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The closed-door session, hosted by Khalifa University of Science and Technology with Institute of Energy Economics Japan, reviewed progress under a multi-year framework that links laboratory research to commercial deployment. Participants focused on aligning research priorities with national transition goals in the United Arab Emirates and Japan while ensuring that projects move beyond pilot stages into scaled industrial use.

University officials said the meeting sharpened governance around joint programmes that span hydrogen value chains, grid resilience, carbon management and next-generation manufacturing. The steering board assessed ongoing work on hydrogen carriers and utilisation pathways, including ammonia and synthetic fuels, alongside studies on carbon capture, utilisation and storage that integrate process design with life-cycle analysis. Industry representatives pressed for faster timelines and clearer pathways to demonstration, citing capital discipline and the need for predictable policy signals.

Energy systems dominated the agenda as both countries seek to balance security, affordability and emissions goals. Japan’s import-dependent energy mix and the UAE’s role as a major producer and exporter create complementary incentives for collaboration, delegates noted. Research teams presented updates on high-efficiency electrolysers, advanced catalysts and thermal management, with an emphasis on reducing costs and improving durability under desert and maritime operating conditions.

Another thread centred on digitalisation and artificial intelligence in energy operations. Joint projects are examining how data-driven optimisation can cut losses across generation, storage and transmission, and how digital twins can accelerate plant design and maintenance. Academic leaders argued that co-developed datasets and shared testbeds are essential to attract industrial partners and ensure interoperability across markets.

Advanced materials and manufacturing featured prominently, reflecting interest from automotive, aerospace and heavy-industry partners. Researchers outlined progress in lightweight alloys, composites and coatings designed to withstand extreme temperatures while lowering energy intensity. Industry participants flagged workforce readiness as a bottleneck, urging expanded exchange programmes and co-supervised doctoral tracks to build skills that translate quickly to factory floors.

The steering board also reviewed funding structures and intellectual property frameworks. Both sides reaffirmed commitments to balanced IP arrangements that protect proprietary know-how while enabling publication and talent development. Officials highlighted the importance of predictable co-funding cycles to keep multi-year research teams intact and to de-risk private investment in demonstration assets.

Abu Dhabi’s role as host underscored the emirate’s ambition to serve as a convening hub for applied research and industrial partnerships. Delegates toured university laboratories and pilot facilities to evaluate readiness for scale-up, with particular attention to safety standards and integration with industrial sites. Discussions touched on regulatory alignment and standards development, areas seen as critical to shortening time-to-market for cross-border technologies.

Japanese participants emphasised the value of long-term academic partnerships in sustaining innovation during market cycles. They pointed to the need for rigorous techno-economic assessments to guide policy and investment decisions, and for transparent metrics to track emissions impacts across supply chains. UAE counterparts highlighted the opportunity to test solutions at scale and under demanding conditions, offering feedback loops that can refine designs before global deployment.

Beyond energy, the meeting explored collaboration in water-energy nexus research, climate-resilient infrastructure and systems engineering for smart cities. Presentations examined desalination efficiency, waste-to-value pathways and the integration of distributed resources, reflecting broader industrial interests in sustainability and circularity.

Football Matchday Isn’t Always in a Stadium – In Malaysia, It’s at the Guinness Clubhouse

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – In Malaysia, football fans are experiencing matchday a little differently this Premier League season. With kick-offs often taking place after midnight – sometimes as late as 1am or 3am – following a match has become a late-night commitment rather than a quick night out.

Introduced by Guinness, the official beer of the Premier League, Guinness Clubhouse is a football-themed experience created earlier this season to bring fans together around the rituals of matchday, not in a stadium or a pub, but in a shared, home-style setting designed for watching the game together when most places have closed.

Set to run through February 2026, Guinness Clubhouse reflects a broader shift in how football is experienced globally, particularly in countries where fans follow the game across time zones. Since its launch in November 2025, every weekend match night has been fully booked until February, highlighting strong demand for shared matchday experiences built around atmosphere, connection, and togetherness.

Inside Guinness Clubhouse

Hashtag: #guinnessclubhouse #GuinnessMY #ALovelyDayForGuinness

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About Heineken Malaysia Berhad

HEINEKEN Malaysia is one of the leading brewers in the country with its portfolio of iconic international brands.

The Company brews, markets and distributes:

• The World’s No. 1 international premium beer Heineken®
• The World-acclaimed iconic Asian beer Tiger Beer
• The World’s No. 1 stout Guinness
• The premium wheat beer born in the Alps Edelweiss
• And many more. Visit www.heinekenmalaysia.com for a full overview of our portfolio

HEINEKEN Malaysia advocates responsible consumption through its Enjoy Responsibly and When Your Drive, Never Drink campaigns. HEINEKEN Malaysia’s corporate responsibility initiatives are carried out by its corporate responsibility arm, SPARK Foundation, focusing on environment and community partnerships.

Listed on the Bursa Malaysia Main Market, the principal shareholder of HEINEKEN Malaysia is GAPL Pte Ltd headquartered in Singapore. GAPL Pte Ltd is 100% owned by Heineken N.V. For more information, please visit: www.heinekenmalaysia.com.

Accordingly, VinFast has signed strategic MoUs with its first partners in Indonesia, including K3, Citra Abadi Sedaya, PT Bevos Auto Mandiri, PT Sapta Jaya, MotorArt, PT Sinergies Dua Kawan, and PT HINU. These partners have long-standing experience in the distribution of automobiles and motorcycles, strong professional operational capabilities, deep market understanding, and the ability to rapidly deploy operations in line with VinFast’s standards.

VinFast will begin rolling out its distribution network in the Jabodetabek area — Indonesia’s largest economic and urban center — from the second quarter of 2026, with plans to expand to other regions nationwide.

In Indonesia, VinFast plans to introduce a portfolio of battery-swapping e-scooters, including VinFast Evo, VinFast Feliz II, VinFast Flazz and VinFast Viper, alongside additional new models to be launched in due course. The product lineup has been carefully engineered and calibrated to suit Indonesia’s tropical climate, dense urban traffic conditions, and everyday commuting patterns.

Throughout 2026, VinFast aims to further expand its footprint to hundreds of authorized dealerships and service workshops nationwide. The Company’s development strategy in Indonesia is designed as an integrated ecosystem, combining retail and after-sales networks, financing solutions, charging and battery-swapping infrastructure through cooperation with V-Green, and partnerships with leading financial institutions.

Prior to this announcement, VinFast had unveiled its strategy to internationalize its electric two-wheeler business and signed agreements with dealers in the Philippines. According to its roadmap, the Company will accelerate expansion across five priority markets in 2026, namely the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Thailand, and Malaysia. These countries represent high-growth economies with substantial urban mobility demand and a clear transition toward sustainable transportation solutions.

Ms. Vo Thi Cam Tu, Managing Director of VinFast E-Scooters Overseas Market, stated: “Indonesia is a strategic market in VinFast’s global e-scooter expansion journey. Partnering with leading local dealers underscores our partners’ confidence in VinFast’s product quality, service standards, flexible battery-swapping model, and long-term vision. We are committed to accompanying Indonesian consumers on their transition toward a greener, smarter, and more sustainable future of mobility.”

Indonesia stands among the world’s largest motorcycle markets, characterized by rapid urbanization, high population density in major cities, and increasing policy and consumer momentum toward environmentally friendly transportation. These structural factors create substantial headroom for the growth of the e-scooter segment. Indonesian dealers have expressed strong confidence in VinFast’s long-term potential in the country, citing its comprehensive green mobility ecosystem, large-scale manufacturing capabilities, and proven ability to execute swiftly across multiple international markets.

After two years of presence in Indonesia, VinFast has introduced a broad range of electric vehicles, from electric SUVs to models optimized for transportation services, and has commenced operations at its Subang facility. Concurrently, the Company has expanded its integrated ecosystem, including dealership and after-sales networks, charging infrastructure in collaboration with V-Green, and partnerships with leading banks and financial institutions. Through pioneering and customer-centric policies, VinFast continues to lower barriers to EV adoption and enable Indonesian consumers to participate in the global green mobility revolution.

Hashtag: #VinFast

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The celebrations feature a wide range of programs designed to offer residents and visitors alike an immersive cultural experience. Visitors can explore the “Langzhong Stone Rubbing Exhibition for the Lunar New Year”, which showcases precious rubbings of stone inscriptions dating back 1,500 years, and trace the past through their tangible imprints. They may also encounter the “Old Man of the Spring Festival” roaming the streets in traditional costumes to bestow blessings and offer traditional New Year’s greetings.

To enrich the visitor experience, the ancient city has curated a wide array of interactive experiences, with millennium-old folk customs unfolding one after another. A vibrant intangible cultural heritage (ICH) market will present more than 40 nationally and provincially recognized ICH items. Visitors can try their hand at crafting delicate shadow puppets or cutting festive paper window decorations. They may also choose to watch a performance of the Ba Commandery Nuo Opera, a representative ICH item of Sichuan Province that blends ancient ritual practices with folk opera and carries a distinctive sense of regional mystique. Running throughout the festive period, the New Year Grand Temple Fair brings together cultural performances, themed exhibitions, and modern recreational attractions. Whether watching the large-scale cultural stage play Legend of Langyuan or experiencing water tours or low-altitude flights, visitors of all ages are sure to be thoroughly entertained.

Langzhong’s reputation as the “Ancient City of the World and Birthplace of the Spring Festival” stems from Luo Xiahong, an astronomer of the Western Han Dynasty, who compiled the groundbreaking Taichu Calendar here. Luo was the first to incorporate the 24 solar terms into the Chinese calendrical system and to designate the first day of the first lunar month as the official start of the year, thereby establishing the Spring Festival as a fixed annual celebration. For this historic contribution, he is revered as the original “Old Man of the Spring Festival”. This calendar profoundly shaped Chinese agriculture and folk life for more than two millennia, securing Langzhong’s place as one of the cradles of Spring Festival culture. Today, Langzhong Ancient City stands ready to extend its warmest welcome to every visitor from afar, offering the most authentic New Year customs and the most heartfelt warmth of its people.Hashtag: #NanchongInformationOffice

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Quantum computing is emerging as a strategic lever for India’s ambition to secure a leading role in the global technology order, with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu arguing that early investments and coordinated policy could reshape the country’s IT and industrial landscape. Speaking in Amaravati, Naidu said quantum technologies had the potential to redefine computing power, cybersecurity, materials science and drug discovery, placing India at a critical juncture as global competition accelerates.

Naidu’s remarks came as Andhra Pradesh positions itself as a focal point for quantum research and commercialisation through its Quantum Valley initiative, which aims to bring together academic institutions, global technology firms and startups on a single platform. The programme is designed to move beyond theoretical research and translate quantum science into deployable applications, an area where many countries are racing to gain first-mover advantage.

Quantum computing differs fundamentally from classical computing by using quantum bits, or qubits, that can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This allows certain calculations to be performed exponentially faster, opening pathways in optimisation problems, climate modelling, financial risk analysis and cryptography that are currently beyond reach. Governments in the United States, China and the European Union have committed billions of dollars to quantum research, viewing it as both an economic and national security priority.

Naidu said India’s strength lay in its deep pool of engineering talent and its established position in information technology services, but warned that relying solely on legacy software models would leave the country vulnerable as the technology cycle shifts. He argued that quantum computing, when combined with artificial intelligence and advanced semiconductors, could create a new technology stack in which India could compete at the highest level rather than remain a downstream adopter.

The Andhra Pradesh government has pitched Quantum Valley as a long-term ecosystem rather than a single project. Plans include dedicated research facilities, incentives for private investment, and partnerships with universities and multinational technology companies working on quantum hardware, algorithms and error correction. Officials involved in the programme say the aim is to create an environment similar to established innovation clusters, where research, talent and capital reinforce one another.

India’s broader policy environment has also begun to align with these ambitions. The national quantum mission, approved by the Union government, outlines funding for quantum computing, communications and sensing over the coming years, with a focus on building indigenous capabilities. Research groups at institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science and several Indian Institutes of Technology are already active in quantum algorithms and materials research, while startups are exploring niche applications in logistics, finance and healthcare.

Industry analysts note that quantum computing remains at an early stage globally, with practical, large-scale systems still years away. Current machines are limited by qubit stability and error rates, and most commercial use cases are experimental. However, the pace of progress has intensified, with steady advances in hardware architectures and hybrid models that combine classical and quantum computing. Countries that invest early in skills and research infrastructure are expected to gain disproportionate benefits once the technology matures.

Naidu acknowledged these challenges, stressing that quantum computing should be approached as a marathon rather than a sprint. He said sustained investment, patient capital and close collaboration between government, academia and industry would be essential to avoid fragmented efforts. He also emphasised the importance of education and workforce development, arguing that quantum science should be integrated into advanced engineering curricula to build a pipeline of specialised talent.