SINGAPORE, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — NEC returns to this year’s Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF 2025), marking the event’s 10th anniversary with innovations that empower secure, connected, and intelligent financial ecosystems. SFF is the largest global fintech event and will run from 12–14 November at Singapore Expo, Hall 3. See NEC’s innovative solutions at Booth #3J31 and meet the team behind the tech.

NEC’s solutions evolve alongside customer needs, delivering capabilities that are globally trusted. From identity and insights to platforms and security, NEC’s technologies converge to drive both continuity and transformation, shaping the future of finance at SFF 2025.

Michio Kotegawa, Senior Vice President, Head of Financial Solutions Business Unit & Digital Financial Solutions & Innovation at NEC Asia Pacific, shared, “Finance is entering a new era where identity, insights, platforms, and security must work as one. At NEC, we are proud to bring proven solutions to ASEAN, empowering financial institutions to create what’s ahead for digital finance.”

What to Expect at NEC’s Booth #3J31

Face Payment (Digital ID as a Service)

Experience the future of checkout with NEC’s world-leading facial recognition. Payments are completed within seconds – secure, cashless, and cardless. Beyond speed, Face Payment reduces manpower needs, eliminates paper processes, and enhances operational efficiency. Try it at our coffee bar demo: register once and enjoy a complimentary coffee simply by scanning your face. More than a demo, this showcases how NEC co-creates with partners to elevate the payment journey.

NEC Financial Insights & Supply Chain Platform in the CFO’s Corner
CFOs are no longer just financial stewards – they are strategic leaders driving growth and resilience. NEC, in partnership with TASConnect, delivers a platform that provides:

• Real-time visibility across KPIs and liquidity
• Predictive analytics for smarter planning
• Multi-bank integration to streamline working capital
• Embedded supply chain financing (now powered by Agentic AI) to unlock trapped liquidity
• ESG-aligned financing to build sustainable value chains

Together, these capabilities enable CFOs to accelerate cash conversion cycles, reduce risk, and build resilience in a volatile environment.

Front-to-back software solutions from Avaloq, an NEC company
A Swiss premium front-to-back software and services provider with more than 40 years of innovation, Avaloq is trusted by more than 170 institutions in 35 countries. Its SaaS and BPaaS delivery models enable rapid scaling, cost reduction, and regulatory compliance. By automating back-office processes and equipping relationship managers with intuitive digital tools, Avaloq empowers banks to deliver seamless, personalised, and digital-first experiences for affluent and next-generation investors.

Cyber Intelligence & Operation Center
In digital finance, trust depends on resilience. NEC’s Cyber Intelligence & Operation Center combines decades of expertise in AI, and cybersecurity to provide 24/7 monitoring, AI-driven threat detection, and coordinated incident response. It ensures critical financial ecosystems remain secure, compliant, and operational, even amid evolving global threat.

Fireside Chats: Conversations That Matter
Beyond live demos, NEC will host a series of fireside chats with industry leaders, partners, and customers throughout SFF 2025. These conversations will explore emerging technologies, evolving regulations, and strategies for building future-ready financial ecosystems. See NEC’s schedule below to help plan your activities:

12 November

11.00am – 11.30am
Wealth insights 2025 for Asia and the Middle East
Know more about the emerging trends, evolving client expectations, and strategic opportunities that are shaping the future of wealth management across Asia and the Middle East.

3.00pm – 3.30pm
Intelligence in Motion – Agentic AI & the Future of Supply Chain Finance
Explore how Agentic AI is transforming supply chain financing, driving predictive liquidity management and decentralized trade ecosystems; and unlocking new efficiencies, trust models and regional growth.

13 November

11.00am – 11.30am
Redefining Financial Innovation: The Power of Strategic Partnerships
Understand how partnerships between financial institutions and technology-driven ventures are not just reshaping supply chain financing, but also setting new benchmarks for agility, customer-centricity, and digital transformation.

2.00pm – 2.30pm
Banking Operations: AI-driven transformation in the back office
Discover how AI is revolutionising back-office operations by driving greater efficiency, accuracy, and scalability in today’s modern banking environments.

Join NEC at SFF 2025
Singapore Expo, Hall 3 — Booth #3J31
12–14 November 2025 | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Book a private demo through sg_marketing@nec.com.sg and meet the NEC team. Visitors who book and attend will receive a special gift and a complimentary coffee after trying the Face Payment experience.

About NEC

NEC Asia Pacific leads in propelling Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives, integrating trusted technology with social responsibility. As a leading information and communications technology provider, NEC APAC is creating what’s ahead with innovative solutions through AI, analytics, data, digital services, enterprise infrastructure, and Managed Services to promote safety, security, and enhance the quality of life for individuals and the community.

NEC APAC’s technological advancements, dedicated to privacy and ethical usage, solidify trust among businesses and citizens. Together with NEC’s research laboratories, NEC APAC provides cutting-edge public safety, cybersecurity technologies, and enterprise solutions to enable smart and sustainable cities, with a vision to create a brighter future.

For more information and to learn more about NEC APAC’s innovative solutions, visit https://sg.nec.com/.

From museum collaborations to design showcases, events in São Paulo and Foz do Iguaçu underscore shared heritage.

HANGZHOU, China, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 2025 Silk Road Week, a global cultural initiative celebrating the spirit of exchange and cooperation along the ancient Silk Road, successfully concluded in Brazil, marking the event’s first-ever finale in South America. The closing activities took place in the twin cities of São Paulo and Foz do Iguaçu, featuring a series of exhibitions, demonstrations, and academic dialogues that highlighted the enduring vitality of silk culture and the deepening partnership between China and Brazil.

A Landmark Celebration in São Paulo

The São Paulo segment of the closing program centered around three major events — the exhibition “Silk Connects Mountains and Seas: From China to Brazil“, the demonstration “Beyond the Mulberry Fields: China Sericulture Intangible Cultural Heritages,” and the symposium “Sino-Brazilian Academic Dialogue: Museums Promoting Sustainable Development of Cultural Heritage.”

The opening ceremony and exhibition inauguration were held at the Museum of Immigration of the State of São Paulo, bringing together distinguished guests from both countries, including representatives from the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, the China National Silk Museum, the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in São Paulo, and local museum and cultural institutions.

Prior to the official opening, around 50 primary school students from São Paulo participated in hands-on workshops led by the China National Silk Museum. The activities — gilded fan printing and traditional loom weaving — introduced children to the artistry of Chinese sericulture and the timeless beauty of silk craftsmanship. The event provided a vivid and playful bridge between young audiences and traditional culture.

“Silk Road Week”: A Global Platform for Cultural Exchange

Initiated by National Cultural Heritage Administration of China and Zhejiang Provincial Government, Silk Road Week has been held annually for five consecutive years. It serves as a global platform to promote cultural dialogue, museum cooperation, and shared values of mutual understanding along the Silk Road.

In 2025, Brazil was selected as the Guest Country of Honor, marking a milestone in China–Latin America cultural collaboration. The Brazil events were designed as the concluding chapter of the year’s global Silk Road Week program, with a particular focus on exhibitions and creative engagements that illustrate the living legacy of silk.

“Silk Connects Mountains and Seas”: A Bridge Between Civilizations

Jointly curated by the China National Silk Museum and the Museum of Immigration of São Paulo, “Silk Connects Mountains and Seas: From China to Brazil” is one of the first projects under China’s “Bridges of Civilization” Initiative launched by the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China.

The exhibition traces silk’s journey from ancient China to the Americas, showcasing its dual role as a cultural symbol and a medium of exchange. Through authentic artifacts, immersive design, and interactive programming, it demonstrates how silk has woven connections among peoples, ideas, and artistic traditions across time and space. The display also features contributions from Huzhou, a city renowned for its silk heritage.

The exhibition will remain open to the public at the Museum of Immigration till March, 2026, offering visitors an opportunity to explore the shared heritage of silk through engaging displays and multimedia experiences.

Extending the Celebration to Foz do Iguaçu

Following the events in São Paulo, the celebration continued in Foz do Iguaçu, located in Brazil’s southern Paraná State — a global hub of hydroelectric innovation and a member of the Silk Road Cities Alliance.

The Foz do Iguaçu program featured the “Splendors of Silk: Chinese Silk Art” exhibition, as well as the “Sino-Brazilian Fashion Art Appointment: Silk Road Heritage Innovation Design Fashion Show.” These events were jointly organized by the China National Silk Museum and the Municipal Government of Foz do Iguaçu, underscoring the dynamic intersection of tradition, creativity, and sustainability.

The city’s participation reflects the broader partnership between Zhejiang Province and Paraná State, which have maintained a sister-province relationship fostering cultural and economic cooperation. During the event, the China National Silk Museum and the Municipal Government of Foz do Iguaçu signed a three-year cooperation agreement to develop a “Overseas Gallery of CNSM” in the city, marking a new chapter of long-term collaboration.

Leveraging Foz do Iguaçu’s global reputation as a tourism and cultural destination, both sides will co-host future initiatives integrating heritage, fashion, and innovation — beginning with the Silk Road Heritage Innovative Design Fashion Show, which reimagines traditional silk in the language of contemporary design.

A Shared Vision for the Future

The successful conclusion of the 2025 Silk Road Week in Brazil not only celebrated the shared legacy of the Silk Road but also reaffirmed a forward-looking vision of cultural sustainability. Through exhibitions, academic exchange, and community engagement, the events reflected how museums and cultural institutions can act as catalysts for dialogue and cooperation between nations.

As the Silk Road Week continues to evolve, its mission remains constant — to connect civilizations through mutual learning and creative exchange. The 2025 edition’s culmination in Brazil has vividly demonstrated how silk, once a symbol of trade and beauty, continues to serve as a thread binding cultures together across mountains and seas.

Setting new standards in responsible innovation, CSL’s Broadmeadows facility blends Pharma 4.0^™ principles with sustainable design to transform plasma manufacturing

BROADMEADOWS, AUSTRALIA, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CSL‘s base fractionation facility in Broadmeadows, Australia has been recognised as the Overall Winner of the 2025 Facility of the Year Award (FOYA) by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE).

Setting new standards in responsible innovation, CSL’s Broadmeadows facility blends Pharma 4.0™ principles with sustainable design to transform plasma manufacturing.

Purpose-built to optimise the production of plasma-derived therapies for conditions such as immunodeficiencies, neurological disorders, and burns, the Broadmeadows facility combines cutting-edge technologies with a pioneering hybrid manufacturing platform. Key features include advanced automation, real-time production monitoring, robotics, and digital twin infrastructure that enable flexible multi-process manufacturing, fully paperless execution and continuous improvement. Its modular design ensures scalability and long-term adaptability.

These advancements have increased plasma processing capacity nine-fold – enabling the facility to handle over 10 million litres annually – while boosting efficiency and yield, which enables CSL to impact the lives of more patients globally.

“This prestigious award underscores CSL’s unwavering commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability, and positions the Broadmeadows facility as a global benchmark in next-generation biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The Facility of the Year Award is a tribute to the dedication and collaboration of our entire team – across functions and continents,” emphasised Andrew Hodder, VP Manufacturing and Site Head at Broadmeadows.

The facility’s sustainable infrastructure plays a vital role in advancing CSL’s commitment to responsible innovation and long-term impact, with innovations such as reusable filters, energy-efficient systems, and a fully automated warehouse powered by robotic vehicles for seamless material handling. “By combining automation, digital innovation, and sustainable design, we’ve built a future-ready facility that not only meets the highest standards in pharmaceutical manufacturing but also sets a new benchmark for responsible innovation”, underlined Jeffrey Ball, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President for EHS, Strategy & Engineering.

This recognition builds on the facility’s earlier achievement in May 2025, when it received the ISPE FOYA award in the Pharma 4.0^™ category for its advanced use of digital technologies and automation to transform pharmaceutical manufacturing.

About CSL

CSL (ASX: CSL; USOTC: CSLLY) is a leading global biopharma company with a dynamic portfolio of lifesaving medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, vaccines to prevent influenza, and therapies in iron deficiency, dialysis and nephrology. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL – including our three businesses, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor – provides lifesaving products to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 29,000+ people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest. For inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit CSL.com/Vita 

For more information about CSL, visit CSL.com.

Media Contact

In Australia
Jeff Spicer
Mobile: +6 1410974799
Email: Jeff.Spicer@csl.com.au

In Europe
Pia Amend
Mobile: +49 151 25235305
Email: Pia.Amend@cslbehring.com 

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São Paulo and Foz do Iguaçu showcase exhibitions, fashion, and dialogues celebrating China–Brazil cultural exchange

SÃO PAULO, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 2025 Silk Road Week, a global initiative celebrating cultural exchange along the ancient Silk Roads, successfully concluded in Brazil — its first-ever finale in South America. Closing events in São Paulo and Foz do Iguaçu featured exhibitions, demonstrations, fashion show and dialogues highlighting silk’s enduring vitality and China–Brazil cultural partnership.

In São Paulo, the program centered on the exhibition “Silk Connects Mountains and Seas: From China to Brazil,” the demonstration “Beyond the Mulberry Fields: China Sericulture Intangible Cultural Heritages,” and a Sino-Brazilian academic symposium on museums and sustainable heritage. The opening at the Museum of Immigration brought together officials and museum representatives from both countries. Prior to the opening, local children joined hands-on workshops in gilded fan printing and loom weaving led by the China National Silk Museum, linking young audiences to Chinese craft traditions.

Initiated by China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Zhejiang Provincial Government, the Silk Road Week has become a key platform for cultural dialogue and museum cooperation. Brazil, as the 2025 Guest Country of Honor, hosted the event’s final chapter, showcasing the living legacy of silk.

Jointly curated by the China National Silk Museum and the Museum of Immigration, “Silk Connects Mountains and Seas” is part of China’s “Bridges of Civilization” initiative, exploring how silk linked continents and cultures. The exhibition runs through March 2026.

In Foz do Iguaçu, “Splendors of Silk: Chinese Silk Art,” organized by the Zhejiang culture and relics departments, showcased silk works blending tradition and modern design. During the event, the China National Silk Museum and the city signed a three-year agreement to establish an “Overseas Gallery of CNSM,” advancing cultural collaboration.

A highlight was the “Sino-Brazil Fashion Appointment: Silk Road Heritage Innovation Design,” inspired by auspicious Silk Road patterns. Co-organized by the China National Silk Museum, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, the Brazilian Consulate in Shanghai, the Foz do Iguaçu government, and CCTV’s Clothes Tell Tales, it was co-designed by Chinese and Brazilian designers and modeled by Brazilians at the iconic Triple Frontier—symbolizing creativity, friendship, and the Silk Roads’ shared beauty. The Brazil finale honored shared heritage and a vision of cultural sustainability, showing how silk connects civilizations across mountains and seas.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ERA Singapore announced new plans to further integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its proprietary SALES+ app, enhancing productivity and collaboration across its network of agents. The move follows the two-day SALES+ Amplified Tech Bootcamp, where ERA teammates were trained by top-performing realtors and company leaders. The upcoming enhancements will introduce next-generation AI features, reinforcing ERA’s position as the industry’s only agency offering the most advanced AI tools to empower agents and clients alike.

“Technology has always been integral in our business, strengthening ERA’s position as a leading real estate agency in AI adoption,” said Marcus Chu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), ERA Singapore. “Our SALES+ app currently leverages over 20 AI-powered functions, and we plan to double that number by 2026. In the next phase, we’re introducing enhanced practical, AI-driven tools that help our agents work smarter – from data-backed insights to more efficient client servicing. These upgrades are built to give our people a clear edge in an increasingly competitive market.”

Pioneering the Future of AI in Real Estate

ERA is advancing the next phase of AI innovation with features that boost agent productivity, streamline performance tracking, and enable smarter decision-making. These enhancements empower agents to strengthen their personal brands, identify quality leads, and close deals more efficiently. Reinforcing ERA’s position at the forefront of property technology, the upgrades continue its legacy of pioneering digital solutions since launching Singapore’s first real estate tech system in 1982.

Commitment to Staying Ahead

Since its launch in 2022, SALES+ has transformed how ERA agents work – from market analysis to closing deals on the go. Powered by advanced technologies including OpenAI’s GPT-5, the platform boosts productivity through intelligent automation and content creation.

With AI Guided and Advanced Creation modules, agents can instantly generate property listings, SEO-optimised copy, event invites, and personalised greetings – all tailored to clients’ needs by specifying tone, purpose, and audience.

Beyond content creation, SALES+ empowers agents in their daily work with AI-powered tools such as instant translation, Google Ads generation, and an AI Legal Adviser that simplifies complex clauses to help agents better guide clients. AI Staging transforms cluttered property photos into visually compelling marketing images, while the AI Script Creator crafts personalised client messages and follow-ups, seamlessly integrated with WhatsApp for added efficiency.

The platform also features AI Property Reports with data-driven charts and insights tailored to different client profiles – offering actionable recommendations that support smarter property decisions.

Adoption of the app has been strong since launch, with over 75% of our ERA agents generating more than 534,000 AI queries, including nearly 90,000 property reports to date. This continued momentum reinforces ERA’s position as the only real estate agency in Singapore with the most advanced AI tools driving greater efficiency and value for both agents and clients.

Complementing this, ERA has built a dedicated team of over 10 AI specialists since 2023 to integrate advanced tools that enable its tech teams to code faster, smarter, and with fewer errors. These innovations streamline workflows, optimise performance, and enhance code quality through intelligent automation. The team also automates cloud infrastructure management for greater scalability and reliability, and accelerates UI/UX design workflows to boost creativity while reducing repetitive tasks. In parallel, AI-powered cybersecurity systems safeguard digital resources by proactively detecting threats, analysing risks, and executing automated responses. Additionally, ERA leverages AI-generated voice and video content for SALES+ tutorials, giving agents interactive, on-demand learning experiences that make mastering new features faster and more intuitive.

“Our mission is to empower every ERA agent to be future-ready,” added Raymond Leong, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), ERA Singapore. “By constantly investing in technology, we’re ensuring that our people have the right tools to serve clients with speed, precision, and professionalism – at the click of a button, wherever they are.”

Click here for more information on ERA’s SALES+ app.

About ERA Singapore

ERA Singapore, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SGX mainboard-listed APAC Realty Limited, is the largest international agency in Singapore and has been setting and redefining industry standards through the pioneering of real estate concepts, technologies, initiatives and services since its inception in 1982. The Group has one of the largest brand footprints in Asia with more than 21,900 trusted advisors across 564 offices in 13 countries and territories as at 30 September 2025, namely Singapore, Australia, Cambodia, Mainland China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. ERA Singapore is the largest ERA Member Broker globally by transaction value.

In Singapore, we provide a diverse range of professional services and solutions: private and HDB residential resale, residential leasing, project marketing, commercial and industrial, auction, valuation and research. The Ultimate Agent Training Programme revolutionizes the skills of ERA’s trusted advisers. Through a curated curriculum, we provide them with the latest market trends and insights, ensuring they consistently outperform the competition. With more than four decades of experience, extensive network and innovative technological tools, we have secured innumerable dream homes for our customers in Singapore and around the world.

Our accolades are testament to our business excellence – ERA Singapore was the first and only agency to receive The Straits Times’ Singapore’s Best Customer Service award for three consecutive years (2025/2026), and also the only real estate agency in Singapore to be ranked among Asia-Pacific’s Best Employers by The Financial Times in 2025. Our recent achievements also include 5-Star Best Real Estate Agency (Single Office) in Singapore by Asia Pacific Property Awards, Innovator of the Year (Real Estate Agency) by SBR Management Excellence Awards and Best Luxury Real Estate Brokerage in Singapore by Luxury Lifestyle Awards.

ERA Singapore has also been recognised over the years as one of Singapore’s Most Trusted Brands by Asia Reader’s Digest; Top Property Agency by Influential Brands; Most Innovative Real Estate Agency by SBR Listed Companies Awards; Favourite Real Estate Agent (Gold) Award by Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards; and recipient of the Marketing Agency Excellence Award at EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards.

Visit ERA‘s website for more information.