EISAI SELECTS MEDIDATA'S CLINICAL DATA STUDIO TO ENHANCE AND MODERNIZE CLINICAL TRIAL EFFICIENCY AND PATIENT EXPERIENCE

AI-enhanced solution will help Eisai accelerate data review and reconciliation by 80%

NEW YORK, July 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Medidata, a Dassault Systèmes brand and leading provider of clinical trial solutions to the life sciences industry, today announced Eisai Inc. (“Eisai”), the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., as one of the first customers to harness its recently announced AI-driven Medidata Clinical Data Studio. Eisai Inc., will leverage this innovative data experience to gain unprecedented control over its clinical data, enable the execution of scalable and complex clinical trials, and enhance patient experience.

“We’ve included Medidata’s Clinical Data Studio in our clinical trial management platform given its ability to break down data silos and seamlessly integrate into our current software stack, while maintaining quality and integrity across all data sources,” said Shobha Dhadda, Ph.D. chief clinical science & operations officer, at Eisai. “Having a suite of technology solutions capable of processing diverse clinical and patient data types provides increased efficiencies without sacrificing quality or needing additional resources.”

Clinical Data Studio is powered by the Medidata Platform, the industry’s only unified platform that centrally manages all data sources, improving data reliability across the entire clinical trial ecosystem. By seamlessly integrating data from both Medidata sources, including Medidata Rave EDC, and non-Medidata sources, such as labs or another electronic data capture system, Clinical Data Studio streamlines the import process and enables automatic validation through configured data transfer agreements. Utilizing AI, it mitigates challenges posed by disparate data systems and offers up to 80 percent faster data review while providing a comprehensive view of patient data that can be concurrently reviewed, visualized, and acted on.

“Through Clinical Data Studio, Eisai is enabling healthcare stakeholders to overcome the complexities of modern clinical trials and foster collaboration on cleaner, more actionable data,” said Janet Butler, executive vice president, global head of sales, Medidata. “By delivering a unified AI-driven data management and analytics experience, we are enabling study teams to identify potential data issues faster and gain a more accurate understanding of the patient.”

About Medidata

Medidata is powering smarter treatments and healthier people through digital solutions to support clinical trials. Celebrating 25 years of ground-breaking technological innovation across more than 33,000 trials and 10 million patients, Medidata offers industry-leading expertise, analytics-powered insights, and the largest patient-level historical clinical trial data set in the world. More than 1 million registered users across 2,200+ customers trust Medidata’s seamless, end-to-end platform to improve patient experiences, accelerate clinical breakthroughs, and bring therapies to market faster. A Dassault Systèmes brand (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA), Medidata is headquartered in New York City and has been recognized as a Leader by Everest Group and IDC. Discover more at www.medidata.com and follow us @Medidata.

About Dassault Systèmes

Dassault Systèmes is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating virtual twin experiences of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers can redefine the creation, production and life-cycle-management processes of their offer and thus have a meaningful impact to make the world more sustainable. The beauty of the Experience Economy is that it is a human-centered economy for the benefit of all –consumers, patients and citizens. Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 350,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com.

© Dassault Systèmes. All rights reserved. 3DEXPERIENCE, the 3DS logo, the Compass icon, IFWE, 3DEXCITE, 3DVIA, BIOVIA, CATIA, CENTRIC PLM, DELMIA, ENOVIA, GEOVIA, MEDIDATA, NETVIBES, OUTSCALE, SIMULIA and SOLIDWORKS are commercial trademarks or registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes, a European company (Societas Europaea) incorporated under French law, and registered with the Versailles trade and companies registry under number 322 306 440, or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners. Use of any Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries trademarks is subject to their express written approval.

About Eisai Inc.

Eisai Inc., a human health care company, is the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd. headquartered in Nutley, N.J. Dedicated to oncology and neurology, its U.S. operations include research & development; manufacturing; global supply & logistics; and commercial activities. Learn more: https://us.eisai.com; Follow us on X and LinkedIn. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=49070

Votiro keeps up APAC momentum with new hiring, industry partnerships

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) -- Votiro, innovator in Zero Trust Data Detection and Response has announced significant growth and advancements in Asia Pacific (APAC) and Japan with key executive appointments, industry partnerships, and market growth.

The company also shares its plans to advance product functionality within the region in the second half of the year, expanding its Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) engine with a real-time data security pillar via Zero Trust Data Detection & Response (DDR).

John Ong, who has over two decades of experience in the cybersecurity industry at companies including Panorays and AlgoSec, joins Votiro as Regional Vice President of Sales, APAC, Japan, and Middle East, to lead expansion in the large growth market.

With a deep understanding of direct and indirect business models specific to the dynamic APAC market, Ong is well-positioned to drive regional growth and serve existing customers and partners.

“We are committed to helping our APAC, Japan, and Middle East customers and partners accelerate cybersecurity strategies and maintain an always-safe and -compliant posture.

“We look forward to working with John and his team to introduce our new real-time data security solutions and further product functionalities with technology partners,” said Votiro Chief Executive Officer, Ravi Srinivasan in a statement.

In recent months, Votiro has implemented key technology integrations with industry partners including Zscaler ZIA, and Palo Alto Networks Prisma platforms, as well as strengthened existing integrations with partners such as Menlo Security and SumoLogic.

The company’s ability to prevent file-borne threats via its patented CDR technology enables it to explicitly meet stringent Zero Trust security requirements and other compliance regulations within the region.

The upcoming expansion of Votiro’s DDR technology will further provide customers and partners with the ability to maintain compliance with data privacy regulations that continue to define data security in the APAC region.

Votiro will be on-site at the AiSP Cloud Security Summit on Sept 14, as well as GovWare from Oct 15 to 17. The on-site team will demonstrate its threat prevention and data privacy capabilities, and talk about the company’s support for regulatory requirements within the APAC region.

-- BERNAMA

AKWEL: TURNOVER OF €528.8M IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2024

PARIS, France, July 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Champfromier, Thursday, July 25, 2024

TURNOVER OF €528.8M IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2024

• Turnover down -2.8% at constant scope and exchange rates
• Net cash position of €115.1M on June 30, 2024

AKWEL (FR0000053027, AKW, PEA-eligible), parts and systems manufacturer for the automotive and heavy-vehicle industry, specialist in fluid management, mechanisms and E-powertrain parts, has recorded, over the first half of 2024, a consolidated turnover of €528.8M, down -3.1% compared to the first half of 2023.



⁽¹⁾ At constant scope and exchange rates

Over the first half of the year, AKWEL turnover at constant scope and exchange rates decreased by -2.8%, with a foreign exchange impact of -€2.0M.

The turnover is distributed by geographic production area as follows:

• France: €132.8M (-13.5%)
• Europe (excluding France) and Africa: €157.1M (-1.6%)
• North America: €158.7M (+4.4%)
• Asia and the Middle East (including Türkiye): €78.8M (+0.5%)
• South America: €1.5M (-36.6%)
   

Cooling activity remains the main contributor (+0.4%), followed by Decontamination product lines (-20.5%), whose decline explains the sharper decline in activity in France, Mechanisms (-6.8%), Fuel (-1.2%) and Air (+8.7%)..

After disbursement of the dividend, the company reached a consolidated net cash position of €115.1M on June 30, 2024, excluding lease liabilities, with €30.3M of investments made during the six-month period.

Taking into account the activity recorded in the first half of the year and the outlook to date for global automotive production for the full year of 2024, AKWEL expects its turnover to remain stable for the current financial year.
 

An independent family business, trading on Euronext Paris, AKWEL is a parts and systems manufacturer for the automotive and heavy-vehicle industry, and a specialist in fluid management, mechanisms and structural parts for electric vehicles. The Group achieves this with their first-rate industrial and technological know-how in mastering the application and processing of materials (plastic, rubber, metal) and mechatronic integration. Operating in 20 countries across 5 continents, AKWEL employs 9,600 people worldwide. Euronext Paris — Sub-fund B — ISIN: FR0000053027 — Reuters: AKW.PA — Bloomberg: AKW:FP

Attachment

• 2024-07-25_AKWEL_TO-H1_2024_EN_short

SOURCE : Akwel

KIOXIA RECOGNISED FOR GROUNDBREAKING BICS FLASH 3D FLASH MEMORY TECHNOLOGY

KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- Kioxia Corporation, the inventor of NAND flash memory, was honoured by FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage with 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award for 3D NAND flash invention.

This breakthrough technology has become fundamental to a wide range of computing applications, including advanced smartphones, personal computers, solid state drives (SSDs), data centres, artificial intelligence, and industrial.

“Our technology has created a new paradigm in the industry, enabling flash memory to vastly increase storage density per cell, die and package.

“I am excited to see our achievements recognised and look forward to witnessing their continued influence in the years to come," said its vice president and technology executive for Memory Division, Atsushi Inoue in a statement.

The Kioxia engineering team, consisting of Hideaki Aochi, Ryota Katsumata, Masaru Kito, Masaru Kido, and Hiroyasu Tanaka, will accept this prestigious award for its pioneering work in developing and commercialising 3D flash memory.

Kioxia presented the concept of BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory technology at the VLSI Symposium in 2007. After announcing the prototype, Kioxia continued development to optimise the technology for mass production, eventually introducing the world’s first 256 gigabit, 48-layer 3D flash memory in 2015.

With a 3D stacked structure that boosts capacity and performance, BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory has been a transformational force in the storage industry.

The technology has enabled higher density storage solutions while maintaining reliability and efficiency, significantly enhancing the capabilities of data centres, consumer electronics, and mobile devices, setting a new standard for flash memory technology.

By leveraging vertical stacking, Kioxia’s BiCS FLASH technology addressed the limitations of planar NAND flash, paving the way for future developments in memory storage solutions, and reinforcing Kioxia Corporation as an industry leader.

-- BERNAMA

POLICYMAKERS URGED TO EMBRACE SELF-CARE IN ADDRESSING GLOBAL HEALTH ISSUES

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 (Bernama) -- Policymakers and health leaders worldwide are urged to embrace self-care as an essential component of healthcare, by ensuring it is fully integrated into national health systems and policies, as part of this year’s International Self-Care Day.

The Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF) is urging members and campaigners to rally behind the #SelfCareIs movement, which aims to educate global audiences about the critical link between self-care and healthcare.

This initiative also encourages engagement with local policymakers and healthcare providers to call on them to put in place plans for the urgent integration of self-care into the healthcare delivery continuum.

“Our ‘Self-care is healthcare’ campaign is all about fuelling the movement for self-care to be recognised as an integral part of healthcare. It aims to drive greater awareness and recognition of the potential of self-care to people and policymakers across the world.

“At GSCF, we firmly believe that everyone benefits when there is a greater choice of healthcare options and more accessible entries to care,” said its Director General, Judy Stenmark in a statement.

As health systems worldwide continue to face a range of challenges from increased demand on services, to inequity in access to healthcare, evidence shows that self-care can avert an estimated 3.9 million premature deaths each year, through physical activity alone.

In addition, self-care is able to save billions of dollar each year for global healthcare systems and, therefore, national economies; improve the autonomy and agency of disadvantaged groups, including women and girls, in managing their own health; as well as provide a legitimate tool in the pursuit of universal health coverage. 

First recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1983, the concept of self-care describes the role of individuals in preventing disease, promoting and maintaining their mental and physical health, and actively participating in their healthcare.

Representing associations and manufacturers in the self-care industry, promoting sustainable and better global health outcomes for all, GSCF is the go-to source of information for the self-care industry.

-- BERNAMA

JAPAN MARITIME DAILY HOLDS THE GLOBAL SHIPPING SEMINAR IN SINGAPORE ON 16 SEPTEMBER 2024

Applications have just opened. Valuable discussions for new fuels will be held among Mr. Mikal Bøe, the Chairman & CEO of CORE POWER, and key global VIP speakers.


TOKYO, July 24 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- On Monday, 16 September 2024, the leading maritime newspaper in Japan, Japan Maritime Daily (JMD) will host the global seminar in Singapore, The Future of Shipping with Alternative Fuels, on the theme of 'New Era Fuels for Ships'. Co-organized with the Singapore Exchange (SGX), the seminar will show the future of new fuels through the initiatives of major shipping companies and panel discussions.

The keynote speaker will be Mikal Bøe, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CORE POWER, who will explain the nuclear energy for net-zero emission shipping.

SGX Group's Director Kenneth Ng will give a presentation titled "Pathways to Decarbonisation: Using Shipping and Transitional Fuel Derivatives."

In addition, a panel discussion moderated by Hirofumi Yamamoto, Executive Officer of The Japan Maritime Daily, will include Mr. Jigo Hayashi, Joint General Manager of Tokyo Century Corporation's Ship Finance Division, and Mr. Cheong Jin Yu, Head of Baltic Exchange Asia, on the challenges of decarbonization, including new fuels. A networking party will be held after the seminar, free of charge.

Date and time: 16 September 2024 (Monday), 1:00 pm - 4:20 pm (seminar).
Networking party after the seminar.
Venue: SGX Auditorium, 2 Shenton Way, #02-02 SGX Centre 1, Singapore
Language: English (A summary will be published in The Japan Maritime Daily later)
Participation fee: Free of charge. Capacity of 150 persons.

[Agenda]
• Opening Remarks: JMD and SGX
• Keynote speech: "Why shipping needs Nuclear energy" by Mr. Mikal Bøe, the Chairman & CEO of CORE POWER
• Speech: "Pathways to Decarbonization: Using Shipping and Transitional Fuel Derivatives." by Kenneth Ng, Director SGX Group.

• Panel discussion
Mr. Jigo Hayashi - Joint General Manager, Tokyo Century Corporation
Mr. Michimasa Noda - Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Sustainability, Ocean Network Express
Mr. Cheong Jin Yu - Head of Baltic Exchange Asia
Mr. Takashi Nakabe - President, Onomichi Dockyard
Mr. Roslan Khasawneh – Principal Heavy Distillates Analyst, Kpler
Hirofumi Yamamoto, Executive Officer of The Japan Maritime Daily (moderator)
Additional speaker or topic to be confirmed

To register, please apply via the registration form
https://bit.ly/JMD_SGX_seminar2024

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240721114901/en/

Contact

Japan Maritime Daily Co., Ltd.
Mr. Motoki Kagotani
Tel: +81 50-5236-6688
Mail: seminar@jmd.co.jp
 

Source : Japan Maritime Daily Co., Ltd.

HONG KONG’S PICC HK RATED EXCELLENT - AM BEST

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and the long-term issuer credit rating of “a-” (Excellent) of The People’s Insurance Company of China (Hong Kong) Limited (PICC HK).

In a statement, the global credit rating agency said these credit ratings (ratings) which have a stable outlook reflected PICC HK’s balance sheet strength, was assessed as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The ratings also reflect the strategic importance of the company to its parent, The People’s Insurance Company (Group) of China Limited (PICC Group), as the sole overseas insurance entity and a key component of PICC Group’s overseas strategies.

PICC HK’s risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, remained at the strongest level at year-end 2023.

The company’s investment portfolio remains well-diversified, with the majority of its assets allocated to investment-grade bonds, cash and cash equivalents, and preference shares, while the remainder is in listed equities and other investments.

With an increasing proportion of liquid invested assets, PICC HK has maintained a strong liquidity position, and other supporting factors include a strong regulatory solvency position, both under the legacy Hong Kong Insurance Ordinance and Hong Kong’s new risk-based capital regime.

PICC HK’s operating performance remains adequate, in which it returned to profitability last year, with net earnings mainly supported by robust investment income owing to its diversified investment portfolio. In 2023, PICC HK achieved positive underwriting results, driven by its profitable inward business.

The company’s business profile is assessed as limited, whereby its underwriting portfolio is exposed to moderate concentration risk in terms of sourcing premium revenue from its affiliated company, PICC Property and Casualty Company Limited, despite the stable profit margin.

PICC HK established its Macau branch in 2022 to better satisfy insurance demand from Portuguese-speaking countries of the world, as well as to provide one-stop general insurance solutions covering mainland China’s greater bay area, Hong Kong and Macau.

-- BERNAMA

GOOD FRAUD PROTECTION TOP PRIORITY FOR MALAYSIANS OPENING BANK ACCOUNT - SURVEY

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Global analytics software leader FICO in its latest global consumer fraud research, revealed that consumers in Malaysia have a low tolerance for inefficient digital experiences when opening an bank account via mobile app or website.

However, in a statement, FICO said Malaysians selecting a new financial account place a high value on both good fraud protection and ease of use.

According to the study, nearly two in three (64 per cent) expect to answer 10 questions or less or they will abandon a personal bank account application, while one in three (33 per cent) will drop out if asked more than five questions.

Regardless of the number of questions asked, one in four Malaysians will give up on a personal bank account application after 10 minutes.

The survey also highlighted that Malaysian consumers show varying levels of patience for different account opening processes, whereby they are most likely to abandon savings accounts (41 per cent) or personal bank accounts (39 per cent) applications due to complex or time-consuming identity checks.

Close to one in three have abandoned credit card applications (31 per cent) for the same reason, while close to one in four (24 per cent) have been frustrated enough to abandon mortgage loan applications.

In the past year, half of Malaysians have noticed more identity checks when they log in to bank accounts (51 per cent) or make an online purchase (49 per cent).

Despite the rise in identity checks, the survey found that three in 10 Malaysians will stop or reduce the use of existing accounts if the identity verification experience is poor, while seven in 10 consumers expect to answer 10 questions or less, or they will abandon a savings account application.

While some consumers are more tolerant of detailed processes for certain financial products that require thorough scrutiny, the survey clearly shows that expectations for ease of use remain high.

The survey was conducted in November 2023 with 1,001 Malaysian adults surveyed, along with approximately 12,000 other consumers in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, The Philippines, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Spain.

-- BERNAMA

PLASTICS RECYCLING SHOW ASIA CONFERENCE PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

AsiaNet 0200284

Singapore, Jul.18, 2024 /Agilitypr-Medianet/

Visitor registration for conference & exhibition now open

Organisers of the inaugural Plastics Recycling Show Asia, taking place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from 13-14 November 2024, have announced a comprehensive speaker programme for the event’s conference. Visitor registration for the free-to-attend two-day conference and exhibition is now open at: https://prseventasia.com/

The in-depth conference programme will cover all the key issues currently facing the plastic recycling value chain in Asia and beyond. Topics covered in individual sessions and discussion panels include: a regional market overview, a regulation update, the latest developments in chemical and physical plastics recycling, IT and software innovation, and the challenges and solutions for waste management, collection and sorting.

Among the geographical focus sessions delivered by local experts will be sessions focusing on plastics recycling in Indonesia, China and India. Topics already confirmed in the Spotlight on Materials session include PET packaging, PE film recycling and HDPE recycling. The final day of the conference will close with sessions looking at the latest industry technology and innovations and a future roadmap for plastics recycling in the region.

Leading industry figures already confirmed to speak include:

• Joshua Tan, APAC Analyst, Plastics Recycling, ICIS: An insight into Asian plastics recycling
• Marc Cox, Director for Stakeholder Relations, Director for Stakeholder Relations, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines:  Evolving packaging regulations with a focus on the Philippines and its new EPR law
• Christophe Ngo, Programme Manager, Alba Group Asia: Scaling up recycling capacity in Asia: adapting global recycling capabilities to local needs
• Xin Need Chua, Analyst in Plastic Recycling, ICIS, A deep dive into the current recycled plastics legislations in APAC: a look at legislation across various countries in the region
• Wilson Pandhika, Managing Director, Pan Era Group: The journey towards circularity: a closer look at plastic recycling
• Liu Lei, Managing Consultant, Wood Mackenzie: Challenges faced by polyolefins waste management in Asia
• Ahmad Nuzuluddin, Chairman, IPR (Indonesian Plastics Recyclers): Insights into plastics recycling in Indonesia
• Ton Emans, President, Plastics Recyclers Europe and Managing Director of Cedo recycling will also The European perspective - navigating plastics recycling in the EU: legislation, challenges and future trend
• Michael White, Director - Business Development, Closures, Husky Technologies: Husky's leading innovations supporting the circular economy

“We are delighted to be bringing the Plastics Recycling Show to Asia this November in response to very strong demand for an event dedicated to plastics recycling from all parts of the plastics value chain in the region,” said Matt Barber, Global Events Director at Crain Communications. “Our recent PRS Europe event attracted record-breaking interest with more than 480 exhibitors and 11,273 visitors from 80 countries and we look forward to bringing the same successful formula to Singapore this November”.

Organised by Crain Communications, the free-to-attend Plastics Recycling Show Asia is designed specifically for plastics recycling professionals. It brings together key players from the plastics and recycling sectors to showcase innovative technology, share best practice, network and do business. A broad cross-section of the industry is represented at the event including plastics recycling machinery and equipment suppliers, plastic material suppliers and compounders, pre-processors, mechanical and chemical plastics recyclers, waste management specialists and industry associations.

Leading companies and organisations involved in plastics recycling who have already confirmed their attendance as exhibitors include: ADUPI, ALBA, BEIER, Dalmia Polypro, EREMA, Fimic, Krones Recycling, Pashupati Group, Polystar, trinamiX and Veolia.

For full details of the conference programme and to register to attend visit the PRS Asia website: https://prseventasia.com/

Plastics Recycling Show Events Calendar

• Plastics Recycling Show Middle East & Africa, Dubai 10-12 September 2024 https://prseventmea.com/
• Plastics Recycling Show Asia, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 13-14 November 2024. https://prseventasia.com/
• Plastics Recycling Show India, NESCO Bombay Exhibition Center (BEC), Mumbai 4-6 December 2024 https://www.prseventindia.com/
• Plastics Recycling Show Europe, RAI Amsterdam, 1-2 April 2025 https://www.prseventeurope.com/
 
Social Media
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-recycling-show-asia/
X: https://x.com/PRS_Asia 
 
About us:

About the Plastics Recycling Show Asia
The Plastics Recycling Show Asia (PRS Asia) is the annual exhibition and conference for plastics recycling professionals in the region. It brings together key players from the plastics and recycling sectors to learn, network and capitalise on the business opportunities plastic recycling offers. The annual event is organised by Crain Communications and takes place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 13-14 November 2024.
 
Contact details:

Media Contact: 
Doug Bentall
Iona Communications
Tel: +44 7799 615319
Email: doug@ionacommunications.com 

SOURCE : Plastics Recycling Show Asia

XSOLLA BOOSTS PAYMENT PRESENCE IN ASIA THROUGH NEW PARTNERSHIPS, FOCUSING ON LOCAL GAMER MARKETS

^{(Graphic: Xsolla)}


Expanding game reach and boosting sales through localized payment channels in the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Pakistan

LOS ANGELES, July 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, announces the further expansion of its payment solution across Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Pacific markets. The entry into markets unlocks new territories and optimizes existing payment channels for the most important region for gaming worldwide, representing 46% of global game revenues. Xsolla extends its payment solution by integrating Maya, PayNow, WeChat Pay HK, JazzCash, and Easypaisa for video game developers and gamers in the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Pakistan. With this expansion, game developers can reach over 76 million gamers across these markets and increase conversion rates through localized payment interfaces and local processing.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240717310278/en/

 

Maya is the fastest-growing digital bank in the Philippines and the top-rated consumer finance app on the Google Play Store and Apple Store. PayNow in Singapore is a real-time payment channel that offers universal accessibility through its broad network of banks, stringent security measures, and enhanced payment connectivity for more than 5 million users. JazzCash and Easypaisa are Pakistan's number one digital apps, serving more than 18 million and 15 million users annually, respectively. WeChat Pay HK is a convenient mobile payment channel embraced by more than 1 million online and offline merchants in Hong Kong and beyond. It offers its services to 5 million residents.

For game publishers, large or small, looking forward to international growth—particularly within Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Pacific regions—Xsolla’s latest move offers them an invaluable resource: access not only to advanced technology and local payment solutions but also to deep market insights which come from working closely with local industry experts.

David Stelzer, President of Xsolla, comments, "We are unlocking access to five new payment channels across four booming Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Pacific markets, providing game developers with the tools to reach more gamers, improve conversion rates, and increase revenue. These markets are growing faster than the global average, with an annual growth rate of 9.47% compared to the global rate of 8.76%.

With 54% of global players in the APAC region, these predominantly younger gamers benefit from a high mobile penetration rate: 80.5% in Pakistan and over 140% in the other three countries, far above the global average of 69% in 2023. By offering local payment methods like Maya, PayNow, WeChat Pay HK, JazzCash, and Easypaisa, we're making it easier for developers to monetize their games in one of the world's fastest-growing gaming regions."

The Xsolla Payments solution offers a global reach with over 700 payment methods through a highly customizable multi-platform checkout, delivering a more comprehensive selection than most payment solutions in the industry. This expansion aims to help developers monetize and distribute their games globally while building a credible local presence in Asia.

For more information about Payments in Asia, visit xsolla.pro/payments-in-asia or contact the Xsolla strategic partnerships team.

About Xsolla

Xsolla is a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the industry. Since its founding in 2005, Xsolla has helped thousands of game developers and publishers of all sizes fund, market, launch, and monetize their games globally and across multiple platforms. As an innovative leader in game commerce, Xsolla’s mission is to solve the inherent complexities of global distribution, marketing, and monetization to help our partners reach more geographies, generate more revenue, and create relationships with gamers worldwide. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, with offices in Montreal, London, Berlin, Beijing, Guangzhou, Seoul, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Raleigh, and cities around the world, Xsolla supports major gaming titles like Valve, Take-Two, KRAFTON, Nexters, NetEase, Playstudios, Playrix, miHoYo, and more.

For additional information and to learn more, please visit: xsolla.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240717310278/en/

Contact

Derrick Stembridge
Global Director of Public Relations, Xsolla
d.stembridge@xsolla.com

Source : Xsolla

KOLMAR KOREA RESTRUCTURES LEADERSHIP TO ACCELERATE NORTH AMERICAN EXPANSION

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Kolmar Korea has appointed a new head for its North American operations and a Global Chief Commercial Officer (GCCO) to speed up its global expansion in the cosmetics industry to its North American subsidiary.

With the plan to build its second United States (US) plant early next year, the company has also set up a strategic framework that integrates production, sales, and research and development (R&D) to better penetrate the local market.

“This appointment underscores our commitment to gaining new momentum in the North American market by placing industry experts at the forefront. Kolmar Korea will focus on fostering growth through the synergistic collaboration of sales, production, and R&D and expanding its influence beyond North America to Europe,” said its representative in a statement.

Hence, Kolmar Korea has named President Yongchul Hur as Chief Executive Officer of Kolmar Laboratories and Kolmar USA, its North American subsidiaries, who intends to leverage his decades of industry experience to steer local business in North America.

Meanwhile, Philippe Warnery has been appointed as GCCO; George Rivera as Chief Science Officer (CSO) of the North American subsidiary; and Managing Director Inki Park as head of the North American R&D Center, responsible for bridging the Korean and North American markets.

The key part of the recent appointments is bringing in many people with vast experience in the global cosmetics market and this is expected to help the company enter the North American market successfully.

Kolmar Korea intends to leverage this strategic hires to maximise the operational capacity of its North American production facilities, including the first US plant and the second plant under construction.

The company aims to achieve US$100 million in sales in the next five years, therefore it plans to aggressively expand its sales network not only in North America but also in Central and South America. (US$1=RM4.67)

Moreover, with the rising popularity of K-beauty in the US market through global distribution channels, the company also plans to actively promote Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) sales that emphasise market accessibility and logistics efficiency for small and medium-sized Korean indie brands seeking entry into the US market.

-- BERNAMA

NX BANGLADESH RAISES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS VIA TREE PLANTING PROJECT

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 (Bernama) -- Nippon Express Bangladesh Ltd (NX Bangladesh), a group company of Nippon Express Holdings Inc, has carried out a tree-planting project at Jantrail Government Primary School in Nawabganj Upazila, Dhaka District, last month.

According to a statement, NX Bangladesh brought 250 saplings to the school for the plantation, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

This was in light of conditions in Bangladesh, where the country has been plagued by increasingly serious environmental problems such as air and water pollution due to industrialisation as well as global warming issues.

Four NX Bangladesh employees and 215 students and teachers participated in this activity, and planted 40 saplings in the schoolyard, with the remaining 210 saplings distributed to the students to be planted at their own homes.

The hopes underlying this initiative are that students will become more aware of the importance of environmental protection and that the trees planted will help protect the local ecosystem and improve the environment.

Going forward, NX Bangladesh will be pursuing other such CSR activities for a better life for the people of Bangladesh.

The NX Group will continue fulfilling its social development responsibilities by connecting people, companies and communities, and actively engaging in global environmental conservation activities to achieve sustainable societies.

-- BERNAMA

CSOP HUATAI-PINEBRIDGE CSI 300 ETF (3133.HK) LIST ON HONG KONG STOCK EXCHANGE TOMORROW

^{CSOP Huatai-PineBridge CSI 300 ETF (3133.HK) (Graphic: Business Wire)}


HONG KONG, July 15 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- CSOP Huatai-PineBridge CSI 300 ETF (3133.HK) will list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 16, 2024. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, 3133.HK will invest at least 90% of its NAV in the Huatai-PineBridge CSI 300 Exchange-traded Open-end Index Securities Investment Fund (the “Master ETF”) via the QFI status granted to the Manager and/or the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect. With listing price of approximately HKD 7.8 per unit, board lot of 100 units, 3133.HK has received an initial investment of RMB 51.1 million.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240715285738/en/

 

At the beginning of 2024, a slew of foreign financial institutions are bullish on Chinese stock market and have upgraded their ratings¹. Meanwhile, the northbound fund flows have been positive for three months in a row since February, hit a new record high in April, indicating strong overseas investment interest in A-share². Analysis suggests that China's stock market is benefiting from four major tailwind factors: the "national team" purchasing A-share ETFs to boost funds and confidence; the introduction of the once-in-a-decade new 'Nine Guidelines for Capital Market' policy, and the A-share buybacks and dividends continue to accumulate; quarterly GDP growth in China has beat expectations, with steady earnings recovery; the price-earnings ratio of the CSI 300 index is lower than its 20-year historical average, making A-share highly attractive for investment³.

Since late 2023, state-owned financial firms led by Central Huijin and China Securities Finance Corp have been investing heavily in A-share ETFs, especially CSI 300 ETFs³. The policy-driven funds of the "national team" have often intervened to support the capital market, which is seen as a sign to stabilize the stock market. According to UBS estimates, since 2024, policy-driven funds have injected more than RMB 410 billion (around USD 57 billion) into A-share, 75% of which went to CSI 300 ETFs⁴. The Master ETF's quarterly report reveals that Central Huijin added 26.356 billion shares in the first quarter of 2024, amounting to approximately RMB 88.8 billion⁵.

The CSI 300 Index (the "Index") serves as a benchmark for China's A-share stock market, tracking 300 largest and most liquid companies in China's A-share stock market to comprehensively reflect overall market performance. The median return on equity (ROE) range of the Index has consistently exceeded 10% over an extended period⁶. Since 2020, the Index has incorporated new stocks from the SSE's STAR Market and relaxed listing year requirements for SZSE's ChiNext Market stocks. Currently, the Index constituents are well-balanced across cyclical industries, technology, large financials, and consumer sectors. The Master ETF, the world's largest CSI 300 ETF, manages over RMB 190 billion and sees an average daily turnover exceeding RMB 4.6 billion this year⁷.

Ms. Ding Chen, CEO of CSOP Asset Management, stated, "As a widely recognized fund management company, we are delighted to offer Hong Kong investors the opportunity to invest in top-quality assets in China. CSOP Huatai-PineBridge CSI 300 ETF, which tracks the world's largest CSI 300 ETF, is the optimal solution for investing in China A-share. CSOP is dedicated to continuous innovation and remains committed to providing our clients with valuable and distinctive ETF products."

About CSOP

CSOP is a leading ETF issuer in Hong Kong SAR, with a wide range of product offerings across equity, fixed income, leveraged and inverse, thematic, money market, and virtual assets. In Q1 2024, 5 out of 10 of the most traded ETFs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are CSOP-issued products*. Innovation and leadership are deeply rooted in CSOP’s DNA as we strive to bring first-of-its-kind products to the market, educate investors about ETF trading, and never stop looking for ways to improve trading efficiencies.

CSOP’s commitment to cross-border initiatives and collaborations is unwavering. We are the only product issuer participating in all the ETF connectivity programs between mainland China and Hong Kong SAR, capturing an 69.08% market share of the aggregate southbound AUM**, as well as the first issuer to participate in the China – Singapore Cross-border ETF Link Scheme.

* Source: 2024/01/01-2024/03/28, Bloomberg.

** Source: HKEX, SZSE, SSE, Bloomberg, as of 2024/06/28.

Disclaimer

This document is for general information only and do not constitute investment or any other kind of advice in any way and shall not be considered as an offer or solicitation to deal in any investment products. Investment involves risk. Investors should refer to the Prospectus and the Product Key Facts Statement for further details, including product features and risk factors. Investors should not base on this document alone to make investment decisions. Investors should consult their own advisors before engaging in any transaction. CSOP which prepared this document believes that information in this document is based upon sources that are believed to be accurate, complete and reliable. However, CSOP does not warrant the accuracy or completeness. This document is not legally binding, and CSOP shall not be liable for any loss, damage or expense incurred. This document is not directed to, intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution, availability or use would be contrary to local law or regulations, or which would subject CSOP to any registration or licensing or other requirement, or penalty for contravention of such requirements within such jurisdiction. For the Index Provider Disclaimer, please refer to the Product’s offering document. This document is prepared by CSOP and has not been reviewed by the SFC in Hong Kong.

Issuer: CSOP Asset Management Limited

¹ Source: Collation of research and media reports.
² Source: iFinD, as of 2024/4/26.
³ Source: Collation of research and media reports.
⁴ Source: UBS, Caixin.
⁵ Source: Huatai-PineBridge CSI 300 Exchange-traded Open-end Index Securities Investment Fund quarterly report.
⁶ Source: Wind, as of 2023/11/30.
⁷ Source: Wind, as of 2023/04/26.


View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240715285738/en/

Contact

Jennifer Li/ +852 3406 5650 / market.intelligence@csopasset.com
Tina Shu / +852 3406 5675 / market.intelligence@csopasset.com

Source : CSOP Asset Management Limited

RECTITUDE CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING WITH NASDAQ BELL RINGING CEREMONY

SINGAPORE, July 12 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rectitude Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq: RECT; the “Company” or “Rectitude”), a Singapore-based provider of safety equipment and related industrial products, today announced that its management team participated in a Nasdaq Bell Ringing Ceremony at Capella Singapore. Nasdaq investor relations and IPO director for Asean, Hiren Krishnani, attended the ceremony. The bell ringing ceremony highlights the Company’s successful initial public offering and listing on Nasdaq. The Company began trading on Nasdaq on June 21, 2024 under the ticker symbol “RECT”.

“This bell ringing ceremony marks a historic moment for all of us at Rectitude as we celebrate our successful listing on Nasdaq, one of the world’s premier equity markets,” said Jian Zhang, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Director at Rectitude. “This represents the result of years of effort and dedication that our entire team has put into growing the Company. We are now looking forward to our next chapter and how we will provide long-term value for our shareholders and continue to solidify our position as the leading provider of safety and industrial solutions in Singapore and throughout Southeast Asia.”
 

A replay of the ceremony will be available on the Company’s website at: https://ir.rectitude.com.sg/presentations/

About Rectitude
 

Founded in 1997 in Singapore, Rectitude is principally involved in the provision of safety equipment, encompassing essential items such as personal protective clothing, gloves, safety footwear, personal fall arrest systems, portable fire extinguishers and traffic products. The Company also offers auxiliary products such as industrial hardware tools and electrical hardware required for construction sites. Rectitude’s products and solutions are marketed to a wide array of distributor networks and end markets, both in Singapore and increasingly throughout the Southeast Asian region, including Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://ir.rectitude.com.sg 

Forward-Looking Statements
 

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the Company's proposed Offering. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company's registration statement and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Rectitude
Investor Relations
Email: ir@rectitude.com.sg 

Jackson Lin
Lambert Global
Phone: +1 (646) 717-4593
Email: jlin@lambert.com 
 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f314df7-e1a9-4efa-9a0b-4799935813ae 

SOURCE: Rectitude Holdings Ltd.

--BERNAMA

EBC Financial Group (UK) Ltd CEO: Brokerages To Move Offshore As Onshore Regulations Tighten

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) -- EBC Financial Group (UK) Ltd chief executive officer (CEO), David Barrett shed light on the group’s strategic growth halfway into 2024, the regulatory landscape, and prospects in the global brokerage market, in a recent series of interviews with World Finance.

Established in 2020, despite the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, EBC Financial Group has experienced remarkable growth, particularly in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, to which Barrett highlighted the unique factors driving this expansion, including the region's age demographic, increasing technology awareness, and rising personal disposable income.

"APAC has been the main driver. The growth in virtually every broker’s client base has come from that region. There is a young audience, they are gathering online more, they have better access to tech, the ability to connect is much, much better than it always used to be," he said.

In a statement, Barrett also addressed the increasing challenges in the onshore brokerage market, driven by tightening regulations and rising operational costs, highlighting the political influence on onshore regulations in the European Economic Area (EEA).

"The regulators in mature jurisdictions will continue to be tough. I think we will see more and more of the smaller players getting driven out of those jurisdictions because the friction costs of maintaining a business is very high," he explained.

EBC Financial Group has capitalised on growth opportunities by establishing offices in Bogotá, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur, and recently obtaining a full regulatory licence from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA).

The company's growth is further bolstered by strategic partnerships, including a recent three-and-a-half-year collaboration with FC Barcelona. He also emphasised the company's efforts to stand out in a crowded market through robust brand recognition and quality staff recruitment.

Looking ahead, Barrett noted that the brokerage industry faces several challenges. He predicted that the consolidation trend in the brokerage industry will continue, with smaller players finding it increasingly difficult to survive onshore due to high regulatory and operational costs, which will likely push some brokers to explore offshore.

In discussing the company's rapid growth, Barrett shared insights on overcoming challenges such as clone attacks and has since partnered with a globally well-renowned cybersecurity firm to monitor and protect its digital presence worldwide.

With a focus on sustainable growth, robust regulatory compliance, and strategic partnerships, EBC Financial Group is well-positioned to navigate the evolving financial landscape, while continuing to grow, with over 300 employees.

-- BERNAMA

NIELSENIQ UNVEILS INTEGRATED USER EXPERIENCE FOR CONSUMER PANEL CLIENTS

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- NielsenIQ (NIQ), the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, has launched an integrated user experience for its Consumer Panel clients globally.

This brings the Full View of Retail measurement and Consumer Panel data to life on a single platform, namely NIQ Discover which leverages a new cloud-based architecture and aggregation engine providing faster data accessibility and user flexibility.

NIQ President, Global Consumer Panel Services, Kris Ewing in a statement said the company has made significant investments in its global consumer panel capabilities in the past year, enhancing performance, quality and usability of data driven insights.

“The launch of this modern, cloud-based plaatform is one of several enhancements we are making to our Consumer Panel offerings globally. Clients will now get access to panel data together with retail measurement, delivering a connected user experience,” he said.

NIQ's Discover platform for Consumer Panel is set to transform the consumer insights landscape. With its advanced analytical models and always-on capabilities, NIQ is leading the way in delivering actionable insights.

Key benefits of NIQ Discover platform for Consumer Panel include on-demand insights unlocked through an intuitive and powerful visualisation experience, side-by-side with retail measurement data, enabling seamless, guided flows that cross complementary data sets.

In addition, clients can build their own analyses and get results on-the-fly, opening a world of possibilities across different dimensions of people groups, facts, products, retailers, geographies, periods and demographics.

NIQ’s Consumer Panel Services provides the most complete and clear view of today’s consumers across 23 markets, in which some of the enhancements NIQ is making to its Consumer Panel include expansion of panel sample sizes globally and expanded analytical capacity.

With operations in more than 95 countries, NIQ delivers the most complete understanding of consumer buying behaviour and reveals new pathways to growth.

-- BERNAMA

THE 'INSIGHTS 2024: ATTITUDES TOWARD AI' REPORT REVEALS RESEARCHERS AND CLINICIANS BELIEVE IN AI'S POTENTIAL BUT DEMAND TRANSPARENCY IN ORDER TO TRUST TOOLS

 

AsiaNet 0200259 LONDON, July 10, 2024 / AgilityPR-AsiaNet / -- Elsevier’s survey of 3,000 researchers and clinicians shows willingness to use AI in their daily work, with clear differences in attitude between US, China, and India  Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to transform research and healthcare, yet adoption of AI for work use remains low as does use of even the most popular AI platforms like Bard and ChatGPT, according to a new study by Elsevier, a global leader in scientific information and data analytics. The Insights 2024: Attitudes toward AI report, based on a survey of 3,000 researchers and clinicians across 123 countries, reveals that both groups see AI having the greatest potential in accelerating knowledge discovery, increasing work quality and saving costs. However, to maximize the use of AI, both groups are clear about the specific concerns that need to be addressed: they want assurances of quality content, trust and transparency before integrating AI tools into their daily work.  Most notably, the majority of clinicians and researchers familiar with AI, said they believe in AI's potential to help them and their organizations in their work:  • 94% of researchers and 96% of clinicians think AI will help accelerate knowledge discovery • 92% of researchers and 96% of clinicians think it will help rapidly increase the volume of scholarly and medical research • 92% of researchers and clinicians foresee cost savings for institutions and businesses • 87% think it will help increase work quality overall • 85% of both groups believe AI will free up time to focus on higher value projects. However, both respondent groups fear further rise in misinformation could impact critical decisions: • 95% of researchers along with 93% of clinicians believe AI will be used for misinformation • 86% of researchers and 85% of clinicians believe AI could cause critical errors, while a similar ratio expressed concern about AI leading to weakened critical thinking • 81% of researchers worry AI will erode critical thinking with 82% of doctors expressing concern that physicians will become over reliant on AI to make clinical decisions • 79% of clinicians and 80% of researchers believe AI will cause disruption to society. Researchers and clinicians expect tools to be based on high quality, trusted content and want transparency about the use of generative AI: • If AI tools are backed by trusted content, quality controls and responsible AI principles, 89% of researchers who expressed belief AI can benefit their work would use it to generate a synthesis of articles, while 94% of clinicians who believe AI can benefit their work said they would employ AI to assess symptoms and identify conditions or diseases.  • Transparency is key. 81% of researchers and clinicians expect to be told whether the tools they are using depend on generative AI. • 71% expect generative AI dependent tools’ results to be based on high quality trusted sources only. • 78% of researchers and 80% of clinicians expect to be informed if the peer-review recommendations they receive about manuscripts utilize generative AI. The findings also reveal different attitudes amongst researchers and clinicians in the world’s top three research-generating nations, the US, China and India:   • Of those familiar with AI over half (54%) have actively used AI with just under a third (31%) for a specific work-related purpose. This is higher in China (39%) and lower in India (22%)  • Only 11% of respondents consider themselves very familiar with AI or use it often. 67% of those who have not used AI expect to in two to five years with China (83%) and India (79%) outpacing the US (53%) significantly • US respondents are less likely to feel positive about the future impact of AI on their area of work - 28% in the US vs. 46% in China, 41% in India. Researchers and clinicians in China, India and the US who believe AI would help them in their work are more closely aligned, albeit still with some difference in how likely they are to use a trusted AI assistant to review prior studies, identify gaps in knowledge and generate a new research hypothesis for testing.  Respondents in India stood at 100% likelihood, China at 96%, and the US at 84%.  Kieran West, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Elsevier, said: “AI has the potential to transform many aspects of our lives, including research, innovation and healthcare, all vital drivers of societal progress. As it becomes more integrated into our everyday lives and continues to advance at a rapid pace, its adoption is expected to rise. Researchers and clinicians worldwide are telling us they have an appetite for adoption to aid their profession and work, but not at the cost of ethics, transparency and accuracy. They have indicated that high quality, verified information, responsible development and transparency are paramount to building trust in AI tools, and alleviating concerns over misinformation and inaccuracy. This report suggests some steps that need to be taken to build confidence and usage in the AI tools of today and tomorrow.” For more than a decade, Elsevier has been using AI and machine learning technologies in combination with our world-class peer-reviewed content, extensive data sets and expert human oversight to create products that help the research, life sciences and healthcare communities be more effective every day. We do so in line with Elsevier's Responsible AI Principles and Privacy Principles and in collaboration with our communities to ensure our solutions help them achieve their goals. By incorporating generative AI in our offerings, we aim to make it easier and more intuitive for customers to find the information they can trust to accelerate scientific discovery, empower collaboration and transform patient care.  For the full findings from the Insights 2024: Attitudes toward AI study, including additional insights from researchers and clinicians, please visit elsevier.com/insights/attitudes-toward-ai or contact the media representative at the top of this release.   About Elsevier As a global leader in scientific information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making with innovative solutions based on trusted, evidence-based content and advanced AI-enabled digital technologies. We have supported the work of our research and healthcare communities for more than 140 years. Our 9,500 employees around the world, including 2,500 technologists, are dedicated to supporting researchers, librarians, academic leaders, funders, governments, R&D-intensive companies, doctors, nurses, future healthcare professionals and educators in their critical work. Our 2,900 scientific journals and iconic reference books include the foremost titles in their fields, including Cell Press, The Lancet and Gray’s Anatomy.    Together with the Elsevier Foundation, we work in partnership with the communities we serve to drive inclusive health and research within our own organization and around the world.   Elsevier is part of RELX (https://www.relx.com/), a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information on our work, digital solutions and content, visit www.elsevier.com/  Media contacts: Dan DiPietro-James Global Media Relations Director dan.james@elsevier.com  Source: Elsevier

LAVIMA FERTILITY, IVI RMA GLOBAL TO ADVANCE HORMONE-FREE FERTILITY TREATMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- United States-based company in the fertility sector, Lavima Fertility Inc has signed an exclusive agreement with IVI RMA Global, in an effort to making progress in the field of hormone-free fertility treatment.

In a statement, Lavima Fertility said both companies have opened a pioneering line of research aimed at eliminating ovarian stimulation in women who wish to begin assisted reproduction treatments (ART).

Ovarian stimulation is the initial part of ART and the phase of infertility treatments in which the least relevant advances have been achieved to date, as well as one of the main psychological barriers for women when deciding to begin this path towards motherhood, with concerns about how this process may affect them physically and emotionally.

“Avoiding controlled ovarian stimulation together with the trigger hormones in ART represents clearly a great scientific and clinical innovation.

“IVI RMA Global is the largest IVF chain in the world and working together with IVI RMA Global clinics in this field would allow to bring CAPA-IVM to many more patients worldwide in the future,” said Prof Dr Johan Smitz from Lavima Fertility.

Meanwhile, IVI Valencia Director Dr Ernesto Bosch said: “Our main objective is to continue benefitting women through research, and to eliminate the psychological barrier of those who decide not to start treatment, worried about the physical and emotional effect that ovarian stimulation may have on them, although the symptoms associated with this process are usually moderate and pass in a few days.”

A clinical study has begun at the IVI Valencia headquarters, in which Lavima Fertility is supporting this study by providing the CAPA-IVM and culture media supplements that allow immature oocytes to mature outside of the women’s ovaries in vitro and without the need of ovarian stimulation. This investigation will later be joined by the rest of the IVI RMA Global group's clinics.

Through CAPA-IVM, five randomised clinical studies have been conducted in Asia and over 850 babies have been born already using this novel hormone free fertility treatment technology, underlying the safety of CAPA-IVM.

Founded in 2020 as a spin-off from the Free University of Brussels (VUB), Lavima Fertility owns the worldwide exclusive licence to the CAPA-IVM technology which was originally developed at VUB by Prof Johan Smitz and co-workers.

-- BERNAMA

AEROSPIKE TAPS VENKATESH GUNTUR TO SPEARHEAD OPERATIONS IN ASEAN REGION AS COUNTRY MANAGER

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- Aerospike Inc (Aerospike), a database solutions provider, has appointed Venkatesh Guntur as the new Country Manager for Southeast Asia (ASEAN).

In this strategic role, Guntur will spearhead the company's business operations in the region, focusing on elevating its presence, driving growth, and delivering exceptional customer service, according to a statement.

“With his extensive experience and proven leadership, Venkatesh will be an invaluable addition to our team as we continue to expand our footprint in the enterprise and fast-growing AI-centric business applications segments in the ASEAN region,” said its Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific and Japan, Aveekshith Bushan.

Meanwhile, Guntur said he is honoured to join Aerospike and look forward to further building on the company’s reputation as the most scalable, efficient, and cost-effective real-time database solution in the region.

Guntur brings over 25 years of experience in enterprise information technology sales leadership, having driven strategic sales initiatives and fostered innovation in the technology sector for several successful organisations.

Before joining Aerospike, he held key leadership positions at companies such as Couchbase, ADP, Blue Prism, and Ramco Systems, and is passionate about business outcome-based value selling via technologies like real-time databases, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML).

Aerospike enables organisations to feed AI/ML systems high volumes of real-time data faster, with up to 80 per cent less infrastructure than other database providers.

-- BERNAMA

Employers Favour Business School Graduates For Human Skills Despite Rise Of AI

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 (Bernama) -- Despite concerns about inflation and recession risk, employer confidence in graduate management education (GME) and its ability to prepare business school graduates to be successful in their organisations has reached new heights since the pandemic, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

The annual survey of global corporate recruiters of business graduates finds this increase in confidence was seen across key industries business education caters to like consulting, finance and accounting, as well as technology, according to a statement.

“As disruptive technologies like generative AI reshape the labour market and the skill economy expands, employers are putting a premium on strategic thinking, people leadership, and problem-solving while betting on the rising importance of tech prowess.

“To achieve success, future business leaders will need to harness technological advancements and possess the knowledge and experience to manage the change brought on by these evolutions,” said GMAC Chief Executive Officer, Joy Jones.

The best news for today’s business school graduates is that employers' appreciation translates into optimistic hiring projections, with the majority of global recruiters planning steady or expanding hiring this year, with a third expected to hire more Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates than last year.

Notably, employers’ renewed confidence in GME is reflected in the growing number of them who say business school graduates tend to outperform their other employees, fast-track to upper-level positions, and earn more than other employees, and the share has grown in recent years despite, or perhaps due to the rapid rise of technologies like generative artificial intelligence (AI).

With the attention AI has received, the responding employers do not necessarily believe the predicted changes have hit their workplaces just yet, with only 26 per cent considering AI to be an important skill for current GME graduates to leverage in their organisations.

However, when asked which skills will be most important in five years, AI ranked high across regions and industries. More importantly, employers consistently value problem-solving and strategic thinking as the top skills for GME graduates of both today and tomorrow, and these core competencies are seen as essential globally.

The study also found confidence growth in remote working management skills does not extend to remote learning, with about two-thirds of employers say the skills gained through GME are more important in today’s world of remote and hybrid working.

Despite that, employers’ new appreciation for business graduates’ ability to manage flexibility in the workplace has not entirely extended to an appreciation for the skills gained in online programmes. Overall, two-thirds of employers still believe in-person programmes impart stronger technical skills than online programmes, and nearly three quarters agree in-person programmes impart stronger leadership and communication skills.

Furthermore, the survey highlighted that hiring projections remain optimistic despite recession fears and policy impacts. Regionally, planned hiring expansion is most conservative in the United States and the technology sector, whereas employers in Asia report the highest intended hiring across GME degree types.

-- BERNAMA