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Linux Foundation Announces Intent to Launch Open Health Stack Software Foundation to Advance Open Source Digital Health Innovation

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Google, WHO and a global coalition support new Foundation designed to close health equity gaps through open, AI-ready infrastructure

Summary

The Linux Foundation announced its intent to launch the Open Health Stack Software Foundation, the neutrally governed home for open source software used to build AI-enabled digital health applications.Google will contribute the Open Health Stack project, including all code and assets, to the new Foundation as well as a $3 million grant from Google.org.More than 20 organizations across enterprise tech, nonprofit, healthcare, and research verticals expressed support for the Foundation and its goal to enable developers worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, to build interoperable, AI-ready health systems.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced its intent to launch the Open Health Stack Software Foundation (OHS-SF). The new Foundation will provide a vendor-neutral, community-led home for the open source software tools developers use to build AI-enabled digital health solutions.

Digital health infrastructure remains fragmented, creating barriers to interoperability and limiting adoption of emerging technologies across health systems. OHS-SF is designed to address this challenge by providing developers with standards-based, community-governed tools needed to build interoperable health applications, drive local innovation and help close health equity gaps – particularly in resource-constrained areas.

“Open source has already transformed enterprise software, cloud computing, and AI, and it will do the same for how the world delivers care,” said Jim Zemlin, CEO of the Linux Foundation. “The Open Health Stack Software Foundation brings together the global community of developers, health organizations, and implementers under a vendor-neutral, community-governed home, ensuring that the tools powering tomorrow’s AI-enabled health systems are built in the open, for everyone.”

Grounded in global open standards, the Foundation will support three primary technical pillars: 1) core HL7 FHIR foundations; 2) the “OHS Player,” a multiplatform reference toolkit for local deployments; and 3) AI Commons, a neutral, model-agnostic space for enabling safe, effective and verifiable AI in global health co-developed with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Launched in 2023 with Google, the Open Health Stack project now includes a global ecosystem of developers and implementers. Google will contribute the project to the Foundation, including the code and underlying Open Health Stack assets. To support the Foundation, Google.org is providing a $3 million grant, helping drive long-term growth and implementation.

“We built Open Health Stack because we wanted to put the developers and community health care workers serving people on the edges of care back at the center of development and give them access to world-class tools for building next-gen digital health solutions,” said Kat Chou, Vice President at Google Research. “Contributing OHS to the Linux Foundation, with the support of WHO and a growing global community, ensures these building blocks will continue to evolve – now extending into AI for Global Digital Health – under governance that reflects the diversity of the communities they serve. OHS-SF makes it easier for developers everywhere to innovate on the next generation of digital health applications, and we’re proud to support its long-term success.”

Organizations that have expressed initial support for the Foundation include (in alphabetical order): Argusoft, Anthropic, Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN), the Center for Global Digital Health Innovation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Endless Health, Google, HELINA, IntelliSOFT Consulting Limited, IPRD Solutions, Jacaranda Health, Khushi Baby, Medtronic Labs, Madiro, Microsoft, Nawi Tech, Ona, OpenMRS, PATH, The Agency Fund, The Summit Institute for Development, and the World Health Organization, as well as advisory support from UNICEF.

To ensure developers from low- and middle-income countries can participate directly in governance, OHS-SF is introducing an Implementer Program. This initiative allows small businesses, local consulting firms, and pre-revenue startups to join and shape the project direction without financial barriers.

OHS-SF is now open for participation. Learn more at ohs.foundation, and explore the project repositories at github.com/ohs-foundation. Reach out at membership@ohs.foundation to become a member and help shape the future of open digital health infrastructure.

Supporting Quotes
“Open, interoperable and locally adaptable digital infrastructure is essential for building sustainable health systems at scale. Through MEDPlat, our open source digital health platform, Argusoft has supported the implementation of standards-based health solutions across diverse and resource-constrained settings. This experience has shown us how shared standards, reusable technology and strong implementer communities can accelerate innovation while strengthening local ownership. Argusoft is proud to support the Open Health Stack Software Foundation and contribute towards an open, community-governed ecosystem that enables countries and developers to build trusted, AI-ready digital health solutions.”
– Sethuraman Venkatraman, President of HealthTech, Argusoft

“Interoperability has always been the bridge between innovation and impact in health systems. The launch of the Open Health Stack Software Foundation is a milestone for our region, as AeHIN has long championed open standards and community-owned digital health solutions to close equity gaps across Asia. A vendor-neutral, standards-based home for tools built on HL7 FHIR – and one that brings AI into the fold responsibly through AI Commons – speaks directly to what AeHIN has been advocating: interoperable, locally adaptable systems that put people, not platforms, at the center of care. This also reflects what we’ve been working on through our capacity-building, technical assistance efforts and digital health convergence workshops — local ownership over the tools and standards that power national health systems. We look forward to engaging with this Foundation.”
– Jai Ganesh Udayasankaran, Executive Director, Asia eHealth Information Network

“Standards-based, modular open architecture is what allows countries to own and operate their digital health stack end-to-end, without depending on external systems they can’t easily adapt or maintain. That technical autonomy shortens the runway from prototype to clinical and public health deployment. It lowers the risk of implementation failure, derisking donor and government investment, while opening the door for local private sector engagement by shortening the pathway to market. As AI becomes the next layer of this stack, these principles become more essential..”
– Smisha Agarwal, Director, Center for Global Digital Health Innovation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

“The OHS-SF is coming at the right time, bringing together key partners, from leading technology companies to the World Health Organization, to build the open source, community-managed tools we need for AI in global health to succeed. This initiative is directly in line with the AI Commons for Global Health initiative that CHAI is helping to steward and we look forward to close collaborations.”
– Ben Brockman, Senior Director of AI, Clinton Health Access Initiative

“The scale and impact of AI in health will ultimately be limited not by compute, but by the quality of our shared knowledge infrastructure. The Open Health Stack Software Foundation could provide exactly the kind of shared space and infrastructure the field needs – open enough for any developer to contribute to and for any health system to build on, and governed collectively so that it can be trusted. Endless Health is proud to support the creation of this important foundational infrastructure for global digital health.”
– Rubayat Khan, Director, Endless Health

“Productive utilization of digital health engineering competencies requires thoughtfully designed, fit-for-purpose tools. The OHS Software Foundation pragmatically enables HELINA to support open, standards-based innovation and more effective capacity building in Africa.”
– Steven Wanyee, Chair, HELINA Advisory Council

“At Summit Institute for Development, we have successfully implemented Open Health Stack tools to enable OpenSRP 2 functioning within Indonesia’s national and regional health system, achieving interoperability that is now locally adopted and financed by government resources for a population of 2.9 million, with potential scaling to 514 districts nationwide. This milestone demonstrates sustainability and ownership at the subnational level, while laying the foundation for national and global scaling. With AI-enabled capabilities being integrated, OHS is proving to be a transformative, vendor-neutral platform that empowers frontline health workers, strengthens continuity of care, and ensures equity in digital health.”
– Yuni Dwi Setiyawati, CEO, Summit Institute for Development

“Open Health Stack, as a Digital Public Good, helps countries access digital health ecosystems that are more accessible, safer and more inclusive. Every year millions of children remain invisible to the health systems meant to serve them, not because the tools do not exist, but because the conditions for those tools to scale and be sustained do not. UNICEF’s unique role of helping governments translate global standards into digitally-enabled health services at primary care and community level hinges on countries’ ability to access and deploy open, interoperable, digital solutions, from the point-of-care to the Health Information Exchange architecture. The Open Health Stack Software Foundation puts those foundations under community governance as digital public goods, lowering the barrier for every country to access and build digital ecosystems that find, reach and follow every child, including the most marginalized.”
– Sean Blaschke, Senior Adviser, Health, UNICEF

“WHO’s normative work, from SMART Guidelines to the WHO-ITU Reference Architecture for Digital Public Infrastructure, is built on the conviction that robust code and open interoperability standards like HL7 FHIR and ICD are not technical preferences but the precondition for health equity at scale. The Open Health Stack Software Foundation operationalizes that conviction in code. By providing community-maintained, standards-conformant libraries and toolkits, it lowers the cost of doing the right thing for every developer building health solutions, and it signals to countries and development partners that sustainable and interoperable digital health infrastructure is achievable today, and primed for the next wave of verifiable AI for health sector goals.”
– Alain Labrique, Director, World Health Organization Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

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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Embracing the Semiconductor Supercycle: Harvest STAR Chip ETF (Stock Code 3559) Authorized by the SFC Listing Soon on SEHK

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HONG KONG, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Harvest Global Investments Limited announced that the Harvest STAR Chip ETF (Stock Code: 3559)(the “Fund”) has been authorised by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (the “SFC”) today and will be listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “SEHK”).

The Fund is a feeder exchange-traded fund (“Feeder ETF”) adopting a Master–Feeder Structure and is managed by Harvest Global Investments Limited, the Fund will invest at least 90% of its net asset value in the Harvest SSE STAR Chip ETF¹ (Stock Code: 588200), which is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Qualified Foreign Investor (“QFI”) status of the Manager and/or the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, it will thereby gaining indirect exposure to Mainland STAR Market Chip Assets. The Feeder ETF will be listed on the SEHK, providing Hong Kong investors with a convenient, efficient tool to gain exposure to the STAR Market chip sector. DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited acts as the Fund’s Investment Adviser; Deutsche Bank (China) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Branch acts as its QFII Custodian; and CMB Wing Lung Bank Ltd acts as its Custodian.

Harvest SSE STAR Chip ETF¹ is managed by Harvest Fund Management Co., Ltd. and closely tracks the SSE STAR Chip Index (Index Code: 000685).

Focus on Core Technologies Across the STAR Market Chip Value Chain

The SSE STAR Chip Index selects securities of STAR Market-listed companies engaged in semiconductor materials and equipment, chip design, manufacturing, packaging and testing. It includes the top 50 securities ranked by average daily total market capitalisation over the preceding year, caps each constituent’s weight at 10%, and rebalances quarterly. Semiconductor-related companies account for more than 95% of the Index, and its top ten constituents are mostly leaders in their respective segments. Its constituent stocks are subject to a 20% daily price fluctuation limit, offering potential volatility and growth characteristics distinct from Main Board indices.

The master fund in which the Fund invests uses a full replication strategy to track the underlying index, targeting an absolute average daily tracking deviation of no more than 0.2% and an annualised tracking error of no more than 2%. For investors, rapid rotation among chip subsectors makes selection challenging. By covering the full value chain, including design, manufacturing, equipment, materials, packaging, and testing, the ETF can diversify concentration risk in any single subsector and offer one-stop solution for sector allocation.

Leading the Current Rally as Index Sensitivity Aligns with Industry Momentum

According to data from Hithink RoyalFlush, since its base date on 31 December 2019, through 23 October 2026,the STAR Chip Index has risen by more than 200%,  with a cumulative gain of more than 150% over the past three years as of 23 October 2026.

The current rally is being driven by AI-led industry transformation. Advances in large AI models have prompted substantial upward revisions to global capital expenditure on computing infrastructure, driving growth in demand for GPUs and memory. However, the long lead times for wafer fabrication plant construction and equipment procurement make it difficult for supply to keep pace in the short term. Semiconductors are also central to China’s pursuit of greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, with domestic substitution and policy support continuing to advance.

Industry Drivers from Policy Support and Domestic Substitution to AI Demand

The chip industry is a strategic, foundational and pioneering industry underpinning economic and social development. Relevant authorities have introduced policy measures, including income tax incentives, support from the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, and additional value-added tax (“VAT”) deduction credits.

On the demand side, capital expenditure by major global cloud service providers continues to grow strongly. As AI expands from training to inference, it is driving demand for bandwidth, memory and advanced packaging. China’s chip design industry continues to post strong sales growth, wafer fabrication capital expenditure is rising, and substantial scope remains for domestic substitution in packaging and testing. With constituents spanning the upstream, midstream and downstream segments, the STAR Chip Index is positioned to benefit from momentum across the entire value chain.

Harvest’s index team believes that the STAR Market chip sector continues to enjoy supportive medium- to long-term industry fundamentals. Advances in global semiconductor technologies, including AI, advanced packaging and high-performance computing, are creating further opportunities, while localisation remains a long-term industry trend. The opportunity extends beyond near-term industry momentum to core assets with growth potential and strategic significance in the upgrading of technology and manufacturing.

About Harvest Global Investments Limited

Established in Hong Kong in 2008, Harvest Global Investments Limited is a subsidiary of Harvest Fund Management Co., Ltd. As the core platform for its parent company’s international business, Harvest Global Investments Limited holds SFC licences of Type 1 (Dealing in Securities), Type 4 (Advising on Securities) and Type 9 (Asset Management) regulated activities. Drawing on the strength and brand heritage of Harvest Fund Management Co., Ltd., Harvest Global Investments Limited continues to provide global investors with asset management services, including equity, fixed income, index and multi-strategy solutions.

Important Information and Risk Disclosure

Investment involves risks, including possible loss of principal amount invested. Past performance or any prediction or forecast is not indicative of future results. Investors should read the offering documents for further details, including the risk factors, before investing. Investment returns not denominated in HKD/USD are exposed to exchange rate fluctuations. This document is published by Harvest Global Investments Limited and has not been reviewed by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong.

IMPORTANT: Investment involves risks, including possible loss of principal amount invested. Past performance or any prediction or forecast is not indicative of future results. Investors should read the offering documents of Harvest STAR Chip ETF (the “Sub-Fund”) for further details, including the risk factors, before investing. Investors should not base investment decisions on this material alone. Investors should note:

The Sub-Fund is a feeder fund which will invest at least 90% of its NAV in the Harvest SSE STAR Chip ETF (the “Master ETF”). The Master ETF is regulated by the CSRC and is subject to the applicable PRC mainland laws and regulations. The Master ETF is subject to chip industry concentration risks, PRC mainland market and concentration risks and risk of investing in the STAR Market.The relevant rules and regulations (including restrictions on investments, repatriation of principal and profits, taxation) in the PRC mainland are subject to change which may have potential retrospective effect. Where a suspension or intervention in the trading through the QFI regime and/or the Stock Connect is effected, the Sub-Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective could be negatively affected.There are risks and uncertainties associated with the current PRC mainland tax laws, regulations and practice in respect of capital gains realised via the QFI regime or the Stock Connect. Any increased tax liabilities on the Sub-Fund may adversely affect the Sub-Fund’s value.Investors of Listed and Unlisted Classes of Units are subject to different pricing and dealing arrangements. The NAV per Unit of each of the Listed and Unlisted Classes of Units may be different due to different fees and cost applicable to each class. The trading hours of SEHK applicable to the Listed Class of Units in the secondary market, the dealing deadlines in respect of the Listed and/or Unlisted Classes of Units in the primary market, may be all different. In view of the differences in fee and cost arrangements between the Listed and Unlisted Classes, the NAV per Unit of each of the Listed Class of Units and Unlisted Classes of Units may also be different.The Sub-Fund is subject to general investment risk, trading differences risks, RMB currency risk and risk relating to distributions paid out of capital.

The Sub-Fund is authorized by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong (“SFC”). Such authorization does not imply official recommendation by the SFC.

¹ Harvest SSE STAR Chip ETF is not authorised by the SFC and will not be offered directly to the public in Hong Kong.

 

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Tongwei Solar Showcases High-Efficiency Solar Cell Technologies at Renewable Energy India Expo 2026

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GREATER NOIDA, India, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tongwei Solar showcased its TNC series high-efficiency solar cells at Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) 2026, held from October 22–24 in Greater Noida, India. The company also hosted industry presentations and technical discussions on India’s PV manufacturing landscape, advanced solar cell technologies and quality assurance, engaging with customers and industry partners from India and around the world.

Advancing Cell Technology and Manufacturing Performance

At the exhibition, Tongwei presented its latest developments in the TNC series. Through the coordinated application of TPE, Poly Tech and multi-cut technologies, TNC 3.0 multi-cut cells help reduce cutting losses and enable a module power gain of more than 10W, creating additional value for downstream module manufacturers.

The event featured insights from Priyadarshini Sanjay, Managing Director of Mercom, on India’s PV manufacturing industry and market outlook. Tongwei representatives also shared perspectives on China–India solar industry collaboration and introduced the company’s high-efficiency cell technologies, manufacturing practices and quality control measures.

These sessions provided an opportunity for industry participants to exchange views on market development, technology advancement and opportunities for cooperation across the solar value chain.

TÜV Rheinland Recognizes Tongwei’s PV Cell Manufacturing Excellence

A key highlight was Tongwei Solar receiving the “Global Benchmark in PV Cell Manufacturing Award” from TÜV Rheinland. The award recognizes Tongwei’s manufacturing scale, technological capabilities and product quality in high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing.

The recognition adds to Tongwei’s achievements in advanced manufacturing and sustainable development. The company’s PV cell manufacturing operations include a Lighthouse Factory designation and recognition from the World Economic Forum’s MINDS initiative for AI application, alongside TÜV Rheinland’s Zero Carbon Factory certification.

Strengthening Global Partnerships

Throughout the exhibition, Tongwei’s team met with customers and partners to discuss product performance, manufacturing capabilities, technical support and potential collaboration. These exchanges reinforced the importance of high-efficiency technologies, consistent product quality and responsive technical services in meeting the evolving needs of global PV markets.

Tongwei Solar will continue to advance technological innovation, intelligent manufacturing and quality assurance while working with global partners to support the development of the photovoltaic industry.

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Sinopec Releases Africa Sustainability Report and Launches WE17 Global Communication Brand in Cairo

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CAIRO, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (HKG: 0386, “Sinopec” or “the Company”) released Sinopec’s Sustainability Report in Africa (2021-2025) in Cairo on October 25 which highlights five years of progress in energy cooperation, environmental protection, community development, and cultural exchange. The Company also introduced its global sustainability communication brand, WE17. The report shows that Sinopec implemented 33 projects across 16 African countries between 2021 and 2025, with cumulative investment exceeding US$5.7 billion and total tax payments and social responsibility contributions surpassing US$4 billion over the same period. In 2025, its operations directly created 16,000 local jobs.

Zhao Liuqing, Minister Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, addressed the event and noted that 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt and of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries. Mr. Zhao described Sinopec’s activities in Egypt as an example of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership and a contribution to stronger people-to-people ties. Magdy Amer, board member of the Egypt-China Friendship Association and former Egyptian ambassador to China, also delivered remarks recognizing Sinopec’s contributions to economic and social development.

Wei Dong, Managing Director of Sinopec Africa Office, presented the report and reaffirmed the Company’s commitment to leveraging its integrated industrial capabilities, increasing investment in quality resources, and balancing economic performance with ecological protection and community well-being. He also emphasized Sinopec’s continued participation in Africa’s industrialization and public service development.

Sinopec expands energy cooperation and environmental protection

The sustainability report documents Sinopec’s activities in oil and gas exploration, engineering services, refining, energy trade, and renewable energy. Sinopec is exploring wind and solar alternatives for oilfield operations in the Western Desert of Egypt through its partnership with Apache Corporation. At the Sinopec-Apache project in Egypt, gas flaring had been reduced by more than 60% by the end of 2025 through energy efficiency and gas recovery measures.

Additionally, Sinopec participates in five offshore exploration and development blocks in Angola and maintains long-term energy cooperation with Algeria. Its renewable energy activities include Ethiopia’s Adama Wind Power Project, which meets approximately 20% of the capital’s electricity demand, and a geothermal pipeline project that supports clean electricity generation in Kenya. Environmental initiatives include planting over 7,000 mangroves in Angola and deploying ultra-low-noise intelligent drilling rigs in Uganda which have reduced carbon emissions by more than 90% compared with conventional rigs.

Continued investment in communities and cultural exchange

Sinopec’s community programs focus on employment, vocational training, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. A welding training initiative in Uganda has equipped 60 local workers with internationally recognized certifications. Across Africa, the Company has helped with the construction of more than 70 water supply plants and installation of over 4,300 kilometers of water pipelines.

In Egypt, an education-assistance initiative has supported the construction of 201 girls’ schools, providing educational opportunities for over 15,000 students. Cultural exchange programs include the “Silk Road Book House – China Bookshelf” initiative in Egypt, Algeria, and Cameroon, as well as cultural exchange activities for young people.

Sinopec launches WE17

The event also saw the introduction of Sinopec’s global sustainability communication brand, WE17, under the slogan “Together for Better.” It is aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and focuses on the three themes of Clean, which represents environmental responsibility, Care, which emphasizes community well-being, and Culture, which promotes cross-cultural exchange.

Approximately 100 representatives from government, business, academia, and the media attended the event.

For more information, visit SINOPEC’s official website.

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