Save A Train Presents Another New and Unique Addition to its Expanding Global Rail Platform: Rail Forward!

AMSTERDAM, July 17, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – Save A Train (SAT), the leader in digital B2B Rail ticketing worldwide and one of the largest global rail distributors, has done it again! After the recently introduced ‘RailEnrichment’, Save A Train is now introducing the highly innovative ‘RAIL FORWARD‘ to their global railway ticketing platform.

This very platform confirms SAT as the pioneering company in global rail with its groundbreaking technology with the potential to revolutionize the entire railway ticketing landscape.

RAIL FORWARD is a ‘one of a kind’ and totally unique system that allows train bookings to be made up to 18 months ahead!

This while normal railways bookings allow only up to 3 to 4 months ahead.

Developed in-house and based on advanced artificial intelligence to predict rail pricing, Rail Forward will prove to be a game changer in the global railway world as no other OTA, Railway, Travel agent or Travel Management company has managed do this.

However, exactly these types of companies have a strong demand for advanced bookings and pricing beyond the current 3 to 4 months availability, on behalf of their clients, as it will greatly assist them in their forward planning as well as budgeting.

With close to 200 international OTA’s, Metasearch companies, Travel Agents and TMC’s already in its portfolio, Rail Forward was specifically developed for these companies. It will put Rail finally in the level playing field of Air ticketing.

With over 40 years of Rail& Travel Management experience, Save A Train knows what needs to be fixed in this often called ‘broken’ industry. This is how ‘Rail Forward’ came about.

By adding ‘Rail Forward’ to Save a Train’s existing innovative global rail platform, the ticket buying and planning process will become more streamlined, and thereby making rail travel globally accessible and affordable for the mass public.

Rail Forward will therefore surely lead to unlocking a greater mass market potential and an increase in international rail bookings by an ever-growing list of Save A Train agents.

Save A Train was founded in 2016 with Headquarters in Israel and The Netherlands. It has built a solid proprietary rail technology platform. The SAT system acts as a backbone of train ticketing globally and has created a solution to many of the problems this complicated and overlooked mobility vertical faces.

Udi Sharir, CEO of Save A Train says: “Rail Forward will definitely become a game changer. It is one of the key products we have developed to optimize the OTA and traveler experience in Rail in general. Our aim is to make the complete Rail booking and travel experience as smooth, trouble free and easy as possible against the best possible fares. While we do learn from the Airline industry, we are adamant that with our existing platform and the new products to be launched, Save A Train will remain the Number One Rail Provider! “.

For more information on Save A Train please contact:
Udi Sharir / info@saveatrain.com / +972-3-6059277 / www.saveatrain.com
René de Groot / rene.degroot@saveatrain.com / +31 6 431 955 05

SOURCE: Save A Train

NEXX officially introduces CK Asset Holdings Limited as a shareholder

HONG KONG, June 21, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – The smart logistics technology company NEXX officially announced today that it has successfully introduced CK Asset Holdings Limited (hereinafter referred to as “CK Asset”) as a shareholder, and the two parties will jointly promote the intelligent development in logistics industry.

CK Asset Holdings Limited is a leading multinational conglomerate committed to achieving long-term sustainable growth through continual strengthening of its existing property businesses, and steady enhancement of its recurring income base via a prudent global investment strategy.

CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, also a member of the CK Group, is among the largest companies listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The group has four core businesses: ports and related services, infrastructure, telecommunications and retail (AS Watson Group).

Through reshaping the high-quality operating model of the logistics industry, NEXX provides more flexible, cost-effective, and scalable inventory solutions to enterprises and logistics users which assists them in reducing costs, improving operational efficiency and accuracy. The introduction of CK Asset as a shareholder marks a milestone in NEXX’s development and will increase investment in logistics AI research and development, actively layout the global market, and consolidate its competitive position in smart logistics.

About NEXX:

NEXX is the first smart logistics technology platform that provides iWaaS (intelligent Warehouse-as-a-Service) with a logistics LLM as the core.

For Press Enquiries:

Ms. Crystal Yip	Ms. Chelsie Tam
Tel: 9587 3234 / 3461 3661	Tel: 6094 3336 / 3461 3750
Email: crystalyip@nexx-global.com	Email: chelsietam@nexx-global.com

Adelaide Pergola and Decking Company Offering Same Day Monday to Friday Deliveries

ADELAIDE, AUS, June 17, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – Softwoods, Adelaide’s leading supplier of high-quality timber products for pergolas and decking, is excited to announce the launch of their same-day delivery service. Effective immediately, customers in the Adelaide metro area can enjoy the convenience of same-day delivery on all timber products from Monday to Friday. This offer also extends to purchases made through Softwoods’ new web shop, providing an even more convenient shopping experience.

This new service underscores Softwoods’ commitment to exceptional customer service and rapid delivery, ensuring that our clients can get started on their outdoor projects without delay. Whether you’re building a new pergola, enhancing your deck, or undertaking a home improvement project, Softwoods has you covered with fast, reliable delivery of premium timber products.

“We understand the importance of timely delivery when it comes to outdoor projects,” said Phil Bissett, Sales Manager at Softwoods. “Our new same-day delivery service is designed to meet the urgent needs of our customers, providing them with the materials they need exactly when they need them. With the addition of our new web shop, accessing our products has never been easier.”

Softwoods has built a reputation for quality and reliability, offering an extensive range of treated pine timber products that are both durable and sustainable. Our commitment to environmentally friendly practices ensures that all our timber is sourced from responsibly managed forests, giving customers peace of mind that their projects are not only beautiful but also eco-friendly.

To take advantage of our same-day delivery service, customers can simply place their orders by 12 PM (noon) on weekdays. Our efficient delivery team will ensure that your timber products arrive on the same day, ready for your project. This service is now available for both in-store and online purchases through our newly launched web shop.

Softwoods invites all customers in the Adelaide metro area to experience the convenience and quality of our same-day delivery service. For more information or to place an order, visit our website at www.softwoods.com.au or contact our customer service team at croydon@softwoods.com.au

About Softwoods

Softwoods is Adelaide’s premier supplier of timber products for pergolas, decking, and other outdoor structures. With a focus on quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction, Softwoods provides a wide range of treated pine timber products designed to enhance the beauty and functionality of outdoor spaces.

SOURCE: Softwoods Timberyards Pty Ltd

Shopee’s logistics partners dispel concerns over monopoly allegations

JAKARTA, May 31, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – Shopee’s logistics service partners have expressed their support for continued partnerships with the e-commerce company, citing the positive impact on their businesses and communities.

PT Tiki Lintas Nugraha Ekakurir, known as JNE, noted it had successfully collaborated with Shopee as a logistics partner for the past eight years. “Our strong relationship with Shopee is grounded in our joint commitment to developing the digital economy and integrating JNE’s logistics system with Shopee technology,” JNE SVP and Marketing Group Head Eri Palgunadi said.

Since 2016, the partnership has seen significant success, as the demand for logistics services driven by the increasing number of MSME players utilizing Shopee’s sales channels continues to surge. The 33-year-old company plans to continue working with Shopee, and remains committed to innovating its technology and services to support the growth of Indonesian MSMEs.

On May 28, the state-owned courier and logistics service company PT Pos Indonesia (PosID) awarded Shopee as Best Private Partner in a ceremony for partners who consistently support PosID’s work programs in the logistics sector.

Haris, PosIND’s Director of Financial Services Business, noted “As a postal operator, courier service provider, and logistics provider, we are proud to serve millions of Shopee users by connecting sellers to buyers in 514 cities and regions in Indonesia,” he said.

Previously, it was reported that the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) suggested that Shopee deliberately discriminated by mass activating select delivery service companies on its seller dashboard.

The Chairman of the E-commerce Logistics Entrepreneurs Association (APLE), Sonny Harsono, offered a different take, explaining that the priority mechanism for couriers is part of a marketing strategy, not an attempt to monopolize. Furthermore, the techniques benefit consumers.

Sonny explained that from his observations, Shopee still provided courier service options in addition to those affiliated with the company. “Therefore, it does not meet the classification of monopoly or oligopoly,” he explained when contacted on Thursday (30/5/2024).

There are more than three courier services on the Shopee platform, leading Sonny to suspect a misinterpretation of the marketing pattern as a violation of healthy business competition regulations, as outlined in Law No. 5 of 1999. “Our concern is that the cross-selling or cross-promotion interpretation is being misunderstood as an attempt at monopolization. Furthermore, buyers can change their delivery provider after check-out,” he said.

“In our opinion, since Shopee still uses other logistics or courier providers, Shopee is merely utilizing marketing techniques to make services more attractive for the broader public.”

Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) Welcomes 2 VLGC Tankers to Its Fleet, Takes Top-Tier Position in ASEAN LPG Transport

GEOJE, South Korea, May 10, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) is solidifying its position as a top-tier player in ASEAN LPG transport by acquiring two additional Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs), named VLGC Pertamina Gas Caspia and VLGC Pertamina Gas Dahlia.

These new vessels are specifically optimized for transporting vital commodities like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as well as other petrochemicals such as propylene and ammonia, intended for international trade routes.

Each of the new tankers measures an impressive 300 meters in length or equivalent to two football fields, with a capacity of 91,000m3. They were constructed at Hanwha Ocean, a globally renowned shipyard located in South Korea.

The two giant tankers were officially launched on May 9, 2024 at Hanwha-Okpo Shipyard in Geoje City, South Korea, a shipping hub located over 300 kilometers away from the capital Seoul. Stakeholders witnessing this important launch included Secretary of the Indonesian Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Rabin Indrajad Hattari; Chargé d’Affaires Ad Interim of the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, Zelda Wulan Kartika. Representing PIS at the event were Director of Business Planning Eka Suhendra and Director of Fleet Muhammad Irfan Zainul Fikri.

Secretary of the Indonesian Ministry of SOEs, Rabin Indrajad Hattari, extended a warm welcome to the arrival of PIS’s two latest VLGCs, reinforcing its pivotal role in Indonesia’s energy distribution landscape and amplifying Indonesia’s maritime prowess on the global stage.

“These VLGCs signify more than mere vessels; but a testament to international collaboration, technological advancement, and an unwavering commitment to bolstering Indonesia’s energy security. We believe this international collaboration can enhance the capabilities of PIS, as part of Pertamina, in strengthening energy infrastructure,” Hattari emphasized on Thursday (09/05).

He stressed these vessels’ timely arrival and pivotal role in LPG distribution, championing a more eco-friendly energy solution for both industries and households.

“The arrival of these VLGCs signals our unwavering dedication to strengthening Indonesia’s maritime industry. As we expand our fleet with advanced, modern vessels, we create opportunities for our skilled workforce, boost our maritime capabilities, and elevate Indonesia’s standing as a leading regional force in the shipping sector,” added Hattari.

CEO of Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), Yoki Firnandi, stated that the addition of these vessels positions PIS as the foremost VLGC fleet owner in Southeast Asia, bolstering the fleet to a total of seven vessels. “As we continue to grow our environmentally-friendly VLGC fleet, we affirm our commitment to supporting the energy transition and fostering sustainable business development.”

These vessels are currently the world’s largest environmentally-friendly giant gas tankers equipped with the latest technology. The vessels were named after flowers: Caspia symbolizes success and memories, while Dahlia represents happiness and respect.

The new tankers are prioritized for international routes and scheduled to embark on their inaugural voyage from Houston, Texas in the US in early May 2024. Currently, there are 419 VLGC tankers sailing around the world, with an average ship age of 10.08 years. With the addition of two new fleets, PIS now has seven VLGC tankers with an average age of 3.42 years.

“The PIS VLGC vessels’ relatively young average age is advantageous, ensuring operational quality, compliance with regulations, utilization of new technology to reduce emissions, and competitiveness,” stated Yoki.

Previously, PIS also had several new environmentally-friendly dual-fuel LPG tankers in Indonesia, including Pertamina Gas 1, Pertamina Gas 2, Pertamina Gas Amaryllis, Pertamina Gas Tulip, and Pertamina Gas Bergenia.

Furthermore, VLGC Pertamina Gas Caspia and VLGC Pertamina Gas Dahlia also have several superior features, such as the highest load flexibility in their class, up to 39 cargo combinations, and full accommodation anti-piracy measures for crew safety and comfort.

In fact, the VLGC Pertamina Gas Dahlia is directly managed by PIS and operated by a fully Indonesian crew.

As part of Pertamina’s sustainability commitments, the vessels are equipped with energy-saving devices and shaft generators that increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, and they use environmentally-friendly dual-fuel and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to reduce acid rain (NOx) pollution.

With the addition of these vessels, PIS’s fleet now totals 102 units, comprising Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs), Suezmax vessels, and other fleets of various sizes, with 60 of them serving international routes.

Media Contact:
Muh. Aryomekka Firdaus
Corporate Secretary
M: +62(0)811-872-272
E: aryomekka@pertamina.com

About Pertamina International Shipping (PIS):

Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), a subsidiary of Pertamina, was established in 2016. In 2021, PIS assumed the role of parent subholding of Integrated Marine Logistics (SH IML), consolidating all shipping, marine services, and logistics businesses under its umbrella. See https://pertamina-pis.com/.

Chu Kong Shipping Announces 2023 Annual Results, Profit Attributable to Equity Holders of the Company Increases by 22.0% year on year to HK$114.1 Million

HONG KONG, Mar 25, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises (Group) Company Limited (“Chu Kong Shipping”, or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; Stock Code: 560.HK) is pleased to announce its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2023 (the “Year”).

During the Year, the Group’s terminal navigation logistics business progressed well, with continuous improvement in the cargoes transportation volume. Following the normalisation of traveller clearance resumption after the COVID-19 epidemic, routes resumed in an orderly manner; the cross-border waterway passenger transportation business has been greatly improved with a great rebound in the number of passengers. The Group maintained a steady and robust development in its overall business operations. The Group recorded consolidated revenue of HK$2,553.8 million (2022: HK$2,899.5 million). Profit for the Year increased by 13.5% year-on-year to HK$122.6 million (2022: HK$108.0 million), while profit attributable to equity holders of the Company amounted to HK$114.1 million (2022: HK$93.5 million), representing an increase of 22.0% as compared to the same period last year. The board of directors of the Company resolve to propose a final dividend of HK5 cents per ordinary share (2022: a final dividend of HK4 cents per ordinary share and a special dividend of HK2 cents per ordinary share).

Innovating Logistics Business Model to Propel Comprehensive Upgrade of Terminal Navigation Logistics Business

By extending the business chain and exploring market opportunities, the Group has vigorously developed its modern logistics industries including terminal logistics, warehousing logistics, integrated logistics, cross-border e-commerce and air freight logistics. Regarding cargo transportation business, the Group managed to maintain a stable foundation in inland container transportation and achieved breakthroughs in construction logistics and integrated logistics by strengthening cooperation with terminals and successfully venturing into e-commerce local delivery services during the Year. The container transportation volume for the Year amounted to 1,321,000 TEU, representing a year-on-year increase of 2.8%. The volume of container hauling and trucking on land amounted to 184,000 TEU. The volume of break bulk cargoes transportation for the Year was 1,143,000 tons, representing a year-on-year significant increase of 68.6%. Regarding cargo handling and storage business, the container handling volume was 1,095,000 TEU, while the break bulk cargoes handling volume was 8,966,000 tons.

Through actively responding to market changes, Chu Kong Transhipment & Logistics Company Limited (“CKTL”) promptly adjusted its business strategy and began vigorously transitioning towards becoming an integrated logistics operator, firmly seizing the potential of the Modular Integrated Construction (“MIC”) transportation and construction logistics market. CKTL capitalised on the emerging trend of MIC to win several small-medium transitional housing projects. CKTL has also successfully won the bid for a sand supply for certain phases of the Hong Kong International Airport construction project. In terms of e-commerce business, CKTL has strengthened the integrated business model of “barges + terminals and warehouse services + local delivery” and continues to explore the potential of e-commerce logistics business. During the Year, CKTL smoothly developed the cross-border railway transportation business, successfully undertook the freight cargo businesses of drones from well-known technology companies, and actively prepared for the construction of a logistics network in Vietnam.

During the Year, subsidiaries continued to optimise their business models and implemented various measures to strengthen cost control, resulting in a stable enhancement in the operational efficiency of most regions. By seizing the opportunity from Hong Kong’s international airline hub, CKTL transformed and upgraded its freight cargo business to provide destination customs clearance and delivery services, consistently expanded the customer base for its freight cargo warehouse, resulting in a 31% year-over-year increase in air freight handling volume. By expanding the climate-controlled and bonded storage area at Tuen Mun warehouses and successfully putting them into operation to store high-value items such as perfumes, cosmetics, as well as duty-free alcohol, the climate-controlled warehouse is currently at full capacity. High-rise shelving has been added to certain areas of the warehouses to expand its storage capacity and efforts to actively seek new sources of goods led to the successful introduction of projects involving internationally renowned apparel brands.

Strategically Utilising Advantages of Resources for Highly Efficient Optimisation of Passenger Transportation Business Development

The Group’s cross-border waterway passenger transportation has resumed since 8 January 2023. Following a series of preparations for the resumption of ferry routes, normal operation for 6 urban routes and 5 airport routes has been achieved, among which the “Zhongshan-Hong Kong” line operated by Zhongshan-Hong Kong Passenger Shipping Co-op Co., Ltd. has restored profitability. During the Year, Chu Kong Passenger Transport Company Limited (“CKPT”) recorded a 1,062.2% and 650.4% increase in the total number of passengers for agency services and the number of passengers for terminal services to 1,476,000 and 953,000, respectively. The passenger transportation agency services business in Hong Kong also achieved a turnaround.

During the Year, CKPT has launched three new routes, including “Shenzhen Airport Ferry Terminal-China Ferry Terminal”, “Guangzhou Pazhou-China Ferry Terminal” and “Guangzhou Pazhou-Hong Kong International Airport”. CKPT has coordinated and optimised the operating management of an integrated platform of cross-border passenger transportation and continued to deepen cooperation with airlines and travel agency industries, as well as enhanced the marketing functions on new media platforms including “Tongcheng” and “Tiktok” to achieve favourable situation. The passenger volume has steadily increased and operational effectiveness has been improved progressively. By innovating marketing models and collaborating with other business divisions within the Group, CKPT has launched the ticket package “Cross-border Passenger Transportation +”, creating synergy and aiding the development of convenient travel within the transportation industry and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the “Greater Bay Area”).

Furthermore, CKPT has placed great emphasis on airport core projects and strengthened its competitive advantage by continuously expanding its project layout and business outreach around the Hong Kong International Airport. The operation scale of self-service baggage drop project at the Hong Kong International Airport has been restored to pre-epidemic levels and continues to expand. The Group is currently preparing for the next phase of the tender process. Through actively developing long-term customers and serving a number of ad-hoc customers, the apron vehicle sharing service maintained stable operation.

Maximising Synergistic Effects while Cultivating Local Ferry and Water Cultural Tourism Businesses

Regarding local ferry services, the Group has seized the development opportunity brought by the resumption of normal traveller clearance and witnessed a rebound in the number of passengers, recording 12,269,000 in the number of passengers, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.2%. Sun Ferry Services Company Limited (“Sun Ferry”) was committed to enhancing its full-cycle service capabilities, optimising pier facilities, improving the passenger ferry ride experience, the non-farebox revenue was increased through the promotion of outlying island tourism and terminal improvement projects. Regarding water cultural tourism business, Oriental Pearl Cruise Company Limited operated a total of over 1,000 trips with 55,000 passengers and recorded a profit for the first time. During the Year, the “Oriental Pearl” cruise achieved regular berthing operations at the Central Pier, and its high-end business charter and sightseeing services attracted numerous high-end clients, gaining multiple media coverages.

As for the fuel supply business, Sun Kong Petroleum Company Limited achieved growth in sales volume of both diesel and engine oil, turning a loss into a profit, while at the same time successfully renewing the China Hong Kong City Oil Supply Project, winning the bid for the HKSAR Government’s marine oil bunkering project and reaching a cooperation project as the lubricating oil supply agency.

During the Year, pursuant to the outstanding performance in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) management, the Group was successfully included in the “ESG Pioneer 100 Index for Listed Stated-Owned Enterprise (2023)” list.

Outlook

In 2024, with the national avocation for the evolution of new quality productive forces to achieve high-quality development in the real economy, the Group has been provided an important support in creating new engines of development and constructing new competitive advantages. Along with full utilisation of the comparative advantages of the Greater Bay Area cities, continuous optimisation of the functional layout of the regions, continuous improvement of talent exchange channels, and gradual appearance of the effects of integration and development, the Group will obtain a bigger scope and a better platform in its future development process. The Group will firmly grasp the strategic opportunities brought by the national policies to construct a development platform to expand new horizons for business growth, enhance the momentum of development to cultivate new competitive edges in project development, and drive the high-quality advancement of the enterprise in the following areas:

Firstly, the Group will build the terminal development platform and realise joint coordination development among the terminal cluster. The Group will strive to strengthen the integration of terminal logistics resources and actively build a modern terminal logistics industry system, to form a new landscape of terminal logistics characterised by reasonable allocation and coordinated development. With the goal of establishing scalable terminal platforms, the Group will plan its layout comprehensively and adjust its strategies dynamically with flexibility. It will precisely allocate incremental terminal resources, and proactively develop core terminals that have the capability to lead and provide supportive capacity. Through the dislocation development of regional terminals, driven by core terminals and coordinated with other regional terminals, a regional terminal consortium will be formed to enhance the overall strength and market competitiveness of the Group’s terminal cluster.

Secondly, the Group will build the integrated logistics development platform to promote industry chain towards high-end level. By establishing a new pattern of synergistic development among terminal nodes in Mainland China, with CKTL serving as the link, the Group will construct an integrated logistics platform with formidable overall strength and competitive prowess. With a focus on building warehousing logistics centres with high self-operation proportion and outstanding efficiency, the Group will actively expand value-added businesses, strive to achieve new breakthroughs in the high-end logistics industry chain in order to become a leading regional supply chain service provider. In addition, focusing on the vast infrastructure logistics market in Hong Kong and Macao and closely monitoring potential construction projects in Hong Kong, the Group will strive to establish a dominant market position in the field of infrastructure logistics.

Thirdly, the Group will build the development platform for waterway passenger transportation to promote synergistic effects of new business models. The Group will optimise and adjust the resources of waterway passenger transportation in the Greater Bay Area, with an emphasis on developing core cross-border routes from Guangzhou Pazhou to Hong Kong’s urban area and airport, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of these routes. The Group will also strive to participate in the development of Hong Kong into “Airport City”, and actively bid for the Hong Kong International Airport’s strategic high-quality projects. The Group will strengthen the local ferry business by better utilising the business platform of Sun Ferry. In addition, by better developing the water-based tourism market and utilising resources as well as the brand of “Oriental Pearl”, the Group will further deepen the multi-level and diversified water-based market. Furthermore, the Group will endeavour to carry out the oil supply in marine work projects of HKSAR Government, expand the fleet for lubricant vessels, expand oils and its related business, and establish the new “one-stop” and “end-to-end” oil supply chain business model.

Fourthly, the Group will strengthen the development momentum of the “Belt and Road” initiative and provide new avenues for business expansion. The Group will continue to promote the implementation of its “Going Out” strategy, and strive to accomplish a series of projects with promising prospects and strategic complementarity. To better exert the market “outpost” effect of overseas business nodes and networks, the Group will seek more business collaborations and foreign investment opportunities in ASEAN markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

About Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises (Group) Company Limited

Chu Kong Shipping is a listed company incorporated in Hong Kong held by Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises (Holdings) Company Limited and subject to Guangdong Provincial Port & Shipping Group Company Limited. Chu Kong Shipping operates and manages the largest high-speed passenger fleet and network of waterway passenger transport in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau which is based in Hong Kong and covers cities in the Greater Bay Area namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shunde, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Macau and so on. CKSG operates the local ferry services in Hong Kong since its acquisition of Sun Ferry in May 2020, providing services on five main inner harbour and outlying island ferry routes, and developing the Victoria Harbour water cultural tourism projects simultaneously. Chu Kong Shipping is also one of the largest operators of inland terminal and logistics service in the PRD. Based in Hong Kong, Chu Kong Shipping builds up a network covering multiple cities in the PRD, including Zhaoqing, Qingyuan, Foshan, Guangzhou and Jiangmen etc., providing the operation of inland cargo terminals, integrated logistics, international forwarding and solutions to logistic supply chain and so on.

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

Seyond to Expand LiDAR Solutions for Autonomous Vehicles with NVIDIA DriveWorks and Omniverse Integration

SUNNYVALE, CA, Mar 19, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – Seyond, a leading global provider of high-performance LiDAR solutions for autonomous vehicles and smart transportation, today announced its collaboration with NVIDIA to integrate Seyond’s cutting-edge LiDAR solutions within the NVIDIA DriveWorks and NVIDIA Omniverse platforms.

By combining Seyond’s industry-leading LiDAR technology and expertise with NVIDIA’s expansive automotive development solutions, Seyond looks to transform the way autonomous vehicles are designed, developed and tested. As part of this collaboration, NVIDIA’s GPU hardware will be used alongside Seyond’s LiDAR to process point cloud data quickly and accurately for improved autonomous driving capabilities.

NVIDIA DriveWorks is the foundation for autonomous vehicle software development and deployment, and now offers Seyond’s LiDAR as one of its many versatile tools. With this latest integration, developers can now use the DriveWorks platform, with its automotive-grade middleware and accelerated algorithms, to more easily and efficiently integrate Seyond’s LiDAR technology into their vehicle design.

NVIDIA Omniverse is a platform of application programming interfaces (APIs), software-development kits (SDKs) and services that enable developers to easily integrate Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD) and RTX rendering technologies into their 3D applications and services. Such applications include high-fidelity, physically based simulation for autonomous vehicle (AV) development.

Seyond’s high-performance LiDAR sensors offer exceptional per-point precision and ultra-long-range capabilities to provide unparalleled accuracy for a wide range of applications, including AVs. The company’s flagship, ultra-long range LiDAR sensor, Falcon, has a 500-meter detection range and produces 1,500 configurable scan lines/per second to create a 3D point cloud image, allowing for easy detection and classification of objects on and near the road.

Falcon’s unparalleled combination of ultra-long-distance range and image-grade resolution provides auto manufacturers with the highest level of safety for autonomous driving and driver assistance capabilities. It has been a standard configuration of the Aquila system for eight NIO models, including the ET7, ES7 and ET5, since 2022 and is also integrated into Faraday Future’s FF91 Futurist models.

“The integration of Seyond’s LiDAR solutions into DriveWorks and Omniverse is indicative of our commitment to producing high-quality, rigorously tested LiDAR solutions to further the development of safer, smarter and more efficient autonomous driving and smart infrastructure solutions worldwide,” said Ezana Tesfu, Director of Business Development at Seyond. “Through this integration, we look forward to collaborating with NVIDIA on new and innovative ways to help our automotive OEM customers develop and scale more intelligent, highly-functional autonomous driving applications.”

Seyond is a member of NVIDIA Inception, a program that nurtures startups revolutionizing industries with technological advancements.

About Seyond

Seyond is a leading global provider of image-grade LiDAR technology, powering a safer, smarter and more mobile world across the automotive, intelligent transportation, robotics and industrial automation sectors. Founded in Silicon Valley with strategically placed research and manufacturing facilities across the globe, Seyond is crafting LiDAR solutions that elevate autonomous driving and fuel the advancement of smart infrastructure development. The company’s dynamic portfolio – including ultra-long range flagship LiDAR sensor Falcon, mid-to-short range LiDAR sensor Robin and perception service software platform OmniVidi – powers automotive and ITS solutions for partners like NIO, NVIDIA, Exwayz and Hexagon. With hundreds of thousands of Seyond LiDAR sensors already in use in automotive and non-automotive applications globally, and with total annual production capacity expected to exceed a half-million units by the end of 2024, Seyond is lighting the path forward for the world to See Smarter™.

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

CONTACT:
SeyondKen Bieber
PR@seyond.com

SOURCE: Seyond

Digitalization Empowering Foreign Trade Shipping – Nanhua Logistics, a COSCO Shipping Group Subsidiary, Partners with Bravowhale Technology to Spearhead the Online Implementation of ESG Compliance Standards

HONG KONG, Feb 27, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – Based on customs statistics, China’s total value of goods trade imports and exports soared to RMB 41.76 trillion in 2023, marking a record high of 645,000 foreign trade enterprises. Despite the ongoing positive growth trend in China’s overall import and export activities, the escalating global ESG-related regulations have imposed more stringent export compliance requirements on foreign trade enterprises. Consequently, enterprises find themselves grappling with uncertainty and a lack of clarity on how to proceed. Moreover, the industry currently lacks standardized and targeted ESG compliance service channels to promptly tackle the challenges faced by enterprises.

As the main artery for international freight transportation, maritime shipping shoulders nearly 90% of China’s foreign trade transport volume. COSCO SHIPPING, a Fortune Global 500 company, holds the top spot globally in terms of comprehensive capacity and scale among state-owned shipping enterprises. With a fleet of over 1,300 vessels and more than 50 terminals, it spans routes covering 1,500 ports across 160 countries. Against this backdrop, aiming to assist foreign trade enterprises in tackling export ESG compliance challenges, Nanhua Logistics under COSCO Shipping partnered with Shanghai Bravowhale Information Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Bravowhle Technology”) on February 22nd. This collaboration, formalized at the Customs Building on the Bund in Shanghai, signifies a commitment to jointly deliver swift and convenient standardized export ESG compliance services to foreign trade enterprises. This initiative aims to empower businesses to achieve export compliance with low costs, high efficiency, and heightened certainty.

Customs Building on the Bund in Shanghai

Participants of the signing ceremony included: GU Weidong, Vice President of COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers Co., Ltd., and Chairman of Nanhua Logistics; ZHANG Wei, Deputy General Manager of COSCO Shipping Logistics Supply Chain Co., Ltd., Shanghai Branch; LIU Yi, General Manager and Director, and MENG Daguan, Vice General Manager of Nanhua Logistics; ZHU Shaokang, CEO of Bravowhale Technology; CHEN Chao, Deputy General Manager of CITIC Consulting of State Development & Investment Corporation; and LI Jian, Director of Deloitte China’s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Business Group. Nanhua Logistics, a joint venture between COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers Co., Ltd. and COSCO Shipping Logistics Supply Chain Co., Ltd., operates as an international logistics supply chain service company.

Liu Yi (left) and Zhu Shaokang (right) Captured in a Signing Photo

COSCO Shipping affirms its commitment to leveraging the leading role of state-owned enterprises in facilitating trade. With its extensive customer base, experience in serving export enterprises, and Bravowhale Technology’s expertise in technology systems and intelligent solutions, the company aims to penetrate the secondary freight forwarding market through intelligent terminals. By providing a streamlined pathway for ESG compliance processes, COSCO Shipping aims to offer standardized compliance services to Chinese foreign trade enterprises. This initiative will effectively address challenges such as high export costs and inefficiencies faced by businesses.

Bravowhale Technology has always been at the forefront of ESG compliance services. With the support of the “Going Global” navigation network, we have partnered with local governments and business service agencies to establish offline service centers in key foreign trade export and multinational supply chain hubs. This initiative has already assisted hundreds of supply chain enterprises in industries such as chemicals, textiles, and automobiles in achieving export ESG compliance. The collaboration with COSCO Shipping represents a significant step forward for Bravowhale Technology in expanding its online ESG compliance services. By leveraging technological advancements, it aims to simplify the complex ESG compliance process through standardized online products and automated solutions, providing the shipping industry with convenient and effective export compliance solutions.

COSCO Shipping has stated that, with the support of Bravowhale Technology in the future, it will leverage its port network advantages and stabilize shipping logistics supply chain services. This initiative is geared towards enhancing the efficiency and transparency of multinational supply chains. Through standardized services, they aim to reduce customer export costs, enabling efficient and compliant international operations.

Seyond to Deliver High-Performance LiDAR to Avikus for Autonomous Boat Technology

Sunnyvale, Jan 18, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – Seyond (formerly Innovusion), a leading global provider of high-performance LiDAR solutions for autonomous vehicles and smart transportation, and Avikus, a pioneer in ship autonomous driving solutions, announced a significant step forward in their collaboration.

Seyond is set to deliver its award-winning, ultra-long range LiDAR sensor, Falcon, to Avikus and their customers at scale. This is a critical milestone in Avikus and Seyond’s shared mission of creating safer and smarter boating.

“We are honored that Avikus has selected our industry-leading LiDAR sensors to advance the development of autonomous technologies for boats,” said Junwei Bao, CEO of Seyond. “The opportunity for continued growth within the intelligent shipping industry is an exciting prospect. We look forward to facilitating more efficient and accurate detection on the world’s oceans and waterways through our work with Avikus.”

“We are excited to work with Seyond on developing cutting-edge solutions for the recreational boating industry”, said Dohyeong Lim, CEO of Avikus. “Seyond’s high-performance LiDAR is important for us to deal with the many sensing challenges”.

This collaboration promises to provide Avikus with the resources needed for highly precise, long-range detection, advanced navigation assist and improved autonomous functionality across several new models to deliver an unparalleled boating experience. The first models leveraging Falcon’s 500-meter detection range will be introduced this summer, with additional models planned for late 2024.

About Seyond

Seyond is a leading global provider of image-grade LiDAR technology, powering a safer, smarter and more mobile world across the automotive, intelligent transportation, robotics and industrial automation sectors. Founded in Silicon Valley with strategically placed research and manufacturing facilities across the globe, Seyond is crafting LiDAR solutions that elevate autonomous driving and fuel the advancement of smart infrastructure development. The company’s dynamic portfolio – including ultra-long range flagship LiDAR sensor Falcon, mid-to-short range LiDAR sensor Robin and perception service software platform OmniVidi – powers automotive and ITS solutions for partners like NIO, Faraday Future, Exwayz and Hexagon. Currently, over 200,000 Falcon units are in use, and the product continues to be mass-produced today.

About Avikus

AVIKUS, a startup specializing in autonomous navigation solutions, was established in December 2020 by HD Hyundai, the world’s No. 1 shipbuilder. The company’s accolades include the successful completion of an autonomous operation demonstration of a 12-seater cruise ship over the 10km Pohang Canal for 40 minutes without human intervention, as well as the world’s first autonomous navigation cross the ocean with their HiNAS (Hyundai Intelligent Navigation Assistant System) Control. AVIKUS presented its autonomous navigation technology at CES 2022, and recently announced the successful completion of phase 2 of its autonomous navigation solution, HiNAS Control, in conjunction with winning the orders of 23 large ships from two of the world’s major ship builders

Media Contacts

Seyond
Ken Bieber
PR@seyond.com

Avikus
Billie Lee
Billie.lee@hyundai-genuine.com

Korea’s No. 1 “Single-Serving Pizza” GOPIZZA expands to 27 outlets in Singapore, eyeing Indonesia and Thailand as growth markets

SINGAPORE, Jan 16, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – Renowned pizza brand from South Korea, GOPIZZA rounded off 2023 with 27 outlets in Singapore. This comes after the addition of six new outlets across northeastern and western zones in Singapore in December 2023 alone. With a base of 17 outlets in 2022, GOPIZZA has grown its store presence in Singapore by almost 60 percent in 2023 compared to the year before. In terms of market share by store count, GOPIZZA now takes third place behind incumbents Pizza Hut and Dominos which have been operating in Singapore for more than two decades.

Starting from a small food truck in Seoul in August 2016, the single-serving pizza company, lauded for its tech-driven process, opened its first brick-and-mortar location in 2018. In May 2019, the company opened its first branch abroad in Bangalore, India. This was followed by branches in Singapore in April 2020 and Hong Kong in March 2021.

“We are very heartened and encouraged by the growth of GOPIZZA’s presence in Singapore. This shows that there is a strong appreciation for fresh, high quality, single-serving pizzas among consumers in Singapore. We are also very thankful to our franchisees for their commitment in helping us make more delicious pizzas available and accessible to all,” said Kelvin Sia, Regional CEO and Head of APAC at GOPIZZA.

GOPIZZA’s healthy growth trajectory can be attributed to the company’s innovative approach to pizza-making, driven by cutting-edge technology and an unwavering commitment to taste-consistency. This is further supported by GOPIZZA’s emphasis on customer satisfaction and its dedication to fostering a strong franchise network.

Based on financial information collected from existing outlets in Singapore, GOPIZZA observed that almost 40 percent of outlets broke even within six months of opening, an achievement that is uncommon in the F&B sector. According to the Singapore Food Agency, the average F&B business runs at an annual operating loss of 8 percent and it takes about 30 months to recoup initial investment[1].

GOPIZZA has a unique franchising model that is designed to help franchisees enter into the F&B market easily and achieve profitability fast. With high start-up costs being a common barrier to entry in the F&B industry, GOPIZZA has managed to cap its setup cost to one-fifth of what F&B businesses usually require. Franchisees also pay a nominal fee that is one-third the standard for brands of a similar nature. The economies of scale that come with an extensive store footprint along with heightened brand awareness among consumers all help to contribute to a viable environment to position franchisees for profitability.

“As fresh graduates, we are excited by the prospect of owning our own business and shaping our own success. My partner and I run the GOPIZZA outlet at Punggol Plaza. Entrepreneurship runs in my blood, thanks to my grandmother who runs her own law firm. I believe she has played an instrumental role in cultivating a spirit of enterprise and commercial sensibilities in me. I appreciate the plug-and-play model that GOPIZZA has designed for scaling the brand,” said Zin Htoo and Afifah Christelle Camut, franchisees of GOPIZZA outlet at Punggol Plaza.

For 2024, GOPIZZA plans to add at least 10 more outlets in Singapore across eastern and central zones, featuring new business formats. GOPIZZA will also be launching new flavours and a series of pizza pop-ups. GOPIZZA is also looking at plans to expand to Indonesia and has most recently entered Thailand with its first outlet.

[1] Source:
https://www.sfa.gov.sg/docs/default-source/food-retailing/guidebook_turning_passion_into_profits.pdf