Max-Hervé George Leads SWI Group's Bold Pivot Toward AI and Data Infrastructure
Now, under the guidance of its chairman and co-CEO, Max-Hervé George, the firm is turning its focus to one of the most consequential shifts of the 21 st century: artificial intelligence and the data infrastructure needed to support it.
The decision is not simply about staying current—it reflects a strategic belief that AI and digital infrastructure will define the next era of productivity, sovereignty, and value creation in Europe.
Traditionally, SWI Group has invested across real estate, private equity, financial services, and hospitality. That track record has given it an understanding of asset cycles, risk mitigation, and cross-border opportunity. But today, the group is redeploying its resources into high-impact verticals that power the digital economy.
'SWI Group was built on anticipating what's next,' said Max-Hervé George. 'Right now, we see AI as the defining growth vector—and data centres as the hardware layer of that future.'
As demand for digital services grows, the need for robust, scalable, and energy-efficient data centres has surged to support advancements in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. AI's rise only amplifies this demand. From training large language models to powering real-time analytics, these computing workloads require infrastructure that's resilient, low-latency, and secure.
SWI's strategy is as much philosophical as it is financial. The firm is not just allocating capital—it's reimagining where value will be created over the next 10 to 15 years. This means identifying underserved European markets, aligning with policymakers, and partnering with tech-forward operators who understand both the technical and regulatory dimensions of infrastructure.
But even as it charts a new path, SWI is not abandoning its diversified roots. The company's multi-sector experience helps de-risk its forward-looking bets, while its flexible structure allows it to act swiftly in a fast-moving investment environment.
George emphasises that this shift is not speculative. 'We're not chasing hype—we're backing fundamentals. The world's need for secure computation, responsible AI, and sustainable infrastructure is only growing. Europe is the place to build it.'
With a portfolio that now straddles the physical and digital, SWI Group is positioning itself not just as a capital allocator but as a contributor to Europe's evolving digital infrastructure.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tahawul Tech
27 minutes ago
- Tahawul Tech
Hefring Marine launches new app for comprehensive fleet management
Hefring Marine has announced the launch of its new mobile application designed specifically for marine professionals seeking enhanced fleet management capabilities. The app will provide unprecedented real-time insights and control over vessel operations, enabling users to improve safety, efficiency, and performance across their entire fleet. The new application addresses the critical needs of marine operators by delivering powerful monitoring and control features through an intuitive mobile interface. Users can now maintain constant connectivity with their vessels regardless of location, ensuring optimal operational oversight and rapid response capabilities. 'We've designed this solution to give IMAS users and marine professionals the real-time visibility and control they need to operate more safely and efficiently in today's demanding maritime environment,' said Karl, CEO of Hefring Marine. The Hefring Marine app offers four core feature sets that transform how marine professionals manage their operations: Real-time fleet tracking: The application's interactive mapping system provides live positioning data for entire fleets, giving operators complete situational awareness and control over vessel movements and locations. Intelligent alert system: Users receive instant notifications for critical events, including geofence violations, custom threshold breaches, and engine alerts, enabling immediate response to potential issues before they escalate. Comprehensive data profiles: Detailed vessel and trip profiles provide operators with complete operational histories and key performance data, supporting informed decision-making and operational optimization. Device monitoring: The app tracks and monitors all connected onboard devices across each vessel, delivering a complete operational picture and ensuring all systems are functioning properly. The app is designed to serve marine operations of all sizes, from small vessel operators to large commercial fleets. The scalable architecture ensures that whether managing a handful of boats or hundreds of vessels, users receive the same level of comprehensive monitoring and control capabilities. The Hefring Marine app is now available for download and immediate use by marine professionals worldwide. The application supports both iOS and Android platforms, ensuring broad accessibility across different mobile devices and operating systems.
Economy ME
an hour ago
- Economy ME
AlphaGenome: How will Google DeepMind's AI model transform our understanding of the human genome?
Google DeepMind unveiled AlphaGenome, a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) model poised to transform our understanding of the human genome and its impact on health, disease, and biotechnology. By leveraging state-of-the-art neural architectures and vast public genomic datasets, AlphaGenome delivers unprecedented insight into how genetic variants—both common and rare—affect gene regulation across the entire genome, not just the well-studied protein-coding regions that make up a mere 2 percent of our DNA. What is AlphaGenome? AlphaGenome is an advanced AI model developed by Google DeepMind, designed to predict how genetic variants impact gene regulation and other molecular processes at base-pair resolution across the entire genome. Unlike previous models that focused primarily on protein-coding DNA, AlphaGenome analyzes both coding and non-coding regions, offering a unified framework for interpreting the regulatory landscape of human genetics. Key highlights: Processes up to 1 million base pairs of DNA at once. Predicts thousands of molecular modalities, including gene expression, chromatin accessibility, RNA splicing, and protein binding. Integrates convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and transformers for both local motif detection and long-range genomic interactions. Trained on large-scale, multi-omic datasets (ENCODE, GTEx, 4D Nucleome, FANTOM5). Available via an API for non-commercial research, with plans for broader release. The need for advanced genomic AI The complexity of the human genome The human genome is a vast instruction manual, with over 3 billion DNA letters (base pairs). While only about 2 percent of these code for proteins, the remaining 98 percent—the non-coding regions—play crucial roles in regulating gene activity, determining when and where genes are turned on or off, and influencing susceptibility to diseases. Challenges in genomic interpretation: Variant effect prediction: Small changes (variants) in DNA can have profound or negligible effects, depending on their context. Non-coding regions: Most disease-associated variants identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) lie outside protein-coding regions, making their functional consequences difficult to interpret. Data volume: The scale and complexity of genomic data require models that can process long sequences and integrate diverse molecular signals. AlphaGenome was developed to address these challenges, providing a comprehensive, high-resolution view of how genetic variation shapes biology. Technical architecture of AlphaGenome Unified model for sequence-to-function prediction AlphaGenome's architecture is a hybrid neural network that combines the strengths of convolutional layers and transformer modules: Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs): Detect short, local sequence motifs—such as transcription factor binding sites—by scanning DNA for recurring patterns. Transformers: Capture long-range dependencies and interactions between distant genomic elements, essential for modeling regulatory networks that span thousands of base pairs. This design enables AlphaGenome to analyze up to 1 million base pairs in a single pass, providing base-resolution predictions across vast genomic regions. Efficient training and inference Trained on Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), AlphaGenome achieves high computational efficiency, completing full model training in just four hours—using half the compute budget of its predecessor, Enformer. The model's architecture and data pipelines are optimized for both speed and accuracy, allowing rapid hypothesis generation and variant scoring at scale. Training data and benchmark performance Multi-omic datasets AlphaGenome's predictive power is rooted in its exposure to diverse, high-quality datasets: ENCODE: Comprehensive maps of functional elements in the genome. GTEx: Gene expression data across tissues. 4D Nucleome: Insights into genome structure and organization. FANTOM5: Transcriptional activity data. Benchmarking results Outperformed or matched specialized models in 24 out of 26 benchmark tests for variant effect prediction. Demonstrated superior performance in predicting regulatory effects, RNA splicing, and chromatin accessibility. Achieved state-of-the-art results in both single-sequence and variant effect prediction tasks. Key features and innovations Comprehensive variant effect prediction AlphaGenome can score both common and rare variants across the genome, including: Non-coding regulatory regions: Where most disease-associated variants reside. Protein-coding regions: Complementing tools like AlphaMissense. Multi-modal, base-resolution output Provides predictions for thousands of molecular properties at single-base resolution, enabling fine-grained analysis of genetic changes. Models RNA splice junctions directly—a critical advance for understanding diseases caused by splicing errors. Long-range genomic context Captures interactions between distant regulatory elements, such as enhancers and promoters, which are essential for accurate gene regulation modeling. Efficient, scalable, and accessible Trained efficiently on TPUs, with rapid inference capabilities. Available via API for non-commercial research, democratizing access for scientists worldwide. Applications in genomic research Decoding the non-coding genome AlphaGenome's ability to interpret the 98 percent of the genome that does not code for proteins opens new avenues for: Identifying regulatory variants that influence gene expression and disease risk. Prioritizing candidate variants in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Understanding tissue-specific gene regulation and its disruption in disease. Functional genomics and hypothesis generation Researchers can use AlphaGenome to: Predict the impact of specific mutations before experimental validation. Generate functional hypotheses at scale, accelerating discovery in genetics and molecular biology. Impact on disease understanding and precision medicine From variant to function to disease AlphaGenome bridges the gap between genetic variation and biological function, providing insights that are crucial for: Rare disease diagnosis: Interpreting the effects of unique or de novo variants in patients with undiagnosed conditions. Cancer genomics: Understanding how somatic mutations in regulatory regions drive tumorigenesis. Pharmacogenomics: Predicting individual responses to drugs based on regulatory variants. Toward personalized medicine By enabling accurate prediction of variant effects across tissues and cell types, AlphaGenome supports the development of personalized therapies and precision diagnostics tailored to each individual's unique genetic makeup. Read more: UAE healthcare sector aims for 20 percent carbon emission reduction by 2030: Report Synthetic biology and beyond Designing synthetic DNA AlphaGenome's predictive capabilities extend to synthetic biology, where researchers aim to design custom DNA sequences with desired regulatory properties: Synthetic promoters and enhancers: Engineering regulatory elements for gene therapy or industrial biotechnology. Genome editing: Anticipating the consequences of CRISPR and other genome-editing interventions. Expanding to other species DeepMind has indicated plans to extend AlphaGenome's framework to new species , facilitating comparative genomics and cross-species functional annotation. AlphaGenome vs. previous models Feature AlphaGenome Enformer (2022) AlphaMissense (2023) Sequence length Up to 1 million bp Up to 200,000 bp N/A (missense focus) Coding & non-coding regions Yes Yes Coding only Variant effect prediction Yes (all regions) Limited Missense only Multi-modal output Thousands of types Dozens Protein function Splice junction modeling Direct Indirect No Training efficiency 4 hours on TPUs 8+ hours N/A Benchmark performance 24/26 top scores 18/26 N/A AlphaGenome represents a substantial leap in both scale and accuracy compared to previous models, especially in non-coding variant interpretation and multi-modal prediction. Ethical, societal, and clinical considerations Interpretability and trust As AI models become central to genomic interpretation, issues of transparency, explainability, and clinical validation are paramount. AlphaGenome's predictions must be interpreted within the context of experimental evidence and patient care, with careful attention to: False positives/negatives in variant effect prediction. Equity and access to advanced genomic tools across different populations and healthcare systems. Data privacy and security Handling genomic data raises significant privacy concerns, necessitating robust safeguards for patient information and compliance with global regulations. The human element As noted by AI alignment researchers, the psychological and informational context in which genomic insights are delivered is as important as their technical accuracy. AI must support clinicians in providing clear, compassionate communication to patients. The road ahead: Future developments Clinical integration DeepMind plans to extend AlphaGenome for clinical applications, including fine-tuning for disease-specific tasks, integration with electronic health records, and support for clinical decision-making. Expansion to other organisms and modalities Ongoing work aims to adapt AlphaGenome for other species and new molecular phenotypes, broadening its impact across biology and medicine. Open science and collaboration By making AlphaGenome available via API for non-commercial research, DeepMind promotes global collaboration and accelerates discovery in genomics. Final word AlphaGenome marks a new era in computational genomics, offering a unified, scalable, and accurate framework for interpreting the functional consequences of genetic variation across the entire genome. Its release in 2025 represents a milestone not just for AI and genomics, but for the broader quest to understand the language of life and harness it for human health, disease prevention, and biotechnological innovation.
Al Etihad
an hour ago
- Al Etihad
DCT – Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy - Les Roches launch 2025 Tourism Youth Summer Camp
8 July 2025 19:05 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is partnering for the first time with Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy - Les Roches, to launch the 2025 Tourism Youth Summer Camp. The academy is managed under the stewardship of Les Roches, a globally acclaimed hospitality and leisure higher education institution, with the objective of providing hospitality skills and academic knowledge to nurture homegrown talent in the UAE and the GCC region. The two-week immersive programme for Emirati students aged 17 to 21 will run from July 14-24, 2025, nurturing the next generation of Emirati leaders in tourism and hospitality through hands-on training and cultural partnership with Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy - Les Roches brings an elevated level of academic and practical expertise to the programme while integrating elements that celebrate Emirati culture and heritage. The camp combines global hospitality standards with local traditions to foster a new cohort of Abu Dhabi-grounded, globally minded professionals. His Excellency Saleh Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: 'Our Tourism Youth Summer Camp continues to grow in impact as we partner with Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy - Les Roches to empower the next generation of Emirati tourism and hospitality leaders. By combining world-class expertise with a foundation of Emirati hospitality, rooted in a spirit of welcoming and warmth, we are preparing young talent to lead confidently in the global tourism landscape."Strengthening the tourism and hospitality sectors is key to Abu Dhabi's future growth, and as we support and inspire our Emirati youth to enter into this industry, they will be a key part of our mission to both progress the emirate and share Abu Dhabi with the world.'Les Roches was established in Switzerland in 1954 and ranks second globally in hospitality and leisure management. The Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy - Les Roches' state-of-the-art facilities in Abu Dhabi are designed to meet the highest standards of hospitality education, enhancing the learning experience for students and preparing them for real-world scenarios, fostering homegrown talent, contributing to a sustainable, knowledge-driven hospitality Davey, Managing Director for Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches, said: 'At Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches, we believe in the transformative power of education to unlock the full potential of Emirati youth. Our partnership with DCT Abu Dhabi is more than a summer camp; it is a catalyst for future careers, a space where passion meets purpose. By combining Swiss hospitality excellence with the rich cultural heritage of the UAE, we are empowering young Emiratis to lead with confidence, competence, and pride on the global stage. This programme is an investment in people, shaping a generation that will define the future of hospitality in Abu Dhabi and beyond.'Participants will be introduced to six foundational disciplines within the hospitality sector: Front Office operations, Culinary Arts, Barista Skills, Housekeeping, Hospitality Marketing, and Service Excellence in Fine Dining. The curriculum is designed to build essential skills such as teamwork, customer service and problem-solving, while fostering an appreciation for the UAE's identity and its role within the global tourism landscape. Through immersive workshops and industry engagement at the Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches, students will gain a deep understanding of Abu Dhabi's tourism and cultural landscape and its alignment with the UAE's national goals for talent development. Previous editions of the camp in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain have provided participants with real-world experience across key tourism entities, offering valuable insight into the sector's role in driving the emirate's long-term strategic objectives under Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.
