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RSM joins Enterprise City support programme for early stage tech companies as its audit, tax and consulting partner

Sam Whitear
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RSM has partnered with Enterprise City to become its audit, tax and consulting partner, and will deliver business advice, seminars and panels to members of the Exchange business support programme for early stage tech companies.

RSM a leading audit, tax and consulting firm, will be at Exchange, daily, from Summer 2020, when the first cohort of businesses will begin the 6 to 12 months scheme to handle queries. The programme will be based in state-of-the-art new workspace at the Bonded Warehouse in Enterprise City.

RSM will also run its own, sector specific seminars for the Exchange cohort to support them in running sound businesses and will provide expertise on areas such as fundraising, tax credits, HR services and international expansion.

Exchange’s 23 successful digital, tech and media businesses will gain access to proactive solutions for compliance and business advisory requirements and will also work together to find new, innovative ways of becoming financially compliant, sharing new business skills in the process.

Nick Wyatt, director and North West head of media and technology at RSM, said: “We have a long and proud history of supporting businesses to grow and expand in the media and technology space. We are excited to support the Exchange programme at Enterprise City and help build and develop the existing base of entrepreneurial skills. With our in-depth industry expertise, tailored to individual and specific needs, we will be able to help them excel and grow.
“We understand the challenges faced by growing media and technology businesses. Enterprise City is a fantastic initiative and workspace which encourages collaboration and and we are committed to working with companies throughout their growth cycle.

RSM has already advised over 1,850 clients across the media and tech sectors and has contributed over £32m to its UK fee income of approximately £310m this year.

Tanya Grady, head of partnerships at Enterprise City, said: “Joining forces with RSM is a great way that we can offer more support to the entrepreneurs and businesses on the Exchange programme, giving them the support needed to establish themselves as thriving tech businesses. Our scale-ups will have a unique opportunity to gain advice and direction from one of the most experienced leaders in the industry. Partnering with RSM is an exciting move and we are looking forward to seeing the benefit it has to the first and future Exchange cohorts.”

“Building on Manchester’s status as Europe’s fastest-growing major tech city, RSM will help to up-skill Exchange members, and further their business success in the years ahead.”

What is Exchange?
Exchange is a programme created to support and empower the UK’s next best digital and tech start-ups. It provides access to the right tools, digital infrastructure, professional support and voices of experience can make the difference between success or failure in businesses’ critical early months, and Exchange aims to make that difference. By granting ambitious early-stage tech companies and entrepreneurs’ access to the tools and expertise they need to learn and develop, Exchange hopes to pave the future of tech and digital in the UK.

How will it be delivered?
The scheme is situated in Bonded Warehouse, part of Enterprise City. In order to qualify for the scheme, businesses must meet at least one of the following criteria: the business has been trading for 1 – 3 years, it is headquartered in the UK, it is a digital tech business with a product or service to sell, has at least one active client or pilot in progress, or has ambitions of growing and scaling. Successful applications will receive subsidised workspace at Bonded Warehouse throughout the length of the programme, and be supported through the wider Enterprise City district once they become alumni.

Enterprise City is set in the heart of Manchester, and developed by Allied London, an award-winning property development and investment company, Exchange intends to create a collaborative community of like-minded, forward-thinking entrepreneurs and global organisations.

For more information about Exchange and to find out how businesses can join its latest cohort of tech entrepreneurs and global organisations, visit www.enterprisecityuk.com/exchange.

Biorelate offers free access to AI-based drug discovery tool: Galactic

Sam Whitear
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Biorelate, a Manchester-based AI start up, is offering all researchers free use of Galactic, its cloud-based web tool, to support biomedical research while lab access is restricted around the world.

Systematically analysing the data available on targets, drugs and disease mechanisms from data repositories and academic papers takes researchers over a year on average. The cognitive computing platform behind Galactic (Galactic-AI™) can speed up the research process by collecting and curating more than 30 million biomedical research text sources. With up to 80% of biomedical data thought to be unstructured, the platform helps researchers to generate a clearer view of the current state of research and gain invaluable insights.

In an open letter to cancer researchers, Cancer Research UK noted: “Universities are partially closed, laboratories have wound down their activities, experiments have stopped. Researchers are continuing to work productively from home, writing papers, analysing data, pulling together collaborations, reading the literature and generating ideas. But the progress of research will slow down, and this will inevitably have an impact on researchers’ careers and the lives of people affected by cancer.”

Dr. Daniel Jamieson, CEO and founder of Biorelate, commented: “As so many scientists focus on COVID-19, a serious risk is that research into other diseases grinds to a halt. Our platform auto-curates knowledge, helping researchers across all disease areas make better use of all the existing and emerging scientific data locked away in text. We very much hope that with the release of Galactic, a browser-ready search engine to our platform, researchers will be able to take advantage of potential insights into focal points of research, such as drug targets and indications, at a time when they are more limited to desk-based activities.”

Kevin Cox, Chairman of Biorelate, added: “We believe that Galactic has an important role to play in helping those involved in drug discovery to continue their research and ensure we get new therapies to patients without delay. We’re pleased to be offering free access to the Galactic web app at a time when researchers are in desperate need of this kind of resource and support. We have had very positive feedback from early adopters, who are using the tool to find causally related data and perform systematic and pragmatic reviews.”

Users of the Galactic web tool can navigate Galactic’s tailored portals to find research, experts, organisations and hidden insights – such as causal interactions – and make hypotheses and predictions while saving significant time and resources. The tool also offers more technical functionality for large enterprises who want to input their own textual content and ontologies they’ve designed in house.

For more data science or informatics-led activities, Biorelate offers direct access to curated data from the platform, to provide, for example, novel causal interactions that can be used to investigate biological pathways and study the impact of drugs on specific disease models. Biorelate also offers bespoke services in using the platform, Galactic-AI™, in combination with data science expertise to help solve and answer important drug discovery questions. Their experts put together evidence and rationale and bridge the gaps in a customer’s understanding of targets/indications to guide their clinical strategy.

Morgenrot To Raise Money for Alzheimer’s Charities in 50th Year

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based beer, wine and spirit importer Morgenrot is looking to raise money for Alzheimer’s charities and causes in 2020 through a wide range of fundraising activities as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.

Set up on the 23rd September 1970, Morgenrot continues to be a proudly independent, family-run importer with famous world beer brands such as Krombacher, Alhambra, Quilmes and Windhoek Lager supplemented by an eclectic selection of wine, sherry, vermouth and spirits.

The company is now run by Carl Plath, whose father Rudi set up and made a success of the company before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010. In recent months, Rudi was one of the first to contract and then beat the Covid-19 virus in the north of England.

In honour of Rudi, to celebrate his and the company’s achievements and to support the incredible people helping Alzheimer’s sufferers and their families in the north, especially over the last few months, the Morgenrot team will be running a series of charitable events, raffles and fundraising initiatives throughout the year.

The company kicked the campaign off in style at the BrewLDN event in February prior to lockdown with all the bar takings from the Cape Brewing Co, Craft Spain and vandeStreek stands being donated to the charity fund.

The £879 that was taken has already been donated to the Marple Dementia Drop In. The group provides support to Rudi, other sufferers and their families in the Manchester area.

Carl Plath, Morgenrot Managing Director, said:

“Fifty years in business is a huge achievement so our plan was for 2020 to be all about thanking our team, suppliers, partners and making it a celebratory year to remember. As the roots of the company were planted and grown by my father though, we felt it was important that he was central to our thoughts and celebrations. Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease which our family has seen close up so we’re delighted to pay tribute to my dad and his achievements, while at same time supporting the incredible people caring for Alzheimer’s sufferers and their families in Manchester and the wider north. With the care sector being put under huge pressure in recent months by COVID-19, we’re hoping the money we can raise will be a huge help to some of the unsung care heroes on the front line.”

From humble beginnings – The Morgenrot Group Story

The Morgenrot story really began in 1964 when young banker Rudi Plath decided to head to the UK from his home in Germany in search of excitement following the completion of his national service.

Getting a job as a wine salesman on arrival, Rudi excelled and soon discovered a passion for quality drinks. He met his other true passion and love in 1965 – Miss Valerie Glover. They moved to Manchester in 1967 and then married in 1968.

As the entrepreneur in him started to awaken, Rudi saw a gap in the market, packed in his job and together with Val launched Ahrkellerei Morgenrot – a specialist German importer – on the 23rd September 1970.

Initially based out of an old garage in Bolton, the company specialised in German wine but soon expanded in to other drink categories and international markets.

Fast forward fifty years, Morgenrot is still proudly independent and family-run distributing its products the length and breadth of the UK.

Now based out of a 20,000 ft site in Manchester, the business is in the capable hands of Rudi’s son –Managing Director Carl Plath – and continues to represent some of the world’s most iconic brands such as Quilmes, Windhoek Lager, Cape Brewing Co, Hecht & Bannier, Somewhere Else, Planet Bee, Loxarel and Tribaut to name a few.

A key company strength has always been its relationships with suppliers and brands, which is highlighted by the fact Morgenrot has now been representing Germany’s leading beer brand Krombacher in the UK for 32 years, wineries – Vallemayor from Rioja, Spain, for 30 years and Bennati from Verona, Italy, for 25 years.

While Germany continues to be a core area of the business, in the last decade the company has gone global and has been a key instigator and driver of trends across the drinks trade with its iconic world beers and ‘Off the Beaten Track’ wines helping to drive impressive growth.

With Spanish food and drink enjoying a boost in the UK, Morgenrot was perfectly positioned to capitalise and now has an unassailable selection of Spanish drinks including the Bodegas Baron Sherry brand, Padro & Co Vermouths, five regional Spanish gins and a vast portfolio of Spanish wine.

The company also represents the famous Alhambra beer brand and was the first to bring in craft beers from Spain’s exciting craft beer scene such as Mala Gissona from San Sebastian, La Pirata and BeerCat from Barcelona and Palax from Rioja.

Clarity secures place on new public sector global travel and venue solutions framework

Sam Whitear
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Clarity, the business travel experts, are one of 3 agencies to have secured a place on the latest Crown Commercial Services Travel and Venue Sourcing framework for the public sector. The framework (RM6164 Public Sector Global Travel and Venue Solutions – Solution B) is open to any public sector organisation, including central government, local authorities and wider public sector bodies.

Clarity has a proven track record in delivering travel and venue sourcing for the public sector over a number of years and scored top in the process. The framework runs for an initial period of 3 years and will include the provision of on and offline travel booking services for both domestic and international travel alongside venue sourcing in a one-stop shop solution.

Pat McDonagh CEO commented, “This is excellent news for the future of our business and we’re delighted to have secured a place on this prestigious framework. Our outstanding scoring during the sourcing process demonstrates both our experience and broad range of capabilities and I’m sure many public sector customers will benefit from that moving forward.

It will be our job to ensure best value for our customers and outstanding levels of customer service and we very much look forward to delivering that. This is the most challenging market our industry has ever faced and I’m delighted that this news gives us the opportunity to grow our business and protect jobs in the process.”

Katrina Williams, Head of Travel at Crown Commercial Service commented “We are delighted to welcome Clarity back onto one of our Frameworks and very much look forward to partnering with them in the delivery of customer service excellence, innovation and commercial value, throughout the life of this agreement.”

Online roundtable supports recruitment and HR leaders to navigate labour sourcing during return to normality

Sam Whitear
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A Salford-headquartered global recruitment specialist is hosting a virtual roundtable exploring the impact of COVID-19 on talent resourcing and skills sharing in technical and engineering sectors.

Morson Group’s online event will begin with an analysis of the labour sourcing market before an in-depth exploration of the trends that have emerged since the COVID-19 outbreak. Led by Morson’s client services director, Steve Seddon, and group sales director, David Lynchehaun, guest speakers and industry experts will join the interactive discussion that is set to cover how to safely adapt the workplace, socially-distanced workplace training, technology for long-term home-based recruitment and the impact of the Coronavirus on mental health.

The online roundtable – to be held on Thursday 11 June, 10am-11am – will examine the industries that have grown fastest since the outbreak of the pandemic and vice versa, and as a result, how these sectors have gone about meeting the demand and any downturn for talent.

Additionally, it will look at whether furlough and redundancy has led to a mass movement of talent; how the delay of IR35 has impacted both employer and contractor networks and how both of these challenges can be harnessed to create an economic upturn in coming months.

It is encouraging in-house recruitment leaders and HR teams from technical sectors including IT and digital, construction, rail, aerospace and defence, engineering, nuclear and professional services to attend the event to gain advice and guidance on how to overcome and capitalise on the challenges the pandemic has enforced on the economy.

At the start of the UK lockdown, Morson Group joined the ‘Keep Britain Working’ campaign in partnership with fellow recruitment giant, REED, as the official Northern Partner, to identify and facilitate new roles for those who found themselves out of work as a result of the pandemic. With a contractor base of almost 15,000 and having worked with businesses ranging from small disruptors through to international market leaders, Morson Group offers a unique perspective of the world of work and talent resourcing.

Morson’s client services director, Steve Seddon, said: “In the last three months, as the pandemic has taken hold of the country, we’ve learnt that our clients and others in their industry are hungry for detail and guidance on what comes next. We decided to create a forum where we could share ideas and information from our learnings, to boost both morale and collaboration to ensure the economy can get back on its feet.

“The Coronavirus has brought about the introduction of new policies and workplace schemes, and we want to inform people about the impact this will have on talent pools, which have the potential to become bigger than ever before. Even contractors who would typically have never considered changing roles are contemplating their future and looking for opportunities that offer more stability.

“This means there is a huge opportunity for businesses which are seeing a surge in demand to scoop up the skillsets of these individuals and help get them back to work so that the economy can start to thrive once again. Our virtual roundtable has been designed to help all those who capitalise on this trend with the new challenges the world of work will present, to ensure the health and safety of their staff, and themselves.”

sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-to-prioritise-as-we-head-toward-a-new-working-normal-tickets-106943083642

 

 

 

Manchester Ceo To Lead Virtual Kilimanjaro Climb For NHS

Sam Whitear
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Manchester ceo, Rob Illidge, is gearing up to lead a virtual Kilimanjaro climb to raise money for the National Health Service (NHS) from June 9-16.

Rob of Social Republic will be joined by Kilimanjaro Experts founder, Henry Steadman and hundreds of online users including expert climbers and keen walkers to complete the virtual trek, having had his physical climb delayed due to COVID-19.

The team’s activity will be posted across Facebook and Instagram – with daily updates and Facebook ‘Live’ between Rob and Henry to discuss the day’s walk, its length, predicted altitude gain, weather and scenery plus a look at what to expect over the course of the next 24 hours.

Said Rob: “With my physical climb now delayed due to the coronavirus, I’m aiming to use this virtual expedition to raise money for the brave national health heroes who are doing an amazing job in the current climate – I’m calling for any support you can provide, whether it’s a small donation or by simply joining me for this challenge.

“It is certainly going to be a very tough eight days, walking 128,263 steps in total with a height equivalent of 5895m. It’s also going to be extremely challenging to try to recreate the hike in both my own home, through the garden and stairs, and by using the limited exercise we’re allowed to take each day, walking locally to at least experience being out on the trek.”

Said Henry: “We are delighted that Rob is continuing his fundraising efforts during the current pandemic – just showing how driven he is to helping an excellent cause.

“Every morning for the virtual climb, I’ll be featuring a short video with a description of the relevant day’s itinerary on our alternative Lemosho Route trek – looking at the key facts for the day and calling on extra support to encourage Rob and his team to complete this great task.”

Make UK launches COVID 19 HR & Legal support package to help Manchester businesses get back on track and safeguard jobs

Sam Whitear
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Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, has developed a new training and support package to help businesses in Manchester bring their employees back to work post COVID 19.

It provides the essential tools and hands-on advice needed for businesses – whatever sector – to take fast, effective action and make the right decisions around government initiatives such as the job retention scheme.

It also gives step-by-step guidance on preparing the workplace to enable an increasing number of workers to be back on-site safely.

June Smith 300x218 1 June Smith, Make UK’s Regional Director for North said: “These new online resources offer a one-stop-shop for clear direction for companies of all sizes enabling managers to take fast and effective action and make the best choices to futureproof businesses as we all move forward.

“Making those strategic decisions correctly and in a timely fashion is essential for the continued success of companies as they come out of this crisis and look to get back to normal production.

“Firms big and small need to get these decisions right and our legal team will work with every firm directly. We work closely with the Government to make sure the legislation works as well as it can for every business, and we are focused on interpreting that legislation, explaining clearly and simply what each has to do in order to comply.”

The Covid 19 HR & Legal Support programme gives direct and speedy access to expert advice and guidance on a month-by-month basis, helping companies protect their workforce and make the best strategic decisions.

It includes:

  • A new COVID helpline to provide access to expert support and guidance
  • A back-to-business support pack that includes a Return from Furlough template letter – designed to help organisations appropriately communicate to an employee when they are to return to work following furlough and downloadable checklists including –
  • HR & Employment law checklist outlining key areas of compliance and workforce planning
  • Health and Safety checklist covering the considerations and risk assessments to carry out following shutdown
  • Production and Operations checklist outlining key processes, procedures and business continuity across your entire business operations
  • A pre-recorded webinar from Make UK experts giving advice and tips to help you get back up and running as quickly as possible

For those companies which are having to take the difficult decision of looking to lose some of their staff, there is also a redundancy webinar in the context of COVID 19; completing the package is a COVID 19 Management Training Resource Pack that includes e-learning programme for managers and a risk assessment template and policy.

This e-learning programme has been developed in line with the very latest Government guidance to help manufacturers manage their workforce safely and efficiently by understanding the threats of the virus and how it works, how it is spread, destroyed and the major risk factors.

The second part of the course provides clear guidance on how to manage social distancing in a factory or workplace setting with a final section on cleaning and personal hygiene and how to make that work in a professional setting.

To sign up or find out more www.makeuk.org/hereforyou

Back to Business Support Pack is free for Make UK members and £75 +VAT for non-members

COVID E-Learning and Support Pack costs £50 +VAT for Make UK members and £100 + VAT for non-members

ELECTRICITY NORTH WEST COMPLETES £1.4M PROJECT TO PROTECT KEY ASTRAZENECA CAMPUS

Sam Whitear
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A £1.4M project to protect a key North West pharmaceuticals site and ensure its sensitive manufacturing systems can operate around the clock has been completed.

AstraZeneca invested in the new high voltage electrical facility to further protect the security of its Macclesfield manufacturing campus and ensure it can continue to operate, even in the event of disruption to its power supply.

Electricity North West’s Customer Network Solutions team, which builds operates and maintains businesses private power networks, designed and constructed a new 33,000-volt Switchroom and installed additional switchgear to reinforce the electricity supply to the AstraZeneca site.

Mike Haniak, Head of Customer Network Solutions Operations at Electricity North West, said: “Because of the nature of what AstraZeneca produces at its Macclesfield site and the importance to the pharmaceutical and health industries, it is essential that their electricity network is secure and reliable.

“AstraZeneca’s existing electricity switchgear had been successfully keeping the company’s production lines moving but, to maintain that protection for years to come, some of that electrical hardware needed to be replaced.

“This project saw the construction of a Switchroom and the installation of modern switchgear. Despite the challenges this created, new equipment was successfully installed, commissioned and brought on-line without any disruption to Astra Zeneca’s ongoing operations and is now adding even greater protection to the business’s future supply.”

Des Belford from AstraZeneca added: “As a leading biopharmaceutical business, it is obviously essential that we put plans in place to ensure the security of our power supply around the clock.

“The Macclesfield 33kV project has gone exceptionally well and is a credit to all who have contributed to it. This was a very high risk/complex project, which had the ability to shut down the entire site, interrupting the supply of drugs to both the UK and Global markets.”

Firms should not just be looking to survive the crisis – they need to reboot themselves so they are ready for future growth.

Sam Whitear
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Businesses are facing huge challenges to survive the coronavirus pandemic and many tough decisions have to be made. But they also need to plan for success in the future and making the wrong decisions now could lead to disaster, according to one expert.

In order to survive the crisis so far, businesses have cut costs by furloughing staff while others have made positions redundant. But business management partner Biramis says firms should not just be looking to survive the crisis – they need to reboot themselves so they are ready for future growth.

And with help such as business interruption and bounce-back loans, Biramis believes firms should see this as an opportunity to make changes to create future wealth and scale down their operations, rather than simply making savings.

Chief executive officer Christiane Hutchinson said: “As businesses are scaling down, they also need re-modelling, as opposed to just cutting costs.

“Don’t just lock yourself into survival mode. Businesses must make their purpose to grow and create value again. They need to reboot with growth and value creation in mind.

“Many of the changes we have seen since Covid-19 will be long lasting.  This is a time for opportunities to optimise and reinvent our businesses for renewed growth and prosperity.

“We must keep our eyes on the future beyond Covid-19.”

The first step is to change your mindset from focusing on immediate to survival to planning for the future. Christiane said this will encourage responsiveness rather than reactiveness and firms need to adopt a medium to long-term strategic mindset while looking after short-term needs to scale down.

Firms that simply cut their costs are left with an impaired business, deprived of its ability to compete properly and grow, creating a negative customer experience.

Christiane said: “The worst thing you can do is reduce costs associated with satisfying your customers. From a reduced cost base, by trying to achieve the previous offering, you create a perceived cheapness and lower quality. The new model has to create an offering that is perceived as good value and gives a good customer experience.”

The key is to reboot through re-modelling, even if it means scaling down for a period. A scaled-down business must be able to grow volume to satisfy the new needs of customers and clients in the severe downturn. Their needs have changed like yours, but they are still there.

It must also provide a sustainable margin and contributions towards the revised costs and present a cash and operating cycle that is as short as possible. The key is to scale down rather than shrink.

As well as helping many businesses adapt through the crisis, technology and communications can help them evolve in future.

Biramis believes businesses should attract customers through a new digital strategy and product and service innovationwhich will help grow their market share. It is vital that they talk to clients to see what their needs are and address them in the strategy.

Christiane said: “Let people know you are still there, but also let them know the steps you are taking to meet their needs and keep everyone safe.”

 

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Housing provider appoints Voicescape to transform rental collections

Sam Whitear
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Voicescape, a software business that provides customer engagement and tenant sustainability solutions for social landlords, has expanded its client base with ClwydAlyn Housing in North Wales.

Headquartered in St Asaph, ClwydAlyn Housing manages over 6,000 homes across seven North Wales counties and provides a mixed tenure of family accommodation, supported living schemes and home ownership.

The registered housing provider has appointed Voicescape to deliver its Collections solution which helps to ensure residents can easily pay rent on time and reduce arrears for its communities. This solution also helps ClwydAlyn engage with tenants at the earliest stages of escalation to mitigate the impact of Universal Credit on their arrears position directly tying into their mission to beat poverty.

They are also using the service, which combines social housing tenant data with behavioural insight, to provide welfare contact in response to Covid-19. All of these services will allow ClwydAlyn to improve operational efficiency and ensure early conversations with tenants are completed to provide the right support.

Suzanne Mazzone, Director of Resident Services at ClwydAlyn, said: “Like many housing associations we have made resident wellbeing our main priority over the past couple of months. Voicescape has enabled us to streamline the way that we contact residents and has helped us to provide support as quickly as possible.”

Peter Hudson, Commercial Director at Voicescape, added: “During these challenging times, ClwydAlyn has recognised the importance of staying in-touch with their tenants and will use Voicescape’s service to maximise operational efficiency and ensure maximum engagement with tenants. We are looking forward to working with ClwydAlyn and supporting the business through Covid-19 and beyond.”

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