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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 […]

Rockwell Automation acquires Knowledge Lens, India

Acquisition to accelerate Rockwell’s delivery of Industrial AI solutions to manufacturers globally Rockwell Automation has acquired Knowledge Lens. Based in Bengaluru, India, Knowledge Lens is a services and solutions provider that delivers actionable business insights from enterprise data, combining digital technologies with deep data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and engineering expertise. Knowledge Lens will join Rockwell’s premier digital services business, Kalypso, to accelerate transformational outcomes for more manufacturers around the world. Rockwell’s digital transformation services business is one of its fastest growing, as demand to scale connectivity across the enterprise and enable data-driven predictive and prescriptive insights increases. Together with Kalypso, Knowledge Lens will significantly expand Rockwell’s capabilities to unlock the power of data, enable autonomous manufacturing, and drive continuous optimisation for more manufacturers. “Data offers enormous advantages for those manufacturers able to harness its full potential. But for many, only a fraction of the data generated by their plants and in their supply chains is ever used,” said Frank Kulaszewicz, senior vice president of Rockwell’s Lifecycle Services segment. “The acquisition of Knowledge Lens improves our ability to help more manufacturers around the world discover and use the hidden insights in their data to drive game-changing value for their businesses.” Knowledge Lens, founded in 2013, serves a broad range of manufacturers, with a specialization in highly regulated industries, including life sciences. Knowledge Lens also expands Kalypso’s ability to serve clients with an open platform approach across leading AI and digital technologies. “We are excited to join Rockwell and Kalypso and extend our collective ability to innovate and build a more sustainable, resilient, and human-centric society,” said Sudheesh Narayanan, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Knowledge Lens. “With our combined experience, and Knowledge Lens’ pre-packaged cloud-native solutions for common use cases including smart factory, connected workers, IT/OT integration, data migration, and […]

BuildTech Asia 2023 to focus on Digitalisation, Smart Building & Construction and Sustainability

BuildTech Asia (BTA), the leading platform for Asia Pacific’s building and construction industry, is back for its 12th edition from 28 – 30 March 2023. A Constellar event, BTA’s theme this year is “Transforming Tomorrow’s Built Environment”, presented with 48 local and regional industry associations and partners. BTA 2023 will feature over 100 onsite exhibitors from 15 countries and regions (almost a 40% expansion from last year) and an extensive line-up of conferences, sandboxes and product launches to better equip and future-proof the sector. Countries and regions participating include Singapore, Australia, Cambodia, China, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan and USA. Official Launch of BCA – STAS Shared Services Providers (SSP) Scheme Guest-of-Honour Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development Mr Tan Kiat How will officiate the opening of BTA 2023 with an opening address and the official launch of Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore (STAS)’s Shared Services Registry, a significant milestone in STAS’s commitment to digitalising the Built Environment sector. The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) is a key enabler of transformation in the Built Environment sector. It is a digital spine that links project stakeholders throughout the entire building lifecycle. The Shared Services Registry serves the BIM and IDD procurement needs of stakeholders, especially SMEs, in their digitalisation journey. The pilot was successful, and the Shared Services Registry will be scaled up to implement more rigorous quality checks and open up for public registration from Q3 2023. Experience Tomorrow’s Built Environment in person BTA 2023 will deep-dive into three dimensions of emerging technologies and solutions that are making an impact on industries today – Digitalisation, Smart Construction (Robotics & Automation) & Green Construction (Sustainability). To better demonstrate the […]

Asian Industrial Online Exhibition 2023 The Asian Industrial Online Exhibition (AIOE 2023) is a virtual and physical integration targeting Asian suppliers, importers, and exporters. It will be exhibited from March 17 – June 30, 2023 and is expected to bring excellent opportunities for exhibitors to expose their brands. This transnational trade event, jointly organised by AsianNet and TradeAsia (www.e-tradeasia.com), will be held once a year. During the three-month period, in line with the show schedules of Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS), Global Industrie, Hannover Messe and Manufacturing World Japan Tokyo, group momentum will be generated. TradeAsia, the organiser of the Asian Industrial Online Exhibition (AIOE 2023), invited dozens of Taiwanese industrial suppliers of to participate in the exhibition. These include Kingdom Abrasive, TW Grandeur, Zitai Precision, Fair Oaks Precision, Ascco International, San Shing, Scano Industrial, U-Can, Unitronic and Kinfuren Industrial who are showcasing their newest products. Product categories covered include: Grinding Wheels, Sanding Discs, Packaging Machinery, Mixing Equipment, Cold Chamber Die Casting Machinery, Gravity Casting Machinery, High Speed Precision Press Machinery, High Speed Feeders, Gears, Screws, Hand Tools, Heavy Duty Precision Lathes, and amongst others, Rewinding Machinery. AIOE 2023 Online Exhibition：https://www.etradeasia.com/online-show/21/Asian-Industrial-Online-Exhibition-2023.html TradeAsia (www.e-tradeasia.com) has provided B2B international trade services for buyers and sellers since 1997. It is the most experienced and professional trade platform in the world. We currently have millions of global members, more than 600,000 suppliers, and millions of the latest products. Thousands of professional buyers worldwide find products and contact sellers daily for business cooperation. TradeAsia is a significant trade promotion channel in Asia.

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 […]

Digital platform helps individuals and small businesses solve plastic waste challenges

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the world produces around 300 million tons of plastic waste every year, with only about 9% of that being. Furthermore, microplastics are literally everywhere, and they have been found in human blood, urine, feces, and even in the mothers’ placenta and breast milk. Researchers are still studying the long-term effects of microplastics on humans. The world is drowning in plastic and many individuals and small businesses would like to help but there are still many challenges. There are several reasons why people may be reluctant to give up single-use plastic: Convenience: Plastic is lightweight, easy to carry and store, and can be used for a wide variety of applications. It has become an integral part of our daily lives, and giving it up can be inconvenient for many people, particularly for small businesses. Lack of time: This point comes right after convenience. We are all time-poor and do not want to spend hours on Google trying to find product alternatives for our lifestyle or our small business. Cost: Plastic is relatively cheap compared to other materials, and this makes it an attractive option for manufacturers and consumers alike. Switching to more sustainable alternatives can sometimes be more expensive. Lack of awareness: Some people may not be fully aware of the negative impact that plastic has on the environment. They may not understand how plastic pollution affects the ecosystem and the health of living beings, including humans. Resistance to change: Humans are creatures of habit, and changing established behaviors can be difficult. Some people may resist giving up plastic because they are used to it and find it hard to imagine living without it. Limited alternatives: While there are alternatives to plastic, they may not always be readily available or accessible to everyone. This […]

PAN Group at FOODEX Japan 2023

The PAN Group will attend the 48th edition of the international food and beverage exhibition (FOODEX Japan 2023) in Tokyo, Japan, from March 7-10, 2023, at booth 4B600 with outstanding products in three groups of agriculture, aquaculture and packaged food. FOODEX Japan 2023 is considered the leading food and beverage (F&B) tradeshow in Japan and one of the top three in the world. The exhibition has been given particular interest to the F&B business community. It is considered a “gateway” to exploit exports to the Japanese market and Asian countries, with the participation of nearly 1,500 exhibitors from 44 countries and territories (77 per cent of businesses come from countries outside of Japan). The event will also attract nearly 33,800 visitors from 98 countries worldwide (including nearly 11,000 international visitors), of which almost are wholesalers, retailers, food service, and F&B manufacturers. Việt Nam is expected to participate in 39 businesses at FOODEX Japan this year with many big names in the food and agriculture sector. Vietnamese firms will bring agricultural products; vegetables; fresh, processed and canned fruits; processed seafood; nutritional food from cereals; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; confectionery. As one of the representatives for Vietnam’s agriculture and food sector, The PAN Group will attend the exhibition with its member companies, including Khang An Foods, Aquatex Bentre, Bibica, and Lafooco. PAN’s booth will continue to recreate the sustainable value chain and introduce the most typical products, which are the pride of Việt Nam, such as shrimp, pangasius, vegetables, confectionery, cashew nuts, fresh flowers, dried fruits, coffee, rice, and traditional fish sauce. This activity is also expected to create a favourable environment to promote trading opportunities for the group’s member units in expanding domestic and international markets. PAN said this is the first time they have participated in FOODEX Japan 2023 with […]

Mooreast signs agreement for manufacturing facility in Aberdeen

Mooreast Holdings Ltd. has signed a Collaboration Agreement to explore establishing a manufacturing facility in Aberdeen, Scotland for the production of subsea foundations, and the consolidation and assembly of mooring components for the floating offshore renewable energy sector. Pursuant to this Agreement, the mooring and rigging solutions leader will work with ETZ Ltd (“ETZ”), a private sector-led not-for-profit company spearheading the energy transition ambitions of Northeast Scotland by supporting the creation of a hub to protect the Scottish renewable sector whilst facilitating job creation. Signed in Singapore with ETZ Offshore Renewables Director, Mr Andy Rodden, and witnessed by Mr Ivan McKee, Scotland’s Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, the facility is projected to be more than double the floor space and output of the Group’s Singapore facility at 51 Shipyard Road. It will support Mooreast’s efforts to target an increasing number of offshore wind projects emerging in Europe. High-profile projects include the ScotWind auction, The Celtic Sea Cluster and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) project, which are expected to deliver over 20GW, 5 GW and 4.5GW of floating wind energy, respectively. As part of its strategy to capture such opportunities, the Group incorporated Mooreast UK Co Limited (“Mooreast UK”) in July 2022. Based on the Agreement, Mooreast and ETZ will work closely on the following areas, amongst others, to help secure a positive outcome in terms of: – Developing a preferred site plan to meet the requirements of Mooreast that is compatible with local planning regulations, development requirements and site limitations.– Delivering a jobs and skills plan to secure a workforce ready to support the effective operation of a facility whilst creating employment opportunities for local communities aligned with just transition principles.– Facilitating introductions to key local supply chain companies required to support the start-up and […]

IWA-Grundfos UN Water Conference Youth delegates announced

The International Water Association and Grundfos are proud to announce that 14 bright and promising international young water professionals (YWPs) have been selected to be part of a delegation to the upcoming UN 2023 Water Conference, on 22-24 March 2023 in New York, USA.The YWPs are the individuals who have been selected for the joint IWA-Grundfos Youth Action for SDG6 Fellowship. These YWPs, together with IWA and Grundfos, will play a key role advocating for a water-wise world and youth empowerment throughout the Fellowship. They will take part in a special programme of activities, a highlight of which is active participation at the conference. The group has been identified following a rigorous selection process. The open call for applications for 12 Fellowship places in November received several hundred applications from around the world. Aligned with IWA’s vision to promote and create an inclusive and diverse water sector, the selection process ensured a balanced geographical representation and gender diversity. As part of Grundfos’s wider support for YWP action on the SDGs, the group also includes two specially-selected YWPs from the company. The 14 Youth delegates will be part of the IWA delegation to the UN 2023 Water Conference, which also includes IWA and Grundfos staff. More details on the activities at the UN Water Conference will be available soon. The selected YWPs are:• Charles Shachinda United Kingdom• Chelsea Hayward Australia• Farokh laqa kakar Canada• Hadi Toure Guindo Mali• Ines Breda Denmark• Jacob Amengor Ghana• Marina Batalini de Macedo Brazil• Muhammad Anique Azam Pakistan• Pabel Cervantes Mexico• Persis Ramírez Dominican Republic• Sudipti Arora India• Yang Villa Philippines• Krithika Iyer Shivakumar India (Grundfos)• Krisztian Mark Balla Denmark (Grundfos)

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