Blog

New survey of 4,000 parents and children in the U.S. and Australia reveals sharp generational divides in support, fears, mental health expectations, and belief in government enforcement.

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / December 9, 2025 / The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) released new research today examining how parents and children in the United States and Australia view social media bans for anyone under 16. The findings reveal strong parental support for such bans, in contrast with widespread concern from children who fear losing friendships and support systems that exist primarily online.

The research arrives as Australia implements a national under 16 social media ban, placing global attention on how the policy will affect youth and their families. FOSI’s study surveyed 4,000 parents and children ages 10 to 17 to understand how both groups feel about restrictions, enforcement, and the broader impact of social media on daily life.

Support for the Ban: Parents vs Children

Parents Support the Ban

• 65% of Australian parents support a national under 16 ban

• 58% of U.S. parents support it

Children Do Not

• Only 38% of Australian children support a ban

• Only 36% of U.S. children support it

Children, who are most directly affected by the restrictions, are less likely to support them. This gap raises a central question for policymakers. Why do parents and children view the potential impact so differently, and what might be lost if children’s concerns are overlooked?

Connection Concerns: Children Feel the Most at Risk

Children Fear Losing Essential Connections

• 53% of U.S. children fear a ban would disconnect them from important cause them to lose connections and support

• 56% of Australian children feel the same

Parents Show Lower Concern

• 35% of U.S. parents

• 36% of Australian parents

For many children, social media can play a meaningful role in their daily lives, offering a place to stay connected, share experiences, and feel part of a wider community. Losing access to those spaces raises important questions about how young people will continue nurturing the relationships and support system they rely on. This cultural context along with the findings above highlights an emotional dimension of the ban that many parents may underestimate.

Families are divided on the mental health impact of a ban

Some parents support a ban because they hope it will protect children’s mental health. However, parents and children disagree on whether this will actually happen. A total of 52% of U.S. parents and 42% of Australian parents agree that a ban will help protect the mental health and well-being of children. Children are less convinced, as only 43% of U.S. and 33% of Australian children hold this view. These mixed views show that families see the mental health conversation as complicated and deeply personal.

Screen Time Reduction is Expected but Not Guaranteed

Parents and children share similar beliefs about whether a social media ban would reduce overall screen time. A total of 55% of U.S. parents and 47% of Australian parents believe screen time would decrease, and nearly half of children in both countries agree. While reducing screen time is one of the most common arguments for the ban, it is important to note that not all screen time is equal. Many children use social media not only for entertainment, but for communication, schoolwork, creativity, and support. Additionally, many children, 64% in the U.S. and 59% in Australia, say they would spend more time on other digital platforms, including video games or text messaging, indicating the total screen time may remain the same.

Many believe kids will find a way around the ban

Parents and children are closely aligned when it comes to one concern. More than half of parents believe that children will find ways to circumvent the new restrictions. In the United States, 53% and in Australia, 54% of parents believe their children could work around the ban. When it comes to children ages 10 to 15 (those affected by the Australian ban), 45% of Australian children and 53% of U.S. children claim they could find a way around a ban.

These findings reflect a common perception that tech-savvy teens will find ways to bypass age restrictions if motivated to do so.

High support for teen accounts

One of the strongest areas of consensus across all four groups is the idea of creating special teen accounts with stronger protections and guardrails. A total of 77% of U.S. parents, 74% of Australian parents, 80% of U.S. children, and 77 % of Australian children support this approach. These findings suggest that families are looking for solutions that prioritize safety without removing social media altogether. The strong support for teen accounts indicates that both parents and children prefer safer, age-appropriate options rather than an outright ban.

“Children will be the most affected by this ban, yet only one third support it,” says Alanna Powers O’Brien, Director of Research and Education at FOSI. “Many are worried about losing friendships and support they rely on every day. Their concerns should not be overlooked. As policies evolve, it is important that we listen to how young people experience the online world and ensure they feel informed, supported, and included in these conversations.”

For more information and to download the Children and Parents’ Perceptions of Social Media and Classroom Smartphone Bans in the U.S. and Australia

About the Family Online Safety Institute

The Family Online Safety Institute is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to making the online world safer for children and families. Through research, education, resources, and collaboration with industry, government, and civil society, FOSI promotes responsible digital parenting and healthier online experiences for all.

This data was collected by Ipsos, the third largest market research company in the world, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people. The survey involved 4,000 respondents, evenly split between the United States and Australia, including 1,000 parents and 1,000 children aged 10-17 in each country. Participants qualified if they or their children used the internet for at least three hours weekly. This survey was conducted from October 2nd to October 20th, 2025. No post-hoc weights were applied to this study, and the findings reflect the opinion of survey respondents only.

This research is supported by Disney’s Digital Wellness Grant Program and TikTok.

###

Media Contact:
Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI)
Amy Bartko
amy@fosi.org | www.fosi.org | 480-201-6733

SOURCE: FOSI

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

SIOUX FALLS, SD / ACCESS Newswire / December 9, 2025 / When a medical emergency happens in rural America, distance, staffing shortages, and fragmented communication can stand between a patient and timely care. Avel eCare is addressing those challenges through its Multipoint EMS Collaboration Model, a virtual care system that connects EMS personnel, Avel’s emergency board-certified physicians and hospital emergency teams from the scene through arrival at the hospital.

Designed to strengthen the Golden Hour, the model ensures patients receive continuous, coordinated care without the traditional gaps between prehospital and emergency department care.

When an EMS crew activates Avel, a dedicated virtual team, led by experienced paramedics and nurses, while supported by board-certified emergency physicians, joins the call and stays connected through transport and ED handoff. This allows earlier hospital situational awareness, stronger field-to-hospital continuity, expedited care upon arrival, and ultimately better outcomes.

Faster Care, Stronger Rural Systems

Multipoint EMS collaboration helps rural health systems and Critical Access Hospitals improve both patient care and operational efficiency by enabling:

• Earlier clinical intervention and decision support

• Real-time support for EMS personnel during high-acuity calls

• Seamless communication between EMS and emergency departments

• Reduced documentation and coordination burden on field staff

• Faster activation of trauma, cardiac, and stroke systems of care

The model aligns with national rural health priorities, supporting organizations pursuing funding and innovation through programs like the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and future federal initiatives.

“Our goal is to support, not replace, the rural EMS workforce,” said Becky VandeKieft, Vice President and General Manager for Emergency and EMS Services at Avel eCare. “By connecting EMS with EMS clinicians virtually, we help them deliver faster, safer care while reducing the operational strain they face every day.”

Proven in the Field

Agencies using the model are already seeing its impact.

“In a rural county like ours, every decision in the field counts,” said Kassy DeWitt, Phillips County (KS) EMS. “Having Avel’s team connected during a call helps us move from transport to active care faster. It gives our crews confidence and improves continuity for our patients and hospital partners.”

Rural Care, Reimagined

Avel’s model strengthens existing EMS and hospital systems by providing continuous virtual clinical and operational support, from scene to hospital, helping create what the company calls a rural health dividend through improved patient outcomes, workforce support, and system sustainability.

About Avel eCare

Founded in 1993 as the nation’s first virtual hospital, Avel eCare provides virtual emergency, EMS, critical care, pharmacy, clinic, senior care, and behavioral health services to healthcare partners across the U.S. The organization specializes in expanding access, improving outcomes, and supporting care delivery in rural and underserved communities.

Contact:

Jessica Gaikowski, Director of Marketing & Communications
media@avelecare.com | 605.606.0150

SOURCE: Avel eCare

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO / ACCESS Newswire / December 2, 2025 / Following CMS’s announcement of the new ACCESS Model (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions), Electronic Caregiver, Inc. (ECG) announced its intention to collaborate with eligible Medicare Part B providers and health organizations once CMS releases its list of participating entities in 2026.

The ACCESS Model is designed to modernize chronic disease management by incentivizing continuous, tech-enabled care and rewarding measurable improvements in patient outcomes. CMS will begin accepting applications from Medicare Part B-enrolled organizations in January 2026, with the model launching July 2026 and spanning a 10-year performance period.

Electronic Caregiver and its Addison Care platform anticipate playing a powerful support role for ACCESS-enrolled physicians and clinical organizations needing advanced technology, daily engagement infrastructure, outcome-supporting data, and coordinated TeleCare capabilities.

The ACCESS Model’s Objectives

According to CMS, the ACCESS Model:

• Provides outcome-based payments to Medicare Part B providers managing chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, metabolic disease, chronic pain, and mental health.

• Encourages continuous, technology-supported chronic care rather than episodic, transactional interactions.

• Seeks scalable models that deliver measurable improvements in blood pressure control, medication adherence, symptom stability, and reduction in preventable hospitalizations.

• Will publish a list of approved Model participants in late 2026, prior to launch.

How Addison Care Aligns With CMS’s Vision

While Electronic Caregiver itself is not a Medicare Part B provider and will not be a direct ACCESS Model applicant, Addison Care has been engineered for exactly the kind of continuous, longitudinal care that ACCESS seeks to incentivize.

Addison offers ACCESS-aligned providers:

• Daily high-frequency patient engagement

• Continuous remote monitoring and symptom checks

• Comprehensive care-coordination workflows

• Behavioral-health and emotional-support touchpoints

• Medication guidance and adherence support

• Intelligent early-warning indicators to preempt deterioration

• 24/7 TeleCare oversight

• Full EHR integration, including athenahealth’s 160,000-provider network

As CMS explicitly notes, legacy app-only tools, smart meters, and single-device RPM platforms have historically failed to generate adequate engagement or long-term outcome improvements.

Addison Care solves these limitations through high-touch, multi-dimensional engagement-the kind CMS intends to reward.

CEO STATEMENT

Anthony Dohrmann, Founder & CEO, Electronic Caregiver, Inc.

“CMS’s ACCESS Model is more than a policy shift – it’s a recognition that chronic care can no longer be episodic, reactive, or device-only. It must be continuous, relational, data-driven, and human. That is the very architecture Addison Care was built upon, long before CMS put a name to it.

For more than a decade, we have invested in building a model of in-home chronic care that engages patients daily, identifies problems earlier, coordinates interventions faster, and eases the burden on both families and clinicians. Addison isn’t another app or sensor. It’s a full virtual caregiver supported by a world-class TeleCare team who provide meaningful, consistent, human attention – the kind CMS is now formally encouraging nationwide.

Addison Care is already demonstrating the very improvements ACCESS seeks to scale: higher patient engagement, improved adherence, fewer avoidable hospitalizations, earlier detection of deterioration, reduced long-term care costs, and better quality of life for aging and chronically ill Americans.

As Medicare signals a decade-long commitment to outcome-focused, tech-enabled chronic care, Addison’s platform, data architecture, and human engagement engine position us as one of the most scalable support solutions for ACCESS-enrolled providers. We stand ready to collaborate with organizations participating in ACCESS as they seek modern infrastructure capable of achieving the Model’s goals.

We are proud that a company born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is contributing to a national transformation in chronic care. ACCESS validates the mission, technology, strategy, and vision that our team has pursued for years – and we are only at the beginning.”

Next Steps

In preparation for ACCESS model implementation, Electronic Caregiver is:

• Engaging with Medicare Part B providers, health systems, and ACO-like entities who may pursue ACCESS enrollment

• Expanding Medicaid deployments (12 states approved, rising toward 19 with dozens of applications in queue)

• Scaling Addison Medicare RPM + CCM support models nationwide

• Strengthening EHR automation and seamless data exchange

• Preparing turnkey modules that ACCESS-eligible providers can deploy to support chronic care outcomes

ACCESS Model Participation Eligibility – FAQ Disclaimer

Q: Is Electronic Caregiver / Addison Care an ACCESS Model participant?
A: No. Addison Care is not a Medicare Part B provider and cannot apply directly to ACCESS.

Q: Who can apply?
A: Only organizations and clinicians enrolled in Medicare Part B may apply to participate in ACCESS. CMS will publish a list of approved participants in late 2026.
Source: CMS ACCESS FAQs

Q: How does Addison Care fit into the ACCESS Model?
A: Addison Care is a technology and longitudinal care-support platform that Medicare Part B providers may choose to partner with to help deliver continuous engagement, monitoring, care-coordination, and outcome-focused support. Addison itself is not the applicant.

Q: Is Electronic Caregiver guaranteeing ACCESS eligibility or acceptance?
A: No. Our role is limited to being a clinical enablement partner for ACCESS-enrolled entities.

Q: Does CMS endorse Addison Care?
A: No. CMS does not endorse specific vendors. Access to Addison is subject to provider and payer rules.

About Electronic Caregiver, Inc.

Electronic Caregiver is a health-technology company headquartered in Las Cruces, New Mexico, specializing in continuous, technology-enabled chronic care support. The company’s flagship platform, Addison Care, integrates daily patient engagement, remote monitoring, behavioral-health touchpoints, early-warning detection, and 24/7 TeleCare support. Designed to complement physicians, clinics, and Medicare Part B providers, Addison delivers longitudinal oversight and coordinated care workflows that help improve outcomes for seniors and chronically ill individuals. Electronic Caregiver does not participate in Medicare Part B and is not a direct applicant to the CMS ACCESS Model; instead, the company serves as a technology and care-management enablement partner for eligible providers.

Media Contact
media@ecg-hq.com
(575) 649-7808

SOURCE: Electronic Caregiver, Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

TOLEDO, OHIO / ACCESS Newswire / December 9, 2025 / The Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD) is proud to announce Wish Upon a Donor, a groundbreaking program that amplifies the voices of families fighting for a better and brighter future for their child. While pediatric kidney patients cannot advocate for themselves, their parents can – and too often, they face this battle alone. Wish Upon a Donor helps families share their child’s story, shining a light on their hopes, dreams, and urgent need for a living kidney donor.

“At APKD, we believe every person waiting for a transplant deserves a chance to be seen – not just as a patient, but as someone with a past, present, and future worth fighting for,” said Dr. Hilary Baude, Director of Living Donor Services. “Wish Upon a Donor is built on hope. It’s about wishes, dreams, and the life possible after a transplant – all made real through the generosity of a living donor.”

More than 3,000 children in the U.S. under the age of 18 need a kidney transplant. In many cases, their parents and immediate family are unable to donate for medical reasons beyond their control. Wish Upon a Donor was created to give these children a fighting chance by helping them find the hero they desperately need.

The average wait time for receiving a kidney from a deceased donor ranges from three to five years, leaving many children waiting, clinging to hope while sending quiet wishes for a miracle. Finding a living donor can dramatically accelerate the transplant process while offering the added benefit of stronger long-term health outcomes. A kidney from a living donor lasts twice as long as one from a deceased donor.

“When you ask a child who is facing an uncertain future what they wish for, it’s both inspiring and heartbreaking,” Baude said. “They long to play sports again, to travel, hang out with family and friends or simply have the opportunity to grow up without the diminished quality of life on dialysis. Dialysis keeps people alive, but it is brutal, exhausting, and painful – and it is not a cure. What these patients need is a living donor.”

The onboarding process is fast and simple, taking just 10-15 minutes to complete, and finalized videos are sent to patients in just one to three days. Participation is free, and patients retain full control over how and where their stories are shared.

Wish Upon a Donor offers a range of support for families as they seek living donors, including:

• Production of a personalized, high-quality video designed to reflect the patient’s wishes, personality, and future – not just their disease

• Dedicated campaign webpage to make it easy to convert interest into action

• QR-coded postcards and magnets for sharing in local communities

• Social media guidance to help families and supporters spread the word

• Spanish- and English-language outreach materials for broader access

• A living donor mentor to answer any non-medical questions about the process

• “Wish buddy” volunteers to assist with video narration and/or sharing patient videos with a broader audience

When interest is generated through the Wish Upon a Donor campaign, APKD ensures both patients and transplant centers are effectively supported with guidance grounded in real-life experience from a dedicated living donor mentor. The organization manages all incoming donor inquiries, educates potential donors on the process, protections, and realities of living donations, and then refers qualified donors to an appropriate transplant center partner. APKD maintains communication and support throughout the evaluation and donation process. This approach empowers potential donors with education while easing the burden on transplant centers.

“We feel grateful for the kindness and understanding shown by APKD,” said Radwa Moussa, mother of 10-year-old Saleem, one of the first Wish Upon a Donor participants. “This is a very challenging and uncertain time for families like ours, and the extra support being offered gives us hope that we will find a hero for our son, someone who makes his wish for a bright future come true.”

You can view Saleem’s personal video here.

If your child is experiencing kidney failure and could benefit from this initiative, please visit Wish Upon a Donor Patient to learn more and get started.

How to Support This Initiative

Those who want to support Wish Upon a Donor have several ways to get involved, including:

• Signing up to be a living donor for a specific child, or as a Good Samaritan donor

• Becoming a “wish buddy” volunteer

• Sharing the kidney campaigns for children within social networks

• Contributing financially to APKD to further the program’s reach

• Learning more about living donation and deciding how you can contribute

Individuals interested in taking the next step can visit Wish Upon a Donor.

Transplant centers and other organizations interested in learning more can visit Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation.

“Everyone can play a part, which is what makes this so beautiful,” Baude said. “You can be a living donor, or you can simply take a moment of your time to help share the stories of children who need help. Either way, you are a hero in the eyes of APKD and the thousands of kids who need a new kidney.”

About the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation

The Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD) is an international nonprofit working to end kidney failure through innovation, technology, advocacy, and paired kidney exchange. APKD has facilitated more than 1,200 transplants to date, creating lifesaving opportunities for patients who might otherwise wait years for a compatible donor.

SOURCE: Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Dispatch CEO & Co-Founder and VP of Product & UXD outline how AI is reshaping enterprise delivery, and what businesses should prepare for in 2026.

BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA / ACCESS Newswire / December 9, 2025 / As enterprise delivery demands more speed, precision, and transparency than ever before, Dispatch is marking the next era of last-mile logistics with a clear message: AI is no longer experimental; it’s operational. In a new thought leadership perspective, Dispatch CEO & Co-Founder Andrew Leone and VP of Product & UXD Joyce Schofield share where AI is delivering real value today and where the industry is headed in 2026.

From predictive ETAs to automated routing, AI is already transforming last-mile execution. But Leone and Schofield say the bigger shift is still unfolding: the rise of intelligent orchestration, where deliveries manage themselves, adapt in real-time, and continuously improve.

“AI is changing the last mile from a reactive cost center into a proactive, strategic engine,” said Leone. “What used to take teams hours of manual coordination will increasingly happen automatically, optimizing routes, balancing service levels and cost, and resolving issues before customers ever feel them.”

Where We Are Now: AI That’s Already Working

Dispatch’s AI-powered platform, DispatchOne, is built for the reality enterprises face every day: fragmented fleets, inconsistent service, and limited visibility. Today, AI at Dispatch is focused on turning delivery complexity into controlled, scalable, data-driven outcomes. Current AI-driven capabilities include:

• Predictive ETAs and dynamic SLAs: AI models continually refine arrival windows based on traffic, driver behavior, and real-world conditions.

• Exception identification and resolution: The platform detects potential delivery failures early and recommends (or automates) mitigation.

• Intelligent routing and service tradeoffs: AI enables teams to choose the fastest, most reliable, or most cost-efficient option based on business rules.

• Delivery health visibility: Teams gain actionable insight without noise, so the right people act at the right moment.

“We’ve moved beyond AI as a dashboard feature,” said Schofield. “It’s no longer just powering charts and alerts, it’s embedded directly in the workflow. Behind the scenes, it’s doing the heavy lifting in a very intentional way: predicting, adapting, and guiding every decision so teams unlock real impact and value without adding complexity.”

What’s Coming in 2026: The Rise of Autonomous Delivery Ops

Looking ahead, Dispatch leaders forecast a major industry milestone: agentic logistics operations. In 2026, AI will shift from supporting decision-making to actively owning it across planning, execution, and continuous improvement.

Leone and Schofield expect three major changes to define the next year:

1. AI-Orchestrated Networks Become Standard

   Enterprises will demand a single layer of intelligence to manage owned fleets, third-party carriers, and national driver networks together, optimizing across the entire ecosystem rather than in silos.

2. Exception Prevention Replaces Exception Management

   AI will increasingly prevent disruptions by detecting risk early and re-routing or re-assigning automatically. Failures will become rarer, and when they happen, they’ll be less visible to customers.

3. Delivery Becomes a Strategic Differentiator

   As AI reduces last-mile friction, businesses will compete on speed, reliability, and experience, not just cost. Delivery performance will become directly tied to brand loyalty and revenue retention.

“2026 is the year last-mile operations start to run more like intelligent systems than manual processes,” Leone said. “The companies that win won’t be the ones with the biggest fleets, they’ll be the ones with the smartest orchestration.”

What It Means for Businesses

The Dispatch leadership perspective is clear: AI will change not only how deliveries happen, but what delivery means to the business.

Enterprises can expect:

• Lower delivery costs through continuous optimization and automation

• Higher customer satisfaction with more reliable, predictable deliveries

• The ability to scale volume without proportional headcount growth

• Consistent service levels and branded delivery experiences across all regions and networks

• New performance benchmarks powered by real-time AI insight and closed-loop learning

• A last mile that shifts from cost center to profit engine, driving stronger margins, loyalty, and growth

“AI will raise the floor for last-mile performance,” Schofield added. “But it also raises the ceiling, unlocking higher service levels, smarter cost control, and new ways to differentiate. Businesses will finally have the tools to design delivery experiences that feel effortless, while highly orchestrated and complex processes happen behind the scenes.

The Bottom Line

AI at the last mile is no longer a promise for the future. It’s already proving ROI by unifying delivery execution, surfacing smarter decisions, and preventing breakdowns before they occur. In 2026, Dispatch expects the last mile to become the smartest, most automated part of the supply chain. fully orchestrated by AI.

“DispatchOne was built for this pivot,” Leone said. “We’re not just using AI to improve deliveries. We’re using AI to redefine last-mile logistics as a competitive advantage.”

About Dispatch: Dispatch redefines the future of last-mile logistics. Its flagship platform, DispatchOne, is the AI-powered operating system that unifies owned fleets, carrier providers, and systems into one intelligent ecosystem. With the people-power of verified and vetted professional driver network, Dispatch turns delivery into a strategic advantage for businesses.

SOURCE: Dispatch

Related Images

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / December 9, 2025 / Across global supply chains, companies and regulators are rethinking how materials move, how they retain identity, and how circular economies can operate with integrity rather than assumptions. The past decade made one truth unmistakable. Documentation alone cannot carry the weight of modern circularity goals. Materials require verification that survives transformation. Supply chains require evidence that travels with the product. And industries require authentication that is resilient, scalable, and built into the material itself.

As part of a transformative 2025, SMX (NASDAQ:SMX) delivered that capability across plastics, metals, precious metals, packaging, and national recycling programs. Growing adoption naturally drew a wider audience. To anyone watching SMX’s progress, the past week showed what a turning point looks like, marked by heightened attention and the kind of movement that appears when markets enter price discovery around breakthrough technologies.

SMX can control its part: the operations. It does not play analyst, set its own share price, or model for the future. What it does do, however, is build and deliver the assets those prices are ultimately based on. As more industries recognize the scale of what this technology enables, the path will include highs, lows, and periods of volatility as the market learns how to value a system that is creating a category rather than entering one. The increased interest is not accidental. It is a response to the depth and breadth of the partnerships SMX secured throughout 2025.

Finding the Equilibrium

Here is what those following SMX are beginning to recognize. When a verification technology starts transforming how multiple industries operate, the response does not unfold in a straight, predictable line. It builds in waves. Different sectors recognize value at different moments. Each successful deployment sends its own signal. And together, those signals form a pattern that reflects long-term transformation rather than short-term reaction. In SMX’s case, many of these global adoptions came in close succession, creating an intense period both operationally and for stakeholders watching the expansion unfold.

What set that wave in motion was a series of partnerships and collaborations that demonstrated SMX’s expanding global footprint. The company announced that it is working directly with plastics producers, precious-metals players, and textile manufacturers to embed its molecular identity into polymers, metals, and finished materials. This process turns ordinary inputs into authenticated assets capable of declaring rather than stating their origin, composition, and recycling history.

SMX advanced work in metals and precious metals with partners in Dubai and Europe, proving that identity can remain persistent through melting, recasting, and other high-intensity industrial processes. It also deepened collaborations across ASEAN in packaging, logistics, and recycling systems, validating how a national circularity model can function when every material carries its own verifiable truth.

Interest rose naturally. As industries observed identity surviving heat, pressure, chemical alteration, and cross-border movement, the underlying capability became easier to grasp. Attention increased because the technology delivered what many believed could not, and likely never would be, achieved.

As its unveiling shows, that interest did not rise in a neat, linear path. It increased in pulses, reflecting how different sectors discovered their own applications, how new data entered the ecosystem, and how partners shared results from real-world operations. The market’s response mirrors that cadence. The energy around SMX is not artificial. It is rooted in the substance of what the company is providing across continents.

Why SMX Is Capturing the World’s Attention

That is the nature of breakthrough technology. The world learns its potential in stages. Early results capture the imagination of one sector. Industrial validations draw in another. National programs unlock a third layer of visibility. Each milestone expands the story. Each collaboration expands the network. And each wave of interest reflects the growing realization that persistent material identity is not a theoretical goal. It is an operating system for the next generation of global supply chains.

As 2026 approaches, SMX’s focus remains on the foundation built this year. The verification mesh forming across industries is not a concept stage. It is functioning inside factories, recycling facilities, metals hubs, and research institutes. The company’s collaborations prove that identity can withstand industrial stress. They prove that materials can carry verified data without disrupting production. They prove that circularity becomes practical when the material itself provides the evidence.

This is the long-term value that defines SMX’s trajectory. The technology is being adopted, tested, and scaled in environments that represent billions of tons of global material flow. Each industry sees a different benefit. Plastics see authenticated circularity. Metals see fraud-resistant identity. Gold sees traceability that survives recasting. Packaging sees compliance built directly into the material. Recycling sees forensic visibility for every output.

PROOF as the New Industry Standard

These sectors will continue to adopt at a pace that fits their operational and regulatory realities. Several are already moving quickly as new frameworks begin aligning with SMX’s capabilities. Others are transitioning steadily as legacy systems give way to methods that offer clearer, verifiable data. Across all of them, the meaningful signal is not the day-to-day fluctuations in financial market terms. It is the structural value created when supply chains shift from documentation chains to memory systems, where materials themselves carry the truth.

For stakeholders, the message is increasingly clear. Breakthrough technologies mature in waves, and each wave brings new sectors, new validations, and new opportunities. SMX’s progress in 2025 established the foundation for a 2026 shaped by scale, integration, and system-level adoption. The waves will keep coming, but they will do so over an architecture designed to support long-term, cross-industry transformation. In that environment, the value generated by persistent identity becomes cumulative rather than episodic.

About SMX

As global businesses face new and complex challenges relating to carbon neutrality and meeting new governmental and regional regulations and standards, SMX is able to offer players along the value chain access to its marking, tracking, measuring and digital platform technology to transition more successfully to a low-carbon economy.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expectations, beliefs, intentions, strategies, or projections relating to future events or circumstances. Any statements that refer to forecasts, estimates, plans, objectives, or other characterizations of future developments, including underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.

Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, for example: matters relating to the Company’s response to trading activity in its securities; the development, launch, and implementation of SMX’s joint projects with manufacturers and supply-chain participants across plastics, metals, rubber, textiles, and other sectors; the Company’s strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, and plans; SMX’s ability to develop and commercialize new products and services, including the Plastic Cycle Token; SMX’s ability to integrate future expansion opportunities; anticipated growth and cost-efficiency; the Company’s product development timelines and expected research and development expenditures; the adoption, market acceptance, or success of SMX’s business model and verification technologies; developments relating to SMX’s industry and competitive landscape; and the Company’s technological objectives.

These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve a number of judgments, risks, and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements should not be regarded as predictions of future events, nor should they be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any subsequent date. SMX undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to: the Company’s ability to maintain its Nasdaq listing; changes in applicable laws or regulations; lingering or future effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and expectations and to identify or realize additional opportunities; risks associated with downturns or rapid changes in the highly competitive industries in which SMX operates; the ability of SMX and its collaborators to successfully develop, commercialize, or scale products and services in a timely manner; the risk that the Company may not achieve or sustain profitability; the need for additional capital, and the availability and terms of such capital; risks associated with managing growth and expanding operations; risks of supply-chain disruption, manufacturing limitations, or delays; risks relating to securing, maintaining, or protecting intellectual property; and other economic, business, or competitive risks described in SMX’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact: info@securitymattersltd.com

SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Appointment of seasoned finance leader advances Foundry’s long-term growth strategy and value creation

SAN FRANCISO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / December 9, 2025 / Foundry, the leading global tech media, data, and marketing services company, is thrilled to announce the promotion of Ling Tian to Chief Financial Officer. In this expanded role, Tian will oversee the company’s global financial strategy, including financial planning and analysis, treasury, accounting, and long-term capital allocation.

“Ling has been instrumental in strengthening our financial foundation, and her promotion to CFO reflects both her impact and the confidence we have in her leadership as we shape Foundry’s next chapter,” said Mike Finnerty, CEO of Foundry. “As we scale our global operations and pursue long-term growth, Ling’s strategic vision, steady guidance, and deep understanding of our business will be critical in driving our continued success.”

Tian joined Foundry in 2024 and previously served as Vice President of Strategic Finance, where she built and led the Financial Planning & Analysis organization supporting all Foundry teams. Following Foundry’s sale to Regent earlier this year, Tian has been instrumental in establishing the company’s standalone financial operations and led the migration to a global ERP system.

Before joining Foundry, Ling served as Vice President of FP&A at Wrike, where she oversaw the company’s integration following its acquisition by Citrix, and later played a key role in Citrix’s sale to Vista Equity Partners and Elliott Management, as well as Wrike’s subsequent sale to Symphony Technology Group. Earlier in her career, Ling spent 15 years at Autodesk, progressing through a range of finance leadership roles across FP&A, Sales Finance, and Revenue Accounting.

“I’m honored to step into the role of CFO at such a pivotal moment for Foundry,” said Ling Tian. “Having had the opportunity to work closely with our teams across the globe, I’ve seen firsthand the strength of our business, the power of our brands, and the momentum we’re building. I’m excited to partner with Mike and the leadership team to advance our strategic vision, deepen our operational rigor, and position Foundry for long-term growth.”

As B2B marketing evolves toward more human and personalized data-driven engagement, Foundry remains committed to helping technology companies connect with buyers in meaningful ways. By combining intent data with powerful storytelling, Foundry delivers experiences that resonate with buyers’ unique needs, foster trust, and build valuable relationships.

To learn more about Foundry’s technology marketing and buyer engagement solutions, please visit: foundryco.com.

About Foundry
Foundry helps companies bring their visions to reality through a combination of media, marketing technologies, and proprietary data on a global scale. Our platforms are powered by data from an owned and operated ecosystem of global editorial brands, awards, and events, all engineered and integrated to drive marketing campaigns for technology companies.

Foundry is one of the world’s leading tech media, data and marketing services companies, and is the proud owner of the global tech sector’s most revered media brands – CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, PCWorld, Tech Advisor and TechHive. To learn more, visit  foundryco.com.

Media contact:
Ameera McNeal, Marketing Director
Ameera_mcneal@foundryco.com

SOURCE: Foundry

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Formerra will distribute Techmer PM color masterbatches, high-performance additives, and pre-colored compounds across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

ROMEOVILLE, ILLINOIS / ACCESS Newswire / December 9, 2025 / Formerra, a leader in performance materials distribution, today announced the addition of Techmer PM color masterbatches, high-performance additives, and pre-colored compounds to its expansive portfolio of materials. With this partnership, Formerra advances its application-specific lineup, aligning its material portfolio to customers’ evolving needs across North America.

A U.S.-based plastics compounder, Techmer PM specializes in value-added color and additive masterbatches and engineered compounds for high-performance plastics and fibers. These products are used in various industries such as medical, automotive, packaging, and consumer goods applications. Techmer PM has consistently invested in its optical and color capabilities, including the recent acquisition of OptiColor Inc. and Colors for Plastics.

“Techmer PM’s commitment to innovation and technical excellence aligns perfectly with Formerra’s mission to deliver best-in-class materials and responsive service,” said Cathy Dodd, CEO at Formerra. “Backed by our expert technical guidance, this partnership lets us provide customers with a portfolio of masterbatches and pre-colored compounds that drives performance and sustainability.”

Mike Ellison, VP, Product Management, adds, “The extensive pre-colored compound, additive, and color masterbatch offerings from Techmer PM cover processing, aesthetic, bio-based, regulatory, and performance needs.”

Highlights of the distributed Techmer PM products include:

• Regulated Medical Color Systems: ISO 10993-tested palettes with regulatory statements; proven in PPSU, PA, PP, and ABS.

• Aesthetic Effects & Laser Functionality: Full spectrum from metallics and color-shifting to photochromic and Techsplatter, a proprietary visual effect; full laser additive line covers multiple needs.

• Circularity & Sustainable Material Solutions: PLA/alt-resin colors, HiTerra^® rPET Revive to repair PET, NIR-sortable blacks (APR “preferred” in HDPE), and more.

• Processing, Performance & Protection Additives: Techsperse^™ proprietary dispersion technology, UV/heat stabilization, FR systems with halogen-free options, tracer technologies, antimicrobial packages, purge technologies.

“Formerra’s deep expertise in applications, requirements, and materials makes them an ideal partner to expand our market reach,” said Craig Foster, CEO at Techmer PM. “By combining our strengths, we’ll help customers accelerate their speed to market with the assurance of proven technologies.”

Key Details:

• Formerra will distribute Techmer PM’s pre-colored compounds, colorants, additives, and masterbatches across North America.

• Techmer PM brings a deep portfolio of color and additive masterbatches: Medical/regulatory-ready palettes, aesthetic effects (including Techsplatter), sustainability solutions (HiTerra^® rPET Revive, NIR-sortable blacks), and performance/processing additives (TechSperse^™, FR/UV systems).

• The partnership pairs Formerra’s technical support and supply reliability with Techmer PM’s specialized materials and color/additive expertise to help customers launch better products faster.

About Formerra

Formerra is a preeminent distributor of engineered materials, connecting the world’s leading polymer producers with thousands of OEMs and brand owners across healthcare, consumer, industrial, and mobility markets. Powered by technical and commercial expertise, it brings a distinctive combination of portfolio depth, supply chain strength, industry knowledge, service, leading e-commerce capabilities, and ingenuity. The experienced Formerra team helps customers across multiple industries to design, select, process, and develop products in new and better ways – driving improved performance, productivity, reliability, and sustainability. To learn more, visit www.formerra.com.

About Techmer PM

Techmer PM is a leading designer and producer of engineered materials and polymer solutions such as concentrated color or additive masterbatches that provide specific performance and/or functional requirements. The company collaborates with plastics processors, fabricators, designers, specifiers, and brand owners to enhance product function and appearance in numerous end-use markets. Founded in 1981, the company operates plants across North America and has extensive expertise across resin technologies and with virtually every plastic- and fiber-related process, including additive manufacturing, blown film, nonwovens, and injection molding. For more information, visit www.techmerpm.com.

###

Formerra has been named distributor for Techmer PM pre-colored compounds, colorants, and additives for a wide range of applications (left). Techmer PM production facility in Clinton, TN (right).

Media contacts

Jackie Morris
Marketing Communications Manager, Formerra
jackie.morris@formerra.com
+1 630-972-3144

Jill Warren
Marketing Communications Manager, Techmer PM
jwarren@techmerpm.com
+1 865-210-4078

SOURCE: Formerra

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire