety and ethics at the heart of their development process and have been welcomed by the healthcare community. At Praetura, we will be offering our ‘More Than Money’ support as this exciting Manchester-based team now looks to scale, helping connect them with industry professionals who can support the company’s growth.”

The Re:course AI platform is also applicable in Life Sciences where innovation is accelerating faster than ever in areas such as drug discovery. These developments are outpacing the ability of healthcare professionals to stay up-to-date, creating an urgent need to speed up the process of clinical learning.

New promotions drive growth and success for Manchester planning specialist

Manchester planning and development consultancy Lichfields has revealed several senior promotions as it continues to develop and expand its operations.

Katie Howarth and Kirstie Oakey become planning directors based at Lichfields King Street office. They are joined by new senior planner Clover Long.

Recognising their ongoing contributions to the business, chief executive James Fennell said: “These promotions reflect the excellent work these staff have undertaken for our clients. We have achieved another year of record revenue levels and our promoted staff have played a big part in that success.

“The promotions are extremely well deserved and reflect Lichfields’ continued focus on investing in our staff and in the future growth of the business. The promotions encapsulate the diversity of talent we have at Lichfields, across all our offices and functions.”

Lichfields currently employs 243 people across its nine national offices.

The revenue of TransPerfect saw an increase of 4.6% in 2022

Company Adds $51 Million in Top-Line Revenue in 30th Year of Consecutive Growth

TransPerfect, the world’s largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business, revealed 2022 billed revenues of $1.16 billion. A strong 2021 marked the company’s 30th consecutive year of revenue growth, a 4.6% increase over 2021.

TransPerfect President and CEO Phil Shawe stated, “Looking back on 2022, we're proud to have grown revenues by more than $50 million in a challenging economic environment. Our team deserves a lot of credit for diversifying our business across geographies, industries, and technology offerings—this mix added to the resilience of our performance.”

TransPerfect’s strategy of providing solutions that are global in scope but local in delivery continues to drive its business. 2022 saw the company's global footprint expand to eight new cities, including Casablanca, Delhi, El Paso, Ho Chi Minh City, Lagos, Nairobi, and Santo Domingo. The local presence in each of these markets enhances the company’s ability to serve clients.

Growth in TransPerfect’s AI-driven neural MT solution, GlobalLink NOW, accelerated in 2022 with over 80 billion words processed and a 100% increase in sales, highlighting customer enthusiasm for using best-in-breed technology to reduce costs and accelerate time-to-market.

In addition, e-discovery and litigation technology solutions were strong performers with an 11% increase in the TransPerfect Legal Solutions division.

Two significant M&A highlights of 2022, both occurring in the latter half of the year, are expected to contribute to 2023 growth:

– Sterling Technology, Europe’s leading provider of virtual data room (VDR) solutions for secure content sharing in M&A transactions (www.sterlingvdr.com)

– Hiventy Group, a leading French media house that provides dubbing, subtitling, post-production, content distribution, and film restoration services to over half of all movies released in Europe each year (www.hiventy.com)

TransPerfect’s flagship technology products and associated services continue to be a substantial driver of growth. In 2022, more than 500 new clients deployed TransPerfect’s GlobalLink solutions to help streamline their global content, resulting in an 11% year-over-year increase in technology licensing revenue.

The company remained consistent with its core value of "giving back" to the communities in which it operates in 2022. TransPerfect and its employees worked together to make significant contributions to many important organizations, including Girls Who Code, The V Foundation for Cancer Research, CFES Brilliant Pathways, CLEAR Global, Athlete Ally, Bottom Line, AFANOC, and Toys for Tots.

About TransPerfect
TransPerfect is the world’s largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 100 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 200+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 6,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect’s GlobalLink ® technology to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

What is a Criminal Injury and How Can Businesses Avoid One?

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Businesses can be exposed to criminal injury claims in a number of ways, but there are things they can do to reduce the risk. Take a look…

Criminal injury refers to any physical harm caused to an individual as a result of a criminal act. This can range from minor cuts and bruises to serious injuries such as broken bones, head injuries, or even death.

Criminal injury, and any subsequent criminal injury claims, can have a significant impact on the victim, both physically and emotionally. They can result in ongoing pain and suffering, lost income, and the need for medical treatment.

In this article, we’ll be exploring the number of ways a business may be liable for criminal injury, and some ways to avoid this.

What is a Criminal Injury?

In the context of a business environment, criminal injury refers to any physical harm that occurs to an individual as a result of a criminal act while they are in the workplace. This can include acts such as assault, battery, robbery, and other forms of violence.

Criminal injuries can have a significant impact on the victim, both physically and emotionally. The cost of criminal injury to a business can also be substantial, as it can result in decreased productivity, lost time, and increased insurance costs.

It is the responsibility of businesses to provide a safe working environment for their employees and customers, and to take steps to reduce the risk of criminal injury. This can include implementing security measures such as CCTV, security lighting, and security personnel, as well as providing training to employees on how to respond to criminal acts and what to do in the event of a criminal injury.

If a criminal injury occurs in a business environment, the business should take immediate steps to ensure the safety of employees and customers, report the crime to the police, and notify their insurance company. The business should also take steps to secure the crime scene and preserve any evidence that may be relevant to the investigation.

In the UK, businesses can also take steps to ensure that they are covered against the cost of criminal injury by taking out insurance policies such as public liability insurance, employers’ liability insurance, and crime insurance.

These policies can provide financial protection in the event of a criminal injury and can help to ensure that the victim receives the medical treatment and compensation they need.

How Can Businesses Avoid Criminal Injury?

Having the right policies in place can play a critical role in preventing criminal injury claims in the workplace. These policies can serve as a guide for employees and provide clear expectations for behaviour and procedures in the event of a criminal act. Some of the key policies that can help prevent criminal injury in the workplace include:

  • Security Measures: Implementing security measures such as CCTV, security lighting, and security personnel can help to deter criminal activity and provide a safer working environment for employees and customers.
  • Employee Training: Providing employees with training on how to respond to criminal acts, what to do in the event of a criminal injury, and how to protect themselves and others, can help to increase their awareness and preparedness in the face of danger.
  • Emergency Response Plan: Having a well-defined emergency response plan in place can help to ensure that employees and customers know what to do in the event of a criminal act and can provide a clear and quick response to minimise harm.
  • Background Checks: Conducting background checks on employees and contractors can help to reduce the risk of hiring individuals with a criminal history who may pose a greater risk of criminal injury to others in the workplace.
  • Reporting Procedures: Establishing clear reporting procedures for criminal acts can help to ensure that incidents are reported promptly, accurately, and effectively, allowing for a quick response and investigation.
  • Insurance Coverage: Obtaining insurance coverage such as public liability insurance, employers’ liability insurance, and crime insurance can provide financial protection in the event of a criminal injury and help to ensure that the victim receives the medical treatment and compensation they need.
  • Regular Review and Update: Regularly reviewing and updating policies can help to ensure that they remain relevant and effective in preventing criminal injury in the workplace, and that the business is prepared for changes in the criminal landscape.

What Can Businesses Do If a Criminal Injury Occurs?

If a criminal injury occurs, businesses should take immediate steps to ensure the safety of employees and customers. This may involve calling the police and providing first aid to the victim. The business should also take steps to secure the crime scene and preserve any evidence that may be relevant to the investigation.

In addition to reporting the crime to the police, businesses should also notify their insurance company as soon as possible. This will help to ensure that the victim receives the medical treatment and compensation they need.

Be Prepared for Any Eventuality

As you can see, business should be prepared for any eventuality in the workplace. They can take steps to avoid criminal injury by implementing security measures and providing training to employees on how to respond to criminal acts.

If a criminal injury occurs, businesses should take immediate steps to ensure the safety of employees and customers, report the crime to the police, and notify their insurance company.

By taking these steps, businesses can help to reduce the risk of criminal injury and ensure that victims receive the medical treatment and compensation they need.

Please be advised that this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a trained business professional. Be sure to consult a business professional if you’re seeking advice about your business responsibilities. We are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

OBI finalise 10-year deal in Manchester with HCC Solicitors

Commercial real estate consultants OBI have completed a 10-year lease with HCC Solicitors (HCC) at a Greater Manchester flagship office development.

The HCC group have taken a total of 11,886 sq ft of fully fitted and furnished space across two floors at Trafford House in Old Trafford.

The space features a secure cycle hub, showers and changing facilities, a large communal co-working lounge complete with kitchen, outdoor seating and meeting rooms, a studio gym with Les Mills fitness classes, and a vibrant community events programme.

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Andrew Cowell, Transactions and Asset Management at OBI, said:““Trafford House is a great space for HCC and we’re delighted to have helped them with their relocation to continue their growth. Trafford House has been refurbished to provide high quality amenity and this flexible, high quality office space will perfectly support HCC’s new ways of working.”

Rob Myer, Director at HCC, said: “OBI have been highly professional throughout the process and it’s been a pleasure to work with them during the search for our new office. We are looking forward to continuing to build our business within the development.”

Brian Coghlan, Director at HCC, added: “We are excited to make Trafford House our national headquarters. It’s a highly visible landmark building and easily accessible with excellent transport links. It’s the perfect location for our Manchester team as we look to extend our specialist range of serious injury services geographically.”

The move follows a period of organic growth across the firm and lateral hires of senior lawyers, bolstering its presence in Manchester, London and Birmingham. 

Amenity surrounding Trafford House includes one of Manchester’s biggest supermarkets, White City retail park and MediaCityUK, which is just a short 15-minute walk away and packed with waterside restaurants and bars. 

ARCHITECTURALLY DRIVEN BOUTIQUE DEVELOPMENT REVEALED IN MANCHESTER’S HISTORIC NORTHERN QUARTER

Boutique developers Urbano Property and Big Red Construction, in partnership with leading International Off-Plan Property Consultancy, LH1 Global, have revealed a first look at a design driven exclusive development in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Comprising 41 one- and two-bedroom apartments, LOMAX has been designed to reflect the industrial heritage of the area, with a detailed brick façade and large glazed windows featuring bronze detailing. Prices will start from £239,950.

Situated on Ducie Street, LOMAX’s design represents a contemporary take on the traditional brick-built warehouse, which will see the eight-storey residential building complement the nearby Ducie Street Warehouse, an aparthotel which is within the converted 18th Century former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railways (MS&LR) cotton storehouse.

Rayna Hunter CEO of LH1 Global commented, said: “LOMAX is in a fantastic location in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, close to excellent amenities and transport links. The building perfectly encapsulates the history of the area and contributes hugely to the extensive regeneration programme that is transforming this vibrant part of Manchester.

“Delivered by a forward-thinking local developer, the homes available will provide much needed accommodation to the city centre and we’re excited to bring them to the market in the coming weeks.”

Well-located, LOMAX is within a six-minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly, whilst the revered Arndale Centre, with over 200 retail outlets and restaurants is under 15 minutes away. Close to an array of cultural hotspots, Market Street, Exchange Square and the Royal Exchange Theatre are all in easy reach.

One of the UK’s best performing cities, Manchester’s economy is expected to grow to £71 billion by the end of 2023, which is in part driven by the burgeoning tourism industry that will see visitor numbers surpass 120 million across the next 12 months. 

In terms of property value growth, it’s difficult to find a better location than Manchester. The UK’s new ‘second city’ has dominated growth charts over the last 20 years and has surpassed every other major UK city.

Manchester’s property market has enjoyed exceptional growth in the last decade, with prices rising by 85% and forecasts predicting a further increase of 15% by 2026. Demand is set to further increase due to Manchester’s 11-year status as the ‘UK’s No.1 City for Liveability’ in the Global Liveability Index.

For further information on LOMAX contact LH1 Global on Tel: 0207 129 7900 or Emailinfo@LH1.Global

Prime Manchester development site up for auction

A 2.1-acre development opportunity close to Old Trafford is being sold at the forthcoming Acuitus auction with a guide price of £1.5m.

Wright Street and Empress Street woRKS mANCHESTER
The site at 418 Chester Road previously had planning permission for a high-density residential development of around 200 units.

Acuitus Director, Charlie Powter, comments: “This is an exceptional opportunity for developers to buy a development site in a strong location”.

The Acuitus auction will take place on Thursday February 16th at 2pm and will be broadcast via livestream on the Acuitus website with bidding online, by telephone and by proxy. 

Further details here.

Two New Senior Hires At Manchester Agency Custard  

Manchester-based digital marketing agency Custard are off to a strong start in 2023, hiring two new senior team members to assist with recent client wins, including Dewalt and Netacea. Nicknamed fondly by their new colleagues as the “Bethi” or “Beth2”, Beth Woodcock and Beth Jordan have joined the team as Senior Technical Executive and Senior Paid Media Executive respectively. 

Before joining, self-confessed networking fanatic Beth Woodcock previously served as a technical analyst and a SEO executive at other agencies. On her move to Custard, Beth said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to have joined Custard! The team are passionate about their work, and I’ve really been able to showcase and share my talent by getting stuck into my role.” 

Beth Jordan comes too with an abundance of PPC experience, including skills in data analysis, paid social and Google Ads, saying: “It’s so nice to join such a friendly, inspiring team that all really care about each other and the work that they do! I’m really excited about getting stuck into working on some exciting new projects, and also developing new opportunities for growth on clients who already have a great, long-standing relationship with Custard.”

Chris Smith, CEO of Custard, stated, “This is going to be a really exciting year for Custard. Why have one Beth when you can have two? The Bethi have brought a wealth of high-quality skills and credentials that are sure to further enhance our dynamic SEO and PPC teams. Recent client wins are showing that brands are excited to invest in marketing, and we’re in the ideal position to produce the best results possible.” 

Custard, located in Manchester city centre, operates across a range of sectors and companies, including B2B, lead gen and ecommerce. 

Design and development of combat air system accelerated

How do you speed up the design and development of a fast jet aircraft? By using data.

It is critical to be able to analyse and use it effectively so that critical technologies of the future can be developed more quickly and efficiently.

The UK Government’s Combat Air Strategy set the goal to realise the next generation combat air capability for the UK in a way which breaks the rising time and cost cycle of complex combat air programmes. In order to achieve this Team Tempest partners are leveraging new, innovative digital technologies – all designed to drive critical pace and efficiency across the programme.

Despite the speed of global technological advances over the last few decades, developing a new fast jet aircraft has traditionally still been a relatively lengthy and expensive process. Now, thanks to schemes like the Data Science Accelerator between BAE Systems and the University of Manchester, this lengthy process will become more agile than ever before.

Andrew Gordon, the Cluster Lead for AI and Digital at BAE Systems Air explains:

“There’s a massive amount of data captured from some of the incredibly complex systems used in fast jet flight. Working in partnership allows for both parties to share our experience and knowledge in exploring the data captured.”

One of three accelerator schemes currently being funded by BAE Systems in the UK, this five year project brings The University of Manchester and BAE Systems Air into a partnership that aims to rapidly develop data science capabilities; turning captured data into new, innovative and transformative aerospace tech solutions.

“The accelerator takes data and helps us formulate simulations and prototypes more quickly and cost effectively than we would using a siloed approach.” Says Andrew.

RS20547 Virtual cockpit imagery virtual assistant
Virtual cockpit imagery.

Professor Hujun Yin, the academic lead for the Accelerator at The University of Manchester added:

“The Data Science Accelerator elevates our collaboration with BAE Systems to another level.

“Projects under the Accelerator; from seminars to workshops and sprints to PhD’s, not only provide snapshots of relevant research advances in Manchester but also offer opportunities for academics to extend their research to tackle the challenges faced by BAE Systems and in engineering applications of data analytics and AI techniques.”

Soon to enter its third year, the programme will focus on further developing projects explored in years one and two. The research being undertaken has the potential to play a critical role in essential programmes which are key to the future of the UK’s combat air sector.

Prominent projects of focus within the scheme could directly feed in to the UK’s flagship Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, Tempest.

One such area being explored includes tests around aerodynamics for example. Using data from wind tunnel testing, the team can rapidly produce different test models, compressing the time that it would normally take to go through the design, prototype production and testing process – saving time, saving cost.

Other projects the scheme is exploring includes a multi-modal data analytics programme which involves developing algorithms that will help aircraft radar with image and object recognition in real time; finding ways to use data to determine pilot workload and adjust systems in real time, and how to potentially replace sensors for virtual ones, boosting aircraft stealth capability.

Andrew added: “Working in more dynamic and agile ways are essential if we’re to produce innovative, smart tech products that our customers want and need for the future.

“We believe collaborative working with world leading academics is fundamental to the advancement of aerospace technology going forward and I’m sure further collaborations as we move forward will have benefits for everyone involved, including our customers down the line.”

Focusing on technology research and development in this collaborative way also benefits skills development. The North West region has long been associated with aerospace engineering excellence and accelerator partnerships such as this supports the enhancement of expertise in using data analytics techniques more effectively, further upskilling the engineers of the future in the region. It is an exciting time to be involved with aerospace innovation as we look to transform ideas into reality and build a competitive fast jet aircraft of tomorrow, today.

PR Agency One helps climate tech specialist with Net Zero mission

Manchester-based PR Agency One is working with global climate tech specialist IES to raise awareness of its digital twin tools developed to accelerate the built environment sector’s drive to Net Zero. 

The agency’s property and development team is supporting Glasgow-headquartered IES to build brand recognition within the digital twin space, deliver national and international coverage, drive visitors to the website and execute engaging niche audience campaigns.

PR Agency One initially worked with IES to raise its profile at COP26 in Glasgow, showcasing the experience and knowledge of the IES team. To do this, the agency designed and delivered an integrated communications campaign. 

The campaign was designed to raise IES’ profile in key sectors, drive website traffic and grow search visibility. It delivered results across paid, earned, shared and owned channels, through a research-led report, a virtual roundtable with a key industry title, earned media outreach and social media and in-house marketing content.

IES and PR Agency One is continuing its brand awareness raising work highlighting the decarbonisation work the business is delivering. Through a series of case studies and targeted features, the story of how technology can help create energy-efficient campuses, office developments and entire towns is being told.

Suzanne Wallace, media and communications manager at IES said: “The work that we do at IES is fundamental to helping all those involved in the built environment to meet net zero goals and fight climate change, as well as improve energy efficiency and independence at a time when this has never been more important.

“PR Agency One has a deep understanding of our sector and are able to deliver creative and effective methods of fulfilling the briefs we set them.”

James Crawford, managing director of PR Agency One said: “IES is a value-driven business, innovating to create real change, develop solutions to fight the climate crisis and better prepare our built environment for the challenges of tomorrow. It’s ethos aligns closely with our values and we’re passionate about building brand awareness for forward-thinking businesses like IES.

“There’s much more to come from this partnership and we look forward to seeing further results this year.”