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Canada Supports New Wood Construction Technologies in British Columbia

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VANCOUVER, BC, March 13, 2025 /CNW/ – Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced over $1.5 million in federal support for three projects focusing on the advancement of prefabricated wood construction in the province of British Columbia. These investments are aimed at promoting construction using Canadian wood and driving sustainable innovation in the forestry and construction sectors.

The following projects are receiving support through Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) program:

$995,000 to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to build the two-storey Robert Bosa Carpentry Pavillion, a “wood first” mass timber building featuring glulam columns and beams and cross-laminated timber floor, roof and wall panels. This zero-carbon, passive house, LEED Gold and Rick Hansen– certified building will serve as an educational hub at BCIT, offering specialized programs in mass timber and hybrid construction, and will contribute to British Columbia’s climate plan.$300,000 to Prefab Buildings Initiative to create energy-efficient mass timber designs for various types of buildings to help address Canada’s housing shortage and make construction faster and more affordable. This project aims to conduct a design workshop to finalize each building prototype, enabling rapid development of prefabricated buildings across Canada. It will stimulate collaboration between manufacturers on the mass production of multi-unit housing models (hotels, apartment retrofits, seniors’ residences, etc.), which will help address a broad range of housing needs.$219,870 to Scius Advisory to create an online directory of companies across Canada that specialize in building prefabricated parts, which can be assembled off-site and transported to construction sites. This project will develop an interactive map to help builders and policymakers better understand the availability of green construction materials and technologies across the country.

These investments will help drive down construction costs, speed up building timelines and increase the availability of affordable and sustainable housing. By advancing the use of state-of-the-art Canadian wood products, the federal government is helping to build a better future, creating jobs and supporting the construction industry’s transition toward the innovative green building practices that drive the demand for Canadian forestry products and forestry expertise.

Quotes

“Developing new markets for Canadian timber not only supports forestry workers and creates jobs but also helps us achieve other goals, including more housing and lower emissions. By promoting the use of low-carbon Canadian wood in construction, the Government of Canada is strengthening communities and local economies in British Columbia — without cutting corners on the environment.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“As the largest trades training provider in Western Canada, BCIT is at the forefront of partnering with industry and government to deliver sustainable solutions that build a greener future. The investment from Natural Resources Canada toward the development of the BCIT Robert Bosa Carpentry Pavilion exemplifies Canada’s leadership in sustainable construction practices while providing a living lab that enhances training and research opportunities for the next generation of skilled tradespeople.” 

Dr. Jeff Zabudsky
President, British Columbia Institute of Technology

“The success of the Prefab Buildings Initiative is a testament to Canadian innovation and collaboration, made possible through the support of NRCan’s GCWood program and the dedication of our nation’s suppliers and manufacturers. Together, we are building a made-in-Canada solution that accelerates housing delivery, enhances sustainability and strengthens our domestic construction industry.”

Andrew Bowerbank
Executive Director, Prefab Buildings Initiative

“The launch of our interactive dashboard marks a significant step in understanding and advancing Canada’s construction prefabrication sector. With comprehensive data on over 800 companies, our Prefab Construction Navigator provides industry leaders and policymakers with the insights needed to accelerate adoption, improve productivity and drive innovation. Prefabrication is key to meeting Canada’s urgent housing and infrastructure demands, and this research offers a roadmap for scaling its impact.”

Mark Devereux
Managing Director, Scius

Quick Facts

Since 2017, GCWood has invested $14.7M in 9 building projects in the province of British Columbia. The program also has supported 35 initiatives across Canada that stimulate the development of wood construction across the country. The Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) program encourages the use of innovative wood-based building technologies in construction projects. It supports Canada’s commitment to reach 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets under the Paris Agreement and advance long-term priorities regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction.GCWood invests in wood construction projects that generate many benefits, including:reduced GHG emissions from renewable and sustainable resources that help decarbonize the built environmentaccelerated adoption of innovative building technologies and systemsupdated building codes that allow for taller and larger wood buildingsaffordable housing and community infrastructure

Associated Links

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)Prefab Buildings InitiativeScius Advisory Green Construction through Wood ProgramThe Canada Green Buildings Strategy: Transforming Canada’s buildings sector for a net-zero and resilient future2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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QUAD GmbH Expands Its Technology Offerings and Relationship with Vuzix with Follow-on Six-figure Smart Glasses Order

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ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), (“Vuzix” or, the “Company”), a leading supplier of AI-powered Smart glasses, waveguides and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, today announced that the Company has received and shipped against a follow-on six-figure smart glasses order from QUAD GmbH (“QUAD”), a leading distributor and consulting company in the areas of Auto-ID, Transport, Logistics and OEM Integration. QUAD’s newly formed QUAD Advanced Systems division provides full scale services and support for Vuzix products to its customers throughout Europe, focusing on the field service, manufacturing, security, warehouse and logistics and healthcare market verticals.

QUAD Advanced Systems, which consolidates its previous auto ID, transport, logistics and OEM divisions under one roof, will provide comprehensive support throughout the product lifecycle. Their deep technical knowledge of Vuzix smart glasses extends to real-world applications, including remote monitoring and operations assistance, warehousing logistics, and medical field innovations, where AR technology enhances operational precision and efficiency. QUAD’s expertise enables tailored solutions, such as optimizing smart glasses for inventory management, remote expert collaboration, or surgical support. To accelerate decision-making, QUAD facilitates rapid online demos, allowing clients to experience Vuzix technology virtually, followed by personalized guidance to connect with the best-fit reseller for their industry-specific needs.

“QUAD prides itself in investing in the future, and partnering with Vuzix ensures that we continue that tradition of providing truly state-of-the-art solutions for our customers,” said Andreas Wey, CEO of QUAD GmbH. “Operational efficiency is a real differentiator, and nothing encapsulates that more than the use of AR technology enabled through the use of smart glasses. We are absolutely delighted to both offer and support the Vuzix product range across our core vertical markets.”

“We are excited to be expanding our relationship with QUAD, who has built a strong reputation as a premier European distributor of technology and consulting services over the past 30 years,” said Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix. “QUAD’s hands-on approach in sectors like healthcare and warehousing, combined with its ability to troubleshoot real-time challenges, underscores its role as a valued Vuzix partner.”

About Vuzix Corporation

Vuzix is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of AI-powered Smart Glasses, Waveguides and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, components and products for the enterprise, medical, defense and consumer markets. The Company’s products include head-mounted smart personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and augmented reality, as well OEM waveguide optical components and display engines. Vuzix holds more than 425 patents and patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the fields of optics, head-mounted displays, and the augmented reality wearables field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2024 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in: Rochester, NY; and Kyoto and Okayama, Japan. For more information, visit the Vuzix website, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

Certain statements contained in this news release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking statements contained in this release relate to Vuzix Smart Glasses, our business relationship and future opportunities with QUAD GmbH and its customers, and among other things the Company’s leadership in the Smart Glasses and AR display industry. They are generally identified by words such as “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “should” and similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based upon the Company’s beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially due to risk factors and other items described in more detail in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Reports and MD&A filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulators (copies of which may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law.

Vuzix Media and Investor Relations Contact:

Ed McGregor, Director of Investor Relations,
Vuzix Corporation
ed_mcgregor@vuzix.com  
Tel: (585) 359-5985

Vuzix Corporation, 25 Hendrix Road, West Henrietta, NY 14586 USA,
Investor Information – IR@vuzix.com  www.vuzix.com

 

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SOURCE Vuzix Corporation

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China-Austria Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum and 3rd CISCE Promotion Held in Vienna

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VIENNA, March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The China-Austria Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, in conjunction with a promotional event for the third China International Supply Chain Expo (“CISCE”), was held in Vienna, Austria. The gathering brought together over 200 representatives from trade and investment promotion agencies, business associations, and companies from both China and Austria. During the forum, China International Exhibition Center Group spotlighted the upcoming CISCE and inked cooperation agreements with key Austrian institutions and businesses.

Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (“CCPIT”), praised the recent progress in Sino-Austrian collaboration across multiple sectors. He highlighted China’s readiness to work closely with Austrian partners to leverage complementary strengths in resources and industrial frameworks. Ren also encouraged businesses from both nations to explore new opportunities for business expansion and invited Austrian businesses and institutions to participate in the 3rd CISCE.

The event was attended by Christoph Matznetter, Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, and Qi Mei, the Chinese Ambassador to Austria, among other prominent guests.

Austrian representative, noted that the forum represented the first significant economic and trade event between Austria and China since the inauguration of the new Austrian government, underscoring its crucial role in strengthening bilateral relations. He affirmed China as a reliable partner and lauded the CISCE as a leading exhibition dedicated to enhancing international industrial and supply chain cooperation. He also expressed optimism about broader cooperation to address global challenges and uphold international trade norms.

The China International Supply Chain Expo, recognized as the world’s premier national-level exhibition focused on supply chains, aims to facilitate integration across upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors, connect businesses of all sizes, encourage collaboration between industry, academia and research institutions, while enhancing interaction between Chinese and multinational businesses. Under the theme Connecting the World for a Shared Future, it has emerged as a crucial platform for bolstering international cooperation in industrial and supply chains. The 3rd CISCE will be held from July 16th to 20th in Beijing, with exhibition zones featuring Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Smart Vehicle and more, with over 300 companies already confirming their participation.

Earlier this year, the promotional events for CISCE were held in Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, and the UK to reinforce cooperative ties between China and European nations, broadening and deepening bilateral economic and trade relations.

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Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2427202/CISCE_Logo.jpg 

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Alamar Biosciences Announces First Five Distribution Partners, Expanding Commercial Support in Asia Pacific

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FREMONT, Calif., March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Alamar Biosciences, a company powering precision proteomics to enable the earliest detection of disease, is pleased to announce the signing of five new distribution partners to expand its global presence. The company has partnered with established industry leaders across key international markets to enhance access to its innovative proteomics technologies.

The newly signed distribution partners include:

GeneWorksAustralia and New ZealandGenomaxSingaporePhileKoreaSouth KoreaScrum Inc.JapanSpincoIndia

“We are excited to welcome these outstanding partners to the Alamar network,” said Yuling Luo, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and CEO of Alamar Biosciences, “Their deep expertise in the life sciences industry and strong regional presence will allow us to bring our next-generation proteomics solutions to more researchers and clinicians worldwide.”

Alamar’s technology empowers scientists to achieve groundbreaking insights in biomarker discovery, drug development, and disease research. Through these new partnerships, researchers in Asia-Pacific will now have enhanced access to Alamar’s cutting-edge platforms and technical support.

Alamar remains committed to supporting the scientific community with best-in-class tools that enable high-sensitivity protein analysis. For more information on Alamar’s distribution network and solutions, visit alamarbio.com.

About Alamar Biosciences, Inc.

Alamar Biosciences is a privately held life sciences company with a mission to power precision proteomics to enable the earliest detection of disease. The company’s proprietary NULISA™ Platform along with the ARGO™ HT System work seamlessly with the latest advances in genomics to achieve single digit attomolar detection sensitivity, greatly surpassing the most sensitive protein detection technology on the market today. For more information, please visit alamarbio.com.

 

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SOURCE Alamar Biosciences, Inc.

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