AI & Technology

General Motors earned the 2017 EPA ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence award for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. GM’s commitment to reducing energy intensity saved $73 million in energy costs last year and avoided 388,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, equivalent to the electricity use of 57,000 U.S. homes.

As the building industry changes, architects, engineers, and developers must look forward and plan for the impact of workplace trends and disruptive technology on the commercial real estate industry. So how do you design a building for the future? Our advice: integrate IT services and connectivity infrastructure in the planning process for all commercial developments and redevelopments.

In the context of our interconnected 21st century social, political, economic and ecological challenges, the critical distinction between complexity and reductionism is far from a trivial one. It is, in fact, a life or death insight.

In 2016, we worked with third party partner, The Carbon Trust, on a lifecycle assessment to recertify the product carbon footprints of three different bags of Flexbumin 25% [Albumin (Human)] sold in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia. From plasma collection, to manufacturing, distribution, and end-of-life, the assessment looked at the whole product lifecycle to understand where the biggest carbon impacts arose.

Across the U.S., there is a significant shortage of medical geneticists. With only one geneticist for every 600,000 individuals, the U.S. has less than half of the genetic workforce it needs. As an issue directly related to our business, we announced a $1.65 million grant to the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine. The ACMG Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to attract and fund training for the next generation of medical geneticists and genetic counselors. The Foundation also sponsors important research, and promotes information about medical genetics.