Technology

Lithuanian company AUGA Group launched the first batch of a new hybrid tractor

Published

3 years ago

February 16, 2023

VILNIUS, Lithuania, Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Agtech company and organic food producer AUGA group today officially launched its hybrid tractor, AUGA M1, for professional use from the first batch of production. Developed and assembled in Lithuania, the tractor is powered by biomethane and electric drives and is able to operate continuously for up to 12 hours. Compared to diesel-powered analogues, one such tractor reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 100 tonnes a year, AUGA group data shows.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9142151-auga-launched-hybrid-tractors/

“Agriculture is responsible for 20% of global emissions, and there have been no real solutions for reducing pollution in this sector. AUGA group took the initiative several years ago to develop technologies that could enable a breakthrough in this area and let to farmers work more sustainably and to consumers choose food with no cost to nature. A year ago, we introduced a prototype of a hybrid tractor and undertook a series of technology tests which allowed us to improve that conceptual model. Today, a year later, we have the result that we promised everyone − the new version of the AUGA M1. The tractors from this first production batch will start their work on farms already in 2023,” says Kęstutis Juščius, the CEO of AUGA group.

According to the CEO, AUGA group received proposals to manufacture the first batch of tractors not only from Lithuania, but also from foreign manufacturers. But AUGA group was keen to ensure that these technologies developed in Lithuania would be assembled in the country as well. So for this first batch AUGA group chose the Rokiškis Machine Factory, which has many years of experience in the production of agricultural machinery.

Differences between the factory tractor and the conceptual model

During tests, AUGA group engineers found ways to reduce energy losses and boost the overall efficiency of the electric drive. They also managed to lighten the tractor’s construction, resulting in lower energy consumption and less pressure on the soil during operation.

The first production batch consists of three tractors. Each includes different components. Serial production will use a combination of the technological solutions that showed the best results over this year’s production tests. The factory version of the AUGA M1 hybrid tractor incorporates components from world-renowned manufacturers, such as a Ford internal combustion engine and a CLAAS cab.

AUGA group also updated the design of the AUGA M1 tractors. According to Kęstutis Juščius, this version of tractor’s design will be the basis for further production.

“In creating the prototype, we focused on developing the technology without paying much attention to the design. Now we are presenting the appearance of the future serial production model. The colour of the new tractor is anthracite brown. Anthracite is the world’s oldest coal, while brown is the colour of naturally fertile earth. With the help of all the technologies we develop, we will be storing carbon in the soil in order to reduce the amount in the atmosphere. And as we work sustainably, the land will become more fertile,” the CEO of AUGA group says.

Unique solutions

Developed by Lithuanian engineers, the AUGA M1 hybrid tractor is unique for its solutions to problems that the world’s largest agricultural machinery manufacturers have not managed to solve – achieving long hours of operation and convenient refuelling.

“To date, the gas-powered tractors that have been developed around the world have only been able to work up to 4 hours at a time in the field, as the gas cylinders did not physically fit into the tractor’s structure. The design by our engineers allows the tractor to accommodate larger biomethane gas cylinders. The second obstacle to the spread of biomethane-powered tractors is the underdeveloped biomethane refuelling station infrastructure. We’ve solved this problem by offering a quick and convenient gas cartridge replacement, which is filled at the biomethane plant, not on the tractor, and delivered to each farm. This will eliminate the need for biomethane refuelling stations on farms” says Kęstutis Juščius.

The AUGA M1 tractor uses a hybrid biomethane-electric fuel system. During the operation of the tractor, an internal combustion engine powered by biomethane generates energy and transmits it directly to electric motors that rotate the wheels.

Under normal conditions which do not require high power, the tractor accumulates the generated energy reserve in its batteries. The system does not waste energy under low-load conditions, uses a relatively small but efficient engine, and is capable of producing enormous power when needed.

Plans for the future

According to the AUGA group’s CEO, the aim is for the new tractors to be used not just by Lithuanian farmers but also by farmers around the world. Moreover, it is aimed that the operating costs of the AUGA M1 tractor will be the same as those of diesel-powered tractors.

The total investment to date to develop the conceptual model of the AUGA M1 tractor and to produce the first batch is more than €3 million. Since the launch of the prototype, the company has doubled the size of its engineering team and plans to hire even more engineering personnel.

After the technological tests in the fields, AUGA group will aim to start mass production as soon as possible this year.

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SOURCE AUGA Group

Technology

Bobby Lehew Named commonsku’s Chief AI Officer — an Industry First in Promo

Published

40 minutes ago

April 20, 2026

TORONTO, April 20, 2026 /CNW/ – commonsku, the connected workflow platform trusted by 950+ distributors driving $1.9 billion in network volume, today announced the creation of a dedicated AI + Strategy role, promoting Bobby Lehew to Chief AI Officer to lead the company’s AI initiative for customers and the platform. The move makes commonsku the first platform in the promotional products industry to invest at the leadership level in AI strategy shaped directly by distributor needs.

The new role bridges the gap between what AI can do and what commonsku’s customers need it to solve, owning the intelligence loop between customers, product, and the AI landscape. What makes the role distinct: it combines AI landscape intelligence, product strategy influence, direct customer engagement, and industry thought leadership in a single role.

A Natural Evolution

Lehew brings more than 30 years of experience in the promotional products industry to the role. Prior to joining commonsku, he was the CEO of Robyn Promotions, a company among the first wave of distributors who architected the model of technology driven e-commerce company stores in the industry, earning three consecutive Inc. 5000 rankings. Always tech-forward in his work, his industry recognition includes multiple Gold and Silver PPAI Pyramid Awards.

The shift to AI strategy is a natural next chapter for Lehew. At commonsku, he built the company’s content engine from scratch — co-hosting the skucast (350+ episodes, the #1 promotional products podcast) while leaning heavily into AI for all his work. He is editor of The AI Promo Brief, the industry’s go-to resource for AI developments in promotional products, and speaks frequently on the future of merch and the cultural shifts transforming how we sell. At PPAI Expo 2026, his AI session packed the room to capacity and was named a must-attend session by PPAI editors. The industry has been watching Lehew move deeper into AI for over a year. This role makes it official.

Investing in AI for Customers

“The industry is at an inflection point with AI, and distributors need a partner who understands their business,” said Catherine Graham, CEO of commonsku. “commonsku has always been built ‘by promo, for promo.’ Bobby has three decades of that expertise, a passion for helping our customers, and the strategic insight to shape AI tools for future growth. This role reflects our mission: making sure our AI tools solve real problems for real distributors.”

“The companies pulling ahead are the ones leading with customer intelligence – letting what they learn from their community shape what they build and advancing with the frontier of AI development. That’s what this role is designed to do. I’ll be talking with our customers at every level about AI and making sure the features we build make work smarter, drive growth, and eliminate friction.” said Lehew.

“Bobby and I have been creative partners for years, always pushing each other to see around corners for this industry,” said Mark Graham, President of commonsku. “We’ve launched multiple projects together and helped educate and raise the standard for what the future distributor can look like. This role is a natural evolution of that passion. He deeply understands the industry and the distributor’s pain points, and he sees with us an incredible opportunity with AI. We’re thrilled to build commonsku’s AI future together.”

commonsku’s AI investments are already in motion. The skubot Mockup Generator is in beta with Advanced and Enterprise customers, a new Opportunity Agent is entering beta as an AI-powered business intelligence tool, and the company’s immediate roadmap includes a Description Rewriter, Auto-Art Configuration, and a Presentation Generator with much more to come.

About commonsku

commonsku is the workflow platform of choice for the promotional products industry. Built by industry experts, it combines CRM, order management, and social collaboration tools in one cloud-based solution. Over 950 distributors and the industry’s largest suppliers rely on commonsku to power $1.9 billion in network volume. With commonsku, teams process more orders, work more efficiently, and grow their sales faster. Learn more at www.commonsku.com.

SOURCE commonsku

Technology

The Oxygen Plan Corporation Files Utility Patent on O2OS™ Pre-Diagnostic Behavioral Health Architecture — Measurement, Routing, Reimbursement, Governance; 2008 Prior Art

Published

40 minutes ago

April 20, 2026

Four-layer architecture spans measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance. 2008 filing predates the Apple App Store and the current generation of digital behavioral health platforms.

MINNEAPOLIS, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Oxygen Plan Corporation today filed a Track One (prioritized examination) utility patent application covering the O2OS™ architecture — spanning measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance — with foundational disclosures dating to April 22, 2008.

We built the pre-diagnostic measurement layer to make risk visible before it becomes a clinical event. Our role is architecture and calibration. Deployment, operations, and vertical execution sit with institutional partners. — Eric Lucas, Founder-Governor • The Oxygen Plan Corporation

O2OS™ establishes a structured, pre-diagnostic measurement framework that makes behavioral health risk visible, routable, and economically measurable before it becomes a clinical event.

The 2008 filing predates the launch of the Apple App Store.

The subsequent 2009 PCT publication predates the current generation of digital behavioral health platforms.

THE ARCHITECTURE

O2OS™ is a four-layer operating system for behavioral health:

Measurement — Stress Number™, a composite score across Home, Work, and Social domains (each scored 0–100), designed to produce a bounded, interoperable pre-diagnostic behavioral health signalRouting — Smart Referral Engine™, threshold-triggered and tri-hierarchical, designed to match individuals to appropriate resourcesReimbursement — CPT-aligned workflow support, intended to enable billing integrationGovernance — the Automated Governance Utility™, a license registry and access control layer designed to support neutrality and structured participation

The system operates as a closed-loop architecture in which pre-diagnostic measurement informs routing, routing aligns with reimbursement pathways, and governance enables coordinated operation at scale.

STRUCTURAL GAPS

Behavioral health systems currently operate with two unresolved structural gaps:

Penetration Gap — the majority of individuals remain unmeasured at the pre-diagnostic stageRouting Gap — measured individuals are not consistently routed to appropriate resources

O2OS™ is designed as a pre-diagnostic measurement and routing architecture that addresses both conditions within a unified system.

FEDERAL ALIGNMENT

O2OS™ is aligned with established federal and reimbursement pathways, including CMS Coverage with Evidence Development (CED), CPT 96127 and CPT 96138, Medicaid 1115 Waivers, HEDIS quality measures, and CMS Aim 1 for prevention and early detection.

CLINICAL VALIDATION

Stress Number™ has been validated working in collaboration with Mayo Clinic (Archives of Psychology, 2018, N=292). O2OS™ functions as a pre-diagnostic measurement layer designed to support routing toward existing clinical tools and workflows.

About The Oxygen Plan Corporation

The Oxygen Plan Corporation develops O2OS™ — a pre-diagnostic measurement, routing, reimbursement, and governance architecture for behavioral health. Foundational disclosures date to 2008 prior art, with peer-reviewed clinical validation conducted working in collaboration with Mayo Clinic.

Learn more at:

www.theoxygenplan.com

Statements describe system architecture, intended capabilities, and alignment pathways. Implementation and outcomes vary by partner, deployment, and regulatory context.

Media Contact

Chris Lechuga, The Oxygen Plan Corporation, 1 877 897-6520, chris@rockerpr.com, www.theoxygenplan.com

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SOURCE The Oxygen Plan Corporation

Technology

West Monroe Named in Customer Experience Strategy Consulting Services Landscape by Independent Research Firm

Published

40 minutes ago

April 20, 2026

Firm believes inclusion reflects its ability to connect customer experience, AI, and execution to measurable business outcomes

CHICAGO, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — West Monroe, a global business and technology consulting firm, announced it has been named among Notable Providers in The Customer Experience Strategy Consulting Services Landscape, Q2 2026. The report serves as a resource for executives and customer experience leaders evaluating customer experience strategy consulting providers, offering an overview of 28 providers across the market based on factors such as geographic focus, industry expertise, and business scenarios.

As organizations look to increase customer stickiness and drive growth, many are increasing investment in customer experience strategy while also exploring how AI can enable more personalized, efficient, and scalable experiences. At the same time, organizations face growing pressure to demonstrate clear business value—driving demand for partners that can embed data and AI into end-to-end customer journeys and translate those investments into measurable outcomes.

“Customer experience is evolving as AI expands what’s possible—and raises the bar for how organizations deliver it,” said Chuck Malone, Platforms & Customer Strategy Lead at West Monroe. “We believe our inclusion reflects our focus on helping clients move beyond strategy to execution, embedding data and AI into customer journeys in a way that improves engagement, strengthens retention, and delivers measurable business results.”

West Monroe brings longstanding experience helping organizations design and implement customer-centric strategies across industries including healthcare, banking, energy and utilities, insurance, and consumer & industrial products.

As part of the report, Forrester asked each provider included in the Landscape to identify the business scenarios for which clients most often engage them and highlighted extended scenarios that differentiate providers. In addition to the core business scenarios identified in the report—business assessment and analysis, customer research, and vision and strategy setting—West Monroe highlighted prioritization and roadmapping, technology transformation, and workforce enablement among the extended scenarios.

A core focus of the firm’s customer experience work is contact center and service transformation—helping organizations redesign customer journeys, modernize operations, and implement AI-enabled platforms to improve service experiences and reduce cost-to-serve.

The firm’s customer experience work has delivered measurable results for clients across industries, including:

Healthcare: Redesigned critical contact center workflows for a healthcare organization, improving first-call resolution by 68%, reducing clinic task volume by 33%, and increasing patient satisfaction.Energy & Utilities: Built a Salesforce-powered digital portal in 60 days to support solar rebate programs, reducing approval timelines by more than 60% and enabling administration of 25+ clean energy programs.Banking: Led a digital transformation for a mid-market bank, reimagining onboarding, servicing, and program management—driving more than $100M in new deposits, $550K+ in annual cost avoidance, and a 96% platform adoption rate.

Learn more about West Monroe’s customer experience services: https://www.westmonroe.com/services/customer-experience-platforms.

Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity here.

About West Monroe

West Monroe is a global business and technology consulting firm passionate about creating value for our clients. We co-create solutions that accelerate results now and prepare industries to tackle what’s next. We’re excited by the possibilities that technology creates. We work with our clients to deliver on the possible, building on their goals, generating fresh insights and creating inspiring outcomes.

We excel at the intersection of industry, strategy, people and technology—always driving rapid impact. Our all-in approach comes from our unique employee ownership structure. Our clients’ success is our success. From the beginning, our growth has come from putting people at the center. Fortune and USA Today consistently celebrate West Monroe as a top workplace, and we’re recognized as a leading consultancy by Forbes and Business Insider. Let’s find more value for your business.

Share our passion at westmonroe.com

Media Inquiries
Christina Galoozis
Director, Communications & Public Relations
cgaloozis@westmonroe.com
847-302-1762

Shira Cohen
Manager, Public Relations
scohen@westmonroe.com
443-841-6879

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SOURCE West Monroe