News related to
Rankings

As the world’s first humanoid robot marathon event brand, this competition has reached new heights in terms of scale, technological innovation, and organizational requirements. Therefore, the drill was conducted to drive a further upgrade in the quality of event preparations.

In terms of scale, the number of participating teams for this year has grown by nearly five times compared to last year, exceeding 100 teams. Covering two major categories—autonomous navigation and remote control—with autonomous teams accounting for nearly 40%, the number of participants, types of technology, and scope of testing have all reached historic highs. Consequently, full-process drills are required to solidify operational links, hone team coordination, and ensure the efficient operation of the event.

Regarding technological innovation, the first large-scale application of autonomous navigation technology has become a major highlight and challenge. In complex and changing environments, robots face difficulties in perceiving and making decisions within intricate surroundings, posing huge challenges to their computing power. At the same time, long-distance running places severe tests on the robots’ endurance, specifically examining their long-range stamina and energy management capabilities. Furthermore, dynamic balance and gait control capabilities are put to the test; robots must maintain dynamic balance at all times. Especially during high-speed running or sharp turns, the requirements for adaptive gait and millisecond-level posture correction are extremely high to prevent falls caused by shifts in the center of gravity.

In terms of regulations, this year’s event has also seen systematic upgrades in five areas: stricter rules on human intervention, more scientific start and movement protocols, clearer scoring and penalty criteria, more standardized supply and equipment management, and tighter safety and emergency procedures.

Facing these numerous challenges, the main purpose of this full-process, all-element test is to conduct technical validation, process refinement, risk prevention, and standard consolidation, ensuring the official race proceeds safely, smoothly, efficiently, and in an orderly manner. This drill, adhering to the standards of “full-process, all-scenarios, and all-elements,” followed the complete official race route of 21.0975 kilometers for the first time. It followed official race timelines, track rules, and support systems, covering two categories of teams (autonomous and remote-controlled), two types of scenarios (urban main roads and eco-parks), and two major segments (technical competition and service support). Through full-chain stress testing, the organizers carried out targeted breakthrough verifications to precisely identify potential issues and optimize procedural details.

The entire event involves a full chain of operations including start-line assembly, track control, battery swapping and resupply, finish-line diversion, emergency containment, vehicle dispatch, timing and judging, and security and medical services. All these must undergo practical drills to identify risks, optimize movement lines, and unify standards. This test comprehensively inspects the stability and reliability of humanoid robot technology, laying a solid foundation for the successful hosting of the official event.

During this test, team positioning was strictly verified and orderly arranged based on technical data submitted by each team, ensuring the process was open, standardized, fair, and orderly. As a realistic pre-race simulation drill, the test focused on process refinement, problem identification, and detail optimization. Test results were for reference only and did not count towards official rankings or race results. At the same time, speed performance and operational data of the teams during the test were within the scope of verification and do not represent their level in the official competition.

Currently, the short-distance speed of robots has improved significantly, and some teams predict that their half-marathon results may approach the level of elite human athletes. As a competition that serves as an extreme test of comprehensive performance and adaptability to complex terrain, the final results are worth looking forward to. On April 19, this human-robot co-running half-marathon will officially kick off, providing more impetus for the development of the robotics industry and accelerating the transition of humanoid robots from the laboratory to real-world applications.

Hashtag: #2026BeijingE-TownHalf-MarathonandHumanoidRobotHalf-Marathon

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The company, which appears to have been incorporated in Singapore in March 2026 as SEOEXPERT PTE. LTD., is presenting itself as a performance-driven agency focused on SEO, paid advertising and social media marketing. Its public-facing claims centre on AI-assisted content publishing, competitor monitoring, campaign optimisation and lead qualification, alongside a “no long-term contracts” offer and a promise to be judged on outcomes rather than retainers alone. That message lands at a time when many smaller businesses are under pressure to justify every marketing dollar and are increasingly wary of vague promises around rankings and traffic.

The broader backdrop helps explain why such positioning may resonate. Singapore’s digital economy accounted for 18.6 per cent of gross domestic product in 2024, up from 14.9 per cent in 2019, according to the Infocomm Media Development Authority, while SME adoption of AI more than tripled in one year to 14.5 per cent in 2024. That expansion has widened the addressable market for agencies promising to help firms compete online, but it has also sharpened scrutiny of whether AI-branded services genuinely improve sales, lead quality and discoverability or merely repackage familiar tactics with new language.

SEOExpert is entering a field where established players already market many of the same ideas. Rival agencies in Singapore promote AI-assisted SEO, performance pricing, flexible contracts and proof-of-results case studies, while independent directories and agency marketplaces show a busy, fragmented sector serving everything from small retailers to larger regional brands. That means the newcomer is not inventing a category so much as trying to sharpen a proposition around trust, transparency and speed of execution. The challenge will be whether it can demonstrate that its systems produce durable gains rather than short bursts of visibility.

For SMEs, the appeal of a results-linked arrangement is obvious. Search marketing has long suffered from an information imbalance: agencies control the technical work, clients often lack the tools to assess quality, and outcomes can depend on shifting search algorithms, website health, content quality and competition in a given niche. In that environment, a promise that reduces fixed commitment can sound attractive, particularly for businesses that have previously paid monthly retainers without a clear link to revenue. Yet such offers also deserve careful reading. “Results” can mean rankings, clicks, leads or sales, and those metrics do not carry equal commercial value. A company can rise in search results without converting more customers.

The AI element also cuts both ways. Automation can help agencies monitor competitors, scale content operations and identify technical issues faster, which may lower delivery costs and shorten turnaround times. At the same time, search platforms and clients alike are becoming more alert to thin, repetitive or mechanically generated material. That raises the bar for agencies claiming proprietary tools. The real test is not whether software is involved, but whether the work improves relevance, authority and user experience in a way that survives algorithm changes and stricter expectations from search engines and AI-driven discovery platforms.

Another factor is credibility. Public records indicate the company is newly formed, which is not unusual for a startup agency but does mean prospective clients will have limited operating history to assess. Its website advertises more than 100 brands served and showcases commercial claims around measurable growth, though such statements are difficult to independently verify from public information alone. For buyers in Singapore’s SME segment, that typically shifts due diligence towards contract terms, reporting standards, client references, attribution methods and whether performance targets are clearly defined before money changes hands.

Themed “Where Miracles Happen,” the milestone event honors the pioneering spirit that has propelled generations of HKUST members to achieve remarkable feats. Officiating at the ceremony were Mr. CHAN Kwok-Ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; Mr. LUO Yonggang, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (LOCPG); and Dr. CHOI Yuk-Lin, Secretary for Education of the HKSAR Government. They were joined by HKUST Pro-Chancellor Dr. John CHAN Cho-Chak, Council Chairman Prof. Harry SHUM, Court Chairman Dr. the Honorable Andrew LIAO Cheung-Sing, and President Prof. Nancy IP to inaugurate a year of commemorative activities.

A Journey Forged with Vision and Purpose

In her welcome address, President Ip, who joined HKUST in 1993, offered a personal reflection on the University’s remarkable ascent. She witnessed its evolution into a world-class institution; a success built on academic excellence and a vibrant innovation ecosystem created from the ground up. She credited this profound transformation to the extraordinary foresight of the University’s Founding President, Prof. Chia-Wei Woo.

“From its very inception, HKUST was built on a bold and unprecedented vision: to become Hong Kong’s first research-intensive university,” President Ip shared. “Long before the Greater Bay Area concept existed, our founders, led by Prof. Woo, understood that Hong Kong’s future was inextricably linked with the region. This visionary courage saw them forge vital connections with the Chinese Mainland, laying the groundwork for what would become HKUST (Guangzhou) in 2022. Their courage, dedication, and tenacity built the unshakeable foundation on which we stand today.”

President Ip emphasized that the University’s success is measured not by rankings alone, but by its tangible impact on society. This founding DNA—to anticipate and meet societal needs with excellence—is now driving HKUST’s most ambitious chapter yet: the establishment of a new School of Medicine. “This is a transformative milestone, fulfilling a dream pursued for over three decades,” she stated. “We are deeply grateful to the HKSAR Government for its trust and partnership. Together, we will build a technologically advanced, humanistic medical school that ushers in a new era for healthcare in Hong Kong. Let us honor those who walked before us by carrying their courageous legacy into a new era of excellence.”

A Cornerstone of Hong Kong’s Global Leadership

Mr. Chan Kwok-Ki commended HKUST’s profound impact on Hong Kong’s development. “Over the past 35 years, HKUST has evolved from a bold new institution into a globally respected university, driven by visionary leadership, dedicated faculty, a continuing flow of talented students, and an enduring spirit of innovation. Its strong international rankings, vibrant start-up ecosystem, and diverse global student body demonstrate how research and education can deliver tangible societal impact,” he stated. “As Hong Kong advances its role as an international education hub, HKUST stands as a shining example of how universities can nurture global talent while supporting national development priorities. With strengths spanning artificial intelligence, science, and its planned School of Medicine, HKUST is exceptionally well-positioned to shape the future of innovation and talent development.”

Carrying a Pioneering Spirit into the Next Chapter

Prof. Harry Shum reflected on the University’s unique position. “Thirty-five years is a fascinating milestone. In human terms, it is the age of maturity, the point where youthful energy meets seasoned wisdom. And I see the same spirit alive in this institution. We still possess the curiosity and drive of our early years. But now we have the strength, the reputation, and the alumni network that only decades can build. The world is changing faster than ever before. If we are to serve the next generation as well as we have served the past, we must lead, we must innovate, and we must redefine what education can be. In this regard, HKUST is ready to open a new chapter.

“The HKSAR Government has appointed HKUST with the trust to build the third medical school in Hong Kong. We envision the University’s medical school that will bridge traditional medical curriculum with the latest technology and AI breakthroughs, will gradually revolutionize the entire medical spectrum—from diagnosis to treatment to recovery, prevention and personalized medicine. I am confident that this future-oriented medical school, which will admit its first cohort in 2028, will play an important role in educating and training a new generation of scientists and clinicians in the next 35 years and beyond.”

A Celebration of Innovation and Heritage

Reflecting the theme “Where Miracles Happen,” the ceremony showcased HKUST’s leadership in technology in a truly spectacular fashion. In a breathtaking fusion of tradition and innovation, the university’s Guangzhou campus team presented a robotic lion dance. This remarkable creation brought the classic folk art to life through advanced robotics, embodying the spirit of cultural heritage reimagined through cutting-edge engineering.

For the grand officiating ceremony, HKUST turned into an unexpected source of inspiration: humanity’s best friends. But there were no ordinary dogs. A team of robotic dogs—developed by Direct Drive Technology (an HKUST-nurtured startup), the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Cheng Kar-Shun Robotics Institute—took center stage. Engineered to navigate complex, uneven terrain and perform dangerous industrial inspections, these four-legged helpers were given a far more meaningful mission for the day: carrying the ceremonial “Miracle Balls” to the officiating guests. As robotic dogs trotted majestically onto stage bearing their precious cargo, they symbolized the University’s commitment to channeling cutting-edge research into real-world applications—and its penchant for making miracles happen.

The ceremony reached its pinnacle with a dramatic display of innovation. In a symbolic gesture of bridging past and future, a drone—generously donated by distinguished alumnus Mr. WANG Tao, Founder of DJI—soared into the venue carrying the commemorative “35th Symbol Key.” As the drone gracefully descended to deliver the key to the officiating party on stage, it signaled the formal inauguration of the anniversary celebrations.

HKUST expressed its deep gratitude to Mr. Wang for his generous donation of two of the latest drone solutions to the university. These state-of-the-art drones will serve as an inspiration for faculty and students to explore and address new challenges in the rapidly evolving low-altitude economy.

The campus itself has been transformed with a “Circle of Time” visual theme, inspired by the iconic Sundial sculpture—a symbol of the University’s enduring legacy and its continuous measurement of progress in education, research, and knowledge transfer.

A Legacy of Excellence and National Trust

Since its founding in 1991, HKUST has risen to rank among the world’s top 50 universities. This commitment to excellence is underscored by the deep trust the nation has placed in the University. Following the reorganization of two existing State Key Laboratories, HKUST has secured approval from the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish a new one, further strengthening its role in advancing cutting-edge research critical to national development.

In a major national space endeavor, HKUST is developing a multi-functional robot for the historic Chang’E-8 lunar mission, designed to operate on the lunar surface and contribute to China’s advancing space exploration capabilities. The University is also leading the development of a high-precision, point-source greenhouse gas detection instrument. This groundbreaking project is set to make history as it will become HKSAR’s first payload to China’s Tiangong Space Station aboard the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft for research and application.

Celebratory Events

A full year of celebratory activities is planned, including co-hosting Asia Universities Summit with Times Higher Education, an AI Film Festival, and joint celebrations with HKUST (Guangzhou).

Global Thought Leadership

Following the symposium held earlier this year, where multiple Nobel laureates and world-leading scholars were invited to engage with HKUST faculty, students and alumni, the University will co-host the THE Asia Universities Summit 2026 with Times Higher Education (THE) this April. The event will draw university presidents and industry leaders from around the world to Hong Kong to explore Asia’s leadership role in driving global change. HKUST will also host the China Association of Higher Education’s flagship “World University Presidents Forum” for the first time in Hong Kong.

AI and Innovation Thematic Events

HKUST will organize a series of events focused on AI, technology governance and creative culture—including an AI Film Festival—to highlight the University’s leadership and societal impact in AI.

Building the HKUST Community

The University will host joint celebrations across its Clear Water Bay and Guangzhou campuses, including a year-long blood donation drive, a marathon, a “Mixed Reality x AI” art exhibition, and more, to foster closer interaction between faculty and students from the two campuses. HKUST will also organize a grand anniversary gala dinner to celebrate with faculty, students, alumni and community leaders, alongside a digital commemorative booklet that recounts the University’s 35 years of outstanding achievements with society.

Hashtag: #HKUST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (https://hkust.edu.hk/) is a world-class university known for its innovative education, research excellence, and impactful knowledge transfer. With a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy approach, HKUST was ranked 6th in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026, 3rd in the Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2024, and 19th globally and 1st in Hong Kong in the Times Higher Education’s Impact Rankings 2025. Thirteen HKUST subjects were ranked among the world’s top 50 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, with “Data Science and Artificial Intelligence” coming in 17th worldwide and first in Hong Kong. Our graduates are highly competitive, consistently ranking among the world’s top 30 most sought-after employees. In terms of research and entrepreneurship, over 80% of our work was rated “internationally excellent” or “world leading” in the Research Assessment Exercise 2020 of the Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee. As of January 2026, HKUST members have founded over 1,900 active start-ups, including 10 Unicorns and 21 exits (IPO or M&A).

• A native world model built from the ground up for embodied intelligence, Kairos 3.0-4B delivers exceptional physics-consistent deep understanding and cross-embodiment generalization, enabling a single “brain” to drive robots of multiple form factors.

• Kairos 3.0-4B leverages a unified “multi-modal understanding-generation-prediction” architecture for physical-level deep understanding, long-horizon dynamic interaction, precise action control, and long-horizon interaction — 7-minute coherent interaction videos set a new industry benchmark.
• As a lightweight 4B-parameter model, Kairos 3.0-4B outperforms mainstream embodied world models while delivering industry-leading inference efficiency. It achieves real-time edge generation on the THOR platform with a1:1.5 ratio of generation time to video duration, leading performance across both cloud and edge environments.

• Kairos 3.0-4B achieves top-ranking accuracy across multiple authoritative benchmarks. Furthermore, leveraging model capabilities and inference tooling, its inference speed is 72 times faster than Cosmos 2.5, setting a new global performance record for embodied world models.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 March 2026 – ACE ROBOTICS announced the open-source release of Kairos 3.0-4B, the industry’s first native world model for embodied intelligence to realize unified “multi-modal understanding-generation-prediction” within a single architecture. As the technical cornerstone of the company’s “Human-Centric” ACE Embodied Intelligence R&D Paradigm, Kairos 3.0-4B is designed from the ground up for real-world robotic operation — integrating physical laws, human behavior, and real robot actions to deliver physics-consistent deep understanding of the real world.

The prevailing approach to embodied world models has largely involved retrofitting general-purpose large language or vision models with motion interfaces. Kairos 3.0-4B takes a fundamentally different path. Rather than appending motion capabilities onto existing model architectures, it is built from the architectural level around the fundamental physical and causal laws that govern real-world environments, constructing a unified world-understanding framework capable of cross-embodiment generalization. By embedding causal reasoning chains directly into its decision-making process, the model transcends behavioral imitation and achieves what ACE ROBOTICS defines as physical-level deep understanding — enabling robots to not only know what to do, but to understand why. Its core breakthrough lies in the deep integration of three categories of data: real robot interaction data, structured human behavioral data, and chain-of-thought reasoning data, effectively breaking down multi-source data barriers and significantly improving the reuse efficiency of real-world data.

A landmark achievement of this release is Kairos 3.0-4B’s real-time edge deployment capability. Deployed on the NVIDIA Jetson Thor T5000 platform at 517 TFLOPs, it is the world’s first embodied world model to achieve real-time generation on edge hardware — achieving a 1.5x faster-than-real-time generation speed on the THOR platform — and the first capable of directly driving physical robot bodies for real-world task execution through native edge deployment. The model issues full-body control commands spanning upper limbs, fingers, and lower limbs without intermediate control layers, enabling robots to move from “capable of performing” to genuinely “capable of working.”

Kairos 3.0-4B also delivers a breakthrough in long-horizon interaction. By combining its unified architecture with Agent-based hierarchical planning and a self-reflective iterative optimization mechanism, the model generates coherent future-state predictions up to 7 minutes in length while maintaining full scene coherence and physical fidelity throughout — setting a new industry benchmark for long-horizon embodied interaction and opening new pathways for embodied intelligence training and deployment.

On the A800 GPU benchmark, Kairos 3.0-4B’s inference speed surpasses NVIDIA Cosmos 2.5 by 72 times, setting a new global performance record for embodied world models. This performance is delivered with a lightweight footprint of just 4B parameters and 23.5GB of VRAM — a fraction of Cosmos 2.5’s 70.2GB requirement — demonstrating that efficiency and capability need not be in tension and fundamentally challenging the assumption that larger parameters are a prerequisite for superior performance. The model has also achieved top rankings across three authoritative global benchmarks: PAI-Bench-robot, co-developed by Georgia Tech and CMU; WorldModelBench-robot TI2V, introduced at CVPR 2025; and NVIDIA GEAR Lab’s DreamGen Bench, outperforming all evaluated models on physical consistency and instruction-following metrics.

Supporting seamless cross-embodiment deployment across single-arm, dual-arm, and dexterous hand configurations with no additional per-embodiment training required, Kairos 3.0-4B is compatible with major hardware platforms including Agilex PIPER, Unitree G1, and Galaxy G1. Kairos 3.0-4B is now available on Github (https://github.com/kairos-agi/kairos-sensenova) and Hugging Face (https://huggingface.co/kairos-agi/kairos-sensenova-common).

Hashtag: #ACEROBOTICS

https://www.linkedin.com/company/acerobotics/posts/?feedView=all&viewAsMember=true｜
https://x.com/ace_robotics

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About ACE ROBOTICS – Equipping robots with intelligent “brains” and engaging “souls”

ACE ROBOTICS is a pioneering robotics company dedicated to advancing the field of embodied intelligence. Founded by SenseTime co-founder Wang Xiaogang, the company has brought together a team of young, globally scarce AI scientists and industry experts to focus on embodied intelligence. Through breakthrough technological innovations and deep insights into embodied intelligence scenarios, we aim to empower robots with the ability to autonomously understand and explore the physical world, thereby accelerating their commercial implementation.

The company pioneered the ACE R&D paradigm and built a vision-based “environmental data engine, real-world cognition, embodied interaction generalization” technology chain. Using full spatiotemporal and multi-perspective environmental capture as its engine, along with Kairos 3.0 – China’s first open-source and commercially applicable world model – plus the Embodied Foundation Model as its technical backbone, ACE ROBOTICS addresses core industry challenges such as data scarcity, common sense gaps, poor generalization, and limited versatility. Simultaneously, the company unveiled its flagship A1 Embodied Super Brain Module, accelerating the large-scale commercial deployment of embodied intelligence across diverse scenarios.

ACE ROBOTICS is both a technology pioneer and an ecosystem builder. Through strategic cooperation with top hardware manufacturers, cloud service providers, and vertical scenario partners, we have broken through the “model-hardware-scenario” industrial deadlock, providing standardized and customized solutions that are driving the development of China’s embodied intelligence industry.

This year’s ranking honors 500 outstanding companies that are elevating the Asia-Pacific region’s role on the global economic map under the title ASIA-PACIFIC’S BEST COMPANIES OF 2026. Vingroup achieved a total score of 89.68, ranking 57th. Vinhomes ranked 352nd with a score of 80.69.

The results are based on a rigorous and transparent evaluation process conducted by TIME in collaboration with Statista. The assessment draws on comprehensive data collection and in-depth analysis across three key criteria: Financial Performance, Sustainability Transparency (ESG), and Employee Satisfaction.

Under the Financial Performance criterion, Vingroup received high recognition from TIME, recording consolidated net revenue of VND 332.77 trillion in 2025, up 76% year-on-year, the highest in the Group’s history. This exceptional performance was driven by the simultaneous launch of large-scale real estate mega-projects nationwide, alongside strong breakthroughs in its technology and industrial segments.

Vinhomes reported consolidated net revenue of VND 154.102 trillion in 2025. Its total consolidated net revenue (adjusted) reached VND 183.923 trillion, while consolidated profit after tax amounted to VND 42.111 trillion, representing year-on-year increases of 30% and 20%, respectively, compared to 2024. These figures not only exceeded business targets but also set new records, securing Vinhomes’ place among the region’s most prestigious Top 500 companies.

Under Sustainability Transparency (ESG), Vingroup continued to demonstrate meaningful contributions across environmental, governance, and social dimensions. ESG principles are integrated across all of the Group’s operations, from advancing green industrial development and building a comprehensive electric vehicle ecosystem centered on VinFast, to developing Vinhomes’ large-scale urban projects based on sustainable planning standards from inception.

A standout example is Vinhomes’ mega-project, Vinhomes Green Paradise, located in Can Gio. The project aims to achieve international certifications including BREEAM Communities and ISO 37122. Beyond merely adhering to global standards, Vinhomes Green Paradise pioneers an upgraded ESG++ urban model built upon five pillars: Environment – Social – Governance – Regeneration – Climate Change Adaptation. This ESG++ framework is set to become the benchmark for all future Vinhomes developments.

With a forward-looking vision, Vinhomes Green Paradise has also become the first Official Participant in the “7 Wonders of Future Cities” campaign initiated by New7Wonders, affirming its global aspiration in shaping a model city of the future.

Under the Employee Satisfaction criterion, Vingroup ranked 55th globally, while Vinhomes placed 335th, reflecting a dynamic working environment that fosters creativity, dedication, and continuous personal development.

In Vietnam, Vingroup and Vinhomes have consistently led national rankings of “Best Workplaces” announced by independent organizations, reinforcing their human capital strategy as a core foundation for sustainable, long-term growth.

This marks the third consecutive year that Vingroup and its subsidiaries have been honored by TIME in prestigious global rankings. Previously, VinFast was named among the world’s Most Influential Companies 2024 and included in ASIA-PACIFIC’S BEST COMPANIES OF 2025. Also in 2025, Vingroup became the first and only Vietnamese company to be honored among the World’s Best Companies 2025.

The continued recognition of Vingroup and its ecosystem companies by TIME underscores the rising strength and expanding global influence of Vietnamese enterprises.

TIME, headquartered in New York, USA, is one of the world’s most respected publications, with a history spanning 103 years and a broad international presence. Its annual rankings are widely regarded for their objectivity, rigorous evaluation methodology, and comprehensive criteria, earning strong credibility within the global business community.

Hashtag: #Vingroup #Vinhomes

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• “Geopolitical Volatility” is a top five current and future risk, highlighting the growing instability across the region
• 83 Percent of Firms Report Rising Insurable Risk Costs

TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 February 2026 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, has released the Japan findings of its 2025 Global Risk Management Survey. The survey reveals that Japanese businesses are navigating a complex landscape marked by persistent cyber threats, supply chain disruptions and weather/natural disasters. The survey, which gathered insights from nearly 3,000 risk managers, C-suite leaders and executives across 63 countries, highlights the unique risks Japan businesses are facing amid global disruption.

Japan’s Top Risks:

“Cyber Attacks/Data Breach” remains the top risk for Japanese businesses, consistent with global trends. “Supply chain or distribution failure” ranks second, as extreme weather events and mounting geopolitical volatility including shifting trade policies force companies to reassess their supply chains. In addition, “Product Liability/Recall” and “Exchange Rate Fluctuation” pose significant risks, reflecting the country’s manufacturing strength and exposure to global market volatility. Notably, 63.6 percent of Japanese respondents reported losses due to product liability or recall issues and 47.6 percent cited losses from exchange rate fluctuations.

Tatsuya Yamamoto, CEO of Japan at Aon, said, “Japanese organisations are operating in an environment of unprecedented complexity. Cyber, weather and geopolitical risks continue to be acute challenges for Japan businesses, underscoring the need for robust risk management frameworks and agile strategies. As market trends shift and competition intensifies, vigilance and adaptability will be key. The interconnectedness of risks – where a cyber attack can disrupt supply chains or geopolitical volatility can trigger regulatory changes – demands a holistic, proactive approach to resilience.”

2025 Top 10 Business Risks in Japan

1. Cyber Attacks/Data Breach
2. Supply Chain or Distribution Failure
3. Weather/Natural Disasters
4. Geopolitical Volatility
5. Business Interruption
6. Economic Slowdown/Slow Recovery
7. Exchange Rate Fluctuation
8. Commodity Price Risk/Scarcity of Materials
9. Product Liability/Recall
10. Failure to Attract or Retain Top Talent

Risk Management: Formalisation and Focus on Insurable Risks

Japanese organisations demonstrate a strong commitment to risk management, with 74.7 percent having a formal risk management and insurance department, compared to 68.4 percent globally. Additionally, 75.3 percent measure the total cost of insurable risk and 83.3 percent report that these costs are increasing. While risk awareness is rising, most organisations have yet to quantify their exposures or leverage advanced analytics.

Japanese Businesses Risk Management Assessments for Top Three Risks

For “Cyber Attacks/Data Breaches”:

1. 27.2 percent have assessed the risk
2. 12.6 percent have developed continuity plans
3. 22.3 Percent have risk management plans

For “Supply Chain or Distribution Failure”:

1. 25 percent have assessed the risk
2. 20 percent have developed continuity plans
3. 26.7 Percent have risk management plans

For “Weather/Natural Disasters”:

1. 24.1 percent have assessed the risk
2. 22.4 percent have developed continuity plans
3. 13.8 percent have risk management plans

Future Risks: Rapidly Changing Market Trends and Geopolitical Volatility

Looking ahead, Japanese organisations expect “Weather/Natural Disasters” and “Geopolitical Volatility” to remain critical risks, alongside “Rapidly Changing Market Trends,” which is more prominent in Japan than globally. This highlights the country’s exposure to climate events and evolving consumer preferences.

Japan’s Top Five Future Business Risks by 2028:

1. Cyber Attacks/Data Breach
2. Weather/Natural Disasters
3. Geopolitical Volatility
4. Rapidly Changing Market Trends
5. Increasing Competition

Shinichi Kandatsu, head of Commercial Risk Solutions for Japan at Aon, said, “Cyber and weather-related risks continue to lead the rankings as top concerns for Japanese businesses today and in the future, with geopolitical volatility also ranking among the top five risks across both periods. This trend reflects the growing instability across the region, with implications for supply chains, regulatory environments and financial performance. In today’s fast-moving market, leveraging advanced data analytics is essential for businesses to anticipate emerging risks, optimise risk capital and build resilience. The findings from Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey provide Japanese businesses with actionable information to benchmark their risk strategies and identify areas for improvement.”

To access the full report and explore how Aon is helping clients navigate today’s disruption dynamic, visit Global Risk Management Survey Japan

Hashtag: #Aon

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues provide clients in over 120 countries with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that help protect and grow their businesses.

Follow Aon on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram. Stay up-to-date by visiting Aon’s newsroom and sign up for news alerts here.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this document is solely for information purposes, for general guidance only and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although Aon endeavours to provide accurate and timely information and uses sources that it considers reliable, the firm does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of any content of this document and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. There can be no guarantee that the information contained in this document will remain accurate as on the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or entity should make decisions or act based solely on the information contained herein without appropriate professional advice and targeted research.

The event was officiated by Prof. Timothy TONG, Chairman of the Research Grants Council (RGC); Mr Osher GILINSKY, Vice President for Asia Pacific, Academia and Government, Clarivate; and Prof. Christopher CHAO, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, who delivered opening remarks.

Celebrating PolyU’s exceptional research achievements and their far-reaching impacts on society, the Nation and the world, Prof. Tong stated, “The PolyU Research Excellence Report vividly demonstrates its commitment to sustainable development, reflecting the dedication and innovation of its faculty, researchers and students.” Prof. Tong commended PolyU for its effective use of research resources, noting the significant advancements in AI-driven medical breakthroughs, climate solutions and sustainability. He further emphasised the RGC’s ongoing commitment to supporting research that addresses major societal challenges, exemplified by initiatives such as the Research Impact Fund. Additionally, he reaffirmed the RGC’s partnership with universities in strengthening Hong Kong’s status as a global knowledge hub.

Recognising PolyU’s outstanding global research performance, Mr Gilinsky elaborated, “In recent years, PolyU has demonstrated high research productivity in high quality, driving for high impact for the society. PolyU was granted 1,020 patents between 2020 and 2024, the second highest among UGC-funded universities. To enhance research translation, PolyU has formed partnerships with companies including NVIDIA, Huawei and Alibaba. These achievements illustrate PolyU’s international connectivity, diverse disciplinary strengths and strong culture of research translation. Leveraging its strength with the Chinese Mainland resources, PolyU is also accelerating knowledge transfer and identifying emerging areas for discovery, particularly in AI-powered healthcare, sustainable engineering, advanced manufacturing and smart city development—fields where it aims for global leadership.”

Prof. Chao emphasised, “The report is a testament to years of dedicated effort, groundbreaking innovation and the unwavering commitment of the PolyU academic community. In 2025, we are proud to have 21 PolyU scholars named Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, while 428 rank among Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists—placing PolyU second among Hong Kong tertiary institutions. Our Strategic Plan 2025/26 – 2030/31, themed ‘Unite to Meet Challenges, Innovate to Benefit Society,’ will further empower PolyU to deliver even more transformative contributions to society.”

Clarivate has been forging continuous collaborations with numerous institutions, including co-authoring the report series The impact of research undertaken by universities in Hong Kong with UGC in 2022. Produced by Clarivate using authoritative data from the Web of Science, the PolyU Research Excellence Report delivers a comprehensive assessment of the University’s overall research performance and achievements, highlighting PolyU’s global leadership in engineering, advancements in powering medical research with emerging AI technologies, and unique contributions to the hospitality, fashion and textile, design and art disciplines that distinguish the University on the global stage.

PolyU’s strengths are exemplified by its leadership in Hong Kong’s research output growth, achieving the highest number of publications among UGC‑funded universities in 2024. Nearly 40% of its outputs are internationally co-authored, while 27% involve QS Top 50 university partners. The quality and impact of the University’s research output are further evidenced by its strong disciplinary performance. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, seven PolyU disciplines rank in the global Top 30, while, overall, 26 disciplines are listed among the world’s Top 100, underscoring the breadth and depth of the University’s academic excellence across multiple fields.

Following the report launch, the Impact Forum featured a high-level panel discussion on “Innovations and Challenges in Research Evaluation”. The discussion facilitated insightful exchanges between the panel and attendees on evolving approaches to research assessment, the importance of measuring societal impact and strategies for fostering cross-institutional collaboration.

Hashtag: #PolyU #Clarivate #ResearchOutput #AIMedical #Engineering #HongKong

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

As a lead candidate under Immuno Cure’s patented “PD-1-Enhanced DNA Vaccine Technology Platform”, ICVAX aims to achieve sustained, immune-mediated HIV-1 virological control without the need of antiretroviral therapy. Following the successful first-in-human ICVAX Phase I clinical trial in Shenzhen that showed exceptional safety and immunogenicity profiles, this clinical study will explore the safety and immunogenicity of ICVAX in HIV-infected volunteers in Hong Kong, to be administered by three distinct delivery systems. This comparative approach will provide essential data on the optimal delivery method for ICVAX, and hence potentially identifying the most effective, patient-friendly and scalable option for enhancing immunotherapeutic responses in people living with HIV.

The clinical study will be conducted at Prince of Wales Hospital and will be led by Dr Grace LUI, Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at CUHK Medicine’s Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, as the Principal Investigator. This is a randomized clinical study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of ICVAX in a total of 22 HIV-infected volunteers using three delivery systems: Teresa-EPT-1 electroporation device, PharmaJet’s Tropis, a WHO pre-qualified needle-free injection system, and PapiVax’s TriGrid EP device.

This study has been granted ΗΚ$4.2 million funding under the Public Sector Trial Scheme of the Innovation and Technology Fund of the HKSAR Government (project reference number: UTT/002/23GM). Professor Zhiwei CHEN, Director of the HKU AIDS Institute and Principal Scientific Advisor of Immuno Cure, serves as the Project Coordinator for this funding. This study is also partially supported by Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) of the Research Grants Council under the University Grants Committee of the Education Bureau (project reference number: T11-702/24-N).

“This Phase I clinical study is an important landmark, being the first evaluation of ICVAX in Hong Kong volunteers and incorporating multiple innovative delivery technologies,” said Dr Grace LUI. “By testing these devices, we aim to optimize safety, immunogenicity, and patient experience for this promising HIV therapeutic DNA vaccine candidate.”

“ICVAX is built on the innovative PD-1-Enhanced DNA vaccine technology invented and developed locally at the HKU,” said Professor Zhiwei CHEN. “This study will help optimize delivery of ICVAX, paving the way for broader international deployment.”

“The launch of this clinical study is a major milestone of vaccine development for Immuno Cure,” said Dr Xia JIN, CEO of Immuno Cure. “By testing ICVAX for the first time in Hong Kong and comparing three innovative delivery devices this study not only advances our understanding of the performance of our DNA medicines, but also significantly supports the global commercialization of ICVAX and our other DNA medicines. Immuno Cure is committed to leading innovation in immunotherapy to combat infectious diseases and cancers.”

Hashtag: #ImmunoCure

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Immuno Cure

Immuno Cure is a clinical stage biotechnology group based in the Hong Kong Science Park, focusing on research and development of innovative DNA medicines and antibody immunotherapies to fight against cancers, inflammatory and infectious diseases based on its patented PD-1-enhanced DNA Vaccine Platform and Anti-Δ42PD1 Antibody Platform

To learn more about Immuno Cure, please visit http://www.immunocure.hk.

About CUHK Medicine

Established in 1981, CU Medicine has achieved international recognition in teaching, research, and clinical practice and is the youngest medical school ranked among the world’s top 25 in many global rankings. In the “Best Global Universities Subject Rankings 2025-26” by U.S. News and World Report, its “Gastroenterology and Hepatology”, “Endocrinology and Metabolism” and “Clinical Medicine” programmes rank 1st in Asia, while Gastroenterology and Hepatology claims 2nd globally.

The Faculty comprises 14 clinical departments and five schools, delivering a world-class environment for teaching and research with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and international collaboration. To date, it has cultivated over 6,000 medical graduates who are making an impact across local and global healthcare systems. The Faculty is dedicated to driving innovation by translating groundbreaking research into real-world clinical applications. Its contributions have reshaped medicine — evidenced by the filing of 3,000 patents, strategic patent acquisitions, and the establishment of more than 20 start-ups. Its pioneering research has not only rewritten international clinical guidelines but also revolutionised the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of numerous diseases.

To learn more about CU Medicine, please visit http://www.med.cuhk.edu.hk.

About HKU AIDS Institute

HKU AIDS Institute was established in November 2007 to take HKU in a new strategic direction in fighting this global epidemic and help to make it a leader in the region in AIDS research, education and prevention. Scientists at the AIDS Institute are fully committed to conducting basic and applied research that facilitates the understanding of AIDS pathogenesis and the development of effective AIDS vaccines. Currently, the Institute is leading the Hong Kong Theme-based Research Scheme entitled “Potentiating Host Immunity for HIV-1 Functional Cure”.

To learn more about HKU and AIDS Institute of HKU, please visit https://www.hku.hk/ and https://www.med.hku.hk/aidsinst/.

About BAY TRIAL

BAY TRIAL is a key initiative in implementing the “Notice of the State Council on Issuing the Development Plan for the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone” (State Council [2023] No. 12). It serves as strong support for Shenzhen’s development as an international science and technology innovation centre and for promoting the high-quality development of the biopharmaceutical industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Located in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation Zone, BAY TRIAL leverages the zone’s unique geographical and policy advantages to integrate clinical trial innovation resources across the GBA, deepen Shenzhen-Hong Kong science and technology collaboration, and establish a one-stop clinical trial platform.

To learn more about BAY TRIAL, please visit: https://baytrial.smart.org.cn/about/index.html