MUMBAI, INDIA, Jun 20, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – SMEStreet is excited to Welcome Mr Deepak Maheshwari as the chairperson of 2023's MSME & Startups – Finance & Growth Committee of SMEStreet League of Mentors (https://smestreet.in/smestreet-league-of-mentors/smestreet-league-of-mentors/). Mr Maheshwari will also be the permanent Mentor of the SMEStreet League of Mentors which aims to ensure easy access of expertise for MSMEs and Startups.
"Finance for MSMEs and scaling of Startups are very crucial areas requiring serious attention for the growth of our country. The subject holds critical importance for MSME entrepreneurs in India, especially at a time when enormous opportunities are getting generated that require strong and timely execution. Through this engagement, we wish to bring our team's expertise accessible for any entrepreneur from the startup or MSME sector," says Mr Deepak Maheshwari (www.linkedin.com/in/deepak-maheshwari-0605b86/), Co-Founder Jindagi Live Group and Dealplexus.com.
Mr Deepak Maheshwari is an accomplished professional with over 27+ years of leadership experience across diverse businesses. He has led large and diverse teams with GE and IFCI with hands-on mentorship approach. He has well-rounded experience in start-up, growth and business optimization cycles and has facilitated multi-million dollar strategic investments in multiple businesses. He is a qualified CA, CS, CFA and Cost Accountant.
On this announcement, Dr Faiz Askari, Founder and Chief Editor of SMEStreet welcomed Mr Maheshwari and stated, "This is indeed a great milestone to have the knowledge support of Mr Maheshwari's experience accessible for MSMEs and Startups. Mr Maheshwari holds a great understanding of today's financial landscape for credit management and strategic growth for the business. His support and engagement in SMEStreet League of Mentors shall open a great horizon of opportunities for the vast Indian MSME and Startup sector."
SMEStreet League of Mentors is a joint initiative of SMEStreet Foundation and Vertical Business Media's that started in 2020.
SMEStreet League of Mentors is an initiative designed to bring much-needed expertise closer to MSMEs which is needed for their business growth. Mentors at SMEStreet League of Mentors will not only motivate the entrepreneurs but also bring clarity in business vision. We at SMEtreet have spent years in interacting and understanding the common and specific pain points of MSMEs. One of the most common pains that almost every startup and MSME entrepreneur faces is the limitation of seeking the best possible guidance. Limited knowledge and filtered information make business life difficult, so in order to make the entrepreneur's life easier and smart and in other words, in our endeavour to contribute in the direction of ease of doing business, we would like to bring you closer to SMEStreet's League of Mentors.
SINGAPORE, Jun 19, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Darco Water Technologies Limited, a provider of integrated engineering and expertise-driven solutions for water treatment, wastewater management, clean water supply and vacuum solid waste management, announced the completion of the first phase of its water treatment and clean water supply project in Ba Lai district of Vietnam's Ben Tre Province, and the commencement of operations. It will supply 5,000m3 of clean water per day for up to 20,000 rural households. Upon completion of the second phase construction of the project in 2024, the plant will supply 15,000m3 of clean water a day to more households and industrial areas in the district of Ba Tri township and region of 15 communes in Ben Tre Province.
Grand opening ceremony of Darco Ba Lai Water Treatment Plant
Darco Ba Lai's donation of stationery supplies to 13 schools in 6 communes of Ba Tri District
The DBOO project is a joint venture (JV) with InfraCo Asia, a commercially managed infrastructure development and investment company of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG). On 17 June 2023, Darco and InfraCo Asia jointly organized a grand opening ceremony of Darco Ba Lai Water Treatment Plant to officially announce its commencement of operations. Distinguished guests at the event included the Chairman of the Ben Tre People's Committee, local government authorities, and representatives from the Singapore, Netherlands, and Australian Consulate Generals in Ho Chi Minh City.
The project has a 50-year lease from the Vietnam government commencing July 2017. According to the World Bank's Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches (www.gprba.org), approximately 74% of the Vietnamese population is concentrated in rural areas, yet only 48% of households have access to clean water and must rely on polluted sources for basic household needs during the dry season." On 3 January 2022, Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Le Van Thanh, signed a decision approving the National Rural Clean Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy to supply 65% of rural residents with affordable clean water by 2030, and 100% of all rural residents by 2045. ( https://en.vietnamplus.vn/national-strategy-aims-to-provide-clean-water-to-rural-residents-by-2030/220029.vnp )
Darco's corporate ethos views ESG and CSR as inextricably tied to its business
The success of the Ba Lai project will showcase Darco's capabilities and present more opportunities for similar projects in Vietnam. However, Darco's Executive Chairman, Mr. Wang Zhi said, "More business is good for Darco, but we do not forget our commitment to give back to Society. We work hard to incorporate ESG and CSR initiatives into all our projects. We organized activities to interact with the local community and donated home and school supplies to the needy. There will be more to come."
InfraCo Asia's CEO, Ms. Claudine Lim said, "In partnering with Darco for the development of the Ba Lai project with, we found a partner with a complementary capability when it comes to technical skill sets and sector knowledge. Working together, we are proud to bring a water treatment plant online that will supply water to people in the surrounding communities, meeting international Health, Safety, Environmental, and Social (HSES) standards."
About Darco Water Technologies Limited
Darco Water Technologies Limited ("Darco" and with its subsidiaries "the Group") was founded in 1999 and listed on the Singapore Exchange in 2002. Darco is a provider of integrated engineering and expertise-driven solutions for water treatment, wastewater management, clean water supply and vacuum solid waste management. It has a well-established presence in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam, with a track record of projects delivered on time, on budget, and with high quality. Darco's scope of work includes design, fabrication, assembly, installation, and commissioning, as well as Design, Build, Own, Operate ("DBOO") projects. The Group generates additional revenue from post-EPC ("Engineering, Procurement, and Construction") maintenance services, which are supported by the service centres of its trading division, which supply essential chemicals and other products required for maintenance servicing. For more information, please visit www.darcowater.com.
About InfraCo Asia and The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG)
InfraCo Asia is a commercially managed infrastructure development and investment company of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG). Headquartered in Singapore, InfraCo Asia catalyses greater private sector investment in infrastructure across South and Southeast Asia by providing funding and development expertise. InfraCo Asia funds early-stage development activities to realise socially responsible and commercially viable infrastructure that contributes to sustainable and inclusive economic growth. InfraCo Asia is currently funded by four members of PIDG – the governments of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia. For more information, please visit www.infracoasia.com
The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) is an innovative infrastructure project developer and investor which mobilises private investment in sustainable and inclusive infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa and south and south-east Asia. PIDG investments promote socio-economic development within a just transition to net zero emissions, combat poverty and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PIDG delivers its ambition in line with its values of opportunity, accountability, safety, integrity and impact. Since 2002, PIDG has supported 190 infrastructure projects to financial close which provided an estimated 220 million people with access to new or improved infrastructure. PIDG Technical Assistance (TA) can provide technical assistance and capital grants to the PIDG companies to meet a range of needs associated with an infrastructure project's life-cycle. PIDG TA can also provide up-front viability gap funding grants to support PIDG projects that require concessional funding to make a project with strong development impact financeable. PIDG is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, Germany and the IFC. For more information, visit www.pidg.org.
HONG KONG, Jun 13, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – The HKTDC Export Index rose 8.8 points to 47.8 in the second quarter this year, showing better business sentiment among Hong Kong exporters after Mainland China's borders reopened and business activities return to normal.
HKTDC Director of Research Ms Irina Fan [L] and Senior Economist Ms Cherry Yeung [R] announced the HKTDC Export Index for the second quarter of 2023 at a press conference today.
All major industries and export markets rallied except for clothing, with toys (55.4, up 7.5 points) and machinery (50.3, up 7.4 points) moving above 50 into expansion territory while, among markets, the European Union (51.4, up 9.4 points) and United States (51.1, up 6.7 points) turned positive for the first time in five years.
Based on a quarterly Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) survey of 500 exporters from six major industries – machinery, electronics, jewellery, timepieces, toys and clothing – the index at above 50 indicates an optimistic outlook, and below 50 pessimistic.
Export outlook upbeat
HKTDC Senior Economist Ms Cherry Yeung said three new sub-indices – inventory (48.5), current new orders (45.1) and expected new orders (53.6) – provided a more comprehensive exporter sentiment picture. Respondents – especially those from toys, timepieces and machinery sectors – expected strong growth in new export orders in July-September.
The profitability outlook improved as more respondents (66.3%, up 15.3 percentage points from the final quarter of last year) expected higher or stable net profit margins for this year.
"Against this backdrop, the city's exporters have adjusted their business strategies, shifting the focus from cash-flow management to spending more resources on marketing, promotion and business matching (41.6%, up 11.7 percentage points from previous quarter) and diversifying sales into additional overseas markets (31.1%)," Ms Yeung said.
All sub-indices rise
Other sub-indices grew this quarter with the Trade Value Index and Employment Index edged up 0.8 point to 48.8 and 0.5 point to 48.1 respectively, while the Procurement Index leapt 15.9 points to 44.3.
The Offshore Trade Index, which tracks sentiment around shipments not passing through Hong Kong but managed by businesses within the city, soared 18.5 points to 46.5, "signalling a sustained recovery in demand for Hong Kong's trading services", Ms Yeung added.
Growing economic risks
The survey results also revealed a slower-than-expected recovery of cargo routed through Hong Kong. Only 13.4% (down 23.1 percentage points from previous quarter) of related respondents expected an increase this year. As of last month, the number of cross-boundary vehicles at all crossings for goods vehicles and containers reached a plateau at about 60% of the pre-pandemic level. Some industry players said reduced capacity had raised cross-border logistics costs between 20% and 30% from pre-pandemic levels, slowing the recovery.
The biggest risk was seen as an external one, with most respondents (66.1%, up 29.9 percentage points from the final quarter last year) recognising an economic slowdown or recession in overseas markets as the top challenge to export performance over the third quarter this year.
Sustained recovery
Affected by weakened global demand, a slower-than-expected recovery in cross-border land transport capacity, coupled with a longer-than-expected downcycle in the electronics sector, Hong Kong's total exports fell 16.5% year-on-year in the first four months of this year. Among markets, the Middle East grew 11.5%, driven by the two economies' closer economic and trade ties. Stimulated by a post-pandemic spike in demand in Mainland China and Macao, Hong Kong's precious jewellery exports to the two markets surged 32% and 42% respectively.
HKTDC Director of Research Ms Irina Fan said the recovery was gathering momentum for the second half of this year which was likely to carry into next year. "However, traders remain cautious, with many concerned about the challenging external backdrop. The risk of escalating geopolitical tensions, may create uncertainties for electronics trade flows throughout the region, especially those relating to the semi-conductor industry," she said.
Taking all these factors into account, HKTDC Research has revised its forecast for Hong Kong export growth this year down from earlier estimate of 5% to between 0% and 2%.
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
Media enquiries Please contact the HKTDC's Communication and Public Affairs Department: Beatrice Lam, Tel: +852 2584 4049, Email: beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org
Malang, East Java, Indonesia, Jun 7, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Brawijaya University and some Japanese universities cooperate to establish the Research Center of Robotic and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Rector of Brawijaya University Prof. Widodo with President of Nagoya City University Prof. Kiyofumi Asai (ANTARA/HO-Brawijaya University).
The university's deputy rector for planning, cooperation, and international affairs, Andi Kurniawan, underscored the important role of Brawijaya University to conduct such cooperation with its Japanese partners, such as the Nagoya City University (NCU).
The cooperation, which also includes the development of study program related to data science and material science, is expected to provide mutual benefits for the two universities.
"We work with universities that really consider Brawijaya as an important partner, so that collaboration for growing together can be delivered," Kurniawan remarked in a statement, Monday (June 5).
In terms of AI, he noted that the cooperation will be implemented in research on life sciences, especially those related to medical plants.
Lecturer at the Faculty of Computer Science Novanto Yudistira explained that in future, the implementation of AI would be carried out for big data at the molecular level of medical plants.
With the utilization of AI, Brawijaya University is expected to conduct exploration of seven thousand medical plants.
During a visit to NCU, Yudistira noted that the rector of Brawijaya University also presented a research titled "Bioinformatic and Holistic Paradigm of the Complexity of Indonesia Traditional Medicine for Promoting Human Health" that sheds light on Indonesia's biodiversity to open up opportunities in developing research on traditional medicine.
"However, we should find a solution regarding the standardization of product safety," he noted.
In terms of robotics, Brawijaya University and Waseda University in Japan are creating a humanoid robot that will be named King of Brawijaya.
The collaboration with Waseda University, which is ranked 200 among the best universities in the world based on the QS Star version, had been established since 2019.
In addition, several professors at Waseda University, such as Prof. Shuji Hashimoto, who is known as one of the members of the Gundam robot manufacturing team and Prof. Pitoyo Hartono, an Indonesian diaspora member, who became a professor in Japan, have forged several collaborative relations by becoming guest lecturers or supervisors at Brawijaya University.
Under the collaboration, students of Brawijaya University can learn from the research and the professors mainly from Waseda and Chukyo universities, who are main experts and involved in the projects for making Gundam robots.
Apart from research, the output of the collaboration will also be directed to publish some international journals and encourage journals in Brawijaya University to become reputable journals.
Earlier, Brawijaya University had collaborated with other universities in Japan, such as Nagoya University, Chukyo University, Keio University, and Waseda University.
ADERA Global, Beyon Connect and Cumulo9 to invest S$4 million in Singapore-based startup, ONEVIEW
ONEVIEW is aligned with Singapore’s smart nation and digitization efforts, providing a simple, secure and convenient communication platform and helping to reduce paper waste, assisting Singapore to go green and support NEA’s sustainability efforts
ONEVIEW aims to bring convenience to users by allowing them to access all their important documents such as bills, statements, official documents, in one single secure, spam-free app
The seed funding will establish the startup and services in Singapore, acting as a test bed for the market and creating a benchmark for the Southeast Asia region
ONEVIEW will bring benefits to both consumers and document senders by offering cost savings, convenience, and greater visibility into transactions
Singapore, June 7, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) –Singapore-based start-up, OneView Pte Ltd (“ONEVIEW”), is pleased to announce that it has secured S$4 million in seed funding from ADERA Global, Beyon Connect, part of the Beyon Group, and Cumulo9 to introduce an innovative digital platform for secure communication of documents and facilitating value-added e-services.
Christian Rasmussen, CEO Beyon Connect, Marvin Tan, Executive Director ADERA Global, Chris Hogg, CEO Cumulo 9
ONEVIEW’s innovative platform aims to revolutionise bill payments by transforming the interaction between consumers and senders, thereby simplifying everyday digital communications with a more convenient, sustainable, and spam-free experience.
ONEVIEW plans to roll out digital post box and communication services by the end of the year in Singapore, enabling users to easily access their documents and communications from multiple billers and senders within a single app.
Using Singapore as a testbed for the Southeast Asian region, ONEVIEW aims to set the benchmark for innovative, eco-friendly digital solutions that improve people’s lives. By partnering with key players in the industry such as ADERA Global, Beyon Connect, and Cumulo9, ONEVIEW’s platform offers a comprehensive solution that meets the needs of both consumers and senders.
Lead Investors in the Seed Funding Round
ADERA Global, headquartered in Singapore, is a leader in data security and automation, serving global banks, financial institutions, telecommunications and government agencies around the world.
Beyon Connect, part of the Beyon group based in Bahrain, is a provider of new technologies with great innovation potential, Software-as-a-Service platforms, and advanced IT solutions for both the public and private sectors in the MENA region.
New Zealand-based Cumulo9 provides business services for the digital delivery of transactional documents, as well as CCM (Customer Communications) solutions throughout APAC.
Aligning with Singapore’s Smart Nation Vision and Accelerating Digitalisation
Singapore has set its sights on becoming a world-class, tech-driven city-state. The vision for a digital-first Singapore is one where a Digital Government, Digital Economy and Digital Society harness technology to effect transformation in health, transport, urban living, government services and businesses. The Singapore Government has made bold strides and steady progress in its digitalisation blueprint.
Aligned with this vision for a digital-first Singapore, ONEVIEW aims to enable effective and secure communications between government, agencies, business enterprises and individuals in Singapore. The platform is designed to simplify secure document transmission and encourage greater digitization of utilising embedded e-services to fulfill actions such as payments, document verification and other value-added services.
Utilising ONEVIEW’s digital postal solutions, customers can harness its technology for greater personalisation and convenience, making it intuitive for each individual user to view their digital postal communications, all at one glance.
Enhancing Sustainability and Simplifying Everyday Digital Communications
Green economic growth is an important part of Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development, where the Singapore Green Plan 2030 aims to harness technology-driven solutions to “secure a green, liveable, and sustainable home for generations of Singaporeans.
ONEVIEW is committed to going green and minimizing paper waste, aligning with Singapore’s environmental initiatives. By providing documents such as digital billing statements and providing easy payment options, the joint venture aims to encourage more consumers to make the switch to paperless billing.
In Singapore, paper is one of the most common type of waste and in 2021, there was about 1.136 million tonnes of paper and cardboard waste generated.
With this digital postal solution, ONEVIEW will reduce the need for paper bills, thus reducing carbon footprint and promoting sustainability.
“Our mission is to revolutionize the way people pay and manage their important documents such as bills, while also helping Singapore achieve its vision of becoming a Smart Nation,” said LEE Kok How, CEO of ONEVIEW.“Our app is designed to simplify the process, save users time and hassle, and help them stay on top of their action items, such as payments, with ease.With the support of our investors, we are confident that our platform will set a new standard for digital bill payment services in the region, while contributing to Singapore’s vision of a Smart Nation.”
Christian Rasmussen, CEO of Beyon Connect said,“At Beyon Connect, our DNA is rooted in digital innovation and sustainability. We are thrilled to align with ADERA Global and Cumulo9, who share our passion for creating highly secure digital postboxes and communication platforms. Together, we will continue to revolutionize the way people communicate and connect via the ONEVIEW platform in the ASEAN region.”
Beyon Chief Digital Growth Officer – Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa added, “We are extremely proud to see our digital postbox and communications innovations being used as the foundation for ONEVIEW, in a digitally mature society like Singapore. This marks a significant milestone for Beyon Connect and reinforces our commitment to driving digital transformation globally.”
Cumulo 9’s Chris Hogg added, “As a company that is committed to providing cutting-edge solutions that help businesses thrive in a digital age, we are pleased to support ONEVIEW in its mission to digitize bill payment management in Southeast Asia.”
“As a global leader in digital transformation, ADERA Global is excited to partner with ONEVIEW in their mission to revolutionize communications, document management and value-added services such as payments in Southeast Asia,” said ADERA Global’s Executive Director Marvin Tan. “We believe that ONEVIEW has the potential to set a benchmark in the region and transform the way people manage their bills and documents.”
HONG KONG, May 31, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will add a support stream to its Transformation Sandbox (T-box) programme to help Hong Kong companies integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives into business. The new stream is expected to organise 100 free consultation meetings and serve 500 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in its first year, covering both manufacturing and services sectors, such as garments, electronics, lighting, houseware and gifts, as well as transport, catering and construction.
Ms Winsome Chan, Head of Marketing and Customer Service, HKTDC, Mr Simon Ng, Chief Executive Officer, Business Environment Council, Dr Patrick Lau, Deputy Executive Director, HKTDC and Ms Michelle Mak, Head of ESG and Enterprise Learning, Dun & Bradstreet (HK) Ltd [L-R]
HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Dr Patrick Lau said promoting sustainable development was an important theme globally; governments and multinational companies had set targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions, providing impetus for the green sector and encouraging Hong Kong businesses to move forward with sustainable development. In addition, ESG compliance had become a criterion for bank-loan approval and orders from premium buyers.
ESG is crucial for success
"ESG is no longer simply an option, but an important success factor. The HKTDC hopes this new service will become the strongest support for local business in their ESG transformation, encouraging more SMEs to take action to achieve sustainable development goals through adopting innovative eco solutions, as well as to bear social responsibilities and enhance corporate governance," Dr Lau added.
To help SMEs navigate trends and apply ground-breaking technologies for solving long-lasting problems, the HKTDC and a number of organisations – including Business Environment Council (BEC) and Dun & Bradstreet (HK) Ltd – will cooperate to provide practical advice and information on sustainability transformation through consultation and workshops. ESG registration services will be offered at a discount.
The HKTDC will proactively collaborate with industry organisations and professional bodies to organise thematic workshops on social responsibility and corporate governance for SMEs, covering issues ranging from human resources and supply chain to risk management, cybersecurity and more.
Net-zero roadmaps for businesses
Business Environment Council (BEC) Chief Executive Officer Mr Simon Ng said severe climate challenges meant all business sectors should immediately act to formulate roadmaps and accelerate the net-zero transition.
"BEC will lead the local business community to build a sustainable ecosystem and continue to work with different stakeholders to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality through thought-leadership, innovative solutions, policy advocacy, strategic partnership, advisory services and environmental education," he said.
Discounted ESG Registered(TM) Service
Dun & Bradstreet will offer special discounts for T-box members using the D&B ESG Registered(TM) service, to help them take the first steps towards sustainable transformation and enhance ESG data transparency, which helps firms that form part of global ESG supply chains.
Ms Michelle Mak, Head of ESG and Enterprise Learning, Dun & Bradstreet (HK) Ltd said ESG was about more than net-zero emissions; social responsibility and corporate governance were equally important. "To comply with ESG commitment, many MNCs (Multinational Corporations) have incorporated ESG controls into their supplier and vendor evaluation and selection process. D&B ESG Registered(TM) meets industry recognised sustainability standards such as SASB, GRI, TCFD, UN SDGs, UN PRI and CDP, those who successfully complete the required assessment will be given a badge as a recognition of commitment to disclosing ESG data, and SMEs' efforts in ESG will help lift up corporate images and enhance competitive edges."
Supporting over 3,000 SMEs
The HKTDC Transformation Sandbox (T-box) is a SME support programme launched in April 2020 to help businesses enhance competitiveness and achieve transformation goals in the areas of branding, e-commerce, manufacturing and supply chain solutions and new markets.
The T-box team supports SMEs over a three-month period with advisory services, workshops, government-funding information, market knowledge and networking opportunities to help them track market trends, improve skills and expand business connections. The programme has served more than 3,000 companies since launch. With the support of representatives from professional bodies, business associations, chambers of commerce, business partners as well as HKTDC overseas offices, about 850 consultation meetings have been arranged free of charge.
About T-Box x Dun & Bradstreet Hong Kong ESG Registered(TM) Service
Business Environment Council Limited (BEC) is an independent, charitable membership organisation, established by the business sector in Hong Kong. Since its establishment in 1992, BEC has been at the forefront of promoting environmental excellence by advocating the uptake of clean technologies and practices which reduce waste, conserve resources, prevent pollution and improve corporate environmental and social responsibility. BEC offers sustainable solutions and professional services covering advisory, research, assessment, training and award programmes for government, business and the community, thus enabling environmental protection and contributing to the transition to a net-zero economy.
About Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet's Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. For details, please visit www.dnb.com.hk
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
Media Enquiries HKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs Department Beatrice Lam, Tel: +852 2584 4049, Email: beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org
HONG KONG, May 29, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Chic Hong Kong, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, concluded successfully yesterday. The HKTDC brought together nearly 80 exhibitors showcasing over 130 brands at the three-day shopping festival in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
A flagship event of Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week, Chic Hong Kong enabled Hong Kong brands to reach a wider consumer base and provided them a stepping stone to the mainland market. The shopping festival brought together nearly 80 exhibitors, of which 40% are new to the mainland market. The 3-day event attracted 200,000 visitors, facilitating trade between and boosting consumption in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: "The success of Chic Hong Kong creates opportunities for Hong Kong brands to tap into the mainland market. It also underlines Hong Kong's commitment to deepen cooperation with the mainland and drive high-quality development in the GBA."
The shopping festival comprised three themed exhibition areas: Chic Living, Chic Style and Chic Taste, highlighting a diversity of trendy products from Hong Kong.
One of the exhibitors Mr Angus Au, Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer of Allklear said, "Chic Hong Kong is our first attempt to explore the Mainland China market after the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the mainland. The event gave us a better understanding of the huge potential of healthy foods in the mainland market and consumer preferences in the Greater Bay Area."
Another exhibitor Ms Li, a representative from Telford said, "We brought over 30 cases of tea, which sold out on the first night, with some customers immediately placing orders online. Thanks to strong social media promotion, joining this event was very effective in raising our brand awareness and helping us test the market response to our new products."
In addition to products, Chic Hong Kong also featured over 100 activities, such as Hong Kong artist Gigi Yim's live performance, the grand finals of the GBA 9+2 street dance competition, a demonstration of KamCha Hong Kong Style Milk Tea brewing, a cappella performances, magic shows and more. Moreover, social media influencers from Guangdong and Hong Kong, including renowned Hong Kong vegetarian expert Mr Elvis Chan and ketogenic diet expert Ms Hayden Leung demonstrated how to prepare healthy delicacies for festival visitors.
The HKTDC will continue launching a series of promotional campaigns in the GBA. The Support Scheme for Pursuing Development in the Mainland will also organise business tours and provide training for companies. Furthermore, the HKTDC's GoGBA one-stop platform, GBA Centre and GoGBA business support centres provide year-round consultation, information and business matching services for Hong Kong and overseas businesses and help Hong Kong businesses seek opportunities in the GBA and expand via the Hong Kong platform. The HKTDC will continue to bring exhibitors from the GBA to Hong Kong to seize business opportunities.
The HKTDC Transformation Sandbox (T-box), Digital Academy and E-tailing Academy will continue to provide comprehensive business support and training for SMEs, to help them upgrade and transform and capture opportunities in the GBA.
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 to nurture talent and facilitate start-ups, explore markets, promote cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, and promote Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and foster a creative atmosphere in the community.
Disclaimer for Hong Kong Masterpiece Gallery 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.
Media enquiries For media enquiries, please contact
HONG KONG, May 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – SmartHK, a flagship event of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week, drew about 2,000 business elites to Guangzhou today, boosting cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland centres of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
SmartHK was successfully held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Guangzhou
Mr John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR (6th L), Mr Wang Weizhong, Governor of Guangdong Province (7th L) , Mr Yin Zonghua, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR (5th L), Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC (5th R) and Ms Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC (3rd R)
The GBA Youth Entrepreneur Summit, exclusively sponsored by Hang Seng Bank, gathered scientific research entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneur Summit and venture-capital fund managers from the GBA to promote talent exchanges and discuss the entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges in the GBA
The conference, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce, featured an exhibition area and start-up pitching sessions as well as on-site business matchmaking to facilitate connections between companies from Hong Kong and Guangdong. Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Week runs from today to 7 June in the GBA, accelerating collaboration and exchange among Hong Kong and Guangdong government departments, organisations, chambers of commerce and trade associations through more than 20 business and trade activities across GBA cities.
Mr John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Wang Weizhong, Governor of Guangdong Province, and Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, presided over the opening ceremony of Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week and SmartHK earlier today.
Mr Lee said: "The development of the GBA, which was personally planned, deployed and advocated by President Xi Jinping, is a key development strategy for the reform and development of the country in the new era, and the best entry point for Hong Kong to better integrate into the overall development of the country." He also pointed out, "full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and Mainland China meant the flow of people between Hong Kong and Guangdong had resumed and the 'one-hour living circle' in the GBA had made same-day travel very convenient. My team and I would make frequent visits to the GBA to promote interconnection and interoperability, advancing quality development and facilitating Hong Kong's active integration into the overall development of the country."
Dr Lam pointed out that Hong Kong's development had been closely tied with that of Guangdong for many years. As two core GBA cities, Hong Kong and Guangzhou had long maintained close cooperation and complemented each other's advantages in various fields, such as finance, innovation and technology and the creative sector.
Mr Wang hoped the business communities of Guangdong and Hong Kong could fully leverage this forum and the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week to further promote high-level economic and trade cooperation and high-quality development between the two regions. He encouraged Hong Kong entrepreneurs to boost cooperation with Guangdong in areas such as technological innovation, advanced manufacturing, modernised services and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism. He also urged greater investment in Guangdong, especially in the eastern, western, and northern parts of the province, and active collaboration with Guangdong enterprises to explore international markets. Guangdong would strive to create a market-oriented, rule-of-law-based, and internationally oriented business environment, provide excellent conditions and first-class services for domestic and foreign investors, including Hong Kong enterprises. Guangdong would strongly support and actively promote high-quality development of Hong Kong and support Hong Kong's better integration into national development. Guangdong was committed to making efforts and contributions to ensure the stable, long-term implementation of the One Country, Two Systems principle.
Top of Form
Exploring the road to high-quality development
Following the opening ceremony, the thematic sharing forum discussed professional strengths of Hong Kong and other GBA cities. Mr Adam Kwok, Executive Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited, Dr Levin Wang, CEO of Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, Mr Ronald Lam, CEO of Cathay Pacific Group and Mr Xu Shaochun, Chairman and CEO of Kingdee International Software Group Company Limited, discussed opportunities GBA development brought from four perspectives – co-constructing a sustainable city development model; creating a dual system of finance and technology innovation; developing a high-quality aviation industry and collaborating with Hong Kong for global business expansion.
Subsequent forums co-organised by the HKTDC and partners, such as InvestHK, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, HKSAR Development Bureau and the Hong Kong Construction Industry Council, focused on cross-border asset management, green finance, sustainable urban living, green & smart building technologies and more.
Building a talent hub
To further address the importance of fostering talents and respond to the national strategy of supporting youth development, SmartHK introduced the GBA Youth Entrepreneur Summit, exclusively sponsored by Hang Seng Bank, which assembled scientific research entrepreneurs, young entrepreneur and venture capital fund managers from the GBA. Mr Fang Xin, COO of EHang, Mr Zhan Peixun, Co-founder and CSO of Shenzhen Unity-Drive Innovation Technology Co, Ltd, Ms Edith Law, Director of Fashion Farm Foundation, and Prof Karen Chan, Executive Director of German Pool Group Co, Ltd, discussed entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges in the GBA.
The successful Smart+ start-up pitching event returned and continued to focus on research and enterprise collaboration, creating opportunities for start-ups to introduce projects and thereby break into the GBA market. The 17 candidates came from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Sino Inno Lab and the HKTDC's Start-up Express, covering AI and blockchain, medical and health, and new ESG technologies and materials.
Driving complementarity with innovation
The five exhibition zones featured 70 Hong Kong companies from professional services, technological innovation, industry & academic research, creative design and other sectors introducing Hong Kong's professional services, and providing on-site business matching services and one-on-one opportunities for Hong Kong exhibitors and GBA enterprise representatives to deepen exchanges explore new partnerships.
In the form of short talks, SmartHK's debut GBA Live Studio aimed to extend the event to other GBA cities and enable online participation. The conversations helped audiences to better understand the ways in which Hong Kong's professional services could help them achieve high-quality development.
Tomorrow, on 25 May, an HKTDC-organised delegation will further explore Guangzhou to gain a better understanding of the latest developments in the digital economy. It will explore opportunities in innovation and technology and related industries to accelerate multi-level Hong Kong-Guangdong cooperation in the fields of economy, technology and finance between.
The HKTDC has proactively advocated cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong and Hong Kong's integration in the GBA. The annual SmartHK launched in 2011 as a flagship event in mainland cities such as Chengdu, Fuzhou, Jinan and Nanjing to create business opportunities for local and mainland enterprises.
Another flagship Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week, Chic HK, will be held from tomorrow to 28 May in Shenzhen to promote Hong Kong's professional services and fashion brands to the business community and public in the GBA.
The HKTDC also plans a brand-new public exhibition CHILL11 at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong, promoting Hong Kong's cultural and creative industries, particularly design, music, and digital entertainment, to enhance cultural exchange within the GBA and promote Hong Kong as a cultural and creative hub.
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
Media Enquiries HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department: Eric Wong, Tel: +852 2584 4575, Email: eric.ks.wong@hktdc.org Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4514, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org
KUALA LUMPUR, May 24, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Alphaus Inc. (https://alphaus.cloud/en/), the market leader in cloud financial management (CFM) solutions in Japan with a growing regional presence in Southeast Asia, is extending its suite of SaaS solutions to cater to SMEs and large enterprises running on cloud infrastructure.
Having successfully delivered huge cost savings to companies in Japan and Southeast Asia through its proven solutions for managed service providers (MSP), the company is now globally introducing OCTO, a SaaS-based FinOps platform for any business that uses cloud infrastructure for its operations. Beyond cost savings, OCTO enables finance, FinOps and DevOps teams to work together effectively to achieve the best outcomes for the business. Moreover, OCTO integrates effectively with a multitude of third-party solutions, acting as the connecting hub that brings them all together. This seamless integration enhances user experience, solidifying OCTO as an essential tool for end-users.
Companies interested in minimizing wasted cloud spend, saving costs and maximizing their ROI are now invited to sign up for the waitlist to experience the many benefits of OCTO.
OCTO enables cost aggregation by account, service, or tags with centralized account management for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Smart visualization through project-specific dashboards provides a clear view and understanding of all cloud costs. With advanced tag management, OCTO then intelligently distributes project costs and allocates credits and savings through its optimization capabilities. It helps businesses with a comprehensive cost optimization cycle covering numerous daily operations and enabling auto-pilot cost optimization, together with detailed metrics for gauging success of plans and actions.
"Due to the growing complexity of cloud technologies, most businesses find it a significant challenge to track cloud usage and associated costs across the organization. This lack of clear visibility and understanding of cloud costs negates the potential benefits and savings for companies by using the cloud," said Hajime Hirose, CEO of Alphaus. "We aim to solve this problem at scale with a versatile, comprehensive, and user-centric solution like OCTO, and help any business- whether it is a SME or a large-enterprise- to fully realize the benefits of using the cloud. Beyond understanding cloud spend, we want to empower businesses to seamlessly manage and optimize that spend with appropriate allocation, generate savings, and make a tangible impact on their bottom line."
Don't miss out on the opportunity to save on cloud costs and maximize your ROI. Sign up for the waitlist today and be among the first to experience the many benefits of OCTO. Visit: https://lp.alphaus.cloud/
About Alphaus Inc.
Alphaus (https://alphaus.cloud/en/), a VC-backed tech start-up on a mission to simplify cloud computing for everyone, specializes in Cloud Financial Management (CFM) solutions. The company enables cloud services partners and other businesses to understand, manage and optimize complicated cloud spend, billings and resource allocation for maximizing ROI on their investments in the cloud. Alphaus provides a suite of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions for multi-cloud management supporting AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
Founded in 2015, Alphaus Inc. is backed by reputed investors like DNX Ventures, NTT DoCoMo Ventures, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Archetype Ventures, Accord Ventures, and 500 Global. The company's roster of clients includes NTT Data, Nomura Research Institute (NRI), and ISI-Dentsu. Headquartered in Japan, Alphaus has a rapidly growing Global Delivery Centre and Regional Headquarter in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to support its rapid expansion in the Asia Pacific and Oceania regions.
Award-winning producers Derrick Sepnio, Fergus Chow and Jae Chong join Creative Council – with more to come
Creative Council’s main goal is to support member community in their music career development
Producers aim to share professional tips on the music industry; provide insights and mentorship on music creation and production; identify and recruit member artists for potential collaborations and more
HONG KONG, May 17, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – GroundUp Studios, a forward-thinking, web3-focused music label today announced its Creative Council of professional veterans in the music industry, to accelerate the pace of web3 music and art creation among its community members. As part of the announcement, Derrick Sepnio, Fergus Chow and Jae Chong will become GroundUp Studios’ first wave of award-winning producers to support the label’s community of songwriters and musicians in their career development.
GroundUp Studios’ Creative Council will house award-winning producers Derrick Sepnio (L), Fergus Chow (M) and Jae Chong (R)
GroundUp Studios’ vision is to shine a light on the impressive pool of musical and artistic talent in the region. It plans to build a comprehensive web3 ecosystem using NFTs as an access pass, to attract NFT art investors; technology enthusiasts; music and art lovers; songwriters; producers; and artists of all disciplines. As members socialize and connect, GroundUp believes that this would inspire new artistic ideas, allowing them to re-imagine the music and art they are capable of creating.
Fast-tracking Web3 Music and Art With The Creative Council
The Creative Council is GroundUp’s longer term plan to bridge undiscovered and independent artists with top-tier industry professionals in music and art. The main responsibilities of Council producers are to connect and socialize with the label’s community members; pass on valuable knowledge about music creation and production; and generally broaden their artistic horizons by sharing great music within the community. As working professionals, the producers will also keep a close eye on emerging talent within the GroundUp community, and eventually find ways to collaborate directly with them.
GroundUp’s trio of producers represent some of the most seasoned and in-demand veterans working currently in Asia. Working closely with GroundUp, the producers will evaluate opportunity gaps in the traditional music industry and develop trailblazing initiatives and projects that will shape the future of digital art and music.
“GroundUp Studios is honored to work with Derrick, Fergus and Jae – arguably three of the best producers in Asia – to re-imagine music and art using web3 technology,” said Adrian Fu, co-founder and Creative Director. “In our view, web3 is not purely about technology; rather, we see it as a new way and attitude towards the creation and monetization of music and art. I look forward to working closely with the producers to evolve music from an artistic, commercial and technological standpoint. This will ultimately deliver unique experiences for lovers of new music and art.”
Producer Profiles & Quotes
About Derrick Sepnio
Derrick is a celebrated producer, guitarist and artist across Asia. A 7-time winner of the prestigious Golden Melody Awards, Sepnio is a producer in high demand especially in Greater China. In his career, he has worked with some of the biggest artists including Eason Chan, Sandy Lam, Khalil Fong, Karen Mok, JJ Lin to name a few. He has played over 1,000 concerts, and produced and recorded over 500 albums and is often a regular guest on China’s music-related TV shows.
Quote:
“I look forward to working with GroundUp Studios. In my view, technological innovation always inspires individuals and communities to discover new ways of doing things. Invariably, web3 will inject excitement and new energy into music – regardless of the commerciality of the product. I am confident that my experience as a producer and performer in the industry, combined with the creativity and ingenuity of our artist and their community of fans will lead to some great things!”
About Fergus Chow
Fergus is one of Greater China’s pre-eminent producers and Musical Directors. He has led headline tours with Khalil Fong, Gin Lee, ALin, Tia Ray and others. As a performer, he has toured extensively, performing for artists like Faye Wong, Sandy Lam, Karen Mok, Li Rong-Hao. His production credits are equally impressive, having produced for ALin, Coco Lee, Fiona Sit, Karen Mok among others.
Quote:
“This is an exciting time for music and the arts. Web3 transforms the dynamics of the recording industry, and deepens the transactional relationship between fan and artist. To the artist, this means greater creative, commercial and monetary control, as well as more sustainable careers. Furthermore, new generation social media platforms are empowering truly borderless connections and collaborations, opening up limitless possibilities in artistic output. I look forward to working with GroundUp’s fans and artists – the sky’s the limit!”
About Jae Chong
Jae is an acclaimed producer, musician and entrepreneur who began his career in Korea, as one of the founding members of SOLID. The band was the first R&B group to reach over 4 million in unit sales. Jae then launched Taiwan’s first hip-hop entertainment group, MACHI Entertainment, and was the first Korean-American producer to receive awards from Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards in 2005 and 2006. His portfolio of artist collaborations is incredibly wide, including Coco Lee, Stanley Huang, Jolin Tsai, Elva Hsiao and more. Jae brings extensive industry connections in Korea, Taiwan and the US.
Quote:
“I’m excited to work with GroundUp Studios to explore the potential of web3 applications in music. I believe web3 will bring about greater transparency to the music industry and equity to artists. As someone who lives in the US with networks there and across Asia, I’m particularly interested in using web3 to build organic relationships between artists in these countries, facilitate connections and ideas to bring projects to life.”
About GroundUp Studios
GroundUp is a forward-thinking, web3-focused music organization that views music and art in a brand new light. We aspire to empower #ExtraOrdinaryArt and artists, by creating a borderless space for creators to connect, collaborate and monetize. We do so by capitalizing on rapidly transforming technologies, economics and consumer/artist dynamics.
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