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Asia Allied Infrastructure Joins Hands with Top Spring International

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Strategic Collaboration to Advance Property Business in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Mar 7, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited ("AAI") (stock code: 00711) and Top Spring International Holdings Limited ("Top Spring") (stock code: 03688) are pleased to jointly announce that the two entities are entering into a long-term collaboration to develop property business in Hong Kong, with the first kick-off project being a low-density premium residential property project (the "Project") located at Waterloo Road in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.

Riding on AAI's experience in property development, construction and project management in Hong Kong, and Top Spring's diverse capabilities in developing residential and premium property projects across the PRC, the collaboration will seek to capture the lucrative opportunities associated with the Hong Kong property market in the coming years.

Mr. Dominic Pang, Chairman of AAI, said, "We believe the collaboration with Top Spring will advance AAI's expansion in the Hong Kong property market. Given the positive market sentiments and consistently high local demand, we are confident that the Waterloo Road project will serve as a good starting point of our collaboration."

Mr. Wong Chun Hong, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Top Spring, said, "We are excited to be cooperating with AAI on the Waterloo Road premium residential project, and we will be looking forward to more collaborations in future riding on the experience and expertise of both sides."

Banking facilities of approximately HK$935 million has been granted to the joint venture company running the Project, demonstrating the banking community's support to AAI and Top Spring. The funds will be used mainly for relevant development works related to the Project.

Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited (stock code: 00711.HK)
Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited ("AAI") is listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 00711. It is engaged in various businesses including construction engineering and management, project consultancy, property development, security services and property management, tunnel management, safe deposit box services, construction finance and investment, online procurement of construction materials, etc. With Hong Kong as its business development base, AAI is also exploring development opportunities with Asia as the main focus, as well as in overseas markets. Its subsidiary "Chun Wo" is a renowned construction contractor and property developer in Hong Kong, which enables AAI to capitalise on that company's solid construction experience and professional capabilities to seize the opportunities for infrastructure development in countries along the "Belt and Road" initiative, and, ultimately, to increase overall profitability and create higher investment value. For details, please refer to the company website: http://www.asiaalliedgroup.com

Top Spring International Holdings Limited (stock code: 03688.HK)
Top Spring International Holdings Limited ("Top Spring") is a real estate property developer in the PRC, specializing in the development and operation of urban mixed-use communities and the development and sale of residential properties in the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta, the Central China, the Beijing-Tianjin and the Chengdu-Chongqing regions in the PRC. As at 30 June 2017, the Group had a total of 23 projects over 13 cities in various stages of development totaling an estimated net saleable/ leasable GFA of approximately 2,515,267 sq.m. For details, please refer to the company website: http://www.topspring.com

For press enquiries:
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Joanne Lam (852) 2864 4816 joanne.lam@sprg.com.hk
Cindy Lung (852) 2864 4867 cindy.lung@sprg.com.hk
Jenny Lam (852) 2864 4883 jennysy.lam@sprg.com.hk


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Fujitsu Develops Data Processing Architecture "Dracena," Can Reconfigure Content within IoT Data Processing Stream

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TOKYO, Mar 7, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. today announced the development of Dracena (Dynamically Reconfigurable Asynchronous Consistent EveNt-processing Architecture), a stream processing architecture that can add or change content while processing large volumes of IoT data, without stopping.

With recent advances in IoT technologies, it is expected that many real-time services will be created to utilize the large volumes of data flowing into the cloud from various devices across factories, homes, and social infrastructure. In the progression towards autonomous driving with connected cars, researchers are considering the analysis of the vast amounts of information, such as speed and location, generated from vehicles, which can then be presented to drivers, in the form of warnings, for example.

Stream processing technology, which is effective in the high-speed processing of these sorts of huge volumes of data, has issues in that, because processing must be temporarily stopped when changing or adding processing content according to additions or improvements to services, the provision of services can be delayed.

Now, Fujitsu has developed a new stream processing architecture that automatically switches to a newly provided data processing program when a parallelized data processing job has been completed, by separating stream processing into data reception processing and actual data processing so that data reception processing and current data processing are not stopped (patent pending). As a result, in a simulation of the reception of a few dozen bytes of data per second from one million vehicles, Fujitsu has confirmed that this architecture is able to continue processing streaming data while adding or changing processing programs, with an average delay increase volumes of five milliseconds or less.

Fujitsu Laboratories is looking to commercialize this technology during fiscal 2018 on the Mobility IoT Platform, offered by Fujitsu Limited, and extend it to other industry areas.

Details of this technology were presented at DEIM2018 (the Forum on Data Engineering and Information Management), a conference being held in Awara, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, from March 4.

Development Background

With the recent development of IoT technologies, data has begun to be gathered from all sorts of objects and collected in datacenters, and it is expected that by analyzing and utilizing this, a variety of new services will be created. In the case of connected cars, for example, it is thought that by collecting, analyzing, and utilizing data from automobiles in real time, it will be possible to relieve congestion, assist drivers, and improve the safety of autonomous driving (figure 1).

Issues

In order to rapidly process data, such as speed and location, that are generated on a second-to-second basis by huge numbers of cars in motion, the most effective method is to construct a system that uses stream processing to process data in parallel, such as on a car-by-car basis. In order to add to or change the processing program according to service additions and improvements, the current method involves preparing two systems of the same scale in advance, using one for operations, making changes to the other one, and then quickly swapping them out. This method required both systems to be temporarily stopped, however, while the data, such as the speed or position of a car, held in the memory of the system in use, was copied over to the revised system. This made it difficult to produce services that required truly continuous operations, such as the real-time transmission of warnings to connected cars.

In addition, because new processing programs were obtained from the database, known as a repository, congestion resulted with the numerous queries from large volumes of processing units, delaying overall processing.

Details of the Newly Developed Technology

Now, Fujitsu Laboratories has developed Dracena, an architecture that can modify the processing programs of a system while it is operating, without halting operations.

With this technology, when changing or adding data processing contents, this architecture distributes the new data processing program as a message, in the same way data is distributed, to each individual processing unit, called an object, such as the processing unit for each car. This eliminates the impact on overall processing speed due to the concentration of queries on the repository. Moreover, by separating intra-object message reception processing and data processing in this architecture, the system is able to add in the new data processing program without stopping the message reception processing or the existing data processing, and then have all objects change over to the new data processing program with the same timing. This has enabled Fujitsu Laboratories to create a stream processing architecture in which the data processing program can be added to or changed without stopping, in order to continue parallelized processing without holding back the flow of huge volumes of data for copying.

Effects

The results of a simulated evaluation confirmed that, in a use case in which a few dozen bytes of data are transmitted once each second from one million vehicles, this architecture was capable of continuously providing services when adding a sudden-braking detection service in a situation where the system was already providing a service to detect excessive driving times, with an average delay increase volume of five milliseconds or less. This architecture will enable the rapid provision of real-time services that require uninterrupted operation and that can respond to problems occurring in society, including providing driving assistance for connected cars, supporting energy-saving usage of appliances, providing in-home health and safety monitoring, and providing travel guidance for tourists using smartphones.

Moreover, this architecture enables users to adopt a build method in which they first build a base system aimed at simple analysis and utilization, and then gradually add new services. Using this technology in the case of automobiles, for example, it would be possible to begin with a system that reads signs of drunk driving based on steering wheel operation data, and then add new services layer by layer, such as combining this with map data to detect crosswinds at tunnel exits, or combining it with image data to detect the presence of illegally parked cars, which can be expected to improve the efficiency of service development.

Future Plans

Fujitsu aims to commercialize this technology during fiscal 2018 as a constituent element of the Mobility IoT Platform offered by Fujitsu Limited. In addition, Fujitsu is looking to extend this technology beyond the mobility field to business areas that require real-time services based on data that is continually generated at a high frequency, such as providing directions to people during events or in disaster situations.

About Fujitsu Laboratories

Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Next-generation Services, Computer Servers, Networks, Electronic Devices and Advanced Materials. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/labs/en/.

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

* Please see this press release, with images, at:
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/

Contact:
Fujitsu Laboratories IoT Systems Laboratory, Software Laboratory E-mail: dracena@ml.labs.fujitsu.com Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Tel: +81-3-6252-2176 URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Fujitsu Develops Technology to Verify Blockchain Risks

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Risk detection is automatic and comprehensive to improve safety of smart contracts

TOKYO, Mar 7, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. and Fujitsu Research and Development Center Co., Ltd. today announced development of technology that can verify, in advance, risks associated with smart contracts, which are programs that automatically execute transactions on blockchain platforms. The technology also identifies relevant locations in the source code.

Blockchain technology, which was developed as the foundation for Bitcoin, is expected to have applications in a variety of fields beyond finance, including real estate and healthcare. Because smart contract risks are directly linked with business losses, however, there have been issues with improving their reliability as a system. Now, Fujitsu Laboratories and Fujitsu Research and Development Center have developed algorithms to identify risk-affected transaction sequences on Ethereum(1), a platform for executing blockchain applications, using symbolic execution technology(2). Using these algorithms, they have developed technology that is able to comprehensively detect six types of risks in smart contracts, which have the potential to be overlooked in a manual review, and can then identify the relevant locations in the source code. This technology will enable blockchain developers to rapidly develop even safer smart contracts.

Details of this technology were announced at the Blockchains and Smart Contracts Workshop 2018 (BSC 2018), an international conference that was held in Paris, France, February 26-28.

Development Background

Blockchain technology can ensure that, even without a trusted third-party intermediary, data has not been altered, and is expected to have applications not only in the field of finance, but also in securities management, real estate registration, healthcare, and electronic government.

Blockchain offers functionality known as smart contracts, in which a contract can be automatically formed in the system, and by using these, contacts can be checked and executed automatically. Because smart contracts are copied to multiple locations and executed in a distributed manner, once a contract has been executed, it cannot easily be stopped, and it cannot be revised even if risks are found in the smart contract. In fact, there has been an incident in which, because a smart contract to create an automatic investment trust application on a blockchain was flawed, a huge amount of capital was improperly transferred.

Issues

With Ethereum, one execution platform of blockchain application, smart contract risks are grouped into six categories, but previous technologies to detect smart contract risks in advance were unable to detect all of the different types. For source call authentication through indirect calls via multiple smart contracts lead to changes in the information in the transaction's source call due to an Ethereum specification, which can be abused to illicitly evade authentication. Previous technologies could not detect the risk as they could not trace transaction internal information.

About the Newly Developed Technology

Now, Fujitsu Laboratories and Fujitsu Research and Development Center have developed technologies to automatically detect risks in smart contracts for Ethereum that could not previously be detected, and also to identify the relevant locations in the source code.

Details of the technology are as follows:

1. Technology to detect smart contract risks using symbolic execution technology

Fujitsu Laboratories and Fujitsu Research and Development Center have now developed an algorithm to comprehensively identify bugs in the source code that might give rise to a risk of someone abusing the language specifications of Ethereum to fake the origin of a transaction call, by using symbolic execution to virtually execute transactions under a variety of circumstances according to the source code based on the sequence of improper processing up to the authentication rules set in advance, the results of a comparison with code patterns unique to Ethereum linked with fraud, and on the presence or absence of access to transaction records unique to blockchain technology. This technology provides comprehensive, highly accurate risk detection.

2. Technology to very accurately identify relevant places in source code for discovered risks

Fujitsu Laboratories and Fujitsu Research and Development Center have developed technology to identify to what part of the source code a newly discovered risk applies with high accuracy. This technology makes symbolic execution possible by deleting unused commands from a debugging execution file, appended with source-code information, that corresponds to Ethereum execution files, which makes it possible to identify source code locations that correspond to risks identified in the execution file by estimating the corresponding relationship between the execution file and the debugging execution file using information such as the types and sequence of virtually executed processing commands.

Results

Using this newly developed technology, the two companies found that where previous verification tools(3) had a detection rate of about 67%, this new technology was capable of 100% detection, excepting a few items, and that in terms of precision it achieved an accuracy rate of up to 88%, enabling both highly accurate risk detection as well as source code risk location identification. Because over-identification of risk is rare, this technology will enable more efficient smart contract development, and combined with the risk location identification technology, it is also expected to reduce the workload involved in tasks such as specification comprehension, code evaluation, and fixing the code. This technology will contribute to the efficient application of blockchain technology to a wide variety of fields.

Future Plans

Going forward, Fujitsu Laboratories will continue to develop verification technologies, not only for Ethereum, but also for Hyperledger Fabric(4), a blockchain framework implementation and one of the Hyperledger projects hosted by The Linux Foundation, with the goal of commercialization of this technology during fiscal 2018. In addition, Fujitsu Laboratories will not only continue to develop verification technology for smart contracts, but also broad technology development relating to building secure systems using blockchain.

(1) Ethereum
A primarily public-facing blockchain application execution platform. (https://www.ethereum.org/)
(2) Symbolic execution technology
Technology to thoroughly investigate the operation of a program in response to every possible variable of a value.
(3) Previous verification tools
Verification using Oyente, a smart contract analysis tool for Ethereum.
(4) Hyperledger Fabric
A blockchain framework implementation and one of the Hyperledger projects that is Intended to be a foundation for developing applications or solutions with a modular architecture. Hyperledger Fabric allows components, such as consensus and membership services, to be plug-and-play and leverages container technology to host smart contracts called "chaincode" that comprise the application logic of the system. (https://hyperledger.org/projects/fabric)

About Fujitsu Laboratories

Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Next-generation Services, Computer Servers, Networks, Electronic Devices and Advanced Materials. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/labs/en/.

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

* Please see this press release, with images, at:
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/

Contact:
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. Information Systems Technologies Laboratory E-mail: labs-bcdev-inquiry@dl.jp.fujitsu.com Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Tel: +81-3-6252-2176 URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

NEC Supplies Latest-Generation Supercomputer to Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern

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TOKYO, Mar 8, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced that NEC Deutschland GmbH has delivered an LX series supercomputer to Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern (TUK), one of Germany's leading Universities of Technology. The system will be used for High Performance Computing (HPC) applications from several scientific and engineering disciplines at TUK. Furthermore, member universities of the Alliance for High Performance Computing in Rhineland-Palatinate (AHRP) will also have access to the HPC system.

The new HPC cluster consists of 324 compute nodes totaling nearly 7,800 cores of the latest-generation Intel Skylake CPUs, and comprises a highly optimized Intel Omni-Path Interconnect architecture for low-latency, high-bandwidth communication. Additional GPGPU compute nodes equipped with the latest NVIDIA VOLTA 100 GPUs contribute to a total peak performance of the HPC cluster at approximately 700 Teraflops per second (TFlops/s).

In addition, a high-performance parallel file system is deployed based on the NEC BxFS-z Storage Appliance with approximately 1.2 Petabytes of usable storage capacity and an aggregate bandwidth of 20 Gigabytes per second (GBytes/s). The storage solution is based on the widely deployed BeeGFS parallel file system made in Germany. It is installed on top of ZFS as the underlying physical filesystem, combining the highest I/O throughput with high availability and reliability, as well as integrated and dynamically configured data integrity and redundancy.

"We are very happy to work together with NEC and jointly contribute to the research capacity of TUK as a whole. The level of NEC's understanding of our requirements, the high sustained performance and stability of NEC's HPC solution, as well as the dedication and technical competence of their team convinced us of their excellence," said Professor Dr. Nicolas Gauger, Head of TUK's Computing Center (RHRK) and Chair for Scientific Computing.

"We are very happy that TUK asked us to provide them with a major upgrade and replacement of their HPC environment. It is an honor that we have also been entrusted with an individually designed HPC solution to meet the requirements that TUK was looking to fill," said Yuichi Kojima, Vice President, HPC EMEA and Managing Director of NEC Deutschland.

About Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern

Kaiserslautern University of Technology (TUK) is a research university with an international presence. Research of the highest quality in accordance with international standards in the respective scientific disciplines lies at the very heart of TUK. The quality and strength of the whole spectrum of TUK's research are rooted in the scientific disciplines and in addressing the grand societal scientific challenges. TUK's research strategy is centered on a dynamic process of profile building and is consistent with the research initiative of the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate. The two research centers and six research units represent the university's current major scientific strongholds. TUK has strong ties with partners from all over Germany and around the world, both from academia as well as from industry.

- Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (IESE)
- German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)
- Institute for Composite Materials (IVW)
- Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI SWS)

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Fujitsu to Deliver Distance Learning for Children of Japanese Expats Working in Myanmar

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Distance education in action
Diagram of the distance education system
Providing two-way communication between teachers and students through face-to-face conversations and lesson monitoring

TOKYO, Mar 8, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced that it will be conducting field research into real-time distance learning, connecting classrooms in Japan and Myanmar over the internet, for elementary school children from Japanese families working temporarily in Myanmar on March 10-11.

This field research will consist of both a programming class and an experiment for a science class prepared in Japan. It will be conducted using Fujitsu tablets featuring the Fujitsu K-12Education Solution Learning Repository, a teaching support tool that allows children to share ideas with one another and helps teachers and children to ask one another questions. This solution will also be used alongside a video conference system that enables the students and teachers to converse and see one another.

These tools will ensure that even during distance learning that classes can proceed efficiently while children and teachers communicate both ways, facilitating natural conversation between the children in Myanmar and their teachers in Japan, and additionally enabling the teachers to monitor students' answers and the status of their work in real time on their tablets. Fujitsu is additionally offering e-Learning content using Fujitsu Education Solution Digital Learning, a platform that lets users learn from digital teaching materials anytime and anywhere so that students participating in the trial can continue with applied learning in their own homes after the classes.

Based on the results of this field research, Fujitsu will develop optimal distance learning solutions aimed at correcting gaps in education that occur in many countries, not just for families working abroad temporarily.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_FujitsuDistanceEducationAction.jpg
Distance education in action

Background

International aid organizations suggest that at present there are millions of children around the world not in school, and there are even more children who have not completed a primary education(1). A lack of suitable teaching facilities, teachers, and teaching materials has been cited as one of the reasons for this.

Now, Fujitsu is conducting a trial to provide educational opportunities for the children of Japanese expats working locally in Myanmar, where educational options are often limited for people living in the country temporarily compared with those for personnel living in Japan owing to a lack of teachers and teaching materials. Through this trial, Fujitsu aims to engage in research and development on optimal distance learning solutions aimed at addressing this educational gap.

Trial Summary

1. Trial Subjects

About 32 children (elementary school students) of Japanese expats working in Yangon, Myanmar

2. Schedule

Trial time period: March 10, 11 (Saturday and Sunday)
On both days, classes from 10:30-12:00 will take place in a classroom for science experiments, while classes from 1:00-2:30 will take place in a programming classroom.

3. Lesson subjects

a. Programming class: Programming for Beginners
(Content provided by Fujitsu Research Institute)
This lesson is aimed at developing programming fundamentals, creativity, and logical thinking skills by creating a game using the Scratch(2) programming language.

b. Science experiment: Making Air Fresheners Using Water-Absorbing Polymers
(Content provided by Eikoh Science Labo, Eikoh Inc.)
This lesson is aimed at using an experiment to develop an understanding of the hypothesis and testing cycle of the scientific method, and an understanding of the characteristics of the water-absorbing polymers used in the children's environment.

4. Field Research details

Teachers will conduct a programming class and a science experiment for the children of expats from Japan working in Myanmar using a video conferencing system and Fujitsu tablets featuring Learning Repository. The video conferencing system will facilitate natural conversations between teachers in Japan and children in Myanmar, while Learning Repository will provide real-time support for smooth classroom operation and monitoring of the status of student work. This includes allowing students to submit answers and teachers to distribute materials. In addition, the students will continue applied learning after the lessons in their own homes using e-Learning.

5. Evaluation areas
- Methods for effectively utilizing Learning Repository's communication tools, both between teachers and students and between students, in distance learning classes
- Evaluation of the local communication environment in order to provide smooth transmission of video from Japan and screen-sharing from Myanmar
- Optimal lesson content and teaching methods for distance learning
- Satisfaction of both participating children and their guardians with the lessons, and their needs for distance education going forward

6. System summary
- The Learning Repository teaching support tools, which empower students to share ideas, and teachers and students to ask and respond to questions
- The Digital Learning platform, which enables learning at any time or place using devices such as smartphones and tablets
- The Fujitsu Tablet Arrows Tab, an education-focused tablet that can be reliably used in educational environments
- A video conferencing system using cameras and screens

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_DiagramDistanceEducationSystem.jpg
Diagram of the distance education system

Future Plans

Leveraging the results of this field trial, Fujitsu not only aims to develop a distance learning platform to provide content from Japan to the children of Japanese expats working in various other countries, it aims to develop a system that can provide distance learning in any country or region to children who are not receiving sufficient education, targeting the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which is to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."

(1) 58 million children around the world not in school, and about 100 million children who have not completed a primary education
Source: EFA Global Monitoring Report 2015, UNESCO
(2) Scratch
A programming language and toolset developed by the US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

* Please see this press release, with images, at:
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/

Contact:
Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Tel: +81-3-6252-2176 URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Eisai and Purdue Pharma Announce Positive Topline Results From Key Clinical Studies of Lemborexant

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Including First-Ever Phase 3 Head-To-Head Superiority Comparison Versus Zolpidem Er in Patients With Sleep Disorder

TOKYO, Mar 8, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and Purdue Pharma L.P. today announced positive topline results from multiple studies of lemborexant, an investigational agent for sleep and wake regulation currently being studied for the treatment of multiple sleep disorders.

The Phase 3 pivotal study, SUNRISE 1, achieved its primary and key secondary objectives versus placebo and versus an active comparator (zolpidem tartrate extended release, "zolpidem ER") in patients 55 years and older with difficulty staying asleep through the night. With a robust polysomnography (PSG) data set, this was the first-ever Phase 3 study with pre-specified endpoints versus zolpidem ER, measuring the change from baseline in both sleep onset and sleep maintenance variables, including the time spent awake in the second half of the night, which is a common complaint, especially in the elderly. The study used objective PSG to determine if 5 mg and 10 mg lemborexant were superior to zolpidem ER 6.25 mg and to placebo. In this study, lemborexant had rates of discontinuation due to adverse events (AEs) comparable to placebo, with the most common AEs in the lemborexant arms being headache and somnolence. Eisai and Purdue plan to present full results of SUNRISE 1 at an upcoming medical meeting in 2018.

In addition, a Phase 1 safety study (Study 108) assessed the ability to maintain postural stability, awaken to an auditory stimulus, and perform on tests of memory and attention in the middle of the night; the postural stability and tests of memory and attention were repeated in the morning shortly after awakening.

The study also measured how quickly participants could return to sleep after being awakened. The study met its primary endpoint demonstrating that postural stability was clinically meaningfully worse for zolpidem ER 6.25 mg as compared with both treatment arms of lemborexant (5 mg and 10 mg), in healthy volunteers 55 years and older. In this study, the only AE observed in two or more people in the lemborexant arms was headache.

"As a clinician and researcher treating patients with sleep disruption issues for 30 years, for me, successful treatment means that they can both sleep well and wake well, without impairment. It's important for me to explain not only the benefits of a medication meant to help my patients fall asleep and stay asleep, but also any potential risks such as their next morning impairment," said Russell Rosenberg, PhD, D.ABSM, a Principal Investigator in lemborexant studies and former Chairman of the Board of the National Sleep Foundation. "These studies are particularly relevant to older patients for whom the ability to awaken unimpaired remains an ongoing issue."

These studies build on a growing body of knowledge regarding lemborexant, including another recently completed Phase 1 study (Study 106) that evaluated residual next morning effects via an on-road driving test, which also achieved its primary objective. This study was conducted versus placebo, with zopiclone included as a positive control, to evaluate potential next morning impairment by measuring adult and elderly participants' driving performance. In this study, the most common AEs observed in the emborexant arms were somnolence and headache. Eisai and Purdue also plan to present the results of the Phase 1 studies at the upcoming 32nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (SLEEP 2018) on June 5 in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States.

Lemborexant appears to impact an underlying reason for a patient's inability to sleep well. Lemborexant acts on the orexin neurotransmitter system and is believed to regulate sleep and wake by dampening wakefulness without impeding the ability to awaken to external stimuli.

"Our aspiration for lemborexant is to bring to patients suffering from sleep disorders a treatment for sleep and wake regulation that improves their ability to sleep through the night, but allows patients to function if they awaken during the night, or when they wake in the morning," said Lynn Kramer, MD, Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Medical Officer, Neurology Business Group, Eisai. "Knowing the unmet needs with respect to the risk of falls and motor vehicle collisions, especially among older patients, Eisai and Purdue scientists were challenged to discover a better option for treating sleep disorders."

"Our confidence in lemborexant as a potential treatment for patients living with sleep disorders is strengthened with these data," said Craig Landau, MD, President and CEO, Purdue Pharma. "We look forward to continuing to leverage our expertise in drug development and commercialization as we partner with Eisai to bring this new treatment to patients."

Discovered by Eisai, lemborexant is being jointly developed by Eisai and Purdue. Information about ongoing clinical studies is available at clinicaltrials.gov.

In addition to the studies described above, ongoing studies include a Phase 2 study for treatment of irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD) in patients with Alzheimer's disease dementia.

Through research and development on lemborexant, Eisai and Purdue Pharma are striving to fulfill unmet medical needs of patients with ISWRD and Alzheimer's disease dementia in addition to insomnia to further contribute to increasing the benefit for patients and their families.

This release discusses investigational uses of agents in development and is not intended to convey conclusions about efficacy or safety. There is no guarantee that any investigational uses of such products will successfully complete clinical development or gain health authority approval.

About lemborexant

Lemborexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist, is Eisai's in-house discovered and developed small molecule compound that inhibits orexin neurotransmission by binding competitively to the two subtypes of orexin receptors (orexin receptor 1 and 2). In individuals with sleep disorders, it is possible that the orexin system that regulates sleep and wakefulness is not functioning normally. During normal periods of sleep, orexin system activity is suppressed, suggesting it is possible to purposefully counteract inappropriate wakefulness and facilitate the initiation and maintenance of sleep by interfering with orexin neurotransmission. Therefore, Eisai and Purdue have been developing lemborexant as a treatment for multiple sleep disorders.

A Phase 2 clinical study of lemborexant in patients with irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD) and mild to moderate Alzheimer's dementia is underway.

About Sleep Disorders

Population studies show that sleep disorders affect many more people worldwide than previously thought. Insomnia disorder is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or both, despite an adequate opportunity to sleep that can lead to fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritability. Insomnia disorder is the most common sleep disorder, with persistent insomnia symptoms experienced by approximately 10%. 1,2,3 Experimental studies in animals and humans provide evidence of associations between sleep and inflammatory markers,4 and the association between sleep and mortality, as well as many diseases and disease risk factors, suggests an optimal sleep duration between seven and eight hours.5 Women are 1.4 times more likely than men to suffer from insomnia.(6)

Older adults also have higher prevalence of insomnia; aging is often accompanied by changes in sleep patterns, including disrupted sleep, frequent waking and early waking, that can lead to insomnia.(5)

The causes of insomnia involve a combination of biological, psychological and social factors.(1) The cumulative effects of poor sleep have been associated with a wide range of health consequences including an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack and stroke, as well as adverse effects on mood and behavior.(4)

About SUNRISE 1 (Study 304)

SUNRISE 1 is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, active comparator, parallel-group study of the efficacy and safety of lemborexant in approximately 1,000 patients 55 years and older (45% of all patients were aged 65 years and older) with insomnia disorder conducted in North America and Europe. In this study, patients were administered placebo or one of three treatment regimens (lemborexant 5 mg, lemborexant 10 mg, zolpidem ER 6.25 mg), and the primary endpoint was change from baseline in latency to persistent sleep of both lemborexant doses compared to placebo.

Key secondary endpoints included change from baseline in sleep efficiency for both lemborexant doses compared to placebo, wake after sleep onset (WASO) for both lemborexant doses compared to placebo, and WASO in the second half of the night (WASO2H) for both lemborexant doses compared to zolpidem ER, after one month of treatment, measured objectively by polysomnography.

About Study 108

Study 108 was a randomized, double-blind, four period crossover study to evaluate the effect of lemborexant on postural stability, auditory awakening threshold, and cognitive performance in 56 healthy volunteers 55 years and older.

Participants were administered a single dose of placebo, lemborexant 5 mg, lemborexant 10 mg, or zolpidem ER 6.25 mg. The primary endpoint was change from time-matched baseline in postural stability for lemborexant compared to zolpidem ER at approximately four hours post-dose.

About Study 106

Study 106 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled, four period, crossover study to evaluate the effect of lemborexant in 48 healthy adult and elderly volunteers to evaluate on-road driving performance. Participants were treated at bedtime with two out of three dose levels of lemborexant (2.5, 5 or 10 mg) and placebo for eight consecutive days, and zopiclone 7.5 mg as an active control on days one and eight only, with placebo given for the six days in between. The primary endpoint was to evaluate change of standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP) during an on-road driving test on the mornings following the first and last dose of drug in each treatment period.

About Purdue Pharma L.P.

Purdue Pharma L.P. is a privately held pharmaceutical company headquartered in Stamford, Conn. Purdue Pharma is part of a network of independent associated companies dedicated to providing patients and providers with innovative medicines. The company's leadership and employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers by providing quality products and educational resources that make a positive impact on healthcare -- and on lives.

For more information, please visit www.purduepharma.com.

(1) Roth T. Insomnia: definition, prevalence, etiology, and consequences. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007;3 (5 Suppl): S7-S10.
(2) Ohayon MM, Reynolds CF 3rd. Epidemiological and clinical relevance of insomnia diagnosis algorithms according to the DSM-IV and the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD). Sleep Med. 2009;10(9): 952-960.
(3) American Sleep Association. Sleep and Sleep Disorder Statistics. Accessed March 2, 2018. https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/sleep-statistics/.
(4) Ferrie JE et al. Sleep epidemiology--a rapidly growing field. International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 40, Issue 6, 1 December 2011, 1431-1437, https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/40/6/1431/804651.
(5) Trenell MI et al. Sleep and metabolic control: waking to a problem? Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2007, 34, 1-9.
(6) Avidan AY, Zee PC. (2006). Handbook of Sleep Medicine (36-69). Philadelphia, PA: Lipincot Wiliams & Wilkins.211 5s

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Eisai and Merck & Co. Enter Global Strategic Oncology Collaboration for LENVIMA

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- Companies to Jointly Develop and Commercialize LENVIMA, as Monotherapy and in Combination with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.'s KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) for Multiple Cancer Types
- Eisai Books LENVIMA Product Sales and Companies to Share Development and Marketing Costs Equally, as well as Gross Profits From LENVIMA
- LENVIMA/KEYTRUDA Combination Already Granted U.S. FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Renal Cell Carcinoma; Expanded Joint Development Program to Support 11 Additional Potential Indications Across Six Other Cancer Types
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.'s Strong Commercial Footprint and Medical Expertise, combined with Eisai's Extensive Real-World Evidence for LENVIMA, Will Expedite Patient Access Worldwide for Current and Future Potential Indications

TOKYO, Mar 8, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), today announced that the companies have agreed upon a strategic collaboration for the worldwide co-development and co-commercialization of LENVIMA (lenvatinib mesylate), an orally available tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai. Under the agreement, Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. will develop and commercialize LENVIMA jointly, both as monotherapy and in combination with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.'s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab).

Eisai will book LENVIMA product sales globally, as monotherapy and in combination, and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. and Eisai will share gross profits equally. LENVIMA is currently approved as monotherapy for use in the treatment of thyroid cancer, as well as in combination with everolimus for the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have failed previous therapy. Applications for regulatory approval of LENVIMA monotherapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma have been submitted in Japan, the United States, Europe, China and other countries.

A Phase 3 study (Study 307), sponsored by Eisai, is ongoing to evaluate separate combinations of LENVIMA with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) or LENVIMA with everolimus versus chemotherapy alone for the treatment of RCC. In January 2018, the companies announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the LENVIMA/KEYTRUDA combination in advanced and/or metastatic RCC. This was based on interim results from an ongoing Phase 1b/2 trial (Study 111/KEYNOTE-146), evaluating the combination in select solid tumors (including RCC and endometrial cancer), which provided evidence for synergistic effects on the observed overall response rate, regardless of treatment experience or PD-L1 tumor expression.

Per the agreement, the companies will also jointly initiate new clinical studies evaluating the LENVIMA/KEYTRUDA combination to support 11 potential indications in six types of cancer (endometrial cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer and melanoma), as well as a basket trial targeting multiple cancer types.

"Aiming to maximize the potential of LENVIMA and expedite the creation of innovative treatments in this age of "Cancer Evolution," we have entered into this collaboration with Merck who developed the anti-PD-1 antibody KEYTRUDA," commented Haruo Naito, Representative Corporate Officer and CEO of Eisai Co., Ltd. "By providing new treatment options including for refractory cancers with no hopes for a cure to date, we are striving to further contribute to increasing the benefits provided to patients and their families."

"Together with Eisai, we aim to maximize the value of LENVIMA for its current indications while jointly pursuing additional approvals in combination with KEYTRUDA across a wide range of cancers," said Dr. Roger M. Perlmutter, President, Merck Research Laboratories. "There is strong scientific evidence supporting synergistic effects of KEYTRUDA when used in combination with LENVIMA, and the companies have already received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. FDA for the KEYTRUDA/LENVIMA combination in renal cell carcinoma. Through this collaboration, we will both broaden our oncology portfolio and have the opportunity to help even more cancer patients around the world."

Financial Considerations

Gross profits from LENVIMA product sales globally will be shared equally by Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.. Expenses incurred during co-development, including for studies evaluating LENVIMA as monotherapy, will be shared equally by the two companies. Under the agreement, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. will pay Eisai an upfront payment of $300 million U.S. dollars and up to $650 million U.S. dollars for certain option rights through 2020 (Eisai's financial year: fiscal year ended March 2021), as well as $450 million U.S. dollars as reimbursement for research and development expenses. In addition, Eisai is eligible to receive up to $385 million U.S. dollars associated with the achievement of certain clinical and regulatory milestones and a maximum of up to $3.97 billion U.S. dollars for the achievement of milestones associated with sales of LENVIMA. Assuming the achievement of all development and commercial goals for all indications, the total amount of upfront, option and regulatory and sales milestone payments has the potential to reach up to $5.76 billion U.S. dollars.

The impact of this collaboration on Eisai's consolidated financial results has been incorporated into the Notification Regarding Revision of Consolidated Financial Results Forecasts (IFRS) for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2018 announced on March 8 (Japan).

About the Phase 1b/2 Study (Study 111/KEYNOTE-146) that Supported Breakthrough Therapy

Designation for the LENVIMA/KEYTRUDA Combination Study 111/KEYNOTE-146 is a multicenter, open-label, Phase 1b/2 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. The primary objective of the Phase 1b portion of the study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose in patients with unresectable solid tumors (endometrial cancer, melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, RCC, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and urothelial cancer) who had progressed after treatment with approved therapies or for which there are no standard effective therapies available. The initial part of Phase 2 enrolled patients with select solid tumors after previous treatment with 0-2 lines of systemic therapy (unless discussed with the sponsor) with a recommended dosage based on the results of the Phase 1b part. The primary endpoint of the initial part of Phase 2 was objective response rate (ORR) after 24 weeks of treatment, with select secondary endpoints including ORR, disease control rate, progression-free survival, and duration of response. The expansion part of Phase 2 is ongoing, and enrollment of patients is continuing in the endometrial cancer cohort.

From the results of the analysis (investigator review) of the RCC cohort 1 (n=30)1 in Study 111/KEYNOTE-146 as of March 1, 2017, the primary endpoint of the Phase 2 portion, ORR after 24 weeks of treatment (ORR Week 24) was 63 percent (95% CI, 44-80), with tumor regression observed in 93 percent (28/30) of patients since the initiation of treatment (baseline). A tumor response was observed regardless of previous treatment experience or tumor PD-L1 expression.
In this cohort, the most frequently observed adverse events (top six) were diarrhea, fatigue, hypothyroidism, stomatitis, hypertension, and nausea.

The results of the interim analysis (n=23)(2) of the endometrial cancer cohort in Study 111/KEYNOTE-146 as of December 1, 2016, indicated ORR Week 24 of 52.2 percent (95% CI, 30.6-73.2) based on independent radiologic review and 47.8 percent (95% CI, 26.8-69.4) based on investigator review. Additionally, tumor regression was observed regardless of the state of microsatellite instability (MSI). Anti-PD-1 antibodies are generally less effective in patients with low frequency of MSI, which is a biomarker for the inability to repair errors in the base sequence of DNA, or who are MSI negative.(3) In this cohort, the most frequently observed adverse events (top five) were hypertension, fatigue, arthralgia, diarrhea, and nausea.

Meanwhile, a similar Phase 1b clinical study (Study 115/KEYNOTE-523) in Japanese patients with unresectable solid tumors and a Phase 1b clinical study (Study 116/KEYNOTE-524) of the combination therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan and the United States are both underway.

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 pathway-related RTKs (including the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor PDGFRalpha; KIT; and RET) involved in tumor angiogenesis, tumor progression and modification of tumor immunity.

Currently, Eisai has obtained approval for LENVIMA as a treatment for refractory thyroid cancer in over 50 countries, including the United States, Japan, in Europe and Asia. Additionally, Eisai has obtained approval for the agent in combination with everolimus as a second-line treatment for RCC in over 40 countries, including the United States and in Europe. In Europe, the agent was launched under the brand name Kisplyx for RCC.

Furthermore, Eisai has submitted applications for an indication covering hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan (June 2017), the United States and Europe (July 2017), China (October 2017), Taiwan (December 2017) and other countries. The eight major clinical studies in progress on LENVIMA are as follows:

- A Phase 3 clinical study (Study 307) of separate combinations of LENVIMA with KEYTRUDA or LENVIMA with everolimus versus chemotherapy alone in RCC (first-line) conducted in Japan, the United States and Europe.
- A Phase 3 clinical study (Study 308) of LENVIMA in thyroid cancer being conducted in China.
- A Phase 2 clinical study (Study 215) of LENVIMA in biliary tract cancer being conducted in Japan.
- A Phase 2 clinical study (Study 209) of LENVIMA in non-small cell lung cancer with RET translocations being conducted in Japan, the United States, Europe and Asia.
- A Phase 1b/2 clinical study (Study 111/KEYNOTE-146) of LENVIMA in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in select solid tumors (RCC, endometrial cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, urothelial cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and melanoma) being conducted in the United States and European Union. Based on interim results, the combination treatment has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. FDA for the potential treatment of patients with advanced and/or metastatic RCC.
- A Phase 1b clinical study (Study 115/KEYNOTE-523) of LENVIMA in combination with KEYTRUDA in select solid tumors (RCC, endometrial cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, urothelial cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and melanoma) being conducted in Japan.
- A Phase 1b clinical study (Study 116/KEYNOTE-524) of LENVIMA in combination with KEYTRUDA in hepatocellular carcinoma being conducted in Japan and the United States.
- A Phase 1b clinical study of LENVIMA in combination with nivolumab in hepatocellular carcinoma being conducted in Japan.

(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) Makker V, et al. A phase Ib/II trial of lenvatinib (LEN) plus pembrolizumab (Pembro) in patients (Pts) with endometrial carcinoma. ASCO Meeting Abstract, 2017; #5598
(3) Dung T. Le. et al, PD-1 Blockade in Tumors with Mismatch-Repair Deficiency, The New England Journal of Medicine 372:2509-2520, 2015.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Toyota Supports 25 Para Athletes from 12 Countries at PyeongChang Paralympic Winter Games 2018

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Toyota City, Japan, Mar 8, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - At the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 that begin on March 9, Toyota Motor Corporation is supporting 25 Para athletes from 12 countries, including some that are Toyota employees, as "Team Toyota Athletes". The Paralympic Winter Games will run from March 9 through March 18.

"We are all fighting a battle with something or other, and we all know that it is very difficult to keep trying when we feel defeated already," said Akio Toyoda, president and chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation. "As such, we are touched by athletes who keep challenging their limits. I sincerely hope that all the athletes will be able to do and perform their best, and that smiles will spread from PyeongChang to rest of the world."

Athletes that are part of "Team Toyota", including those that are employees in the Toyota Group, are selected based on whether or not they share the company's core values. Toyota provides support for the athletes in one or more ways, including, but not limited to:
- Financial support: such as supplying vehicles, activity fees, sponsorships
- Technology support: such as development of equipment
- Direct employment: such as those Toyota employees competing this year

At the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, which closed on February 25, eleven athletes supported by Toyota earned a total of eight gold medals, five silver medals, and five bronze medals for their respective National Olympic Teams. These included the multiple medals earned by Ireen Wust from the Netherlands as well as Johannes Hosflot Klaebo from Norway.

Aiming to "achieve a peaceful and non-discriminatory society through sports" and to "contribute to a sustainable society through mobility," Toyota entered into an agreement with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2015 to become Worldwide Paralympic Partner. As the automotive industry faces a once-in-a-century revolutionary change, Toyota, encouraged by all of its stakeholders, starting from its own employees, aims to create an ever better mobility society that can offer all people the freedom to move.

Toyota also has agreements with the National Paralympic Committees (NPC) of 177 countries, a groundbreaking first for a Worldwide Paralympic Partner. In addition, Toyota has been asked by the IPC to help increase awareness and promote support for the Paralympics and its Para athletes through its local business operations in each country by supporting the activities of the local NPCs. Showing its commitment to the Paralympic Movement, the Toyota-IPC partnership is strengthening the capacity building with NPCs through the NPC Development Programme. Launched in 2017 by the development arm of the IPC, the Agitos Foundation, the programme seeks to enhance organization and management capacity of developing NPCs through sharing of knowledge and best practices, thereby increasing professionalism and enabling them to obtain more support from governments, corporates and developing agencies. It also offers sport technical training to athletes, coaches and officials, all of these with the ultimate aim of creating sustainable pathways for Para athletes of all levels.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

UPM one of first companies to offer copy papers with enhanced Singapore Green Label

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Helsinki, Finland, Mar 8, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - UPM is one of the first companies to offer copy paper with the Singapore Green Label logo under the enhanced Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS), which is managed by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC). The enhanced SGLS criteria was announced in January 2017, and plays a critical role in reducing the risk of another damaging haze incident in Singapore by requiring paper companies to comply with one of the toughest environmental standards in the world.

The newly certified products include:
- UPM Office Multifunction Copy Paper (70/75/80 gsm)
- UPM Yes Silver Multifunction Copy Paper (70/75/80 gsm)

The enhanced SGLS logo confirms that these products have been sustainably produced. In total, 16 pulp and paper products have been certified under the enhanced SGLS scheme.

"We are extremely happy to receive the Singapore Green Label certification," says Ian Hamilton, Area Sales Director S.E. Asia, UPM Specialty Papers, "Sustainability is increasingly high on the agenda when our customers and consumers make purchasing decisions. The Green Label helps us communicate UPM's commitment to systematically maintaining and increasing forest biodiversity as well as to promoting sustainable forestry and wood sourcing," Ian Hamilton continues.

Ms Jen Teo, Executive Director of SEC said consumers should purchase responsibly and that SEC has given its highest assurance with the enhanced Singapore Green Label for pulp and paper products.

"SEC has professionally audited UPM to the highest standards; in addition to forest management we have looked at village welfare, fire and peatland management. This in turn enables each consumer to choose assured green labelled products as part of climate action efforts to reduce burning of forests, haze and terrestrial carbon," Teo said.

"The Singapore Green Label is a symbol of sustainable manufacturing and good environmental practice. Consumers should reward companies for being responsible," Teo adds.

To achieve certification, applicants undergo a detailed audit and evaluation of their entire product supply chain - from the sourcing and manufacturing right through to the distribution and sale of their pulp and paper products. Certified products are subject to an annual audit as well as periodic ground surveillance to ensure compliance.

UPM is a recognized industry-leader in sustainability

UPM's progressive approach to sustainability has been widely recognized. Since 2016 UPM has been a member of UN Global Compact LEAD, which is a unique leadership platform within the UN Global Compact that strongly promotes the integration of sustainability into business strategies. UPM has also been recognized as a forest and paper industry leader in the Dow Jones European and World Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for 2017-2018, and included in RobecoSAM's Sustainability Yearbook 2018, receiving Gold Class and Industry Mover distinctions.

For further information please contact:
Ms. Yuanyuan Ma
Director, Stakeholder Relations
UPM Specialty Papers
tel. +86 21 6448 5544

UPM, Media Relations
Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00 EET
tel. +358 40 588 3284
media@upm.com

UPM Specialty Papers

UPM Specialty Papers produces labelling and packaging materials to global markets and fine papers to Asian markets. Its main customers are paper converters, distributors, retailers and printers. UPM Specialty Papers is a leader in sustainable development in the industry. Its high performance papers are produced in Finland and China. UPM Specialty Papers employs approximately 1,700 people in Finland, China, United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australia. www.upmspecialtypapers.com

Follow UPM Specialty Papers on Twitter @UPM_Papers

UPM

UPM leads the forest-based bioindustry into a sustainable, innovation-driven and exciting future across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Paper ENA and UPM Plywood. UPM provides sustainable and safe solutions to the growing global consumer demand. Products are made of renewable and recyclable materials. The group employs around 19,100 people worldwide and its annual sales are approximately EUR 10 billion. UPM shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM - The Biofore Company - www.upm.com

Follow UPM on -
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/UPMGlobal
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/upm-kymmene
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UPMGlobal
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/upmdotcom
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upmbiofore/
- upmbiofore.com: https://www.upmbiofore.com/

 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Toyota: Ade Adepitan / Mallory Weggemann / Sama Bullock / Martyn Sibley Announce Crowdsourcing Campaign to Find Ideas for $4 Million Mobility Unlimited Challenge

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- Global crowdsourcing campaign launched to identify solutions to the challenges faced by people with lower-limb paralysis, as part of the Mobility Unlimited Challenge
- Digital campaign will ask people with lower-limb paralysis to share their thoughts and views using the hashtag #mymobilityunlimited
- Insights from the crowdsourcing campaign will help inspire entrants for the $4million Challenge intended to push innovation and transform the lives of people with lower-limb paralysis
- Inspired by Toyota's worldwide partnership with the International Paralympic Committee, the Toyota Mobility Foundation is "starting their impossible" through the Mobility Unlimited Challenge

TOKYO, Mar 8, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Today the Mobility Unlimited Challenge is announcing a crowdsourcing initiative, aimed at helping inspire entrants in their quest to develop life-changing technology for people with lower-limb paralysis. The #MyMobilityUnlimited campaign will invite people around the world to share their life experiences with lower-limb paralysis and the solutions they would like to see to the challenges they face every day.

The Toyota Mobility Foundation, in partnership with Nesta's Challenge Prize Centre, launched the $4 million dollar global challenge in November 2017, with the aim of changing the lives of people with lower-limb paralysis. The Mobility Unlimited Challenge is seeking teams around the world to create game-changing technology that will help radically improve the mobility and independence of people with paralysis. This Challenge will culminate in the unveiling of the winners in Tokyo in 2020.

The Challenge is encouraging a user-centered approach and will invite people with lower-limb paralysis, across the world, to take part in a global conversation about the types of mobility technology innovations they would like to see, using the hashtag #MyMobilityUnlimited. These suggestions will then be used to inspire entrants to create genuinely life-changing technologies which directly address the issues faced by users on a day-to-day basis.

The Challenge is supported by a number of public figures from around the world, including Mallory Weggemann, NBC reporter for the Winter Paralympics in South Korea; Ade Adepitan, British wheelchair basketball player and television presenter; Sama Bullock, Brazilian wheelchair tennis player and model; and Martyn Sibley, journalist and broadcaster; all of whom have lower-limb paralysis and star in this video. Many have created their own personal videos and tweets, in which they share their hopes and ideas for the Challenge, and they are asking others to follow suit.

The challenge is also backed by a number of global ambassadors include: Aki Taguchi, Director, Paralympian Association of Japan; August de los Reyes, Head of Design at Pinterest; Preethi Srinivasan, Indian athlete and campaigner; Dr Rory A Cooper, director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories at the University of Pittsburgh; Sandra Khumalo, South African rower; Sophie Morgan, British TV presenter; Tatyana McFadden, US track & field athlete; and Yinka Shonibare MBE, Turner-Prize nominated British/Nigerian artist. Hi-Res images of international ambassadors available.

The Challenge will drive and reward the development of personal mobility devices incorporating intelligent systems. The mobility solutions of the future could include anything from exoskeletons, to artificial intelligence and machine learning, from cloud computing to batteries. Watch the Mobility Unlimited launch film here to understand our vision.

In order to open the challenge up to as many people as possible, ten Discovery Award prizes of $50,000 will be presented to support small, early stage innovators. A panel of expert judges will then pick five finalists who will each receive $500,000 to take their concepts from an intelligent insight to a prototype. The Challenge winner will receive $1,000,000 to make the device available to users--with the winning concept unveiled in Tokyo in 2020. Interested innovators can apply online by 15 August at mobilityunlimited.org.

Around the world, millions of people have lower-limb paralysis (the most common causes being strokes, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis). While there are no statistics on paralysis worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates there are 250,000-500,000 new cases of spinal cord injury globally every year.

For more information please visit mobilityunlimited.org.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

CoreNet Global Summit 2018 to Help the APAC Corporate Real Estate Profession Navigate the Tides of Change

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Annual gathering aims to help CRE practitioners optimise portfolio efficiency, workplace effectiveness and facilities management amidst digital disruption and geopolitical risks

SINGAPORE, Mar 8, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - CoreNet Global, the world's leading corporate real estate (CRE) association, will be holding the CoreNet Global Summit 2018 "What's Next? Exploiting Uncertainty" at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore from 12 to 15 March 2018. The summit aims to help CRE practitioners leverage opportunities in light of geopolitical shifts and emerging megatrends, including disruption driven by progressive technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence which are reshaping the Asia Pacific built environment.

According to IDC, connected vehicles and smart buildings will account for $92 billion of the global IoT expenditure in 2018, with Asia Pacific cited as the geographic region with the highest IoT spending. With the region expected to see 8.6 billion IoT devices connected by 2020, CRE practitioners need to adjust their strategies to meet evolving demands as these technologies continue to drive greater connectivity, access to "big data," increased energy efficiency, workspace optimisation and cross-border collaboration across APAC.

"We live in times of unprecedented and rapid change, and it can be hard to forecast what's on the horizon," said Tim Venable, Senior Vice President at CoreNet Global. "Yet, uncertainty presents opportunity, and that lies at the heart of the upcoming Summit, where corporate real estate leaders will gather to explore ways that corporations can leverage CRE for strategic advantage and maximum business flexibility and performance in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region."

The summit is expected to discuss best practices in CRE, as well as the technologies and strategies practitioners could leverage as the function takes an even more central role in driving business sustainability and success in the face of Asia Pacific's digital transformation and evolving geopolitical climate.

"The CoreNet Global Summit 2018 will play a vital role in guiding today's CRE practitioners towards success in the next phase of the digital economy," said Ben Pring, Director of Cognizant's Centre for the Future of Work. "With technologies driving the evolution and functioning of modern corporate facilities, their management is no longer a straightforward process. CRE practitioners need to effectively function as a conduit, bridging the right processes with the right occupant-centric technologies to optimise efficiency and productivity, while reining in costs and energy consumption."

Interested parties may view more information about the summit on the event website (http://bit.ly/2nSl1i1), or register their attendance here (http://bit.ly/2EbUTpz).

Press release (PDF): http://www.acnnewswire.com/clientreports/598/CoreNet_Global_Summit.pdf

ABOUT CORENET GLOBAL
CoreNet Global is the world's leading professional association for corporate real estate (CRE) and workplace executives, service providers and economic developers. CoreNet Global's more than 10,000 members, who include 70% of the top 100 U.S. companies and nearly half of the Global 2000, meet locally, globally and virtually to develop networks, share knowledge, learn and thrive professionally. For more information, please visit www.corenetglobal.org.

Contact:
Charlene Pe/Tan Yanchang
PRecious Communications
+65 6303 0567
CoreNetGlobal@preciouscomms.com

 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Shell Brings Thought Leaders Together to Discuss Solutions to Future Energy Challenges in Asia

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'Shell Powering Progress Together' 2018 Panel Discussion
Energy experts, policymakers, business leaders, students and young innovators from across Asia engaged in lively dialogue about solutions to the region's shared energy challenge at the 2nd Shell Powering Progress Together Forum in Singapore

SINGAPORE, Mar 8, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Society faces a dual challenge: how to make a transition to a low-carbon energy future to manage the risks of climate change, while also extending the economic and social benefits of energy to everyone on the planet. In Asia, where urbanisation, living standards and population growth continue to increase, energy demand is higher than ever and is growing fast, with consumption levels increasing.

This was the key topic of discussion at the Shell Powering Progress Together Forum that took place in Singapore today. Themed "Energy for Better Living", the forum brought together over 150 people representing the brightest minds across diverse sectors of society together in an immersive dialogue centred on Asian growth aspirations and the imminent energy challenge facing the region.

Speakers included leaders from both business and government sectors: Dr Cheong Koon Hean (Chief Executive Officer, Housing & Development Board, Singapore), Steffen Endler (Senior Vice President, Siemens Pte Ltd), Mark Gainsborough (Executive Vice President, New Energies, Royal Dutch Shell), Alexandre Lalumiere (Director, Client Sales of 3D Printing, Asia Pacific & Japan, HP), and Nathan Subramaniam (Director, Sector and Projects Division, Independent Evaluation, Asian Development Bank).

Moderated by Jason Pomeroy, Founding Principal of the Pomeroy Studio, the discussion was lively but sobering. The panel shared their perspectives on how the global energy transition will require unprecedented collaboration between policy-makers, leaders from business and non-governmental organisations, and consumers. It also requires focusing on more than the promotion of renewables and energy efficiency as these only address specific aspects of the wider challenge.

Shell recognises the role of energy in enabling a decent quality of life. While technological developments will emerge, multi-sector collaboration to drive effective policy and cultural change is essential to drive low-carbon business and consumer choices and opportunities.

Now in its second year in Singapore, Shell Powering Progress Together is an annual forum, where leaders and stakeholders gather to discuss ideas on how to address Asia's future energy challenges. The forum will also be held in London, UK and San Francisco, USA later this year.

According to the United Nations, continuing population growth is projected to add 2.5 billion people to the world's urban population by 2050, with nearly 90 per cent of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa. In the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region, energy supply is expected to go up by 60 per cent by 2035 to meet the growing demand associated with the rapid urbanization, industrialization and economic growth taking place. As Asia rapidly urbanises, it needs to do so while reducing its carbon footprint.

Societies and governments thus face a dual challenge: how to make the transition to a lower-carbon world while also ensuring more and cleaner energy for economies to expand and prosper.

"Energy is a vital hidden ingredient in almost every economy, and cities are the biggest users of energy. Occupying less than two per cent of the world's landmass, and hosting more than half of the world's population, cities account for more than 60 per cent of global energy use today and this number is estimated to rise to 80 per cent by 2040. Fundamental changes need to happen across the global economy, especially in power, transport, buildings and industry which produce significant carbon dioxide emissions," said Goh Swee Chen, Vice President, City Solutions - New Energies and Chairman, Shell Companies in Singapore.

She added, "Shell Powering Progress Together is important because it is a venue for us to bring people with bright ideas together to discuss, debate and engage on the important topic of delivering more energy and cleaner energy."

"We are living in an era of unprecedented urbanisation. The issue of sustainable development has rightly taken centrestage: much of the public debate on sustainability revolves around reducing carbon emissions and increasing the use of green technology for energy sources," said Dr Cheong Koon Hean.

She added, "However, technology is only an enabler in solving the challenges associated with sustainable urban development. Sustainability can only be attained when a comprehensive and holistic approach is taken, starting with strategic planning choices on how we optimise our land and resources, and develop in an environmentally-responsible manner.

"Following this, we can harness the appropriate technologies to tackle urban and environmental issues. As a city state which is land and resource constrained, Singapore will have to turn to integrated urban solutions which strengthen the water-energy-waste nexus and supply part of our energy needs from renewable energy such as those generated from solar PV. We should also adopt smart technologies to help us to manage our urban services in a more energy efficient manner."

The discussion continued with two roundtables, each designed to engage industry stakeholders on the following topics:
- Shell Powering Progress Together Roundtable on How Technology is Revolutionising Manufacturing and Supply Chain (in partnership with HP) - How modern technology can be implemented to enable sustainable manufacturing and create efficiencies within the supply chain.
- Shell Powering Progress Roundtable on Accelerating Accelerators - How corporates can partner governments, investors, and each other for a more collaborative accelerator space.

Bright energy start-ups at #IdeaRefinery

Turning talk into action, this year's Shell Powering Progress Together forum also showcased promising Singapore start-ups selected in the inaugural Shell #IdeaRefinery accelerator programme by Shell Singapore, ImpacTech and NUS Enterprise that are developing new energy solutions in support of Singapore's ambition to be a sustainable and smart nation. The start-ups are billionBricks, EnergyNova, Solarite, Tripledot Technologies, and Xnergy.

Students imagine the future of Asian and Middle Eastern cities

Shell's Imagine the Future Scenarios Competition brings together youths and millennials to discuss future possibilities and develop scenarios on how our cities would look like by 2050 based on this year's theme, "More and cleaner energy in urban Asian and Middle Eastern homes in 2050: How we live, work, and play."

A total of 84 university students and more than 12 teams from Singapore, Thailand and Egypt took part in the competition. The Singapore team of Yale-NUS College was named the champion at the regional finals that took place on Monday (5 March). The winning national teams from each country shared their contrasting visions of future Asian and Middle Eastern cities by 2050 at this year's Shell Powering Progress Together Forum.

To access photos from the 2018 Shell Powering Progress Together Forum and Roundtables, see
www.flickr.com/photos/royaldutchshell/albums/72157664194685427.
To read more about the #IdeaRefinery startups, see www.shell.com/inside-energy/global-energy-entrepreneurs-singapore.html.

About Shell Powering Progress Together

The fifth Asian edition of the Shell Powering Progress Together Forum will be held on March 8, 2018 as part of Make the Future Singapore. The forum will bring together more than 150 leaders, young talents and representatives from business, government and society to discuss, debate and catalyse cross-border collaborations to tackle future energy challenges.

The theme for 2018 is "Energy for Better Living" and will be an immersive and open dialogue centred on Asian aspirations - balancing the needs of some of the fast-growing economies with the growing pressure on resources to make more and cleaner energy a reality in this region. Since the first forum in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2012, Shell Powering Progress Together has evolved into a cross-market series of connected events that foster dialogues to help address future energy challenges.

About Make the Future Singapore

Make the Future Singapore, a free festival of bright energy ideas and innovations for Asia, takes place at Singapore's Changi Exhibition Centre from March 8 to 11, 2018. Virtual reality and hands-on experiences will take visitors on a journey to explore bright ideas from around Asia, see what is happening now to power our world and get a glimpse of what the future of energy might look like. They will be able to discover what it's like to generate electrical energy by dancing, play interactive games, build and race mini saltwater cars, and meet young scientists and energy start-ups.

Make the Future Festivals is Shell's global platform for conversation, collaboration and innovation around the world's energy challenges. With events hosted in countries around the globe, they aim to provide an opportunity for multiple stakeholders: including students, entrepreneurs, businesses, governments and the public, to experience, test and contribute bright energy ideas.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES :
Hsu Lin
Ninemer Public Relations P L
hsulin@ninemer.com


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

FPT Industrial powers Fabio Buzzi to the diesel powerboat GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS(TM) title

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LONDON, Mar 9, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - FPT Industrial, the powertrain brand of CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI), is now part of speed record history. Fabio Buzzi, multiple powerboat racing world-champion and CEO of FB Design, has set the fastest speed on water using a diesel engine developed by FPT Industrial and a hull engineered by FB Design. The record, certified by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, was broken on Wednesday March 7th on Lake Como, Italy seeing the three-point hull reaching a speed of 277.5 Km/h, some 25.5km/h more than the previous record.

Working together on the new engine, FPT Industrial and FB Design converted FPT Industrial's Cursor 16 liter engine, generally used in agriculture applications, into a marine engine capable of generating more than 1,700 hp.

FPT Industrial's mission has always been to promote innovation in the field of racing in the pursuit of solutions and results that can be subsequently applied to mass production engines.

CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI) is a global leader in the capital goods sector with established industrial experience, a wide range of products and a worldwide presence. Each of the individual brands belonging to the Company is a major international force in its specific industrial sector: Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and Steyr for tractors and agricultural machinery; Case and New Holland Construction for earth moving equipment; Iveco for commercial vehicles; Iveco Bus and Heuliez Bus for buses and coaches; Iveco Astra for quarry and construction vehicles; Magirus for firefighting vehicles; Iveco Defence Vehicles for defence and civil protection; and FPT Industrial for engines and transmissions. More information can be found on the corporate website: www.cnhindustrial.com

Sign up for corporate news alerts from the CNH Industrial Newsroom: bit.ly/media-cnhindustrial-subscribe

Media contacts:
Laura Overall
Corporate Communications Manager
CNH Industrial
Tel. +44 (0)2077 660 338
E-mail: mediarelations@cnhind.com
www.cnhindustrial.com

FPT_Industrial_Diesel_Powerboat_World_Speed_Record http://hugin.info/163950/R/2174820/838733.jpg
20180308_PR_FPT_Industrial_powers_into_the_Guinness_World_Records http://hugin.info/163950/R/2174820/838732.pdf

###

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: CNH Industrial N.V. via Globenewswire

 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Dr Lui Che-woo Appointed as Honorary Trustee of Peking University

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Dr Lui Che-woo, Chairman of K. Wah Group, has been appointed by Peking University as an Honorary Trustee
Group photo of Dr Lui Che-woo, Chairman of K. Wah Group (8th from the right on the second row), Professor Zhu Shanlu, Chairman, Peking University Council (7th from the right on the second row) and students of Peking University
Dr Lui Che-woo, Chairman of K. Wah Group, donated RMB120 million to the School of Life Sciences of Peking University last year for setting up the Lui Che Woo School of Life Sciences Fund, which will support the construction of a new life sciences research building as well as the development of the School of Life Sciences of Peking University
HONG KONG, Mar 11, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Dr Lui Che-woo, Chairman of K. Wah Group (the "Group"), has been appointed by Peking University as an Honorary Trustee in recognition of his contributions to the development of the university as well as his efforts to the promotion of world civilisation and advancement of mankind.

Dr Lui Che-woo said, "I am honoured to be appointed as an Honorary Trustee of Peking University, and would like to extend my heartiest appreciation to the University for such recognition which is by all means an invaluable encouragement to me." As a firm believer in 'giving back to the society from which it benefits', Dr Lui is committed to supporting education and promoting world civilisation. Just as education is key to building a strong nation, promoting benevolence and peace are fundamental to building a better world and encouraging civilisation's upward advancement.

Professor Lin Jian Hua, President of Peking University, said, "Dr Lui has been a passionate advocate of tertiary education development in China over the years, and I appreciate his altruistic support and contributions to Peking University, particularly our School of Life Sciences in the past years. We share Dr Lui's care for civilisation development and the welfare of mankind. We hope that, as an Honorary Trustee of the university, Dr. Lui will continue to share his valuable opinion on the university's future development so as to drive it becomes one of the top institutions in the world, and eventually contributes to the progress of our country and world civilisation."

Honorary Trustee is part of the community participation programme for the development of Peking University. The honour is bestowed on distinguished individuals, who have a strong reputation in their respective industry and have made significant contributions to Peking University. It is a means by which the university is able to recognise and express its gratitude to them.

As a staunch supporter of traditional values that promote benevolence and peace, Dr Lui Che-woo is devoted to promoting altruism and the well-being of mankind. In 2015, he founded the "LUI Che Woo Prize - Prize for World Civilisation" to recognise and honour individuals or organisations who have selflessly dedicated themselves to the nurturing and enrichment of world civilisation, including sustainable development of the world, betterment of the welfare of mankind; and promotion of positive life attitude and enhancement of positive energy. Last year, Dr Lui donated RMB120 million to the School of Life Sciences of Peking University for setting up the Lui Che Woo School of Life Sciences Fund, which will support the construction of a new life sciences research building as well as the development of the School of Life Sciences of Peking University. Dr Lui hopes all tertiary institutions in China to continue their pursuit of far-reaching and innovative research, and nurture more scientific talent both in China and around the world in order to contribute to the well-being of mankind and make further progress in life sciences development in the future.

With the belief of "education engenders a strong country", Dr Lui Che-woo sponsors universities in Mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas to establish scholarships, build teaching facilities, support research, promote academic exchange, enhance educational facilities and nurture talent development for the community. Recent major philanthropy projects include the following:

Philanthropy projects
Mainland China
- The Ministry of Education of PRC - reconstruction and renovation of 122 primary and secondary schools in 8 provinces
- China Europe International Business School Beijing Campus - Lui Che Woo Lecture Theatre
- Fudan University, Shanghai - a member of the board of directors for over 20 years, supporting the construction of Lui Che Woo Hall, Lui Che Woo Building and other teaching facilities, sponsoring the Chinese MBA programme in Hong Kong
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University - K. Wah City Governance Research Fund in support of the establishment of K. Wah Big Data Center
- Wuyi University, Jiangmen - one of the founding sponsors; Administrative Building, Shiyou Building, Lui Che-woo Technology Building, Lui Che-woo Hall, Education Foundation Building, sports facilities, Education Fund, Lui Che-woo Outstanding New Students Scholarship
- South China University of Technology, Guangzhou - Lui Che Woo Scholarship
- Nanjing University - sports facilities
- Jia Hui Cheng School, Guangzhou and K. Wah Education Fund
- Virya Foundation - sponsoring university students in rural villages in Mainland China to complete 4 to 5 years of undergraduate programmes
- Guangzhou Education Fund and Guangxi Education Foundation for the Underprivileged
- Peking University - appointed as Honorary Trustee of Peking University; setting up the Lui Che Woo School of Life Sciences Fund to support the development of the School of Life Sciences of Peking University and the construction of a new Life Sciences research building to be named as the "Lui Che Woo Building"

Hong Kong
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong - Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine, Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building, Dr Lui Che Woo Distinguished Professorship Scheme, Lui Che Woo Distinguished Young Scholars Award, Lui Che Woo Distinguished Young Scholars Research Scholarship, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Title Sponsor of K. Wah Hotel Forum
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - School of Hotel and Tourism Management "Lui Che Woo Hotel and Tourism Resource Centre"; Lui Che Woo Building, Dr and Mrs Lui Che Woo Centre for the Knee, East-Meets-West in Tele-rehabilitation Centre, K. Wah Scholarship
- The University of Hong Kong - Lui Che Woo Law Library

Macau
- The University of Macau - Lui Che Woo College in Hengqin Campus, Zhuhai, Development Foundation

North America
- Stanford University, USA - Lui Che Woo Research Laboratory, School of Medicine
- University of California, USA - San Francisco Medical School
- University of Pennsylvania, USA - General Fund
- California Polytechnic State University, USA - General Fund
- Concordia University, Canada - Dr Lui Che Woo Scholarship
- University of Victoria, Canada

About K. Wah Group
K. Wah Group was founded in 1955 by Dr Lui Che-woo, who transformed the company into a multinational corporation. Core businesses include property development and investment, entertainment and leisure resorts, hospitality and construction materials. The Group has a business presence in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia and major cities in the US. The Group includes two Hong Kong-listed flagships: K. Wah International Holdings Limited ("KWIH"; HK stock code: 0173) and Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited ("GEG"; HK stock code: 0027 and a member of the Hang Seng Index). Other major subsidiaries include Stanford Hotels International and K. Wah Construction Materials Limited and, in the US, Stanford Hotels Corporation and Cresleigh Homes. To date, the Group has over 200 subsidiaries and more than 33,000 staff worldwide.
Website: http://www.kwah.com/.

Media Enquiries:
K. Wah International Holdings Limited
Shelly Cheng Tel: (852) 2880 1853 Email: shellycheng@kwah.com
Rita Lai Tel: (852) 2960 3386 Email: ritalai@kwah.com
Fax: (852) 2811 9710

Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Iris Lee Tel: (852) 2864 4829 Email: iris.lee@sprg.com.hk
Maggie Au Tel: (852) 2864 4815 Email: maggie.au@sprg.com.hk
Fax: (852) 2527 1196


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

The Grand Lion Group Inks Second Contract with Marriott International in Sihanoukville, Cambodia

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Signing Cermony: Orlando Moreno, Vice President of Development, GLG, Lundy Nath, Chairman and CEO of GLG, Kevin Chen, Senior Vice President, Hotel Development, APAC, Marriott Int'l and Andree Susilo, Director, Hotel Development, APAC, Marriott Int'l (l-r), March 8.
Artist's impression of Gold Coast @ Sihanoukville with the Le Meridien Sihanoukville (left) slated to open in 2022
The Gold Coast at Sihanoukville follows the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort in January 2018, the Group's first hotel property in the Kingdom.

SINGAPORE, Mar 12, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Cambodian real estate company Grand Lion Group has inked a deal with Marriott International, Inc., to manage and operate a new hotel in the stunning coastal city of Sihanoukville, located in Cambodia's southwest region, a short 35-minute flight from the capital of Phnom Penh.

Branded Le Meridien, the 388-room five-star hotel will comprise an all-day dining/open kitchen concept restaurant, a specialty restaurant, a rooftop bar with captivating views of the ocean and the outlying islands, state of the art fitness center, wellness spa, meeting rooms and ballroom accommodating 400, and an oceanfront beach club with infinity pools, restaurant and bar.

The hotel forms part of the USD200 million Gold Coast at Sihanoukville - a mega hotel and luxury residence complex - located on 1.67 hectares just 17km from the airport. Towering 58 stories high, all 888 units in the stylishly designed Lyon D'or residence tower will enjoy panoramic sea views of the Gulf of Thailand. Designed with an immersive plush resort experience for an upscale clientele with two levels of luxury retail podium, Lyon D'or will have a rooftop infinity pool, sky lounge, fitness center, spa, recreation and multi-purpose rooms. Residents and their guests will also enjoy the facilities and services from Room Service to Concierge at Le Meridien including access to the dining venues at the hotel and beach club.

The project will be designed by the award-winning Bangkok-based Tandem Architects 2001 and interior design firm JKY Concept. Plans are in the pipeline to form a collaboration with a world renowned Italian luxury interior furnishings house to furnish Lyon D'or. The residences will be exclusively marketed by Knight Frank, a global real estate consultancy that has sold some of the world's most iconic properties.

Named after its former king Norodom Sihanouk, Sihanoukville has evolved from a sleepy beach town and port city to one of Cambodia's premier beach destinations, rich in natural beauty. Its close proximity to surrounding tropical islands and the Ream National Park has attracted a growing number of international visitors over the years.

Ground breaking is scheduled for January 2019 with date of opening slated for January 2022. The Gold Coast at Sihanoukville, built by Nath Land Development, a division of the Grand Lion Group, follows the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort in January 2018, the Group's first hotel property in the Kingdom.

The Chairman and CEO of the Grand Lion Group, Mr Lundy Nath comments, "With the increasing growth in visitation to Cambodia, the time is ripe for us to introduce a global hospitality brand in Sihanoukville. The region's unspoilt beaches, pristine waters and laid-back ambience will appeal to international visitors in search of a relaxing coastal getaway. Gold Coast at Sihanoukville will complement the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap and the nearby Angkor Archaeological Park by providing an extended stay for guests to explore another dimension of Cambodia. This mega project aims to be among the first to open a new chapter in luxury beach destination experiences in Sihanoukville."

For further details, please visit grandliongroup.com.

Signing Cermony: Orlando Moreno, Vice President of Development, GLG, Lundy Nath, Chairman and CEO of GLG, Kevin Chen, Senior Vice President, Hotel Development, APAC, Marriott Int'l and Andree Susilo, Director, Hotel Development, APAC, Marriott Int'l (l-r), March 8.

 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Fujitsu Applies Deep Learning to Develop Estimation Technology for Optical Transmission Signal Parameters

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Figure 1: Summary of the newly developed technology
Figure 2: Summary of the newly developed technology
Essential to building, operating and managing optical networks

TOKYO, Mar 12, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., Fujitsu Laboratories of America, Inc., and Fujitsu R&D Center Co., Ltd. today announced the development of technology for a framework to estimate optical signal transmission parameters from optical receivers. The companies have embarked on this development to simplify the building, operating, and managing of optical networks.

The companies have now developed technology that uses deep learning that can be trained on parameters to avoid the impact of systemic errors in optical signal transmission in the course of learning to estimate optical transmission signal parameters, which is an issue unique to optical communication systems, including for symbol rate and optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR). The companies developed an experimental transmission system within Fujitsu Laboratories that emulates an optical network, and with about 10 thousand pieces of data verified that this technology could estimate OSNR with a measurement error of 1%, and could estimate modulation format and symbol rate with a measurement error of 5%.

When problems arise in building or operating an optical network, this technology now makes it possible to accomplish tasks in a matter of minutes that would take an expert several days using specialized measurement equipment. This will contribute to considerably easing the building, operation and management of networks.

Details of this technology will be announced at the Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition 2018 (OFC 2018), the world's largest international conference on fiber-optic communications, which is being held March 11-15 in San Diego.

Development Background

Communications traffic on the optical networks that sustain an ICT-powered society is expected to increase tremendously alongside the number of devices connected to the internet in the years ahead. In order to accommodate this volume of data, a number of new optical transmission technologies are being adopted one after another in optical networks, and it is believed that networks will become even more diverse and complex. Consequently, demand exists for technologies that will make it easier to build, operate and manage optical networks.

Issues

Previously, when building an optical network, or when problems arose in operating a network, it was necessary to send an expert in this field with expensive and specialized measurement equipment to a worksite, and conduct measurements and tests to determine the cause. In optical networks that aim to boost capacity and distance, the increasing complexity of types of optical transmission signals and device parameter settings means that building the network or fixing issues may require several days, leading to significant issues in quickly building and managing fiber-optic networks. As a result, demand has emerged for the development of technologies that can remotely monitor the status of optical networks in order to resolve these issues. There have been challenges, however, in measuring the information that network operators and managers need without relying on dedicated measurement devices due to the unique optical signal characteristics of newly-deployed optical transmission technologies.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_SummaryNewlyDevelopedTechnologyF1.jpg
Figure 1: Summary of the newly developed technology

About the Newly Developed Technology

Fujitsu Laboratories, Fujitsu Laboratories of America, and Fujitsu R&D Center have now developed technology to measure the optical signal transmission parameters (signal to noise ratio, modulation format, and symbol rate(1)) needed to build and operate a network from optically transmitted signals in remote optical receivers.

This newly developed technology trains a deep neural network by inputting the signals received by optical receivers into the network. By using the results of measurement equipment to provide supervisory labels, this technology trains the deep neural network to recreate the measurement results produced by the equipment, enabling it to estimate the optical signal transmission parameters. Since systemic errors can arise in signal characteristics such as laser frequency when an optically transmitted signal has been received, if the received data is used for training as-is, the neural network will be trained to specialize on erroneous states. This could increase measurement errors in estimates. As a way to counter this, the new technology virtually generates signals based on optically transmitted signals in varying states, for example, virtually generating multiple data with different laser frequencies, and then combining these to form the training dataset. In so doing, it becomes possible to reflect a variety of situations in the training results, enabling this technology to minimize measurement errors in estimates.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_SummaryNewlyDevelopedTechnologyF2.jpg
Figure 2: Summary of the newly developed technology

Effects

Fujitsu Laboratories, Fujitsu Laboratories of America, and Fujitsu R&D Center conducted a trial by building a simulated transmission system that models an actual optical network. The trial verified that with 10 thousand pieces of data this technology was capable of estimating OSNR with a measurement error of 1%, and the modulation format and symbol rate with a measurement error of 5%. Using this technology, it is expected that tasks that took an expert using specialized measurement devices several days to complete can now be estimated remotely in a matter of minutes.

Future Plans

Going forward, Fujitsu Laboratories, Fujitsu Laboratories of America, and Fujitsu R&D Center will proceed with trials in an actual network environment, with the goal of commercializing this technology in fiscal 2019 or beyond. The companies will additionally continue investigation aimed at automatic operation of optical networks.

(1) Symbol rate
The speed at which amplitude and phase information can be switched when modulating electrically transmitted data through light.
(2) Digital coherent receiver
A receiver that can handle optical signal phase information with stability, which was an issue with previous coherent receivers, by applying digital signal processing to the optical communication.

About Fujitsu Laboratories

Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Next-generation Services, Computer Servers, Networks, Electronic Devices and Advanced Materials. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/labs/en/.

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

* Please see this press release, with images, at:
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/

Contact:
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. E-mail: onw_dl@dl.jp.fujitsu.com Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Tel: +81-3-6252-2176 URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

MHI: H-100 Gas Turbine and Low NOx Combustion System Receives Full Mechanical Drive Qualification by Shell

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TOKYO, Mar 12, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - The industry leading118MW H-100 gas turbine, packaged for mechanical drive applications under the partnership of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor Corporation (MCO) has achieved full qualification status by Shell's Technical team based in The Hague.

In August 2017, MHPS embarked on a rigorous testing regime to validate the mechanical drive performance of their 2-shaft 118MW H-100 Gas Turbine equipped with their low NOx (single digit ppm) combustion system. After successful completion of testing protocol and a detailed technical review by their qualification team, Shell announced their official qualification of the MHPS gas turbine on December 22, 2017. This followed Shell's earlier qualification of the MHPS 108MW H-100 gas turbine in 2015. Shell has already qualified Mitsubishi Compressors by Enterprise Frame Agreement effective in 2011, clearing the way for MHPS and MCO to supply all components for future Shell LNG compression systems.

Upon receiving notification from Shell, MHI President & CEO Shunichi Miyanaga commented, "This milestone in the continued development of the H-100 gas turbine underscores Mitsubishi's competitiveness as the main driver for world-scale LNG liquefaction trains and complements the H-Series strong position in the thermal power plant market. Our goal is to provide our customers with high reliability and productivity, while reducing emissions, complexity, and the overall cost of LNG production."

The heavy-duty H-100 Gas Turbine also offers best in class efficiency and reliability with low-maintenance. Benefits of the two-shaft gas turbine for LNG mechanical drive applications include a broad variable-speed operating window, train restarts under settle-out pressure. H-100 gas turbine also adds the benefit such as shortened start-up time and a significantly reduced plot size.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group will further integrate and expand the diverse product and technology lineup of its energy and oil & gas business to meet market needs.

About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), headquartered in Tokyo, is one of the world's leading industrial firms with 80,000 group employees and annual consolidated revenues of around 38 billion U.S. dollars. For more than 130 years, the company has channeled big thinking into innovative and integrated solutions that move the world forward. MHI owns a unique business portfolio covering land, sea, sky and even space. MHI delivers innovative and integrated solutions across a wide range of industries from commercial aviation and transportation to power plants and gas turbines, and from machinery and infrastructure to integrated defense and space systems.
For more information, please visit the MHI Group website: http://www.mhi-global.com.
For Technology, Trends and Tangents, visit MHI's new online media SPECTRA: http://spectra.mhi.com.

Contact:
Joseph Hood, PR Manager Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Email: mhi-pr@mhi.co.jp Tel: +81-(0)3-6716-2168 Fax: +81-(0)3-6716-5860

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Toyota: A Clean Sweep on the Final Day for the Yaris WRC

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Car 8 (Ott Tanak, Martin Jarveoja)
Toyota City, Japan, Mar 12, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - A tough Rally Mexico for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team ended on a high with the team winning all three of the stages on the final day. Jari-Matti Latvala took the first fastest time as he secured eighth overall, before Ott Tanak scored two more stage wins, including on the rally-ending Power Stage to take home five bonus points.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_Car8OttTanakMartinJarveoja.jpg
Car 8 (Ott Tanak, Martin Jarveoja)

Latvala had to restart under Rally 2 rules on Saturday after a technical issue on Friday evening, but despite a time penalty, he managed to get back into the points positions and finish eighth overall. He won the day's first stage, Alfaro, by 9.7 seconds. He was then second on both runs over Las Minas, scoring four bonus points on the Power Stage. On his first time competing in Mexico, Esapekka Lappi was forced to retire on Friday after going off the road, but restarted and gained valuable experience on his way to 11th overall.

Tanak restarted this morning with the aim of scoring points in the Power Stage, after a mechanical fault had forced him out of the fight for the rally win. Having already won the first pass of Las Minas, he used maximum effort to get as good a result as possible from the Power Stage. He went quickest to claim five bonus points, leading Latvala by 1.3 seconds in a one-two for the Toyota Yaris WRC.

Quotes

Tommi Makinen (Team Principal)

"Today has been a positive way to end a difficult weekend. To win all three stages was a big bonus for us and we were happy that it worked out on the Power Stage for Ott to score some important points. It was good to see that his car was performing as it should: the team did a good job to fix the problem yesterday. I was also pleased to see Jari-Matti also do some good times today and that he was enjoying the driving. It was obviously disappointing to have the technical issues earlier in the weekend but to score good points today has made everyone happy and we are looking forward to the next event."

Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 7)

"I had a fantastic feeling this morning and the car felt very good. We had a really big push and won the first stage. Then the second stage was also really good, even though we had to save the tyres a bit. In the Power Stage I gave it everything and I'm really happy to finish second fastest with my road position. It has been a difficult weekend but to retire from one day and still come back and score eight points is good. Overall I know that the car performance is there, and now I am starting to find the performance in myself."

Ott Tanak (Driver car 8)

"Today we were putting everything on the Power Stage. We had nothing to lose and just wanted to get these five points. The car was performing really well and I felt really comfortable in the car so I could give an extra push. Of course I'm not happy with the overall result as we were in contention for the win, but we still have a long season ahead of us and the performance side has been good. It was my first time on gravel in the car, we learned a lot and we can see many places where we can improve."

Esapekka Lappi (Driver car 9)

"Today we were concentrating on the Power Stage, so in the first two stages we just wanted to get through them, check the pace-notes and save the tyres. It has been a tough weekend for us. The highlight has actually been the spectator stages. In our pre-event test we did some work on a go-kart track and we managed to find some new things which seem to have worked, because last evening I almost did the fastest time on the street stage. Previously we had been losing a lot of time in those. We also gained a lot of experience and data, which we can use to improve next year."

For the latest results please visit www.wrc.com

What's next?

Round four is the Tour de Corse on April 5-8. The classic event on the French island of Corsica is famous for its narrow and twisty asphalt stages, which give it the nickname 'The Rally of 10,000 Corners'. Mountainous stages lined by rock faces on one side and steep drops on the other, numerous surface changes and long stages provide a major test for the drivers.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

China Goldjoy's 2017 Annual Net Profit Jumps by 86.3% to HK$869.2 Million

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Achieves Full-blown Business Growth by Seizing Opportunities Brought by Interconnected Capital Markets and Economic Restructuring and Upgrade

HONG KONG, Mar 12, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - China Goldjoy Group Limited ("China Goldjoy" or the "Group"; HKEX: 1282) announced its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2017.

During the year, the Group achieved full-blown business growth with revenue soaring by 183.8% to approximately HK$2,825.3 million (2016: HK$995.6 million). Gross profit improved by a marked 84.1% to approximately HK$871.3 million (2016: HK$473.4 million). Profit attributable to owners of the Company rocketed by 86.3% to approximately HK$869.2 million (2016: HK$466.6 million). The increase was mainly due to the Group's (1) gain on bargain purchase of a newly acquired subsidiary and recognition of sales of its completed properties; (2) an increase in gain from short-term securities investment; (3) an increase in dividend income; which was offset by (a) a decrease in fair value gain of investment properties; (b) an increase in distribution costs and administrative expenses due to enlarged group size; (c) an increase in finance costs and (d) share of losses of associates.

The Board recommends payment of a final dividend of HK$0.51 cents per share (2016: HK$0.32 cents).

Mr. Li Minbin, Executive Director of China Goldjoy, said, "With the launch of the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Bond Connect one following the other, the capital markets of the PRC and Hong Kong are effectively interconnected. We have successfully seized business opportunities brought by the PRC market, as well as the economic restructuring and upgrade in progress in the country. With the management team affording forward-looking strategic deployment, the Group recorded satisfactory performances in the annual results of all its business segments."

Automation
The automation business recorded a stable increase in revenue of 10.7% to HK$613.0 million (2016: HK$553.7 million), accounting for 21.7% of the total revenue of the Group (2016: 55.6%). Capable of constantly providing advanced products and quality services to meet the needs of customers, the Group has seen its advantages in the industry strengthening continuously.

Financial Services
Revenue from the financial services segment significantly increased by 71.5% to HK$145.8 million, accounting for 5.2% of the Group total. The Group has reached deeper into the innovative financial technology field and expanded its mobile service platform, allowing it to reap better synergies through cross-selling. During the year, the global financial markets made good progress. In particular, the Hong Kong capital market, stimulated by the soaring popularity of new economy shares and stocks, managed a handsome upswing. With the participation of PRC funds and insurance funds, revenue and profit of the business segment increased accordingly.

Manufacturing
Revenue from the manufacturing segment doubled to HK$122.9 million (2016: HK$58.1 million), accounting for 4.4% of the Group total (2016: 5.8%). The segmental revenue comprised revenue of HK$120.7 million (2016: HK$37.4 million) from the new energy industry and the Light Emitting Diode ("LED") manufacturing business. Apart from LED light installation work in the private sector, the Group has been actively undertaking LED lighting projects in the public sector in the PRC, including the project of "Landscape Lighting for One River, Two Coasts and Three Belts of Guangzhou", which was widely recognized in the industry.

Property Investment and Development
Revenue from the property investment and development segment amounted to HK$1,412.7million (2016: N/A) for the year, contributing 50% of the Group's total revenue. The Group holds a number of properties in Hong Kong, some of which in Lippo Center in Admiralty, where the headquarters of the Group is also located, otherwise they are held as investment properties. Benefiting from the continuous increase in real estate prices in Hong Kong, rental revenue from the Group's investment properties in Grade A commercial buildings has also risen steadily.

Shenzhen B&K New Energy Co., Limited ("Shenzhen B&K"), 75.5% held by the Group, has not only provided the Group with additional resources and support for the development of new energy and LED lighting business, but has also provided the Group with opportunities to participate in property investment business in the PRC. Shenzhen B&K holds a piece of land with a gross floor area (GFA) of approximately 114,500 square meters (sq. m) and with buildable GFA of approximately 427,000 sq. m. in the core area of Shenzhen Guangming New District. The Group has successfully established the project as a large-scale innovative science park attractive as a base for many science and technology enterprises.

During the year, the Group established its first apartment brand through its subsidiary Shenzhen Bangkai Commercial Property Co., Limited. Applying its edge in sectors such as finance, commerce, culture and science and technology, the Group has been able to use its capital, global resources as well as comprehensive strengths to develop technology industry parks. With innovation and being able to integrate resources, it has opened a new path in the leasing market and provided to the market an example for how to effectively transform and upgrade stock properties in industrial parks.

Furthermore, the Group acquired Laihua Tai Sheng Limited ("Laihua Tai Sheng") in December 2017 which holds a real estate project in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province. The project occupies an area of about 128,000 sq. m with total GFA of about 635,000 sq. m. for residential, commercial, hotel and office uses.

Securities Investment
Revenue from the securities investment segment climbed 77.7% to approximately HK$530.9 million (2016: HK$298.8 million), accounting for 18.8% (2016: 30%) of the total revenue of the Group. In the hope of seizing investment opportunities in economic restructuring and upgrade and technological innovation, as well as establishing cooperative relations with relevant parties, the Group has invested in listed companies focusing on livelihood and high-end consumption and have potential and high growth capacity in the PRC, Hong Kong and overseas . In addition to holding shares of listed companies traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Group has invested in a number of leading overseas technology companies, specializing in biometric security, wireless data transmission and communications technologies.

Business Outlook

With the business transformation completed, the Group is poised to expand its businesses actively and achieve business diversification. To this end, during the year under review and as at the date of this press release, the Group had successfully raised capital of approximately HK$2,300 million. Apart from repaying bank loans and for use as general working capital, most of the fund raised will be spent on expanding existing businesses including allocation of additional resources to areas such as financial services, property investment and development as well as securities investment with the objective of achieve more significant business growth. The Group has also been actively seeking suitable investment opportunities that can benefit from its business advantages so as to open up more future business possibilities for it.

In view of the strong growth potential of the financial services market in the Greater China region and also the increase in interest to invest in the Hong Kong financial market through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect in the PRC, Goldjoy Holding Limited ("Goldjoy Holding"), a subsidiary of the Group which holds major securities business licenses, will promote its corporate finance services in Hong Kong. Moreover, to capture the immense opportunities arising from the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, Goldjoy Holding plans to establish footholds in Beijing and Nanning, Guangxi in 2018 with the aim of opening markets in Eastern, Northern and Western China.

Also, the Group will continue its efforts in enriching and optimizing its business portfolio as well as enhancing its sales and trading capacity to provide customers with more comprehensive and diversified financial services. As for bond related services, the Group is committed to providing better services to its corporate and government clients in the PRC and Hong Kong. Benefitting from the intense attention of mainland investors on the Hong Kong financial market, the trading volume and number of new customers of the financing services business of institutional clients increased significantly. The Group will strive to expand its debt financing and merger & acquisition transaction businesses in the future.

As for the automation segment, the demand for new automated production lines from the electric vehicle manufacturing industry, 5G wireless communication technology business and consumer electronic products is expected to keep increasing. Therefore, the Group is cautiously optimistic about the growth of the automation business. Furthermore, the Group will continue to actively develop its automation businesses in the direction of linking it with financial leasing industry and financial market, and the provision of financial leasing services for high-end manufacturing and large-scale equipment, which can in turn boost the scale and competitiveness of the business. Moreover, the Group will seize the opportunities presented by the manufacturing industry in the PRC embracing intelligent and high-end development to enlarge its market share and turn the business into a steady revenue source for the Group.

The prospects of the LED lighting business are optimistic, and performance of the business is expected to keep improving. And, with leading R&D and manufacturing capabilities and on the back of intensive promotion by the Group, the business expects orders from both the domestic and oversea markets to increase in foreseeable future.

As the real estate market in the PRC remains favorable, the Group will continue to capture investment and development opportunities in the property market there and in Hong Kong, and position the property development and investment business as one of its major focuses. The Group's B&K Town in Guangming, Shenzhen will be built in three phases. Phase I, which covers a GFA of approximately 100,000 sq. m., comprises rental housing leased during the year. The Group's first rental apartment brand "All Inn" launched 1,000 units of "Joyful Talent Apartments" which are smart community style of apartments centrally managed and offers comprehensive life services and interaction platforms for tenants. The office buildings in Phase II, covering a GFA of approximately 87,000 sq. m, are expected to start operation in mid-2018. Phase III, covering a GFA of about 240,000 sq. m, which development plans consist of offices and apartments for high-end talent as well as commercial auxiliaries and provisions for international conferences, is still being developed at good pace. As for Laihua Tai Sheng, which holds the property development project "Century Plaza", it is expected to bring benefit to the Group from value growth and the sale and leasing of the properties, and also present the business with strong growth momentum.

Moreover, the Group has been actively striving to align its strategy with China's "One Belt, One Road" strategy, by such as expanding markets in South Asia and Southeast Asia to take its business international. In February 2018, the Group established a joint venture with companies including Yunnan Energy Investment (HK) Co. Limited ("Yunnan Energy"). The joint venture will invest in projects in relation to clean energy, finance and health, investment management, development of new energy and financial services. Yunnan Energy Investment Group is a major state-owned enterprise in Yunnan and owns 100% of Yunnan Energy. Leveraging Yunnan Energy Investment Group's state-owned background and industrial background, the Group shall be able to enter the electricity and new energy sectors. It will also help broaden the Group's industrial chain and establish a foundation of cooperation for the Group with other major state-owned capitals in the future.

Mr. Li added, "Going forward, we will pay close attention to market conditions, but we remain optimistic about the capital market, and will continue to look for investment opportunities in financial services, properties investment and development, the high-end manufacturing industry, as well as new energy and new technologies to the aim of generating outstanding returns for shareholders."

About China Goldjoy Group Limited (HKEX: 1282)
China Goldjoy Group Limited, established in 2009, was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited on 15 December 2010 (Stock code: 1282). The Group has been successful in transforming its business achieving high value enhancement and diversification in the past few years, with main emphasis on integrated financial services, asset management, emerging industries and investment in and development of properties.

Through its subsidiaries, the Group offers securities, futures, precious metals trading, asset management, wealth management, corporate finance and credit financing services in Hong Kong, and asset management, investment management and financial leasing services in Mainland China. Property investment and development is also one of its major businesses, so it can make better use of existing resources to expand income source and improve its financial status. At the same time, to grasp business opportunities in emerging industries, the Group is actively developing new energy and energy-saving lighting, automation and smart manufacturing businesses.

China Goldjoy made it into the MSCI China Small Cap Index in 2017 and is also a constituent of several Hang Seng indexes, including the Hang Seng Internet & Information Technology Index, Hang Seng Global Composite Index, Hang Seng Composite Index Series - Hang Seng Composite Index, Hang Seng Composite Industry Index - Information Technology, Hang Seng LargeCap & MidCap Index, Hang Seng MidCap & SmallCap Index and Hang Seng MidCap Index. The Group is also one of the eligible equities in the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect schemes.

Corporate website: www.hk1282.com



 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Asia Broker Decker & Co expands New York and Asia Offices with Three 20-year Asia Market Veterans and Dedicated Frontier Coverage

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Mar 12, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Institutional equities broker Decker & Co. launched in 2013 with a focus on ASEAN markets, and over the past five years has expanded to cover all of Asia, most recently with an expansion in both its New York and Asia offices.

With the new hires, Decker & Co. now has five sales and trading staff members based in the U.S. The expansion includes two senior hires at the firm's New York office and one in Asia. The fourth hire represents Decker & Co.'s first dedicated frontier-market salesperson.

"Bulge bracket firms have pulled way back in their North America-based sales teams," said Mark Decker, founder and CEO of Decker & Co. "We've been able to accomplish our growth over five years because a larger U.S.-based team - combined with on-the-ground coverage in Asia - lets us deliver the access and insights that institutional clients need."

The new hires are:

-- Christopher Dodson, Managing Director, Equity Sales:
Dodson has over 30 years' experience in Asian capital markets, beginning with Nomura Securities in 1985. Most recently, he was with Auerbach Grayson for six years as a pan-Asia salesperson covering North American institutional investors. Dodson is based from Decker & Co.'s New York office.

-- Michael Longthorne, Managing Director, Equity Sales:
Longthorne has over 25 years' experience in Asian financial markets and institutional equity sales with a focus on Japanese corporations, serving global investors. He was Managing Director, Equities for Mizuho Securities USA for 16 years and held senior roles at Daiwa, ING Barings, Flemings, Salomon and Merrill Lynch. Longthorne is based from Decker & Co.'s New York office.

-- James Chataway, Managing Director, Equity Sales:
Chataway has over 20 years of experience in equity sales, most recently as Head of Institutional Equities at RHB Singapore and previously at James Capel, Credit Suisse and Jefferies. He is based from Decker & Co.'s Asia office.

-- Joshua Bridges, Senior Vice President, Equity Sales:
Bridges' financial analyst experience includes coverage of multiple industry sectors for a Canadian mid-market investment dealer. He joins Decker & Co. as the firm's first salesperson dedicated to Asia Frontier sales.

"Chris, Michael, James and Josh bring a breadth of expertise across Asian markets that further establishes us as the only U.S.-based boutique brokerage covering all of Asia," said Mark Decker.

ABOUT DECKER & CO
Decker & Co. is the only U.S.-based specialist brokerage covering all of Asia. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA and with offices in New York and Asia, Decker & Co. provides institutional investors with unparalleled access to the best local research and listed corporates. Its principals have been among the leading experts in Asian markets since the 1990s. Learn more at www.deckerco.com.

SAFE HARBOR
The information in this release may be based on management forecasts and reflects prevailing conditions and our views as of this date, all of which are accordingly subject to change. Past performance is not an indication of future performance.

Source: Decker & Co.
Contact: Ben Bishop, The Lowe Group, +1-414-777-1880


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com
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