Laos has officially announced it will reopen for tourism on 1 January 2022, providing more information on travel conditions during a press conference held at the Lao National Convention Center today.
Laos Announces Travel Conditions for 2022 Reopening
HKSTP Joins Global Leaders Avnet and ORIX to Nurture Promising Startups and Form a GBA-wide Hardware and Digital Technologies Eco-system
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 17 December 2021 – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is forming a series of strategic partnerships with global leaders such as leading technology distributor and solutions provider Avnet and diversified financial services group ORIX to foster a new wave of engineering talent and fast-rising startups in the advanced hardware and digital technologies sectors. The combination of technology, manufacturing market know-how and investment financier will propel promising startups on their growth journey and establish the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a leading innovation hub for advanced hardware and digital technologies.
Photo 1: Mr. Peter Mok, Head of Greater Bay Area, HKSTP (right), and Mr. Alan Chui, Supplier Business Management President, Avnet Asia, officiate at the strategic co-incubation agreement signing ceremony to drive innovation and build a thriving hardware and electronics eco-system across the GBA.
Located at the centre of the world’s leading manufacturing powerhouse with Shenzhen and the huge market potential of China at its doorstep, Hong Kong and the broader GBA region is a haven for hardware and digital technologies startups. But challenges remain in accessing funding, market support, talent and manufacturing R&D expertise, especially for niche and emerging technology areas. Aviation is one new area among many in which HKSTP is collaborating with sector leaders on to develop Hong Kong and the GBA into an innovation and technology hub.
Photo 2: Mr. Peter Mok, Head of Greater Bay Area, HKSTP (middle), Mr. Alan Chui, Supplier Business Management President, Avnet Asia (3rd from left), and Mr Adrian Pang, Managing Director, ORIX Asia Limited (4th from right), join fellow industry leaders and ecosystem participants in the official activation ceremony at the Hardware Journey Eco-System – GBA Expansion Kickoff Event.
HKSTP and Avnet have formally signed a co-incubation agreement to combine Avnet’s design and technical expertise with HKSTP’s extensive startup development experience to propel technical talent and startups on their journey of growth. Selected startups can leverage Avnet’s global ecosystem and network to capture new partnerships and market opportunity in the GBA region. For a start, Avnet will also partner microelectronics leaders AMD, TE Connectivity and Xilinx to provide startups with expertise in aviation and next-generation Hybrid CPU-FPGA technology and significant support in accelerating their innovation from research to testing and high-quality manufacturing.
To drive momentum in this emerging ecosystem, HKSTP is also partnering Japanese financial services group ORIX to tap its financial and investment expertise to help startups go global and to engage the high-potential Japanese market. ORIX is a strategic partner in HKSTP’s GBA expansion and focus on new digital solution innovation, with its continued investments into high quality startups. The formation of such partnerships will be a further catalyst to accelerate innovation in the ecosystem, with aviation as a high-potential starting point.
Albert Wong, CEO, HKSTP said: “Our partnerships with multiple sector leaders highlight the enormous market potential in the GBA and provide the ideal platform for startups to tap into the world-class talent, resources and market opportunities in this region. This combined ecosystem of hardware and electronics expertise will help young pioneers and engineers realise their innovation dreams and elevate the GBA as a global innovation powerhouse.”
Alan Chui, Supplier Business Management President of Avnet Asia said, “Avnet is a long-term partner of HKSTP and has jointly supported many startup companies. Through this agreement, we will be able to equip startups and aspiring technologists with the necessary knowledge and resources to accelerate technological innovation in the GBA and facilitate the commercialisation of real-world applications.”
Adrian Pang, Managing Director, ORIX Asia Limited said: “We, ORIX, believe digital technologies are the key future driver and trend. With our diversified expertise, global network and wealthy experience in supporting SMEs and startups, ORIX is well positioned to incubate young companies through our partnership with HKSTP, which we will bring synergy to our dynamic future unicorn in Hong Kong and lead our economy to a new decade.”
This diverse hardware eco-system will see prominent developments like Avnet setting up solutions centre at Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch that will provide local and international startups easy access to state-of-the-art engineering facilities offered by Avnet and its partners. There will also be on-site application engineers to offer technical solutions, reference designs and consultancy services to enable these startups to get their products to market faster. Fast-rising HKSTP startup Aerosim, who specialises in aviation training technology, will leverage the centre for aviation simulation technology adoption support. Avnet and its partners will also contribute their hardware components knowledge and work with Aerosim to develop civil aviation technology.
Talent is a critical factor for successful innovation and HKSTP is providing a technology knowledge exchange platform in the GBA to nurture entrepreneurs in high quality hardware components. The HKSTP GBA InnoAcademy will serve as a talent training platform for the best entrepreneurs and engineers to fuel a new wave of technical talent from Hong Kong and the GBA.
About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has for 20 continuous years committed to building up Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub to propel success for local and global pioneers today and tomorrow. HKSTP has established a thriving I&T ecosystem that is home to three unicorns and Hong Kong’s leading R&D hub with over 11,000 research professionals and over 1,000 technology companies focused on healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech and smart city technologies.
Established in 2001, we attract and nurture talent, accelerate and commercialise innovation and technology for entrepreneurs on their journey of growth in Hong Kong, to the Greater Bay Area, Asia and beyond. Our growing innovation ecosystem is built around our key locations of the Hong Kong Science Park in Shatin, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong and three modern INNOPARKs in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. The three INNOPARKs are realizing a vision of re-industrialisation for Hong Kong. The goal is sectors like advanced manufacturing, electronics and biotechnology are being reimagined for a new generation of industry.
Through our infrastructure, services, expertise and network of partnerships, HKSTP will help establish innovation and technology as a pillar of growth for Hong Kong, while reinforcing Hong Kong’s international I&T hub status as a launchpad for global growth at the heart of the GBA innovation powerhouse.
More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org
About Avnet
As a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, Avnet has served customers’ evolving needs for an entire century. We support customers at each stage of a product’s lifecycle, from idea to design and from prototype to production. Our unique position at the center of the technology value chain enables us to accelerate the design and supply stages of product development so customers can realize revenue faster. Decade after decade, Avnet helps its customers and suppliers around the world realize the transformative possibilities of technology. Learn more about Avnet at www.avnet.com/apac.
About Orix
ORIX Asia Limited (“ORIX Asia”) was established in Hong Kong in 1971, which is a wholly owned subsidiary and the first overseas venture of ORIX Corporation. ORIX Corporation (“ORIX”) (Tokyo Stock Exchange (8591) and New York Stock Exchange (IX)), based in Tokyo Japan, is a giant financial conglomerate connecting more than 30 countries and regions worldwide, providing innovative financial products and services to both corporate and retail customers. Our business portfolio includes but not limits to leasing, corporate finance, real estate, private equity investment, automobile-related business, environment and energy, banking and insurance.
ORIX Asia, being a Restricted Licence Bank in Hong Kong (an authorized institution regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority), has over 50 years of experience in serving our community and we are dedicated to grow with our customers and economy in Hong Kong. ORIX Asia, together with our group’s affiliated entities, we strive to be a market differentiator in Hong Kong and to offer innovative and diversified one-stop financial services to our valued customers.
#Avnet
RUSAL opens new low-carbon aluminium smelter in Taishet
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Media OutReach – 17 December 2021 – RUSAL (SEHK: 486, Moscow Exchange: RUAL) a leading global aluminium producer, opens the first phase of the world’s most advanced low-carbon aluminium production plant, Taishet Aluminium Smelter (TaAZ), in Taishet, Siberia, further demonstrating RUSAL’s commitment to decarbonization of its operations and consumer product chains.
The state-of-the-art smelter is one of the greenest in the world, operating on clean energy from Siberian hydroelectric power plants, which together with modern gas cleaning equipment and a closed water circulation system, has a low level impact on the environment. Full scope CO2 emissions will be one of the lowest in the industry. Pre-operation verifications and testing will begin today.
TaAZ is the third low-carbon aluminum smelter to be built by RUSAL, with an overall cost of more than $1.69 bn, creating over 1,000 local jobs. Once fully operational, the smelter is expected to produce 428.5 thousand tons of low-carbon aluminium per year during its first phase and will play a critical role in the town’s overall social and economic development, with RUSAL fully committed to supporting local communities.
Sales of the low-carbon aluminium produced in Taishet will be focused towards the extrusion and rolled products segments, helping to meet the high demand for low-carbon aluminium worldwide. Approximately one quarter of production will serve the domestic Russian market.
On December 17 a ceremony was held at Taishet to mark the opening of the plant, attended by the representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District Anatoly Seryshev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Victoria Abramchenko, Governor of the Irkutsk Region Igor Kobzev and the General Director of RUSAL Evgenii Nikitin.
Bernard Zonneveld, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RUSAL, commented: “The opening of our new low-carbon aluminium smelter in Taishet is an important milestone in RUSAL’s journey to decarbonization as we look to supply the world with low-carbon aluminium. Our aluminium will have one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry, helping to further strengthen our ties with customers who are leading the green revolution. Our smelter in Taishet will help to address the high global demand for low-carbon aluminium.”
General Director of RUSAL, Evgenii Nikitin, said: “Throughout the construction of the Taishet Aluminum Smelter, the most modern and environmentally friendly technologies that exist in the global aluminium industry were used, with technological processes almost 100% automated. We plan to replicate this model by building new low-carbon aluminium production plants on the site of facilities in Bratsk, Shelekhov, Krasnoyarsk and Novokuznetsk, as part of our sustainable modernization, bringing us a step closer to our Net Zero target in 2050.”
The project was funded with RUSAL’s own capital, along with a syndicated loan from VTB (30 bn rubles) and Gazprombank (15 bn rubles).
About RUSAL
RUSAL (www.rusal.com) is the leader of the global aluminium industry and a leading low-carbon aluminium producer. In 2020, the Company accounted for about 5.8% of global production of aluminium, 6.5% of alumina production and 44% of RUSAL’s production accounts for value added products. RUSAL’s offices are operating in 20 countries all over the world and across 5 continents. The carbon footprint of the Company’s low-carbon aluminium ALLOW is 5 times lower than the industry’s average (Scope 1 and 2, at the smelter). RUSAL common stock is traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (trade code – 486). RUSAL’s ordinary shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange (trade code – RUAL).
Disclaimer
The information contained in this press release is for media advice only. The contents are true and accurate at the time of publishing, however, may change over time.
#RUSAL
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Reckitt Hong Kong Wellness in Action Index Is Crowned ‘Health & Wellness Initiative of The Year – Hong Kong’ In the Inaugural FMCG Asia Award
The Company stepped up to track and guide the community taking action on their physical, mental and social wellbeing under the mist of pandemic.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 17 December 2021 – Reckitt is pleased to announce its ‘Hong Kong Wellness in Action Index’ (the Index) received ‘Health & Wellness Initiative of the Year – Hong Kong’ in the inaugural FMCG Asia Awards 2021 organised by an Asian influential retail magazine Retail Asia, recognising Reckitt’s successful initiative to support the community in embarking on their wellness journey to start a healthier lifestyle towards the new normal in the year 2021.
Referencing the World Health Organisation’s, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease of infirmity. Staying healthy is not only a personal choice, but the best gift to our loved ones, Reckitt advocated.
As the pioneer in the FMCG industry in Hong Kong, Reckitt launched its inaugural ‘Hong Kong Wellness in Action Index’ in February 2021. In a survey of over 1,800 citizens across different stages of life to understand their levels of satisfaction on physical, mental, and social wellbeing under the global pandemic, as well as their practices in building health habits, the results showed significant drop of social, mental and physical wellness at 58%, 39% and 18% respectively, and the impact on relationships between couples as well as pressure on parents and their children.
Healthcare alliance formed by professionals of physiotherapist, psychiatric, clinical psychologist, and social worker joined Reckitt to analyse the survey results and formed a whole slew of ‘Wellness Lifehacks’ that are tailored for different needs of building healthier lifestyle, embracing changes and improving relationships, for individuals, couples, and parents.
“Reckitt was able to impress the judges with its data-driven and timely initiative that makes a positive impact to local citizens, the country’s research and development, and the personal and healthcare industry.” Tim Charlton, Editor-in-Chief of Retail Asia said.
“We are honoured to be awarded ‘Health & Wellness Initiative of the Year – Hong Kong’ in the inaugural FMCG Asia Awards. The success of the Index lays the foundation for the coming second phase to be launched in early 2022.” said Boudewijn Feith, Reckitt General Manager Hong Kong/Taiwan. “The Hong Kong community has been fighting for their health and safety since the global pandemic hit in early 2020. With our purpose to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world, we believe access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness, and nourishment is a right, not a privilege. By putting people and consumer first, we stepped up to remind the public of the importance of health and hygiene protection and empower them to sustain their physical, mental, and social well-being in the new normal.”
For further information of the Reckitt’s Hong Kong Wellness in Action Index, please visit https://www.reckittwellnessindex.hk/survey/.
About Reckitt:
Reckitt* exists to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We believe that access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment is a right, not a privilege.
Reckitt is the company behind some of the World’s most recognisable and trusted consumer brands in Hygiene, Health and Nutrition, including Air Wick, Calgon, Cillit Bang, Clearasil, Dettol, Durex, Enfamil, Finish, Gaviscon, Harpic, Lysol, Mortein, Mucinex, Nurofen, Nutramigen, Strepsils, Vanish, Veet, Woolite and more.
Every day, more than 20 million Reckitt products are bought globally. We always put consumers and people first, seek out new opportunities, strive for excellence in all that we do and build shared success with all our partners. We aim to do the right thing, always.
We are a diverse global team of more than 43,000 colleagues. We draw on our collective energy to meet our ambitions of purpose-led brands, a healthier planet and a fairer society.
Find out more, or get in touch with us, at Reckitt.com
About ‘Hong Kong Wellness in Action Index’, please visit: www.reckittwellnessindex.hk
* Reckitt is the trading name of the Reckitt Benckiser group of companies
About FMCG Asia Awards:
FMCG Asia Awards launched in 2021 by Retail Asia, the industry magazine for Asia’s dynamic retail industry.It is a prestigious event that celebrates the most outstanding companies in Asia Pacific’s FMCG industry that have shown exemplary performance with their innovative products and initiatives. There are total 14 awards under product category and project categories. The panel of judges who will assess nomination entries on uniqueness and innovation, success and impact and dynamism.
Founded in 1991, Retail Asia is the leading B2B retail media dedicated to covering the retail and supply chain industries from a regional perspective. Published bi-annually, each print issue carries a balanced mix of articles that cover in depth issues and stories with a longer time frame, which appeal to the C-level executives of large retail companies in Asia.
For more information, please visit: retailasia.net/event/fmcg-asia-awards
#Reckitt
Historical View on The Development of Semiconductor Industry in Kaohsiung
KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 17 December 2021 – While Kaohsiung is celebrating its 100th year from foundation in 2020, its industry has been quietly breeding for more than a century of history.
Taiwan created world-famous “Taiwan’s Economic Miracle!” due to the establishment of the first free zone of “Export Processing Zone (EPZ)” in the world. The industrial development of the Kaohsiung EPZ is also a pioneer in the development of Taiwan’s electronics industry and has cultivated many talents in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. The development history of Kaohsiung’s industry is also inseparable from the development of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry due to the success of the Taiwan’s Export Processing Zone experience.
Kaohsiung is the best choice for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. This year, for enhancing the semiconductor A-teams of Taiwan, the government is focusing on building a semiconductor supply chain ecosystem, along with driving 5G, AI, electric cars and smart machinery development, planning to set up a “Semiconductor Advanced Materials and Components Park” in Kaohsiung to allow the industrial supply chain to “provide locally.” What’s more, this year Kaohsiung has successfully recruited international semiconductor material suppliers to enter the Southern Science Park Luchu base, including the Merck® Group and Entegris Inc., combining the domestic semiconductor material manufacturers to build the park into the largest semiconductor process center in Taiwan, and provide full process material supports for the surrounding TSMC®, ASE®, NXP®, Winbond®, Winfoundary® and other major semiconductor manufacturers. Furthermore, it will geographically connect Southern Science Park in Taiwan, Luchu, Qiaotou, Nanzi, Dashe, Renwu, Daliao, Linyuan, Xiaogang industrial parks, with the goal of creating the “Southern Semiconductor S Corridor”, we will create a complete semiconductor industry ecosystem for southern Taiwan.
Kaohsiung not only has a solid foundation for industrial development, but also has the advantages of sufficient water and electricity supply and both sea and air ports. The five deficiencies including water, electricity, land, labor and talent, that enterprises are worried about for investment have been dealt with in advance. Kaohsiung is the only city which has both the harbor and airport in Taiwan, with stable water and electricity supply, and rich industrial human resources. The surrounding MRT, railway and other public transportation network, park tour buses, and moreover, actively strive for new city development investment deduction rate, provide taxation, rent concessions, rental tax and financing interest subsidies for resident manufacturers, and strive to make Kaohsiung Taiwan’s best investment environment.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
TAKAO’s spirit influences the world: Build the value in Taiwan from investing in Kaohsiung
KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 17 December 2021 – After the global outbreak of the pandemic, there’re not only changes in our daily life, but also major changes in urban transformation.
Taiwan’s economic growth rate (year on year, yoy) in 2020 is 2.98%, and it is the best performer among the developed countries in the world. Kaohsiung is also well equipped with water, electricity, land, human resources and other resources, attracting well-known domestic and foreign manufacturers to make investments. Since last year, the cumulative amount of investment in Kaohsiung has reached 159.4 billion. The next two major directions of Kaohsiung’s investment and city development are: The 5G AIoT Innovation Park in Asia’s New Bay Area, which is about to involve investment of tens of billions of dollars, and the high-end manufacturing centers and semiconductor clusters to be formed in the Qiaotou Science Park and Renwu Industrial Park.
Kaohsiung has officially launched the “Asia New Bay Area 5G AIoT Innovation Park” this year. It will invest a total of 11 billion in 5 years to build the country’s best 5G dedicated frequency network. 5G technology is connected to the national first-level construction, promoting Asia New Bay Area as the most comprehensive 5G AIoT development field in Taiwan, form a new gateway for smart cities. The development of the park needs to be driven by the surrounding food, clothing, housing, transportation, and entertainment industries. From Luzhu to Qiaotou, the biomedical and optoelectronic industries are growing one by one. In the next ten years, it will create more than 200 billion output value and 10,000 jobs in Kaohsiung, connect the major parks in the south to jointly promote the development of southern Taiwan, participate in major global competitions, and attract talents from all walks of life to develop in Kaohsiung.
With stable water and electricity supply, and rich industrial human resources, Kaohsiung has various technology industrial parks, which can meet the investment needs of enterprises, and the government also raises investment incentives, R&D incentives, and talents subsidies. Moreover, Kaohsiung has 16 colleges and campuses, and 6 foreign schools with diversified specialties, and cultivates nearly 140,000 professionals every year.
Kaohsiung will also take urgent action to face climate change and its impact in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2021, an age when great harbors are surging, Kaohsiung faces directly to challenges. In the past 100 years, Kaohsiung has transformed from a small fishing village to a major industrial city; in the next 100 years, Kaohsiung will transform to an international smart harbor and a livable city embracing more possibilities
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Kerry Logistics Network Wins Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards For the Fifth Consecutive Year
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 17 December 2021 – Kerry Logistics Network Limited (‘KLN’; Stock Code 0636.HK) continues its winning streak at the Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards (the ‘Awards’) by receiving the 2021 Asia-Pacific Logistics Company of the Year Award for the fifth consecutive year. The Awards ceremony was held virtually last night.
William Ma, Group Managing Director of KLN, said, “We are thrilled to be acknowledged by Frost & Sullivan once again for our constancy in reaching the highest standards in logistics operations. It is of paramount importance for us to adopt industry best practices and this commitment has gained even greater significance in the last 12 months, at a time when the global supply chain was disrupted. Looking ahead, we will strive to not only follow best practices, but to also set the benchmark in facilitating and safeguarding the flow of worldwide goods and resources.”
Frost & Sullivan, a global business consulting firm, organises the Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards annually to commend the leading companies that drive positive development in the regional economy. Award winners were identified through a proprietary, measurement-based methodology comprising research, interviews and industry benchmarking, as well as analysis according to real-time performance indicators including market share, revenue growth, customer acquisitions, product/service value and technology innovation.
About Kerry Logistics Network Limited (Stock Code 0636.HK)
Kerry Logistics Network is an Asia-based, global 3PL with a highly diversified business portfolio and the strongest coverage in Asia. It offers a broad range of supply chain solutions from integrated logistics, international freight forwarding (air, ocean, road, rail and multimodal), industrial project logistics, to cross-border e-commerce, last-mile fulfilment and infrastructure investment.
With a global presence across 58 countries and territories, Kerry Logistics Network has established a solid foothold in half of the world’s emerging markets. Its diverse infrastructure, extensive coverage in international gateways and local expertise span across the Mainland of China, India, Southeast Asia, the CIS, Middle East, LATAM and other locations.
Kerry Logistics Network generated a revenue of over HK$53 billion in 2020 and is the largest international logistics company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
About Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Best Practices Awards
The Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Best Practices Awards have identified and honoured best-in-class companies that have demonstrated excellence in their respective industries. Award recipients were identified based on in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research conducted by Frost & Sullivan’s analysts. Companies are typically studied on their revenues, market share, capabilities, and overall contribution to the industry in order to identify best practices.
#KerryLogisticsNetwork
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Laos Confirms 1,702 New Cases of Covid-19 and Four Deaths
Laos has recorded 1,702 cases of Covid-19 across the country today, with four new deaths.