DONGGUAN, China, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CLO Virtual Fashion (“CLO”) has established a new office in Dongguan, China, reinforcing its localized footprint in the heart of Asia’s garment manufacturing region. The move speeds up the application of 3D digital technologies in China’s apparel sector, while also integrating swatchbook – a leading digital materials platform – into the local manufacturing ecosystem. This will deliver a more complete suite of digital solutions for brands, suppliers, manufacturers, and design talent.

As a vital hub for global apparel manufacturing, Dongguan and the Greater Bay Area offer a comprehensive supply chain network. This ecosystem will provide extensive, real-world application scenarios for CLO’s capabilities in 3D digital technology and digital materials innovation, unlocking significant potential for the industry’s digital transformation. The CLO Dongguan office will focus on integrating swatchbook — the materials digitization solution provider acquired by CLO in June this year — to build a service framework centered on the digitalization of materials and trims, known as “swatchbook by CLO Material Digitization Service (MDS)”.

Leveraging swatchbook’s vast digital materials library, its intelligent management tools, and its established network of fashion brands and suppliers across North America, Europe, and Asia, CLO has solidified its position as the largest digital fabric database company in the world. In this process, the Dongguan office will serve as a key bridge, connecting China’s apparel manufacturing ecosystem with international resources. It will fully align local manufacturers, design teams, and buyer networks, while providing tailored technical support and advisory services to meet the specific needs of local enterprises and brands. This drives digital upgrades in design, development, and supply chain processes from the source. The new office further completes CLO’s localized service network in China, simultaneously empowering global users with higher quality, more efficient digital materials content and design experiences.

“Dongguan is not only a cornerstone of apparel manufacturing in China but also an indispensable innovation hub within the global supply chain,” said Simon Kim, CEO of CLO Virtual Fashion. “Extending an office here reflects CLO’s long-term commitment to the Chinese market and our resolve to build a sustainable cooperative ecosystem through localized operations. By combining swatchbook’s leading digital capabilities with Dongguan’s robust manufacturing foundation, we look forward to collaborating with local partners to advance fashion development toward a more efficient future.”

Kim further emphasized, “CLO is dedicated to merging global resources with local insights to empower each regional market in its digital transformation. Our China offices will not only be a pivotal support point for serving our global user base but also a springboard for co-innovation with Chinese enterprises, designers, and academic institutions, helping them advance onto the international stage.”

With the launch of the Dongguan office, CLO now operates 16 offices worldwide. Each office is deeply embedded within its local industrial landscape, consistently delivering forward-thinking yet practical digital solutions. As CLO continues to propel the intelligent upgrade of the global fashion industry, it persistently unlocks the value and potential of localized collaboration.

About CLO Virtual Fashion

CLO Virtual Fashion makes it easy to create, design, and develop clothing through the use of our advanced 3D garment simulation. From the first concept to the final fit, our tools empower users every step of the way.

Since 2009, we have been revolutionizing the fashion industry by creating a digital ecosystem that streamlines workflows and promotes sustainability. Our digital clothing design software, including CLO, Marvelous Designer, and JINNY, as well as our digital asset and content management platforms like CLO-SET and CONNECT, create a cohesive system that seamlessly unifies real and digital clothing.

As a global leader, CLO Virtual Fashion operates 16 offices across 13 countries worldwide, including locations in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. We continue to expand into different markets, fueled by our growing global user base.

CHONGQING, China, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Xinhua Finance.

The finals of the Second Innovation Competition for Intelligent Manufacturing Solutions, held in conjunction with the Innovation Conference, took place from December 17 to 18 in Yongchuan District, Chongqing. The event was jointly organized by the Instrumentation Technology and Economy Institute (ITEI), China Economic Information Service, the Central State-Owned Enterprises Collaborative Innovation Platform for Intelligent Manufacturing, and the China Expert Committee of the IEC Systems Committee for Smart Manufacturing.

Since its launch in August 2025, the competition received 841 submissions, spanning the energy, transportation, machinery, electronics, and metallurgy sectors. Following multiple rounds of review and evaluation, five projects earned top honors, 10 received second-tier awards, and 15 received third-tier awards, in addition to several special category recognitions.

At the Innovation Conference, several industry developments were announced. Among them, the AUTBUS Professional Committee of the China Association for Mechatronics Technology and Application was formally established. The new committee is expected to play a crucial role in supporting China’s drive toward end-to-end, domestically developed innovation in industrial communications, from fundamental protocols and core chips through higher-level applications.

The conference also featured a signing ceremony for industry-academia collaboration agreements between ITEI and several Yongchuan-based universities. With a shared focus on driving the digital and intelligent transformation of manufacturing, the partnerships are designed to strengthen integration between universities and businesses, and establish a framework that connects talent development with the commercialization of research outcomes to address evolving industrial needs.  

In recent years, Chongqing has pursued a development strategy focused on both industry and manufacturing. By integrating artificial intelligence into manufacturing and prioritizing application-driven deployment in key industrial use cases, the municipality has accelerated the implementation of its “AI + Manufacturing” initiative. Following the successful hosting of the inaugural competition last year, the event has returned to Chongqing for its finals for a second consecutive year. This demonstrates the event’s strong alignment with the city’s broader strategy to modernize the manufacturing sector through the “Industrial Brain + Future Factory” model.

As the host of both the competition finals and the Innovation Conference, Yongchuan District is building out an advanced manufacturing cluster system. To date, the district has developed Chongqing’s largest standalone big data industrial center, rolled out 374 intelligent transformation projects, and assisted 40 percent of its large companies in transitioning their management operations to cloud-based platforms. Yongchuan has also had four projects selected as national-level smart manufacturing pilot and demonstration programs, while 14 projects have been named municipal-level pilots for smart manufacturing and industrial internet development. Moreover, the district has completed 53 digital workshops and 10 smart factories, further reinforcing the foundation for innovation-led and sustainable growth across the region’s manufacturing sector.

At the same time, a series of related events took place in Yongchuan, including the Smart Manufacturing and Inspection Equipment Exhibition, the 2025 Annual Conference of the Intelligent Inspection Equipment Industry Development Alliance, and the plenary sessions of SAC/TC 124 and SAC/TC 338.

In the past five years, the city’s cumulative utilized foreign investment reached $100.33 billion

BEIJING, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), foreign enterprises demonstrated their confidence in Shanghai by establishing various business projects encompassing research and development, production, headquarters and marketing.

In the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), companies said that the city will continue to be an engine for supporting their journey in the Chinese market.

As of September, the city’s cumulative utilized foreign investment during the 14th Five-Year Plan reached $100.33 billion. It is home to 631 foreign-invested R&D centers, with more than 50 percent focused on industries such as information technology, auto parts and biopharma. Additionally, a total of 1,060 foreign-invested headquarters are in Shanghai.

Emerging opportunities

Suzano, one of the world’s largest producers of market pulp, entered the Chinese market in the 1980s. Driven by growth in the Chinese market, Suzano has established a local presence that manages sales, investments, R&D, operations, procurement, finance, value chain partnerships and stakeholder engagement. Shanghai is home to its regional headquarters and the Asia Innovability Hub.

“Leveraging the core hub (Shanghai), along with the network spanning Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and India, we have built an agile and efficient pan-Asian structure dedicated to innovation and operational excellence,” said Pablo Machado, global executive vice-president of strategy and Asia business at Suzano and president of business management at Suzano Asia.

Machado said that Shanghai, as China’s science and technology innovation center, boasts rich economic resources and an active industrial ecosystem, making it one of the most developed and open cities in the country. The city’s highly educated and skilled population provides a continuous supply of talent for industrial development. Strong policy support creates a business-friendly environment, promotes R&D and simplifies the process for foreign companies to navigate the complex and highly competitive Chinese market.

“These collective advantages offer excellent support for Suzano to establish itself in China and drive business development across the Asia-Pacific region,” added Machado.

Shanghai, home to many leading universities and research institutes, also enables Suzano to establish research projects to address challenges more efficiently.

So far, China has become Suzano’s largest export destination for pulp and the core of operations across Asia. The company, which has been developing in China for more than 40 years, will embrace emerging opportunities in China in fields such as green development, according to Machado. It will continue to localize its industry chain and upgrade its value chain to serve China’s initiatives such as green transition and consumption upgrade.

“During the 14th Five-Year Plan, I have been deeply impressed by China’s commitment to high-standard opening-up and easing restrictions on foreign investment access. This has given Suzano strong confidence to deepen our localization in China, integrating comprehensively with the Chinese market in areas including innovation, financing, human resources, procurement and international trade,” said Machado.

“Suzano will remain customer-focused, fully utilizing our unique innovation ecosystem in China, and engaging in extensive collaboration with local industry partners, academia and government institutions, committed to becoming an active participant in the ‘modernized industrial system’ the country is building,” he added.

In the next five years, Shanghai’s efforts in promoting green development and fostering new quality productive forces will empower Suzano in China, according to Machado.

“We anticipate that Shanghai will provide clear policy guidance on green development and new quality productive forces. Suzano’s ‘Innovability’ concept, the pursuit of sustainable solutions through innovation, is fully aligned with this,” he said.

At the eighth China International Import Expo, held in Shanghai in November, the company officially revealed the brand Jinyu, which literally means Golden Fish. It is the Chinese brand for Suzano Biopulp, according to the company.

“This name, chosen for its cultural resonance, symbolizes the premium quality and enduring value of our products and partnerships. It signals a major step in our localization strategy,” said Machado. “It is a commitment to our Chinese customers that we are here to grow with them, providing tailored, sustainable solutions that meet their evolving needs. This also reflects our role in the Chinese industry, supporting our customers in becoming more competitive and investing in them and alongside them to ensure they deliver higher-quality products to increasingly sophisticated Chinese consumers.”

Advancing development

Plansee Shanghai, specializing in the manufacture of refractory metals, alloys and composites, established its presence in Shanghai in 2000.

Over 25 years, Plansee Shanghai has been expanding its footprint in the city. In 2013, it opened its first production site, occupying more than 36,000 square meters in the Lingang area of Shanghai. An expansion of this site was completed in 2019, followed by a third phase of expansion finished in 2025.

Currently, the production site of Plansee Shanghai in the Lingang Industrial Zone is dedicated to the research and production of refractory metals and their alloys. It has established a solid customer base across high-tech manufacturing industries such as semiconductors, aerospace, medical technology, power transmission and distribution, heat treatment and the electronics industry.

Richard Cheung, managing director of Plansee Shanghai, said that the company chose Shanghai to begin its Chinese journey due to the city’s outstanding talent pool, strong international perspective, and well-developed industrial ecosystem. Efficient and transparent government services, along with a deep understanding of industry needs and the ability to provide comprehensive support, were also key factors in Plansee’s decision to establish itself in Shanghai.

“We chose Lingang because of its advantageous location at the hub of the Yangtze River Delta,” added Cheung. “This location offers convenient transportation and a comprehensive industry chain, making it particularly suitable for high-end manufacturing and import-export business. Meanwhile, Lingang is home to numerous advanced enterprises in the semiconductor and new energy sectors, facilitating close proximity to customers and collaborative innovation.”

In the next five years, Plansee Shanghai will leverage its global network, which includes experts from the European headquarters and locally trained professionals, to deliver tailored high-performance material solutions to its clients. It is set to expand the application of its high-performance materials across key sectors such as medical devices, consumer electronics and new energy vehicles.

Plansee Shanghai also intends to enhance its collaboration with universities and research institutions in Shanghai, fostering the customized development of materials to better meet the innovative demands of the Chinese market. In addition, the company will boost local R&D efforts and invest in green manufacturing to solidify its market position, with plans to increase annual R&D spending by an average of 20 percent.

“Over the next five years, Plansee Shanghai will continue to ramp up investment in new product development and industrial layout,” said Cheung. “By 2030, we expect the annual production of high-end materials to double from current levels, while also striving to achieve our carbon peak goals.”

Plansee Shanghai is committed to deepening its roots in the city and contributing to its development through expertise.

“Shanghai is not only a gateway to the Chinese market but also a hub for innovation and collaboration,” said Cheung. “We will leverage Shanghai’s strengths in technological innovation and its open policies to further advance our localization strategy and expand our influence in the high-end materials sector. We are dedicated to actively participating in Shanghai’s growth and supporting its ambition to become a global technological innovation center.”

Continuing success

Pierre Fabre, one of Europe’s leading pharmaceutical companies which has made significant strides in China, said that the goals and concrete measures announced by China for the 15th Five-Year Plan present a historic opportunity for the group. It will continue synchronizing with Shanghai’s development over the next five years.

According to Zheng Hongshu, senior director of Asia-Pacific market access & health economics and senior director of business development for China at Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals (China), the company believes that in the next five years, Shanghai will continue to introduce open measures in innovative drug access and approval processes, accelerate innovation in regulatory and service models for clinically urgent drugs and embrace cutting-edge technologies and open cooperation. Pierre Fabre’s development plans must be based on the policies of this period and feature synchronization with Shanghai’s industrial planning, acceleration of the collaboration and R&D process for new drugs, and benefits for both patients and the company.

With the support of the Shanghai government, a subsidiary of the Pierre Fabre Group was approved in 2024 to become a multinational regional headquarters. This provides a cooperation platform for multiple projects of Pierre Fabre’s medical technology and cosmetic R&D companies in Shanghai, according to Zheng.

“We have undertaken some beneficial practices. In the future, we will continue to actively seek in-depth cooperation with various local partners such as academia, clinical research centers and biotech companies to jointly promote innovation in oncology and skin health, bringing more high-quality, effective and safe products to the Chinese market.”

NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) proudly announces the winners of the SMARTIES™ X Global 2025 Awards, recognizing the world’s most effective and innovative marketing campaigns. This year’s program celebrated work that pushed creative boundaries while delivering measurable impact, proving marketing’s power to drive business growth and meaningful change.

The global competition honored 83 exceptional campaigns: 31 Gold, 29 Silver, and 23 Bronze awards, alongside 13 prestigious Industry Awards recognizing excellence across the marketing ecosystem.

Distinguished Industry Award Winners:

• Enabling Technology Company of the Year: Pinterest
• Independent Agency of the Year: Consciouslab
• Publisher of the Year: TikTok
• Most Resilient Brand of the Year: Dove
• Creative Agency of the Year: Dentsu Creative Vietnam
• Media Agency of the Year: Spark Foundry Vietnam
• Agency Network of the Year: Mindshare
• Holding Agency Company of the Year: WPP
• Brand of the Year: Ensure Gold
• Advertiser of the Year: Unilever
• Juror’s Choice Award: The Walking Ads
• Best in Show: Vision of Sakıp Sabancı Podcast

This year’s competition drew submissions across seven strategic channels: Purpose Driven Marketing, Marketing Impact, Impact Media, Emerging Tech Marketing, E-commerce Marketing, Creative & Innovation Impact and AI Marketing. A distinguished international jury of marketing leaders evaluated each entry based on strategic rigor, creative execution, and proven business outcomes.

The winning campaigns demonstrate how marketing drives tangible value. From purpose-led initiatives that inspired behavioral change to AI-powered strategies that personalized at scale, from e-commerce innovations that converted seamlessly to breakthrough creative that captured global attention. These campaigns set the standard for what modern marketing can achieve.

“We’re witnessing a defining moment in marketing’s evolution,” said Rohit Dadwal, CEO, APAC & Global Head of SMARTIES™ Worldwide, Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA). “This year’s SMARTIES™ X Global winners embody three critical shifts reshaping our industry: the rise of AI as a strategic partner that amplifies human creativity rather than replacing it; the integration of purpose as a business imperative that drives both loyalty and growth; and the demand for marketing that doesn’t just reach audiences, but moves them emotionally and commercially. These campaigns prove that in today’s fragmented, skeptical, data-rich world, the winners are those who combine bold creative thinking with strategic rigor and technological sophistication. This is what marketing excellence looks like in 2025 and these teams are showing the world how it’s done.”

SMARTIES™ X Global winners gain significant competitive advantages beyond recognition. Winners are featured in the prestigious MMA Business Impact Index (BII), developed in collaboration with WARC, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness. This recognition solidifies their status as industry leaders and enhances their credibility with clients, partners, and stakeholders worldwide.

The awards continue to serve as the definitive benchmark for marketing effectiveness, celebrating the individuals, teams, and organizations driving meaningful innovation across the global marketing landscape.

View the Complete Winner Gallery Here.

About the Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA)

The Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) is the global, non-profit community of Chief Marketing Officers and senior marketing leaders advancing marketers’ ability to create value. Led by CMOs and supported by the entire ecosystem at the governance level — including brands, media, agencies, consultancies, AdTech, and MarTech — MMA develops evidence-based models, frameworks, and tools validated through multi-year, multi-million-dollar Think Tanks and Labs.

Operating currently across four global think tanks — Marketing Attribution (MATT), Marketing Org Strategy (MOSTT), AI Leadership (ALTT), Data & CX (DATT), and more to come; MMA tackles marketing’s most challenging unanswered questions and translates findings into applied practices that are guaranteed to increase enterprise value. Headquartered in New York City, with operations in 17 countries across APAC, Europe, MEA, LATAM, and North America, MMA has more than 825 corporate members who gather at 62+ MMA conferences worldwide, and flagship gatherings in the U.S., including MMA’s POSSIBLE in Miami and MMA CMO & CEO Summit in Santa Barbara. Learn more at https://mmaglobal.com/

The Marketing + Media includes the world’s most influential marketers and partners, including: AB InBev, Adobe, Ally Bank, Amazon, AT&T, Bank of America, BCG, Campbell’s, Canva, Colgate-Palmolive, CVS Health, Delta, Diageo, Discord, Discover, Disney, Eli Lilly, EY, Ford, General Motors, Google, Hershey’s, Hilton, Home Depot, Interpublic Group, JP Morgan Chase, Kellanova, Kroger, LinkedIn, LiveRamp, L’Oréal, Major League Baseball, Marriott, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Merck, Meta, Microsoft, Molson Coors, Morgan Stanley, National Football League, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Pinterest, Progressive, Reddit, Roku, Salesforce, Samsung, Sephora, Snap, Target, The Trade Desk, T-Mobile, Tubi, Uber, Unilever, Visa, Walmart, X, Yahoo – and many more.

About SMARTIES™

SMARTIES™ is the prestigious marketing awards program hosted by MMA, recognizing excellence in marketing effectiveness and innovation. The SMARTIES Awards celebrate campaigns that push creative boundaries while delivering measurable business impact. With programs spanning local, regional, and global markets, SMARTIES has become the industry’s most respected benchmark for marketing that drives real growth.

SINGAPORE, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global economic landscape at an unprecedented pace. Fueling this transformation is an ever-growing demand for electricity, which has accelerated innovation across global energy transition and infrastructure development. Recognizing this critical shift, Cathay United Bank announced that it would be collaborating with Macquarie Asset Management—one of the world’s largest infrastructure asset managers—to introduce private infrastructure investment solutions. This collaboration will focus on areas such as renewable energy, power-grid upgrades, energy-storage systems, and circular-economy infrastructure, enabling HNW clients to seize emerging opportunities driven by the AI era.

Robert Fuh, CEO of Cathay United Bank Private Banking, stated, “In today’s world, megatrends such as AI are driving global economic transformation and reshaping investment dynamics. Recognizing that infrastructure is the backbone of economic activity and that sustainable investing is a long-term structural shift, we aim to provide our HNW clients with international energy transition and infrastructure development opportunities through world-class private infrastructure investment strategies—delivered professionally and in full compliance. Through such efforts, we strive to create a positive momentum in financial and industry sustainability, fostering long-term values for both individuals and society”.

In recent years, Cathay United Bank has built a comprehensive alternatives platform spanning private equity, private credit, private real estate, and hedge-fund strategies. Private infrastructure investments—characterized by inflation-resilient features and stable cash flows—have also become increasingly popular among investors seeking both diversification and steady performance amidst global uncertainty and inflation.

Macquarie Asset Management, a prominent leader in renewable energy, has accumulated extensive global experience over the decades. As of September 2025, Macquarie Asset Management oversaw approximately USD 634.1 billion in global assets under management, including USD 209.9 billion in infrastructure assets. Through this partnership, Cathay United Bank not only seeks to provide clients with greater access to global private infrastructure investments, but also demonstrate its unwavering commitment to financial internationalization and innovation in sustainable investment.

Looking ahead, guided by Cathay Financial Holdings’ developing strategy of asset management, Cathay United Bank will continue to refine its private-banking wealth-management services. By collaborating with leading domestic and international institutions to create sustainable investment opportunities with long-term growth potential, we aspire to enhance the Bank’s international connectivity and competitiveness as a leading regional financial institution.

SINGAPORE, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Silver Palace, a fantasy adventure ARPG built with Unreal Engine 5 by game developer and publisher Elementa, has officially opened sign-ups for the first closed beta test accompanied by a brand-new trailer. Available on PC, the upcoming [Monotype] Beta Test presents a Victorian-inspired detective adventure with combat dynamics and open world exploration in the metropolis. Sign-up for the test and pre-registration for the game are now available on the official website.

This first round of testing, following the official announcement of Silver Palace in May, will introduce players to a range of new content including up to 7 playable characters, expanded urban area for exploration and Real Estate Investment system, and the mount Silverium Pegasus. Additionally, the test will feature the “Deep Cognito” combat challenge, “Case Simulation” combat challenge and various side missions hidden across the city. Players can take on high-difficulty boss encounters and experience the game’s core combat mechanics.

In Silver Palace, players will assume the role of a “Detective” tasked with investigating crimes and uncovering hidden truths. They will embark on an adventure with a diverse group of partners to confront unknown enemies and unravel the mysteries in Silvernia. As various factions — from corporate monopolies and underground syndicates to royal houses and cults — vie for control of Silverium, tensions rise across the city.

Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Silver Palace features anime-style characters, an immersive combat system and a Victorian-inspired metropolis with stunning visual details. Players can switch between characters during battles to unleash powerful skills and combos. As they explore the city’s sprawling environments, they’ll gather evidence at crime scenes, track down targets, battle their enemies and reveal more of the stories of Silvernia.

Players interested in joining the Silver Palace [Monotype] Beta Test can sign up via the official website. Be among the first to dive into the enhanced world of Silvernia and experience its enriched urban life events and game features.