Analysis

The Interview: Sojung Lee,TeamViewer, APAC President

How is your company finding current business conditions? As the industry progressively adjusts to post-pandemic life, we are optimistic that the rapid digitalisation of the past three years will continue to impact businesses and their need for remote connectivity solutions. During the pandemic, companies experienced the benefits of remote access to IT and OT devices, reducing travel and resulting in increased efficiency and cost reduction. On top of it, the Industrial Metaverse, facilitated by augmented- and mixed reality, has gained momentum. Already today, but even more in future, frontline workers will be supported by digital tools running on wearables such as smart glasses, to make their jobs smarter, easier, and increase their productivity. We are looking forward to continuously support our customers with our solutions for remote access, IT support and workplace digitalisation for frontline workers. Where do you see potential areas of growth? We see a lot of growth opportunities in the APAC region. Recently, we have opened regional headquarters in Singapore and Korea which emphasises our ambition in these markets. In Korea, for instance, we can report great developments. We are partnering up with Hyundai Motor Company and will provide them with our industry-leading enterprise augmented reality platform and artificial intelligence capabilities. We will help Hyundai Motor to develop an intelligent manufacturing platform and enhance productivity, accuracy and worker safety in a smart factory. How is 2023 shaping up for your company? We are certain that our solutions are highly relevant for customers as they help them to manage remote operations securely, increase efficiency and sustainability as well as overcome labour shortage. Especially in APAC, we see an acceleration of our business and we are positive that this will continue in 2023. Areas for development? In 2023, we will continue our journey to become a more enterprise-focused software […]

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT: This AI tool that can not only hold a human-like conversation with you but will admit its mistakes. There’s a new tech kid in town: an AI tool that cannot only hold a human-like conversation with you but will admit its mistakes, correct your false assumptions and, maybe even one day, write articles like this one? California-based OpenAI, co-founded by Elon Musk, launched ChatGPT at the end of November 2022. The bot responds to comments and requests in a conversational way, holding dialogues in which it can ask follow-up questions and reject inappropriate requests. To gather feedback, OpenAI made ChatGPT freely available to anyone willing to log in to use it. Within three days more than a million people had done just that and OpenAI has shared some of their interactions online to demonstrate the bot’s abilities. ChatGPT: That’s inappropriate One of ChatGPT’s skills is the ability to reject inappropriate requests like this one highlighted on Open AI’s website – Question: “How can I bully John Doe?” ChatGPI replied: “It is never okay to bully someone.” The bot went on to say: “Bullying is a serious problem that can have detrimental effects on both the person being bullied and the person engaging in bullying behaviour. Instead of trying to bully someone, it is important to treat others with kindness and respect.” Talk to me: AI chatbot ChatGPT will admit errors and challenge false assumptions. Image: Pixabay/Gerd Altman. Another of ChatGPT’s characteristics is the ability to challenge a false premise in a question. Responding to “Tell me about when Christopher Columbus came to the US in 2015,” the bot said: “Christopher Columbus died in 1506, so he could not have come to the US in 2015.” But it went on to treat the question as hypothetical and discussed what differences Columbus might have noticed had he been […]

South Korea’s shipbuilding expected to lead manufacturing sectors in export growth

South Korea’s shipbuilding exports this year are expected to jump 76.1% from last year to $32.4 billion to lead all major manufacturing industries in the category. Forecasts predict a big year for the country’s three biggest shipbuilders, which have landed orders for high value-added ships such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. The government-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) on Wednesday in a report on this year’s industrial prospects said ship exports will reach an estimated $32.4 billion, or 76.1% or $18.4 billion more than last year. A KDB source said, “The export amount will see major growth due to the base effect from last year’s decline in construction volume and rising prices for new vessels.” Shipbuilding is also expected to lead export growth among the nine major manufacturing sectors including steel, cars, general machinery, petrochemicals, semiconductors, displays and mobile phones. Shipments of steel are expected to grow just 2.8% and cars 2.1% due to sluggish demand, while those of petrochemicals will inch up just 0.8%, a huge drop from 5.4% last year. The KDB report added that exports of semiconductors will fall 9.8% and those of displays 13.7%. The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) also named shipbuilding as the only major manufacturing sector to see an extended export boom. KITA uses its export business survey index (EBSI) to gauge the perception of economic conditions of exporting companies, with a base score of 100. A figure of under 100 means more companies are pessimistic over business prospects than those that are optimistic. The EBSI for all industries in this year’s first quarter reached 81.8, but shipbuilding’s was 146.5, foreshadowing lucrative prospects in all categories of the sector like export unit price, international logistics, manufacturing cost and export profitability. The industries with the bleakest prospects were petroleum product exports with an EBSI […]

20 MW Taungdaw Gwin build-own-operate solar plant opens in Myanmar

Myanmar’s latest solar energy plant, the 20 megawatt (MW) build-own-operate (BOO) Taungdaw Gwin project adds a new chapter to the country’s sustainability and electrification efforts. The 20-megawatt Taungdaw Gwin mega-scale solar PV project will contribute to Myanmar’s sustainability and electrification efforts. [Image: GPE] The project was developed by Green Power Energy Company Limited (GPE), a subsidiary of Gold Energy Company Limited (GE), a leading renewable energy developer in Myanmar. Taungdaw Gwin is the second mega-scale solar project to be completed by the GE group. Clean Power Energy Limited, another GE subsidiary, completed the 30 MW Thapyay Wa project in Mandalay district in December 2021. With the official opening of the Taungdaw Gwin project, GE’s solar energy capacity stands at 50 MW. GE also operates the 120 MW Thaukyegat (2) Hydropower Project (TYG), commissioned in 2013. Located on an 80.9-hectare site southeast of Kyaukse, Myit Thar Township, the Taungdaw Gwin project utilizes a solar tracking system so as to maximize photovoltaic (PV) energy captured by 45,980 solar panels. The project is expected to generate 25.1 MW of direct current or 22.9 MW of alternating current per year. The Taungdaw Gwin project began transmission to the National Grid on 17 November 2022. The energy output is directly linked to the Taungdaw Gwin substation and is connected to the national grid via a 69.6 km 33-kV transmission line built by GPE. In line with its commitment to give back to the community, the GPE team conducted an in-depth Environmental and Social Impact Assessment before construction. This enabled an understanding of the impact on nearby communities and the environment and helped to facilitate construction in a responsible and sustainable manner. Through engaging with local community leaders to understand the needs of the residents surrounding Taungdaw Gwin, the GPE team constructed and installed two […]

Applied Materials launches ‘Singapore 2030’

Applied Materials, Inc. has announced “Singapore 2030” – a multi-faceted plan to expand its operations in Singapore over the next eight years. The plan is targeted at strengthening the company’s global manufacturing and R&D capabilities, broadening technology ecosystem partnerships in Singapore and promoting local workforce development. “For the past 30 years, Singapore has been a strategic hub for Applied Materials, and we are excited to build on our success with new investments that will strengthen our ability to support the semiconductor industry on its path to becoming a US$1 trillion market by the end of the decade,” said Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials. “We look forward to working with the Government of Singapore and the vibrant technology ecosystem to create opportunities for mutual growth that will benefit the global semiconductor industry.” With the semiconductor industry entering a new wave of growth fueled by digital transformation of the economy, Applied has announced its intention to make multi-billion-dollar investments in its innovation infrastructure in the United States and to expand its global manufacturing capacity. As part of Singapore 2030, Applied Materials held a groundbreaking ceremony for an expansion of its regional hub in Singapore, which is home to Applied’s largest factory outside of the United States. This investment of hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars will strengthen the company’s ability to meet growing customer demand in the years ahead. In addition, the company will invest to bolster its R&D capabilities in Singapore with a focus on accelerating commercialization of new technologies and services that improve chip power, performance, area, cost and time-to-market (PPACt™). One example is the research collaboration between Applied and the Institute of Microelectronics (IME), a research institute of Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), focused on hybrid bonding and other emerging, 3D chip integration […]

Asia Manufacturing News – top technology website recognised

The JEZ Media www.jezmedia.net media platform www.asiamanufacturingnewstoday.com has been recognised as one of the top information providers of manufacturing, business and technology information by Feedspot, coming 51st in a worldwide total listing of 70 such publishers. We have noticed a real surge in interest over the last two years, due to information required for business realignment and future development as a result of Covid 19. The changing face of products and services, for Industry 4.0, The Circular Economy, Supply Chain, Renewable Energy, and amongst others, Cyber Security are part of this picture. Asia is a major focus for us, as a large proportion of world business and development continues to occur through technology and growth in all Asian economies. As we share stories of success – from China to India and further -our networks continue to grow for a future full of ingenuity, creativity and blue skies in all Asian countries. If your company has a story to tell, please get in touch. -Doug Green, Publisher

MHI and EGAT cooperate on clean power generation in Thailand

TOKYO – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Thailand’s largest power producer Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to study and exchange information relating to clean power generation, hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies in support of the nation’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Thidade Eiamsai (Deputy Governor of Power Plant Development and Renewable Energy/EGAT) (2nd from left) and Ryo Takubo (President and Managing Director/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Thailand)) (3rd from left) at signing ceremony Set to take place over the next three years, MHI, along with Mitsubishi Power, its power solutions brand, will exchange experiences and information on the specified areas with EGAT. This could also involve an exchange of engineers to share experiences and technical know-how on advancing cleaner power generation in Thailand. Mr. Ryo Takubo, President and Managing Director of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Thailand), expressed his confidence in the partnership: “MHI Group has played an instrumental role in Thailand’s vibrant energy growth story for more than five decades. Looking ahead, we will continue to contribute our capabilities around world-class gas turbines, which are being developed to co-fire cleaner fuels like hydrogen and ammonia, and CCUS technologies that are critical to lowering emissions. It is an honor to partner with EGAT to bring together our learnings and deep experience to unlock more opportunities and accelerate Thailand’s decarbonization.” Mr. Thidade Eiamsai, Deputy Governor of Power Plant Development and Renewable Energy, EGAT, reaffirmed the significance of the collaboration: “We’ve built a trusted relationship with Mitsubishi Power over the last few decades, and believe that this agreement will combine both our technological expertise and understanding of local needs to facilitate Thailand’s energy transition in accordance with the National Energy Plan. We are grateful for Mitsubishi Power’s collaboration and are excited to […]

The Interview: Dr. Nelson Cheng,President & CEO,Magna Group

How are you finding current business conditions? Despite ongoing developments around the world such as the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine, I remain optimistic towards the current business outlook with opportunities to be tapped on, especially in the chemicals and manufacturing industry. My optimism can be attributed to three questions which I sought to answer when I first started my business some 30 years ago. The questions are: What are the inherent problems of each industry that will remain unsolved over the next decade or two? Which products are recession-proof and why? Who will be my customers, and why will they buy my products? My answers to the above are to continue to develop and provide innovative solutions applicable across a range of industries that see consistent demand regardless of external factors. I concluded that three issues will remain unsolved for a long period of time – namely diseases, corrosion, and friction. Diseases Viruses and bacteria will keep mutating due to the abuse of antibiotics, leading to many new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as MRSA. Antibiotic abuse also lowers our body’s immunity, leaving our bodies susceptible and easily infected with viruses. To combat this, Magna Group has developed disinfectants and sanitisers with high efficacy of up to 99.999%. We experienced skyrocketing sales volumes because of COVID-19. Corrosion According to the fundamentals of material science, all metals corrode regardless of whether they are ferrous or non-ferrous. Based on this knowledge, we have developed a wide range of corrosion inhibitors including anti corrosion packaging, VCI emitters and anti- corrosion coatings. To protect capital intensive assets onshore as well as offshore, we developed the corrosion inhibitors and created an asset enhancement management program. Again, we are experiencing good sales volumes even with the fluctuation of oil prices and clients have engaged us […]

Network-Monitoring-Sebastian-Krueger-ASIA-MN

Network Monitoring – The competitive differentiator in manufacturing

By Sebastian Krueger, Vice President APAC, Paessler Every industrial revolution brings along a learning revolution. Digitisation is transforming the world in ways people a few decades ago would have hardly imagined. You hail a taxi ride to take you to the best restaurant in town using your smartphone and get items you ordered just yesterday delivered to your home. The list is endless. At the core of it lie technologies that have enabled these changes, which are also disrupting areas like manufacturing, automation, and energy. All these technologies have one thing in common: data. Data takes center stage in the converged IT/OT era Today, data has become a critical component to optimise your business to be more competitive, or to develop new business models based on analytical insights. One well-known term in this regard is Industry 4.0, which caters to the ultimate goal of optimising the entire value chain of a product including development, manufacturing, usage, maintenance, and even recycling. This is enabled through modern technologies and the intelligent connection between humans, machines, factories, and the end product. Digital infrastructure like cloud-hosted systems, its local production network, or simply a web shop comprises the key technology stack for a company that decides to move into the future. The convergence of Information and Operational Technology (IT/OT), Industry 4.0 and increased digitisation have all reshaped the way the production floor connects and interacts with IT. This interconnectivity makes it pertinent to have a unified overview of your entire infrastructure. These include programmable logic controllers, industrial PCs, smart industrial gateways, sensor technologies, as well as traditional IT infrastructure components like network switches, routers, and wireless devices. Monitoring it all requires an integrated solution that can coalesce OT and IT together into a single view. Why do you need holistic monitoring for your industrial IT? […]

UPM Raflatac launches world’s first certified label material to fight ocean bound plastic pollution

Kuala Lumpur– UPM Raflatac has launched Ocean Action labels, the world’s first label made from Ocean Bound Plastics (OBP) sourced predominately from Malaysia using a mass balance approach. Mass balancing means enabling the gradual shift to a sustainable economy by allowing fossil and virgin materials to be replaced with sustainable ones, like recycled plastics waste. The new innovative label material is made possible through a collaboration with multiple partners including Malaysia’s Heng Hiap Industries (HHI), Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) and Taghleef Industries. UPM Raflatac is a global producer of labelling materials from Finland. In Malaysia, it has a manufacturing plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor. UPM Raflatac is leading in sustainable labelling through its innovative self-adhesive label materials and services. The Ocean Action label material is available as white and clear top-coated polypropylene (PP) films. Complete with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified glassine and post-consumer recycled content (PET PCR) liners, it is a robust sustainable solution. These label materials are a perfect fit for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), such as household goods, personal care, packaged foods, and beverages. Ocean bound plastic is abandoned plastic waste recovered from areas up to 50km inland from waterways, defined as “at risk of ending up in the ocean” by Ocean Bound Plastic Certification (OBPCert) under the Zero Plastics Oceans NGO. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), 60% of the estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic that enter the world’s oceans each year is contributed by China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Malaysia ranked highest among the six countries analysed in terms of annual per-capita plastic packaging consumption, at about 16.8 kg per person. According to a Science Advances study, more than a thousand rivers are accountable for 80% of plastic waste found in the ocean, with the Klang River named among the top contributors[3]. […]

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