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Double Win for BR Metals – Third Ranking in Singapore’s Enterprise 50 Awards 2021 and Top 500 High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021 by The Financial Times, Nikkei and Statista

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 April 2021 – BR Metals, a leading specialist in precious metals recycling, receives 2 acclaimed business accolades in a month. On 23rd March, the Company was awarded third ranking in this year’s Enterprise 50 (E50) Awards. It was the Company’s very first attempt at the prestigious E50 awards that recognised the top 50 Singapore-based, privately-held businesses that have contributed to building a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive nation through continuous innovation, even in these unprecedented times. Today, the Company was named one of the Top 500 High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021 – a ranking created by The Financial Times, Nikkei and Statista.

BR Metals MD, Mr Frank Chen (Left) with other award recipients at the Enterprise 50 Awards. PHOTO: BUSINESS TIMES

The E50 Awards are jointly organised by The Business Times and KPMG, sponsored by Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) and supported by the Enterprise Singapore, the Singapore Business Federation and the Singapore Exchange.

The Top 500 list of Fastest-Growing Companies in Asia Pacific is a survey by The Financial Times, Nikkei and the data company, Statista. BR Metals is ranked 24th in the top 500 list of companies in a vast region covering 13 countries and millions of companies.

BR Metals Founder and Managing Director, Frank Chen’s steadfast commitment to sustainability while not losing focus on profitability has helped the company secure its top ranking in the E50 Awards and a notable mention by Dr Tan See Leng, Singapore Second Minister for Trade & Industry, and Manpower. “BR Metals recovers precious metals such as platinum and palladium from spent materials that can be used in new products. This reduces the need to mine for new metals, minimising the environmental impact and strengthening the industry’s resilience,” Dr Tan remarked. In addition, qualitative factors including business model, productivity and innovation, management ideals and governance, market branding and presence, and liquidity and risk management are also decisive factors in BR Metals’ win.

“We are honoured to be named one of the 50 most enterprising companies in Singapore, but to rank top three in the 2020 E50 Award is both poignant and humbling, especially in these challenging times. Making it to a respectable position in the Top 500 list of Fastest-Growing Companies in Asia Pacific comes as a very pleasant and welcome surprise. The E50 Awards and this recognition validate our vision and growth strategies, and is only made possible by the fortitude and passion of our team to succeed in the sustainability realm”, said Frank Chen. “I am most grateful to the jury at E50 for recognising our efforts, our customers for their steadfast belief in us and our staff for their dedication and hard work. We will strive to do better next year,” he added.

The E50 Awards and the Top 500 list of Fastest-Growing Companies in Asia Pacific are not the only accolades BR Metals received in 2021. Earlier this year, BR Metals secured a top 10 spot in Singapore’s Fastest Growing Companies, a survey by The Straits Times and Statista for a third consecutive year.

To find out more about the Enterprise 50 (E50) Awards 2020, please visit https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/companies-must-remain-nimble-diversify-and-create-value-to-survive

For more details about the Top 500 list of Fastest-Growing Companies in Asia Pacific, please visit https://www.ft.com/high-growth-asia-pacific-ranking-2021

To read about how BR Metals carved out a niche for itself in the precious metals recycling realm, please visit https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/hub/enterprise-50-2020/br-metals-turns-trash-to-cash

For more information about BR Metals Pte Ltd, please visit www.brmetalsltd.com

For sales enquiries, please contact + 6261 6900 or email info@brmetalsltd.com

About BR Metals Pte Ltd

BR Metals is the leader in precious metal recovery. We set high industrial standards as a trusted partner that provides responsive services and creates sustainable value for clients.

Our operations in Guangzhou and Singapore purchase, process and analyse used catalytic converter, petrol-chemical catalyst, and other scrap materials to recover platinum, palladium and rhodium as well as other precious metals. We also provide recycling and precious metal analysis service for e-scraps.

We are committed to positively contribute to clients’ growth based on flexible arrangement, fair and transparent trading without compromising our commitment to the sustainability of precious metals and other finite resources.

CIFI’s contracted sales grew by 157% year-on-year to RMB26.00 billion in March 2021

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 April 2021 –


  • In March 2021, the Group achieved contracted sales of approx. RMB26.00 billion, representing a YoY increase of approx. 157% (compared to March 2020). Contracted GFA amounted to approx. 1,491,900 sq.m. and contracted ASP was approx. RMB17,400 / sq.m. in March 2021.
  • In the first quarter of 2021 (from January to March), the Group achieved contracted sales of approx. RMB56.70 billion, representing a YoY increase of approx. 153%. Contracted GFA amounted to approx. 3,401,100 sq.m.. Contracted ASP was approx. RMB 16,700/sq.m. in the first quarter of 2021.
  • In the first quarter of 2021, the distribution of the Group’s contracted sales:

City

RMB (Billion)

Percentages of total sales

Beijing

4.31

7.6%

Chongqing

3.54

6.3%

Hefei

3.29

5.8%

Wenzhou

3.22

5.7%

Suzhou

3.16

5.6%

Wuxi

2.76

4.9%

Changsha

2.76

4.9%

Wuhan

2.75

4.9%

Hangzhou

2.60

4.6%

Xiamen

2.30

4.1%

Fuzhou

1.87

3.3%

Ningbo

1.87

3.3%

Qingdao

1.81

3.2%

Xi’an

1.78

3.1%

Nanjing

1.44

2.5%

Chengdu

1.27

2.2%

Shanghai

1.23

2.2%

Jinhua

1.17

2.1%

Wuhu

1.10

1.9%

Jinan

1.05

1.9%

Huzhou

1.05

1.9%

Changzhou

0.92

1.6%

Luoyan

0.82

1.4%

Tianjin

0.77

1.4%

Foshan

0.65

1.2%

Nantong

0.64

1.1%

Nanchang

0.59

1.0%

Dongguan

0.54

0.9%

Yinchuan

0.45

0.8%

Changde

0.37

0.6%

Taizhou

0.31

0.5%

Taiyuan

0.30

0.5%

Suqian

0.27

0.5%

Zhengzhou

0.26

0.5%

Quanzhou

0.23

0.4%

Shijiazhuang

0.23

0.4%

Weifang

0.22

0.4%

Yantai

0.22

0.4%

Dalian

0.21

0.4%

Others

2.37

4.2%

Land Acquisition


  • In March 2021, the Group completed the following land acquisitions:


City

Project

Group’s equity interest

Intended primary use

Site area

(sq.m.)

Total planned GFA (excl. carpark) (sq.m.)

Group’s attributable consideration (RMB)

Average

land cost (excl. carpark)

(RMB/ sq.m.)

Dalian

Development Zone,

Xiaoyaowan Area Project

100%

Residential

29,900

65,800

219,790,000

3,338

Changsha

Yuelu District,

Project 2021-007

70%

Commercial / Residential

131,400

262,800

735,810,000

4,000

Ningbo

Cicheng District,

Cixi City Project

50%

Commercial / Residential

84,800

169,600

761,150,000

8,978

Suzhou

Xiangcheng District,

Taiping Street,

Shengze Danghu Road Project

40%

Residential

45,600

47,900

219,000,000

11,426


Company News

  • On March 1, CIFI redeemed an aggregate principal amount of approx. US$247 million of the outstanding senior perpetual capital securities which were issued on 20 December 2017. With the accumulative interest accrued to the date of redemption, the total amount paid was approx. US$254 million. The total issue size of the senior perpetual capital securities was US$300 million and at a coupon rate of 5.375%. As of 2 March 2021, this senior perpetual capital securities had been fully redeemed by the Group.
  • On March 2, CIFI announced the redemption of senior notes due 2 March 2021 in full at outstanding principal amount of approx. US$240 million. Together with interest accrued to the maturity date, the total amount paid at maturity was approx. US$250 million. The senior notes were originally issued on 3 January 2019 with a coupon rate of 7.625%, and the senior notes worth US$400 million had been partly redeemed through the period.
  • On March 10, CIFI issued first corporate bonds in 2021 of RMB1.448 billion at a coupon rate of 4.40% with tenor of 3+2 years, which reflected CIFI’s advantages in both onshore and offshore capital markets.
  • On March 16, CIFI ranked the 1st in the “2021 China Real Estate Development Enterprise Top 10 Steady Operation” and was ranked 13th in the “2021 China Real Estate Development Enterprise Top 20 Comprehensive Strength” in the “2021 Comprehensive Strength of China Real Estate Enterprises Evaluation Results Release Conference” organized by China Real Estate Association and Shanghai E-House Real Estate Research Institute China Real Estate Evaluation Center, which the Group’s results and performance were highly recognized.
  • On March 25, CIFI announced its 2020 annual results. Total profit grew by 28.7% to RMB11.9 billion which exceeding RMB10 billion for the first time of the Group. Core net profit to equity owners of the Company increased by 16.3% to a new record high of RMB8.03 billion. The Group proposed a final dividend of RMB24.3 cents (equivalent to 29 HK cents) per share, an increase of 10.8%. Total dividends for the year amounted to RMB34.1 cents (equivalent to 40 HK cents) per share with a year-on-year growth of 5.3%, while the total accumulated dividends since IPO were HK$1.84 per share.
  • CIFI arranged large-scale investor live webcast presentation and several small group meetings with over 500 investors and analysts attended. After the meetings, more than 30 international and onshore investment institutions issued research reports, among which a total of 26 institutions maintained or upgraded their “BUY” rating on CIFI.
  • CIFI’s first Bay Mansion project in Fujian Province, CIFI Bay Mansion·Wuyuan Bay, is located in the Wuyuan Bay area, and contains a full range of living facilities, commercial facilities, business facilities and natural resources. The project first launched on March 30 with encouraging market response, achieving contracted sales of RMB3.0 billion, reflecting the strong product capability and brand recognition of CIFI.


Disclaimer:

All information contained in this newsletter is meant for your own reference only, and is not intended to, nor should it, constitute any investment advice. Any information contained in this newsletter, including those relating to contracted sales or land bank of CIFI Holdings (Group) Co. Ltd. (the “Company”), may be subject to change as a result of changes in our development, sales and investment processes and may not be consistently reflected in our financial reports. The Company expressly disclaims any liability for any of your loss or damage howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the contents of this newsletter.

Fujitsu and Trend Micro Demonstrate Solution to Secure Private 5G

Streamlined security for IoT devices and networks helps accelerate manufacturing digital transformation

 

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 April 2021 – Fujitsu Limited and Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, have collaborated to focus on the security of private 5G networks. The companies will demonstrate the effectiveness of Trend Micro’s security for private 5G using a simulated smart factory environment and an operational Fujitsu environment prior to the product’s public availability.

Private 5G network technology will be the catalyst for true smart factories globally. Connectivity and automation will link factory devices and business applications, improving production capabilities and overall factory performance. However, the expanded IT infrastructure within operational technology (OT) environments can lead to exposed risk for cyberattacks. There is an urgent need to implement cybersecurity measures to secure private 5G networks to protect against potential attacks.

Fujitsu and Trend Micro have incorporated Trend Micro’s 5G security solution into a private 5G system that simulates an actual smart factory environment equipped with high-definition monitoring cameras and automatic guided vehicles (AGV) at the FUJITSU Collaboration Lab in Kawasaki, Japan. This environment was used to visualize and centrally manage the status and security of systems, as well as correlate threat detection and prevention data from the devices and network.

The security solution, Trend Micro Mobile Network Security, leverages embedded endpoint security within the IoT device’s SIM card and network security running on private 5G system. Benefits of the product include:

  • Detect and protect against threats at the private 5G network
  • Authenticate devices trying to connect to the 5G network
  • Block unauthorized communication in real time

This demonstration shows how the Trend Micro solution protects smart factories from internal threats, such as unauthorized or malware-infected devices, as well as external threats attempting to enter the factory through the 5G network.

“Fujitsu aims to realize a society in which people, goods, and services are connected in real time through 5G technology and to solve problems facing the world.” said Tomonori Goto, Corporate Executive Officer, Senior Vice President and Head of 5G Vertical Service Office at Fujitsu. “To this end, we believe that this security solution, created together with Trend Micro, represents a key technology for applying private 5G to mission-critical areas. Fujitsu will continue to cooperate with Trend Micro to create new value through the power of co-creation.”

Fujitsu and Trend Micro will conduct a field trial until September 2021 at Fujitsu’s Oyama Plant. Based on the results of this trial, the partners will consider commercializing a security solution for private 5G.

“We’re delighted to be joining forces with Fujitsu to tackle the immense challenge of cybersecurity for private 5G,” said Akihiko Omikawa, executive vice president for Trend Micro. “Together, we are making smart manufacturing more secure to ensure production isn’t stopped due to a cyberattack.”

For more information on Trend Micro Mobile Network Security solutions please visit:

https://www.trendmicro.com/tmmns

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud workloads, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and investigation, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 6,000 employees in 50 countries and the world’s most advanced global threat research and intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their connected world. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com.hk


About Fujitsu


Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 130,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.9 trillion yen (US$35 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.

CUHK Business School Research Looks at the Risk of Establishing Strategic Corporate Alliances During Periods of Market Uncertainty

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 April 2021 – Whenever there is great uncertainty in the market, it is not uncommon for firms to seek out a business partner to leverage on each other’s strengths to develop new business opportunities as well as to help shoulder risks. A case in point is the famous AOL Time Warner alliance, which was billed as the ultimate combination of an online service provider with a media conglomerate, amidst the massive upheaval that occurred just as global use of the internet took off in the early 2000s’.

The deal, which was finally unwound in 2018, is widely considered the worst merger of all time.

There have also been a few success stories. The Spotify-Uber alliance gave users personalised music experience during their car rides has been said to be a win-win for both companies, at a time when Spotify was facing criticism that it failed to compensate its artists fairly. Another famous successful alliance is the partnership between Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, which allows customers to enjoy the former company’s coffee when they visit the latter’s book stores, helping the bricks-and-mortar book seller to fend off online rivals that have since become dominant in the industry.

So why do some firms that try to be stronger and perform better during difficult times by establishing alliances fail to achieve their goals? A recent research study reveals that forming alliances may not make the companies stronger together, especially when the market condition is volatile.

While prior research focused on how alliance strategies improves company performance and innovation, Ribuga Kang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Management at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School and her co-author Prof. JungYun Han at National Taiwan University looked at the impact of market uncertainty on innovation of firms involved in alliances in their latest research study Market Uncertainty, Innovation of Firms in Alliance and Alliance Partner Characteristics. In the study, Prof. Kang and Prof. Han analysed 115 firms in alliances in the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries in the U.S. between 1990 and 2015.

According to Prof. Kang and her co-author, there are four reasons for why market uncertainty hinders innovation of companies in alliances.

First of all, partner firms may be reluctant to commit effort or resources during turbulent times because they would be more interested in protecting their own companies during these periods. Also, companies may need to renegotiate agreements due to the changing environment, which is likely to cause confrontation and conflict. Consequently, the trust and willingness to share between companies would be significantly undermined.

Secondly, a hostile business environment may lead to increased difficulty in communication between companies. As being innovative relies on the integration of knowledge and resources from companies in an alliance, the increased difficulty in communication would hinder efforts in creating new ideas.

Thirdly, companies with alliance partners may tend to overly depend on their partners instead of searching for new ideas elsewhere.

Lastly, when companies in an alliance share their concerns about the uncertainties and challenges amid volatile market conditions, they reinforce the pessimistic forecast about the market and hence would likely develop passive and defensive business strategies that would ultimately lead to low innovation.

“Just because two companies don’t seem to go together at first, doesn’t mean they aren’t a great pair. For firms seeking alliances, they should aim to form partnerships that can create synergy and be win-win to both parties,” Prof. Kang says.

Mitigating Risks

However, the study points out that there are two conditions that would help companies in alliances to mitigate the negative effect of market uncertainty on innovation. According to the study, when companies choose to partner with other firms from a different industry and a different nation, it would help them to develop diverse and useful new knowledge.

Prof. Kang explains that there are three advantages for having a partner firm in a different industry. Firstly, the partner firm would be able to supply brand new ideas and knowledge given their different industry backgrounds. Secondly, if a company has a partner firm in a different industry, the partner will provide fresh perspectives to the other firm and make it less likely that a firm would follow tired old market practices. Thirdly, if the two companies in an alliance are from different industries, they would not be in direct competition. Therefore, they would be more willing to exchange knowledge, which would result in increased innovation.

Having a partner company in another country, according to Prof. Kang, also has three benefits. The first benefit is that the foreign partner would be able to bring in non-localised knowledge and new ideas. Secondly, such a cross-border alliance provides an opportunity to learn a new mindset, different business practices and organisational cultures. Lastly, companies would be able to rely on their foreign partners for their resources and networks to broaden the business opportunities in other markets.

Innovation Quantity Vs Quality

Interestingly, the researchers found that forming alliances with companies in different industries and in different countries can influence innovation in various ways. In particular, different types of alliances have different effects on the quantity of innovation and whether the innovation generated created value by uncovering an unmet customer need or offering a new solution.

To measure the effect on innovation quantity, the research team examined the number of patents filed by a company. For the effect of the latter type of innovation, called exploratory innovation (as opposed to exploitative innovation, which focuses on meeting an already exposed customer need) the researchers looked at the number of new patents filed in different categories. The two types of patents are counted in a four-year period after a firm formed an alliance.

According to the results, forming an alliance with a partner in a different country increases the number of patents, even when the market condition is uncertain. On the other hand, having a partner firm in a different industry can increase the firm’s exploratory innovation during volatile times.

“We think that new knowledge, such as different organisational styles or cultural differences, brought by a foreign partner firm can help a firm file more patents,” Prof. Kang explains. “However, if a company wants to be really innovative, that means expanding its own boundaries, then it must get a partner firm in a different industry to get new ideas and expertise beyond its own existing knowledge stock.”

Managerial Implications

Although forming alliances is an effective business strategy for companies to pursue mutual benefits, Prof. Kang and her co-author urge companies to pay attention to the risks and challenges that market uncertainty may bring to business alliances because these risks can often outweigh the benefits.

For managers, the researchers suggest them to have a deep understanding of the impacts and risks that their firms face in a difficult business environment. This is important because if managers fail to fully understand the uncertainty they face (and considering that during poor economic conditions, a partner firm would have heightened interest to protect their own interests) an alliance would be unable to achieve meaningful innovative goals.

Based on their findings, Prof. Kang and her co-author advise managers to choose carefully an alliance partner which will allow them to best utilise each other’s expertise to develop innovative products. They also encourage managers to leave their comfort zone in finding partner firms and avoid forming alliances with firms that are close to home or with firms in the same industry, especially in highly uncertain and competitive market conditions.

Reference:

Han, J. and Kang, R. (2020), “Market uncertainty, innovation of firms in alliance and alliance partner characteristics”, European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-05-2020-0195

This article was first published in the China Business Knowledge (CBK) website by CUHK Business School: https://bit.ly/3cxxGBy.

About CUHK Business School

CUHK Business School comprises two schools – Accountancy and Hotel and Tourism Management – and four departments – Decision Sciences and Managerial Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing. Established in Hong Kong in 1963, it is the first business school to offer BBA, MBA and Executive MBA programmes in the region. Today, the School offers 10 undergraduate programmes and 18 graduate programmes including MBA, EMBA, Master, MSc, MPhil and Ph.D.

In the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2021, CUHK MBA is ranked 48th. In FT‘s 2020 Executive MBA ranking, CUHK EMBA is ranked 15th in the world. CUHK Business School has the largest number of business alumni (40,000+) among universities/business schools in Hong Kong – many of whom are key business leaders. The School currently has more than 4,800 undergraduate and postgraduate students and Professor Lin Zhou is the Dean of CUHK Business School.

More information is available at http://www.bschool.cuhk.edu.hk or by connecting with CUHK Business School on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuhkbschool

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuhkbusinessschool

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/school/cuhkbusinessschool

WeChat: CUHKBusinessSchool

Circles.Life Reveals its New No-Contract Family Plan in Singapore & Redefines What it Means to Be a Family

One plan, one bill and up to six SIM cards. The new plan gives power back to customers by letting them decide who they share their data with in their family!

 

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 April 2021 – Circles.Life, the fastest growing telco in the region, announces the launch of the Family Plan, the latest in its line of innovative products, which in the last nine months has included a holistic eSIM onboarding process, Data-only plans, gamified loyalty programs, IDD call packs and more.

In the spirit of bringing a new kind of Family Plan, Circles.Life believes families today can be any group of people brought together by blood, circumstance, love or even shared interests – this can be your teammates, game board night gang, or even movie buddies! To differentiate itself from the complex traditional family bundles offered by telcos today, the Circles.Life Family Plan allows customers to share telco benefits with the family they choose, regardless of relationship and household residency, under one bill.

Discover limitless possibilities with unlimited rules

Unlike existing telco family plans, Circles.Life’s Family Plan is completely flexible, free from contracts and other requirements like having to buy broadband or other services. The plan comes with 200GB of 4G data, 500 mins and 200 SMS, all for as low as $15 per line for six SIM cards. Customers have the choice of buying between two SIMs to six SIMs. Similar to other Circles.Life plans, customers can add more data, mins, or SMS whenever they need.

Circles.Life

Other Telcos

No strings attached

Yes!

No. Requires additional services like broadband or buying a new phone on a 2-year contract.

Sharing telco benefits

Yes!

No.

Rameez Ansar, the co-founder of Circles.Life, expressed: “Giving power back to customers is at the heart of what we do at Circles Life. Customers are not satisfied with the status quo in the telco services they are getting, they expect an experience that’s on par, if not better than the apps and other digital services they use every day.”

Interested customers can find out more about the family plan here.

Leading telcos in the region with excellence in technology, innovation and customer experience

As the telco that’s reached profitability the fastest in Singapore, Circles.Life continues to lead the way in tech infrastructure, customer satisfaction, telco innovation like the new Family Plan. This has allowed the company to consistently deliver industry-leading customer experience, achieving over 96% Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) scores in Singapore that’s +50 points ahead of anyone else. In addition, this success has changed the industry in Singapore, creating a time before Circles.Life launched and after, where customers are now using more data than ever, have more choices than ever, having the power finally back in their hands. As a result, Circles.Life is now the blueprint for what a digital telco should be, not just in Singapore as seen by how competitors have launched their own respective digital telco brands, but globally as well.

This global impact is a result of Circles.Life repeating the aforementioned success in Australia and Taiwan. Circles.Life launched both markets in a matter of months, in stark contrast to the normal telco launch timeline measured in years. In addition, both markets are at pace to hit profitability milestones faster than in Singapore. Most importantly, the product experiences for both markets are at par with the success in Singapore, boasting CSAT scores of 98% and 99% for Australia and Taiwan respectively.

These results, better customer experience, better business outcomes and better product innovation have all been made possible with Circles-X, the proprietary technology built by a combination of local and global talents. Circles-X enables the company to launch new products and services at record speed compared to traditional telco platforms. Circles.Life believes this is what will power the future of telcos globally.

About Circles.Life

Founded in Singapore in 2016, Circles.Life is Singapore’s fourth telco and the nation’s first digital telco. Since its launch, the company has remained focused on its mission to give power back to the customer with its personalised digital services. Circles.Life re-imagines how mobile telecom services can be offered with a truly differentiated business model, technology stack, approach to product development and speed of product innovation. At the core of which is a proprietary technology stack that delivers a highly flexible and completely digital customer experience across the entire customer service journey.

Circles.Life has since garnered more than 5% of Singapore’s mobile subscriber market share, making it the country’s fastest-growing telco. With more than 400 employees in Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Australia, it launched into its first overseas market in Taiwan in June 2019, followed by Australia in September 2019.

New Counterbalance Support Hinge from Southco Reduces Overall Solution Cost

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 April 2021 – Southco Asia Ltd., a subsidiary of Southco Inc., a leading global provider of engineered access solutions such as locks, latches, captive fasteners, electronic access solutions and hinges/ positioning technology, Southco has expanded its series of Counterbalance Hinges with a new product that reduces the total solution cost of lifting and positioning heavy panels and lids. Southco’s CB Counterbalance Support Hinge is designed to be used in tandem with the CB Counterbalance Hinge, in applications where the Counterbalance Hinge can support the full torque requirements of the panel or lid on its own.

CB Counterbalance Support Hinge

Southco’s CB Counterbalance Support Hinge enables ergonomic lifting and position control when combined with a CB Counterbalance Hinge by using stored energy to balance the weight distribution of a lid or panel. The hinges are fully adjustable, allowing the experience of opening and closing the panel to be tailored to the unique requirements of the application.

With robust, all-aluminum construction, CB Hinges offer improved corrosion resistance and consistent performance in hot and cold temperatures. Additionally, the CB Counterbalance Support Hinge provides an increased life cycle, reducing the need for maintenance over time.

Global Product Manager Stewart Beck adds, “The Counterbalance Support Hinge improves functionality and aesthetics when compared to traditional gas struts. When installed with our standard CB Counterbalance Hinge, the CB Counterbalance Support Hinge offers the benefits of a Counterbalance product, but allows users to significantly lower their total solution cost.”

For more information about the latest Southco’s CB Counterbalance Support Hinge, please visit www.southco.com/CB-Support.

About Southco

Southco, Inc. is the leading global designer and manufacturer of engineered access solutions. From quality and performance to aesthetics and ergonomics, we understand that first impressions are lasting impressions in product design. For over 70 years, Southco has helped the world’s most recognized brands create value for their customers with innovative access solutions designed to enhance the touch points of their products in transportation and industrial applications, medical equipment, data centers and more. With unrivalled engineering resources, innovative products and a dedicated global team, Southco delivers the broadest portfolio of premium access solutions available to equipment designers throughout the world.

Southco Asia Limited

2401-2406, Tower 2, Ever Gain Plaza

88 Container Port Road, Kwai Chung

Hong Kong

ESR to develop US$2bn+ multi-phase data centre campus near Osaka CBD, Japan

TOKYO, JAPAN / HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 April 2021 – ESR Cayman Limited (“ESR” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries as the “Group”; SEHK Stock Code: 1821), the largest APAC focused logistics real estate platform, has acquired a key data centre asset in Osaka, Japan. The asset comprises an existing data centre and excess land, totalling a development potential of up to 78MW IT load. It is expected to have a potential GAV of US$2.15 billion, depending on the ratio of operating model between powered shell and fully fitted configurations for each building.

ESR will utilise the land to build two additional buildings, with a combined IT load of 39MW as power will be available within 12 months. Construction of the first data centre is expected to commence later in 2021, with target completion scheduled in 2023. The existing data centre is expected to be redeveloped into an additional 39MW IT load upon expiry of the current lease. The three buildings together will form a significant data centre campus in the rapidly growing Osaka market, offering customers the opportunity to lease data halls, individual buildings or multiple buildings – providing scalability and flexibility, ideal for both hyperscalers and colocation operators.

Jeffrey Shen and Stuart Gibson, ESR Co-founders and Co-CEOs, remarked, “As a leading provider of new economy infrastructure, it’s a natural move for ESR to expand into the evolving ecosystem of data centres. We are tremendously excited to launch our first data centre new development, creating a campus-style asset with expansion capability in a prime location of a high growth market. This acquisition adds to ESR’s data centre strategic push which now includes exclusivity on land and power approvals to potentially develop over 200MW across major markets in APAC.”

The data centre campus is strategically located in Osaka City, within 10 km of the Osaka CBD where Japan’s major Internet Exchange and other network exchanges attract a large number of cloud on-ramps, telecom companies, leading IT-dependent enterprises and an increasing number of hyperscalers.

As a key gateway to Japan and to Asia, Osaka has established itself to be a major commercial hub, second only to Tokyo. At the heart of the Kansai region which has a population of 24.6 million and GDP of US$1 trillion, Osaka has a world-class infrastructure and strong demographic fundamentals. The city has a high concentration of pillar industries, including energy, financial services, healthcare and medical services, advanced manufacturing – all of which rely heavily on technologies such as big data, AI, 5G, robotics and IoT, making Osaka a prime location for digital connectivity infrastructure. Today, Osaka is the fifth largest data centre market in the APAC region (outside of China), yet the supply of data centres remains highly limited due to a lack of land and power supply.

The global pandemic has flipped the norms under which businesses operate and the ways people live and spend. Driven by the acceleration of e-commerce and fintech, as well as by the rise of cloud solutions and smart technologies, the demand for data centres has grown exponentially across APAC and the world.

Against this backdrop, ESR is very well positioned to play its part in developing digital infrastructure in APAC: with hyperlocal presence that provides unparalleled access to unique land origination, zoning and power approvals, and development expertise; agility to acquire large land parcels and allocate land bank to warehousing and data centres based on market demand; a large and diverse logistics portfolio for potential redevelopment or repurpose into data centres; and a dedicated team with deep expertise in development and fund management. Data centres offer lucrative opportunities for both operators and investors, and ESR plans to expand its data centre platform with select capital partners.

Commenting on the outlook, Mr. Shen and Mr. Gibson added, “ESR has a proven track record of consistently developing best-in-class assets and delivering top-notch project management for our logistics tenants, many of whom are e-commerce giants who also provide cloud services. Our operational expertise enables us to provide one-stop solutions to cloud service providers and operators across all major economies in APAC, meeting their needs and requirements beyond optimising business performance and growth. The environmental footprint of the online world is coming under constant scrutiny. ESR will work with cloud providers to ensure that carbon reduction and responsible innovation are at the heart of all of ESR’s data centre developments.

With the prevalence of digital transformation in which data is the foundation, ESR will capitalise on this secular trend by leveraging its in-house capability and strategically partnering with operators and capital partners to build a network of data centre infrastructure – in powered shell and fully fitted configurations – in key metros across APAC. This network of agile and scalable data centres will interconnect businesses and individuals in the digital economy, support our customers’ growth in scale and reach, and create value for ESR’s ecosystem of new economy infrastructure.”

Asian Fund for Cancer Research Announces Inaugural BRACE Award Venture Competition Winner

Gastrointestinal Cancer Drug Developer Arbele Receives AFCR Investment Funding

 

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 April 2021 – Arbele has been selected as the winner of the Asian Fund for Cancer Research’s (AFCR) inaugural BRACE Award Venture Competition, a first of its kind program for early stage oncology technology companies located in Asia or focused on cancers prevalent among Asian communities. As a result of its win, the Hong Kong-based company has received US$300,000 in AFCR investment.

Arbele’s BRACE Award Venture Competition win is the result of a rigorous review and evaluation process led by two blue ribbon committees convened by AFCR. One committee, in fall 2020, judged the start-up and its tumor-fighting technology as among the strongest of eight semi-finalists in a 6 November event; and the other committee, in winter 2020/2021, determined the company as most likely to make a difference for cancer patients and produce a positive return on investment from among the prior-chosen finalists.

BRACE Award Venture Competition winners can apply AFCR’s investment toward obtaining critical research data and pre-clinical results, as well as attract larger, follow-on investors. Such benefits give participating start-ups a much better chance of delivering technologies likely and able to benefit cancer patients. While future positive returns to AFCR on its US$300,000 investment will be applied by the non-profit organization toward its cancer research funding and education programming.

“The BRACE Award Venture Competition is making a real difference in funding not only early stage, risk-taking companies in Asia that are battling cancer, but also start-ups that are tackling Asia-prevalent forms of the disease,” stated Arbele Chief Executive Officer John Luk, DMedSc. “Arbele’s journey, including starting from invention at the University of Hong Kong and entering into clinical trials at Queen Mary Hospital, fits both criteria, and we look forward to continued partnership with AFCR.”

“It was a pleasure to represent Arbele throughout the BRACE Award Venture Competition process,” noted Chief Development Officer Dennis Wong, MD. “The program and its committees, investment and other benefits have already helped further develop our company and the application of our technology in the fight against cancer.”

“With the BRACE Award Venture Competition and infusion of investment into its winner, AFCR aims to raise awareness of the importance of accelerating commercialization of cancer research innovations that could save patients’ lives,” said Asian Fund for Cancer Research Chief Executive Officer Sujuan Ba, Ph.D. “We also hope to build up critically needed ecosystems helping life sciences entrepreneurs throughout the Asia-Pacific region.”

“The BRACE Award Venture Competition is an important addition to our region’s cancer technology and biomedical industry environment, fostering ideas and approaches on the cutting edge of research,” expressed AFCR Chairman of the Board Gary Wong, a partner of Hugill & Ip Solicitors. “Few sources are willing to invest in high risk, pre-clinical start-ups and, through the BRACE program, our organization is proud to be in the lead.”

The National Foundation for Cancer Research and AIM-HI Accelerator Fund are founding partners of the BRACE Award Venture Competition. Inaugural partners are Hugill & Ip Solicitors, Goodwin and the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization. Applications are now open for the 2021 iteration of the event, the winner of which will also receive US$300,000 in AFCR investment.

Learn more about the 2021 BRACE Award Venture Competition and apply before 15 June at https://afcr.org/en/brace-award/.

About the BRACE Award Venture Competition

The Bridging Research from Academia to Cancer Entrepreneurship (BRACE) program is designed to advance and catalyze the commercialization of innovative cancer research discoveries by early stage oncology technology companies located in Asia or focused on cancers prevalent among Asian communities. BRACE Award Venture Competitions provide start-up companies with a combination of investment capital, prize money, exposure-generating opportunities and enhanced access to a network of cancer industry professionals and researchers in the region and around the world. Two committees (judging and investment), whose members are world-class key opinion leaders, life sciences industry experts, investors and entrepreneurs, provide assessments and recommendations for the investment from AFCR. Its members include the following persons:

  • Webster Cavenee, Ph.D., Director of Strategic Alliances, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
  • Pamela Garzone, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Calibr at Scripps Research
  • Raju Kucherlapati, Ph.D., Paul C. Cabot Professor of Genetics and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Brian Leyland-Jones, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, AIM-HI Accelerator Fund
  • Will Liu, Ph.D., Partner, Eight Roads Ventures
  • Eifion Phillips, Ph.D., J.D., Patent Attorney
  • Kanaga Sabapathy, Ph.D., Head, National Cancer Centre Singapore’s Division of Cellular and Molecular Research
  • Alfred Slanetz, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Geneius Biotechnology
  • Michael Wang, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, Chief Strategy Officer, National Foundation for Cancer Research
  • Yajun Xu, Ph.D., Managing Partner, Hongsen Capital
  • Wai-Kwan Alfred Yung, M.D., Professor, MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Department of Neuro-Oncology

About the Asian Fund for Cancer Research

The Asian Fund for Cancer Research (AFCR) is a non-profit organization committed to curing cancers that have significant impacts on Asian populations. Headquartered in Hong Kong, AFCR is uniquely positioned to implement in Asia the newest cancer research discoveries and technologies from around the world, investigate the distinct causes of cancer in Asian populations through innovative genetic and molecular research, and develop more effective therapies tailored to the region’s cancer patients. For more information, visit https://afcr.org.

About Hugill & Ip Solicitors

Hugill & Ip Solicitors is an independent law firm providing bespoke legal advice and exceptional client service to individuals, families, entrepreneurs and businesses, in Hong Kong and internationally. Hugill & Ip provides high quality legal services with integrity, professionalism and respect for clients and the community. For more information, visit https://www.hugillandip.com.

About Arbele

Arbele, based in Hong Kong and with operations also in Guangzhou, Seattle and Sydney, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on inventing proprietary immunotherapeutic platforms to accelerate the development of treatments for gastrointestinal cancers and other solid tumors. It is developing “first-in-class” antibody-based biologics to treat such cancers as those of the stomach, pancreas, colon, bile duct and liver, which remain of high mortality and with limited treatment options. For more information, visit https://www.arbelebio.com.