GLOBAL MAYORS EXCHANGE IDEAS IN HANGZHOU ON SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT

AsiaNet 0200430

HANGZHOU, China, Oct. 1, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

No matter the distance, true friendship knows no boundaries. In the golden autumn of September, when the sweet fragrance of osmanthus fills the air, the Global Mayors Dialogue · Hangzhou and the 9th Hangzhou International Sister City Mayors Conference kicked off in Hangzhou.
 
Mayors and representatives from 24 cities in 15 countries and regions, along with diplomats from their respective embassies and representatives from domestic relevant departments and cities, attended the forum, according to the people's government of Hangzhou.
 
With a focus on urban governance and sustainable development, mayors from both domestic and international cities engaged in in-depth dialogues, sharing advanced experiences in urban governance and contributing their wisdom to promote global urban sustainable development.
 
In the 13th century, Italian explorer Marco Polo traveled a long distance to reach the distant East and was deeply captivated by Hangzhou, a renowned city on the southeast coast of China. In his travelogue, Hangzhou was hailed as "the finest and the noblest in the world."
 
As time passes, Hangzhou has become a city featuring both ancient streets and alleys adorned with blue bricks and black tiles and a modern metropolis landscape with towering skyscrapers.
 
Leveraging its rich historical and cultural heritage and thriving digital economy, Hangzhou showcases how an ancient yet modern city can coexist harmoniously, leading the way in global urban sustainable development trends.
 
"West Lake may be compared to Beauty Xi Zi, whether she is richly adorned or plainly dressed." Yao Gaoyuan, mayor of Hangzhou, vividly depicts the city's characteristics as being suitable for living, suitable for business, and suitable for tourism.
 
"Hangzhou is a city where once you arrive, you won't want to leave, and even after leaving, you will yearn to return," Yao said.
 
Yao shared the exploration and practices of Hangzhou in areas such as digital innovation and urban governance, ecological civilization and urban sustainable development, as well as cultural heritage and humanistic exchanges.
 
Digital empowerment has boosted urban governance in Hangzhou, making the city smarter and its governance more efficient.
 
By constructing a digital city brain and utilizing technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and advanced modeling, Hangzhou has achieved real-time monitoring and efficient scheduling of urban traffic. It can now instantly perceive the traffic volume, vehicle speed, and congested areas, allowing for precise traffic guidance and effectively improving the intelligence and precision of urban governance.
 
Yao also cited the case of the governance and conservation practices of Thousand Island Lake in Chun'an County in southwest Hangzhou, to illustrate the city's experience in balancing economic development and environmental protection.
 
Leveraging its abundant natural water resources, Chun'an County has cultivated a water beverage industry cluster, led by Nongfu Spring, which has significantly contributed to annual output value and tax revenue. At the same time, Thousand Island Lake has become a popular tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors. This remarkable transformation truly embodies the concept that lush mountains and lucid waters are invaluable assets.
 
Hangzhou is equally dedicated and sparing no effort when it comes to the preservation and inheritance of cultural heritage.
 
Hangzhou's economic development goes hand in hand with the preservation and prosperity of its culture, never losing sight of the city's cultural essence.
 
As a city with a rich historical and cultural heritage, Hangzhou boasts three world cultural heritage sites. In 2011, the West Lake cultural landscape was inscribed on the list. In 2014 and 2019, the Grand Canal of China and the Liangzhu Archaeological Site also earned the prestigious honor.
 
Behind the successful inscriptions lies the city's decades-long persistence and efforts.
 
Hangzhou has consistently highlighted holistic preservation, systematic inheritance, and innovative development. It has fostered a consensus and awareness throughout society about the importance of protecting historical and cultural heritage. By integrating ancient cultural heritage with urban development, Hangzhou breathes new life into its heritage, sparking vitality and rejuvenation.
 
This year marks the 45th anniversary of Hangzhou's establishment of its first international sister city relationship. Over the past 45 years, the city has upheld openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, engaging in friendly exchanges and cooperation with sister cities with fruitful outcomes in international cooperation.
 
Particularly in the past 16 years, Hangzhou has hosted nine editions of the Hangzhou International Sister City Mayors Conference, resulting in a series of practical cooperation achievements. The conference has become an essential platform for Hangzhou to share governance experiences and discuss urban development with sister cities, bridging the gap between the city and the rest of the world.
 
So far, Hangzhou has established friendly relations with 31 international sister cities and maintained friendly exchanges with 42 cities around the world.
 
From hosting the G20 Hangzhou Summit, the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games, to events like the Global Digital Trade Expo and the Liangzhu Forum, and now the Global Mayors Dialogue · Hangzhou and the 9th Hangzhou International Sister City Mayors Conference, Hangzhou is embracing the global stage with an open and inclusive attitude.
 
The eastern Chinese city looks forward to contributing more of its wisdom and solutions for the sustainable development of global cities, and continuing to write a new chapter of brilliance in the future.
 
Source: The People's Government of Hangzhou

BUSINESSNEXT Snags 2024 Best Perks & Benefits Award From Comparably

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- BUSINESSNEXT, a universe of composable enterprise solutions for banks and financial services, announced it has won the “2024 Best Perks & Benefits Award” from Comparably.

With this win, BUSINESSNEXT becomes the only Indian-origin company that has secured a spot among the top 150 global firms celebrated for employee satisfaction, according to a statement.

“This recognition, based on employee surveys, reflects our continued dedication to ensuring our employees thrive both personally and professionally, and it reinforces the culture of care we strive to maintain every day.

“The 2024 Best Perks & Benefits Award from Comparably further emphasises BUSINESSNEXT’s position as a leading employer, and showcases our value of “We Care” as well as our continued commitment to employee well-being,” said its Director of People and Development, Lipika Mohanty.

This award is based on anonymous feedback from employees on Comparably.com, which evaluates the company’s efforts on various employee workplace, benefit, and wellness parameters.

The recognition and award highlight BUSINESSNEXT’s commitment to fostering a supportive and enriching work environment and celebrates its comprehensive offerings that contribute to employee satisfaction, well-being, and an unparalleled workplace culture.

From competitive benefits to unique perks, the company’s focus on employee-centric policies has helped it stand out in the industry.

Operating in 14 countries across five continents, BUSINESSNEXT serves over one million users across 65,000 branches and call centres, as well as manages one billion customers worldwide.

-- BERNAMA

TAINAN MASCOT "HĀNG-Á NIAU" DEBUTS IN SHINJUKU, TOKYO

 

Starting from September 21st, “Hāng-á Niau” can be seen at YUNIKA VISION in front of Seibu-Shinjuku Station in Tokyo as the finale of the Tainan 400 promo campaign. (Photo: Business Wire) TAINAN,Taiwan, Sept 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- With the Tainan 400 promotion campaign coming to an end, a commercial featuring Tainan’s adorable mascot “Hāng-á Niau” (Taiwanese for “Alley Cat”) is played on the lively streets of Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan. From September 21st (Sat.) to 27th (Fri.), the cute mascot can be seen in the promotional video “Hāng-á Niau Invites You to Tainan” at YUNIKA VISION in front of Seibu-Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, one of the busiest station in Japan with a daily traffic of 770,000 passengers on average. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240923425430/en/   The mascot “Hāng-á Niau” takes after the legendary creature qilin, with a lightning pattern on its tail to symbolize good luck. The design is inspired by the rat-catching cats kept on trading ships during the Age of Discovery. The origin not only echoes the historical significance of Tainan 400, but also highlights the cultural inclusiveness of that time. In addition, the patterns on “Hāng-á Niau” also incorporate Tainan’s unique architectural characteristics and historical contexts. Earlier from August 13th to 18th, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Tainan City Government had the “Tainan 400” promo video broadcast in the center of Paris (France), Times Square in New York City (USA), and New Balance Gangnam in Seoul (South Korea). This time, the mascot “Hāng-á Niau” takes center stage in Japan and will surely attract more international tourists to Tainan and experience its profound culture. View source version on businesswire.com:  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240923425430/en/ Contact Ms. Ivory Cheng Email: ivory0923@gmail.com Source : Tainan City Government

CHINA’S GUIZHOU GAINS FROM UNESCO-LISTED RICE-FISH-DUCK ECOSYSTEM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 (Bernama) – Congjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, home to many ethnic groups, inherits an ancient and charming traditional Chinese agriculture, vast expanses of mountain slopes carved into rice paddies where rice, fish and ducks flourish in co-existence.

The agricultural feat of growing one season of rice, keeping a batch of fish and raising a batch of ducks in the same rice paddy has been inherited for thousands of years in Congjiang, according to a statement.

The rice-fish-duck ecosystem in the county was listed as a pilot project for the protection of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in 2011 and became the first batch of important agricultural cultural heritages in China in 2013.

The rice fields provide natural food for fish and ducks, who in turn, remove pests and weeds from the fields, greatly reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides. Also, fish and duck dung provides natural organic fertiliser for rice, where rice, fish and ducks are harvested from one rice field at the same time.

The county has made full use of the rice-fish-duck ecosystem, protecting the agricultural cultural heritage and helping local people get rid of poverty and achieve rural revitalisation at the same time.

During the 15th conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity held in Canada in December 2022, the rice-fish-duck ecosystem in Congjiang County demonstrated to the world the ancestral wisdom of farming and biodiversity conservation experiences of local people for thousands of years.

In 2023, the ecosystem in Congjiang was collected and recognised for its excellence during the fourth call of the Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.

Congjiang County boasts Kam Rice of China, a special kind of rice that has been domesticated for thousands of years by the local Dong people in Guizhou. With ethnic groups accounting for 90 per cent of its population, the county is home to rich and colourful ethnic cultures and reputed as the national ecological cultural gene park.

During the harvest season in autumn, rows of golden rice hang in the villages, reshaping a beautiful landscape.

-- BERNAMA

ZYCUS NAMED A LEADER IN SUPPLIER VALUE MANAGEMENT PLATFORMS BY INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FIRM

Report states: “Zycus excels with its Merlin GenAI capabilities for its SVM suite.”

MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Zycus, a leading provider of GenAI-powered Source-to-Pay solutions, today announced that it has been recognized as a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Supplier Value Management (SVM) Platforms, Q3 2024. We believe Zycus’ position as a leader in this prestigious report highlights its commitment to innovation and customer success.

The 9 vendors evaluated were rated on 33 criteria covering current offering, strategy, and market presence with Zycus receiving the top score in the strategy category. Zycus also received the highest possible score in 10 criteria including Vision and Innovation. 

The report specifically notes:

· “Zycus uses its exceptional understanding of customer demand to offer a comprehensive SVM suite with a strong go-to-market approach and vision.”
· “Zycus has a compelling vision for the SVM space, and its innovation and strategy tie into this, allowing it to win new clients.”

“Zycus is an ideal partner for organizations seeking an SVM platform that emphasizes product innovation and demonstrates strong customer centricity,” states the report authored by Forrester Senior Analyst, Jeffrey Rajamani.

Forrester’s recognition comes on the heels of Zycus’ success in creating the world’s first GenAI-powered SVM Solution Suite.

“Being named a Leader in the Forrester Wave™ for SVM Platforms is, for us, a testament to our innovation and dedication to meeting customer needs over 2 decades,” said Aatish Dedhia, Founder & CEO of Zycus. “Our vision for the future of procurement is to continuously evolve and enhance our solutions through cutting-edge GenAI capabilities.”

For more information on Zycus’ Supplier Value Management Suite and its position in the Forrester Wave™, click here.

About Zycus:
Zycus is the leader in Source-to-Pay (S2P) solutions, pioneering the world’s first Generative AI (GenAI) powered platform that helps procurement achieve 10X speed and efficiency. It has been a trusted partner of choice for large global enterprises for over two decades and is consistently recognized by leading industry analysts for its organically built, composable and extensible source-to-pay suite.

Its Merlin GenAI Suite automates tactical tasks, empowering procurement teams to focus on strategic initiatives. Additionally, it offers one-of-its-kind conversational AI, Merlin Assist, for business users, integrated with Microsoft Teams to streamline intake management with a user-friendly experience.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240917561642/en/

Contact

Arnish Shah
Associate Director – Marketing
arnish.shah@zycus.com 

Source : Zycus 

--BERNAMA

Unmasking Future Beauty Trends - NIQ

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- NielsenIQ (NIQ) in its recent Global Beauty Innovation Report revealed that Personal Care Brands embracing innovation in 2023 are 2.5 times more likely to see overall sales growth, compared to those with stagnant or declining innovation sales.

According to the report, strong innovations attract new buyers, create new usage occasions, justify price premiums, and keep brands top of mind, where 20 per cent of 2023 innovation launches in Europe were in skin and hair care categories.

Its Vice President, Global Client Development, Claire Marty said the beauty industry's global popularity continues to rise, with industry sales maintaining a double-digit growth rate across all regions and is expected to bring an increase in scale of US$300 billion over the next decade. (US$1=RM4.33)

“Despite increasing caution in consumer spending, consumers are less willing to cut back on their beauty expenditures compared to other FMCG products, with 80 per cent indicating they intend to maintain or increase their spending in this area,” she said in a statement.

The study found that brands delivering strong products can see a significant upside, with an average first- year volume increase of 30 per cent compared to their less successful counterparts, whereas effective activation leads to a 20 per cent lift in ad-driven sales, especially when creative elements are optimised.

This underscores the importance of having both a great product and ensuring that the marketing and promotional efforts are well-executed and resonate with the target audience.

Breakthrough trends accelerating innovation in the beauty industry from the findings include clean and sustainable focusing on ethical sourcing, eco-friendly packaging, and reducing carbon footprints, where in South Korea, clean beauty has become a lifestyle choice.

Moreover, global consumers are shopping with an ‘ingredients first’ mindset, prioritising products based on their ingredient lists. For instance, the United Kingdom’s consumers prioritise results and efficacy over brand names.

Meanwhile, celebrities, dermatologists, and influencers are also shaping beauty decisions via social media, to which the number of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) exceeds 20 million and is growing, while 80 per cent of actual sales come from merely seven per cent of KOLs in China.

Other advanced trends include personalisation and inclusivity; wellness focused; as well as direct-to-consumer products and at-home beauty treatments that surged in popularity during COVID-19.

Trends such as luxury for all reflects the growing availability of high-quality products at affordable prices. Democratisation of luxury is driven by innovative brands offering exceptional products rivalling high-end counterparts.

-- BERNAMA

Recursion's Phase 2 Trial For CCM Treatment Meets Primary Endpoint

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Recursion, a clinical stage TechBio company, announced top-line results of the SYCAMORE trial, a 12-month Phase 2 randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, safety, tolerability and exploratory efficacy study for REC-994 in symptomatic Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM) patients.

“We are encouraged by the recent data from our signal-finding Phase 2 study in CCM, where the trial successfully met its primary safety endpoint and became the first investigational therapy to demonstrate safety alongside some promising trends in exploratory efficacy endpoints.

“These results provide critical insights that will inform our next study design, including exploring study duration, higher doses, and a larger cohort of patients,” said Recursion Chief R&D Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, Najat Khan.

Meanwhile, University of Pennsylvania Division Head, Cerebrovascular Surgery, and Principal Investigator of the study, Dr Jan-Karl Burkhardt said the data from this readout is an impressive start and will provide a valuable contribution to the existing CCM literature and strongly supports the need for a future study, with a longer duration and a larger patient cohort.

REC-994 met its primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, demonstrating a similar profile across placebo and both 200 milligramme (mg) and 400 mg dosage-arms with regard to the frequency and severity of adverse events after 12 months of treatment.

Magnetic resonance imaging-based secondary efficacy endpoints showed a trend towards reduced lesion volume and hemosiderin ring size in patients at the highest dose (400mg) as compared to placebo.

Time-dependent improvement in these trends at the 400mg dose was also observed in this signal-finding study, with improvements in either patient or physician-reported outcomes were not yet seen at the 12 months time point.

A meeting with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is anticipated as soon as practical to discuss plans for an additional clinical study. Recursion plans to present data from this trial at a forthcoming medical conference and intends to submit these data for publication in a peer reviewed scientific journal.

REC-994 is an orally bioavailable, superoxide scavenger small molecule under development for the treatment of symptomatic CCM. The potential of REC-994 in CCM was demonstrated using the earliest version of what would become the foundational technology underlying the Recursion OS.

Subsequently, REC-994 demonstrated preclinical activity in models for CCM and tolerability and suitability for chronic dosing in Phase 1 single ascending dose escalation (SAD) and multiple ascending dose escalation (MAD) trials in healthy volunteers directed and executed by Recursion.

-- BERNAMA

ARCEOS' CONFERENCE 2024 WRAPS UP WITH SUCCESS, ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY VIA DIGITAL INNOVATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- Themed "Driving Sustainability with Digital Innovation", the 44th ASEAN Railway CEOs’ (ARCEOs’) Conference wrapped up successfully in Bandung, Indonesia, from Sept 2 to 5.

This year’s ARCEOs’ Conference focused on sustainable and eco-friendly railway development supported by digital transformation in safety and service aspects, with PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) (KAI) appointed as the organising committee for the conference.

Seven other ASEAN railway operators that were also present are Keretapi Tanah Melayu (Malaysia), Vietnam Railways (Vietnam), Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Cambodia), Lao National Railways (Laos), Philippine National Railways (Philippines), Myanma Railways (Myanmar), and State Railway of Thailand (Thailand).

KAI Chief Executive Officer, Didiek Hartantyo stated that the goal of the 44th ARCEOs’ Conference is to strengthen relationships and cooperation among railway operators and industry stakeholders in ASEAN.

He emphasised that working together allows for achieving greater accomplishments and truly realising the ASEAN spirit of mutual benefit, shared success, and resilience in facing various challenges.

Explaining this year’s theme, he believed the theme stems from the global challenges faced, including the urgent need to address climate change, improve operational efficiency, and meet the growing demand for more sustainable transportation options.

“Additionally, advancements in technology and changes in customer demands play a significant role in shaping our focus,” he said in a statement.

The event included several working group sessions to share best practices and discuss various issues ranging from the implementation of digital technology, railway human resource development, digital marketing, service transformation, to the application of high-tech railways such as high-speed trains.

Delegates had the opportunity to experience the first high-speed train ASEAN region, Whoosh train from Padalarang Station in Bandung, West Java, to Halim Station in Jakarta, followed by a tree planting activity, as well as the chance to ride the Panoramic Train, designed to offer panoramic views along the journey with large windows on both sides.

Furthermore, to support environmental sustainability and digital innovation, KAI deployed electric vehicles during the ARCEOs’ Conference, provided eco-friendly souvenirs, and used an app as an information platform throughout the event.

-- BERNAMA