Econ Ngin

Source: Media Outreach

Open for International Submission on 1 April, Limited-Time 50% off Entry

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 31 March 2023 – With Asia’s growing influence in the international arena in various aspects, the Asian ways of design thinking and social betterment aspiration can inspire new and comprehensive solutions to global issues. The “DFA Design for Asia Awards” (DFA DFAA), with its focus on Asia, is one of the reputable international annual design events enabling global eminent design projects to propagate Asian values and perspectives. Its 2023 Edition will open for online submissions on 1 April 2023 (Hong Kong Time).

DFA Design for Asia Awards 2022 – Grand Award Winners< >

< >Launched by Hong Kong Design Centre in 2003 with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as the lead sponsor since 2009, the DFA DFAA aims to recognise projects in Asia that demonstrate design excellence and highlight the impact of the design-led approach on addressing social issues and contributing to the betterment of society and the design industry. Thus far, more than 2,000 impactful design projects with an Asian focus have been awarded under the DFA DFAA.

“Being one of the globally acknowledged awards in the design industry, the ‘DFA Design for Asia Awards’ has never stopped promoting Asian design excellence to the world. With the Awards serving as a catalyst, we continue to honour and celebrate Asian design’s contributions to the globe, and at the same time foster cultural exchanges and encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations. We are excited to see the creative and innovative solutions from designers who cut across borders to drive positive impacts all over the world,” said Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre.

The DFA DFAA 2023 accepts entries from 30 design categories spanning across six design disciplines, including Communication Design, Digital & Motion Design, Fashion & Accessory Design, Product & Industrial Design, Service & Experience Design, and Spatial Design, aiming to honour even more noteworthy designs in Asia. Entrants can save 50% on the entry fee by making submissions on or before 30 April 2023 (Hong Kong Time).

DFA Design for Asia Awards 2023 – Submission Details< >Date: 1 April – 30 June 2023 (Hong Kong Time)< >Entry fee: HK$2,000 per entry< >Promotion: 50% off on entry fee for submissions on or before 30 April 2023 (Hong Kong Time)< >Online Submission: https://dfaa.dfaawards.com/en/online_submission/

Calling for Award Entries from Six Design Disciplines:< >

(1) Communication Design< > Identity & Branding Packaging Publication Poster Typography Marketing Campaign	(2) Digital & Motion Design< > Website Application User Interface (UI) Game Video
(3) Fashion & Accessory Design< > Fashion Apparel Functional Apparel Intimate Wear Jewellery & Fashion Accessory Footwear	(4) Product & Industrial Design< > Household Appliance Homeware Professional & Commercial Product Information & Communications Technology Product Leisure & Entertainment Product
(5) Service & Experience Design< > Service Design Experience Design	(6) Spatial Design< > Residential Space Hospitality & Leisure Space Culture & Public Space Commercial & Showroom Space Workspace Institutional Space Event, Exhibition & Stage

< >Awards Structure< >All design projects submitted will be assessed by an international judging panel comprised of world-leading design experts and professionals. The panel will determine the Grand, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Merit Awards’ winners.

Entry Requirements< >Design projects launched in one or more Asian markets^# between 1 January 2021 and 31 May 2023 are eligible for submission by their design owners, clients, brand owners, designers or design consultancies.

^# Asian markets include: Afghanistan / Bangladesh / Bhutan / Brunei Darussalam / Cambodia / Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) / Hong Kong / India / Indonesia / Islamic Republic of Iran / Japan / Kazakhstan / Korea / Kyrgyzstan / Laos / Macau / The Mainland / Malaysia / Maldives / Mongolia / Myanmar / Nepal / Pakistan / The Philippines / Singapore / Sri Lanka / Taiwan / Tajikistan / Thailand / Timor-Leste / Turkmenistan / Uzbekistan / Vietnam

Judging Criteria< >The judging panel will assess each entry based on the criteria below (as applicable):

(1) Creativity and Human-centric Innovation< >(2) Usability< >(3) Aesthetic< >(4) Sustainability< >(5) Impact in Asia< >(6) Commercial & Societal Success

Winners’ Entitlements*< >

• Trophy & Certificate (Merit Award winners will get a certificate only)

• Awards Publication:
  Each winner will receive a complimentary copy of the DFA Awards 2023 Publication, featuring all the winning projects and the teams behind them. The publication will also be disseminated to media, global industry leaders, and design associations, etc., to increase the winners’ exposure.

• Awards Presentation Ceremony & Other Events:
  Invitation to the DFA Awards Presentation Ceremony and the Business of Design Week (BODW) events to establish connections with international and local designers and business leaders. Selected winners will also be invited to speak at global and regional talks, forums or other events to increase their global exposure.

• Awards Endorsement Mark:
  Winners will be authorised to use the globally recognised DFA DFAA Endorsement Mark for further promotion.

*A mandatory Publication and Promotion Fee will apply to all winning entries.< >< >Learn more about our 2022 Awards winners: https://dfaawards.viewingrooms.com/< >Revisit the glorious moment – DFA Awards 2022 TV Special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF-2BqRmqfg< >Visit our website and social media pages for more information:< >Website: dfaawards.com< >Facebook: www.facebook.com/HKDC.Awards< >Instagram: www.instagram.com/dfa_awards< >WeChat: DFA设计奖< >YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dfaawards5572

Hashtag: #DFAAwards

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Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 31 March 2023 – For Spring 2023, Shanghai Tang and Chinese artist Gao Ludi jointly launched the “Fresh SHEEN” collaboration series, presenting unique clothing and home products. The word “fresh” in the traditional Chinese context refers to the freshness of food, while the English word “SHEEN”, is like the Chinese pronunciation, a visual concept, specifically referring to the luminous color.

< >We invited Fine Artist Gao Ludi to reinterpret Shanghai Tang with a unisex limited capsule collection. Bringing the artist’s bold use of colour from his paintings, Gao Ludi created a series of intricately hand-crafted vests and jackets inspired by industrial protective garments accentuated with reflective material within the innovative design features. Reflective ropes create hidden light waves within the garment, and an Oriental touch is expressed through the matching frog buttons and the contrasting colour edging. The design elements perfectly combine and express themes of construction, art, and craftsmanship, bringing a fresh new style to Shanghai Tang that yearns to Make Life A Party.

The “Fresh SHEEN” collection took inspiration from senses of taste and smell in the use of colour. Gao Ludi incorporates the “freshness” from nature, giving tableware a light color scheme, imitating abstract water and imagery of grass to provide a scenic and tranquil atmosphere.

For the home fragrance diffuser, Gao Ludi created a series of abstract mushroom umbrella tops, which were used as the main visual element on the bottles in different sizes. The confrontation of the two concepts creates a unique sensory association that resonates with the artist’s creative lineage of colliding colors and forms.

Click to see the preview of the collection here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqaU9G1BbkK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Since its inception in 1994, Shanghai Tang has been committed to supporting the development of Chinese contemporary art by collaborating with artists in different fields to launch limited-edition products, dedicated to transmitting the light of art to a wider community. Through collaborative collections with renowned artists such as Liu Ye, Jacky Tsai, Xu Bing, Chen Wei and Zhou Yi Lun, Shanghai Tang has witnessed the explosion of artistic power among different generations, and art has also witnessed key points in Shanghai Tang’s brand development. When art and fashion meet, a more profound interpretation of the contemporary oriental aesthetic concept arises.

Hashtag: #ShanghaiTang

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Source: Media Outreach

BANGKOK THAILAND – Media OutReach – 31 March 2023 – Thailand has set up an anti-bribery service centre to provide knowledge and guidelines to the private sector concerning the laws on offering bribes to government officials.

The establishment of Anti-Bribery Advisory Service (ABAS) Center, which falls under the supervision of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), is part of Thailand’s attempts to level up its Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, NACC’s secretary general said in a recent exclusive interview.

Thailand ranks 101 of 180 countries and scored 42 out of 100 on the CPI in 2022.

The ABAS Center was established to provide academic advice, knowledge, and guidelines to the private sector about offering bribes to government officials. Using the guidelines, the private sector could put appropriate and effective anti-bribery measures in place, he said.

Thailand has ratified and become a member of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and OECD’s Convention on Combating Foreign Bribery in International Business Transactions.

NACC also has rules for prosecuting private sector firms involved in bribing government officials and those working in international agencies. The rules have been issued to make private sector firms aware that they could be prosecuted if they are involved in corruption.

Our rules and regulations as well as ABAS are set up in line with and as required by the UNCAC and OECD, he said.

Thailand will soon hold a general election and have a new government in the near future and Niwatchai said he hoped they would be serious about suppression corruption.

If the new government and policy makers are serious, the country’s CPI will certainly go up. He cited as an example Vietnam, whose CPI was 77 in 2022, saying its CPI is higher than that of Thailand’s as its leaders are serious about prosecuting those involved in corruption.

He added educational institutes should play an important role in instilling and teaching people about honesty.

The situation concerning corrupt practices by those in the political circle, government agencies, and the private sector are still worrisome, he adds.

With corruption rampant in the country, the NACC needs the participation of the public and government officials who witness corruption. We would not know about corruption if they do not inform us by filing complaints with us, he said.

In the past, junior government officials who acted as whistleblowers on malfeasance in their units might not feel safe and could be persecuted by their superiors.

Today we have an organic law on prevention and suppression on misconduct. The Act, B.E 2561 (2018), stipulates several measures to protect such whistleblowers.

In a case where a junior official is involved in the corruption but decides to report the wrongdoings, he or she would not face either criminal or disciplinary charges and would be treated as a witness. A whistleblower can also be rewarded, Niwatchai said.

If necessary, NACC’s protection programme is ready to give protection to the official and his/her family. Such protection would include allowances, name change, and relocation.

The protection measures are aimed to create confidence and bravery in a whistleblower who reports graft. However, he/she could be prosecuted if he/she fails to meet the conditions or changes his/her testimony.

Niwatchai cited the manipulation of the district chief examinations in 2009 as an example of the NACC’s investigation and provision of protection for whistleblowers.

In 2009, the investigation and collection of evidence showed that violations were happening in the selection process. At first, no official dared to testify against any senior government official but eventually ten examinees agreed to do so.

Their testimonies led to the jailing of the then director general of the Provincial Administration Department and senior officials.

However the bureaucratic system had frozen the careers of the ten examinees, their levels were not raised, their salaries were put on hold and they were not allowed to take the district chief exam again.

NACC then reported this to the prime minister which resulted in the Office of Civil Service Commission resolving to promote them to the position of district chief, Niwatchai said.

Responding to a statement that only small fish are arrested in corruption cases, Niwatchai pointed out that small fish are easily caught but catching the big fish needs time and good bait as well as participation from all sides.

He revealed there was a case where the NACC found two politicians committing ethical misconduct as political position holders and the cases went to court, which ruled against them. They were then removed from their positions.

He also talked about NACC’s investigation into the alleged massive corruption in the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, saying the arrest of the most senior official was the result of cooperation between many agencies.

The laws today are severe and we have caught not only small but also big fish. However, NACC do not hold a press conference to announce the arrests and in the future, NACC is planning to reveal the progress of its investigation to the public.

This will allow the complainant, the public, and other parties to jointly examine the NACC’s work.

He also mentioned the criticism that the National Parks department that is under the NACC’s probe had obtained a high score of 85 marks and Grade A in NACC’s Integrity and Transparency Assessment (ITA).

ITA is just a preliminary framework assessment of three aspects of work conducted by both insiders and outsiders who use the service and disclose information on issues such as procurement.

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The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is a constitutional independent organization and supervised by nine commissioners selected from various professions. It is authorised to undertake work on the prevention and suppression of malfeasance, particularly in government agencies, on assets investigations, as well as on the monitoring of ethics and virtues of political position holders.

It has the authority to file charges in court as well as support and build up awareness of the penalties for committing corruption. The NACC is supervised by the NACC Board and has the Office of the NACC as its administrative agency.< >< > Since 1997, Thai Courts have ruled against and punished politicians, former ministers, high-ranking government officials as well as executives of the private sector in the thousands of cases submitted by the NACC.< >< >Website: https://www.nacc.go.th/english< >

Hashtag: #NACC #NACF #AntiCorruption #Thailand

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Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 31 March 2023 – China SCE Group Holdings Limited (“China SCE” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”, HKEX Stock Code: 1966), an integrated property developer in China, announced its audited annual results for the year ended 31st December 2022 (the “Year”).

Over the past year, in the face of industry risks and the impact of the pandemic, the confidence of domestic property purchasers has plummeted, dealing a blow to contracted sales. During the year, the Group recorded a contracted sales amount of approximately RMB59.023 billion, with a contracted sales area of approximately 4.91 million sq.m. The average selling price was RMB12,016 per sq.m. The Group together with its joint ventures and associates had an aggregate of over 120 projects for sale in over 50 cities, mainly in second-tier cities and core areas of high potential in third- and fourth-tier cities. As a result of the popular sales of Woven City in Hangzhou and the launch of a number of new properties by the Group in the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone, this region has accounted for the largest share of contracted sales of the Group together with its joint ventures and associates, amounting to RMB24.609 billion or approximately 41.7% in 2022.

Balanced Land Bank and Liquidity While Maintaining a Record of “No Breach of Contract”

During the Year, the Group recorded a revenue of RMB26.71 billion and a profit attributable to owners of the parent of RMB24.5 million. The financial position remained robust and maintained a record of “no breach of contract”. The Group has also successfully implemented financing strategies to optimize the capital structure. Since December 2022, the Group has successively signed strategic cooperation agreements with several commercial banks to provide necessary financing services for the Group, receiving more than RMB43 billion in loans. In addition, benefited from national policies, the Group became one of the first private real estate enterprises backed by China Bond Insurance Co., Ltd. (“CBIC”) in 2023 and successfully issued bonds, which was a mark of the confidence of both investors and regulators in the Group’s development. The Group will keep communicating with financial institutions and stepping up its efforts to secure financing guarantee from CBIC and bond issue, so as to ease the pressure on cash flows through various channels.

As a result of the continued sluggish contracted sales of commodity house and difficulties in financing in the capital market, the Group suspended land acquisition in 2022 in order to maintain sufficient liquidity. Nevertheless, the Group together with its joint ventures and associates had a land bank with an aggregate planned GFA of approximately 33.87 million sq.m as of 31st December 2022, which is expected to be available for the Group’s development in the next two to three years.

Going forward, as the central government optimizes and adjusts real estate policies, the industry is poised to adopt a new development model. The Group will be committed to raising the operational safety margin, building a commercial business driven by cash flow and operational quality in order to maintain a solid financial foundation. At the same time, the Group will develop its asset management model, lower its reliance on financing, increase synergy with the property industry, as well as strengthen the symbiotic operational model with Funworld. Mr. Wong Chiu Yeung, Chairman and CEO of China SCE Group, said, “Looking ahead, the Group will continue to adhere to the ‘Dual Track’ synergistic development strategy and strengthen the synergy between shopping malls and rental apartments with residential development, concentrating on core cities and dominant regions. We will focus on our market, our clients and our products. The Group will also take heed of clients’ needs and attach greater importance to product research and development with the aim of further expanding its differentiated competitiveness to create greater value.”< >

Hashtag: #ChinaSCEGroup

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Source: Media Outreach

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Media OutReach – 31 March 2023 – Metalloinvest, a leading global iron ore and HBI producer and supplier, and one of the regional producers of high-quality steel, plans to invest RUB 52 billion to build an eco-efficient tailings storage facility at Lebedinsky GOK.

The use of advanced technologies will reduce the specific consumption of electricity by 25% and lower dust emissions by 90% while also reducing the operating costs involved in pumping tailings and returning water to the production process.

“What defines leadership in the mining and metals industry today is using not only advanced production technologies but also environmentally friendly technologies”, said Metalloinvest CEO Nazim Efendiyev. “The construction of a new tailings storage facility signals a qualitative transition to a new level of environmental safety at LGOK.”

All environmental requirements are being taken into account in the implementation of the project. Public hearings were held, and the project received positive reviews from the State Agency for Environmental Impact Assessment and the Main State Expert Review Board.

Plans for 2023 include the reconstruction of the thickening and circulating water supply system, site preparation for the tailings dam bed and the construction of bund walls, and preparation of the foundations for the main slurry pipelines. The construction of substations and a building for the preparation of reagents for water purification will also get under way.

The first start-up complex for the tailings dam is expected to begin operating in 2026. The project is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2028.

The new site will receive up to 20 million cubic metres of tailings annually.

Upon commissioning of the new tailings storage facility, the existing site will undergo reclamation.

Advanced technologies will be used to achieve a radical reduction in environmental impact. Anti-filtration screens will be installed at the bottom of the storage facility and the base of the dams to prevent the ingress of process water into the aquifers. Instruments will be used to monitor the condition of hydraulic structures. Protective dams up to 30 metres high will be built, with subsequent levels 5 metres high to be added later.

As part of the project, clarified water will be returned to the processing plant to be used in the production process.

The reconstruction of the thickening unit and the optimisation of the water-slurry system will enable a reduction in the specific consumption of electricity. Starting from 2026, the reconstruction of eight 50-metre and three 100-metre thickeners will reduce the operating costs involved in pumping tailings and returning water.

Hashtag: #Metalloinvest

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Source: Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 31 March 2023 – Oasys, a gaming-optimised blockchain, today announces that renowned global video game giant, Nexon, has officially joined as the latest node validator in the blockchain’s network.

< >Nexon is one of the largest gaming companies in the world and is best known as the publisher behind the MapleStory and Dungeon Fighter gaming franchises. Today, Nexon continues to be a gaming industry leader with more than 80 live games operated across both mobile and PCs in over 190 countries.

Alongside Japanese telecommunications and technology conglomerates KDDI and SoftBank, Nexon becomes the third of four new validators to be unveiled as Oasys validators this year, and will pledge its support towards stabilising and growing the Oasys ecosystem. The extensive institutional backing behind Oasys will enhance its appeal further with more mainstream businesses that are seeking to adopt blockchain technologies, raising the credibility of blockchain technologies as gaming-oriented and safe for the mass adoption of Web3 games.

Sunyoung Hwang, Production Director, MapleStory Universe, said: “As an industry leader that has always been at the forefront of exploring new and sophisticated mediums for gaming, we felt that partnering with the Oasys blockchain, which also puts gaming first, was a logical choice. We look forward to seeing more exciting things from our partner and to collaborating further with all like-minded partners that are aligned in our mission to provide fun and progressive gaming experiences to players.”

Daiki Moriyama, Director, Oasys, said: “We are extremely excited to welcome Nexon to the Oasys ecosystem, not least because they have a long track record in creating some of the most beloved games that many players globally will recognise. Nexon, alongside our other validators announced this year, will provide extensive institutional support that will only further our mission to bring blockchain gaming to the masses”.

Since its conceptualization over a year ago, Oasys has gone on to make significant breakthroughs on its path towards achieving full decentralisation, with its native OAS token now approved for listing in both South Korea and Japan. Oasys is continuing to progress with further developments that will soon allow more entities to participate with minimal requirements and contribute towards the further diversification of nodes.

Hashtag: #Oasys

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Source: Media Outreach

TAIWAN, TAIPEI – Media OutReach – 31 March 2023 – HIMA, a leading provider of safety related automation solutions for the Process and Railway industries, announced its new branch office in Taiwan on 29th March 2023. Graced by Mr. Friedhelm Best, HIMA Vice President Region Asia Pacific, the opening of this office affirms HIMA’s commitment to customers and partners in Taiwan and boosts HIMA’s presence in Asia Pacific.

“The opening of this branch office will further strengthen our service capabilities to customers and partners in Taiwan and improve the efficiency of local business transactions, aligning with the group’s global priority towards customer orientation,” said Mr. Best.

As specialists in safety, HIMA aims to play their part in Taiwan with their technology and expertise – offering solutions that include safety controllers and software for functional safety, which can be seamlessly connected to existing control systems in process and rail applications.

Process Industry

With over 50,000 safety solutions installed worldwide in 80 different countries, HIMA is looking to add to that number with more installations within Taiwan. The processing of chemical and petrochemicals is one of the most important industrial sectors worldwide, as well as one of the most competitive.

“To keep on top of the competition, many companies are pushing the limits of their plants which means exposing technology, the environment, and their employees to higher risk,” said Mr. Best. “HIMA solutions comprehensively safeguard plants and allow them to operate more productively and profitably, all with the peace of mind that all legal standards are adhered to.”

One solution used in different cases worldwide is HIMA’s line of Emergency Shut Down Systems, with HIMatrix being a popular choice. Installed in APA Group’s (Australia’s largest natural gas infrastructure business) gas storage facility, the controller ensures maximum safety, long term availability, as well as future-proofing – since they fulfil all requirements for functional safety in the process industry (IEC 61511) and provide effective protection against the growing threat of cyber-attacks (IEC 62443), falling nicely in line with the HIMA’s #safetygoesdigital tagline.

Rail Industry

For decades, railway companies in particular have had to turn to expensive, proprietary solutions in order to meet legal requirements for safety. However, with cost pressures and cybersecurity vulnerabilities on the rise in the digital age, solutions must be cost efficient, fast to implement and fulfil strict safety and cybersecurity standards. More system integrators, rolling stock manufacturers and railway operators are opting for a standardized commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) system for a cost-effective and sustainable safety solution.

“With recent railway incidents triggering awareness on safety within the industry, the priority of people’s safety along with protection of the environment has become crucial topics that the authorities want to address,” said Ms. Tracy Lau, HIMA Taiwan branch office manager. “It is our commitment to provide the technological know-how and the best service to customers in Taiwan. The opening of this branch office will ensure they will receive it.”

HIMA has nearly 1,000 railway safety installations in more than 30 countries, with applications ranging from interlocking, level crossing and rolling stock across high speed rail, mainline rail, metro and light rail, using the game-changing commercial-off-the-shelf COTS safety controllers developed by HIMA. These open safety controllers enable any system integrator to integrate into their own safety solutions, and end customers to be independent of providers, yet meeting strict safety standards in the rail industry. HIMA controllers can be easily installed, quickly supplied with spare parts, and comply with the strict SIL 4 standard in accordance with CENELEC.

Presence in Taiwan

Despite the opening their latest branch office, HIMA is not new to Taiwan, having previously replaced existing relay systems with HIMA SIL4 COTS among railway systems within Taiwan. In doing so, the reliability and availability of the system was further improved, eliminating the constant train delay that was caused by the failing of the existing relay system. Elsewhere, HIMA also lists the LNG, refinery, petrochemical process, and power plant industries as areas where their expertise can improve functional safety within Taiwan.

“Our company’s priority in the rapidly developing Asia Pacific region is to offer tailor-made solutions and services that address the safety challenges specific to the market and cater to the unique requirements of our customers,” said Mr. Best. “Our local presence here in Taiwan will allow us to offer advanced safety knowledge and technical services, safeguarding individuals, enterprises, and the environment.”

Hashtag: #safetygoesdigital #HIMA #safety #rail #solutions #partnership #cybersecurity #hydrogen #oil&gas #safetyautomation #processsafety #petrochemical #FunctionalSafety #processindustry #engineering #security #railindustry

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