1 6 月, 2022

Azelis inaugurates state-of-the-art Regional Innovation Center for Food & Nutrition in Singapore

SINGAPORE, Jun 1, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Azelis, a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces the opening of its Regional Innovation Center (RIC) for Food & Nutrition (F&N) in Singapore, further demonstrating the Group's commitment to continuously invest in its innovation capabilities.The RIC will generate a wealth of possibilities for food innovation towards healthier and tastier solutions through pioneering, ready-to-use formulations with advanced, sustainable ingredients. Functioning as an innovation catalyst for the F&N ecosystem in Asia Pacific, the RIC is an essential milestone in Azelis' growth strategy, strengthening the Group's position as a leading provider of innovative solutions.In addition to the RIC, Azelis' five F&N application laboratories across Asia Pacific form a regional innovation network that brings together the technical expertise and formulation capabilities of the local and regional teams for greater synergy. This setup allows Azelis to serve the F&N market more efficiently, realize advanced ingredient synergies and develop ground-breaking formulations and sustainable solutions that will be cascaded across the region.Vikash Raj, Asia Pacific Innovation Director, remarks: "The RIC allows us to support our customers in their projects by developing innovative solutions for all stages of the formulation process from concept to final product, across industry applications in Bakery, Beverage, Confectionery, Dairy and Savory. Focusing on innovation in new products and applications is our objective, and thanks to our comprehensive lateral value chain, we have access to sustainable building blocks for food and beverage formulations. Our vision for the RIC is to positively impact our sustainability, health, and wellness ambitions by creating pioneering formulations that address nutrition and health challenges and bring healthy solutions to the mainstream market."Laurent Nataf, CEO & President Asia Pacific, comments: "With more than 20 laboratories in the region covering our key market segments, we have significantly invested in our innovation capabilities across Asia Pacific to ensure we deliver on our brand promise, 'Innovation through formulation'. Our regional innovation network builds on our formulation expertise and technical capabilities by encouraging greater collaboration across our teams to strengthen cross-country synergies, increase efficiency, and ensure consistent formulation success for our customers. We look forward to further strengthening our partnerships with our customers and principals by allowing them to leverage the strength of our ever-growing innovation network capabilities, remaining their innovation partner of choice."To find out more, watch a video introducing the Regional Innovation Center in Singapore. https://youtu.be/RDJ4OhQcDh8Contact informationAzelisLillian Ying Asia Pacific Corporate Communications ManagerT: +65 9855 8818E: lillian.ying@azelis.comAbout AzelisAzelis is a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemical and food ingredients industry present in over 50 countries across the globe with over 3,000 employees. Our knowledgeable teams of industry, market and technical experts are each dedicated to a specific market within Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals. We offer a lateral value chain of complementary products to more than 51,000 customers, supported by ~2,300 principal relationships, creating a turnover of EUR2.8 billion (2021). Azelis Group NV is listed on Euronext Brussels under ticker AZE.Across our extensive network of more than 60 application laboratories, our award-winning staff help develop formulations and provide technical guidance throughout the customers' product development process. We combine a global market reach with a local footprint to offer a reliable, integrated and unique digital service to local customers and attractive business opportunities to principals. EcoVadis Platinum rated, Azelis is a leader in sustainability. We believe in building and nurturing solid, honest and transparent relationships with our people and partners.Impact through ideas. Innovation through formulation.http://www.azelis.com/ Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

15 12 月, 2021

Organisational Agility, Leadership Transformation, Employee Engagement help DBS, Olam International to be Kincentric Regional Best Employers 2021 in APAC

Singapore, Dec 14, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – DBS and Olam International Limited have been named as Regional Best Employers in 2021 for the Asia Pacific region, according to Kincentric’s premium assessment that identifies organisations who demonstrate outstanding people practices and workplace excellence. DHL Express (Middle East), The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company and Intact Financial Corporation (North America) and Marriott Vacations Worldwide (Europe) are among the other regional Kincentric Best Employers, after getting recognized in multiple markets. Among the Regional Best Employers in APAC, DBS has been recognised as a Best Employer across China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, UK and USA. Olam International Limited has been identified as a Best Employer across Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and China. Kincentric Best Employers assessment looks at organisational excellence across critical people factors – employee engagement, organisational agility, engaging leadership and talent focus – leveraging the most objective measure possible – employee opinion. It identifies firms that demonstrate excellence in the workplace, by creating differentiated employee experiences and agile, inclusive cultures leading to stronger, more sustainable business results. Stephen Hickey, Regional Leader for APAC at Kincentric said, “We are in the midst of a talent evolution that’s shaping the future of work. Kincentric’s Regional Best Employers have worked towards achieving greater Employee Engagement, Organisational Agility, Talent Focus and Engaging Leadership. Research shows that they are differentiating through people practices, retaining key talent and leadership transformation.” According to Kincentric employee research data, only 5 in 10 employees feel their organization is attracting or retaining the people they need to achieve business goals; 11 percentage point declines in favourable perceptions of senior leaders demonstrating care and concern for employees; and only 55% of employees seeing strong career development opportunities for high performers. Globally there is increased talent mobility, greater difficulty for organisations to attract and retain the talent they need, challenges in giving people the work / life balance they desire, and many leaders struggling to paint a clear vision for the future of their company that is inspiring, engaging and motivating. Given the present challenges around talent retention, employees who do not see good career opportunities and organization’s response to their well-being are four times more likely to leave. The Kincentric Best Employers 2021 marks 21 years of the Best Employers program. The brand has evolved since starting as Hewitt Best Employers, becoming Aon Hewitt Best Employers to Aon Best Employers and since 2019 to Kincentric Best Employers.

17 9 月, 2021

New S’pore institute to study local, regional plants for health, medical advancements

SINGAPORE - A new research institute was launched here on Friday (Sept 17) to drive advancements in the biological, health and pharmacological sciences through the study of plants and natural ecosystems. The SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine (BD-Med) will study various aspects of local and regional plant biodiversity to identify any potential for novel medicinal and scientific applications. For example, studies could look into identifying plant compounds to accelerate drug discovery, or manipulating a plant's biology to enhance its nutritional quality, said Professor Ivy Ng, who is group chief executive of SingHealth. The institute was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress 2021, a two-day virtual event on the theme of revolutionising medicine. "In Singapore, we are in a unique position to explore biodiversity medicine. Our biodiversity is rich, with over 4,000 local flora species and cultivars," Mr Heng said. "We also have a long history of imbuing the city with nature. We have carefully nurtured a biophilic city in a garden." BD-Med will focus on three specific research programmes, backed by partnerships with local and regional scientific, innovation and environmental agencies. The Herbal Biodiversity and Medicine programme will use new technologies to extract and study plant components that may have the potential to fight common diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The Food Biodiversity and Nutrition programme will look into the concept of food as medicine, or the approach of using food to manage diseases alongside conventional medical treatment. It will also study nutrient-dense and sustainable food alternatives to boost food supply and security. The Urban Biodiversity and Wellness programme will study the effects of biodiversity on the living environment as well as its ability to promote wellness, including mental health. It will examine how a plant's biology, appearance, colour and smell affect a person's health, such as in the use of essential oils to treat anxiety and insomnia. Professor Teh Bin Tean, who is vice-chair of research for the Oncology Academic Clinical Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School, will serve as the new institute's director. He said: "Tapping the wealth of biodiversity in South-east Asia and Singapore, my team and I hope to delve deep into studying the genetic make-up, nutritional and medicinal benefits of local and regional plants to better understand, prevent and fight diseases, and even contribute to environmental and food sustainability." BD-Med's work will also include developing about 12,000 sq m of garden space spread across four hospitals under the SingHealth cluster - Singapore General Hospital, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Changi General Hospital and Sengkang General Hospital - to grow and study various regional plant species. These spaces will house herbal gardens and aquaponic systems, and will double as green spaces that can bring respite to patients and staff. More on this topic Related Story Singapore scientists uncover secret of the black rot in vegetable crops Related Story Study finds anti-cancer properties in local plants To commemorate the launch, scientists from BD-Med and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Genome Institute of Singapore jointly announced that they had successfully sequenced the genome of Singapore's national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid. Understanding the orchid's genetic make-up could help make the breeding of other orchid hybrids more efficient, Prof Teh said, adding that further research may also uncover potential therapeutic applications for health and wellness. "This study shows the possibilities of harnessing the insights and knowledge from local and regional plant biodiversity studies for applications in science and medicine," he said. At the event's opening ceremony on Friday, philanthropist Vincent Cheng, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Verdant Foundation, presented BD-Med's leaders a cheque for $5 million as a gift to support the institute's work. More on this topic Related Story New nursery for coastal trees launched on Pulau Ubin to help restore island's shores Related Story Transforming Singapore into a City in Nature

2 7 月, 2021

Mitsubishi Corporation: Mobility & Regional Contents Pilot Project Launched in Smart City Aizuwakamatsu

TOKYO, Jul 2, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), Shobunsha Holdings, Inc. and Shobunsha subsidiary MAPPLE, Inc. (MAPPLE) are pleased to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MC and MAPPLE regarding joint studies on new tourism services. The services will combine each company's unique expertise with advances made by HERE Technologies (HERE)(1), a leading provider of location-based information technologies. The partners recently launched a pilot project to create localized mobility demand in the Aizukawamatsu "smart city' in Fukushima Prefecture. The project is being undertaken in collaboration with the Aizuwakamatsu Tourism Bureau, a general incorporated foundation.Screenshots of the Castle-Town Tour App Aims Under the MoUAlthough the tourism industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected to enjoy robust growth over the medium to long term and be one of the main drivers of regional revitalization in Japan. Through these studies, MC hopes to develop real-world applications for location-information services that take advantage of HERE's technologies, and to grow its know-how through cross-industry business developments. MAPPLE intends to leverage the studies to help stimulate Japan's regional revitalization efforts through creative applications of map and other tourism services.(2) In the future, the partners plan to develop a platform for regional mobility services that will enable connectivity between a wide range of services and service providers in both digital and real worlds. The efforts underway in Aizuwakamatsu City are a good first step towards creating mobility services that not only effectively marry digital contents with physical means of transport, but also showcase the unique appeal of each region and what tourists can expect to enjoy there. The Pilot Project in Aizuwakamatsu CityThe trials being carried out MC and MAPPLE have two focuses: (1) Delivery of local-tour-related content and a rental-bicycle booking service; and (2) Visualization and analysis of users' mobility data. Outline of Pilot Project (1) Delivery of Local-Tour-Related Content and Rental-Bicycle Booking ServiceThe partners have developed digital content for visitors to Tsuruga Castle, one of the most famous tourist spots in the Tohoku (northeast) region of Japan. The content helps to provide visitors with a "smooth mobility experience" by using a routing function and other technologies from HERE to recommend tours of the region's most popular attractions. Users can then select their preferred courses, and they can use the same platform to book rental bicycles managed by the Aizuwakamatsu Tourism Bureau. The rented bicycles can help visitors to navigate the castle town's complex network of streets, ease traffic congestion and reduce the region's carbon footprint. In the future, MC and MAPPLE also plan to connect this bicycle service with other means of transportation to further optimize the region's mobility environment. (2) Visualization and Analysis of Users' Mobility DataThe partners plan to link data on user attributes, preferences and mobility (obtained via GPS technology mounted on the rental bicycles) and then use HERE's location platform to visualize and analyze those data. The results will be used to create new localized mobility demand, offer users personalized travel itineraries, and otherwise help tourists to enjoy a stress-free mobility experience. For more information, visit https://www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/pr/archive/2021/html/0000047442.html. Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)