Growing Food Crisis in Asia Calls for More Regional “Farm-to-Fork Cooperation & Collaboration” Says CropLife Asia

SINGAPORE, Jul 15, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – In the wake of the United Nations (UN) release of its 2020 State of Food Security & Nutrition in the World, CropLife Asia has issued a renewed call for the region's food value chain stakeholders to work together to better ensure a safe and nutritious food supply. Contained in the report is further evidence that hunger, malnutrition and obesity continue to plague a growing number of people in Asia and around the world.

Specifically, the UN research concluded that almost 690 million globally went hungry last year. While this figure reflects a smaller number compared to the 2018 estimate due to critical data updates, it represents an overall increase of nearly 60 million people over the past five years and signals a slow but steady rise in worldwide chronic hunger since 2014. Meanwhile, Asia continues to maintain a troubling distinction: it is home to the greatest number of hungry as well as undernourished people.

In another policy brief released by the UN last month, The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition, serious concerns were also raised regarding the effect COVID-19 is having globally on the most vulnerable parts of society already experiencing hunger and malnutrition.

"Sadly, another year has produced another UN report confirming that the troubling food crisis trends in Asia and around the world continue," said Dr. Siang Hee Tan, CropLife Asia Executive Director. "Ensuring an ample supply of affordable and nutritious food reaches those who need it most is not a government, civil society or private sector responsibility – it's all our responsibility.

"From farm to fork, it's high time Asia's food value chain stakeholders worked together to deliver greater cooperation and collaboration in addressing these troubling trends and Asia's growing food crisis. We can do better, and we must do better."

Feeding our growing global population is a shared responsibility, and plant science continues to play a crucial role. Biotech crops are developed with improved traits such as increased yield, better resistance to pests and/or improved nutrition, among others. These traits are crucial tools that enable farmers to meet global challenges such as food insecurity.

Meanwhile, farmers continue to rely on crop protection products to produce more food on less land and raise productivity per hectare. Without crop protection products, 40 percent of global rice and maize harvests could be lost every year and losses for fruits and vegetables could be as high as 50-90 percent.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:
Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs
CropLife Asia
Tel: +65 6221 1615
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Growing Food Crisis in Asia Calls for More Regional “Farm-to-Fork Cooperation & Collaboration” Says CropLife Asia

SINGAPORE, Jul 14, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – In the wake of the United Nations (UN) release of its 2020 State of Food Security & Nutrition in the World, CropLife Asia has issued a renewed call for the region's food value chain stakeholders to work together to better ensure a safe and nutritious food supply. Contained in the report is further evidence that hunger, malnutrition and obesity continue to plague a growing number of people in Asia and around the world.

Specifically, the UN research concluded that almost 690 million globally went hungry last year. While this figure reflects a smaller number compared to the 2018 estimate due to critical data updates, it represents an overall increase of nearly 60 million people over the past five years and signals a slow but steady rise in worldwide chronic hunger since 2014. Meanwhile, Asia continues to maintain a troubling distinction: it is home to the greatest number of hungry as well as undernourished people.

In another policy brief released by the UN last month, The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition, serious concerns were also raised regarding the effect COVID-19 is having globally on the most vulnerable parts of society already experiencing hunger and malnutrition.

"Sadly, another year has produced another UN report confirming that the troubling food crisis trends in Asia and around the world continue," said Dr. Siang Hee Tan, CropLife Asia Executive Director. "Ensuring an ample supply of affordable and nutritious food reaches those who need it most is not a government, civil society or private sector responsibility – it's all our responsibility.

"From farm to fork, it's high time Asia's food value chain stakeholders worked together to deliver greater cooperation and collaboration in addressing these troubling trends and Asia's growing food crisis. We can do better, and we must do better."

Feeding our growing global population is a shared responsibility, and plant science continues to play a crucial role. Biotech crops are developed with improved traits such as increased yield, better resistance to pests and/or improved nutrition, among others. These traits are crucial tools that enable farmers to meet global challenges such as food insecurity.

Meanwhile, farmers continue to rely on crop protection products to produce more food on less land and raise productivity per hectare. Without crop protection products, 40 percent of global rice and maize harvests could be lost every year and losses for fruits and vegetables could be as high as 50-90 percent.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:
Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs
CropLife Asia
Tel: +65 6221 1615
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by eight member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at http://www.croplifeasia.org.

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Emerge 2020 HR Tech Summit Concluded Successfully

Asia, Jul 9, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Yet again Clavent has brought HR leaders across the globe on a single platform to plant a flag on their first-ever virtual event "Emerge2020 HR Tech Summit" organized on 25-26th June. Amidst the pandemic, Clavent is always ready to Inspire, Interact, and Innovate. Certainly establishing norms of "virtual experience" in current scenarios to assemble HR veterans to speak on divergent topics based on technological advancements to tackle challenging disruptions in the HR domain across various industries.

Meanwhile, Clavent conducted a virtual summit ensuring that they fulfill their purpose of an event to not only get insights from different sessions but also to get acquainted with fellow attendees and acquire skills from each other. Clavent brought under one platform taking charge of all the elements enabling real-time experience such as Networking Lounges, Exhibitor Booths, Polls, Discussions, Q&A to meet and greet fellow attendees.

At Emerge, Clavent predominantly touched upon three themes Innovation & Leadership, Talent Management, and Learning & Well-Being. The day started with the captive hosting that drove the whole event with enthusiasm and bridged the gap between the attendees and the speakers. He initiated the session with the exciting polls. One of the polls that you can answer right now as well "Are you in your Pajamas?" Polls ensured that the audience was heard, engaged, and were updated in real-time.

The summit began with a keynote session by Prithvi Shergill – Chief Business Officer, KPISOFT who talked about "In a crisis: CHROs Step Up to New Challenges". The session was a head turner and the speaker emphasized how to master risk and performance with four evolution stages "React, Respond, Reform & Reimagine" with three indispensable elements Workplace, Workforce, and Work. He also dug deep with the paradoxes in the coronavirus crisis and how to build trust across various projects to celebrate the milestones.

Steve Yong – CAO HR from HSBC, a proven effective change leader with the ability to create and implement various business strategies in complex global organizations emphasized on "Leverage Tech & Analytics to keep a tab on Productivity & Engagement". He spoke about how to be prescriptive in sentiment analysis and pay reviews. Everyone was enthralled about the way he brought HR and Technology in a single discussion and to fulfill personal and organizational goals.

Augustus Azariah, HR Leader from IBM and having 20+ years of experience in the industry and a key driver to bring happiness in the workforce. This was where the third session focussed on "People, Process, Automation". While Clavent again initiated the session with another poll, Augustus spoke about the purpose of being essential. He left the attendees amazed by taking them from changing the talent landscape to the journey of new normal.
The next speaker for Emerge was Komal Singh, Senior HR business partner- India & APAC at InMobi. She has been leading business priorities through people's intervention to drive focus on an enterprise model mindset. She talked about "Building a digital culture". She focused on the reality of the emerging Gig Economy & millennials workforce view. She deep dive into how an ecosystem can drive digital culture.

"Attracting GenZ" was the fourth session of Day 1 by none other than Anil Kumar Mishra, Vice president & Chief People Officer of MagicBricks. Certainly, an engaging session for all the upcoming HR leaders wherein he emphasized on how to attract Genz and how to create an exciting workplace. He also talked about how imperative it is to take care of GenZ career aspirations and how it will drive the organization to the road of success.

Dr. Ankita Singh, Senior VP & Global Head HR at CIGNEX Datamatics who has over 19 years of progressive experience in leading various aspects of HR across various domains of ITES. She talked about "Future of Work" that focused on certain topics like WFH, Gig Economy, tech-driven processes, LMS. She brought certain aspects onto the table like how to rebuild the tour business, people, and trust. How HR can be a copilot to the organization to fulfill objectives.

"Employee Experience = Customer Experience" was the topic of the next session taken by Amit Sharma CHRO from Volvo Group. He drove the session by answering if the above-mentioned terms are understood clearly by the workforce. He also bridged a gap between the two mentioned terms and how happy employees will lead to better customer experience.

Ben Eubanks, Principal Analyst Lighthouse Research & Advisory brought us an interesting topic of this age "Learning in the age of social distancing". He focused on the way to learn new skills powerfully. He also connected neuroscience, formal learning, and to explore informal learning.

Clavent was delighted to kick off day 2 with none other than Bhavya Misra, HR Director PepsiCo. She is richly experienced across a variety of roles in the HR domain in the Retail & FMCG sector. She focused on the "Role of Leadership in maintaining Work-Life Balance". In the current context and the scenario, it becomes indispensable to talk about the lines between work life and personal life. To not only introspect but retrospect what this means and how it impacts the workforce. Is it clock connectivity, expectations on responsiveness coming in the way?

"Science of well being" was the next session by Varadharaju Janardhanan, VP & Head HR [24]7.ai. He emphasized on the mental well being. To elucidate the workforce's mind space and to talk about constraints like Lockdown, Social Distancing, Working Virtually, Shortage of essentials, etc. While he talked about the above-mentioned restrictions brings the fear of the future in the employees that might result in anxiety and how it can be tackled by understanding brain science.

"Networking Break" helped to bring in an opportunity to meet and greet the fellow attendees and get to know each other and make these sessions more meaningful. Moreover, Clavent conducted "Q&A sessions" each day exclusively to bring out a childlike curiosity among every individual.

Manish Behl, Associate VP Center for the future of Work at Cognizant, spoke about "The Future of Work and AI". Manish spoke about AI can be a rocket fuel to drive organizational objectives and harness employee goals. He further talked about how AI is infusing in work culture followed by fantastic questions by curious attendees such as to drive attention from automation, employability and its effect due to COVID19.

Venkatesh Palabatla, Group CHRO Navabharat Ventures Limited shared his views on "Augmented Talent – Harnessing the cognitive capital of people at work". He brought major topics that had major implications on industries that are the Industrial revolution and COVID Crisis. He talked about building Human Capital, the need for a new organizational model that will align with the new business needs and challenges.

Susan Armstrong, Managing Partner- Global Training Transformation spoke about "Designing a Future Proof Learning Strategy". She talked about the need to engage, motivate, and develop leaders and employees. She deep-dived on the global challenges that are faced by an organization in regards to employee performance and mental health. She has also been a part of Learning and development strategies in COVID and talked about how those can be executed successfully.

Saswati Sinha, VP and Head HR-Cheil India ( Samsung Group) talked about "The Power of Collective Intelligence". She explained the real definition of CI and how technology plays a vital role in group intelligence. She also mentioned that technology is changing the way employees were working earlier and how it is bringing a change in the centralized management approach. She focused on how organizations will thrive, loose hierarchies, and embrace democracy.

Abhimanyu Choudhary Chief Business Officer at Xoxoday spoke about "Know your Employee Pulse in the age of Social Distancing". He talked about the challenges that 2020 brought. The uncertainty that calls for managing not only the work but household chores. The challenge for HR is to keep its employees motivated and engaged. He motivated the attendees to come up together and work for the upliftment of the organization overall.

The last session "The Myth of Employee Engagement" was given by Jonas Prasanna, International HR Business Partner. He brought up a few questions regarding the effectiveness of the surveys done across several organizations, and if disengagement is a bad thing? He focused on how rather than talking about an engagement that can be done to drive the culture of a workplace that brings positive results.

In the end, the day concluded with a Q&A session that brought not only questions but different perspectives of each attendee on various aspects of HR domains across industry creating a dynamic and inclusive environment. Clavent brought can't-find-anywhere-else tips from various HR Leaders across industries to be imbibed on your journey as an HR Leader.

Event Website Link – https://www.clavent.com/emerge-2020-hr-tech-summit/
For more information drop an email at contact@clavent.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Frost & Sullivan Honors Leading Organizations in Asia-Pacific in an Inaugural Virtual Ceremony for the 2020 Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards

SINGAPORE, Jul 8, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Frost & Sullivan honored Asia-Pacific's leading companies at the 18th annual Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards on 8 July in an inaugural virtual awards ceremony. A total of 15 awards were presented to organizations for elevating performance benchmarks and for their outstanding achievements in the industry.

These awards were segmented across six major sectors:

– Automotive
– Energy
– Building & Environment Industries
– Healthcare
– Information & Communication Technologies
– Logistics

Congratulating the 2020 winners and recognizing their best-in-class performance, Sapan Agarwal, Vice President Asia-Pacific at Frost & Sullivan, said that the best practice awards are aimed at motivating firms to continue pushing the boundaries of excellence year after year. "We applaud companies that have continued to push the boundaries and have demonstrated excellence in their industries. Frost & Sullivan awards are strong accolades to the good work and a reminder to all industry players that business performance benchmarks have now been raised for everyone," he said.

The award recipients were identified using Frost & Sullivan's proprietary, measurement-based methodology derived from extensive primary and secondary research, in-depth interviews, analysis, and industry benchmarking. Numerous award categories were carefully reviewed and evaluated to reflect the current market landscape and highlight emerging trends in Asia. A detailed study was further conducted on each of the nominated companies, focusing on real-time performance indicators like market share, revenue growth, customer acquisitions, product/service value, and technology innovation. The companies that emerged represent outstanding leaders that are driving positive trends in the Asia-Pacific economy.

The 2020 Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards virtual banquet is supported by our Media Partners: ACN Newswire, AI Time Journal, CryptoNewsZ, Chief IT, Asia Research News, CEO World Magazine and Developing Telecoms.

To learn more about the awards and partnership opportunities for the 2020 awards, please visit http://www.apacbp-awards.com/. To schedule an interaction with our spokespersons, please email Kala Mani. S. at kala.manis@frost.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion

Media Contact:
Zuzana Zukarnain
Corporate Communications – Asia-Pacific Phone: +60192657808
Email: zuzana.zukarnain@frost.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Most Businesses Proceeding with International Expansion Plans, Undeterred by COVID-19, Reveals New CFO Survey

SINGAPORE, Jun 29, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – New research released by Globalization Partners and CFO Research, indicates that most businesses are undeterred by the impact of COVID-19 and are still moving forward with plans for new or expanded international operations. More than half of the respondents expressed interest in expanding or adding operations in the Asia-Pacific region. The findings also show that 83% of respondents said they are looking into a remote, global workforce model as a solution to the changes brought about by COVID-19.

Despite the pandemic-induced economic crisis, 45% of respondents are either currently expanding globally or only slightly delaying their expansion and will do it within one year. Another 9% maintain intent to expand internationally but remain in a year-long holding pattern.

After North America at 71%, the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China), targeted by 65%, was the most popular region for new or expanded operations. Capturing market share was the top cited reason for expansion into these specific regions. Also, highly cited was the desire to expand sales, diversify investments and acquire top talent.

"This research offers grounds for optimism that the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 has not derailed international expansion plans for most businesses who were already on this path," explained Nicole Sahin, CEO and Founder of Globalization Partners. "However, the operational challenges, particularly around local legal rules, recruitment and compliance can take months to navigate. Our solution removes these barriers to success and makes it easy to establish new international teams and revenue generation in a matter of days."

The data also found that employee health and safety was a top concern related to global expansion, cited nearly twice as much as the other leading issues, including new business strategies, increasing sales pipeline and revenue, and reducing organizational costs. In addition, 83% of executives expressed concern managing multiple third parties and stakeholders in a foreign environment during a volatile economic climate. And 74% of executives expressed concern with navigating foreign banks and international employee payroll in these volatile times.

Expansion had been or was expected to be a long process for most of the executives. 86% said their global expansion took or would take at least five months. That figure included 42% who put the time required at more than one year. As a result, dedicating resources to global operations was also a top concern for executives planning international expansion.

Sahin concluded: "The survey supports all the key challenges facing companies as they expand globally. But the biggest issue for most of our clients is the time and cost involved with establishing legal entities or subsidiaries. We make it easy for our clients to hire talent in a new country in a matter of days while ensuring compliance with international laws and agreements."

Survey Methodology
The survey, conducted by CFO Research of Argyle Advisory and Research Services, polled 166 senior finance executives at companies with international expansion plans.

About Globalization Partners

Globalization Partners enables companies to quickly and easily expand internationally across six continents and 187 countries. Our solution allows companies to hire employees in as little as 12 hours without having to navigate complex international legal, tax, and HR issues. When companies find top talent, that team member is put on our locally compliant payroll. We are the most trustworthy solution in the market and offer 24/7/365 premium support services. We have dual U.S. headquarters to serve you in Boston and San Diego, with regional hub offices located worldwide in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the UAE, India, China, Singapore, Brazil, and Mexico. For more information, please visit https://www.globalization-partners.com.

Contact:

Touchdown PR for Globalization Partners, Asia Pacific
Melinda Ilagan
Senior Consultant
milagan@touchdownpr.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

CropLife Asia Commends UN Call for Action to Avoid “Global Food Emergency” & Rallies Regional Stakeholders

SINGAPORE, Jun 11, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – A policy brief released this week by the United Nations (UN), "The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition", raises serious concerns regarding the effect COVID-19 is having on the most vulnerable parts of society already experiencing hunger and malnutrition. As a result, CropLife Asia is reiterating the need for greater coordination and collaboration across the regional food value chain to ensure a sustainable supply of safe and nutritious food.

Last year, the UN issued research indicating hunger, undernourishment and obesity are at critical levels globally and throughout Asia in particular. According to the 2019 State of Food Security & Nutrition in the World, some 820 million people did not have enough food to eat in 2018 – this was up from 811 million in 2017 and represented the third consecutive year of increase. Meanwhile, over 513 million of those hungry people (or over 62%) call Asia home. When it came to undernourishment, the statistics were also discouraging. In 2018, the largest number of undernourished people around the world (more than 500 million) lived in Asia.

"We're seeing first-hand the diabolical disruption COVID-19 continues to cause our food supply chain in Asia. This UN brief only reaffirms the effect the pandemic is having and heightens the needs for action," said Dr. Siang Hee Tan, CropLife Asia Executive Director.

"CropLife Asia commends the UN for its leadership on this critically important issue. From farm to fork, we all have a role to play in ensuring a safe and nutritious supply of food reaches those who need it most. It's time for the regional stakeholders driving the food supply chain to answer this clarion call by the UN and work together to ensure a food emergency isn't realized in Asia. It's time for greater coordination and collaboration among governments, industries and civil society to deliver results. It's time to get to work."

Feeding our growing global population is a shared responsibility, and plant science continues to play a crucial role. Biotech crops are developed with improved traits such as increased yield, better resistance to pests and/or improved nutrition, among others. These traits are crucial tools that enable farmers to meet global challenges such as food insecurity. Meanwhile, farmers continue to rely on crop protection products to produce more food on less land and raise productivity per hectare. Without crop protection products, 40 percent of global rice and maize harvests could be lost every year[1] and losses for fruits and vegetables could be as high as 50-90 percent.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:
Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs
CropLife Asia
Tel: +65 6221 1615
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HKTDC overseas business promotion showcases Hong Kong’s technology in action

HONG KONG, Jun 10, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Strengths in technological research and application have helped Hong Kong contain the COVID-19 outbreak and cope with the disruptions it caused. To create business opportunities for local technology enterprises that develop products and services to tackle the pandemic and related areas, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is collaborating with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) of the HKSAR Government to launch a promotion campaign, sharing their experiences with overseas markets and showcasing the technologies to economies abroad.

To help Hong Kong technology enterprises tap into overseas markets and explore opportunities for future cooperation, the HKTDC will launch a business promotion targeted at initially Thailand in June, followed by Indonesia and Malaysia and other markets in the future.

HKTDC Chairman Dr Peter K N Lam said the Council is launching a business promotion comprising G2G and B2B promotional events and business-matching activities to create business opportunities for Hong Kong technology enterprises.

HKTDC Chairman Dr Peter K N Lam said: "The world is working hard to contain the outbreak and looking for innovative technologies and solutions to deal with current and future challenges. With Hong Kong's proven capabilities in developing technology solutions, we are pleased to work with CEDB and ITB to bring these companies overseas. While sharing their experience with their overseas counterparts, they can also find new business opportunities."

Dr Lam noted that Hong Kong, as a global business hub, has a well-established system to protect intellectual property, which facilitates technology transfer. The city's internationally acclaimed universities have excellent research capabilities in fields including biotechnology, medical technology, fintech, smart city, smart living, education technology, and information and communications technology. Hong Kong's ecosystem can readily turn research into marketable commercial solutions.

Knowledge sharing to fight pandemic

To help local technology enterprises tap into overseas markets and explore opportunities for future cooperation, the HKTDC will launch a three-month business promotion targeting at ASEAN starting first with Thailand in June, followed by Indonesia and Malaysia.

The promotion will be launched with an HKSAR Government-led webinar hosted by CEDB and ITB, followed by virtual business-matching meetings with targeted overseas business buyers and government agencies, virtual expos and other platforms hosted by the HKTDC, followed by physical events and outbound missions if conditions allow.

Apart from healthtech, medtech and COVID-19 related areas, the promotion will also cover other areas that offer practical solutions in times of social distancing and remote working such as online education, e-commerce, e-business and smart-city technologies.

Mobilising HKTDC's multiple platforms

The HKTDC will also mobilise its platforms to maximise business opportunities, such as inviting these companies to join our online Summer Sourcing Week in July. The HKTDC will also promote our city's innovative technology at its international trade fairs and service conferences. The HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) showcases health technology (healthtech) while Eco Expo Asia features green technology and the HKTDC SmartBiz Expo displays online education and commercial digitalisation solutions.

Using innovative technologies to grow business

Technology is a key driver for economic development and the HKTDC will continue to encourage local companies to use innovative technology to grow their business. The Council will also facilitate cooperation between Hong Kong technology firms and overseas companies through international trade events focusing on the city's technological strengths.

These initiatives include IPHatch Hong Kong, a start-up competition whose prizes are technology patent portfolios from such leading companies and institutes as Panasonic, Nokia and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), which will help the winners jumpstart or scale up their business. Start-up Express, a development programme for local start-ups, has returned for its third edition. With a focus on AI and robotics, big data, biotech, the Internet of Things (IoT), fintech and smart city, the event continues to help start-ups build connections, explore markets, seek partners and enhance awareness of their brands.

The HKTDC has been promoting the city's excellence in technology through a range of activities. Collaborating with different organisations such as Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Cyberport, ASTRI and local universities and entrepreneurs in the start-up ecosystem, the HKTDC organises overseas missions and sets up Hong Kong Pavilions at international technology exhibitions such as CES in Las Vegas, MWC Barcelona and BIO International Convention in Philadelphia of the United States.

Photo Download: https://bit.ly/3f3ya0G

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 trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: http://www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Contact:
Beatrice Lam, Tel: +852 2584 4049, Email: beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org

ZALL Group Donates 1 Million Surgical Masks to Singapore Red Cross (SRC) in Support of Singapore’s Fight against COVID-19

SINGAPORE, May 23, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – China-based ZALL Group (ZALL) has donated one million surgical masks to the Singapore Red Cross (SRC). The shipment arrived in Singapore yesterday from China on Singapore Airlines flight SQ8259, and was delivered by ezbuy.sg land transportation fleet. The goodwill gesture underscores the strong collaboration between the international community and Singapore corporations including Singapore Airlines (SIA), in supporting SRC's response efforts towards the vulnerable groups in Singapore – in particular the migrant workers, the elderly, and frontline workers – as they tackle the COVID-19 global pandemic. The donation is one of several humanitarian aid initiatives by ZALL to shore up preparedness and resilience of countries during the coronavirus outbreak.

Group photo of ZALL, Singapore Red Cross, Singapore Airlines. From left: Ms Charis Chan, Associate Director of Singapore Red Cross; Mr Lee Wei Hsien, Director of ZALL Group; Mr Peter Yu, CEO of ZALL Group International; Mr. Benjamin J William, Secretary-General from Singapore Red Cross; Mr Mohamed Rafi Mar, Vice President of Singapore Airlines Cargo; Ms Iris Chong, Director of Singapore Red Cross (Photo credit: ZALL Group)

ZALL Group donates one million masks to Singapore (handover). From left: Mr Peter Yu, CEO of ZALL Group International, and Mr. Benjamin J William, Secretary-General from Singapore Red Cross (Photo credit: ZALL Group)

Surgical masks being loaded onto the Singapore Airlines flight at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Photo credit: Singapore Airlines)

"The Singapore Red Cross is grateful to the ZALL Group for its donation of one million surgical masks in support of the vulnerable groups in Singapore. The masks are a precious resource, and we will be distributing them to thousands in these vulnerable groups. The masks will also help protect our frontline staff and volunteers as they serve the most vulnerable in our community, like the elderly living alone, the severely disabled in our Red Cross Home for the Disabled and the migrant workers living in the dormitories. I am glad that corporates like the ZALL Group have stepped forward to help boost our COVID-19 local response efforts," said Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General/CEO, Singapore Red Cross.

"Singapore Airlines plays an important role in transporting essential medical supplies and other equipment that support Singapore's battle against the Covid-19 pandemic. We are pleased to work with ZALL on this initiative, which helps to increase the supply of face masks and safeguards the general public health," said Mr Chin Yau Seng, Senior Vice President Cargo, Singapore Airlines.

ZALL Group, Asia's leading business-to-business ("B2B") e-commerce group, was the first company to respond and deliver emergency medical supplies to Wuhan on 26 January within 48 hours of the city's lockdown, riding on their global end-to-end supply chain capabilities, networks and resources in Asia. As the coronavirus outbreak widened rapidly in Asia and around the world, ZALL further expanded its manufacturing capabilities to produce face masks, with a production capacity of more than three million masks a day, and has worked with governments, embassies and civil aviation authorities across Asia to provide medical aid and equipment to curb the spread of the virus. The Group recently also partnered Alibaba to launch two ebooks to share their knowledge and experience on Fangcang shelter hospitals and emergency hospitals that has been published in more than 20 different languages to empower governments around the world in their fight against COVID-19.

Singapore is the first country outside China that ZALL is providing medical supplies, and the Group will be supplying Singapore, including this donation, with a total of more than 2 million surgical masks this month. ezbuy.sg, a subsidiary of the Group, has also donated and distributed over 300,000 masks to all people living in Singapore via http://www.ezbuy.sg/getmask/. To date, 100,000 families have received masks from ezbuy.sg. Beyond Singapore, ZALL will also be sending medical supplies to other affected regions across more than 10 countries around the world, such as Japan, France, Czech Republic, Indonesia, India, Peru and Ecuador, as well as Central and West African countries, including Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Mr Peter Yu, Chief Executive Officer of ZALL Group International commented, "Singapore is an important market in our long-term growth strategy as we continue to grow our investments in the region. The severity of the coronavirus outbreak requires everyone to play a part to alleviate the crises, and we are committed to supporting Singapore's efforts to fight the outbreak. We will also leverage on Singapore's strengths as a regional hub and its excellent connectivity with the rest of the world to provide assistance through Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), ezbuy.sg and our technology-enabled ecosystem to areas where there are shortages in medical aid and equipment."

Since 2018, ZALL has invested in five projects in Singapore, including the Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), Singapore's first physical commodity eTrading platform (B2B) powered by blockchain technology; ezbuy.sg, Singapore's leading global online shopping platform; ZMA Smart Capital, an online trade finance company; ZALL Chain Technology, a blockchain solutions company; and the recent application for the Singapore digital banking licence. Through these and future initiatives, ZALL hopes to contribute to the development of digital finance, blockchain solutions and the trading ecosystem in Singapore.

About ZALL Group

ZALL Group is a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group (ranked 166th of Fortune China 500 companies) with a global footprint across the world and is listed on three exchanges on HKSE, NYSE and SSE. ZALL Group develops and operates Asia's largest B2B offline-to-online trade ecosystem in China and Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with more than 30 B2B platforms in China, US and Singapore, and a GFA of more than 10 million sqm of wholesale trade centres in China. In 2018, ZALL Group achieved a GMV of more than RMB 600 billion (US$85.2 bn), serving over 1 mil SME customers worldwide. ZALL also has a virtual banking licence and currently operates Z-Bank in China since 2017, one of China's leading digital banks that has supported more than 5.5 million SME and individual customers. For more information, please visit http://en.zallcn.com/

About ezbuy.sg

ezbuy.sg is Singapore's first home-grown and largest cross-border B2C shopping platform managed and owned by LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd, a global e-commerce company listed in New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: LITB). ezbuy.sg offers an extensive selection across various product categories, including fashion, home & living, mother & kids, consumer electronics, beauty & health, office supplies, sports & outdoors and automotive, that provides the most convenient and cost-saving way to bring products from China, USA, Taiwan, and Korea to every Singaporean. For more information, please visit https://ezbuy.sg/

About the Singapore Red Cross

Singapore Red Cross is a homegrown humanitarian organisation, dedicated to relieving human suffering, protecting lives and dignity, and responding to emergencies since 1949. We serve the vulnerable through our blood donor recruitment programme, home and day activity centre for the disabled, transport aid, family life aid, and community first aid. We build capacity and resilience through our training academy, and volunteer and youth development. Beyond our shores, we mobilise and translate contributions from the donor community to relief and recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, with the aim of helping communities affected by disasters. For more information, please visit https://redcross.sg/.

About Singapore Airlines

The SIA Group's history dates back to 1947 with the maiden flight of Malayan Airways Limited. The airline was later renamed Malaysian Airways Limited and then Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). In 1972, MSA split into Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Malaysian Airline System. Initially operating a modest fleet of 10 aircraft to 22 cities in 18 countries, SIA has since grown to be a world-class international airline group.

SIA is the world's most awarded airline, and is committed to the constant enhancement of the three main pillars of its brand promise: Service Excellence, Product Leadership and Network Connectivity. The SIA Group fleet and network have expanded in support of the development of its portfolio strategy, in which it has investments in both full-service and low-cost airline operations. This portfolio of airlines serving short-, medium- and long-haul markets gives the SIA Group more flexibility and nimbleness, with the right vehicles to serve the right markets.

In 2018, Singapore Airlines launched the world's longest commercial flight, with non-stop services between Singapore and New York, as well as non-stop services between Singapore to Los Angeles, and increased non-stop services to San Francisco, using the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range). In September 2019, Seattle became the fifth US city in Singapore Airlines' route network – and the fourth to be served non-stop from Singapore.

SIA has invested in new-generation passenger aircraft, which means that it has one of the youngest airline fleets in the world. Operating these fuel-efficient aircraft such as Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s allows SIA to substantially reduce its carbon emissions, and support its goal of operating a more sustainable business.

For Media Queries
PRecious Communications for ZALL Group
T: +65 915 20086
E: ZALL@preciouscomms.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Blue Prism and Pactera Announce Alliance to Bring Intelligent Automation Solutions to Asia and Oceania Based Enterprise Clients

HONG KONG, May 12, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Pactera and Blue Prism (OTC Pink: BPRMF) today jointly announced an alliance via the Blue Prism Partner Engage program to bring robotic process automation (RPA) solutions to clients in the Asia and Oceania region. The two organizations have been collaborating in the implementation of RPA and intelligent automation services across a variety of industries and sectors, including banking, insurance, retail, and manufacturing. This announcement formalizes a relationship to expand the offering of digital workforce services and solutions to their clients across Asia and Oceania initially including the Greater China Region, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Blue Prism invented the term "robotic process automation" and has been a leading global RPA tool vendor for almost 20 years. Blue Prism software enables organizations to automate manual, rules-based, mission critical processes, thereby helping to reduce costs and improve accuracy through the creation of new "digital workers." Pactera, as one of the world's leading IT services and outsourcing firms, has leveraged Blue Prism technology to address a variety of client business issues and opportunities. In addition, Pactera has utilized Blue Prism in internal process improvement initiatives – building and deploying automations to improve both the productivity and quality of its own operations.

"Pactera is very pleased to enter a strategic Asia Pacific & Oceania partnership with Blue Prism, an intelligent automation industry-leader. By linking Blue Prism's industry-leading RPA solution with Pactera's broad regional presence and in-depth localized capabilities for IT and consulting, we firmly believe that the new Blue Prism – Pactera alliance will support clients' business efficiency transformations and bring new value to the marketplace," stated JinSong Li, Executive Vice President, General Manager of APAC Business Group, Pactera.

"During the past several years, Pactera has implemented a number of key automation projects both with high-profile APAC clients and internally within our own firm. Over the course of these engagements we have learned through hands-on experience that Blue Prism is a platform of choice to scale automation initiatives. The Blue Prism – Pactera alliance well positions Pactera in achieving a goal of becoming a strategic digital automation partner for our Asia Pacific clients," said Andy Fung, General Manager of Pactera Hong Kong and Program Executive of Pactera's Intelligent Automation Practice (APAC). "We believe this partnership will further align us on Go-to-Market and up-level implementation capabilities via creation of a Center of Excellence (CoE) covering the stated countries and locations; combining Pactera's local client intimacy with a robust, scalable offshore resources pool across the geographies."

"Pactera is a trusted partner for technology and system integration across all of Asia," remarked Terry Leung, Director, Strategic Alliances, North Asia for Blue Prism. "Pactera's proven ability to guide organizations through digital transformations, combined with Blue Prism's best-in-class intelligent automation platform, well positions our partnership to help clients in Asia and Oceania to realize the benefits of augmented digital workforces."

Pactera holds a leading position in APAC as an intelligent automation implementation service provider given its broad network of Asia Pacific and Oceania practitioners skilled in software robotics and automation. Pactera's locally-based teams help clients to improve their operations and navigate the challenges of the intelligent automation journey via an ideal mix of strong technical know-how and native, cultural understanding of the Asia/Oceania business environments.

"Blue Prism and Pactera share a common vision for building out the intelligent automation ecosystem in APAC and helping customers to improve operational efficiencies by automating mission critical work processes that can also be easily integrated with best-in-breed AI-enabled technologies and services," advised Gareth Lane, Head of Alliances, APAC, for Blue Prism. "This alliance is a competitive differentiator and one that will provide tremendous value to the clients we serve."

About Pactera

Pactera is a Global Technology company with 29,000 employees worldwide committed to delivering Digital-themed consulting, UX interaction, IT implementation and Operations services to customers. Pactera creates business value for Fortune 2000 companies by accelerating business innovation, enabling new growth, improving operational efficiency and transforming the user experience.

CONTACT: bg9_ro_bot@pactera.com

About Blue Prism

Blue Prism's vision is "A Digital Workforce for Every Enterprise." The company's purpose is to unleash the collaborative potential of humans so every enterprise can exceed business goals and drive meaningful growth. Available on-premises, in the cloud, hybrid, or as an integrated SaaS solution, Blue Prism's Digital Workforce automates end-to-end processes that drive digital transformation. Visit www.blueprism.com to learn more or follow Blue Prism on Twitter @blue_prism and on LinkedIn.

CONTACT: andre.fuochi@blueprism.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Travel Startup ZuBlu Secures $1 Million Seed Funding

HONG KONG, May 4, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – ZuBlu, a travel platform focusing on scuba diving and underwater adventure travel has successfully secured USD 1 million during its seed funding round. The round was led by Wavemaker Partners, Southeast Asia's leading early-stage venture capital firm investing in enterprise and deep tech companies. Other investors include Mana Impact, She1k, and a number of strategic angel investors.

Matthew Oldfield and Adam Broadbent

ZuBlu is a unique digital platform that is transforming dive travel globally, with a primary focus on destinations within Asia. Founded in 2017 by British co-founders Adam Broadbent and Matthew Oldfield, the platform aims to empower users to make informed and sustainable travel choices effortlessly, by combining their decades of scuba diving experience and a commitment to ocean conservation, with powerful technology and a market-leading team.

Backed by Hong Kong-based startup investor and accelerator, Betatron, since 2019, ZuBlu has grown rapidly and demonstrated enormous potential in this fragmented sector of the travel industry. In 2020 alone, and despite the global impact of COVID19 on the travel sector, ZuBlu has successfully grown its resort partner network and member community by 46% and 425% respectively and says it is primed for the return of travel.

"We have enjoyed an incredible few years since starting ZuBlu and I have never been more excited for the future of travel. It is no doubt that the industry as a whole is currently undergoing a drastic transformation. Scuba diving and underwater adventure travel – in particular, to remote destinations home to incredible experiences – are uniquely positioned to flourish in a post-coronavirus market. More than ever, we expect people to seek out memorable encounters, to want to escape the crowds, experience new cultures and support sustainable business practices – all of which are central to ZuBlu's ethos," said Adam Broadbent, co-founder of ZuBlu.

The scuba diving travel sector in Asia alone is valued at USD 4.5 billion and expected to grow significantly, with the largest provider of scuba diving training and certifications issuing over a million certifications globally each year. Today's experience-led culture is creating increased awareness and demand for ocean adventure travel, with millions of inspirational experiences showcased across social media and other online platforms every day. However, due to its complex nature, this niche travel sector is largely underserved by mainstream tourism operators.

Booking dive travel can be lengthy and complicated; understanding the right destination and time of year, identifying the best place to stay, and making sure a responsible operator is selected, are all hurdles faced by dive holidaymakers. ZuBlu says its unique search platform puts the power of discovery in the users' hands, by allowing them to search, compare and book some of the most inspirational eco-friendly operators, exciting destinations and memorable experiences in the world – all at the click of a button. The platform is underpinned by the founding team's deep knowledge and understanding of the sector, unrivalled within the space.

With the increasing popularity of this sector, comes an increased need for responsible travel – something that ZuBlu says is at the heart of its offering. Every operator present on the ZuBlu platform is vetted for its commitment to sustainable practices prior to its addition, including those that adhere to the UN-backed Green Fins code of conduct.

"Scuba divers are typically very passionate, high-value travelers. We were surprised to learn how inconvenient it is for them to find good information to plan and book their trips. Through this pandemic, ZuBlu has experienced strong traction from divers already planning their trips despite the current global slowdown in travel. This combined with the company's high capital efficiency means they can spend time building and refining their platform and onboarding more high-quality travel partners. We are confident they will benefit from unlocking pent-up demand as soon as travel restrictions ease," said Paul Santos, Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners that led the funding.

About ZuBlu

ZuBlu is the leading dive travel platform to search, compare and book scuba diving and underwater adventure travel in Asia. Passionate about empowering divers to travel more responsibly, ZuBlu combines some of the most inspirational eco-friendly operators, exciting destinations and memorable experiences in the world — all at the click of a button. Find out more at www.zublu.com.

About Wavemaker Partners

Wavemaker Partners was founded in 2003 and dual-headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore. In Southeast Asia, Wavemaker Partners is the leading early-stage venture capital firm investing in enterprise and deep tech companies. https://wavemaker.vc/

For media enquiries, please contact: marie@zubludiving.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com