28.9 C
Vientiane
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 616

Cushman & Wakefield and Corenet Global Release New Survey Results On “What Occupiers Want”

Cost remains king, but talent, flexibility, and service are reshaping real estate strategy globally


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2025 – Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), in partnership with CoreNet Global, the global professional association for corporate real estate, has released new survey results revealing how corporate real estate (CRE) priorities are evolving in response to cost pressures, shifting organizational models, a stabilizing office footprint, and the growing demand for workplace flexibility and service.

Findings from the What Occupiers Want 2025 survey—reflecting the views of CRE decision-makers across the Americas (52%), EMEA (34%) and APAC (14%)—highlight an industry at a strategic crossroads, as companies balance traditional cost control measures with new imperatives around talent, culture, and portfolio agility. The views represent approximately 8.1 million employees globally and approximately 340M square feet of floor area.

“The survey shows that while cost discipline remains essential, organizations are increasingly recognizing that real estate decisions directly impact employee experience, engagement, and overall business performance,” said Despina Katsikakis, Global Lead, Total Workplace Consulting at Cushman & Wakefield. “This marks a critical opportunity for CRE leaders to shape strategies that deliver both financial and workforce value.”

Cost Still Reigns, but Uncertainty Dominates Decision-Making

Cost control remains the top driver of corporate real estate decisions globally, as CRE leaders face continued pressure to reduce or optimize spending. Financial KPIs—particularly cost, efficiency, and space utilization—still dominate strategy.

However, uncertainty looms large. Political instability, changing workplace behaviors, and unclear ROI metrics have left many organizations hesitant to act boldly. Compounding this, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities—once on the rise—have slipped back to pre-2021 levels in global importance, though they remain a top concern in EMEA and APAC regions.

CRE Organizational Models Are Evolving—And Metrics Must Keep Pace

One of the report’s most striking findings: nearly one-third (29%) of companies that recently changed their CRE reporting structure now have real estate teams reporting to Human Resources.

“This shift highlights a growing understanding that corporate real estate is about people, culture, and experience—not just space and cost,” said Katsikakis. “But to make this evolution meaningful, organizations need new performance metrics that link workplace investments to employee experience, engagement, and productivity—not just financial outcomes.”

Despite these organizational changes, most companies continue to rely heavily on traditional financial measures. The report calls for a balanced scorecard approach that bridges the gap between cost control and workforce impact.

Downsizing Has Peaked as Occupiers Stabilize Portfolios

After several years of footprint reduction, the era of mass downsizing appears to be over. Only 32% of companies plan further space cuts, while 1 in 8 occupiers plan to expand their footprint. Meanwhile, average office lease sizes have grown by 13% since 2023.

Office utilization rates are stabilizing as well, with global occupancy levels settling between 51% and 60%—still below pre-pandemic norms but rising steadily as more firms implement structured return-to-office policies.

Landlords Must Step Up as the Office Becomes a Service

Tenants are demanding more from their landlords—85% of occupiers now expect landlords to provide enhanced amenities, services, and workplace experiences, and nearly half (46%) are willing to pay a premium for these upgrades.

Top-tier office space commands a nearly double-digit rental premium as a result. Yet there remains a gap between expectation and delivery: only 60% of employees believe their current workplace fully supports collaboration, relationships, and culture-building—the very elements that draw people back to the office.

Flexible Location Strategies Are the New Talent Imperative

Flexible hiring practices are now standard, with 61% of companies adapting their real estate strategies to access diverse talent pools across multiple geographies. Regional trends show varied approaches:

  • In the Americas, hybrid and country-level hiring dominate.
  • EMEA firms favor selective global hiring where presence already exists.
  • APAC leads in expanding remote hiring options.

Technology talent remains in high demand, particularly in APAC, where growth outpaces that of the Americas and EMEA.

The 2025 What Occupiers Want survey reveals a CRE industry in transition: while cost pressures remain paramount, leading organizations are redefining value beyond financial savings.

“To drive meaningful impact, CRE leaders must champion new, integrated performance frameworks that reflect the true business value of the workplace,” said Katsikakis. “Real estate decisions are no longer just about the bottom line—they’re about workforce performance, culture, and competitive advantage.”

Spotlight: Chinese Mainland

On the Chinese mainland, occupier strategies are aligning with the broader Asia Pacific trends – but with distinct local drivers. Companies continue to prioritize cost optimization and footprint efficiency, but there is a growing shift toward premium office space in core business districts, especially among financial, professional services, and high-tech sectors.

Return-to-office policies are further along compared to other global markets, with hybrid models giving way to more structured, on-site work requirements. Occupiers are seeking environments that enhance collaboration, innovation, and talent retention – particularly in Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen, where talent competition remains intense.

“Occupiers in China are increasingly focused on quality—not just in location and amenities, but in how the workplace supports business strategy and employee wellbeing,” said Jonathan Wei, Head of Project and Occupier Services, China at Cushman & Wakefield. “Landlords who can deliver integrated, experience-driven environments with flexible, tech-enabled solutions are strongly positioned to attract and retain long-term tenants.”
Hashtag: #Cushman&Wakefield

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

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for property owners and occupiers with approximately 52,000 employees in nearly 400 offices and 60 countries. In Greater China, a network of 23 offices serves local markets across the region. In 2024, the firm reported revenue of $9.4 billion across its core services of Valuation, Consulting, Project & Development Services, Capital Markets, Project & Occupier Services, Industrial & Logistics, Retail, and others. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit or follow us on LinkedIn ().

Vientiane Province Mandates Illegal Vehicles Registeration

Cars and Motorbikes in Laos (Photo: Bangkok Post)

Owners of illegal or undocumented vehicles in Muen district, Vientiane Province, must register their vehicles within 45 days of 30 June, following a new directive issued by local authorities.

Themed Forum of “Mountain Biodiversity and Our Life” to Kick off “Guizhou Example” Empowering Global Mountain Eco-treatment


GUIYANG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2025 – Recently, Eco Forum Global Guyang 2025 announced at a press briefing that the themed forum “Mountain Biodiversity and Our Life” will be held in Guizhou on July 6th. The forum is co-sponsored by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu Institute of Biology, hosted by the Department of Ecological Environment of Guizhou Province, and co-organized by the Guizhou Academy of Environmental Sciences.

Caption: Wanfenglin Scenic Area, Xingyi City, Guizhou Province
Caption: Wanfenglin Scenic Area, Xingyi City, Guizhou Province

This forum will focus closely on the core issue of “Mountain Biodiversity and Our Life”, and builds a “Science—Policy—Public” dialogue platform. Through three major segments of keynote speeches, technical discussions, and expert dialogues, we will delve into the collaborative path between mountain eco-conservation and sustainable development. The agenda covers key topics such as the current status of global mountain biodiversity, conservation practices in southwestern China and the Himalayan region, and the relationship between biodiversity, climate, and development.

Caption: Morning Scenery of Jiabang Terraced Fields in Congjiang County, Guizhou Province
Caption: Morning Scenery of Jiabang Terraced Fields in Congjiang County, Guizhou Province

The forum has a scale of about 80 people and gathers authoritative voices in the field of global mountain conservation. Special guests include think tanks from ICIMOD, practitioners of eco-conservation in South Asia, scientists from top Chinese research institutes, and frontline eco-guardians in Guizhou province. The forum is expected to condense scientific consensus and action plans, promote the formation of an eco-conservation cooperation mechanism between Southwest China and the Himalayan region, advocate public participation in ecological protection, and enhance public ecological awareness.

According to Chen Huai, a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee and a botany doctor, Guizhou is the only province in China that has no plain to support. 92.5% of the area is mountainous and hilly, which is an important eco-barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River. This place has world natural heritage sites such as Libo Karst and Shibing Yuntai Mountain, as well as national nature reserves such as Fanjing Mountain and Maolan. Its biodiversity richness ranks fourth in China.

The forum will showcase Guizhou’s innovative experiences in grassland and wetland restoration, Maolan Nature Reserve management, and desertification control, providing a “Guizhou Example” for global mountain eco-treatment From the construction of eco-corridor in the Giant Panda National Park to community participatory conservation in Guizhou, China’s experience has become an important reference for global biodiversity conservation. This forum will promote the deep integration of Chinese wisdom with international practice, and help achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 13 Climate Action, SDG 15 Land Ecology).
Hashtag: #MountainBiodiversityandOurLife

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

BeauEver Secures NZ Prime Minister’s Support in Historic China Summit to Accelerate Global Skincare Expansion


SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2025 – At the 2025 China–New Zealand Trade Innovation Summit, New Zealand Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Christopher Luxon, witnessed the official signing of a strategic partnership between high-end anti-aging brand BeauEver and biotechnology leader The Beauty Lab Collective (TBLC).

BeauEver Secures NZ Prime Minister’s Support in Historic China Summit to Accelerate Global Skincare Expansion
BeauEver Secures NZ Prime Minister’s Support in Historic China Summit to Accelerate Global Skincare Expansion

This milestone partnership deepens economic cooperation between New Zealand and China while promoting the global development of responsible, science-driven skincare innovation.

“This partnership reflects the strength of the NZ–China relationship and our commitment to global innovation,” said Prime Minister Luxon. “BeauEver represents the best of New Zealand — science, sustainability, and international vision.”

The agreement includes the launch of a New Zealand-based Active Ingredient Innovation Center, dedicated to researching marine and botanical compounds native to New Zealand’s pristine ecosystems. Through TBLC’s certified cruelty-free infrastructure and intelligent manufacturing, BeauEver aims to enhance its capacity to meet the evolving needs of consumers in China and across Southeast Asia.

“Our mission is to become a globally trusted name in cellular anti-aging — where nature meets science, and skincare becomes a meaningful, restorative ritual. This partnership helps us share that philosophy with more women around the world.” said Liam Corkery, General Manager of BeauEver New Zealand.

BeauEver’s innovation is grounded in more than 40 years of research into bioactive ingredients and cell-level rejuvenation. With dual R&D centers in Switzerland and New Zealand, the brand focuses on holistic skin renewal by supporting mitochondrial vitality, collagen stimulation, and skin-barrier reinforcement.

At the heart of its product line is the BeauEver Cell-Reviving Firming and Rejuvenating Essence — a lightweight, high-efficacy formula designed to support skin’s natural renewal process. Powered by bio-fermented actives, transdermal collagen delivery, and barrier-enhancing peptides, the essence helps improve the appearance of firmness, radiance, and resilience over time. It embodies BeauEver’s brand philosophy: to awaken the body’s natural energy and deliver visible results with integrity, science, and care.

With a reported 300% year-on-year growth in 2024 in China market, BeauEver is rapidly expanding its global footprint in the premium skincare space — particularly among dermatology clinics, spa professionals, and wellness institutions across Asia-Pacific.

https://beauevernz.com/
Hashtag: #BeauEver

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

Dalai Lama Says he Will Have Successor After his Death

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama (L) attends a Long Life Prayer offering ceremony at the Main Tibetan Temple in McLeod Ganj, near Dharamsala on June 30, 2025. Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, gave on June 30, the strongest indication yet that the 600-year-old institution would continue after his death, at prayer celebrations for his 90th birthday. The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, is according to Tibetans the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. (Photo by Sanjay BAID / AFP)
It is a landmark decision for Tibetans, many of whom had feared a future without a leader, as well as for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.

According to Tibetans, Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama is lauded by his followers for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau in China about the size of South Africa.

He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.

The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist had previously said the institution of Dalai Lama would continue only if there was popular demand.

He said Wednesday he had received multiple appeals over the past 14 years from Tibetan diaspora in exile, Buddhists from across the Himalayan region, Mongolia and parts of Russia and China, “earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue.”

“In particular, I have received messages through various channels from Tibetans in Tibet making the same appeal,” he said in a video broadcast at the start of a meeting of religious leaders in the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades.

“In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he added, according to an official translation.

His advanced age had also sparked concern over the future of Tibetan leadership and the delicate question of his succession.

The announcement was made ahead of his 90th birthday on 6 July.

‘Historic’

While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognized Dalai Lama describes himself as a “simple Buddhist monk”.

Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name its own successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950.

But the Dalai Lama said Wednesday that responsibility for identifying the 15th Dalai Lama “will rest exclusively” with the India-based Gaden Phodrang Trust, the office of the Dalai Lama.

“I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” he added.

Chemi Lhamo, 30, a Tibetan activist in exile, said she was convinced the continuation of the role of Dalai Lama would serve the cause of a Tibetans.

“There isn’t a doubt that the Dalai Lama institution will also continue to serve the benefit of humanity,” Lhamo said, adding the announcement sent a message to Beijing to “unequivocally reject” any role in identifying the future leader.

The Dalai Lama handed over political authority in 2011 to an exiled government chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally.

At the same time, he warned that the future of his spiritual post faced an “obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system.”


© Agence France-Presse

Amazon Singapore Unveils a Week of Prime Day Deals and a Special Public Maze Event for Prime Day 2025


Prime members can access exclusive deals from brands such as Neutrogena, FOREO, Resto, Cricut, Pigeon, PicassoTiles and Coca-Cola from 8 – 14 July.

Free Public event: Amazon Prime Day Maze at Suntec City on 5 – 6 July offers a hands-on way to explore the world of Amazon Prime Day

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2025 – (NASDAQ: AMZN) — Amazon Singapore today revealed an exciting line-up of deals for Prime Day 2025. From 8 – 14 July, Prime members can enjoy seven days of exciting discounts from top categories, including Beauty, Health & Personal Care, PC & Electronics, and Home & Kitchen, as well as international selection from US, Japan and Germany on Amazon.sg/primeday. Anyone can participate in Amazon Prime Day by joining Prime or starting a 30-day free trial at Amazon.sg/prime.

Amazon Singapore Unveils a Week of Prime Day Deals and a Special Public Maze Event for Prime Day 2025
Amazon Singapore Unveils a Week of Prime Day Deals and a Special Public Maze Event for Prime Day 2025

In addition to exclusive deals, Prime members enjoy a wide range of benefits, including fast and free shipping on eligible items across both local and international selection* – making shopping hassle-free and convenient, and get unlimited access to Prime Video’s extensive library of movies and shows. (*T&Cs apply)

Experience Seven Days of Incredible Deals during Prime Day
Prime members can look forward to incredible savings on quality products from top local and international brands as well as small businesses that will be available during the longest Prime Day in Singapore. With this extended period, members have more time to shop and save on thousands of products.

Below is a sneak peek of the top deals available during Prime Day:

  • Toys and Babies
    o Save up to 40% off diaper from Huggies, Pampers, Merries, Mamypoko
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from Hasbro, including Transformers, Furby, Monopoly
    o Save up to 35% off selected items from PicassoTiles
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher Price
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from Skillmatics Art & Craft, Board game toys
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from NinoNana
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from Melissa & Doug
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from Giiker
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from Squishmallows
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from MiniBoo

  • Beauty, Health & Personal Care
    o Save up to 50% off selected items from FOREO
    o Save up to 50% off selected items from Neutrogena
    o Save up to 50% off selected items from Sukin
    o Save up to 49% off selected items from Dr. Scholl’s
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from Renpho
    o Save up to 35% off selected items from Waterpik
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from Kleenex and Kotex, with additional 3 for 15% off

  • PC & Electronics
    o Save up to 66% off selected items from Anker
    o Save up to 50% off selected items from Sennheiser
    o Save up to 44% off selected items from UGREEN
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from Spigen
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from Lencent
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from SoundPEATS
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from BONE
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from Logitech
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from LG
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from KODAK
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from ProCase
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from Satechi
    o $60 off Nintendo Switch 2 Console

  • Home & Kitchen
    o Save up to $800 off Roborock Vacuum Cleaners
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from Philips
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from Tefal, SharkNinja, KitchenAid and WMF
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from SMEG, with additional Buy 2 Get 5% off
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from Epitex
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from Dyson
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from Hecef Kitchen
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from Owala and Hydro Flask
    o Save up to 30% off selected items from Joseph Joseph
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from Cricut
    o Save up to 25% off selected items from Delonghi
    o Save up to 20% off selected items from King Koil

  • Selections from Amazon Fresh & Fast
    o Save up to 50% off selected items from Tiong Lian on Amazon Fresh
    o Save up to 40% off selected items from Kee Song on Amazon Fresh
    o Buy 4, get 20% off seafood from Serve by Hai Sia on Amazon Fresh
    o Buy 4, get 20% off all 100PLUS, Ice Mountain, Coca-Cola, Authentic Tea House, FuzeTea, Sprite, Fanta, Evian Water and Volvic Water on Amazon Fresh
    o Buy 4, get 20% off Dettol, Finish, Vanish on Amazon Fresh
    o Buy 4, get 20% off Magiclean, Biore, Laurier on Amazon Fresh
    o Buy 2, get 20% off on house brand grocery items from Little Farms
    o Save up to 30% off selected wines from Little Farms
    o Buy 1, get 1 free on Vitamins & Supplements from Holistic Way, Swisse, Blackmores and Ocean Health from Watsons
    o Buy 2 at 35% off house brand beauty, haircare products from Watsons

*Terms and conditions apply to all promotions listed above.

Amazon Prime Day Maze, happening from 5-6 July with thousands of vouchers up for grabs
To celebrate its longest every Prime Day, Amazon.sg will launch the Amazon Prime Day Maze – a free public event that offers visitors a sneak peek at the incredible deals and new product launches ahead of Amazon Singapore’s week-long Prime Day. Happening on 5 and 6 July at Suntec City Atrium (Towers 3 & 4), the Maze features various interactive zones where visitors can complete missions inspired by the Amazon Prime membership, as well as the different aspects of the Amazon Prime Day experience, from shopping and streaming to digital safety and sustainability. The Amazon Prime Day Maze is free and open to the public. Visitors simply need to show the Amazon.sg app with a valid customer account to enter. For families, only one family member is required to present the app. Entry is walk-in and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visitors can also recharge at the Amazon Fresh Station, preview upcoming Prime Day offers in a dedicated display area, and enjoy hands-on fun at the LEGO Play Area designed for families and children. The Maze sessions will run hourly from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with each session lasting 45 minutes.

Amazon Prime Day Maze
Date: 5 to 6 July 2025
Time: 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM (last entry at 7:30 PM)
Venue: Suntec City Atrium (Tower 3 & 4)

Additional Prime Day Perks:

  • New to Amazon.sg?
    o First-time customers get 50% off their first order with a minimum spend of S$40. Use code PD50NEW. Valid from 8 to 14 July. T&Cs apply.
    o Prime repeat customers get S$15 off S$140. Use code PD15OFF. Valid from 8 to 14 July. T&Cs apply.
  • Amazon.sg Gift Cards: Amazon.sg Gift Cards offer an easy, simple, and convenient gifting experience, providing access to an extensive selection of products on Amazon.sg at Amazon.sg/giftcard. Purchase S$180 or more worth of Amazon.sg Gift Cards to receive additional S$15 credit from 24 June till 14 July. T&Cs apply.
  • Bank promos (Valid from 8 to 14 July. T&Cs apply):
    o HSBC cardholders can get S$12 off S$180 when they spend on Amazon.sg.
    o Citibank MasterCard cardholders can get S$15 off S$220 or more when they spend on Amazon.sg.

Maximize Your Prime Day Shopping

  • Join Prime: New customers can start a 30-day free trial and enjoy these benefits for S$4.99 a month or S$49.90 per year. Sign up at Amazon.sg/prime.
  • Enjoy convenient Delivery and Return options: Prime members can enjoy fast and free shipping on millions of eligible items across domestic selection, Amazon Fresh (min. S$60 spend) as well as Amazon International Store. Need to return an item from US, Japan or Germany? Easy – customers can now experience hassle-free and faster returns, including pick-up from your address or via a drop-off center. More information here.
  • Amazon Fresh: Free Scheduled Two-Hour Delivery (FST) for Prime members with a minimum spend of $60, available from now until the end of the year.

Shop for Good this Prime Day
This Prime Day, Amazon invites customers to make a meaningful impact while they shop through the Amazon x Shop for Good Wishlist. In addition to enjoying great deals, customers can support local non-profit organisations and their causes by purchasing items from their Amazon wishlists – items they need most. As Singapore marks its 60th year, this initiative aims to support local communities and encourage giving back.

Shop Prime Day Deals Around the World
Prime Day will kick off on July 8 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the U.S., and the UK. Prime members in Brazil, Egypt, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates can shop Prime Day deals later this summer.

Every Day Made Better with Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime was designed to make your life better every single day. Over 200 million paid members around the world enjoy the many benefits of Prime, including the best of shopping and entertainment. In Singapore, Prime membership offers a range of benefits including a discount of up to 10% on over a million eligible products on Amazon.sg, unlimited access to award-winning movies and TV episodes with Prime Video, unlimited access to video game benefits with Prime Gaming, Prime Day, and more. Prime was built on the foundation of unlimited fast, free shipping. Prime members enjoy access to free one-day delivery on eligible domestic items, free international delivery with no minimum spending on eligible items, free delivery on selected delivery windows for orders of S$60 and above on Amazon Fresh, free 2-hour scheduled delivery for orders of S$60 and above on Watsons and Little Farms on Amazon.sg, as well as early access to deals and exclusive deals. Prime is S$4.99 per month, and S$49.90 per year. Start a 30-day free trial of Prime at Amazon.sg/prime

Hashtag: #AmazonSingapore #PrimeDaySG

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

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, and Kindle are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit .

SOCIAL HANDLES:
Instagram:
Facebook:

Alibaba Cloud Celebrates 10 Years in Singapore with New Data Centers and AI Global Competency Center

  • New data centers in Malaysia and the Philippines to meet growing demand for AI and cloud services
  • New center in Singapore designed to support over 5,000 businesses and 100,000 developers to accelerate enterprise AI innovation and talent development globally
  • Driving AI innovation with product upgrades and global green AI research
  • Business showcases for Qwen, Alibaba’s large language model, across Asia and the Middle East

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2025 – Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today marked a decade of operations in Singapore and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of its international headquarters in the country. To commemorate this milestone, it unveiled new infrastructure investments, a new AI competency center, advanced cloud and AI technologies, and global research findings on green AI adoption at its Global Summit, underscoring its ongoing commitment to advancing AI innovation.

Held in Singapore, the Alibaba Cloud Global Summit gathered over 500 leaders from business, technology, and the public sector worldwide to explore the future of AI, cloud computing, and sustainable digital transformation. The event also reaffirmed Singapore’s position as a strategic hub and international headquarters for Alibaba Cloud’s long-term growth in Asia-Pacific and beyond.

Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, said,

“Over the past decade, Singapore has been both an innovation center and a gateway to the region’s digital economy. As we celebrate this important milestone, we reaffirm our commitment to empowering businesses of all sizes and verticals while advancing cutting-edge AI innovations and driving sustainable digital transformation in Singapore for years to come. Together with our partners and customers, we look forward to shaping Singapore’s future as a global leader in AI and cloud innovation.”

New Data Centers in Malaysia and the Philippines

To meet the growing demand for cloud and AI services across Southeast Asia, Alibaba Cloud announced the launch of its third data center in Malaysia on July 1, 2025. It also plans to open its second data center in the Philippines in October 2025.

Those expansions build on earlier infrastructure investments in Thailand, Mexico, and South Korea, announced in the first half of 2025. This growing network ensures that Alibaba Cloud can meet the rising global demand for secure, resilient and scalable cloud services, empowering businesses, developers, and organizations to innovate and scale with confidence as AI adoption accelerates across industries.

Launch of AI Global Competency Center to Power Enterprise Innovation

During the event, Alibaba Cloud launched its first AI Global Competency Center (AIGCC) in Singapore. The move aims to accelerate AI adoption by supporting enterprises of all sizes, from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to large-scale organizations, while also addressing the growing global demand for AI talent.

The center is designed to support over 5,000 businesses and 100,000 developers, offering access to advanced AI models and powerful computing resources to accelerate experimentation and deployment. Developers and businesses will benefit from the AI Innovation Lab, which offers token credits, curated datasets and personalized support tailored to real-world scenarios and industry needs.

As a collaborative innovation hub, the AIGCC aims to bring together more than 1,000 companies and startups to co-develop next-generation AI solutions, fostering an ecosystem of applied innovation. The center will also introduce over 10 AI agents across key industries – including finance, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, retail and energy – demonstrating AI’s potential across different verticals.

To build a robust AI talent pipeline, Alibaba Cloud will partner with more than 120 universities and institutions globally, with the goal of training 100,000 AI professionals annually.

New Cloud Products for Global AI Development

Alibaba Cloud announced new offerings to international customers by upgrading Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) products and introducing new AI tools. Alibaba Cloud Data Transmission Service (DTS), a real-time data streaming service, introduced a new “One Channel For AI” capability to streamline multimodal data preparation. This feature establishes an end-to-end pipeline that automatically converts both unstructured and structured data—including documents, images, tables, audio, and video—into vector databases, enabling developers to create real-time knowledge bases and create Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) applications with just few clicks. By automating the vectorization workflow, the upgraded DTS lowers technical barriers, enabling businesses to deploy LLM-powered applications faster and more efficiently.

Alibaba Cloud’s Platform for AI (PAI) has enhanced its high-performance AI inference capabilities to better support complex models like Mixture of Experts (MoE) and large-scale deployments with two key improvements in its PAI-Elastic Algorithm Service (EAS). For MoE architectures, PAI-EAS now features Expert Parallel (EP), an advanced optimization that works with a prefill-decode disaggregation framework to boost efficiency. This combination significantly increases inference efficiency, enabling higher throughput for LLMs while optimizing resource utilization. For example, the EP distributed deployment for Qwen3 235B achieves a TPS (Tokens Per Second) performance exceeding 15k, while maintaining an average per-token latency of under 50 milliseconds.

PAI-EAS also tackles slow cold starts and inefficient scaling with its new Model Weights Service, which dramatically reduces loading times. This makes it possible to spin up instances in seconds, rather than minutes. Tests with Qwen3-8B show 89.8% faster cold starts and 97.6% quicker scaling, while Qwen3-32B achieves 91.4% faster cold starts and near-instant scaling.

In response to customer demand, the company also revealed that its 9th Generation intel-based Enterprise Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance will be available across additional global markets from July, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, Germany and the UK. Since its launch in April, nearly 10,000 businesses have adopted the upgraded instance, leveraging its industry-leading performance. This latest generation delivers 20% greater computing efficiency compared to previous iterations. By integrating elastic Remote Direct Memory Access (eRDMA) technology for ultra-fast networking, it achieves up to 50% performance gains in high-performance computing (HPC), search recommendations, and Redis database workloads.

Alibaba Cloud’s sustainability platform, Energy Expert, introduced a cutting-edge AI-driven ESG Reporting solution, empowering organizations to navigate the complexities of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures with precision and ease. Powered by Alibaba’s proprietary AI model Qwen, the innovative solution streamlines report generation through AI-powered tools – such as guided structuring, automated content creation and actionable insights – while enabling seamless collaboration via real-time task management and progress tracking.

Designed to align with global standards— including the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)—the platform ensures compliance, reduces operational costs, and strengthens audit readiness through traceable data lineage and centralized record-keeping.

New Global Study Reveals Growing Awareness of Green AI and Adoption Challenges

Also unveiled at the Global Summit were findings from a global study on the development and adoption of artificial intelligence systems that minimize energy consumption and environmental impact, known as green AI. The study was conducted by Forrester Consulting and commissioned by Alibaba in collaboration with Alibaba-NTU Global e-Sustainability CorpLab (ANGEL). Surveying over 464 business and IT leaders worldwide, including Singapore, the study reveals the growing recognition of the importance of green AI, but also highlights a significant gap between vision and execution.

The study found that while 84% of leaders who have implemented an AI sustainability vision consider green AI to be important, 69% of organizations globally are still at the beginner stage of AI adoption. Many cited persistent technical challenges as key barriers to progress – among them, the lack of sustainably sourced materials for AI hardware (80%) and the difficulty of optimizing data center energy usage (73%).

Beyond the technical hurdles, the survey also revealed widespread capability gaps. A significant number of decision-makers indicated they lacked the knowledge to define a clear green AI strategy (74%), as well as the skills needed to implement and operate it (76%).

Considering those challenges, the study recommends several key strategies to drive wider adoption of Green AI, including powering data centers with renewable energy, deploying edge computing with optimized smaller models to reduce data center loads, and developing applications with code that requires less computational power. It also highlights the importance of increased collaboration between public and private sectors on regulation and standards and leveraging open-source models to minimize pre-training and energy consumption.

International Customers Leveraging Cloud and Qwen for AI Innovation

To help drive digital transformation and accelerate AI innovation initiatives, an increasing number of international customers have selected Alibaba Cloud as its digital solutions provider for its trusted cloud computing capabilities and advanced AI technologies.

After successfully migrating GoTo Financial’s infrastructure to Alibaba Cloud, GoTo Group, the largest digital ecosystem in Indonesia, has now migrated its core business intelligence data platform to Alibaba Cloud’s MaxCompute to boost operational agility and drive cost efficiency. With MaxCompute’s fully managed architecture and automation, Alibaba Cloud delivered a seamless, six-month migration with tens of petabytes of data across GoTo’s complex system, achieving zero downtime and uninterrupted business continuity for GoTo Group throughout the process.

William Xiong, Group Chief Technology Officer of GoTo Group, said during the summit, “The migration to Alibaba Cloud’s MaxCompute has enhanced the scalability and resilience of our data platform. By delivering cost efficiency, performance parity, and operational continuity, this collaboration strengthens the technical foundation for GoTo’s ecosystem. This partnership positions us to drive innovation and deliver transformative solutions for millions of users across the ecosystem, while staying aligned with Indonesia’s data sovereignty goals.”

To enhance data management efficiency, GoTo Financial has migrated its lending workload to Alibaba Cloud’s database solutions. By leveraging cloud-native database PolarDB and in-memory database Tair, GoTo Financial’s lending systems now deliver high performance and ultra-low latency, seamlessly supporting over 500 microservices.

Many customers have also leveraged Alibaba Cloud’s flagship large language model, Qwen, to deliver innovative solutions, thanks to its robust multilingual capabilities. Qwen 3, the latest iteration of the Qwen family, supports 119 languages and has demonstrated exceptional performance in multilingual mathematical reasoning and translation, particularly in Asian languages, according to public datasets.

VisionTech, a generative AI company focused on boosting sales, enhancing customer experiences, and addressing manpower challenges in Singapore, tapped into Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure and AI technologies to fuel its business growth across Southeast Asia. With Alibaba Cloud’s services, including Elastic Compute Service (ECS) and a strong regional presence, VisionTech reduced infrastructure costs by over 25%, improved support turnaround times, and accelerated AI deployment for enterprises and SMEs. VisionTech is also incorporating Qwen, Alibaba’s flagship large language model, as one of its core large language models (LLMs) to power its solutions, enhancing its AI bots’ ability to seamlessly manage multilingual interactions.

“Our partnership with Alibaba Cloud allows us to deliver smarter, scalable, and enterprise-ready AI solutions while maintaining operational efficiency and customer satisfaction,” said Lim Hui Jie, CEO of VisionTech. “Qwen’s strong performance in handling multilingual conversational inputs and real-time translation gives us a distinct edge over other LLMs, enabling us to fast-track deployments and improve user engagement— whether it’s English, Chinese, Malay, or Japanese. By dynamically switching languages in real-time, our AI bots create a seamless experience that resonates with users in various markets, ensuring that our solutions feel native and culturally aligned.”

FLUX, a leading Japanese technology solution provider, partnered with Alibaba Cloud to accelerate AI adoption in Japan. Through this collaboration, FLUX will introduce Qwen—Alibaba’s family of large language models (LLMs)—in various sizes to Japanese enterprises, enabling GenAI integration into their critical workflows. Additionally, FLUX will leverage Qwen to develop FLUX LLM solution, a customized AI solution designed to help Japanese businesses of all sizes optimize operations and enhance service capabilities.

Alibaba Cloud and Al-Futtaim, a Dubai-based, 90-year-old, privately held and diversified business group – recognized as one of the region’s most progressive enterprises operating across 18 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia – have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate Al-Futtaim’s digital transformation and global innovation agenda.

Under the agreement, Al-Futtaim will access Alibaba Cloud’s advanced AI capabilities, including proprietary foundation models and open-source frameworks to drive AI-powered innovation across its business units. The collaboration will also enable Al-Futtaim to leverage Alibaba’s global cloud infrastructure, broad digital ecosystem, and industry expertise to support its expansion into key international markets and scale transformative outcomes across sectors.

Hashtag: #AlibabaCloud

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

About Alibaba Cloud

Established in 2009, Alibaba Cloud () is the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group. It offers a complete suite of cloud services to customers worldwide, including elastic computing, database, storage, network virtualization services, large-scale computing, security, big data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) services. Alibaba has been named the leading IaaS provider in Asia Pacific by revenue in U.S. dollars since 2018, according to Gartner. It has also maintained its position as one of the world’s leading public cloud IaaS service providers since 2018, according to IDC.

About the Green AI Survey

Commissioned By Alibaba and developed in collaboration with Alibaba-NTU Global e-Sustainability CorpLab (ANGEL), Forrester conducted an online survey of 464 business and IT decision-makers from high-tech companies and the public sector with responsibility over their organization’s green AI strategy to evaluate the market’s current knowledge and adoption of green AI. It collected feedback in April 2025 on green AI adoption, challenges and future plans from C-level executives, vice presidents, directors, and managers (or the equivalent of).

Respondents were located across 11 markets in Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea), Europe (France, Germany, and United Kingdom), Latin America (Mexico and Brazil), and North America (The United States).

Linyi Trade City ready to expand reach across world

LINYI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2025 – From small roadside stalls to China’s largest professional market cluster, Linyi Trade City in Shandong province, has achieved leapfrog growth during the past four decades and is poised to extend its reach across the globe.

Currently, there are 136 professional wholesale markets and 63,700 shops in the trade center, as well as more than 6 million kinds of products from 27 categories. Its trading value reached 660.48 billion yuan ($91.94 billion) in 2024 and the logistics volume amounted to nearly 1.01 trillion yuan.

To accelerate the trade center’s transformation and upgrading, Linyi city authorities have introduced a package of policies and incentives, encouraging local enterprises to grow their foreign trade business and establish a presence in international markets.

The trade city has also built 59 overseas malls and warehouses so far, as well as 45 international procurement service centers and offices, as part of its efforts to raise visibility globally and develop its international trade network.

Launched in 2023 in Yongin, the Lanhua (South Korea) Overseas Mall displays a wide range of domestic products such as household goods, pet supplies, outdoor and camping equipment, and hardware tools.

While expanding abroad, the trade city has been committed to attracting global buyers and investors. During the first four months of 2025, it received 13,233 overseas business visitors, generating intent transactions of 906 million yuan.

Strong logistics infrastructure is essential to foreign trade and urban growth.

Linyi has built a multidimensional international logistics system integrating road, rail, air, and sea freight, linking itself with nine regions such as Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Currently, the city is home to 51 international road freight companies and operates nine direct international routes to 10 countries.

“Although Linyi is an inland city, we have established a maritime container depot in collaboration with Qingdao Port and Rizhao Port. Through resource integration and procedure optimization, we have helped enterprises cut logistics costs by 30 percent,” said Hua Qianli, manager of Linyi Port.

Last year, the port handled 198,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo, valued at 19.2 billion yuan.

Meanwhile, the city recorded 452 China-Europe Railway freight train trips to 40 cities in 12 countries, along with 480 direct flights to Seoul, transporting 2,067 metric tons of air cargo.

Hashtag: #Linyi

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