Author: Asia PEVC

Alaya Consulting Offers Sustainability Professional Certification Program Launched by GRI

Poll: over 80% said there is a lack of sustainability professional certification

Alaya Consulting, the leading facilitator of corporate sustainability, today announces that it has commenced accepting enrolments for the Professional Certification Program launched by Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”) today. The firm is determined to help bridge the gap between the escalating demand for sustainability professionals and the lack of recognised qualifications in the ESG reporting industry. Participants completing the program and passing the GRI Certification Online Exam will receive the accreditation of GRI Certified Sustainability Professional.

Participants of Alaya’s GRI Professional Certification Program will be able to tap resources which include networking activities, industry insights, members-only webinars, etc.

Tony Wong, Founder of Alaya Consulting and GRI Nominated Trainer, stated: “The tide of ESG has been turning. The Certification Program could not have come at a better time. In the poll we conducted during our recent webinar, over 80% of the participants said there is a lack of professional certification in the industry. As the GRI Certified Training Partner in both Hong Kong and China, we are excited to offer the Certification Program which is expected to help resolve the talent drought of qualified ESG reporting professionals, and boost the reporting standards of listed companies.”

The full curriculum requires obtaining a total of 5 points, including 3 points from the GRI Standards Certified Training Course, and 1 point each from two courses, namely Sustainability Reporting Process and Integrating SDGs into Corporate Reporting. Obtaining the 5 required points is the prerequisite to enrol for the GRI Certification Online Exam which supersedes the previous GRI Standards Exam. The validity of the Certification Exam expires after one year, individuals can maintain their certification status by taking the minimum learning hours.

Alaya Consulting has become a GRI Certified Training Partner in Hong Kong since 2015 and a GRI Certified Online Training Partner in China since 2020. For the past 5 years, the firm has trained members of company boards of directors, institutional investors, sustainability practitioners, financial communications professionals, graduates who aim to pursue a career in sustainability, as well as other industry practitioners.

About Alaya Consulting

Alaya Consulting, with offices in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, is a specialist consultancy focusing on ESG disclosure, pre-assurance and GRI certified training. We are the organisers of the Hong Kong ESG Reporting Awards and the first ESG advisory in Asia to receive approval from SBTi for our carbon reduction target. Facing escalating demands for climate change disclosure, Alaya has formulated a suite of climate solutions for establishing governance structure, drawing strategy, aligning with TCFD recommendations, setting up science-based targets and offering energy reduction solutions. For details, please visit here. https://www.alayaconsulting.com.hk/climate-strategy-disclosure/

Media Contact:
Alaya Consulting Limited / Alaya Consulting (Shenzhen) Limited
Regina Tai / Mia She
Tel: +852 3990 0792 / +86 755 2376 6324
Email: reginatai@alayaconsulting.com.hk / miashe@alayaconsulting.com.hk

OIO to launch blockchain consulting and development services in Indonesia

SGX-listed OIO Holdings Limited (“OIO”) is pleased to announce its entry into the Indonesian market with a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with PT. Infiniti Teknologi Indonesia (“Infiniti”).

Under the MOU, OIO will cooperate with Infiniti to support companies across various Indonesian industries planning to adopt blockchain-based technology in their business operations, with the aim of unlocking new growth areas and addressing operational inefficiencies. The MOU is effective for 2 years from 2 October 2020, unless mutually agreed between the parties for early termination or for further extension.

Background to the Partnership

OIO aims to be a leading provider of cost-effective and innovative solutions based on blockchain to further power the growth of enterprises in Asia. In partnership with Vietnam-based Infinity Blockchain Group (“IBG”), OIO currently markets consultancy and software development services for enterprises seeking to adopt easy-to-use and highly cost-effective blockchain solutions across numerous industries – such as, shipping, construction, logistics, and others. OIO’s vision is to help our enterprise customers solve their real-world problems by providing them with appropriately customised blockchain solutions.

Being headquartered in Singapore, a leading global blockchain cluster, places OIO in a strategic position to access the growing demand for enterprise blockchain solutions. According to market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (“IDC”), the Asia-Pacific region accounts for approximately 19.3% of global blockchain spending. Even after accounting for COVID-19 related spending slowdowns, IDC expects blockchain spending to grow at a five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate of 55.3% for the Asia Pacific region (ex-Japan) and 57.1% worldwide – with global spend estimated to reach $14.4 billion by 2023[1].

Indonesia Market

Today, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation, the 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, and a member of the G-20[2]. Strong macroeconomic fundamentals plus the growing number of both public and private sector blockchain projects in the country, have made Indonesia an attractive market for OIO to support with our customised solutions.

At the start of 2018, Bank Indonesia (BI) announced that it needs about two years to complete a study about the possibility of issuing a digital rupiah currency[3]. In August that year, the Indonesian Blockchain Association along with other organisations such as the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Creative Economy Agency, and Hara (a blockchain-based agritech startup) came together to launch Indonesia’s first blockchain hub[4]. A year later, the Indonesian government’s Creative Economy Agency also was reported to be using blockchain technology to protect artists’ copyrights by helping musicians who have loaded their work to the database to track and monitor downloads and usage online, and calculate royalties due[5].

Historically, Indonesia has followed a democratic philosophy of strong regional autonomy. As such, each of the 33 provinces have their own unique features arising from provincial empowerment. This “administrative decentralisation” is also reflected in the differing standards, procedures, and IT systems between regions. This also means that service providers operating with centralised information systems will struggle to expand their services across the many differing regional standards and protocols[6].

While this feature of the Indonesian IT terrain may be an obstacle to traditional players in the tech industry, it is a boon for newer innovators who can leverage on blockchain’s features that allows it to share data across multiple parties while keeping the database decentralised. OIO has recently identified potential project requirements from various industries in Indonesia, particularly in supply chain management across the many small islands in the country.

“We are thrilled to enter the Indonesian market with our partner PT. Infiniti Teknologi Indonesia. We believe we can leverage our experience and resources in the blockchain industry to help further propel the economic success story that is Indonesia today.”
– Taku Edatsune, Head of Finance and Administration of OIO Holdings.

“We see the rise of potential needs for blockchain technology to solve the social and economic problems in Indonesia. Indonesia due to its diverse political and dispersed geographical nature, is best served by a decentralised technological solution. Hence our blockchain based collaboration with OIO.”
– Syarifuddin Tanzil, Infiniti Teknologi Indonesia.

The OIO – PT. Infiniti Teknologi Indonesia Partnership

Through this partnership, OIO and Infiniti will market and execute blockchain-related consulting and software development services to enterprises in Indonesia, leveraging on OIO’s reputation as a Singapore-listed company, IBG’s software development resources, as well as Infiniti’s local networks of enterprises in Indonesia.

The goal of the partnership is to promote greater implementation and adoption of blockchain solutions across industries in Indonesia, thereby resolving existing business and social issues by leveraging on the unique advantages accorded by blockchain.

1. IDC. 2020. Worldwide Blockchain Spending Guide. [online] Available at: https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=IDC_P37345 [Accessed 7 August 2020].
2. The World Bank. 2020. The World Bank In Indonesia. [online] Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/indonesia/overview#1 [Accessed 27 September 2020]
3. Indonesia-investments.com. 2018. Bank Indonesia Studies The Use Of Central Bank Digital Currency | Indonesia Investments. [online] Available at: https://tinyurl.com/ydaf6geu [Accessed 1 October 2020].
4. Maulani, A., 2018. Indonesia Blockchain Hub Launches To Bring Greater Awareness Of The Technology | E27. [online] e27. Available at: https://e27.co/indonesia-blockchain-hub-launches-20180817/ [Accessed 1 October 2020].
5. Unctad.org. 2015. Indonesia Adopts Blockchain To Grow Music Industry IP. [online] Available at: https://tinyurl.com/yb9v3y7a [Accessed 1 October 2020].
6. FORKAST. 2020. Indonesia’s decentralized island society makes blockchain a must-have. [online] Available at: https://tinyurl.com/ycopc2gd [Accessed 27 September 2020]

About OIO Holdings Limited

OIO Holdings Limited (“OIO”) is a Singapore Exchange-listed firm whose core businesses are the provision of mechanical and electrical (“M&E”) engineering services, and blockchain-related agency and consulting solution services. Over the years, OIO has developed extensive expertise as an M&E engineering services and solution provider. It has built up a strong network with well-established customers who are often engaged in luxury resorts or well-known projects in Singapore and the region such as Sengkang General Hospital and Sheraton Towers Singapore Hotel.

OIO has recently expanded into blockchain-related businesses which include sales agency business, software development agency business and blockchain-related consultancy businesses. OIO’s vision is to be the best service partner and provider of innovative technology solutions to power the growth of enterprises in Asia.

Website: www.oio.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oioholdings/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/66361073/
Telegram: https://t.me/oio_singapore

Service contact:
Sam Lay, Head of Business Development, OIO. email: enquiry@oio.sg
Company contact:
Taku Edatsune, Head of Finance and Administration, OIO. email: press@oio.sg or investor.relations@oio.sg

This press release has been reviewed by the Company’s sponsor, PrimePartners Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd. (the “Sponsor”). It has not been examined or approved by the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “Exchange”) and the Exchange assumes no responsibility for the contents of this document, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this document.

The contact person for the Sponsor is Ms Gillian Goh, 16 Collyer Quay, #10-00 Income at Raffles, Singapore 049318, sponsorship@ppcf.com.sg.

Impact BioMedical to Begin Efficacy Testing of Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine Under New Wholly Owned Subsidiary Innate Immune, Inc.

Document Security Systems, Inc. (“DSS” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: DSS), a multinational company operating businesses focusing on brand protection technology, blockchain security, direct marketing, healthcare, real estate, and securitized digital assets, today announced its wholly owned subsidiary Impact BioMedical, Inc. (“Impact BioMedical”) has formed a new wholly owned subsidiary, Innate Immune, Inc. (“Innate Immune”), to initiate efficacy testing of a pancoronavirus vaccine, a special type of vaccine designed to protect against multiple coronaviruses.

“Highly pathogenic human coronaviruses are continuously emerging and remain a major threat to human health,” stated Daryl Thompson, Impact BioLife’s Director of Scientific Initiatives and founder of advanced research company GRDG Sciences, LLC (“GRDG”). Impact BioLife is a wholly owned subsidiary of Impact BioMedical. “Our pan-coronavirus vaccine is designed to allow us to not only protect against COVID-19, which is likely here to stay, but also allow for us to quickly respond to any outbreaks of a virus of this type in the future.”

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses and are common throughout the world. There are currently seven known human coronaviruses that can make people sick. Common human coronaviruses, including types 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1, usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, while MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now SARS-CoV2 can cause more severe pulmonary diseases.

“COVID-19 has already cost more than one million lives and continues to disrupt the $133 trillion global economy,” commented Jason Grady, COO of DSS. “A successful pan-coronavirus vaccine could save countless lives while lessening or even preventing the types of disruptions we have seen this year that have impacted nearly everyone on the planet.”

Innate Immune’s orally delivered pan-coronavirus vaccine has a well demonstrated safety profile and is designed to quickly be scaled for global distribution, ease of manufacturing, and high degree of stability. Innate Immune has gathered a globally recognized team of virologists to complete the research necessary to bring this vaccine to market.

“The need for a solution to COVID-19 and potential future human coronaviruses is clear. We believe this vaccine can provide that solution while remaining economically affordable, ensuring availability across the globe” stated Chan Heng Fai, Chairman of DSS.

GRDG’s Chief Scientific Advisor Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr., the former United States Assistant Surgeon General and former Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC commented, “This pan-coronavirus vaccine is designed to boost a human’s innate ability to fight viruses such as SARS-CoV2 by activating all phases of the human immune system. If successful, it could allow us to prevent further deaths and global economic disruptions from coronaviruses.”

GRDG is a specialized research team that focuses on developing solutions for biodefense under the guidelines of the Project BioShield Act, Event 201, and Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

GRDG performs rapid analysis and research by using advanced algorithms and the most complete databases in the world. The team operates in a lean and efficient manner and when necessary utilizes the top contract research organizations to deliver solid results that are robust and accurate.

About Impact BioMedical, Inc.
Impact BioMedical, Inc. (“Impact BioMedical”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of DSS. Impact BioMedical strives to leverage its scientific know-how and intellectual property rights to provide solutions that have been plaguing the biomedical field for decades. By tapping into the scientific expertise of GRDG Sciences, LLC, Impact BioMedical pledges to undertake a concerted effort in the R&D, drug discovery and development for the prevention, inhibition, and treatment of neurological, oncological and immuno related diseases. For more information on Impact BioMedical visit http://impbio.com/.

About Document Security Systems, Inc.
DSS is a multinational company operating businesses focused on brand protection technology, blockchain security, direct marketing, healthcare, real estate, and securitized digital assets. Its business model is based on a distribution sharing system in which shareholders will receive shares in its subsidiaries as DSS strategically spins them out into IPOs. Its historic business revolves around counterfeit deterrent and authentication technologies, smart packaging, and consumer product engagement. DSS is led by its Chairman and largest shareholder, Mr. Fai Chan, a highly successful global business veteran of more than 40 years specializing in corporate transformation while managing risk. He has successfully restructured more than 35 corporations with a combined value of $25 billion. For more information on DSS visit http://www.dsssecure.com.

Investor Contact:
Dave Gentry, CEO
RedChip Companies Inc.
407-491-4498
Dave@redchip.com

Moonstake Executive Board strengthened by appointment of new CEO, Lawrence Lin

We are pleased to announce that we have strengthened our management with the appointment of Lawrence Lin as our new CEO, effective 1st of Oct 2020.

Lawrence is a digital marketing professional with a background in programming and has been in the tech industry for over 10 years. He was one of Huobi Global’s early employees and later became Head of Global Business in Singapore. After that, he became the COO and co-founder of Zipmex, a cryptocurrency exchange which has been expanded in Southeast Asia, and led the acquisition of licenses.

Prior to entering the blockchain industry, he had a proven track record of successfully IPOing e-commerce companies’ products and customers on ASX and implementing global digital initiatives on Standard Chartered. He has received various awards from marketing fields such as Marketing Excellence and Dragons of Asia.

In welcoming Lawrence to the Moonstake Skateboard, Mitsuru Tezuka, Moonstake founder, comments: “We have very bold aspirations here at Moonstake. Lawrence’s overall brief is one of growth, building on the strategy, mission, vision and values for business and users that will make Moonstake to create the largest staking pool network in Asia. He will be joining a highly ambitious team of individuals, and I’ve no doubt that his previous experience of, and leadership in, continuous improvement and transformation make him an incredible asset to our company.”

Regarding his new role as CEO, Lawrence said: “I am honoured and privileged to be appointed as CEO of Moonstake. Moonstake is expected to support the development and decentralization efforts of blockchain technology. Asia is always an important market for the blockchain industry and I would like to contribute to Moonstake’s goal of creating Asia’s largest staking pool network. At Moonstake, staking is one of the blockchain’s signature features in the long run. That’s why we want to work with industry leaders to strengthen our presence in different regions, while Moonstake provides better service to both coin holders and businesses. We are confident that we will become a global company through partnerships with players around the world.”

About Moonstake

Moonstake was recently established to develop a staking pool protocol to satisfy increasing demands in regional and global blockchain markets. Staking adopts Proof of Stake (PoS) as a type of consensus algorithm which allows cryptocurrency holders to increase the likelihood of receiving block rewards from its block validation transaction. It brings together the ability to stake and ultimately distributes block rewards based on contribution. Moonstake develops a staking pool protocol and provides business services through partners and companies. Staking is expected to help elevate the blockchain technology and work for decentralization. https://www.moonstake.io/

Insumate(R)–Patented Peptide Sequence mcIRBP-19: a Boon for Diabetics Says Greenyn Biotechnology

Taiwan Greenyn Group (L-R): CEO Luo Husan, Chairman Wu Chia-feng, and Dr. Hsu Pang-kuei displaying Insumate(R) research results.

Taiwan’s biotech is gradually emerging. During the COVID-19 epidemic, we had a chance to see the advanced medical equipment and the effective preventive measures taken at the community level. The government took precautions, while private companies were introducing high-quality biotechnology products made in Taiwan. In the post-pandemic period, the world may become more sensitive to the need to strengthen prevention and improve medical treatment. The Taiwan Greenyn Group has been developing health foods for the global market for over 20 years. On Sept. 8, Greenyn Biotechnology, a member of the Greenyn Group, presented clinical results for Insumate®–Patented Peptide Sequence: mcIRBP-19.

Mr. Wu Chia Feng, Chairman of Taiwan Greenyn Group, pointed out, “Greenyn Biotechnology was established in 2012 as a subsidiary of Taiwan Greenyn Corporation. The company has many experts in medical and food biotechnology. Greenyn Biotechnology has invested heavily in research and development over the years, and finally, their products are receiving international recognition. The main goal of the company is to improve the quality of life for all people through preventive medicine.”

Among chronic diseases, the health problems caused by diabetes are particularly pervasive, and growing at an alarming rate. According to data released by the International Diabetes Federation, 463 million people were living with diabetes at the end of 2019, with related medical expenses of US$760 billion. Each year, 4.2 million people die from diabetes and its complications. With insufficient action, these numbers will continue to spiral. China, Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific Region account for 35% of all diabetics, one third of all confirmed cases.

As the company was being established nearly10 years earlier, researchers were already conducting trials on animal and human cells, and discovering that mcIRBP-19 had the potential to regulate blood sugar. Greenyn Biotechnology partnered with Chung Shan Medical University Hospital to conduct clinical trials on diabeties and functional food therapies. Professional medical teams worked tirelessly to carry out these trials, which finally obtained double approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Greenyn Biotechnology confirmed on a scientific basis that a highly active extract from bitter gourd correlated with human insulin receptors. Greenyn Biotechnology called the extract “Patented Peptide Sequence: mcIRBP-19”, and the brand, “Insumate®.”

Dr. Yang Yi-Tien of Chung Shan Medical University Hospital conducted the randomized double-blind clinical trial, which confirmed that Patented Peptide Sequence: mcIRBP-19 had outstanding results on diabetic patients who undertook adjuvant therapy. The trial was conducted on 29 diabetics who were long-term patients of hypoglycemic drugs of less effectiveness. Without breaking routine drug therapy, the diabetic trials were conducted for 3 months, concluding that fasting blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin in the therapy group were significantly reduced. Their liver function, kidney function, and hemoglobin remained unchanged. There were no side effects of hypoglycemia and allergic gastrointestinal discomfort, which usually occur to users of oral hypoglycemic drugs. As for the control group, there was no noticeable difference. The clinical results are being submitted to an International Journal.

The unique structure of Patented Peptide Sequence: mcIRBP-19 allows for use as a pathogenic target. These results have been published in the Science Citation Index (SCI). Dr. Hsu Pang-kuei, chief of research and development at Greenyn Biotechnology, has been conducting research for more than a decade. “After many years, we discovered that mcIRBP-19 has a hypoglycemic effect on insulin-like biological activities and can bind insulin receptors. Without stimulating insulin secretion, mcIRBP-19 can participate in the body’s carbohydrate metabolism and regulate blood sugar. Besides insulin, mcIRBP-19 has been scientifically confirmed as a natural product able to bind insulin receptors to regulate blood sugar.” said Dr. Hsu. Yet another clinical trial reported that 142 diabetics who were long-term users for hypoglycemic drugs took mcIRBP-19 for 3 months, and their blood sugar indexes and glycosylated hemoglobin were well regulated. These results were published in the world-famous Journal of Nutrition.

Insumate®: mcIRBP-19 functions to regulate blood sugar, processing at low temperatures with high activity, and passing toxicity tests. This biotechnology innovation has helped Greenyn Biotechnology in obtaining 19 patent certificates and recognition from the world’s largest discovery exhibitions, the Discovery and New Products Expo (INPEX) in Pittsburgh, Pa, USA; International Discovery Exhibition of Geneva, Switzerland; and the Nuremberg International Expo (IENA) in Germany. An extensive summary of mcIRBP-19 has also been published in the Scientific Citation Index (SCI). Presently, many well-known international process manufacturers use ingredients provided by Greenyn Biotechnology to produce health foods. Greenyn Biotechnology attributes these achievements to its utmost efforts in recent years.

As Dr. Hsu pointed out, “There are many similar products on the market, called bitter melon peptide or peptide-related peptide. But under professional tests, they are only hydrolyzed water or bitter watermelon extract. They do not contain any ingredients able to regulate blood sugar as Insumate®: mcIRBP-19. The most important thing is that strictly selected ingredients must be certified and scientifically validated locally and internationally. Only after rigorous quality testing can the product achieve its medical purpose.”

Mr. Yang Lihua, Secretary General of the Taiwan Functional Food Industry Association, said, “The Taiwan Greenyn philosophy is to rigorously pursue innovative R&D in precision medicine. We define precision medicine as a combination of prevention, healthcare, and clinical testing. Even with the support of scientific testing, improving medicine into a method of prevention takes a long time. With incredible investment and perseverance, Taiwan Greenyn has become a model for various Taiwanese industries due to continuous innovation. They have improved Taiwanese medicine into precision medicine.”

To ensure excellent product quality, Greenwyn Biotechnology has developed a comprehensive, one-stop service solution in areas such as product development, market positioning, formula design, packaging design, manufacturing design, clinical planning, marketing planning and customer service. Greenyn is dedicated to creating new futures for tomorrow’s healthy lifestyles.

Watch the “Insumate®–Natural Patented Peptide Sequence: mclRBP-19” video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RgZk1ZPCKo&t=462s

Media Contact
Greenyn Biotechnology Co. Ltd.
Phone: +886-968-199-656
Contact: Nick Chen
Email: info@greenyn.com.tw
http://en.greenynbio.com/index.php

ECOSTP Secures Funding from Habitat for Humanity’s Shelter Venture Fund to Improve Access to Sanitation Across India

Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter announced today an equity investment of INR 19 million (US$250,000) in ECOSTP Technologies, a startup that develops sanitation solutions through bioengineering. The investment will enhance ECOSTP’s efforts to bring its self-sustainable sewage treatment technology to thousands of families in low-income areas across India. This is Terwilliger Center’s second investment in an Indian startup, after investing in ReMaterials, a modular roofing startup in 2018.

Photo Credit: ECOSTP

“ECOSTP’s low-cost and low-maintenance sanitation technology adapts well to this COVID-19 reality where families need healthy homes to shelter in place. We are thrilled to have a partner with enormous potential to bring affordable solutions that can create healthier and sanitary households across the country,” says Jyoti Patel, Global Director of Impact Investments for the Terwilliger Center.

The Terwilliger Center works with private-sector startups and firms to expand innovative services, products, and financing for low-income households. Through its Shelter Venture Fund, the Center channels impact investment and support to entrepreneurs with the aim to bridge the pioneer gap amongst shelter’s small but growing businesses across the globe. Including ECOSTP, the Fund has invested in nine companies in Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America since 2017.

Nature-inspired innovation

In India, high running costs prevent up to 70 percent of the country’s sewage treatment plants from working properly. This prompted ECOSTP to take inspiration from nature – using biomimicry – to develop a sewage treatment system that uses anaerobic bacteria to purify water through underground chambers. The result is an affordable, self-sustainable system that can treat millions of liters of sewage water per day without relying on power, chemicals or human intervention resulting in a savings of up to 90 percent on operational expenses.

Since its launch in Bengaluru in 2017, ECOSTP has received accolades from various housing ecosystem players including the Government of India’s AGNIi innovation showcase and the United Nations ESCAP 8th World Water Forum. ECOSTP was also part of the Brigade REAP and ShelterTech accelerators in India. Brigade REAP is Asia’s first property technology focused accelerator program, helping startups create scalable and sustainable businesses and is an existing shareholder in the startup.

“As a startup, the partnership with the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter is crucial for us in the current environment. It plays a major role in allowing us to develop our business and bring a safe, sustainable and affordable water treatment product to low-income families and further our mission to reclaim every drop of wastewater naturally,” said Tharun Kumar, ECOSTP’s co-founder.

“We support shelter startups through our ShelterTech accelerator and catalytic grant program in India. Innovations such as ECOSTP have the potential to not only address the water crisis in India but also provide safe and healthy homes for both urban and rural families,” added Anoop Nambiar, Country Director for India at the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter. The Center will continue to support ECOSTP on product development, market expansion and piloting the product in rural and low-income consumer markets.

About Habitat’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter
The Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, a unit of Habitat for Humanity International, works with housing market actors to expand innovative and client-responsive services, products, and financing so that households can improve their shelter more effectively and efficiently. The goal of the Terwilliger Center is to make housing markets work more effectively for people in need of decent, affordable shelter, thereby improving the quality of life for low-income households. To learn more, visit habitat.org/TCIS.

About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort and has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries. In the Asia-Pacific region since 1983, Habitat for Humanity has supported millions of people to build or improve a place they can call home. Through financial support, volunteering, or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit habitat.org/asiapacific.

Zijin Mining’s Announcement in relation to the Environmental, Social and Governance Framework and Formulation of 8 Policy Statements

In order to further enhance the environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) performance of Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd.* (hereinafter, the “Company”, stock code on Shanghai Stock Exchange: 601899; stock code on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited: 2899) and promote the Company’s sustainable development, the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) has decided to establish a top-down ESG framework led by the Board and practise the concept of corporate social responsibility through enhancing its management.

In order to strengthen the Board’s management over ESG-related matters, the responsibilities of the Strategic Committee of the Board will include the duties of managing ESG-related matters.

An ESG Management Committee is established at the Company’s level for execution and is mainly tasked with studying, formulating and executing ESG work targets and strategies, reviewing major ESG-related trends, and evaluating the relevant risks and opportunities, etc.

A number of work teams, comprising the heads of various departments with functions associated with corporate social responsibility, will be established under the ESG Management Committee. These work teams will jointly be responsible for executing the relevant policies and targets.

The Board considered and approved 8 ESG policy statements, namely Policy Statement on Protection of the Ecological Environment, Policy Statement on Human Resources Management, Policy Statement on Management of Health and Safety, Policy Statement on Business Ethics Management, Policy Statement on Supplier Management, Policy Statement on Whistleblowing Management, Policy Statement on Water Resources Management and Policy Statement on Security and Protection of Human Rights.

Please refer to the Company’s announcements disclosed on Shanghai Stock Exchange website ( http://www.sse.com.cn/ ), HKEXnews website ( http://www.hkexnews.hk ) and the Company’s website ( http://www.zjky.cn/ ) for detailed version of the abovementioned policies.

Nordic Cosmetics Launches Chinese Flagship CBD Store on Tmall

– China’s first consumer CBD store set to open on Alibaba’s Tmall

Nordic Cosmetics GmbH (“Nordic Cosmetics”), a subsidiary of Nordic Oil, the top-selling European CBD product manufacturer, and Asia Horizon Group Inc. (“Asia Horizon”), a trailblazer in China’s emerging CBD industry, are pleased to announce the launch of Nordic Cosmetics’ flagship e-commerce store on Tmall, the business-to-consumer online retail platform operated by Alibaba Group. This store is the first CBD flagship store approved on the invite-only Tmall platform.

The launch aims to bring the numerous benefits of CBD skincare products to the 1.4 billion Chinese consumers who have not had access to premium CBD skincare products until now. The e-commerce store will offer a selection of Nordic Cosmetics’ premium CBD skincare products directly to Chinese consumers. Products include a face serum, day and night creams, anti-aging cream, moisturizer, and body butter, all produced to industry-leading standards thanks to Nordic’s extensive experience in CBD. Nordic Cosmetics aims to help consumers feel good in their own skin, using high-quality ingredients and carefully tested formulas to bring premium skincare products to consumers.

Nordic Cosmetics CEO Dannie Hansen said about the launch: “We are excited to partner with Asia Horizon to distribute our Nordic Cosmetics products in China. Just as we have seen such positive responses to our skincare products in Europe, we expect Chinese consumers to similarly be delighted by our unique, innovative skincare offerings across popular categories.”

Asia Horizon CEO Brian Sheng added: “China is the world’s largest skincare market, representing nearly 20 per cent of worldwide skincare purchases. Through our collaboration with Nordic, we are building the foundation of what we expect will be a tremendous demand for CBD consumer products in China.”

About Nordic Cosmetics
Nordic Cosmetics is the cosmetics-focused subsidiary of Nordic Oil, the market leader in Europe’s CBD market with more than 250,000 customers of its wide range of CBD products including oils, topicals, concentrates, e-liquids, and pet products. As one of the most innovative, pioneering and experienced CBD brands in Europe, Nordic offers an extensive range of products and continuously pushes the barriers of CBD usage. For more information please visit: www.nordicoil.com

About Asia Horizon
Asia Horizon is building Asia’s first global cannabinoid licensed producer as the first and only US company to secure a license from the Chinese government to process CBD from hemp in China. The company is developing a large-scale, low-cost EU-GMP-compliant production facility to supply cannabinoids to a growing global market, and providing early-mover entrance to the nascent domestic Chinese market for cannabinoid products. For more information please visit: www.asiahorizongroup.com

Ellie Stevenson
ejs@nordicoil.com

ZALL Smart Commerce Group To Expand Its Singapore Operations

Looks to help local SMEs navigate regional trade through ASEAN-China supply chain networks

Asia’s leading B2B e-commerce group, ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL), announced that it will be expanding the scale of its operations and investments in Singapore. ZALL will invest in its Singapore business, including Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), a Joint Venture between ZALL, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and Global eTrade Services (GeTS). It has increased its recruitment efforts, with a number of open roles for its operations and trading teams in Singapore. ZALL is also investing into technology to further enable Singapore SMEs to trade more freely across Asia.

ZALL is one of the nine bidders who made the shortlist for the Singapore wholesale digital banking license with only three licenses will be awarded by end-2020. The digital bank foray will mark ZALL’s fourth major project in Singapore as it aims to bridge the funding gap and support the expansion of local SMEs and micro-SMEs into Asia.

ZALL’s Chairman, Yan Zhi believes that the pandemic has highlighted the importance of leveraging cross-border growth opportunities, especially between ASEAN and China to build more resilient supply chains. Mr. Yan’s comments were shared at the recent FutureChina Global Forum 2020 (FCGF) that was attended by over 1,300 regional delegates who discussed the latest development trends and growth opportunities between China and ASEAN. From Singapore, the event was graced by Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Chan Chun Sing.

“While it is business as usual in China now, the rest of the world is still affected by the pandemic that has disrupted supply chains, cratering economies. Today, most of the trading and transactions have to be done online, creating an urgency for traditional businesses to leverage on digital platforms and digitally transform as soon as possible in order to survive,” emphasized Mr. Yan Zhi, Chairman of ZALL.

“With confidence, we will eventually go through the difficulties, through the epidemic and fog before us, and the world in three years will only be better,” said Mr Yan.

The pandemic has amplified Singapore’s importance in driving ASEAN-China trade, a valuable proof point around ZALL’s decision to establish its international headquarters in Singapore by launching Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) two years ago (2018). CIC is Singapore’s first B2B e-trading platform for physical commodities powered by blockchain technology. It offers a global intelligent trading platform to more than a dozen countries, helping companies to reduce transaction costs, optimise the efficiency of their supply chains across cross-border trading, financing, logistics, compliance and risk management; and achieve greater trading synergies globally.

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, CIC has seen sales revenues at approximately US$1 billion (S$1.36 billion) during the first half of this year (2020), which exceeded the total revenue throughout last year. Moreover, the number of customers on the CIC platform increased by 20 per cent as compared to 2019, resulting in a surge in the level of activity on the entire platform.

Mr Peter Yu, CEO of Commodities Intelligence Centre, shared, “Singapore has the ideal geographical location when it comes to commodities trading, playing a critical role in supporting regional trade. Singapore’s nation-wide push for digitalisation has created the necessary environment to groom digital-savvy talents, and we look forward to inviting ideal candidates to join our growing team in Singapore.”

“Be it COVID-19 or the recent spike in dengue cases, CIC offers opportunities for businesses of all sizes to mitigate crises by diversifying revenue sources and extending their global reach of their supply chains. In doing so, we are building business resilience against current and future pandemics,” added Mr Yu.

About ZALL Smart Commerce Group

ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL) is a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group (ranked 139th of Fortune China 500 companies in 2020) with a global footprint across the world and is listed on four exchanges on HKSE, NYSE, SSE and SZSE. ZALL develops and operates Asia’s largest B2B offline-to-online trade ecosystem in China and Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with more than 30 B2B platforms in China, US and Singapore, and a GFA of more than 10 million sqm of wholesale trade centres in China. In 2018, ZALL Group achieved a GMV of more than RMB 600 billion (US$85.2 bn), serving over 1 million SME customers worldwide.

ZALL has also obtained a virtual banking licence and currently operates Z-Bank in China since 2017, one of China’s top 5 digital banks that has supported more than 5.5 million SMEs and individual customers. For more information, please visit http://en.zallcn.com/

About Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC)

The Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) is a global trading platform for physical commodities including Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals, Chemicals & Plastics, Oil & Petroleum, and Agri Commodities. Officially launched in Singapore on 12 Oct 2018, CIC is a Joint Venture between China-based ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and to grow a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore.

CIC aims to revolutionise commodity trading and facilitate cross-border trade through deal matching, trade finance, supply chain logistics, track and trace and global trade compliance. Since its establishment in October 2018, CIC has achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of more than US$13.1 billion (S$17.9 billion), with over 5,000 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, amongst other countries in Asia. For more information, please visit www.cic-tp.com.

For media queries
PRecious Communications for ZALL
ZALL@preciouscomms.com

Agilex Biolabs Develops World’s Most Accurate Cannabinoid Assay

Award-winning Agilex Biolabs, the Asia-Pacific region’s leading bioanalytical laboratory for clinical trials, based in Australia, has developed the world’s most accurate cannabinoid assay.

The announcement was made at BioPharm America (September 21-24, 2020).

The assay is already being used by 4 sponsors in drug development.

Agilex Biolabs CEO Jason Valentine said the company was now very much at the forefront of assay development for cannabis clinical trials, with more assays in the pipeline.

“We have developed a high sensitivity, quantitative assay for the detection of CBN, CBD and THC and metabolites in human plasma.

The Agilex Biolabs cannabinoids assay achieves >98% of ISR (Incurred Sample Reanalysis) samples within the acceptance criteria, which demonstrates that it is robust and reproducible.

The FDA and EMA criteria is 67% of samples within 20%.

This is the best-in-class because we have resolved interferences that over-state THC concentrations that can potentially skew reported data. The improved accuracy and sensitivity means we now have a precise low level assay for our clients.

This competes with anything in the world for accuracy, and cuts the risk of flawed results.

Due to high client demand a CBD and metabolites assay is in development and will be ready before end of the year.”

Agilex is also now offering additional pharmacodynamics services that include immunobiology services using the latest state-of-the-art technology to support immunology, cell biology and mode of action assays, including:
– Immunophenotyping
– Receptor occupancy
– Cytokine release assays (whole blood or PBMC stimulation assays) and cytokine/biomarker profiling
– PBMC assays and cellular mechanism of action assays (eg: ADCC)

Agilex Biolabs, the only FDA-inspected lab of its type in the Asia-Pacific, offers bioanalysis for small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity and biomarkers utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay (MesoScale, Gyrolab).

The FDA-inspected facilities have more than 90 dedicated laboratory staff, and annually support more than 80 clinical trials. This year Agilex Biolabs will analyse more than 60,000 samples for pharma/biotechs from US, Europe and APAC.

By combining specialised expertise, technological innovation and a 20-year track record, Agilex Biolabs have supported hundreds of preclinical and clinical trials around the world.

Agilex Biolabs’ world-class bioanalytical facilities have OECD GLP Recognition with NATA (Australian Government OECD GLP Compliance monitoring authority) and ISO 17025 Accreditation for global recognition.

Please Book a Briefing with us before you start your next clinical trial: https://calendly.com/agilexbiolabs/15min

Australia: +61 8 8302 8777 | China: +86 21 8036 9483 | South Korea: +82 80 812 1255 | USA: +1 800 247 1909

About Agilex Biolabs https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/
Agilex Biolabs, Australia’s leading bioanalytical laboratory, has more than 20 years’ experience in performing regulated bioanalysis, including quality method development, method validation and sample analysis services. We have successfully supported hundreds of preclinical and clinical trials around the world where customers choose Australia for the streamlined regulatory process and access to the world’s most attractive R&D rebate of more than 40% on clinical trial work conducted in Australia.

We offer services for both small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity (PD) and biomarker bioanalysis utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay.

Agilex Biolabs operates a fully quality-assured laboratory ensuring that, within the principles of GLP, assays are validated to the latest FDA/EMA guidance and study samples are assayed and reported to the sponsor’s desired format using WATSON LIMS. Laboratory certifications include OECD GLP and ISO/IEC17025.

Our highly experienced team consists of over 65 dedicated laboratory staff with over 15 years average industry experience across senior scientists. Expertise includes development of robust compliant PK and PD assays de novo or by method transfer.

Our laboratory is fitted with 7 SCIEX tandem mass spectrometers, 6 API 4000 and 1 QTRAP 5500 as our standard platform for LC-MS/MS analysis. For immunoassay, we employ the state-of -the-art systems of Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) and Gyrolab xPlore.

Agilex Biolabs owns a suite of validated biosimilar assays that have already supported biosimilar studies executed in the region. These assays include Avastin/Bevacizumab, Lucentis/Ranibizumab, Actemra/Tocilizumab, Xolair/Omalizumab, Herceptin/Trastuzumab and Solaris/Eculizumab. We would like to discuss how we can support companies with biosimilar pipelines looking to conduct trials in the region. Our validated biosimilar assays require less setup saving time and money.

Agilex Biolabs also have a suite of biomarker assays that have been developed to support studies in the areas of endocrinology (estrone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and others).

Recently, Agilex Biolabs has added a comprehensive cannabinoid assay to its suite of validated assays to support clinical trials. The fully validated assay includes the five cannabinoids THC, CBD, CBN and the two THC-metabolites OHTHC and COOHTHC.

Our LC-MS/MS experience includes NCEs, sugars, nucleotides, enantiomers, steroids, prodrugs, peptides, immunosuppressants, nanoparticles, neurotransmitters, oligonucleotides and polymeric mixtures.

Our biologics experience entails PK analysis using colorimetric, fluorescence or chemiluminescence detection for recombinant or fusion proteins, monoclonal antibodies, ADCs, immunogenicity testing, biomarker analysis and PBMC blood stimulation assays.

Media Contact:
Media@AgilexBiolabs.com
Kate Newton