Analysis

Exiting China not easy for Japanese companies

In the wake of the supply chain disruptions due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Japan has earmarked over US$2bn to encourage its companies under FY2020 Primary Supplementary Budget to move operations out of China and relocate production bases across a number of countries, including those of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). However, completely decoupling from China is not going to be easy for Japanese companies, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in severe supply chain disruptions in early 2020 for Japanese companies. For instance, Nissan had to temporarily stop production at one of its domestic plants because of the delay in parts supply from China. The new national security law of Hong Kong passed by China in June 2020 coupled with recent territorial disputes in the South China Sea has reignited the demand in Japan for the country’s companies to lower dependency in China. As a result, Japan is concerned as more than 1,400 Japanese companies operate out of Hong Kong. The city accounts for about 2.5% of Japan’s total trade in 2019, making it one of top 10 trading partners. Japan is also closely monitoring the China-United States trade war, as possible higher import tariffs from their Chinese production units into US could also exert pressure on Japanese companies to shift production base. Gracio Benher, Practice Head at GlobalData, comments: “Even before the current geopolitical stand-off between China and Japan, some Japanese companies in China have been mulling about cutting down their Chinese presence, following the increased labor costs and unfavorable exchange rate between Japanese Yen and Chinese Yuan.” For Japanese companies, a total pullout from China has its own set of challenges. Japanese companies have over US$100bn investments in China, and one of the prerequisites to gain access to […]

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EU Automation launches resource centre for manufacturing professionals

In response to the industry’s hunger for information on technology that can pull them out of the post-pandemic productivity lull, automation equipment supplier EU Automation, has pooled all its resources into a new, free, online Knowledge Hub. At the click of a button, visitors can download a wealth of resources on additive manufacturing (AM), artificial intelligence (AI), Industry 4.0, cyber security, obsolescence, sustainability and the circular economy. The company has also made its two chart-topping books available to download free of charge. EU Automation has been publishing its industry magazine, AUTOMATED, since 2016. In the last four years, it has gathered insight from trade bodies, innovative start ups and created a content bank. The Knowledge Hub takes this several steps further, by providing industry an easy way to download a range of resources on an industry trend of their choice. The company has also made its two manufacturing chart-topping books available for free download. The books were previously available on Amazon for a small cost, but the authors felt that enabling free download would best aid manufacturing professionals in their online learning. The first book, The Book of Obsolescence Management (BoOM) explains how manufacturers can use obsolescence to their advantage, giving practical advice from industry experts at COPA-DATA, Renishaw, the International Institute of Obsolescence Management and more. The book has been downloaded more than 17,000 times and sat at the top of the Amazon manufacturing chart for several weeks. The second book, 4.0 Sight, is a global look at the fourth industrial revolution, covering initiatives like Japan’s Society 5.0 and Made in China 2025. Similar to BoOM, it is packed with insight from big industry players, including ABB, GE and Toshiba Machine. “Google Trends data suggests that the search term “free online learning” increased dramatically during the Covid-19 outbreak,” explained […]

APAC construction market to hit $14 trillion by 2021 predicts Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Business Model Innovations in the Building Construction Industry, 2020, finds that the building construction value chain will shift from sequential (conventional value chain) to innovative business models with increased penetration of building construction technology. With rapid urbanisation and suburban development in Asia-Pacific (APAC), the construction market in the region is expected to reach $14 trillion by 2021 from $10 trillion in 2017. However, the market will be impacted by Covid-19. In a conservative scenario, there will be a long delay in the completion of projects in the commercial segment; in an aspirational scenario, there would be a short delay in the completion of ongoing projects until the Covid-19 pandemic subsides. “APAC is expected to witness an infrastructure and construction boom in the next five years with a healthy distribution of projects shared between the residential, industrial, and infrastructural segments,” said Wen Hui Liu, Energy & Environment Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Additionally, in this period, innovative business models such as vertical integration, anything-as-a-service (XaaS), and off-site construction will be impacting traditional building construction business in the region.” Advanced technologies such as AR/VR, 3D printing, automation and robotics are expected play a major role in combatting industry challenges such as declined productivity, workforce scarcity and site safety issues. The move to a more modern and digital environment will also play a positive role in addressing the gap of skilled workers. Liu added: “Besides advancement in technology, sustainability trends such as prefabrication construction, sustainable construction, and green building technology are likely to revolutionize the conventional way business is done in the building construction sector. Further, this trend will reduce carbon emission and gain new revenue streams from the conventional value chain.” To tap into the growth opportunities exposed by the innovative building construction industry, market […]

Mitsubishi Corporation: Initiation of “Technology Development for Para-xylene Production from CO2”

We, University of Toyama, Chiyoda Corporation, Nippon Steel Engineering Co., Ltd., Nippon Steel Corporation, HighChem Company Limited, and Mitsubishi Corporation (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Group”) are pleased to announce that the Group has jointly applied for and been selected by NEDO(1) for “Development of Technologies for Carbon Recycling and Next-Generation Thermal Power Generation / Development of Technologies for CO2 Reduction and Utilization / Development of Technologies for CO2 Utilisation for Chemicals.” Summary:In order to cope with global climate change, it is necessary to address the issue of CO2 emissions from factories, power plants, and various emission sources while pursuing all possible technological options including carbon recycling technologies. “Roadmap for Carbon Recycling Technologies” formulated by METI(2) in June 2019 sets forth guidelines for utilisation of carbon recycling technologies for separating and collecting CO2 as resources and reusing it in the form of diverse carbon compounds for chemical materials or fuels. Against this backdrop, NEDO has launched a development project for the world’s most advanced technology for industrial para-xylene(3) production from CO2 to substitute existing fossil fuel-derived chemicals, and the Group has been selected as contractors for this commissioned project. Para-xylene is a particularly important basic compound in the production of PTA(4) which is a feedstock material for polyesters such as polyester fibers and plastic bottles. Due to its composition, it can be produced with a relatively small amount of hydrogen while fixing a large amount of CO2, compared to other compounds from carbon recycling. This is a theme with great potential from both economic and environmental perspectives. The global demand for para-xylene is approximately 49 million tons per year. Assuming that the feedstock for para-xylene of the current demand level is entirely converted from fossil fuels to CO2, theoretically 160 million tons of CO2 could be fixed in the […]

How to ride the wave of E-Commerce during and after Covid 19?

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about changes to our businesses. How can you continue to move your business moving forward by adopting effective E-commerce strategies during and post COVID-19? E-commerce will be the leading driver of changes to your businesses. As such, the CEBIT ASEAN Thailand Webinar Series – July Edition brings you our “Free to Attend’ webinar “How can you ride the wave of E-Commerce during and after Covid 19?” to help you learn about: AI & IOT technologies for your retail business Omni-channel supply chain innovations for your business The trends and future of digital payments for your business Thailand E-Commerce Landscape – online shopping behaviors Scale up your e-commerce business during Covid-19 with logistics solutions Listen, Learn and Share with our FIVE regional e-commerce experts on their views and perspectives from their respective markets Join us for our next webinar: “CEBIT ASEAN Thailand Webinar Series: July 2020” E-Commerce Day How can you ride the wave of E-Commerce during and after COVID 19? FRIDAY , 24 JULY 2020 // 14.00 – 16.20 HRS (BANGKOK TIME) DOWNLOAD AGENDA JOIN FREE WEBINAR Our Speakers Post-COVID-19 Retail New Technology and Big Data : POPSQUARE AND ITS SMART SHOP PLATFORM (conducted in English) Mr. Francis Kwok, CEO & Co-Founder of Popsquare Ltd., Representative from Hong Kong E-Commerce Business Association Crossborder Omni-Channel Supply Chain Innovation for COVID-19: Excellent Solution for Leading Brand to Win Business in the New Retail Era (conducted in English) Mr. Terry Chan, Founder & CEO, JUSTT GROUP, Founder & Chairman, Hong Kong eCommerce Supply Chain Association (HKeCSC), Adjunct Lecturer, The University of Hong Kong, Mentor, Hong Kong Science & Technology Park, Former GM 3PL, Lazada (Alibaba Group) Post COVID-19: The future of digital payments (conducted in English) […]

The Myth of Chinese Capitalism: The Worker, the Factory, and the Future of the World

-by Dexter Roberts The untold story of how restrictive policies are preventing China from becoming the world’s largest economy. Dexter Roberts lived in Beijing for two decades working as a reporter on economics, business and politics for Bloomberg Businessweek. In The Myth of Chinese Capitalism, Roberts explores the reality behind today’s financially-ascendant China and pulls the curtain back on how the Chinese manufacturing machine is actually powered. He focuses on two places: the village of Binghuacun in the province of Guizhou, one of China’s poorest regions that sends the highest proportion of its youth away to become migrants; and Dongguan, China’s most infamous factory town located in Guangdong, home to both the largest number of migrant workers and the country’s biggest manufacturing base. Within these two towns and the people that move between them, Roberts focuses on the story of the Mo family, former farmers-turned-migrant-workers who are struggling to make a living in a fast-changing country that relegates one-half of its people to second-class status via household registration, land tenure policies and inequality in education and health care systems. In The Myth of Chinese Capitalism, Dexter Roberts brings to life the problems that China and its people face today as they attempt to overcome a divisive system that poses a serious challenge to the country’s future development. In so doing, Roberts paints a boot-on-the-ground cautionary picture of China for a world now held in its financial thrall.

MOC-TCI Asia Chapter Conference 2020 July 6-7, 14.00

Hosted by the National University of Mongolia, the members from the two networks, MOC and TCI Asia will gather in this virtual conference to explore how the new normal is shaping and exchange experiences on how Asian clusters and innovation ecosystems are fast adapting to it. On the first day, July 6, the members of the MOC Asia Network will share the conceptual frameworks of clustering and the new normal throughout Asia, including among others country cases from Mongolia and Taiwan, and tackling the new challenges around online teaching. The second day, July 7, at the TCI Asia webinar, we will showcase how global clusters are working in practice in times of coronavirus and adapting to the new normal, with a focus on rethinking the existing cluster development models and global trends. We will showcase global cases and stories from Asian members, of how clusters and economic development organisations are making a difference in the path to economic recovery. Look at the speakers and agenda here. For more information, please get in touch at ei@num.edu.mn

NetFoundry announces game-changing partnership with dtac

NetFoundry, leaders in cloud-native networking, has announced that it is entering a partnership with one of South Asia’s leading telecom operators, dtac. Together the companies are introducing a new network service to the industry: SmartConnect. dtac today serves millions of customers in Southern Asia addressing their business networking and cloud connectivity needs. dtac has built a robust and fully redundant network that runs on 90% fibre. They are the first and only operator to deploy TDD & Massive MiMo, strengthening their position as the most advanced operator in Thailand for 5G readiness. SmartConnect is set to put dtac on course to become the leader of 5G and cloud transformation in Thailand through NaaS, Infrastructure as a Service and its IoT and SaaS applications. The partnership in particular is set to focus on a game-changing outlook on NaaS which will combine service bundling with cloud and connectivity to increase the value proposition substantially. Furthermore, dtac’s influence in the telecom sector will be significantly enhanced by utilising NetFoundry’s global partnership with Amazon Web Services, Google and Azure by progressing the way in which service users can access and operate within the cloud. “dtac’s capacities and solutions are enabling the seamless communication modern workers need to operate at a new ‘normal’, – particularly in light of COVID-19 – enabled by a reliable and secure network. Our new partnership with NetFoundry will make this possible and boost our 5G capabilities to new levels. With SmartConnect our networks are quicker, safer and easier to operate than ever before” said Rajiv Bawa, Chief Business Officer of dtac. “With the launch of dtac smart connect services, our first priority will be to give the “remote worker enablement “ a new face via this next generation solution for the enterprises & SME of Thailand market who are struggling […]

Transforming the Smart Grid with Fibocom 5G modules

Fibocom, a leading provider of cellular embedded wireless module solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), announced in April that its two 5G supported IoT modules, FM150(W) and FG150(W), had completed the first successful data call using an end-to-end data transmission service under a Chinese Standalone (SA) Structured 5G network. Download speeds skyrocketed, exceeding more than 2.5Gpbs under the ENDC mode. 5G is the fifth-generation technology standard for cellular networks. Its objective is to support three generic services with vastly heterogeneous requirements: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (uRLLC). These capabilities make future scenarios more flexible, reliable, and secure when providing diverse services in the intended usage scenarios. Both the Fibocom 5G modules FM150(W) and FG150(W) support 5G standalone (SA) and Non-Standalone (NSA) network architectures, provide an integrated multi-network compatibility with 5G Sub 6 and millimetre-wave bands and work both with LTE and WCDMA standards. This gives customers an edge in harnessing the full power of 5G networks’ faster data transmission, vast network capacity, and ultra-reliable low latency. The applications of Fibocom’s 5G smart modules bring efficient cost-effective advantages to a vast number of industries. In this paper, we will look at the application of these 5G modules in the utility industry, specifically in smart grids. 5G network slicing meets the needs of smart grid effectively The term “Grid” refers to an “Electric Grid” fundamentally describing the complete network which includes transmission lines, transformers, distribution substation and all accessories that are used for delivery of electricity from generation plants to home and commercial scale. These services require a flexible and orchestrated network, high reliability, and millisecond ultra-low latency for its diverse needs. Smart grid systems have provided the possibility of enabling two-way communication between electricity consumers and the distributor, thereby allowing distributors to manage […]

APAC post-Covid-19 consumer trends will re-calibrate sustainability priorities

The Covid-19 pandemic is transforming the consumers’ attitudes and willingness to respond to environmental challenges and sustainability factor. It has forced consumers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to believe that their behaviors, product choices and collective influence can make impactful changes on a global scale, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. GlobalData Covid-19 survey week-8 (12-17 May 2020) shows that almost 38% Australians, 52% Chinese and 56% Indians are always/often influenced by how ethical/environmentally-friendly/socially-responsible the product/service is. This implies that consumers are considering the environmental and ethical implications of their purchases. Shagun Sachdeva, Consumer Insight Analyst at GlobalData, says: “Environmental and ethical considerations have become a secondary purchase influence for consumers in the APAC, who are more likely to base purchases on trust, value, convenience and health. “Consumers are not necessarily disregarding broader sustainability issues during the health crisis, but the pandemic has highlighted the need to act with urgency on other matters to mitigate the damage of imminent and future crises. For instance, in case of sustainable packaging, consumers may be more inclined to hygiene-driven features in the short-term, in which consumers may view disposable packaging as positive. “Post-pandemic, considerations around hygiene and food safety will continue to form packaging preferences, but consumers will expect companies to offer adequate packaging protection without resorting to virgin plastic. More sustainable packaging options such as cardboard boxes or bio-degradable bags will secure consumer adoption.” Consumers will emerge from the pandemic with a renewed sense of health and environmental consciousness and will more thoughtfully reassess their dependence on animal products. To reduce their environmental footprint, consumers will make more concerted efforts to opt for plant-based food and drink alternatives. For instance, Nestle has recently expanded its plant-based production capacity in China along with other key players such as Starbucks, KFC, and […]

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