KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- Tempo Software Chief Product Officer (CPO), Kevin Nanney highlighted the growing need for enterprises to connect artificial intelligence (AI) spending with measurable business outcomes at the Reuters Momentum AI Conference in Austin, Texas.
Nanney discussed how enterprises can manage AI adoption while tracking its costs, outcomes and alignment with strategic priorities. He also shared examples from his experience at Tempo, including how competing initiatives can reveal underlying efficiency issues and how changes in measurement can help guide resource-allocation decisions.
In his keynote, titled “Spend Is Tracked. Outcomes Are Not. The AI Accountability Distance Nobody Has Closed”, Nanney outlined three areas for enterprise leaders: tracking the cost and contribution of AI agents, establishing a governed operating model for human and AI work, and adopting more adaptive planning to identify and address strategic drift.
Tempo’s 2026 State of AI in Portfolio Management report found that 91 per cent of surveyed organisations are piloting or actively using AI in project delivery, while 26 per cent use AI to prioritise or reprioritise work.
In a statement, Tempo said the findings highlight a gap between AI adoption and AI-informed decision-making, reinforcing the need to align strategy, investment and execution across human and AI workforces.
Nanney’s presentation followed Tempo’s launch of Loop, an AI-native Intelligent Portfolio Orchestration platform designed to provide enterprises with a continuously updated view of time, capacity, cost and execution across existing work systems.
The company also recently launched Workforce Intelligence, which attributes AI activity to Jira work items, epics and initiatives.
Tempo said these capabilities are designed to help enterprises coordinate human and AI work while improving visibility into portfolio execution and resource allocation.
The 2026 Reuters Momentum AI Conference, held in Austin from Sept 24 to 26, brought together enterprise leaders focused on AI implementation, business value and investment returns. More than 500 senior executives were expected to attend.
-- BERNAMA
Friday, September 25, 2026
Quantexa Earns Top Honors from Chartis Research in AML Transaction Monitoring and the RiskTech100
Decision Intelligence pioneer named a Category Leader in Chartis' 2026 AML Transaction Monitoring Quadrant Update
Quantexa secures 18th place and wins the Industry Categories Trade Finance and Compliance awards in the RiskTech100® 2027 ranking
LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quantexa, a global data, analytics, and AI software company pioneering Decision Intelligence, today announced it has been named a Category Leader in Chartis Research's RiskTech Quadrant® for AML Transaction Monitoring Solutions. The recognition marks an improved position from Chartis' 2025 report, with Quantexa now positioned in the upper reaches of the Category Leaders quadrant, reflecting a strong combination of market potential and completeness of offering. It also adds to a broader upward trend across Chartis' research that includes Quantexa's continued climb in the RiskTech100, Chartis' annual ranking of the world's leading risk technology providers.
A Top-Tier Position in AML Transaction Monitoring
In its 2026 update, Quantexa secured a leading spot the upper reaches of the quadrant, combining strong market potential with a comprehensive completeness of offering. Quantexa scored particularly high in the areas of 'data and system integrations and risk typology modeling.
Chartis' 2026 report points to a market continuing to evolve from traditional transaction focused rules-based detection, towards behavioral analytics, graph analytics, data and ecosystem interoperability, convergence of fraud, AML, sanctions and other FinCrime functions and the targeted usage of artificial intelligence. The report identifies the vendors best positioned for the next phase of the market being those that, "combine effective detection with contextual intelligence, strong interoperability, flexible deployment and demonstrated improvements in investigation efficiency."
"Quantexa was named a Category Leader in Chartis Research's AML Transaction Monitoring Solutions, 2026: Quadrant Update, due in part to its data integration and contextualization, which are the foundation for the analytical capabilities of its composite AI approach supporting supervised machine learning (ML), unsupervised ML and natural language processing. The company's risk modeling capabilities include pre-built models for multiple AML typologies, offering exploratory analysis, outlier detection, behavioral analysis, and a white-box architecture for model quality and validation. The framework is designed around continuous improvement, clean profile data, an open-scoring framework, large language model (LLM)-powered scenario simulation, and full-volume testing to confirm real-world capabilities." — Sean O'Malley, Research Director for Financial Crime and Control, Chartis Research
"Financial crime networks don't organize themselves around individual transactions and neither should we. They organize around relationships, facilitators and shared infrastructure. The industry's growing recognition of this reality reflects the continuous shift towards Contextual Monitoring that we've pioneered with our customers and partners, connecting internal and external data to reveal the networks behind the activity, rather than just the transactions or trades those networks generate.”— Matthew Long, Global Head of Financial Crime Risk, Financial Services and Government, Quantexa
Quantexa Breaks into Top 20 in RiskTech100
In the RiskTech100 2027 report, Quantexa's position rose to 18th, breaking into the ranking's top 20. Quantexa also achieved the RiskTech100 Industry Category award for Trade Finance and the Compliance and Controls award for Trade Finance Compliance.
"The success of Quantexa's focused, data-oriented approach to risk intelligence in fraud, AML, compliance and related areas is reflected in its break into the top 20 of the RiskTech100® 2027," said Sid Dash, Chief Researcher at Chartis. "Moreover, with risk intelligence increasingly crossing vertical silos (credit, supply chain, business intelligence, etc.), Quantexa's ability to handle complex, interconnected data has made it a leader in trade finance, earning it the category award for that sector."- Sid Dash, Chief Researcher, Chartis Research
“In today’s volatile world, trusted risk leaders are business partners with strong client centricity, using technology to manage credit risk and resilience, optimize capital resources, and drive strategic growth. Quantexa's ability to resolve, connect and contextualize information - customers, vendors, exposures, market events - into one view of risk ecosystems, gives financial institutions an explainable, deterministic foundation for enterprise-wide AI adoption. This recognition validates that approach." - Manuel Vicente, Global Head of Risk Solutions, Quantexa
Quantexa's Decision Intelligence (DI) Platform is built around a contextual layer that connects entity resolution, knowledge graph and analytics capabilities to contextualize internal and external data at scale, helping organizations strengthen risk identification, actions and business outcomes, and meet rising regulatory expectations for transparency and model governance. This approach underpins Quantexa's DI platform, which connects a firm's internal and external data to reveal the networks, relationships, and hidden risks.
To learn more about Quantexa's banking industry solutions, visit https://www.quantexa.com/industries/banking/
About Quantexa
Quantexa is a global data, analytics, and AI software company pioneering Decision Intelligence to help organizations make confident decisions with contextual data. Using the latest advancements in AI, our Decision Intelligence Platform transforms siloed data into connected, contextual insights to empower the shift from a data-driven to a decision-centric organization. Our customers use Quantexa technology to protect, optimize, and grow by solving complex challenges across the entire organization through modern data management, customer intelligence, KYC, financial and economic crime, risk, fraud, and security. The company has been named as a Decision Intelligence category and innovation leader by all of the major industry analyst firms. Founded in 2016, Quantexa has over 850 employees and tens of thousands of users globally, working with billions of data points across the world. For more information, visit www.quantexa.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Source notes: Chartis Research, "AML Transaction Monitoring Solutions, 2026: Quadrant Update," Sean O'Malley and Jason Wright, Sept. 9, 2026. Chartis Research, "RiskTech100® 2027." References to Quantexa in Chartis reports do not constitute an endorsement of its products or services by Chartis.
Media Inquiries
Michael Lane Quantexa michaellane@quantexa.com
Ben Davies SourceCode Communications Ben.davies@sourcecodecoms.com
SOURCE: Quantexa Limited
--BERNAMA
Thursday, September 24, 2026
KAPLAN PROFESSIONAL TAPS MELISSA CHAN TO LEAD ASIA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
 |
| Melissa Chan_Headshot. |
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- Kaplan Professional has appointed experienced education and digital learning executive, Melissa Chan as Head of Business Development, Asia, strengthening its presence in Singapore and across Asia.
Kaplan Professional Chief Executive Officer, Brian Knight said Chan’s appointment reflected the organisation’s long-term commitment to building its presence and partnerships across Asia while responding to changing industry and workforce needs.
“Melissa brings an exceptional combination of education sector knowledge, commercial experience and deep regional expertise, with extensive experience building markets and strategic partnerships across different cultures,” said Knight in a statement.
Based in Singapore, Chan will focus on developing corporate relationships, strategic accounts and partnerships, strengthening Kaplan Professional’s commercial capability as it expands its professional education, continuing professional development (CPD) and tailored learning solutions across Asia.
Chan said her immediate priority would be building relationships with financial services organisations and industry partners, and understanding the capability challenges they are seeking to address.
The appointment comes as new research commissioned by Kaplan Professional highlights evolving workforce capability needs across Singapore’s financial services sector.
In a study of 200 professionals across banking, insurance and wealth management, 47 per cent ranked Advisory and Client Needs Assessment among the top three skill areas required to meet business objectives over the next 24 months, while 49 per cent identified difficulty applying learning to real-work situations as a barrier to professional development.
The findings point to demand for practical, role-relevant and flexible professional development that can be applied in the workplace, an area Kaplan Professional is targeting as it grows its regional corporate learning capability.
Chan brings over 20 years of commercial experience across education, digital learning and publishing in Asia, including more than 17 years with Cengage Asia in senior regional sales, marketing and management roles.
-- BERNAMA
YEAHKA EXECUTIVE HIGHLIGHTS AI’S ROLE IN RESHAPING PAYMENTS
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- Yeahka Ltd, through its international payment brand YeahPay, highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in reshaping payment platforms as consumer discovery, decision-making and transactions increasingly converge.
Speaking at the Platform Leaders Forum of Stripe Tour in Shanghai, YeahPay Global Vice President, David Tay said payment platforms could increasingly extend their role beyond transaction processing to areas such as merchant discoverability, customer engagement and payment acceptance.
“Value is migrating from processing the transaction to being present at the point of discovery and decision,” he said in a statement.
Yeahka has begun exploring this shift through agentic payments and commerce initiatives with industry partners, leveraging its merchant network and payments expertise to help businesses operate in an environment where transactions may increasingly be initiated by consumers and AI agents.
The initiatives aim to help merchants participate in AI-driven commerce, including making products discoverable through large language models and supporting emerging forms of payment interaction.
Yeahka is also applying AI to merchant operations through digital employees that support customer enquiries, product and service recommendations, bookings, payments, customer relationship management (CRM) and repeat purchases.
These initiatives reflect a broader effort to connect customer discovery and engagement with transactions and ongoing merchant management, creating a more integrated commerce model.
Looking ahead, Tay expects payment and technology platforms to differentiate themselves either through deeper investment in regulated capabilities that require time and regulatory approvals to build, or through specialised workflows that general-purpose platforms may not easily serve.
“As the interfaces through which consumers discover, buy and pay continue to evolve, the ability to maintain the underlying customer relationship could become an increasingly important measure of platform strength,” Tay said.
-- BERNAMA
Speaking at the Platform Leaders Forum of Stripe Tour in Shanghai, YeahPay Global Vice President, David Tay said payment platforms could increasingly extend their role beyond transaction processing to areas such as merchant discoverability, customer engagement and payment acceptance.
“Value is migrating from processing the transaction to being present at the point of discovery and decision,” he said in a statement.
Yeahka has begun exploring this shift through agentic payments and commerce initiatives with industry partners, leveraging its merchant network and payments expertise to help businesses operate in an environment where transactions may increasingly be initiated by consumers and AI agents.
The initiatives aim to help merchants participate in AI-driven commerce, including making products discoverable through large language models and supporting emerging forms of payment interaction.
Yeahka is also applying AI to merchant operations through digital employees that support customer enquiries, product and service recommendations, bookings, payments, customer relationship management (CRM) and repeat purchases.
These initiatives reflect a broader effort to connect customer discovery and engagement with transactions and ongoing merchant management, creating a more integrated commerce model.
Looking ahead, Tay expects payment and technology platforms to differentiate themselves either through deeper investment in regulated capabilities that require time and regulatory approvals to build, or through specialised workflows that general-purpose platforms may not easily serve.
“As the interfaces through which consumers discover, buy and pay continue to evolve, the ability to maintain the underlying customer relationship could become an increasingly important measure of platform strength,” Tay said.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
ITRON LAUNCHES GRID EDGE METERS FOR APAC UTILITIES
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- Itron Inc, an intelligent infrastructure provider for modern energy and water management, has announced the availability of its grid edge portfolio, including Itron Riva S and Itron Riva T IEC electricity meters, for utilities in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
As the first Itron Gen6 network platform devices available in APAC, the launch marks a significant milestone in its expansion of Grid Edge Intelligence in the region, according to the company in a statement.
Itron senior vice president of Networked Solutions, John Marcolini said the launch was an important step in helping utilities translate awareness into action, with an interoperable and modular architecture designed to preserve technology choice and expand value over time.
The Itron Riva meters provide utilities with a practical starting point to improve visibility across the low-voltage network and respond to the growing impact of distributed energy resources (DERs) with advanced intelligence over time.
Serving as both grid sensors and DER control points, the meters provide utilities with real-time visibility into grid conditions, enabling earlier identification of emerging network faults and constraints, proactive management of growing DERs across the low-voltage network, and optimisation of operational and capital budget allocation.
By extending sensing and intelligence to the grid edge, the Itron Riva meters allow utilities to begin with advanced metering and localised grid awareness and seamlessly expand to distributed intelligence (DI) applications as operational needs evolve, improving grid reliability, resilience and efficiency.
The meters also extend visibility beyond energy consumption data, helping utilities detect voltage fluctuations, transformer loading issues, emerging faults and other network conditions through high-frequency sensing and edge computing capabilities.
Built on open DLMS/COSEM standards and designed to meet International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) requirements, the meters help utilities modernise their infrastructure while maintaining flexibility to integrate with existing and future technologies.
The Itron Riva IEC electricity meter is initially available in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore and is expected to expand to additional APAC countries, helping utilities modernise grid operations and respond to growing network complexity across the region.
-- BERNAMA
As the first Itron Gen6 network platform devices available in APAC, the launch marks a significant milestone in its expansion of Grid Edge Intelligence in the region, according to the company in a statement.
Itron senior vice president of Networked Solutions, John Marcolini said the launch was an important step in helping utilities translate awareness into action, with an interoperable and modular architecture designed to preserve technology choice and expand value over time.
The Itron Riva meters provide utilities with a practical starting point to improve visibility across the low-voltage network and respond to the growing impact of distributed energy resources (DERs) with advanced intelligence over time.
Serving as both grid sensors and DER control points, the meters provide utilities with real-time visibility into grid conditions, enabling earlier identification of emerging network faults and constraints, proactive management of growing DERs across the low-voltage network, and optimisation of operational and capital budget allocation.
By extending sensing and intelligence to the grid edge, the Itron Riva meters allow utilities to begin with advanced metering and localised grid awareness and seamlessly expand to distributed intelligence (DI) applications as operational needs evolve, improving grid reliability, resilience and efficiency.
The meters also extend visibility beyond energy consumption data, helping utilities detect voltage fluctuations, transformer loading issues, emerging faults and other network conditions through high-frequency sensing and edge computing capabilities.
Built on open DLMS/COSEM standards and designed to meet International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) requirements, the meters help utilities modernise their infrastructure while maintaining flexibility to integrate with existing and future technologies.
The Itron Riva IEC electricity meter is initially available in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore and is expected to expand to additional APAC countries, helping utilities modernise grid operations and respond to growing network complexity across the region.
-- BERNAMA
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
World Off-Track on Nearly Every Food System Goal – Latest Assessment Reveals
Geneva, Washington DC, Sep. 23, 2026 /AgilityPR-AsiaNet/--
The 2026 Food Systems Countdown analysis reveals that progress is too slow and insufficient to meet 2030 goals, but 2050 could still be achievable, provided actions are consistent and accelerated.
The latest study from the Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) reveals the stark reality of where global food systems transformation stands – for most indicators on health, environment, livelihoods, governance and resilience, a vast majority of countries will not meet the internationally agreed 2030 goals. And for some indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions from food systems, no country in the world is projected to meet the target.
The study, published in Nature Food , represents the most comprehensive performance assessment of food systems to date, covering 197 countries and 44 indicators across five themes: diets, nutrition and health; environment, natural resources and production; livelihoods, poverty and equity; governance; and resilience. And for the first time, the study goes beyond tracking trends to assess progress and measure how food systems are actually performing, and how much more needs to improve to meet globally set targets.
“What makes this Countdown paper different is that it doesn't just tell countries whether they're moving in the right direction — it tells them how far they still have to go, and against a benchmark that's actually within reach. That distinction between tracking trends and measuring performance is what turns a monitoring exercise into a tool for accountability,” said Dr. Bianca Carducci, lead author.
Key Findings:
• The study finds that, of 30 indicators, only one — mobile phone subscriptions, a proxy for connectedness and resilience — has been met by most countries. For 22 indicators, fewer than one third of countries will meet their global target or benchmark by 2030.
• The indicator ‘greenhouse gas emissions from food systems’ has one of the largest gaps, with the global average 75% away from the target. No country in the world will meet the target at its current pace.
Most regions of the world would need dramatic annual changes to achieve 2030 targets. For example, Africa will require at least a 15-20% improvement across 23 indicators every single year, and Asia will have to cut food insecurity by over 63% every year. High-income regions are not exempt. In Europe, 19 indicators remain unattainable by 2030. The analysis also shows that some indicators are moving in the wrong direction, notably civil society participation, governmental accountability, ultra-processed food sales, agricultural water withdrawal, pesticide use and changes in emissions from food systems.
“Accountability for food systems transformation requires accelerated progress — without it, efforts risk becoming performative rather than transformative. We can no longer afford to continue at the present pace,” said Dr. Mario Herrero, Professor, Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment, Cornell University.
Bright Spots Offer Hope
Despite the sobering picture for 2030, the study is not entirely bleak. For 7 of 33 indicators, at least a third of countries are already on track to meet the 2030 target. And half the indicators have been moving in a desirable direction at the global level. The study also offers the pace at which changes are required to achieve the targets by 2050, making progress feel achievable rather than impossible.
In some cases, regional and income benchmarks provide more realistic milestones that can motivate countries. For example, on average African countries are 58.7% away from the global benchmark for affordability of a healthy diet, but that gap narrows to 32.2% when measured against a regional benchmark set by the average of the top fifth of African countries.
“Bold global targets are vital for inspiring ambition. But they can become a source of inertia if they seem permanently out of reach. Therefore, regional and income-group benchmarks keep progress within sight and help identify the exemplar countries that can show others how it is achievable,” said Dr. Jessica Fanzo, James Anderson Professor of Food Policy and Climate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Europe.
Urgent Call to Accelerate Action
The study highlights the urgent need for accelerated action across all indicators. Priority actions should focus on indicators where progress is most off track, like food affordability, food insecurity, government effectiveness and food systems emissions. Food systems emissions change will require annual reductions exceeding 60%, which is challenging even for 2050.
“Food systems transformation is a shared responsibility. The governance indicators including government effectiveness, accountability and civil society participation are not just one category among five. They are the enablers. Improving them unlocks progress across the entire system,” said Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
Improving government effectiveness and accountability are the critical leverage points that interact with the largest number of indicators. However, the urgent need for transformation involves more concerted, creative and accelerated action from the global community that must recommit to achieving these targets by 2050, especially for those most vulnerable.
“The kind of comprehensive assessment that this Countdown study provides is critical for governments and all other partners to set priorities, direct investments and resources, and draft and redraft policies. Our global food systems demand urgent, decisive action — starting now,” said Dr. José Rosero Moncayo, Chief Statistician and Director of the Statistics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The 2026 Food Systems Countdown analysis gives every country a mirror, as well as a signpost for what needs to be done, in which direction and at what pace. The world owes it to the billions whose livelihoods depend on food systems, and the billions more who cannot afford a healthy diet, to act now, and to act fast.
WEBINAR:
The findings of the report will be presented at a Webinar, including a Q&A with the FSCI researchers.
Register Free -
https://gainhealth.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VzrB_-YjREGaXAzXNN5xPw#/registration
Date: September 25 th , 2026, Time: 9:30-10:30 Eastern Time.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
For interview requests and/or enquiries regarding the 2026 Countdown study and report, please contact:
T Sam Kaiser, Media & Communications Manager
Email: tkaiser@gainhealth.org
Phone: +91 96771 33877
Christopher Emsden, FAO News and Media (Rome)
Email: christopher.emsden@fao.org
Phone: (+39) 06 570 53291
Full report: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/ce0778en
Summary: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/ce0482en
Nature Food article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-026-01379-0
About the study:
The study, “Food Systems Performance Evaluated Against Targets and Benchmarks Reveals Urgent Gaps and a Path to 2050,” and accompanying report, “The Food Systems Countdown Report 2026: Assessing Performance, Driving Change,” is available at www.foodcountdown.org. Country-level data and profiles are accessible through the Food Systems Dashboard. Code is available on GitHub (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
About the Countdown:
The Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) is a global interdisciplinary research collaboration co-led by Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. It produces annual monitoring reports and a country-level data platform to support evidence-based policymaking and accountability for food systems transformation.
Source: The Food Systems Countdown Initiative
--BERNAMA
Friday, September 18, 2026
BEACON ACCELERATES AI DEPLOYMENT WITH HAIZE LABS ACQUISITION
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- Beacon Software (Beacon), the first centralised artificial intelligence (AI) holding company, has acquired Haize Labs, an AI reliability company testing and safeguarding AI agents for real-world deployment.
The Haize Labs team will join Beacon to form its Applied AI Research Group, with its co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Leonard Tang, joining as vice president of AI Research to lead the AI operating system deployed across Beacon’s companies.
“Haize Labs brings exceptional engineers to Beacon who know how to find where AI fails and make it better. Together, we will build AI our customers can count on, in the software they already use and trust,” said Beacon founder and CEO, Nilam Ganenthiran in a statement.
Meanwhile, Tang said: “Haize Labs was founded with the mission of building AI that any business can depend on. Now, our work will be put directly to use for Beacon’s broad and growing portfolio of essential businesses.”
Beacon said it believes that the fastest way to bring AI to the traditional economy is through the software businesses that essential industries already use and trust, equipping them with AI infrastructure.
The company acquires these businesses for long-term growth and connects them to a centralised AI operating system that compounds with each additional acquisition and industry.
The addition of the Haize Labs team will strengthen this centralised technology platform, which provides shared engineering, AI, product and go-to-market capabilities to Beacon’s portfolio of 45 software companies with customers across recreation, utilities, education, government, manufacturing and other essential industries.
Key focuses for Beacon’s new Applied AI Research Group include creating reusable AI infrastructure that compounds across its portfolio without erasing the local context of each company and translating domain expertise into evaluation and feedback systems that define what good looks like in each business.
In addition, the group will build continuous testing, red teaming and observability for AI agents before and after deployment, as well as develop AI products that reduce administrative burden, improve customer service and help portfolio businesses grow.
-- BERNAMA
The Haize Labs team will join Beacon to form its Applied AI Research Group, with its co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Leonard Tang, joining as vice president of AI Research to lead the AI operating system deployed across Beacon’s companies.
“Haize Labs brings exceptional engineers to Beacon who know how to find where AI fails and make it better. Together, we will build AI our customers can count on, in the software they already use and trust,” said Beacon founder and CEO, Nilam Ganenthiran in a statement.
Meanwhile, Tang said: “Haize Labs was founded with the mission of building AI that any business can depend on. Now, our work will be put directly to use for Beacon’s broad and growing portfolio of essential businesses.”
Beacon said it believes that the fastest way to bring AI to the traditional economy is through the software businesses that essential industries already use and trust, equipping them with AI infrastructure.
The company acquires these businesses for long-term growth and connects them to a centralised AI operating system that compounds with each additional acquisition and industry.
The addition of the Haize Labs team will strengthen this centralised technology platform, which provides shared engineering, AI, product and go-to-market capabilities to Beacon’s portfolio of 45 software companies with customers across recreation, utilities, education, government, manufacturing and other essential industries.
Key focuses for Beacon’s new Applied AI Research Group include creating reusable AI infrastructure that compounds across its portfolio without erasing the local context of each company and translating domain expertise into evaluation and feedback systems that define what good looks like in each business.
In addition, the group will build continuous testing, red teaming and observability for AI agents before and after deployment, as well as develop AI products that reduce administrative burden, improve customer service and help portfolio businesses grow.
-- BERNAMA
Thursday, September 17, 2026
KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TOPS ASIA IN GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY - OAG
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) ranked fourth globally and first among all Asian airports in OAG’s Megahubs 2026 ranking, with connections to 154 destinations, while also topping the Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) Megahubs index with nearly 15,000 possible low-cost connections.
OAG, the intelligence partner for global travel, said its annual ranking of global airport connectivity showed Asia Pacific (APAC) dominating the index, with eight airports in the global top 20.
According to OAG in a statement, AirAsia operates 34 per cent of total flights at KUL, while Seoul Incheon ranked second in the LCC rankings with connectivity reaching 198 destinations.
The recovery of Chinese airports was another standout feature in APAC, with Shanghai Pudong rising from 19th to 14th globally, Guangzhou Baiyun International from 36th to 19th, and Hong Kong returning to the global top 20 at 20th. Tokyo Haneda also improved, rising from ninth to eighth globally.
“The Asia Pacific numbers tell two stories this year. The first is the completion of Chinese aviation's post-pandemic recovery; these airports are back in the top 20, and the data shows it.
“The second is how low-cost carriers have reshaped Southeast Asian connectivity, with 51 per cent of all seats in the region now operated by LCCs, well above the global average,” said OAG Head of APAC, Mayur Patel.
OAG added that Singapore Changi climbed significantly in the LCC rankings, from 10th to fifth, reflecting growth in destinations served and potential low-cost connections, while Fukuoka rose from 13th to eighth in the LCC index.
The average dominant carrier share at APAC’s top 10 airports is 33 per cent, lower than in most other regions, reflecting the diverse mix of full-service and low-cost carriers serving different traveller segments across Southeast and Northeast Asia.
-- BERNAMA
OAG, the intelligence partner for global travel, said its annual ranking of global airport connectivity showed Asia Pacific (APAC) dominating the index, with eight airports in the global top 20.
According to OAG in a statement, AirAsia operates 34 per cent of total flights at KUL, while Seoul Incheon ranked second in the LCC rankings with connectivity reaching 198 destinations.
The recovery of Chinese airports was another standout feature in APAC, with Shanghai Pudong rising from 19th to 14th globally, Guangzhou Baiyun International from 36th to 19th, and Hong Kong returning to the global top 20 at 20th. Tokyo Haneda also improved, rising from ninth to eighth globally.
“The Asia Pacific numbers tell two stories this year. The first is the completion of Chinese aviation's post-pandemic recovery; these airports are back in the top 20, and the data shows it.
“The second is how low-cost carriers have reshaped Southeast Asian connectivity, with 51 per cent of all seats in the region now operated by LCCs, well above the global average,” said OAG Head of APAC, Mayur Patel.
OAG added that Singapore Changi climbed significantly in the LCC rankings, from 10th to fifth, reflecting growth in destinations served and potential low-cost connections, while Fukuoka rose from 13th to eighth in the LCC index.
The average dominant carrier share at APAC’s top 10 airports is 33 per cent, lower than in most other regions, reflecting the diverse mix of full-service and low-cost carriers serving different traveller segments across Southeast and Northeast Asia.
-- BERNAMA
LRN LAUNCHES COMPLIANCE POLICY MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- LRN Corporation, a global provider of ethics and compliance solutions, has launched Catalyst Policy, a compliance policy management solution integrated into LRN Catalyst platform.
In a statement, the company said Catalyst Policy enables organisations to manage policy creation, communication and adoption across geographies, languages and regulatory requirements, as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes governance, risk and compliance requirements.
The solution was developed based on LRN’s work with clients managing global policy governance, including collaboration with Howden Group, a global insurance intermediary. The partnership drew on Howden’s experience in building compliance programmes and ethical cultures.
LRN Chief Executive Officer, Bob Lemmond said Howden’s experience had helped shape Catalyst Policy around the needs of global ethics and compliance teams.
Meanwhile, Howden Group Head of Compliance, Ian Jacob said effective policy lifecycle management was essential to reducing risk, meeting regulatory obligations and ensuring employees understood workplace conduct expectations.
LRN said organisations face growing policy complexity as regulatory requirements, business risks and the deployment of AI-related policies and governance continue to expand, increasing the need for clear oversight, accountability and audit readiness.
Catalyst Policy enables organisations to manage policies through a centralised model, replacing fragmented repositories and manual review and translation processes. Its features include in-platform redlining and track changes such as AI-assisted translations with human review; scoped access for external auditors and reviewers; and evergreen links and an immutable repository.
The solution also connects policy governance with attestations, training, policy access, analytics and behavioural insights within the LRN Catalyst platform.
LRN said its research on ethics and compliance programme effectiveness shows that high-impact programmes integrate data and analytics across ethics and compliance initiatives into day-to-day management. Catalyst Policy forms part of the company’s broader approach to connected governance, behavioural insights and data-driven compliance management.
-- BERNAMA
In a statement, the company said Catalyst Policy enables organisations to manage policy creation, communication and adoption across geographies, languages and regulatory requirements, as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes governance, risk and compliance requirements.
The solution was developed based on LRN’s work with clients managing global policy governance, including collaboration with Howden Group, a global insurance intermediary. The partnership drew on Howden’s experience in building compliance programmes and ethical cultures.
LRN Chief Executive Officer, Bob Lemmond said Howden’s experience had helped shape Catalyst Policy around the needs of global ethics and compliance teams.
Meanwhile, Howden Group Head of Compliance, Ian Jacob said effective policy lifecycle management was essential to reducing risk, meeting regulatory obligations and ensuring employees understood workplace conduct expectations.
LRN said organisations face growing policy complexity as regulatory requirements, business risks and the deployment of AI-related policies and governance continue to expand, increasing the need for clear oversight, accountability and audit readiness.
Catalyst Policy enables organisations to manage policies through a centralised model, replacing fragmented repositories and manual review and translation processes. Its features include in-platform redlining and track changes such as AI-assisted translations with human review; scoped access for external auditors and reviewers; and evergreen links and an immutable repository.
The solution also connects policy governance with attestations, training, policy access, analytics and behavioural insights within the LRN Catalyst platform.
LRN said its research on ethics and compliance programme effectiveness shows that high-impact programmes integrate data and analytics across ethics and compliance initiatives into day-to-day management. Catalyst Policy forms part of the company’s broader approach to connected governance, behavioural insights and data-driven compliance management.
-- BERNAMA
UNIVAR SOLUTIONS LISTED IN TIME’S BEST COMPANIES FOR FUTURE LEADERS 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Univar Solutions LLC (Univar Solutions), a global solutions provider to users of speciality ingredients and chemicals, has been recognised on TIME’s distinguished list of Best Companies for Future Leaders 2026.
Presented in partnership with Statista, an industry data and rankings provider, TIME’s Best Companies for Future Leaders ranking highlights businesses and organisations across the United States that have contributed meaningfully to the journeys of the country's most influential leaders.
Univar Solutions Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Alexandra Colin said the recognition reflects the company’s commitment to building a culture where people can grow, contribute and lead.
“Our success is driven by talented employees who are empowered to make an impact for our customers, communities, and industry, and we are proud to invest in programmes and opportunities that enable our people to develop their careers while advancing our purpose of helping keep communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe,” added Colin in a statement.
Meanwhile, Univar Solutions Chief Human Resources Officer, Ingredients + Specialties, Lamiya Mammadova said the recognition highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to cultivating talent, fostering innovation and creating an environment where people can thrive and achieve their full potential.
This year’s ranking is the result of an extensive analysis of approximately 4,900 leaders from a wide array of fields, including business, government, science, arts and activism. Organisations were recognised for the unique opportunities and impactful professional experiences they provide.
-- BERNAMA
Presented in partnership with Statista, an industry data and rankings provider, TIME’s Best Companies for Future Leaders ranking highlights businesses and organisations across the United States that have contributed meaningfully to the journeys of the country's most influential leaders.
Univar Solutions Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Alexandra Colin said the recognition reflects the company’s commitment to building a culture where people can grow, contribute and lead.
“Our success is driven by talented employees who are empowered to make an impact for our customers, communities, and industry, and we are proud to invest in programmes and opportunities that enable our people to develop their careers while advancing our purpose of helping keep communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe,” added Colin in a statement.
Meanwhile, Univar Solutions Chief Human Resources Officer, Ingredients + Specialties, Lamiya Mammadova said the recognition highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to cultivating talent, fostering innovation and creating an environment where people can thrive and achieve their full potential.
This year’s ranking is the result of an extensive analysis of approximately 4,900 leaders from a wide array of fields, including business, government, science, arts and activism. Organisations were recognised for the unique opportunities and impactful professional experiences they provide.
-- BERNAMA
JUMIO EXPANDS REUSABLE IDENTITY SOLUTION IN APAC
 |
| Jumio Extends True Reusable Identity to APAC with selfie.DONE™, Powered by Global Identity Graph |
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Jumio, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered identity intelligence provider, has launched its reusable identity solution, selfie.DONE, across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region as part of its global rollout.
The company said the solution enables businesses to recognise enrolled users through a selfie without requiring an identity document at the start of every onboarding process, with document verification retained for users who cannot be confidently recognised or present elevated risk.
Jumio president and chief product and technology officer, Bala Kumar said the APAC launch marked a shift from point-in-time verification towards continuous identity intelligence, enabling organisations to recognise trusted users while maintaining appropriate risk and compliance controls.
In a statement, the company said deployments of selfie.DONE have recorded a 20 per cent increase in verification completion rates, with up to 60 per cent of users completing verification without submitting an identity document.
Unlike identity wallets or networks limited to affiliated businesses, Jumio said its solution uses a global identity graph containing over 75 million legitimate and fraudulent identities, which grows by approximately 85,000 identities daily.
The company said the connected identity intelligence enables businesses to recognise users previously verified elsewhere while conducting fresh risk assessments for each transaction.
Selfie.DONE is being introduced in APAC following launches in Latin America and North America. Jumio said the solution is aimed at organisations including financial services firms, gaming platforms and sharing-economy businesses.
Jumio said the APAC expansion comes as companies in the region explore more streamlined know-your-customer (KYC) processes and seek to reduce onboarding friction while meeting regulatory requirements.
Nimbura, a Malaysia-based licensed digital lender, said the technology could help improve customer conversion in digital lending while maintaining security and compliance.
-- BERNAMA
Criteo Expands Regional Reach Through New Reseller Partnership with Tyroo
Mr. Sukesh Singh – Managing Director, SEA, Criteo
Strategic reseller agreement strengthens Criteo's presence and advertiser support in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines
SINGAPORE, Sept 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO), the global commerce intelligence platform, today announced a strategic reseller partnership with Tyroo Technologies, a leading ad tech company. Under the agreement, Tyroo will promote Criteo's performance media solutions to advertisers in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, extending Criteo's on-the-ground presence and support for advertisers across these markets.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260915240487/en/
The partnership reflects Criteo's continued investment in Southeast Asia, with Tyroo's established regional presence and market expertise expected to strengthen Criteo's ability to support advertisers in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. The appointment gives advertisers in these markets more direct, in-market access to Criteo’s proprietary commerce intelligence platform as they look to scale their AI-assisted commerce strategies.
Criteo is scaling into Southeast Asian markets through established regional partners with deep market expertise and existing advertiser relationships. While Criteo has worked with Tyroo in India since 2021, expanding the partnership into Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines marks the next step and sets a strong foundation for Criteo’s regional growth.
Expressing his views on the partnership, Sukesh Singh, Managing Director, SEA, Criteo said, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Tyroo in our efforts to grow and expand our coverage in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, making a real difference in AI-assisted commerce campaign activation.
As commerce continues to grow across Southeast Asia, we're confident this partnership will help advertisers in these markets reach high-intent audiences more effectively across channels and drive full-funnel outcomes through our commerce intelligence platform.”
Bharat Arora, Country Head, India, Tyroo, commented, “At Tyroo, we've always believed that global innovation delivers its greatest impact when combined with deep regional expertise. We're excited to extend this collaboration with Criteo into Southeast Asia using our local teams and infrastructures to help advertisers and global brands unlock the full potential of Criteo’s commerce intelligence across Southeast Asia's dynamic digital economy.”
About Tyroo
Tyroo, headquartered in Singapore, is a leading APAC-based ad tech platform driving brand growth across the Asia Pacific. Tyroo aids businesses in scaling through versatile advertising channels, formats, and audience targeting, utilizing efficient no-code and low-code solutions. Tyroo's data-driven, partner-focused approach has successfully facilitated market entry and growth for brands and global media enterprises throughout APAC. With regional offices strategically placed across the region, Tyroo remains dedicated to propelling the ad tech industry and empowering brand expansion. For more information, please visit www.tyroo.com.
About Criteo
Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO) is the global commerce intelligence platform that drives performance for brands, agencies, retailers, and publishers. Built on proprietary commerce data from more than $1 trillion in annual sales and two decades of AI innovation, Criteo helps companies across the ecosystem make smarter decisions and achieve better outcomes, while delivering more relevant experiences for shoppers. With thousands of clients and deep partnerships across global retail and digital commerce, Criteo provides the technology and insights businesses need to compete and grow. For more information, please visit www.criteo.com.
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260915240487/en/
Contact
Press enquiries
Theresa Shen
Senior Director, PR and Communications, APAC, Criteo
t.shen@criteo.com
Parinita Singh
Marketing Manager, Tyroo
parinita@tyroo.com
Source : Criteo
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
D-WAVE TO HOST QUBITS ASIA 2026 IN SEOUL ON OCT 28
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- D-Wave Quantum Inc (D-Wave), a quantum computing company providing both annealing and gate-model systems, software and services, will host Qubits Asia 2026: Quantum Realized, a full-day quantum computing user conference, on Oct 28 in Seoul.
Focused on the growing impact of quantum computing across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, the event will spotlight production applications addressing complex business challenges and research advancing scientific discovery, as well as the latest developments in D-Wave’s annealing and gate-model technologies.
D-Wave in a statement said the conference will bring together its executives, customers, researchers and industry leaders to share lessons from real-world implementations, exchange best practices and explore opportunities to accelerate quantum computing adoption across APAC.
“Countries including Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan are moving decisively to establish global leadership in quantum computing, and D-Wave is helping turn that ambition into measurable results today.
“Qubits Asia will demonstrate what leadership looks like in practice by bringing together customers, researchers and industry leaders to accelerate commercial adoption, advance scientific discovery and expand the impact of quantum computing across the region,” said D-Wave Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Alan Baratz.
Qubits Asia 2026 comes amid continued momentum for D-Wave across APAC, marked by growing customer adoption, strategic collaborations and commercial and research initiatives spanning network optimisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, materials science, and semiconductor manufacturing as well as port operations.
Conference highlights include D-Wave CEO Dr Baratz and Chief Development Officer Dr Trevor Lanting sharing updates on the company’s annealing and gate-model quantum computing technologies, commercial applications and advances in quantum AI.
In addition, NTT DOCOMO researcher Shuichi Fukuda will discuss the Japanese mobile operator’s two D-Wave-powered quantum computing applications now operating in production and the resulting improvements in network efficiency and performance, while LG CNS Consulting Manager Wanki Cho will discuss the use of D-Wave technology to enhance 3D CT imaging for manufacturing inspections.
-- BERNAMA
Focused on the growing impact of quantum computing across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, the event will spotlight production applications addressing complex business challenges and research advancing scientific discovery, as well as the latest developments in D-Wave’s annealing and gate-model technologies.
D-Wave in a statement said the conference will bring together its executives, customers, researchers and industry leaders to share lessons from real-world implementations, exchange best practices and explore opportunities to accelerate quantum computing adoption across APAC.
“Countries including Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan are moving decisively to establish global leadership in quantum computing, and D-Wave is helping turn that ambition into measurable results today.
“Qubits Asia will demonstrate what leadership looks like in practice by bringing together customers, researchers and industry leaders to accelerate commercial adoption, advance scientific discovery and expand the impact of quantum computing across the region,” said D-Wave Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Alan Baratz.
Qubits Asia 2026 comes amid continued momentum for D-Wave across APAC, marked by growing customer adoption, strategic collaborations and commercial and research initiatives spanning network optimisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, materials science, and semiconductor manufacturing as well as port operations.
Conference highlights include D-Wave CEO Dr Baratz and Chief Development Officer Dr Trevor Lanting sharing updates on the company’s annealing and gate-model quantum computing technologies, commercial applications and advances in quantum AI.
In addition, NTT DOCOMO researcher Shuichi Fukuda will discuss the Japanese mobile operator’s two D-Wave-powered quantum computing applications now operating in production and the resulting improvements in network efficiency and performance, while LG CNS Consulting Manager Wanki Cho will discuss the use of D-Wave technology to enhance 3D CT imaging for manufacturing inspections.
-- BERNAMA
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
ZEISS UNVEILS HYBRID 3D X-RAY MICROSCOPE FOR MULTI-SCALE IMAGING
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- ZEISS, a technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics, has introduced ZEISS VersaXRM 5 Insight, a hybrid 3D X-ray microscope designed to help researchers and engineers analyse samples faster.
Combining X-ray microscopy and microCT in a single platform, the system provides multi-scale imaging, guided workflows and automated artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled reconstruction for non-destructive 3D imaging.
In a statement, ZEISS Microscopy Head of the X-ray Microscopy Field of Business, Nicolas Gueninchault said the system enables users to work more efficiently while balancing throughput, resolution and ease of use, adding that it also helps protect valuable samples while providing 3D imaging capabilities.
ZEISS VersaXRM 5 Insight combines large field-of-view and high-resolution imaging in one system, allowing users to inspect larger samples, zoom into regions of interest and capture detailed 3D images without changing hardware configurations or interrupting workflows.
The system combines the throughput, flexibility and efficiency of microCT with the detailed imaging capabilities of laboratory-based X-ray microscopy, enabling a unified workflow for imaging large-scale structures and fine internal features while preserving sample integrity.
ZEISS VersaXRM 5 Insight features Resolution at a Distance (RaaD), which enables high-resolution imaging of small features and internal defects within larger samples. The technology reduces the need to cut, trim or refixture samples, helping users save time, reduce preparation errors and protect delicate or difficult-to-reproduce specimens.
The system also features ZEN navx, an intuitive software environment with intelligent guidance and sample-aware navigation that simplifies setup, supports sample-specific imaging decisions and helps protect samples and the system.
ZEISS VersaXRM 5 Insight supports applications across materials research, industrial inspection and life sciences, including failure analysis, internal defect detection, part quality inspection and 3D visualisation of biological structures across multiple scales.
The system also supports in-situ and 4D studies in materials research, as well as root-cause analysis of semiconductor and electronic packages and yield improvement in manufacturing and quality assurance applications.
-- BERNAMA
Combining X-ray microscopy and microCT in a single platform, the system provides multi-scale imaging, guided workflows and automated artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled reconstruction for non-destructive 3D imaging.
In a statement, ZEISS Microscopy Head of the X-ray Microscopy Field of Business, Nicolas Gueninchault said the system enables users to work more efficiently while balancing throughput, resolution and ease of use, adding that it also helps protect valuable samples while providing 3D imaging capabilities.
ZEISS VersaXRM 5 Insight combines large field-of-view and high-resolution imaging in one system, allowing users to inspect larger samples, zoom into regions of interest and capture detailed 3D images without changing hardware configurations or interrupting workflows.
The system combines the throughput, flexibility and efficiency of microCT with the detailed imaging capabilities of laboratory-based X-ray microscopy, enabling a unified workflow for imaging large-scale structures and fine internal features while preserving sample integrity.
ZEISS VersaXRM 5 Insight features Resolution at a Distance (RaaD), which enables high-resolution imaging of small features and internal defects within larger samples. The technology reduces the need to cut, trim or refixture samples, helping users save time, reduce preparation errors and protect delicate or difficult-to-reproduce specimens.
The system also features ZEN navx, an intuitive software environment with intelligent guidance and sample-aware navigation that simplifies setup, supports sample-specific imaging decisions and helps protect samples and the system.
ZEISS VersaXRM 5 Insight supports applications across materials research, industrial inspection and life sciences, including failure analysis, internal defect detection, part quality inspection and 3D visualisation of biological structures across multiple scales.
The system also supports in-situ and 4D studies in materials research, as well as root-cause analysis of semiconductor and electronic packages and yield improvement in manufacturing and quality assurance applications.
-- BERNAMA
EMGA ARRANGES US$80 MLN CLUB LOAN FOR UZBEKISTAN’S IPAK YULI BANK
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- London-based Emerging Markets Global Advisory LLP (EMGA) has led a US$80 million club loan financing for Uzbekistan’s Ipak Yuli Bank, funded by OeEB, CDP and Allianz Global Investors (AGI). (US$1 = RM4.07)
“We are pleased to be the lead arranger in structuring this latest facility for Ipak Yuli that was aimed at further building their SME, Gender and Green portfolios.
“Our close relationship with Ipak Yuli as well as each of these DFIs has been integral to the successful execution of a complex transaction,” said EMGA Head of Investment Banking and Managing Director, Sajeev Chakkalakal in a statement.
Meanwhile, Ipak Yuli Bank Chief Executive Officer, Umidjon Khakimov said the transaction further strengthens the bank’s cooperation with EMGA and establishes partnerships with new international institutions.
“The transaction further diversifies our funding base and enables us to expand our support to clients and businesses in Uzbekistan,” added Khakimov.
Established in December 1990, Ipak Yuli is a joint-stock commercial-innovation bank in Uzbekistan providing banking services to individual entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses, state organisations and institutions, and corporate customers.
OeEB has been operating as the Development Bank of Austria since March 2008, while CDP is Italy’s official Development Finance Institution and National Promotional Institution, financing sustainable development, international cooperation, infrastructure and business growth in emerging and developing markets.
AGI is a global investment management firm with offices in 21 locations worldwide and is owned by the global insurance and financial services group Allianz.
-- BERNAMA
Monday, September 14, 2026
Mavenir Celebrates Four Award-Winning Entries at Light Reading's 2026 Leading Lights Awards
Awards recognize leadership in NTN innovation, IoT connectivity, network modernization and energy efficiency
RICHARDSON, Texas, Sept 15 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mavenir, the cloud-native network infrastructure provider building the future of networks, today announced it was featured in four award-winning entries at Light Reading's 2026 Leading Lights Awards, highlighting the company's leadership in non-terrestrial networks, cloud-native core innovation, network modernization, and energy efficiency. The awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovation across the global communications industry.
Mavenir received awards in two categories:
RICHARDSON, Texas, Sept 15 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mavenir, the cloud-native network infrastructure provider building the future of networks, today announced it was featured in four award-winning entries at Light Reading's 2026 Leading Lights Awards, highlighting the company's leadership in non-terrestrial networks, cloud-native core innovation, network modernization, and energy efficiency. The awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovation across the global communications industry.
Mavenir received awards in two categories:
- Most Innovative Satellite or Non-Terrestrial Network Product or Solution for the Mavenir Full-Stack NTN Platform. Judges commended the platform for enabling satellite-terrestrial integration across GEO, MEO and LEO environments while supporting 3G through 5G services on a converged core architecture that treats non-terrestrial access as a native network capability rather than an overlay.
- Outstanding Use Case: IoT, jointly with Deutsche Telekom IoT GmbH, for Remote Packet Core for Connected Cars. The solution keeps the control plane in Europe while enabling localized traffic breakout in North America, addressing latency, transit costs, and data sovereignty requirements for global connected vehicle services. The live production deployment supports connectivity for more than one million connected vehicles worldwide, demonstrating how cloud-native packet core technology can scale to support mission-critical IoT services while meeting stringent operational and regulatory requirements.
"These awards highlight Mavenir's commitment to solving some of the industry's most important connectivity challenges," said Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO of Mavenir. "Our Full-Stack NTN Platform is helping operators extend connectivity beyond traditional terrestrial networks, while our Remote Packet Core deployment with Deutsche Telekom IoT GmbH demonstrates how cloud-native core technology can securely connect more than one million vehicles worldwide while meeting the demanding performance, scalability, and regulatory requirements of global IoT services. These wins reflect the real-world impact of our technology and the strength of our collaboration with customers."
Mavenir was also a key technology partner in two award-winning Deutsche Telekom initiatives:
Mavenir was also a key technology partner in two award-winning Deutsche Telekom initiatives:
- Outstanding Use Case: Network Modernization & Automation for the Horizontal Telco Cloud initiative. The program replaced fragmented network silos with a shared, cloud-native platform spanning more than ten German data centers. Mavenir contributed complete cloud-native solutions, including a converged 4G/5G packet core with proven network slicing applications. These solutions use GitOps-based automation and Kubernetes capabilities to help create a scalable foundation for future network innovation.
- Outstanding Use Case: Energy Efficiency & Sustainability for Full Stack Energy Efficiency. The initiative achieved up to 65% off-peak energy savings in the 5G core network, without a hardware refresh. Mavenir's cloud-native 5G Core software and energy-aware automation capabilities helped enable dynamic scaling of resources to reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions while maintaining network performance, supporting Deutsche Telekom's vision of a "zero bit & zero watt" core.
"These awards highlight two of the industry's most important imperatives: building more agile networks and operating them more sustainably," added Kohli. "We congratulate Deutsche Telekom on these achievements and are proud that Mavenir technology helped power both projects. By combining cloud-native architecture, intelligent automation, and energy-aware 5G Core software, we're helping operators modernize their networks while delivering measurable efficiency and sustainability gains."
Light Reading's Leading Lights Awards 2026 full list of winners: https://www.lightreading.com/optical-networking/light-reading-s-leading-lights-awards-2026-the-winners
About Mavenir
Mavenir is enabling intelligent, automated, programmable networks through the development of telco-first, cloud-native, AI-by-design software solutions for mobile operators. The company’s deep telco domain expertise has been proven through deployments with 300+ operators globally in over 120 countries, which together serve more than 50% of the world’s subscribers. Mavenir combines its deep telco experience with the cloud and IT expertise and data science skillsets essential to solving real customer challenges. Its proven software solutions are AI by design, delivering the AI-native future and operators’ evolution to TechCos. For more information, please visit www.mavenir.com.
Mavenir PR Contacts:
Emmanuela Spiteri
PR@mavenir.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ee11b01-f063-4fa2-8558-3f834be5d83f
SOURCE: Mavenir Systems, Inc.
Light Reading's Leading Lights Awards 2026 full list of winners: https://www.lightreading.com/optical-networking/light-reading-s-leading-lights-awards-2026-the-winners
About Mavenir
Mavenir is enabling intelligent, automated, programmable networks through the development of telco-first, cloud-native, AI-by-design software solutions for mobile operators. The company’s deep telco domain expertise has been proven through deployments with 300+ operators globally in over 120 countries, which together serve more than 50% of the world’s subscribers. Mavenir combines its deep telco experience with the cloud and IT expertise and data science skillsets essential to solving real customer challenges. Its proven software solutions are AI by design, delivering the AI-native future and operators’ evolution to TechCos. For more information, please visit www.mavenir.com.
Mavenir PR Contacts:
Emmanuela Spiteri
PR@mavenir.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ee11b01-f063-4fa2-8558-3f834be5d83f
SOURCE: Mavenir Systems, Inc.
Friday, September 11, 2026
Dark Horse Consulting Group Marks the Opening of Its Shanghai Office with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. and SHANGHAI, Sept 10 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dark Horse Consulting Group (DHCG) marked the opening of its Shanghai office with a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating Dark Horse Consulting China. The event brought together DHCG leadership, “Shanghai Center of Biomedicine Development”, “China leading CDMO and CRO companies”, and invited guests from across the region's life sciences community. Anthony Davies, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, led the ceremony, joined by John Ng, MBA, General Manager, DHC Asia Pacific, and Kang Liu, Ph.D., Senior Director, Head of China. The ribbon cutting ceremony is jointly performed by Mr. Zhang Hua, Deputy Director at Shanghai Center of Biomedicine Development, Anthony Davies, Founder and CEO at DHCG and John Ng, GM APAC at DHCG.
DHCG announced the formation of Dark Horse Consulting China in August 2026, together with Kang Liu's appointment to lead it. The practice was established to help biotherapeutic developers leverage China's advanced CDMO and CRO infrastructure, its streamlined regulatory pathways to first-in-human (FIH), and its growing role as a hub for globally relevant clinical data. China's life sciences sector is at an inflection point. Its manufacturing and contract research infrastructure now rivals global standards, its regulatory frameworks continue to mature, and the Investigator Initiated Trial (IIT) pathway offers developers a cost-effective route to FIH data.
Those advantages are driving a fundamental shift in the global biopharma landscape. Lower clinical costs and faster timelines have made China IITs a serious consideration for innovative companies, supported by an ecosystem in which leading CDMOs match their global counterparts, intellectual property enforcement is held to international standards, and co-development agreements with western partners have become routine. Under Decree 818, studies are restricted to Grade A tertiary hospitals, a measure that has strengthened data quality, and western regulators are increasingly recognizing the validity of IIT-generated data.
“Standing in Shanghai with our partners makes concrete something we have believed for years: biotech is a truly global industry, and China is a core consideration for western developers rather than an afterthought. Dark Horse Consulting China is how we make that opportunity navigable for our clients," said Anthony Davies, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Dark Horse Consulting Group.
Dark Horse Consulting China guides clients through every stage of the IIT process, from assessing strategic fit and building a regulatory strategy that works across frameworks, to CMC planning, CDMO and CRO selection, hospital and principal investigator selection, supply chain management, and strategy for fundraising and asset licensing.
“Today marks the beginning of the work, not the end of it. The opportunity to generate meaningful clinical data in China and to accelerate programs globally is real, and it is here now. DHCG China exists to make that path clear, strategic, and executable," said Kang Liu, Ph.D., Senior Director, Head of China at Dark Horse Consulting Group.
About Dark Horse Consulting Group
Dark Horse Consulting Group is a worldwide consulting organization with offices in North America, Europe, and APAC. Founded in 2014 to accelerate the development and delivery of cell and gene therapies through specialized expertise, the firm's focus has since expanded dramatically, with consulting team expertise now encompassing strategy, operations, Quality, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, modeling, supply chain, commercial launch, and business optimization across the biopharma landscape. DHCG provides white-glove client service grounded in rigorous scientific and technical expertise, from early discovery through commercial launch. The organization comprises three business units, DHC, BioTechLogic, and Converge Consulting, with Bruder Consulting & Venture Group forming a specialized Regenerative Medicine department within DHC. DHCG is currently expanding into the APAC region in 2026 through the acquisition of CJP Tokyo and the formation of Dark Horse Consulting China.
bd@darkhorseconsultinggroup.com
SOURCE: Dark Horse Consulting Group
--BERNAMA
Those advantages are driving a fundamental shift in the global biopharma landscape. Lower clinical costs and faster timelines have made China IITs a serious consideration for innovative companies, supported by an ecosystem in which leading CDMOs match their global counterparts, intellectual property enforcement is held to international standards, and co-development agreements with western partners have become routine. Under Decree 818, studies are restricted to Grade A tertiary hospitals, a measure that has strengthened data quality, and western regulators are increasingly recognizing the validity of IIT-generated data.
“Standing in Shanghai with our partners makes concrete something we have believed for years: biotech is a truly global industry, and China is a core consideration for western developers rather than an afterthought. Dark Horse Consulting China is how we make that opportunity navigable for our clients," said Anthony Davies, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Dark Horse Consulting Group.
Dark Horse Consulting China guides clients through every stage of the IIT process, from assessing strategic fit and building a regulatory strategy that works across frameworks, to CMC planning, CDMO and CRO selection, hospital and principal investigator selection, supply chain management, and strategy for fundraising and asset licensing.
“Today marks the beginning of the work, not the end of it. The opportunity to generate meaningful clinical data in China and to accelerate programs globally is real, and it is here now. DHCG China exists to make that path clear, strategic, and executable," said Kang Liu, Ph.D., Senior Director, Head of China at Dark Horse Consulting Group.
About Dark Horse Consulting Group
Dark Horse Consulting Group is a worldwide consulting organization with offices in North America, Europe, and APAC. Founded in 2014 to accelerate the development and delivery of cell and gene therapies through specialized expertise, the firm's focus has since expanded dramatically, with consulting team expertise now encompassing strategy, operations, Quality, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, modeling, supply chain, commercial launch, and business optimization across the biopharma landscape. DHCG provides white-glove client service grounded in rigorous scientific and technical expertise, from early discovery through commercial launch. The organization comprises three business units, DHC, BioTechLogic, and Converge Consulting, with Bruder Consulting & Venture Group forming a specialized Regenerative Medicine department within DHC. DHCG is currently expanding into the APAC region in 2026 through the acquisition of CJP Tokyo and the formation of Dark Horse Consulting China.
bd@darkhorseconsultinggroup.com
SOURCE: Dark Horse Consulting Group
--BERNAMA
Thursday, September 10, 2026
AM Best Sees Steady Prospects For China’s Non-Life Insurance
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has maintained its stable outlook on China’s non-life insurance segment, citing improved regulatory oversight, new growth opportunities and ongoing digitalisation and innovation.
The Best’s Market Segment Report, “Market Segment Outlook: China Non-Life Insurance”, said that enhanced regulatory oversight, particularly for non-motor lines such as property and liability, is expected to support pricing discipline, strengthen distribution practices and promote prudent market conduct.
New growth opportunities are also emerging from initiatives under the nation’s latest five-year plan, which focuses on technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance and digital finance, as well as the expanding Chinese Interest Abroad business, despite moderating gross domestic product (GDP) growth and slower premium growth in traditional non-life business.
“For Chinese Interest Aboard business, while expansion may enhance China non-life insurers’ geographical diversification over time, it is important to note that insurers could also be exposed to unfamiliar risks that require advanced underwriting skills and robust risk management systems to protect against large financial losses,” said AM Best associate director, analytics, Lucie Huang in a statement.
Meanwhile, its director, analytics, James Chan said the industry’s priorities are increasingly shifting towards sustainable profitability and operational efficiency, supported by accelerated digitalisation and innovation.
“Beyond traditional reinsurance support, they are also adopting proactive risk reduction measures to better manage exposures, while enhancing the client experience and improving post-disaster response,” he said.
The report said investment returns have driven the China non-life segment’s bottom line, while underwriting margins remain thin amid intense competition.
Although underwriting profits are largely concentrated among large insurers that benefit from economies of scale, some smaller local insurers have achieved favourable underwriting margins by focusing on niche market segments.
At the same time, concerns over China’s economic momentum have emerged amid lower GDP growth forecasts, prompting insurers to shift their focus from top-line growth to bottom-line protection and operational efficiency.
-- BERNAMA
AM BEST: REGULATORY INITIATIVES, ECONOMIC EXPANSION DRIVE MALAYSIA’S NON-LIFE GROWTH
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- AM Best has maintained a stable outlook on Malaysia’s non-life insurance segment, citing regulatory initiatives and economic expansion, which are driving robust premium growth and increasing insurance penetration.
The stable outlook on Malaysia’s non-life segment is also supported by de-tariffication of motor and fire insurance, as well as measures curbing medical inflation. However, it remains vulnerable to developments in the external environment.
The Best’s Market Segment Report, “Market Segment Outlook: Malaysia Non-Life Insurance”, stated that motor and fire insurance anchor the market, together accounting for more than 65 per cent of total non-life premiums.
In a statement, the global credit rating agency said pricing has progressively shifted towards a more risk-based approach since phased liberalisation of tariffs for these lines began in July 2016.
Over time, AM Best expects de-tariffication to drive product innovation, improve service quality, align pricing with underlying risks and enhance market efficiency, although it may pressure underwriting margins over the intermediate term.
“Malaysia’s non-life insurers continue to maintain healthy underwriting profits through disciplined underwriting and effective pricing strategies, supporting the industry’s long-term sustainability,” said AM Best senior financial analyst, Sin Yee Chuah, adding that the segment remains poised for continued growth.
The rating agency added that Malaysia’s non-life segment reported an improved underwriting profit in 2025, with a healthy combined ratio in the low-to-mid-90 per cent range, reflecting sustained underwriting discipline that supported profitability.
Malaysia’s economy continues to be supported by resilient domestic demand, particularly household consumption and investment, while strong demand for electrical and electronics exports and continued investment in data centres provide additional support.
The report also noted that a pilot phase of the recently introduced RESET Strategy, which introduced a standardised base medical and health insurance/takaful plan with a co-payment feature, is targeted for the second half of 2026, with full rollout expected by early 2027.
In addition, climate change is projected to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, presenting floods as a persistent tail risk for insurers and exposing the segment’s profitability to greater volatility.
-- BERNAMA
The stable outlook on Malaysia’s non-life segment is also supported by de-tariffication of motor and fire insurance, as well as measures curbing medical inflation. However, it remains vulnerable to developments in the external environment.
The Best’s Market Segment Report, “Market Segment Outlook: Malaysia Non-Life Insurance”, stated that motor and fire insurance anchor the market, together accounting for more than 65 per cent of total non-life premiums.
In a statement, the global credit rating agency said pricing has progressively shifted towards a more risk-based approach since phased liberalisation of tariffs for these lines began in July 2016.
Over time, AM Best expects de-tariffication to drive product innovation, improve service quality, align pricing with underlying risks and enhance market efficiency, although it may pressure underwriting margins over the intermediate term.
“Malaysia’s non-life insurers continue to maintain healthy underwriting profits through disciplined underwriting and effective pricing strategies, supporting the industry’s long-term sustainability,” said AM Best senior financial analyst, Sin Yee Chuah, adding that the segment remains poised for continued growth.
The rating agency added that Malaysia’s non-life segment reported an improved underwriting profit in 2025, with a healthy combined ratio in the low-to-mid-90 per cent range, reflecting sustained underwriting discipline that supported profitability.
Malaysia’s economy continues to be supported by resilient domestic demand, particularly household consumption and investment, while strong demand for electrical and electronics exports and continued investment in data centres provide additional support.
The report also noted that a pilot phase of the recently introduced RESET Strategy, which introduced a standardised base medical and health insurance/takaful plan with a co-payment feature, is targeted for the second half of 2026, with full rollout expected by early 2027.
In addition, climate change is projected to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, presenting floods as a persistent tail risk for insurers and exposing the segment’s profitability to greater volatility.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
GENERAL ROBOTICS ADVANCES ROBOT DEPLOYMENT WITH SELF-ENGINEERING GRID PLATFORM
 |
| GRID, the robot intelligence platform from General Robotics, auto‑engineers the full lifecycle of a complex pouring skill — from creation and testing to deployment and real‑world evaluation in a biolab. |
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- General Robotics, a company developing an intelligence layer for physical artificial intelligence (AI), has advanced its GRID robot intelligence platform to automate key stages of robot deployment, reducing the time and specialised expertise needed to bring robots into production.
The company in a statement said GRID can now use AI to automate processes ranging from robot onboarding and AI model integration to the creation and deployment of new robotic skills.
General Robotics founder and chief executive officer, Ashish Kapoor said the platform brings robotics knowledge spanning research, software, AI models, simulations, data and hardware into a single agent-first system, enabling intelligence to compound with each deployment.
The latest development has reduced robot onboarding time from one month to as little as two hours, while model ingestion has been cut from three days to as little as 20 minutes. Skill transfer across different robot form factors now takes as little as 1.5 hours, while new skill creation and deployment can be completed in as little as two days.
General Robotics said GRID uses knowledge graphs to convert each deployment, task, model and failure into structured, reusable intelligence while protecting customer data and intellectual property.
The platform supports robots from different manufacturers and form factors, allowing customers to select systems suited to specific tasks. Its growing ecosystem includes industrial robotics maker FANUC and bimanual mobile manipulation company Galaxea Dynamics.
The company said GRID customers include global companies in automotive manufacturing, port operations, energy generation and food and beverage production, as well as government agencies.
General Robotics said the robotics industry faces shortages of specialised talent and a fragmented development stack that requires bespoke integration of software, communications protocols and programming systems, limiting the transition from pilot projects to production-scale deployments.
GRID is designed to address these constraints through a modular library of robotic skills, foundation models and classical techniques that can be used across different robot types and applications.
The latest version of GRID can determine the skills required for a task, select and combine relevant models and approaches, create and run simulations, and deploy and monitor AI skills. The platform then uses real-world performance and failures to determine further refinements, creating a continuous development loop across connected robots and tasks.
-- BERNAMA
Monday, September 7, 2026
SHENZHEN FORUM ADVANCES ASIA-PACIFIC MEDIA COOPERATION
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- The Asia-Pacific Media Forum in Shenzhen has brought together more than 400 representatives from over 220 media organisations, think tanks, government bodies, diplomatic missions, United Nations (UN) agencies and international organisations from 42 countries and regions.
Themed “Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action”, the forum focused on strengthening regional media cooperation ahead of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, which China is scheduled to host later this year.
The event resulted in several new cooperation mechanisms, including the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Media Partnership Organizing Committee and the signing and exchange of media cooperation documents.
It also saw the launch of the “Gather in Shenzhen, Create a Better Asia-Pacific” Media Cooperation Initiative, which focuses on technology sharing, joint content production and professional training, as well as the release of the Shenzhen Consensus, according to a statement.
Under the technology pillar, Shenzhen plans to establish the Asia-Pacific Digital & Smart Media Intelligence Shenzhen Center to promote exchanges in digital media technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the OpenHarmony ecosystem.
For content collaboration, the forum launched the “Witness Miracles, Seek Solutions” programme, which invites media organisations from across the region to jointly develop and broadcast reporting projects using Shenzhen as one area of focus.
The initiative also includes a Training Base for Asia-Pacific Youth Media Professionals, which is expected to host media professionals, particularly those under 45, for study visits, exchanges and training programmes.
The Shenzhen Consensus calls for greater regional cooperation in areas including digital transformation, AI, green development, media exchange and multilateral trade, while encouraging greater dialogue and mutual understanding across the Asia-Pacific.
-- BERNAMA
Friday, September 4, 2026
CGTN：From desert to opportunity: China-Egypt ties deepen across sectors
BEIJING, Sept 3 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CGTN publishes an article highlighting how China-Egypt cooperation has grown beyond industrial projects to encompass broader economic and strategic ties. The article spotlights the Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, growing Egyptian agricultural exports to China and the broader significance of the two countries' 70-year relationship.
A decade after China and Egypt launched the second phase of their joint economic and trade cooperation zone in the desert along the Suez Canal, the area has grown into an industrial cluster of nearly 200 companies, creating about 10,000 jobs and becoming a tangible example of how bilateral cooperation can translate into local development.
The China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has attracted companies in building materials, petroleum equipment, electrical equipment and machinery, with cumulative investment exceeding $4.7 billion, according to the reports by People's Daily. What was once undeveloped desert has become an industrial platform linking China's Belt and Road Initiative with Egypt's development strategy for the Suez Canal Corridor.
The transformation reflects a broader shift in China-Egypt ties, from individual infrastructure projects toward cooperation that connects investment, employment and markets. During talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the two countries should deepen cooperation and continue advancing the building of a China-Egypt community with a shared future.
New engine of local development
The Suez zone has increasingly moved beyond conventional manufacturing, with solar projects and an emerging circular economy pointing toward greener and lower-carbon development. The expansion into new sectors has also brought more direct benefits to Egypt's economy and workforce.
Chinese-invested projects have helped strengthen Egypt's power supply, with a solar park substation project providing about 16,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity since completion, while Chinese companies have trained local engineers and workers, with some Egyptian employees moving into technical and management positions. At a joint venture between China XD Electric and Egyptian-owned EGEMAC, local employees account for 97% of the workforce.
Such cooperation is part of a broader model of mutually beneficial development. In a signed article published in Egyptian media ahead of Xi's visit, he said China and Egypt should "pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and set a benchmark for joint development."
Egyptian products find a growing market in China
The relationship is increasingly running in both directions, with Egyptian products gaining greater access to China's large consumer market.
China's trade with Egypt reached 95.19 billion yuan ($14.16 billion) in the first seven months of 2026, up 18.7% year on year, Chinese official data shows. Chinese exports to Egypt rose 17.5%, while imports from Egypt jumped 49.4%.
Agricultural trade has been a particular growth area. China's imports of Egyptian agricultural products rose 82.6% in the first seven months, accounting for 41.7% of China's total imports from Egypt. Egypt was China's largest source of frozen strawberries and third-largest source of flax, with the two products accounting for 96.7% and 7.7% of China's respective imports.
Egypt, one of the world's leading orange exporters, shipped fresh oranges worth about $26 million to China in 2025. An agricultural exporter who travels to China several times a year said strong demand for Egyptian oranges among Chinese consumers has encouraged producers to improve quality.
In an article, Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper said China's zero-tariff measures for African products had opened access to a market of more than 1.4 billion people, while noting that lower tariffs alone would not guarantee success. Product quality, stable supply and localized marketing would remain important for Egyptian companies seeking to expand in China, the newspaper said.
Beyond bilateral ties
The significance of the relationship goes beyond trade and investment as China and Egypt mark 70 years of diplomatic ties. Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and the two countries have since expanded cooperation into culture, education, science and technology, health and other fields.
Xi has said China and Egypt set an example of friendship, solidarity and coordination between developing countries, noting that both are important members of the Global South.
Egypt's position gives that partnership a wider regional dimension. As a major Arab and African country, it serves as a link between the Arab world and Africa, while China and Egypt coordinate in multilateral frameworks including the United Nations and BRICS.
At a time of persistent instability in the Middle East, Xi has also called for greater regional autonomy in security, comprehensive approaches to hotspot issues, development to underpin security and stronger international coordination.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-09-02/From-desert-to-opportunity-China-Egypt-ties-deepen-across-sectors-1Q7mph80npS/p.html
Contact: CGTN Digital jiang.simin@cgtn.com
SOURCE: China Global Television Network Corporation
--BERNAMA
The China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has attracted companies in building materials, petroleum equipment, electrical equipment and machinery, with cumulative investment exceeding $4.7 billion, according to the reports by People's Daily. What was once undeveloped desert has become an industrial platform linking China's Belt and Road Initiative with Egypt's development strategy for the Suez Canal Corridor.
The transformation reflects a broader shift in China-Egypt ties, from individual infrastructure projects toward cooperation that connects investment, employment and markets. During talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the two countries should deepen cooperation and continue advancing the building of a China-Egypt community with a shared future.
New engine of local development
The Suez zone has increasingly moved beyond conventional manufacturing, with solar projects and an emerging circular economy pointing toward greener and lower-carbon development. The expansion into new sectors has also brought more direct benefits to Egypt's economy and workforce.
Chinese-invested projects have helped strengthen Egypt's power supply, with a solar park substation project providing about 16,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity since completion, while Chinese companies have trained local engineers and workers, with some Egyptian employees moving into technical and management positions. At a joint venture between China XD Electric and Egyptian-owned EGEMAC, local employees account for 97% of the workforce.
Such cooperation is part of a broader model of mutually beneficial development. In a signed article published in Egyptian media ahead of Xi's visit, he said China and Egypt should "pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and set a benchmark for joint development."
Egyptian products find a growing market in China
The relationship is increasingly running in both directions, with Egyptian products gaining greater access to China's large consumer market.
China's trade with Egypt reached 95.19 billion yuan ($14.16 billion) in the first seven months of 2026, up 18.7% year on year, Chinese official data shows. Chinese exports to Egypt rose 17.5%, while imports from Egypt jumped 49.4%.
Agricultural trade has been a particular growth area. China's imports of Egyptian agricultural products rose 82.6% in the first seven months, accounting for 41.7% of China's total imports from Egypt. Egypt was China's largest source of frozen strawberries and third-largest source of flax, with the two products accounting for 96.7% and 7.7% of China's respective imports.
Egypt, one of the world's leading orange exporters, shipped fresh oranges worth about $26 million to China in 2025. An agricultural exporter who travels to China several times a year said strong demand for Egyptian oranges among Chinese consumers has encouraged producers to improve quality.
In an article, Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper said China's zero-tariff measures for African products had opened access to a market of more than 1.4 billion people, while noting that lower tariffs alone would not guarantee success. Product quality, stable supply and localized marketing would remain important for Egyptian companies seeking to expand in China, the newspaper said.
Beyond bilateral ties
The significance of the relationship goes beyond trade and investment as China and Egypt mark 70 years of diplomatic ties. Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and the two countries have since expanded cooperation into culture, education, science and technology, health and other fields.
Xi has said China and Egypt set an example of friendship, solidarity and coordination between developing countries, noting that both are important members of the Global South.
Egypt's position gives that partnership a wider regional dimension. As a major Arab and African country, it serves as a link between the Arab world and Africa, while China and Egypt coordinate in multilateral frameworks including the United Nations and BRICS.
At a time of persistent instability in the Middle East, Xi has also called for greater regional autonomy in security, comprehensive approaches to hotspot issues, development to underpin security and stronger international coordination.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-09-02/From-desert-to-opportunity-China-Egypt-ties-deepen-across-sectors-1Q7mph80npS/p.html
Contact: CGTN Digital jiang.simin@cgtn.com
SOURCE: China Global Television Network Corporation
--BERNAMA
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)