Author: Media OutReach Newswire

Hashtag: #Aolani #AIInfrastructure #TokenFactory #Neocloud

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Aolani

For more information, visit www.aolanicloud.com and follow @AolaniCloud on LinkedIn.

Close to 15,000 professionals join national AI capability effort within two months as employers build practical AI workforce capabilities

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – Singapore’s ambition to build an accountancy profession fluent in artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining strong momentum, with more than 15,000 accountants and finance professionals enrolled in the ISCA AI Fluency Programme just two months after the launch. The strong early participation marks an important milestone in a broader national effort to build practical AI capabilities across the accountancy profession.

ISCA AI Fluency Programme is Singapore’s national AI learning initiative for the accountancy profession, aimed at building practical AI capabilities across the profession. It aims to equip 60,000 accountancy and corporate finance professionals over the next three years, representing approximately half of Singapore’s accountancy profession. It also develops professionals who combine professional judgement and technical expertise with practical AI capabilities that can be applied effectively and responsibly at work.

From AI awareness to workplace capability

As organisations invest in AI platforms and enterprise solutions, successful AI adoption depends not only on technology, but also on whether people have the skills and confidence to apply AI responsibly and effectively in their daily work.

The programme is designed to bridge this gap by helping professionals become AI fluent as it is built around more than 180 practical accounting and finance AI use cases spanning six professional roles, including audit, finance, tax, internal audit, governance and board reporting. It also contains over 600 practical learning activities, enabling professionals to explore how AI can be applied directly to their everyday work.

Participants learn how AI can be applied to practical workplace tasks, including financial analysis and reporting, preparing board and management materials, supporting audit planning and testing, and accelerating tax research and internal audit planning.

Strong early momentum across the profession

Participants include professionals at different career stages and in different workplace settings: from students preparing to enter the workforce and small firm practitioners to senior business leaders. To date, over 250 learners have earned their AI Fluency digital badge. Almost 80 learners have completed the full 30-hours of structured online learning, equivalent to around 10 days of instructor-led practical workshops and have been recognised as AI Champions. Early learner feedback has also been positive, with the programme receiving an average rating of 4.85 out of 5.

The strong early take-up reflects growing interest in building practical AI capabilities and recognition of their increasing relevance to accountants and finance professionals.

Employers are investing in AI capable workforces

The programme is also seeing encouraging support from employers, as organisations explore how AI learning can translate into practical workplace applications. Professionals from organisations including EY, Deloitte, DBS, SP Group and the Accountant-General’s Department (AGD), among others, are also participating in the programme, reflecting the breadth of interest and the growing relevance of AI fluency across the profession as Singapore’s workforce adapts to an increasingly AI-enabled economy.

The AGD has enrolled more than 400 officers in the AI Fluency programme, with plans to progressively extend the programme to some 4,000 public sector finance and internal audit officers across the Whole-of-Government.

The programme is also beginning to demonstrate measurable workplace impact. At Accredify, AI workflows have been developed to reduce time spent on selected finance and contract processing activities by an estimated 50 to 80 per cent, demonstrating how practical AI capability can translate into tangible business outcomes.

A profession united by lifelong learning

AI Fluency is bringing together professionals across generations. Among the programme’s earliest AI Champions is ISCA Distinguished Lifetime Member Mr Boon Swan Foo, who has completed the full 30-hour programme. His completion demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning.

Mr Boon said: “Throughout my career, I have seen our profession evolve with every major technological shift. AI is simply the next chapter. What impressed me about the programme is that it is not about replacing professional judgement. It is about strengthening it. Continuous learning has always been the hallmark of a trusted professional and AI Fluency is becoming an essential part of that journey.”

Expanding AI capabilities across the region

Building on the encouraging response in Singapore, ISCA is preparing Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese versions of the AI Fluency programme to support wider regional adoption. Discussions are also underway with professional accountancy organisations, accounting firms and corporates across ASEAN, with the ambition of sharing Singapore’s AI capability model more broadly across the region.

Within Singapore, ISCA is working towards its goal of upskilling 60,000 accountancy and corporate finance professionals over three years, while deepening adoption across organisations and supporting more learners in completing their AI Fluency journey.

The programme will also continue to evolve with new AI tools, emerging accountancy use cases and industry developments to ensure professionals remain current in an increasingly AI-enabled workplace.

Mr Lee Boon Teck, President of ISCA, said: “AI will not replace professional judgement. Its greatest value will come from professionals who can combine AI capabilities with their expertise and judgement to deliver better outcomes for clients, employers and society. The strong response to AI Fluency programme demonstrates that our profession is ready to embrace this next chapter as we work towards our ambition of building an AI-fluent accountancy profession in Singapore.”
Hashtag: #ISCA #CharteredAccountants #AIFluency #AIBilingualism #DifferenceMakers #Accounting #Accountancy

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Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA)

The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) is the national accountancy body of Singapore. Established in 1963, ISCA administers the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification programme and is the designated entity by the Singapore Ministry of Finance to confer the Chartered Accountant of Singapore [CA (Singapore)] designation.

ISCA supports over 46,000 members across industries in Singapore and globally, with members in more than 40 countries. With a growing international presence, ISCA has 12 overseas chapters, 7 offices across 10 countries and a network of over 150 strategic partners, strengthening professional connections and opportunities across borders. ISCA is also a member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide, a global network representing more than 1.8 million Chartered Accountants and students across over 190 countries.

ISCA advances professional development and lifelong learning through ISCA Academy, its training arm and drives community impact through ISCA Cares, its charity arm.

For more information, visit www.isca.org.sg.

ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – The team of the Pokrovsky Carbon Polygon has announced its readiness to transfer its carbon monitoring and carbon farming technologies to Mongolian partners following its participation in UNCCD COP17, the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 17–28, 2026.

Carbon polygons are a pilot initiative of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education. These specialized testing sites are located in non-urbanized areas and are designed to develop and test technologies for measuring, monitoring and verifying greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration.

Located in Russia’s Kaluga Region, the Pokrovsky Carbon Polygon is unique for the diversity of ecosystems within its territory, including forest, meadow and aquatic ecosystems. Its key focus is the development of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems for rangeland, desert and meadow ecosystems.

The polygon’s main areas of work include measuring the carbon-sequestration capacity of soils under plantations of perennial grasses and developing a digital twin of the territory. The system combines a highly accurate, georeferenced terrain model with mathematical models based on satellite, UAV, LiDAR, multispectral and hyperspectral data, as well as ground-based measurements of soil composition, soil carbon accumulation, soil respiration and CO₂ fluxes. These models already enable forecasts of carbon sequestration across different agroecosystems.

The technologies developed at Pokrovsky are particularly relevant to Mongolia, where natural rangelands occupy around 70% of the country’s territory and underpin livestock production, rural employment and food security. At the same time, rangeland degradation is widespread, with poorly managed grazing contributing to declining vegetation, soil stability, forage quality and drought resilience.

However, many Mongolian rangelands retain significant recovery potential. The 2015 national assessment found that more than half of the country’s rangelands could recover or move toward recovery within ten years if grazing management improved. These findings are reflected in the joint study by IIASA, UNCCD and the BRICS Competition Centre, Feasibility Study on the Prospects for Carbon Farming Solutions in Greater Central Asia, presented at COP17 on August 22.

Alexey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Centre and Head of the Pokrovsky Carbon Polygon project, said:

“The growing relevance of carbon farming stems from the fact that it is one of the few ways to reduce environmental impact without the need to curtail economic activity and, consequently, without creating socio-economic risks. Within the next few years, carbon projects, including those in Mongolia, will be able to trade on Chinese exchanges, and we need to be prepared for this. The technologies being developed at Pokrovsky are already in high demand among our colleagues in Kazakhstan, and we see significant potential for expanding cooperation with countries across the so-called Asian Drylands Belt.”

He added:

“The underutilized, aggravated endowments of Mongolia’s rangelands can be transformed into a valuable asset as a high-capacity carbon sink through functional carbon farming practices.”

The Pokrovsky Carbon Polygon sees the transfer of its technologies to Mongolia as a potential starting point for long-term cooperation in carbon monitoring, rangeland restoration and carbon farming across the Asian Drylands Belt.

Hashtag: #PokrovskyCarbonPolygon

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – On August 23, XiangLu Robotics globally debuted three major new products at the 2026 World Robot Conference (WRC): the multimodal cooking AI foundation CookingMuse (Chuqi), the 3K Vision Cooking Robot, and the RoboCook.

From understanding cooking, to sensing and judgment, to embodied execution, the three new products fully present the technological path by which AI enters real kitchens and solves real problems, pushing robots from “demonstrating capabilities” toward “creating real value.”

The three new products respectively represent Xianglu’s latest breakthroughs in cooking AI, intelligent robots, and embodied intelligence.

Among them, CookingMuse (Chuqi) is the world’s first multimodal cooking AI foundation model trained on real kitchen data. It takes AI from “recognizing cooking” one step further to “understanding cooking,” and drives the formation of Xianglu’s continuously evolving closed loop of “robot — data — model — robot.” Equipped with this “cooking brain,” the 3K Vision Cooking Robot captures changes inside the wok in real time through visual perception, allowing the robot for the first time both to “see” and, on that basis, to “judge.”

The RoboCook, pairs a humanoid robot with dedicated cooking robots to complete the full chain from picking and placing ingredients, to cooking, to serving, letting AI not only understand cooking but enter the real world and deliver a complete meal.

Yang Jiancheng, founder and chairman of XiangLu Robotics, said: “Cooking has no standard answer — children need nutrition, the elderly need less salt, and people away from home miss the taste of their mother’s cooking… So we let AI walk into real kitchens: to see every second of change in the ingredients, to see master chefs’ decades of experience, and ultimately to see each person’s needs. We hope to use technology to break through the limits of space, time, social class, and manpower — so that good food knows no north or south, so that the flavors of generations past can be passed down digitally, and so that master-level dishes can reach ordinary households. We hope that one day, no matter where a person is, how old they are, or where they come from, they can more easily get a truly suitable good meal. Because what robots truly need to see has never been just a dish, but every person.”

CookingMuse: The World’s First Cooking AI Foundation Model Trained on Real Kitchen Data

Yang Jiancheng, founder and chairman of XiangLu Robotics, explained that the multimodal cooking AI foundation is the underlying artificial intelligence system Xianglu has built for the kitchens of the future — and the world’s first multimodal cooking AI foundation model trained on real kitchen data.

It fuses vision, cooking-process data, and intelligent decision-making, so that the AI cooking robot no longer merely completes actions according to preset programs but begins to understand what is happening to a dish and, on that basis, judge what should be done next.

This means AI cooking robots are undergoing a capability leap from “automation” to “intelligence.”

In the past, robots relied more on fixed timing, fixed heat levels, fixed ingredient loading, and fixed procedures to complete cooking; but real kitchens have never been standard laboratories — the freshness, moisture content, size, and temperature of ingredients, as well as the state inside the wok, are constantly changing. The truly scarce ability of great chefs is not repeating motions but continuously observing, judging, and adjusting amid change.

What cooking intelligence truly needs to solve is not “how to make movements more precise,” but “when reality changes, whether the machine still knows what to do right now.”

Based on this judgment, Xianglu’s multimodal cooking AI foundation connects multimodal perception, cooking understanding, and dynamic decision-making, so that the robot no longer focuses only on “what dish this is,” but further understands “what state this dish is in right now, why that state has appeared, and what should be done next.”

For example, whether the sugar has caramelized properly, whether the sauce has reduced to the target state, whether the meat has reached the proper doneness — judgments that once relied on chefs’ experience are beginning to be converted into capabilities AI can learn, understand, and execute.

More importantly, Xianglu is turning real kitchens themselves into a space for AI’s continuous learning.

Robots enter real kitchens and generate real cooking data; the data further trains the model; the model’s capabilities then return to the robots and enter more real kitchens for continuous iteration.

The “robot — data — model — robot” closed loop thus formed also means Xianglu’s competitiveness no longer comes from any single piece of hardware alone, but from a cooking intelligence system capable of continuously evolving in the real world.

3K Vision Cooking Robot: For the First Time, an AI cooking Robot Has “Eyes”

The 3K Vision Cooking Robot is the second major product XiangLu Robotics has globally debuted during the WRC, and the world’s first intelligent AI cooking robot to fuse AI vision with the cooking brain — an AI chef that truly understands cooking. It is also the first product equipped with Xianglu’s multimodal cooking AI foundation.

Beyond its intelligent brain, Xianglu’s 3K Vision Cooking Robot is equipped with three 40-megapixel global-shutter industrial cameras, capturing images inside the wok at a high speed of 30 frames per second, with a large AI model trained on data from millions of dishes judging the state of the ingredients in real time. Powered by the world’s first multimodal cooking AI foundation model and newly added visual perception hardware, the AI cooking robot can for the first time both “see” the changes inside the wok and make autonomous decisions accordingly.

With the combined support of “AI vision + cooking brain,” Xianglu’s 3K Vision Cooking Robot can significantly reduce the cooking “failure rate” of complex dishes and help foodservice operators save on ingredient costs.

According to the company, the 3K moves dish quality control from “after the fact” to “during the process,” substantially improving back-of-house efficiency and cost control at branded restaurant locations through a higher degree of “unmanned” operation — the biggest change this product brings to the industry.

Past AI cooking robots executed preset programs; once the size, moisture content, or thawing state of ingredients did not match the default conditions, output quality would vary, and problems were often only discovered once the dish left the wok.

The 3K can dynamically adjust heating power, stir-fry duration, stirring speed, and seasoning quantities at the millisecond level, intervening in real time during the stir-frying process — so that even when ingredients are inconsistent or a tray is misplaced, it can still cook well. At the same time, its AI supervisory capability monitors store-level operational anomalies in real time — from ingredient cutting specifications, thawing state, and actual quantities loaded, to tray position, calibration, and dispensing anomalies — automatically identifying issues, generating reports, and pushing them to operations to help stores standardize operations.

In Xianglu’s product evolution, the 3K Vision Cooking Robot can smoothly complete the three-step leap of “getting eyes, becoming an AI supervisor, and becoming an AI chef.”

This capability received full validation on-site at the launch event. During the WRC exhibition and launch event, on camera, Xianglu’s 3K completed, one after another, two on-site challenges that traditional AI cooking robots could never overcome.

Test One, “The Disappearing Cup of Water”: two 3K robots simultaneously stir-fried the same dish, mapo tofu; mid-cook, an extra 100 grams of water not in the recipe was poured in; the system detected the change in the wok’s state, re-judged the sauce-reduction state, and did not proceed to the next step until the wok’s state returned to target.

Test Two, “The Wok Hei Is Back”: one machine used meat that had not fully thawed while the other used normal ingredients, both cooking chili-pepper stir-fried pork at the same time; the 3K recalculated the cooking plan in real time and closed the gap in heat control.

RoboCook: Where People Are, Hot Meals Follow

If the multimodal cooking AI foundation and the 3K Vision Cooking Robot are “invisible” technologies hidden in restaurant back-of-houses or built into the products themselves, then RoboCook launched this time by XiangLu Robotics, is a new product category that consumers can see and even touch.

Xianglu’s RoboCook is an integrated solution product built around embodied intelligent robots: a mobile, miniature unmanned back-of-house system. It forms an end-to-end unmanned closed loop covering chilled storage of prepped vegetables, fresh cooking, bowl dispensing and serving, oil-fume treatment, and equipment self-cleaning; it supports multiple categories including high-heat Chinese stir-frying, Western pasta, and fried rice — equivalent to a small mobile unmanned restaurant requiring no chef, no exhaust ductwork installation, and no fixed storefront.

RoboCook takes AI for the first time from a single piece of back-of-house equipment to the entire process of commercial operation, with core highlights including genuinely unmanned operation, dual-wok parallel cooking, end-to-end digitization, and mobile deployment.

For foodservice operators, RoboCook end-to-end digital management no longer relies on store managers’ rounds and human experience.

More importantly, its dual-wok parallel cooking and mobile deployment can both absorb demand surges during peak dining hours and achieve mobile, flexible deployment such that “wherever people queue for a meal, a RoboCook can be placed”: at high-traffic event sites such as exhibitions, music festivals, and sports events, it is ready to use the moment it is towed into place; in tech parks, office-building clusters, and university towns, employees can enjoy freshly stir-fried hot meals without leaving the premises; in scenic areas, campsites, and night markets, it is ready to sell wherever it stops.

Compared with existing manned mobile food trucks and automated food vending machines, what RoboCook delivers to foodservice operators is not a single AI cooking robot product, but a complete, mobile back-of-house capability that can rapidly replicate diverse, complex menus.

Notably, in early August this year, Xianglu’s fully automated AI beverage workstation Xianka Fangzhou made its appearance at JD.com’s Seven Fresh Kitchen (Qixian Xiaochu) “24-hour end-to-end robot store,” and an end-to-end intelligent production system entered beverage back-of-houses for the first time; now, RoboCook takes the same end-to-end unmanned capability from beverages to fresh stir-frying, and from fixed stores to more places, creating an entirely new product category — the mobile unmanned foodservice workstation.

From Chinese Kitchens to Global Kitchens, From Understanding a Dish to Seeing Every Person

From the AI brain that understands cooking, to the 3K Vision Cooking Robot that can see and judge, to the RoboCook that can enter the real world and deliver a complete meal — what Xianglu presented at this year’s WRC is not just three new products, but a cooking intelligence system that continuously evolves from understanding, to sensing, to execution.

Currently, Xianglu’s AI cooking robots cover nearly 350 cities in China and more than 20 countries and regions overseas, deployed with 3,000 brands, covering 13,000 stores, serving nearly 600 million customer visits in total; the company’s in-house AI recipe generation system has accumulated nearly one million digital recipes of Chinese cuisine. Entering real kitchens at scale has also enabled Xianglu to gradually form the continuously evolving closed loop of “robot — data — model — robot.”

Yang Jiancheng said: “Robots enter real kitchens and generate data; real data enters the model, and the model begins to understand cooking; new capabilities return to the robots; smarter robots enter more kitchens and generate more, and more valuable, data.”

Based on this continuously evolving cooking intelligence, Xianglu’s products and use cases keep growing. From commercial AI cooking robots, to the 3K and RoboCook, to future home AI cooking robots — what changes are product forms and use cases; what does not change is the underlying cooking intelligence: in restaurants, understanding each brand’s dish-quality standards; in homes, understanding different people’s taste, nutrition, and dietary needs.

At the same time, Xianglu is bringing this capability into real kitchens in more countries and regions. Different ingredients, climates, cooking methods, and dietary habits will also become new variables for AI’s continuous learning. From understanding Chinese kitchens to understanding global kitchens, Xianglu hopes ultimately to build a cooking intelligence capable of continuously learning and understanding global cuisine.

But no matter how many dishes robots can understand or how many kitchens they enter, what technology ultimately faces are still real, individual people.

At the launch event, Xianglu screened the company’s brand vision film “Seeing”: a middle-aged father who spent years away from home studying and starting businesses, years after his mother’s passing, uses AI digital technology to recreate, before his own son, the braised pork belly the boy’s grandmother once made. What the machine has restored is not just a dish, but a family memory that spans time.

Hashtag: #XiangLuRobotics

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Industry leaders and practitioners gathered in Hong Kong to advance climate adaptation, building transformation and AI-enabled solutions for a more resilient built environment across Asia.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – Arup and Saint-Gobain hosted the Asia launch (Hong Kong) of their global report, Adapting Buildings to Climate Change, alongside a technical seminar on AI-enhanced building design and operation. Supported by the Hong Kong Green Building Council, BEAM Society Limited, Business Environment Council, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, Royal Institute of British Architects and American Institute of Architects Hong Kong, the event brought together more than 100 industry leaders, developers, architects, engineers and sustainability practitioners to examine how the built environment can respond to the growing challenges of climate change. The Hong Kong edition follows the report’s European launch in Brussels earlier this year and marks the beginning of a wider conversation across the Asia Pacific region.

Reflecting the value of collaboration between government and industry, Mr Sammy Yeung, JP, Commissioner for Climate Change, Environment and Ecology Bureau, HKSAR Government; and Mr Benjamin Hubin, Deputy Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, graced the launch ceremony as distinguished guests. Their presence underscored a shared commitment to addressing climate challenges and strengthening the resilience of Hong Kong’s built environment.

The urgency of that shared agenda framed the evening’s discussions. The scale of the challenge is significant. More than 7,000 major climate-related disasters caused nearly US$3 trillion in losses worldwide between 2000 and 2019, and the frequency and severity of heatwaves, floods, storms and extreme rainfall continue to rise. As one of the world’s most densely developed cities, Hong Kong faces distinct pressures, with rising temperatures, intensifying rainfall and a large existing building stock reinforcing the need for adaptation alongside decarbonisation. The pressure is particularly acute in dense urban areas, where Arup’s research has found the urban heat island effect can raise city temperatures by up to 8.5°C compared with rural surroundings, putting lives at risk and driving up cooling demand. Against this backdrop, the report examines how buildings can better withstand extreme heat, flooding and storms while supporting the transition to a low-carbon future.

Building on these themes, distinguished speakers and panellists from across the built environment sector shared their perspectives throughout the evening. Through a series of presentations and a panel discussion, they explored how building owners, investors and industry professionals can extend asset life, strengthen resilience and create lasting social and economic value through climate-responsive design, retrofitting and advanced technologies, as well as the growing role of digital innovation and artificial intelligence in enabling smarter, more sustainable decision-making across the building lifecycle.

Ir Dr Vincent Cheng, Arup Fellow and APAC Environment, Climate and Sustainability Services Leader, said, “Climate adaptation is no longer a future consideration. It is a present-day imperative for our cities, communities and economies. Buildings account for a significant share of our urban assets, and enhancing their resilience is essential to protecting people, livelihoods and long-term prosperity. Through this report, Arup and Saint-Gobain aim to provide practical insights that help the industry move beyond identifying climate risks and towards implementing solutions. By combining adaptation, decarbonisation and digital innovation, we can create buildings that are not only more resilient, but also healthier, more efficient and better equipped to support thriving communities.”

Mr Ludovic Weber, CEO Asia, Saint-Gobain, said, “Building adaptation to climate change cannot be addressed through one discipline, one stakeholder or one product alone. This report reinforces and accelerates Saint-Gobain’s long-standing approach of combining materials, systems and building-science expertise to deliver integrated, performance-based solutions tailored to specific climate risks and local needs. Together with Arup, we aim to turn knowledge into practical action and help create buildings that are more resilient, sustainable and valuable over the long term.”

About the report
Adapting Buildings to Climate Change explores the impacts of climate change on buildings and sets out strategies to strengthen resilience across the asset lifecycle. It identifies three complementary design approaches, namely robustness, adaptiveness and flexibility, and presents practical families of construction solutions ranging from thermal envelope and solar protection systems to green infrastructure and enhanced-resistance measures. The report highlights the business and societal value of investing in adaptation, showing how proactive measures can safeguard assets, improve occupant wellbeing and support more sustainable, resilient cities.

Hashtag: #Arup #Saint-Gobain

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About Arup

Arup is a global built environment consultancy providing advisory and technical expertise for our clients across more than 150 disciplines. We create safe, resilient, and regenerative places.
www.arup.com

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group, celebrating its 360th anniversary in 2025, remains more committed than ever to its purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – TIME named He Tingbo, President of HiSilicon, Huawei’s semiconductor division, to the 2026 TIME100 AI, a list recognizing the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence.

In May 2026, He Tingbo unveiled the “Tau (τ) Scaling Law” at the IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems in Shanghai: a proposal to replace the geometric shrinking of Moore’s Law with time-based scaling as the guiding principle for semiconductors and the electronic systems built on them. In the past decade under her leadership, the company has built its competitive edge in AI computing including Ascend AI accelerators, Kunpeng server processors, and UnifiedBus-enabled SuperPoD systems.

To assemble the list, TIME’s editors and reporters examined the key stories in AI over the past year and consulted with expert sources and industry leaders for recommendations. The result is a list of 100 leaders, innovators, shapers, and thinkers who have a stake in the future of AI.

See He Tingbo’s story here: https://time.com/collection/time100-ai/2026/he-tingbo/

See the full list here: http://ti.me/100ai

Hashtag: #Huawei #TIME100AI

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Empowering SMEs and Working Professionals to Embrace AI and Foster Widespread AI Adoption in Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) today held the Launching Ceremony of the “AI for All” Inclusive Programme, aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and the “AI+” initiative, and supporting the HKSAR Government’s policies of “industries for AI, AI for industries” and “AI for All”. Coordinated by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB), the “AI for All” Inclusive Programme aims to promote the widespread adoption of AI across society. As one of the programme implementation partners, HKPC will lead the “AI with HKPC – Business Empowerment” sub-programme, focusing on practical business applications, talent development, and inclusive technology adoption. The initiative will provide targeted support to SMEs, professionals, labour groups, and underprivileged communities through a range of training courses, hands-on application programmes, and industry-academia-research collaboration, promoting AI literacy and the practical deployment of AI technologies.

Professor SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, officiated at the ceremony, joined by Mr Emil YU Chen-on, BBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of HKPC, and Mr Mohamed Butt, MH, Executive Director of HKPC. The event also brought together representatives from leading international and Chinese Mainland technology enterprises, chambers of commerce, and industry leaders, who shared successful case studies and practical insights, fostering collaboration across sectors to advance Hong Kong’s AI ecosystem.

Professor SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said: “AI has become a key factor in global industrial upgrading and driving the development of the digital economy. Helping SMEs to achieve digital transformation and enhance competitiveness through AI is one of the focal points of the ‘AI for All’ inclusive programme. This time, HKPC as the third implementing organisation for the ‘AI for All’ inclusive programme, leverages its years of experience serving businesses to provide targeted and professional support to SMEs, helping them seize opportunities in the AI era. I hope that through the ‘AI for All’ inclusive programme, AI will not only serve as an empowering tool to enhance corporate value and competitiveness but also transform into a super dividend that benefits SMEs and the general public. Let ‘AI for All’ become Hong Kong’s vision for ‘Upgrading for All’ and ‘Opportunities for All’.”

Mr Emil YU Chen-on, BBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of HKPC, said: “AI should not be a privilege reserved for large enterprises. It should become a productivity tool that every business, every employee, and people from all walks of life can leverage. HKPC has long been committed to helping enterprises, particularly SMEs, enhance productivity, drive digital transformation, and convert innovative technologies into tangible business value. We focus on integrating AI technologies across different industries by providing practical, scalable and replicable solutions that support smart transformation. As one of the implementation organisations of the ‘AI for All’ Inclusive Programme, HKPC will centre its efforts on ‘AI with HKPC – Business Empowerment’, connecting Government, industry, academia, technology partners and social service organisations to help enterprises, SMEs, professionals and underprivileged communities acquire AI capabilities and transform AI into real productivity and business value, thereby advancing Hong Kong’s high-quality development and digital inclusion.”

“AI for All” Officially Launches with “Business Empowerment” Series to Drive Widespread AI Adoption

To advance the “AI for All” Inclusive Programme, HKPC has launched the “AI with HKPC – Business Empowerment” training series, centred on practical business applications. Through a two-year training and promotion programme, HKPC will work with technology companies, chambers of commerce, labour groups and community partners to help SMEs, professionals, working individuals, labour organisations, underprivileged groups and the general public acquire AI knowledge and application skills. The initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of AI and support digital and smart transformation across industries, sectors and communities through three key focus areas:

1. Business and Industry Upgrading: Through AI-focused programmes such as “AI+ Industry Boost Training” and “SME AI Connect”, enterprises can rapidly adopt AI technologies to enhance productivity and competitiveness. Key training topics include:

• Practical Applications of Generative AI: Learning how to use generative AI tools for content creation, data analysis, and workflow optimisation.
• AI Applications Across Industries: Exploring how AI enhances efficiency, optimises operations and drives innovation in sectors including education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and logistics.
• AI Project Workshops: Providing hands-on experience in AI application development and implementation, enabling participants to integrate AI solutions into real business scenarios.

2. Human Resources and Leadership: HKPC will continue conducting the “Hong Kong Enterprise AI Application Trends Survey” and share insights through “AI Talent Winning Tips”, helping organisations understand AI talent management and application trends while preparing for future workforce needs. Key topics include:

• AI and Career Development: Examining the impact of AI on the future workplace and helping professionals understand emerging skills requirements.
• AI Talent Management and Application Strategies: Sharing successful corporate experiences and practical strategies for AI transformation and talent development.

3. AI for ALL: Through the free online learning platform “AI BiteClass”, HKPC will provide convenient AI learning resources for SMEs, professionals, senior citizens and underprivileged communities, enabling people from all backgrounds to access AI fundamentals and the latest application trends anytime, anywhere. Key topics include:

• Introduction to AI Fundamentals: Covering basic AI concepts, operating principles, common use cases and future trends.
• Getting Started with Generative AI: Introducing generative AI tools and their everyday applications.
• AI Ethics and Responsible Use: Building awareness of responsible AI adoption, including issues relating to data privacy, bias and transparency.

“AI BiteClass” Debuts at Launch Ceremony, Bringing Global Technology Expertise to Hong Kong

As part of the launch event, HKPC presented a live edition of the “AI BiteClass”, featuring experts from HKPC and leading global technology companies, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, Huawei Cloud, Lenovo, Samsung, Tencent Cloud and Microsoft. The sessions shared practical AI techniques and real-world application cases tailored for SMEs. Through concise yet insightful presentations, the guest speakers highlighted the best practices and implementation strategies for AI, demonstrating how businesses can leverage AI to drive growth and enhance operational efficiency.

Looking ahead, the “AI BiteClass” will introduce a range of free online courses covering popular topics such as generative AI, AI agents, workflow automation, data analytics and enterprise transformation. Members of the public will be able to access practical AI learning resources at any time through the online platform or via iAM Smart.

HKPC has long positioned itself as a “technology adopter and enabler”, committed to helping enterprises transform innovation into tangible business value. Since 2024, HKPC has organised more than 600 AI training sessions, serving over 32,000 participants, including SMEs, large enterprises, HR professionals, industry leaders, students, educators and members of the public. These efforts have played a pivotal role in fostering a more competitive AI application ecosystem in Hong Kong.

A series of “AI with HKPC – Business Empowerment” activities will be rolled out progressively. Enterprises and members of the public are welcome to register via iAM Smart and stay updated on the latest programmes. Through collaboration with global technology enterprises, industry organisations and community partners, HKPC aims to bring AI into businesses, workplaces and communities, advancing the vision of “AI for All” while empowering enterprises and co-building Hong Kong’s intelligent future. For details, please visit: https://www.hkpcacademy.org/en/aiforall/

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Photo Captions:

1. Professor SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, delivers a speech at the ceremony, sharing the Government’s vision for advancing the “AI for All” Inclusive Programme, accelerating AI adoption and fostering innovation and technology development in Hong Kong.
2. Professor SUN Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government (middle), Mr Emil YU Chen-on, BBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of HKPC (left), and Mr Mohamed Butt, MH, Executive Director of HKPC (right) officiate the HKPC Launching Ceremony of the “AI for All” Inclusive Programme, jointly promoting AI literacy and application.
3. Mr Emil YU Chen-on, BBS, JP, Deputy Chairman of HKPC, says HKPC will help enterprises and talent master AI technologies through the “AI with HKPC – Business Empowerment” series, supporting the transition from AI awareness to practical application.
4. The “AI for All” Inclusive Programme attracts representatives from the business and innovation and technology sectors to explore the latest AI developments and application opportunities.
5. HKPC hosts an “AI BiteClass” sharing session on the day of the Launching Ceremony, inviting technology companies and industry experts to present practical AI experiences and success stories, helping enterprises enhance productivity and competitiveness through AI.

Hashtag: #HKPC

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About the Hong Kong Productivity Council

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is a statutory body established in 1967, dedicated to enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises through world-class applied R&D, innovative technology services, and integrated manufacturing solutions. As a market-oriented, international R&D organisation, HKPC leverages its deep expertise and extensive industry experience in key areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing, life and health technology, green technology and new energy to drive new industrialisation and support the growth of emerging and future industries.

HKPC focuses on addressing businesses challenges and industrial technology needs, promoting the full integration between technological and industrial innovation. Through technology transfer, product innovation, intellectual property protection and commercialisation of R&D outcomes, the Council fosters collaboration with the local business community as well as top global R&D institutions, delivering added value to industries and advancing the development of new productive forces. HKPC’s world-class R&D achievements have been widely recognised over the years, winning an array of local and overseas accolades, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as an international innovation and technology centre and a smart city.

To help enterprises capitalise on Hong Kong’s strengths in international connectivity to expand into global markets, HKPC offers comprehensive overseas expansion services tailored to critical areas including product development, technology, manufacturing, and management, enabling businesses to successfully go global from Hong Kong.

HKPC is also committed to providing timely and practical support to SMEs and startups with timely and practical , assisting them in accessing Government funding programmes. Through its FutureSkills training initiatives, HKPC helps both industry and academia stay ahead in latest digital and STEM technologies, nurturing a future-ready talent pool for Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit HKPC’s website: www.hkpc.org/en.

Bringing Together More Than 45 Leading Watch Brands to Celebrate Watch Culture
Through The Symposium, Featuring Influential Voices from the World of Horology and
Discover Exclusive Exhibitions and Showcases from 22–27 September 2026 at Siam Paragon

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – Siam Paragon, reaffirming its position as a global landmark and one of the world’s premier Global Luxury Destinations, is set to host a defining landmark of haute horology with the second edition of “Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026.” The event is a ‘Celebration of Watch Culture,” bringing new depth and perspective to the world of horology through an exceptional gathering of more than 45 prestigious international watch maisons, renowned industry leaders, discerning collectors, and passionate enthusiasts from across the globe.

Designed as a dynamic platform for sharing and discovery, The event will feature The Symposium, an engaging forum of conversations with leading voices in horology, alongside exclusive exhibitions and curated showcases that offer visitors an intimate encounter with exceptional timepieces and the latest innovations in watchmaking. Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 will take place from 22–27 September 2026 at Siam Paragon, with a vision to position Bangkok as a Global Watch Destination and one of Asia’s most significant destinations for watch culture.

Entering its second year, Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 welcomes more than 45 prestigious watch brands, including A. LANGE & SOHNE, BIANCHET, BOUCHERON, BREITLING, BVLGARI, CARTIER, CHOPARD, FRANCK MULLER, GRAND SEIKO, HUBLOT, IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN, JAEGER-LECOULTRE, LOUIS ERARD, PANERAI, PIAGET, TAG HEUER, TIFFANY & CO., ULYSSE NARDIN, VACHERON CONSTANTIN, and ZENITH.

The 2026 edition also welcomes a distinguished line-up of new participating brands, including AMIDA, BEHRENS, BLANCPAIN, BREGUET, BREMONT, CVSTOS, DAVID CANDAUX, GERALD CHARLES, GIRARD-PERREGAUX, GREUBEL FORSEY, JACOB & CO., L.LEROY, MB&F, NORQAIN, OMEGA, ORIS, PARMIGIANI FLEURIER, RESSENCE, ROGER DUBUIS, SPEAKE-MARIN, TUDOR, and UNIVERSAL GENEVE.

The event will further enrich engagement within the global watch community through The Symposium, a distinguished platform dedicated to the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and the stories behind the art of watchmaking. Bringing together international brand executives, master watchmakers, renowned collectors, and influential industry figures. In a significant milestone for the event, Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 is honored to welcome the Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH), the world’s leading authority on horological culture, to co-host a special edition of The Symposium.

The celebration will also feature an impressive lineup of novelties, Southeast Asia’s debuts, and world premieres from some of the industry’s most prestigious watch maisons and independent watchmakers. Reflecting its rapid ascent on the global horological calendar, this year’s Bangkok Watch Week has more than doubled the participation of leading international brands, bringing together an unprecedented spectrum of revered watch maisons and acclaimed independent creators. Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 aims to further establish Bangkok as a leading Global Watch Destination.

• World Premieres and the Latest Innovations in Fine Watchmaking

One of the most anticipated highlights of Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 will be the unveiling of significant new timepieces and collections from more than 45 leading international watch brands. Showcasing over 200 exceptional novelties valued at hundreds of millions of baht, the event reflects strong confidence in Bangkok and the growing influence of the global collector community.

Among the standouts, Roger Dubuis will present the global debut of its iconic Knights of the Roundtable collection, offering watch enthusiasts a bold expression of creativity and mechanical mastery. Universal Genève will also make its highly anticipated Southeast Asian debut, providing a rare opportunity for the region’s watch community to experience the next chapter of the legendary Swiss watchmaker.

Collectors and enthusiasts can also explore The Exhibition, a dedicated showcase of the latest releases, limited editions, horological masterpieces, grand complications, rare treasures, and exceptional collections, offering an up-close encounter with some of the finest creations in contemporary watchmaking.

• The Symposium: Shaping the future of horology through dialogue and discovery by leading global voices

At the heart of Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 is “The Symposium,” conceived as a platform for storytelling and meaningful dialogue surrounding the art and science of watchmaking. Through the perspectives of brand founders, senior executives, watchmakers, creators, and influential figures from the world of haute horlogerie,

This year, The Symposium has been expanded in both the number of sessions and the capacity of its dedicated space, enabling an even wider community of collectors and enthusiasts to participate in these exclusive conversations, with a total of 18 sessions taking place throughout the event.

Among the most anticipated speakers is Mr.Georges Kern, Group CEO of Breitling, a leading figure in the Swiss watch industry, who will share his perspectives on the future direction of the industry and his vision for building a watch brand that remains meaningfully connected with audiences in the modern world during The Symposium on The Breitling Journey- Georges Kern, on Brand Legacy, Community and the Future of Watch Culture.

Also taking part is Mr. Emmanuel Breguet, Vice President and Head of Patrimony, who will share insights into the history of Breguet and the maison’s legacy of innovation surrounding the Tourbillon, commemorating the 225th Anniversary of the Tourbillon. His participation offers collectors and horology enthusiasts a rare opportunity to hear directly from an individual with a profound connection to the maison’s heritage.

Throughout the six-day programme, The Symposium will feature a distinguished line-up of sessions, including:

• The Symposium on CVSTOS: Beyond Tradition – Material Innovation in Modern Watchmaking with Sassoun Sirmakes – CEO
• The Symposium on Piaget with Pierre Guerrier – Business Developer and Watchmaking Expert
• The Symposium on Universal Genève Returns: The Beginning of A New Era for Le Couturier De La Montre with House of Brands CEO Georges Kern and Universal Genève Managing Director Gregory Bruttin
• The Symposium on Vacheron Constantin with Morgan Maillard – Style and Heritage Expert
• The Symposium on Franck Muller with Nicolas Rudaz – CEO
• The Symposium on Roger Dubuis: Astronomy Meets Geneva Watchmaking Excellence-Introducing the Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar with Jean-Philippe Bonneau, Chief Marketing Officer
• The Symposium on Jacob & Co. Inheriting the Impossible with Benjamin Arabov – CEO
• The Symposium on Grand Seiko: The Evolution of Precision with Takashi Sakamoto – Vice President & Jonathan Bues – Communications and Brand Advisor
• The Symposium on TUDOR: A Century of TUDOR with Cole Pennington
• The Symposium on Gerald Charles with Federico Ziviani – CEO
• The Symposium on Bvlgari: The Art of Time with Emma Behaeghel – Regional Managing Director, Bulgari South Asia Pacific
• The Symposium on Norqain with Tobias Küffer – Vice President

The programme will also feature the Watch Collector Symposium, creating a dedicated platform for collectors to exchange perspectives, experiences, and insights. Further enhancing the programme, the Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH) will join the event to present an exclusive Symposium programme, making The Symposium a unique platform that connects people with the stories behind watchmaking, from creative concepts and craftsmanship to the heritage of individual maisons and perspectives on the future of haute horlogerie.

• A World-Class Experience Making Its Southeast Asian Debut

Beyond exhibitions and conversations, Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 will offer visitors an immersive experience through “The Experience,” a dedicated experience showcasing distinctive innovations and specially curated activities from participating watch brands.

A key highlight will be the official Southeast Asian debut of the “Academy Lounge” by Fondation Haute Horlogerie Academy (FHH Academy). For collectors, brand executives, industry professionals, and individuals with a passion for horology, the Academy Lounge will provide access to expert guidance and educational resources from the Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH), a globally recognized organization dedicated to advancing knowledge, preserving the cultural heritage of fine watchmaking, and promoting international standards of understanding and appreciation for haute horlogerie.

Visitors will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of horology through a structured learning experience and take part in assessments leading to the FHH Certification, an internationally recognized certification that reflects an established standard of knowledge in fine watchmaking.

The Experience will also feature a diverse range of exclusive activities presented by leading watch brands, offering visitors the opportunity to explore horology through multiple dimensions, including craftsmanship, creativity, technical innovation, and design, through experiences created exclusively for Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026.

By creating an unprecedented horological phenomenon across all dimensions, encompassing insightful dialogues on watchmaking culture, immersive exhibitions, and exclusive showcases, Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 is not merely a venue where brands and collectors meet. Instead, it serves as a premier Watch Culture Platform that unites people, knowledge, craftsmanship, cultural heritage, and the future vision of the horological world. It stands as a celebration of the science, art, craftsmanship, and enduring legacy of watchmaking, driven by the ultimate mission to elevate Bangkok into the epicenter of watch culture in Asia and a landmark destination on the global horology calendar.

Siam Paragon Bangkok Watch Week 2026 will take place from 22–27 September 2026 at Siam Paragon, bringing together the world of fine watchmaking in a celebration designed to position Bangkok firmly on the global horological map as a Global Watch Destination.

For further information, event updates, and registration, please visit www.bangkokwatchweek.com or follow Instagram: @bangkokwatchweek.

Hashtag: #BangkokWatchWeek2026 #SIAMPIWAT #SiamParagon #SiamParagonBangkokWatchWeek2026 #LuxuryWatchDestination

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Merdeka campaign spotlights 31 entrepreneurs building homegrown businesses across Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – From local craftsmanship to businesses responding to changing consumer needs, Malaysian entrepreneurs are creating value in ways that reflect the country’s diversity, resourcefulness and ambition. In conjunction with Merdeka and Malaysia Day, Shopee today launched Shopee Juara Lokal to celebrate 31 of these entrepreneurs whose journeys embody these qualities.

The inaugural Juara Lokal cohort brings together Shopee sellers from different states and business categories, selected for their distinctive stories, resilience, and established track records on the platform. Collectively, they demonstrate how digital commerce can help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) reach beyond their hometowns without losing sight of their roots.

Through a dedicated Juara Lokal digital showcase, Shopee offers Malaysians a closer look at the people, products, and stories behind these homegrown businesses in one curated destination.

The campaign also features an interview-led video series following the stories of Emilhan Mokhtar of Kita Shop Sabah, Satish Raguchandran of Russell Taylors, Natasha and Samantha Mah of Love Earth Organic, and Datuk Kamaruddin Meranun of MILK™. The series explores the experiences, challenges and milestones that have shaped their entrepreneurial journeys, with episodes released progressively across Shopee Malaysia’s Instagram and YouTube channels in the lead-up to Malaysia Day.

For Emilhan Mokhtar, founder of Kita Shop Sabah, childhood days spent helping his parents at local tamu markets became the foundation for his business.

“Being recognised as a Juara makes me immensely proud to represent the people, culture and craftsmanship of Sabah. Selling online has helped us bring authentic Sabahan pearl craftsmanship to customers across Malaysia, grow our team, and eventually expand from an online business into a physical storefront,” shared Emilhan.

While some businesses are rooted in local heritage and craftsmanship, others were shaped by personal experiences. Love Earth Organic is one such example, whose co-founders Samantha and Natasha Mah’s experience of seeing loved ones face health challenges prompted them to address a gap faced by their community: finding affordable, organic food products that meet Malaysians’ evolving health and lifestyle needs.

Samantha Mah, Co-Founder and Chief of Inspiration at Love Earth Organic, said, “Losing loved ones to cancer made us realise how important the choices we make every day can be, especially the food we put on our plates. That experience inspired us to start Love Earth Organic, to make healthier, organic choices more accessible to Malaysian families.”

Through Shopee Juara Lokal, Shopee is spotlighting the stories and journeys of Malaysian entrepreneurs to inspire more Malaysians to discover and support homegrown businesses. By celebrating their achievements and the impact they’ve made, the campaign also hopes to inspire the next generation of Malaysian sellers to follow in their footsteps and build businesses that positively impact the community.

Nik Emir Nik Din, Head of Public Policy and External Affairs, Shopee Malaysia, said, “Behind every homegrown business is a distinctly Malaysian story, shaped by personal experience, local knowledge, and the determination to build something meaningful. As these businesses grow, they create employment opportunities and open new avenues for Malaysian products and traditions, and reach customers beyond their immediate markets.

The 31 entrepreneurs featured in Juara Lokal demonstrate that success can take many forms, with each carving out their own unique journey. By showcasing their stories, we hope to set an example for future cohorts of successful Juara Lokal sellers, inspiring them to chart their own journeys and find success on their own terms,” he added.

Hashtag: #Shopee #LocalBusinesses #Merdeka #ShopeeJuaraLokal

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Shopee

Shopee is the largest e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, and is a leading e-commerce platform in Brazil. Shopee promotes an inclusive and sustainable digital ecosystem by enabling businesses to digitalise and grow their online presence, helping more people access and benefit from digital services, and uplifting local communities.

Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. Shopee is also a key contributor to the digital economy, with a firm commitment to helping homegrown brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.

Shopee is part of Sea Limited (NYSE: SE), a global technology company. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology through its three core businesses: Shopee, Garena, and Monee.

Singapore-headquartered company adopts a campaign-led model for consumer brands across Asia-Pacific, designing creative merchandise that consumers choose to keep.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – DTC World announced it has repositioned as a creative merchandise company, formalising a campaign-led approach it has used with consumer brands across Asia-Pacific. The change moves the company away from a product-first approach, towards merchandise designed to influence consumer behaviour — encouraging repeat purchase, product trial and participation — rather than merchandise distributed as a giveaway.

Under the repositioning, the company defines creative merchandise as branded product designed to serve a specific marketing objective — repeat purchase, product trial, advocacy or participation — with the objective decided before the product is chosen. It contrasts this with merchandise selected from a catalogue and added to a campaign after the fact.

DTC World said the change responds to how merchandise is now bought. Merchandise budgets increasingly sit inside campaign lines rather than procurement and are judged on what they achieve rather than what they cost, which requires a different starting point: not a product range, but the behaviour a brand needs from its shoppers.

“Most merchandise is designed to be handed out. Very little of it is designed to be kept,” said Jason Cheng, Managing Director of DTC World. “That is the standard we work to. If a consumer would not choose to keep the merchandise after the campaign ends, it was never going to do anything for the brand — and that is a design problem, not a sourcing one.”

One example of the approach is the company’s work with Ben & Jerry’s Singapore, for which DTC World designed four limited-edition socks inspired by the brand’s ice cream flavours. Each pair was packaged in a miniature pint container and distributed across participating retailers, produced as a collectible set rather than a single giveaway item, with the packaging itself designed to be kept. The socks were fully redeemed, and the company said the designs were widely shared on social media.

Similar formats now run through much of the company’s campaign work: collectible series, blind box drops, limited-edition releases and licensed IP collaborations that give consumers a reason to return rather than a reason to accept a free item.

DTC World said campaign merchandise now sits at the centre of its business: programmes built around a defined marketing objective and judged on the consumer behaviour they move. The company continues to produce corporate gifts alongside this work, where the job is building relationships with a known audience rather than moving behaviour at scale.

“Consumers are getting more selective about what they keep, and that is raising the bar on design,” Cheng said. “We expect demand to keep moving towards original artwork, proprietary characters and culturally specific work — merchandise that could only have come from one brand.”
Hashtag: #Dtcworld

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About DTC World

Founded in 2001, DTC World Corporation is a creative merchandise company headquartered in Singapore, with operations in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and China. The company designs and produces campaign merchandise, gift-with-purchase premiums, licensed character merchandise and corporate gifts for consumer brands across Asia-Pacific, working from a brand’s marketing objective rather than a product catalogue.

More information is available at dtcworld.com.