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F&B Group Koufu Celebrates 20th Anniversary with the Grand Opening of A New 7-Storey Integrated Facility of 20,000 sq m

Adopting State-of-the-art Machinery to Increase its Competitiveness in the Local and Global Market

The new integrated facility also supports the local SMEs F&B operators in their business expansion
@koufu.sg | #koufu

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 October 2022 – In conjunction with Koufu’s 20th Anniversary, the Group is proud to announce the official opening of its latest 7-storey integrated facility – Koufu Headquarters (HQ). Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry & Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth, Ms. Low Yen Ling graced the grand opening as the Guest-of-Honour.

Located strategically at 1 Woodlands Height along Woodlands Avenue 12, Koufu invested a total of $55 million in the integrated facility of about 20,000 sq m and is more than 5 times larger than its previous central kitchens and corporate headquarters. Placing Koufu on a digital trajectory that is still making strides, the integrated facility harnesses the use of state-of-the-art machinery that enables the group to enhance national competitiveness with the increase in quality and productivity without compromising on its environmental sustainability efforts.

The integrated building will be used to optimize Koufu’s business operations which includes the production of tim sum, bakery, pastries and dough products for distribution to its outlets islandwide. In addition, Koufu also supports the business expansion of the local small & medium (SME) F&B operators including the stall holders operating under its network of 70 food courts and coffee shops. 20 units of food processing kitchens each ranging from 1400 to 3500 sq ft and a 11,000 sq ft Cloud Kitchen space of 24 units each ranging from 170 to 850 sq ft are for lease to F&B operators. The building also houses a training academy, a staff dormitory, a Koufu Canteen which is opened to the public and its Corporate HQ office all under one-roof. Central procurement, preparation, processing and distribution functions have also been expanded and streamlined all within the premises to better support its outlets and external customers.

Under the umbrella of Koufu Group are a portfolio of diversified food and beverage (F&B) concepts operating at 180 locations islandwide. With a total of 12 brands, innovative concepts such as elemen and Grove continue to drive Singapore’s sustainability trend of meatless cuisine; Dough Culture and DeliSnacks preserve a well-loved tradition of oriental snacks with their grab-and-go snacks like fried dough fritters and banana fritters; R&B Tea redefines today’s tea experience with over 30 tea-base concoctions showcasing one of Singapore’s best brown sugar milk tea and fruit tea, and Rasapura Masters, a food court housed within The Marina Bay Sands is Singapore’s hawker food destination of choice.

Koufu, a well-known house-hold name, is one of Singapore’s most established food court operator which operates over 70 foodcourts and coffeeshops in Singapore under the brands of Koufu, Cookhouse, Gourmet Paradise, Fork & Spoon and Happy Hawkers. Overseas in Macau, the Group operates 3 food courts and has also brought R&B Tea to Indonesia and Philippines operating under a franchise model.

“A vision that has now come to life, the establishment of Koufu HQ is a strategic hub which enables us to strengthen Koufu’s supply chain. It also allows for the broadening and consolidation of production, manufacturing and logistics capabilities to achieve greater operating efficiencies and margins. This new ecosystem enables our suite of brands to remain vibrant and competitive in both the local and global arena.”, shares Mr. Pang Lim, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Koufu Group.

Corporate ESG Initiatives

Innovating for a more environmentally sustainable economy, Koufu Group leads with their Smart Waste Compactor and Renewable Solar Energy infrastructure within the integrated facility.

Outfitted with two Chute Compactors with bin lifter, this enables multi-level direct disposal of small-size waste from production levels 3 to 6 of the 7-storey facility. Compactors remove 80% of liquid from the food waste before the discharge into the sewer. This reduction in the weight of the waste allows for alternate days of waste collection instead of a daily schedule. An in-built load cell also automatically generates a waste tonnage report, providing accountability in sustainable waste management to The National Environment Agency. The building also features close to 400 Solar Panels onsite that generates about 300,000 kWh of energy per year, equivalent to 5% of energy consumption saved.

Improving Productivity through Automation

Leveraging on new technologies to unlock numerous opportunities to scale globally beyond the boundaries of Singapore, Koufu invested over $5 million in the automation and capability enhancement processes in its new production facilities. With the introduction of automated processes, the Group has seen an increase in its productivity as well as its capability to handle pent-up demand from existing/new customers and to enter new markets. Some of the automated processes include the Automated Flour Transferring System and the Conveyor and Spiral Cooling Towers. The technology-driven infrastructure optimises business operations, thereby improving its productivity by 140% and supports revenue diversification and network expansion. Koufu through the arm of Deli Asia, supplies frozen and par-fried snack and dough products to its own outlets and third-party businesses. It has achieved an enhanced capability of at least twice its current production volume after the implementation of the automated processes and is now ready to enter new markets including overseas export.

Automation replaces mundane and strenuous job roles while employees are re-deployed to other value-added job functions. With the increase in productivity, the Group will be able to expand its production capacity, optimising its workforce in a more efficient way. The productivity gains are then passed back to the employees through wage increase. Despite the pandemic, employees have seen their remuneration increase up to 30% in 2022 as compared to 2020.

elemenAcademy

Situated on level one is Koufu’s very own chef and service staff training centre, where it is the team’s belief that young chefs should be at the forefront of change. Here, experienced professionals impart their knowledge on meatless cuisines, sharing their passion for an earth diet that is not just wholesome for our bodies but better for the planet. Staying relevant in an age of change, elemenAcademy is where ideas are birthed. elemenAcademy is also opened to the public as the Group encourages sustainability dining where meatless cuisine are served.

Koufu HQ Canteen

Having opened the brand’s first outlet at Toa Payoh in 2002, Koufu HQ Canteen at level 1 beside the main entrance, pays homage to its origins with seating inspired by the iconic dragon playground in Toa Payoh and the nostalgic tiled chess tables found under HDB void decks. Drawing from Singapore’s vibrant hawker heritage, be inspired by the artistic wall mural of a quintessential Singaporean breakfast which involves the aromatic pull of coffee using a traditional coffee sock. More importantly, diners will be spoilt for choice with the array of local and international food offerings such as Koufu’s signature traditional kaya & butter toast sets, wide variety of steamed and fried tim sum, Nasi Padang from the Michelin Bib Gourmand Hjh Maimunah Restaurant, delightfully springy Kolo Mee from Sarawak Noodles and a lean but hearty menu of Korean favourites from O.BBa Jjajang Express and many more.

“With the opening of our new Koufu HQ, it marked an important milestone for Koufu as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary this year. We have always aligned our business expansion plans to the government’s policies and directions especially on our focus on productivity. Tapping on the Enterprise Development Grants administered by Enterprise Singapore since our early years, we managed to speed up our productivity improvement journey for business expansion purposes,” shares Mr. Pang Lim, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Koufu Group.

Koufu‘s humble beginnings started with its maiden food court at Toa Payoh HDB Hub in 2002, with its mission of providing “Better Food Better People Better Life” to its customers, employees and the community.

As Koufu promises value-for-money food offerings to our customers, on this day of 19 October 2022, it has entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) to participate in listing their food and beverage offerings on Price Kaki, a mobile application launched by CASE to help consumers compare prices of daily essentials and cooked food to stretch their dollar. Consumers will soon be able to compare prices of items sold at more than 70 Koufu’s food courts and coffee shops across Singapore.

Mr Melvin Yong, President, CASE said: “We are happy to collaborate with Koufu to list food and beverage offerings sold in its coffeeshops and foodcourts on Price Kaki, to help consumers compare prices and make better informed purchasing decisions during these challenging times. The collaboration will bring the total number of coffeeshops and foodcourts listed on Price Kaki to 267, achieving our target of at least 200 coffeeshops and foodcourts onto Price Kaki by the end of 2022.”

Committed to improving the welfare of the community, Koufu continues to support various charity initiatives that benefit the less fortunate and the elderly. This includes the distribution of Care vouchers, and donations to community and building funds of different districts with a yearly Charity art exhibition “Share * A Bowl of Rice” held in collaboration with Singapore’s renowned artist, Mr Tan Kay Nguan, who spent four years studying various methods on handling the rice grains as each art piece incorporates a combination of rice grains with acrylic paint. Although rice is the main staple food for most Asians, unfortunately, there are others who might not even be able to enjoy a simple bowl of rice as their everyday meal. Since 2016, this meaningful charity drive collaboration has raised funds for the less fortunate through the sale of art paintings amounting to about $500,000 over the years. Past beneficiaries include the various Community Development Welfare Fund, Blossom World Society, The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and Sian Chay Medical Institution. In 2022, Koufu further raised about another $150,000 through this art exhibition charity drive and is committed to continue to support the Singapore community as it enters into a new milestone of its 20 years Anniversary.

Hashtag: #Koufu

About Koufu

“Koufu” refers to the Chinese belief that it is one’s good fortune to feast on good food.

Since our establishment in 2002, we have held this same belief. To bring forth ‘Koufu’ to everyone, we make it our mission to provide good food and services that everyone is able to enjoy through our deep roots in traditional Singaporean cooking and in true coffee shop tradition.

We adopt this comprehensive approach to provide such good fortune for generations of loyal customers.

Koufu’s logo represents the company’s commitment to making a difference to the well-being of everyone through its food services.

Sweeping calligraphic brush strokes depict the Chinese character for the word “mouth”, linking the logo to the food business and the company’s emphasis on treasuring traditions. In contrast to the bold monolithic Chinese character is the Hanyu Pinyin representation of the name underneath. It conveys the youthfulness and friendliness of the business. This juxtaposition between the traditional and the modern demonstrates Koufu’s drive to stay competitive while preserving traditions. The Chinese phrase for Koufu reinforces this ideology.

The colour of the logo conveys the passion Koufu has for the business and also the strength acquired by ensuring excellence from which prosperity will come. This positive spirit extends from the logo to the food and services.

Koufu Headquarters @ Woodlands
Address: 1 Woodlands Height, Singapore 737859

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First “FutureGEN Girls Leadership Summit 2022” Empowers over 600 Teen Girls with The Power to Lead in A Future World

Hong Kong’s largest post-pandemic girls conference, the Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation Summit brought teen girls together for a transformative day — just the first stop of many on their “Future Ready Journeys”

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 October 2022 – Hong Kong’s first FutureGEN Girls Leadership Summit 2022 was held on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on the first anniversary of the Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation (“JYCGIF”), a charitable organization dedicated to empowering teen girls through education to become future ready leaders. Guest of Honour, Miss Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of HKSAR and Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF and Group President and Deputy Vice Chairwoman of CTF Education Group officiated at the Opening Ceremony of the Summit.

Jennifer Yu Cheng: “Teen Girls Today Are The Leaders of Tomorrow!”

The Summit theme this year, “A Journey to Your Near Future,” drew over 600 teen girls aged 14 to 18 from across 55 schools in Hong Kong to panel discussions and keynote addresses by 25 industry leaders and trailblazers from diverse fields, digital skill-building workshops led by experts, and a New Technology Interactive Zone featuring major innovations shaping the future world and workplace.

“At Summits like this one, as in all our JYCGIF outreach programmes, we are laser focused on ‘future readiness,’ equipping girls with the tech-forward mindset, digital skills, and strong leadership competencies that prepare them to navigate all opportunities in the digital era,” said Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF and Group President and Deputy Vice Chairwoman of CTF Education Group, in opening remarks at the Summit. “We are working to build a stronger talent pipeline of young women like ourselves, who are future ready to become the women leaders of tomorrow. Today you will begin your own journey to explore both the power and versatility of technology and core leadership value to navigate all opportunities in the digital era.”

Guest of Honour, Miss Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of HKSAR, said :”Today’s event is one of ambition and vision. Through a series of panel discussion and activities, you will learn to be a leader and explore the revolutionary impact that technology has on our life. The aspiration of nurturing future female leaders is in line with the Government’s belief, and is certainly one of my personal wishes. Never underestimate yourself and embrace what technology and the future have to offer. I hope you would find yourself an enabling environment to unleash your potential and fly as high as it permits.”

Seeing is Believing – Summit Leaders Inspire Girls to Reimagine their Futures

Driven by the motto “seeing is believing,” the Summit featured panels on leadership development, business opportunities, innovative technologies, and much more, with 25 inspirational industry leaders and trailblazers. Including Ms. Irene Lee, Chairman of Hysan Development Company Limited, Professor Nancy Y. IP, President-designate and The Morningside Professor of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

These changemakers and others shared their personal journeys to success with the teen girls in the audience, offering first-hand insight into the skills and competencies one needs to lead.

Seeing is believing,” said Yu Cheng. “Look around you today. Every one of the guests here is a leader in her field, and every one of you in the audience has the potential to lead. Leadership is an attitude and a behavior! One is not born a leader, but rather becomes one by building your confidence, taking calculated risks, studying and working hard to achieve your goals, and being willing to collaborate with others and communicate your ideas in a way that makes an impact.”

A Transformative Experience: Hands-On, Digital Skill-Building Workshops

Future Skills Lab & New Technology Interactive Zone

Participants at the Summit also had the opportunity try their hand at AI and coding in workshops led by experts and supported by Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs, and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Breaking between workshops and panels, teen girls immersed themselves in the Summit’s New Technology Interactive Zone, featuring the dramatic innovations changing our world and workplace; Hanson Robotics, Intuitive Fosun (Da Vinci Surgery), Smart Farming, and Motive Force manned booths and spoke with teen girls about how they can make an impact on the future world of work.

While the Summit is the cardinal event of the JYCGIF calendar year, the Foundation’s “10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+” program is its signature offering, set to empower 10,000 teen girls by 2025 by equipping them with digital skills “plus” leadership experiences, university and pre-career preparation, and networking opportunities to lead in a world of innovation. Through the “train the trainer” model, G4G Coding “plus” participants are inspired to start their own clubs and groups and volunteer to train other girls in their communities to become future ready.

Looking forward, Yu Cheng said that JYCGIF is committed to continuing to work closely with local and global community leaders to create diverse opportunities that empower teen girls to become next generation leaders.

For more information about the Summit, please visit: https://futuregensummit2022.jycgirlsimpact.org/fgls2022/home

Schools, youth groups, and other organizations interested in learning more about JYCGIF are invited to visit: https://www.jycgirlsimpact.org/ or follow JYCGIF IG or Facebook for more updates about events and activities.

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jyc.girlsimpact/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/jyc.girlsimpact/

Hashtag: #JenniferYuChengGirlsImpactFoundation

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

About Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation

Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation (“JYCGIF”) is non-profit charitable organization focused on educating, inspiring, and empowering teenage girls to become “future ready leaders” – proactive, digitally savvy decision makers who leave a major local and global footprint. JYCGIF is on a unique mission to uplift the status of women in society and in the workplace by building the strongest pipeline of teenage girls who are both inspired and equipped with the future ready resources, skills and mindset to become tomorrow’s leaders. For over a year now, JYCGIF has been providing teen girls with a variety of STEM learning and leadership development opportunities that rest on three pillars: “Future-Ready Leadership Development”, “STEM Exposure and Skills” and “Education Access.” JYCGIF’s signature programs include “10,000 Girls4Girls Coding+” and the first “FutureGen Girls Leadership Summit”.

London Weight Management’s ezSlim™ and BioDetox™ Treatments Prove Effectiveness in Weight Loss Challenge

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 October 2022 – London Weight Management has demonstrated its efficacy in a recent weight loss challenge, taken up by homegrown television and film personality, Michelle Chong. Chong, who initially weighed 57.5kg at the start of the one-month weight loss challenge, lost 3.1kg with London Weight Management’s signature ezSlim™ and BioDetox™ Treatment programmes. The results reviewed proved the weight management and slimming provider’s expertise in delivering impactful modern-day solutions.

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Customised Slimming Treatments

Non-invasive and effective, the customised slimming programme comprises ezSlim™ Treatment, which uses the latest in advanced slimming technology to burn fat, firm and sculpt the body. During the treatment process, a customised ampoule was also applied for enhanced slimming benefits.

Besides burning fat with ezSlim™, the BioDetox™ Slimming Treatment further optimises weight loss by eliminating toxins and improving the body’s lymphatic circulation. Among its benefits, BioDetox™ can also help to boost immunity and metabolism. Towards the end of the session, a herbal mask was applied on the body to reduce bloating and water retention.

On top of this month-long combination of ezSlim™ and BioDetox™ Treatments, Chong also drank the London Express Coffee which is formulated to promote metabolism and control appetite. With London Weight Management, Chong won the challenge at a weight of 54.4kg as compared to her earlier 57.5kg.

Slim Down Effectively with London Weight Management

As a leading slimming centre in Singapore, London Weight Management aims to target the problem areas with individualised slimming treatments to ensure lasting results.

For those new to London Weight Management, the first appointment will begin with a full body fat analysis that is conducted by a professional consultant. The consultant will also review factors like daily lifestyle habits to uncover the cause behind the specific weight problem. A slimming treatment programme is then tailored according to each customer’s needs.

To work towards sustainable weight loss, their professional consultant may suggest home care products that can complement the slimming treatment regime provided by London Weight Management. Customers can also get a diet review with expert advice from London Weight Management’s in-house nutrition specialists.

To kickstart the slimming journey with London Weight Management, new customers may sign up for a personalised ezSlim™ trial session at $28. Interested parties may check out their customer reviews and testimonials for more information.

Hashtag: #LondonWeightManagement

About London Weight Management

London Weight Management is a multi-award-winning slimming brand founded over two decades ago in Singapore. Prioritising innovation and the use of breakthrough technologies, London Weight Management’s slimming solutions are highly sought after by women with weight concerns or who desire an effortless way to achieve a shapely silhouette. For more information, visit .

First Immersive Creative Culture & Innovative Technology Platform Developed for Local Young Talents

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 October 2022 – In recent years, the Hong Kong SAR Government, social scholars, and industry professionals have often pointed out their struggle to raise funds with the local talent pool drained further as they join the exodus to neighboring countries such as Singapore. It proves to be even more challenging for young entrepreneurs in the cultural and technological realms who lack relevant experience. In view of this, the Greater Bay Area Youth Development Association (GBAYDA) and Media360 Asia Limited joined hands in launching a first-of-its-kind exhibition, dedicated to empowering local youth in the city. The “Inno4life – Creative Culture & Innovation Exhibition 2022”, with core focuses on culture, creativity, and technology, opens to the public from 21st to 23rd October 2022, in Hall 5DE of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

Inno4life-photo.jpg

It is our greatest honor to have Prof. Witman HUNG, JP, the Hong Kong Deputy to 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) and Principal Liaison Officer for Hong Kong, Shenzhen Qianhai Authority, Hon. Duncan CHIU, Legislative Council Member of Hong Kong and Hon. Benson LUK Hon-man, Legislative Council Member to officiate the opening ceremony, and bring to you Hong Kong’s first robot care caregiver that tends to the needs of seniors as well as individuals with limited mobility, so that they can visit the Expo virtually.

Exhibition offers numerous opportunities for startups

It is not easy for start-ups to break through in Hong Kong, they encounter a multitude of challenges in fundraising during the epidemic. “Why isn’t there a dedicated platform for local young talents to accelerate their growth and develop their potential?” As this came as a thought to Ms. Angel Tam, Chairman of The Greater Bay Area Youth Development Association, and Ms. Priscilla Wan, Director of Media360 Asia Limited, they took the initiative to launch – the “Inno4life – Creative Culture & Innovation Exhibition 2022”.

When it comes to empowering local projects, Tam and Wan are adamant. Featuring the new and latest, from the Metaverse, new education methods, and latest medical technology, the Expo aims to serve as a platform for local startups to gain exposure and interact with quality investors and other like-minded partners. The duo are also very keen on serving the interests of start-ups and SMEs by providing with one-to-one matching and pitching sessions, business networking opportunities, fund raising opportunities and various resources, all of which are helpful in building a solid foundation for long-term growth.

Powerful & Influential Guests on Creative Culture & Innovative Technology

Industry-leading guests and speakers are invited to Inno4life to share latest technology advancements, trends, and insights on fund-raising and ways to make market impact. Guests include Mr. Nixon CHAU, Managing Director and General Manager of SenseTime Hong Kong, Mr. Eric LIN, Chief Marketing Officer of Livi Bank, Mr. CK CHAN, Head of Hong Kong & Macau at Tmall, Mr. Kelvin LEE, Head of Internal Audit of Fusion Bank, Mr. Erich WONG, Head of Growth (Hong Kong) of The Sandbox, and Mr. Mingles CHOI, Chief eXploration Officer of ParticleX.

1st robot in Hong Kong helping the silver-haired & the physically challenged to visit remotely

Inno4life 2022 features Hong Kong’s first robot that is built to assist the silver-haired and people with disabilities to visit the exhibition virtually. Tam, one of the company founders and who came up with the idea, took care of her mother who suffered from ankylosing spondylitis. She inherited the condition from her family, and was diagnosed when she was only 30 years old. She constantly experiences body stiffness when she wakes up in the morning, and it takes at least 30 to 45 minutes each day just to stretch and get up. This has inspired Tam to pay attention to the welfare and long-term career planning for people with disabilities. (www.inno4lifehk.com)

“Inno4life – Creative Culture & Innovation Exhibition 2022” takes place in the Hall 5DE, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wanchai. Please visit our website and pre-register on or before 20th October for a FREE 3-consecutive-day visit https://bit.ly/3g3tkXf (HK$25 per ticket started 21st Oct).

Opening Ceremony – MEDIA RSVP – Visits and/or Interviews
Date: 21st October 2022 (Friday)
Time: 10:00 – 11:30
Location: Hall 5D, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
Schedule:
9:30am: Media Sign-in
10:00am: Opening Ceremony
10:45am: Media Tour
11:30am Event Completes

Hashtag: #HongKong1strobotbuiltforthesilverhaired&thephysicallychallengedtoparticipatevirtually #HongKongfirstvirtualExpoforvisitorswholackphysicalmobility #Oneofakind11pitchtorenownedinvestorsandinteractwithadiversegroupofbusinessowners #EstablishedforcreativeculturalandinnovativetechnologyacrosstheGreatBayArea #GBAYDA #INNO4LIFE #GBAtechGATHERING

About Greater Bay Area Youth Development Association

Found by a group of young professionals and young entrepreneurs engaged in creative culture and innovative technology, it aims to connect stakeholders in the Greater Bay Area through organizing meaningful activities revolving around five key elements, namely, employment, entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, and technology, with a focus on nurturing young talents in Hong Kong and Macao. The Association also provides internship and employment opportunities for underprivileged students, and helps them mature through a list of initiatives such as training, exchange programs, and many other learning opportunities, so as to equip them to become the next generation of responsible citizens.

Singapore Seizes Rhino Horns Enroute from South Africa to Laos

The 20 pieces of rhinoceros horns were seized at Singapore Changi Airport ( Photo: Nparks)

Singapore National Parks Board (NParks) has seized Rhinoceros horns that were smuggled into the country through Changi Airport.

Forum: “Promoting investment flows from South Korea to Vietnam”

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 19 October 2022 – South Korea has been, is, and will be the leading investor in Vietnam. The two parties can cooperate to achieve “Dual Goals” of US$100 billion in bilateral trade and total investment in the near future, said Do Nhat Hoang, Director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

Delegates at the event on Tuesday morning. VNS Photo Phạm Thanh Hải
Delegates at the event on Tuesday morning. VNS Photo Phạm Thanh Hải

In his speech at the forum on “Promoting investment flows from South Korea to Vietnam” hosted by the Vietnam News Agency’s Việt Nam News on October 18, marking 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Hoang praised the effective contributions of South Korean enterprises to the socio-economic development of Vietnam.

In particular, the country has seen a shift in capital flows from South Korean investors in basic manufacturing processes to high-tech industries, energy, banking, financial and high-quality services, and M&A over the past year.

Hoang said he believes that South Korea will maintain its position as Việt Nam’s leading source of foreign investment. “In the next one to two years, the two countries can fully realise the “Dual Goals”, which aim at the milestone of US$100 billion each in bilateral trade turnover and total accumulated investment,” said Hoang.

General director of Vietnam News Agency Vu Viet Trang said Vietnam is not only South Korea’s biggest trade partner in ASEAN but also in its New Southern Policy.

Currently, many South Korean enterprises are making effective investments in the country.

The latest data from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) shows that the accumulated registered FDI capital from South Korea from 1988 to September 2022 reached more than US$80.5 billion with more than 9,400 operating projects.

In the first nine months of 2022, South Korea ranked second among 97 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with 290 projects, worth over $3.8 billion.

Bae Yong Geun, vice president of the Korean Chamber of Business in Việt Nam (KOCHAM), said that Vietnam, the “epicentre” of the South Korean wave in Southeast Asia, is an important destination, and the countries have experienced the strongest cooperation in the world.

“South Korea is still Vietnam’s largest investor,” said Bae, adding that more than 9,000 South Korean companies are participating in various sectors, such as manufacturing, energy, culture, education and tourism.

At the event, Yoon Chang Woo, General Director of POSCO Vietnam, an enterprise with more than 30 years of investment in Vietnam, said that thanks to the support from the Government, the company was able to overcome difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yoon suggested that southern provinces need to develop human resources and essential infrastructure. If more South Korean enterprises wish to invest in these provinces, barriers in human resources and infrastructures might make them hesitate.

Vu Kim Chi, Deputy Head of Quang Ninh’s Investment Promotion Agency, welcomed South Korean partners to comment, suggest, and promote technology transfer to achieve efficient, sustainable production and business.

“Quang Ninh Province always prioritises attracting investment, and creating the most favourable conditions for South Korean investors,” Chi said, stating eight competitive advantages of Quang Ninh Province.

The province has a geo-strategic location in terms of economy and politics; abundant natural resources; the current socio-economic infrastructure connection system; labour and human resources; the largest area of industrial parks and economic zones in the country; abundant energy resources; business investment environment and administrative reform; and a safe, friendly, attractive destination.

For his part, Koen Soenens, General Sales and Marketing Director of DEEP C Industrial Zones, said DEEP C will continue to expand new industrial parks to welcome more large investors, and these new industrial parks will ensure sustainability standards like the current five parks.

Entering Vietnam in 1997, DEEP C has been operating in the field of industrial park complex development. Striving for a greener standard to be different and providing a sustainable and reliable investment location for customers is the goal of DEEP C.

(Scan the QR code with your mobile device to get more information about the event).

Hashtag: #VietnamNews

Rhenus commits to 100 percent carbon-neutral FCL products by 2045

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 October 2022 – Rhenus is moving towards carbon-neutral on its global full-container-load (FCL) services following its earlier commitment towards less-than-container-load (LCL) products, taking further steps in its sustainability roadmap.

As a leading global logistics service provider, the Rhenus Group will neutralise the carbon emissions of all global FCL products by 2045. Taking on a customer-driven approach, Rhenus is actively searching for sustainable transportation options, from carriers to customers. The company is also working on a tool to promote overall carbon footprint visibility for its Air & Ocean shipments globally, exploring biofuel alternatives to achieve fewer emissions and seeking more partnership opportunities as part of its plans in the pipeline.

This follows the company’s earlier announcement at the end of 2021 to commit to carbon neutrality for all its LCL products by 2030. The initiative achieved positive results soon after, as Rhenus reached its first milestone in its LCL carbon-neutral journey with the pilot project launch of all shipments from its Central European Gateway, Germany, to be carbon-neutral starting this year. To follow suit, a carbon-neutral certificate has also been issued by ClimatePartner for all the export shipments completed in the first quarter of 2022.

“Rhenus is striving to spearhead the transition of the logistics sector into a more sustainable industry. The team is constantly looking into ways to contribute and set an example in developing greener and more sustainable transportation modes for ocean freight shipments. That is why we have started to focus on delivering green solutions to the intra-Asia market, one of the fastest growing trade lanes in the world, before we further scale these initiatives to other trades,” said Alberto Martinez, COO of Ocean Freight Asia Pacific at Rhenus Air & Ocean. The new FCL initiative will complete the overall Rhenus Ocean Freight products strategy towards carbon neutrality and provide a more sustainable shipment mode for Rhenus customers starting from the intra-Asia trade lane.

For more information on sustainability efforts by the Rhenus Group, please visit: https://www.rhenus.group/rhenus-group/sustainability

Hashtag: #RhenusLogistics

About Rhenus

The Rhenus Group is one of the leading logistics specialists with global business operations and annual turnover amounting to EUR 7.0 billion. 37,500 employees work at 970 business sites and develop innovative solutions along the complete supply chain. Whether providing transport, warehousing, customs clearance or value-added services, the family-owned business pools its operations in various business units where the needs of customers are the major focus at all times.

NetApp Announces New Partner Program with NetApp Partner Sphere

NetApp Partner Sphere embraces the diversity of NetApp’s partner ecosystem to facilitate co-innovation and drive transformational business outcomes for joint customers

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 October 2022 – NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, today announced its intent to launch a new partner program in NetApp fiscal year 2024 (FY’24). NetApp Partner Sphere is the evolution of NetApp’s industry-leading Unified Partner Program.

Partners that can drive digital and cloud transformation are primed to capture market share, but this requires modern business models with highly specialized services, and capabilities that support the entire customer journey. The new cloud-focused and services-led NetApp Partner Sphere delivers a flexible path to advancement and growth for all partner sales motions. By consolidating and simplifying multiple programs into one that includes all partner types, business models and routes to market, this program enables partners to evolve their business in the cloud.

The program offers robust training and support to help partners capture cloud market share, brings new validation, recognition and rewards for partners’ investments in competencies and services, and the accelerated growth structure allows partners to contribute transformational value to joint customers.

“NetApp is committed to driving a partner-first culture, and the strategy behind our new partner program brings that commitment to life,” said Jenni Flinders, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Partner Organization at NetApp. “With NetApp Partner Sphere, we’re accelerating growth and customer success across our partner ecosystem by extending their reach into the cloud and offering more business opportunities with our industry-leading portfolio and flexible consumption models.”

“We are in a data-driven, digital world where enterprises face constant challenges harnessing the cloud,” said Sanjay Rohatgi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NetApp Asia Pacific. “A strong and energized partner ecosystem well-versed in the cloud will play a key role in leading them down a path of true business impact. By appropriately incentivizing and upskilling our partners, NetApp Partner Sphere will fuel our collective innovation in the cloud and customers’ transformation journeys.

In addition, the program offers simplified, flexible, progressive tiering with clear criteria that partners can follow across objective thresholds. The program’s tiers range from Approved, to Preferred, to Prestige, to Prestige Plus – assessing, validating and recognizing partners based on value and competencies, in order to identify the right partners for the right customer opportunities. Benefits and support will grow as partners ascend tiers, with the partners generating the most impact seeing the broadest and most customized benefits, including solution specific marketing campaigns and enablement, proposal-based market development funds, and preferred value-based incentives.

As part of these strategic changes NetApp will shift away from Specializations to identify partner capabilities and utilize Solution Competencies aligned to key NetApp focus areas – Cloud Solutions, Hybrid Cloud and AI & Analytics. These competencies will be included in the NetApp Partner Sphere program requirements. Partners will be able to begin earning associated competencies within each category, showcasing their ability to deliver customer success across the NetApp portfolio by the end of the calendar year.

With NetApp Partner Sphere, partners can expect:

  • A simple framework supporting each partner’s unique go-to-market strategy, providing flexibility and automation to ease partner processes, and consistency for all partners and sales motions from a single program with clear tiers and objectives.
  • Transformative training, tools and support to activate their work in the hybrid multi-cloud market, enabling and building partner services and solutions competencies.
  • Differentiation with partners distinguished, highlighted and endorsed by their Solution Competencies and services on NetApp Partner Connect to promote each partner’s go-to-market approach.
  • Accelerated cloud growth leveraging NetApp’s in-demand portfolio to fuel opportunities for value-add partner-led services and co-innovation, improving profitability and maximizing partner ROI with progressive tiers.

“As a long-time NetApp partner, we’ve always valued NetApp’s partner-first approach to its business, and the maturation of its partner program to enable and contribute to GDT’s growth and profitability,” said John Woodall, Vice President, Solutions Architecture at General Datatech. “With NetApp’s new Partner Sphere program and its industry-leading cloud portfolio, we’re excited to be able to deliver immense value to our joint customers with the most effective, flexible and innovative solutions across any environment – while differentiating our business to accelerate growth and successfully monetize our best-of-breed services capabilities.”

“Cloud Bridge is a cloud-native, services-led business – so we fully support the strategy and direction for NetApp’s new partner program,” said Simon Walker, Managing Director at Cloud Bridge. “With NetApp bringing all of its partners into one consolidated program and integrating Spot partners, we can take advantage of NetApp’s full portfolio to offer a full suite of innovative solutions and services to our customers.”

Implementation of the NetApp Partner Sphere program will begin in NetApp FY’24.

Learn more about NetApp Partner Sphere at NetApp INSIGHT, November 1-3, 2022. Register here.

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About NetApp

NetApp is a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems, software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud, moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloudlike experiences on premises. With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data, services, and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere. Learn more at or follow us on , , , and .

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