The Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) Lao marked International Women’s Day 2026 with a panel and networking event bringing together Australian-educated Lao women entrepreneurs and alumni driving business growth. (Photo supplies)
The Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) Lao marked International Women’s Day 2026 with a panel and networking event in Vientiane, bringing together Australian-educated Lao entrepreneurs and business leaders with thirty representatives from AustCham member companies under the theme “Invest in Her. Invest in Laos.”
AustCham Lao, the oldest foreign chamber in Laos, drew over 65 people to the 12 March event, a gathering supported by the Australian Embassy in Laos. “Today is a tangible demonstration of Australia’s long-term investment in human resource development in the country – a showcase of a high-yield investment,” said Sam Pike, AustCham Executive Director, in her opening remarks.
The panel featured prominent Alumni entrepreneurs, Anna Viravong of Wine Haus and Daily Ritual Co., Than Chaleunsouk of Yoosay, Gift Panyathip of Panyathip British International School and St Hugh’s College, and Touk Xaixana of New Link Lao and Maicome. Filmmaker Anysay Keola of Lao New Wave Cinema joined as a male ally, underscoring that gender inclusion is a shared responsibility.
That spirit of shared responsibility carried through the discussion.
Drawing on the 2026 global IWD theme “When We Give, We Gain,” panellists discussed how their Australian education translated into business leadership and success back home, and how they actively work to support, engage and celebrate other women in their sectors.
The Alumni and AustCham member influence extended beyond the stage.August Living Haus and Once Upon a Time Café catered the morning tea, Costa Berry Laos flew in fresh blueberries from its Paksong farm, and alumni-owned businesses including Khao Lao, Annabelle Cafe, Revlon, Wine Haus and Made with Love by Kino donated prizes for the lucky draw.
The event responded directly to Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040’s call for stronger alumni-business connections, with new partnerships forming across the room which will hopefully lead to an ongoing exchange of ideas, connections and mutual gains.
Now TV x MOViE MOViE present “Countdown to the Awards” with special offers
HONG KONG, March 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Four films nominated for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards — Sentimental Value, The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident, and Sirāt — will soon be available on Now TV.
Four Oscar International Feature Film contenders on Now TV
Among them, Norwegian favourite Sentimental Value not only competes for Best International Feature Film but has also received nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor, making it one of the frontrunners of the year. Meanwhile, The Secret Agent from Brazil, which recently won Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes, continues to draw strong awards buzz. Rounding out the category are French breakout It Was Just an Accident and Spain’s drama Sirāt, ensuring an exceptionally competitive Oscar race.
“Countdown to the Awards” by MOViE MOViE
As anticipation builds for the 98th Academy Awards, Now TV invites movie lovers to share in the excitement of this global cinematic celebration. MOViE MOViE will present the special “Countdown to the Awards” campaign in collaboration with Broadway Circuit, giving audiences a chance to catch some of this year’s most talked about titles before their official Hong Kong release. Now TV and MOViE MOViE will roll out promotional offers to bring audiences the best of world cinema, both in theatres and at home.
Offer 1
Offer 2
For purchase of “Countdown to the Awards” movie tickets**, (i) Now TV customers can enjoy 15% off**; (ii) Now TV customers with MOViE MOViE channel subscription can enjoy 20% off**.
Every purchase of a “Countdown to the Awards” movie ticket includes a complimentary one‑month trial of Now TV’s “Western Signature Pack with HBO Max (Standard)” (without Set-Top Box)^ (valued at HK$118 per month).
________
**Discount applies to in-theatre ticket purchases only. Offers are subject to the relevant terms and conditions. ^This offer is provided on a first-come-first-served basis. Limited quantity while stocks last. Offers and Now TV services are subject to the relevant terms and conditions.
About HKT HKT is a technology, media, and telecommunications leader with more than 150 years of history in Hong Kong. As the city’s true 5G provider, HKT connects businesses and people locally and globally. Our end-to-end enterprise solutions make us a market-leading digital transformation partner of choice for businesses, whereas our comprehensive connectivity and smart living offerings enrich people’s lives and cater for their diverse needs for work, entertainment, education, well-being, and even a sustainable low-carbon lifestyle. Together with our digital ventures which support digital economy development and help connect Hong Kong to the world as an international financial centre, HKT endeavours to contribute to smart city development and help our community tech forward.
Release schedule for the 98th Academy Awards nominated titles
Film title
Platform
Nominations
Release date
Sentimental Value
Now Video Express and MOViE MOViE On Demand
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress (2 nominations), Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature, Best Editing (9 nominations in total)
19 March 2026 on Now Video Express; 26 April 2026 on MOViE MOViE On Demand
The Secret Agent
MOViE MOViE On Demand
Best Picture, Best Actor, Best International Feature, Achievement in Casting (4 nominations in total)
Coming soon
It Was Just an Accident
Now True
Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature (2 nominations in total)
30 March 2026
Sirāt
MOViE MOViE On Demand
Best International Feature, Best Sound (2 nominations in total)
Coming soon
Sinners
HBO Max
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Achievement in Casting, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Visual Effects (16 nominations in total)
Available Now
One Battle after Another
HBO Max app
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor (2 nominations), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Achievement in Casting, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Editing (13 nominations in total)
Available Now
Frankenstein
Netflix
Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design (9 nominations in total)
Available Now
Bugonia
Now Video Express
Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score (4 nominations in total)
Available Now
Blue Moon
Now Video Express
Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay (2 nominations in total)
Available Now
KPop Demon Hunters
Netflix
Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song (2 nominations in total)
Available Now
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Now True
Best Actress (1 nomination)
Available Now
Song Sung Blue
Now Video Express
Best Actress (1 nomination)
17 March 2026
Weapons
HBO Max
Best Supporting Actress (1 nomination)
Available Now
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Now True
Best Documentary Feature (1 nomination)
Available Now
The Alabama Solutions
HBO Max
Best Documentary Feature (1 nomination)
Available Now
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Young Women Leaders Mentoring Program (Photo: British Embassy Vientiane)
Fifteen young Lao women from across the country have been selected for the second year of the Young Women’s Leadership Mentoring Program, supported by the British Embassy Vientiane, which officially launched on 10 March at an International Women’s Day reception.
The cohort reflects a deliberate effort to reach beyond the capital. At least a third of participants are based outside Vientiane, with candidates drawn from the north to the south of the country. They work across the private sector, scientific research, community engagement, international organizations and government.
Each participant receives personalized mentoring tailored to her own goals, alongside networking opportunities with senior professionals from across the region. Mentors come from 13 nationalities and include ambassadors and leaders from organizations such as the Mekong River Commission, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations.
UK Ambassador Mel Barlow said the embassy was proud to lead the initiative. “We are inspired by the talent and potential we’ve seen again in this year’s applicants. We are indebted to our volunteer mentors who are giving their time to support the aspirations and career development of our 15 mentees.”
For participants, the impact is already tangible. Thidachanh Khammanichanh, who joined the 2025 program, said being mentored by the Thai Ambassador had changed her outlook. “It is truly motivating me to pursue my unfulfilled dream and always give back to society when we can.”
The program supports Laos’ national goal of increasing women’s participation in leadership, working to ensure women’s voices are represented at every level of society.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of The Laotian Times Public Diplomacy section and was contributed by the British Embassy in Laos. Views and information presented are those of the contributing organization.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 March 2026 – ECOVACS Robotics, a global leader in home service robotics, is bringing its global “ECOVACS, Created for Ease” brand idea to the APAC region with a local twist: “Always in Your Corner”. With this, ECOVACS is underscoring its commitment to understanding and meeting the unique needs of users in the APAC region.
“ECOVACS, Created for Ease” reflects the brand’s ongoing commitment to leverage service robotics to create a world of ease for users by relieving them of household tasks. For users in the APAC region, ECOVACS knows that “ease” is not simply about doing less. It means easing the mind and letting go of mental burdens. To bring ease to APAC users, technology must not demand attention. It should be “Always in Your Corner” – quietly helping users to keep their daily life on track.
“Always in Your Corner” for APAC’s Unsung Heroes
“Always in Your Corner” represents how ECOVACS’ diversified full-scenario home service robotics ecosystem is designed to help ease the burdens faced by users in the APAC region and empower them to enjoy a more effortless modern lifestyle. For example, many in the APAC region are part of the so-called “sandwich generation”. They are the quiet backbones of their households, juggling career demands while also taking care of children and aging parents. Whether it’s helping a child with their homework or taking dad to his doctor’s appointment, these everyday heroes are always in someone else’s corner. ECOVACS believes they also deserve to have someone in their corner, to help ease their burdens.
For the past 20 years, ECOVACS has been driven by a fearless spirit of innovation to solve complex challenges and continuously advance the user experience. The pioneering intelligent technologies in the ECOVACS DEEBOT robotic vacuums and WINBOT robotic window cleaners, such as the OMNI Station, OZMO ROLLER technology, and PowerBoost technology have set new industry benchmarks and become the hidden heroes for every home, designed to help users clean every corner of their home with minimal effort.
Enabling Village Partnership in Singapore
Now ECOVACS is bringing this same innovation spirit to help ease the burdens faced by caregivers in the APAC region. As part of its brand campaign, ECOVACS is planning to cooperate with select like-minded local partners across the region, such as Enabling Village in Singapore. Enabling Village is an integrated community space that aims to empower caregivers for people with disabilities by providing them with resources to manage their responsibilities and enhance their quality of life. ECOVACS will provide Enabling Village caregivers with DEEBOT robotic vacuum cleaners to help ease their burdens and enable them to spend more time on themselves.
“Caring for a child with special needs requires lots of time and patience. And it can be challenging to find moments when I can focus on myself,” says Yvette Wang. “I’m grateful to ECOVACS and their efforts to assist caregivers. With their DEEBOT robotic vacuum I now have one less thing to manage, as I can leave DEEBOT to take care of our floors, and itself.”
To commemorate their partnership, ECOVACS and Enabling Village have invited Yvette’s son, artist @Eli_lailai, to specially design some exclusive merchandise. This collaboration was made possible through I’mable Collective, an initiative by SG Enable that supports and empowers persons with disabilities by providing training and employment opportunities within the creative sector.
An Ecosystem that Empowers Ease
ECOVACS’ efforts to continually strengthen its leadership in service robotics are rooted in its deep understanding of users’ needs. Its regionally tailored brand idea “Created for Ease – Always in Your Corner” reflects the brand’s desire to tailor its mission of ‘Robotics for All’ to shape a better future for users in the APAC region with robots that can seamlessly serve every home, everywhere.
The industry-leading cleaning technologies pioneered by ECOVACS demonstrate its dedication to reducing human effort while maximizing cleaning precision and efficiency, all with the aim of offering dependable cleaning experiences tailored to the needs of today’s households. ECOVACS’ service robots offer users more ease by bringing efficient, effortless cleaning to every corner of their household.
“Always in Your Corner” reflects how ECOVACS’ home service robotics ecosystem is designed for users in the APAC region – to support their full-home scenarios, from floors to windows. The ECOVACS DEEBOT robotic vacuums and WINBOT robotic window cleaners are built to handle what must be done — quietly, consistently, and intelligently. They don’t just clean, they leave users with less to manage.
Amplifying a Message of Care
ECOVACS will extend the impact of this brand campaign across multiple touchpoints in key APAC markets, including Singapore, Australia, Vietnam, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Through localized partnerships, integrated brand storytelling, and community engagement, ECOVACS aims to honor caregivers as well as those across the region who are seeking a less stressful and more balanced life.
Intelligent. Innovative. Intuitive.
From its DEEBOT family of robotic vacuum cleaners to its WINBOT family of robotic window cleaners, all of ECOVACS’ innovations are backed by its well-established vertically integrated supply chain and independently developed technologies spanning batteries, AI, motors, transmission components and more.
Today, ECOVACS serves over 38 million households across nearly 180 markets worldwide. Its mission — “Robotics for All” — reflects a long-term commitment to making intelligent service robotics accessible, reliable, and seamlessly integrated into everyday life.
“Created for Ease” is not only about cleaning better. It’s about living lighter and reducing what needs your attention – so that you can focus on what truly matters. And in doing so, ECOVACS is always in your corner.
Hashtag: #ECOVACS
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About ECOVACS ROBOTICS
Founded in 2006, ECOVACS ROBOTICS is a global leader in home service robotics with a diverse portfolio of products encompassing robotic vacuum cleaners and robotic window cleaners. With its expansion into robotic lawn mowers, commercial cleaning robots and robotic pool cleaners, ECOVACS solidified its position as a multi-category leader in home service robotics.
Guided by the mission “Robotics for All”, ECOVACS continues to advance technology and enhance the user experience to make life smarter and more stylish for consumers worldwide. With sales subsidiaries in Germany, the United States, Japan, and Singapore, ECOVACS products reach nearly 180 major markets and serve over 38 million households globally.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 March 2026 – Grab, a leading super app in Southeast Asia, today announced a US$3.2 million commitment for 2026 from the GrabForGood Fund, an endowment dedicated to supporting its partners and the community-at-large. This latest allocation will fund programmes across Southeast Asia to support the Fund’s three core pillars: Education, Community Care, and Disaster Relief.
Đặng Phương Ngân, one of Vietnam’s first GrabScholar recipients in 2025
The 2026 roadmap includes the flagship GrabScholar programme, which provides bursaries for underprivileged school-going children and full-ride merit scholarships for students with demonstrated financial need and strong academic potential, as well as health and meal nutrition programmes for schools.
The GrabForGood Fund was established by Grab to ensure the company’s success is directly shared with the communities it serves. This commitment was anchored by a personal contribution of over US$16 million from Grab’s Group CEO and Co-Founder, Anthony Tan, as a marker of leadership accountability to the Fund’s long-term mission, as well as additional contributions from other individual and organisational donors.
“We started the GrabForGood Fund to provide a foundation for people across Southeast Asia to build the future they want for themselves. I’ve seen first-hand the incredible resilience of our partners and our communities, yet there can be systemic barriers that are hard to overcome alone. In 2026, we aim for these programmes to be the stepping stones to better opportunities – whether by ensuring a child has a nutritious meal to focus in class, or providing a student with a full scholarship to reach university and create new possibilities for their family’s future,” said Anthony Tan, Group CEO and Co-Founder of Grab.
2025 Programme Highlights
The 2026 commitment builds on a year of significant momentum. In 2025, the GrabForGood Fund disbursed more than US$2 million, directly supporting over 3,600 students in the GrabScholar programme across Southeast Asia with bursaries and full-ride merit scholarships. The Fund also backed a suite of community initiatives to support caregiving networks, address school nutrition to improve educational outcomes, and foster learning and innovation development across Southeast Asia.
Since its inception in 2022, the GrabScholar programme has supported 8,238 students across Southeast Asia, including driver- and merchant-partners and their immediate family members, as well as members of the public. In 2025 alone, 3,486 school-going children received GrabScholar bursaries, and 117 university students were awarded full-ride merit scholarships. The programme expanded to Thailand and Vietnam last year, and is also available in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Đặng Phương Ngân is one of Vietnam’s first GrabScholar recipients in 2025, and she is pursuing Finance at the University of Economics HCMC. Her father is a Grab driver-partner and her mother is a factory cleaner. Ngân said, “Becoming a GrabScholar feels like coming full circle. My father driving with Grab opened the first door for our family. Grab now supports my education, and I hope to use it not only to build a career in finance, but to create a foundation that allows me to give back to others who are still waiting for their chance.”
In the Philippines, Rise Against Hunger Philippines launched the Dietary Supplementation Programme, with support from the GrabForGood Fund. This initiative will provide daily rice-soy meals to over 2,600 children to improve their nutrition and create a healthy learning environment.
Additional Community Initiatives
Beyond the GrabForGood Fund, Grab runs several long-standing community programmes as part of its triple bottom line commitment to deliver financial performance, while driving social impact and environmental sustainability.
In Singapore, Grab offers the Emerald Circle Scholarships, a bond-free award for children of eligible driver- and delivery-partners to study at local universities, alongside various student bursaries.
To support partner earnings and resilience, GrabAcademy provides continuous training and skills development to help driver-partners improve their earning potential. In 2025, more than 1.5 million driver-partners completed at least one GrabAcademy course. In addition, Grab runs programmes such as the Grab Women Drivers’ Programme and GrabAccess for persons with disabilities to reduce barriers to earning opportunities for the underrepresented on the platform.
There were also 17 environmental projects supported in 2025 to support local conservation, and empower consumers to make sustainable choices. This is facilitated by Grab’s in-app Green Programme feature that channels consumer contributions towards independently verified environmental projects across Southeast Asia, supporting climate action, nature conservation, and community resilience.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Grab
Grab is a leading superapp in Southeast Asia, operating across the deliveries, mobility and digital financial services sectors. Serving over 900 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – Grab enables millions of people everyday to order food or groceries, send packages, hail a ride or taxi, pay for online purchases or access services such as lending and insurance, all through a single app. We operate supermarkets in Malaysia under Jaya Grocer and Everrise, which enables us to bring the convenience of on-demand grocery delivery to more consumers in the country. As part of our financial services offerings, we also provide digital banking services through GXS Bank in Singapore and GXBank in Malaysia. Grab was founded in 2012 with the mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone. Grab strives to serve a triple bottom line – we aim to simultaneously deliver financial performance for our shareholders and have a positive social impact, which includes economic empowerment for millions of people in the region, while mitigating our environmental footprint.
SHANGHAI, March 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — INNIX, Dreame Technology’s premium home entertainment brand, showcased its latest high-end TV and home cinema lineup at Appliance & Electronics World Expo 2026 (AWE 2026) on March 12. Featuring five breakthrough display and audio innovations powered by Dreame’s triple AI, the lineup targets immersive viewing across living rooms, private theaters, and premium AV spaces.
The INNIX Aura Mini LED R8000 series debuts a global-first Dynamic Sound Engine that links acoustic and mechanical structures, letting the soundstage evolve as the TV changes form. R8000F features an extendable, rotating speaker-integrated design with an Active Follow System and mmWave sensing to keep audio aligned with viewer position. R8000G is conceived as a “kinetic facade”: a front-mounted acoustic module glides to reframe the display like a stage proscenium, masking non-active areas for different formats and creating a refined, gallery-like presence. For picture performance, R8000 features a low-reflection Black Crystal True-Color panel with 1.28% reflectance, ΔE < 1 color accuracy, and DCI-P3 ≥ 98%.
2) INNIX RGB Mini LED: three-primary backlight
RGB Mini LED uses red, green, and blue LEDs for coordinated light-and-color control. W6000 Pro achieves 100% BT.2020, 9,360 color-control zones, 108-bit precision, and ΔE < 0.7. Z8000 delivers up to 10,000 nits peak brightness and 170Hz native refresh.
3) Red-light Quantum Dot
Red-light quantum dot introduces 650nm red light to expand color while reducing high-energy blue light for more comfortable long viewing. Aura Mini LED S3000 balances vivid images with lower eye strain.
4) 136-inch TFT Glass Substrate Micro LED Wall: X9000
The 136-inch INNIX X9000 uses self-emissive Micro LED for pixel-level control, high contrast, and long life. Modular design supports transport and in-home assembly, while a TFT glass substrate improves flatness and thermal stability.
5) China-first, scalable 3LCoS home cinema projection: INNIX D2
INNIX D2 uses a 3LCoS optical engine designed for scalable manufacturing. With RGB laser illumination, it delivers up to 3,400 CVIA lumens, 100,000:1 contrast, and 110% BT.2020, plus 1.6× lossless optical zoom. AI features include obstacle avoidance, auto keystone, and dynamic focus. Liquid-cooling helps keep brightness stable during extended viewing.
Triple AI across the lineup
INNIX integrates Dreamind AI image-processing chips, LLM-powered AI agents (DeepSeek-enabled), and DreameHome AIoT connectivity to unify picture, sound, and smart-home experiences. Beyond TVs and projectors, the ecosystem also spans OLED monitors, portable lifestyle displays with Dreame’s Paper-Like Screen technology, and soundbars featuring proprietary acoustic-material engineering.
(From Left to right: Ms. Helena Chiu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Exporters Association; Ir. Andrew Young Honorary Advisor, The Hong Kong Exporters’ Association; and Ms. Alice Lai, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Exporters Association and Project Convenor, Hong Kong Innovation & Invention)
Hosted by HKEA and sponsored by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, HKII is committed to providing free international exchange opportunities for Hong Kong’s innovation and technology community. The initiative brings Hong Kong’s unique technological inventions onto world‑class exhibition platforms, connecting GBA innovators with global enterprises and users, and showcasing Hong Kong’s innovation story to the world.
Exhibited inventions have undergone rigorous evaluation by a distinguished panel of industry professionals. The shortlisting process will be conducted based on novelty, level of innovation and invention, technical utility, and symbolic significance. All exhibits are original inventions and launched in the market with patent protection or are under patent filing.
“‘Created in Hong Kong’ has long been recognised worldwide, yet the global visibility of our SMEs and start‑ups still has room to grow,” said Helena Chiu, Chairman of HKEA. “Through HKII, we enable Hong Kong’s innovation and technology brands to participate in top‑tier international exhibitions at no cost and connect directly with the global business community. This year, we are also bringing leading innovators from the Greater Bay Area to join Hong Kong enterprises as we venture overseas together and capture new opportunities around the world.”
MEET International, a multi-functional engineering inspection company, exhibits at IEIG for the first time. “With a supply chain anchored in the Greater Bay Area and more than 30 years of global market experience, we have been committed to strengthening ties with overseas clients and building a world‑recognised brand,” said K.S. Chou, Director of MEET International. “IEIG offers valuable access to engineers from European construction firms and research organisations, enabling us to present our product capabilities directly and substantially enhance our opportunities for international orders.”
“Intellectual property built on core technologies is essential for Hong Kong enterprises to upgrade their businesses,” said Marco Li, Managing Director of Propagate Intellectual Property, an invention commercialisation platform. “We are committed to nurturing academic innovations into patented technologies, developing products tailored for different scenarios for global customers. By exhibiting with other Greater Bay Area enterprises at Generva, our intellectual properties could become more attractive to European buyers. On top of greater revenue to companies and inventors, it also strengthens the branding of ‘Created in Hong Kong’ among the global, high‑end, industrial value chain.”
48 innovations and inventions are being showcased at the exhibition through HKII for free. The inventions span a wide spectrum of categories, including:
Smart City,
Smart Home & Lifestyle,
Health Technologies and Medicine, and
Smart Industry,
alongside a dedicated Youth Category for inventors aged 18 or below. The showcased innovation and technology products from the Greater Bay Area include:
Smart City: MEET International, a multi-functional engineering inspection company, developed a “7‑in‑1 Building Leakage Tracing Device,” breaking through the technical limitations of traditional single‑function inspection tools and redefining the standards for leakage detection. By continuously capturing and comparing highly precise data readings, the device pinpoints the source of leakage, ensuring that concealed problem areas are accurately exposed.
The device features synchronized “AC leakage” and “water leakage” dual detection, enabling early identification of hidden risks and precise localisation of the source to mitigate both seepage and electrical hazards. It also incorporates an innovative all‑scenario adaptability design, allowing it to operate effectively across different building materials and leakage environments. Applications include building maintenance, renovation inspection, and property management.
Smart Home & Lifestyle: Researchers at Sun Yat‑sen University developed a patented “Composite Heating Material” that integrates advanced graphene and nano-carbon tube composite heating films, replacing traditional heating tubes. The invention delivers precise, rapid and efficient heating with uniform heat distribution, while reducing energy loss.
Propagate Intellectual Property has commercialised the invention into more than 40 intellectual property assets, applying it to products such as electric teppanyaki, food‑warming mats and beauty eye masks, as well as in building and industrial settings, providing an efficient and flexible heating solution across diverse applications.
Health Technologies and Medicine: Health‑tech start‑up Kin Technology launched Kindo & App, a homecare solution redefining homecare and wellness. Integrating automation, IoT connectivity, and advanced AI, Kindo & App can automatically sort and dispense up to 10 types of medication with a single click. Equipped with smart reminders, a child‑safety lock, and built‑in humidity and temperature sensors, the solution ensures medication safety, accuracy, and convenience.
Paired with the Kin App and Web Platform, users can track their dosage history, set reminders, and receive low-medication alerts. The platform also supports remote dispensing, enabling caregivers to manage prescriptions and dispense medications from anywhere. Families and caregivers gain real-time access to adherence data and remote management tools, while healthcare providers can monitor patients, manage prescriptions, and access analytics to enhance outcomes.
Smart Industry: URS AI developed URS AI MATE, a holographic interactive AI agent. Integrating holographic projection technology, proprietary LLM, and multimodal interaction algorithms, URS AI MATE has successfully built a full closed‑loop of perception, cognition, decision‑making, and execution that enables continuous self‑evolution. This strengthens its ability to adapt in different scenarios and understand users, creating an AI agent uniquely tailored to each individual.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About “Hong Kong Innovation & Invention” (HKII)
Launched in 2023, “Hong Kong Innovation & Invention” (HKII), organized by the Hong Kong Exporters’ Association (HKEA) and sponsored by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is an initiative dedicated to showcasing and promoting Hong Kong’s immense potential in innovation and technology (I&T) to a global audience. The Project aims to facilitate collaboration within the industry and cultivate a vibrant I&T culture among the general public.
Founded in May 1955, the Hong Kong Exporters’ Association (HKEA) is a non-profit-making trade association registered under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance. The Association’s mission is to develop Hong Kong as a trading hub for exporters, dedicating its efforts to serve and add value for the exporter community.
This press release is distributed by Mitopia Limited on behalf of the Hong Kong Exporters’ Association.
*Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material/event (or by members of the project team) do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Innovation and Technology Commission or the Vetting Committee of the General Support Programme of the Innovation and Technology Fund.
Secures KRW 18 Billion Project for Next-Generation AI NPU, Solidifying Leadership in High-Performance ASIC Market
Underscores AI Semiconductor Design Competitiveness with Consecutive 4nm AI Chip Contracts
SEOUL, South Korea, March 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SEMIFIVE, a leading global provider of custom AI semiconductor (ASIC) solutions, announced today that it has signed a turnkey design contract worth KRW 18 billion (approximately USD 12.5 million) with an AI semiconductor fabless company. This contract marks a follow-on project with the customer and covers the development of a high-performance AI NPU based on Samsung Foundry’s advanced 4nm (SF4X) process technology. The project will further strengthen SEMIFIVE’s leadership in the rapidly growing AI semiconductor market and expand the company’s portfolio of high-performance AI chip design projects.
SEMIFIVE continues to strengthen its position in the AI semiconductor market with a strong track record in NPU design and mass production. This achievement follows a series of major projects, including ▲XCENA, a CXL-based 4nm (SF4X) project, and ▲HyperAccel, an LPU-based 4nm (SF4X) project optimized for Large Language Model (LLM) inference. These consecutive wins further validate SEMIFIVE’s technical maturity and execution capabilities in the high-performance AI semiconductor sector.
The newly secured project aims to commercialize a next-generation AI NPU optimized for on-premise environments, where AI computations are performed locally without reliance on external networks. Designed for real-time processing of massive data, such as high-resolution Vision AI and LLM inference, the chip will feature advanced memory interfaces to structurally eliminate data bottlenecks. By maximizing Power, Performance, Area (PPA) efficiency, SEMIFIVE expects to deliver an unparalleled AI accelerator that combines high performance with low power consumption.
SEMIFIVE’s competitive edge lies in its proprietary SoC design automation system and end-to-end engineering solutions that drastically improve ASIC development efficiency.
The company takes full responsibility for the entire development lifecycle, from chip specification, logical and physical design to packaging, software development, prototyping, and mass production. This allows customers to focus entirely on their core AI architecture and service competitiveness.
Notably, SEMIFIVE is currently managing large-die turnkey projects of over 800 mm² and has secured high-speed interface design capabilities essential for high-performance AI silicon. Combined with its experience in managing global semiconductor supply chains, SEMIFIVE provides greater reliability for the commercialization of complex AI ASICs.
“This contract once again proves that SEMIFIVE’s accumulated technical references and custom design capabilities represent the strongest competitive advantage in the market,” said Brandon Cho, CEO and co-founder of SEMIFIVE. “Through collaboration with customers possessing innovative AI architectures, we will maximize synergies in high-performance AI chip development and firmly seize leadership in the custom semiconductor market as an AI ASIC specialist.”
Meanwhile, SEMIFIVE is accelerating its global expansion by broadening its customer base across the United States, China, Japan, India, and Europe, building on its domestic AI semiconductor design projects. As demand for high-performance AI ASICs continues to grow rapidly, the company aims to establish itself as a strategic partner in the global AI ecosystem and as a leading custom semiconductor design specialist.
https://hk-ii.com
