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Linux Foundation Launches OpenGrid to Build Open, Shared Infrastructure for the World’s Electric Grid

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New open source initiative integrates and builds a data platform and tools to accelerate grid planning and energy infrastructure deployments worldwide

The Linux Foundation launched OpenGrid, a new open source initiative to modernize power grid planning and help accelerate energy infrastructure deployment worldwide.OpenGrid aims to give every country access to high-quality grid planning tools by 2030 to deliver infrastructure faster.The OpenGrid ecosystem establishes the shared software architecture and interoperability standards that allow diverse tools to work together and scale globally, including open standards and schemas, APIs and integrations, a data hub and more.

PRAGUE, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Open Source Summit Europe – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced the launch of OpenGrid, a new initiative building open source infrastructure to modernize power grid planning worldwide. Hosted by the Linux Foundation, OpenGrid creates a neutral, interoperable foundation that allows planners to work across the commercial and open source software they already use, helping reduce the time, cost and technical barriers involved in planning the infrastructure needed to meet rapidly growing electricity demand.

Grid planning has become a critical bottleneck as electricity demand grows, new data center and industrial loads come online and more generation and storage seek connection. More than 2,500 gigawatts of generation, storage and large-load projects are currently pending in grid connection queues worldwide, while annual grid investment needs to roughly double to more than $600 billion by 2030. Meeting long-term energy needs will require adding or replacing 80 million kilometers of power lines by 2040, yet planning remains constrained by fragmented data, incompatible software and modeling capabilities that are inaccessible to many institutions and countries.

“Open source has repeatedly shown that shared architecture and interoperability accelerate innovation across entire industries,” said Jim Zemlin, CEO of the Linux Foundation. “OpenGrid will bring the proven model of open collaboration to grid planning for faster and more reliable deployment. The Linux Foundation’s neutral governance will ensure durability, longevity and usability of the technologies that support essential public-interest infrastructure.”

OpenGrid is not developing a single replacement for existing grid planning software. Instead, it provides a shared data and interoperability layer that allows existing commercial and open source tools to work together. Its foundational efforts will include open standards and schemas, programmatic APIs and a centralized Data Hub for validated, model-ready datasets. Its first lighthouse application, the OpenGrid Translator, is in development for release in 2027 and will enable data and models to move between widely used commercial platforms and open source tools.

Access to modern planning capabilities is particularly uneven in fast-growing markets. At the same time, emerging economies are expected to account for nearly 80% of global electricity demand growth through 2030. OpenGrid aims to give planning teams everywhere access to high-quality modeling capabilities, while enabling regulators, advocates and other stakeholders to inspect the models and data informing major infrastructure decisions.

“Reliable electricity supports healthier lives, stronger communities and economic opportunity, but delivering it requires credible plans. Today, too many plans rely on data others cannot verify and tools much of the world cannot afford,” said Alice Yake, vice president of BE-GRIDS and chair of the OpenGrid Management Committee. “OpenGrid changes that: open data, open standards and access to planning tools that any utility, regulator or country can inspect and use.”

Over time, the OpenGrid ecosystem plans to expand to include open solvers, no-code graphical interfaces, standardized planning workflows and integrations that use AI to support data preparation. By providing transparent, repeatable and accessible planning infrastructure, OpenGrid aims to help planners, infrastructure owners, regulators and communities work from a common technical foundation and make infrastructure decisions with greater confidence faster.

OpenGrid launches with support from Breakthrough Energy GRIDS, Global Grid Catalyst, Connected Grid Initiative and Google.org, with technical delivery partners including Open Energy Transition, Tapestry, TransitionZero and QXT Energy.

Organizations, researchers, regulators and community members interested in contributing to OpenGrid or learning more are encouraged to visit https://www.opengrid.org.

Supporting Quotes

“Electricity systems are going through some pretty radical changes, with many new variable producers, storage and consumers connecting to the grid. OpenGrid supports the infrastructure we need to get quick consensus on how the energy transition should proceed, and to foster the innovation we need to drive it forward faster.”

– Tom Brown, Professor of Digital Transformation in Energy Systems, TU Berlin and Managing Director, PyPSA Labs

“Planners shouldn’t have to choose between the tools they already use and the open ones now emerging. Building enterprise-grade, open modeling software with Scenario Builder showed us how much time is lost moving data and models between formats. OpenGrid’s shared standards and translators tackle that directly, and we’re glad to help build them, so that planners anywhere can pick up a model, inspect it, use it and make decisions that cut the time it takes to build clean energy at scale.”

– Matt Gray, Co-Founder and CEO, TransitionZero

“Accelerating scientific progress requires turning foundational research and open data into real-world solutions. Power grids are among humanity’s most complex engineering systems, yet modeling them is too often limited by fragmented tools and closed data. OpenGrid will provide the shared digital foundation needed to make faster, more evidence-based decisions and ultimately strengthen our global grid infrastructure.”

– Joseph Hassine, Scaled Impact Lead, Google.org

“OpenGrid is the catalyst that the power and energy industry needs to drive new software innovations that ultimately will produce better and faster decision making for the power grid. We keep hearing that these times are unprecedented and yet we have seen very few changes in the power software space. OpenGrid’s ambitions to demonstrate that open source can be the driver for much needed innovation is something that QXT Energy is enthusiastic to support.”

– José Daniel Lara, Co-Founder and CTO, QXT Energy

“The accelerating complexity of the modern power system demands better integration of economic and reliability planning tools, as well as coordinated planning across the transmission and distribution networks. OpenGrid is tackling this ambitious challenge by enabling these diverse tools, whether open source or commercial, to work together and by providing validated datasets. This has the potential to revolutionize grid planning across the globe.”

– Debbie Lew, Executive Director, Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG)

“At OpenET, we make water use data open and accessible, so I’ve seen firsthand how a shared baseline builds trust among diverse stakeholders. That experience convinces me that open data infrastructure is essential to sound resource management. By giving planners, regulators and communities a common ground truth they can all inspect and understand, OpenGrid will help them make the decisions the energy transition demands.”

– Luis Villa, Board Chair, OpenET, Inc.

“Transparent and neutral governance ensures that all interested users have access to the tools in this initiative. It allows users to decide what is best for their purposes, and it keeps the door open for new tool development to foster innovation and avoid lock-in. Transparency in decision-making creates community buy-in. When parties come together on shared infrastructure, working toward common objectives and the methods and results can be vetted by many parties, this builds the trust and sense of fairness and legitimacy that will be necessary for OpenGrid to be successful.”

– Karin Wadsack, Executive Director, Global Power System Transformation Consortium

About the Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is the world’s leading home for collaboration on open source software, hardware, standards, and data. Linux Foundation projects, including Linux, Kubernetes, Model Context Protocol (MCP), OpenChain, OpenSearch, OpenSSF, OpenStack, PyTorch, Ray, RISC-V, SPDX and Zephyr, provide the foundation for global infrastructure. The Linux Foundation is focused on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of the Linux Foundation, please see its trademark usage page: www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact
The Linux Foundation
pr@linuxfoundation.org 

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Global Product Placement Spending Grew 12.7% in 2025 to $37.2B & Pacing for Faster Growth Again in 2026, Driven by TV, Film, Music & Digital Media

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Global product placement spending grew 12.7% in 2025 to $37.16 billion, accelerating from the 12.1% gain posted in 2024, fueled by double-digit growth in TV, film, music and digital media, which benefited from the end of writer and actor strikes in the US opening up production schedules and launching a cavalcade of new content, according to new PQ Media research released today.

STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Global product placement spending grew 12.7% in 2025 to $37.16 billion, accelerating from the 12.1% gain posted in 2024, fueled by double-digit growth in TV, film, music and digital media, which benefited from the end of writer and actor strikes in the US opening up production schedules and launching a cavalcade of new content, according to new PQ Media research released today. Product placement spending worldwide is on pace to grow at a faster rate of 12.8% in 2026 to $41.92 billion, marking the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth, following the worst decline ever in pandemic-struck 2020, per PQ Media’s 11th edition Global Product Placement Forecast 2026-2030.

Paid product placements have grown substantially over the past 25 years because brands have become more willing to invest in skillful integrations of their logos and products in storylines that will expose their assets in meaningful ways.

In the US, which accounted for 56.5% of the global market for product placement in all media, total spending rose 13.2% in 2025 to $21.01 billion, faster than the 12.3% gain in 2024. Brazil, Mexico and Australia were the only other countries to generate more than $1 billion in product placement spending in 2025. The Netherlands was the fastest-growing market in 2025, rising 16.3%, while the United Kingdom was the only other top-20 market to rise by more than 15% for the year. In total,19 of the 20 top-20 global markets generated double-digit growth in 2025, with the exception of Russia.

In the 11th edition of the Global Product Placement Forecast 2026-2030, PQ Media found that the impact of the pandemic and writer/actor strikes in the United States are now in the rear window and the industry is growing annually at double-digit rates worldwide and will continue to do during the 2026-2030 forecast period.

Driving growth in 2025 was the continuing shift to streaming content, particularly television shows and movies being produced by the streaming video subscription services in each of the top-20 markets. Additionally, micro-dramas, short 5-15 minute episodic clips from an ongoing series on social media sites, have benefitted significantly from product integrations. Artificial intelligence has helped drive growth in digital media, videogame and music video product placements. Meanwhile, PQ Media found that print media are accepting more product placements to compensate for the declining ad revenues suffered over the last two decades.

But there is concern among product placement professionals that the opportunities for product integrations are slowing. Broadcast and cable TV networks are producing fewer new scripted and reality programs. Movie studios have yet to exceed the number of films produced in 2019. Videogame publishers are holding off releasing new titles until the new console upgrades in 2027 or 2028. Print magazines are folding and newspapers are shuttering print editions. Fewer music videos are being produced and there is a slowdown in new podcasting titles.

“Despite these concerns, content publishers have become more willing to include product integrations in all media to help deal with rising production costs,” said PQ Media President & CEO Patrick Quinn, “Additionally, paid product placements have grown substantially over the past 25 years because brands have become more willing to invest in skillful integrations of their logos and products in storylines that will expose their assets in meaningful ways. This trend will continue going forward. due to the popularity of this marketing tactic among the younger demographics that the brands are targeting.”

Product placement in TV remains, by far, the largest media platform category worldwide, valued at $26.16 billion in 2025. The hottest streaming TV series are driving the double-digit growth in product placement in the overall TV category, such as the brand integrations in “The Hawk” on Netflix. Meanwhile, movie integrations, the second largest platform category, generated $4.44 billion globally last year, with many of the integrations being included in top grossing films, such as “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” which had 165 brand partnerships which was reportedly valued at over $300 million.

Product placement in music was the fastest-growing placement category in 2025, rising 13.8%, fueled by product placements in popular podcasts, particularly those in which the host references the brands and products. TV integrations ranked second in growth, followed by digital media product placements, as virtual placements (adding a brand in post-production when a theatrical film is shown on a streaming video service), and AI-embedded integrations are becoming more commonplace. The print media and videogame categories were the only channels not to post double-digital gains in 2025.

About the Report:

PQ Media’s Global Product Placement Forecast 2026-2030, the 11th edition of the industry’s recognized performance benchmark, is the only source to consistently define, size, analyze and project the growth of product placement spending in media. The new edition has expanded to cover 6 major media platforms and 19 media channels across all top 20 global markets. Below is a breakdown of the report’s expanded coverage of media platforms and channels:

Television/Video – Broadcast TV, Cable TV, Streaming TV;Filmed Entertainment – Theatrical Films, Streaming Films;Digital Media – Pure-Play Digital Sites, Social Media & Blogs, Virtual Placements & Artificial Intelligence, Influencer Sites;Videogames – Console/PC Games, Mobile Games, Internet Games;Print Media – Print & Digital Magazines, Newspapers, Books;Recorded Music – Music Videos, Broadcast & Streaming Radio, Podcasts, Lyrics

The Core PDF Report & Analysis delivers 259 slides of exclusive market data and insights, which is enhanced by the Deep-Dive Excel Databook that provides 5,625 datasets and over 250,000 datapoints by country, media platform and channel, covering the 2020-2030 period with five-year forecasts, exclusive rankings of the largest and fastest growing media platforms and global markets, and in-depth profiles of each major country. To Download a Free Executive Summary and Sample Datasets click: Global Product Placement Forecast 2026-2030.

About PQ Media:

PQ Mediadelivers strategic intelligence, data and analysis to the world’s leading media, entertainment and technology organizations through syndicated market intelligence reports, custom drill-down research services, and on-demand strategic consulting. PQ Media uses a proprietary econometric methodology to define, segment, size, analyze and project the growth of several hundred traditional, digital and alternative media by country, platform, channel and demographic. PQ Media also publishes the annual Global Media Forecast Series 2026 (13th edition), with each report covering one of the three industry KPIs – Advertising & Marketing Spending; Consumer Media Usage & Exposure; and Consumer Spending on Media Content & Technology.

Media Contact

Patrick Quinn, PQ Media, 1 203-921-5249, pquinn@pqmedia.com, https://www.pqmedia.com

Leo Kivijarv, PQ Media, 1 203-273-7081, lkivijarv@pqmedia.com, https://www.pqmedia.com

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/R E P E A T – Media Advisory – Minister Hodgson to deliver keynote at Global Risk Institute Summit/

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TORONTO, Oct. 5, 2026 /CNW/ — The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, will make a keynote address at the Global Risk Institute’s Summit 2026. Open to the media.

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Time: 10 a.m. ET

All accredited media are asked to register with GRI Summit 2026. Details on how to participate will be provided upon registration.

Follow Natural Resources Canada on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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MintNeuro raises $5 million to scale purpose-built chip platform for neural devices and brain-computer interfaces

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Funding from European and US investors will accelerate product launch,
partner adoption and international expansion

LONDON, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MintNeuro, a semiconductor company building specialised chips for neural devices from implants to wearables, today announces a $5 million investment round to drive its commercial scale-up. MintNeuro’s chips give device developers better performance than generic components, with less risk, lower cost and a faster route to market than custom chip design. The funding will accelerate product launch, expand delivery of pre-release silicon to partners and grow the company’s international presence.

The round was led by Odyssey Ventures, with participation from 33East, JSK Investments and Alumni Ventures, and returning investment from Empirical Ventures, Jumpspace Ventures and early investors. Bringing together deep tech, medtech and early-stage investors across Europe and the US, the round reflects global demand for the hardware needed to scale neurotechnology.

MintNeuro has already delivered working silicon and reached key integration milestones with research and development partners, including Motif Neurotech and Amber Therapeutics. Earlier this year, MintNeuro announced a partnership and multi-year commercial chip supply agreement with Motif, supporting the development of Motif’s minimally invasive neurostimulator initially targeting treatment-resistant depression. A growing number of neural device companies are now evaluating or integrating MintNeuro’s technology, alongside research teams building implantable systems that connect directly to the brain and nervous system.

MintNeuro will use the investment to grow its engineering and commercial teams, bring its products to market, support customers as they adopt its chips and strengthen its presence in the US alongside its UK and European base.

Neural devices are opening new ways to understand and treat conditions across neurology, mental health and beyond, from Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and depression to hearing loss and inflammatory disease. These technologies include brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), neuromodulation systems, sensory prostheses and bioelectronic medicines. Until now, progress across the industry has been held back by the lack of standard chips designed specifically for the extreme power, size, safety and signal-quality demands of these devices.

MintNeuro is closing that gap with a modular semiconductor platform purpose-built for core functions like neural sensing, signal processing and stimulation: listening to the body’s nerve signals, interpreting them, and delivering precise electrical pulses to treat disease or restore function. Instead of adapting generic components or funding years of custom chip design, developers can build on MintNeuro’s chips to create smaller, lower-power neural devices and move from research to clinical use sooner.

MintNeuro’s modular architecture provides the building blocks to combine sensing, processing and stimulation efficiently at the system level, supporting more integrated closed-loop interfaces with the nervous system.

Commenting on the investment, Dorian Haci, Co-Founder and CEO of MintNeuro, said: “Every neural device depends on the chips inside it. Today, most device and therapy developers still have to choose between generic components that were never designed for the body and years of custom chip development. We are building the chips that end that trade-off. This funding moves us from technology validation to commercial scale-up, with more customer programmes, faster product launches and our chips in the hands of many more developers. Our ambition is clear: to make MintNeuro the semiconductor platform the global neurotechnology industry builds on.”

Michelle Robson, Founding Partner at Odyssey Ventures, said: “Neural devices such as BCIs represent one of the most exciting frontier technology opportunities today, and significant value will accrue to those solving the foundational infrastructure challenges that stand between innovation and widespread adoption. MintNeuro has the technology, market pull and ambition to become a globally important semiconductor company, and we are backing this exceptional team as it scales from the UK into global markets, including Silicon Valley.”

Yiannis Eftychiou, Co-Founder and Partner at 33East, said: “What stood out to us is the sheer breadth of the hardware opportunity. MintNeuro is solving critical needs for neural implants today, with technology that can extend into wearables and beyond.”

Johnathan Matlock, Co-Founder and General Partner at Empirical Ventures, said: “We invested before the chips were in hand, and we are reinvesting now that MintNeuro has working silicon, deep customer traction and a clear path to becoming a category-defining semiconductor business.”

Professor Tim Denison, Chair of MintNeuro, added: “Neurotechnology is entering a phase where specialised hardware will determine how far, and how fast, the field can go. MintNeuro’s semiconductor technology is well-placed to remove the key obstacle to industry scale, which could dramatically accelerate the pace of innovation.”

About MintNeuro (www.mintneuro.com)

Founded as a spinout from Imperial College London, MintNeuro is building the semiconductor foundation for the next generation of neurotechnology. The company develops specialised chips that enable devices to connect with the brain and nervous system, helping innovators create new therapies for neurological and mental health conditions.

As neurotechnology moves from research labs into clinical and commercial deployment, MintNeuro is addressing one of the sector’s most critical challenges: providing a scalable semiconductor platform designed specifically for neural devices. By removing the need for custom chip development or adapted generic components, MintNeuro aims to accelerate innovation, reduce development barriers and help bring transformative neurotechnology products to market faster.

The company works with leading developers, researchers and medical device companies, with a long-term vision to become the industry-standard semiconductor platform powering the future of brain-computer interfaces, bioelectronic medicine and other technologies that connect humans and machines.

MintNeuro’s immediate focus is medical applications, where size, power, reliability and safety are critical. The same core technology has the potential to become the chip layer for any device that connects to the brain and nervous system, providing the interface between human biology and the digital world.

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