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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.

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.

By Nantoo Banerjee The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is going great guns. The country’s national space agency plans to launch its own independent orbital outpost, named the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) by 2035. If it succeeds, India will be the only country after China to have an independent space station. Neither the US nor Russia […]

The article India plans own orbital space outpost, second after China appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

As generative AI becomes increasingly embedded in academic research and writing, a new problem is emerging alongside its productivity gains: AI can produce references that appear entirely credible but do not actually exist. In 2026, growing attention from researchers and scientific publications has highlighted how fabricated and hallucinated citations are making their way into papers and preprints, raising broader concerns about research reliability and academic integrity.

TrueCite is designed to add a verification layer to AI-assisted research. Researchers can upload a BibTeX file to TrueCite, which validates the references against real academic databases and identifies citations that may have been fabricated by AI.

The approach is straightforward: before relying on an AI-generated bibliography, researchers can verify that the cited papers actually exist.

This verification layer is increasingly important as large language models become better at producing references that appear academically plausible. A fabricated citation may contain a convincing author name, journal title, publication year, and paper title — making errors difficult to identify based on appearance alone.

For WisPaper, the growing concern around citation reliability reflects a broader shift in the academic AI market. While the first wave of academic AI tools focused largely on helping researchers search, summarize, and generate content more efficiently, the next stage is placing greater emphasis on whether the information behind AI-generated outputs can be traced and verified.

TrueCite is part of WisPaper’s broader vision for a more trustworthy AI research workflow. Rather than positioning itself as another AI writing assistant, WisPaper is building an AI-native research workspace that supports researchers across literature discovery, deep reading, cross-paper synthesis, research-gap identification, hypothesis development, and academic writing.

Across these workflows, WisPaper places particular emphasis on source traceability and verifiable academic evidence. As AI becomes more capable of producing convincing academic content, researchers need tools that help them distinguish between information that merely sounds authoritative and information that can actually be traced back to real research.

WisPaper believes researchers should not have to choose between speed and academic rigor. Instead, AI research tools should make it easier to move quickly while preserving the ability to inspect, trace, and verify the evidence behind the work.

TrueCite represents one step toward that goal. As academic AI continues to evolve, WisPaper expects verification to become an increasingly important part of AI-assisted research, alongside generation, analysis, and synthesis.

In academic research, a particularly significant risk is not simply an obviously incorrect AI-generated answer, but a convincing one supported by a citation that does not exist. For WisPaper, the future of academic AI will therefore be shaped not only by what AI can generate, but also by what researchers can verify.

Hashtag: #WisPaper

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

About WisPaper

WisPaper is an AI-powered academic research agent designed as a full-stack research accelerator. It supports literature retrieval, analysis, experiment design, execution, and paper writing within a unified workflow, helping researchers manage complex scientific tasks more efficiently across disciplines. For more information, visit https://wispaper.ai/

• 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

https://www.jungheinrich.com.sg
https://sg.linkedin.com/company/jungheinrich-singapore
https://www.facebook.com/jungheinrichSG/
https://www.instagram.com/jungheinrich.sg/

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

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.

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.

The agreement emerged from the inaugural meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Defence Committee in New Delhi on August 28, marking the first formal session of the mechanism created to institutionalise expanding security and military ties.

The talks were co-chaired by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Brigadier General Raed Alsakran, who headed a five-member delegation from Kuwait. India’s delegation brought together representatives of the Army, Navy and Air Force along with officials from the Department of Defence Production, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Armed Forces Medical Services and Ministry of External Affairs.

Both sides identified training and military exercises as priority areas, opening the possibility of greater exchanges between personnel and institutions. Military medicine and structured staff talks were also placed on the cooperation agenda, potentially creating regular channels through which officers can exchange operational experience and develop closer institutional links.

Defence manufacturing formed another important component of the discussions. The Kuwaiti delegation visited DPSU Bhawan in New Delhi and held talks with representatives of India’s defence industry on potential areas of cooperation. A separate interaction with industry representatives was also included in the delegation’s programme, indicating that commercial and technological partnerships are becoming a stronger part of the bilateral defence relationship.

The engagement gives practical momentum to the memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kuwait on December 21-22, 2024. The agreement was designed to institutionalise cooperation in training, exchanges of personnel and experts, joint exercises, defence manufacturing, supply of military equipment and research and development.

That visit also saw India and Kuwait elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership, broadening a relationship traditionally centred on energy, trade and the movement of people. Defence and security have since gained greater prominence as both governments seek more structured engagement amid shifting geopolitical and security conditions across the Gulf and wider West Asian region.

The Joint Defence Committee provides a mechanism through which the provisions of the 2024 agreement can be translated into programmes, exchanges and projects. Its composition also reflects the wide scope envisaged for cooperation, extending beyond conventional military contacts into medical services, technology development and defence manufacturing.

Kuwait has traditionally relied heavily on international suppliers for defence equipment, while India has been expanding its efforts to become a larger producer and exporter of military systems. New Delhi has been encouraging overseas partnerships for domestically manufactured weapons, platforms, electronics and support systems as defence production capacity expands.

Research and development cooperation could therefore become a significant part of the relationship. Participation by the Defence Research and Development Organisation at the committee meeting creates an institutional route for exploring technology-based projects alongside conventional equipment sales and training arrangements.

The talks also come as Kuwait broadens defence engagement with partners across Asia while navigating a complex regional security environment. Its location at the northern end of the Gulf, close to Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran, has made military preparedness and diversified security partnerships enduring priorities for the country.

For India, deeper defence engagement with Kuwait complements its expanding strategic relationships with Gulf Cooperation Council states. New Delhi has progressively widened military exercises, naval engagements, training programmes and defence-industry cooperation with countries across the Gulf as economic and energy relationships have developed into broader strategic ties.

Brigadier General Alsakran also laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi ahead of the committee meeting, paying homage to fallen military personnel. The gesture formed part of a programme combining official consultations, ceremonial engagements and meetings with defence-sector representatives.

Forest City SFZ sets out who may qualify for its 5% special corporate tax rate, how the separate Malaysia Digital tax incentive works, and which activities and conditions apply to each scheme.

JOHOR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 August 2026 – Forest City has, over the past decade, built a recognised track record in green-building and sustainability credentials. Since the Malaysian Government announced the Forest City Special Financial Zone (“SFZ”) incentive package on 20 September 2024, the development has added a financial-services and digital-economy dimension. The Forest City Special Financial Zone (“FC-SFZ”) Tax Incentive offers a 5% special corporate tax rate for 10 consecutive years of assessment, extendable for a second 10-year period, to eligible companies undertaking qualifying fintech, Financial Global Business Services (“FGBS”) or Foreign Payment System Operator (“FPSO”) activities in Pulau 1, Forest City. Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (“MDEC”) is the appointed government agency to process applications, which are assessed by the National Committee on Investment (“NCI”).

The FC-SFZ Tax Incentive is separate from Malaysia Digital (“MD”) Status and the MD Tax Incentive. A company does not need MD Status to qualify for the FC-SFZ Tax Incentive. Under MDEC’s current rules, an FC-SFZ applicant must also not have been granted another tax incentive for the same qualifying activity. Eligible MD Status companies may separately apply for the MD Tax Incentive, subject to the applicable criteria and approval process.

Key Incentives at a Glance

Forest City’s first decade was defined in part by its green-building and sustainability record. Forest City reports nearly 40 international awards and certifications as at August 2026, including LEED for Core and Shell (“LEED-CS”) Gold pre-certification and GreenRE Gold ratings. On 20 September 2024, the Malaysian Government announced the Forest City SFZ incentive package, adding a financial-services and digital-economy dimension to the development.

The current incentive landscape has four main components:

• Forest City SFZ corporate tax rate: Eligible companies undertaking qualifying fintech, FGBS or FPSO activities in Pulau 1 may receive a 5% special corporate tax rate for 10 consecutive years of assessment, extendable for a second 10-year period, subject to approval and continued compliance. The qualifying activity must use at least one promoted technology enabler specified by MDEC.
• Single Family Office (“SFO”) Scheme: A qualifying Single Family Office Vehicle (“SFOV”) may receive a 0% tax rate on chargeable income from its qualifying holding and investment activities for an initial 10 years, with a possible extension for a further 10 years, subject to the Securities Commission Malaysia (“SC”) requirements.
• Knowledge workers: Eligible knowledge workers working within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (“JS-SEZ”), which includes Forest City as a designated flagship area, may qualify for a special 15% personal income tax rate for 10 years, subject to the applicable conditions.
• Malaysia Digital tax incentive: This is a separate national incentive administered by MDEC. For New Investment, eligible companies may choose between a reduced tax rate — 0% on qualifying intellectual-property (“IP”) income, subject to the modified nexus approach, and 5% or 10% on qualifying non-IP income for up to 10 years — or an Investment Tax Allowance (“ITA”) of 60% or 100% of qualifying capital expenditure for up to five years. Different rates apply to the Expansion Incentive. Applications are open until 31 December 2027.

Taken together, these measures position Forest City SFZ as a potential regional base for qualifying financial-services and technology-enabled businesses assessing Malaysia’s tax framework, proximity to Singapore and access to ASEAN markets. However, the schemes are separate and should not be treated as automatically cumulative.

Forest City Tax Framework for Fintech and Technology-Enabled Financial Services

The FC-SFZ Tax Incentive is not a blanket 100% tax exemption for fintech, AI or technology companies. It is a 5% special corporate tax rate for qualifying activities under the FC-SFZ framework. MDEC is the appointed agency to process applications, while applications are assessed by the NCI.

The 5% rate applies to qualifying fintech activities, FGBS and FPSO activities carried out in Pulau 1, Forest City. The qualifying activity must utilise at least one promoted technology enabler: artificial intelligence (“AI”) or big data analytics (“BDA”); Internet of Things (“IoT”); cybersecurity; cloud; blockchain; creative media technology, including extended reality (“XR”) or mixed reality (“MR”); robotics or automation; or advanced network connectivity or telecommunications technology. Eligibility is not automatic based on location alone; companies must also satisfy the applicable corporate, activity, substance, regulatory and compliance conditions.

The “up to 100%” figure sometimes cited in relation to Malaysia Digital refers to the ITA available under the MD New Investment Incentive. It is an allowance on qualifying capital expenditure, not a 100% income tax holiday. The MD Tax Incentive is also separate from the FC-SFZ Tax Incentive and should not be assumed to stack with it for the same qualifying activity.

Comparison table:

For accurate and current policy information, companies should refer directly to official sources, including:

• MDEC — Forest City Special Financial Zone (FC-SFZ) Tax Incentive FAQ and application guidance
• MDEC — Malaysia Digital Tax Incentive FAQ and MD Status guidelines
• Securities Commission Malaysia — Single Family Office Incentive Scheme and gazetted tax rules
• Ministry of Finance / MRT Corp — JS-SEZ incentive package and Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link information

Malaysia Digital Status and Tax Incentive: A Separate National Framework

MD Status is granted nationally by MDEC. An MD Status company may then be eligible to apply separately for the MD Tax Incentive, subject to the relevant criteria. Under MDEC’s current framework, qualifying Malaysia Digital Activities comprise the research, development or commercialisation of solutions, or the provision of services, using promoted technology enablers such as AI or BDA, IoT, cybersecurity, cloud, blockchain, drone technology, creative media technology, integrated-circuit design with embedded software, robotics or automation, and advanced network connectivity or telecommunications technology.

Under the current MD Tax Incentive, the available options differ between New Investment and Expansion:

• New Investment: A 0% reduced tax rate on qualifying IP income, subject to the modified nexus approach, and a 5% or 10% reduced tax rate on qualifying non-IP income, for up to 10 years; or an ITA of 60% or 100% of qualifying capital expenditure against up to 100% of statutory income, for up to five years.
• Expansion: A 15% reduced tax rate on qualifying IP income, subject to the modified nexus approach, and non-IP income, for up to five years; or an ITA of 30% or 60% of qualifying capital expenditure against up to 100% of statutory income, for up to five years.

The “100%” figure therefore refers to the ITA rate under the New Investment Incentive. It does not mean that all company income is tax-free.

The MD Tax Incentive is open for applications until 31 December 2027. A company must first obtain MD Status before submitting an application for the MD Tax Incentive.

MD Status also provides access to non-tax benefits under the MD Bill of Guarantees, including the ability to apply for foreign knowledge-worker quotas and passes, subject to the relevant immigration requirements. MDEC’s Expats Service Centre administers the related Foreign Knowledge Worker processes for eligible companies.

Eligibility Summary: Entities, Sectors and Permitted Activities

Forest City SFZ 5% rate

• Activity-based: Qualifying services are limited to fintech-related activities, FGBS and FPSO activities.
• Technology condition: The qualifying activity must utilise at least one promoted technology enabler specified by MDEC, including AI or BDA, IoT, cybersecurity, cloud, blockchain, creative media technology, robotics or automation, or advanced network connectivity or telecommunications technology.
• Location condition: The qualifying activity must be carried out in Pulau 1, Forest City.
• Substance and compliance conditions: Approved companies must meet the conditions set out in their approval letter, including commitments relating to full-time employees, knowledge workers, annual operating expenditure, ESG requirements, relevant regulatory approvals or licences, and annual compliance reporting verified by an independent auditor.

Malaysia Digital (MD) Status and MD Tax Incentive

• Activity-based: MD eligibility is tied to Malaysia Digital Activities that use the promoted technology enablers specified by MDEC. Merely operating an AI, cloud, fintech or digital business does not automatically confer tax-incentive eligibility.
• Status and tax-incentive process: MD Status is granted by MDEC. The MD Tax Incentive is a separate application available to eligible MD or MSC Malaysia Status companies, depending on the relevant incentive category.
• Geographic scope: MD Status is a national programme and does not require a company to be located in Forest City.
• No automatic stacking: MDEC states that an FC-SFZ Tax Incentive applicant must not already have been granted a tax incentive for the same qualifying activity. MDEC also confirms that MD Status is not required to apply for the FC-SFZ Tax Incentive.

Accordingly, companies should assess the FC-SFZ and MD frameworks separately. Any proposed structure involving different activities, income streams or incentive programmes should be verified with MDEC and qualified tax advisers before any combined tax outcome is assumed.

Strategic Rationale: Proximity, Talent Incentives and Regional Access

Forest City’s location proposition is based on three interlocking factors: proximity to Singapore, targeted talent incentives and early investor interest.

• Proximity as operational leverage: Forest City lies approximately 2 km from Singapore at its nearest point, placing qualifying operations close to one of Asia’s major financial and technology hubs. The Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link will connect Bukit Chagar in central Johor Bahru with Woodlands North in Singapore. MRT Corp has stated that service is targeted to commence on 31 December 2026. The RTS Link does not serve Forest City directly, so onward road transport between Forest City and central Johor Bahru will still be required.
• Talent as a bundled enabler: Eligible knowledge workers in the JS-SEZ may qualify for a special 15% personal income tax rate for 10 years, while eligible MD Status companies may apply for foreign knowledge-worker quotas and passes through MDEC’s expatriate facilitation framework. These are separate benefits with their own eligibility and approval requirements.

By June 2026, Invest Johor reported that the Forest City SFZ had recorded 260 cumulative investor enquiries through the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre-Johor, against an RM2 billion investment target. Separately, the SC reported in October 2025 that six families had received conditional approval under the SFO Incentive Scheme, with indicative assets under management close to RM400 million.

This incentive framework sits alongside Johor’s rapid emergence as a major Malaysian data-centre market. JLL has highlighted strong data-centre expansion in Johor and the wider JS-SEZ, supported by major hyperscale investments and infrastructure development. This broader digital-economy momentum strengthens the regional technology narrative, but it should not be presented as a direct operating benefit or guaranteed outcome for individual Forest City SFZ companies.

Decision Framework: Two Pathways and a Diligence Caveat

The incentive structure is best assessed through two distinct pathways, with a separate due-diligence lens for investors and advisers.

• Pathway A – FC-SFZ presence on Pulau 1: This is relevant to eligible fintech companies, FGBS providers and FPSO businesses that can satisfy the physical-location, activity, substance and compliance requirements. The 5% special corporate tax rate is available for 10 consecutive years of assessment and may be extended for a second 10-year period, subject to continued compliance and approval.

This route may suit businesses that value proximity to Singapore while maintaining qualifying operations in Pulau 1. The RTS Link is expected to improve connectivity between central Johor Bahru and Singapore, but it does not remove the requirement for companies to maintain the approved substance and qualifying activities in Forest City.

• Pathway B – MD Status and MD Tax Incentive nationwide: This pathway may be relevant to eligible digital companies operating elsewhere in Malaysia. MD Status is granted nationally by MDEC, and eligible companies may subsequently apply for the MD Tax Incentive. The applicable reduced tax rate or ITA depends on whether the company applies under the New Investment or Expansion category and on the conditions it meets.

Investors and advisers should note that headline rates are not the same as effective tax rates. The outcome for any entity depends on qualifying activities and income, approved commitments, substance conditions and the specific incentive secured. Groups with annual consolidated revenue of EUR750 million or more may also be subject to Malaysia’s domestic top-up tax rules where the relevant effective tax rate falls below 15%. Tax outcomes should therefore be modelled only after verification against current primary sources and professional advice.

The Verdict

Forest City’s proposition to fintech and technology-enabled financial-services companies is specific and condition-based: a 5% special corporate tax rate for qualifying fintech, FGBS and FPSO activities carried out in Pulau 1 using promoted technology enablers. The incentive runs for 10 consecutive years of assessment and may be extended for a second 10-year period, subject to compliance and approval. It is neither a blanket 5% rate for all AI or technology companies nor a 100% income tax exemption.

Alongside this are the separate SFO Incentive Scheme, which may provide a 0% tax rate for up to 20 years subject to SC requirements; the JS-SEZ’s special 15% personal income tax rate for eligible knowledge workers for 10 years; and the national MD Tax Incentive, which offers different reduced tax rates or ITA options depending on whether an applicant qualifies under the New Investment or Expansion category. Applications for the MD Tax Incentive are open until 31 December 2027.

Reported traction includes 260 cumulative investor enquiries recorded by Invest Johor by June 2026 and six families granted conditional approval under the SFO Incentive Scheme, with indicative assets under management close to RM400 million as reported by the SC in October 2025. Forest City also benefits from proximity to Singapore, while the RTS Link is targeted to commence service on 31 December 2026 between central Johor Bahru and Woodlands North.

For companies and investors, the key question is not simply whether these incentives exist, but whether their exact activities, income streams, location, substance commitments and corporate structure satisfy the conditions required to access them in practice. Current official guidance and qualified tax advice should be obtained before any investment or structuringHashtag: #ForestCity

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