HONG KONG, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On October 13, 2023, Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA, HKEX: 2391), a global IoT developer service provider, presented a series of energy-saving solutions covering home energy management, SMB Lighting, Smart HVAC, and Smart Mobility, etc. at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) 2023 (hereinafter referred to as HKEF). "Connect the World, Shape the Future of Energy" is the theme of Tuya’s exhibition, which aims to make it easier for customers all over the world to accomplish energy-saving and efficiency-improving goals.

Today, there is a growing imbalance between global energy supply and demand. According to the Statistical Review of World Energy 2023, global primary energy consumption in 2022 reached a record high, exceeding 600 EJ, and global energy demand grew rapidly. The growth of energy consumption in the Asia-Pacific region was particularly strong. Over the past 20 years, the Asia-Pacific region’s demand for electricity has increased by 200%, and is becoming a major market for global energy development in the future.

In light of this, both upstream and downstream customers in the energy sector are actively looking at environmentally friendly and low-carbon development paths. The energy business is rapidly integrating IoT, AI, cloud computing, and other cutting-edge technology. At the same time, new momentum is emerging for energy industry reform. As a pioneer in the IoT industry, Tuya has a clear understanding of the trend of an environmentally friendly transformation of the global energy sector. With the support of its strong platform capabilities and IoT technology, Tuya has introduced numerous energy-saving solutions that cover a variety of industries and scenarios. At the HKEF, Tuya’s energy-saving solutions were widely praised by customers at home and abroad.

Tuya Smart Home Energy Management System

To Accelerate the Implementation Energy-saving at Home

Home energy management is a key part of energy transformation. Residential electricity consumption accounts for more than 30% of the total social electricity consumption in most countries. Coupled with the aging home electricity equipment and an information gap between power-consuming equipment and the power grid, home energy management is becoming crucial.

To help global developers further explore the home energy-saving market, Tuya has created a home energy management system, providing one-stop IoT energy solutions bother the consumer and utilities markets. Relying on Tuya’s PaaS2.0 and its rich hardware ecosystem, Tuya can provide households, energy installers, operators, and brands with tools for energy collection and management, energy-saving optimization, load scheduling, construction, operation, maintenance management, and realize the smart synergy of the energy chain including solar power, energy storage, charging, and usage.

For example, when the household load uses more electricity than it generates, load scheduling can be carried out to reduce electricity expenses. When the power grid is unstable, or there is a sudden blackout, energy storage, and discharge strategies can be set up during the off-grid period to meet the end-consumers energy usage needs.

For home users, the energy-saving strategies must be easily accessible. After multiple iterations and optimizations, Tuya’s Home Energy Management System launched a brand-new function at the HKEF, which is the integration of energy-saving algorithms, smart equipment, and scenarios. Customers can help end-users add energy-saving scenarios that relate to their equipment with one click through the App. This not only improves convenience and efficiency but also greatly enhances the effectiveness of energy-saving in households. It further promotes the implementation and popularization of home energy management.

Tuya Smart SMB Lighting Solution

Opening up a New Path for Energy-saving in the High-end Lighting Market

In addition to addressing the energy management needs of households, Tuya also showcased its Small and Medium-sized Business (SMB) lighting solutions facing the high-end lighting market.

This solution features core devices such as central control screens, SMB gateways, and voice speakers, along with peripheral products like SMB switches, drivers, high-end speakers, curtain motors, and mood lights, to comprehensively assist developers in creating immersive lighting experiences centered around spaces and people. It attracted many developers to stop by and try it on-site.

For example, to meet the demand for light synchronization in high-end scenarios, Tuya introduced the Zigbee gateway version of the HDMI home screen synchronizer solution, which can not only serve as a Zigbee gateway to control and manage sub-devices, but also synchronize them with the lighting and audio at home. This means that indoor lighting will change colors according to the content of movies or games shown on the screen, creating a more immersive atmosphere.

Through this solution, small and medium-sized businesses can also create a green, healthy, energy-efficient lighting environment with high quality. For example, in apartment and residential scenarios, based on the "human-centric lighting" algorithm, Tuya can simulate the lighting from sunrise to sunset by adjusting parameters such as brightness and color temperature. By achieving lighting transitions throughout the day to better align with the human biological clock and circadian rhythm, bringing a better living experience for residents.

In parking lot scenarios, when a car approaches or leaves, the radar sensing technology incorporated in the Tuya SMB solution can enable lights to automatically turn on or switch to dimmer conditions. It also supports customer-defined lighting ranges, automatically illuminating the lighting fixtures according to the car’s route, thus improving the energy efficiency of lighting devices in all directions.

Currently, the Tuya SMB solution has been implemented in various scenes such as resident houses, villas, museums, art centers, galleries, B&Bs, and hotels, achieving significant energy-saving effects. On average, it can help save 63% energy in office scenarios and approximately 82% in warehouse scenarios.

Tuya Smart HVAC Solutions

To Realize both Intelligence and Energy conservation

According to the statistics released by Technavio, the global heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment market will increase by U.S. $41.82 billion from 2020 to 2025, at an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.15%. About 53% of the growth in the global HVAC equipment market will come from the Asia-Pacific region, where the HVAC market has huge potential.

To help its customers seize the new opportunities in the current HVAC market, for this HKEF, Tuya brought a comprehensive smart HVAC solution that has been upgraded and iterated many times. Tuya’s solution can quickly build a smart HVAC system and realize the intelligent management of the whole process covering equipment-end, cloud-end, platform-end, and mobile-end, thereby changing the current situation of "high energy consumption and high waste" in the HVAC market and meeting the urgent needs.

Regarding hardware, the solution covers heat pumps, thermostats, air conditioners, floor heaters, ventilators, water purifiers, commercial motors, and other HVAC equipment, customers can create the most suitable hardware solutions according to their demands. In terms of software, customers can not only use the free public version of the App but also customize the differentiated features to create an App for their brands, to achieve flexible management and control.

For example, customers can enable end-users to set up thermostats, sensors, air conditioners, ventilation systems, etc. through a Tuya-enabled App, to automatically turn off the air conditioner or ventilation system when the indoor temperature or air quality reaches a certain set temperature or index, thus enhancing energy utilization efficiency.

In addition to providing support for hardware and software capabilities, customers can also realize more diversified functions through the smart HVAC solution, such as device and scenario management, distributor management and multi-dimensional data analysis, etc., which can further enhance operational efficiency while providing consumers with a smarter and more comfortable energy-saving experience.

Tuya Smart Travel Solutions

Leading Low Carbon Travel

With the dual background of global carbon reduction goals and the energy crisis, low-carbon and environmentally friendly travel methods have gradually become a trend. Taking E-bikes as an example, according to the 2023 Green Travel Trend Report, the global E-bike market has reached U.S. $30 billion and is expected to reach nearly U.S. $40 billion by 2025. In terms of regional market share, the Asia-Pacific region has the highest proportion, accounting for 68.1% of the global market in 2022.

In response to the strong demand for low-carbon travel in the Asia-Pacific region, Tuya has launched smart travel solutions with its strong forward-looking vision and innovative capabilities. From the "light" smart solution using Bluetooth modules to the "full" smart solution using 4G VCU, Tuya fulfills customers’ different needs and promotes the intelligent transformation of the outdoor travel industry.

Through the Tuya-enabled Bluetooth modules, 4G VCU, and smart travel App, customers can quickly achieve the intelligent upgrade of their products and App integration control, and implement smart solutions on their e-bikes, electric scooters, or electric motorcycles. In terms of the App, customers can customize its personalized functions through OEM methods according to their own functional needs, including travel history cloud storage, anti-theft, ambient light control, NFC unlocking, and carbon reduction statistics, helping to achieve a greener, safer, and more personalized travel experience.

In addition, Tuya’s commercial charging station solution also shines at the exhibition. The solution supports the OCPP open charging protocol, meaning that the platform enabled by Tuya can provide charging services in China, the United States, the European Union, and other areas of the world, and supports multiple payment methods. In addition, this solution can help charging station equipment manufacturers build efficient device management networks, through off-peak charging, reservation charging, and shared charging, to provide end-consumers with a secure and easy charging experience.

Tuya’s Intelligence Business

Enabling Industry Customers to Start Energy-saving Mode

At the HKEF, Tuya’s Intelligence Business showcased its comprehensive technical capabilities in the energy field. Customers can leverage the continuously iterated energy-saving module in the Intelligence Business solutions to add an energy-saving "halo" to various commercial scenarios such as hotels, residential households, communities, commercial lighting, and buildings, creating all-around energy-saving solutions.

For instance, in the Tuya Residential exhibit area, Tuya’s energy management capabilities attracted numerous visitors for detailed consultation. This solution supports customizable energy consumption rules, coupled with Tuya-enabled devices such as occupancy sensors and smart circuit breakers, enabling efficient energy management in apartments and other public areas. When no one is detected in a specific area, the system automatically responds to the energy-saving rules by turning off lights or selected appliances. Additionally, property managers can use the App to precisely manage the water, electricity, gas, and other energy-consuming devices in the apartments, thereby reducing daily energy consumption.

In the Tuya House & Real Estate exhibition area, Tuya displays an industry leading smart home solution, heling customers to build green, smart households. The center control panel, smart speakers and other devices enabled by Tuya can be linked and control lighting, curtains, air conditioning, sockets, etc. at home, through the touch screen, voice command, App, etc.. Moreover, with Tuya’s solution, homeowners can intelligently adjust the equipment based on different situations to experience a comfortable life that meets their needs, while also reducing electricity expenses.

The energy-saving equipment and cutting-edge solutions made possible by Tuya at the HKEF have given global developers new perspectives. They have not only shown off their new green and low-carbon experiences in a variety of scenarios but have also sped up the implementation of energy-saving solutions through a variety of options like modularization, lightweight design, full industry coverage, etc. Tuya will continue to be a leader in the development of "smart + energy-saving" in the future. Tuya will also work with global customers to fuel the sustainable growth of the energy sector to jointly advance toward a new green, intelligent, and sustainable future.

Source : Tuya Smart Presents Leading IoT Technologies for Energy-Saving at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) 2023

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Sigmoid, a leading data engineering and AI consulting firm, today announced the appointment of Shankar Viswanathan as their Chief Commercial Officer. Shankar will help Sigmoid’s clients to leverage the power of data to win sustainably and transform businesses leveraging digitalization, analytics, and AI strategy.

Prior to this, Shankar was at Procter & Gamble for over three decades, where he held various key and strategic leadership roles across categories and brands. He has a proven track record of successfully leading end-to-end enterprise transformations, resulting in strong and sustained financial performance in diverse, developed, and emerging markets. He is one of the leaders who have leveraged the power of data and technology to deliver exceptional results.

"Shankar’s invaluable experience in driving transformative go-to-market strategies and innovative data solutions aligns with Sigmoid’s outlook," said Lokesh Anand, CEO and Co-Founder of Sigmoid. "As we continue to strengthen our vertical offerings and develop specialized accelerators, we look forward to his leadership in capability enhancement and client value delivery."

Expressing his excitement, Shankar Viswanathan shared "Sigmoid’s rapid growth in data engineering and analytics is truly inspiring! With the AI and analytics market set to reach $100 billion by 2026, Sigmoid is currently at an inflection point of growth. I look forward to contributing to our clients’ success and ongoing tech innovation across the end-to-end data analytics spectrum, empowering global businesses with data engineering, AI and consulting services."

Sigmoid, marking its 10-year anniversary this year, has featured in the Inc. 5000 and Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ list of fastest-growing companies in North America for three consecutive years now. The strategic hires of advisors, deep domain experts and industry veterans have strengthened its position as a leading provider of data engineering and AI services. Based in Singapore, Shankar, with his vast experience of transforming businesses and delivering sustainable winning results, is poised to steer Sigmoid to the next level of growth.

About Sigmoid
Sigmoid combines data engineering and AI consulting to help enterprises gain competitive advantage through effective data-driven decision making. Some of the world’s largest data producers are engaging with Sigmoid to solve complex business problems. Sigmoid’s data professionals provide deep expertise in data engineering, cloud data modernization, predictive analytics, generative AI and DataOps. Learn more at https://www.sigmoid.com.

Contact:
Aakash B
[email protected] 

Source : Sigmoid appoints Shankar Viswanathan as Chief Commercial Officer

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore, celebrates an exceptional year with a series of international and local sustainability awards in the first three quarters of 2023.

Heads of Department at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore

These prestigious awards acknowledge PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore’s unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainable practices within the hospitality industry.

The year began on a high note with PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore being honoured with the "Sustainable Hotel (Asia Pacific) 2022-2023 Award" at the International Hotel Awards 2022. This accolade is a testament to the hotel’s dedication to implementing sustainable practices across its operations. Additionally, the hotel clinched the "International Sustainable Awards 2023" at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2023.        

Continuing its sustainability journey, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore was listed among the "Top Six Green MICE Venues" by Visit Singapore 2023. This recognition highlights the hotel’s commitment to providing eco-friendly event spaces, emphasising the hotel’s dedication to sustainable practices within the meetings and events industry. The hotel was also a finalist in the "Outstanding Achievement" in Sustainability 2023 category at the Singapore Tourism Award 2023, organised by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Further solidifying its position as a sustainability champion, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore was welcomed into the esteemed Green Collection 2023 by GHA DISCOVERY. This recognition underscores PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore’s efforts to promote best green practices within the hospitality sector, setting an example for the industry.

Taking centre stage at the World Travel Awards 2023, the hotel was honoured with the prestigious title of "Asia’s Leading Green Hotel 2023". The hotel also received the esteemed "2023 GOGREEN Sustainable Development Pioneer Award" at the GOGREEN Awards 2023 by Bang Media, the hotel’s first award win in China.

The year’s achievements continued with the hotel securing Gold Medal in the "Best Sustainability Initiative 2023" Category at the Global NorthStar Stella Awards 2023. Organised by United States-based Northstar Meetings Group, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore is proud to be the sole recipient of this esteemed award in Southeast Asia. ‘PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore leads the way in sustainability, and its recognition as a Gold Medal Stella Award winner in the important Best Sustainability Initiative category worldwide is well-deserved,’ said David Blansfield, Executive Vice President, Northstar Meetings Group. ‘The hotel’s measurable achievements speak for themselves, for example, over 51,000 tonnes of carbon emission prevented, and more than 360,000 plastic bottles no longer used, to name a few. Through innovative measures, such as rooftop solar panels, an Urban Farm, and other eco-friendly initiatives, they’re setting an inspiring example of what green hospitality can achieve.’

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore concluded the first three quarters of the year by defending its position as the "Best Sustainable Hotel – Asia Pacific" at the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 for the second year running, as well as winning the ‘Singapore Hotel Sustainability Award 2023-2024’ by the Singapore Hotel Association, an award which is supported by the Building and Construction Authority, National Environment Agency, PUB (Singapore’s National Water Agency), and the Singapore Tourism Board. The award’s comprehensive evaluation assessed the hotel’s performance in energy, water, plastic and waste management, community engagement, and guest and employee education. The submission included proof of the hotel’s green efforts, as well as proof of data and metrics recording and tracking.

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore initially achieved recognition in sustainability in 2021 when it was first awarded silver in the "Reducing Plastic Waste in the Environment" Category at the World Responsible Tourism Awards 2021. The hotel went on to win the "Sustainable Hotel of the Year 2022" by The ULTRAs and the "Global Green Model Building 2022 Award" by Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards, an annual worldwide prize awarded by Global Forum on Human Settlements and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme.

These prestigious awards and accolades received throughout the year reflect PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore’s unyielding dedication to sustainable practices, innovation, and guest satisfaction. As the hotel looks ahead, it remains committed to setting new standards in the hospitality industry and creating memorable experiences for guests, while preserving the planet.

At PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore, eco-friendly practices are central to the hotel’s core functions, including its food supply resilience, energy and water consumption, plastic waste, food waste and general waste management.

The hotel also works to share many of its best practices and green innovations to help others become better environmental citizens. The hotel offers sustainable hotel building tours to members of the public, to showcase its green features, and to demonstrate how sustainability is practiced across the hotel’s operations. Tours are also offered to students with the goal to heighten awareness of the urgent need for climate action, and to "plant" sustainable seeds in young minds. Rather than simply explaining sustainability, the hotel provides a living example of how sustainability may be integrated seamlessly into a hotel’s operations.

While the management and Associates of PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore take time to enjoy the hotel’s green achievements, the work is only the beginning. One of the driving principles of the hotel is to constantly find innovative ways to become greener and more sustainable, such as the upcoming launch of the hotel’s rainwater harvesting initiative in late 2023, all while providing a distinct and inspiring world-class guest experience.

In addition to its sustainability awards, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore has garnered various prestigious accolades that highlight its commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences. Notably, the hotel was honoured the "Best City Hotel – Singapore 2023" at the TTG Asia Travel Awards 2023. This recognition underscores the hotel’s exceptional service and dedication to providing an unforgettable experience for guests. Furthermore, the hotel was recognised among the Top 100 Hotels & Resorts of the World 2022 by the Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2022. This esteemed distinction showcases the hotel’s status as a premier destination, offering world-class amenities and unparalleled luxury to its discerning guests.

Click here to view PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore’s digital brochure.
Click here to view PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore’s sustainability deck.
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Source : Accolades Galore: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore Triumphs with Multiple International and Local Sustainability Awards

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food and Nutrition Security Regional Program was officially launched during the 45th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 4, 2023. This program aims to scale up and scale out integrated innovations in order to enhance the resilience of ASEAN’s agri-food systems to climate change.

(L-R): Assistant Secretary Noel Padre (Philippines); Secretary of State Prak David (Cambodia); Director General Kyaw Swe Lin (Head: Myanmar); Senior Director Kevin Khng (Singapore); Deputy Minister Thongpath Vongmany (Lao PDR); Dr. Jongsoo Shin, ASEAN-CGIAR Program Director; H.E. Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu (Malaysia); H.E. Minister Datuk Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin (Brunei Darussalam); Director General Prof. Dedi Nursyamsi (Indonesia); and Dr. Stephan Weise, ASEAN-CGIAR Program Co-Director.

"Over the next 10 years, the program envisions delivering better livelihoods for food producers and stakeholders, while ensuring affordable, nutritious, and healthy food for consumers. Additionally, it seeks to foster a healthier natural environment for all," according to Dr. Jongsoo Shin, the ASEAN-CGIAR Regional Program Director.

CGIAR has been working with the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Member States, and a range of funding and other partners to develop this multi-year research and innovation program.

Dr. Stephan Weise, ASEAN-CGIAR Program Co-Director, emphasized that "the Program aims to be bottom-up, cross and trans-disciplinary. It is being co-created and, therefore, is fully co-owned by ASEAN partners."

H.E. Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Malaysia, who is also the AMAF Chair, extended his gratitude to CGIAR for developing the Intervention Packages (IPs) that are in line with the 9 thematic areas to address comprehensively, the needs of the country’s food, land and water systems. He stressed that the ASEAN-CGIAR Regional Program "underscores the dedication and commitment of AMS towards achieving a competitive, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food and agriculture sector in our region."

H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, the Secretary General of ASEAN, emphasized that the program is "formulated to address the above-mentioned challenges by leveraging cutting-edge research, technology, and innovation that enhance the resilience of the agricultural system. With eight intervention packages, the Programme will catalyse transformative change, enabling us to adapt to the evolving needs of our region, particularly with the impact of climate change." 

Under the ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food Regional Program, the following eight IPs were developed:

Regenerative Agriculture/Aquaculture Practices and Judicious Agrochemical Use  Climate Neutrality and Circular Agriculture Enhancing ASEAN Agrobiodiversity Use and Landscape Biodiversity Enhancing Value Chains and Regional Trade Transboundary Pests and Diseases Private Sector Investment and Sustainable Financing Farmer-Led Irrigation for Climate-Resilient Agri-Food Systems Food Systems Transformation for More Nutritious and Healthy Diets

Dr. Ajay Kohli, the Director General of IRRI and Senior Leadership Team Member of CGIAR, represented Professor Andrew Campbell, the CGIAR Executive Managing Director, during the event expressed honour and gratitude to the AMS for this collaboration. Dr. Kohli, proudly shared that the Program, which can be a model on how to cater to client’s needs, is "not just about creating technologies, but using the policies and taking them to the farmers and industries, and making a difference and empower man’s life."

Representatives from the funding partners expressed statements of support for the Program. H.E. Will Nankervis, Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, extended his congratulations, saying that "The Program will serve as a catalyst for even deeper collaboration to promote food security in The region". He shared that the Australian government had contributed an additional AUD 1M bringing its total contribution to the Program to over AUD 3M. To add, Dr. Daniel Walker, Chief Scientist of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, shared that the Program will be a platform to strengthen Australia’s partnership with ASEAN and CGIAR.

H.E. Sarah Tiffin, the Ambassador of UK to ASEAN, commended the Program’s "new way of working", being "a detailed technical program developed in such an engaging way". She proudly announced that UK will contribute an additional GBP 2M to the Program, bringing a total contribution of GBP 2.25M.

Representing the Asian Development Bank, Dr. Md. Abul Basher said that the Program and ADB share the same cause of "addressing the issues concerning food and nutrition insecurity in the evolving environment." He shared that ADB is already in discussion with ASEAN and CGIAR teams on "how to work out the most appropriate way to support this Program." 

The Program Launch, which was attended by high-level officials from the AMS and CGIAR experts, as well as funders, was a celebratory event marking a significant milestone in the Program. The event also acknowledged the promise of scaling up innovative solutions for positive transformation across ASEAN’s agri-food systems, benefiting various stakeholders.

Prior to the Program Launch, stakeholders from the AMS and CGIAR Centres convened in the morning for the Program Planning Meeting. The Planning Meeting provided a platform for comprehensive discussions on the progress made by the IPs in the kick-off phase within the ASEAN-CGIAR collaboration. The participants discussed the details of each IP, including objectives, strategies, expected impact, challenges, and collaboration aspects.

Source : ASEAN and CGIAR Launch Joint Program on Accelerating Innovation in Agri-Food Systems

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BEIJING, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Serbia is one of the countries benefiting from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with the century-old steel mill in the northeastern city of Smederevo serving as a prime example. Founded in 1913, the Smederevo Steel Mill once contributed 40 percent of the city’s revenue at its peak and was known as the "pride of Serbia."

Later, due to intensified market competition and poor operation, the steel mill began to lose money year after year and was on the verge of bankruptcy. The Government of Serbia initiated several rounds of international tenders, all of which failed. In 2016, over 5,000 employees faced uncertainty. But then China’s Hebei Iron and Steel Group stepped in to establish HBIS Serbia Steel and introduced advanced management and technology, turning the steel mill into a global enterprise with a focus on clients and supply chain. The company was actively integrated into the "Belt and Road" and the process of economic globalization, rapidly establishing itself as a highly competitive steel enterprise in Europe and a prime example of international industrial collaboration.

BRI cooperation between China and Europe

The revival of the century-old steel plant is an epitome of the benefits brought about by the BRI to Europe. Twenty-six European countries have signed BRI documents with China. Under their BRI cooperation, China’s imports from the EU increased by 63.7 percent between 2016 and 2021. Its imports from Central and Eastern European countries jumped 127.3 percent during the same period. The China Railway Express, which links a number of Eurasian cities located near China’s east coast to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, is increasingly busy. In the past year, 16,000 trains traversed the route between China and Europe, a stark contrast to the mere 80 at the inauguration of the CR Express over a decade ago.

New challenges

Compared with the first few years of the initiative, the situation between China and Europe is significantly different. Their bilateral relationship needs fine tuning to tackle uncertainties and challenges, as well as an upgrade of the mindset to replace the out-of-time zero-sum one. Chinese senior diplomat Wang Yi, when addressing the 12th China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue held in Beijing last week, said China and the EU are partners, not rivals, and they have more common understandings than differences. Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell said that, despite their different political and economic systems, the EU and China share a common interest in pursuing constructive, stable relations.

Meanwhile, the BRI is also entering a new stage. In the beginning phase, both private and state-owned contractors took the lead in building basic infrastructure. Those projects helped to nurture political goodwill and energize local business partners. Thanks to them, private Chinese companies now feel more comfortable doing business in BRI partner countries. China is encouraging private enterprises to take a more active role and participate in projects labeled as "small and beautiful," which refers to the smaller projects directly connected with improving local livelihoods. New investment favorites include businesses in sectors such as new energy, healthcare, mobile communication, and e-commerce.

Need for more dialogue

Since the launch of the BRI, its global partners have been trying to find more theoretical frameworks and institutional arrangements to make the global cooperation program sustainable. Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. These global initiatives have been widely recognized by the international community and have made historic contributions to global human rights governance on specific issues related to security, development and cultural diversity.

Against all these backdrops, it is high time for China and Europe to carry out more dialogue on key strategic issues and CGTN is hosting a TV forum on the sidelines of this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, themed China’s Global Initiatives and the BRI: Opportunities or Risks?

Panel guests include Danilo Türk, former President of Slovenia; Michael Schumann, chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade; Rudolf Scharping, former German Defense Minister; Susanne Baumann, former director of the Confucius Institute at Dusseldorf; and Zhong Hong, former senior vice president of Evonik Industries. The panelists will have an in-depth discussion about China-EU ties under the discourse of the Belt and Road Initiative, which are related not only to the wellbeing of the two sides, but also to global stability and prosperity.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-17/As-the-Belt-and-Road-turns-10-high-time-for-China-and-Europe-to-talk-amid-uncertainties-1nXkFjKKduU/index.html

Source : CGTN: As the Belt and Road turns 10, high time for China and Europe to talk amid uncertainties

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WUHU, China, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On October 16, the "CHERY 2023 Tech Day" was hosted in Wuhu, China. This event, serving as a significant segment of CHERY’S 2023 International User Eco-co-creation Conference, revolved around the theme "Technology Within Reach." It presented insights and demonstrations on new platforms, advanced intelligence, and innovative experiences, vividly encapsulating CHERY’S commitment to continuous innovation and future technology leadership.

A Platform Born Extraordinary – Equipped with Third-Generation PHEV Hybrid Technology

Under the imperatives of dual carbon goals, green, low-carbon, and high-quality development has increasingly become a pivotal focus for automakers. In this context, CHERY is actively exploring a diversity of automotive energy solutions and flexibly dynamic technologies that are both eco-friendly and low-carbon.

The new platform is equipped with the third-generation PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) technology encapsulating high energy, efficiency, and reliability. It strikes a balance between robust performance and energy conservation. Anchored by this innovative platform, CHERY is poised to continuously roll out products that stand out for their performance and capability. Tiggo 7 pro-PHEV models were recently revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in Doha and will be available in Australia in the near future.

New Intelligence Redefines the Future – Unlocking the Realm of Intelligent Mobility

The amalgamation of "new energy + artificial intelligence" is morphing automobiles from mere means of transportation to integral components of future mobility. The notion of intelligent mobility is inching closer to reality. Positioned at this pivotal juncture, CHERY has positioned itself as a leader in the domain of intelligent mobility.

At Tech Day, CHERY unveiled a slew of autonomous driving technologies centered around the Robotaxi model, epitomizing its tangible achievements in "electrification, intelligence, connectivity, and sharing," and unlocking new horizons for intelligent mobility of the future. In terms of intelligent interaction, the integration of ChatGPT in vehicles is another innovation by CHERY. It elevates the vehicle-user interaction to a new echelon, enabling users to effortlessly execute task commands through simple "conversations" with their vehicles, ushering in a more fluid, liberated, and intuitive interactive experience.

Source : CHERY 2023 Tech Day – New Platforms, Advanced Intelligence, and Innovative Experiences Paving the Way for Future Mobility

This content was prepared by our news partner, Cision PR Newswire. The opinions and the content published on this page are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Siam News Network