GUANGZHOU, China, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Focusing on Advanced Manufacturing, Phase 1 of the 139th Canton Fair is set to open, showcasing innovation at scale. Spanning 520,000 sqm across 25,000+ booths and featuring around 12,000 exhibitors, the Phase encompasses five major categories and 19 sections, providing global buyers with a comprehensive view of China’s latest manufacturing outcomes. From AI integration and green, low‑carbon technologies to breakthroughs by both industry leaders and emerging innovators, Phase 1 is poised to serve as a global marketplace for the future of manufacturing.

1. Broader Horizons for Advanced Manufacturing
Anchored in the development trends of innovation, sustainability, and intelligence, Phase 1 is closely aligned with emerging growth drivers, next‑generation industries, and evolving global sourcing demands. Building on popular exhibits of service robots, smart living, industrial automation, and new energy vehicles, Phase 1 of the Fair introduces four new dedicated zones: Smart Wearables, Display Technologies, Consumer Drones, and Agricultural Drones.

This expanded ecosystem transforms next-generation productivity into tangible, solution-ready outcomes, delivering richer, more efficient, and higher-value trade opportunities for buyers worldwide.

2. Global Focus on Smart Manufacturing
The exhibitor lineup reaches a new high, with more than 5,900 high-quality companies, including national high-tech enterprises, single champions, and specialized and sophisticated small and medium enterprises.

Top robotics firms from Shanghai and Shenzhen underscore China’s leadership in AI‑driven automation, while flagship smart‑appliance brands unveil integrated intelligent terminal solutions. Leading display companies showcase advanced visual technologies, professional drone makers demonstrate deep vertical expertise, and high‑end equipment manufacturers highlight China’s strength in precision manufacturing. Together, they present a compelling portrait of Chinese intelligent manufacturing.

3. AI-Powered Products Across Sectors
Advanced technologies come vividly to life across multiple categories.

In Electronics and Appliances, AI‑driven interactive displays deliver pixel‑level self‑emission and ultra‑fast response, while industrial quadruped robots feature 360‑degree perception for extreme environments. Manufacturing highlights desktop laser cutting and engraving machines with automatic multi‑material recognition, as well as agricultural drones with intelligent obstacle avoidance and terrain‑adaptive flight. Vehicles and Two Wheels showcase high‑efficiency, high‑power wireless charging systems, while Lighting and Electrical exhibitors present AI‑powered energy management platforms. Completing the lineup, Hardware displays include smart robotic lawn mowers with precision positioning and fully autonomous, boundary‑free operation.

Together, these highlights underscore Phase 1’s role as a gateway to the future of advanced manufacturing, where innovation, intelligence, and sustainability converge to support global trade.

For pre-registration, please click:https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

GUANGZHOU, China, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 139th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) will be held in Guangzhou from April 15 to May 5, staged across three phases.

The 139th Canton Fair will cover a total exhibition area of 1.55 million square meters, with 75,700 booths and more than 32,000 participating enterprises, all exceeding previous sessions. Around 3,900 first‑time exhibitors will participate, underscoring the Canton Fair’s role in connecting companies with global markets and high‑quality trade opportunities.

Reflecting shifts in global trade and industry development, the Fair has further optimized its exhibitor mix and exhibits structure. The number of zones has expanded to 179, including nine newly introduced zones that focus on fast‑growing sectors such as smart wearables, display technologies, consumer drones, prefabricated house and courtyard facilities. These new zones bring together approximately 670 companies across more than 1,300 booths.

Advanced manufacturing and new quality productive forces feature prominently. Over 60% of exhibitors have adopted next‑generation technologies such as industrial internet applications, artificial intelligence, 5G solutions, and green and low‑carbon production. The Fair will showcase more than 4.65 million exhibits, with innovative products, green products, and products with proprietary intellectual property accounting for a significant share.

Buyer services have also been further enhanced at the Fair, with the debuts of a one-stop service center for buyers, year-round pre-registration, and a dedicated Canton Fair Newsletter for buyers. These enhancements enable more efficient, personalized information delivery and supply‑demand matchmaking, helping buyers navigate the fair more easily and improve their overall experience. From a new buyer’s perspective, the Fair offers a seamless intelligent journey, from attendance planning and pre-registration to post‑fair follow-up, powered by the upgraded Canton Fair APP, now featuring 26 functions and 14 new AI application scenarios.

Global buyer attendance continues to grow in both scale and diversity. As of April 9, over 210,000 overseas buyers had pre‑registered, up 20% from last spring session, while confirmed top sourcing companies increased by 30% to 290. Buyers from BRI countries, Latin America, and Africa all recorded notable growth, and specialized buyers now account for more than 70% of registrations for the first time.

To accommodate the Middle East buyers facing travel constraints, the Fair has enhanced its hybrid service model, including online supply‑demand matchmaking, overseas social‑media livestream events, and optimized on‑site services for overseas enterprises operating in China.

For pre-registration, please click:https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

• Signed MOU with World Vision to carry out social contribution activities for children and youth in Vietnam’s Haiphong City
• Launching projects for eye health support and school psychological counseling rooms

SEOUL, South Korea, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LG Innotek (CEO Moon Hyuksoo) has partnered with the global humanitarian organization World Vision to expand its flagship social contribution program, “I Dream Up,” into Vietnam.

On April 3, LG Innotek announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with World Vision to launch the “I Dream Up Vietnam” project at World Vision’s headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul.

I Dream Up is a social contribution program whose name carries multiple meanings in Korean—”ai” (kids) and “eye”—symbolizing LG Innotek’s optical solutions business and its support for children’s futures. Specifically, the name of the program reflects the characteristics of LG Innotek’s camera module business, which supplies the “eyes” of smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and robots.

The program mainly includes the “Children and Youth Vision Loss Prevention Project” and “Junior Pine Tree Classroom,” which provides education on materials and components. To date, the program has provided eye surgery and treatment support to around 400 children and youth in Korea and engaged 18,000 students in the Junior Pine Tree Classroom.

This MOU aims to expand the “I Dream Up program,” which is currently thriving domestically, into overseas markets, starting with Vietnam. The two companies will collaborate on an eye health support project and the establishment of school psychological counseling rooms for children and youth in Haiphong City, Vietnam, home to LG Innotek’s largest global production subsidiary.

Through this partnership, LG Innotek plans to conduct ophthalmic examinations at eight elementary, middle, and high schools in Haiphong City’s Ngo Quyen District while also providing operational support and medical supplies for eye treatments. In addition, the company will establish infrastructure for psychological counseling rooms at four schools, including counseling devices and equipment, and provide mental health-related materials.

LG Innotek envisions expanding the “I Dream Up” program to regions hosting its major global production subsidiaries, including Vietnam and Mexico.

Baeksoo Cho, Vice President for Business Support Division, said, “Through the ‘I Dream Up’ program, we hope to help children—the future generation—improve their eye health and pursue their dreams through greater educational opportunities,” adding, “LG Innotek will continue its sincere social contribution efforts to help build a brighter future and bring greater happiness to all.”

[Reference] LG Innotek “I Dream Up” Program

Launched last year, “I Dream Up” is LG Innotek’s social contribution brand. The subject “I” (pronounced “ai” in Korean) carries multiple meanings, including “eye” and “kids.” Its main programs are the “Children and Youth Vision Loss Prevention Project” and “Junior Pine Tree Classroom.”

The “Children and Youth Vision Loss Prevention Project” covers the full costs of ophthalmic examinations and surgeries for strabismus (eye misalignment) and entropion (inverted eyelid), as well as the related treatments, for children and youth unable to access care due to the high costs of such procedures. Launched last year as Korea’s first such initiative, the project has benefited approximately 400 children and youth to date.

The “Junior Pine Tree Classroom” provides hands-on education on semiconductors and autonomous driving to elementary school students in Korea while also supporting after-school care institutions with classroom repairs and upgrades to learning equipment. From 2011 to present, the program has engaged 16,000 children in materials and science classes and improved learning environments for 1,900 children across 53 after-school care facilities.

Singapore’s leading public transportation provider uses Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Enterprise AI and Oracle Autonomous AI Database for enhanced rail maintenance

SINGAPORE, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AI World Tour Singapore — SMRT, Singapore’s leading public transportation provider, is working on a pilot project using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Enterprise AI and Oracle Autonomous AI Database  to help improve rail maintenance through its intelligent data AI platform, JARVIS.

Founded in 1987, SMRT’s rail network supports more than two million passenger journeys each day. To enhance safety, strengthen maintenance systems, and deliver more reliable and comfortable train rides for commuters, STRIDES Technologies – SMRT’s engineering and technology innovation arm – developed JARVIS, an intelligent analytics platform that unifies data distributed across multiple standalone systems. JARVIS applies AI to areas that require timely, accurate, and continuous data analysis, leveraging machine learning through a generative AI chatbot interface. This enables maintenance teams to tap into predictive maintenance capabilities and speed up fault resolution, enhancing rail reliability and commuter safety.

“SMRT is committed to providing a safe, efficient, and high-performing railway network. We will leverage technology— including AI—to improve our safety, operations and reliability,” said Ngien Hoon Ping, group chief executive officer of SMRT. “With JARVIS, we have a platform that makes intelligent use of SMRT’s data, STRIDES Technologies’ domain expertise and Oracle’s industry-leading AI and cloud database capabilities. This aligns with our Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement while remaining human-centric and uplifting our people’s skills and capabilities. We see strong potential to advance predictive maintenance, deepen engineering insights, and foster a culture of innovation within our engineering teams.”

JARVIS is designed to bring AI into railway engineering by bridging advanced technology with safety-critical operations. It enhances maintenance and operational performance by unifying maintenance and operations data into a single, trusted source of truth, enabling predictive fault detection and for proactive intervention. The platform also features a natural-language interface that delivers faster, more accurate engineering insights and troubleshooting.

The Oracle AI Customer Excellence Center supported the development, testing, and validation of JARVIS by providing cloud and AI infrastructure. Built on Oracle Autonomous AI Database as its core data platform, JARVIS consolidates and analyses maintenance and condition monitoring data across the rail network, including train performance, sensor readings, and asset lifecycle information. In addition, OCI Enterprise AI and vector search capabilities within Oracle Autonomous AI Database enables SMRT to use leading large language models to power AI-driven insights and conversational interfaces, helping operations teams respond faster and make better informed decisions.

“Rail operators depend on timely, accurate data to keep services running safely, reliably, and on schedule for millions of commuters each day,” said Chin Ying Loong, senior vice president and regional managing director, ASEAN & SAGE, Oracle. “Running on OCI, JARVIS demonstrates how Oracle can help bring AI to where enterprise data resides to improve efficiency and operational responsiveness. Supported by the Oracle AI Customer Excellence Center in Singapore, which provides hands-on expertise to help customers in the region prototype, validate, and scale AI use cases, the collaboration with SMRT helps create new possibilities for rail operators worldwide to deliver more consistent and dependable services for commuters.”  

Oracle Consulting is the implementation partner for this project.

About SMRT
SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) is a leading public transport services provider in Singapore. As the nation’s dominant rail operator, SMRT manages and operates the North-South Line, East-West Line, Circle Line, Thomson-East Coast Line, and Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit. These services are complemented by its bus, taxi, and private hire vehicle operations. Through Kaizen, SMRT enhances lifestyles by creating vibrant transit destinations for commuters and the communities it serves.

In addition, SMRT collaborates with Malaysia’s Prasarana to design, build, and subsequently operate, and maintain the RTS Link, which will enhance cross-border connectivity between Singapore and Johor.

SMRT’s core values are encapsulated in the acronym R.I.S.E, which stands for Respect, Integrity, Safety, Service, and Excellence. SMRT is dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and commuter-centric transport services.

About STRIDES Technologies
STRIDES Technologies (ST) is a business arm that was established to lead the transformation of modern railway systems, leveraging SMRT’s decades of expertise in engineering, operations, maintenance, and asset management. By integrating this expertise with advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence, ST delivers impactful outcomes for the railway industry. As the Group’s engineering hub for technology innovation and application, ST leads initiatives to reimagine maintenance practices, enhance workforce capabilities, and implement intelligent systems that ensure a safer, more efficient, and high-performing railway. This approach strengthens the resilience of SMRT Trains, accelerates innovation, and establishes critical rail expertise within Singapore to benefit the wider rail industry. ST is the incubator for Depot 4.0. Beyond Singapore, ST collaborates with operators and OEMs to scale next generation rail solutions globally.

About Oracle
Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com. 

About Oracle AI World Tour
Oracle AI World Tour is where customers and partners discover the latest product and technology innovations, see how AI is being applied across industries, and connect with experts and peers. Attendees will gain practical tips and insights to drive immediate impact within their organisations and explore how Oracle is helping unlock the full potential of cloud and AI. Join the event to see new capabilities in action and hear from thought leaders and industry movers. Register now at oracle.com/ai-world tour or follow the news and conversation at oracle.com/news and linkedin.com/company/oracle.

Trademarks
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SINGAPORE, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) has appointed Distinguished Professor Patrick H. M. Loh and Professor Tek Yew Chia as Executive Fellows, strengthening its leadership team as global financial systems accelerate towards greater integration between traditional finance, digital assets, and emerging technologies.

The appointments come at a critical juncture for the financial industry, as institutions, regulators, and technology players navigate increasing complexity across digital asset governance, artificial intelligence, and cross-border interoperability. While stablecoin networks process trillions in transaction volume annually, McKinsey^[1] estimates that only around US$390 billion reflects real payment activity, underscoring the gap between technological capability and real-world adoption, and reinforcing the need for coordinated, principles-based frameworks.

As Executive Fellows, Distinguished Professor Loh and Professor Chia will drive global policy alignment, strengthen strategic institutional partnerships, and lead thought leadership and engagement with regulators and industry leaders to support the development of interoperable and responsible financial ecosystems.

Welcoming the appointments, Chia Hock Lai, Chairman of RFI, said, “We are pleased to welcome Distinguished Professor Patrick H. M. Loh and Professor Tek Yew Chia at a time of significant structural change in the financial ecosystem. As the lines between traditional and digital finance continue to blur, there is an increasing need for trusted leadership to guide policy development and institutional collaboration. Their combined experience across governance, strategy, and technology domains will strengthen RFI’s role in supporting more resilient financial systems.”

Professor Tek Yew Chia brings over 30 years of experience across financial services, digital transformation, and regulatory strategy in Asia and the Middle East. He is currently Adjunct Professor and Advisor at the National University of Singapore’s Asian Institute of Digital Finance (NUS-AIDF), founded by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the National Research Foundation, and NUS, where he contributes to advancing research and innovation in digital finance. He is also a senior advisor to the Boston Consulting Group and advises the Global FinTech Network (GFTN) and the ASEAN Bankers Association.

Previously, Professor Chia was Vice Chairman of Oliver Wyman Singapore, where he led the firm’s Asia-Pacific insurance practice. His earlier career includes senior roles at KPMG, PwC Consulting, and Hewlett-Packard, spanning strategy, risk, and technology transformation.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Tek Yew Chia said, “As financial systems become more digitised and interconnected, driven by the transition toward a global ‘Finternet’, the broader institutional adoption of Web 3.0, and the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence, the challenge is no longer innovation alone, but ensuring it is anchored in sound governance and credible frameworks. I look forward to working with RFI and its partners to support policy development in areas such as AI governance and digital assets, and to contribute to a more secure and inclusive financial ecosystem.”

Distinguished Professor Patrick H. M. Loh joins RFI with an extensive and distinguished background spanning scientific innovation, institutional governance, and cross-disciplinary leadership. In November 2024, he was conferred the inaugural Singapore Distinguished Professor title by Murdoch University, Australia, in recognition of his contributions to plant sciences and related disciplines, including bio-innovation, entrepreneurship, research and development, and industry collaboration.

He currently serves as Senior Fellow at the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at NUS Business School and holds multiple advisory roles across academia and industry. He is also Chairman of the Advisory Board at Murdoch University in Singapore and an Honorary Founding Member of the College of Business at Murdoch Business School.

In recognition of his distinguished leadership and service to the community, Professor Loh was conferred the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (BBM – The Public Service Star) in 2006 and the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM – The Public Service Medal) in 2001 by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Singapore.

Sharing his perspective, Distinguished Professor Patrick H. M. Loh said, “As digital finance continues to advance, there is a growing need to balance technological progress with strong governance and ethical leadership. RFI plays an important role in bringing together stakeholders to address these challenges, and I look forward to contributing to the development of frameworks that support sustainable and responsible innovation.”

Both leaders will contribute to strategic initiatives across thought leadership, policy engagement, and global stakeholder collaboration, including supporting the development of industry frameworks, engaging with regulators and standard-setting bodies, and mentoring senior executives across the financial ecosystem.

The RFI Executive Fellowship is designed for senior leaders with at least 20 years of experience in executive leadership and a demonstrated track record in shaping financial policy or institutional strategy. Fellows are expected to operate with institutional neutrality while contributing to globally aligned and responsible financial systems.

About the Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI)

The Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) is a global nonprofit organisation based in Singapore. Our goal is to create a safe, trustworthy, and reliable future for digital finance by building the digital utilities to support responsible innovation. Our work involves bringing together different public and private sector stakeholders to help build the necessary rules and technology for new digital financial tools, making the digital asset world sustainable and inclusive for everyone.