Reviving Success: IGG’s Monthly Gross Billing Surpassed HK$500 Million; New Era of Profitability: Rapid Growth of New Games and APP Business Propel IGG Forward

HONG KONG, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – IGG Inc ("IGG" or the "Group", stock code: 799.HK), a leading global developer and publisher of mobile games and applications, announces its unaudited consolidated interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2023.

2023 Interim Financial Highlights and 2H23 Outlook of IGG Inc:

— For the first half of 2023, "Lords Mobile", IGG's flagship title launched seven years ago, continued to generate stable revenue, contributing over HK$1.6 billion. Meanwhile, the Group's two blockbuster strategy games, "Doomsday: Last Survivors" and "Viking Rise", each exceeded HK$70 million in monthly gross billing. The gross billing of "Doomsday: Last Survivors" has been rising steadily, with monthly gross billing in July reaching a new high of HK$82 million. At the same time, the Group's APP Business(1) is experiencing rapid growth, with monthly gross billing surging from over HK$12 million at the start of the year to more than HK$57 million in June, followed by a remarkable jump to HK$63 million in July. The two new games and the APP Business contributed 35% to the Group's total revenue in the second quarter of 2023. This helped the Group achieve a year-on-year increase in revenue to HK$2.5 billion in the first half of 2023, and a 19% growth compared to the second half of 2022. The Group resumed generating profits in June and its monthly gross billing rebounded to HK$500 million in July. Its game and APP Business are working in tandem to power the company ahead, ushering in a new chapter for IGG.

— Through the persistent optimization of resources and strategic application of AIGC(2) technology, the Group has achieved a 30% reduction, year-on-year, in research and development and administrative expenses in the first half of 2023. During the period, the Group launched marketing campaigns for "Doomsday: Last Survivors" and "Viking Rise". Despite HK$360 million in net losses for IGG's core business, the investment in new games was essential for the Group's sustained growth and long-term success, and the Group has reported profit in June 2023. As for investments, the Group has stepped into profitability as part of its investment projects gradually enter the profit-making phase and its impairment losses decreased significantly. As a result, the Group recorded a net loss of HK$360 million during the period. Looking ahead, with the growth of the two new games and the APP Business, the Group is confident in its ability to maintain solid financial performance.

After investing for years in game development, the Group's two highly rated strategy games, "Doomsday: Last Survivors" and "Viking Rise", each generated monthly gross billing in excess of HK$70 million in the first half of 2023. "Lords Mobile", IGG's flagship title launched seven years ago, continued to generate stable revenue, contributing over HK$1.6 billion in the first half of 2023. After a decade of perseverance, the APP Business finally hit its stride this year, with monthly gross billing surging from over HK$12 million at the beginning of the year to more than HK$57 million in June. The combined revenue from the two new games and APP Business in the second quarter of 2023 accounted for 35% of the Group's total revenue, propelling IGG's revenue to a year-on-year increase and a 19% half-on-half growth to HK$2.5 billion. The Group resumed generating profits in June and its monthly gross billing rebounded to HK$500 million in July. Its game and APP Business are working in tandem to power the company ahead, ushering in a new chapter for IGG. During the period, revenue from Asia, Europe and North America accounted for 44%, 26% and 25%, respectively, of the Group's total revenue.

Through the persistent optimization of resources and strategic application of AIGC technology, the Group has achieved a 30% reduction, year-on-year, in research and development and administrative expenses in the first half of 2023. During the period, the Group launched marketing campaigns for "Doomsday: Last Survivors" and "Viking Rise". Despite HK$360 million in net losses for IGG's core business, the investment in new games was essential for the Group's sustained growth and long-term success, and the Group has reported profit in June 2023. As for investments, the Group has stepped into profitability as part of its investment projects gradually enter the profit-making phase and its impairment losses decreased significantly. As a result, the Group recorded a net loss of HK$360 million during the period. As at 30 June 2023, the Group's mobile games were available in 23 different languages worldwide, with over 1.6 billion users in total and over 38 million monthly active users ("MAU")(3) across more than 200 countries and regions.

"Lords Mobile", IGG's blockbuster title, is the Group's first cross-platform, multi-language, real-time game designed for global gamers. The game has been well-received by gamers since its launch in 2016 and continues to generate stable revenue of over HK$1.6 billion for the Group in the first half of 2023. As at 30 June 2023, it has 640 million registered users worldwide and nearly 10 million MAU. IGG will continue to release new game content and diversified promotional initiatives to extend the game's longevity.

Drawing on over a decade of experience and expertise in the strategy games genre, the Group developed two highly rated strategy games – "Doomsday: Last Survivors" and "Viking Rise". After more than a year of refinement and optimization since its launch in 2021, "Doomsday: Last Survivors" has become a favourite for 22 million gamers with its distinctive post-apocalyptic survival theme, deep integration of "real-time" and "strategy" gameplay, and unique art style. Following a marketing campaign that started in March this year, the game's monthly gross billing reached HK$82 million in July. The Group will soon introduce a new survival competition gameplay in guild battle that will let players experience the fun of real-time team formation and battles between guilds in the game.

"Viking Rise", the other highly rated strategy game, demonstrated huge potential during its beta testing. A Viking-themed game that perfectly combines strategy gameplay with intricate community management, "Viking Rise" received global recommendations from Apple and Google on its launch, and quickly rose to the top of the strategy games download charts in over 60 countries and regions worldwide(4) . After a marketing campaign starting mid-April, the gross billing for May exceeded HK$70 million. "Viking Rise" has released a long-awaited cross-server battle feature, "Kingdom Mayhem". The game will soon introduce a new innovative cross-server guild war feature, "Battle of the Ruins", offering players a diverse range of battle experience.

After a decade of perseverance, the APP Business finally hit its stride this year, with monthly gross billing surging from over HK$12 million at the start of the year to more than HK$57 million in June, followed by a remarkable jump to HK$63 million in July. As at 30 June 2023, it has over 300 million registered users worldwide and nearly 20 million MAU. The Group is committed to ongoing promotion and diversification of its product portfolio, leveraging the synergies of platform-based business model to take the APP Business to the next level.

The rise of AIGC technology is transforming many industries, including the mobile Internet sector, and is rapidly becoming a dominant trend. IGG took a proactive approach in embracing AIGC technology and fully applied it to both product development and operations. The use of AIGC in language translation, art production, and customer service has significantly improved the efficiency of the Group's product development and operations, resulting in cost savings and increased productivity.

Looking ahead, with the steady growth of the two new games and the APP Business, the Group is confident in its ability to maintain solid financial performance. Embracing the corporate spirit of "Innovators at Work, Gamers at Heart", the Group will continue to strengthen its global R&D and operation capabilities, to relentlessly pursue its strategy of quality, innovation and excellence in creating innovative yet timeless games.

About IGG Inc
Established in 2006, IGG Inc is a leading global mobile games and applications developer and operator with headquarters in Singapore and local offices in the United States, China, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkiye, Italy and Spain. IGG offers multi-language and multifarious games to users around the world. The Group has established long-term partnerships with over 100 business partners, including global platforms, advertising channels, and vendors such as Apple, Google and Meta. IGG's most popular games include "Lords Mobile", "Castle Clash", "Doomsday: Last Survivors", "Viking Rise", and "Time Princess".

(1) APP Business: the Group's application and mobile advertisement mediation platform business
(2) AIGC: Artificial Intelligence Generated Content
(3) The Group's users in total and monthly active users include users of mobile games and apps.
(4) Source of ranking data: third-party analytics platform, data.ai.

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

As International Revenue Soars to $650M with 45% from SEA; Chiratae Expands SEA Regional Advisory Board with the addition of Mr. Puneet Pushkarna

SINGAPORE, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Chiratae Ventures, a leading venture capital firm, announces the appointment of Mr. Puneet Pushkarna to its esteemed Regional Advisory Board, reinforcing its commitment to the Southeast Asia (SEA) market.

The announcement comes soon after Chiratae’s significant milestone -its active portfolio companies surpass $650 million in revenue. Companies focusing on SEA or headquartered now contribute about 45% of the total international revenue across the company’s diverse portfolio. Companies such as Active.ai, Kristala.ai, and Lenskart have driven growth in the SEA market, with Lenskart’s strategic acquisition of Japan’s Own Days last year as a recent highlight.

Given the growing significance of SEA as an investor base and a burgeoning market, Chiratae Ventures has been active in the region, particularly in Singapore and Japan. The appointment of Puneet Pushkarna to the Regional Advisory Board reinforces Chiratae’s dedication to its growth and success in SEA. Puneet will provide strategic guidance to Chiratae’s international operations in this role.

*Mr Puneet Pushkarna (L) joins the Regional Advisory Board of Chiratae Ventures. In the picture with Mr Sudhir Sethi (R), Founder and Chairman of Chiratae Ventures.*

Sudhir Sethi, Founder and Chairman of Chiratae Ventures, shared, “With a strong foothold in the SEA market and our portfolio companies, either focusing on the region or being headquartered there, contributing over 45% of the total revenue, we are thrilled to welcome Puneet Pushkarna to our Regional Advisory Board. Puneet’s addition further bolsters our already formidable Advisory Board, whose collective efforts have significantly established Chiratae as one of India’s premier venture capital funds. His exceptional expertise and diverse background will undoubtedly guide our ventures to even greater heights within the Asian market while fostering stronger connections with our esteemed investors.”

Puneet Pushkarna brings a wealth of experience, currently serving as a General Partner at Solmark, a prominent private equity fund based in Singapore. Throughout his career, Puneet has excelled in nurturing and scaling companies in the competitive global landscape. He previously held the position of President at Headstrong, driving transformative initiatives in the Capital Markets domain through cutting-edge digital technology services. Additionally, Puneet co-founded TechSpan, backed by the prestigious institution Goldman Sachs, where he successfully led business solutions consulting and design thinking ventures, earning recognition as one of the fastest-growing companies in Silicon Valley.

Beyond his business acumen, Puneet is deeply involved in various Boards and Advisory Boards, including his role as Chairman of Core Committee, RIE2025, National Research Foundation, Singapore, Chairman Emeritus of TiE Singapore, and as a Board member of IIM Nagpur and Industry Advisory Board of SP Jain School of Management. Additionally, Puneet serves as a Catalyst at SMART (Singapore MIT Alliance for Research & Technology) and actively engages in philanthropic efforts, supporting initiatives such as the Indian Foundation for the Arts (IFA), the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS), and the South Asian Heart Society.

Puneet Pushkarna shared his excitement for the new role, adding, “I am honoured to join Chiratae Ventures and contribute to the growth of the platform they have built over close to two decades and its dynamic portfolio in Asia region. There are strong benefits for the Asian block to partner, invest and grow exponentially by understanding each other’s strengths and hope to bridge the gap. The Indian model of solving for population-scale problems using technology-led business models has relevance for the larger region and hoping to help Chiratae and its portfolio expand its regional footprint”

Anoop Menon, Principal-Investments who also leads Investor Relations in the East Asian region, says, “With the changing geo-political environment and India’s blistering economic growth, India has become a strong contender for increased investments and business partnership within Asia. Along with this, there is a strong need to contextualise the India narrative by a leader who has seen both sides closely, and Puneet helps us do that. Having him on our Advisory Board provides a valuable sounding board for our team and founders as we navigate the markets in Singapore, Japan, and other regions of Asia Pacific.”

Chiratae Ventures, recently announced the final close of its first Growth fund at $122 M, oversubscribed by 34% and is in the market for its next flagship Venture capital fund. It will continue looking to cement its presence in SEA and the larger Asian region, and Puneet will help strengthen the firm’s position as a leader in the Venture capital landscape.

About Chiratae Ventures:

Chiratae Ventures is a 16-year-old Indian technology venture capital fund advisor, having advised funds that collectively (across six funds) have $1.1 Bn AUM, 130+ investments, 48 exits, 8 Unicorns, 3 IPOs and a track record of having returned capital to LPs in each of the last 12 years. The funds advised by Chiratae Ventures have investments across sectors such as Consumer-Tech, SaaS, Fintech, and Healthtech and have been early backers of companies such as Bizongo, Fibe, FirstCry, Flipkart, Lenskart, Myntra, Pixis, PolicyBazaar and Uniphore, amongst many others.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Tanvi Dubey
Chiratae Ventures
+91-8792059986

Neha Chaturvedi
Adfactors PR
+65- 87098749

Pertamina’s Steps in Facing Global Energy Challenges

New Delhi, India, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – After the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is once again confronted with geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe, giving rise to new challenges such as price volatility, supply scarcity, security issues, and economic uncertainties that contribute to the global energy crisis.

Oki Muraza, Senior Vice President, Research & Technology Innovation at PT Pertamina (2-L), during the Sustainability Summit B20 held in New Delhi, India (8/22). (Image: Pertamina)

Oki Muraza, PT Pertamina, explained that political tensions in Europe have led to dangerous increases in energy prices, posing a threat to energy security and resilience in countries like Indonesia.

Oki Muraza, Senior Vice President, Research & Technology Innovation at PT Pertamina (Persero), explained that the political tensions in Europe have led to dangerous increases in energy prices, posing a threat to energy security and resilience in Indonesia.

"So, we must strive to enhance our energy resilience while working to achieve sustainability goals. How can we reduce emissions and increase the volume of green energy businesses, environmentally friendly electricity, and more," said Oki Muraza during the Sustainability Summit B20 held in New Delhi, India (8/22).

According to Oki, before the geopolitical crisis, Europe was one of the leaders in transitioning toward sustainability. However, with the decline in energy security, where Europe is once again importing energy sources like coal, there's a shift in the energy mix that affects the world.

To anticipate this, developing countries like Indonesia and India with lower incomes should collaborate with advanced nations, primarily in capital or financing.

"Collaboration is crucial to address this issue. We have some examples, such as partnering with Japan for CO2 Injection in the Jatibarang field and later in the Sukowati field. Pertamina will continue to expand collaborations, involving substantial international funding, to support the energy transition in Indonesia," he added.

Furthermore, Oki emphasized that technology development is key in the energy transition, as it improves economic viability. Within the Pertamina Group, there are eight initiatives divided into three blocks.

Firstly, Pertamina's efforts to generate green energy, sourced from geothermal power, reached 672 Megawatts under its management and 1.2 GW in partnership. Besides producing environmentally friendly electricity, Pertamina in the geothermal fields is also developing Green Hydrogen, which holds great potential for export markets.

Secondly, Variable Renewable Energy, such as solar PV, changes over time. These variable RE sources should be integrated with the Grid and Energy storage, commonly known as batteries.

The third block involves harnessing the abundant energy resources in Indonesia, such as rainfall, solar radiation, and biomass. These resources are processed simultaneously. Some could become vegetable oil, green diesel, or bioethanol mixed with gasoline.

"How can we refine them into lower-emission fuels, utilizing the current infrastructure with lower emissions," Oki explained.

In line with this, Valentin de Miguel, Senior Managing Director of Growth & Strategy Lead Growth Market, explained to address global energy challenges, developing countries must earnestly focus on implementation and execution.

"Therefore, it's imperative to drive innovation, research, and analysis of alternative fuel technology reliability, like hydrogen, ammonia, and especially carbon capture. These three major technologies are essential for progress," Miguel stated.

Pertamina, as a leading company in the energy transition, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. All these efforts align with Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) implementation across all Pertamina's business lines and operations. www.pertamina.com.

Media Contact
Fadjar Djoko Santoso
Vice President of Corporate Communication
PT Pertamina (Persero)
M. : +62 813-2063-0765
E. : fadjar.santoso@pertamina.com

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Wuling Motors’ New Energy Vehicle Business Thrives as Product Upgrading Releases Transformation Potential

HONG KONG, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – According to the half-year report released August 23rd by Wuling Motors Holdings Limited (Wuling Motors), the company's revenue in the first half of 2023 was RMB 5.089 billion and its net profit was RMB 12.26 million. It is particularly noteworthy that the company's new energy vehicle (NEV) business saw its proportion rise steadily and also performed well in overseas market expansion, with huge business potential. For example, after launch, a number of upgraded versions of off-road vehicles such as sightseeing buses and golf carts received satisfactory responses from overseas markets.

As the NEV industry develops rapidly, product upgrading and innovation are becoming new driving forces for the future growth of Wuling Motors.

Products Upgraded to Adapt to Market Changes and Release Transformation Potential

Since the beginning of this year, Wuling Motors has accelerated its transformation from traditional manufacturing to intelligent products, intelligent manufacturing and digital services throughout the whole life cycle of vehicles with the goal of strengthening, supplementing, extending and stabilizing the chain. Wuling Motors' core products now cover the entire automobile industry chain, with continuous efforts being made to expedite its transformation towards the NEV field.

As one of the company's main business segments, its component business enters the breakthrough stage in 2023. In terms of new business expansion, Wuling Motors has become a component supplier of, GWM, Foton, Hozon, and BAIC, among others. For further expansion and diversification, Wuling Motors continues to carry out various business expansion plans and promote its components to other customers. Things fare well at present. Lately, a new rear axle product of Liuzhou Wuling Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. under Wuling Motors has been applied to GWM's high-end plug-in hybrid off-road SUV models and its production capacity has begun to climb. In addition, the sales of micro integral electric axles have exceeded 1 million units. By closely connecting products with customer needs and designing products based on the logic of technology platforms, Wuling Motors can not only customize its components for a particular vehicle model but also quickly adapt them to more vehicle models. It aims to shorten its development cycle and improve its product reliability to meet the market's demand for a quick new product launch pace. Regarding the power system business segment, Liuzhou Wuling Liuji Power Co., Ltd. under Wuling Motors has impressively improved its profitability resulting from the launch of new products. Moreover, it has also actively explored new markets for its casting products, from which supply of casting products to BYD in quantity has been started.

Despite a host of challenges in its transformation as a traditional enterprise, Wuling Motors tries to meet market needs through overall improvements and adjustments in technology and the industrial chain and to seize opportunities brought by industry changes through early planning. The company is making achievements in its transformation which covers the range of hybrid power systems and new energy power systems. In terms of auto components and power systems, Wuling Motors has transformed its logistics vehicles and special vehicles into electric vehicles or NEVs. In particular, it made a major breakthrough in the NEV market recently. Since it launched its electric logistics vehicles in 2020, it has sold more than 20,000 electric logistics vehicles, reaching a record high.

Wuling Motors have also exported its off-road vehicles such as sightseeing buses, patrol cars and golf carts to new overseas markets such as Southeast Asia, America, Europe, and Africa, winning the recognition of international customers with excellent service, high quality, and customization ability. On August 8, two off-road vehicle models of Wuling Motors officially made inroads into Canada. Previously, it had put its golf carts into the Hong Kong market. Logistics vehicles in cooperation with some Japanese partners have realized mass production and been exported to Japan in quantity. Wuling Motors is committed to providing global customers with high-quality solutions for diverse scenarios such as tourism, leisure, sports, and logistics.

Exploring Opportunities in the NEV Industry

On August 17, the People's Bank of China released its 2023 Second Quarter China Monetary Policy Execution Report. The report points out that developing NEVs is the only way for China to move from a large automobile country to an automobile power, and that it is also a strategic measure to cope with climate change and promote green development.

In recent years, China's NEV industry has been flourishing, driven by the nation's policy support, technological progress, and market demand. China ranks first globally in the export volume of NEVs, with more than 60% of the world's NEVs produced and sold in China. The penetration rate of NEVs in the Chinese market is projected to exceed 60% by 2025, and the market share of Chinese automobile brands is likely to increase to 70%.

This makes Wuling Motors firmly resolute in dedicating itself to the NEV field. Apart from vehicles, the company is also seeking new business opportunities in the component industry chain. In terms of automobile power supply systems, Wuling Motors pursues green and low-carbon transformation and high-quality development. While upgrading its traditional power systems, it is also developing new energy power systems to accelerate its transformation and upgrade towards NEV power systems. As for auto components and other industrial services, Wuling Motors continues to further digitize its component R&D and manufacturing to develop popular high-end component products with advanced technologies and core competencies, as a continuous effort to expand to mid-to-high-end passenger vehicle and NEV component fields. In terms of commercial vehicles, Wuling Motors will seek breakthroughs in high-value-added modification, expand to the market of high-value special modified vehicles and other products, continue to develop the international market, and strive to bring more products to global markets by learning the export models and relevant experience of the United States, Japan, and Europe. It will seize market opportunities to multiply its NEV business.

It is said that Wuling Motors expects to raise the proportion of its NEV business to more than 50% to further accelerate its development. As Yuan Zhijun, President of Guangxi Automobile Group Co., Ltd. and Chairman of the Board of Wuling Motors, put it, Wuling Motors hopes to gain recognition and strengthen its development in the NEV market through product R&D and technical reserves, so as to push the transformation and upgrading of the whole group company's component business. Besides further promoting its products to its existing customers, Wuling Motors will also try to play a better role in the NEV field by strengthening its NEV product planning.

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Acuver Consulting strengthens its global footprint, forays into the UK Market

LONDON, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Acuver Consulting, a niche global supply chain management company, is thrilled to announce its strategic expansion into the UK. Building on its tremendous success in the Asia-Pacific and North American regions, Acuver is now poised to bring its world-class consulting solutions to the UK, catering to an array of industries and clients. This strategic move marks an exciting milestone in Acuver's commitment to extending its expertise and services to support Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) omni commerce enterprises.

Acuver Consulting is now set to work with UK local supply chain and logistics players to transform their day-to-day operations, order management, inventory visibility and optimization, marketplace integration, going omnichannel and last-mile fulfilment solution. Key areas of focus for the latest foray into UK and European operations will include but not be limited to Digital Strategy and Transformation, Supply Chain Optimization, Data-driven Insights and Analytics, E-commerce, Retail Technology Integration and Customer Experience Enhancement.

The decision to expand into the UK market comes as part of Acuver's commitment to providing unsurpassed Customer success and supreme business advisory services to organizations worldwide and to continue its record of introducing market need driven solutions. With a proven track record of empowering clients to achieve sustainable growth, streamline operations, and enhance their competitive edge, Acuver is well-positioned to meet the unique challenges and opportunities presented.

On the expansion occasion, Sunny Nandwani, Founder & Managing Director, Acuver Consulting said, "As a specialized supply chain management company, we bring extensive expertise in order management and warehouse management space working with businesses across retail, manufacturing, consumer goods, and logistics. We understand the unique challenges faced by each business in each market and we craft customized solutions that have fostered successful partnerships with businesses worldwide. The UK market excites us and we are thrilled by the opportunity. We aim to empower businesses by optimizing their supply chain processes, driving scalability and success. With an unwavering commitment to tailor-made solutions, we eagerly anticipate making a positive impact in the UK's supply chain management field."

Success in the UK retail industry is driven by the ability to strategically connect target audience with right set of products at accurate price and timelines. Acuver is known for its ability to offer customized solutions. The UK supply chain management and logistics sector has faced significant challenges such as Brexit Impact, Labor shortages, infrastructure constraints, rising fuel costs, e-commerce boom and technology integration across sectors that demand urgent attention and heavy embracement of innovative digital solutions to transform industry multifaceted.

"Even the best inventory management systems and processes can fail without a strong supply chain management system. Customers will move on in minutes if you can't deliver what they need when they need. But not when you have Acuver as your supply chain management partner. Acuver Consulting is an IBM Gold Partner and we bring a comprehensive suite of customizable solutions that help our clients retain their customers", said Krishna Raj Kodoth, Director Business Development Acuver Consulting.

"We have entered the UK market with more than 500-man years of domain knowledge and experience into creating cutting-edge solutions. Our offerings are a combination of technology and human intelligence and we are confident that making a good first impression will open more avenues in the market. We are looking forward to collaborating with local enterprises to create a successful, mutual business trajectory", Krishna added.

According to market reports, revenue in the UK Supply Chain Management Software market is projected to reach US$0.96bn in 2023. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2028) of 6.42%, resulting in a market volume of US$1.32bn by 2028.

For more information on Acuver, please visit www.acuverconsulting.com

About Acuver Consulting

Acuver Consulting helps companies optimize their supply-chain for enhanced efficiency, profitability and consumer experience. We combine the right tools, methodologies and expertise in IT, Business and Technology to deliver solutions customized to your unique requirement. Proactively employing the latest industry innovations and ensuring the customer-centric digital transformation of clients are the operating paradigms of Acuver. We have a strong global presence encompassing the United States, United Kingdom, India, Europe, Australia, and the APAC regions.

For more information, please contact
Krishna Raj Kodoth,
Tel: +44 77959 18636
Email: krishnaraj.k@acuverconsulting.com

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Chu Kong Shipping Announces 2023 Interim Results, Profit Attributable to the Equity Holders of the Company Increases by 6.3% year on year to HK$58.4 Million

HONG KONG, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises (Group) Company Limited ("Chu Kong Shipping", or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"; Stock Code: 560.HK) is pleased to announce its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2023 (the "Period"). During the Period, the complex and volatile market environment, coupled with weakened business demand, the Group's cargo transportation business was affected to a certain extent. Nevertheless, benefiting from the orderly resumption of normal traveler clearance in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, a number of cross-border water passenger transport routes of the Group ushered in the resumption of service, while several long-awaited new routes were successfully launched, and the passenger transportation business has gradually recovered. The Group maintained a steady and robust development in its overall business operations.

In the first half of 2023, the Group recorded consolidated revenue of HK$1,233.1 million (1H 2022: HK$1,601.2 million). Profit for the period increased by 1.0% year on year to HK$62.3 million (1H 2022: HK$61.7 million), while profit attributable to the equity holders of the Company increased by 6.3% year on year to HK$58.4 million (1H 2022: HK$54.9 million).

Promoting the Upgrade of the Logistics Strategy and Achieving Steady Development in Cargo Transportation Business
The Group continued to optimise its strategic layout planning by fully leveraging the advantages of the terminals' network within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, facilitating the synergistic development of diversified businesses, achieving new breakthroughs in construction logistics, e-commerce, and air freight logistics businesses. During the Period, regarding the cargo transportation business, the container transportation volume recorded 646,000 TEU, representing a year-on-year increase of 0.2%. The break bulk cargoes transportation volume amounted to 202,000 tons, while the volume of container hauling and trucking recorded 90,000 TEU. As for the cargo handling business, the container handling volume recorded 527,000 TEU and the break bulk cargoes handling volume recorded 3,222,000 tons. During the Period, Chu Kong Transhipment & Logistics Company Limited ("CKTL") adjusted its business strategy timely and reduced operating costs while developing diversified business actively and enhancing market competitiveness. Based on Tuen Mun Godown Wharf, CKTL expanded the area of climate-controlled warehouse at Tuen Mun warehouses, and continued to tap the transportation business for Modular Integrated Construction modules. CKTL also won the bid for a sand supply project for part of the Hong Kong International Airport Second Runway refurbishment project. Meanwhile, CKTL actively developed freight cargo business, successfully developed the cross-border railway-chartered transportation business, achieved growth in Southeast Asian routes, and actively prepared for the establishment of a logistics network in Vietnam. During the Period, each subsidiary strived to overcome multiple hurdles and adopted various measures to enhance income of cargo handling and storage business, resulting in a steady improvement in the operating efficiency of a number of regions.

Continuously Optimising Airport Strategy amid Recovery of Cross-border Passenger Transportation Business
The Group's operation of the cross-border waterway passenger route has resumed in an orderly manner since 8 January 2023. Even though the cross-border passenger transportation business of the Group in the first half of the year increased significantly compared with the same period last year, there was still a gap as compared with the pre-pandemic level. During the Period, Chu Kong Passenger Transport Company Limited ("CKPT") recorded total number of passengers for agency services and the number of passengers for terminal services of 647,000 and 423,000 respectively, representing year-on-year increase of 1,825.3% and 1,158.3%. During the Period, ten cross-border waterway passenger transportation routes commenced operation, including the three newly opened routes of "Shenzhen Airport Ferry Terminal-China Ferry Terminal", "Guangzhou Pazhou-China Ferry Terminal" and "Guangzhou Pazhou-Hong Kong International Airport". The Group continued to deepen cooperation with airlines, travel agencies and other industries, and strengthened business marketing and promotion to achieve an orderly recovery of cross-border passenger transportation business, with passenger load factor of some routes returning to pre-pandemic levels. CKPT,sticking around the airport strategy, continued to increase the layout of airport projects and extend businesses around the airport, gradually enhancing its competitive advantage.

Rapidly Expanding Local Business while Receiving Compliments on Services
Regarding local ferry services, along with the full resumption of people travelling between Hong Kong and China, the Group's local ferry business recorded a total number of passengers of 6,333,000 during the Period, representing a year-on-year increase of 23.4%. Regarding the water cultural tourism business, the effect of market cultivation demonstrated in Oriental Pearl Cruise Company Limited through its ongoing product innovation and service optimisation. During the Period, a cumulative passenger flow of 21,000 passengers was recorded, representing a significant increase of 261.4% year-on-year. The cruise ship "Oriental Pearl" also accomplished a reception for senior officials of the Chinese government in a high-quality manner, which was awarded a letter of praise by the Hong Kong Development Bureau. As to the fuel supply business, Sun Kong Petroleum Company Limited continued to promote business transformation, and achieved "double growth" in both diesel and engine oil sales. Furthermore, it successfully won the bid for the HKSAR Government's bunkering project, and successfully reached a cooperation of the lubricating oil supply chain agency project.

Outlook
In the second half of the year, with the normalisation of cross-border passenger and cargo flows after the normal traveller clearance, the HKSAR Government will implement further measures to stimulate the local economy and improve people's livelihood while enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness. Additionally, the comparative advantages of the Greater Bay Area will be fully utilised. The Group will firmly grasp the strategic opportunities brought by the National "14th Five-Year Plan", the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, as well as the "Belt and Road" initiative, build on the livelihood of the people in Hong Kong, integrate the resources in the Bay Area, plan for the layout of ASEAN, and promote the development of enterprises in a high-quality manner. The Group will promote high-quality enterprise development in the following areas:

Firstly, the Group will promote the integration of its main businesses and enhance operational and management capabilities. The Group will professionalise the cross-border waterway passenger transportation business across Guangdong-Hong Kong, and steadily promote the integrated operation of cross-border passenger transport. The Group will also enhance the local ferry and cultural tourism sectors in the long run, and build a professional passenger transport operation platform that is more resilient and synergistic. The Group will actively shape five platforms, namely port operation, integrated logistics, warehousing logistics, construction logistics and new business development, to enhance the coordination and synergy of internal and external logistics resources, strengthen the linkage between cargo terminals and navigation, consolidate the advantages of resources, and explore the market potential to build a more active and competitive professional logistics operation platform.

Secondly, the Group will build up its strategic advantages in logistics to enhance its market influence. The Group will utilise its advantages in professional construction logistics platform and actively participate in the construction projects of Hong Kong's "Northern Metropolis" and "Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands", and vigorously expand the construction logistics and building materials supply businesses. To coordinate the layout of integrated storage centre, the Group will vigorously develop its modern logistics businesses including air freight logistics, supply chain logistics, cold chain logistics and duty-free product storage, facilitating its logistics business to extend into high-end industrial chain. Moreover, the Group will accelerate the establishment of logistics business network in the ASEAN region and capture emerging market share to create a profit growth driver under the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

Thirdly, the Group will promote the transformation of its waterway passenger transportation to enhance the sustainability of the enterprise. The Group will strive to launch more high-quality routes by focusing on cultivating core routes including the expansion of Pazhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan and other route networks. The Group will strive to integrate its business into the Hong Kong airport business circle, optimise airport passenger routes while actively bidding for more high-quality service projects of the Hong Kong International Airport. Moreover, the Group will improve the "sea-land-air intermodal" service chain continuously, and strive to become a comprehensive service provider for the Hong Kong International Airport.

Fourthly, the Group will strengthen the expansion of its local business to enhance its regional penetration. The Group will actively seize the opportunity of winning bunkering projects of the HKSAR Government and further expand the market share by providing high-quality bunkering services to the government. The Group will continue to explore the potential of the local ferry market, enhance its business control and industry influence and further consolidate its advantages in the ferry business. Moreover, the Group will deepen the cooperation between the cross-border passenger transport and fuel supply businesses, aiming to achieve cost reduction and efficiency enhancement as well as synergistic enhancement. The Group will focus on developing the "Oriental Pearl" Victoria Harbour Tour project by stepping up its efforts in brand promotion through multiple channels, enhancing the resources utilisation rate for the passenger transportation business of cultural tourism, and expanding business channels such as advertising and sponsoring campaigns, recurring consumption and value-added services, with a view to continuously strengthening the water cultural tourism industry.

About Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises (Group) Company Limited
Chu Kong Shipping is a listed company incorporated in Hong Kong held by Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises (Holdings) Company Limited and subject to Guangdong Provincial Port & Shipping Group Company Limited. Chu Kong Shipping operates and manages the largest high-speed passenger fleet and network of waterway passenger transport in Guangdong, Hong Kong Macau which is based in Hong Kong and covered cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shunde, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Macau and so on. CKSG operates the local ferry services in Hong Kong, providing services on five main inner harbour and outlying island ferry routes, and developing the Victoria Harbour water cultural tourism projects simultaneously. Chu Kong Shipping is also one of the largest operators of inland terminal and logistics service in the PRD. Based in Hong Kong, Chu Kong Shipping builds up a network covering multiple cities in the PRD, including Zhaoqing, Qingyuan, Foshan, Guangzhou and Jiangmen etc., providing the operation of inland cargo terminals, integrated logistics, international forwarding and solutions to logistic supply chain and so on.

For more information, please visit: https://www.cksd.com/

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Asia HSE Summit 2023: Taking Health & Safety to The Next Level

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the health and safety sector at ASIA HSE SUMMIT, which will be held on 11-12 September 2023 at the Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur.

The Summit will bring together Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) experts from a wide range of industries to explore the latest approaches to optimizing HSE performance, as well as the most effective strategies for enhancing workplace safety. Topics such as risk assessment and management, employee training and awareness, data security and privacy, ergonomic considerations and well-being will be discussed in order to improve health and safety in the digital era.

Attendees of the conference will be provided with ground-breaking strategies to develop, implement, and monitor HSE programs that abide by industry regulations. Through interactive sessions and expert interaction, participants will gain access to the tools and resources needed to establish a successful and sustainable HSE programs that meet industry-set standards. This can help create a safer and more productive work environment, leading to greater efficiency and profitability.

Don't miss out on this chance to join HSE professionals from Asia and beyond to learn how to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly-evolving health and safety landscape. The seats are limited, register now with HRDF CLAIMABLE.

Registration Link: www.asiahsesummit.com/contact-7
Official website: www.asiahsesummit.com/

For further inquiries, please contact:
Amina
+601161888699
amina@cteventasia.com

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The Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines (DTI) Partners with Singapore Industrial Automation Association (SIAA) in Hosting the AI Asia Expo – Philippines 2023

MANILA, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – AI Asia Expo Organisers is pleased to announce the official signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines (DTI) and the Singapore Industrial Automation Association (SIAA) for the co-hosting of AI Asia Expo – Philippines 2023. The MOA signing ceremony took place earlier today at the Audio Visual Room, 6/F 385 Board of Investments Building, Makati City, coinciding with the DTI and Analytics Association of the Philippines' "AI Governance and Policy" Workshop.

This ceremony marks a strategic collaboration between DTI, SIAA and LOD Events to foster the exchange of knowledge, promote innovation, and facilitate cross-border partnerships in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). Through this alliance, DTI aims to drive the growth and application of AI technologies across industries, thereby enabling businesses and empowering consumers.

Amplifying its significance as a convergence of top-tier industry players, policymakers, and visionaries dedicated to driving digital transformation and inclusive growth through AI technology across the region, the event will open on 7 November 2023, bannering the Department of Trade and Industry's Industrial Digital Transformation Congress (IDTC), at the Marriott Grand Ballroom (MGBX) Convention Hall in Metro Manila.

At the core of its storyline, the IDTC passionately advocates for pushing forward digital transformation and innovation across diverse industries by seamlessly incorporating AI. AI, as an essential element of this significant event is the introduction of DTI's National AI Strategy Roadmap, carefully designed to guide the progress of the nation's four key industry groups. This plan is complemented by a perceptive examination of how AI is being widely embraced in these specific areas.

As the main highlight of the event, the AI Asia Expo – Philippines 2023 is scheduled to take place from 7 – 9 November 2023. This three-day event is expected to draw 4,000 participants and will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and an exhibition showcasing cutting-edge AI products and solutions from both local and international AI companies. The event is also supported by more than 50 prestigious associations and organisations in the Philippines.

The main expo, spread across four key tracks, will take a comprehensive approach to exploring the applications of AI across diverse domains. These tracks include AI in Healthcare, AI in Manufacturing, AI in Environment and Sustainability, and Generative AI. The discussions in these sessions will shed light on how AI can enhance efficiency, productivity, and sustainability across different industries.

The event will also see the InfoComm Technology Association of the Philippines (ITAP) partner on a Symposium that will focus on key aspects of AI development, covering themes like cybersecurity, IoT, fintech, robotics, and AI infrastructure. This Symposium will facilitate valuable discussions on the challenges and opportunities in these areas.

For more details on our event, visit www.aiasiaexpo.com/philippines-2023. Join us as we shape the future of AI in the Philippines and the broader Asian region.

About AI Asia Expo:

AI Asia Expo is a dynamic and influential conference-driven trade exhibition with a compelling vision to advance AI adoption in the Southeast Asian region. Our events aim to cultivate a thriving ecosystem within individual countries while fostering seamless collaboration across the broader regional community.

Embracing inclusivity, our events bring together international and local entities, AI start-ups, government organisations, researchers, and end users of AI, facilitating meaningful engagements and knowledge exchange to propel the industry to new heights. By empowering participants to unlock transformative opportunities and forge strategic alliances, AI Asia Expo hopes to shape the future landscape of AI in Asia and beyond.

About the Department of Trade and Industry:

The Department of Trade and Industry is the agency of the Philippine government responsible for realising the country's goal of developing globally competitive and innovative industry and service sectors that enable inclusive growth and sustainable development. Its Competitiveness and Innovation Group has been at the forefront of implementing a Science, Technology, and Innovation-based Industrial Strategy to establish a Dynamic Industry Ecosystem and grow a globally competitive and innovative industry generating better opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Anis A.
Marketing Executive
AI Asia Expo
anis@aiasiaexpo.com

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Asia’s fashion spotlight CENTRESTAGE returns in September

HONG KONG, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Asia's premier fashion event CENTRESTAGE will be held from 6 to 9 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The four-day event will feature runway shows, curated presentations, and interactive seminars and forums on fashion trends and sustainability. Cutting-edge concepts and designs will be unveiled at the event, which will shed light on the latest in fashion.

HKTDC's Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong (3L), HKTDC Garment Advisory Committee Chairman Katherine Fang (3L) and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel CEO Edwin Keh (2R) share highlights of CENTRESTAGE and the latest industry trends at the CENTRESTAGE press conference.

The annual fashion extravaganza, now in its eighth year, is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region* as the Lead Sponsor.

Sophia Chong, Deputy Executive Director of HKTDC, said, "The public's awareness of health and well-being has grown exponentially in recent years. Appropriately, CENTRESTAGE embraces the theme ''Radiant Wellness" this year. With over 210 brands from 18 countries and regions participating, the exhibition is open exclusively to fashion buyers on the first two days, and welcomes both buyers and the public on the final two days, allowing fashionistas to browse the latest designs."

Emerging Designers Unveil Collections, Fusion of Local Fashion and Ballet

The opening gala show, CENTRESTAGE ELITES, spotlights the latest collection from acclaimed Hong Kong designer, Wilson Choi, and his premium streetwear brand, REDEMPTIVE. Wilson's designs have graced prominent runways around the world, including Paris Fashion Week, and he was a finalist for the YU PRIZE at Shanghai Fashion Week.

Additionally, the event will feature the debut of FETICO, a women's brand founded by Emi Funayama from Japan, who will present her Spring/Summer 2024 collection for the very first time. Emi, a recipient of the TOKYO FASHION AWARD and JFW NEXT BRAND AWARD in 2022 and 2023, respectively, infuses her designs with a captivating and timeless retro charm.

At this year's Fashion Hong Kong Runway Show, the talented dancers of the Hong Kong Ballet will showcase the latest collections from four renowned Hong Kong fashion brands: 112 mountainyam, ANGUS TSUI, DORISKATH and SUN=SEN.

CENTRESTAGE will also feature Brand Collections' Shows and Designers' Collection Shows. The former will showcase renowned Hong Kong fashion brands, while the latter will highlight the best creations from different fashion designers. The Hong Kong Kids Fashion Show which is always a hit with fashion-loving parents, will also be held.

Pioneering Sustainability in Fashion

CENTRESTAGE is thrilled to welcome esteemed institutions, such as the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Fashion and Textiles (PolyU SFT), Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), Fashion Farm Foundation (FFF) and the Hong Kong Woollen & Synthetic Knitting Manufacturers' Association, which will present innovative creations from Hong Kong fashion brands.

Furthermore, the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong, a first-time participant of CENTRESTAGE, Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center, and institutions and fashion showrooms from Japan and South Korea will bring their unique and vibrant designs to Hong Kong.

With sustainable fashion a growing trend, CENTRESTAGE will feature renowned brands and organisations that champion sustainable development. Participating brands include DETERMINANT, a local brand using sustainable dyeing techniques, and The Billie, a recycled fashion brand by Novetex Textiles. Hong Kong brands Absurd Laboratory, Rou So and WHY, Earlyink from Macau, XAVAN from Vietnam, and PCES and Pei-wen Jin from Taiwan and more will also be featured.

Heavyweight speakers from Novetex Textiles and Redress will host a seminar on sustainability. CENTRESTAGE will stage the final of the world's largest sustainable fashion design competition, the Redress Design Award 2023, organised by Redress with CreateHK as the Lead Sponsor.

Moreover, the Partners for Progress Forum held by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) will look at how interdisciplinary collaboration drives innovation in the textile and apparel sector. Shanghai's Jiemian News, a subsidiary of Shanghai Media Group, will host its annual fashion summit at CENTRESTAGE to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities in fashion, make-up and skincare.

Giovanni Musillo, representing OnTheList, will analyse the latest market and consumer trends at the Fashion Trend Forum. Representatives from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Stratasys AP Ltd and CLO Virtual Fashion will also enlighten attendees about the latest developments in digital fashion.

Nurturing Local Talents, Discovering Stars of Tomorrow

CENTRESTAGE continues to shine a spotlight on local emerging design talents. The FASHIONALLY Collection #21, a fashion showcase held on the opening day on 6 September, will feature eight home-grown designer brands, including FromClothingOf, Lapeewee, MARCCH, MOODLABBYLORRAINE, POISSON, NONOBO, VO-YAGE, and WHY. Furthermore, three FASHIONALLY presentations will take place from 6 to 7 September, at which three emerging local fashion brands, Kin Yan Lam, the Hole, and IP-AXIS INDUSTRIAL, will unveil their latest creations.

The final of the Thread of Creativity – Fashion Design Competition 2023. organised by the Asian New Generation Creativity Design Association. will also take place at the event.

Furthermore, the finale of the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC) will take place on 9 September, with MINI Hong Kong as the event's lead sponsor for the seventh consecutive year. An esteemed panel of judges, including Han Chong, the mastermind behind self-portrait, will select the contest winners. The 10 shortlisted designers will compete for multiple honours, including Champion, the Excellence Award and the Best Visual Presentation Award. For the My Favourite Collection Award, members of the public can vote for their favourite collection online from now until 8 September to be in with a chance to win one of five HK$3,000 Lee Gardens Area e-gift coupons, sponsored by Hysan Development. Vote now: https://bit.ly/YDC2023_VOTENOW.

This year's event will once again feature various digital fashion and artificial intelligence (AI) concepts. Among others, AI will be utilised to create AI models that will appear throughout the fairground, showcasing various designers' creations.

CENTRESTAGE will be held concurrently with the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and the Salon de TE, providing attendees with a one-stop opportunity to explore both branded fashion and timepieces.

CENTRESTAGE X Watch & Clock Lucky Draw will be held on 9 September, offering participants a chance to win exciting prizes.

Websites
CENTRESTAGE: www.centrestage.com.hk
CENTRESTAGE Visitor Pre-registration: https://bit.ly/3QNzd7M
Fashion Hong Kong: https://www.fashionhongkong.com.hk/tc
Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC): www.fashionally.com/en
Photo Download: https://bit.ly/3qxWzqQ

Media enquiries
Best Crew Public Relations & Marketing
Diana Tang, Tel: +852 9199 6723, Email: diana.tang@bestcrewpr.com
Reni Kwok, Tel: +852 6291 4283, Email: reni.kwok@bestcrewpr.com

The HKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs Department:
Katy Wong, Tel: +852 2584 4524, Email: katy.ky.wong@hktdc.orgJanet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

About Create Hong Kong

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community.

*Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Closing the loop between artificial intelligence and robotic experiments

TSUKUBA, Japan, Aug 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – The powers of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic experiment systems have come together in pioneering proof-of-concept work at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan. The researchers describe the development and demonstration of their "closed loop" automation software in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods.

NIMS-OS links AI and robotics for innovative materials research

"The overall aim of our work is to allow experiments exploring materials science to be designed and then proceed automatically, with no human intervention," says physicist and software engineer Ryo Tamura at the NIMS Center for Basic Research on Materials. The AI first performs the information gathering and experimental design tasks normally done by humans, and then controls the robotic systems that can execute the required physical tasks.

The team demonstrated the potential of their system by using it to identify electrolytes that would be suitable for mediating the movement of ions in lithium-metal batteries.

The software, called the NIMS Orchestration System (NIMS-OS), contains two basic types of modules. The first uses AI algorithms to explore archived data on the properties of materials. It selects promising materials and proposes experimental procedures that would allow them to achieve a desired aim. The second type of module generates the instructions needed to control a robotic system that will put the instructions into practice.

To make the whole process as easy to use as possible for a wide range of researchers the team also designed an easy-to-use graphical user interface to control it.

"The results of initial work by the robotic system via NIMS-OS can be fed back to refine the AI algorithms that control it, through several cycles of test and improvement," says Tamura.

In the proof-of-concept task that explored options for making electrolytes that maximize the performance of an electrode in a lithium-metal battery, NIMS-OS utilized systems that were robotically assembled into electrochemical cells and subjected to charging and discharging cycles to analyze their performance. The results clearly identified the better electrolyte composition and indicated there is room for improvement on the electrolytes that are currently widely used commercially.

"Our NIMS-OS is now publicly available as open-source software at the widely used GitHub website," says Tamura. "We now plan to develop it further to allow it to work together with many different types of robotic experiment systems."

Further information
Ryo Tamura
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Email: tamura.ryo@nims.go.jp
Paper: https://doi.org/10.1080/27660400.2023.2232297

About Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods (STAM-M)

STAM Methods is an open access sister journal of Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM), and focuses on emergent methods and tools for improving and/or accelerating materials developments, such as methodology, apparatus, instrumentation, modeling, high-throughput data collection, materials/process informatics, databases, and programming. https://www.tandfonline.com/STAM-M

Dr Yasufumi Nakamichi
STAM Publishing Director
Email: NAKAMICHI.Yasufumi@nims.go.jp

Press release distributed by Asia Research News for Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

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