29 C
Vientiane
Thursday, May 1, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 2256

Borsa Vini Italiani Returns for Its 3rd Edition In November, With A Spectacular Selection Of The Finest Italian Wines

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 29 March 2022 – Following the success of its 2nd edition of Borsa Vini Italiani, the one-day trade exhibition will return to Singapore for its 3rd edition this November, bringing together a new selection of spectacular Italian wines that will sure to impress local wine buyers, connoisseurs and sommeliers. Borsa Vini 2022 is organised by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). This year it will be held within the framework of the Italian Cuisine Week, a special initiative presented by the Embassy of Italy, in collaboration with ITA and other Italian institutional partners in November.

Leading up to this year’s edition, ITA will be organising various initiatives for 2022 in close coordination and collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Singapore. On one spectrum, ITA will explore several new innovative sectors such as fintech, smartmobility, agritech, renewables energy, together with a dedicated acceleration programme for Italian startups to be hosted in Singapore. On the other, ITA will continue to promote Italy’s excellences in the traditional sectors, such as design, furniture, jewellery, luxury, food and beverage (F&B), as well as to drive awareness and appreciation for wines from the North, centre and South of Italy.

Aside from Borsa Vini 2022, ITA will be participating in the Food&HotelAsia (FHA) event on 5-8 September 2022 to showcase the best of Italian food in South East Asia. Attendees can look forward to live cooking demonstrations with Italian chefs, masterclasses, specific talks on sustainable and innovative food and the promotion of Italian products displayed throughout the event. Within the FHA exhibition, ITA will also be present with a pavilion at Prowine, an exhibition on wine which saw the participation of 270 wine makers from 33 different countries in the previous edition.

H.E Ambassador of Italy to Singapore, Mario Andrea Vattani said, “In the last few years Singaporeans enjoy more and more Italian food and wine. Our F&B exports to Singapore grew by over 15% in 2021, and they’re still going up. We’re very happy to see that it’s our wines who have been the drivers of this growth, because our wines tell us much more than the story of their distinctive taste and high quality. Our wines embody the spirit of our territory, the variety of our regions, and the roots of our millenary history. For many of our Singaporean friends, to enjoy a glass of Italian wine is to finally travel back to the Italian landscapes that they know so well. Through the Borsa Vini event we will bring together a fine selection of wineries and of Singaporean importers, with seminars by professional sommeliers to make sure that culture and taste continue to thrive in Singapore, truly one of the food Capitals of the world.”

Commenting on Borsa Vini’s returning showcase in Singapore, Ilaria Piccinni, Deputy Trade Commissioner of the Italian Trade Agency in Singapore said, “We’re excited to be back out and about again, celebrating the best in Italian wine and culture with the return of Borsa Vini’s 3rd edition in Singapore. The challenges of COVID-19 is still being felt throughout the world, but we’ve seen a leap in demand in many markets after overcoming 2020’s pandemic slump. For instance, there’s been a significant change in consumer behaviour and a growing appetite amongst consumers who are embracing mindful drinking while exploring and experimenting new tastes and diverse wine varieties. Beyond the traditional, we’ve also turned up the notch on innovation, sustainability and have leveraged our network of wine portfolios with Made in Italy excellence, to expand the presence of Italian wines in Singapore.”

Famed as the leading producer of excellent wine, Italian wines from the European country are world-renowned for their quality, tradition and innovation. Their autochthone vineyards are highly appreciated both in Italy and on international markets. The F&B sector in Italy represents a key industry with total exports topping 43 billion Euros in 2021, making up 9% of its total exports. In Asia, Italian F&B exports are enjoying a continuous double-digit growth in the last three years, interrupted only in 2020 due to economic downturn caused by the pandemic. In Singapore, they continue to be popular with exports growing by 15.1% in Jan-Nov 2021 (97.2 million Euro) compared to the same period of 2020 surpassing the exports registered in Jan-Nov 2018 and 2019. As of the same period, Italy retained its long-standing 2nd position among EU countries as a Singapore supplier of wine, behind France, and 5th position worldwide behind France, Australia, UK, and China.

More details about Borsa Vini 2022 and the full list of participating wine companies will be announced later this year. For more information, visit https://www.ice.it/en/.

About Italian Trade Agency

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is the governmental agency that supports the development of their companies abroad and promotes the attraction of foreign investment in Italy. With a motivated and modern organization and a widespread network of overseas offices, ITA provides information, assistance, consulting, promotion and training to Italian small and medium-sized businesses. Using the most modern multi-channel promotion and communication tools, it acts to assert the excellence of Made in Italy in the world. ITA offices are the ideal gateway for enterprises to establish business relationships with Italian partners, from sourcing Italian products, to investment opportunities in Italy. For more information, visit .

#ItalianTradeAgency

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Laos-China Railway Suspends Vientiane-Luang Prabang Route Amid Omicron Outbreak

Laos-China Railway suspends services amid Omicron outbreak

The Laos-China Railway has suspended some passenger train operations between Vientiane and Luang Prabang until 31 March.

SSY Group Limited announces 2021 annual results

Net profits up 28% to HK$786 million with final dividend HK$0.07/share

Promote scientific research innovation; Optimisation of product mix

Results summary:

  • Total revenue HK$5,357 million, representing an increase of 25.7% y-o-y
  • Net profits HK$786 million, representing an increase of 28.4% y-o-y
  • The Board resolved to pay final dividend of HK$0.07 /share

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 29 March 2022 – SSY Group Limited (“SSY” or the “Company”; Stock Code: 2005.HK) and its subsidiaries (together, the “Group”) presents the annual results of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2021 (“2021” or “the year”).

During the year, the Group achieved a revenue of HK$5,357 million, representing an increase of 25.7% and the gross profit margin decreased by 4.4 percentage point to 59.2%. The Group achieved net profits of HK$786 million, representing an increase of 28.4% compared with last year. Faced with the adjustments in the pharmaceutical market and industrial policy amidst the normality under novel coronavirus epidemic, the Group made concerted efforts to overcome the various adverse effects brought by the epidemic and market competition with its endeavor in operation and implementation of various measures to ensure market support. As the Group made strenuous efforts to promote scientific research, innovation and structural optimisation, new products and product types under evaluations have been approved successively. With the accelerated utilisation of the production capacity of main bulk pharmaceuticals and preparations, the Group delivered favourable performance in promoting the integrated development in relation to the whole industry chain and diversified forms from medical materials, bulk pharmaceuticals to high value-added preparations, providing sufficient momentum for the future development of the Group. The Group increased its effort in promoting market development for conventional preparations and main preparations. At the same time, in light of changes in demands from the industrial chain, the Group stepped up efforts in increasing the production and sales of its major bulk pharmaceuticals and medical materials, so as to ensure a continuously and consistently favourable operation performance overall. Taking the opportunity brought by National Centralised Medicines Procurement as well as provincial and regional Group Purchasing Organisation Programme, the Group continuously expanded the market accessibility of its products.

The Board of directors resolved to pay a final dividend of HK$0.07 per share for year 2021, together with interim dividend HK$0.05 per share, total dividend for full year of 2021 will be HK$0.12 per share, representing an increase of 20% from last year.

Amidst the normality under epidemic, the domestic pharmaceutical market restored a stable supply and demand condition. The Group continued to increase its market shares and remained its leading position in the infusion market. In 2021, the sales volume of infusion solutions reached approximately 1,358 million bottles (bags), representing an increase of approximately 13.8% compared to last year. The revenue of infusion solutions reached approximately HK$3,304 million, representing an increase of 25.3% compared to last year. Ampoule product line has become a powerful boost and new growth driver for the Group’s injection segment as it has become increasingly rich in varieties with its production and sales gradually scaled up. During the year, the revenue of ampoule products was approximately HK$1,094 million, representing an increase of approximately 12.6% as compared to last year, which continued to maintain a good growth momentum. In respect of bulk pharmaceuticals business, the Group achieved continuous improvement in sales revenue and substantial increase in sales volume of main products. A number of types of products were granted production approvals, and the product mix has become increasingly diversified. The revenue from bulk pharmaceuticals reached HK$534 million, representing an increase of 131.9% as compared to last year. Solid preparations business segment recorded a steady increase in production and sales. Leveraging on tender awarded for National Centralised Medicines Procurement of Cefdinir capsule and Prucalopride Succinate tablet, further improve the product accessibility and brand penetration and the market influence expanded to the whole of China. In respect of medical materials, Jiangsu Best New Medical Material stepped up efforts to strengthen the product upgrade and technology advancement of major products, and enhanced the supporting ability of the leading products for production in downstream production chains, which facilitated the enhancement of its production capacity and market coverage. Newly developed multi-layer co-extrusion bioprocessing films for single-use system in liquid dosing has been put into industrial production and resulted in sales, which is used to replace those imported bioprocessing films and has broad market development prospects.

Upholding the innovation-driven strategy, with the positive result from innovation achievements, the Group’s product portfolio was increasingly enriched and improved. Type 1 new drug NP-01, the first innovative drug type of the Group, has entered into the research of Phase I clinical trial. The Group has stepped up efforts to push forward the preliminary research on anti-liver fibrosis Type 1 innovative drug ADN-9, anti-epileptic compound QO-83, self-developed anti-pulmonary hypertension Type 1 innovative drug and anti-tumor Type 2 chemical innovative drug Miriplatin. During the year, 63 projects were applied for national production approval by the Group, including 39 new types of liquid and solid preparations and 13 bulk pharmaceuticals. During the year, a total of 20 national production approvals were obtained and 7 product specifications have passed the consistency evaluations. From January to March of 2022, there are another 5 products which passed the consistency evaluation. Currently, 20 types with 28 product specifications of the Group have passed consistency evaluation or have been regarded as passing the consistency evaluation, which played a stronger facilitation and stimulation role in consolidating and expanding market shares. The construction project of bioprocessing film of Jiangsu Best began as scheduled.

The new product, 7-layer bioprocessing barrier films of 1.6 metres width, has been put into trial production by the end of 2021, and samples were provided to customers for testing. Together with the second production line for 7-layer bioprocessing barrier films which is targeted to commence trial production in June 2022, the annual production capacity of bioprocessing films will increase by 20 million square metres, thus enhancing the Group’s ability in market supply. Application for listing on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations in respect of the medical materials segment has been accepted, and follow-up works are in progress orderly. In addition, in light of the current development of the industry, the Group completed the acquisition of 6.1% of the equity interest in Cisen Pharmaceutical in a timely manner in 2021, which is expected to bring long-term return and new development opportunity for the Group. The Group has acquired as a vertical integration of the whole of the equity interest in Cangzhou Lingang Youyi Chemical in March 2022. The completion of the acquisition provided important supports and guarantees for the enhancement of stable supply for the caffeine production chain, optimisation of production costs and achievement of the goal of an annual production of 7,000 tonnes of caffeine.

Looking ahead in 2022, the economic situation will remain complicated and dynamic amidst the normality under global pandemic. Facing the combined pressure arising from external factors that may persist and bring new challenges to the Group’s production and operation, the Group will push forward the supply-side structural reform and strive to achieve more solid operating results. By focusing on its core injection business of injections, the Group will further develop its existing market and make continuous effort to explore new markets, with an aim to establish a new development landscape. The Group will make an in-depth and better systematic analysis on the national and local centralised procurement policies. Capitalizing on the radiation and driving effects of the Group Purchasing Organisation Programme, the Group will strive to expand the proportion of high value-added products in terms of production and sales volume, maintain its leading position in the market. In addition, the Group will proactively push forward the industrialisation and marketisation of the solid preparation products that were recently approved and aim to expand and strengthen its solid preparation segment. At the same time, the Group will push forward the promotion and usage of bioprocessing films in China, strive to strengthen its industry position and product influence in the field of medical materials. On the other hand, with the goal of reducing costs and improving capacity utilization, we will actively cultivate and expand the bulk pharmaceuticals business. The Group will proactively construct and develop an innovative high-energy ecosystem, explore the advantages of convergence of technology, talents and capital to continuously improve the levels and grades of innovation development. Adhering to the strategy of “combination of generic and innovative drugs”, the Group will make concerted effort to enhance the efficiency in the research and development of its advantageous products in generic drugs, innovative drugs, bulk pharmaceuticals and medical materials, accumulating strength for the sustainable development of the Group. The Group will continue to proactively push forward the spin-off listing of its medical materials segment and bulk pharmaceuticals segment on the domestic market. At the same time, the Group will actively seek opportunities of merger and acquisition as well as investment in the pharmaceutical industry.

Mr. Qu Jiguang, Chairman and CEO of SSY Group Limited said, “Facing the persistent risks and challenges in the post-pandemic era, the pharmaceutical industry will be confronted with the greatest changes in this century. Self-developed innovation driven by market demand, the integration and collaboration based on controllable supply chain, and the enhanced efficiency brought by the trend of digital transformation will become the important drivers for the progress and breakthroughs of the overall industry and the Group. While accelerating the optimisation of industrial structure, improvement of sales of product and construction progress of infrastructure projects, the Group will expedite the progress of spin-off listing of the medical materials segment and bulk pharmaceuticals segment, and strive for a win-win situation in the product and capital market. By virtue of the scale, quality, management and brand advantages accumulated in the industry over the years and the continuous innovation momentum released by the Group, we firmly believe that we will be able to create new high record in terms of production output, sales and profit in 2022, and bring satisfactory returns to our investors with a stronger result of development.”

About SSY Group Limited

SSY Group Limited is one of the leading pharmaceutical manufacturers in China with nearly 7 decades of operation history and a well-established brand name. The Group went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2005 with stock code 2005. The Group is principally engaged in the research, development, manufacture and sale of a wide range of pharmaceutical products, including OTC drugs, bulk medicine and medical materials, mainly intravenous infusion solution and ampoule injection to hospital and distributors. The manufacturing plants of the Group locates in Hebei Province and Jiangsu Province in China, its products take leading position in the high-end hospital market in China.

#SSYGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Upmesh enters CB Insights Top 100 list, launches SEA’s first mobile cross-platform streaming app

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, we are witnessing the rise of new forms of retail; live commerce being a major phenomenon. It’s set to revolutionize the way we buy and sell, growing into a $1.2 trillion wave of change by 2025.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 29 March 2022 – Leading technology insights platform CBInsights has just announced its ranking of Top 100 Companies Transforming Retail Tech — a curated shortlist of the startups at the forefront of the retail revolution.

The list included early-stage startups such as Upmesh, which was 1 out of the 4 Southeast Asian startups featured.

The evolving retail landscape spotlights the new wave of creator economy, decentralising e-commerce as we know it, driving efficiency and profitability through automation, personalisation and increased engagement. Featuring a selection of up-and-coming companies that will revolutionize the way people shop, the list curates potential startups that are creating opportunities for small/medium enterprises to grow their businesses through enabling global connectivity and competition.

Where the overarching trend sees traditional e-commerce platforms vying for consumer attention and time, social and live commerce offer something radically different from traditional e-commerce by combining shopping and entertainment to create an authentic sense of community and connection. This phenomenon affords new opportunities for everyone to participate in the global economy as consumers, creators, influencers and sellers, resulting in a power shift from large corporations to small businesses.

Upmesh is honoured to have made the list, and as the leading live commerce enabler in Southeast Asia, we are committed to leading the charge in the ever-evolving retail landscape, enabling the revolution of live commerce, and empowering creators and sellers to stand out from large corporations by establishing their authentic identity through constant product innovations.

One such product innovation would be the launch of Upmesh Live** – a cross-platform live selling mobile application that allows sellers to create personalized overlays in their live streams without the need for any prior technical knowledge, allowing them to integrate customisable branded content such as customizable graphics, brand imagery and professional content tools within minutes. Sellers are now able to further achieve virality and engage with their communities on top of real-time order management provided by Upmesh.

“We are extremely honoured and humbled to be featured on the 100 Companies Transforming Retail Tech list by CBInsights. This is a recognition we take to heart, and we are excited by the larger acknowledgement that retail is evolving and that our goal to create people-driven e-commerce is on the right path. While there is much more work to be done, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of the ever-changing retail landscape that we are in, and we’re thrilled to be expanding further to help live sellers across SEA grow their businesses and create a new future for e-commerce through innovative products such as Upmesh Live!.”
– Wong Zi Yang, CEO and Co-Founder at Upmesh

**The Upmesh Live application is only compatible with Android 8.0 and above as well as ios 11.0 and above**

————————————————————————————————

Upmesh’s product provides e-commerce functions for merchants and enables them to leverage the power of community.

  • Sellers go live on social media platforms such as Facebook Live or Instagram Live
  • Upmesh captures orders through a merchant’s live stream comments and incentivises the buyers to share through discovery, giveaways and drip messaging
  • Upmesh is committed to constantly launching new engaging and interactive features that aim to enable live commerce merchants to reach their full sales and creative potential through multi-channel discovery and sharing to unlock value and virality

Upmesh also goes beyond just basic automation to being a sales tool to help merchants grow sales through its analytics to identify best selling items and patterns in buying behaviour as well as buyer loyalty programmes.

Ranging from mom-and-pop street shops selling on live streams to supplement foot traffic to specialised Live Commerce sellers moving thousands of SKUs a month, Upmesh is enabling trusted voices to be discovered by buyers.

About Upmesh

Founded in 2020, Upmesh is a live commerce enabler that helps online merchants using live commerce build communities and achieve virality. Merchants on social media can easily provide a seamless eCommerce checkout experience to their buyers. The Upmesh founding team is made up of experienced merchant acquirers, community managers and tech leaders. Upmesh’s mission is to re-introduce trust in the eCommerce experience in Southeast Asia by transforming the static buying and seller experience from a static page with anonymous and empty five-star ratings to a meaningful two-way interaction with trusted reviewers using the power of livestreaming.

As seen on , and .

#Upmesh

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

PolyU wins six prizes at 2022 Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 29 March 2022 – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has once again excelled in this year’s online special edition of the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva (Geneva Inventions Expo) – Special Edition 2022 Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days – Virtual Event. The Exhibition is regarded as one of the most important annual global events devoted exclusively to inventions. This year, PolyU has garnered a total of six awards, including one Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury, one Gold Medal, three Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal.

PolyU researchers commit to the motto of the University, ” To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind”, by transferring their research into impactful real-life applications that benefit society. Four of the six participating projects are operated by PolyU supported start-ups which has already commercialised its research outputs. As the only university in Hong Kong taking part in the Nation’s space missions, the PolyU team is also actively developing instruments for the national space mission by leveraging its expertise in precision engineering.

In addition, PolyU is also striving to leverage its research to improve people’s quality of life. The participating projects this year, which incorporate research in the areas of cooling coatings, eco-friendly building materials, smart fabrics, nutritional supplements and AI music learning platform, are just a few examples of this effort.

The awards received by the PolyU teams are testament to their determination and unique capabilities in their areas of expertise, which have earned them international recognition. The teams will continue their good work by developing more innovative solutions that will eventually benefit Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.

The six projects are (project details can be found on the website of the Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office https://www.polyu.edu.hk/kteo/polyu-innovations/award/geneva2022/ ):

Project Principal Investigator Awards
Camera Pointing System for China’s Lunar Exploration Missions (Chang’e 3 and 4) Prof. Kai-leung YUNG

Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering,

Director of Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations,

Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and

Associate Head, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury
UmiCool: an Eco-friendly Smart Sub-ambient Radiative Cooling (SSRC) Coating Prof. Jianguo DAI

Professor and Associate Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Founder of Pro-Infra Science & Technology Limited

(a PolyU Academic-led start-up)

Gold Medal
Carbon-negative Climate-smart Biochar Partition Block Prof. Daniel Chiu-Wa TSANG

Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Founder of NeutralCrete Limited (a PolyU Academic-led start-up)

Silver Medal
Omni-Cool-Dry™: Skin-like Fabric for Dynamic Thermal and Moisture Management Dr Dahua SHOU

Assistant Professor, Institute of Textiles and Clothing

Silver Medal
AkkMore™: a Fungus and Plant Based Supplement Against Obesity or Prediabetes Dr. Gail Jinhui CHANG

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Co-founder of Bo InnoHealth Biotechnology Company Limited (a PolyU GBA Start-up PostDoc and PolyU Academic-led startup)

Silver Medal
Algorithmic Music Composition Software for Popularising AI Education Dr Gong CHEN

PhD alumni of the Department of Computing, Founder of RhySoul Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited

(a PolyU GBA Start-up PostDoc)

Bronze Medal

The Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days – Virtual Event this year attracted about 800 inventions from 25 countries/regions. For details, please visit the event organiser’s official website: www.inventions-geneva.ch

Appendix

PolyU’s winning projects at

“Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days – Virtual Event”

(1) Camera Pointing System for China’s Lunar Exploration Missions (Chang’e 3 and 4)

Principal Investigator: Prof. Kai-leung YUNG, Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering, Director of Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations, Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Installed on top of the lunar lander, it facilitates panoramic image capturing and rover movement observation on the moon, and helps construct a precision 3D model of the landscape for safe rovering. With a complex design and a weight of only 2.8 kg, it is sturdy enough to protect the camera against shock and vibration during the space mission and ensure its proper functioning under the extreme lunar environment.

The invention was completed and successfully deployed on the Moon front surface with the Chang’e 3 and Moon far side with the Chang’e 4 missions of China’s Lunar Exploration Programme.

(2) UmiCool: an Eco-friendly Smart Sub-ambient Radiative Cooling (SSRC) Coating

Principal Investigator: Prof. Jianguo DAI Professor and Associate Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Founder of Pro-Infra Science & Technology Limited (a PolyU Academic-led start-up)

This eco-friendly, long-lasting, self-cleaning, low-cost polymeric radiative cooling coating can reduce the cools the interior temperature of buildings/infrastructure by 6°C as compared to the ambient temperature under direct sunlight without electricity consumption.

UmiCool can scatter sunlight, convert absorbed UV light to fluorescence emissions and re-emit infrared radiation to the cold universe.

(3) Carbon-negative Climate-smart Biochar Partition Block

Principal Investigator: Prof. Daniel Chiu-Wa TSANG Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Founder of NeutralCrete Limited (a PolyU Academic-led start-up)

World’s first biochar partition block for indoor use that is lightweight, climate-smart, carbon-negative, thermal-insulating, noise-reducing, moisture-regulating and air-purifying.

With tailored biochar synthesis, cement formula and mixture design, this low-cost building material boasts high performance, high carbon sequestration and value-added environmental functions.

(4) Omni-Cool-Dry™: Skin-like Fabric for Dynamic Thermal and Moisture Management

Principal Investigator: Dr Dahua SHOU Assistant Professor, Institute of Textiles and Clothing

Compared to normal fabrics, this fabric weighs 75% less, dissipates sweat 3 times faster, and is 50% less clingy during heavy perspiration. The wearer’s skin temperature is also 5°C lower.

The skin-like fabric aims to keep wearers cool, dry and comfortable by dissipating sweat as water droplets, and by reflecting solar radiation and emitting body heat to the cold universe.

(5) AkkMore™: a Fungus and Plant Based Supplement Against Obesity or Prediabetes

Principal Investigator: Dr. Gail Jinhui CHANG Research Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Co-founder of Bo InnoHealth Biotechnology Company Limited (a PolyU GBA Start-up PostDoc and PolyU Academic-led startup)

AkkMore™ boosts Akkermansia muciniphila in human guts. It aims to improve users’ body conditions by building a healthy microbiome. The fungus and plant based drink mix helps to reduce metabolic disorders and lose weight. The research team has completed three phases of animal testings – feeding mice with high fat diet and different doses of AkkMore™ for 12 weeks. Compared to the control group, the high-dose group showed improved glucose tolerance as their two-hour post-prandial blood glucose level has dropped by 20%. They also showed 25% lighter liver weight and 20% lighter body weight compared to the control group. Akkermansia muciniphila in the guts of the high-dose group has increased significantly, which could lead to improved metabolism and a healthy gut lining. The team has also completed phase 1 clinical trial in humans.

(6) Algorithmic Music Composition Software for Popularising AI Education

Principal Investigator: Dr Gong CHEN PhD alumni of the Department of Computing, Founder of RhySoul Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited (a PolyU GBA Start-up PostDoc)

An interdisciplinary course that combines art and science. It teaches basic AI algorithms through experiential learning of AI-powered musical composition.

It aims to popularise AI education by enabling effective teaching at schools and self-learning, allowing beginners to learn basic AI algorithms easily in an interesting way.

The software is now available in the market, and is being used by some secondary schools in China.

Locals Face Major Fuel Shortage in Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha District runs out of fuel

A major fuel shortage in Luang Namtha District yesterday saw just one petrol pump open as residents flocked to fill up.

AI and Robotics Pave the Way for a New ‘Security Technologist’ Career Pathway, Say Industry Experts

  • Strides in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics in security technology management is paving the way for a new ‘security technologist’ career pathway in Singapore
  • This presents potential opportunities for security officers to upskill and take on more meaningful roles, but horizontal and critical core skills remain essential to their employability
  • Security officers must grasp the fundamentals and working principles of these technologies to stay nimble, or risk being left behind

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 29 March 2022 – With the emerging trend of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics with manpower to enhance work systems, there will be an inevitable shift in the role of security officers in Singapore, note industry experts. While this digital transformation will free up workers’ time for higher-value tasks and creates more opportunities for them to upskill and move up in the security industry, those who lack the fundamental competencies to operate new technologies may be at a disadvantage.

NTUC.jpg

These are some key findings from NTUC LearningHub (NTUC LHUB)’s recently launched Industry Insights report on Security, which featured in-depth interviews with experts from NTUC LHUB, Union of Security Employees (USE), CBM Security, and Apollo Global Academy to uncover the trends in Singapore’s private security sector.

“To optimise headcount in the manpower scarce industry, security technology management which integrates the use of AI into its operations, allows security officers to be more competitive and productive. There are four aspects that security officers need to be familiar with: Access Control Management, Alarm System Management, Robotics and Automation Application as well as Security Surveillance Management,” says NTUC LearningHub’s Director of Technical Skills, Tay Ee Learn

Technology Creates Opportunities More Than It Displaces Jobs

As the security industry in Singapore makes strides in leveraging technology to enhance and create more efficient security systems, there will be lower dependence on manpower to conduct manual work such as patrolling and CCTV feed monitoring. Experts say that these technological advancements spell greater job prospects rather than job displacement for security officers. Some examples include the industry’s growing need for Command Centre Specialists and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle pilots who specialise in aerial surveillance.

Executive Secretary of USE, Steve Tan says, “As the security sector faces a persistent shortage of security officers, it is not likely that we will see a displacement of jobs. Instead, we can expect technology to alleviate the shortfall and eventually enable the roles and duties of security officers to evolve into higher-skilled roles that manage the technology and carry out more meaningful tasks.”

By the same token, Chief Trainer at Apollo Global Academy, Alan Low says, “Systems can only detect the error, but they cannot respond. Security officers will still be needed. Rather than taking away the job of the security officers, we are trying to uplift the security officers to a higher level so that they can perform higher-value tasks.”

However, Alan cautions that security officers must grasp the fundamentals and working principles of technologies to stay nimble, or risk being left behind. “If security officers are trained in only one product and are deployed to another area that uses a different product, they may not know how to operate it. Thus, it is imperative for security officers to understand the fundamentals and working principles of technologies. They will need to know how to operate the technology systems and identify basic errors to perform some troubleshooting of the equipment which cannot be limited to the scope of specific products.”

Horizontal and Critical Core Skills Remain Essential

Security officers are often the first response personnel in situations such as crowd control and dispute management. As such, horizontal skills such as Facility Management and Incident Response, therefore, continue to be fundamental to their role. The report also outlines that Critical Core Skills — such as Digital Fluency, Problem Solving, Adaptability and Communication — are key competencies for security officers who want to remain competitive and resilient in the digital age.

Steve adds, “The ability to adapt to trends is critical as the role of security officers evolve with technology transformation. The Tripartite partners are working towards building a more holistic future for our security officers. We are prepared to equip our security officers with skills where they can choose to pursue a deep vertical path in security technology and have the option to cross over to horizontal pathways in facility management and incident response.”

To download the Industry Insights report on Security, visit https://www.ntuclearninghub.com/security-2022. To find out more about the courses, training and grants, contact NTUC LearningHub at www.ntuclearninghub.com/.

About NTUC LearningHub

NTUC LearningHub is the leading Continuing Education and Training provider in Singapore which aims to transform the lifelong employability of working people. Since our corporatisation in 2004, we have been working with employers and individual learners to provide learning solutions in areas such as Cloud, Infocomm Technology, Healthcare, Employability & Literacy, Business Excellence, Workplace Safety & Health, Security, Human Resources and Foreign Worker Training.

To date, NTUC LearningHub has helped over 26,000 organisations and achieved close to 2.6 million training places across more than 2,900 courses with a pool of about 900 certified trainers. As a Total Learning Solutions provider to organisations, we also forge partnerships to offer a wide range of relevant end-to-end training. Besides in-person training, we also offer instructor-led virtual live classes (VLCs) and asynchronous online learning. The NTUC LearningHub Learning eXperience Platform (LXP) — a one-stop online learning mobile application — offers timely, bite-sized and quality content for learners to upskill anytime and anywhere. Beyond learning, LXP also serves as a platform for jobs and skills development for both workers and companies.

For more information, visit .

#NTUCLearningHub

Thailand to Ban Cryptocurrency Payments

Cryptocurrency

Thailand is to ban the use of cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, as payment for goods and services.