The Romans carried out early river regulation and water management in the Hessische Ried already in the 1 st century AD. Roman waterways enabled the transportation of troops and material and were of strategic importance to secure the territory of the Roman Empire. Small fortlets, so called burgi (singular burgus), were constructed along the tributaries of the River Rhine in late Roman times. The burgus at Trebur-Astheim represents such a Roman military site along the so-called Rhein -Limes. Its construction is dated to AD 364/375 by a Roman coin and the shape of its construction (Heising 2012) and was obviously part of the building program realized during the reign of the Emperor Valentinian I (AD 364-375). The archaeological site is located at the Schwarzbach/ Landgraben watercourse only a few kilometers southwest from its actual mouth into the River Rhine. This watercourse connects the western fringe of the Odenwald with the city of Mogontiacum/Mainz. To study this structure, a multi -method geophysical prospection was carried out at the burgus at Trebur-Astheim. We were able to trace the ground plan of the late Roman burgus first published by Heising (2012) showing a rectangle building at the center with a wing wall to both the northern and the southern side running towards the present riverbank. On this base, detailed geomorphological and geoarchaeological studies were carried out to clarify how the burgus was connected to the watercourse of the Schwarzbach/Landgraben, to collect information on the structure and function of the building and to establish a local geochronology. Our results show that the burgus was constructed at the very edge of the Lower Terrace directly facing the watercourse. The Lower Terrace edge has its westernmost position right in between the northern and southern wing wall of the burgus forming kind of a protruding nose. In front of the burgus, a semi -enclosed artificial basin was detected. Sediments prove that the burgus must have been open towards the fluvial system and that the burgus was not enclosed by a wall from the western side. Based on stratigraphic data, the protruding nose -type Lower Terrace section in between the wing walls was modelled as ramp into the burgus basin to pull vessels on the artificial river bank. The minimum water depth was reconstructed to be 0.7 m in front of the burgus. This and the overall geographic situation let us assume that the building was located at the Schwarzbach/Landgraben channel by the time of its use and not at the River Rhine itself. This assumption is in accordance with evidence of Roman -built canal sections of the Landgraben further upstream (Hanel 1995; Becker 2019). In our study area, we found two different burgus-related sedimentary facies, namely a lower moderate to high-energy fluvial facies right on top of Lower Terrace sands and a subsequent fluvial facies reflecting a clearly reduced flow velocity. The final phase of use of the burgus was dated to the time period 425-599 cal AD. It was thus in use for maximum 235 or so years.

The landscape of southern Hesse is characterised by many old watercourses. These are areas worthy of protection for both nature conservation and monument protection. On the one hand, they provide special conditions for flora and fauna related to water bodies; on the other hand, from an archaeological point of view, the old watercourses are traffic routes, habitats, sacrificial sites and archives for the history of the landscape. The protection requirements of both interests leads to synergies, but also to disagreements and problems in dealing with the protected areas. Experiences resulting from cooperation are discussed in this article, as well as approaches to solutions for improving joint action.

Detailed geoarchaeological studies were conducted at the Gro beta krotzenburg floodplain (Southern Hesse, Germany) in order to reconstruct the fluvial palaeogeography and search for Roman harbour installations. Another objective was to reconstruct the local flood history based on stratigraphic and geochronological data. Prospection based on electrical resistivity tomography, vibracoring and direct push electrical conductivity logging were carried out to detect and analyze subsurface stratigraphies. Altogether, 6 sediment cores, up to 7m long, were drilled along transects along and perpendicular to the present course of the River Main. Based on sedimentological and geochemical data, we classified four sedimentary units. Vibracore data helped to detect the pre-Holocene bedrock topography and to differentiate between sedimentary facies. We present geophysical, sedimentary and geochronological evidence of a river channel right in front of the Roman fort that was probably active during Roman times. Moreover, we found another bridge pier candidate in the prolongation of a well documented Roman bridge. Our findings further indicate that the northern riverbank has shifted towards south since Roman times. However, neither sedimentary nor archaeological evidence for harbour installations could be brought to light. Nevertheless, we assume that conditions favorable of a river harbour, namely permanent water flow and sufficient water depth, were guaranteed in front of the fort where an undercut slope was probably already existing during Roman times. Several sequences of coarse-grained, sandy to gravelly river deposits were found associated with major flood events that affected the site at Gro beta krotzenburg during late Medieval and modern times. At that time, central Germany was repeatedly influenced by extreme meteorological conditions and associated extreme runoff events. Based on radiocarbon data we were able to define two periods of major flooding, namely between 1435 and 1484 cal AD and 1646-1792 cal AD. These periods are contemporaneous with periods of increased flood frequency in Central Europe, derived from historical sources, namely 1430-1460 AD and 1730-1790 AD. Based on sedimentary and geo-chronostratigraphic evidence, major flood events detected at the Gro beta krotzenburg alluvial plain are most probably related with the AD 1480, AD 1573 and AD 1780 events known from historical records. Our results document that few historical flood events controlled the overall development of the fluvial landscape at Gro beta krotzenburg at least since Roman times until the late 19th century, namely by eroding pre-existing fluvial deposits, accumulating thick sequences of event deposits and narrowing the riverbed. Since the late 19th century, river regulation measures severely changed the hydrological conditions of the River Main.

Background/Aim: Well-established risk factors for diabetes include diet, body mass index and physical activity, all of which are individually modifiable factors. However, recent evidence suggests that environmental factors including road traffic noise and air pollution may affect the risk of developing diabetes. Here we examine whether road traffic noise is associated with diabetes incidence, when accounting for air pollution exposure. Methods: 28,731 female nurses from the Danish Nurse cohort (>44 years old at recruitment in 1993 or 1999) were linked to the Danish Diabetes Register with information on incidence of diabetes from 1995 until 2013. The annual mean weighted levels of 24-hour average road traffic noise (Lden) were modeled with Nord2000. Annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 at residence were modeled with Danish AirGIS system. Cox proportional hazards regression models with age as underlying time was used to examine the association between annual mean Lden at the study baseline (1995 or 1999) and the incidence of diabetes in a model adjusted for lifestyle factors and additionally, for annual mean PM2.5 concentration at the study baseline (1995 or 1999). Results: Of 23,169 nurses free of diabetes at the cohort enrolment, 1,099 developed diabetes during a mean follow-up of 15.2 years. The diabetes risk was increased among those exposed to high (>57 dB) when compared to low (≤ 47 dB) Lden in crude model (hazard ratio (HR); 1.25 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-1.47), and adjusted for diabetes risk factors (1.18; 1.00-1.39). However, the effect of Lden diminished (HR 1.03; 0.86-1.24) when adjusting for PM2.5. In the fully adjusted model, an interquartile range (3.89 µg/m3) increase in PM2.5 was associated with 18% (HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.09-1.29) increase in diabetes risk. Conclusions: We detected association between road traffic noise and diabetes risk, but which disappeared after adjustment for PM2.5.

Background: Health impact assessment (HIA) of exposure to air pollution is commonly based on city level (fine) particle concentration and may underestimate health consequences of changing local traffic. Exposure to traffic related air pollution can be assessed at a high resolution by modelling levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which together with ultrafine particles mainly originate from diesel-powered vehicles in urban areas. The purpose of this study was to estimate the health benefits of reduced exposure to vehicle emissions assessed as NO2 at the residence among the citizens of Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. Methods: We utilized residential NO2 concentrations modelled by use of chemistry transport models to calculate contributions from emission sources to air pollution. The DYNAMO-HIA model was applied to the population of Copenhagen Municipality by using NO2 concentration estimates combined with demographic data and data from nationwide registers on incidence and prevalence of selected diseases, cause specific mortality, and total mortality of the population of Copenhagen. We used exposure-response functions linking NO2 concentration estimates at the residential address with the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases derived from a large Danish cohort study with the majority of subjects residing in Copenhagen between 1971 and 2010. Different scenarios were modelled to estimate the dynamic impact of NO2 exposure on related diseases and the potential health benefits of lowering the NO2 level in the Copenhagen Municipality. Results: The annual mean NO2 concentration was 19.6 mu g/m(3) and for 70% of the population the range of exposure was between 15 and 21 mu g/m(3). If NO2 exposure was reduced to the annual mean rural level of 6 mu g/m(3), life expectancy in 2040 would increase by one year. The greatest gain in disease-free life expectancy would be lifetime without ischemic heart disease (1.4 years), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1.5 years for men and 1.6 years for women), and asthma (1.3 years for men and 1.5 years for women). Lowering NO2 exposure by 20% would increase disease-free life expectancy for the different diseases by 0.3-0.5 years. Using gender specific relative risks affected the results. Conclusions: Reducing the NO2 exposure by controlling traffic-related air pollution reduces the occurrence of some of the most prevalent chronic diseases and increases life expectancy. Such health benefits can be quantified by DYNAMO-HIA in a high resolution exposure modelling. This paper demonstrates how traffic planners can assess health benefits from reduced levels of traffic-related air pollution.

increased for the 1st and 3rd months and continuity of medication was higher at 3rd month. Conclusions:WhatsApp support embedded in cessation service delivery increases the success rate and has favorable effects on followup.More over, the equalizing effect of the intervention in terms of socioeconomic differences, positively contributes to the elimination of inequalities for successful smoking cessation in disadvantaged groups.

BackgroundThe majority (61%) of Denmark’s land cover is agricultural. Cereals and grains are the major crops, and almost all acres of these crops are treated with herbicides. Based mostly on ...

The annual concentrations of NO2, PM2.5 and PK in 2012 have for the first time been modelled for all 2.4 million addresses in Denmark based on a multi-scale air quality modelling approach. All addresses include residential, industrial, institutional, shop, school, restaurant addresses etc. The approach is based on a suite of chemistry-transport models all developed at Aarhus University and includes regional modelling, urban background modelling and street modelling. Information about traffic volumes is based on a newly developed national Danish Transport Model, and national travel speed data have been obtained from a recent dataset based on GPS readings of vehicles. Air quality model results are validated by comparisons with measurements obtained from the fixed site monitoring stations under the Danish Air Quality Monitoring Programme. The validation showed that calculated street concentrations of NO2 for the five available street monitoring stations are within 27% to +12%. The model results were also verified with comparisons with previous model results for NO2 at 98 selected streets in Copenhagen and 31 streets in Aalborg. The verification showed good correlation in Copenhagen (r(2) = 0.70) and fairly good agreement in Aalborg (r(2) = 0.60). The target groups for the air quality mapping of all Danish addresses are the general public for information and awareness about air quality, and local and national authorities whom may use the information as a screening tool for air quality assessment. The air quality map has been provided on a WebGIS platform on the internet in September 2016 (http://luftenpaadinvej.au.dk). The air quality map is named AirStreet for Air Quality at Your Street. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

BACKGROUND:A study reported an increased risk of asthma in children whose mothers were exposed to magnetic field (MF) levels above 0.2 μT during pregnancy. We re-examined this association using data from mothers and children in the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC). METHODS:This study included 92,676 singleton-born children and their mothers from the DNBC. MF exposure from power lines was estimated for all residences where the mothers lived during pregnancy and for all children from birth until the end of follow up. Exposure was categorized into 0 μT, 0.1 μT, and ≥ 0.2 μT for analysis. Definitive and possible asthma cases were identified using data from three independent data sources: 1) mothers' reports, 2) a national hospitalization register, 3) a national prescription drug register. We calculated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between the highest level of exposure during pregnancy and asthma in children, adjusting for several potential confounding factors. We also examined the sensitivity of the risk estimates to changes in exposure and outcome definitions. RESULTS:No differences or trends in the risk of asthma development were detected between children with different levels of MF exposure regardless of the asthma case definition or outcome data source. For definitive cases, the HR (95% CI) for those with any exposure was 0.72 (0.27-1.92), and it was 0.41 (0.06-2.92) for those exposed to ≥ 0.2 μT. Adjustments for confounding and variations in the exposure definition did not appreciably alter the results. CONCLUSION:We did not find evidence that residential exposure to MF during pregnancy or early childhood increased the risk of childhood asthma. This interpretation is in line with the lack of an established biological mechanism directly linking MF exposure to asthma, but high exposure was very rare in this cohort.

Estimation of legacy public health risks from munitions residues near or at former military test ranges has for the past decades been a challenge to health authorities. Parts of the island of Vieques (PR) were for six decades used for military training, and these are now declared as a Superfund site. ATSDR has conducted site assessments there and found no cause for public health concerns. The reports and findings of ATSDR have since been heavily contested and disputed. This paper provides a case study on cancer risk screening of munitions-specific carcinogens for the full period of military training on Vieques. Added cancer risks and Margins of Exposure for the different carcinogens for each year were derived. We found that there is a potential for cancer risk concern related to BaP exposures. Furthermore, there were health risks from TNT exposures. The primary exposure route of these compounds was oral. The period 1992–1997 showed a significantly elevated lung and bronchus cancer incidence rate in Vieques compared to Puerto Rico mainland mainly among women <50 yr and men 50–64 yr. These correlate with high munitions exposures in the period 1977–1984.

The concentrations of seventeen pollutants (particulate mass fractions PM2.5 and PM10, a range of metals, inorganic gases and organic compounds) are for the first time analyzed in a screening of the carcinogenic risk at a resolution of 1 x 1 km(2) in ambient air in three Nordic countries. Modelled annual mean air concentrations in 2010 show no exceedances of the EU air quality limit, guideline or target values. The only modelled exceedance of US-EPA 1:100,000 cancer risk concentrations (0.12 ng/m(3), US-EPA IRIS, 2015) occurs for B(a)P in Denmark, for approximately 80% of the Danish population. However, the EU target value threshold of 1 ng/m(3) for B(a)P is not exceeded in the modelled values in any parts of Denmark. No emission data for B(a)P were available for the whole domain of the other two considered Nordic countries and important uncertainties are still related to the emissions. Long-range transport is significant for the concentrations of all of the considered pollutants, except for B(a)P that commonly originates mostly from local residential wood combustion. The ambient air concentrations of NOx, SO2, Cd, Cr and Pb also have significant contributions from national sources; 45-65% for NOx and SO2, and for the metals from 15 to 60% in urban areas and from 1 to 20% in rural areas, within the considered Nordic area. High national contributions occur especially in urban air, due to primarily road traffic, residential wood combustion, energy production and industrial point sources. It is recommended to monitor the influence from residential wood combustion more extensively, and to analyze longer time trends for long-term human exposure. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PurposeCopenhagen Airport Cohort 1990–2012 presents a unique data source for studies of health effects of occupational exposure to air pollution (ultrafine particles) and manual baggage handling among airport employees. We describe the extent of information in the cohort and in the follow-up based on data linkage to the comprehensive Danish nationwide health registers. In the cohort, all information is linked to the personal identification number that also is used in Denmark Statistics demographic and socioeconomic databases and in the nationwide health registers.ParticipantsThe cohort covers 69 175 men in unskilled positions. The exposed cohort includes men in unskilled jobs employed at Copenhagen Airport in the period 1990–2012 either as baggage handlers or in other outdoor work. The reference cohort includes men in unskilled jobs working in the greater Copenhagen area.Findings to dateThe cohort includes environmental Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements in Copenhagen Airport, information on job function/task for each calendar year of employment between 1990 and 2012, exposure to air pollution at residence, average weight of baggage lifted per day and lifestyle. By linkage to registers, we retrieved socioeconomic and demographic data and data on healthcare contacts, drug subscriptions, incident cancer and mortality.Future plansThe size of the cohort and the completeness of the register-based follow-up allow a more accurate assessment of the possible health risks of occupational exposure to ultrafine particles and manual baggage handling at airports than in previous studies. We plan to follow the cohort for the incidence of ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular disease, lung and bladder cancer, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and further for associations between heavy manual baggage handling and musculoskeletal disorders.Trial registrationnumber 2012–41–0199.

Background: An association between air pollution and breast cancer risk has been suggested, but evidence is sparse and inconclusive. Methods: We included 22,877 female nurses from the Danish Nurse Cohort who were recruited in 1993 or 1999 and followed them for incidence of breast cancer (N = 1,145) until 2013 in the Danish Cancer Register. We estimated annual mean concentrations of particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μg/m3 (PM2.5) and <10 μg/m3 (PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at nurses' residences since 1990 using an atmospheric chemistry transport model. We examined the association between the 3-year running mean of each pollutant and breast cancer incidence using a time-varying Cox regression. Results: We found no association between breast cancer and PM2.5 (HR, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.94–1.10 per interquartile range of 3.3 μg/m3), PM10 (1.02; 0.94–1.10 per 2.9 μg/m3), or NO2 (0.99; 0.93–1.05 per 7.4 μg/m3). Conclusions: Air pollution is not associated with breast cancer risk. Impact: Exposure to air pollution in adulthood does not increase the risk of breast cancer, but more data on the effects of early exposure, before first birth, are needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(3); 428–30. ©2016 AACR.

Background: Air pollution has been considered a potent environmental risk factor for neuropathology through neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, which might also cause brain tumour formation. However, epidemiological evidence on the association between air pollution and brain tumours in humans is sparse, with no data on exposure to particles. In this study we aim to examine associations between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and risk for development of brain tumours.Methods: We used the Danish Nurse Cohort with 28,731 female nurses (age >= 44 years) recruited in 1993 or 1999 when self-reported information on lifestyle was collected. We obtained data on the incidence of brain tumours until 2013 from the Danish Cancer Register, and estimated annual mean concentrations of particulate matter with diameter < 2.5 mu m (PM2.5), particulate matter with diameter <10 pm (PM10), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at the residence since 1990 using an atmospheric integrated chemistry-transport models system, and examined the association between the 3-year running mean of pollutants and brain tumour incidence using time-varying Cox regression, separately for total brain tumours, and for tumour subtypes by location (brain or meninges), and by malignancy (malignant or benign), and estimated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals per increase in interquartile range of exposure.Results: Of 25,143 tumour-free nurses at recruitment, 121 developed brain cancer during 15.7 years of follow-up. We found a weak positive association between total brain tumours and PM2.5 (1.06; 0.80-1.40 per 3.37 mu g/m(3)), NO2 (1.09; 0.91-1.29) per 7.5 mu g/m(3), and NOx (1.02; 0.93-1.12 per 1022 mu g/m(3)), and none with PM10 (0.93; 0.70-1.23 per 3.31 mu g/m(3)). Associations with PM2.5 and NO2 were stronger for tumours located in meninges than in brain, and for benign than for malignant tumours. Finally, association of total brain tumours with PM2.5 was modified by BMI, and was statistically significantly enhanced in obese women (2.03; 1.35-3.05).Conclusion: We found weak evidence for association between risk of brain tumours and long-term exposure to air pollution in women older than 44 years. However, we present novel results that obese women may be susceptible, as well as a positive tendency towards elevated risk for meninges and benign tumours, which require further investigation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aims/hypothesis: It has been suggested that air pollution may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes but data on particulate matter with diameter <2.5 mu m (PM2.5) are inconsistent. We examined the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and diabetes incidence.Methods: We used the Danish Nurse Cohort with 28,731 female nurses who at recruitment in 1993 or 1999 reported information on diabetes prevalence and risk factors, and obtained data on incidence of diabetes from National Diabetes Register until 2013. We estimated annual mean concentrations of PM2.5, particulate matter with diameter <10 mu m (PM10), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at their residence since 1990 using a dispersion model and examined the association between the 5-year running mean of pollutants and diabetes incidence using a time-varying Cox regression.Results: Of 24,174 nurses 1137 (4.7%) developed diabetes. We detected a significant positive association between PM2.5 and diabetes incidence (hazard ratio; 95% confidence interval: 1.11; 1.02-1.22 per interquartile range of 3.1 mu g/m(3)), and weaker associations for PM10 (1.06; 0.98-1.14 per 2.8 mu g/m(3)), NO2 (1.05; 0.99-1.12 per 7.5 mu g/m(3)), and NOx (1.01; 0.98-1.05 per 10.2 mu g/m(3)) in fully adjusted models. Associations with PM2.5 persisted in two-pollutant models. Associations with PM2.5 were significantly enhanced in never smokers (1.24; 1.09-1.42), and augmented in obese (1.25; 1.06-1.47) and subjects with myocardial infarction (1.32; 0.86-2.02), but without significant interaction.Conclusions/interpretation: Fine particulate matter may the most relevant pollutant for diabetes development among women, and non-smokers, obese women, and heart disease patients may be most susceptible. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Waste to Energy combustion plants currently process most of the organic fraction of the household waste. This study presents an assessment of the environmental performance of an increased circular bioresource management system obtained by reallocating the organic fraction of the household waste from combustion (Reference Scenario) to biogas and fertilizer production (Alternative Scenario). The goals defined in the Danish National resource action plan for waste management, i.e. 33% reduction of organic fraction household waste dry weight, is taken as a case study. A comparative life cycle assessment of the diverting of the organic fraction of the household waste away from a Waste to Energy combustion plant towards sludge-and manure-based biogas plants in North Zealand (Denmark) shows a net increase in renewable electricity production of 39% at the expense of a reduction in heat production of 8%. Moving up the waste hierarchy results in a net greenhouse gas emission reduction of 100 kg CO(2)eq. per ton of dry weight biowaste treated, corresponding to a 10% of reduction in CO2 emission. The latter accompanied by a net reduction in depletion of fossil resources of 11% and a reduction in the impacts on Freshwater and Marine Eutrophication of 4.8 t P eq. and 3.6 t N eq., respectively. As such, the modelled increased circular bioresource management indicates significant improvement of the efficiency in use of resources in biowaste. However, trade-offs occur due to the presence of micropollutants in the natural fertilizers that results in future increased damage cost on terrestrial ecosystems and human health exists. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AimsWe investigated whether traffic-related air pollution and noise are associated with incident hypertension in European cohorts.Methods and resultsWe included seven cohorts of the European study of cohorts for air pollution effects (ESCAPE). We modelled concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), ≤10 µm (PM10), >2.5, and ≤10 µm (PMcoarse), soot (PM2.5 absorbance), and nitrogen oxides at the addresses of participants with land use regression. Residential exposure to traffic noise was modelled at the facade according to the EU Directive 2002/49/EC. We assessed hypertension as (i) self-reported and (ii) measured (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or intake of BP lowering medication (BPLM). We used Poisson regression with robust variance estimation to analyse associations of traffic-related exposures with incidence of hypertension, controlling for relevant confounders, and combined the results from individual studies with random-effects meta-analysis. Among 41 072 participants free of self-reported hypertension at baseline, 6207 (15.1%) incident cases occurred within 5-9 years of follow-up. Incidence of self-reported hypertension was positively associated with PM2.5 (relative risk (RR) 1.22 [95%-confidence interval (CI):1.08; 1.37] per 5 µg/m³) and PM2.5 absorbance (RR 1.13 [95% CI:1.02; 1.24] per 10 - 5m - 1). These estimates decreased slightly upon adjustment for road traffic noise. Road traffic noise was weakly positively associated with the incidence of self-reported hypertension. Among 10 896 participants at risk, 3549 new cases of measured hypertension occurred. We found no clear associations with measured hypertension.ConclusionLong-term residential exposures to air pollution and noise are associated with increased incidence of self-reported hypertension.

Nordic co-operationNordic co-operation is one of the world's most extensive forms of regional collaboration, involving Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland.Nordic co-operation has firm traditions in politics, the economy, and culture.It plays an important role in European and international collaboration, and aims at creating a strong Nordic community in a strong Europe.Nordic co-operation seeks to safeguard Nordic and regional interests and principles in the global community.Common Nordic values help the region solidify its position as one of the world's most innovative and competitive.