Developments

Waterco manufacturing plant reopens to help boost Malaysia economy

Ministry of International Trade and Industry mitigating economic fallout from pandemic The Kuala Lumpur manufacturing plant of water treatment manufacturer and distributor Waterco Limited has reopened and is operating in accordance with Malaysia Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) guidelines six weeks after the coronavirus pandemic paralysed factory activity. The temporary lockdown was in response to the 2020 Malaysia movement control order (Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Malaysia 2020), commonly referred to as the MCO, a cordon sanitaire implemented as a preventive measure by the federal government of Malaysia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Resuming production of proprietary equipment The MITI approved workers at Waterco Far East to resume production of proprietary equipment which is used in residential, commercial and industrial applications in over 40 countries. “We received approval to start up the factory on 50 per cent headcount,” says Chief Executive Officer, Soon Sinn Goh. “However, we will rotate workers seven days, which means we will be able to achieve 70 per cent of normal capacity. “Hopefully we will be allowed to move to 70 per cent headcount after a few weeks and that will give us 98 per cent.” Covering more than 25,000 square metres, the high-tech facility is separated into production, injection moulding, assembly, testing and distribution. “Workers are refreshed and motivated to work,” says Soon Sinn as well. “We are excited to resume production and help stimulate Malaysia’s economy.”

Huawei holds “5G+, Better World” online summit

“2020 marks the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century”, said Peng Song, in delivering the opening speech. “This year, global digital transformation will accelerate, meaning both opportunities and challenges for telecom operators and industries. To address these opportunities and challenges, operators must aim for more resilient, automated, and intelligent target networks, and their annual network plans and activities should be geared towards achieving these goals.” Peng continued, “Huawei is launching its ‘5G+, Better World’ online platform to work with operators and partners worldwide, share valuable experiences, and build better target networks.” At the event, Huawei released its white paper, Technology against Pandemic: Insights and Practice on Telecom Networks. This white paper provides deep insights into global networks and explains the important role telecom networks have played in the fight against the pandemic. Stable telecom networks have helped people move vital activities online, such as online education, online shopping, and remote working. This has been the basis of continued learning and production when school and work were suspended. The white paper also explains global operators’ best practices for overcoming the pandemic with networks. For example, they introduced 5G, AI, fire 10G PON, and other advanced technologies that enable more applications to combat the pandemic more efficiently. Several guests attended the event and delivered keynote speeches. These included Dr. Su Yu, Deputy Dean of China Mobile Chengdu Industrial Research Institute, Mr. Robert Wigger, Chief Business Officer of Sunrise, Mr. Su Xiaoming, Vice President of YITU Technology, Mr. Shaun Collins, Chief Executive Officer of CCS Insight, and Mr. Bob Cai, Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei’s Carrier BG.

Suprema launches Suprema Mobile Access contactless solution

Suprema, a global leader in security and biometrics, has announced ‘Suprema Mobile Access’, a new mobile contactless solution and complete platform for managing, issuing and tracking access credentials using smartphones. As access control systems have evolved beyond physical access cards, access control solutions using mobile phones as a credential were introduced. Suprema Mobile Access employs a smartphone application with NFC (Near Field Communication) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) to communicate with card readers, allowing access to doors and other secured assets. Suprema Mobile Access simplifies the management of access cards as the entire process goes online, without face-to-face interaction, allowing users to remotely manage credentials, issuing and revoking them in real-time. Using Suprema’s ‘AirFob Portal’, the Mobile Access management portal, one can issue mobile access cards to users via email. Using a link in the email, users can then install Suprema’s mobile app ‘AirFob Pass’ on their Android or iOS phone. Once the app has been installed, the mobile access card is ready to be used. Like a physical card, users can tap smartphones on a mobile enabled card reader to access doors and other controlled items. For a seamless user experience, the app supports background mode, which eliminates the requirement to wake up the phone in order to get access. To ensure the security of user data on the platform, Suprema Mobile Access is designed from the ground up with enhanced security features including data encryption throughout the process of issuing and using credentials. The backend server for Suprema Mobile Access is managed separately and the server encryption keys are protected with special proprietary methods. The solution has been certified by an independent audit to be compliant with the ISO 27001 standard for Information Security Management, signifying Suprema’s continuing commitment to the protection of private information as the highest […]

Overcoming Cambodia’s reliance on few trade partners: An analysis by The Asian Vision Institute

The economy of Cambodia is to suffer the effects of two hard blows in the coming months and years. The first is the European Commission’s announced intention to scale back its “Everything But Arms” (EBA) preferential trade arrangement with Cambodia and the second is the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These events are laying bare the structural weaknesses of Cambodia’s economy, which is over-reliant on the European Union for market access and on China for production capacity, investment and tourist inflow. Cambodia’s most vulnerable citizens, particularly women who work in the garment industry, low-skilled workers and those who have just been lifted from poverty, will feel the brunt of the fallout. The Asian Development Bank and the World Bank have each warned policymakers of the precarious state of the “near poor” in Cambodia. According to official estimates, the current poverty rate is below 10 percent (compared to 47.8 percent in 2007). Although the nation has achieved great success in its fight against extreme poverty, more than 70% of Cambodians still live on less than US$3.20 a day. The Royal Government introduced short-term measures in late February of 2020 to help employers sustain their operations, to help workers who have lost their jobs or whose work has been suspended and to support small and medium enterprises which are the backbone of the economy. The Royal Government is to be commended for this. The protection of livelihoods is tantamount to the protection of human rights. The measures include tax holidays, direct support, training programs, customs facilitation and the reduction of government expenditures. For example, owners of factories that suspend production due to a shortage of raw materials will be expected to pay 40% of wages while the government will pay an additional 20%. An enhanced set of reforms and mid to long term […]

Rockwell Automation appoints new regional director for Southeast Asia

Marcelo Tarkieltaub assumes role as Regional Director, Southeast Asia, with a mandate to increase market share in the region. Rockwell Automation has announced that Marcelo Tarkieltaub has been appointed as Regional Director, Southeast Asia. Based in Singapore, Tarkieltaub will be responsible for sales and business operations across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan and Vietnam, as well as driving strategic growth for Rockwell Automation in Asia Pacific. “Asia Pacific has long been a vital growth market for us, and our continued success in the region is a testament to the increasing market demand for digital solutions as well as the competencies of our dedicated leadership team and employees” said Scott Wooldridge, Rockwell Automation Regional Vice President, Pacific Rim. “Marcelo’s deep knowledge of driving high performance teamwork in multicultural environments will be a great asset to us, and we are extremely privileged to have him on board.” With over 20 years of experience at Rockwell Automation, Tarkieltaub was most recently Regional Director, Southern Cone, a portfolio within the Latin America region covering the markets of Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia. Tarkieltaub has built and developed several high-performing teams, leading the execution of key regional growth strategies for the business. Tarkieltaub replaces Pierre Teszner, who served as Regional Director, Southeast Asia, since 2016. Having made a significant impact in his role, Teszner was recently named as Regional Director, Central and Eastern Europe. “Throughout my career with Rockwell Automation, I have experienced a variety of different global markets and business environments. I am delighted to be joining the Asia Pacific team and I look forward to applying these experiences in my new role” said Marcelo Tarkieltaub, Rockwell Automation Regional Director, Southeast Asia. “Southeast Asia continues to be a key area of strategic growth for Rockwell Automation as we look to increase […]

Yokogawa acquires Danish startup Grazper Technologies, specialists in AI for image analytics

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that on March 20, 2020, it completed the acquisition of all shares in Denmark-based Grazper Technologies ApS (Grazper), as mutually agreed. Grazper has developed advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for analysing images, and Yokogawa aims to leverage these technologies within its various existing businesses and to develop new industrial AI solutions. Recent advances in deep learning and related technologies have enabled the practical application of AI in industry, and it is expected that as image identification and data forecasting accuracy continue to improve, the use of AI will only expand further. In particular, by improving the recognition accuracy for moving imagery, it becomes possible to observe the overall environment and context of the whole image, opening up new applications in the security field and for image analysis and robot operations on production lines. Grazper is a venture company founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2015, and later funded by Danish venture capital firm Promentum Equity Partners. It possesses advanced AI-based technologies for image analysis, and one notable strength is a solution that allows AI software to run efficiently on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA*), a type of integrated circuit. The software employs image recognition methodologies that have been theorised using algorithms and 3D modeling, and it can be operated with limited computing resources. Yokogawa is developing and providing AI-based solutions for plants and public infrastructure projects. Acquiring Grazper’s technology will enable the company to provide solutions that use AI for image analysis, such as capturing image information for robots, detecting abnormalities at plants, and monitoring security using cameras. As a first step, Yokogawa’s subsidiary, amnimo Inc., will embed Grazper’s FPGA IP core into its Edge Gateway industrial LTE gateway, which is currently under development. This will make possible solutions for smart city projects and security applications […]

Robot disinfects large areas

A robot capable of rapidly disinfecting large areas has been invented by a world-first solutions business to speed-up the fight against coronavirus. Forth Engineering in Cumbria is known for its innovations to solve complex industry challenges in the nuclear, oil and gas, renewables and other sectors all over the world. Forth managing director Mark Telford and his team have responded to the fight against COVID-19 by inventing a remotely operated disinfecting robot. “It’s an amazing bit of kit. I took it to one of our sites and it disinfected 68,000 square feet in just 20 minutes. It’s very impressive,” said Mark. “We’ve put together our tracked robot, vapour cannon, camera and lights, and developed the first one in a matter of days. “That’s how quickly we always work, it’s just that the sectors which need our help are different right now and this is a national emergency. “We have had lots of inquiries about it and we are now going into production. We will have to see how many robots people want us to manufacture.” The robot can be worked remotely, controlled from a safe distance, to help the NHS and other organisations keep areas clean during the coronavirus outbreak. “It can be used to sterilise ambulances, hospitals, shops and supermarkets, wherever it’s required,” said Mark. “It works in a similar way to a vapour cigarette in that it fires high pressure vapour which will settle in every part of a designated area. “It can also be used to disinfect factories and offices, schools and colleges, before people return to work and go back to education after the lockdown to make sure they are safe to use.”. In terms of the impressive speed of Forth’s response, Mark said it’s how he and his team have been […]

Millions lost in APAC carve-out deals

Third of global carve-outs fail to go to plan, with APAC most likely to experience deal delays, TMF Group research shows. The number of carve-out acquisitions is expected to rise as businesses in Asia-Pacific (APAC) look to restructure because of the COVID-19 turmoil. Those that do should approach with a note of caution after research revealed around a fifth of carve-outs result in millions of dollars wasted because of inefficiencies. While the deal economics of carve-outs can be very attractive, an independent survey, commissioned by TMF Group, found that 34% of senior executives from private equity firms with buy-side experience and 27% from corporations said their most recent cross-border carve-out failed to deliver on expectations, with 24% and 19%, respectively, saying costly overruns significantly impacted the deal. The survey also revealed that businesses in APAC were much more likely than those in other regions to experience deal delays (33%), against just 18% of those in the Americas and 16% in EMEA. Where a delay resulted in increased cost, a clear majority of those from private equity firms (92%) said it added 10% or more of the original value of the deal, with 30% saying more than 16%. The figure for corporates was equally high, with 85% claiming it increased add-on costs by 10% or more, and 38% at 16% or more – all considerable sums given that most of the carve-outs were valued at over US$ 50 million, and some more than US$1 billion. The research comes at a time when the market has seen a three-fold increase in the annual volume of spin-offs and carve-outs since 2016. The onset of COVID-19 will dampen deal volumes in the immediate period, but will create special situations for cash rich buyers as affected companies in the region look to restructure their […]

Businessman manager Holding Light bulb of icon of logistics , Creativity and innovative or idea for workers with Modern Trade warehouse logistics.

Samedaylogistics secures critical logistic routes ex China

Samedaylogistics, a leading global supplier of priority and customised emergency transports, repetitiously secures medical transportation from China to Europe addressing urgent needs to fight the current Corona-pandemic. The current global fight against the Corona-pandemic creates numerous challenges for all kinds of industries. For the logistics sector, one of the key issues is the vast cancellation of passenger flights, leading to a serious scarcity also in freight capacity. Mere freight flights, on the other hand, are dramatically overbooked, so numerous urgent and time-critical transport requirements, i.e. for medical equipment from China to Europe, cannot be addressed. Samedaylogistics, as a leading supplier of customised emergency transports, is actively filling this critical gap by providing vacant freight capacity up to full charter arrangements, so to secure that vital material against the pandemic is being moved, especially from China into Germany. Customers include national and regional state authorities, as well as medical charity organizations. One of those transports received a considerable press coverage, when the ruling mayor of Berlin, Mr. Michael Müller, announced via Twitter on the 4th of April, that more than 2 million face masks and 300.000 protective gowns were successfully shipped to Berlin, for subsequent distribution to hospitals, retirement homes and the police. To execute this urgent and time-critical delivery, Samedaylogistics provided a Boeing B747 Aircraft-charter, managed the on- and off-loading of the material and took care of the full custom clearance around the delivery.

Yokogawa to provide control system and field instruments for gas-fired power plant in Turkmenistan

Yokogawa Turkey Industrial Automation Solutions A.S. (Yokogawa Turkey) has won an order to provide a control system and field instruments for the Zerger gas-fired power plant in Turkmenistan. The order was received from Renaissance Heavy Industries, a major construction company in Turkey that is involved in the construction of this plant for Turkmenenergo, a state-owned power utility in Turkmenistan. This is Yokogawa’s first control systems order for a power plant in this country. Turkmenistan is a resource rich country with the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves*1. The country continues to experience steady economic growth thanks to its exports of natural gas and production of cotton and other agricultural products. To aid in the reconstruction of the neighboring country of Afghanistan, the Turkmen government concluded an agreement based on which it will supply electricity to that country for a ten-year period, beginning in 2018. The main source of this electricity will be the Zerger power plant, which generates power using locally-sourced natural gas. Located in the Chardzhev district of Lebap Province, approximately 600 km northeast of Ashgabat, the country’s capital, this is a simple cycle gas turbine power plant that will have three gas turbines with a combined capacity of approximately 400 MW. Sumitomo Corporation is the prime engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for this project, and the plant’s turbines and generators are being supplied by Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS). To monitor and control the plant’s three gas turbines and auxiliary facilities, Yokogawa will provide the CENTUMTM VP integrated production control system, DPharp EJATM series differential pressure and pressure transmitters, and YTA610 temperature transmitters*2. Yokogawa Turkey will be in charge of providing engineering and support services for the installation and commissioning of this system, and will complete work on this project by September of this year. To provide support services, Yokogawa […]

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