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• Supporting Asia‑Pacific’s transition from BS 476 to the more comprehensive EN 13501‑1 fire‑classification framework
• ArmaPrene™‑based insulation, including ArmaFlex® Ultima, achieves significantly lower smoke emissions to support safer evacuation and fire‑engineering compliance
• ArmaLive Experience Centre builds industry capability through product insights, demonstrations, audits and hands‑on installation training
• Active collaborations with industry partners and relevant public-sector bodies to help shape safer built environments
• Long‑term commitment to safer, more energy‑efficient buildings through technical guidance, training and regional knowledge‑sharing

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 July 2026 – Armacell, a global leader in flexible equipment insulation and engineered foams, deepens its collaboration with industry stakeholders across Asia‑Pacific to enhance energy efficiency, sustainability and fire‑safety standards in the built environment.

Central to this expanded engagement is the ArmaLive Experience Centre, which serves as a regional hub for training, technical insight and hands-on demonstrations. The centre is designed to support engineers, consultants, installers and regulatory professionals as they respond to increasingly performance‑based compliance requirements—particularly in the areas of sustainability, energy efficiency and fire safety.

Supporting Asia‑Pacific’s transition to modern fire‑safety standards

Across Asia-Pacific, regulators and industry professionals are steadily moving from legacy BS 476 classifications to the more comprehensive EN 13501‑1 fire-performance framework. This shift reflects a growing focus on smoke‑performance—an essential advancement, as smoke inhalation remains one of the leading causes of fatalities in building fires.

To support this transition, Armacell provides data‑driven guidance, technical resources and targeted training that help stakeholders interpret performance criteria, understand material behaviour and assess system-level implications under the newer standard. These efforts are designed to enable informed specification decisions and support safer fire-engineering outcomes across a wide range of building applications.

A prime example of Armacell’s material innovation is ArmaFlex Ultima, developed using the company’s patented ArmaPrene technology. Generating about ten times less smoke than conventional elastomeric insulation, ArmaFlex Ultima achieves Euroclass B‑s1,d0 performance, enabling specifiers and fire engineers to significantly enhance safety in critical areas such as escape routes, mechanical services and other high-risk building zones.

ArmaLive Experience Centre: Strengthening regional technical capability

Located in Singapore, the ArmaLive Experience Centre delivers an expanded programme of learning and engagement designed to strengthen technical capability across the Asia-Pacific region and raise material and installation standards. The Centre offers a range of practical and knowledge-based initiatives, including:

• Product insight sessions showcasing compliance performance, system reliability and application-specific considerations.
• Energy and acoustic audits to support sustainable mechanical design and operational optimisation.
• Hands‑on installation training to help installers improve workmanship quality, reduce system losses and meet fire-safety and performance requirements.
• Live demonstrations and scenario‑based workshops focused on insulation selection, fire‑performance criteria and correct installation techniques.

Together, these programmes foster closer collaboration among developers, engineers, consultants, contractors and regulators, deepening their understanding of how insulation solutions contribute to energy efficiency, acoustic performance and fire safety.

Driving industry standards through technical partnerships

Armacell works closely with professional associations, technical bodies and relevant public-sector organisations across Asia‑Pacific to help advance technical standards and support a safer, more sustainable built environment.

Through seminars, joint technical exchanges and shared learning initiatives, the company shares expertise in insulation selection, performance benchmarks and comparative material behaviour—strengthening compliance awareness and improving the quality of building design and system specification.

By combining advanced materials knowledge with sustained industry engagement, particularly through the ArmaLive Experience Centre, Armacell supports informed specification practices, builds regional capability and reinforces its long‑term commitment to safer, sustainable and more resilient buildings across Asia-Pacific.
Hashtag: #Armacell

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About Armacell

As the inventor of flexible foam for equipment insulation and a leading provider of engineered foams, Armacell develops innovative and safe thermal and mechanical insulation solutions that create sustainable value for its customers. Armacell’s products significantly contribute to driving energy efficiency worldwide.

With more than 3,100 employees and 26 production plants in 20 countries, Armacell operates two main businesses, Advanced Insulation and Engineered Foams. Armacell focuses on insulation materials for technical equipment, high-performance foams for acoustic and lightweight applications, recycled PET products, next-generation aerogel technology and passive fire protection systems.

For more information, please visit: www.armacell.com

By Nitya Chakraborty China is hosting the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on July 17 to 20 the deliberations of which are expected to decide the course of AI development globally as also the scope of AI governance as also collaboration for assisting AI growth in the developing countries. The four day session […]

The article World AI Conference In Shanghai On July 17-20 To Witness The High Tech Battle Between U.S. And China appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Separated by thousands of miles, the two millennia-old port cities reconnected, leveraging their ports as a bond and cultural exchanges as a cohesive force to hold in-depth talks on integrated port-city development and bilateral economic and trade connectivity.

This cross-Indian Ocean dialogue echoes the ancient Maritime Silk Road while charting a brand-new outbound development path. As a pivotal starting port of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Ningbo is building a new global trade landscape powered by smart manufacturing.

A thousand years ago, merchant vessels from Mingzhou Port set sail southward loaded with Yue Kiln celadon porcelain, passing through Ceylon to deliver Oriental crafts across the Indian Ocean coasts. Precious gemstones and spices traveled the same sea route back to regions south of the Yangtze River, laying the groundwork for the earliest cultural exchange between the two ports through trade. Today, the cargo carried by giant cargo ships has undergone a dramatic transformation. Beyond traditional daily necessities, intelligent equipment, digital home appliances and industrial robots now dominate shipments.

Official statistics show that Ningbo’s exports of intelligent equipment, including mechanical arms and industrial robots, hit 440 million yuan in 2025, surging more than 40% year-on-year. From January to May this year, Ningbo’s exports of mechanical and electrical products maintained steady growth, reaching 247 billion yuan, a 4.1% year-on-year increase and accounting for 58.0% of the city’s total export volume. The new energy foreign trade sector saw explosive growth, with exports of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products jumping 138.4% year-on-year, with electric vehicle exports skyrocketing 215.9%. Smart manufactured goods are continuously expanding the scope of Ningbo’s foreign trade.

Complementing the Colombo forum, an exhibition highlights Ningbo’s outstanding going-global enterprises and their products, vividly illustrating the profound shift in Ningbo’s trade structure.

Alongside time-honored Maritime Silk Road staples such as celadon porcelain and silk, Ningbo’s smart manufactured products—including AI translation glasses, intelligent outdoor gear and digital small home appliances—occupy prominent display spaces across the venue. In Sri Lanka, Ningbo smart water meters are widely adopted nationwide, while handheld cooling fans and intelligent kitchen appliances have entered ordinary households.

Leveraging Colombo Port’s transshipment advantages, massive volumes of Ningbo smart manufactured goods are distributed onward to Europe, the Middle East and beyond. What Ningbo exports today is no longer mere commodities, but a complete outbound solution integrating technology, brand value and after-sales services.

Faced with mounting challenges including homogeneous global market competition and rising trade barriers, Ningbo’s manufacturing sector has abandoned the old model of low-cost OEM production, relying on intelligent transformation to consolidate its competitive edge in overseas markets.

Over more than a decade of digital transformation efforts, Ningbo has achieved full digital upgrading of all industrial enterprises above designated size. A large number of local factories have built unmanned black-light workshops and flexible production lines, escaping vicious price competition through continuous technological iteration. Represented by five specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative enterprises dubbed Ningbo’s “Five Little Tigers”—famous for their core proprietary technologies, including highly sophisticated visual inspection equipment, heat-resistant materials, sun-proof coatings, puncture-proof materials and self-drilling fasteners—these niche manufacturers have developed differentiated technical routes and full-spectrum production capacity, cementing irreplaceable competitiveness for Ningbo smart manufacturing on global markets.

Beyond trade expansion, Ningbo has built a supporting cultural communication system to ensure “products go global, accompanied by local culture”.

The launch of Sri Lanka’s first “One-Meter Cultural Space” cultural station during the Colombo event marks a tangible milestone of Ningbo’s go-global initiative. Built on enterprises’ overseas outlets, these miniature cultural exhibition halls integrate intangible cultural heritage crafts, urban stories and smart products, enabling overseas clients to experience cutting-edge manufacturing while gaining insight into Ningbo’s profound cultural heritage.

During the twin-city story-sharing session, Ningbo entrepreneurs based in Sri Lanka and local designers blending Chinese and Sri Lankan aesthetics shared stories of bilateral exchanges. Economic and trade ties have evolved into a bond for people-to-people communication, bridging divides in cross-cultural trade.

From Tang-dynasty celadon porcelain sailing across the Indian Ocean to intelligent equipment shipping to every corner of the globe, Ningbo, the ancient Maritime Silk Road port, has preserved its enduring gene of openness. Where exchanges once relied purely on commodity trade, today smart manufacturing underpins a stable, diversified and high-value-added global trade network.

The Ningbo-Colombo dialogue stands as a vivid microcosm of this transformation: the port still links lands and seas, yet the core of its trade has undergone a full intelligent upgrade.

Rooted in its historical legacy as a key Maritime Silk Road hub, Ningbo has consolidated its industrial foundation through a decade of digital development, expanded global market reach via worldwide port networks, and softened trade cooperation through cultural exchanges. This brand-new outbound shipping route forged by smart manufacturing has not only reshaped the city’s foreign trade landscape, but also delivered a replicable port-city development model for Chinese manufacturing to go global.

Hashtag: #NingboSmartManufacturing #MaritimeSilkRoad #GlobalTrade

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Distinguished guests from both sides of the Taiwan Strait attended the opening ceremony and noted in their remarks that Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a revered national pioneer shared by compatriots on both sides of the Strait. His vision of rejuvenating China remains a common spiritual legacy, and people across the Strait should carry forward his ideals and work hand in hand toward national rejuvenation. During the opening ceremony, Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government and the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland signed the Strategic Framework Agreement on Deepening Zhongshan–Taiwan Economic and Trade Cooperation to Promote Integrated Development, laying a solid institutional foundation for long-term industrial cooperation across the Strait.

A series of cultural exchange activities also took place throughout the forum. Participants enjoyed an evening tour of the century-old Sunwen West Road Arcade Pedestrian Street, immersing themselves in Zhongshan’s rich historical heritage and the vibrant cultural and tourism scene of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. They also visited the Museum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, where they studied revolutionary historical archives, bowed before Dr. Sun’s bronze statue to pay homage, and gained a deeper appreciation of his enduring ideals of “All Under Heaven Belong to the People” and “Revitalize China”. Many participants remarked that these activities provided an excellent platform for sustained exchanges among young people across the Strait and that their shared cultural roots and common heritage form a solid foundation for advancing cross-strait spiritual integration.

To further strengthen cross-strait economic cooperation and advance industrial integration between Shenzhen and Zhongshan, the forum also featured the “Taiwan Businesses Gather in Zhongshan, Industries Glow in the Greater Bay Area” 2026 Guangdong-Taiwan Economic and Trade Exchange Conference and Investment Promotion Event Celebrating the Second Anniversary of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. A total of 19 industrial projects were signed during the event. The first group comprised seven Taiwan-invested projects spanning semiconductor supporting industries, electronic components, smart home products, high-end fitness equipment, and medical devices. The second and third groups included 12 Shenzhen-Zhongshan collaborative projects covering new energy vehicle components, industrial robotics, memory chip packaging, advanced specialty materials, and integrated cultural, tourism, and commercial developments.

During the investment promotion event, Taiwan business representatives spoke highly of Zhongshan’s business environment. Zhang Congyuan, Chairman of Huali Industrial Group, which has operated in Zhongshan for more than two decades, praised the city’s enterprise service philosophy of “staying out of businesses’ way when everything runs smoothly while providing prompt support whenever needed”. He noted that this business-friendly environment has helped the company grow into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of athletic footwear.

Guo Wenhai, secretary of the CPC Zhongshan Municipal Committee, extended a sincere invitation to Taiwan businesses and entrepreneurs to invest and establish operations in Zhongshan. He emphasized that the city offers not only strong industrial infrastructure but also high-quality government services. Zhongshan will continue to provide proactive, efficient, and dedicated support for businesses while continuously improving both its hard and soft investment environment. Leveraging the opportunities created by the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, the city aims to create broader prospects for cooperation and shared growth for enterprises from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Participants and Taiwan business representatives agreed that, taking the 160th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s birth as an important milestone, this year’s forum created new channels for both cultural exchanges and industrial cooperation across the Strait. Looking ahead, Zhongshan will continue to organize regular initiatives, including entrepreneurship support programs for young people from Taiwan, youth exchange activities, and Guangdong-Taiwan industrial matchmaking events. By carrying forward Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s spirit, embracing the opportunities of the Greater Bay Area, and strengthening both economic cooperation and people-to-people ties, the city will continue to contribute to a new chapter of integrated cross-strait development.

Hashtag: #CrossStraitSunYatSenForum #Zhongshan #Guangdong

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It gathered around 400 delegates from government departments, industry associations, financial institutions, AI enterprises and OPC startup operators across the country. Participants exchanged insights on AI innovation pathways and cross-industry integration strategies, injecting strong impetus into Hangzhou’s ambition to develop a national benchmark hub for AI+OPC entrepreneurship.

A series of key launches and milestone ceremonies took place during the opening segment. Official releases included the 2026 national OPC development observation report, Hangzhou’s 2026–2028 action plan and supporting policies to build a national AI+OPC entrepreneurship hub, and a catalog of actionable AI+OPC application scenarios. Attendees also received an in-depth interpretation of the specifications for AI-enabled OPC community services and evaluation.

The ceremony featured multiple landmark initiatives: plaque awarding for Hangzhou’s priority AI+OPC incubation communities and dedicated observation sites, the official launch of the AI+OPC Community Alliance initiative, and a kickoff marking the official construction of the national AI+OPC entrepreneurship hub.

The open forum session featured keynote speeches from distinguished industry and academic leaders. Speakers included Pan Yunhe, former executive vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Zhejiang University; Liang Gui, former executive vice governor of Jiangxi Province and ex-director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; and Zou Ling, head of Hong Hub, Shangcheng District’s single-member unicorn startup acceleration community, who shared cutting-edge insights from varied perspectives.

A panel dialogue followed, bringing together representatives from Moshu OPC Community (Beijing E-Town), the School of Future Science and Engineering at Soochow University, Qingju Hub · Future Digital Intelligence Port (Shangcheng District), and Puhua Capital for in-depth industry exchanges.

Complementary concurrent events held throughout the conference included an OPC capital-industry matchmaking salon, a symposium on industry-education integration for AI-powered OPC sectors, and a national exchange forum for AI+OPC community practitioners.

OPC has emerged as a vibrant new engine driving economic vitality and underpinning high-quality development. Against the backdrop of a new development era, the inaugural Hangzhou AI+OPC Innovation and Development Conference unites OPC innovators nationwide.

Drawing on the creative energy of millions of independent super-individual operators, the event delivers sustained digital momentum to fuel Hangzhou’s super-individual economy, while rolling out replicable local practices and actionable Hangzhou solutions to advance high-quality growth of smart economies nationwide.

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At Cemtech Asia 2026, SCG demonstrated its commitment to advancing the cement industry through tangible low-carbon cement innovations. Mr. Surachai Nimlaor, President of SCG Cement and Green Solutions, stated:

“As the region’s leader in the low-carbon cement industry, SCG is dedicated to developing breakthrough innovations that minimize resource consumption and maximize eco-friendliness. By steadily reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we directly address the evolving demands and adaptation challenges of the construction industry across ASEAN and global markets.”

Alongside showcasing its cutting-edge LC3 low-carbon cement prototype at the exhibition, SCG hosted an exclusive site visit to its Ta Luang Cement Plant in Saraburi Province for global delegates. Key highlights of the showcase and tour included:

• SCG LC3 Structural Cement: Developed from limestone, calcined clay, and specialized additives, this next-generation low-carbon cement reduces CO2 emissions by up to 30–40%. Its production process incorporates up to 40% biomass alternative fuels (such as rice husks and straw) and over 35% renewable energy. This is achieved without compromising any product performance or structural integrity, with its environmental performance independently verified through an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
• Rondo Heat Battery: SCG has pioneered ASEAN’s first installation of the Rondo Heat Battery at the Ta Luang Cement Plant. Developed in collaboration with Rondo Energy, this breakthrough thermal energy storage solution converts intermittent renewable power into high-temperature thermal energy, storing it at up to 1,500°C in thermal media. With an exceptional energy recovery efficiency of up to 97% and a lifespan exceeding 40 years, the system provides a continuous 24/7 supply of clean heat, supporting the decarbonization of industrial manufacturing processes.

• Refractory Solutions by The Siam Refractory Industry Co., Ltd. (SRIC): As a leading global refractory solutions provider, SRIC showcased its advanced technologies and innovative solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency, reliability, and sustainability, including:
  1. Anti-Hydration Brick: The world’s first Anti-Hydration brick, extending shelf life from 6 to 24 months. This breakthrough innovation helps minimize material degradation, reduce production downtime, and improve overall operational efficiency.
  2. Thermal Media for Heat Battery: Co-developed with Rondo Energy, these high-performance heat storage blocks deliver up to 97% thermal efficiency, enabling reliable 24-hour energy availability and supporting the transition toward cleaner industrial energy solutions.
     • Solar Floating: Installed at the Ta Luang Cement Plant, this floating solar array generates 16.6 million kWh of clean electricity annually, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by over 8,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent per year. By repurposing the plant’s industrial reservoirs, the system optimizes resource efficiency and highlights SCG’s integration of green energy into heavy industry.

As co-host of Cemtech ASIA 2026, SCG reaffirmed its role as a trusted industry leader on the global stage. The event served as a major catalyst for expanding business networks and facilitating high-level technology and knowledge exchanges with world-class industry players. Moving forward, SCG is dedicated to cultivating global alliances to propel Thailand’s cement industry toward a Net Zero pathway, solidifying its position as ASEAN’s cement leader.

Watch the video:

CEMTECH ASIA 2026 | SCG Driving ASEAN’s Cement Industry Towards Net Zero

https://youtu.be/wCvSYeumGLY?si=nFle1kClP8sYR9z3

Hashtag: #SCG

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As one of the members of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government’s GoGlobal Task Force, HKPC provides enterprises with “Six Tactics to Go Global” through “The Cradle – Go Global Service Centre” (The Cradle), delivering comprehensive going-global services spanning smart manufacturing, international standards and testing services, as well as technology R&D and evaluation. HKPC actively empowers both Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises to expand into global markets. Simultaneously, HKPC is actively enabling European and international enterprises to access the Chinese Mainland market through Hong Kong, fully building a seamless, two-way bridge that highlights Hong Kong’s unique strategic advantage as an indispensable “two-way springboard”.

Mr Yonghai DU, Chief Innovation Officer of HKPC, attended the Hong Kong Seminar-cum-Networking Reception, themed “Building Resilient Tech Ecosystems: Powering the Next Wave of International Tech Leadership from Hong Kong,” organised by the HKTDC, engaging in in-depth exchanges with global industry leaders to advance Hong Kong’s position as an international I&T centre connected to the global innovation ecosystem.

Empowering Local I&T Enterprises to Seize Global Business Opportunities, Deepening Two-way Collaboration Between the Chinese Mainland and Europe

Mr Yonghai DU, Chief Innovation Officer of HKPC, said: “As one of the world’s leading technology events, VivaTech serves as an exceptional gateway for Hong Kong’s I&T enterprises to step onto the international stage. HKPC continues to lead the industry in participating in prestigious exhibitions at home and abroad, showcasing Hong Kong’s R&D strengths in full. Hong Kong’s unique advantage in integrating with the world allows it to provide high-quality strategic support that helps Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises to ‘go global’, while also serving as a key ‘two-way springboard’ that helps outstanding European and international enterprises entre the Chinese Mainland market through Hong Kong. HKPC will continue its unique position as a bridge, driving complementary strengths and fostering mutually beneficial collaboration across regions.”

He added that since its establishment, “The Cradle” has received more than 500 expressions of interest and has provided over 300 projects with go global services, including preliminary assessments, smart manufacturing technologies, testing and certification, as well as on-site visits. Drawing on HKPC’s extensive experience in leading enterprises to go global, HKPC will continue to empower more I&T enterprises successfully expand overseas and tap into global markets.

Top-tier and Diverse I&T Achievements Make Their Debut, Shining on the European Tech Stage

The four participating Hong Kong I&T enterprises showcased a range of cutting-edge technology fields to the European market at the “Hong Kong Tech Pavilion”, including Asgard Group Limited, specialising in smart energy and EV charging solutions; Laputa Eco-Construction Material Company Ltd, which develops sustainable construction technology, specialising in carbon capture and utilisation technologies; Oriental Materials Hong Kong Limited, which focuses on advanced manufacturing and manufacturing of semiconductor equipment; and Harmony SkyTech Limited, which specialises in the low-altitude economy and unmanned systems.

Representatives from all four I&T enterprises agreed that their participation helped them tap into cross-regional business opportunities, making a significant landmark for Hong Kong’s I&T sector, while HKPC’s “The Cradle” provided indispensable professional team support, helping them align precisely with international technical standards and localise their products, serving as a solid backing for their cross-regional expansion and rapid entry onto the international stage.
Hashtag: #HKPC

https://www.hkpc.org/en/

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About Hong Kong Productivity Council

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is a statutory body established in 1967, dedicated to enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises through world-class applied R&D, innovative technology services, and integrated manufacturing solutions. As a market-oriented, international R&D organisation, HKPC leverages its deep expertise and extensive industry experience in key areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing, life and health technology, green technology and new energy to drive new industrialisation and support the growth of emerging and future industries.

HKPC focuses on addressing businesses challenges and industrial technology needs, promoting the full integration between technological and industrial innovation. Through technology transfer, product innovation, intellectual property protection and commercialisation of R&D outcomes, the Council fosters collaboration with the local business community as well as top global R&D institutions, delivering added value to industries and advancing the development of new productive forces. HKPC’s world-class R&D achievements have been widely recognised over the years, winning an array of local and overseas accolades, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as an international innovation and technology centre and a smart city.

To help enterprises capitalise on Hong Kong’s strengths in international connectivity to expand into global markets, HKPC offers comprehensive overseas expansion services tailored to critical areas including product development, technology, manufacturing, and management, enabling businesses to successfully go global from Hong Kong.

HKPC is also committed to providing timely and practical support to SMEs and startups with timely and practical , assisting them in accessing Government funding programmes. Through its FutureSkills training initiatives, HKPC helps both industry and academia stay ahead in latest digital and STEM technologies, nurturing a future-ready talent pool for Hong Kong.