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Lunit to Highlight New AI Evidence in Cancer Screening and Breast Density-Driven Risk Modeling at RSNA 2025

Eight oral presentations and six posters demonstrate advances in mammography, DBT performance, and density-informed risk modeling

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Lunit, a leading provider of AI for cancer diagnostics and precision oncology, today announced it will present 14 studies at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2025 Annual Meeting. Spanning screening mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), breast density science, and risk modeling, this year’s program represents one of the company’s most extensive evidence portfolios to date. Lunit will exhibit at South Hall, Booth #4100, and host expert-led sessions in the Lunit Education Room #1252 throughout the meeting.

Among the highlighted research, real-world results from Capio S:t Göran Hospital in Sweden evaluated more than 193,000 screening examinations before and after the introduction of Lunit INSIGHT MMG. When AI was paired with a single radiologist, the screening program achieved higher invasive cancer detection, greater positive predictive value, and fewer unnecessary recalls compared to human-only double reading—reinforcing findings from the ScreenTrustCAD interventional trial and demonstrating that AI-integrated single reading can maintain or improve accuracy while alleviating workforce pressure.

New evidence from Massachusetts General Hospital assessed AI performance on screening DBT using 1,000 retrospective examinations, showing that Lunit INSIGHT DBT correctly localized 84.4% of true-positive cancers, with particularly strong performance for mass-presenting and invasive ductal carcinoma cases. The study also detailed cancer subtypes less likely to be identified by AI, offering practical insight into the algorithm’s strengths and limitations as DBT adoption accelerates worldwide.

Further expanding the evidence base, two oral presentations from Elizabeth Wende Breast Care explored how volumetric breast density, as quantified by AI-powered algorithms, and family history influence risk stratification across leading models, and how density changes over time affect prediction consistency. In a cohort of 44,651 women, Tyrer-Cuzick classified substantially more women as high-risk than BOADICEA, driven by heavier weighting of density and family history inputs. A complementary longitudinal analysis of 335,000+ images demonstrated that incorporating volumetric breast density over time improved calibration and discrimination, while static or categorical density inputs consistently underestimated cancer incidence. Together, these findings strengthen the role of density-informed and longitudinal risk modeling in supporting risk-adapted screening strategies.

Lunit will also host a series of expert-led sessions in its Education Room #1252, offering deeper clinical and scientific perspectives on key themes presented at RSNA. Highlights include:

  • Image-Based Risk (Nov 30, 1:30–2:00 PM CST)

    A cross-disciplinary discussion featuring Drs. Graham Colditz, Joy Jiang, and Hari Trivedi, exploring how image-based risk complements traditional models and what this means for more personalized, risk-adapted screening strategies.

  • Interval Cancer Detection with AI (Dec 1, 11:30 AM–12:00 PM CST)

    Prof. Fiona Gilbert (University of Cambridge) will present new evidence on the ability of AI to identify interval breast cancers typically missed during routine screening, outlining how AI-supported detection could reduce missed cancers and improve population-level screening outcomes.

  • Academic Leadership in AI Adoption (Dec 2, 10:30–11:00 AM CST)

    Drs. Liz Morris (UC Davis Health) and Elizabeth Burnside (University of Wisconsin–Madison) will compare two distinct approaches to implementing breast AI in academic environments. The session will examine evidence, ethics, and practical considerations for responsible adoption.

  • Real-World DBT Performance (Dec 2, 4:30–5:00 PM CST)

    Dr. Manisha Bahl (Mass General) will share new clinical data on how Lunit INSIGHT DBT performs in digital breast tomosynthesis workflows, highlighting improvements in cancer detection, diagnostic consistency, and the potential to reduce interval cancer rates when integrated into routine practice.

“RSNA is where the field looks to understand whether AI is delivering measurable clinical value, and this year’s program reflects that momentum,” said Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit. “Across mammography, DBT, and density-driven risk modeling, our studies highlight how rigorously validated AI can enhance screening performance, support radiologists, and strengthen the foundation for risk-adapted care. We remain committed to generating evidence that drives responsible and meaningful adoption in clinical practice.”

###

About Lunit

Founded in 2013, Lunit (KRX: 328130) is a global leader on a mission to conquer cancer through AI. Our clinically validated solutions span medical imaging, breast health, and biomarker analysis—empowering earlier detection, smarter treatment decisions, and more precise outcomes across the cancer care continuum.

Lunit offers a comprehensive suite spanning risk prediction and early detection to precision oncology. Our FDA-cleared Lunit INSIGHT suite and breast health solutions support cancer screening in thousands of medical institutions worldwide, while the Lunit SCOPE platform is used in research partnership with global pharma and laboratory leaders for biomarker research, and companion diagnostic development.

Trusted by over 10,000 sites in more than 65 countries, Lunit combines deep medical expertise with continuously evolving datasets to deliver measurable impact—for patients, clinicians, and researchers alike. Headquartered in Seoul with global offices, Lunit is driving the worldwide fight against cancer. Learn more at lunit.io/en.

Appendix – Lunit RSNA 2025 Full Study List

Oral Presentations (8)

Poster Presentations (6)

 

Solace Signals the Future of Real-time Agentic AI with Introduction of Solace Agent Mesh Enterprise

New solution harnesses Solace’s market-leading real-time data platform to enable enterprises to build and orchestrate robust and reliable single and multi-agent AI applications

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AWS re:Invent 2025, Booth # 1570 — Solace, the real-time data and agentic AI company, today announced general availability (GA) of Solace Agent Mesh Enterprise, an open agentic AI platform that enables organizations to build, deploy and operate intelligent and well-governed AI-powered applications – from simple single-agent to powerful multi-agent orchestrated solutions – that interact in real-time with enterprise applications and data.

Agentic AI promises greater productivity and increased competitiveness, with a recent industry report indicating it can accelerate business processes by up to 50 percent and reduce low-value work time by up to 40 percent, thanks to autonomous decision-making and continuous learning capabilities. Getting there remains a challenge, however, as organizations struggle to move agentic AI applications from experiments into production, providing access to enterprise applications and data while ensuring security, observability, and trust.

Additionally, IDC states: “Agentic AI will require event-driven data architectures to continuously provide high-quality, relevant, and contextual data products to support the dynamic nature of agentic business activities. Supporting agentic AI at scale demands use of autonomous agents within enterprise intelligence architectures, automating data management, governance, and synthesis functions.” *

Solace Agent Mesh addresses these challenges, providing the capabilities required to create, deploy and manage agentic AI solutions in a secure, governed and scalable way. Built on a proven event-driven platform, Solace Agent Mesh fundamentally transforms how agentic AI systems serve users, respond to business events and integrate with enterprise data, offering:

  • Faster time to innovation: enterprises can rapidly innovate by integrating and orchestrating native and third-party AI agents, enabling faster experimentation, accelerated development, and quicker time-to-market
  • Improved user experience: business users can talk with their data using their preferred user interfaces, with broad access to enterprise applications and data, whether real-time or static knowledge bases
  • Greater scalability and reliability: Solace Agent Mesh uses parallel agent execution and asynchronous communication between all agents, enabling horizontal scaling to production levels while also providing a stronger level of resilience in response to system failures and implementing hot agent upgrades
  • Increased operational efficiency: Solace Agent Mesh’s unique intelligent data management helps minimize LLM costs, while significantly improving performance and accuracy
  • Comprehensive security: strong agent-based access control, SSO, action-level permissions, and user delegated access deliver the critical security, governance and compliance required for AI agent-driven solutions

“There are many challenges to overcome in relation to enabling AI agents to take automated actions and there is a case to be made for involving experts in inter-application communication,” said Matt Aslett, Director of Research, Analytics and Data, ISG Research. “Solace is well-placed to address this opportunity with Solace Agent Mesh, which provides the core capabilities required for communication between agents and will enable Solace customers and prospects to build on existing investments in microservices and EDA as they move towards agentic AI.”

The Forrester Wave™: Streaming Data Platforms, Q4 2025 notes: “Solace’s event-driven agents stand out: they help enterprises build responsive, real-time, event-driven applications and enable high-performance streaming for enterprise applications.” **

Secure, Scalable and Enterprise-grade functionality

Solace Agent Mesh was built from the ground up as an open, flexible platform designed to make it easy for enterprises to experiment with single or multi-agent systems to deliver on their agentic AI objectives, from simple uses cases to the most demanding distributed organization-wide production deployments.

Key features include:

  • No-code Agent Builder: both pro-code agent building, as well as an AI-assisted, form-based interface for creating agents without writing code
  • Dynamic Agent Orchestration: Solace Agent Mesh uses an intelligent orchestrator to break down inputs into tasks and assign them to the right agents in real time. It can also follow prescriptive workflows when it is critical to operate in specific ways
  • Connectors: out-of-the-box SQL, API, and MCP connectors provide simple and broad connectivity to enterprise applications and data, both real-time and static knowledge bases
  • Gateways: business users can use their preferred tools such as web chat, Slack or Microsoft Teams to interact with Agent Mesh, as well as set up Agentic Process Automation workflows invoked through events, enterprise application APIs and Webhook
  • Governance and Access Control: gateways serve as controlled entry points into the framework, granting access to the agent ecosystem through different interfaces like events, APIs, web chat, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Solace Agent Mesh offers single sign-on authentication as well as granular authorization and role-based access control, ensuring agents interact with applications and data with the permissions of the requesting user
  • Intelligent Data Management: innovative intelligent data management helps reduce LLM compute costs and avoids hallucinations through in-platform data operations and passing only relevant information to the LLM
  • Full Activity Observability: built-in workflow viewer and real-time observability tools enable comprehensive monitoring and tracking of LLM interactions, agent workflows, and system performance to build system trust and help debug
  • Enterprise-scale Architecture: decoupled, asynchronous orchestration of agents supports efficient parallelization of operations, enabling agentic AI projects to easily scale from Proof-of-Concept to production

“Agentic AI has completely changed the face of business, and requires revolutionary solutions to continue to fuel its unprecedented growth. Solace Agent Mesh Enterprise is the net result of a bold vision on how organizations can better harness the power of agentic AI,” said Shawn McAllister, CPO and CTO at Solace. “Organizations can quickly go from experiments to full scale enterprise production with fast development, and secure access to enterprise context, all powered with the proven robustness of an event driven architecture. Agent Mesh is designed to meet the ever-evolving needs of increasingly connected, real-time, and intelligent enterprises.”

Prospective organizations can register to join the Solace Agent Mesh pilot program. In addition to Solace Agent Mesh Enterprise, Solace offers open-source Solace Agent Mesh Community available on GitHub, providing developers with an event-driven framework for seamlessly integrating AI agents with real-world data sources and systems. 

Learn more

Market Leadership

Over the past two decades, Solace has built a reputation for delivering real-time data solutions that are trusted by enterprises with the most demanding operational use cases. Today, Solace delivers real-time data orchestration across systems, clouds and AI agents for many of the top organizations spanning key industries, such as Bosch in manufacturing; Heineken in consumer goods; Schwarz Group in retail; RBC Capital Markets in financial services; and PSA Singapore in transportation & logistics.

* IDC Tech Buyer, Agentic AI Impact on Enterprises: From the Tech Stack to the Future of Work and Services, US53272524, April 2025
** Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Read about Forrester’s objectivity here.

About Solace:

Solace helps organizations operate in real-time through the power of events. With its real-time data and agentic AI platform, Solace delivers scalable, event-driven capabilities to bring together agents, applications and data across legacy, cloud, and AI systems. Established enterprises worldwide trust Solace to enable intelligent, time-sensitive experiences; modernize their application and integration landscape; and create seamless digital journeys for their customers, partners and employees. Learn more at solace.com.

Press Contacts

Europe & Americas
IBA International
Jamie Kightley
Jkightley@iba-international.com
+44 (0) 1572 757932

UK
Positive
Calum Mitchell
cmitchell@positivemarketing.com
+44 7793 160127

APAC
Rice, a FINN Partners Company
Trixie Wong
trixie.wong@finnpartners.com
+65 9757 7531

 

Next Level Aviation® Secures Credit Facility Increase to $80MM with PNC Bank

The upsized working capital credit facility was increased to $75MM in the U.S. and an additional $5MM for Next Level Aviation-Ireland, Ltd.

DANIA BEACH, Fla. and DUBLIN, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Next Level Aviation® (NLA), a leader in the global distribution of used serviceable materials (USM) for all Boeing and Airbus commercial aircraft and associated jet engine platforms, has secured an increase in its revolving credit facility with PNC Bank for the U.S. based parent company from $50MM to $75MM, as well as an additional $5MM credit facility for Irish subsidiary, Next Level Aviation-Ireland, Ltd (NLAI). Both credit facilities have the potential to expand over time as NLA and NLAI grow.

This significantly upsized working capital credit facility will allow Next Level Aviation® to increase inventory of serviceable material, continue to expand its geographic footprint, as well as support NLA’s diversification into other complementary lines of business.

Next Level Aviation® Chairman & CEO Jack Gordon stated, “We are very appreciative that PNC Bank, one of the largest diversified financial institutions in the United States, has the confidence in Next Level Aviation’s global business model, management team and financial performance to increase our total access to asset-based credit by 60% in less than one year of working together, in addition to extending our Irish subsidiary, Next Level Aviation-Ireland, Ltd., its first revolving credit facility. We would like to again thank the PNC Business Credit team for their commerciality and client-focused, solutions-based approach to our partnership.”

Ray Fernandez-Andes, Next Level’s Chief Financial Officer, commented, “As we continue to grow, the global nature of Next Level Aviation’s business presents both unique challenges and opportunities. The PNC Business Credit team has taken the time to understand all of this, and crafted banking solutions that set Next Level Aviation® up for continued success in the commercial aviation aftermarket.”

ABOUT NEXT LEVEL AVIATION®
Next Level Aviation® is an ASA-100 accredited and FAA Advisory Circular 00-56B compliant supplier stocking commercial aircraft/jet engine used serviceable material (USM) for all Boeing and Airbus aircraft platforms and associated jet engines. Next Level Aviation® specifically focuses on stocking USM for the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families of aircraft and their associated jet engines, which currently make up about 70% of the global commercial fleet. Founded in March 2013 by Jack Gordon, Mike Dreyer, and Matt Dreyer, Next Level Aviation® has grown into a top global supplier of commercial aircraft/jet engine used serviceable material. www.nextlevelaviation.net

To find out more information or to request additional images, please contact morgane@aerospacemarketing.com.

The power of planning: Crafting the future, then and now

BEIJING, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — From rowing across West Lake and exploring its museum to overlooking the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port and visiting trailblazing enterprises, China Daily journalist Erik Nilsson embarks on a journey to uncover the wisdom behind Zhejiang’s Double-Eight Strategy.


The power of planning: Crafting the future, then and now

Proposed in 2003 by Xi Jinping, then Party chief of Zhejiang province, the strategy charted a clear course for the province’s development. For more than two decades, Zhejiang has stayed true to this blueprint — blending history with the future, and culture with industry — creating a vivid testament to solid work and leadership.

 

Kazia Therapeutics Announces Pricing of $50.0 Million Private Placement of Equity Securities

SYDNEY, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA), an oncology-focused drug development company, today announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain established institutional and accredited investors for a private placement of equity securities (PIPE). Pursuant to the securities purchase agreement, the Company agreed to offer and sell to the investors an aggregate of approximately $50.0 million of ordinary shares and prefunded warrants, at a purchase price per share that is the equivalent of $5.00 per ADS, each ADS representing 500 ordinary shares. The PIPE is structured as a straightforward equity investment with no common warrant coverage. The PIPE financing was led by healthcare-dedicated investors including Adar1 Capital Management LLC, Ikarian Capital LLC, Stonepine Capital Management, Velan Capital Investment Management LP, and Revach Capital Management, LLC, alongside existing shareholders, including Jorey Chernett. The transaction is expected to close on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

Konik Capital Partners, LLC is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the PIPE.

The net proceeds to the Company from the PIPE are expected to be approximately $46.5 million, after deducting placement agent’s fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company currently intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, to support the continued clinical development of its lead program paxalisib, a brain-penetrant dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor currently in clinical trials for both brain cancer and advanced breast cancer, advancing the PD-L1 degrader program, and for general corporate purposes. The Company expects the net proceeds from the PIPE, combined with the existing cash and cash equivalents, will extend its cash runway into the second half of 2028.

The securities sold in this PIPE are being made in a transaction not involving a public offering and have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. Pursuant to the securities purchase agreement, the Company has agreed to file a shelf registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) within 30 days of the closing to register the resale of ADSs representing the ordinary shares and those underlying the pre-funded warrants.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offering of the securities described above under the resale registration statement will only be by means of a prospectus.

About Kazia Therapeutics Limited

Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA) is an innovative oncology-focused drug development company, based in Sydney, Australia. Our lead program is paxalisib, a brain-penetrant pan-PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, which is being developed to treat multiple forms of brain cancer, including glioblastoma and brain metastases. A Phase 1b clinical trial is also underway evaluating paxalisib in combination with checkpoint inhibition and chemotherapy for patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer. EVT801, a selective VEGFR3 inhibitor, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial for advanced solid tumors. Kazia is working to rapidly progress these assets through clinical development and toward commercialization.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, which can generally be identified as such by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “future,” “forward,” “anticipate,” or other similar words. Any statement describing Kazia’s future plans, strategies, intentions, expectations, objectives, goals or prospects, and other statements that are not historical facts, are also forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: the completion of the PIPE, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related thereto, the intended use of proceeds from the PIPE, the anticipated extension of the Company’s cash runway into the second half of 2028 following completion of the PIPE, and the Company’s future expectations, plans and prospects. Such statements are based on Kazia’s current expectations and projections about future events and future trends affecting its business and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties: related to market and other conditions, associated with clinical and preclinical trials and product development, including the risk that preliminary or interim data may not reflect final results, related to regulatory approvals, and related to the impact of global economic conditions. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Kazia’s most recent Annual Report, filed on form 20-F with the SEC, and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Kazia undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required under applicable law. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this announcement.

For further information contact:

Alex Star
Managing Director
LifeSci Advisors LLC
Astarr@lifesciadvisors.com
Ph: +1 (201) 786-8795

Neurophet Appoints Josh Cohen, Former Executive from a Global Medical AI firm, as Head of Americas Business — To Accelerate U.S. Market

  • Expert in sales and commercial strategy…Ex-Philips and previously served as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Cortechs.ai
  • To strengthen revenue growth of AI-based brain imaging solutions in the North American market and expand product deployment across healthcare institutions

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Neurophet (Co-CEOs Jake Junkil Been and Donghyeon Kim), an artificial intelligence (AI) solution company for brain disorders diagnosis and treatment, announced on 2nd that it has appointed Josh Cohen, a veteran executive from leading global medical device companies, as new Head of Americas Business.

Josh Cohen, Head of Americas Business at Neurophet
Josh Cohen, Head of Americas Business at Neurophet

Josh Cohen, newly appointed Head of Americas, brings over a decade of expertise in sales and commercialization strategy within the medical AI sector. He has honed his skills through leadership roles in global sales and marketing at top-tier medical device companies, including Philips—one of the world’s leading medical imaging manufacturers—as well as Cortechs.ai, Shared Imaging, and most recently has worked as the acting Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) with MRI AI-based technology companies to launch and scale in the US and abroad.

Josh Cohen previously served as CCO at Cortechs.ai, one of Neurophet’s global rivals, where he spearheaded the growth of key AI-driven brain imaging analysis products and led the company’s expansion across international markets. Cortechs.ai specializes in AI-based medical imaging analysis software and directly competes with Neurophet in the Americas region.

Neurophet, market leader in the Asia Pacific region, is now focused on accelerating its entry into the Americas with this key appointment. Having led the execution of global commercialization strategies at a leading AI brain imaging analysis company, Josh Cohen will now build the team, the operations, and the customer success for Neurophet in the Americas.

With patients, clinicians, and customer satisfaction at the forefront, Neurophet aims to drive revenue growth, establish distribution partnerships, and implement market entry strategies across Canada, the United States, and South America.

Josh Cohen, Head of Americas Business at Neurophet, stated “I am delighted to be part of Neurophet, a company with global competitiveness in the field of imaging analysis related to Alzheimer’s disease treatment prescriptions and look forward to accelerating product sales by strengthening our entry into the North American market.”

Jake Junkil Been, Co-CEO of Neurophet, said “With Josh Cohen joining us, the pivotal leader behind the rapid growth of our key competitor Cortechs.ai, Neurophet is well-positioned to accelerate product deployment throughout the North American market. Looking ahead, we aim to expand our product offerings with a strong focus on major healthcare institutions across the United States.”

About Neurophet

Neurophet specializes in developing solutions for diagnosis support, treatment guides, and treatment devices targeting brain disorders based on cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The company was founded in 2016 by Co-CEOs Jake Junkil Been and Donghyeon Kim, who developed the next-generation neuro-navigation system.

Major products include brain MRI analysis software “Neurophet AQUA”, PET Image Quantitative Analysis Software “Neurophet SCALE PET”, Brain imaging treatment planning software for electric and magnetic brain stimulation “Neurophet tES/TMS LAB”, Alzheimer’s Disease treatment prescription and monitoring software “Neurophet AQUA AD” for tracking treatment efficacy and side effects, and Multiple Sclerosis image analysis software “Neurophet AQUA MS”.

Neurophet has set its top priority to helping patients suffering from brain disorders. Based on expertise in neuroscience, Neurophet will continue to challenge and grow to explore the human brain’s health and pioneer solutions for brain diseases with AI technology.

 

SPC Group’s Paris Baguette expands its global store count to 700, adding a new location in Westfield London

  • The new milestone came only 13 months after the opening of the 600th store
  • Paris Baguette is aggressively expanding its franchise footprint in Europe, building on its success in the US and China
  • The multi-unit franchise operation demonstrates the brand’s competitiveness and franchise partnership
  • Paris Baguette is scheduled to open its third franchise location near Portobello Market at end-2025

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Paris Baguette, the global bakery-café franchise under the SPC Group, is adding a new location in Westfield, expanding its global store count to 700. The new milestone came only 13 months after the company celebrated the opening of its 600th store in mid-October 2024.

Paris Baguette Westfield, the 700th global location
Paris Baguette Westfield, the 700th global location

Paris Baguette Westfield is Paris Baguette’s fourth location and second franchise store in the UK, reflecting the company’s success in expanding its franchise footprint beyond the US and China to Europe. Paris Baguette’s first franchise store in Canary Wharf has experienced a steady inflow of customers since the opening in November 2024, establishing a compelling presence in the UK market. Paris Baguette Canary Wharf is now well positioned to thrive, aided by a high repeat purchase rate. Notably, the Westfield location is opened by the owner of the first Paris Baguette franchise store. The multi-unit franchise operation demonstrates Paris Baguette’s solid brand competitiveness and franchise partnership.

The Westfield store is located on the ground floor of Westfield London, a large shopping mall in the Shepherds Bush area of west London. With hundreds of global brands across luxury goods, fashion, lifestyle and home appliance categories, Westfield London is one of the biggest shopping centers in the UK, attracting 50 million visitors annually. Paris Baguette Westfield features marble countertops, metal frames in the brand’s signature blue color, and wood finish, with the modern look accentuating the refined brand image. The Westfield store serves a diverse range of products including sandwiches, pastries, and cakes that have been well received by the UK and other European markets, creating unique experiences for both local customers and international visitors.

Wayne Stevenson, the owner of Paris Baguette’s first two franchise stores in the UK, said, “I am excited to be opening in a second location, as my first Paris Baguette in Canary Wharf has made its mark in the local community since its opening last year. What I have learned is that Paris Baguette leads the field in quality and innovation. I look forward to seeing Paris Baguette becoming a household name here.”

Paris Baguette launched in the UK in 2022, with a back-to-back opening of two sites in Battersea Power Station and Kensington High Street. In mid-December this year, the bakery-café chain is scheduled to open its fifth location and third franchise store in the UK, near Portobello Market, the setting for the movie Notting Hill, kicking its franchise business into high gear.

A Paris Baguette spokesperson said, “Building on the success of the first franchise store in the UK, we are adding two more franchise stores here. We are committed to enhancing brand awareness and competitiveness in Europe, where bread is a staple food, to take the lead in shaping the global bakery market.”

Paris Baguette made its initial foray into the global market in 2004 and has opened 700 stores in 15 countries over the past two decades across the US, Canada, France, the UK, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Brunei, and Mongolia.

Tsinghua art academy AADTHU hosts global conference in Milan exploring art & design education

BEIJING, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — This is a report from China.org.cn:

The Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU) held a major academic conference in Milan, Italy, on Nov. 15-16, under the theme “Future Context: A New Paradigm for Art and Design Education.”

The Tsinghua International Conference on Art & Design Education (ICADE) was hosted by Tsinghua University and organized by AADTHU, the Tsinghua University Milan Institute of Art & Design and the China-Italy Design Innovation Hub.

More than 100 university leaders, professors, scholars and industry representatives from art and design institutions across China, Italy, Australia,  Austria, Belgium, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries gathered in Milan for the event.

Over two days, the conference featured eight keynote speeches, two roundtable discussions with university leaders, four thematic forums, two parallel seminars, and a series of international art and design workshops. The program facilitated in-depth cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural dialogue as participants shared their experiences and explored how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping artistic expression and educational paradigms.

At the opening ceremony, Qin Chuan, secretary of the CPC Tsinghua Academy of Arts & Design committee, noted that the five years since the conference’s inception have coincided with dramatic global changes, including revolutionary breakthroughs in AI.

“On such an international platform, we firmly believe that regardless of how the global landscape and emerging technologies may change, we remain steadfast companions in art and design education, always seeking to enhance communication and deepen cooperation — this is our shared aspiration,” he stated. “We are also profoundly aware that art and design serve as a universal language capable of connecting the world amid these uncertain times.”

He said this year’s ICADE focuses on establishing a collaborative framework for the future, reflecting the deep integration of technology and culture. Discussions centered on redefining creative logic in the AI age, restructuring educational systems within interdisciplinary contexts and discovering possibilities for symbiotic coexistence amid cultural diversity.

“We look forward to working with all participants at this conference to collectively envision the future of art and design education, and to establish sustainable cooperation frameworks that face the world and embrace tomorrow,” he said.

The opening ceremony also featured speeches by Anna Barbara, president of POLI.design, a consortium of Politecnico di Milano; Dalia Gallico, executive vice president of the World Olymp’Arts Council; Lorenzo Imbesi, president of the Cumulus Association; and Wu Jian, head of the Haier Innovation Design Center. Wu Qiong, dean of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, sent a congratulatory letter. The ceremony was hosted by Shi Danqing, associate dean of AADTHU.

“Design as a discipline stands at a crucial turning point, where technological advancements, pressing social issues and evolving business models are collectively reshaping its boundaries and core,” Wu’s letter said. “May this conference serve as a catalyst for in-depth dialogue on how to reconstruct educational models and integrate art with technology within new contexts, thereby inspiring renewed vitality.”

On the first day, keynote speeches and a leaders’ roundtable brought together leaders from world-renowned art and design institutions, as well as pioneering founders of newly established schools that have garnered global attention. The speakers bridged the gap between classical heritage and future trends, focusing on current innovations to promote the sustainable development of art and design education.

Distinguished speakers included Anna Barbara, president of POLI.design; Rebecca Wright, dean of the S School at Central Saint Martins College of Art; Rachel Dickson, deputy director of the Glasgow School of Art; Francesco Zurlo, dean of the School of Design at Politecnico di Milano; Yang Dongjiang, chair of the academic committee at AADTHU; Kun-Pyo Lee, dean of the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and John Ochsendorf, founding director of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design.

Barbara called the digital revolution a “revolution of time,” urging designers to focus on shaping time rather than just physical space. She said AI will serve as a tool to harmonize human needs with the environment, helping to resolve the conflicts of a digital world and create a more sustainable shared economy.

Wright said that in the face of an uncertain future, design education needs to maintain a positive mindset, and constructing a new “design language” is key to addressing challenges. She emphasized that the real challenge lies not in whether to adopt AI, but in how to integrate technology with uniquely human wisdom.

Dickson said design education should break through traditional disciplinary frameworks and promote educational innovation through cross-field collaboration. She proposed building future design education on a balance of tradition and innovation, with curiosity at its core. She also called for a more inclusive, interdisciplinary system capable of solving global challenges like sustainable development.

Francesco Zurlo elaborated on the concept of interdependent design in his speech, emphasizing that design education must confront complexity rather than simplify problems. He said contemporary design needs to reunite humanistic values with technology. This philosophy, he argued, is essential for training designers who can address complex social challenges and build a sustainable future.

Yang discussed how design education must transform in the AI era. He said the field needs to shift its fundamental value from being technology-oriented to thinking-oriented. He emphasized the need to break through traditional linear knowledge structures and build new teaching systems that maintain professional skill training while focusing on developing students’ innovative thinking and systematic reasoning capabilities.

In his speech, Lee traced the historical evolution of design paradigms to reveal the transformation direction of design education in the AI era. He proposed that designers should become “final decision-makers” or “ultimate stewards,” urging educators to focus on sharpening students’ critical thinking and value judgment.

Ochsendorf emphasized that university education needs to accelerate its transformation. He said every student should possess fundamental design capabilities and complete a personal project portfolio, noting that designers need to lead the application of AI technology while ensuring it serves human needs.

Later that day, two roundtable discussions were held with leaders focusing on the themes “The Future Mission of Design: Interdisciplinary Education and Global Challenges” and “The Coordinates of Institutions Within the Contemporary Context.”

The second day featured thematic forums and seminars spanning diverse professional and academic fields. Scholars and industry experts from fields including spatial environments, fashion design, industrial design, information design, smart manufacturing, contemporary art, craft art and digital art engaged in wide-ranging discussions. The topics included “Rhetorical Translation: Aesthetic Resonance Across Cultures,””Double Subjects: Human-Machine Collaboration and Interdisciplinary Integration,””Plural Spaces: The Narrative Tension of Multi-Dimensional Experience,” and “Sensory Verbs: Bodily Experience and Artistic Expression.”

In addition, the RE-ACTOR: International Art & Design Workshops were held in Milan on Nov. 16, focusing on the theme “AI Protocols for New Space: Embodied Experiences and Ritual Habitats.”

Tsinghua art academy AADTHU hosts global conference in Milan exploring art & design education

http://www.china.org.cn/2025-12/01/content_118204360.shtml