HUAWEI, UNIDO UNVEIL AI GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INDUSTRY, MANUFACTURING

Mr. Ciyong Zou, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of UNIDO, Vicky Zhang, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Huawei, and other partners during the official launch of AIM Global (Photo: Huawei)

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- Huawei, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and other partners officially launched the “Global Alliance on Artificial Intelligence for Industry and Manufacturing” (AIM Global) at the sixth World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), recently.

Led by UNIDO, AIM Global will integrate public and private partners to foster the use of and innovation around artificial intelligence (AI) in industry and manufacturing.

Huawei Vice President Corporate Communications, Vicky Zhang said in a statement: “We are proud to be a strategic partner of AIM Global. Working closely with UNIDO and other Alliance partners, Huawei will use AI to bring new momentum to industry development.

“Huawei is building a strong foundation in computing capabilities and is launching multiple large models designed for specific industries. Our goal is to develop AI solutions that more effectively serve all industries – and that better support scientific research.”

The Alliance will benefit from the local networks and insights of UNIDO’s investment and technology promotion offices that offer support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) globally.

The resulting deep understanding of actual SME challenges across sectors will inform the strategy of AIM Global in order to maximise its impact and UNIDO is committed to support pioneering efforts to enhance industrial competitiveness and sustainable development via AI.

AIM Global will serve as a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of best practices, focusing on four key areas.

First, it will facilitate research and development of AI technologies specific to industry and manufacturing. Second, the Alliance and its partners will engage to develop and promote ethical guidelines for the use of AI in industry and manufacturing.

Third, with the help of the Alliance, UNIDO seeks to convey policy recommendations to governments and international organisations on the use of AI in industry and manufacturing. Finally, AIM Global will promote the adoption of best practices for the use of AI in industry and manufacturing.

Huawei will actively support AIM Global with case studies on industrial AI implementation, insights from its intensive research and development as well as making its global network of experts available.

-- BERNAMA

ATFX Expands Global Reach Via Rakuten Securities Australia Acquisition

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) -- ATFX, an online trading services provider, has announced its acquisition of Rakuten Securities Australia Pty Ltd (RSA), to further strengthening its position in the Australian market and expanding its global footprint.

This strategic move marks a significant milestone for ATFX as it continues to solidify its position as a global trusted online broker with innovative trading solutions.

According to a statement, by acquiring RSA, a subsidiary of Rakuten Securities Inc, ATFX gains access to a well-established customer base and a talented team of industry professionals.

“This acquisition presents a significant opportunity for us to expand our presence in the Australian market and provide clients in the region with enhanced trading solutions. We are committed to investing in technology, talent and resources to ensure that our clients receive the highest level of service,” said ATFX Chairman, Joe Li.

The acquisition of RSA aligns with ATFX's core mission of providing clients with a comprehensive suite of trading services, backed by advanced technology and superior customer support.

The company remains committed to delivering a seamless trading experience, robust platforms, and a wide range of trading instruments, including forex, indices and commodities, among others.

RSA's clients will benefit from the transition as they gain access to ATFX's broader product offering and robust trading infrastructure.

As ATFX expands its operations globally, the company remains committed to upholding the highest regulatory standards and will continue to be well-regulated by prestigious regulatory bodies.

The acquisition of RSA will be conducted in accordance with all relevant regulatory requirements to ensure a smooth transition for clients and stakeholders.

-- BERNAMA

Syntagma Capital Completes Acquisition Of Erasteel From Eramet

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- Syntagma Capital announced it has completed its acquisition of Erasteel, the high-speed steels and recycling division of Eramet.

According to a statement, Erasteel, a global leader in the conventional and powder metallurgy of high-speed steels, will continue to operate under the Erasteel brand.

“Despite a very challenging M&A market, we continue to find attractive carve-out opportunities to put capital at work and provide divestiture solutions that deliver speed and certainty.

“We are excited by Erasteel’s potential and look forward to working with management on the global growth of the company,” said Syntagma Managing Partner, Sebastien Kiekert Le Moult.

Meanwhile, Syntagma Partner Frank Coenen said: “We intend to leverage our global experience in metals and Erasteel’s extensive R&D and technical know-how, global presence and strong customer relationships to further enhance its growth, both organically and through targeted M&A.

“We also intend to accelerate the development of the recycling division of Erasteel in France.”

Syntagma’s team involved in the transaction included Le Moult, Coenen, Benjamin Dahan (Partner), Fabio Yamasaki (Principal) and Gabriele Lo Monaco (Senior Associate).

Erasteel has unique metal recycling capabilities in Europe, offering sustainable solutions for the recovery of batteries, catalysts and metals.

Based in Brussels, Belgium, Syntagma invests and operates companies in a broad range of industries with a specific focus on the material, chemical, industrial and business services markets and including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, and metals services. 

-- BERNAMA

FLOSHIP CEO TO DELIVER EXECUTIVE VISION TALK, ACCEPT AWARD AT NEW YORK'S LEAD INNOVATION SUMMIT

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) -- Floship, a global circular supply chain solutions provider, announced its participation in The Lead Innovation Summit, a leading strategy conference for global decision-makers and executives in today’s retail and consumer industries, taking place in New York City on July 12 and 13.

According to a statement, Floship Chief Executive Officer, Josh Tsui will deliver his Vision Talk on July 12, during the session “Optimizing Digital Commerce Opportunity” fielding questions from Dawit Heck of Bain Capital Ventures.

Tsui will share information about Floship, his strategic vision, as well as the company’s transformational ambitions including his thoughts on the future of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in e-commerce to an audience of over 2000 executives from major global brand retailers.

As part of his talk, Tsui will share information about Floship’s holistic circular supply chain ecosystem, illustrating how it connects every core component across the value chain from the manufacturer, warehouse systems, delivery mechanisms, and returns solutions via a wholly integrated platform.

Also at The Summit, Floship will be among the companies recognised on The Lead’s Leading 100 List in an award ceremony, which honours innovative tech start-ups that are driving the future of brand-to-consumer businesses, especially in helping these businesses adopt circular supply chains.

Circular supply chains involve a company reusing or repurposing waste and customer returns to convert those resources into new or refurbished products, and this strategy is critical in building global partnerships.

The Lead Innovation Summit is where over 2,000 leaders from the fashion, beauty, home, consumer & retail innovation communities converge to learn from and connect with scaled brands, digital natives, & technology enablers.

The two-day summit features more than 140 stand-out speakers and 45 content sessions and breaks down every aspect of a brand’s direct-to-consumer business, online and offline.

-- BERNAMA

NIELSENIQ, GFK SECURE EUROPEAN COMMISSION CLEARANCE FOR PLANNED COMBINATION

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- A consumer intelligence company, NielsenIQ (NIQ) and GfK SE (GfK) have received clearance by the European Commission for their planned combination.

According to NIQ in a statement, the European Commission has approved the proposed combination of NIQ and GfK, thereby allowing for completion of the transaction to create the world's leading consumer intelligence company.

The clearance decision is conditional on the divestment of GfK’s Consumer Panel business to an independent third party. The condition does not have suspensive effect on the completion of the combination.

Both companies will now take the necessary steps to enable the transaction to close without further delay.

With operations in more than 100 countries, NIQ delivers the most complete and clear understanding of consumer buying behaviour through an advanced business intelligence platform with integrated predictive analytics.

-- BERNAMA

Verifone Reveals New Brand To Exemplify Payments Platform Offering

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- Verifone, the payments architect shaping ecosystems for online and in-person commerce experiences has unveiled its new brand and enterprise website to exemplify its class-leading payments platform offering.

According to a statement, the rebranding highlights Verifone’s innovative payment solutions by introducing a new logo, brand identity and global website to align with an updated vision.

“Verifone started in the Fintech space over four decades ago, rapidly evolving our service offerings to meet the needs of all large and small businesses. We are the critical commerce partner for businesses worldwide, offering solutions with a futureproof architecture.

“Our new brand matches our digital-first thinking, employee-focused mindset and accelerated innovation. Our customers and their customers, rely on Verifone every day,” said Verifone Chief Executive Officer, Mike Pulli.

Currently the “Payments Architect and Commerce Expert” partner for all businesses everywhere, Verifone’s robust product and services portfolio delivers on that promise.

The company spans digital payment solutions, secure payment devices, cloud-hosted Payments as a Service, merchant acquiring, point of sale technology, advanced business insights through data science, as well as managed services practices, among others.

After rebuilding its entire offering and company culture under new leadership, the refreshed brand identity matches the innovation and passion of a new Verifone.

With half a trillion dollars in transactions traversing its cloud via payment devices or Verifone-powered websites and apps, the company truly enables global commerce.

Stands out in the payments space where most businesses still piece together fragmented offerings from multiple providers to address complex customer needs, Verifone is the single provider with a comprehensive, flexible toolset that streamlines and reduces costs for any enterprise to accept payments.

The company has focused intensely on new, innovative payment capabilities and features in recent years, significantly expanding the solution stack and enabling new markets.

-- BERNAMA

AZTIQ AND INNOBIC ANNOUNCE PRICING OF SECONDARY SALE OF LOTUS COMMON STOCK BY AEMH

LONDON and BANGKOK, Thailand, July 3 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aztiq Pharma Partners (“Aztiq”), a private equity company focused on the life sciences sector, and Innobic (Asia) Company Limited (“Innobic”), the life science arm of Thai oil and gas conglomerate PTT Public Company Limited (“PTT”) (collectively, “the shareholders”), today announced the pricing of a sale of 25,095,850 shares of Lotus Pharmaceuticals (1795:TT; “Lotus,” “the company”), a multinational pharmaceutical company, at a price of NT$297 per share. The trade will be settled on July 5, 2023, subject to satisfaction of customary settlement procedures. The sale is being executed by Alvogen Emerging Market Holdings Limited (“AEMH”), which will continue to own 41% of Lotus common stock after the close of the transaction. Inclusive of Innobic’s direct holdings of Lotus, the shareholders will continue to own approximately 47.7% of the company.

Robert Wessman, Founder of Aztiq, commented: “Today’s announcement is a big step in the evolution of Lotus that started as a company whose business was nearly entirely domestic. The company today has evolved into a global pharmaceutical company with a vast portfolio of products and a global reach that touches nearly every corner of the world through the company’s export business or through Lotus’s own commercial infrastructure that spreads throughout Asia. As Chairman, I look forward to continuing to work with Lotus’ proven management team that has led this transformation to collaborate on strategy and grow the business going forward.”

Dr. Buranin Rattanasombat, Chief New Business and Infrastructure Officer of PTT, and Chairman of Innobic, commented: “This transaction is a significant step for Lotus as it concurrently increases free-float of the stock and diversifies the shareholder base with strong institutional investors. As a leading shareholder of Lotus, our interests remain truly aligned with those of the company and its valued shareholders.”

J.P. Morgan and Credit Suisse are acting as placing agents for the trade. 

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