Hyundai Motor Group has committed to placing more than 25,000 Atlas humanoid robots across Hyundai Motor and Kia factories, setting up a major test of industrial automation as its South Korea labour union warns that no deployment can proceed without a formal labour-management agreement. The plan, outlined to investors this week, marks one of the most ambitious humanoid robot rollouts yet proposed by a global carmaker. The […]
Dubai motorists will pay 5 per cent value-added tax on public parking and Salik toll services from June 1, 2026, in a shift that will raise daily transport costs while accelerating the emirate’s move towards digital payments. Parkin Company PJSC, Dubai’s main paid parking operator, will apply VAT across its services, including on-street parking, off-street parking, seasonal cards, permits and reservation services. Salik Company PJSC will apply […]
Google and Blackstone have agreed to create a $5 billion TPU-powered cloud company, widening the battle for artificial intelligence infrastructure as enterprises seek alternatives to graphics processing units that dominate AI training and inference. The US-based venture will offer data centre capacity, operations, networking and Google Cloud’s Tensor Processing Units through a compute-as-a-service model. Blackstone is making the initial equity commitment, with the first 500 megawatts of […]
Young people across India have turned an insult into a digital badge of defiance, transforming the cockroach from a symbol of contempt into the emblem of a fast-spreading satirical protest movement.
The Cockroach Janta Party, a social media-driven collective built around humour, mock manifestos and political parody, has surged across Instagram, X and short-video platforms within days of its launch. What began as an online response to courtroom remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has become a wider expression of frustration over jobs, living costs, institutional distrust and the limited space many young citizens feel they have in public debate.
The phrase took off after remarks during a Supreme Court hearing on May 15, when the bench was dealing with a petition linked to the designation of a lawyer as Senior Advocate. Comments referring to some unemployed young people, social media users, media figures and RTI activists as “cockroaches” and “parasites” triggered anger online. Justice Surya Kant later said he had been misquoted and clarified that his criticism was directed at people using fake or bogus degrees to enter professions, not at the youth of the country.
By then, the phrase had already escaped the courtroom. Memes, posters, mock campaign material and parody slogans began circulating at high speed. The Cockroach Janta Party, widely abbreviated as CJP, framed itself as the “voice of the lazy and unemployed”, turning a disparaging label into a collective identity. Its creator, Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old based in Boston, positioned the project as peaceful, satirical and democracy-oriented rather than a conventional political outfit.
The scale of the online response has been striking. The group’s Instagram presence crossed the 10 million mark and was later reported to be nearing 15 million followers, temporarily putting it ahead of several established political accounts in visibility. More than 400,000 people were said to have signed up through its online channels, with a large share of participants falling in the 19–25 age group. The numbers also triggered scepticism, with claims that overseas users or bots had inflated the following. Dipke rejected the allegations, saying the overwhelming majority of followers were from India.
The movement’s appeal lies partly in its absurdity. A creature usually associated with dirt, survival and infestation has been reimagined as a metaphor for resilience. Supporters have used the cockroach to signal that a generation facing unstable work, high rents, exam pressure and limited upward mobility is refusing to disappear. The image has proved adaptable: it works as a meme, a protest costume, a party logo and a joke that can carry political weight without sounding like a formal campaign speech.
That flexibility has helped the trend move beyond online humour. Young volunteers in Delhi dressed as cockroaches while taking part in a Yamuna clean-up activity near Kalindi Kunj, linking the meme to civic action. Satirical spin-offs, including rival parody groups, appeared almost immediately. The trend also crossed borders, with users in Pakistan and Bangladesh adapting similar cockroach-themed political humour to their own domestic frustrations.
The timing has sharpened its resonance. Youth unemployment in the 15–29 age group stood at 9.9 per cent in 2025, with the urban youth rate higher at 13.6 per cent. A formal decline from the previous year has not erased anxiety among graduates and first-time job seekers, many of whom say the labour market offers either low salaries, insecure contracts or intense competition for public-sector posts. Inflation in housing, education and transport has added to the strain.
Gen Z’s political language in India is also changing. Earlier protest cultures relied heavily on student unions, party fronts, street marches and television visibility. The new pattern begins on reels, memes and comment threads, where humour lowers the cost of participation and helps users test political ideas before attaching their real identities to them. The Cockroach Janta Party sits within that shift: it is not a registered party with electoral machinery, but it has generated a recognisable symbol, a support base and a vocabulary of dissent.
Cybercriminals are expanding phishing infrastructure built around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with threat researchers mapping 222 malicious or suspicious domains to 203 unique IP addresses as fraud campaigns target fans, sponsors, travel operators and online shoppers before the tournament opens on 11 June. The findings point to a much broader operation than the first wave of 79 lookalike domains that impersonated FIFA and ticketing-related services. The […]
AMD has committed more than $10 billion to Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem, targeting advanced packaging and manufacturing capacity as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure intensifies across global data centres.
The investment is designed to strengthen the chipmaker’s partnerships with foundries, packaging houses, substrate suppliers and server manufacturers that are central to its next generation of AI systems. The programme places Taiwan at the centre of AMD’s effort to scale production of high-performance processors, accelerators and rack-level systems built for increasingly complex AI workloads.
A major focus will be Elevated Fanout Bridge, or EFB, a 2.5D packaging technology intended to improve the speed and efficiency of connections between chip components. AMD plans to use the technology in its sixth-generation EPYC central processing units, codenamed “Venice”, which are being positioned for AI, cloud and high-performance computing deployments.
The move comes as AI infrastructure spending shifts from individual chips towards complete systems that combine CPUs, graphics processors, high-bandwidth memory, networking and software. Advanced packaging has become a critical bottleneck because AI workloads require large volumes of data to move quickly between processors while keeping power consumption and heat within manageable limits.
AMD Chair and Chief Executive Lisa Su said customers were rapidly expanding AI infrastructure to meet rising compute demand. The company is seeking to combine its high-performance computing portfolio with Taiwan’s manufacturing and packaging capabilities to support integrated, rack-scale AI systems.
AMD is working with partners including ASE, SPIL, Powertech Technology, Wiwynn, Wistron, Inventec, Unimicron, AIC, Nan Ya PCB and Kinsus. These companies cover key parts of the supply chain, from advanced packaging and substrates to server assembly and mechanical architecture. Sanmina is also involved in manufacturing support for the company’s Helios platform.
The investment will support both wafer-based and panel-based EFB interconnect development. AMD and Powertech Technology have qualified what they describe as the industry’s first 2.5D panel-based EFB interconnect, a step aimed at improving scalability and production economics for high-volume AI processors.
The technology is expected to help the “Venice” EPYC processors deliver higher interconnect bandwidth and better power efficiency. That matters because data centre operators are increasingly constrained by electricity availability, cooling capacity and rack density, not only by chip performance.
AMD has also begun ramping production of “Venice” CPUs using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s 2-nanometre process technology in Taiwan. Future production is planned at TSMC’s Arizona facility, extending the supply chain beyond Taiwan while preserving the company’s close reliance on TSMC’s leading-edge manufacturing.
The “Venice” chips will be a central element of AMD’s Helios rack-scale platform, which also includes AMD Instinct MI450X graphics processors, advanced networking and the ROCm open software stack. The platform is scheduled for deployments beginning in the second half of 2026, with AMD describing the opportunity in terms of multi-gigawatt AI infrastructure rollouts.
The strategy puts AMD in a more direct contest with Nvidia, which dominates AI accelerator sales and has built a strong lead through its GPUs, networking, software ecosystem and full-rack systems. AMD’s challenge is not only to deliver competitive silicon but also to prove that it can scale complete AI infrastructure with dependable supply, efficient packaging and broad software support.
AMD’s data centre business has become the company’s main growth engine. First-quarter 2026 data centre revenue reached $5.8 billion, up 57 per cent from a year earlier, driven by demand for EPYC processors and the ramp-up of Instinct GPU shipments. That performance has strengthened investor expectations that AMD can capture a larger share of AI and cloud infrastructure spending.
Taiwan remains critical to that effort because of its concentration of semiconductor expertise. TSMC anchors the foundry side, while packaging, substrate and system-assembly partners provide the manufacturing depth needed to turn chip designs into deployable infrastructure. The concentration also creates geopolitical and supply-chain risks, particularly as governments and companies seek greater resilience across strategic technologies.
Russian state-backed cyber groups are broadening their entry points into targeted networks, using remote access services, stolen credentials, compromised suppliers and tailored social engineering to penetrate government, critical infrastructure and commercial systems. The pattern marks a shift from single-vector intrusions towards layered access operations designed to look like ordinary business activity. Remote Desktop Protocol, virtual private network accounts, cloud identities, internet-facing routers, edge devices and third-party service […]
Binance has launched a SpaceX-linked pre-IPO perpetual futures contract, giving crypto traders synthetic exposure to one of the world’s most closely watched private companies before any public share sale is completed. The product began trading on May 21 under the SPCXUSDT ticker, marking Binance’s first move into a new class of pre-listing derivatives tied to private-market valuations. The contract is settled in USDT and tracks Space Exploration […]
By Dr. Gyan Pathak Annoyed by the voice of the voiceless cockroaches on Social Media platform X, the Union Government of India led by PM Narendra Modi got their account banned in the country. Thanks to the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s one of the comments on May 15, 2026, that had triggered the […]
Take-Two Interactive has moved to quiet speculation over another Grand Theft Auto VI delay, reaffirming that Rockstar Games’ blockbuster open-world title remains scheduled for release on 19 November 2026. The confirmation, issued alongside Take-Two’s fiscal 2026 results, places the game at the centre of the company’s next financial year and signals that management is still planning around one of the most consequential launches in entertainment. Chief executive […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2026 – At the International Hydrogen Development Symposium 2026 today (May 18), nine pioneering companies from Korea, the Chinese Mainland, France, and Hong Kong – including Hyundai Motor Group – signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on hydrogen ecosystem building, marking a major step toward advancing the city’s green economy.
At the International Hydrogen Development Symposium 2026 today (May 18), nine pioneering companies from Korea, the Chinese Mainland, France, and Hong Kong – including Hyundai Motor Group – signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding on hydrogen ecosystem building, marking a major step toward advancing the city’s green economy. Photo shows (from left) Senior Vice President (Sustainability) for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), Ms Olivia To; the Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau; Executive Vice President and Head of Energy & Hydrogen Policy Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Group, Mr Seung Kyu-shin; Deputy Minister for Territorial and Urban Policy at Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, Mr Jeong Eui-kyung; the Global Head of Financial Services, Fintech & Sustainability of InvestHK, Mr King Leung; and Senior Vice President, Transport, Logistics and Industrials of InvestHK, Ms Bonnie Ho, at the symposium.
This multi-party signing was officiated by Deputy Minister for Territorial and Urban Policy at Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, Mr Jeong Eui-kyung; the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Poon Kwok-ying; and the Director-General of Investment Promotion of Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), Ms Alpha Lau.
At the International Hydrogen Development Symposium 2026 today (May 18), nine pioneering companies from Korea, the Chinese Mainland, France, and Hong Kong – including Hyundai Motor Group – signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding on hydrogen ecosystem building, marking a major step toward advancing the city’s green economy. Photo shows the Director-General of Investment Promotion of Invest Hong Kong, Ms Alpha Lau, delivering a speech.
Spearheaded by Hyundai Motor Group, the MOU establishes a collaborative framework to build a comprehensive, self-sustaining hydrogen ecosystem in Hong Kong, targeted to be fully operational by the end of 2030. The collaboration will prioritise the development of waste-to-hydrogen technologies to convert landfill gas into clean energy, along with an immediate focus on piloting a liquefied hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. To enable full value chain integration, it also targets the deployment of customised hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles, including tour and airport shuttle buses.
Through facilitating public-private partnerships and inter-governmental collaboration, InvestHK is supporting Hyundai Motor Group and its partners to implement go-to-market strategies aligned with the shared vision for hydrogen ecosystem building.
This partnership will also position Hong Kong as a strategic base for Hyundai Motor Group’s hydrogen business expansion across the Asia-Pacific region.
Miss Wong said, “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in developing tangible, on-the-ground hydrogen applications to accelerate the green transition towards carbon neutrality. By combining Korea’s world-class technological capabilities with Hong Kong’s strategic urban context, Hong Kong could serve as an exceptional international demonstration platform for showcasing green and low-carbon technologies. If these cutting-edge innovations could be applied and scaled up successfully here, it will serve as a positive model and provide highly viable options for reference by modern cities worldwide.”
Ms Lau said, “Today’s multi-party signing is both a landmark moment for Hong Kong’s green economy and a clear signal that the city’s hydrogen ecosystem is gaining real traction. Over the past three years, InvestHK has helped leading hydrogen enterprises establish themselves in Hong Kong, several of which have since listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising over $2.5 billion in total. For businesses with global green ambitions, Hong Kong is where business growth takes shape.”
At the International Hydrogen Development Symposium 2026 today (May 18), nine pioneering companies from Korea, the Chinese Mainland, France, and Hong Kong – including Hyundai Motor Group – signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding on hydrogen ecosystem building, marking a major step toward advancing the city’s green economy. Photo shows the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, delivering a speech.
Executive Vice President and Head of Energy & Hydrogen Policy Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Group, Mr Seung Kyu-shin, said, “This MOU was signed as Hyundai Motor Group’s commitment to advancing Hong Kong’s proactive hydrogen policies and driving the acceleration of its hydrogen ecosystem utilising the Group’s hydrogen business capability and experience. Starting with Hong Kong, we look forward to expanding our collaboration and business opportunities across the broader Asia-Pacific hydrogen market.”
At the International Hydrogen Development Symposium 2026 today (May 18), nine pioneering companies from Korea, the Chinese Mainland, France, and Hong Kong – including Hyundai Motor Group – signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding on hydrogen ecosystem building, marking a major step toward advancing the city’s green economy. Photo shows Deputy Minister for Territorial and Urban Policy at Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, Mr Jeong Eui-kyung (back row, second right); the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong (back row, second left); the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Poon Kwok-ying (back row, first left); and the Director-General of Investment Promotion of Invest Hong Kong, Ms Alpha Lau (back row, first right), witnessing the signing.
Partners entering into this MOU include Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Engineering & Construction from Hyundai Motor Group, China Inspection Co Ltd, Chun Wo Bus Services Limited, Chun Wo Construction & Engineering Company Limited, Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Equipment Co Ltd, JEA ENG, Templewater Limited, the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, and Veolia Hong Kong Holding Limited.
This multi-party, long-term collaboration is set to establish a robust, end-to-end hydrogen industry chain – spanning production, storage, transportation, refuelling and utilisation.
New energy is vital to Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 and the national dual-carbon goals. As set out in the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address, Hong Kong will establish public hydrogen filling facilities on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon, press ahead with more hydrogen trial projects, and develop the GBA Hydrogen Corridor in collaboration with Guangdong Province. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is actively advancing hydrogen development through technological innovation, talent cultivation, ecosystem building, and regional co-ordination. To date, over 30 hydrogen trial projects have been greenlit, paving the way not only for decarbonisation targets, but also for unlocking new quality productive forces for green economic growth. Hashtag: #InvestHK
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About InvestHK
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) is the investment promotion agency of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Variational has raised about $50 million in a Series A round led by Dragonfly, giving the peer-to-peer derivatives startup fresh capital to expand perpetual futures tied to real-world assets including oil, gold, silver and copper. The funding marks a sharper push by decentralised finance firms into traditional market instruments at a time when traders are seeking broader access to commodities, indices, foreign exchange and equities through blockchain-based […]
Washington’s derivatives regulator and the National Hockey League have signed a memorandum of understanding to share information and co-ordinate oversight of prediction markets tied to professional hockey, extending federal scrutiny over a fast-growing sector that sits between financial derivatives, sports data and gambling regulation. The agreement, signed by Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on 21 May 2026, creates regular […]
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2026 – Kaleida Studio, an arts and craft studio located in Tai Seng, has announced plans to introduce a DIY jewellery workshop, a guided crafting experience where participants can design and create their own gemstone necklace or bracelet.
The upcoming workshop is designed to give beginners a simple introduction to jewellery making within a supportive studio environment. Designed for teenagers and adults, the sessions aim to make the craft accessible to beginners by combining creative exploration with an introduction to basic jewellery-making techniques.
During the workshop, participants will work with a curated selection of gemstone beads, charms, and jewellery components to design an accessory that reflects their personal style. At the end of each session, participants will complete and take home a handcrafted necklace or bracelet that they have assembled themselves.
Helping Beginners Feel More Confident About Jewellery Making
Interest in handmade crafts and personalised accessories has grown in recent years, yet many people hesitate to try jewellery making for the first time. Uncertainty about creative ideas, along with unfamiliarity with specialised tools and techniques, can make the process feel daunting for beginners.
Kaleida Studio developed the workshop to make the craft more approachable. Through step-by-step instruction and access to the appropriate tools and materials, participants can explore jewellery making in a structured environment without prior experience.
The session introduces basic tools and techniques while allowing participants to experiment with different combinations of gemstone beads and charms. This approach gives beginners the confidence to learn the process while enjoying the experience of creating a handcrafted piece that reflects their own design choices.
A Personalised Jewellery-Making Experience
A defining feature of the DIY jewellery workshop is its emphasis on personal design. Rather than following a fixed template, participants are encouraged to create pieces that reflect their own aesthetic preferences.
The studio provides a selection of gemstone beads, charms, and jewellery-making tools, allowing participants to experiment with different colours, textures, and arrangements. Basic assembly techniques are introduced to help ensure that each piece is securely constructed.
“At Kaleida Studio, we believe creativity should be something people can explore in their own way,” said Cherry, founder of Kaleida Studio. “This workshop grew from our own interest in jewellery making and our desire to share that experience with others. By walking participants through the process, we hope to show that anyone can create something meaningful and unique with their own hands.”
Encouraging Creative Exploration in a Studio Setting
Kaleida Studio seeks to provide a welcoming space where individuals can explore creative expression at their own pace. In addition to the jewellery workshop, the studio offers art classes for adults, giving participants opportunities to experiment with different artistic media in a relaxed and supportive environment.
The studio also hosts group sessions, such as a corporate workshop, where teams can take part in guided crafting activities designed to encourage collaboration and creative thinking.
For those looking for a more open-ended experience, Kaleida Studio offers a setting similar to an art jam studio, where participants can spend time exploring materials, ideas, and techniques in a flexible and supportive studio environment.
Availability and Booking
The DIY jewellery workshop is scheduled to launch in mid-2026. Once available, sessions can be booked through Kaleida Studio’s website. Enquiries are also welcome by email, phone, or WhatsApp.
Further details on workshop schedules and registration will be announced through Kaleida Studio’s official channels, including its Instagram page.
Future Plans
Kaleida Studio plans to further develop its jewellery workshop by introducing a wider range of materials and exploring additional types of handcrafted jewellery. These future additions aim to expand the creative possibilities available to participants while continuing to support the studio’s focus on encouraging artistic expression through hands-on crafting experiences.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Kaleida Studio
Kaleida Studio is a cosy arts and craft studio located in Tai Seng, Singapore. Created as a welcoming space for creative exploration, the studio encourages individuals of all skill levels to experiment with different materials and rediscover the satisfaction of making things by hand.
Through hands-on workshops, DIY kits, and a curated selection of crafting materials, Kaleida Studio provides opportunities for people to explore a variety of artistic mediums in a relaxed and supportive environment. The studio aims to inspire creativity, encourage personal expression, and make the experience of creating accessible to everyone.
Full oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are not expected to return before the first or second quarter of 2027, even if the Middle East conflict were to end immediately, ADNOC chief Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has said, signalling that the energy shock from the Iran war could outlast any diplomatic settlement by many months. The warning from the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai OHO Sunshine has launched GlobeEar smart glasses as competition intensifies in AI-enabled eyewear, combining real-time translation, Bluetooth audio and everyday lens protection in a single lightweight frame aimed at travellers, commuters and multilingual users. The Cheyenne, Wyoming-based smart eyewear brand is positioning GlobeEar as a daily-use device rather than a specialist gadget. The glasses combine Bluetooth 5.2 open-ear audio, hands-free calling, an AI […]
Britain’s jobs market weakened in April as employers cut back on permanent recruitment while turning to temporary staff to manage uncertainty, rising business costs and disruption linked to the Iran conflict. Permanent staff placements fell at the sharpest pace since January, reversing part of the improvement seen earlier in the year. The permanent placements index dropped to 47.5 in April from 49.2 in March, staying below the […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi has moved to expand its pool of UAE National educators through a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge and Aldar, setting a formal public-private route for Emiratisation across private school teaching and leadership roles. The agreement, signed on 20 May 2026, establishes a structured talent development roadmap designed to increase UAE National representation ninefold across key […]
Shiba Inu is drawing fresh attention from crypto traders after a market analyst said the meme token could enter a high-momentum breakout phase if it clears a long-running resistance structure that has capped its valuation since late 2024. The token was trading near $0.000006 on Friday, with a market value of roughly $3.4 billion and a circulating supply of more than 589 trillion SHIB. The latest technical […]
Core42 has secured $550 million in structured trade finance from HSBC to accelerate artificial intelligence cloud and compute deployments across the United States and Europe, strengthening the Abu Dhabi group’s position in the global race to build large-scale AI infrastructure. The financing, arranged through two non-equity dilutive facilities, gives the G42 company additional capital without requiring a share sale. The first facility, worth $240 million, was completed […]
SpaceX is pitching its planned public listing as a bet on artificial intelligence as much as rockets, telling prospective investors that AI services could open a $26.5 trillion market opportunity and transform the company from a launch-and-satellite operator into a global computing platform. The shift marks a striking turn for Elon Musk’s space company as it prepares for what could become the largest stock-market debut on record. […]
DipCoin has completed its first year on the Sui blockchain, seeking to strengthen its position in decentralised multi-asset trading after building its platform around perpetual contracts, self-custody, transparency and faster execution. Launched on May 21, 2025, the Sui-based decentralised exchange has used its first anniversary to highlight what it describes as a zero-incident operating record, a key claim in a market where security failures, liquidity shocks and […]
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 May 2026 – Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC-HCMC), in collaboration with Gemadept Corporation and the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, today hosted a high-level forum to officially launch the International Maritime Financial Ecosystem (IMFE) — one of the four strategic pillars of VIFC-HCMC.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Huan (left), Vice Chairman of VIFC-HCMC, and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, General Director of Gemadept Corporation, at the official launch ceremony of the International Maritime Financial Ecosystem (IMFE) in Ho Chi Minh City.
The forum, themed “Developing the International Maritime Financial Ecosystem within the Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City,” took place at the VIFC-HCMC Building, 08 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, and drew more than 100 senior delegates. Attendees included leaders from central ministries and agencies, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, representatives from coastal provinces (Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang), domestic and international financial institutions, port and logistics enterprises, and international organisations.
The day’s agenda focused on three headline moments: a strategic industry report by Roland Berger, titled “Vietnam Maritime Industry: A Strategic Opportunity for Breakthrough Growth,” which benchmarked leading global maritime financial hubs and mapped a roadmap to raise Vietnam’s domestic value retention from the current 4–5% to 15% by 2035; the official launch ceremony of the IMFE initiative within VIFC-HCMC; and a memorandum of understanding signed between VIFC-HCMC and Gemadept Corporation, owner and operator of Gemalink International Port in Cai Mep – Thi Vai, formalising Gemadept’s role as a founding lead of the initiative. The forum also saw the introduction of the first maritime financial products and initiatives to be developed within the VIFC-HCMC framework.
A seaport system of growing global weight
The ambition behind IMFE is grounded in the rapid rise of southern Vietnam’s port infrastructure. Ho Chi Minh City is home to Cat Lai Port — ranked among the world’s top 21, handling approximately 7.5 million TEUs annually — and Gemalink International Port in Cai Mep – Thi Vai, capable of receiving ultra-large container vessels. These existing assets are set to be joined by the Can Gio International Transshipment Port, a 571-hectare project with a projected capacity of 17 million TEUs per year, further deepening the city’s integration into global logistics and trade networks.
In 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City port system handled over 24 million TEUs, ranking 8th globally according to Lloyd’s List, and was associated with approximately USD 200 billion in import-export turnover, accounting for around 20% of Vietnam’s total trade value. Surrounding this physical infrastructure, a broad ecosystem of supporting services has expanded significantly, spanning cargo handling, warehousing, freight forwarding, customs clearance, and supply chain management. The total annual trade transaction value flowing through the region — encompassing goods, logistics services, and related financial demand – is estimated at over USD 1 trillion.
The financial gap: billions flowing through offshore centers
However, the scale of this physical activity stands in sharp contrast to the financial value Vietnam currently retains. Despite enormous cargo volumes, most high-value maritime financial services generating the largest profit margin including trade finance, ship financing, marine insurance and reinsurance, international payments, and logistics risk management continue to flow through developed offshore maritime financial centers. Vietnam currently captures only around 4–5% of these financial transaction values domestically, leaving an estimated USD 6–8 billion in potential value accessible but unrealised. To complete the maritime value chain and retain these economic benefits onshore, Vietnam must evolve beyond purely physical cargo transshipment. The gradual development of a comprehensive maritime financial ecosystem is an essential and inevitable strategic step.
IMFE: from vision to institutional launch
Against this backdrop, the IMFE initiative took shape as a core component of VIFC-HCMC, with Gemadept Corporation serving as a founding lead. The initiative was first introduced on September 12, 2025, during the symposium “Ho Chi Minh City – A Modern, High-End, High-Value Service Hub,” where Gemadept presented a strategic vision of integrating Vietnam’s deep-sea port infrastructure with a dedicated maritime financial ecosystem. To materialise that vision, the corporation cooperates with the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, leading to its official designation as a Strategic Member of VIFC-HCMC on February 11, 2026, at the Center’s Launching Ceremony. Today, as the operator of Gemalink — a major deep-sea gateway at Cai Mep – Thi Vai — Gemadept is focused on channeling high-value capital flows and advanced financial services directly into Ho Chi Minh City’s real maritime economy.
With this foundation in place, today’s forum pursues three concrete objectives: to officially launch the IMFE as a strategic platform designed to localise maritime financial capital and services, laying the groundwork for Ho Chi Minh City to emerge as one of the region’s leading maritime hubs; to connect financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, shipping lines, logistics enterprises, and international organisations within an integrated ecosystem, bringing the port-to-finance model to life in Vietnam; and to introduce the first maritime financial products and initiatives, creating mechanisms for Vietnamese enterprises to access financing, insurance, and risk management tools domestically rather than through foreign intermediaries.
“Ports such as Can Gio and Cai Mep-Thi Vai are transshipment hubs for cargo flows — VIFC-HCMC must become the transshipment hub for capital flows serving Vietnam’s maritime economy,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Huan, Vice Chairman of VIFC-HCMC.
Hashtag: #VIFC
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
By Nitya Chakraborty The joint declaration made by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin after their summit in Beijing on May 20 has major ramifications on the global geopolitics in the context of the present unilateral actions of the U.S. President Donald Trump including the launching of war against Iran […]