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HDFC Bank’s weighting in the benchmark has fallen to about 9.81 per cent, compared with 9.34 per cent for ICICI Bank, leaving a gap that exceeded four percentage points at the start of 2026. Reliance Industries remains third, with a weighting slightly above 8 per cent. Separate index research based on August 31 levels also showed the HDFC-ICICI gap at its narrowest since at least January 2010.

The convergence reflects sharply different share performances. HDFC Bank has fallen about 29 per cent this year, putting the stock on course for its weakest annual performance since 2008, while ICICI Bank has gained roughly 6 per cent. The sell-off has erased more than $65 billion from HDFC Bank’s value since its peak last year, reducing its market capitalisation to about $114.5 billion. ICICI Bank is valued at nearly $109 billion.

Pressure on HDFC Bank intensified after Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sashidhar Jagdishan said he would not seek another term and would leave when his current tenure ends on October 26. The bank has begun a succession process at a time when investors are already assessing the implications of an unusually unsettled period at board and senior-management level.

Jagdishan’s departure follows the March resignation of part-time chairman and independent director Atanu Chakraborty, who said certain happenings and practices he had observed over two years were not consistent with his personal values and ethics. The resignation prompted questions about governance, although the Reserve Bank of India said at the time that its periodic assessments had found no material concerns regarding the bank’s conduct or governance and described its financial position as satisfactory.

HDFC Bank subsequently commissioned external law firms to examine the implications of Chakraborty’s letter. The bank said in June that the review, based on records and witness interviews, did not substantiate the implications arising from the former chairman’s resignation. That finding provided an important institutional counterweight to the concerns raised by the abrupt exit, but it did not prevent governance and succession issues from remaining central to investor debate.

The market impact has become increasingly visible in index composition. At the end of December 2025, HDFC Bank accounted for about 12.7 per cent of the Nifty, against 8.05 per cent for ICICI Bank. By August 31, research from Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research put the weights at 9.85 per cent and 9.45 per cent respectively. Reliance Industries, whose shares have also weakened this year, had fallen to about 7.8 per cent from 8.9 per cent.

Index weight matters because passive funds and exchange-traded products tracking the Nifty allocate capital according to constituent weights. A change at the top would therefore alter the relative influence of the two banks on benchmark movements, although it would not by itself change their underlying businesses. HDFC Bank remains larger by market value, while Reliance Industries remains larger than either lender.

Operationally, HDFC Bank continues to report profit growth despite the market concerns. Standalone net profit for the June quarter rose 5 per cent from a year earlier to ₹19,060 crore, while net interest income increased 6.7 per cent to ₹33,535 crore. Gross advances rose 15.4 per cent year on year and total deposits increased 14.7 per cent. Its net interest margin, however, narrowed to 3.26 per cent, while gross non-performing assets edged up to 1.17 per cent.

ICICI Bank reported faster growth in the same quarter. Profit after tax increased 15.9 per cent to ₹14,805 crore, net interest income rose 12.7 per cent to ₹24,384 crore and its total loan portfolio expanded 19.6 per cent. The bank reported a 4.36 per cent net interest margin and a net non-performing asset ratio of 0.35 per cent at the end of June.

Strategic Collaboration Targets Over US$22 Million in Sales

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 September 2026 – Wellcome, Hong Kong’s longest established supermarket chain with the largest store network, has announced a strategic partnership with CJ Foods, South Korea’s largest food company and a leading force in the globalisation of K-food with its bibigo™ brand. Marked by a signing ceremony in Seoul, the collaboration will further strengthen Wellcome’s Korean food offering, bringing a wider selection of authentic Korean favourites to customers across the stores at Wellcome and Market Place stores across Hong Kong.

The collaboration is expected to generate more than US$22 million in sales, and will significantly expand the Korean product assortment at Wellcome and Market Place across key categories, including groceries, chilled foods, Korean-inspired ready meals, snacks, frozen meals and healthy meals.

The partnership aligns with Wellcome’s ongoing strategy to broaden its international product assortment, drive innovation and stay attuned to evolving consumer tastes, while bringing more sought-after global brands to customers in Hong Kong. To mark the partnership, over 30 products have been featured in Wellcome’s popular Everyday Value price-lock programme, reinforcing Wellcome’s commitment to delivering quality products at great value for customers.

Bringing Over 100 Korean Products to Hong Kong Customers

As demand for Korean food continues to grow in Hong Kong, spanning everyday grocery essentials, frozen meals and ready-to-eat favourites, Wellcome continues to strengthen its international product range, bringing sought-after global brands and greater choice to customers.

Through the partnership with CJ, Wellcome will introduce new products across multiple categories and targets bringing over 100 Korean food products from CJ Foods to its store network in phases. The expanded range will give customers greater access to authentic Korean flavours and a wider variety of quality food choices.

Among the exclusive products launching at Wellcome are the Bibigo tofu and Bibigo kimchi. Made using traditional Korean recipes with carefully fermented napa cabbage, the kimchi offers a versatile Korean side dish that combines authentic flavours with everyday convenience.

Delivering Greater Value Through Everyday Value

At Wellcome, providing customers with quality products at great value remains a key priority. Since its launch in 2025, the Everyday Value price-lock programme has demonstrated Wellcome’s commitment to helping customers better manage their everyday grocery spending while enjoying dependable quality.

Over 30 products from CJ Foods have been featured in the Everyday Value programme, with prices locked. The initiative allows customers to enjoy popular Korean products at stable, competitive prices without compromising on quality.

Darren Chan, Managing Director, Food, Hong Kong & Macau, DFI Retail Group, said: “At Wellcome, we are committed to offering customers quality products from around the world while delivering exceptional value every day.

Korean food has become an increasingly important category for Hong Kong consumers, reflecting growing interest in both Korean cuisine and culture. Through our partnership with CJ, we are bringing trusted Korean brands closer to our customers, while leveraging our extensive store network and Everyday Value programme to make these products more accessible than ever.”

Teresa Bae, Chief Business and Strategy Officer, CJ Foods, said: “This partnership marks a new foothold for the growth of our K-food business in Hong Kong, one of the world’s leading global business hubs. With delicious bibigo products, we will deliver the distinctive flavors of K-food to Hong Kong consumers.”

From 4 Sep to 17 Sep, 2026, CJ products will be available at the Korean Food Fair at Wellcome and Market Place.

Hashtag: #WellcomeHK #CJFoods #StrategicPartnership

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Wellcome

Established in 1945, Wellcome is Hong Kong’s longest established supermarket chain with the largest store network. Since 1964, the company has been wholly owned by DFI Retail Group and serves as the Group’s key supermarket brand in its food business. Together with Market Place, 3hreesixty and Oliver’s, Wellcome operates a network of over 325 stores serving more than 14 million customers every month.

With the mission of “Always Fresh, Always Value and Always Here for You”, we take pride and passion in providing a quality range of fresh and grocery products, great value and an exciting shopping experience to help our customers save more and enjoy more. As a market-leading supermarket, Wellcome constantly innovates to serve our communities better. In 2021, it introduced a new format, Wellcome Fresh, which offers great value and high-quality fresh produce in an environment that combines the atmosphere of a wet market with the convenience of a supermarket. In 2025, Wellcome launched “Everyday Value” price commitment, locking prices on over 500 fresh & grocery essentials for customers. More recently, it has accelerated its e-Commerce development, enhancing the omnichannel customer journey by offering a more convenient, flexible and personalised grocery shopping experience. For more information about Wellcome, please visit http://www.wellcome.com.hk.

CJ Foods

CJ Foods, a business unit of CJ CheilJedang, is a global food company delivering a variety of products ranging from food ingredients and frozen/chilled foods to appetizers. Established as Korea’s first sugar manufacturer in 1953, CJ Foods has grown to become the country’s largest food company. Today, it is leading the global food industry with its renowned Korean food brand, “bibigo.” The company operates in multiple regions worldwide including South Korea, the U.S. (as CJ Schwan’s), Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania. For more information, visit https://www.cj.co.kr/en/aboutus/business/food

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore clarified that The Mineral Boutique Limited was not part of the DNA Brands investigation, as the Hong Kong beauty and wellness company looks to its next phase of growth across Asia

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 September 2026 – The Mineral Boutique Limited, the Hong Kong-registered owner of The Mineral Boutique brand and trademarks, welcomes the clarification issued by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCS”) concerning its investigation into DNA Brands Co Pte Ltd.

In its clarification of 11 August 2026, CCS confirmed that references to The Mineral Boutique concerned specific Singapore outlets operated by DNA Brands, and that The Mineral Boutique Limited was not subject to the investigation. This distinction has subsequently been reflected in updated media reporting.

CCS stated:

“The Mineral Boutique Limited, and any outlets other than those named above trading under The Mineral Boutique brand trademarks, were not subject to this investigation.”

The distinction is important: operating particular retail outlets under a brand name is separate from ownership or management of the underlying brand.

Because the relevant Singapore outlets traded under The Mineral Boutique name, earlier public reporting sometimes conflated operation of those particular outlets with ownership or management of the underlying brand. The CCS clarification allows that distinction to be reflected accurately in the continuing public record.

The Mineral Boutique Limited supports the continued identification of the relevant Singapore outlets where necessary to assist consumers and the CCS refund process. The company has asked publishers only to ensure that the continuing public record accurately distinguishes those DNA Brands-operated outlets from The Mineral Boutique Limited and its wider business.

CCS’s refund scheme identifies the relevant Singapore outlets at Jewel Changi Airport, NEX and Wheelock Place among the outlets operated by DNA Brands. Consumers who may be eligible for the refund scheme can continue to contact the Consumers Association of Singapore (“CASE”) directly.

Building the Next Phase of The Mineral Boutique

With this distinction now reflected in the official record, The Mineral Boutique is focused on its next stage of development.

The Mineral Boutique is a beauty and wellness concept with an established retail and spa presence across Hong Kong and Macau. Its approach brings together mineral-powered skincare, professional treatments, advanced beauty technology and wellness within an integrated customer experience.

The brand has received consecutive recognition from Vogue Hong Kong, including Best Beauty Flash at the 2025 Vogue Hong Kong Beauty Awards and Best Anti-Aging Mask at the 2026 awards.

Kimmy Lee, Chief Commercial Officer of The Mineral Boutique Limited, said:

“The Mineral Boutique will continue to grow across Asia through a more holistic approach that connects skincare, advanced beauty technology, professional treatments and wellness.

“An upcoming collaboration with Paris-based 48 Collagen Café is one example of how we are extending the customer experience beyond traditional beauty retail.

“We remain focused on innovation, trusted partnerships and consistently high standards of service as we build the next chapter of The Mineral Boutique across the region.”

The Mineral Boutique Limited will continue working constructively with media, partners and other stakeholders to ensure the public record remains accurate while advancing its long-term growth strategy across Asia.

Hashtag: #TheMineralBoutique

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https://www.ccs.gov.sg/consumer-protection/legislation-and-guidelines/refund-scheme-for-affected-consumers-of-dna-brands/

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About The Mineral Boutique Limited

The Mineral Boutique Limited is a Hong Kong-registered company and owner of The Mineral Boutique brand and trademarks.

The Mineral Boutique combines premium skincare, professional treatments, advanced beauty technology and wellness experiences, with an established retail and spa presence across Hong Kong and Macau.

• 90% of investors targeting Hong Kong are actively pursuing repositioning or change-of-use strategies
• Student accommodation and conversion-led strategies continue to drive Living sector investment activity in Hong Kong
• 85% of investors across APAC expect to increase Living investment over the next five years

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 September 2026 – Hong Kong ranked fifth among Asia Pacific’s (APAC) preferred Living investment destinations in Cushman & Wakefield’s inaugural APAC Living Investor Survey 2026, with investors increasingly pursuing student accommodation, repositioning and conversion opportunities to gain exposure to the sector’s long-term growth prospects.

Among respondents who ranked Hong Kong among their preferred investment destinations, 90% are actively considering repositioning or change-of-use opportunities, highlighting the growing importance of conversion-led strategies in addressing the city’s Living sector supply constraints.

Rosanna Tang, Deputy Managing Director & Head of Research, Hong Kong at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “In Hong Kong, recent market transactions show that investors are approaching the Living sector through a value-add lens, particularly through conversion opportunities and student accommodation assets. Since 2021, the market has recorded US$1.63 billion (HK$12.8 billion) of student housing conversion related transactions across 24 deals, including US$739.9 million (HK$5.8 billion) from 10 deals in the first seven months of 2026, involving a broad spectrum of investors. This strong momentum reflects renewed interest from institutional capital, including the return of real estate funds, as investors seek exposure to resilient, education-linked residential assets underpinned by the city’s persistent accommodation shortage and growing student population.”

Investor Conviction Remains Strong Across APAC

Beyond Hong Kong, investor conviction across the APAC Living sector remains strong, with 85% of investors planning to increase Living investment over the next five years and respondents collectively indicating an estimated US$33.2 billion (HK$260.28 billion) of Living-sector deployment over the same period.

The survey found that Living is becoming an increasingly important real estate allocation across the region, supported by resilient demand fundamentals and investor preference for stabilised, income-producing assets. Notably, a third of respondents with diversified real estate portfolios expect Living to account for more than 30% of their real estate portfolio within five years, underscoring the sector’s growing importance in institutional investment strategies.

Conal Newland, International Director, Head of Living, APAC at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “Our inaugural APAC Living Investor Survey reinforces the growing institutionalisation of the sector across the region. Despite heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty, investors continue to view Living as a long-term strategic allocation supported by resilient demand fundamentals, defensive income characteristics and strong structural growth drivers. The fact that 85% of respondents intend to increase Living investment over the next five years highlights how Living is evolving from an alternative investment strategy into a core institutional real estate allocation.”

Australia and Japan Lead Investor Preferences

Australia/New Zealand and Japan emerged as the region’s most preferred Living investment destinations, ranking clearly ahead of other APAC markets. Japan’s position reflects its scale, liquidity and status as APAC’s most mature institutional multifamily market, while Australia’s housing undersupply and strong rental fundamentals continue to underpin long-term growth potential. Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong form the next tier of preferred markets, although deployment continues to be constrained by scale, regulation and pricing.

Demand for Stabilised Assets Outpaces Supply

The survey also found that investors are increasingly favouring stabilised, income-producing and defensive Living assets. Recent market volatility has prompted 50% of respondents to report a greater preference for stabilised assets, yet the availability of standing institutional-grade stock remains limited across much of APAC.

This supply-demand imbalance is increasingly pushing investors towards alternative routes to market. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents are actively considering repositioning or change-of-use strategies, while joint ventures emerged as the most likely deal structure over the next one to three years. Office and hotel conversions are also becoming an increasingly important source of Living supply in markets such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

Josh Rose-Nokes, Director, Living Research, APAC at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “What stands out is not a shortage of capital, but a shortage of investable stock. Investors increasingly want stabilised, income-producing Living assets, yet much of APAC lacks sufficient institutional-grade product to satisfy that demand. This mismatch is driving greater competition for stabilised assets and accelerating interest in repositioning, conversions and partnership-led deployment strategies.”

The gap between buyer and seller expectations was identified as the leading investment challenge by 44% of respondents, followed by development viability at 29%. Limited transaction evidence and inconsistent market transparency were also highlighted as barriers to pricing assets accurately and deploying capital efficiently.

About the Survey

The inaugural APAC Living Investor Survey 2026 draws on insights from institutional investors, fund managers, listed property groups and specialist Living-sector participants across APAC, representing approximately 224,000 units or beds. For the purposes of this survey, diversified respondents refer to investors with exposure across multiple real estate sectors and exclude Living-only specialists. The survey was fielded in Q2 2026 during the Middle East hostilities and provides insights into investor sentiment, capital allocation trends and investment priorities across the APAC Living sector. Estimated five-year capital deployment figures were derived from banded responses using midpoints.

For more information and to download the report, please click here.

About Cushman & Wakefield’s Living Platform

Cushman & Wakefield’s Living platform provides integrated advisory services to investors, developers, and operators across the residential investment spectrum, including multifamily, build-to-rent, purpose-built student accommodation, co-living, and senior living. The team delivers integrated advisory across capital markets, valuation, development consultancy, and asset strategy, supported by proprietary research and a region-wide Asia Pacific network, as well as dedicated research and consultancy professionals who provide strategic insights and execution capabilities across the region. Click here for additional information.

Hashtag: #Cushman&Wakefield

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About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for occupiers and investors with approximately 53,000 employees in over 350 offices and nearly 60 countries. In Greater China, a network of 23 offices serves local markets across the region. In 2025, the firm reported revenue of $10.3 billion across its core services of Valuation, Consulting, Project & Development Services, Capital Markets, Project & Occupier Services, Industrial & Logistics, Retail, and others. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com.hk or follow us on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/cushman-&-wakefield-greater-china).

A distinguished leader who served as the 8^th Governor (Yang di-Pertua Negeri) of the Malaysian state of Penang, Tun Fuzi will advise IMA on its regional growth strategy, strategic partnerships, and institutional engagement as the Publisher accelerates the expansion of its leading business magazine title, The SmartInvestor (TSI) across ASEAN.

“Onboarding Tun Fuzi is a milestone not only for IMA, but Malaysia’s media publication industry. Undoubtedly a seasoned leader fortified by his long diplomatic career experience, we are confident that his strategic insights will pave the way for TSI’s stronger regional voice,” said CT Cheah, IMA’s Managing Director and TSI’s Managing Editor.

Currently, TSI has established its presence in Hong Kong in addition to Malaysia via its magazine content and dedicated website platforms. The publication also recently relaunched https://smartinvestor.com.my and https://smartinvestor.hk and is also in progress to rolling out its China website by the first half of 2027.

Beyond expansion plans, Tun Fuzi also shares a common vision with IMA in empowering communities through financial literacy as the partnership will kickstart initiatives to promote practical grassroots financial education, strengthen awareness on governance and regulatory compliance as well as encourage informed financial-decision making among communities, business and future generations.

“A well-informed society is fundamental to sustainable economic growth. I believe the media has an important role in promoting financial awareness, encouraging good governance, and connecting businesses and communities across borders. Working with IMA, I am committed to supporting its nation-building initiative of advancing financial literacy and responsible investment knowledge across ASEAN,” stated Tun Fuzi.

With its expansion strategy in place and leveraging on the new appointment, IMA is exploring new opportunities for regional collaboration to broaden its reach and relevance across Asia. At the heart of this ambition is a commitment of combining credible journalism with education, contributing to a more informed, resilient and inclusive society.

Hashtag: #InovatifMediaAsia #TheSmartInvestor #TunFuzi

https://smartinvestor.com.my

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

About Inovatif Media Asia (IMA)

Founded in 2002, IMA has built a reputation for producing high-quality business and lifestyle publications. Apart from its leading business magazine The SmartInvestor, the Publisher also owns titles including Calibre, FENG, The G.Mag and The Real Time.

With a new management onboard in 2023, IMA is slated to expand its regional presence for publications, business dialogues and cross-border collaborations.

Websites:
1.https://smartinvestor.com.my
2.https://smartinvestor.hk

The event gathered over 350 distinguished guests, including Sam Hou Fai, Chief Executive of the MSAR; Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Trade and Industry; representatives from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Singapore; members of the MSAR Government delegation; delegates from the Macao-Hengqin and Mainland China economic, trade, and tourism delegation; as well as representatives from Singapore’s political, business, cultural, tourism, and trade association sectors.

Sam Hou Fai stated that last June, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong made a successful visit to China. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Wong jointly charted the course for the stable and healthy development of China-Singapore relations in this new phase. He noted that leading the delegation to Singapore this time is both a concrete action to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, and a key initiative for Macao to leverage its unique advantages, deepen and expand exchanges and cooperation with Singapore, and inject new momentum into China-Singapore relations.

This year marks the inaugural year of China’s “15th Five-Year Plan,” and to ensure seamless alignment and coordination, the Macao SAR Government recently promulgated the “Third Five-Year Development Plan for the Economic and Social Development of the Macao Special Administrative Region (2026-2030).” The key strategic deployments of the Plan focus on driving diversified economic development on a solid footing, with four major engineering projects and government-guided funds serving as the primary leverage, while deepening Macao-Hengqin integration to advance the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Co-operation Zone in Hengqin. Furthermore, the Plan aims to accelerate urban renewal to build a beautiful and smart Macao, alongside actively participating in the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to position Macao as a vital bridgehead for the nation’s high-level opening-up and an essential window for mutual learning and exchanges between Chinese and Western civilizations. Concurrently, Macao will actively establish a convenient and highly efficient public service system, fostering a world-class, market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment to earnestly protect the legitimate rights and interests of all market entities and investors, thereby offering foreign investors a more attractive and reliable investment climate.

Gan Siow Huang remarked that Macao and Singapore have long maintained close and friendly relations, achieving fruitful cooperation in fields such as economy, trade, tourism, education, and cultural exchanges. Looking ahead, both sides can leverage their complementary strengths to further deepen cooperation in tourism and urban development, working together to seize new opportunities for regional development and economic growth.

Both Singapore and Macao have established internationally renowned tourism industries and destination brands, allowing the two regions to draw on each other’s experiences in crafting premium visitor experiences, developing integrated tourism products, and building vibrant, highly livable cities. Singapore looks forward to sharing practical experiences in tourism industry development with Macao and fostering productive partnerships between their respective business sectors. Furthermore, as enterprises in both regions value their domestic markets while increasingly casting their eyes on broader overseas opportunities, Singapore and Macao can serve as mutually trusted partners to bridge the markets of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Southeast Asia, supporting businesses from both sides in tapping into new opportunities and constructing robust cross-regional networks. At the same time, by pooling corporate strengths, both sides can carve out new avenues of growth in key economic sectors such as digitalization, innovation, sustainable development, and eldercare services.

Hashtag: #MSAR

https://www.ipim.gov.mo/zh-hant

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The launch ceremony was officiated by key guests including Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Ms Cordelia Chung, Chairman of HKSTP; Mr Kelvin Choi, Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Mr Lyu Feng, Deputy Director-General of the Economic and Financial Department II of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr Ivan Lee, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology; and Mr Terry Wong, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP. They were joined by representatives and scholars from local and overseas universities, international research organizations, R&D centres, and industry partners to witness the launch of SEAM@InnoHK and explore its R&D roadmap and industrial application prospects.

Building a Flourishing Ecosystem to Empower R&D Commercialisation

As the largest I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong, HKSTP provides comprehensive professional support and resources to the R&D centres under SEAM@InnoHK. This encompasses world-class R&D infrastructure, seamless connections with academic institutions, talent pools, and investor networks, as well as matchmaking with funding and industry partners—empowering teams to transform breakthrough research into scalable, high-impact commercial solutions.

Ms Cordelia Chung, Chairman of HKSTP, said: “InnoHK has been with the Science Park for 5 years and this is the start of the second 5-year period. What we can see is that InnoHK has demonstrated the power of collaboration amongst world eminent scholars, researchers, and global partners. The first two clusters, Health@InnoHK and AIR@InnoHK have delivered world-class achievements. We commit to provide all the support we can to the InnoHK teams, as your success will add to the heartbeat of the ecosystem—not only for HKSTP, but for Hong Kong’s entire innovation landscape.”

Gathering Global Scientific Excellence to Drive Breakthroughs

The eight R&D centres under SEAM@InnoHK have brought together over 30 top global universities and research institutions, including the University of Cambridge, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Nagoya University, National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University, and Peking University.

Notably, three R&D centres feature collaborations with Nobel Laureates: Professor Ben L. Feringa from the University of Groningen (2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry), who participates in the research at the InnoHK Centre of Functional Materials for Energy and Sustainability (CFMES); Sir Konstantin Novoselov, renowned as the “Father of Graphene” from the National University of Singapore (2010 Nobel Laureate in Physics), who serves as principle investigator for the Inno Centre for Heterogeneous Integration and Production (CHIP); and Professor Hiroshi Amano from Nagoya University (2014 Nobel Laureate in Physics), who participates in research at InnoHK Power Semiconductors and Applications Center (PowerSAC). This stellar international scientific lineup highlights Hong Kong’s unique advantages in assembling world-class research talent, fostering cross-border collaboration, and driving technological innovation, further consolidating its status as a global hub for research cooperation.

InnoHK is a flagship I&T initiative of the HKSAR Government aimed at developing Hong Kong into a global hub for scientific research cooperation. It encourages world-leading universities and research institutes to conduct collaborative research with local institutions by establishing R&D centres in Hong Kong. Together with “Health@InnoHK”, focusing on healthcare technologies and “AIR@InnoHK”, focusing on AI and robotics technologies, the three InnoHK research clusters will further enrich Hong Kong’s world-class scientific landscape, accelerating technology transfer, startup incubation, and the growth of the I&T industry.

Introduction to the Eight SEAM@InnoHK R&D Centres (For details, please refer to the Appendix):

• InnoHK Centre for Advanced and Smart Manufacturing (CASM): Lead global manufacturing toward Industry 5.0 by fusing AI, advanced materials, additive manufacturing and digital twins to create smart, sustainable, and human-centered solutions.
• InnoHK Centre of Functional Materials for Energy and Sustainability (CFMES): Advance breakthrough discoveries in functional materials to address bottleneck challenges related to energy and sustainability.
• InnoHK Centre for Heterogeneous Integration and Production (CHIP): Advance next-generation electronics through innovations in semiconductor equipment and material processing, with a focus on advancing heterogeneous integration technologies.
• InnoHK Centre for Space Manufacturing Technology (CSMT): Establish a world-class hub for international research collaboration in space manufacturing, integrating cutting-edge R&D in advanced materials and additive processes with demonstration and applied innovation in Hong Kong.
• InnoHK Hong Kong Center for Renewable Energy and Storage (HKCRES): Develop and integrate high-performance perovskite photovoltaics, green hydrogen systems, and next-generation batteries via an end-to-end innovation framework in Hong Kong.
• InnoHK Power Semiconductors and Applications Center (PowerSAC): Develop advanced power semiconductors, intelligent chips and system technologies for more efficient, compact and reliable power conversion.
• InnoHK Research Centre for Intelligent GRID and Energy Technologies (I-GET): Develop intelligent, green and transformative grid and energy technologies for resilient, efficient and carbon-neutral cities.
• InnoHK Sustainable Materials & Advanced Renewable Technologies (SMART Centre): Leverage artificial intelligence and smart automation technologies to accelerate materials discovery for circular waste upcycling, repurposing, and next-generation clean energy technologies.

Hashtag: #HKSTP

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

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) was established in 2001 and has built a proven foundation as Hong Kong’s leading innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem. Established for 25 years, HKSTP is supporting 14 unicorns, has nurtured more than 17,000 research professionals and built a community of over 2,400 technology companies from 26 countries and regions across four strategic technology clusters: Life and Health Technology, AI and Data Science, Micro-electronics, and New Energy and Green Technology.

As an ecosystem orchestrator, HKSTP provides end-to-end support to attract and nurture talent, accelerate commercialisation and help technology ventures scale. Its innovation infrastructure spans over 240 hectares covering Hong Kong Science Park in Pak Shek Kok, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong, and three modern InnoParks in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long, advancing Hong Kong’s vision for new industrialisation and smart manufacturing.

Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch in Futian, Shenzhen, strengthens cross-border collaboration by connecting Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and global innovation networks and propels Chinese innovators onto the world stage, while also delivering comprehensive GBA landing support to accelerate cross-border success for local and international ventures.

As HKSTP enters its next chapter with strong foundations, it continues to deepen impact, elevate quality and create value for innovators. As an ecosystem built to lead change, HKSTP is empowering Hong Kong to define what comes next in innovation, growth and opportunity.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.

SCX Logistics Reports More Than 240% Revenue Growth in the First Half, Reflecting Demand for Next-Generation Industrial Infrastructure Sets Roadmap to Expand Its Logistics Portfolio Beyond 1,000,000 sq.m. and Further Strengthen Its Presence in Bangna and the EEC

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 September 2026 – SCX Corporation, SC Group’s recurring-income business platform, is advancing sustainable growth through the strategic expansion of SCX Logistics. The company has set a roadmap to expand its logistics portfolio to more than 1,000,000 sq.m. by 2029, following strong demand from customers across diverse industries. SCX Logistics reported revenue growth of more than 240% in the first half of 2026, compared with the same period last year.

The company also highlights the completion of SCX Logistics Bangna Km.20, an 80,000 sq.m. logistics development that embodies SC’s three promises: Quality, Care, and Responsibility. Combining a strategic location, total cost efficiency, flexibility, and future readiness, SCX Logistics is designed to meet the increasingly complex needs of the industrial sector. The company plans to expand across the strategic Bangna and EEC corridors by a further 200,000 sq.m. by 2027.

Mr. Rachod Nantakwang, Chief Executive Officer of SCX Corporation Co., Ltd., said that SCX continues to advance SC Group’s recurring-income businesses to build a stronger and more sustainable foundation for long-term growth. SCX Logistics is a key part of this strategy, and the company remains committed to its 2029 roadmap to expand its logistics portfolio from 200,000 sq.m. at the end of 2025 to more than 1,000,000 sq.m. in strategic logistics locations nationwide. The objective is to create greater value for customers while developing infrastructure that genuinely meets business needs.

“The warehouse market continues to experience strong demand. However, customer requirements today are markedly different from the past. Customers no longer assess warehouses solely on rental rates per square metre. They consider the entire production and logistics ecosystem: locations that reduce transportation time, flexible functionality that can adapt to future change, clean-energy solutions that support business sustainability, and, critically, a warehouse partner that can work alongside them to solve their business challenges.

We understand these evolving needs. This understanding has earned us the trust of customers across a wide range of industries and contributed to SCX Logistics achieving revenue growth of more than 240% in the first half of 2026, compared with the same period last year,” Mr. Rachod said.

SCX has consistently upheld SC’s three promises: Quality, Care, and Responsibility. The company also applies SC’s strengths in Design, Function, and Trust to its logistics developments, placing a strong emphasis on understanding each customer’s operations from the outset. This enables SCX Logistics to design spaces around actual business requirements, from building layouts and transportation flows to loading and unloading areas, as well as future energy and technology needs.

This approach is reflected in SCX Logistics Bangna Km.20, which has recently been completed across the full 80,000 sq.m. development. The project demonstrates SCX’s customer-centric approach to warehouse development, beginning with an understanding of customer requirements rather than a building concept. The project is currently fully occupied, with an occupancy rate of 100%.

SCX Logistics Bangna Km.20 is located on Bangna-Trad Road at Km.20 in Samut Prakan, on a site of more than 90 rai. It is a strategic location for logistics and transportation, serving warehouses, distribution centres, and industrial facilities across a range of sectors. The development offers both ready-built buildings and built-to-suit solutions tailored to specific customer requirements.

The project serves international customers from Asia and Europe across industries including logistics, manufacturing, data centres, and digital infrastructure.

Mr. Rachod added that SCX Logistics’ expansion plans for 2026 and 2027 will focus on strategic locations that play an important role in Thailand’s logistics network. Under the concept “Corridor, Not Just Land,” SCX selects investment locations based on the role each area plays in the supply chain and its ability to connect businesses with regional markets, rather than simply on the size of the land plot.

The company plans to add approximately 200,000 sq.m. of logistics space across key locations, including Bangna, Laem Chabang, Amata Chonburi, and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). This expansion is expected to bring SCX Logistics’ total warehouse portfolio to approximately 400,000 sq.m. by the end of 2027.

“Each location plays a distinct role in supporting our customers’ businesses. Bangna is a key connection between Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the EEC. Laem Chabang is an important gateway for international trade, while Amata and the EEC are among the country’s major manufacturing bases.

We therefore do not see ourselves simply as a warehouse developer and operator. We aim to be an infrastructure partner that can deliver solutions tailored to the needs of customers across industries, while contributing to the development of Thailand’s infrastructure and supporting investment that drives national economic growth,” Mr. Rachod said.

SCX Logistics will continue to be a new and recurring source of income for SC Group over the long term. The company expects SCX Logistics’ full-year revenue to grow by approximately 280% from the previous year.

SCX Corporation operates under the vision “The Prospering Expedition” and the mission “The Way Forward,” with a focus on exploring new business opportunities that generate consistent recurring income over the long term.

Its portfolio includes SCX Logistics, which operates the warehouse business and has developed five projects totalling more than 200,000 sq.m. in strategic locations; SCX Hospitality, which operates hotels in Bangkok and other key destinations, including KROMO Bangkok, Curio Collection by Hilton, The Standard Pattaya Na Jomtien, and YANH Ratchawat; and SCX Working Solutions, which operates more than 120,000 sq.m. of office space, including Shinawatra Tower 3.

SCX’s growth is supported by a diverse and capable team, strong strategic partnerships, and a corporate culture that places customers and the environment at the heart of business development.

For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit https://www.scx.co.th.
Hashtag: #SCXcorporation #SCXLogistics #SC #SCWarehouse #Logistics #Engine2 #RecurringIncome

https://www.scx.co.th/en
https://www.linkedin.com/company/scx-corporation
https://www.facebook.com/scxcorporation
https://www.youtube.com/@SCXCorporation

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

SCX Corporation

• Benefiting from sustained strong chip demand across the AI data center (“AIDC”), storage and robotics sectors, the Group’s revenue increased by approximately 98.4% year-on-year to approximately RMB13,249.2 million;

• The Group recorded gross profit of approximately RMB799.7 million and net profit of approximately RMB373.0 million. Profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company amounted to approximately RMB278.9 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 111.1%;

• The Group has strategically upgraded from an “AI hardware distributor” into a “Token computing power operator”, opening up a second growth curve; and

• The Group has formally entered into Token computing power services contracts worth more than US$1 billion, with delivery expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 August 2026 – Ingdan, Inc. (“Ingdan” or the “Company”; Stock Code: 400.HK, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), an ecosystem services platform anchored in artificial intelligence (“AI”) chips and principally engaged in the businesses of “Comtech” and “Ingdan” today announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2026 (the “First Half of 2026” or the “Period”).

Financial Highlights for the First Half of 2026

During the Period, benefiting from sustained strong chip demand across the AIDC, storage and robotics sectors, the Group recorded revenue of approximately RMB13,249.2 million, representing an increase of approximately 98.4% from approximately RMB6,676.5 million for the corresponding period in 2025.

The Group’s gross profit amounted to approximately RMB799.7 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 36.5%. Operating profit was approximately RMB517.2 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 87.7%. Net profit after tax amounted to approximately RMB373.0 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 96.3%.

Business Review

Strategic Upgrade Milestone: Token Factory Order Formally Secured, Opening Up a Second Growth Curve

During the First Half of 2026, the Group achieved a landmark breakthrough in its AI-driven strategic upgrade. The previously disclosed intent service orders exceeding US$1 billion have now been formalized into services contracts. Delivery is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the contracts expected to generate aggregate service revenue of more than US$1 billion over the next five years. This milestone signifies a fundamental evolution in the Group’s growth model—from “selling chips” to “selling computing power”—and its formal upgrade into an “Token computing power operator”, presenting a compelling new value proposition to the capital markets.

Three Growth Drivers for Rapid Expansion

The Group’s performance growth is supported by three core drivers:

• AI computing power: The accelerating development of global data centers continues to drive strong demand for GPUs and CPUs. The Group provides full-stack computing power support, from chips to application solutions, and is deeply involved in the development of cloud-based intelligent computing centers;
• Storage cycle: Surging demand for AI foundation model training and inference is driving expansion in the memory chip market. Leveraging the resources of leading global suppliers, the Group ensures a reliable supply of memory chips and complementary solutions; and
• Embodied intelligence and robotics: As humanoid robots enter the mass-production stage, the Group is strengthening its full-stack deployment, from edge AI computing solutions built around platforms such as NVIDIA Jetson to enterprise-level computing clusters.

Full-Chain Technology Services Platform

As a technology services platform based on AI chips, the Group connects upstream AI chip technologies with the needs of downstream innovative enterprises. Leveraging the resources of leading global chip manufacturers, including NVIDIA, Intel, AMD and SanDisk, the Group has established a comprehensive product portfolio covering GPUs, CPUs, FPGAs, ASICs, memory chips and software ecosystems. With chip distribution serving as its entry point, the Group provides customers with integrated, full-chain services encompassing technology solutions, supply chain management, technical training, and after-sales operation and maintenance. Its services cover a broad range of application scenarios, including cloud-based intelligent computing centers, edge AI, robotics, drones and enterprise-level computing power services.

Global Computing Power Network Deployment

To support the large-scale delivery of its Token factory business, the Group is accelerating the development of a global computing power network. In the near term, it plans to expand its computing centers footprint into multiple Asian countries, with total planned computing capacity exceeding 100 megawatts. Through its proprietary Token computing power scheduling platform, the Group provides one-stop services encompassing computing power scheduling, cluster operation and maintenance, and Token computing power services. Its customers include leading internet cloud service providers and market-leading enterprises in vertical robotics segments, demonstrating the commercial viability of the Group’s business model.

Outlook

Mr. Jeffrey Kang, Chairmanand CEO of Ingdan, Inc., commented: “As demand across AIDC, storage, robotics and AI Token services continue to grow, the Group’s strategic positioning as a ‘Token computing power operator’ has been further strengthened. We expect robust customer demand in the second half of the year, while the AI Token factory business is expected to become the Group’s second growth curve. This will further enhance the capital market’s recognition of the visibility of the Company’s growth and its long-term development potential.”

Cautionary Statement

The information contained in this document has not been independently verified. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives makes any express or implied representation, undertaking or warranty as to the fairness, accuracy, completeness or correctness of the information or opinions presented or contained herein. No person should rely on this document as a basis for any decision.

The information contained in this document should be considered in the context of the circumstances prevailing at the relevant time and is subject to change without notice. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information contained herein to reflect any developments occurring after the date of this document. This document is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon as providing, a complete or comprehensive analysis of the Company or its financial or operating condition or prospects. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives shall have any obligation or accept any liability, whether in negligence or otherwise, for any loss arising from any use of this document or its contents or otherwise arising in connection with this document.

This document may contain statements reflecting the Company’s current intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding the future as of the relevant dates indicated herein. Such forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance. They are based on certain assumptions concerning the Company’s operations and on factors beyond the Company’s control, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives has any obligation or undertakes to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or unforeseen circumstances arising after the relevant date.

Hashtag: #Comtech #Ingdan #AI #AIDC #TokenFactory #IC #Chips #humanoid #Intel #AMD #Sandisk #NVIDIA #Tech #RevenueGrowth #TechGrowth #AIInvestment #ProprietaryProducts #KeplerLab #Comtech #IngdanTechnology #IngdanAcademy #AIAcceleration #TechTransformation

https://ingdangroup.com/

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

Ingdan, Inc.

Ingdan, Inc. (Stock Code: 400.HK) is an ecosystem services platform anchored in artificial intelligence (“AI”) chips. The Group captures the rapidly growing demand across numerous industries, from AI computing centers to AI-powered intelligent terminals, by converting AI chip resources into a broad range of rapidly deployable application solutions that provide the core driving force for customers’ intelligent upgrade. Through its proprietary AI technologies, large models and specialized industry knowledge bases, the Group provides customers with advanced chip application technology solutions and efficient supply chain management services.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, the Group operates offices and branches across major cities in China, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou , Suzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu, as well as operations in Singapore and Japan. The Group’s core businesses are Comtech — a technology services platform for the chip industry; and Ingdan — a platform providing Artificial Intelligence of Things (“AIoT”) technology and services.

For further information, please refer to the Company’s website at www.ingdangroup.com

Proposed an interim dividend of HK11.0 cents per share

Highlights:

• Revenue increased to approximately HK$1,450.9 million.
• Gross profit increased to approximately HK$518.8 million.
• Profit attributable to owners of the Company amounted to approximately HK$116.2 million.
• As at 30 June 2026, the Group operated a total of 190 chain retail stores
• Basic earnings per share was approximately HK11.6 cents. The Board recommended the payment of interim dividend of HK11.0 cents per share.

Financial Highlights:

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 August 2026 – Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited (“Best Mart 360” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; stock code: 2360.HK), a leading leisure food retailer in Hong Kong, announced its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2026 (“the Period under Review”). During the Period under Review, the revenue recorded by the Group amounted to approximately HK$1,450,897,000, representing an increase of approximately 1.0% as compared to approximately HK$1,436,576,000 for the six months ended 30 June 2025 (the “Corresponding Period Last Year”).

During the Period under Review, profit attributable to owners of the Company amounted to approximately HK$116,221,000.

For the six months ended 30 June 2026, gross profit of the Group was approximately HK$518,758,000, representing an increase of approximately 0.1%, as compared to gross profit of approximately HK$518,177,000. Gross profit margin during the period was approximately 35.8%. During the Period under Review, basic earnings per share of the Group was approximately HK11.6 cents. The Board recommended the payment of interim dividend of HK11.0 cents per share.

BUSINESS REVIEW

CHAIN RETAIL STORES

As at 30 June 2026, the Group operated a total of 190 chain retail stores, including 184 chain retail stores in Hong Kong and 6 chain retail stores in Macau, respectively. During the Period under Review, the Group continued to implement its store network optimization strategy to fully showcase its diverse product portfolio, further enhance its overall brand image and provide customers with a more comfortable shopping environment.

Since 2021, the Group has launched its brand of global wine and food stores “FoodVille”, which provides mid-to-high-end, premium food products from around the globe. These include fine wines, premium chocolates, health foods, cheese, Western sauces and ingredients from around the world, aming to cater to the market’s pursuit of a quality of life and expanding the Group’s customer base. As at 30 June 2026, the Group operated a total of 8 retail stores under the brand.

During the Period under Review, the rental expenses (on a cash basis) of the Group’s retail stores accounted for approximately 9.7% of its sales revenue.

THE PRODUCTS

During the Period under Review, the Group adhered to its global procurement strategy, sourcing high-quality products from around the world to provide customers with a diversified range of choices. During the Period under Review, the Group sold over 1,045 brands and more than 3,054 stock keeping units (“SKUs“) of products in total. The Group continuously optimised its product portfolio and actively introduced a variety of new products and flavours to meet customers’ ever-changing needs.

To enrich its product mix and maintain effective control over product quality, supply stability and profit margins, the Group continued to actively develop its private label products. During the Period under Review, sales derived from private label products amounted to approximately HK$277,194,000 (six months ended 30 June 2025: approximately HK$251,203,000), which accounted for approximately 19.1% of the Group’s total revenue for the Period under Review. The Group had a total of 12 private labels covering approximately 272 SKUs of products, including masks, canned Chinese delicacies, cereals, milk, honey, nuts and dried fruits as well as a wide range of leisure food products.

MEMBERSHIP SCHEME AND MARKETING & PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES

As at 30 June 2026, the Group had a cumulative total of approximately 2,469,754 registered fans and members (30 June 2025: approximately 2,243,198). As at 30 June 2026, the number of mobile app members reached approximately 1,374,462 (30 June 2025: approximately 1,238,775).

During the Period under Review, the Group continued to carry out a variety of marketing activities, including “Best Price”, “Instant Redemption upon Purchase” and other promotional campaigns, which provided customers with a series of special offers on selected quality products as a way to show its appreciation for their support and effectively enhance customer loyalty. The Group also launched a new brand promotion campaign, namely “Best Mart, Always a Friendly Buy”, in 2026. By integrating online and offline promotional channels, the Group further strengthened its brand image and enhanced its interaction and connection with customers.

The Group also utilised a variety of outdoor media, such as large-scale advertisements at MTR stations and truck wraps, together with marketing strategies on digital media and social platforms, to further increase its brand exposure and market penetration, thereby attracting more new customers to shop at its stores.

In addition, the Group actively fulfilled its corporate social responsibility by partnering with the charitable foundation under China Merchants Group to launch the “Care 360˚” Neighborhood Support Programme, which aids families in need, continuously promotes community care and inclusion and actively puts into practice the core principles of corporate sustainability.

EMPLOYEES

As at 30 June 2026, the Group employed a total of 1,257 full-time and part-time employees (31 December 2025: 1,227). The increase in the total number of employees was primarily due to the Group’s recruitment of additional staff for its newly opened stores. To retain talent and provide its employees with appropriate incentives to enhance their sense of belonging and loyalty, the Group regularly reviews and updates its employee remuneration packages and benefit plans, taking into account labour market supply and remuneration trends as well as individual employee performance. During the Period under Review, the staff costs of the Group (excluding emoluments of the Directors) accounted for approximately 9.6% of its total revenue (six months ended 30 June 2025: approximately 9.7%).

OUTLOOK

Global geopolitical tensions remain high, and uncertainty persists regarding the pace of the external economic recovery. Meanwhile, the active expansion of mainland Chinese e-commerce platforms into Hong Kong has driven the popularity of cross-border online shopping, further intensifying competition in the local retail market. Amid complex and increasingly competitive market conditions, the overall business environment for the retail sector is expected to remain under pressure in the second half of 2026. However, as Hong Kong hosts a series of major international events and exhibitions as well as cultural and sports activities, the number of visitors to Hong Kong and their willingness to spend are steadily recovering. At the same time, consumption of daily necessities has demonstrated strong resilience. Market demand for value-for-money globally sourced food products and healthy snacks continues to grow, presenting the Group with solid development opportunities. Looking ahead, the Group remains cautiously optimistic about its business prospects. To address intense market competition, we are committed to refining operational management, optimizing business processes, and maintaining strict cost controls.

To further strengthen its connection with consumers, the Group officially launched a rebranding campaign in June 2026, adopting “Best Mart, Always a Friendly Buy” as its new core brand value and striving to build a more welcoming, youthful, vibrant and creative brand image. Regarding its store network management, the Group will balance strategic expansion with operational optimization. On one hand, the Group will capitalise on appropriate market opportunities and continue to expand its footprint through a “dual-brand” strategy featuring “Best Mart 360˚” and “FoodVille”, aiming to precisely meet the demand for high-quality food across different customer segments. On the other hand, the Group will adhere to strict capital-return discipline by actively negotiating with landlords for more flexible and reasonable lease terms, while regularly reviewing the operational efficiency of existing stores. Through these efforts, the Group aims to comprehensively enhance the overall profitability of its network and deepen its presence in the mass retail market.

Faced with a complex, ever-changing and highly competitive market environment, the Group is comprehensively exploring and researching the application of artificial intelligence in its business processes, aiming to enhance operational efficiency through innovative technology. The Group will further deepen its online-offline integration strategy, fully leverage the advantages provided by the extensive member database of its mobile app and implement targeted marketing through big data analysis to effectively increase member engagement and overall repeat purchase rates.

In terms of online channels, the Group will strengthen its collaboration with the foodpanda mall platform to ensure a seamless shopping experience. The Group will also remain agile in our operational strategies to optimize overall sales performance.

Guided by its core brand philosophy of “Best Quality” and “Best Price”, the Group will make every effort to expand its upstream supplier network while ramping up the development of its private label products. These initiatives will solidify our competitive pricing advantage while effectively meeting the market demand for daily necessities. The Board is confident that, through prudent yet flexible strategic planning, strong brand appeal and an optimised product portfolio, the Group will successfully enhance customer loyalty. This will steadily drive the business toward sustainable growth, thus creating long-term and robust returns for shareholders.

Hashtag: #BestMart360

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

About Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited

Best Mart 360 Holdings Limited, mainly operates chain retail stores under the brand “Best Mart 360˚”. It offers a wide collection of imported prepackaged leisure foods and other grocery products, principally from overseas. The Group’s business objective is to offer “Best Quality” and “Best Price” products to customers through continuous efforts on global procurement with a mission to provide comfortable shopping environment and pleasurable shopping experience to customers. As at 30 June 2026, the Group operates 190 retail stores that are strategically located across 18 districts in Hong Kong and Macau. In addition, the Group’s new global gourmet store, “FoodVille”, was officially opened in September 2021, which mainly provides globally sourced medium-to-high-end quality food products.

Partnered with CB Insights to unveil Hong Kong leads Asia and ranks fifth globally for high-potential start-ups, orchestrating the next era of global tech innovation

Key Takeaways:

• HKSTP’s 25^th Anniversary Prelude theme, “Innovation. Next by Nature.”, brings together great minds and bold ideas to inspire what comes next for Hong Kong’s innovation ecosystem.
• The CB Insights-HKSTP white paper ranks Hong Kong first in Asia and fifth globally, with a Mosaic score of 370 — a key indicator of high-potential ventures and future unicorns.
• The research highlights Chinese Mainland’s lead in Asia’s physical AI wave, as the region powers global growth in robotics and AI funding.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 August 2026 – The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today officially kicked off its year-long 25th anniversary celebration with a landmark event “Together to NEXT”, bringing together Innovation and Technology Partners, Park Companies, industry leaders, academia and startups to mark a quarter-century of transforming bold ideas into global impact.

To commemorate this milestone, HKSTP unveiled its anniversary theme, “Innovation. Next by Nature.”, a vision that signals its evolution from ecosystem enabler to orchestrator of the next era of global innovation. HKSTP also announced the findings of a landmark study, “Inside Asia’s Fast-Track to Global Tech Scale,” conducted in partnership with the leading technology market intelligence firm CB Insights, revealing Hong Kong ranks first in Asia and fifth globally, with a Mosaic score of 370. Mosaic score is CB Insight’s proprietary and industry-recognised indicator of high-potential ventures and future unicorns, evaluating momentum, financing, market opportunity and leadership quality. Hong Kong’s top ranking among Asian markets reflects a concentrated pool of scale-ready ventures and highly-investable innovation.

Ms Cordelia Chung, Chairman of HKSTP, said: “For 25 years, HKSTP has driven I&T as Hong Kong’s economic engine. Across our 240-hectare infrastructure and service ecosystem—comprising Science Park, InnoCentre, three InnoParks, and our Shenzhen Park—we turn research into real-world impact. Looking ahead, our ‘What’s Next’ vision is built on four dimensions, ‘Broad and Deep, Far Yet Near’: Broad means building a diverse talent ecosystem where human minds leverage technology; Deep involves advancing tech-industry convergence; Far entails expanding our global footprint; and Near focuses on drawing the future nearer with immediate action. Our community is our heartbeat. Together, we must strengthen, enhance, and collaborate, harnessing Hong Kong’s unique advantages to shape a better future for all.”

To kick off this next era, HKSTP has partnered with CB Insights to launch a white paper titled “Inside Asia‘s Fast-Track to Global Tech Scale.“ The report shows how Asia is reshaping the global innovation playbook with a network of specialist clusters, each optimised for a different stage of the innovation journey and built for today’s multipolar market landscape. CB Insights is a global tech intelligence leader and predictive data platform trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

Mr Terry Wong, CEO at HKSTP, said: “Asia’s rising innovation power is rewriting the global innovation map. While Silicon Valley grew as a single, all-in-one hub, Asia, with the Chinese Mainland as a key technology engine, is evolving an accelerated and more specialised network for global innovation. Hong Kong’s role as a super connector and value-adder has never been more important as Asia sets a new benchmark for start-up ecosystems. As HKSTP steps up as an ecosystem orchestrator, we are connecting innovators with capital, talent, deep Mainland China links and trusted pathways to global markets.”

Other Key Report Findings:

• Chinese Mainland drives physical AI takeover
  Asia’s AI investment exploding as physical AI leads the way with robotics raising US$26.1B and AI infrastructure hit US$21.4 billion in 2025, outpacing generative AI and fintech. China dominates region with close to 100% of deals in emerging segments: robot/industrial humanoid robot foundation models, vision language and autonomous driving models.
• Asia‘s specialist hubs as accelerators of growth across innovation lifecycle
• Asia vies for global R&D lead to complement established manufacturing and consumer power
  The region’s global R&D expenditure surge from 24% in 2007 to 45% in 2024, according to WIPO, while already the dominant region for global manufacturing as well as driving global consumption with growing purchasing power with Asia’s GDP reaching 48.6 percent in 2025, according to Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

HKSTP: Global I&T Ecosystem Orchestrator and Innovation Accelerator

HKSTP’s 25th anniversary signals a renewed mission to make Hong Kong the global heartbeat of what’s next in innovation and technology (I&T). As HKSTP approaches its 25th anniversary, the new brand theme, “Innovation. Next by Nature.”, positions HKSTP as inherently built to lead the change. The year-long celebrative campaign “25 to NEXT” starts from August 2026 to July 2027 with 25 high-impact activations and cultural moments.

Anchored by three core goals — The Next Habitat (cultivating an innovation culture by connecting ecosystem stakeholders with signature events), The Next Horizon (broadening perspectives through industry-guiding insights, including the landmark study in partnership with CB Insights and 25 KOL collaborations), and The Next Pinnacle (developing overseas delegations and platforms across international markets). The campaign positions HKSTP as a more connected engine and forward-oriented convener of talent, capital, infrastructure and partnerships across sectors and borders.

Since its establishment, HKSTP has grown into Hong Kong’s largest I&T ecosystem, driving breakthroughs across Life and Health Technology, AI and Data Science, Microelectronics and Advanced Manufacturing, and GreenTech and New Energy. As the ecosystem orchestrator, HKSTP is committed to powering Hong Kong’s rise as the international I&T hub, underpinned by leading critical partnerships across Hong Kong and beyond, attracting talent, engaging stakeholders, and building a connected, forward-looking I&T community for the next era of global innovation.
Hashtag: #HongKongScienceandTechnologyParksCorporation #HKSTP

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

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) was established in 2001 and has built a proven foundation as Hong Kong’s leading innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem. Established for 25 years, HKSTP is supporting 14 unicorns, has nurtured more than 17,000 research professionals and built a community of over 2,600 technology companies from 26 countries and regions across four strategic technology clusters: Life and Health Technology, AI and Data Science, Micro-electronics, and New Energy and Green Technology.

As an ecosystem orchestrator, HKSTP provides end-to-end support to attract and nurture talent, accelerate commercialisation and help technology ventures scale. Its innovation infrastructure spans over 240 hectares covering Hong Kong Science Park in Pak Shek Kok, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong, and three modern InnoParks in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long, advancing Hong Kong’s vision for new industrialisation and smart manufacturing.

Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch in Futian, Shenzhen, strengthens cross-border collaboration by connecting Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and global innovation networks and propels Chinese innovators onto the world stage, while also delivering comprehensive GBA landing support to accelerate cross-border success for local and international ventures.

As HKSTP enters its next chapter with strong foundations, it continues to deepen impact, elevate quality and create value for innovators. As an ecosystem built to lead change, HKSTP is empowering Hong Kong to define what comes next in innovation, growth and opportunity.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.

Held at the grounds of Pon An Kiong Temple, the initiative provided residents with medical examinations and consultations for common health conditions, including acute respiratory infections, skin conditions and diarrhea. Residents also received cholesterol, uric acid and blood sugar tests to help monitor their health and identify potential risks at an earlier stage.

Apical Dumai Head of General Affairs M. Jaya Budi Arsa said the initiative was intended to make healthcare services more accessible to residents, particularly those living in communities around Apical’s operations.

“We want to provide support that delivers real benefits and responds to the community’s needs. Through this initiative, we hope residents can access basic health services more easily and address health concerns earlier,” Jaya said.

The initiative reflects Apical’s commitment to supporting communities through programmes that address key areas of wellbeing, including health, education and economic empowerment. These efforts are guided by Apical’s 5Cs philosophy — doing what is good for the community, country, climate and customers, and only then will it be good for the company — which underpins the company’s approach to supporting communities around its operations.

Dumai Health Agency Head Dr. Syaiful welcomed the initiative, noting that collaboration between the government, private sector and communities can help expand access to healthcare and encourage greater awareness of preventive health.

“Collaboration among the government, private sector and communities is important to expanding access to health services. We hope this initiative will benefit local residents while also raising awareness of the importance of regular health checkups,” Syaiful said.

The initiative also received positive responses from local residents. Idrus, representing residents of RT 015, said the free health screenings and medical services made it easier for residents to access healthcare, particularly as the activity was held close to their homes.

Through initiatives such as this, Apical, a member of the RGE group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto, continues to work with local government and communities to support practical programmes that respond to local needs.
Hashtag: #RGE #Apical #community #healthcare #Riau

https://www.apicalgroup.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/apical-group

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

About Apical

Apical is a leading vegetable oil processor with an expanding global footprint. Our vertically integrated mid-stream refining and value-added downstream processing makes us an integral supplier that supports the needs of various industries namely food, feed, oleochemicals and renewable fuel, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which enables a great reduction of CO2 emissions.

With integrated assets in strategic locations spanning Indonesia, China and Spain, Apical operates numerous refineries, oleochemical plants, renewable fuel plants and kernel crushing plants. Through joint ventures and strategic partnerships, Apical also has processing and distribution operations in Brazil, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Middle East, Africa, USA and Vietnam.

Apical’s growth is built on the foundations of sustainability and transparency, and motivated by our strong belief that we can contribute to a circular economy for a more meaningful impact, even as we continue to grow our business and deliver innovative solutions to our customers.

• Jungheinrich marks 25 years of presence in Singapore, as country’s backbone for material flow of goods and a driver of sustainable intralogistics solutions, with more than 7,000 machines in the market and over 100 warehouse solutions implemented
• Jungheinrich Singapore established itself as one of the few full-liner suppliers of material handling equipment and solutions in the country, and the pioneer of electrification, with an estimate market share of 25% in electrified machines
• Milestone marked with an anniversary dinner on 28 August 2026, attended by Guests of Honour: Thomas Motak, Deputy Head of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to Singapore, and Nadine Despineux, Member of the Board of Management, Chief Sales Officer, Jungheinrich

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 August 2026 – Jungheinrich, a global leader in sustainable material handling solutions, celebrated 25 years of presence in Singapore as country’s backbone for material flow of goods and a driver of sustainable intralogistics solutions, with more than 7,000 machines in the market and over 100 total warehouse solutions implemented.

On 28 August 2026, Jungheinrich celebrated this silver jubilee with an anniversary gala dinner at Pan Pacific Orchard Singapore, graced by Guests of Honour: Thomas Motak, Deputy Head of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to Singapore, and Nadine Despineux, Member of the Board of Management, Chief Sales Officer, Jungheinrich, alongside key attendees such as, Manojit Acharya, Vice President – Asia Pacific & Managing Director, India, Benedict Kothe, Managing Director, Singapore and Malaysia, Jungheinrich, Jens Rübbert, President of the European Chamber of Commerce, Singapore, Soo Haw Yun, Vice President, Global Enterprises, Singapore Economic Development Board, and the various Jungheinrich teams, customers and partners in the APAC region.

A special toast was raised to mark Jungheinrich Singapore’s 25-year journey and its evolution into a strategic hub for Asia-Pacific (APAC). Established on 21 February 2001 as the first country unit in APAC, Jungheinrich Singapore is now part of a regional network spanning eight country units and 14 partner companies, supported by over 1,500 employees. The Singapore operation oversees key regional functions including training, automation, dealer management, sales, customer service and human resources, with the APAC spare parts distribution centre also based here.

Jungheinrich has also established itself as one of the few full-liner suppliers of material handling equipment and solutions in Singapore, offering warehouse trucks, racking, automation, digital solutions and customer service all under one roof. The Singapore team, comprising of 150 employees, works closely with Jungheinrich’s partners across APAC, supporting the company’s regional reach and market development.

Over the past 25 years, Jungheinrich Singapore has pioneered the adoption of electric material handling equipment in the country, with an estimated 25% share of the electrified machines market. Its team of 50 technicians strive to provide industry-benchmark service, supporting the logistics sector’s shift towards more efficient and professional operations. In recognition of its innovation and education initiatives, Jungheinrich Singapore was named Supply Chain Innovator of the Year (CSR) at the prestigious Supply Chain Asia Awards 2025, and has also achieved Great Place To Work® Certified™ status.

Notably, Jungheinrich Singapore was the first in APAC to open a Jungheinrich Experience Centre, established in May 2024, to showcase product innovation and illustrate how material flow interacts within a warehouse setting. The centre has since welcomed visitors including Kuehne & Nagel, Supply Chain Asia, the German Embassy in Singapore, and a slew of students from Republic Polytechnic (Singapore) and the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).

Jungheinrich Singapore has also played an active role in supporting the local community, serving as the official logistics sponsor for the annual National Day Parade for 2 consecutive years in 2025 and 2026, deploying electric forklifts, pallet trucks and reach trucks to help distribute close to 250,000 fun packs to spectators. The organisation also donated warehouse trucks to support Willing Hearts and Food Bank Singapore in their operations, and provided pallet jacks and forklifts for the United Buddy Bears Exhibition at Gardens by the Bay in September 2025, which marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Singapore and Germany.

Since 2024, Jungheinrich Singapore and Malaysia have jointly run the “The Environment Wins Twice” campaign with Animal Projects & Environmental Education (APE) Malaysia, planting a tree for every electric forklift sold, and as of 2025, 455 trees have been planted, turning each sale into a tangible contribution to reforestation while supporting Jungheinrich’s global sustainability commitments.

While Southeast Asia’s warehouse automation market is projected to nearly double from US$0.87 billion in 2025 to US$1.95 billion by 2032, and Singapore’s land and labour constraints driving to demand for smarter, space-efficient solutions, Jungheinrich sees significant opportunities for further growth in the region.

Looking ahead, Jungheinrich Singapore will focus on developing localised automation solutions, expanding the rollout of AntOn by Jungheinrich, and introducing sustainable material handling solutions tailored to customers across APAC. Building on the launch of its first electric van in July 2025, the organisation is also targeting a fully green-energy service fleet by 2030, supporting its commitment to Carbon Neutrality by 2030 for Scope 1 emissions.

“As we celebrate 25 years in Singapore, we are proud of the strong foundation we have built with 150 intralogistics experts who support our customers across industries. Our journey has been defined by innovation, partnership, and a commitment to improving material flow efficiency. Looking ahead, we remain focused on helping businesses enhance productivity, increase warehouse safety and quality, and achieve sustainable growth through advanced material handling solutions,” said Benedict Kothe, Managing Director, Singapore and Malaysia, Jungheinrich.

“We congratulate Jungheinrich on 25 years in Singapore. Over the years, Jungheinrich has grown its Singapore operations into a strategic APAC hub, driving initiatives such as automation, innovation, and sustainability. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Jungheinrich as it contributes to Singapore’s logistics sector and develops solutions for the region,” said Soo Haw Yun, Vice President, Singapore Economic Development Board.

As Jungheinrich Singapore enters its next chapter, the organisation remains committed to supporting customers’ growth with innovative, sustainable and increasingly automated material handling solutions.Hashtag: #Jungheinrich #Manufacturing #Logistics

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Jungheinrich Singapore

As one of the world’s leading providers of material handling solutions, Jungheinrich has advanced the development of innovative, sustainable products and solutions for material flows for more than 70 years. The family-owned, listed business generated revenue of €5.5 billion in the 2025 financial year with a workforce of over 21,000, and service and sales companies across 42 countries. In APAC, the company has established eight country units and over 14 partner companies, supported by over 1,500 employees. Established in Singapore in 2001, Jungheinrich Singapore marks its 25th anniversary in 2026 as the company’s strategic hub for the region.

Find out more at www.jungheinrich.com.sg.

A sector assessment by PhillipCapital said the April-June quarter had already shown resilience despite geopolitical disruptions, with industry occupancy rising by two to four percentage points from a year earlier. Average room rates increased 6-8 per cent, while revenue per available room, or RevPAR, advanced 11-13 per cent.

The brokerage expects business conditions to improve further during the October-March period, helped by a heavier wedding calendar, stronger meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions activity and higher international travel during the traditional peak season. Corporate travel, which was softer earlier in the year amid uncertainty linked to the West Asia conflict, has also shown signs of gradual recovery.

Limited additions to room supply in key markets are expected to give operators continued pricing power if demand strengthens as projected. That imbalance between demand and new capacity has been an important support for average room rates across several major destinations and is likely to remain favourable through the second half of the financial year.

The outlook is consistent with ICRA’s projection that hospitality industry revenues will rise 7-9 per cent year on year in FY27, following an estimated 9-12 per cent increase in FY26. The ratings agency expects pan-India premium hotel occupancy to remain at 72-74 per cent, broadly unchanged from FY26, while average room rates for premium hotels rise to Rs 8,600-8,800 from Rs 8,200-8,500.

Domestic travellers remain the principal source of demand and have helped cushion the industry from weaker foreign arrivals and disruptions to international air routes. ICRA estimated occupancy at 66-68 per cent during the first two months of FY27, compared with 62-64 per cent a year earlier, while average room rates were estimated at Rs 7,800-8,000 against Rs 7,500-7,700.

Leisure destinations have generally performed better than business-focused hotels during the opening months of the year. Indian Hotels Company reported strong demand across its domestic portfolio, with revenue from operations within India rising during the June quarter and leisure markets contributing significantly to growth.

Other listed hotel operators have also reported positive RevPAR trends, though performance has varied by city, customer mix and exposure to international guests. The sector’s recovery in the first quarter was more occupancy-led than in earlier periods, when sharp increases in room rates were the dominant driver of revenue growth.

Demand from corporate customers is expected to become more supportive as travel budgets normalise and business activity strengthens. Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi have shown firmer room rates in parts of the second quarter, aided by technology, global capability centre and broader corporate travel demand.

International traffic remains a key variable. Foreign tourist arrivals were hit earlier by disruptions associated with the conflict in West Asia, but the Ministry of Tourism’s data portal indicates arrivals during 2026 have begun to show year-on-year improvement in available updates. A seasonal rise from October would add higher-paying international travellers to the domestic base.

Wedding demand is also expected to provide a material lift. Hotels typically benefit not only from room bookings during large celebrations but also from food and beverage, banquet and event revenue, making the wedding calendar an important contributor during the second half.

Meetings and exhibition business is another area expected to improve as companies resume travel and events. Stronger MICE demand can lift weekday occupancy at city hotels, complementing leisure traffic that is often concentrated around weekends, holidays and destination markets.

Risks to the outlook remain. A prolonged escalation in West Asia could again disrupt international travel and corporate spending, while inflation could weigh on discretionary consumption. ICRA has said these factors remain monitorable even though domestic demand has so far limited the direct impact on the sector.

Devanathan is due to take up the newly created role in October and will be based in Singapore, reporting to Kiran Mani, OpenAI’s managing director for Asia-Pacific. Her responsibilities will cover consumer growth, enterprise adoption and partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations across Southeast Asia and Australia.

The move gives OpenAI an experienced technology executive as competition intensifies among artificial intelligence companies for users, corporate customers, developers and public-sector partnerships. Devanathan has spent more than a decade at Meta and has held senior roles spanning ecommerce, gaming and country leadership across Asia-Pacific.

Devanathan announced her departure from Meta on Friday, describing the decision as “bittersweet” and saying she would take a short break before beginning her next chapter. OpenAI subsequently confirmed that she would join the company in the regional position.

Her departure also reshapes Meta’s reporting structure in one of its largest markets. Arun Srinivas, Meta’s managing director and country head for India, will report directly to Benjamin Joe, the company’s vice-president for Asia-Pacific. Srinivas had been reporting to Devanathan.

Devanathan joined Meta in 2016 and helped build its businesses and teams in Singapore and Vietnam, as well as ecommerce initiatives across Southeast Asia. She moved in 2020 to lead Meta’s gaming business in Asia-Pacific before being appointed vice-president and head of India, taking up that position in January 2023. Her remit was later expanded to include Southeast Asia.

At Meta, her work covered the company’s business and revenue priorities, relationships with major brands, advertisers, creators and partners, and the expansion of digital commerce and messaging services. She has more than 25 years of experience across banking, payments and technology.

OpenAI’s appointment places Devanathan in charge of markets where governments and companies are accelerating investment in generative artificial intelligence while also debating rules on safety, data, copyright and the use of advanced models. Her remit includes regulatory engagement, making her role important to OpenAI’s efforts to navigate differing policy regimes across Southeast Asia and Australia.

The company has been expanding its physical and management presence across Asia-Pacific, with offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Delhi. It has also strengthened its leadership in India, where it appointed former Uber executive Prabhjeet Singh as managing director earlier this year.

OpenAI has made India a significant part of its regional growth strategy as demand for generative AI tools rises among consumers, developers and businesses. In February, the company launched OpenAI for India, an initiative focused on artificial intelligence infrastructure, enterprise adoption, skills development and education partnerships.

Devanathan’s appointment extends that regional build-out beyond India, giving OpenAI a senior executive responsible for Southeast Asia and Australia from Singapore. The role combines commercial expansion with policy and operational responsibilities rather than focusing solely on sales or partnerships.

For Meta, the leadership change comes as the company continues to manage its advertising, messaging and social-media businesses across the region while increasing investment in artificial intelligence. Devanathan’s departure removes an executive who had overseen both India and Southeast Asia and had been part of Meta’s Asia-Pacific leadership structure.

When Meta appointed Devanathan to lead its India operations in 2022, the company said she would bring together its business and revenue priorities and strengthen relationships with brands, creators, advertisers and partners. She moved back to India for the role after earlier assignments in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

In her departure message, Devanathan highlighted work involving government citizen services delivered through WhatsApp in India and small businesses using Meta’s applications as digital storefronts in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. She also referred to her experience helping technology companies and creators grow across the region.

Figures unveiled at the 2026 China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, Guizhou province, showed that data-related software products, including AI application software, and data-resource products involving token services generated a combined 4.99 trillion yuan. The two categories accounted for 73.6 per cent of the industry’s total output, underlining the growing commercial connection between data resources and AI development.

The number of data enterprises operating across China reached 482,000 by the end of 2025, an increase of 17.9 per cent from a year earlier. The eastern regions remained the largest concentration of activity, with their data industry valued at about 5.23 trillion yuan.

Growth has accelerated steadily over the past three years. China’s data industry was valued at 5.06 trillion yuan in 2023 and 5.86 trillion yuan in 2024 before climbing above 6.7 trillion yuan last year. Expansion has increasingly shifted from basic data collection and processing towards higher-value services designed for AI models, intelligent agents and industry-specific applications.

High-quality datasets have emerged as a particularly important segment. By August 2026, more than 126,000 such datasets had been established nationwide, containing more than 1,815 petabytes of data. Their combined volume has risen by more than 89 per cent since March, reflecting rapidly expanding demand from developers training and refining AI systems.

The broader supply of digital information is also growing sharply. China generated 52.26 zettabytes of data during 2025, up 27.28 per cent from the previous year and representing roughly 27.4 per cent of global data production. Enterprises accounted for about nine-tenths of the increase, with manufacturing, transport and logistics, software and information technology services recording especially strong gains.

That expansion is occurring alongside rapid growth in AI itself. China’s core AI industry exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025, with more than 6,200 specialised AI enterprises operating nationwide. More than 30 per cent of large manufacturing enterprises had adopted AI technologies by the end of the year, widening demand for industrial datasets capable of training systems for production, quality inspection, predictive maintenance and automation.

AI development is also changing the composition of the data market. Large language models initially depended heavily on publicly accessible text and image material, but developers are increasingly seeking proprietary industrial, scientific, financial, medical and operational data. The expansion of intelligent agents and embodied AI is adding demand for video, three-dimensional information, sensor readings, physical interaction records and synthetic data.

Intelligent-agent innovation has become another growth area. More than 3,400 patents associated with agent technologies were authorised during 2025, with the pace of growth more than doubling from the previous year. Commercial platforms are simultaneously combining access to multiple AI models with tools that allow companies to select, adapt and deploy systems without developing every component internally.

Policy is increasingly focused on turning China’s vast quantity of information into commercially usable AI resources. A national programme launched this year calls for high-quality industry datasets covering areas including scientific research, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, transport, financial services, healthcare, education, e-commerce, tourism, meteorology, urban governance, autonomous driving, embodied intelligence and biotechnology.

The programme is intended to expand dataset supply, improve annotation and quality assessment, encourage controlled circulation and connect dataset development more closely with practical AI applications. Authorities are targeting significant progress by the end of 2028, including industry datasets tested through real-world applications and specialised companies capable of developing tools and standards around them.