ACN Newswire

FREEPORT, N.Y., Jan 9, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Enerkon Solar International, Inc. (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it is working to acquire what appears to be a profitable $40,000,000+ asset solar energy company. Enerkon expects to exchange shares in the Target early in this quarter.

The Company continues to believe, if and when completed, that this is just the first important step in a change of corporate direction that could increase shareholder value over short and long term time periods. The Company is excited to be working on entering the fast-growing solar energy field. The Company expects to release further information as the execution of the plan unfolds.

It is also expected that the Company will have experienced management changes to facilitate the entry into this exciting new developing area of green technology. A key figure in this new management is planned to be Mr. Benjamin Ballout who is expected to replace Dr. John Cappello as CEO.

Mr. Ballout, is currently serving as a Managing Director of Diplomatic Trade Ltd., a U.S. corporation with offices out of New York, NY and Beirut-Lebanon. Benjamin is a Midcareer Executive who brings in over seventeen years of experience in various industries from Finance, Real Estate Development, Aerospace and Defense, and International Affairs with an understanding of the international trade and policies that affect global outcomes is part of his work functions.

Benjamin is also involved in numerous Nation Buildings projects along with multiple Humanitarian relief effort. He had the privilege to be among forward thinkers to participate in the project on U.S. National Security Reform Act. He also has a wealth of knowledge in the solar energy field.

SOURCE: Enerkon Solar International, Inc. (www.enerkoninternational.com)

This press release contains certain "forward-looking" statements, defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The company, through its management, makes forward-looking public statements concerning its expected future operations, performance and other developments. Such forward-looking statements are estimates reflecting the Company's best judgment based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements. It is impossible to identify all such factors, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the Company. This press release is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

Contact Information:
John V. Cappello, CEO
Enerkon Solar International, Inc.
111 West Sunrise Highway
Second Floor East
Freeport, NY 11520
Tel: 484-518-9000

This press release was issued through EmailWire.Com - a global newswire with press release distribution services (http://www.emailwire.com).

WESTCHESTER, Ill., Jan 9, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to diversified industries, announced today that it expects Elizabeth Adefioye to be named senior vice president and chief human resources (HR) officer effective March 1, 2018. She will become a member of the executive leadership team and is expected to be elected by the board of directors at its February meeting.

Adefioye will be responsible for all of Ingredion's enterprise-wide people strategy and human resources functions, with particular focus on building a high-performance culture and capabilities, attracting and developing world-class talent and working to enhance organizational structure and effectiveness. She will succeed Diane Frisch who will be retiring effective March 1, 2018 after over seven years of service.

"Under Diane's leadership Ingredion significantly enhanced its talent development and diversity and inclusion programs, making it an employer of choice," said Jim Zallie, Ingredion president and CEO.

Currently Adefioye is Ingredion vice president HR North America and global specialties, a position she has held since joining the Company in 2016. Previously she was vice president, HR at various divisions of Johnson & Johnson, including the Janssen Pharmaceutical and global cardiovascular and specialty solutions businesses. Additionally, she has worked for other FORTUNE 500 companies in the life-sciences industry, notably Novartis Consumer Health, Medtronic and Bristol-Myers Squibb,

Adefioye holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Lagos State University and a postgraduate diploma in human resources management from the University of Westminster. She also received a diploma in building leadership capability from Glasgow Caledonian University. While in the United Kingdom, she served as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management.

"Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience and expertise as a strategic HR leader and business partner to her new role. She also has extensive international experience in science-based businesses which is ideally suited to Ingredion's global operations and specialties ingredients focus. Over her career as an HR professional, she has an accomplished track record of driving talent development and organization effectiveness, being a champion for diversity and inclusion, and cultivating high-performance cultures. I am confident Elizabeth will enable Ingredion to build on its reputation of being an employer of choice globally. She will be an excellent addition to the executive leadership team," Zallie said.

ABOUT INGREDION

Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE:INGR) is a leading global ingredient solutions provider with 2016 revenues close to $6 billion. We turn grains, fruits, vegetables and other plant materials into value-added ingredients and biomaterial solutions for the food, beverage, paper and corrugating, brewing and other industries. Serving customers in over 100 countries, our ingredients make crackers crunchy, yogurts creamy, candy sweet, paper stronger and add fiber to nutrition bars. Visit Ingredion.com to learn more.

CONTACT:
Investors: Heather Kos, 708-551-2592
Media: Claire Regan, 708-551-2602

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This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Ingredion Incorporated via Globenewswire

- Adult heart failure trial to complete in 2020 with potential market entry in 2021
- Trial to be conducted at Imperial College London's Royal Brompton, UK

Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, Jan 9, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Celixir, a private company discovering and developing life-saving regenerative medicines, today announced it has received formal clinical trial application (CTA) approval from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to initiate a Phase IIb human clinical trial with its Heartcel(TM) medicine for the treatment of moderate to severe adult heart failure. Heart failure affects over 25 million adults worldwide with current medicines not slowing disease progression or prolonging life. Up to 45% of patients in hospital with heart failure die within one year of admission[1].

Heartcel(TM), Celixir's lead investigational cardiac regenerative medicine, is a tissue engineered medicine comprising allogeneic (off-the-shelf) immunomodulatory progenitor (iMP) cells and is designated as an advanced therapeutic medicinal product (ATMP) by the European Medicines Agency. iMP cells are a novel cell type engineered to reduce heart scarring and regenerate the heart in patients with heart failure. iMP cells are currently delivered during coronary artery bypass graft but catheter delivery is in development to expand the indication to all heart failure and cardiomyopathy patients.

The Heartcel(TM) Phase II results presented at the 2016 International Society of Stem Cell Research Annual Conference showed the study met all the endpoints with statistical and clinically significant results. These 12-month endpoints included 100% MACE-free survival (major adverse cardiac event); 30% average improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction, 40% reduction in left ventricle scar size and 50% improved quality of life.

At the four year follow-up, MACE-free survival remains 100% and imaging analysis evidenced scar reduction and heart regeneration in 70% of patients. Replicating these results in larger global trials with, could make Heartcel(TM) eligible for conditional marketing authorisation in Europe and FDA accelerated approval in the US.

Professor Stephen Westaby, CMO, former Consultant Heart Surgeon, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford said: "Heart failure is still a major cause of death affecting millions of patients worldwide. Current therapies do not reduce chronic myocardial (heart) scarring, diminish disease progression or prolong life. Thus, the initial Heartcel trial results are very exciting, showing the first evidence in humans of disease reversal, scar reduction and heart regeneration.

"We are assembling a world-class team at Imperial College, in the US and in Asia to accelerate patients' access to this potential breakthrough in treatment of heart failure."

Ajan Reginald, Chief Executive Officer of Celixir, commented: "All credit to our exceptional Celixir team for an outstanding year in 2017: completing an institutional funding round, gaining GMP manufacturing approval, completing the FDA pre-IND process, and gaining CTA approval for the potential pivotal trial in Europe. We're delighted to be working with the leading academics at Imperial College London, Harvard and MIT to accelerate Heartcel's development. We plan to maintain this momentum in 2018 with significant milestones in the US and Asia."

[1] Heart failure, preventing disease and death worldwide. European Society of Cardiology (Ponikowski et al).

For more information, please contact:
Celixir
Ajan Reginald
+44 1789 269 838
info@celixir.com

Consilium Strategic Communications
Mary Jane Elliott / Ivar Milligan / Sukaina Virji
+44 (0)20 3709 5700
celixir@consilium-comms.com

About Celixir

Celixir (formerly known as Cell Therapy Ltd.) is a private British regenerative medicine company that discovers and develops life-saving and life-altering regenerative medicines for patients with the greatest medical need. Celixir, founded in 2009, is made up of a world class team of scientists and biopharmaceutical executives, led by Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Martin Evans and former Roche Global Head of Emerging Technologies, Ajan Reginald. Celixir's unique platform technology allows them to adopt an 'off-the-shelf' approach to deliver regenerative medicines to patients.

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This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: CELIXIR Plc via Globenewswire

Viewability and digital measurement is the number-one issue faced by brands

LONDON, Jan 9, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Digital transparency will be a key challenge for brands in the year ahead concludes WARC, the global marketing intelligence service, in its Toolkit 2018 - a report based on a survey of more than 600 marketing and advertising professionals around the world to obtain their outlook on the coming year. The findings are combined with the latest ideas, research and expert opinion from WARC.

Led by P&G, brands are putting pressure on the digital media ecosystem to reform and to embrace greater transparency. Issues include the billions of dollars being lost globally to ad fraud; the absence of industry-wide viewability standards; the shortage of impartial, third-party campaign measurement and verification; the rising use of ad-blocking software; and a lack of transparency in the media supply chain.

David Tiltman, Head of Content, WARC, comments: "2018 will be pivotal to the ongoing drive by brands, media owners and the ad tech industry to 'clean up' and address the challenges facing digital advertising - viewability, brand safety, measurement, transparency - as they reassert control over media contracts, investments and partnerships, to ensure they are maximising ROI."

Julia Connaughton, Head of Digital, the7stars, added: "With advertisers demanding increased transparency, and agencies and publishers united in a fight against ad fraud, we are entering a period of transition that will have a lasting impact on the future of our industry."

Key findings around digital transparency from the Toolkit 2018 survey reveal that:

- Both agency (45%) and brand (49%) respondents cited viewability and accurate measurement as the number one industry issue offering cause for concern when drawing up marketing plans for the coming 12 months.
- 30% of respondents expect digital spend to be cut if these issues are not resolved.
- 51% of brands believe there is now a crisis of trust between brands and media agencies.

The drive for digital transparency is one of five key challenges highlighted in Toolkit 2018, which also includes a guide to best practice, potential pitfalls and video interviews with industry leaders to help overcome the issues.

WARC will be holding a round-up discussion event on Toolkit 2018 in London on Wednesday 10 January to examine an overview of marketing trends for 2018, the CX battleground, taking control of customer data and why voice is branding's new frontier. Register at content.warc.com/register-for-the-warc-event-toolkit-2018-marketing-trends-cx-gdpr-voice-strategy for this free-to-attend event.

For more information and insights on Toolkit 2018, visit www.warc.com/Topics/Toolkit.topic.

About WARC

- your global authority on advertising and media effectiveness

warc.com is an online service offering advertising best practice, evidence and insights from the world's leading brands. WARC helps clients grow their businesses by using proven approaches to maximise advertising effectiveness. WARC's clients include the world's largest advertising and media agencies, research companies, universities and advertisers.

WARC hosts four global and two regional case study competitions: WARC Awards, WARC Innovation Awards, WARC Media Awards, The Admap prize, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy and WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.

WARC also publishes leading journals including Admap, Market Leader, the Journal of Advertising Research and the International Journal of Market Research. In addition to its own content, WARC features advertising case studies and best practices from more than 50 respected industry sources, including: ARF, Effies, Cannes Lions, ESOMAR and IPA.

Founded in 1985, WARC is privately owned and has offices in the UK, U.S. and Singapore.

Contact:
Amanda Benfell
PR Manager
+44 20 7467 8125
amanda.benfell@warc.com

Elizabeth Windram, Social Chair

LONDON, Jan 9, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Top social experts and strategists from brands and agencies around the world make up the Effective Social Strategy jury of the WARC Awards 2018 - a global search for next-generation marketing effectiveness.

The link between social strategies and business results is one of the most important issues in marketing and communications. The jury panel of 15, led by Elizabeth Windram, Director, Brand and Advertising of JetBlue Airways, will be looking for campaign strategies that relied on the benefits of particular social platforms, or a combination of those platforms, to fulfil particular business objectives.

Judges will also be looking for effective marketing programmes that are social by design, not simply a small part of a broader marketing initiative, that have made a significant impact on brand performance or influenced consumer behaviour.

Lucy Aitken, Case Study Editor, WARC comments: "We are thrilled with the collective wisdom on this year's Effective Social Strategy jury. Spanning nine countries and four continents, there's a diversity of skills and experience in the judging panel that will make this competition a fascinating one. We're particularly happy to welcome as chair Elizabeth Windram from JetBlue, which won two awards in this category in 2017, alongside Ryan Riess from Hershey's which won a gold award last year."

The jury members of the WARC Awards 2018 - Effective Social Strategy category are:
- Elizabeth Windram, Director, Brand and Advertising, JetBlue Airways - Jury Chair
- Gerard Crichlow, Head of Cultural Strategy, AMV BBDO
- Reynold D'Silva, APAC Head of Marketing, Brands & E-commerce, Facebook
- Gijs de Beus, Strategy Director, Lemon Scented Tea
- Giba Della Giustina, Planning Director, nobullshit agency/Brazil
- Kristen Fox, Director, Social Media & Digital Analytics, Crispin Porter + Bogusky
- Roshni Hegerman, Strategic Planning Director, McCann Melbourne
- Chris Herbert, Strategy Director, the7stars
- Candace Kuss, Director of Social Media, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
- Pete Lin, Managing Director and Co-Founder, We Are Social China
- Will Lion, Head of Strategy, BBH London
- Chiara Martini, Global Head of Digital, Diesel
- Tahaab Rais, Regional Head of Strategic Planning, FP7/MENA (Part of McCann Worldgroup)
- Iuren Ramiro, Design thinking consultant, Casa del Otro / Social, brand, shopper and creative strategist, V3A
- Ryan Riess, Senior Manager, Reese's Brand, Hershey's

The WARC Awards are free to enter and are open to submissions from any country and communications discipline. As well as Effective Social Strategy, case study papers can be entered into Effective Content Strategy, Effective Innovation and Effective Use of Brand Purpose categories.

In addition to the Effective Social Strategy Grand Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, the jury will select three Special Awards honouring particular areas of excellence in this category: Path-to-Purchase Award, Smart Spender Award and Live Award. The top winners across all four categories will share a $40,000 prize fund.

Full details of the judges and information on how to enter the WARC Awards, is available at www.warc.com/WARCAwards.prize. Entry deadline is 12 February.

About WARC

- your global authority on advertising and media effectiveness

warc.com is an online service offering advertising best practice, evidence and insights from the world's leading brands. WARC helps clients grow their businesses by using proven approaches to maximise advertising effectiveness. WARC's clients include the world's largest advertising and media agencies, research companies, universities and advertisers.

WARC hosts four global and two regional case study competitions: WARC Awards, WARC Innovation Awards, WARC Media Awards, The Admap prize, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy and WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.

WARC also publishes leading journals including Admap, Market Leader, the Journal of Advertising Research and the International Journal of Market Research. In addition to its own content, WARC features advertising case studies and best practices from more than 50 respected industry sources, including: ARF, Effies, Cannes Lions, ESOMAR and IPA.

Founded in 1985, WARC is privately owned and has offices in the UK, U.S. and Singapore.

Contact:
Amanda Benfell
PR Manager
+44 20 7467 8125
amanda.benfell@warc.com

- Accelerating the expansion of international safety business -

TOKYO, Jan 9, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced the acquisition of UK-based IT services company Northgate Public Services Limited (NPS), accelerating the expansion of its international safety business. NEC is buying NPS for GBP 475 million from leading international private equity firm Cinven. This acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of January 2018.

Established in 1969, Northgate Public Services develops software and services for the public sector, mainly in the UK, and employs approximately 1,400 software engineers throughout the UK and India. NPS works closely with the British police and government organizations to deploy its business platform across a broad client base that includes local police forces, tax collection offices, social security offices and housing authorities.

NEC's international safety business capitalizes on biometrics technologies, including face recognition and fingerprint recognition technologies that have been evaluated as the world's most accurate(1), and provides identification systems to more than 30% of state police forces in the United States(2).

NEC's proven track record of providing more than 700 systems in over 70 countries around the world, mainly in areas such as identification and immigration control, has contributed to the realization of safer and more secure communities.

In the future, NEC aims to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to quickly detect fraudulent requests or applications across its public institutions client base and will seek to provide innovative solutions that create social value. In the UK in particular, NEC sees significant opportunity related to the government's promotion of a digital strategy focused on administrative service improvement and cost reduction through visualization of administrative costs and bringing services online.

"We are proud to have Northgate Public Services, one of the UK's leading technology companies, joining the NEC Group," said Takashi Niino, President and CEO, NEC Corporation. "With this acquisition, NEC aims to support and strengthen NPS' technologies for police operations, establish new safety solutions based on a common business platform, and to further develop international markets largely focused on countries within the Commonwealth."

"This is a very exciting time to be part of Northgate Public Services. Our colleagues and leadership team have worked incredibly hard over the past two years to get the Company into great shape operationally and financially, with the result that NPS is a highly attractive asset to NEC. This transaction represents a step-change in our ability to serve our clients," said Stephen Callaghan, CEO, Northgate Public Services.

"Combined with NEC's business, we will now be able to offer a wider suite of services and software to our existing client base, whilst also expanding in new geographies and technology sectors. I'd like to stress that we see this as simply the beginning of our next phase of development. The increased financial strength, technical capability and market access support NEC provides will allow us to accelerate our growth plans considerably and I am enthusiastic about our future prospects."

Following the acquisition, NEC and NPS will collaborate to develop and provide safety solutions that combine solutions and technologies from both companies. Specifically, the companies will take advantage of NEC's biometrics technology to enhance identity authentication during police operations and administrative procedures, in addition to utilizing NEC's line-up of cutting-edge AI technologies, "NEC the WISE,"(3) to detect social security fraud and ensure benefits are properly distributed. The companies will capitalize on real-time detection of suspicious individuals and abnormalities using NEC face recognition, intrusion detection, suspicious item detection and other image analysis techniques. NEC will also promote NPS' solutions for police operations and public housing management solutions to markets outside the UK.

NEC focuses on the provision of social solutions and is strengthening the safety business as a key pillar in its growth strategy. Going forward, NEC will continue to develop core technologies and solutions while acquiring new clients, delivery resources, core technologies and business models through M&A and other business collaboration models. These measures are expected to contribute to the expansion of the social solutions business and improve profitability centered on the safety business.

(1) NEC's Video Face Recognition Technology Ranks First in NIST Testing
http://www.nec.com/en/press/201703/global_20170316_01.html
NEC's Fingerprint Identification Technology Ranks First Again in NIST Testing
http://www.nec.com/en/press/201503/global_20150309_01.html
(2) According to NEC research as of January 9, 2018
(3) About NEC the WISE
http://www.nec.com/en/global/ad/ai/campaign_v/

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.nec.com/en/global/about/solutionsforsociety/message.html.

Contact:
NEC 
Seiichiro Toda         
s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com 
+81-3-3798-6511

- as Combination Therapy for Advanced and/or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma -

TOKYO, Jan 9, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), announced today that they received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Eisai's multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor LENVIMA (generic name: lenvatinib mesylate) in combination with MSD's anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA (generic name: pembrolizumab) for the potential treatment of patients with advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA combination therapy is being jointly developed by Eisai and MSD. This is the second Breakthrough Therapy Designation for LENVIMA and the twelfth Breakthrough Therapy Designation granted to KEYTRUDA.

The Breakthrough Therapy Designation is a U.S. FDA program intended to expedite development and review of drugs for serious or life-threatening conditions. In order to qualify for this designation, preliminary clinical evidence must demonstrate that the drug may provide substantial improvement over currently available therapy on at least one clinically significant endpoint. The benefits of this Breakthrough Therapy Designation include more intensive guidance on an efficient drug development program, access to a regulatory liaison to help accelerate review time, and eligibility for rolling review as well as priority review.

This Breakthrough Therapy Designation was based on the results of the renal cell carcinoma cohort in Study 111,(1) a multicenter, open-label Phase Ib/II clinical study being carried out in the United States and the European Union to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LENVIMA in combination with KEYTRUDA in subjects with selected solid tumors.

Dr. Takashi Owa, Chief Medicine Creation Officer, Oncology Business Group, Eisai Co., Ltd., commented: "We are encouraged that the FDA has recognized the potential of LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA for patients with advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma with the Breakthrough Therapy Designation. As a human health care company dedicated to giving our first thought to patients, we are committed to working closely with MSD and the FDA to expedite this clinical program with the hope that we may offer another important option for patients in need."

"The FDA's Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA combination in advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma provides us with the opportunity to accelerate our effort to bring an important potential treatment option to these patients," said Dr. Roy Baynes, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Clinical Development, Chief Medical Officer, MSD Research Laboratories.

"We remain committed to understanding the full potential of KEYTRUDA across cancers and treatment settings, and our collaboration with Eisai is one of the many ways we are executing on this commitment to helping more patients."

About Study 111

Study 111 is a multicenter, open-label Phase Ib/II clinical study being carried out in the United States and European Union to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LENVIMA in combination with KEYTRUDA. The primary objective of the Phase Ib part was to determine the maximum tolerated dose. Patients with unresectable solid tumors (renal cell carcinoma, endometrial cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, urothelial cancer, squamous cell, head and neck cancer, and melanoma) who had progressed after treatment with approved therapies or for which there are no standard effective therapies available were administered 24 mg of LENVIMA orally daily, as well as 200 mg of KEYTRUDA intravenously every three weeks. Dose reductions of LENVIMA were permitted based on observed toxicity. The Phase II part was conducted on patients who had select solid tumors with 0-2 prior lines of systemic therapy (unless discussed with the sponsor) with a recommended dosage of 20 mg of LENVIMA daily and 200 mg of KEYTRUDA every three weeks as determined based on the results of the Phase Ib part. The primary endpoint of the Phase II part was objective response rate at 24 weeks after treatment began, with select secondary endpoints including objective response rate, disease control rate, progression-free survival, and duration of response. Currently, the Phase II part is underway, with enrollment expanded for the endometrial cancer cohort.

About Renal Cell Carcinoma

In 2012, the number of patients with renal cancer was estimated to be approximately 338,000 worldwide, including approximately 58,000 in the United States, 115,000 in Europe and 17,000 in Japan.(2) In the United States, approximately 63,990 new cases were estimated to occur in 2017.(3) Approximately 25-30 percent of patients are estimated to present with metastatic disease at time of diagnosis.(4) Renal cell carcinoma comprises more than approximately 90 percent of all malignancies of the kidney,(5) and originates from malignant cells in the lining of the tubules of the kidney.(3) The average age of a renal cancer diagnosis is 64, and it is more likely to affect men than women.(6) For advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma that is difficult to treat with surgery, the standard treatment is molecular targeted drug therapy.(7) However, this remains a disease with significant unmet medical need.(3)

About LENVIMA (lenvatinib mesylate)

Discovered and developed in-house by Eisai, LENVIMA is an orally administered multiple receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor with a novel binding mode that selectively inhibits the kinase activities of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors (VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and VEGFR3) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors (FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3 and FGFR4) in addition to other proangiogenic and oncogenic pathway-related RTKs (including the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor PDGFRalpha; KIT; and RET) involved in tumor proliferation.
Currently, Eisai has obtained approval for LENVIMA as a treatment for refractory thyroid cancer in over 50 countries, including the United States, Japan, and in Europe. Additionally, Eisai has obtained approval for the agent in combination with everolimus as a treatment for renal cell carcinoma (second-line) in over 40 countries, including the United States and in Europe. In Europe, the agent was launched under the brand name Kisplyx for renal cell carcinoma.

Furthermore, in a Phase III clinical study (Study 304) comparing safety and efficacy of the agent versus sorafenib for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, LENVIMA achieved its primary endpoint of overall survival, meeting the statistical criteria for non-inferiority to sorafenib. Eisai has submitted applications for an indication covering hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan (June 2017), the United States and Europe (July 2017), China (October 2017) as well as Taiwan (December 2017).

Additionally, a Phase III clinical study (Study 307) of LENVIMA in combination with either everolimus or KEYTRUDA as a first line treatment for renal cell carcinoma is underway.

About KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab)

KEYTRUDA is an anti-PD-1 therapy that works by increasing the ability of the body's immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. KEYTRUDA is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby activating T lymphocytes which may affect both tumor cells and healthy cells.

MSD has the industry's largest immuno-oncology clinical research program, which currently involves more than 650 trials studying KEYTRUDA across a wide variety of cancers and treatment settings. The KEYTRUDA clinical program seeks to understand the role of KEYTRUDA across cancers and the factors that may predict a patient's likelihood of benefitting from treatment with KEYTRUDA, including exploring several different biomarkers.

(1) Lee CH, et al. A Phase 1b/2 Trial of Lenvatinib + Pembrolizumab in Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma.ESMO Congress Abstract, 2017; #847O
(2) GLOBOCAN2012: Estimated Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide in 2012.
(3) "Cancer Stat Facts: Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer." Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), National Cancer Institute.
(4) Gupta, Kiran. "Epidemiologic and Socioeconomic Burden of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (MRCC): A Literature Review." Cancer Treatment Reviews, vol. 34, no. 3, May 2008.
(5) Eble J.N, et al. Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of the Urinary System and Male Genital Organs, World Health Organisation classification of tumours. (International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France in 2004)
(6) "What Are the Key Statistics About Kidney Cancer?" About Kidney Cancer, American Cancer Society, Aug. 2017.

About Eisai

Eisai Co., Ltd. (TSE:4523; ADR:ESALY) is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three therapeutic areas: integrative neuroscience, including neurology and psychiatric medicines; integrative oncology, which encompasses oncotherapy and supportive-care treatments; and vascular/immunological reaction. Through a global network of research facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide healthcare system. For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.com.

Contact:
Public Relations Department,
Eisai Co., Ltd.
+81-3-3817-5120

TOKYO, Jan 9, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and Biogen Japan Ltd. announced that the companies have commenced co-promotion of Biogen Japan's multiple sclerosis treatments TECFIDERA (dimethyl fumarate), TYSABRI (natalizumab, genetic recombinant) and AVONEX (interferon beta 1a, genetic recombinant) in Japan as of today.

Based on the provisions of the agreement, the two companies will jointly conduct promotional activities at the clinical facilities for which they are responsible and provide information on appropriate use. There will be no change to the manufacturing or logistic systems, and Biogen Japan books sales of the products.

An autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, multiple sclerosis is a serious, chronic, progressive disease accompanied by inflammation. It affects cognitive function, mental and social functions as well as physical functions. With multiple sclerosis, lesions are found widely throughout the central nervous system such as the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, and depending on where these lesions occur, a diverse range of symptoms appear including visual impairment, impaired movement and sensation, as well as abnormal gait. As such, it can take several years to reach a conclusive diagnosis, and it is a disease with significant unmet medical needs. The incidence of multiple sclerosis in Japan is reported as 10.8 to 14.4 per 100,000.(1)

Eisai Representative Corporate Officer, Japan Business and CIO Hideki Hayashi commented, "Eisai considers neurology a strategic therapeutic area of focus and possesses rich experience and knowledge in neurology products such as Aricept and Fycompa. Leveraging these strengths, we hope to maximize the benefits for multiple sclerosis patients and their families."
Biogen Japan President and Representative Director Shinichi Torii commented, "Biogen is a leading company in multiple sclerosis, and approximately 40% of multiple sclerosis patients worldwide use Biogen's medicines. By co-promoting with Eisai who has strong networks in the field of neurology, we believe we can reliably deliver multiple sclerosis treatments to patients who need them."

About Multiple Sclerosis Treatments TECFIDERA, TYSABRI and AVONEX

TECFIDERA (dimethyl fumarate) is an orally-administered medicine for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, including relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis, the most common type of multiple sclerosis.

TECFIDERA was approved in Japan for the prevention of relapse and for delaying the accumulation of physical disability in multiple sclerosis in December 2016, and was launched in February 2017. First approved in 2013 in the United States, TECFIDERA is currently approved in 54 countries (as of August 2016). TECFIDERA is widely used in the United States and countries in Europe as a first-line treatment, and the number of patients who have been treated with TECFIDERA worldwide to date reached 250,000.

TYSABRI (natalizumab, genetic recombinant) is a humanized monoclonal anti-alpha4 integrin antibody and a disease modifying drug. TYSABRI was approved in Japan for the prevention of relapse and delaying the accumulation of physical disability in multiple sclerosis in March 2014, and was launched in June of the same year. TYSABRI has been approved in over 77 countries worldwide (as of April 2016) including the United States and countries in Europe, and the number of patients who have been treated with TYSABRI worldwide reached 167,000.

AVONEX (interferon beta 1a, genetic recombinant) was approved in Japan for relapse prevention of multiple sclerosis in July 2006, and was launched in November of the same year. In December 2013 a pen formulation was approved and subsequently launched in June 2014.

About Biogen Japan

At Biogen, our mission is clear: we are pioneers in neuroscience. Biogen discovers, develops and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Founded in 1978 as one of the world's first global biotechnology companies by Charles Weissman and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp, today Biogen has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis; has introduced the first and only approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy; and is focused on advancing neuroscience research programs in Alzheimer's disease and dementia, neuroimmunology, movement disorders, neuromuscular disorders, pain, ophthalmology, neuropsychiatry, and acute neurology. Biogen also manufactures and commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.biogen.com. To learn more, please visit www.biogen.com and follow us on social media - Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube.
Biogen Japan is a subsidiary of Biogen in the U.S. Biogen Japan, as the Japan affiliate of one of the oldest independent biotechnology companies, started its operation in Japan in 2000. To learn more about Biogen Japan, please visit www.biogen.co.jp.

(1) Kinoshita M, Obata K, Tanaka M. Latitude has more significant impact on prevalence of multiple sclerosis than ultraviolet level or sunshine duration in Japanese population. Neurol Sci. 2015;36(7):1147-51.

About Eisai

Eisai Co., Ltd. (TSE:4523; ADR:ESALY) is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three therapeutic areas: integrative neuroscience, including neurology and psychiatric medicines; integrative oncology, which encompasses oncotherapy and supportive-care treatments; and vascular/immunological reaction. Through a global network of research facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide healthcare system. For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.com.

Contact:
Public Relations Department,
Eisai Co., Ltd.
+81-3-3817-5120

AI, connected and electric vehicle technologies combine to support mobility for all
- e-Palette concept vehicle will power a new mobility services ecosystem for business
- Concept-i Series provides personal mobility that responds to the needs of its users
- TRI Platform 3.0 automated driving research vehicle makes a leap forward in perception technology
- Fine-Comfort Ride FCV showcases unique design in zero-emissions vehicle

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan 10, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota is bringing to life its vision for the future of mobility at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, displaying a range of concept vehicles and technologies that demonstrate the potential of automated driving, connected networks and vehicle electrification, including:

- A highly customizable, automated, battery electric vehicle flexible enough to handle logistics and delivery, ride sharing and retail;
- The growing Concept-i series of vehicles that offer responsive mobility opportunities for everyone;
- An automated driving test vehicle with technology that can detect potential hazards at even greater distances; and
- A fuel cell vehicle designed for comfort and minimal environmental impact.

"At Toyota, our mission isn't just to make vehicles that people love, but to help provide mobility for all through technology-powered products and services," said Zack Hicks, senior vice president and chief information officer of Toyota Motor North America and chief executive officer and president of Toyota Connected. "Our vision harnesses the benefits of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics, connected networks, and electric vehicle technologies to get people where they want to go safely, conveniently and in an environmentally friendly way - whether across the room or across the country."

e-Palette Concept

The e-Palette concept vehicle is a fully-automated, next generation battery electric vehicle (BEV) designed to support a range of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) offerings. Created as part of a new mobility service business partnership, the e-Palette Alliance, the concept vehicle provides an open interior design layout that is scalable and customizable for various uses -- including logistics services, ride sharing, and other on-the-road e-commerce. Its open-source vehicle control interface will allow partner companies to install their own automated driving system and vehicle management technology. When a partner company's automated driving system is installed, Toyota's Guardian mode automated driving technology will supervise its function to help ensure appropriate function.

Expanded Concept-i Series: Concept-i, i-Ride and i-Walk

The "Toyota Concept-i Series" embodies Toyota's vision of a future where artificial intelligence (AI) enables personal mobility that is more responsive to the needs of its users by recognizing emotions, anticipating preferences, and allowing people and cars to become partners. First unveiled as the Concept-i vehicle at CES 2017, Toyota expanded the Concept-i Series to include a universal small mobility vehicle and a walking area mobility vehicle. The AI Agent embedded in each of these vehicles is able to disengage and re-engage with the driver, thereby supporting seamless mobility that is better equipped to achieve safe and fun mobility.

Toyota Concept-i

The Toyota Concept-i is a four-wheel model representing the vision and technology of the Toyota Concept-i Series. It combines AI technology that understands people (LEARN) with automated driving and agent technology that provides drivers with safety and peace of mind (PROTECT) and new Fun to Drive experiences (INSPIRE) that enrich the enjoyment of moving.

Toyota Concept-i Simulator

Visitors will be able to experience a significantly more advanced Concept-i simulator than at last year's CES. Through the simulator, visitors will be able to interact with the AI Agent, which will propose hobbies and restaurants based on the user's preference. The Agent will gauge the user's degree of interest based on the conversation and driver's emotion, and recommend activities based on this judgment.

Toyota Concept-i RIDE

The Concept-i RIDE is a small mobility vehicle designed to deliver "user-friendly city mobility." While the seat layout and automated driving functions make it possible for anyone to drive safely and securely, its gull-wing doors, electric universal sliding seat, and joystick offer particularly user-friendly operation for wheelchair users.

Toyota Concept-i WALK

With its compact size, the i-WALK can operate safely on sidewalks and other areas alongside pedestrians. Equipped with an easily operated steering function as well as an automated driving capability, this mobility vehicle helps increase the user's range of movement with safety and peace of mind. And, with its lowered floor, people can ride without being restricted by their age or health issues. Toyota's vision for the i-WALK is to help users traverse short distances, such as walking around sightseeing locations.

TRI Platform 3.0

Toyota Research Institute's (TRI) next-generation automated driving research vehicle, Platform 3.0, combines more sophisticated automated driving technology and new harmonized styling into the Lexus LS model's design. Its sensor-rich package makes it one of the most perceptive automated test cars on the road. The vehicle includes a powerful LIDAR architecture strategically positioned for a sensing range of up to 200 meters around the 360-degree perimeter of the vehicle, giving the automated driving systems more time to react to potentially hazardous scenarios. Toyota is demonstrating the power of Platform 3.0's perception system at CES 2018 with a real-time display of the point cloud generated by the vehicle's LIDAR system.

Fine-Comfort Ride

Toyota's "Fine-Comfort Ride" is a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) that envisions mobility in a low-carbon society through the advanced utilization of hydrogen and renewable energy. This FCV features a flexible layout unique to electric-powered vehicles and utilizes hydrogen as an energy source to generate a large amount of electric power. The Fine-Comfort Ride discharges no CO2 or substances of concern (SoC) while offering a generous cruising range and a hydrogen refueling time of about three minutes.

About Toyota

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.

Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926

Hitachi's AutoMobili-D Booth (AD01a)Autonomous Driving Community - PlanetM at Cobo Center

Detroit, Michigan, Jan 10, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc. has announced the Company's renewed Official Sponsorship of the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), to be held at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan from January 14-January 28.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_HitachiAutoMobili.jpg
Hitachi's AutoMobili-D Booth (AD01a)Autonomous Driving Community - PlanetM at Cobo Center

Hitachi returns for the second year of the show's AutoMobili-D exhibit to feature the Hitachi Group's Social Innovation Business and advanced mobility technologies at booth number AD01a within PlanetM's Autonomous Driving community. The Company will take advantage of this year's extended AutoMobili-D schedule to connect with job seekers during the Future Automotive Career Expo (FACE) held inside PlanetM (formerly Hall E) during the first two days of the NAIAS Public Show: Saturday, January 20 and Sunday, January 21.

Hitachi leadership will share Company updates and advancements in automotive mobility technologies during a press conference on Tuesday, January 16 at 12:05 PM at the PlanetM Theater. Hitachi's press conference will be livestreamed on the North American International Auto Show Facebook page via Facebook live.

The Hitachi Group will also host two AutoMobili-D symposiums during Industry Preview on the Cobo Center Atrium Stage. Industry experts will join Hitachi leadership to discuss "How AV Requirements Are Driving Vehicle Electrical Architecture Innovations" at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, January 17, and "Contribution to Social Innovation through Mobility Service Business" at 2:00 PM on Thursday, January 18.

"With the speed that the mobility industry is changing, it is critical for traditional automotive suppliers like Hitachi to have a forum to share information and ideas with industry leaders, technology innovators, and connect with future technical talent," said John Nunneley, senior vice president of engineering for Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas. "The NAIAS and AutoMobili-D provide us this forum in our own backyard," he added.

About Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc.

Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc. manufactures, remanufactures and markets a wide range of automotive systems including engine management systems, electric power train systems, drive control systems and car information systems for all major automotive original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket customers worldwide. The company provides regional leadership in the Americas within the global operations of Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. and has sites throughout North America with sales and engineering in Michigan, its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Kentucky, and additional sales and manufacturing facilities in Kentucky, Georgia, California and Mexico. Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hitachi America, Ltd. For more information, please visit www.hitachi-automotive.us.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.

Contact:
Hitachi Ltd
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3258-1111

Smartphone screen display during low -speed autonomous driving, (right)Onboard screen during low-speed autonomous driving

Advanced Autonomous Parking Technology that Remembers the Local Environment around Home Parking Spaces

TOKYO, Jan 10, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. and Clarion Co., Ltd. today announced the development of Park-by-Memory autonomous parking technology that remembers the environment surrounding users' home parking spaces. Moving forward, the companies will aim for the initial adoption of this system through proposals to automotive manufacturers.

In recent years, as traffic accidents caused by operational mistakes during parking are becoming a social problem, anticipation is increasing for the early adoption of safe autonomous parking technology that does not rely on human operation. Thus, as a technological response to this issue, the two companies have developed Park-by-Memory, which can be used to automatically park vehicles in frequently used parking spaces such as at home or at work. This technology was achieved by combining Clarion's external recognition technology with steering and brake actuators and integrated vehicle control technology provided by Hitachi Automotive Systems.

In order to memorize parking environments and parking patterns, Park-by-Memory integrates bird's-eye footage provided by SurroundEye, an original camera system by Clarion that is fitted to the left and right sides of the front and back of the vehicle, with detection data on surrounding structures obtained using sonar signals as well as GPS positional information. This enables vehicles equipped with Park-by-Memory to notify drivers that it is possible to park when the vehicle approaches memorized parking spaces. Drivers can initiate autonomous parking by simply pressing a button in the vehicle, or by using their smartphone app.

Park-by-Memory uses high-precision image recognition data from SurroundEye so that it can autonomously park in parking spaces of various shapes, including parking spaces only designated by white lines. In addition, the use of existing general vehicle navigation GPS information, rather than using a specialized positional information system, has facilitated the technology's early introduction.

Hitachi Automotive Systems and Clarion will continue to enhance the development of driving support technology through advanced external recognition and integrated vehicle control technology, support autonomous driving vehicles and autonomous parking technology that is being rapidly developed by automotive manufacturers, and contribute to initial practical application.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_HitachiAutomotiveSystemsClarion.jpg
Smartphone screen display during low -speed autonomous driving, (right)Onboard screen during low-speed autonomous driving

About Clarion Co., Ltd.

Headquartered in Japan, Clarion Co. Ltd., which has been a consolidated subsidiary of the Hitachi Group since 2006, has been an international leader in car audio and electronics since 1940. The company is engaged in the research, development, engineering, design, manufacturing, sales and marketing of mobile entertainment, navigation, infotainment, communication, safety and security products for the automotive, marine, recreational vehicle, commercial fleet and heavy industry environments. Clarion has been the recipient of numerous excellence awards for design, innovation, support, manufacturing and product reliability from independent organizations. The company has marketing and sales affiliates in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Clarion is located on the web at www.clarion.com.

About Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, and offers a wide range of automotive systems including engine management systems, electric power train systems, drive control systems and car information systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.

Contact:
Hitachi Ltd
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3258-1111

TOKYO, Jan 10, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi Healthcare Americas Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) and a leading provider of medical imaging modalities to hospital and ambulatory clients nationwide, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire VidiStar, LLC, a Greenville, SC-based company focused on reinventing how doctors review and report on diagnostic exams to drive productivity, portability, and improved communication and clinical decision making. Hitachi expects that the acquisition of VidiStar will advance the company's informatics strategy and analytics capabilities to improve workflow and intelligence for physicians, particularly with those providers conducting diagnostic ultrasound examinations.

"VidiStar has developed a cloud-based diagnostic viewer and customizable structured reporting solution for medical imaging and clinical decision support. With VidiStar, physicians can interpret exams over the web and deliver improved visualization and timely results with the extended care teams." said William Burns, Senior VP, Hitachi Healthcare Americas.

"We are very excited about VidiStar becoming part of the Hitachi team and believe this partnership will further our client's ability to reduce inefficiencies in clinical and operational workflows. We will work together to create the next generation of healthcare informatics and analytics solutions so providers and healthcare professionals can take full advantage of the power of informatics." said Craig Walker, CEO of Vidistar.

"This acquisition will add significant talent and expertise in expanding our Healthcare Informatics business at Hitachi. As the healthcare market transitions from volume to value-based care, structured reporting and advanced analytics will play a critical role in enabling and supporting this transition." said Yasuhiko Taniguchi, CEO of Hitachi Healthcare Americas.

Structured reporting can help standardize and improve the quality of clinical reports and streamline communication among care teams while reducing errors. Advanced analytics and data mining can help identify key value drivers, improve decision making, and ensure that providers and healthcare professionals are informed and efficient in their mission to deliver high quality care.

Upon completion of the transaction, VidiStar and its employees will become part of the Hitachi Healthcare Americas business group within Hitachi. VidiStar will maintain its current headquarters office in Greenville, SC.

About VidiStar, LLC

VidiStar, LLC is based in Greenville, SC (USA) and has developed a web-based diagnostic viewer and patented structured reporting solution (US Pat. No. 8,200,505) for medical imaging and clinical decision support. VidiStar's technology allows physicians and healthcare providers the ability to read and interpret diagnostic studies over the internet for timely interpretation, improved patient diagnosis, clinical decision support, and advanced patient data analytics and notification. VidiStar is a 2012 and 2013 Innovision Award Winner and a 2008 and 2010 SCLaunch Portfolio Company.

About Hitachi Healthcare Americas Corporation

Hitachi Healthcare Americas Corporation, located in Twinsburg, Ohio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. offers a broad range of diagnostic imaging equipment including MRI, CT and Ultrasound. Hitachi's MRI, CT and Ultrasound technologies provide speed, comfort and quality for both physicians and patients alike and play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of disease while driving social innovation into healthcare. Visit www.hitachihealthcare.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.

Contact:
Hitachi Ltd
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3258-1111

SJeva high-quality Au deposition material (granules)

SJeva before melting (SEM photo)

SJeva after melting (SEM photo)

- SJeva effective at reducing non-metallic inclusions in products
- Contributes to raising productivity and reducing costs in semiconductor and medical device applications

TOKYO, Jan 10, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Akira Tanae) announces the start of sample shipments of SJeva, a newly-developed, high-quality Au deposition material, by Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Akira Tanae). Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo conducts industrial business within the Tanaka Precious Metals. The new deposition material has higher purity than earlier products, making it possible to reduce the amount of precious metals used, increase productivity and cut costs by reducing processing, and raise recoverability and recyclability.

By improving manufacturing methods, Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo successfully reduced the amount of non-metallic inclusions[1] in the deposition material compared to conventional materials. Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo previously handled Au deposition materials with a purity of 4N (99.99% gold content) to 5N (99.999% gold content), and the new deposition material enhances the lineup of high-quality products. By using a deposition material with extremely low non-metallic inclusions, contaminants that collect on the surface during melting of the deposition material are reduced, eliminating the need for cleaning. The high-purity deposition material also makes it possible to shorten the preheating time[2] before film formation, decreasing consumption of deposition material that does not contribute to film formation and reducing costs. In addition, the new deposition material contains low levels of gas, and as a result, a reduction in splash phenomenon[3] from the deposition source during film formation can be expected, and it is possible to reduce the number of particles[4] that form on substrates, even during high-rate deposition.

As a result of the above properties and benefits of the new deposition material, it is expected to contribute to higher end-user productivity and lower costs when manufacturing final products that use deposition materials such as micro-wiring and MEMS in the semiconductor fields as well as optical devices, LEDs, and medical equipment.

Benefits of the New Deposition Material

- Reduced number of cleaning processes
Usually, various shapes of deposition materials including pellet, plate, ribbon, wire, and grain shapes are used depending on the application, and melting is always necessary during deposition. Non-metallic inclusions present in the deposition material condense and form impurities during melting, and as a result, a cleaning process is essential. The new deposition material, however, contains an extremely low level of impurities, eliminating the need for a cleaning process, which is expected to reduce the number of processes.

- Costs reduced through shorter preheating time before film formation
A high-purity deposition material makes it possible to reduce the preheating time before film formation, which reduces consumption of deposition material that does not contribute to film formation and can reduce costs.

- Splash phenomenon from deposition source during film formation curtailed, reducing particle formation on substrates during high-rate deposition
The splash phenomenon is a representative type of problem that occurs during deposition that causes flaws such as particles and pin holes on substrates and films. High productivity can be expected from film formation with a higher deposition rate, but the more the deposition rate is increased, the more likely splash phenomenon is to occur, presenting a problem. The cause is gas present in the deposition material, and Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo successfully reduced the amount of gas by improving the manufacturing process, and as a result, splash phenomenon control effects can be expected.

[1] Non-metallic inclusions: Oxides, sulfides, and other non-metallic materials present in a metal material.
[2] Preheating time: The time that the deposition material is heated until it melts.
[3] Splash phenomenon: A representative type of problem that occurs during deposition during film formation and causes flaws such as particles and pin holes on substrates and films.
[4] Particles: Granules and dust. Particles can degrade the properties and reliability of substrates and reduce yields.

Press release: http://www.acnnewswire.com/clientreports/598/170110_EN.pdf

Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd. (Holding company of Tanaka Precious Metals)

Headquarters: 22F, Tokyo Building, 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Akira Tanae, Representative Director & CEO
Founded: 1885
Incorporated: 1918*
Capital: 500 million yen
Employees in consolidated group: 5,120 (FY2016)
Net sales of consolidated group: 1,064,259 million yen (FY2016)
Main businesses of the group: Strategic and efficient group management and management guidance to group companies as the holding company at the center of the Tanaka Precious Metals.
Website: http://www.tanaka.co.jp/english (Tanaka Precious Metals), http://pro.tanaka.co.jp/en (Industrial products)
* Tanaka Holdings adopted a holding company structure on April 1, 2010.

Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.

Headquarters: 22F, Tokyo Building, 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Akira Tanae, Representative Director & CEO
Founded: 1885
Incorporated: 1918
Capital: 500 million yen
Employees: 2,269 (as of March 31, 2017)
Sales: 1,059,003.329 million yen (FY2016)
Main businesses: Manufacture, sales, import and export of precious metals (platinum, gold, silver, and others) and various types of industrial precious metals products.
Website: http://pro.tanaka.co.jp/en

About the Tanaka Precious Metals

Since its foundation in 1885, the Tanaka Precious Metals group has built a diversified range of business activities focused on precious metals. Tanaka is a leader in Japan in terms of the volumes of precious metals handled. Over the course of many years, Tanaka Precious Metals has not only manufactured and sold precious metal products for industry, but also provided precious metals in such forms as jewelry and resources. As precious metals specialists, all Group companies within and outside Japan work together with unified cooperation between manufacturing, sales, and technological aspects to offer products and services. In addition, in order to make further progress in globalization, Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo welcomed Metalor Technologies International SA as a member of the Group in 2016.

As precious metal professionals, Tanaka Precious Metals will continue to contribute to the development of an enriching and prosperous society.

The five core companies in the Tanaka Precious Metals are as follows.
- Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd. (pure holding company)
- Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.
- Tanaka Denshi Kogyo K.K.
- Electroplating Engineers of Japan, Limited
- Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry K.K.

Press inquiries
Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd.
https://www.tanaka.co.jp/en/protanaka/inquiry/index.php

Richard Gottlieb, CEO, Global Toy Experts & Publisher Global Toy News, points to five major trends and their implications on the toy industry.

Toys, Baby Products, Stationery Fairs Feature 2,940+ Global Exhibitors

HONG KONG, Jan 10, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - The HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair are underway at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The three fairs feature more than 2,940 global exhibitors, showcasing a broad selection of innovative and high-tech products. A series of special events are being held throughout the fair period to facilitate market information exchange among industry players.

Under the theme "Evolving with the industry: Hot Trends in Toys Industry," this year's Hong Kong Toys Industry Conference, held yesterday (9 January), featured industry experts from various markets who shared their insights on the trends in 2018, with frequently mentioned keywords such as "Chinese mainland customers," "Big Data", "GenZ" and "IP."

- Five key industry trends and implications

One of the speakers, Richard Gottlieb, CEO, Global Toy Experts & Publisher Global Toy News, pointed to five major trends and their implications on the toy industry. The first trend relates to a finding from Matt Hudak, the author at Euromonitor International Blog, who said that the Chinese mainland will be the world's top toy consumer market by 2022 with double-digit sales growth.

Mr Gottlieb emphasised the different target consumers when designing toys to creating the intelligent property (IP). "The Kung Fu Panda movie captured the common languages and gained huge popularity globally. The Chinese elements made it successful in the mainland," he said.

Another trend Mr Gottlieb noted was the implication of self-driving car on the toy industry. With greater interaction among family members inside self-driving cars, he said that portable games and toys such as board games, scrabble, puzzles and soft toys, which are easy to play and good for kids, will have big market potential.

He added that Generation Z (born in or after 2000) will comprise the largest generation in the United States, with the age group exceeding 60 million. This generation, he said, has grown up with five screens (TVs, desktop and laptop, tablets, smartphones and smart watches) and is comfortable with online shopping and social media platforms. As they are knowledge seekers with little patience, members of this generation should be catered for by the industry by creating games and toys integrated with new technology and experiences as well as building a community for them to communicate with others.

While speed to market is key to all industries, Mr Gottlieb concluded that a closer relationship between suppliers and retailers should be established when small inventory, quick turnaround and speedy delivery are expected. He noted that the US currently has an oversupply of stores particularly due to the growth of online shopping. He noted that limited Internet access among lower-income consumers means they would shop at low-price point shops, and that industry players should ensure their products go to the right sales channel.

- Most wanted toys

Chris Yang, Senior Business Development Manager, Amazon Global Selling, revealed that one-third of sales at Amazon come in the fourth quarter, which is the traditional peak season while toys are among the most popular gifts during the peak season.

He added that action and toy figures such as Batman, arts and craft for kids, dolls and accessories, learning and educational video games, as well as stuffed brands and plush, are among the popular toy categories in the US market. "Building sets with Lego and creative building sets are the most wanted and toys and outdoor toys engaging everyone together will be the fastest-growing category," he said.

- Future retail trend

Calvin Yum, COO, Hamleys Toys (Nanjing) Co, Ltd. shared his what he called retail 4.0 experience on the Chinese mainland. He explained that retail 1.0 was when retailers in the 1990s decided what to sell, whereas from the 1990s to 2000 (retail 2.0), more choices of merchandises became available. Retail 3.0 phase was from 2000 to 2010, when branded toys and games were sold in various channels.

Thanks to the Internet, Mr Yum stressed, the retail market has entered stage of 4.0, where shoppers search and compare information before making their purchase. With three stores in the mainland, Hamley is responding to trends in the retail 4.0 stage. "We are not only a toy shop. We organise shows, parades, events and we include F&B and clothing in our store," he said, adding that the Hamley Toys store in Beijing has a total floor space of 11,000 square metres with a daily traffic of 8,000 to 48,000 shoppers.

For the next step, Mr Yum revealed that Hamley plans to integrate its online (e-commerce) and offline channels. "By building big data, we will gain information such as how often consumers buy and what they buy. This will be the future for all the retailers."

- Big data helps identifying the unknowns

Eliza Wong, co-founder and co-CEO of MaLogic Holdings Ltd, agreed that big data these days help retailers understand who to target, where to expand, how to promote and what IP to license. She pointed out that, in particular, big data helps uncover new information. "From big data, we learned that men in Xinjiang like to buy bikinis for their girlfriends, while friends comprise one in four toy buyers, in addition to parents, grandparents and self-users," she said. "Interestingly, there's a forever-young group in their 50s who love buying toys."

Mr Wong added that big data could supplement CRM (customer relationship management) and help identify and reach untapped customers. "For example, a customer bought a four-year-old boy a pair of size 4 shoes, and never came to the shop again. After locating that customer, CRM could send out a message and offer a free pair size 7 shoes within two hours. The customer may then go to the shop for the free pair of shoes," which she said would be the responsibility of frontline sales to persuade customers to buy more. She said that big data can also help evaluate an IP, noting that the Hollywood blockbuster movie Iron Man serves as an effective example for analyzing big data, which suggested using a tycoon and a beautiful actress as leading roles would be the formula for box office success.

- Understanding the pros and cons of IP

Marilu Corpus, CEO, Click! Licensing Asia, Inc, who has been in the licensing industry for more than 30 years, reminded industry players to understand the objectives and benefits as well as the cost of obtaining an intellectual property (IP). While licensed toy products add value compared to regular toys and raises the retailer's credibility, she said that it was equally important to understand the sustainability and market potential of the IP.

Ms Corpus recommended that industry players study the market, the strengths and weaknesses of the IP as well as its potential competitors. "Do the maths," she added, noting that the cost of the IP, which includes royalty fees (ranging from 10-20 percent of the FOB), advances and minimum guarantees, should not be ignored.

Upon selection of the IP, Ms Corpus said issues such as market support (proper style guide including packaging) from the IP owner, the agreement period (sale period and markets) and the granting of rights (product categories and distribution channels) should all be considered in detail.

- HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair
Edition: 44th
No of Exhibitors: 2,100 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions
Fair Websites: hktoyfair.hktdc.com
Product Highlights: Click here http://bit.ly/2CeSvxd

- HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair
Edition: 9th
No of Exhibitors: Over 580 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions
Fair Websites: hkbabyfair.hktdc.com
Product Highlights: Click here http://bit.ly/2CxQgJy

- Hong Kong International Stationery Fair
Edition: 18th
No of Exhibitors: Some 260 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions
Fair Websites: www.hkstationeryfair.com
Product Highlights: Click here http://bit.ly/2iZDyVI

Photo download: http://bit.ly/2mlmzRJ

About HKTDC

Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council

Contact:
HKTDC
Communications & Public Affairs Department
Sam Ho
Tel: +852 2584 4569
Email: sam.sy.ho@hktdc.org

Katherine Chan
Tel: +852 2584 4537
Email: katherine.cm.chan@hktdc.org

WARC Media Awards logo

jury chair Charlie Chappell

judge Dominique Touchaud

Grand Prix campaign

Channel 4 wins Grand Prix. Extra Gum and OMO win Golds

LONDON, Jan 10, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Eleven campaigns for brands including Ariel, Channel 4, Extra Gum, Fanta, Ford, and Gillette, are winners of the Effective Channel Integration category of the global WARC Media Awards 2017, recognising communications planning which has made a positive impact on business results.

One Grand Prix, two Golds, three Silvers and five Bronzes as well as three Special Awards for particular areas of expertise, have been awarded in the Effective Channel Integration category, which sets out to show how sophisticated communications architecture helped boost campaign effectiveness.

UK broadcaster Channel 4's promotion and coverage of the 2016 Rio Paralympics through the inspirational campaign 'Media that can!' (aka 'We're The Superhumans') has won the Grand Prix.

As the official UK broadcaster of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, Channel 4 needed an integrated promotional campaign that would create a groundswell of support.

The marketing focus offered the opportunity to start a conversation about disability and to change public attitudes towards it.

Agencies OMD and 4creative created Channel 4's most accessible campaign, pushing media partnerships to their limit and a smart cross-platform video strategy, from Facebook AI technology delivering Facebook ads for those with sight loss to audio-enabled posters and a Snapchat filter used by over 250,000 young British people.

The inclusive campaign got one in every two British people tuning into Paralympic sports, and is studied in UK schools as an example of best-in-class diversity marketing as well as used by the United Nations as part of an international initiative for persons with disability.

Commenting on the Grand Prix winner, jury member Dominique Touchaud, Global Brand Strategist & Associate Brand Director, Procter & Gamble, said: "It created emotions beyond results that even surpassed the London 2012 'Meet The Superhumans' campaign that had already set such a high standard. From a media strategy standpoint, I truly appreciate how they thought of the context (focused on the parathletes' disability) to pick up the media and design the creative."

One Gold has been awarded to Energy BBDO, United States, for 'Unwrapping a love story' for Mars Wrigley's Extra Gum, which accelerated its growth in the US by building emotional equity through a short film.

The second Gold went to FP7/DXB, UAE, for 'The dullest ad in history for the least active kids in history' a provocative campaign about the importance of outdoor play for children created for Unilever's laundry detergent brand OMO to increase sales in the Middle East.

Commenting on the winners, jury chair Charlie Chappell, Head of Media at The Hershey Company said, "This diverse selection of winners from across the globe represents the most effective channel integration strategies that we have ever seen through the WARC awards. These campaigns are paving the way for the future and continue to drive change and conversation across the media landscape."

The winners of Effective Channel Integration category are:

Grand Prix

- Media that can! - Channel 4 - OMD, 4creative - United Kingdom + Cross-Channel Measurement Special Award

Gold

- The dullest ad in history for the least active kids in history - OMO - Unilever - FP7/ - United Arab Emirates + POE Special Award
- Unwrapping a love story - Extra Gum - Mars Wrigley - Energy BBDO - United States

Silver

- Made Possible By Melbourne - University of Melbourne - McCann Melbourne - Australia
- Fanta Relaunch - Fanta - Coca-Cola Company - UM Sydney, Ogilvy - Australia, New Zealand
- The Bic 4 Colour Champenships - Bic - McCann Melbourne - Australia, New Zealand

Bronze

- Using integration to win the game of snakes and ladders - Ford KA+ - Ford - GTB - Europe + Path-to-Purchase Special Award
- Finding the Party-Tray People - HORMEL Gatherings (R) Party Trays - Hormel Foods - Barefoot Proximity - United States
- Bachelor of Shaving - Gillette India - Procter & Gamble - MediaCom Communications India - India
- The Great "Hand Me Up" - Ariel - Procter & Gamble - Mediacom Connections Israel, Stern Ariely Communication - Israel
- Declaration Descendants - Ancestry - Droga5 - North America

To see the winning case studies in the Effective Channel Integration or for more information on the global WARC Media Awards please view at https://www.warc.com/mediaawards.prize.

The winners of the Effective Use of Tech, Effective Use of Partnerships & Sponsorships and Best Use of Data categories will be announced shortly.

WARC will be holding a free-to-attend 'Lessons from the WARC Media Awards' event in London on 6 February, where attendees can hear from winners and judges. Register at content.warc.com/warc-event-lessons-from-the-warc-media-awards-registration to attend.

About WARC

- your global authority on advertising and media effectiveness

warc.com is an online service offering advertising best practice, evidence and insights from the world's leading brands. WARC helps clients grow their businesses by using proven approaches to maximise advertising effectiveness. WARC's clients include the world's largest advertising and media agencies, research companies, universities and advertisers.

WARC hosts four global and two regional case study competitions: WARC Awards, WARC Innovation Awards, WARC Media Awards, The Admap prize, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy and WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.

WARC also publishes leading journals including Admap, Market Leader, the Journal of Advertising Research and the International Journal of Market Research. In addition to its own content, WARC features advertising case studies and best practices from more than 50 respected industry sources, including: ARF, Effies, Cannes Lions, ESOMAR and IPA.

Founded in 1985, WARC is privately owned and has offices in the UK, U.S. and Singapore.

CES 2018, Las Vegas, Jan 10, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Trillium Secure, Inc., the global leader in automotive cybersecurity technology, today launched its European Operations & Development Center in Brno, Czech Republic. With the new facility joining US and Asian centers to provide global coverage, Trillium is now capable of providing real-time global protection for the millions of commercial, public and private vehicles to be serviced by its SecureIoT C-SaaS platform.

Trillium develops and deploys security patches and counter measures in real-time as threats unfold. The Czech Republic location joins centers in Silicon Valley, Detroit, Ho Chi Min City and Tokyo in providing a seamless, manned and AI-enabled security monitoring and threat response.

"Trillium's new European facility in Brno completes the time zones circling the globe, allowing us to provide true world-wide security threat monitoring and response, anywhere our subscribers are and whenever a new threat is identified. This is unique in the marketplace, and comes at a time when automotive OEM need to protect their vehicles from cyber threat, for the 12-15 year life-cycle of the vehicle.

"Trillium now provides the security technology and business model to dramatically reduce car manufacturer liability, and transform a considerable financial cost to the car maker into a compelling profit center," said David Uze, Trillium CEO.

Trillium is at CES 2018. Please contact ces@trilliumcyber.com to schedule an appointment.

About Trillium Secure, Inc.
Trillium Secure, Inc. is the world's largest independent automotive IoT cybersecurity provider. Trillium's multi-layered offering includes lightweight encryption, authentication, cryptographic key management, IDS/IPS and secure over-the-air software update technology. The company operates design and fleet security operation centers in Silicon Valley, Detroit, Brno (CZ), Ho Chi Min City and Tokyo. For further information, please visit www.trilliumcyber.com.

Trillium Secure, Inc. products are marketed under the Trillium, SecureIoT, SecureCAR, SecureIXS, SecureOTA, and SecureSKYE trademarks.

(L) Ikuo Kabashima, governor of Kumamon and (R) Noda, ADK content director announces the latest commercial projects of Kumamon with Asatsu-DK at a press conference during the show.

HONG KONG, Jan 10, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Organised by HKTDC, the 16th Hong Kong International Licensing Show, the world's second-largest and Asia's largest event of its kind, drew to a successful close today. The three-day fair (8-10 January) attracted a record of more than 22,000 visitors from about 100 countries and regions. The seventh Asian Licensing Conference (8-9 January), featuring around 30 speakers from renowned brands global licensing experts, drew more than 1,500 attendees.

- Blossoming licensing development leads to opportunities

"The flourishing global licensing industry provides endless opportunities for all industries," said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Raymond Yip. "Asia is the world's third-largest licensing market as well as the region with the fastest growth, having increased 8.8 per cent over last year, an amount twice that of the global average growth rate.

The Chinese mainland is the second-largest licensing market in Asia. With an only 5.5 USD per-capita sales of licensed merchandise in 2016, the Chinese mainland is set to have huge potential for growth of the licensing market. Many of the world's top licensing agents and brands leverage Hong Kong to enter the mainland market. As an important gateway to the Chinese mainland with a comprehensive set of intellectual property rights protection laws and global talent, Hong Kong is Asia's licensing hub."

Charles Riotto, President of Licensing Industry Merchandiser's Association, said: "The Chinese mainland licensing market is booming. I anticipate that it will surpass Japan to become Asia's largest licensing market by 2020." Therefore, the Chinese mainland is a market not to be overlooked.

- Top Global Players convene in Asia's Licensing Hub

Jack Yew, VP Location Based Experiences Asia, Viacom International Media Networks, said: "We have been exploring business opportunities in Asia which is the fasting-growing regional market led by Chinese mainland. Over recent years, Chinese mainland has been developing its local tourism sector which embraces foreign IPs entering into its location-based market."

Janice Ross, Business Development & Head of Global Licensing, American Greetings said, "Care Bear has just celebrated its 35th Anniversary in 2017, and we have been receiving tremendous support from consumers in Asia. Hong Kong has always been the window of Chinese mainland to the world, hence Care Bear's licensing agents have participated in the show several times and they were able to build business relationships here at the show."

- Debut Meet with VIP Buyers sessions

To create more efficient connections between exhibitors and buyers, the Meet with VIP Buyers sessions, where VIP buyers introduced their licensing business and intent of collaboration, debuted at this year's show. Participating VIP buyers included Xiaomi, JD.com and Kidswant from the Chinese mainland, Jollibee from the Philippines, and Sunway Group from Malaysia.

"As an e-commerce platform, we understand the importance of intellectual property," said VIP buyer Galen Gao, Jing Ji Circle Agency Leader, JD.com. "JD.com has established the IP platform Jing Ji Circle to combine both e-commerce and licensing. The Licensing Show features a wide range of brands, making it the ideal platform for us to meet with potential business partners."

- Licensing to leverage on opportunities in the Greater Bay Area

China's Ministry of Culture led the largest-ever exhibitor group to the Licensing Show, they also organised the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong Cultural Industry Cooperation Forum, which aims to strengthen cooperation among mainland, Hong Kong and Macau's licensing enterprises. This will help the licensing and IP trading industries to flourish in the three jurisdictions, as well as help open overseas licensing markets to Greater Bay Area enterprises.

- China to Boost Digital Licensing Business

First-time exhibitor Shanghai Suntree Cultural Creativity's President Tony said: "We have produced 2D and 3D animation clips and comics being released via WeChat, Weibo and other platforms. Such contents would help grow our businesses in developing related products and licensed products."

"Starting as a facility provider for theme parks, Fantawild Group went on to produce movies and then run our own theme parks. After more than a decade of effort, the group has become an animation studio strong at original contents as well as a one stop enterprise covering every segment of the industry, including movies, animation and comic products," said Shang Lin Lin Senior Vice President, Fantawild Group, whose company was an exhibitor and herself a speaker for the Asian Licensing Conference.

- Mobile game Acid Rain sets sight beyond Hong Kong

"By participating in the Hong Kong International Licensing Show, Asia's top event of its kind, we hope to meet with potential licensees," said exhibitor Kit Lau, who is the author and IP holder of Acid Rain. "Acid Rain's story was created with the aim of designing new toys. Later, I decided to develop the story into a mobile game. I met Aither Entertainment Ltd by chance. We thought the brand's story and toys could be developed into a full-fledged intellectual property and thus began our partnership. Aither Entertainment Ltd became Acid Rain's authorised agent. As a Hong Kong creation, we are confident that Acid Rain can go beyond the local market."

- Hong Kong Tramways' brand showcases local creative force

With more than a hundred years of history, Hong Kong Tramways was looking to expand to other markets, said exhibitor Stanley Yeung, CEO, Brands United Ltd, which became the brand's agent. "Hong Kong Tramways possesses a sense of nostalgia and forms part of Hong Kong people's collective memory. As this year's Licensing Show spotlighted Hong Kong creative force, I invited three local illustrators to create display items themed around Hong Kong Tramways. There were many visitors and new overseas buyers at the show this year. We met an electrical appliances manufacturer who was very keen to partner with local brands to develop licensed products. We are pleased with the results at the show."

- Concurrent events to enrich the Licensing Show

The Asian Licensing Conference 2018 shed insights on the latest trends in the licensing industry, ranging from location-based entertainment, corporate branding, to legal and operational tactics.

A Japanese delegation led by the Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, Ikuo Kabashima, has organised apres conference. It has attracted a group of audience who were interested in the latest brand development of the iconic Japanese brand Kumamon.

The HKTDC arranged several overseas buying missions, including Chinese mainland and overseas delegations. Over 600 business-matching meetings were arranged. During the show, the Asian Licensing Association staged the Hong Kong Licensing Awards 2017, with several brands of Licensing Show exhibitors among the awardees, including Bodhi & Friends, SHIBE and Oki Kiki.

Hong Kong International Licensing Show www.hktdc.com/fair/hklicensingshow-en
Asian Licensing Conference www.hktdc.com/fair/alc-en
Photo download: http://bit.ly/2AKQZBi

About HKTDC

Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council

Contact:
HKTDC
Communications and Public Affairs Department
Sunny Ng
Tel: +852 2584 4357
Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org

Christine Kam
Tel: +852 2584 4514
Email: christine.kam@hktdc.org

Paves Road for Transformation and Enhancement of Wood Optimization Industry

HONG KONG, Jan 10, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - China Wood Optimization (Holding) Limited ("China Wood Optimization" or the "Group," HKEX stock code: 1885), an advanced new technology group engaged in the processing, manufacturing and sales of Processed Wood Products and a self-developed Wood Processing Procedure Service, is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hebei AMS Wood Processing Co., Ltd. ("Hebei AMS"), was awarded the 2017 State Science and Technology Improvement Award (Second Class) on 8 January 2018. The Award represents a very high recognition of the Group's capability for research and development, and marketization of the technical application of its wood products.

The Group was awarded in respect of the "Material Modification and Functionalization Technology Based on the Modification of Wood Cell". The project focuses on solving various issues of wood products harvested from man-made forest, such as having low density, low strength, easily deformable and easily decayed. Through changing the cellular wall molecular structure and transforming the microscopic cell-piled structure, properties of these wood products can be significantly improved, thereby achieving the goal of transforming low-quality wood products from man-made forests to high-quality and high-value wood products.

The State Science and Technology Improvement Award is one of the five national science and technology progress awards established by the State Council, which is a recognition of the creative contributions, technological research, technological development, technological innovation, application and popularization of advanced scientific and technological achievements, as well as the accomplishment of major scientific and technological projects and plans by Chinese citizens and Chinese organizations. The award presentation ceremony was held in the Great Hall of the People and is amongst the highest standards of award ceremonies held by the Chinese Government in the science and technology field. Several state leaders including Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Zhang Gaoli and Wang Huning, attended the ceremony and presented awards to the winners.

Ms. Yim Tsun, Chairlady of China Wood Optimization, said, "Being awarded The National Science and Technology Progress Award (Second Class) marks an important milestone for China Wood Optimization in creating new horizons in the field of modern wood optimization industry, as well as a combination of the Group's scientific research capacity and industry influence. The Board believes that this award will encourage the Group to continue achieving its goal to be a world-leading environmental friendly production enterprise and to become a leading corporation in the wood optimization industry."

About China Wood Optimization (Holding) Limited (stock code: 1885)
The Group is principally engaged in the processing, manufacturing and sales of processed wood products, as well as providing a Wood Processing Procedure Service for customers with a self-developed wood processing procedure and a self-developed impregnation fluid. The Group's processed wood products include the less-shaved Processed Wood Panels. The Group's wood processing procedure can improve the hardness, shrinkage and swelling rate, density, deformation resistance, cracking resistance, anti-corrosiveness, bending strength and elasticity of poplar wood. Its processed wood products can be used as substitutes of natural solid woods. The Group's products are widely used to make furniture and indoor furnishing materials. Customers of the Group mainly include manufacturers of floor planks, furniture, doors and window frames and wholesalers of wooden panels. The Group successfully transferred listing from the GEM to Main Board in September 2016.For details, please refer to http://www.chinawood.com.hk/

Media Enquiry:
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Veron Ng +852 2864 4831 veron.ng@sprg.com.hk
Jessica Siu +852 2114 2820 jessica.siu@sprg.com.hk
Fiona Wang +852 2864 4861 fiona.wang@sprg.com.hk
www.sprg.com.hk

3E-A18

3E-D18

- 3E Robotics Concept demonstrates Honda's vision of a society where robotics and AI can assist people and expand their potential
- Mobile Power Pack World showcases range of utility, accessibility and convenience of a renewable energy solution
- Each technology theme seeks to foster collaboration with partners
- Technology demonstrations at Honda's CES booth (LVCC, North Hall - 7923), January 9-12, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan 11, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda introduced its new 3E (Empower, Experience, Empathy) Robotics Concept at CES 2018, demonstrating a range of experimental technologies engineered to understand people's needs and make their lives better. Through a suite of robotic concepts expressing a variety of functions and designs, Honda shared its vision of a society where robotics and AI can assist people in many situations such as disaster recovery, recreation and learning from human interaction to become more helpful and empathetic.

Honda's 3E Robotics Concept is part of the company's core areas of focus at CES 2018: robotics, mobility, and energy management. Honda intends to pursue these areas through its "open innovation" approach, developing technology themes that foster collaboration with partners who share Honda's vision. Rather than stand-alone devices that work independently, Honda envisions robotics as multiple devices that work together as a system, enabling people to expand their life's potential.

At CES 2018, Honda is also showcasing Mobile Power Pack World, featuring the broad application of a swappable, rechargeable battery pack and exchanger system that allows for easy storage of excess renewable energy. From powering vehicles to running home appliances, the system provides a flexible energy solution that can improve people's lives, especially in regions where the energy supply may be unstable.

"Honda views robotics not as something in conflict with people, but as an opportunity to expand their potential," said Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, president & CEO of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. "We have entered an era when robotics will become increasingly visible and essential in our everyday lives and have the ability to unlock human potential."

3E - Empower

"Empower" represents Honda's concept that robotics and people can work together while leveraging each other's strengths. Honda demonstrated this idea through the 3E-D18, an autonomous off-road workhorse device utilizing AI to support people in a broad range of work activities. Designed by Honda R&D Americas, 3E-D18 is outfitted with an electric-powered drivetrain and can accommodate a multitude of attachments, bringing efficiencies and increasing safety for public, commercial, and consumer enterprises, including search and rescue, fire fighting, construction, and agriculture. The 3E-D18 concept has the potential to minimize human exposure to dangerous environments and can perform time-consuming chores or mundane tasks.

Based on Honda's ATV chassis, which has a 30-year history of accessing hard-to-reach locations, 3E-D18 is equipped with four-wheel drive and aggressive, virtually indestructible airless tires, enabling it to climb almost any obstacle. The 3E-D18 concept features GPS and sensor-based autonomy, which are capable of guiding the unit in almost any environment. Its small size makes it super maneuverable and perfect for a variety of environments.

Honda also displayed 3E-B18, a robotics device designed for casual use in indoor or outdoor spaces, empowering people to be mobile in a variety of situations. With additional attachments, the 3E-B18 platform can be used to support people with their daily activities such as a baggage cart or a stroller. Its compact size and ability to turn in a small radius enable it to navigate in tight spaces, while the height-adjustable seating features a function to maintain a level seat even when it is driven uphill or downhill. 3E-B18's narrow footprint allows it to maneuver as flexibly as a pedestrian so that it can be used in many locations.

For 3E-B18, Honda envisions a base platform powered by Honda's Mobile Power Pack that can be outfitted with AI sensors for autonomous operation, and that connects with several attachments to create a range of use scenarios.

3E - Experience

"Experience" represents the idea that people and robotic devices grow together by interacting with each other, becoming even more useful for people and society as a whole. This concept is demonstrated in 3E-C18, a small-sized electric robotics device created to serve as a mobile platform supporting the activities of entrepreneurs, artists, and others who are seeking new ways to create value for society. The AI-enabled platform can learn by observing how people act and operate autonomously. The cart-like platform offers carrying spaces and a canopy combined with a compact-sized vehicle body base, which has a driving function.

In addition to being able to accommodate various add-ons for both personal and commercial use, the base platform of the 3E-C18 concept can also be equipped with a Mobile Power Pack, which will free the robot from any restrictions related to charging time.

3E - Empathy

"Empathy" represents the concept that robotics devices have compassion toward and can achieve a mutual empathy with people while providing support for human activities. To realize this concept, Honda has applied AI to its 3E-A18 device, which enables the robot to communicate and cooperate with people.

Developed to seamlessly support people in their everyday lives, 3E-A18 can serve as a guide at places such as airports or shopping malls where many people gather. The 3E-A18 concept is capable of offering information and care by understanding the individual needs of people and analyzing their surroundings and expressions.

Recognizing many people experience the need for comfort when placed in stressful situations, as exemplified by the wide-spread use of service animals, 3E-A18 is designed with a soft exterior skin that invites people to touch or hug the robot. 3E-A18 can communicate a range of facial expressions that are simple and easy-to-understand, facilitating friendly and comfortable communication between people and robots.

Equipped with an omni-directional driving wheel, the 3E-A18 concept is able to move in any direction.

Mobile Power Pack World

The Mobile Power Pack World showcases Honda's holistic view of how a renewable energy source can be applied to power small-sized electric mobility products, digital devices, and home appliances. As generating renewable energy does not necessarily coincide with energy demand--such as wind power generation at night when demand is low--Honda envisions harnessing surplus energy and storing it in efficient, portable batteries. The Honda Mobile Power Pack is a portable, swappable, rechargeable battery that can be utilized as a power source for a variety of situations. Each Honda Mobile Power Pack has an output of 1kWh or more, and multiple Power Packs can be used simultaneously, making it possible to use the Power Pack as a power source for electric motorcycles and small-sized electric mobility products. Utilizing portable, exchangeable batteries eliminates re-charge times currently associated with electric vehicles.

When combined with the Honda Mobile Power Pack Charge & Supply -- Portable Concept charger/discharger, the Mobile Power Pack can be utilized as a power source for recreational activities or during an emergency. The charger/discharger not only charges the Mobile Power Pack, but also utilizes it as a power source for connected electrical devices. Equipped with wheels, the portable Mobile Power Pack Charge & Supply Portable Concept is easy to carry around, and is waterproof and dustproof enabling it to be used in outdoor locations for recreational activities. Honda also exhibited the Mobile Power Pack Charge & Supply -- Expandable Concept, which can be used as a power source inside the home accommodating multiple electronic devices. The Mobile Power Pack communicates with other devices and can collect data regarding how it is being used and then send the data to other devices while getting recharged.

Further showcasing convenient energy solutions is the Honda Mobile Power Pack Exchanger Concept, which shows how a charging station unit can charge multiple units of the Honda Mobile Power Pack at once and supply replacement mobile power packs. Honda envisions the Exchangers being used at street-corner locations to supply replacement battery packs for people who use small-sized electric mobility products. In addition, the Exchanger can contribute to the stabilization of electricity supply by supplying electricity to the grid from the Power Packs within the station during peak electricity demand.

To show how the Mobile Power Pack connects to everyday personal mobility, Honda exhibited the PCX Electric, an all-electric scooter outfitted with Honda's unique high-output electric motor and a removable Honda Mobile Power Pack, and the Honda Mobile Power Pack 4W-Vehicle Concept, a compact and agile EV based on the Honda Pioneer 500 side-by-side. Equipped with slots for two Honda Mobile Power Packs on each side, this Zero-Emission vehicle enables more fun and less impact to the environment on various occasions, including off-road situations.

CES attendees can experience demonstrations of Honda's 3E Robotics Concept and Mobile Power Pack World at the Honda booth (LVCC, North Hall -- 7923) from January 9-12, 2018. Videos, images and more details can be found at http://world.honda.com/CES/2018/.

About Honda

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267 / NYSE:HMC / LSE:HNDA) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com.

Contact:
Honda
Media Inquiries
corporate_pr@hm.honda.co.jp
+81-3-5412-1512

- New technologies address vehicle autonomy, HD mapping, safety optics, GPS localization and driver experience enhancements
- Startup partners from Silicon Valley, New York, Canada, Europe, Israel and Singapore highlight Honda's global open innovation theme
- Tech innovators invited to meet with Honda Xcelerator representatives at CES 2018

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan 11, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Six technology startups are partnering with Honda Xcelerator at CES 2018 to demonstrate technologies that have the potential to transform mobility, focusing on challenges posed by autonomous vehicles and advanced connected cars. Honda is featuring partnerships with BRAIQ, DeepMap, DynaOptics, EXO Technologies, Tactual Labs, and WayRay at Honda's Global Innovator Showcase.

As part of Silicon Valley-based Honda Innovations, Honda Xcelerator serves as a catalyst to discover and experiment with new technologies and business concepts. Honda Xcelerator provides startups with funding for prototyping, access to a collaborative workspace, and support from Honda mentors. Focus areas for Honda Xcelerator include Artificial Intelligence, Connected Vehicles, Energy Innovation, Human Machine Interface, Industrial Innovation, Personal Mobility, and Robotics.

"With our Xcelerator partners, Honda will explore technologies that can potentially transform its future products and services, and create new business opportunities," said Honda Innovations CEO, Nick Sugimoto. "We encourage innovators who share our vision to meet with us at CES 2018."

Honda Innovations recently announced its expanded engagement of startup ecosystems in Japan, China, Detroit and Europe. Honda supports outreach to startups in key innovation hubs globally through its partnerships with incubators MassChallenge (Boston, Mass.) and Drive (Tel Aviv, Israel), and through the equity crowd funding platform OurCrowd (Jerusalem, Israel).

BRAIQ: Personalizing the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Experience
Based in New York City and partnering with Honda Xcelerator in Detroit, BRAIQ bridges the gap between human preferences and artificial intelligence so that an autonomous vehicle can learn to personalize its driving style. Equipped with BRAIQ's technology, existing interior sensors collect biometric information about passenger comfort as the vehicle travels, gathering data on acceleration, braking, steering, and more. This data is aggregated and analyzed securely in the cloud to add an essential layer of emotional intelligence on top of artificial intelligence. Honda Xcelerator and BRAIQ aim to personalize the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) experience, helping to increase passenger comfort and foster trust in automated driving technology.

DeepMap: Mapping Technology for Autonomous Vehicles
DeepMap provides precise high-definition (HD) maps and real-time localization as a service to autonomous vehicles. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., the company is building a cloud-based platform to enable creation of three-dimensional (3D) HD maps for autonomous vehicles with Level 4 and Level 5 autonomy. The technology is highly scalable and efficient because it leverages sensors on autonomous vehicle fleets - rather than rely on a survey fleet. By deploying multiple localization approaches through sensor fusion, the localization technology is resilient to sensor failures and different driving conditions. In partnership with DeepMap, Honda Xcelerator will explore solutions for automated driving safety.

DynaOptics: Free-form Optics for Road Safety
DynaOptics is a Singapore-based startup that harnesses the power of free-form optics to bring superior situational awareness and safety to roads. Customizable for different scenarios, DynaOptics' lenses perform better than conventional lenses - sometimes up to 50 percent better - on various specifications, such as low-light performance, image quality or form factor. Honda Xcelerator and DynaOptics will collaborate to increase light to camera sensors so objects will be more quickly and accurately detected and classified.

EXO Technologies: High-Accuracy GPS Localization
EXO Technologies delivers high-accuracy, low-cost GPS solutions concentrated toward smart mobility. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, EXO provides value to customers by improving in-car navigation and turn-by-turn directions, as well as providing precise positioning for connected and autonomous vehicle applications. The collaboration between Honda Xcelerator and EXO seeks to improve the accuracy of GPS localization by an order of magnitude without any additional hardware or terrestrial base stations.

Tactual Labs: Real-time Human Body Pose Sensing
Tactual Labs surrounds every surface with real-time human body pose sensing. Born from University of Toronto researchers in human-computer interaction, Tactual's PRISMa technology wraps a free-form object in accurate in-air, skeletal, and contact sensing that can "see" - and with Tactual's software--can reconstruct the human hand and body in 3D. With Tactual Labs, Honda Xcelerator will aim to facilitate new user interface (UI) interactions and a greater awareness of human intent. Tactual solutions will provide drivers and motorcycle riders with superior convenience and safety by delivering increased functionality without the need for the user to "look" for controls or remove hands from the steering wheel or handlebars.

WayRay: Holographic AR Navigation System for Advanced Connected Cars
WayRay is a Swiss developer of a holographic augmented reality (AR) navigation system for advanced connected cars. WayRay's innovative use of holographic optical elements keeps the system far more compact than traditional mirror and lens technology, and allows for a high-resolution projection directly in front of the driver. Using a transparent holographic display allows drivers to stay fully focused on the road. The system uses AR to display real-time indicators for detection of road obstacles and pedestrians, displaying points of interest or alerting the driver to hazards. Honda Xcelerator and WayRay will explore solutions to miniaturize AR head up display (HUD) optics, allowing deployment in smaller vehicles and improving performance.
Honda Xcelerator's objective is to find unique, game-changing technology innovators to facilitate the creation of proof of concept prototypes and potential future opportunities with Honda development teams across Honda's portfolio of products. Startups and entrepreneurs are invited to meet with Honda Xcelerator representatives at Honda's booth (LVCC, North Hall - 7923) from January 9-12, 2018. To learn more about Honda's presence at CES 2018, visit http://world.honda.com/CES/2018/.

About Honda

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267 / NYSE:HMC / LSE:HNDA) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com.

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