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Laos, Thailand Discuss Reopening of Four Borders Checkpoints

Laos, Thailand Discuss Reopening of Four Borders Checkpoints
Officials at an event discussing more border reopening between Vientiane Capital and Nong Khai in Thailand.

Deputy Governor of Vientiane Capital, Mr. Phounkhong Bannavong met with the Thai Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Mr. Keerati Rushchano on his visit to Laos earlier this month, to discuss the possibility of reopening four borders checkpoints connecting Laos’ Vientiane Capital and Thailand’s Nong Khai.

Bank of the Lao PDR Suspends Loans for Cryptocurrency Businesses

The central bank of Laos has issued a notice suspending loans to cryptocurrency business  from January this year.

MDIS Roadshow is back in 2023

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 6 February 2023 – From 10 to 12 of February 2023, the MDIS Roadshow returns for its 2023 edition, featuring more than 70 industry-relevant programmes in partnership with 8 globally recognised university partners from UK and US. Held at 313@Somerset, this year’s roadshow will be the perfect opportunity for prospective students to discover a wide variety of diplomas and degrees. This includes excellent choices of MDIS International Foundation Diploma (IFD) programme, designed to academically prepare students with key fundamentals before they take on the next level of undergraduate study.

Nurturing Future-Ready Students for a Rapidly Changing Job Market

As the global economy continues to evolve, the demand for a constant acquisition of relevant skills, even during employment, has become essential for success. To help students prepare for this challenge head-on, MDIS offers an industry-relevant curriculum to gain a competitive edge in the working world.

Supporting this vision is the introduction of International Foundation Diploma (IFD) programme, a foundational course that prepares students with the prerequisites needed to pursue degree-level study in their course of choice. It is available across various disciplines such as Business, Engineering, Fashion & Design, Technology, Psychology, Media & Communications, Tourism & Hospitality and Life Sciences.

What’s more, students are taught by experienced lecturers with many years of industry experience to ensure that you get the best learning outcome.

Join Us at the MDIS Roadshow 2023

Not only will the MDIS Roadshow 2023 be an excellent opportunity for prospective students to explore a range of disciplines and gain a free one-on-one education consultation. In addition, prospective students may enjoy a 100% fee waiver should they sign up during the promotional period subject to meeting terms and conditions. The MDIS Roadshow 2023 will also feature favourites from previous years, like limited-edition roadshow goodies, a spin & win, and many more.

Hashtag: #MDIS

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

About MDIS

Founded in 1956, the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) is one of Singapore’s oldest not-for-profit professional institutes for lifelong learning. MDIS offers internationally-accredited courses in Business and Management, Engineering, Fashion and Design, Health and Nursing, Information Technology, Languages and Education, Life Sciences, Media and Communications, Psychology, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Safety and Environmental Management. These programmes are offered in collaboration with renowned universities in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. MDIS also has set a proven track record of preparing students to excel in the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education (Ordinary and Advanced Level), Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and Cambridge International Lower Secondary, through its comprehensive preparatory courses.

Laos Reports Inflation Rate of 40.30 Percent in January

Laos Inflation Rate Hit 40.30 Percent in January
Woman holding a pile of LAK banknotes (photo: www.laostravel.indochinacharm.com/)

The country’s inflation rate increased by 1.03% from December 2022, according to the Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB).

Asendia Expands Its Reach in North Asia with the Appointment of Joshua Mclarin as CEO of Asendia Hong Kong/ North Asia Today

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 6 February 2023 – Asendia, one of the world’s leading e-commerce logistics providers, today announced the strategic hire of Joshua Mclarin as CEO of Asendia Hong Kong/ North Asia. This is a major milestone for Asendia as Joshua will bring his expertise into helping Asendia cater for the growing market needs since its presence in North Asia in 2012.

Joshua has over 21 years of logistics experience, with 16 years in cross-border logistics servicing e-commerce marketplaces and mono brands across Asia Pacific including New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. He was most recently Vice President of Regional Sales at Quantium Solutions International (a Singapore Post subsidiary), where he was responsible for regional business across 12 countries in the region. In this role, Joshua developed origin operations in Europe, linehaul agreements and last mile in Singapore and Asia Pacific to allow fast onboarding of retailers into the network. Joshua brings these proven results and experiences to Asendia with an aim to truly service the growing needs of e-commerce retailers and brands looking to expand into North Asia.

“With Joshua on board Asendia, the strategic management team covering Southeast and North Asia is complete,” said Lionel Berthe, Head of Asendia Asia Pacific. “Stuart Foster, Managing Director of Asian Desk, APAC (Asendia Asian Desk), and Senthil Kumar, CEO of Asendia Singapore/South Asia (Asendia Singapore Pte Ltd) have just joined the team in January 2023. The hire of Joshua strengthens Asendia’s commitment to the North-Asia region.”

These senior appointments of Asendia APAC emphasize a clear focus of the company’s strategy to expands its reach to the North Asia market, especially to the Chinese e-commerce market, which was estimated to generate around US$1.5 trillion in revenue in 2022 – the largest revenue share globally and double of the estimated e-commerce revenue of the United States of America in the same year[1].

Geared towards Expansions into North Asia

Strict pandemic lockdowns and disruptions to global supply-chains have directed increasing consumers flows to online retailers, especially in China where most of the population has now embraced e-commerce[2]. The combined markets of China, Japan, South Korea and the wider Southeast Asia region has accounted for a majority of the global e-commerce sales. Overall, the region’s B2C E-commerce Gross Merchandise Value is projected to increase from US$3,082.3 billion in 2021 to US$5,306.2 billion by 2026[3].

Joshua Mclarin, as CEO of Asendia Hong Kong and North Asia, is key to tapping the immense growth opportunities in China and North Asia for brands and retailers around the world. “Each market has their own nuances, challenges and opportunities. Mainland China generated 108bn parcels in 2021. Whilst the market is mature and fiercely competitive, there is significant opportunities given the CAGR is in excess of 30%. With my experience, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit I am looking forward to capitalising on this growth in Hong Kong and North Asia leveraging Asendia’s strong global network, systems and value-added services,” Joshua commented.

Asendia Full Team Onboard

Together with Senthil Kumar, CEO for Singapore and South Asia, and Stuart Foster, Managing Director of Asian Desk, APAC (Asendia Asian Desk), the Asendia strategic management team will be working together in full force to expand and provide the best support to clients at large.

Senthil is a highly experienced leader who brings with him over 15 years of experience in general management, e-commerce and logistics and has held senior leadership positions in DHL E-commerce, Samsung and most recently with Janio Asia. “Although the current market situations are not ideal from a macro-economic perspective – South and Southeast Asia is still very rife with opportunities for e-commerce cross border flows. With China now coming out of the COVID related lockdowns, I believe that Asendia is well placed with the necessary network, technology, and people as our main competitive advantages to tap into synergies across Asia Pacific. I’m excited and honoured to be part of the Asendia APAC management team and look forward to helping our customers optimize their e-commerce logistics supply chains using a consultative approach,” said Senthil.

Stuart has over 19 years of extensive experience in parcel delivery industry. Stuart started his career with UPS before moving to La Poste France where he successfully launched the International Sales department of Colissimo (a subsidiary of La Poste) as the Head of International Sales. “Asendia’s greatest strength is to be able to satisfy all the e-commerce merchant needs. Thanks to the customs solutions in the main European gateways as Liege, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris, with tracked and untracked services we can deliver to all the countries a merchant will need. Our expedited delivery network can offer our customers in China and Hong Kong who can efficiently access the European markets. We are also developing additional solutions to increase volume exchanges between Europe and Asia. Asian consumers are very keen on buying European goods. We want to facilitate the shipping process to empower European sellers on these strategic markets,” said Stuart.

Asendia has been active in Asia Pacific, including North Asia region, since in 2012. The group has subsidiaries in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. Asendia provides brands, retailers, marketplaces and consolidations logistics and digital solutions access to global markets through extensive and innovative distribution solutions, harnessing their worldwide postal partnerships.

Hashtag: #Asendia

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

About Asendia

Asendia is one of the world’s leaders in international e-commerce and mail, delivering packages, parcels and documents to more than 200 destinations across the globe. Combining the experience and expertise of its founding companies, La Poste and Swiss Post, the Asendia Group brings together a wealth of international and local know-how. Asendia’s expertise is broad-reaching encompassing different aspects of e-commerce, from webshop software and marketplace management to international logistics. Asendia is committed to sustainability, offsetting all CO2 emissions worldwide. Since January 2022, Asendia is 100% carbon neutral.

Asendia employs over 1’500 people in Europe, UK, Asia Pacific and the USA – a global network blended with a local presence.

Find out more at

Avery Dennison partners with Enterprise Singapore for AD Stretch startup accelerator program

The local startup ecosystem will benefit from both corporate and government funding for innovators working to create new and sustainable solutions for the packaging industry.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 6 February 2023 – Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY), a global materials science and branding and information solutions company, will be funding Singapore-based startups for the AD Stretch accelerator program with support from Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), the government agency championing enterprise development.

AD Stretch Demo Day in Singapore - Representatives from Avery Dennison, Enterprise Singapore and Highline Beta join startups at AD Stretch Demo Day in Singapore
AD Stretch Demo Day in Singapore – Representatives from Avery Dennison, Enterprise Singapore and Highline Beta join startups at AD Stretch Demo Day in Singapore

AD Stretch is a non-dilutive startup accelerator program powered by Highline Beta that focuses on solving complex problems for the packaging industry including reducing waste, improving customer experience and enhancing supply chain resilience. The partnership with EnterpriseSG will provide support to help Singapore-based startups scale successfully and run global pilots together with a Fortune 500 packaging and labelling leader.

The partnership with EnterpriseSG was announced at the recent inaugural AD Stretch Demo Day in Singapore, an event showcasing the cutting-edge solutions in the labels and packaging space developed by the nine startups selected for the first cohort of the program, which focused on pilots in Asia Pacific and Latin America. The event was attended by senior representatives from Avery Dennison, EnterpriseSG and Highline Beta, as well as over a hundred members of the local business community and startup ecosystem.

Anil Sharma, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Label and Graphic Materials, Asia Pacific said, “Innovation has always been at the heart of Avery Dennison, and we believe that investing in regional innovation can create global impact. We are also committed to driving collaboration across the ecosystem, and look forward to the support from Enterprise Singapore as we collectively solve some of the most pressing business challenges, while in parallel accelerating the growth of promising innovators and companies.”

Ms Emily Liew, Assistant CEO (Innovation & Enterprise Services) at EnterpriseSG, said, “We are happy to partner with Avery Dennison to create opportunities for early-stage start-ups to jointly develop solutions that can help them to build track record for scaling up, while enabling Avery Dennison to access wide-ranging innovative solutions in Singapore. We want to inspire more of such collaborations between large corporates and Singapore-based start-ups, which are vital to the development of relevant, cutting-edge innovations that have the potential for commercialization and impact.”

Launched in November 2022, the second cohort of AD Stretch is currently accepting applications from across the world with a focus on designing and executing pilots primarily in North America and EMENA (Europe, the Middle East and North Africa). Avery Dennison has worked with globally recognized innovation services firm focusing on corporate-startup collaborations, Highline Beta, to design, launch and run AD Stretch. Together, they developed key challenge areas for AD Stretch Cohort 2 within three main themes – making consumer packaged goods smarter, packaging 2.0, and sustainability.

Learn more about AD Stretch and how to apply at www.adstretch.com.

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APPENDIX

No Name of start-up Details of pilot program
Asia Pacific Programs
1 CollectID Piloting digital triggers in embellishments with a combination of encrypted, smartphone-ready NFC tags with secure, immutable NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to guarantee a product’s authenticity with just a single tap on the smartphone.

2 FL Technology By combining polymer material science and plant physiology, the team has created a nanomaterial that can simultaneously remove ethylene and inhibit the growth of decay-causing bacteria, which is applied to the green storage of fruits.
3 Makegrowlab Growing and utilizing a new generation of materials and resources to replace fossil fuels in packaging, textile and others, and creating a solution that is durable and home compostable as a great alternative to plastic-coated paper and foils.
4 Varcode An accessible solution for time and temperature monitoring data without the added use of batteries or electronics to improve the safety, quality, and sustainability of perishable products all the way to the last mile.
5 Wastelabs An AI platform that optimizes expensive, inefficient waste and recycling logistics to enable manufacturers to produce more goods from recycled materials.

Latin America Programs
6 Arylla Creating a portfolio of quality solutions for a variety of printing systems that will enhance the protection for brands and products and communicate key information for end users.
7 Cellr A tech solution designed to help wine and spirit brands of Latin America better engage with their customers. The solution optimizes data points, enables brand protection, and enhances brand interaction.
8 GreenPlat A cleantech with an ESG blockchain architecture-based SaaS for environmental solutions. The software replaces manual control on waste generation, CO2 emissions, energy, and water consumption.
9 StaTwig An end-to-end solution that gives the food and pharmaceutical industries insight into where products are at any given time and enables them to make improved supply chain decisions.

Hashtag: #AveryDennison

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

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s products, which are used in nearly every major industry, include pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical, and retail applications; tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; and radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company employs more than 35,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2021 were $8.4 billion. Learn more at .

About Enterprise Singapore

Enterprise Singapore is the Singapore government agency championing enterprise development. It also supports the growth of Singapore as a hub for global trading and startups.

The agency attracts global commodities traders to establish their global or Asian home base in Singapore. Today, Singapore is a leading global trading hub with a complete ecosystem for the energy, agri-commodities and metals & minerals trading clusters. Singapore is also home to many global enterprises, startups and investors that operate in its robust pro-enterprise environment.

Enterprise Singapore builds trust in Singapore’s products and services through quality and standards. Renowned for their dedication to quality and innovation, Singapore companies make ideal business partners.

With Enterprise Singapore’s global network in over 35 locations spanning many developed and emerging markets, it connects businesses with relevant Singapore companies for their business expansion.

Visit for more information.

About Highline Beta

Highline Beta is a globally recognized corporate innovation and venture capital firm that focuses on corporate-startup collaborations. We work with ambitious corporate innovators to build new business models inside and outside their organization that unlock new areas of growth. We do this by framing their business challenges, recruiting and selecting startups, designing collaborations, and finding a strategic fit with startups that make sense for their business.

Visit for more information.

Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam & Myanmar Economies to Get Stronger in 2023

Laos Patuxay Vientiane

The Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Center has predicted that these countries will see a momentum in economic growth this year, but it will be less than its growth potential before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fabrica X Announces New Store Concept which Celebrates Innovation in Biomaterials in Textile and Lifestyle Products

Giving waste a new lease of life – six-month showcase hosted in partnership with Fidelity International, Biofabricate, and Lenzing Group

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 6 February 2023 – Fabrica X, the Impact Retail concept store operated by The Mills Fabrica in Hong Kong, today announces its new campaign, which over the course of six months, will celebrate innovations in biomaterials in textiles and lifestyle products. Biomaterials are new materials regenerated from organic waste through nature-based, biological processes to create more sustainable products. Along with its global partners, Fabrica X will enable Hong Kongers to learn, experience, and purchase biomaterial innovations and products in fabric materials, such as alternative leathers derived from coffee waste or footwear made from wood.

Relaunched in July 2022, Fabrica X is an innovative concept store that combines retail, education, and experiential discoveries through different thematic campaigns related to sustainability. The Mills Fabrica itself was grown out of Nan Fung Group’s textile legacy in Hong Kong, with a mission to accelerate innovations for sustainability, environmental and social impact.

From lab to store, to closet – a one-stop-platform to bring new technology to everyday lives

Synthetic fibers today represent 65% of global fiber production, of which 56% of fibers produced are derived from fossil fuels, according to Textile Exchange’s 2022 report. The huge amount of textiles produced means an equally staggering amount is sent to landfills or incinerated each year estimated at one garbage truck of textile waste every second. This contributes to the release of greenhouse gas emission as textile waste decomposes in landfills.

“Our first campaign in 2023 serves to showcase — and celebrate — the wonders and progress made in biomaterials science. Today we are seeing lab innovations transform into beautiful, practical, and biodegradable fabrics, dyes, and materials spun into clothing,” said Cintia Nunes, General Manager, Head of Asia, The Mills Fabrica.

“Fabrica X is putting the spotlight on biomaterials as we urge consumers and businesses to rethink conventional textile materials, particularly in our daily lives — and understand the real environmental and social implications of their purchases.”

Fabrica X aims to use its Impact Retail concept store not only as a retail space for businesses to sell products made with sustainable materials, but also to exhibit innovative biomaterial concepts and fabrics where people can touch, feel and observe the materials. It includes an experiential zone where people can get hands-on learning experiences on transforming common food waste and natural materials into new life. By doing so, Fabrica X aims to put this issue front and center in Hong Kongers’ lives, and urges businesses and retailers to make more conscious purchasing decisions by seeing and understanding the innovative alternatives that are available in the market today.

With an emphasis on hands-on education, Fabrica X will also showcase the lifecycle and decomposition process of biodegradable fabric throughout the campaign period of 6-months.

With support from Fidelity International, Biofabricate, and Lenzing Group

With a shared belief in building a more sustainable future, Fidelity International is forming a collaborative partnership with Fabrica X, to support and influence consumers and businesses to become more sustainable.

“At Fidelity, we understand that every decision from investment to daily wearables, has an impact for society. That is why we take an active approach to sustainable investing, seeking to steer companies towards decisions that will positively impact the greater good. United by the goal of building a more sustainable future, we are proud to partner with Fabrica X and lend our support to drive biomaterial innovation at home and beyond to unlock new sustainable possibilities across industries. We seek to become the catalyst to fundamentally change industry practices to become more mindful of consumption choices,” said Ellie Tang, Director, Sustainable Investing from Fidelity International.

In addition to Fidelity International, Biofabricate, the global authority in sustainable biomaterials, is the campaign’s Knowledge Partner – ensuring that educational contents used in the campaign are verified, impactful, and not susceptible to greenwashing. Lenzing Group, one of the world’s leading supplier of specialty fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries – with its flagship brand TENCELTM – provides ecologically responsible fibers for the exhibition.

Fabrica X is open to partnerships and collaborations with startups, brands, corporates and investors from Hong Kong and around the world to join its mission to promote materials sustainability, and to accelerate development and adoption of innovative biomaterials.

The six-month showcase will feature global innovations that will change the industry, including the incubatees and investees from The Mills Fabrica, as well as a number of local, regional, and global innovators who will unveil their innovative and sustainable materials made with from fruit peels, seashells, mushroom, and many more, for the public to feel and experience. During which, Hong Kongers can also shop from featured brands which produce clothings and other goods made from such biomaterials.

Hashtag: #FabricaX

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

About Fabrica X

Fabrica X is the go-to Impact Retail concept store operated by The Mills Fabrica, where visitors can experience sustainable living with the latest innovative fashion and food tech brands. The store heralds biodiverse material use, minimal waste, and ethical production, and through engaging experiences inspire visitors to make eco-conscious, responsible purchases.

About The Mills Fabrica

The Mills Fabrica is a go-to solutions platform accelerating techstyle and agrifood tech innovations for sustainability. Officially launched in Hong Kong in December 2018, The Mills is a landmark revitalization project by the Nan Fung Group, transforming their old textile factories into a new heritage, experiential retail, and innovation centre. With its business incubator, investment fund, spaces in Hong Kong and London, and community-building initiatives, The Mills Fabrica aims to create success stories of collaborations between innovators, entrepreneurs, and corporates, that together, will drive positive change for future generations.