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Mars Announces Partnerships Supporting Regenerative Agriculture Transition Across its European Pet Food Supply Chain

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Mars, Incorporated, is focused on scaling climate-smart agriculture in its value chain which will help to deliver more than one million acres of regenerative agriculture practices by 2030 across the globe. Multiple partnerships across Europe will help transition 20,900 hectares (almost twice the size of Paris) of wheat and maize crops to regenerative agriculture practices by 2028. In Europe, Mars Petcare is working with agribusiness companies and solutions providers, including Cargill, Agreena, ADM, Biospheres, Horta and Soil Capital.

LONDON, Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Mars, Incorporated, a global leader in pet care products and services, confectionery, snacking and food and the maker of some of the world’s most-loved brands, has announced major collaborations to scale regenerative agriculture practices across its pet nutrition business in Europe.

Multiyear collaborations have begun with suppliers including Cargill and ADM, and technical experts Biospheres, Horta, Agreena and Soil Capital in Europe. Through these partnerships, farmers in Poland, Hungary, and the UK will receive financial incentives and expert advisory services to support adoption of regenerative agriculture practices, including crop rotation, minimal tillage, and cover crops. The programmes will support farmers to invest in new methods, and offer training, to build knowledge and confidence while reducing barriers to adopting regenerative agriculture practices.

The implementation of regenerative practices aims to deliver benefits such as increased yields, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through reduction and carbon sequestration, improved water quality, enhanced soil health and improved biodiversity. Adoption of regenerative agriculture across the Mars supply chain contributes to scope 3 carbon reductions as part of the Mars Net Zero Roadmap.

“At Mars, we know businesses like ours play a key role in securing a sustainable future for pet food. Healthy soil is the backbone of a resilient food system. Through these partnerships, we’re extremely proud to be playing our part in driving regenerative agriculture practices across Europe, restoring soil health, cutting carbon and building a stronger and more sustainable supply chain for farmers and future generations of pets and pet parents” said Deri Watkins, Regional President, Mars Pet Nutrition Europe.

Mars will track the impact of the various projects through robust measurement, reporting, and verification systems to ensure transparency, focusing on enhancing soil health and reducing GHG emissions.  Through multi-year collaborations, Mars will work with partners to implement regenerative agriculture in the UK, Hungary, and Poland — promoting ecosystem resilience, supporting local economies, and securing a sustainable pet food supply for the future.

Our Partners:

•  Cargill: Through this partnership with Cargill RegenConnect®, farmers across Poland will receive payments for carbon sequestered after adopting regenerative practices, like cover cropping and reduced tillage. The program aims to improve soil health on more than 4,600 hectares in Poland from 2024 to 2026. Through the RegenConnect® program farmers can access on-the-spot agronomic support on crop rotation patterns, cover crop selection and usage of appropriate machinery.

•  Horta: This partnership with Horta aims to provide support to farmers by helping them make informed decisions about irrigation and the appropriate amount of fertilizer to use. Additionally, farmers are encouraged to implement cover crops and reduce or eliminate tilling as part of the program’s incentives. This partnership will support regenerative agriculture practices across more than 3,600 hectares of wheat and maize crops in Hungary.

•  Soil Capital: This partnership with Soil Capital aims to support and finance the regenerative agriculture transition for wheat farmers across the UK. The programme aims to improve soil health, soil carbon sequestration, and reduced erosion across more than 3,200 hectares between 2024 and 2028.

•  Biospheres and Agreena: This 3-year partnership with Biospheres and Agreena is intended to support the expansion of regenerative agriculture in Hungary through a grower-centric programme. The partnership aims to deliver an improvement in soil health, soil carbon sequestration, and reduced erosion while also providing an economic incentive for farmers to adopt regenerative practices. The partnership will cover up to 5,500 hectares of wheat crops in Hungary between 2024 and 2026.

•  ADM: This partnership with ADM is a 5-year (2023-2028) regenerative agriculture program in Poland, focusing on soil health improvement, carbon sequestration, and erosion reduction. Through this partnership, farmers across Poland will receive financial incentives for implementing regenerative agriculture practices. It will support the transition of 4,000 hectares of wheat crops in Poland over 5 years to 2028.

We are excited to be on this long-term regenerative agriculture journey with our partners, working together to expand the hectares of farmland across Europe that embrace regenerative agriculture practices. This effort contributes to Mars’ work to scale climate-smart agriculture in its value chain, which will help to deliver more than one million acres of regenerative agriculture practices across the globe by 2030. Recently, Mars, Incorporated released the  2023 Mars Sustainable in a Generation Report, announcing record 8% GHG emissions reduction, which doubled Mars’ total GHG reduction across our full value chain and delivered our single largest GHG reduction against a 2015 baseline. With almost 60% of the company’s value chain GHG footprint coming from agricultural ingredients, Mars is scaling up climate-smart agriculture initiatives to drive continued decarbonisation.

To learn more, click here.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, SNICKERS® and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet. 

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

About ADM

ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. We’re an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. We’re a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of ingredients and solutions from nature. We’re a trailblazer in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of products for consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. We’re a cutting-edge innovator, guiding the way to a future of new consumer and industrial solutions. And we’re a leader in sustainability, scaling across entire value chains to help decarbonize the multiple industries we serve. Around the globe, our innovation and expertise are meeting critical needs while nourishing quality of life and supporting a healthier planet. Learn more at www.adm.com.

About Biospheres Group

Biospheres is a French company and an international leader in the development and large-scale deployment of ecosystem regeneration practices. It uses a method that simplifies and secures the agro-ecological transition, with both strategic support for its key account partners (territories, agri-food, cosmetics, consumer goods) and operational work on the ground with farmers in various sectors (fruit and vegetables, grapes, cereals, arboriculture, etc.). Since 2013, Biospheres has developed projects in 18 countries and has teams on the ground in France, Spain and Eastern Europe. Biospheresgroup.com

About Horta

At Horta, we assist farmers and companies in rejuvenating soil health and achieving sustainable agricultural production. Specializing in regenerative agriculture, digital farming, and emission reduction, we support the agri-food supply chain in transforming these goals into measurable outcomes. Our projects focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and optimizing production processes. With our expertise and advanced Decision Support Systems (DSS), businesses can implement regenerative practices, reduce their carbon footprint, and enhance production quality and efficiency. Managing over 130,000 plots across Italy and internationally, Horta is a trusted partner for adopting sustainable and efficient practices aligned with global development goals.

About Soil Capital

Soil Capital is a certified B Corp with a mission to support farmers in their transition to regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Operating in France, Belgium, and the UK, the business has developed an innovative programme that connects companies seeking to enhance the resilience of their supply chains with farmers who are compensated for their vital contributions to soil health, climate change mitigation, and food security preservation.

About Cargill

Cargill is committed to providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living. Our 160,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with life’s essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With 159 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Agreena

Agreena is a Danish climate solutions pioneer, supporting farmers’ transition to regenerative agriculture. Bridging the worlds of finance, technology, and agriculture, Agreena is developing a range of financial solutions for those delivering a more sustainable food and farming system. Agreena is working with thousands of farmers across 4.5 million hectares of arable farmland in 20 European markets – giving them access to carbon finance to accelerate the global shift to regenerative agriculture. AgreenaCarbon is Europe’s leading soil carbon programme. Through a network of farmers, businesses and experts, Agreena shares knowledge and resources to secure the future of agriculture. Its advanced digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) capabilities measure tangible impact from the ground up, supporting farmers, companies, and governments on the road to net zero. Visit: www.agreena.com

 

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Texas Athletics and McCombs School of Business Launch New Bevo Lab, Bringing Together Sports, AI and Analytics

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October 23, 2026

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Dell Technologies, Google Cloud and SHI International join Texas Athletics to power a first-of-its-kind hub for sports intelligence, data analytics, research, and talent development

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — University of Texas Athletics and the Business of Sports Institute (BOSI) in the McCombs School of Business, in cooperation with Longhorn Sports Properties, today announced the launch of Bevo Lab, a unique collaboration that will serve as higher education’s premier sports intelligence platform and living laboratory—bringing together sports, technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to elevate human performance while expanding hands-on learning opportunities for students.
 

Joined by Dell Technologies, Google Cloud, and SHI International, Texas Athletics is building the premier sports intelligence platform in higher education, creating a standard of excellence that spans 21 intercollegiate teams and over 500 student-athletes. Bevo Lab will leverage AI-driven research and data analytics to deliver real-world solutions to help athletes and coaches become more efficient in their training and preparation while developing a pipeline of students with hands-on experience for sought-after careers in technology and sports analytics.

“With the help of our nationally ranked academic leaders and cutting-edge technology brand sponsors, Bevo Lab will become the global benchmark for innovation in sports AI and data analytics, making Texas Athletics the most data-driven athletic program in the country,” said Chris Del Conte, vice president and Folger Family Athletics Director at The University of Texas. “What starts here changes the world, and this vision will transform collegiate athletics. There is no bigger stage, no more powerful brand and no better time than now to lead in this new evolution of sports technology.”

Del Conte will officially announce Bevo Lab today at Texas’ Business of College Sports Summit.

Named for the university’s esteemed and powerful live mascot, Bevo Lab will be a part of BOSI, an academic and research center in McCombs that combines business education, on-field/on-court performance analytics, applied research, and industry participation. The lab will engage as many as 40 student researchers annually in managing the modeling and data projects under the direction of acclaimed sports data analyst, author, and BOSI executive director Kirk Goldsberry, Ph.D.

“The AI and emerging technologies provided by our industry partners will empower our students and researchers to deliver improved efficiency and increased speed in data analysis to boost performance and improve success,” added Goldsberry. “Bevo Lab will reinforce Texas as a leader in sports analytics and AI and will serve as the blueprint for the future of sports.”

Key innovations driving the Bevo Lab:

Bevo Lakehouse: A unified data warehouse that consolidates previously siloed sports-specific data such as game film and wearable technology into a single platform—starting with football, before expanding across all 21 varsity sports.Predictive AI & analytics models: Custom machine learning frameworks, including “transfer AI” for roster evaluation, designed to give coaches actionable insights for game strategy, scouting, and player development.Tailored front-end applications: Intuitive visual and natural language interfaces built specifically for the distinct daily workflows of athletes, coaches and athletic executives.Next-generation skills training: A hands-on program for UT students to gain AI skills and deploy live applications alongside athletic teams. Through a first-of-its-kind Google Public Sector ambassador program, students will also get to work directly with engineering teams, gaining high-stakes industry experience to launch careers in tech and sports analytics.

Dell Technologies: Powering a New Era in College Athletics

Dell Technologies is deepening its decadeslong relationship with The University of Texas as the premier founding sponsor and the Official Technology Infrastructure Sponsor of Bevo Lab. Building on a broad history of collaboration that spans groundbreaking research at the Texas Advanced Computing Center and technology innovation across Texas Athletics, Dell is providing the secure AI-ready infrastructure that powers Bevo Lab, enabling students, researchers, coaches and student-athletes to transform data into actionable insights, accelerate innovation and elevate human performance.

“Bevo Lab represents the next chapter in Dell Technologies’ longstanding relationship with The University of Texas and our shared commitment to innovation,” said Geraldine Tunnell, chief marketing officer, Dell Technologies. “By providing the secure, AI-ready infrastructure that powers this initiative, we’re enabling students, researchers, coaches and student-athletes to turn data into insight, accelerate innovation and unlock new possibilities for human performance. Together, we’re helping shape the future of sports analytics, research and education.”

Google Cloud: Pioneering AI Breakthroughs from Campus to Game Day

Google Cloud joins Bevo Lab as the Official Cloud Provider and Enterprise AI Provider, establishing a secure, powerful data foundation built for the future of collegiate athletic performance. By leveraging Google Cloud and Gemini, Google’s advanced multimodal, agentic AI, student researchers and athletic staff members can quickly unify vast athletic datasets to generate real-time sports intelligence. Google Public Sector’s Rapid Innovation and Specialty Engineering Teams will collaborate directly with UT coaches and students to prototype new sports technology while mentoring future sports and technology leaders. In fact, early collaboration with Google Public Sector has already introduced AI-driven workflows that save UT coaches more than 15 hours per week in game preparation, giving them critical time back to focus on strategy and player development.

“As a proud UT alum, I am thrilled to see my alma mater leading the charge at the intersection of collegiate sports, academic research, and artificial intelligence,” said Matt Renner, president and chief revenue officer of Google Cloud. “Bevo Lab will establish a new global benchmark for sports innovation, directly enhancing how the Longhorns will train, game plan, and compete on the field while providing a premier launchpad for the next generation of tech and sports analytics leaders. By putting our advanced data analytics platforms and Gemini models into the hands of UT students, coaches, and researchers, we are building a secure foundation for sports intelligence that will define the future of the industry.”

SHI International: Uniting Strategy and Integration for the Win

Founding sponsor SHI will serve as the strategic technology and solutions integrator of Bevo Lab, translating Texas Athletics’ vision into a secure, scalable technology architecture. Drawing on its deep expertise across IT infrastructure, cloud, AI and cybersecurity, SHI will orchestrate the partner ecosystem, ensuring multiple technologies across Bevo Lab operate as one unified platform for sports innovation that will evolve with the university’s athletic performance and provide research and workforce development opportunities for students managing the data analytics projects.

“For nearly four decades, customers have trusted SHI to bring together the right technologies, partners and expertise to build, manage and secure some of the world’s most complex IT environments,” said Jack Hogan, vice president of Advanced Growth Technologies at SHI International. “As the strategic technology and solutions integrator of Bevo Lab, we are thrilled to turn best-of-breed infrastructure, cloud, data, AI and security technologies into one trusted, scalable environment that enables Texas Athletics, coaches, student-athletes and researchers to achieve greatness on the playing field, in the lab, in the classroom and throughout their post-college careers.”

Strategic Collaboration Across Athletics and Industry

Longhorn Sports Properties, the Austin-based division of college media and technology leader Learfield, assisted in the development of Bevo Lab and secured its founding corporate sponsors.

“Bevo Lab is a cutting-edge collaboration that will make a tremendous positive impact on our coaches, our student-athletes and the university,” said Lucas Motta, vice president of Longhorn Sports Properties. “We are excited to lock arms with Dell Technologies, Google Cloud and SHI as leaders within their industry, and together we will help power Texas Athletics to even more championships while preparing our students for the new era in the tech workforce.”

Bevo Lab will be housed in Innovation Tower adjacent to the UT campus and in the heart of Austin’s Innovation District. A dedicated microsite that details Bevo Lab and its research will be available at texaslonghorns.com/bevolab.

About Dell Technologies
Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) helps organizations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the AI era.
 

About Google Cloud
Google Cloud offers a powerful, optimized AI stack—including AI infrastructure, leading models like Gemini, data management capabilities, multicloud security solutions, developer tools and platform, as well as agents and applications—that enables organizations to transform their business for the Agentic Era. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner.

About SHI International
SHI International is a $16 billion transformational technology solutions integrator serving the needs of more than 17,000 corporate, enterprise, public sector and academic customer organizations around the world. It helps companies achieve business goals through the use of technologies ranging from software licensing and end user computing devices to innovative cloud and edge solutions. With over 7,000 employees worldwide, SHI is the largest Minority and Woman Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) in the U.S.

About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative revenue generation solutions, student-athlete marketing initiatives, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions. 

Media contacts:
University of Texas Athletics: John Bianco, john.bianco@athletics.utexas.edu, 512-471-1346

Longhorn Sports Properties/Learfield: Tammy Purves, tammy.purves@learfield.com, 404-932-3266

McCombs School of Business: Judie Kinonen, Judie.Kinonen@mccombs.utexas.edu, 409-356-3324

Dell Technologies: Lauren Mauro, media.relations@dell.com.

Google Cloud: press@google.com

SHI: Kaitlynn Cooney, SHI-PR@walkersands.com

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SOURCE Learfield

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XbotGo Named World’s No. 1 Consumer Team Sports AI Tracking Camera Brand

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October 23, 2026

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XbotGo recognized as the market leader in consumer team sports AI tracking technology based on 2025 unit sales.  

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XbotGo is proud to announce that it has officially been recognized as the World’s No. 1 Consumer Team Sports AI Tracking Camera Brand by China Insights Consultancy (CIC), a premier independent market research and consulting firm.  

The certification, issued in October 2026 under research registration number ⁠CIC-2026-985176⁠, is based on a comprehensive evaluation of global unit sales volume throughout the 2025 calendar year. The market research specifically measures consumer-grade camera devices designed for team sports, such as basketball and football, that leverage advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence algorithms to automatically track athletes and capture dynamic gameplay without manual operation.  

“This global market recognition is a powerful testament to the hard work of our engineering teams and the trust our community places in us every day,” said Dr. David Tan, CEO of XbotGo. “From everyday parents and local youth coaches to elite amateur athletes, our mission has always been to make professional-grade sports analysis and hands-free recording accessible to everyone. Being named the global sales leader proves that our vision is resonating worldwide.”

The XbotGo Falcon series combines ultra-sharp 4K resolution, intelligent multi-player tracking, instant highlight creation, and seamless livestreaming capabilities into a compact, subscription-free device. By eliminating the need for a dedicated camera operator, XbotGo empowers teams and families to preserve and analyze every pivotal moment effortlessly.

To learn more about the XbotGo Falcon and explore its award-winning AI tracking technology, visit xbotgo.com.

About XbotGo

XbotGo was founded in 2021 by Dr. David Tan—a computer vision expert, hardware innovator, and devoted soccer dad. Like every parent on the sidelines, he found traditional cameras either too complex or too costly to capture his child’s moments on the field. That frustration sparked a vision: to make sports recording accessible to all through AI. Today, XbotGo is a global AI sports technology company owned by Blink Tech, headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, with R&D centers across Silicon Valley, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Suzhou.

Media Contact:
XbotGo
Gabriel Roxas
PR@xbotgo.com

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DataBeyond Showcases PICKINGMAN in Global Livestream from Operating Waste-Sorting Facility

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24 minutes ago

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October 23, 2026

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DONGGUAN, China, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DataBeyond showcased PICKINGMAN, its embodied AI robot for mixed municipal solid waste sorting, during the robot’s first global public livestream at 8 a.m. Beijing time on October 22. The broadcast took place at the Liaobu Municipal Solid Waste Integrated Treatment Center in Dongguan.

Built for Waste-Sorting Conditions

The broadcast demonstrated the robot working on an operating sorting line, highlighting the application of embodied AI to demanding industrial tasks involving mixed materials, dirty conditions and repetitive manual labor. PICKINGMAN began operating at the facility on September 22.

PICKINGMAN features dual arms with a total of 14 degrees of freedom, IP65-rated dust and water protection, and a maximum picking rate of 3,600 picks per hour. Designed to support continuous 24/7 operation, it can sort recyclables including PET bottles and trays, PP containers, PE items, aluminum cans and glass. It coordinates perception, decision-making and motion control to identify and pick target materials on a moving conveyor.

Project Results

Jointly developed by DataBeyond and Guangdong Dongshi Environment Co., Ltd., the Liaobu project combines robotic picking with AI optical sorting and other processing equipment. According to project data, the complete sorting line can process 50 metric tons of mixed municipal solid waste in four hours, achieving approximately 35% waste reduction and 25% resource recovery. Previously, sorting recyclables from the same volume required four skilled workers working for eight hours.

The integrated line separates recyclables for downstream recovery before residual waste is compressed and sent for further treatment, connecting resource recovery with existing waste management operations.

Workforce Benefits and Next Steps

For operators facing recruitment and retention challenges, robotic picking offers an alternative to repetitive manual sorting. The project aims to reduce workers’ direct contact with waste and enable personnel to focus on equipment inspection, production coordination and other technical roles.

“During the livestream, we identified areas where the robot still needs improvement,” said DataBeyond’s Mo Zhuoya. “Bridging the gap between R&D and industrial deployment requires engineering experience. We will accelerate product iteration and conduct longer global livestreams.”

About DataBeyond

DataBeyond develops AI-powered optical sorting equipment and robotic solutions for recycling and solid waste processing. The company integrates AI and multisensor technologies to improve material separation and support resource recovery.

Media Contact

Felix WU
marketing@databeyond.com

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SOURCE DataBeyond

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