Enhances secure digital infrastructure links between Singapore and Indonesia

SINGAPORE, Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — StarHub and NeutraDC, the data centre arm of Telkom Indonesia, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deepen collaboration for the deployment of Quantum-Safe connectivity solutions including quantum-resistant encryption, post quantum cryptography and next generation secure network infrastructure and enhance digital services ecosystem in the region.

The partnership integrates StarHub’s Low-Latency Data Centre Connect solution with NeutraDC’s carrier-neutral data centre ecosystem, which serves a growing community of enterprise and hyperscale customers across Indonesia and Singapore. Together, the companies aim to deliver faster, more secure, and more reliable cross-border data exchange, empowering businesses to scale and operate with greater agility in the digital economy.

Driving Seamless Connectivity Across the Region

As part of the collaboration, StarHub will establish a Point of Presence (PoP) at NeutraDC SNG-3 in Singapore. This will integrate StarHub’s Low-Latency Data Centre Connect solution into NeutraDC’s digital infrastructure network, enabling enterprises to enjoy low-latency interconnectivity between data centres, cloud platforms, and mission-critical business applications.

The collaboration also supports Singapore’s ongoing role as a regional digital hub, providing enterprises with effortless, secure, and efficient access to data resources across Southeast Asia.

Powering Next-Generation Enterprise Connectivity

In today’s always-on digital economy, enterprises depend on high-performance data exchange between multiple data centres, cloud platforms, and applications. StarHub’s Low-Latency Data Centre Connect solution delivers Singapore’s ultra-low-latency interconnect, featuring a sub-1 millisecond path to cable landing stations (CLS) for seamless regional reach.

The New Frontier of Connectivity Security

Quantum security is increasingly applied to replace current encryption standards in order to mitigate the evolving security threats of the future. This collaboration between StarHub and NeutraDC will pave the way for widespread adoption of quantum encrypted connectivity.

Through the PoP at NeutraDC SNG-3, customers can benefit from:

• Direct CLS Connectivity – A provider offering a complete DC-CLS-subsea cable route for end-to-end regional access.
• Software-Defined Networking (SDN) – Capabilities such as networking slicing, multi-tenancy portals, and bandwidth-on-demand to dynamically scale with data-intensive workloads.
• Quantum-Safe Encryption – Incorporating post-quantum cryptography for future-proof data protection.
• Service Orchestration – Automation for faster service provisioning and improved network agility.

“Enterprises today are navigating unprecedented data demands, and they need infrastructure that can keep up with their growth,” said Tan Kit Yong, Chief, Regional Enterprise, StarHub. “Through this collaboration with NeutraDC, we’re making it simpler for businesses to move, protect, and scale their data, helping them unlock real performance advantages and accelerate their digital transformation across the region.”

“We are excited to work with StarHub, a leader with a proven track record of connectivity solutions. This strategic initiative strengthens NeutraDC’s strategy of providing seamless, secure and cloud ready connectivity to our regional Neutra Compute GPU clouds. Quantum secure connectivity represents the new frontier of security, overcoming the limitations of current encryption standards. This will empower our customers to stay ahead of emerging threats and meet evolving business requirements.” Said Sendang Praptomo, Chief Executive Officer, NeutraDC Singapore.

Expanding the StarHub’s Low-Latency Data Centre Connect Ecosystem Across Asia

The partnership with NeutraDC extends StarHub’s growing network of alliances with leading data centre operators as part of StarHub’s broader strategy to extend its Low-Latency Data Centre Connect footprint across Southeast Asia – enabling enterprises to connect, scale, and innovate with low-latency, quantum-secure, and cloud-ready interconnectivity solutions to power the next generation of digital enterprise.

To learn how StarHub can support your enterprise transformation, visit www.starhub.com/lowlatencydatacentreconnect.

South Korea, China, and Austria lead growth in family travel interest for the upcoming winter season 

NEW DELHI, Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As temperatures drop, Indian families are turning their travel dreams towards frosty escapes. Digital travel platform Agoda’s latest data reveals a 30% year-on-year increase in international family travel interest during the winter season between December 2025 and February 2026, compared to the same period last year.

Agoda’s data reveals that Indian families are increasingly drawn to snow-covered landscapes, festive atmospheres, and cultural winter experiences, with interest spanning both Asia and Europe. Among Asian destinations, South Korea (+226%), China (+105%), and Kazakhstan (+68%) are witnessing the strongest year-on-year growth in travel interest, while Taiwan (+44%) and Japan (+41%) continue to attract steady attention from Indian family travellers.

From South Korea’s ski resorts and K-drama-inspired winter experiences to China’s ice festivals and heritage towns, families are exploring destinations that blend adventure with local culture. Kazakhstan’s scenic mountain landscapes offer nature-led escapes, while Japan appeals with its hot springs and family attractions such as Tokyo Disney Resort and Universal Studios Japan. Taiwan, meanwhile, draws families with its lantern festivals, vibrant night markets, and mix of nature and city escapes, making it an easy, family-friendly winter getaway within Asia.

In Europe, the pattern is similarly positive, with Austria (+82%) leading the charge, followed by Germany (+43%), Finland (+33%), Italy (+27%), and France (+20%). These destinations, known for their Christmas markets, skiing destinations, and winter charm, are emerging as preferred choices for families seeking an authentic seasonal experience.

The growing inclination toward winter travel also indicates a broader evolution in Indian family travel habits where travellers are moving beyond traditional beach vacations to more immersive, seasonal experiences. Improved air connectivity, simplified visa procedures, and a curiosity to discover new destinations are making it easier for families to venture further. Whether soaking in hot springs in Japan, exploring ski towns in Austria, or celebrating the New Year in South Korea, Indian travellers are redefining what winter holidays mean.

Commenting on the data trend, Gaurav Malik, Country Director for the Indian Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands at Agoda, said “More Indian families are embracing the joy of travel during the winter months. This trend highlights families’ growing desire for experiences that blend togetherness, cultural discovery, and the festive spirit of the holiday season in cold-weather destinations across Asia and Europe. Agoda continues to make these holidays easier to plan, with a wide range of stays, flights, and activities to ensure every family holiday is magical.”

For families planning their upcoming winter holidays, Agoda offers over 6 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities, all easily combined in a single booking. Discover the best deals on Agoda’s mobile app and visit Agoda.com for more information.

KANAZAWA, Japan, Nov. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Kanazawa Biyori, a local information platform, highlights not only traditional crafts and cuisine but also new cultural experiences that reflect the evolving landscape of the city. This winter, a new VR horror attraction titled “SENRITSU MEIKYŪ: Mei” will open at Kuraso Place Korinbo, a commercial complex in the Korinbo district of Kanazawa.

Inspired by the world of “SENRITSU MEIKYŪ – The Haunted Hospital,” a renowned horror attraction at Fuji-Q Highland, this immersive experience is reimagined through XR (Cross Reality) technology. The event will run from Friday, November 28, 2025 to Sunday, March 1, 2026, marking the first time this walkthrough VR horror experience will be hosted in Kanazawa.

A 1 km “Virtual Hospital” You Traverse on Foot

In “SENRITSU MEIKYŪ: Mei,” participants wear VR goggles and walk through a deeply immersive horror experience. The setting is a fictional abandoned hospital where strange phenomena reportedly occurred during the construction of a previous VR attraction.

Guests assume the role of external investigators for a paranormal research agency known as the Bureau of Anomalous Phenomena, tasked with uncovering the cause of these mysteries.

Though the physical venue is limited in size, the Scape® XR platform dramatically expands the perceived environment, creating an eight-floor labyrinth equivalent to approximately one kilometer in length. As participants turn corners, climb stairs, and call out to teammates, they gradually become fully absorbed—forgetting the confines of the actual floor.

Each session lasts about 30 minutes, and all participants appear as avatars within the same virtual space, where their reactions—stopping, jumping, or gasping—are visible to one another in real time, enhancing the shared experience.

Why Kanazawa Biyori Is Paying Attention

Transforming Everyday Space into a Temporary Stage

The venue is located on the third floor of Kuraso Place Korinbo, near the busy Korinbo intersection. This area, typically frequented for shopping and dining, will temporarily host a virtual labyrinth layered onto everyday life. This blending of daily life and entertainment creates a distinctive new attraction for the city center.

Accessible Design for Visitors from Near and Far

Participants follow a guided route after donning their goggles, making it easy to enjoy the attraction even without prior knowledge of the building layout. All key story context and safety instructions are available in both Japanese and English, making the experience accessible to first-time visitors and international travelers alike.

Event Overview

Title: SENRITSU MEIKYŪ: Mei 
Dates: November 28, 2025 (Fri) – March 1, 2026 (Sun) 
Venue: Kuraso Place Korinbo, 3rd Floor
(2-1-1 Korinbo, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture) 

Opening Hours: 

• Weekdays: 3:00 PM – 8:30 PM
• Weekends & Holidays: 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM

Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes. Admission (incl. tax): 

• Weekdays: Adults ¥2,750 / Under 18 ¥2,200
• Weekends & Holidays: Adults ¥3,300 / Under 18 ¥2,750

Languages Supported: Japanese and English
Tickets: Advance reservations via the official website
https://x.gd/AG6fzn

Organized by: SENRITSU MEIKYŪ: Mei Kanazawa Executive Committee
Original Concept: Fuji-Q Highland (SENRITSU MEIKYŪ)
Production: ABAL
Cooperation: SENRITSU MEIKYŪ: Mei Deployment Committee

Contact for Inquiries

Kanazawa Biyori Co., Ltd.
Sunpia Izumigaoka 511, 255 Fushimishinmachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
Email: info@kanazawabiyori.com

About Kanazawa Biyori

Kanazawa Biyori is a regional media platform dedicated to covering news and stories from the Kanazawa, Noto, and Kaga areas through the lens of its locally based editorial team. In addition to showcasing seasonal scenery, traditional crafts, and culinary culture, the site highlights innovative projects—such as SENRITSU MEIKYŪ: Mei—that bring fresh energy into everyday life in the city.

SINGAPORE, Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 program was officially launched at a high-energy symposium in Jakarta on November 27, themed “Shaping Resilient Futures: Timeless Design with Coated Steel.” The event brought together around 190 representatives from five ASEAN countries and Australia, creating a dynamic forum for design leaders to exchange ideas. The announcement sparked strong enthusiasm, setting the stage for an even more inspiring awards program in 2026.

Building on the success of the inaugural 2024 edition, which spotlighted five standout winners from across ASEAN, the 2026 awards aim to raise the bar for architectural excellence with steel.

“We are delighted to launch the Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 program in Indonesia, a nation with a rich and influential design heritage. It is a tremendous honour to welcome so many respected peers from across the region today, all united by a shared passion for design excellence with steel solutions.” said Ar. Georgius Budi Yulianto, President of Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia, one of the organisers.

BlueScope presents the Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 in partnership with several highly respected institutions: The Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage (ASA) in Thailand, Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia (IAI), the University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City (UAH) in Vietnam, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), and AustCham Singapore.

A distinguished judging panel appointed by the partners will shortlist outstanding entries and select the winners. The judges are: Ar. Asae Sukhyanga, President of ASA; Ar. Firman Setia Herwanto, Vice President of IAI; Ar. Dr. Truong Nguyen Hoang Long, Head of the Division of Environment and Sustainable Design of UAH; Ar. Dr. Serina Hijjas, Principal of Hijjas Kasturi Associates Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia; and Ar. Geoff Croker, Principal of fjcstudio in Australia.

“Building on the momentum of the 2024 event, next year’s program will give architects in four ASEAN countries including Thailand an even greater platform to learn international best practices, push creative boundaries, and showcase their ‘timeless design’ using high quality building materials.” said Ar. Asae Sukhyanga, President of ASA.

The awards feature four categories: Industrial; Commercial; Residential; and Institutional, Public & Others. The competition is open to built projects in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam that utilise BlueScope’s steel solutions.

“BlueScope products are trusted across ASEAN, and our customers are behind many of the region’s most beautiful, forward-thinking, and enduring structures. These awards recognise their achievements and deepen our collaboration with the Australian design community to further strengthen knowledge sharing, innovation, and professional growth across the region.” said Connell Zhang, Chief Executive, NS BlueScope and BlueScope China.

To learn more about the awards, click here https://www.nsbluescope.com/asean/en/news/steel-architecture-awards-asean-2026 

SHANGHAI , Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Under the theme ‘Reinventing for Tomorrow’, the International Innovation Awards (IIA) 2025 convened leaders and innovators from around the world to celebrate transformative breakthroughs reshaping the future of innovation. Held on 28 November 2025 at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, China, the awards ceremony honored outstanding innovations that demonstrate strategic foresight, technological advancement, and sustainable impact.

Since its inception in 2017, Enterprise Asia’s Innovation Revolution movement has championed the acceleration of innovation across industries and markets. As a flagship initiative of this movement, the IIA aims to identify and celebrate exemplary innovations, thereby reinforcing the importance of long-term investment in research, development, and transformation. The 2025 edition underscored this commitment by bringing together distinguished organizations from across the global business landscape.

The ceremony commenced with an address by Enterprise Asia President, Richard Tsang, who underscored the role of values-driven innovation. “To reinvent for tomorrow is to embrace change as opportunity, to challenge conventions, and to build with vision and responsibility. For technology, however powerful, must always be guided by human values. Innovation must uplift not only economies, but also societies.”

The awards program attracted submissions from more than 20 countries and regions, including Austria, Mainland China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan region, Thailand, U.K., U.A.E., Vietnam and more. Following a stringent evaluation process by an independent judging panel, over 260 applications were assessed across four categories: Product, Service & Solution, Organization & Culture, and Smart City.

Innovative products including ‘Dowsil™ 995 Silicone Structural Sealant’ by Dow (Shanghai) Holding Co., Ltd. and ‘Innovative Split-Unit OTC Hearing Aid (FDA Listed)’ by Taiwan’s OK Biotech Co., Ltd. were honoured under the Product category. Meanwhile, groundbreaking services and solutions such as ‘ABB Accelerator’ by Switzerland’s ABB Information Systems Ltd and ‘From Automation To Intelligence: PwC’s Agentic-native Audit Ecosystem’ by the U.K.’s PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) received the InnoCube for the Service & Solution category. Transformative initiatives like ‘AIA – PBB RCB Tribe – A New Paradigm For Cross – Entity HNW Strategy Execution’ by Malaysia’s AIA BHD and ‘Innovation School’ by Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International earned recognition in the Organization & Culture category. Lastly, forward-thinking smart city innovations such as ‘The Government Complex’ by Thailand’s Dhanarak Asset Development Co., Ltd. and ‘Intelligent Safety 2.0 For Light Rail’ by Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation were celebrated under the Smart City category.

Earlier in the day, the International Innovation Summit (IIS) 2025 was held as the official prelude to the awards ceremony. The summit, themed ‘Reimagining Intelligent Systems for Sustainable Growth’, brought together influential voices in technology and business to discuss how intelligent systems can unlock new pathways for innovation and sustainable value creation. Discussions highlighted emerging trends, industry applications, and collaborative opportunities for shaping a smarter, more inclusive future.

“As we embrace these intelligent systems, we must also reimagine the meaning of growth itself. Growth is no longer about scaling larger or faster; it is about evolving with purpose, agility, and conscience.” stated Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn, Chairman of Enterprise Asia, in his opening address.

The summit featured distinguished speakers comprising Ben Cavender, Managing Director, Head Of Strategy of China Market Research Group; Jeff Hou, Director at KPMG in Taiwan; Stephane Monsallier, CEO & Founder of System In Motion; Sarjit Singh, Senior Advisor at Deloitte & Touche Llp; Steven Yates, Director & Global Chief Commercial Officer of Alumni Services; alongside leading industry experts, who offered forward-looking viewpoints on creating enterprises that can withstand disruption through agility, innovation, and sustainability.

The IIS and IIA 2025 are supported by the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai, British Chamber of Commerce Philippines, International Chamber of Commerce – Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce, Myanmar Business Executives Association, Shanghai Chamber of Commerce in Xiamen, Singapore-Thai Chamber of Commerce, SingCham Shanghai, and World One Unite. PR Newswire serves as the Official News Release Distribution Partner, while Media Partners include Commercial Times, Dailywire.asia, and SME Magazine.

FULL RECIPIENT LIST OF THE INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION AWARDS (IIA) 2025

About Enterprise Asia

Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in the pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development. Please visit https://www.enterpriseasia.org/ for more information.

About the International Innovation Awards

The International Innovation Awards (IIA) is an annual recognition program that recognizes outstanding innovations, and in the process, encourages organizations to continue investing in innovations. For more information, visit www.innovationaward.org.

About the International Innovation Summit

The International Innovation Summit (IIS) is an annual summit that provides a global platform power-packed with the latest innovation insights and networking opportunities for an elite community of C-level executives, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are charged with driving innovation and growth in their respective organizations. For more information, visit www.innosummit.org.