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Xinhua Silk Road: 2025 Yangtze River Culture and Arts Season closes in C. China’s Yichang

BEIJING, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 2025 Yangtze River Culture and Arts Season concluded on the evening of October 30 in Yichang City, central China’s Hubei Province.

The event brought together film professionals, cultural scholars and representatives from various sectors across the country.

The Yangtze River Culture and Arts Season was co-hosted by the People’s Government of Hubei Province, the Changjiang Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, and China Three Gorges Corporation.

Running from September 12 to October 30, the cultural event featured 12 main events, including an opening ceremony titled “lighting up the Yangtze River,” a film week named “images of the Yangtze River,” and an online communication week called “sounds and sights of the Yangtze River”.

The closing ceremony held at the Yichang Olympic Sports Center Stadium showcased achievements in fine arts, photography, music, theater and literature during the festival.

In recent years, Yichang has hosted events such as the China Three Gorges International Tourism Festival and the Global Tour Operators Conference, promoting the international reach of Qu Yuan culture and intangible cultural heritage projects.

Over the past five years, these events had attracted participants from more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, enhancing the global influence of regional cultural brands.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/348164.html

Taylor’s University is Now Ranked 27th in Asia

SUBANG JAYA, Malaysia, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Taylor’s University continues its remarkable ascent, breaking into the Top 30 universities in Asia. The University is now ranked 27th in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026. This achievement not only cements Taylor’s position as Southeast Asia’s leading private university for the fifth consecutive year but also affirms its growing influence as one of the region’s most progressive and future-focused institutions.


This milestone represents a significant leap forward across key indicators, with exceptional progress in Academic Reputation, Citations per Paper, and International Research Network.

Professor Barry Winn, Vice-Chancellor and President of Taylor’s University, highlighted the importance of this recognition in strengthening Taylor’s vision for education that is both transformative and globally relevant.

“The continuous rise in our ranking reflects our commitment to quality education. We are dedicated to delivering excellence through a purposeful approach, ensuring every initiative, partnership, and innovation is aligned with our mission to foster personal growth, societal impact, and sustainable development.”

This commitment to quality has been further validated through the Malaysian Qualifications Agency’s (MQA) recent conferment of Self-Accreditation Status, endorsed by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia — a distinction held by only 20 institutions nationwide. This recognition represents the Government’s highest trust in Taylor’s academic governance and quality assurance, empowering the University to accredit its own programmes and reinforcing global confidence in the quality and employability of its graduates.

Taylor’s emphasis on academic excellence and thought leadership is also reflected in the appointment of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta, as an Honorary Adjunct Professor for its Bachelor in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Honours) programme — a testament to the University’s growing stature as a hub for transformative education and global dialogue.

In addition, Taylor’s University continues to uphold an exceptional 99.5% graduate employment rate, as recorded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia in 2024, significantly surpassing the national average of 92.5%.

To learn more about Taylor’s University and its transformative initiatives, please visit the website.

Xinhua Silk Road: Fujian’s Nanping and Fuzhou deepen “mountain-sea cooperation” for shared development

BEIJING, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The photo shows the exterior view of the “Wuyi Landscape” agricultural and speciality products exhibition center in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province

The photo shows the exterior view of the
The photo shows the exterior view of the “Wuyi Landscape” agricultural and speciality products exhibition center in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province.

Fujian’s Nanping and Fuzhou are deepening their “mountain-sea cooperation” to advance coordinated regional development, with fruitful results seen across industry, culture, transport and ecology.

Since the partnership began, both sides have leveraged complementary strengths and refined collaboration mechanisms. 30 government departments and state-owned enterprises have signed cooperation agreements, while joint efforts in tourism, education, and logistics have flourished.

In Fuzhou, the “Wuyi Landscape” agricultural and speciality products exhibition center, opened in 2024, has become a vibrant showcase of Nanping’s tea and agricultural products, hosting over 30 cultural events and attracting about 17,000 visitors.

Educational ties are expanding as well. Under the 2024 cooperation framework, more than 23,000 Fuzhou students have participated in study tours in Nanping, experiencing the region’s rich ecological and cultural heritage. Joint programs are also strengthening teacher training and vocational education.

Industrial collaboration between Fuzhou and Nanping continues to deepen. The two cities are jointly advancing the Minjiang River shipping route to build an efficient logistics network that lowers costs and enhances competitiveness.

To date, 32 cooperative investment projects worth 8.4 billion yuan have been signed, injecting new momentum into the province’s high-quality development. The growing “mountain-sea cooperation” is becoming a model of coordinated progress in the new era.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/348152.html

Ultra Maritime Provides Next Generation Torpedo Defence to Australia’s Hunter Class Frigates

ADELAIDE, Australia, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ultra Maritime, the premier provider of torpedo defence and anti-submarine warfare solutions, has been selected to provide next generation torpedo defence capabilities for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Hunter Class Frigate Program. This award adds to an expanding set of crewed and uncrewed vessels benefiting from Ultra Maritime’s pioneering technologies.

Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime Australia Jonathan Sadleir AM signs the contract with BAE Systems Australia for the company's Surface Ship Torpedo Defense System on the Hunter Class Frigate at IndoPac 2025.
Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime Australia Jonathan Sadleir AM signs the contract with BAE Systems Australia for the company’s Surface Ship Torpedo Defense System on the Hunter Class Frigate at IndoPac 2025.

The Hunter class will deploy Ultra Maritime’s Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD), combining a single in-line towed array with automatic threat alert for unparalleled performance, maintaining a high probability of detection coupled with low false alarm rate whilst minimizing overall operator workload. The contract from BAE Systems Maritime Australia provides the RAN with a full “sense to effect” capability to keep ships and crews safe from torpedo threats.

Ultra Maritime previously announced that its Hull Mounted Sonar (HMS) has also been selected for the Hunter class. Both systems are included in the baseline Global Combat Ship anti-submarine warfare (ASW) design, meaning the RAN will share commonality with the UK, Canada, Norway, plus other countries that use this premiere hull form in the future. The RAN will see not only benefit from scale and commonality, but through future spiral developments and through life support.

Leveraging Ultra Maritime’s strong Adelaide presence, global technology and expertise in crewed and uncrewed undersea warfare, the company is positioned to support future maritime programs for AUKUS while continuing to grow and develop Australia’s sovereign undersea warfare capabilities.

About Ultra Maritime

Ultra Maritime is a global leader in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) solutions across airborne, surface and undersea domains, charting a path to the future of unmanned and hybrid maritime dominance. With world-leading ASW technology, experts, decades of experience and significant investments across the business, Ultra Maritime is developing new, unique capabilities at an unprecedented rate. Operating across the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia, Ultra Maritime brings allied navies solutions today for tomorrow’s advantage through strategic partnerships and groundbreaking technology. At Ultra Maritime, the theoretical is suddenly achievable.

Visit our website www.umaritime.com, and follow us on LinkedIn.

Photo – https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ultra_maritime_signs_the_contract_with_bae_systems.jpg 

Voice Agent Pioneer WIZ.AI Raises Tens of Millions in Series B to Scale Enterprise AGI Solution Globally

With industry-leading localisation and proven LLM applications, WIZ.AI is set to deepen its root in LLM application and expand its footprint in new emerging markets.

SINGAPORE, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — WIZ.AI, a Singapore-based AI company pioneering the enterprise application of large language models (LLMs) in Southeast Asia, today announced the successful closing of its Series B funding round, raising tens of millions of USD.

The round was led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the corporate venture capital arm of Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). It saw participation from new strategic investors, including Beacon Venture Capital (the venture arm of Thailand’s Kasikorn Bank) and SMIC SG Holdings. Existing investors, including Singtel Innov8 (the venture arm of Singtel Group) and Granite Asia, also deepened their commitment, reaffirming their confidence in WIZ.AI’s technological leadership and market vision.

Pioneering Localised AI for the Enterprise

As one of the first to deploy enterprise GenAI and LLM solutions in Southeast Asia, WIZ.AI has set a new standard for intelligent customer engagement. The company’s platform is celebrated for its unmatched accuracy and natural conversational quality in complex local languages and dialects, delivering a superior customer experience that is both culturally nuanced and highly effective.

Designed for the rigours of large-scale enterprise demands, WIZ.AI’s solutions are built on a foundation of robust security and proven maturity. A key differentiator is the platform’s architecture, which provides clients with the agility for rapid scaling up or down—ensuring they can adapt swiftly to changing business needs in dynamic markets.

Growth, Innovation, and a Vision for the Future

Since its inception in 2019, WIZ.AI has demonstrated a consistent trajectory of robust growth, with revenue surging by over 100% in the most recent 2024-2025 period. This success is driven by its ability to deliver tangible business outcomes through AI.

“This funding is a powerful endorsement of our ‘local-first’ strategy and our role as a pioneer in applying LLMs to solve real-world business challenges in the region,” said Jianfeng Lu, Founder and CEO of WIZ.AI. “It will empower us to further enhance our platforms capabilities, in delivering even more secure, scalable, and human-like AI solutions, and in completing Wiz.AI’s AI Transformation Strategy for enterprises. Furthermore, we are excited to deepen our market penetration and expand into new frontiers like Latin America.”

Highlighting the strategic alignment, Keiji Matsunaga, General Manager of the Digital Strategy Department at SMBC, commented: “SMBC Group has positioned AI at the core of its business transformation strategy to reimagine customer experience. We believe WIZ.AI’s human-like voicebot solution—capable of adapting to diverse local languages, regional nuances, and accents—will serve as a critical enabler in accelerating our transformation across the APAC region.”

Beacon VC’s Managing Partner, Thanapong Na Ranong, expressed profound confidence in the startups mission and technology. “We believe this solution has the potential to transform the economy,” stated Thanapong. “By shifting repetitive tasks, WIZ.AI is providing the workforce with the flexibility to upskill into more creative or critical roles. Crucially, the technology itself, while localized, is inherently scalable, designed to onboard clients in new sectors and geographies. Beacon VC sees this investment as more than just a financial opportunity; its a chance to accelerate a paradigm shift in employment and economic output, positioning WIZ.AI as a critical enabler of the future of work.”

Sharan Makhija, Sr. Director of Investments at Singtel Innov8, commented, “WIZ.AIs human-like voice AI solutions have been adopted and have demonstrated good outcomes across a range of use cases within the Singtel Group. We look forward to continuing our journey with WIZ.AI”.

Fueling the Next Phase of Growth

The new funding will accelerate enhancements to WIZ.AI’s core AGI platform and support strategic expansion into new emerging markets. This investment will extend the company’s AI capabilities across a wider range of customer engagement scenarios.

Additionally, WIZ.AI will further develop its AI Partner Solutions, providing end-to-end AGI implementation services tailored for the Southeast Asian market. These solutions ensure seamless technology integration and measurable business outcomes for enterprises across the region.

About WIZ.AI

WIZ.AI is a leading voice agent company specialising in AI-powered omnichannel customer engagement. Our mission is to build leading AI products for emerging markets, empowering enterprises to operationalise AI safely, efficiently, and at scale. We help global businesses connect with customers more effectively by delivering the right message at the right time through the right channels, including telephony, chat, messaging, and email.

About SMBC Asia Rising Fund

SMBC Asia Rising Fund serves as the corporate venture capital arm of SMBC, one of the leading banks in Japan. Designed to accelerate business development and cultivate strategic partnerships, the fund invests in high-potential startups actively operating across the Asia-Pacific region. Through this initiative, SMBC Group seeks to enhance its business capabilities and deliver innovative solutions to clients by leveraging emerging technologies, collaborating with portfolio companies, and developing new business models and products.

About Beacon Venture Capital

Beacon Venture Capital was officially established in 2016 to serve as the venture capital arm of Kasikornbank PLC (SET: KBANK), a leading commercial bank in Thailand. Beacon VC focuses on strategic investments in early to growth-stage technology startups covering financial technology (FinTech), consumer internet, and enterprise technology. The current fund size is 255 million US dollars. Some of the startups in which the fund has invested include FlowAccount and Jitta in Thailand, as well as Nium in Singapore.

About SMIC SG Holdings

SMIC SG Holdings Pte. Ltd. is a 100% owned subsidiary of SM Investments Corporation and is an investment holding company for potential minority stakes in foreign companies.

Stripe and NEC to Provide Face Recognition Payment Service via Stripe Terminal

– Demonstration of Face Recognition Payments with Stripe Reader S700 at Singapore FinTech Festival –

TOKYO, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Stripe and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) have begun exploring integration of the Stripe Reader S700 payment terminal, compatible with the unified commerce solution Stripe Terminal, with NEC’s face recognition payment service. By combining Stripe’s payment terminals, payment services, and functions with NEC’s face recognition technology, which boasts world-leading authentication accuracy*, the companies aim to provide secure, simple, and convenient hands-free payments, enhancing customer experience value.

Stripe and NEC will showcase this face recognition payment experience with the Stripe Reader S700 at the Singapore FinTech Festival from November 12 to 14.

Stripe Terminal is a robust unified commerce solution, seamlessly integrating in-store and online payments to enhance customer experiences across channels. Available in 25 countries, it delivers real-time customer insights via a unified dashboard. The Wi-Fi-enabled Stripe Reader S700, designed for both countertop and handheld use, offers intuitive, smartphone-like functionality for superior ease of use.

Face recognition payment experience with Stripe Reader S700
Face recognition payment experience with Stripe Reader S700

Face recognition payment experience with Stripe Reader S700
Face recognition payment experience with Stripe Reader S700

“Through this collaboration, Stripe is proud to support NEC’s world-renowned face recognition technology, enabling its use for payments through our unified commerce solution, Stripe Terminal.” said Daniel Heffernan, Product Lead of Stripe Japan. “By taking this step, we aim to enhance the shopping experience for the consumers around the world.”

“NEC is confident that the advanced customizability of the unified commerce solution Stripe Terminal will help to address a wide range of challenges in face-to-face payment scenarios,” said Kazuhisa Shimizu, Corporate Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Financial Solutions Division, NEC Corporation. “By combining NEC’s world-class face recognition technology with Stripe’s globally trusted payment platform, we aim to provide a new payment experience and create a world where everyone can safely, easily, and conveniently utilize digital technology.”

*NEC has achieved the No.1 ranking multiple times in face recognition benchmark tests conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Please note that NIST evaluation results do not constitute an endorsement of any particular system, product, service, or company by the U.S. government.

https://www.nec.com/en/global/solutions/biometrics/index.html

About Stripe

Stripe is building programmable financial services for millions of businesses globally. Millions of companies use Stripe to accept payments online and in person, embed financial services, power custom revenue models, and build a more profitable business. Headquartered in San Francisco and Dublin, Stripe processes over $1.4 trillion of payments annually, equivalent to 1.3% of global GDP. Stripe users include half of the Fortune 100, 80% of the Forbes Cloud 100 and 78% of the Forbes AI 50. Through its scale and investments in R&D—particularly artificial intelligence and stablecoins—Stripe accelerates the utility of frontier technology in the global economy.

About NEC

The NEC Group leverages technology to create social value and promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential.

NEC Corporation was established in 1899. Today, the NEC Group’s approximately 110,000 employees utilize world-leading AI, security, and communications technologies to solve the most pressing needs of customers and society.

For more information, please visit https://www.nec.com, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. ©2025 NEC Corporation.

Taiwan Smart Manufacturing Showcases Innovation and Collaboration at METALEX 2025

BANGKOK, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Taiwan’s Precision Machinery Research & Development Center (PMC) is leading five outstanding manufacturers to METALEX 2025 under the TAIWAN SELECT” banner, showcasing cutting-edge technologies in automation, digital transformation, and precision engineering. With strong support from both government and industry, this initiative highlights Taiwan’s leadership in smart manufacturing and its growing partnership with ASEAN industries.

Event Information
Event Information

Driving Smart Transformation for ASEAN

Taiwan’s precision machinery industry continues to push the boundaries of innovation, sustainability, and industrial integration. At METALEX 2025, visitors will experience how Taiwan Smart Manufacturing delivers solutions that combine intelligence, reliability, and performance—empowering factories in automotive, aerospace, and energy sectors toward smarter, greener production.

Five TAIWAN SELECT Innovators

Chi Zong introduces battery-powered hoists and portable winches that offer cordless mobility and safer lifting for construction, logistics, and EV manufacturing.
Kent Industrial presents high-precision surface grinding technology with automated stability and energy efficiency, achieving faster, cleaner, and more sustainable machining.
Palmary showcases CNC internal grinding solutions that deliver superior accuracy and finish through simultaneous rotation and grinding—ideal for molds and precision parts.
Quaser features 5-axis machining with flexible automation, enabling round-the-clock precision production for aerospace, medical, and semiconductor applications.
Sun Firm highlights heavy-duty CNC and vertical lathes with multi-axis control and live tooling, offering high rigidity and efficiency for large-scale industrial components.

Press Conference, Forum & Business Matching

The TAIWAN SELECT Press Conference, on November 19 (Wednesday) at 2:00 PM, Hall 102, Booth BM09, will unveil these innovations through live product presentations and networking opportunities.

The following day, the PMC Forum – “Shaping the Future of Smart Manufacturing” will bring together thought leaders from Tongtai, L.K. Machinery, and Palmary, sharing real-world insights into digitalization, sustainability, and Taiwan–Thailand collaboration.

Throughout the four-day exhibition, daily business matching sessions organized by PMC will connect ASEAN buyers with Taiwan’s leading machinery suppliers.

Participants can also receive exclusive souvenirs and join daily lucky draws featuring a wide range of exciting prizes—celebrating innovation and strengthening connections between Taiwan and Thailand’s manufacturing industries.

With innovation, precision, and partnership at its core, Taiwan Smart Manufacturing continues to shape the future of ASEAN industry—where ideas meet opportunity.

Siemens Receives Frost & Sullivan’s 2025 Southeast Asian Data Center Infrastructure Solutions Company of the Year Recognition for Excellence in Technological Innovation and Advanced Automation

This company is recognized for combining advanced simulation, product innovation, and automation to deliver operational flexibility, sustainability, and continuous innovation across Southeast Asia’s data center market.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan has named Siemens the 2025 Southeast Asian Company of the Year in the data center infrastructure solutions industry for its outstanding achievements in technological innovation, operational excellence, and customer impact. This recognition highlights Siemens’s leadership in delivering advanced automation and digitalization solutions that enhance performance, reliability, and sustainability for data center operators across the region.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. Siemens excelled in both, demonstrating its ability to align strategic initiatives with market demand while executing them efficiently and consistently across diverse Southeast Asian markets. “Frost & Sullivan recognizes Siemens for aligning sustainability commitments with continuous innovation, providing solutions that support data centers throughout their entire lifecycle. This focus builds customer trust and strengthens the company’s position as a reliable partner in an increasingly competitive market,” said Ravi Krishnaswamy, Associate Partner, Regional Leader at Frost & Sullivan.

Guided by a long-term growth strategy centered on technological breakthroughs and advanced automation solutions, Siemens continues to demonstrate agility and foresight in addressing the evolving needs of Southeast Asia’s fast-growing data center industry.

Innovation remains central to Siemens’ approach. Its latest innovations include:

  • Siemens EcoTech label: The sustainability product label provides customers with the necessary transparency on the certified products’ performance across environmentally relevant criteria. This capability enables informed decision making while supporting sustainability goals.
  • blue GIS (SF6-Free): The product facilitates the global market’s ongoing SF6 phase-out by replacing the high global warming potential gas with ‘Clean Air’ and incorporates circularity to minimize environmental impact while offering high reliability and operational safety.
  • Heat reuse solutions: Automated to capture and repurpose excess heat, these systems reduce data centers’ energy consumption and enhance sustainability.
  • Desigo CC: The open, flexible, and scalable building management system for high performing buildings allows for increased comfort, security, operational efficiency, and energy efficacy.
  • Building X: The cloud-based digital building platform offers various services and ready-to-use, AI-based applications, such as Energy Manager, Sustainability Manager, and Lifecycle Twin. Its implementation enhances energy efficiency and provides full transparency while generating higher net operating income.

“We are honored and proud to receive this award. This esteemed recognition is a powerful affirmation of Siemens’ unwavering dedication to pioneering technological innovation and delivering integrated, future-ready infrastructure that creates highly efficient, resilient, and sustainable data centers,” commented Dr Thai-Lai Pham, President and CEO of Siemens ASEAN.

Siemens has operated in Southeast Asia for more than a century, maintaining a strong presence across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its localized strategy combines regional expertise with global centers of competence to ensure that each solution is adapted to local market conditions while upholding international standards. This model allows Siemens to manage complex projects consistently and deliver measurable results across diverse customer segments.

The company’s value engineering services strengthen its customer partnerships. Dedicated centers work directly with clients to evaluate the total cost of ownership before purchase decisions, helping operators understand capital and operational impacts. Siemens also allows customer site visits to its factories to review product configurations and witness its quality standards firsthand—reinforcing transparency, reliability, and trust.

Frost & Sullivan commends Siemens for its ability to combine localized production, digital innovation, and global expertise to deliver cost efficiency, risk reduction, and customer confidence. Its structured execution, sustainability-focused product portfolio, and long-standing regional presence demonstrate the ability to deliver infrastructure solutions that meet Southeast Asia’s most pressing data center needs.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Company of the Year Recognition to an organization that demonstrates excellence in growth strategy and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in market share, customer satisfaction, and competitive positioning. The recognition honors forward-thinking companies that redefine their industries through innovation and strategic execution.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Recognition

Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Recognitions honor companies across regional and global markets that exhibit exceptional achievement and consistent excellence in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer experience, and strategic product development. Each recognition is the result of a rigorous analytical process in which Frost & Sullivan industry experts benchmark performance through comprehensive interviews, deep-dive analysis, and extensive secondary research. The goal is to identify true best-in-class organizations that are driving transformative growth and setting new industry standards.
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Contact

Camila Tinajero
E: camila.tinajero@frost.com

About Siemens
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare. The company’s purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable, and transportation more sustainable. A leader in industrial AI, Siemens leverages its deep domain know-how to apply AI – including generative AI – to real-world applications, making AI accessible and impactful for customers across diverse industries. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a leading global medical technology provider pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. In fiscal 2024, which ended on September 30, 2024, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €75.9 billion and net income of €9.0 billion. As of September 30, 2024, the company employed around 312,000 people worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.