Analysis

WEF’s Technology Pioneers of 2023

Technology Pioneers community has 100 new innovative members. Full of young and growing tech companies, the 2023 cohort is forging new paths in healthcare, food production and more with cutting-edge technologies. This year’s incoming group includes companies with a broad range of innovations. Farmerline, from Ghana, connects farmers, agribusinesses and governments to form an end-to-end, holistic solution to the sector’s challenges. In Israel, Electriq Global is pioneering new methods of separating hydrogen from water to create a renewable energy alternative to fuel. And CarbonCapture, from the US, is removing CO2 from the atmosphere via direct air capture technologies. There are start-ups from 31 economies, with a third led by a woman chief executive. The United States has the highest representation, with 29 companies, followed by China with 12. Examples of innovation include: Sustainability ClimateAI, based in the US, applies artificial intelligence (AI) to climate risk modelling and its platform provides short- and long-term insights into weather and climate impact. Based in Switzerland, Transmutex aims to develop a non-self-sustaining chain reaction nuclear energy system able to produce carbon-free energy with the highest safety profile. Meanwhile, Huue, in the US, is using biotechnology to create sustainable dyes to reduce the use of chemicals in fashion supply chains. Healthcare M20 Genomics, based in China, is developing single-cell sequencing technology to effectively diagnose diseases and provide relevant treatment. Dot, in the Republic of Korea, is a pioneer in smart technology for the vision-impaired and the deaf-blind, helping them to lead more independent lives. Advanced Manufacturing Boston Materials, based in the US, develops advanced materials that are lightweight, corrosion-resistant and have energy-diffusion capabilities. Monolith, based in the United Kingdom, empowers engineering domain experts in various industries to reduce expensive, time-intensive testing and cut product development times. Following their selection as Technology Pioneers, this year’s companies will join an impressive group of alumni that include […]

Propelling smart manufacturing in APAC to the next frontier with AI

–Leonard Lee, President APAC, Beyond Limits As one of the global hubs for manufacturing, Asia Pacific (APAC) accounts for about 48.5% of the worldwide manufacturing output. In the region, opportunities are ripe for smart manufacturing to move to the next level, largely due to the well-developed manufacturing ecosystem and government support. Spending within the artificial intelligence (AI) market is also expected to grow to US$49.2 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.5% from 2021 to 2026. The increased investments are expected to fuel the growth of automation through the use of technologies such as robotics and control systems, thus enhancing the performance metrics of the production processes. For APAC manufacturers, the most pressing challenges in the implementation of Industry 4.0 include the reluctance to embrace new technology, a shortage of skilled personnel to oversee its implementation, as well as difficulties in measuring the ROI of smart manufacturing digital solutions. There is also a sense that competitive differentiators are rising in importance. Manufacturers know they must step up on their digital investment, as those companies with higher digital maturity have shown greater resilience and are better able to adapt to supply chain challenges with increased supply chain visibility. Providing manufacturers with a competitive advantage AI has already transformed many enterprise processes, and the use of AI technology is now treated as a business imperative. Manufacturers are exploring ways to effectively utilise their existing data and insights, boost efficiency, reduce expenses, and achieve operational advantages. However, conventional AI technology that manufacturers still rely on acts as a “black box” that creates models from data without providing any explanations. To allow manufacturers to reap the full benefits of technology, they must pivot to Cognitive AI. Cognitive AI acts as a “glass box”, providing detailed justifications for its suggestions […]

Analog Devices strengthens its South-East Asia Operations with new Singapore facility

Analog Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADI), a global semiconductor leader, today announced the launch of a new state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly, 38,951 sq. ft. facility in Singapore. Located within the Kallang Industrial Park, the facility is planned to serve as a central hub for the more than 200 employees working in Singapore in key divisions of the company, including research and development, test engineering, sales, and manufacturing. ADI established its first location in Singapore in 1995 and has steadily grown its operations and workforce since then. This new strategic investment aligns with the company’s global expansion plans, which include enhancing its capabilities in the Asia Pacific region. “Our new facility is an important milestone in ADI’s global growth strategy,” said Jerry Fan, President of Asia for ADI. “Enhancing our capabilities in Singapore is vital to leveraging the country’s superb talent pool and advanced manufacturing capabilities to serve our regional and global customers’ needs. Our investment reinforces ADI’s presence within Singapore’s thriving semiconductor ecosystem, which is supported by the nation’s digital growth initiatives.” The new facility features a more spacious and advanced laboratory to foster interaction between the research and development team as well as customers in the region. Through this forum for the exchange of ideas, ADI and its customers plan to deepen their collaboration and deliver innovative products for the Intelligent Edge. In addition, a dedicated space has been allocated for test development purposes within the new facility, custom-tailored to accommodate multiple automated test equipment (ATE) stations. These on-site testing stations are designed to enable faster initial testing of ADI’s state-of-the-art products and accelerate the timeline of ADI engineering’s ability to meet customers’ toughest challenges. Fan continued, “Customer intimacy, business strategy, engineering processes, manufacturing capabilities, and problem-solving are essential for creating long-term value for our customers. We are confident the environment […]

Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral

The origin story of the Age of Disinformation: the candid inside tale of two online media rivals, Jonah Peretti of HuffPost and Buzzfeed and Nick Denton of Gawker Media, whose delirious pursuit of attention at scale helped release the dark forces that would overtake the internet and American society. If attention is the new oil, Ben Smith’s Traffic is the story of the time between the first gusher and the impact of climate change. The curtain opens in Soho in the early 2000s, after the first dotcom crash but before Google, Apple, and Facebook exploded, when it seemed that New York City rather than Silicon Valley might become tech’s center of gravity. There, within a few square blocks, Nick Denton’s merry band of nihilists at his growing Gawker empire and Jonah Peretti’s sunnier crew at HuffPost and Buzzfeed were building the foundations of viral internet media. It was tech’s age of innocence: the old establishment might have been discredited by the Iraq War, but digital news would facilitate the spread of truth. After all, didn’t progressive activists online get Barack Obama elected? Ben Smith, who would go on to earn a controversial reputation as Buzzfeed‘s editor-in-chief, was there to see it, and he chronicles it all with marvelous lucidity scored with dark wit, sparing no one-and certainly not himself. Smith tells a nuanced story: yes, Denton’s ideology of radical transparency was problematic, but at least he had an ideology. Jonah Peretti survived long after Denton’s Gawker perished because his focus on clicks was relentlessly content-agnostic. But unintended consequences began to snowball. Traffic explores one of the great ironies of our time: the internet, which was going to help the left remake the world in its image, has become the motive force of right populism. People like Steve Bannon and Andrew Breitbart and Gavin McInnes and Chris Poole, the creator of 4chan, all […]

The Interview: Lia Nicholson, Head of Sustainability, Terrascope, Singapore

Transforming the decarbonisation of business, What exactly do you do? As Terrascope’s Head of Sustainability, I build strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to drive corporate decarbonisation at scale. This involves collaborating with industry associations, government officials, regulators, enterprises and other organisations, to identify and unlock opportunities that will significantly reduce carbon emissions and limit global warming to 1.5°C. In addition to building partnerships, I collaborate with our data, engineering, product and design teams to optimise the emissions data and insights that our software provides to clients. We help them define clear and actionable steps to transform their operations and supply chains, resulting in positive impacts on both their carbon footprint and bottom line. Prior to joining Terrascope, I was a climate negotiator in the United Nations and senior advisor to the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), a bloc of 39 countries facing existential climate risks, and considered the moral voice for climate action. I also spent several years with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership in West Africa, where I trained staff in mayor’s offices across Abidjan, Accra, Dakar and Lagos to prepare city-level carbon inventories and develop Paris Agreement-aligned climate action plans. How are your efforts currently making a difference to climate conditions? At Terrascope, we are focused on accelerating “big” net zero journeys across critical sectors and geographies. We believe that collaborating with large companies and stakeholders in the real economy presents a unique (and largely untapped) opportunity to drive decarbonisation at scale. Combining our deep expertise in data science, machine learning and sustainability, we work closely with clients and partners to identify and unlock decarbonisation opportunities that may have been overlooked. We place special emphasis on accurately measuring and managing value chain emissions, known as Scope 3, which can make up to 90% of a company’s carbon […]

Cambodia in major renewable energy deal with Singapore

Cambodia is leading Southeast Asia’s transition to cleaner energy. After submitting its long-term strategy for carbon neutrality to the United Nations, it is now currently working with Singapore to become a major exporter of clean energy in the region. PHNOM PENH – Cambodia is leading Southeast Asia’s transition to cleaner energy, and it’s gaining momentum. Following the submission of the country’s long-term strategy for carbon neutrality to the United Nations, the Royal Government introduced the Power Development Masterplan (PDP) and the National Energy Efficiency Policy (NEEP) to the public. These initiatives demonstrate the government’s unwavering commitment to the energy transition and the nation’s first long-term energy plan for coordinated and strategic energy direction. “By adopting best practices, we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, create new jobs, and position Cambodia as a leader in the region,” said Prime Minister Hun Sen. “Investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy is key to building a more sustainable future for our people and our planet.” Energy efficiency is a critical aspect of Cambodia’s clean energy transition, with the government committing to reducing energy consumption by 19% in relation to business-as-usual levels by 2030. The National Energy Efficiency Policy lays out strategic directions, priority areas, and sectoral targets, with Minister of Mines and Energy, Suy Sem, stating that “To harness the full potential of energy efficiency, developing a robust policy and regulatory framework, building stakeholder capacity, raising awareness of the benefits, and supporting private sector investment are crucial.” Furthermore, Cambodia is currently working with Singapore to become a major exporter of clean energy in the region. The deal, which is still at the commercial negotiation stage, would see Singapore importing 1 GW of renewable energy annually from Cambodia, making up a quarter of their low-carbon electricity imports by 2035. The potential exports to Singapore would contribute to Cambodia’s positive impact on the world and solidify its position as a leader in the clean energy industry […]

CHINT shares viewpoints about smart energy industry at China Mechanical and Electrical Exhibition 2023

CHINT, a global leader in smart energy solutions with over 35 years of global experience and a team of the industry’s best engineers and research scientists, partners businesses, governments, and communities in Asia to reimagine smart energy solutions with next-generation innovations to Empower the World. The company offers Power-to-Plug solutions that propel organisations in the United States of America, Europe, West Asia and Africa and Asia Pacific to success with customizable, realistic, and superior quality products and services that meet their business, environmental and social goals. With two decades of global expansion, CHINT’s business network now covers more than 140countries and regions worldwide in areas of low-voltage, power transmission and distribution,water, gas and electricity metering, green energy like solar and more. Last year, CHINT Globalestablished its APAC Headquarters in Singapore. The company has since been working withthe Singapore government such as in the SolarNova program led by the Housing DevelopmentBoard and the Economic Development Board to enable HDB flats to adopt solar photovoltaicsystems. At the China Mechanical and Electrical Exhibition 2023 event held in Singapore from 22 to 24March, CHINT shared with the industry stakeholders about how their company can partnerCHINT to better prepare for the government’s green initiatives using environmentally friendlypower distribution solutions and highlighted the importance of safe and reliable transmissionof electricity with the use of right products such as Low-voltage protection solutions. CHINT also showcased their leading-edge products including their Renewable Energy Solutions,Smart City Solutions, Environmental & Intelligent Substation Solutions, Data Center Solutionsand Building Power Distribution Solutions. Johnson Luu, Director at CHINT APAC shared at the event about intelligent manufacturing.“Intelligent manufacturing plays a crucial role in supporting the accelerated pace ofdigitalisation. The speed of production and implementation, and the use of superior qualitysmart energy products, work together in meeting the accelerated demand for power-to-plugsolutions. “Today, CHINT is […]

Sea freighters can use graph technology to better navigate uncharted waters

By Nik Vora, Asia-Pacific vice president, Neo4j The supply chain crisis, globally and in the ASEAN region, is not limited to a single problem but includes a range of logistical and economic challenges. These challenges are diverse and constantly evolving, from transportation disruptions and trade restrictions to sustainability and cost pressures. Suppliers, as well as transport and logistics companies, have been affected. To overcome these challenges, supply chain organisations must be flexible, adaptable, and proactive. But the highly complex nature of supply chains and international transport networks has traditionally made it difficult to plan contingencies and build redundancy. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 80% of international trade is transported by sea. Asia was the world’s leading maritime cargo handling centre in 2021, accounting for 42% of exports and 64% of imports. Despite pandemic issues easing, sea freight transport remains vulnerable to disruption. The overloading of port terminals and the continuing shortage of skilled workers has led to interruptions and increased dwell times for containers when unloading and transporting goods away. This has been exacerbated by the rise in energy and raw material prices and driven by geopolitical instability, which presents additional problems for shipping routes. New technologies related to artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and graph technology promise a radical change in commercial shipping. Autonomously sailing “smart ships” may be some way off, but there is already great potential in optimising routes using smart AI navigation systems. Analysing high-quality data in large quantities makes it possible to coordinate and optimise workflows across multiple transport chains on water and land. The data-based approach promises more speed, reliability, and efficiency and can also be used in terms of CO2 emissions to meet increasingly strict regulatory requirements around sustainability. Navigating a vast ocean of data The […]

Tanaka establishes subsidiary in Seoul

Establishing overseas subsidiary in Korea will invigorate transactions and expand business in the markets for fuel cell catalysts, power semiconductor materials, precursors, and precious metal recycling Tanaka Kikinzoku Korea Co., Ltd. has been established in Seoul, Korea as a new base for sales strategy in Korea and begins operating as a new company as of April 3, 2023. Tanaka Kikinzoku Korea Co., Ltd. Background of Establishment In the past, because the base operated in Korea as a branch of Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo, a Japanese company, it was necessary to carry out transactions and sales with customers in Korea as a Japanese company. As a result, there were restrictions on transactions in Korea, such as limitations on projects that could be handled due to the inability to use the local currency. Effects of Establishment Through the establishment of this overseas subsidiary, it will be possible to conduct transactions with customers in Korea as a local company using the local currency (the Korean Republic won). This will allow the subsidiary to transact directly with customers in Korea, making transactions smoother and more vibrant, such as allowing delivery of products after completing import customs clearance. In addition, by being positioned as a branch of a Japanese company in the past, the base was not qualified to participate in tenders such as for projects from Korea’s national policy research institutes and waste recovery for precious metal recycling. By establishing the base as a Korean company, it will be possible to bid in Korea for projects using plating equipment and various materials for national research as well as petrochemical catalyst waste recovery. As a result, it is expected that the scope of transactions in Korea will expand significantly. By establishing the branch in Seoul, Korea, as an overseas subsidiary, Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo strives to […]

2023 State of Smart Manufacturing Report

Finds over 45% of Asia-Pacific manufacturers struggle to outpace competitors, due to lack of innovation, skilled Workforce and technology. Rockwell Automation has announced the results of the 8th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report.” The global study surveyed more than 1,350 manufacturers across 13 of the leading manufacturing countries including Australia, China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea. This year’s report reveals a focus on delivering profitable growth without sacrificing quality, an emphasis on accessing data’s true potential, and increasing adoption of technology to build resilience, enable agility, increase sustainability, and address workforce challenges. Key findings include: “Balancing quality and growth,” and “tracking or quantifying sustainable practices” are the biggest internal obstacles inhibiting progress for Asia-Pacific (APAC) manufacturers this year, compared to deploying and integrating new technology in 2022. Globally, twice as many manufacturers believe their organization lacks the technology needed to outpace the competition, as compared to 2022. Four out of five manufacturers still lack an end-to-end supply chain planning solution. Close to half (44%) of APAC manufacturers plan to adopt smart manufacturing within the next year; out of this, China (80%), Australia (60%) and India (59%) are already using some components of smart manufacturing. The biggest barriers to adopting smart manufacturing for APAC manufacturers are employee resistance to technology adoption and change, lack of skill set to manage smart manufacturing implementation, and lack of clear definition of the value/ROI of smart manufacturing. Quality management system (QMS) is the smart manufacturing system that APAC respondents have seen the largest ROI, followed by manufacturing execution system (MES) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Cybersecurity risks rank highest as the obstacle all respondents are looking to mitigate with smart manufacturing initiatives. 88% of APAC manufacturers plan to maintain or grow employment due to technology adoption. Additionally, 39% of respondents believe they […]

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