Developments

New dawn for global value chain industry clusters to benefit the Philippines

The World Bank (WB) is hopeful that the Philippines can take advantage of the new dawn for global value chain (GVC) industry clusters by repositioning itself and enhancing its participation in the global context of reconfiguration. Achieving this according to the WB requires no less than concerted effort from the government and private sectors and other key players by executing a plan that can guide investments from both domestic and foreign investors. This was the statement of WB Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand Ndiame Diop as he opened the bank’s recent release of its report “A New Dawn for Global Value Chain Participation in the Philippines” as it eyes increasing the country’s GVC participation in a post–COVID-19 world. “For the Philippines, this is an opening to embark on industrial transformation, reconfigure our exports into industry clusters and strengthen GVC participation; and make the Philippines a more attractive investment destination. We in the new administration are committed to steering the country back to its high-growth path and keeping the momentum toward an inclusive and resilient society,” Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual said in his keynote message. Secretary Pascual emphasised that the country is already having signs of an economic recovery as its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 7.4 percent in the second quarter of this year which marked the fifth consecutive quarterly growth since the start of 2021. “Challenges remain. Inflation stood at 6.9 percent this September and increasing costs and supply chain disruptions slowed the country’s economic momentum. Despite these challenges, the government remains focused on fully reopening the economy and its goals to reduce costs, stabilise prices and ensure health, food, and energy security,” he pointed out. Pascual said that implementing an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient industrial policy is imperative […]

Vietnam’s FPT Software launches chipmaking subsidiary; Produces first semiconductor chips

FPT Software aims to tap into Asia Pacific’s semiconductor market which accounts for 60 percent of global semiconductor sales. FPT Tower – FPT Corporation’s headquarter in Hanoi, Vietnam. Vietnam’s leading ICT company FPT Software has launched a new subsidiary, FPT Semiconductor, marking a key milestone for the company as it enters the booming semiconductor industry. Through the new subsidiary, FPT Software aims to gain a slice of Asia Pacific’s semiconductor market which accounts for 60 percent of global sales[3]. IDC projects that worldwide semiconductor revenue will reach $661 billion in 2022, an increase of 13.7 percent over 2021[4]. FPT Semiconductor released its first integrated circuits (ICs), which were designed in Vietnam and manufactured in South Korea, in August 2022.These ICs will be used in Internet of Things (IoT) medical devices. By 2023, FPT Semiconductor plans to supply 25 million chips globally in seven types to meet diverse needs in telecommunications, IoT, automotive technology, energy, electronics, and others. “We look forward to contributing to the development of the fast-growing semiconductor industry in Vietnam and Asia on a broader scale,” said FPT Semiconductor’s Founder & Chief Executive Officer Nguyen Vinh Quang. “FPT Semiconductor looks to become the chip supplier of choice for businesses in Vietnam and further in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, the United States, and Europe” he said. After 23 years of leadership in IT services and solutions in Vietnam, FPT Software decided to venture into fabless manufacturing. With the establishment of FPT Semiconductor, FPT Software continues to extend its comprehensive ecosystem of digital transformation services and solutions. Building on the global presence and years of experience across various domains, FPT Software hopes to accompany clients with consulting and implementing tailor-made solutions, and now with supplying semiconductor components added to its portfolio. “We are proud that the whole research and development […]

Solar testing lab opens in Shanghai

DEKRA recently inaugurated a new testing center for renewable energy in Shanghai, China. With this step, the global expert organisation is meeting the growing demand from the Chinese solar industry for high-quality testing and certification services. The DEKRA Shanghai Renewable Energy Testing Center is its biggest and most state-of-the-art solar laboratory to date in Baoshan, Shanghai, with the aim of providing even greater support to the development of the solar industry. China is the world’s largest manufacturer of solar modules and the industry is experiencing strong growth. “DEKRA and its customers share a commitment to a safe and sustainable world. Sustainability and renewable energy are crucial factors in safeguarding our future on this planet,” said Mike Walsh, head of DEKRA’s APAC region and Executive Vice President of the DEKRA Group. “I’m proud that DEKRA has made this significant investment. The DEKRA Shanghai Renewable Energy Testing Center demonstrates our commitment to the future of our planet and our enhanced expertise in terms of solving the challenges we all face to ensure we do business sustainably.” “We are investing in leading testing infrastructure as well as talent, so that we can keep pace with the ever-growing requirements in the renewable energy industry. The new testing center demonstrates our commitment in this field, and we’re delighted to be able to support the industry with these new resources. “Thanks to our innovative and pioneering testing services, we can offer solutions to 80 percent of the world’s leading manufacturers of photovoltaic modules today,” said Kilian Aviles, Senior Vice President of DEKRA’s APAC region and Managing Director of DEKRA China, at the official opening ceremony. The DEKRA Renewable Energy Testing Center covers some 2,600 square meters and provides leading global expertise in photovoltaic technology. The laboratory offers a broad and varied service portfolio covering testing and […]

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? […]

Manufacturers can no longer postpone investments in digital technologies

After taking the temperature of process manufacturers, ABI Research finds that manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods are approaching boiling point. Global technology intelligence firm ABI Research evaluated the impact politics, regulation, the economy, supply chain, Environmental Social and Governance (ESG), and technology are having on manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), pharmaceuticals, producers of steel, chemicals, pulp and paper, as well as the mining and oil & gas sectors. “Our assessment found that the FMCG sector is under pressure from all sides,” says Michael Larner, Industrial & Manufacturing Research Director at ABI Research. Securing raw materials is challenging considering lockdowns in China and limited grain supplies from Ukraine. “Supply shocks are raising input costs, and operating costs are rising with higher energy costs coupled with the pressure to pay higher wages and work sustainably. “We all hoped that with the rollout of COVID vaccines, the world would return to ‘normal’,” Larner continues. “However, events have taken a different turn, with the effects felt far and wide. Political decisions and regulations have the most impact on these firms’ operations. After all, governments can lock down cities and restrict transportation. At the same time, production can stop due to product recalls, as currently witnessed with Abbott Laboratories’ baby formula facility in the United States.” Each industry is at very different stages concerning its digital maturity. Large mining firms, such as Rio Tinto, are automating many processes, and oil & gas firms, including Saudi Aramco, are utilising data analytics to monitor operations and their immediate surroundings. Steel, pharma, and pulp and paper producers have more work to do to connect their operations digitally and utilise some of the cutting-edge technologies. Meanwhile, FMCG firms (Procter & Gamble is one such example) are working toward aligning IT and OT teams. Manufacturers can no longer postpone investments in […]

Mölnlycke invests EUR 50 million in a new surgical gloves plant

Mölnlycke is investing EUR 50 million in a new plant in Kulim, Malaysia, to meet future demand for high-quality surgical gloves. The new plant will start production in September 2022 and will generate 500 new local job positions. With sustainable manufacturing as one of the main drivers for the initiative, Mölnlycke is partnering with ENGIE for energy solutions and Veolia Water Technologies for wastewater treatment solutions to ensure best-in-class energy and waste water management at the new plant. “The new plant is a key part of our future plans for sustainable growth within the surgical gloves business. It will enable us to expand production to meet projected demand. But the best part is that we will achieve this in a less resource-intensive way, while creating a state-of-the-art working environment for our colleagues in Malaysia,” says Zlatko Rihter, the CEO of Mölnlycke. “As part of our commitment to reduce our operational carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 (baseline 2016), and in support of Malaysia’s national agenda to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Mölnlycke is focused on driving continuous energy efficiency to transition to 100% renewable electricity across all our sites globally. “We intend to optimise the new plant’s energy consumption by tapping digital energy management to monitor how energy is being used and where it is being lost. This increased transparency will help us optimise our efforts to reduce consumption.” Four out of Mölnlycke’s 14 plants are already operating fully on renewable electricity; and as of March 2022, additionally three of the surgical gloves manufacturing plants in Malaysia could be added to the list of factories fully powered by green electricity. Mölnlycke’s journey to become a zero waste company by 2050 at the latest continues with focusing on both promoting a circular economy to reduce waste in all our manufacturing processes […]

Schaeffler’s Autonomous Mobile Robot, DEX awarded with “Red Dot: Best of the Best”

Schaeffler, a leading global automotive and industrial supplier, was recently awarded the Red Dot: Best of the Best award for its Dual EXtendable (DEX), the Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) project in the Red Dot Design Award under the Design Concept category. DEX was designed to reimagine the dexterity and intelligence of collaborative robots and their relationships with shopfloor employees. Featuring bi-directional leg extensions, WLAN and middleware integration, 2D/3D SLAM-based precise localization, as well as speech and gesture recognition capabilities, DEX serves as a research testbed to infuse functionality with smart social behaviors to support and boost productivity in industrial settings for a wide range of tasks. Commenting on the award, Mr. Han Boon Siew, Chief Information Officer Schaeffler Asia/Pacific, Director at Schaeffler Hub for Advanced Research, said: “Being awarded the Best of the Best award for DEX from one of the most prestigious awards is testament to our continuous passion and commitment in developing cutting edge solutions to drive new possibilities for mobility and motion – both with our customers and for our production operations.” The research project is part of Schaeffler’s Schaeffler Hub for Advanced Research (SHARE) program that comprises a global research network with leading universities worldwide via its company-on-campus concept. The concept enables particularly intensive exchange and close cooperation between Schaeffler employees, scientists and academics through applied research to expand the current state of technology and transfer research insights into product development activities. DEX was also designed in collaboration with Orcadesign Consultants Pte Ltd, who worked closely with the SHARE at NTU technology team to visualise the concept and vision of DEX while integrating their insights and expertise in defining the user experience that included the robot’s form and touchpoints. “At Schaeffler, we see collaboration as key to the strategic development of components and technologies […]

Secutech Vietnam opens in Ho Chi Minh City after three-year pandemic pause

Following Secutech in Taipei earlier this year, another influential trade fair for the security and fire safety industries is making its homecoming this week. Located in one of the most promising markets in South East Asia, Secutech Vietnam is preparing to open its doors from 18 – 20 August at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center with over 250 exhibitors participating. Pavilions from Japan and Singapore are leading a charge of international exhibitors from 15 countries and regions at the fair, with many of these brands presenting a new wave of safety innovations that have been inspired by the pandemic, including advanced biometrics and surveillance systems. Expectations for this week’s fair have been steadily rising over the past few months. In July, quarantine measures for international travellers to Vietnam were lifted, while in Q2, the country’s GDP grew at its fastest pace in 11 years as the manufacturing sector expanded. This potential is attracting many new entrants to the market. “This will be our first participation at Secutech Vietnam,” says Mr Ian Stewart, the Founder of Software Risk, an industry-leading provider of security guard management software. “Among all the Asian markets that we are interested in, Vietnam has one of the biggest potentials for growth in terms of infrastructure and the adoption of technology. We have set up a joint venture with local companies which have been in the market for more than five years to tap into the tremendous potential in the country, especially focusing on physical security and facility management operational software solutions.” Software Risk is joined at the fairground this week by more than 250 other exhibitors, all aiming to meet the likes of distributors, project owners and system integrators from the regional market. In anticipation of the opening day, Ms Regina Tsai, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt […]

Merck initiates first Quality Control and Compliance Monitoring Summit in Malaysia

Merck, a leading science and technology company, recently hosted the first Quality Control and Compliance Monitoring Summit in Malaysia that aimed to provide Quality Control (QC) professionals with the most updated regulations and techniques in the industry. The summit was also a platform to discuss challenges, as well as hands-on training to improve laboratory skills, trouble-shooting methods, and data analysis. Regulations, policies, and criteria related to QC undergo rapid changes as market sentiment and customer requirements evolve resulting in QC professionals often facing difficulties in getting up-to-date information. In support of QC professionals, the Life Science Business of Merck organised this first-of-its-kind summit, where regulatory agencies, market leaders and QC professionals came together to exchange information and tackle QC challenges. The two-day seminar and workshop attracted close to 300 participants from diverse industries including Food & Beverages, Agriculture, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, Testing Lab, Academic institution and governmental agencies, Water & Wastewater Industry and Chemical Producers. In addition to having six prominent speakers covering topics ranging from laboratory accreditations and standard usage to market infographic and digitalization strategies, four experts from Department of Standards Malaysia (DOS), Merck Malaysia, Institute Chemistry of Malaysia (IKM) covered updates on regulatory and accreditations. Jessica Sawai Jues, Senior Assistant Director under the Policy and Research Section, Strategic Planning Division, Department of Standards Malaysia (DOS) underlined the importance of the National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) for effective operation in the domestic market and towards enabling access to foreign markets for Quality Control related industries. Her view was resoundingly echoed by Mark Mariba, Assistant Director under the Liaison Unit in Accreditation Division, Department of Standards Malaysia (DOS) who stated that local QC companies ought to embrace accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (CAB) based on the standards (ISO/IEC: 17025, 17021, 17065, 17020) to enhance the acceptance of products and services, […]

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