APAC Outlook - issue 48

DESIGNWILKES | BUKALAPAK

w w w. a p a c o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Gold Fields Australia Gold Fields Australia showcases the potential of employee, environment, and community-centric business, we spoke to Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: Australasia, to learn more

Le Hoang Diep Thao tells the story of the rise of TNI King Coffee, a Vietnamese coffee brand and café franchise

Issue 48

travel magazine THAILAND TRAVEL GUIDE

MALAYSIA TRAVEL GUIDE

M A L AYS I A

THAILAND This Southeast Asian country is a perennial favourite, thanks to an intoxicating combination of beautiful beaches, world-renowned cuisine and incredible temple complexes

Malaysia is a melting pot with a unique culture, a world-renowned food scene and a spectacular landscape of islands, ancient rainforest and mountains

ISSUE 04

Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

K

nown as the ‘Land of Smiles’, Thailand is a friendly country that welcomed 38.27 million tourists to its shores last year.

There are plenty of reasons why this Southeast Asian destination is so popular.

For a start, there’s the beaches. In the south, Thailand’s two coastlines stretch for miles, populated by swathes of icing-sugar soft sand, the bays speckled with dramatic limestone formations. Thailand is also home to 1,430 islands, ranging from full moon party spots like Koh Pha Ngan to the more off the beaten track Similan Islands, a national marine park popular with scuba divers.

Then, there’s the food. Thailand’s noodles, stir fries and curries are beloved around the

world, characterised by the fragrant taste of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and tulsi. Every town is bursting at the seams with floating markets, street food stalls and high-end restaurants where you can try delicious local dishes.

Thailand’s rich spiritual heritage also attracts tourists. Golden temples and larger-than-life Buddha statues can be found across the country. Visitors can experience colourful religious festivals in the northeast of the country or explore the underground cave shrines in Kanchanaburi and Phetchaburi.

Despite Thailand’s popularity, it’s easy to find a quiet corner to relax, be it on a deserted island or an eco-retreat in the craggy mountains north of Chiang Mai.

Writer: Dani Redd Project Manager: Joe Palliser

T

here are many reasons why Malaysia is a tourist favourite.

For a start, there’s the landscape. Imagine 878 islands, ringed with white sand beaches leading down to translucent waters. Vibrant coral reefs lie just offshore, home to a profusion of marine life. Inland are ancient rainforests, the shaded canopy seemingly impenetrable.

Take a guided walk to learn about this habitat’s astonishing biodiversity.

You might even catch sight of a tapir, or a silver-leafed monkey swimming through the jungle canopy.

Outdoor enthusiasts will also relish tackling some of region’s towering granite mountains or exploring the intricate networks of limestone caves.

Then, there’s the culture. Malaysia

is a melting point of Malay, Indian, Chinese and aboriginal groups (Orang Asli). There’s a packed calendar of religious festivals, including Wesak, or Buddha’s birthday, celebrated with processions of flowers and candles.

Cities such as Melaka and Georgetown boast fascinating heritage districts where you can experience this fascinating fusion for yourself. Make sure you take time out to try Malaysia’s delicious cuisine, which reflects its multicultural population.

Of course, Malaysia has a modern side too. It can be found in the malls, skyscrapers and fine dining restaurants in larger cities, such as the capital Kuala Lumpur.

WORLD’S BEST DISTILLERIES

The whisky tourism industry is flourishing

VIETNAM

A feast for the senses

QUINTANA ROO Beautiful beaches, compelling culture

NAMIBIA TRAVEL GUIDE

SEYCHELLES TRAVEL GUIDE

S E YC H E L L E S Most people visit this archipelago in the Indian Ocean for the beaches, but it has much more to offer than that Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

D YOUR TRAVEL GUIDE TO

NAMIBIA Namibia is a country of rugged, otherworldly landscapes; a desert realm with a complex history and culturally diverse inhabitants Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

N

amibia is known for its sparse, otherworldly landscapes. It gets its name from the Namib, the world’s oldest desert; a sparse, windswept region extending 1,900 kilometres down Africa’s Atlantic coast. The desert is characterised by its red dunes, which plunge down towards the ocean at Sandwich Harbour and Skeleton Coast. It’s also known for its white clay and salt pans, such as Deadvlei, where there are hundreds of ossified trees.

Another scenic spot in the desert is Moon Landscape, named after its eerie, pockmarked topography.

But sightseeing in Namibia isn’t just about deserts.

Inland you’ll find the green-gold grasslands of the Kalahari, and rugged mountains such as the Brandberg, Spitzkoppe and Damaraland.

Tourists flock to Namibia to experience its remote corners. Hot air ballooning, sand boarding and offroad quad bike excursions are all popular activities.

When it comes to safaris, Namibia offers some unrivalled experiences – head to Etosha National Park to see big cats, elephants and black rhinos.

Namibia has a fascinating history. It was inhabited as early as 25,000 BC, with tribes such as Ovambo and Herero gradually migrating into the country. In the “Scramble for Africa” Namibia became a German colony, known as German South West Africa, in 1884. After over a century of bloody battles, Namibia finally gained independence in 1990. These days it’s a country rich in historical attractions and cultural diversity; a country with plenty of stories to tell.

BARBADOS

escribing the Seychelles, it’s easy to veer into cliché. These picture-perfect islands are blessed with white sand beaches lapped by translucent water, fringed with palm trees and interesting rock formations. The dramatic sunsets, laidback atmosphere and a wide range of luxury accommodation make them a popular spot for honeymooners.

The Seychelles consists of 115 islands and some small islets, located

in the Indian Ocean at a crossroads between Asia and Africa. Most of the action is concentrated around the three major islands: Mahé, La Digue and Praslin. Mahé is the largest and most populous; home to the capital, Victoria, and transport hub to the rest of the islands. La Digue is renowned for having some of the best beaches in the archipelago. Praslin, meanwhile, is home to the idyllic Vallée de Mai nature reserve.

But there’s more to the Seychelles

than just the beaches. Trek through the granite mountains and lush rainforests of the Morne Seychellois National Park. Try some of the island’s traditional Creole dishes at a local restaurant. Or if you’re a nature lover, head to Bird Island to observe its population of fairy terns and common noddies, as well as the giant Aldabra tortoises endemic to the archipelago. You’ll be bowled over by what the Seychelles has to offer.

Award-winning filmmaker Josh Trett discusses turning a hobby into a successful film and video production company

Your Guide to the World I N A C H A N G I N G WO R L D , where the travel industry must adapt to challenging global situations, our mission at Outlook Travel remains the same. We will continue to showcase some of the world’s most inspiring destinations, offering real insight and comprehensive travel guides for when global mobility resumes.

The major component of the publication takes the form of our Outlook Travel Guides, providing executives, avid travellers and our existing 575,000 international subscribers with the ultimate rundown of all the major economic drivers and thriving hubs across the world, with exclusive input from tourism industry associations and stakeholders – the people who know these places the best.

You can join the vast numbers of tourism sector players enjoying the exposure we provide across our digital platforms with a range of options, from advertising through to free-of-charge editorials, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and increase exposure.

www.outlooktravelmag.com/who-we-are

WELCOME

Changing the Approach

EDITORIAL Editor: Sean Galea-Pace sean.galea-pace@outlookpublishing.com Editor: Marcus Kääpä marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com Junior Editor: Phoebe Harper phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com PRODUCTION Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

Choosing whether to be sustainable or not is no longer an option. These days, companies from all

Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

four corners of the globe maintain a responsibility

Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com

to operate with a greener approach and consider

BUSINESS Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTOR Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Krisha Canlas krisha.canlas@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS David Knott david.knott@outlookpublishing.com Kyle Livingstone kyle.livingstone@outlookpublishing.com Sam Love sam.love@outlookpublishing.com ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com

environmentally friendly alternatives.

And sustainability is the focus of our cover feature as Gold Fields Australia is seeking to reduce its carbon footprint both through a conscious effort and investment.

“We do what we can to be the best in sustainable mining and being around for the long term,” says Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: Australasia.

“We ensure this continues on a daily basis, with real investment and a shared belief with our partners to reduce our carbon footprint. No matter how remote our sites are, we believe that we have a social responsibility to the local community and the environment, while managing our business around climate risk.

“We are acting on this responsibility now.”

Elsewhere in the magazine, Jeffrey Wilkes, founder of DESIGNWILKES, discusses his organisation’s drive to always put the customer at the forefront of decision-making. “We like to think that we excel at meeting our clients’ needs before our own,” explains Wilkes. “Service is key as well as timeless and elegant design.”

In our Expert Eye slot this month, Amit Ghosh, Head of Asia Pacific at R3, discusses the need for new technology such as blockchain which can help to reduce costs, risks and delays to participants involved in trade finance.

Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com

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Sean Galea-Pace Editor, Outlook Publishing APAC Outlook issue 48 | 3

CONTENTS

10

14

40

20 REGULARS

6 NEWS

TOPICAL FOCUS

Around Asia Pacific in seven stories

16 TECHNOLOGY

8 EXPERT EYE

Mobile Innovation

The decentralisation of supply chains and the trade finance networks that fuel them can mitigate this risk and disruption

Innovative new mobile design

BUSINESS INSIGHT

20 The Singapore Manufacturing Federation

10 TECHNOLOGY

Securing Cyberspace

Preventing cybercrime through innovation, collaboration, and technology

14 FINANCE

Combatting COVID in Asia A people-centric approach amidst disruption

SPOTLIGHTS

On the charge towards Industry 4.0

32 Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP) Expansion on the horizon for rubber exporters in Sri Lanka

182 THE FINAL WORD What or who has been a source of inspiration for you during your career?

32 4 | APAC Outlook issue 48

APAC OUTLOOK MAGAZINE

100

F E AT U R E S

38 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

116 Integrated Facility Solutions (IFS)

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

Facilitating Thailand

MINING

Service management in Southeast Asia

40 Gold Fields Australia

TECHNOLOGY

Core and Community

Innovative, sustainable, and people-centric promotion in the mining industry

FOOD & DRINK

56 TNI King Coffee

Building a Global Coffee Empire A story of growth, opportunity and empowerment

62 Bangkok Air Catering Group Navigating Disruption

Thailand catering care in the air

CONSTRUCTION

122 Bukalapak

Fairness Through Technology Indonesia’s altruistic ecommerce giant

128 Moratelindo

Indonesia’s Critical Connector Generating growth against a challenging backdrop

134 Omni Tech

Trade in Technology Providing products and solutions to customers across the nation

140 Cellcard

Digitising Cambodia

68 DESIGNWILKES

The leading telecommunications player in Cambodia

A driven boutique interior design firm

HEALTHCARE

Timeless and Elegant Design

80 Kramer Ausenco

Committed to Asia-Pacific

Caring for Australia

Caring for the community for over 200 years

MANUFACTURING

TRANSPORT

Responsible Manufacturing An Australian manufacturer of electrical cables focused on sustainability

94 Stars Microelectronics Innovation in Thailand

Shooting for the stars with one of Thailand’s leading electronics manufacturers

ENERGY & UTILITIES

100 Plus Solar Systems Driving Sustainability in Malaysia

128

152 UFS Dispensaries

A leading engineering organisation in Asia

86 Nexans Olex

86

122

158 Bombardier Moving Together

Sustainable, innovative, and safety-centric rail transport solutions

SPECIAL REPORT

172 dpa lighting consultants Light in Design

Professional project collaboration across the design industry

110

94

Malaysia’s leading total clean energy solutions company

110 Blueleaf Energy

Harness the Sun, Transform the Future Expansion in the renewables market in Asia APAC Outlook issue 48 | 5

NEWS Around Asia Pacific in seven stories…

TECHNOLOGY

Indian government order requests removal of 1,178 accounts from Twitter

TECHNOLOGY

SHARES PLUMMET FOR HYUNDAI, KIA WITH APPLE CAR DEAL OFF THE TABLE S O UT H KOREA’S Hyundai Motor Co. announced on Monday that it is no longer in talks with Apple Inc. to launch a self-driving electric car.

The news comes just months after reports of early-stage talks were confirmed, triggering a significant increase in shares for the motor company and its affiliates.

Automakers shares have since

ECONOMY

$1.5 million worth of digital currency trialled in China over Lunar New Year BEIJING IS expected to distribute $1.5 million in the third official trial of the digital currency that is currently under development by the People’s Bank of China, following reports from the capital city’s municipal bank.

Following similar experiments in the cities of Shenzhen and Suzhou, Beijing has announced that 50,000 randomly 6 | APAC Outlook issue 48

plummeted, after Hyundai’s affiliate Kia Motors, which had originally been tipped as the operational partner for Apple, also confirmed that no such deal was in place.

Hyundai Motor shares fell 4.41 percent during Monday trade in South Korea as a result, while Kia Motors reported a loss of 12 percent (Reuters).

selected applicants will receive 200 yuan, about $30 each, in the digital currency, totaling approximately 10 million yuan for the entire trial. This can be redeemed at selected offline locations and certain e-commerce suites, including JD.com, for the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Expected to work in a similar way to existing payment apps, the currency that is being developed in Beijing differs from other renowned digital currencies, such as Bitcoin, by being controlled by a single power, rather than a decentralised system.

TE C H N O LO GY M I N I STRY sources in New Delhi confirm that India has asked Twitter Inc to take down accounts that are supposedly operated by sympathisers of a separatist Sikh movement or are affiliated with the country’s rival, Pakistan.

The accounts came to the ministry’s attention after sharing and promoting misinformation regarding the ongoing farmers protests in the capital, resulting in the government order issued on February 4th.

Thousands of farmers are currently camped in the city, protesting for the withdrawal of new agricultural laws.

The order specified accounts distributing provocative content alongside those suspected to be operated by supporters of the movement for an independent Sikh homeland, named Khalistan.

The U.S social media giant is yet to confirm whether it has followed the government’s order and removed the accounts, instead stating that they may limit access to the content based on location if it is not found to be in violation of the Twitter rules.

TRADE

ENERGY

MITSUBISHI-OWNED ENERGY FIRMS TO SUPPLY WIND POWER TO AMAZON

Taiwan’s exports soar, despite COVID restrictions JANUARY IS the seventh month in a row that exports in Taiwan have continued to soar nationwide. A new record has been set thanks to the demand for new technologies such as 5G, and manufacturers that benefit from their consumers staying at home during the pandemic.

In Taipei on Monday, the Ministry of Finance reported that exports had increased by 36.8 percent since January 2020, with a record monthly AIRLINES

Sri Lankan airlines in talks with India for new travel bubble T H E CH AIRMAN of Sri Lankan Airlines has announced that a travel bubble will be finalised between Sri Lanka and India to improve passenger numbers from Sri Lanka’s number one market.

Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Mr. Ashok Pathirage commented that passenger records were unlikely to return to pre-COVID numbers

figure of $34.27 billion in January 2021.

The Ministry concluded that the growth was the result of demand for chips to power the “zero-touch economy”, as millions are forced to work online remotely. It was also due to the launch of Apple Inc’s iPhone 12 with faster 5G connection in September, of which Taiwan’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd are a major supplier.

Exports are expected to enjoy a modest rise continuing into February.

until November 2022, as the airline continues to operate at a loss of 70 percent compared to numbers prior to the pandemic. Pathirage anticipates a return to 60 percent of the pre-COVID turnover in time for next year’s season.

This may be improved as talks continue to form a travel bubble with India, before expanding that bubble to include China. As yet, there have been no finalisations regarding the bubble with China, the country’s second largest tourism market.

In the meantime, the airline continues to focus on cargo exporters and repatriation flights for Sri Lankan citizens.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp have confirmed that Eneco and Royal Dutch Shell will power Amazon.com Inc’s European facilities with sustainable electricity from an offshore wind farm. This announcement comes as Amazon endeavours to meet its pledge of becoming net carbon neutral by 2040, after facing growing pressure from environmental activists regarding the retail titan’s significant carbon footprint.

The two Mitsubishi-owned energy firms are jointly constructing the Hollandske Kust Noord offshore wind farm, which is set to start operation in 2023.

H E A LT H C A R E

300,000 VACCINE DOSES GIFTED FROM CHINA AS LAOS PROTECTS FRONT-LINE WORKERS Media reports confirm that Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm has gifted 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Laos, as the country continues to inoculate frontline workers.

The arrival of the vaccines has been reported by Chinese state media and Laos’ health minister, Bounkong Syhavong has confirmed that front line workers at risk and medical workers will be prioritised.

Land-locked Laos has reported zero fatalities and only 45 cases of the virus, after being praised for its early response to the pandemic last year, thereby effectively protecting its seven-million strong population.

Sinopharm made the announcement the day after 600,000 of the same vaccine doses were sent from Beijing to Cambodia.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 7

EXPERT EYE

Supply chain decentralisation: prevent world trade ‘strangulation’ China’s role as origin of many supply chains means that any major disruption within the country has a knock on effect on global supply chains all over the world.

Written by: Amit Ghosh, Head of APAC at R3

D

ecentralisation of supply chains and the trade finance networks that fuel them can mitigate this risk and disruption, writes Amit Ghosh, Head of Asia Pacific at R3.

In 2020, research showed that more than 200 of the Fortune Global 500 firms have a presence in Wuhan, the city that has become known for its alleged origination of the coronavirus. In line with this, the need to decentralise supply chains was recognised last year when trade ministers of Japan, India and Australia agreed to work towards achieving supply chain resilience, citing digitisation of trade procedures as part of their initiative.

Digital transformation is part of the solution to reducing the heavy reliance on specific cities and countries in order to protect against future pandemics, along with environmental and socio-economic disasters. Blockchain technology’s decentralised ledger could remove the risk of a central point of failure and in doing so, bring wider benefits to global trade finance networks.

The need for digitisation Many of the processes and technologies underpinning trade finance have not been modernised in decades. The result is that those transactions continue to rely on paper-heavy processing, unsuitable for the current digital age. Traditional technology required corporates to log into multiple portals and juggle relationships and documentation for 8 | APAC Outlook issue 48

ABOUT THE EXPERT Amit is the Head of Asia Pacific at R3, and is responsible for the growth and business performance in the region.

He also leads R3’s strategy in APAC, including market entry strategy, pricing strategy & sales/partnership strategy. Amit is a business leader with 18 years of experience across strategy and operations, business development and commercial solution design. He is a seasoned professional in CxO engagement, stakeholder influencing, and has industry experience in digital payments and enterprise IT services.

Prior to R3, Amit held various senior business development and operations roles. He has worked at Visa as Digital Partnerships Lead, at PayPal as Head of Cross Border Trade for APAC region & Hewlett Packard as Head of Strategy and operations. Amit has also worked with The Boston Group, Google, and Wipro Technologies in the past. Amit holds an MBA in Strategic Management, Finance and Entrepreneurship from Chicago Booth and a B. Tech from IIT-BHU.

each shipment. In addition, businesses must navigate the growing threat of cyber-attacks, changing regulations, and ever-changing sanctions lists.

Despite this complexity, cumbersome and time-consuming paper-based exchanges are still commonplace.

By digitising these manual processes and superseding ageing legacy systems, a technology such as blockchain has a real impact on reducing the costs, risks and delays to participants involved in trade finance. If applied effectively, the technology has the potential to unlock what the Asian Development Bank has identified as a potential $1.5 trillion opportunity in global trade finance. Companies of all sizes will benefit from better visibility into trading relationships and easier access to financing options, beyond point-to-point relationships, to a global network of trading parties.

A single source of truth Blockchain’s integration across the financial services ecosystem has delivered some encouraging results so far. There is growing debate about how blockchain can provide solutions to solve many of the problems facing trade financing.

One such solution is real-time visibility, which is available via permissioned access to authorised network users, and gives buyers and sellers unprecedented transparency into the status of their transactions.

This single source of truth and use of smart contracts could remove a

number of inefficiencies in the paperheavy processes that exist in trade finance, such as negotiations of letters of credit. In addition, settlement finality removes the need for intermediaries to perform reconciliations. All of these applications could streamline the entire process.

A digitised and connected trade ecosystem In order to move towards a truly digitised and connected ecosystem for trade finance, mass adoption on a global scale is essential. This elusive network effect can only be achieved if technology players prioritise forwardthinking and inclusive integration solutions that lower the barriers

“BLOCKCHAIN HAS A REAL IMPACT ON REDUCING THE COSTS, RISKS AND DELAYS TO PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN TRADE FINANCE” to entry for all types of companies involved in the trading process.

Like any piece of enterprise technology, blockchain will be most useful when used in conjunction with existing systems. The reality is that most businesses are not full digitally native and so will continue to rely on legacy systems – all to different extents

– in the near future.

The key to unlocking blockchain’s true potential, therefore, is not to try and oust these but to make sure the technology fits into the right places, with minimal cost and disruption to a firm’s day-to-day business. Integration holds the key to rewiring the $8 trillion global trade finance market.

Although the dominance of any one country in global supply chains and their financing remains unknown, what is sure is that blockchain technology can bring untold benefits to existing trade networks. It can enable them to run more smoothly, quickly and efficiently and ensure that, when the world faces another crisis, there is no one centralized point of failure.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 9

CYBERSECURITY MALAYSIA

SECURING CYBERSPACE With the digital world expanding and cybercrime an ever-growing issue, we spoke to the CEO of CyberSecurity Malaysia to discover the latest in online protection and prevention Written by: Marcus Kääpä

T

he increase of worldwide digital activity has given rise to a tremendous number of possibilities.

Companies across the globe have made use of digital platforms and services to retreat from the manual face-to-face methods of working and continue to evolve and strengthen their online presence.

Alongside this, the workplace has shifted. 2020 saw the huge rise in the number of online-centric businesses due to COVID-19 and the resulting necessity of digital accessibility. The increased shift from office-based to online working has provided people with a variety of options as to how, when, and where to work.

But as with every expanding frontier, the digital realm comes with its own problems and challenges. More than ever, especially due to the mass-use of online communication, services, and workplaces in light of the current pandemic, online threats rise with it.

It is from this broad and varied digital danger that cybersecurity plays an important role in keeping our online lives risk-free and protected.

For CyberSecurity Malaysia, making the Asian digital realm a more secure place to roam is critical. We spoke to Dato’ Ts Dr. Amirudin Abdul Wahab FASc, the firm’s CEO, about the state of the industry and the necessity of the company in the Asian cyber space.

“CyberSecurity Malaysia is a 10 | APAC Outlook issue 48

technical agency under the view of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia of Malaysia, so we provide a broad range of cyber security service innovations, programmes, and initiatives. As a national service and specialty centre, we help to reduce the volatility of digital systems at the same time as creating and sustaining safer cyberspace,” he elaborates.

“The world is becoming highly connected and with this evolution more and more technologies converge. Because of this, more sectors are using, and being enabled by, digital technology – they are becoming more dependent and reliable on the internet.

“Our demand for the most advanced methods and services has been expedited by COVID-19 and has revealed a reliance for online connections for both governments and individual people. Yet with increased digital services and reach comes increased risk from cybercriminals conducting illegal activities. So, equally to the need for online connection, there becomes a need to establish a safe and cybersecure environment.”

In this digital age people are very dependant and rely heavily on the internet, online services, and technologies in conducting their daily activities as well as businesses, and CyberSecurity Malaysia recognises the need for safe digital expansion.

“We cannot deny that there are a lot of advantages and opportunities by having digital technologies such as cloud computing, IoT, artificial intelligence, automation, machine learning, deep learning, Big Data, blockchain, and the rest,” Wahab tells us.

“However, the internet and digital technologies can also be a doubleedged sword. They can be misused by cybercriminals to conduct illegal and criminal activities.”

TECHNOLOGY

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 11

CYBERSECURITY MALAYSIA

CYBERSECURITY MALAYSIA AT A GLANCE Founded in 1997, CyberSecurity Malaysia has played a major role in creating a safer environment in Malaysia (and in Asia) through providing programmes and initiatives to ensure that Malaysian subspace is secure, many of which are initiatives created and developed by the firm itself. The company employs around 300 employees, 70 percent of which are technical experts in the digital field with specialist knowledge in various domains of cybersecurity.

With a base in the state of Selangor (or Darul Ehsan by its Arabic honorific), CyberSecurity Malaysia provides its services to both local and international clientele. These customers are not only businesses in the IT-services sector, but they instead cover a multitude of sectors across many Asian countries.

Among the specialised cybersecurity services provided are: • Cybersecurity responsive services • Cybersecurity proactive services • Outreach and capacity building • Strategic study and engagement • Industry and research development

12 | APAC Outlook issue 48

INNOVATION AND APCERT The growth and development of the consumer businesses is paramount for CyberSecurity Malaysia, and the delivery of up-to-date digital and software services is a must-have aspect of companies attempting to compete in industries today, as well as staving off potential digital threats.

“If you compare the period of our incident reports to our Cyber 999 help centre in 2019, we received 10,773 cyber security incidents in total,” Wahab explains.

“As of this year up until the end of October, we have seen close to 9,042 incidents already, and we expect to receive a lot more. The top five highest incidents that were reported to in sequence are online fraud, intrusion, malicious code, contentrelated, and denial of service attack.

Operating as a government agency under the branch of technology and communications, CyberSecurity Malaysia does not position itself as a competitor within the industry.

“As a technical agency we work collaboratively to ensure cybersecurity or technical help is provided. We also get to develop people skills and knowledge to improve the standards of process and ensure the best and newest

practices,” Wahab continues.

“Collaboration within the industry is essential since this will allow for the sharing of knowledge and experience, enabling us to enhance the knowledge of participating organisations and level of readiness for a progressive sector.”

The company’s appointment as Chair of the Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team (APCERT) for the past two years best showcases this.

And as the Chair of the organisation, CyberSecurity Malaysia’s responsibility is to provide strategic direction and guidance to keep APCERT moving forward, helping businesses, and staying relevant and up to date in an increasingly sophisticated digital world.

“CyberSecurity Malaysia was one of the co-founders of APCERT from back in 2002. The company will continue to develop and encourage multilateral effort, frameworks, new norms, sharing of information and support a digital order if we are to create a trusted and resilient cyberspace whose future is in the hands of all in the region,” Wahab adds.

APCERT currently houses 33 operational members from 23 different economies within the Asia Pacific region.

TECHNOLOGY “The wider APCERT organisation covers the enhancement of international cybersecurity cooperation, the mitigation of large-scale security incidents, the facilitation of information sharing regarding cyber threats, as well as the promotion of collaborative research between groups, and assisting the region to conduct efficient and effective computer emergency responses,” Wahab explains.

DIGITAL FACILITATORS The pandemic has triggered a substantial rise in the use of cybersecurity in line with growth in general digital and online services and connections.

Since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enacted in Malaysia, cybersecurity cases have increased by a dramatic 82.5 percent compared to the same time the year before.

“A total of 838 incidents were reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia between the start of the MCO on March 18 2020 and April 7. Of this total, 18 percent, or 152 cases, involved local companies, while the rest were home users and others,” Wahab informs us.

“It is a jump from the 459 cases reported in the same period in 2019, based on data made available by the agency’s emergency response centre, Cyber999. Most cases during the MCO have involved fraud, intrusion, and cyber harassment.”

From this perspective the pandemic has presented both challenges and opportunities for CyberSecurity Malaysia, as has the emergence of 5G as the new digital frontier.

Currently, 5G networks are the most advanced public online facilitators, and so this naturally increases the potential cyber risk.

“Compared to the 4G networks, the 5G networks support a massive number of connected devices and is expected to be much faster, reliable and efficient. It allows consumers and developers to keep pace with rapidly increasing voice and data traffic and

“CYBERSECURITY NEEDS TO INVOLVE EVERYONE WHICH INCLUDES GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, NGOS, INDUSTRIES, THE PUBLIC AND INDIVIDUALS” – DATO’ TS DR. AMIRUDIN ABDUL WAHAB FASc, CEO

is expected to provide capabilities for new technologies such as the IoT,” Wahab adds.

“The power and potential of 5G go way beyond enabling super-fast video streaming with zero lag time and full-length movie downloads within seconds. The new 5G technology will provide a more stable mobile network for these activities and will also enable infrastructure for other services.”

The implementation of 5G will enable Malaysian industry to incorporate more automation and innovation, and at the same time enable the country’s people to partake in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) – the advancement, increased mechanisation, and digitalisation of industries, businesses, and workplaces.

For Wahab, new digital potential will spell increasingly complex and multifaceted problems for those faced with the prospect of cybercrime.

“In the healthcare industry, for example, 5G will enable the transfer of large patient files, remote surgery, and remote patient monitoring via IoT devices being more efficient and faster,” he tells us.

“But those advances required the

need for ever-stronger security. They are creating risks that include medical identity theft, invasion of health privacy, and medical data management.”

To combat the potential of cybercrime, CyberSecurity Malaysia works alongside a variety of external companies and organisations to ensure its success. The company’s supply chain partners prove invaluable in this process of service provision.

Wahab comments on the necessity of industry partners.

“No single actor can act alone in this digital age,” he proclaims.

“Cybersecurity needs to involve everyone which includes government agencies, NGOs, industries, the public and individuals.

“To enhance cybersecurity collaboration, we should have the sharing of threats/incidents information, cyber crisis management and coordination, practical legal and technical approach, capacity building, and cybersecurity awareness and education.”

Wahab supports the notion that the public and private sectors need to work closely together across the various areas of the industry to combat and deal with cybersecurity issues.

But, as the issue of cybersecurity transcends national borders, Wahab ends with a comment on the future of the industry’s global necessity.

“The common concerns of each country of international cooperation include the difficulties in collecting evidence from overseas, which is time-consuming and calls for the evaluation of the host nation,” he says.

“We need to cope with emerging new technologies with equally intelligent security solutions by adopting a holistic and adaptive strategy and using new cyber tools.

“At a strategic level, all parties should be fundamentally aligned with a common shared desire to develop effective strategic solutions in addressing national and international cybersecurity challenges.”

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 13

INSURANCE

COMBATTING COVID IN ASIA Axel Roesner and Marco Bovolini discuss their organisation’s response to COVID-19 and commitment to the Asian continent Written by: Sean Galea-Pace

G

enerali Country Italy and Global Business Lines, led by Marco Sesana, Country Manager and CEO of Generali Italia and Global Business Lines, is the largest unit within the Group, leader in the Italian retail insurance market and is amongst the major insurance players worldwide focusing on corporate business. Via its two units, Generali Global Corporate & Commercial (GC&C) and Generali Employee Benefits (GEB) it caters the needs of medium and large businesses by providing flexible, custom tailored insurance solutions in property 14 | APAC Outlook issue 48

and casualty (P&C) and life, health protection, and pension plans to local and expat employees of multinational companies.

The world has been gripped by the coronavirus pandemic throughout 2020, with countries in all regions facing a mixture of public health, social and economic challenges as a result.

For business, it has taken away the certainty that many crave, but there are countless examples of organisations being resolute and continuing to serve their customers in times of difficult.

GC&C is one such example.

AXEL ROESNER, HEAD OF GC&C ASIA Q: How has GC&C responded to COVID-19, and how have you supported clients during this challenging period?

A: The safety and wellbeing of our people, clients and brokers were our first priority, and we implemented the related protective measures quickly and leveraged the great dedication of our people and the ability to quickly adapt our ways of working, in order

FINANCE respond to the new environment and support our customers on the changes they were facing.

We provided advisory on loss prevention specifically for certain industry sectors which were more materially impacted or exposed than others by COVID-19, e.g. with a guide for hospitality management and other specific customer-focused advisory. We also provided flexibility to emphasise the changing clients’ needs which became more urgent under COVID-19 and were addressed as priority.

Of course, we strongly focused on smooth renewals as well as profitable growth to ensure we remain a reliable and consistent partner to our clients and brokers. We have to thank our team and partners for their extraordinary dedication and unwavering commitment in supporting and serving our clients during such a challenging period in a timely manner.

Q: What is your approach to developing skills and people within the organisation?

A: As said, our people are our most valuable asset, and have therefore always been one of our key priorities.

The expertise, development and ownership of our teams are key success factor for us to become lifetime partner to our clients and distributors to achieve our strategic targets. The right mix between technical and soft skills are essential to ensure relationships, specific accounts and the overall portfolio are managed effectively. We are proud of our team who has demonstrated successfully how adaptable, dynamic and agile they are in a fast

and highly changing environment.

Over the past months we have also leveraged our global e-learning platform to release new trainings for our people while working remotely.

Individual development plans, talent management and providing new growth opportunities internally remain key commitments for us in the future, as well as to always stay at the forefront to attract new talents from the market.

MARCO BOVOLINI, HEAD OF CLIENT & DISTRIBUTION Q: Tell us about the company’s commitment to the Asia region.

A: Generali was born in Italy 190 years ago and opened its first office in Asia in 1975. Since then, the company never stopped investing in this fast-growing region which still holds a lot of opportunities going forward. Today, Generali is directly present in eight Asian markets: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong SAR, where our regional office is based and from where we coordinate our operations.

Generali is constantly investing in technology, branding and talent development to offer retail, SMEs and corporate clients a compelling range of tailored insurance solutions,

and to become their trusted lifetime partner. As the global business unit for corporate non-life insurance, GC&C is working closely with its distribution partners to provide customised insurance and reinsurance solutions to corporate and commercial customers across all the Asia-Pacific region.

Q: How do you manage relations with broker partners and ensure you remain customer centric?

A: Our brokers and us have the same ultimate goals: ensuring our clients are well protected through the right insurance cover while providing the best possible level of advisory and service.

Customers are at the heart of everything we do. Our approach focuses on deploying dedicated cross-functional teams who can guarantee in-depth knowledge and understanding of our clients’ businesses and needs as well as first class delivery. Broker networks, regional and local are key elements of our distribution strategy. It is always fundamental to carefully listen and fully understand the client needs, making sure that the proposed insurance solution is providing the highest level of protection while guaranteeing a best-in-class service by adding value beyond the policy, especially in case a claim occurs.

Being customer centric requires both brokers and us to strategise the relationship and to have constant very open discussions on what is working well and what may need to be improved for the benefit of the client.

We want to make sure that our clients have their peace-of-mind and help their business succeed.

“BROKER NETWORKS, REGIONAL AND LOCAL ARE KEY ELEMENTS OF OUR DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY”

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 15

SAMSUNG | LG

T

MOBILE INNOVATION

echnology is rapidly evolving.

Over the past two years in particular, we have seen the dramatic leap in tech development across the board. From online connection, to work-related software, video call apps, and new games consoles, technology has become central to our lives.

With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic rocking industries across the globe throughout 2020 and into the present, the best and latest in technological developments has become more than ever a driving force behind our work, and a necessity in our lives today. Consistent high-performance internet connection has become more desirable as well as required due to the 16 | APAC Outlook issue 48

LG’s new design blurs the lines between mobile and tablet, merging the two devices into one seamless body Writer: Marcus Kääpä

many government-imposed lockdowns across the world, and with this demand in quality digital services the value of tech companies, their products, and services has skyrocketed.

This trend in the increased need for digital services rises alongside the global demand for the latest tech products in the market. Laptops, desktops, tablets, and mobile phones with

greater processing power, smoother user interaction, and higher resolution screens have been in the cross hairs of a growing customer base. This demand is fuelled by many aspects of lockdown-related life, one of the most important being the smooth internet connection for digital interaction.

As the workplace for many has shifted to a home-based digital environment, having access to a new mobile phone with the latest apps and software has become a paramount importance to a substantial number of people.

The latest craze in the mobile phone sphere is the soon to arrive LG Rollable phone. This mobile was recently

TECHNOLOGY

The LG Rollable phone’s screen adapts to suit how much screen the user wants to see

teased and has taken the technology industry by storm having blurred the lines between mobile and tablet.

LG’s Rollable is not only the latest model of LG phone, coming with the most up-to-date software, processing speed, and quality user interface, but it also has an aspect that sets it apart from any other phone that has come before it.

The LG Rollable has been designed with work and entertainment in mind.

At the command of a simple brush on its side, the phone increases its screen size to almost twice what it was originally, turning the mobile into small tablet. The mobile’s frame shifts allowing the user to access a larger screen, either for personal or group usage.

The rollable phone is a very different approach to the market than that of previous designs, such as foldable phones and devices made by the likes

of Samsung and Huawei. This foldable aspect surrounding a “clamshell” design allowed the smart phone screen to bend and fold to achieve a tablet’s width. The rollable is the next stage of this evolution. With an increased fluidity of motion than foldable devices, the rollable phone is seamless in its mobile-to-tablet transformation.

An advantage of LG’s new mobile is that no secondary external display is needed. In place of this, the screen adapts to suit how much screen the user wants to see, and fluctuates the UI and apps depending on the requirements.

The rollable, rather than foldable aspect of the phone provides a bigger flexible OLED panel to appear, allowing the phone to convert into a small tablet. Although not the size of the well-known iPad or Galaxy Tablet, the LG rollable combines an advanced mobile with an optional tablet design.

The benefits of such a device are both obvious and numerous. Mobiles are a necessity for the average person in the present – a time when technology and digital connection is at the forefront of many elements of work and lifestyle. The ability to transform your mobile into a quality tablet comes in useful when looking at recreational usage or that of work-based use.

On the move, users can have access

to video streaming websites and applications that can be enjoyed on a larger screen rather than squinting at a phone to spy details - a brilliant notion when considering reading e-books or online articles. This is made all the better when also considering watching videos with another, where the screen allows for two people to comfortably binge-watch a series or films. For the leisurely creative, the ability to access a small tablet provides the opportunity to draw and design with a freedom that is reduced when using just a mobile screen.

And when it comes to the workplace, the LG Rollable offers a substantial advantage. Group calls, presentations and plans, taking notes, and watching instructional videos are all made easier with a tablet that can shrink and fit in your pocket.

The LG Rollable may have paved the way for future designs of mobile phones across the technology industry. The ability for a mobile to extend to a tablet’s width offers users a variety of options in a new, seamless, and more comfortable package. Its design is revolutionary in its application to lifestyle and workplace needs, and it is exciting to see LG’s project move ahead to fruition, and indeed to see if the future of mobiles will follow this unique new innovation.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 17

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Gold Fields Australia

Issue 88

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GREEN RESOURCES Sustainable and peoplecentric forestry business

Gold Fields Australia showcases the potential of employee, environment, and community-centric business, we spoke to Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: Australasia, to learn more

Issue 39

Diversify and Thrive

DIGISTICS Enabling South Africa’s world-class supply chains

dpa lighting consultants

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LAFARGE CANADA

Issue 01

ATRADIUS TRADE CREDIT INSURANCE

A sustainable, innovative, and people-centric approach to construction

Pioneering trade credit insurance in America

Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, Romanian retailer Profi continues to diversify and grow its business to the benefit of consumers

Professional project collaboration across the design industry

Manufacturing South Africa Johan Steyn, Managing Director at Aerosud, discusses his organisation’s position as the manufacturer of choice for some of the largest aerospace firms worldwide

As the oil and gas industry recovers from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, we report on an innovative new route for Exmar Offshore

Le Hoang Diep Thao tells the story of the rise of TNI King Coffee, a Vietnamese coffee brand and café franchise

Mining Indaba Virtual 2021 In a celebration of the African mining sector, Mining Indaba returns for 2021 in a virtual format

Coffee, a Vietnamese coffee brand and café franchise Le Hoang Diep Thao tells the story of the rise of TNI King

mining sector, Mining Indaba returns for 2021 in a virtual format Mining Indaba Virtual 2021 In a celebration of the African

Wojciech Bajda, Head of Ericsson GCC, discusses the company’s provision of 5G across the globe in a growing digital age

Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, we preview Hellmann Worldwide Logistics’ COVID-19 handbook

provision of 5G across the globe in a growing digital age Wojciech Bajda, Head of Ericsson GCC, discusses the company’s

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics’ COVID-19 handbook Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, we preview

on an innovative new route for Exmar Offshore effects of the coronavirus pandemic, we report As the oil and gas industry recovers from the

of the largest aerospace firms worldwide organisation’s position as the manufacturer of choice for some Johan Steyn, Managing Director at Aerosud, discusses his

South Africa Manufacturing

Tell us your story, Australia and Thrive Gold Fields and we’ll tell theDiversify world. the design industry collaboration across Professional project

Australasia, to learn more Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: community-centric business, we spoke to potential of employee, environment, and Gold Fields Australia showcases the

consultants dpa lighting

centric forestry business Sustainable and people-

grow its business to the benefit of consumers Romanian retailer Profi continues to diversify and Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19,

RESOURCES GREEN

construction approach to people-centric innovative, and A sustainable,

world-class supply chains Enabling South Africa’s

DIGISTICS

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APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook are digital and print publications aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers, reaching an audience of more than 800,000 people around the world; spanning the full range of industrial sectors.

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With original and exclusive content compiled by our experienced editorial team, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from across the globe.

Your company can join the leading industry heavyweights enjoying the free exposure we provide across both digital and print platforms with a free marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to help you grow your business.

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insurance in America Pioneering trade credit

INSURANCE TRADE CREDIT ATRADIUS Issue 01

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHTS Welcome to our series of spotlights.

These reports dive into specific segments of economies across the region, featuring exclusive insight from associations and organisations in the know.

The Singapore Manufacturing Federation Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP)

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

MANUFACTURING IN SINGAPORE Singapore has one of the world’s most innovative and advanced manufacturing industries, moving full throttle towards Industry 4.0 Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Matt Cole-Wilkin

S

ingapore has one of the world’s most stable economies.

According to Bloomberg’s 2020 Innovation Index, it is the third most innovative economy in the world too, scoring high on tertiary efficiency and higher education enrolment. The country’s largest industry is manufacturing, which contributes around 20 of GDP every year. Key industries within the sector include electronics, chemicals and biomedical engineering – it is also the fourth largest exporter of high tech products in the world.

INTRODUCTION

Rapid growth Singapore’s manufacturing industry is growing rapidly, and appears to be bouncing back after lockdown. In September 2020 it jumped 24.2 percent year on year, which was far above economists’ projections of a 2.5 percent rise.

While precision engineering and general manufacturing subsectors shrank, there was a huge rise in biomedical manufacturing, specifically pharmaceuticals (113.6 percent). The electronics subsector also rose by 45.3 percent.

These are strong figures, which are even more remarkable bearing in mind the global pandemic.

So what explains the strength of the manufacturing sector in Singapore?

One reason is the country’s commitment to innovation and technology. When Singapore became an independent republic in 1965 it had a small, low productivity manufacturing industry, and quickly began working towards industrialisation. It quickly moved towards high-skilled and technologyintensive economic activity, introducing high-paid

20 | APAC Outlook issue 48

positions and easing out labour-intensive, lowpaid positions through automated production and industrial robots. By the 1980s computers and electronics soon began to constitute the largest section of the manufacturing industry.

Singapore is behind some of the world’s most compelling manufacturing advancements, including robotics, additive manufacturing, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. Multinational manufacturing firms are attracted to the country because of this innovative culture. For example, in 2019 British manufacturer Dyson established a US$427 million research and development centre to complement its advanced digital motor manufacturing facility (also located in Singapore).

Singapore has also become a leading chemical manufacturer, despite the fact that it is not an oilproducing country. In the 1990s, the government reclaimed 12 square miles of land from the ocean

FACTS & FIGURES Sub-sectors: Chemicals, electronics, precision engineering, pharmaceuticals Contribution to GDP (%): 20.9 (2019) Sector growth (yoy): 24.2% (September 2020) GDP (Singapore $): 100.5 billion (2019)

off the southern coast, which they converted into a chemical manufacturing site. More than 100 global petroleum, petrochemical and specialty chemical companies are located on the Jurong Island site, which has become a world-leading chemical manufacturing site.

Modern day Singapore has a strong, diversified manufacturing sector, which is preparing for further evolution through the adoption of Industry 4.0.

Industry 4.0 in Singapore Industry 4.0 refers to The Fourth Industrial Revolution, and refers to the enhancement of computers and automation (the third industrial revolution) with smart autonomous systems

fuelled by data and machine learning. In 2018, Singapore was ranked second worldwide in the World Economic Forum’s Readiness for the Future of Production Report. Its base of world-leading technology companies and solutions providers mean it has the capacity to transition to Industry 4.0 – the country houses Accenture’s IoT Centre of Excellence and Siemens’ first digitalisation hub.

The government has committed to investing US$2.3 billion into R&D in the manufacturing and engineering sectors, helping boost the capacity of companies embarking on Industry 4.0. It has also Eleveted, night view established the Smart Industry Readiness Index, of Makati, the business the world’s first ever self-diagnostic tool allowing district of Metro Manila companies to assess their readiness for Industry 4.0.

I INNTTRROODDUUCCTTI IOONN

THE SINGAPORE MANUFACTURING FEDERATION

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 21

What Packaging means to Medical Device Companies

Santosh Madival

W

ith the global production and distribution of various COVID-19 vaccines underway, it is fitting that we take a look at the healthcare industry, and more specifically, the packaging manufacturing sector within this industry.

Oliver Healthcare Packaging is a global leader in medical packaging. The Oliver legacy has consistently been one of innovation, technical expertise, customer focus, and a commitment to excellence. Oliver is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and operates manufacturing sites all around the globe. It continues to invest, expanding its footprint and distribution network to bring quality packaging where its customers need it most.

We spoke to Santosh Madival, Senior Principal Engineer at Oliver Heathcare Packaging, about medical packaging and the wider healthcare and manufacturing industry.

APAC Outlook (AO): Could you give us a brief overview of medical packaging, its importance, and a few details regarding operations?

Santosh Madival (SM): The primary role of medical packaging is to keep its contents sterile until the point of use. Medical device companies need to consider package design, sterilisation, testing requirements, manufacturing process validation and transportation validation in their package development process. Packages come in different forms, most commonly, pouches or trays. Material and package type are largely dependent on sterilisation method and device features, but other factors such as manufacturing processes and logistics are critically important as well. Incorrect material selection or package design can lead to damage resulting in a package that will fail to maintain the sterile integrity of the system. Such non-sterile devices when used, may severely impact a patient’s treatment and recovery time and in extreme cases may even cause death.

Converters are companies that manufacture semi-formed or pre-formed packages.

They are manufactured in a controlled and monitored clean room environment so as to minimise contamination. Medical device companies then use the preformed packages to package their device, also in a clean room environment and subsequently sterilise and distribute them.

The entire operation from creating a pre-formed package until the final distribution of sterile medical devices is highly regulated by requirements set forth by different governing bodies in various regions of the world. At different levels both converters and medical device companies have to comply with those requirements that are outlined within various standards, such as ISO standards, to be able to manufacture and sell their devices within the respective regions.

AO: Tell us about the key benefits of producing medical packaging?

SM: Working in a regulated environment and with start-ups, as well as large established medical device and pharmaceutical companies, gives Oliver tremendous insight into new and changing technologies in this industry. The packaging we produce is considered a sterile barrier, it is intended to protect the

device from contamination, while it is undergoing transportation and distribution, or ensure the outside seals remain intact while going through rigorous sterilisation conditions. In the end, customers have additional expectations around shelf-life, and how long the packaging would retain its expected seal characteristics after sitting on a hospital shelf for years. Though material science evolution is slow to move in the healthcare space, working with our customers on new devices has presented a lot of advantages in helping the healthcare industry and thus patient outcomes have improved over the past few decades.

Increasing regulatory requirements in all the major markets are adding additional challenges in getting devices launched. As a producer of medical packaging, Oliver has been able to interpret the regulatory changes into outcomes on which materials, designs and processing will ensure our customers launch products on time and help them meet the validation requirements. In addition to this, as we formulate our own adhesives and commercialise them, and as customers move to more sustainable sterilisation modalities, we have been able to ensure our coatings and materials are suitable for more environmentally friendly sterilisation requirements.

All of this makes medical packaging and healthcare unique and challenging yet one of the top rewarding industries in terms of helping people.

AO: What is your take on the development of the medical industry in Asia at the moment? Is it an exciting space to be working in?

SM: Globally, medical device and therapeutic manufacturing markets are growing.

Asia Pacific countries are a big part of that. The market in Asia-Pacific is wellpositioned to serve its growing MedTech industry. An aging population, higher access to healthcare services, and growing disposable incomes fuel the APAC region’s market potential and opportunities. Today, a large portion of the market produces lower-end class I and II devices, but we also see growth in higher-end (class II and III) device manufacturing, which are typically more challenging from a packaging standpoint.

Oliver launched a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with ISO-7 cleanroom manufacturing in Suzhou, China in 2018, and last year, we opened a new Technical Development Centre and office in Singapore. The Technical Centre offers customers a more interactive experience, where they can work with our engineers to quickly generate and prototype package designs. As both facilities serve the APAC medical device industry, the collaborative process and advanced expertise has been transformative for all of us.

As established partners invest in this region, Asia’s producers are seeing a welcome rise in available technical services. Helping fill these gaps has connected us with talented, passionate, and visionary minds. It is exciting to see and be part of the upward trajectory.

A global partner who understands your business and your region, we can help you manage the technical, quality and regulatory challenges that come your way.

WHY CHOOSE OLIVER?

Oliver Healthcare Packaging offers an array of packaging solutions, from medical device packaging, to drug delivery or pharmaceuticals, and packaging for diagnostics.

With the shocking worldwide spread of the COVID-19 virus, the investment into various technical centres have allowed the company to provide its services across the board in this key and critical period of time.

“Oliver has made significant investments in our global facilities, including several new Technical Centres located in key locations for the medical device, diagnostic, and pharmaceutical industries. Our centres are staffed with technical experts with industry experience and are available to our customers to collaborate on activities including packaging design and innovation, testing and troubleshooting.” - Kevin Zacharias, Technical Director Singapore Technical Centre The Technical Centre is a hands-on, collaborative environment where customers and prospective customers can work directly with our sterile barrier packaging experts to design, test and troubleshoot their packaging. The centre offers a variety of capabilities, including: • HDPE CleanCut Card/Pouch design and rapid prototyping to increase your speed to market • Package integrity testing, including submersion leak testing and dye penetration testing • Package seal strength testing, including peel testing • Material testing, including puncture, tensile, grammage / yield testing, and coefficient of friction (COF) • Material analysis, including microscopic analysis and package failure evaluation • Troubleshooting for packaging challenges and process related issues • Technical and design consultation

Oliver™ Healthcare Packaging, 73 Science Park Drive #01-08/09, CINTECH 1, Singapore 118254 Contact: +65 6232 4001 | Website: www.oliverhcp.com | www.linkedin.com/company/oliver-healthcare-packaging/

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Interview: The Singapore Manufacturing Federation

A S S O C I AT I O N

T

he Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) is the largest national organisation in Singapore, representing the interests of manufacturing-related industries.

It was first established in 1932, just after the first Singapore Manufacturers Exhibition was held. It was the work of the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements, Sir Cecil Clementi, who vigorously championed the development of industries in Singapore (apart from rubber and tin), and strongly advocated the setting up of a representative body to advance the interests of small local manufacturers.

After the exhibition, the exhibitors continued to meet with the intention of setting up an association to nurture local manufacturers.

On September 20, 1932, the association was formally incorporated as a Company Limited

by Guarantee with 17 member-companies. The SMF’s initial vision and purpose was to diversify the island’s economic base, nurture its fledgling industries, and champion the collective needs of its manufacturing enterprises.

APAC Outlook spoke to Douglas Foo, current president of SMF, about the organisation’s current goals and visions, as well as gaining a deeper insight into Singapore’s manufacturing sector.

APAC Outlook (AO): Since inception, how has the Singapore Manufacturing Foundation developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

Douglas Foo (DF): Over the years, the SMF has championed the interests of the local manufacturers and worked with them to continually grow the manufacturing community in Singapore. This role

24 | APAC Outlook issue 48

has remained unchanged through the years.

Over time, the SMF built its credibility as a steadfast partner to manufacturers and to nation building. With collaboration as a fundamental tenet of the SMF’s ethos, it progressively garnered a higher public profile as it actively submitted proposals to the government and engaged the media.

In its role as a partner to nation building, when the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew became the first Prime Minister of Singapore in 1959, SMF leaders helped to garner support for the new government’s economic proposals. In 1965, the SMF hired its first Secretariat to manage the Federation and liaise with the government. In the same year, the SMF signed a historic charter for industrial progress with the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore Employers’ Federation. It was believed to be the first joint-agreement of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Today, the SMF is proud to represent the interests of close to 4,000 members comprising SMEs, MNCs and affiliate members.

AO: What do you find most exciting about the manufacturing industry in Singapore?

DF: The manufacturing sector in Singapore has a high commitment to innovation, which differentiates us from the rest of the world.

Today, Singapore is the world’s fifth largest refinery export hub and is also amongst the top 10 of global chemical hubs. Also, the manufacturing sector in Singapore is constantly evolving. With Singapore not having the land resource that other countries have, the focus is on cultivating a culture of continuous upskilling of the workforce, and increasing the

THE SINGAPORE MANUFACTURING FEDERATION

consumed in a digital space would not have been imagined when the traditional games console was conceptualised.

AO: On the flip side, what are its biggest challenges?

DF: The perennial challenges of manufacturing in Singapore stem from us being land and natural resource scarce. Operational costs must be carefully managed and our businesses must constantly innovate to bring our products out of Singapore, as the local consumer market is small relative to countries such as China and the US. In addition, Singapore as a trading hub is susceptible to the global economic climate; our manufacturers have to work hard at working smart in planning inventories for production and stock.

A S S O C I AT I O N

efficiency and productivity of the manufacturing sector through the use of technology. It is in this regard that the SMF has set up a professional training Centre for Corporate Learning (CCL) to better provide training in the relevant corporate fields.

As manufacturing continues to evolve globally, we can take reference from our history to get a sense of how this sector can change beyond our current imagination. For example, in the past video games came in the form of game cartridges – manufacturers had to produce different parts including the gaming console box, the cartridge that contains the game software, a controller, as well as a monitor screen to view the game. Now, digital games are downloaded onto phones with just a tap on the screen. Therefore there is now almost no need to have factories to produce these digital games.

The manufacture of a non-physical product that is

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 25

A S S O C I AT I O N

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

AO: How has COVID-19 affected the manufacturing industry?

DF: Much has been said, and in certain circumstances felt, about the negative effects that COVID-19 has brought. However, here at the SMF we believe that there is always opportunity in crisis. It is important to take an optimistic approach because there is no good in lamenting things that we cannot change.

What we should do is make the best of every situation and be prepared to be in the best position possible to seize opportunities when the effects of the pandemic recede, and ride the upswing of the economic cycle.

In this regard, it is heartening to see that many companies are using this opportunity to send their staff for training, re-examining their business models, adopting more digital solutions and making their workforce more mobile by implementing remote working arrangements. Lessons have been learnt about the necessity to inculcate agility, resilience and flexibility in the way we do business and interact with one another.

It is also a relief to see that there are still many bright spots in the manufacturing sector such as the medical technology industry, life sciences

26 | APAC Outlook issue 48

industry and smart automation industry. With these industries doing relatively well, there is perhaps some cushioning effect for services and products up and down the supply chain to these industries. What is heartening to see in such economic uncertainty is how the government, employers and employees band together in solidarity as part of a tripartite alliance to work through this difficult time.

AO: What trends are currently transforming the manufacturing industry in Singapore? How are you responding to them?

DF: Perhaps the biggest trend transforming the manufacturing industry is the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, there was little or no impetus to change the way business is done traditionally.

Given the differing preventive measures taken from country to country and city to city, our manufacturers now have to do with uncertainty both from the supply and demand side. Manufacturers must be able to adapt quickly. Perhaps an area which has seen the biggest change for our manufacturers would be that of making their products known to the world. Prepandemic, trade associations like the SMF would lead our members on business missions, set up exhibition

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

A S S O C I AT I O N

“The future of manufacturing is exciting – there is no telling if the next five years will be realised in the next two years or sooner. No matter, we will advance if we adopt a positive “can-do” attitude and stride into each new frontier with confidence and optimism”

pavilions to exhibit their products and offerings and attend physical networking sessions.

In line with safe distancing measures and travel restrictions, we have quickly adapted to allow for our businesses to exhibit their products through virtual exhibitions and online business missions. The SMF has also conducted virtual business matching sessions for our members with overseas counterparts.

The pandemic has also shown companies the importance of banding together to work as a pack, thereby increasing the chances of success.

Digitalisation is another major trend happening in the manufacturing sector in Singapore. Under the fourth industrial revolution, the manufacturing sector is being encouraged to embrace and implement digitalisation into their operational processes to efficiency. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles and additive manufacturing (3D printing) are some of the more common technologies that manufacturers are experimenting with for integration into the production process.

AO: Have you got any projects in the pipeline you wish to highlight?

DF: Some of the projects that the SMF are working on include: identification of new areas of business model innovation and conducting courses and seminars on the same to businesses; promoting digitalisation and innovative advanced manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing; “Manufacturing as a Service” through AI business ad usage matching; and, working with our manufacturing counterparts overseas to prepare for a technical “GiG” Economy.

The SMF will continue to curate programmes and services which will serve our members’ interest. The key areas that the SMF focuses on are skills upgrading and conversion in the manufacturing sector, digitalisation, internationalisation and data analytics.

We welcome anyone willing to collaborate to get in contact with us.

28 | APAC Outlook issue 48

AO: How do you see the manufacturing industry developing over the next five years?

DF: Given the pace of evolution of the manufacturing industry, it would difficult to predict and of little value to speculate what the industry would be like over the next five years.

However, if we see what some of the more advanced factories of automobiles such as Mercedes and McClaren are doing, it would quickly become apparent that manufacturing will evolve from being one that is thought to be labour intensive in production lines to one where human involvement is in supervision and perhaps quality control. The use of data, collected from more technologically convenient sources, to understand the wants and needs of consumers, will help reduce wastage and focus production. Production for consumption in the digital realm should also take on greater importance and scale.

The future of manufacturing is exciting – there is no telling if the next five years will be realised in the next two years or sooner. No matter, we will advance if we adopt a positive “can-do” attitude and stride into each new frontier with confidence and optimism.

The Singapore Manufacturing Federation 2985 Jalan Bukit Merah SMF Building Singapore 159457 Tel: (65) 6826 3000 Fax: (65) 6826 3008 www.smfederation.org.sg

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Focus on:

Oil & Gas

The O&G sector in Singapore is heavily investing in research and development. Dani Redd tell us more

F OBUSINESS C U S O N : O IINSIGHT L & GAS

S

ingapore is a leading oil and gas manufacturer – in fact, it is one of the world’s top five oil trading and refining hubs, housing over 3,000 established marine and offshore engineering firms.

It is also a world leader in the construction of jack up rigs, semi-submersibles and exploration platforms.

The oil industry contributes around five percent of Singapore’s annual GDP, and employs some 10,000 workers.

The country’s key strengths in engineering, manufacturing and innovation have attracted some of the largest multinational O&G firms, such as Baker Hughes, Halliburton and TechnipFMC. These companies have entrusted their Singaporean divisions with the manufacturing of important product lines, such as completion tools and artificial lift. Many of these companies are headquartered on the Jurong Island petrochemical complex, which has a refining capacity of 1.3 million barrels per day, makes up a third of Singapore’s manufacturing output and has attracted over $35 billion in investment.

The O&G sector in Singapore is heavily investing in research and development. The Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine Singapore (TCOMS) is the country’s first national R&D centre for the sector. It was launched in 2016 to facilitate public-private partnerships and develop innovative industry solutions. The centre boasts nearly $107 million of top infrastructure, including a deep water ocean basin.

International O&G companies are drawn to Singapore not only by the country’s innovation, but because of a skilled workforce.

“Talent is a key enabler for this complex and dynamic industry.

30 | APAC Outlook issue 48

As it constantly upgrades capabilities to operate state-of-the-art technologies, companies can tap a highly skilled workforce capable of managing highend complex manufacturing and research projects,” explains Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director of Economic Development Board.

The government is constantly putting new initiatives in place to ensure talent is developed and maintained.

For example, the National University of Singapore recently established both a maritime technology and subsea engineering professorship programme.

Despite the shocks of COVID-19 and a slow global movement towards carbon neutral economies, the outlook for Singapore’s O&G industry remains positive. This is thanks to recovering prices, strong demand from the transport industry and sustained growth in consumption of natural gas, petroleum and petrochemical products. Government support in the industry and R&D investments by major players continue to boost and fuel this manufacturing sub-sector.

THE SINGAPORE MANUFACTURING FEDERATION

Warehouse & Sort Centre

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We are customer-centric, always working on the fastest turnaround time for every customised solution, delivering superior made in Singapore laboratory furniture systems of international standards.

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We are also ISO9001:2015 and bizSAFE 3 certified.

Other than a fully equipped factory with best of class machineries from Germany and Japan, we also apply quality management system and highest standards in workplace safety and health (WSH).

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APAC Outlook issue 47 | 31

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

SRI LANKA’S RUBBER MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT INDUSTRY Insight into Sri Lanka’s longstanding rubber industry and government-backed plans for expansion Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Krisha Canlas

INTRODUCTION

T

he Pearl of the Indian Ocean has long enjoyed the benefits of its strategic location as the centre for East West trade across foreign waters.

Ever since 1876, when 1,919 rubber seedlings were planted in the Henarathgoda Botanical Garden in Gampaha, prompting the birth of a lucrative supply chain that is yet to cease, Sri Lanka’s (then Ceylon’s) rubber industry has flourished.

70 percent of this natural rubber production is used by rubber manufacturing industries and their organizations, offering a wide portfolio of rubberbased products that are distributed globally. The most popular products include off-road and solid and pneumatic tyres and industrial/household rubber gloves.

This stable industry has become a mainstay of Sri Lanka’s economic growth as the third largest export sector, with the United States, Germany and Belgium amongst Sri Lanka’s top rubber export markets.

The Sri Lankan Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products, or ‘SLAMERP’ was born out of a need to organize and protect those

32 | APAC Outlook issue 48

FACTS & FIGURES • $1 billion in export revenue in 2018 • $4.4 billion export revenue target for 2025 • 136,582 hectares of land (2015) • 7,663,000 kilograms in exports in 2017

trading in the country’s rubber manufacturing industry.

For Chairman of the Association, Mr. Ravi Dadlani, Sri Lanka’s advancement within the global supply of rubber is a source of great pride.

“The country has not only gained recognition as a sourcing destination for quality rubber products, but it has also over the decades transformed into a niche rubber manufacturing destination that has won the confidence of global brands and investors from around the world.”

INTRODUCTION

SRI ANKA ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS OF RUBBER PRODUCTS (SLAMERP)

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 33

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Alongside their traditional markets of the EU and US, SLAMERP has identified a growing market amongst African and Asian countries.

According to a report published by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, the country’s exports last year contributed $9.9 billion to the economy, the results of which were aggravated by the current pandemic, leading to low demand and necessitating a revised financial target.

Despite these challenges, export earnings from rubber and rubber finished products have increased by 6.22 percent compared to results recorded in December 2019. This is due to an increase in exports of pneumatic and retreated rubber tyres and tubes, and surgical rubber gloves.

Challenges in the Industry

Mr. Ravi Dadlani Chairman of the Association

A S S O C I AT I O N

Our Story With the explicit vision of making Sri Lanka the leading exporter of quality rubber products, ‘SLAMERP’ (Sri Lankan Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products), found its “humble beginnings” in 1984 at the Orient Club in Colombo. Here, several leading industrialists felt obligated to establish an organization to, “safeguard the interests of the industries engaged in the manufacture of rubber products for export.”

The association was born out of the allegiance of twelve reputable companies who became founding members when ‘SLAMERP’ was officially founded on the 31st January 1985. Original chairmanship was assigned to Mr. N. G. Wickremeratne, who had previously run one of the leading non-medical rubber glove companies in the country.

The association has since gained national recognition as the “key body”, representing the rubber manufacturers and export sector.

As Chairman Ravi Dadlani comments, “the sector has been recognised as a thrust sector of the export economy, which is now valued at $1 billion and is estimated to have the potential to be a $8 billion industry within a decade. Today, the Association has expanded its vision to encompass making Sri Lanka a preferred destination for global sourcing of quality rubber products.”

Despite rubber’s homegrown beginnings on Sri Lankan soil, one of the biggest challenges faced by the industry today is the importation of rubber from other countries. Although organizations prefer to invest in local rubber, “there is a shortfall every year versus demand.”

“Among the key challenges are the restricted number of new plantations for rubber cultivation, inadequate domestic yields and productivity levels.”

Refusing to be defeated, Dadlani instead sees this shortfall as an opportunity. “It represents new opportunities to diversify and establish backward linkages to investors”, with the need to outsource the country’s raw rubber imports to increase Sri Lanka’s manufacturing output by a “significant volume.”

Tapping latex from a rubber trees

34 | APAC Outlook issue 48

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

A S S O C I AT I O N

The Master Plan SLAMERP is involved in the Sri Lankan Government’s ‘Rubber Master Plan’, that intends to drive the industry’s growth to $4.4 billion by 2025.

“As the apex body representing the value-added component of the rubber industry. SLAMERP is very keen that the rubber master plan is implemented.”

Detailing SLAMERP’S role in enforcing this goal, Dadlani outlines how the industry is following the recommendations of the master plan by partnering government institutions in changing the “industry norms”.

“We are constantly working with the ministry, Rubber Secretariat, Rubber Research Institute, the Rubber Development Department the Export Development Board, the Board of Investment and other stakeholders to push for new reforms and to promote the sector to achieve its goals.”

Whilst adhering to the guidelines outlined by the master plan, Dadlani suggests further action could be taken by the government, in order to “ fast track the planned policy-based approach.”

This involves using incentives to attract exporters investing in high value rubber product manufacturing. Incentives should also be offered, “as need be, for plantation companies to spearhead this initiative.”

OUR MISSION • To serve as a strong lobbying and advocacy forum to address the key issues affecting the rubber product manufacturing industry, in a rapidly growing economy.

• To facilitate and promote export of value-added rubber products.

• To identify market opportunities.

• To enhance market access.

“Additionally, research and development on rubber yield increases and all-weather rubber tapping techniques need to be introduced with a government-led thrust towards increasing rubber production.”

Further steps include driving public-private partnership research and development, and investing in laboratory and testing facilities across the country, in order to meet the standards set by the export market.

“We also expect the government to educate the smallholder rubber cultivators on international best practices to manage the rubber crop for better yields and outputs with the Rubber Development Department and the Rubber Research Institute as key government institutions.”

Surviving the Pandemic

Rubber compound mixing

36 | APAC Outlook issue 48

As with all countries dependent on export, Sri Lanka has been adversely impacted by the pandemic.

Speaking of the effect of the virus on the industry, Dadlani states, “the intermittent shutdowns have caused a tremendous loss both in terms of production and execution of sales commitments.

The shutdown of countries has also resulted in widespread cancellation of orders across the tyre industry.”

This runs alongside the disruptions caused to domestic and international supply chains. But again, Dadlani’s prevalent tone when addressing the subject of the pandemic’s effect on the industry, is optimistic.

“We are positive that the Sri Lanka rubber industry is poised to benefit from the needs arising from the

COVID-19 pandemic. Demand for PPE is particularly high and will be sustained until COVID-19 is no longer a pandemic. Therefore, gloves and other wearables made of rubber will be a good area for the Sri Lankan rubber industry to focus on.”

Due to the Sri Lankan government’s suspension of the import of certain tyre sizes, there has been a renewed demand for domestic manufacturers, boosting the local economy for the short term.

“For the rubber industry, managing the impact of the loss of exports and the timings of the opening of overseas markets are critical at this point.”

new niche market products and have initiated 3D modelling for moulded rubber products.”

By specialising in a product that has proved to be invaluable to a modern context, Sri Lankan’s rubber manufacturing industry’s future is as good as guaranteed.

“The current global economy is around 90 trillion dollars, and this is expected to more than double in a few decades, which will generate huge demand for natural rubber and rubber-based products.”

A S S O C I AT I O N

SRI ANKA ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS OF RUBBER PRODUCTS (SLAMERP)

Looking to the Future With all this in mind, the future looks bright for the Sri Lankan rubber industry. At present, SLAMERP are busy establishing a rubber manufacturing zone, intended to attract new investors.

The pipeline also includes new technological investments, “especially in the area of protective barrier products such as those required for medical purposes.”

“As a thrust industry we are also looking at increasing R & D for the tyre sector to develop

Sri anka Association of Manufacturers & Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP) Tel: +94 11 2598831 directorgeneral@slamerp.lk www.slamerp.lk

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 37

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DESIGNWILKES | BUKALAPAK GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA

w w w. a p a c o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Gold Fields Australia Gold Fields Australia showcases the potential of employee, environment, and community-centric business, we spoke to Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: Australasia, to learn more

Issue 48

rtunity

MINING

Core and Community Gold Fields Australia showcases the potential of employee, environment, and community-centric business, we spoke to Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: Australasia, to learn more Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

W

ith 140 years to its name, Gold Fields continues to be a key player in the international gold mining industry.

The firm places innovation and local communities at the fore and drives the promotion of environmental wellbeing through impactful investments in sustainability practices – developments that place it above and apart from its industry competition.

In a positively unorthodox way, and despite being one of the largest gold producers in the world, Gold Fields places its core values above all others and incorporates each of these into every aspect of its business. The firm focuses on becoming the best, rather than the biggest, gold mining firm on the globe.

A change to the revenue-focused aims of the gold mining industry, the company aims to align its key values alongside that of profit so that it benefits all aspects involved with the production process: the growth of

business, the inclusion of community, and the preservation and promotion of the environment.

Its head office is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, oversees four regions of the business crossing multiple continents, including South Africa, the Americas (Chile and Peru), West Africa (Ghana), and Australasia the latter region being the third largest gold producer in the nation.

“The firm’s Australian region embraces the vision and values of the company,” begins Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President of Gold Fields Australia (GFA).

GFA produces just over onemillion ounces of gold annually and is responsible for 44 percent of the broader group’s international gold yield, with approximately 1700 direct employees across four mines and regional offices. This makes the Australia branch an intrinsic part to the success of the wider company on the international stage.

INNOVATIVE, SUSTAINABLE, AND PEOPLE-CENTRIC PROMOTION IN THE MINING INDUSTRY

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 4

Le Hoang Diep Thao tells the story of the rise of TNI King Coffee, a Vietnamese coffee brand and café franchise

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GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA

MINING

Core and Community Gold Fields Australia showcases the potential of employee, environment, and community-centric business, we spoke to Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: Australasia, to learn more Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

W

ith 140 years to its name, Gold Fields continues to be a key player in the international gold mining industry.

The firm places innovation and local communities at the fore and drives the promotion of environmental wellbeing through impactful investments in sustainability practices – developments that place it above and apart from its industry competition.

In a positively unorthodox way, and despite being one of the largest gold producers in the world, Gold Fields places its core values above all others and incorporates each of these into every aspect of its business. The firm focuses on becoming the best, rather than the biggest, gold mining firm on the globe.

A change to the revenue-focused aims of the gold mining industry, the company aims to align its key values alongside that of profit so that it benefits all aspects involved with the production process: the growth of

business, the inclusion of community, and the preservation and promotion of the environment.

Its head office is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and oversees four regions of the business crossing multiple continents, including South Africa, the Americas (Chile and Peru), West Africa (Ghana), and Australasia - the latter region being the third largest gold producer in the nation.

“The firm’s Australian region embraces the vision and values of the company,” begins Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President of Gold Fields Australia (GFA).

GFA produces just over one-million ounces of gold annually and is responsible for 44 percent of the broader group’s international gold yield, with approximately 1700 direct employees across four mines and regional offices.

This makes the Australia branch an intrinsic part to the success of the wider company on the international stage.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 41

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GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA It was Mathews’ interest in geology that led him to a career in the gold mining industry. Initially inspired by his father’s own interest in geography and the process of geographical formations, Mathews went on to study geology at university and became an underground mine geologist after graduating with a masters in the field.

His work covered multiple areas of geology, such as mine geology,

production, and general operations management, that took him around the globe to work in a number of different nations, from New Zealand and Australia, to a variety of areas of South America, and Mexico. Mathews is proud to have worked in the mining sector for almost 30 years - eight of which he has spent with GFA. The company has been operating in West Australia for a substantial

AT A GLANCE GFA’S AUSTRALIAN MINES ST. IVES (OPEN PIT AND UNDERGROUND) There are two main open pits (Neptune and Invincible), and two underground mines (Invincible and Hamlet) with new UG extensions planned in 2021 and 2022. One gold processing plant with a throughput capacity of 4.7 million metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa) consisting of a primary gyratory crusher, a single-stage Semi Autogenous Grind (SAG) mill with a gravity circuit and five-stage Carbon in Pulp (CIP) circuit.

Gold is recovered by electro winning. St. Ives produces a consistently at approximately 360,000 ounces of gold per annum.

AGNEW (UNDERGROUND) Two underground complexes at Warronga and New Holland mines and one processing plant, with a capacity of 1.3 Mtpa consisting of a threestage crushing circuit, two-stage milling circuit, gravity circuit, and CIP circuit. Currently the mine produces 225,000 to 230,000 ounces per annum. The company has approved a three year strategic plan to increase crushing and milling capacity to 1.7 Mtpa. The proposed mill feed increase underpinned by exploration success of the last two to three years.

GRANNY SMITH (UNDERGROUND) One active underground mine at Wallaby. A processing plant with a capacity of 3.5 Mtpa consisting of two crushing circuits, SAG and ball mills, leach and CIP circuits, and a tailings retreatment circuit. However, it is mine constrained and currently operates at 1.5 Mtpa on a campaign milling basis.

The Granny Smith mine produces approximately 260,000 ounces of gold per annum.

GRUYERE (OPEN PIT) The main Gruyere open pit commenced mining in the fourth quarter of 2018. The processing plant, with a capacity of 8.2 Mtpa, consisting of single stage crush and SABC1 circuit with pebble crushing was commissioned in mid-2019. The plant achieved commercial production at the end of September 2019 and ramp-up to steady state is well advanced. The Gruyere mine produces approximately 280,000 to 300,000 ounces per annum on a 100 percent JV basis.

44 | APAC Outlook issue 48

20 years since the acquisition of St. Ives and Agnew mines from Western Mining in 2001. In 2013 Gold Fields acquired the Granny Smith, New Holland, and Darlot mines from Barrick. In 2016, Gold Fields took 50 percent ownership in the Gruyere Gold Project and operating management of the mine in Joint Venture with Gold Road Resources.

“I think back to when we first bought old operations back in 2001,” he says. “The company was criticised regarding its market actions at the time. The question on other peoples’ minds: why would you be buying expired and aging mining assets?’

“I’ve been here a long time and haven’t been able to see the end of them. 20 years later and we still have those core assets in our portfolio, and they are producing very well they still have significant life, provide consistency in production, and continue to yield great results.

“We have substantial tenements around our operating mines and, as long as we continue to invest at the right level of exploration, the mines remain sustainable for the long-term delivering growth of resources and reserves. We intend to be a compelling presence in Western Australia gold mining for a long time.”

The industry today reflects this success - Australian gold prices are at a record high. However, it’s not only gold that is being the focus of rising value in industrial mining activity.

The past year has seen a major uplift in the mining of silver, iron ore, and various alternative resources in industrial operations. Zinc, copper, and nickel are just some of the primary metals in the crosshairs of companies in the Australian region at the moment.

“Nickel usually has long protracted down periods, but when it goes up it rises well

We understand that an underground mine is a demanding environment

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Every unforeseen event, such as traffic collisions and other accidents, puts lives in danger and weakens production. Safety must be guaranteed and Epiroc together with Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering (MCE) is proud to partner with Goldfields and support these needs and the integrated platform project.

https://vimeo.com/478074376

Increasing Underground Safety at Gold Fields’ Granny Smith Mine Epiroc, together with Mobilaris MCE, is proud to deliver a variety of safety solutions that will help to ensure the safety of Gold Fields’ staff. The leading product portfolio Mobilaris Mining Intelligence™ includes a variety of digital solutions that are interconnected and developed in close collaboration with the mining industry, always with ease of use as a top priority. The solutions are totally technology agnostic and can easily be integrated with any infrastructure and systems that help maximize customer value. . Based on real-time information, the cutting-edge solutions seamlessly work together to increase safety and productivity of the mining operations.

By collecting reliable real-time information and positioning data, this is then represented on a 3D-map, which will allow Gold Fields’ control room staff to view who is in a safe zone and assist those who are not to reach a place of safety in the shortest time. Other features will allow Gold Fields’ staff to be pre-warned of potential dangers, allowing decisions to be made to mitigate risks and incidents.

The result is a safer and less stressful workplace.

Quote from Michael Place, Technical Services Manager, Granny Smith Gold Mine, Gold Fields “The Mobilaris project at Granny Smith has been well supported by Mobilaris from both their Australian and Swedish offices. The offsite support has been very positive, addressing all the issues and challenges experienced with deploying new technology. The project highlights one of the first deployments of an LTE network underground in Australia, along with the rollout of Bluetooth tracking beacons and Mobilaris Onboard.”

Quote from Mikael Nyström, CEO Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering “Mining safety is one of our top priorities and we are very happy that Granny Smith Gold Mine, Goldfields, has chosen us as partner for taking the safety of their mining operations to the next level. With Mobilaris Mining Intelligence, we will be able to provide digital solutions that defines a safer mine and safer ways of working”, says Mikael Nyström, CEO Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering.

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GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA and continually for a short period,” Mathews informs us.

“We believe we’re starting to see signs that nickel is about the take off. That is direct competition for our business and gold in general because both metals share the same sort of mining methodology and will generate increased demand for professional and technical skills.”

SUSTAINABILITY INVESTMENT GFA’s company values are no better represented than the positive aims it strives to incorporate in all areas of its business. One key value stands out above the rest as a paramount aspect to the mission-based function of the company.

Environmental sustainability is a primary focus of the firm’s current and future endeavours. Reducing its carbon footprint is a major aim for the firm, and it has taken multiple steps, and invested heavily, in ensuring that it

48 | APAC Outlook issue 48

moves into the future while continuing to be a greener organisation.

“Our vision and values are what attracted me to the company just about eight years ago.” Mathews tells us. “We can absolutely run a business on these values, and they are practically achievable, and they are incredibly beneficial to the company, the employees, and of course, the communities and environment where we operate.”

The firm produces 2.5 million ounces of gold per year that shows how the aspects of production efficiency and positive sustainable company values and practices can work alongside one another.

The company is also ensuring that there is a complete switch from carbon to renewable energies, that includes the reduction of the use of diesel in the business. Currently, five percent of GFA’s energy usage consists of diesel, with the amount set to drop further in

the future.

“We do what we can to be the best in sustainable mining and being around for the long term,” Mathews elaborates.

“We ensure this continues on a daily basis, with real investment and a shared belief with our partners to reduce our carbon footprint. No matter how remote our sites are, we believe that we have a social responsibility to the local community and the environment, while managing our business around climate risk.

“We are acting on this responsibility now.”

GFA has carried out this promise of carbon-crackdown within its business through focusing on the incorporation of renewable energy alternatives to power machinery and operations.

“Gold Fields believes in getting diesel out of our business. Currently in Australia only five percent of our energy comes from diesel,” Mathews confirms.

Having been established in Australia since 1949, Hardy Spicer leads the way in providing tailored hose and fittings solutions. With 14 fully equipped workshops in all major capital cities and key regional centres, they have long been established as premium service provider. “Key to our sustained success is our partnership with Gates providing world class product to complement our local services” says Adam Bek, National Business Manager for Hardy Spicer’s Fluid Division. “Gates products are market leading, and offer unrivalled performance and service life.

Their latest MXT and MXG range of hoses are truly innovative, rationalizing stock held on mine sites, reducing installation times and OH&S issues often faced with larger hose construction. This translates to more uptime for mobile plant and less risk of injury on site – both of which have bottom line impacts”.

Hardy Spicer has the ability to tailor its offer to individual businesses; from simple product supply to hose assemblies fully tested and certified to MDG41.

On site, Hardy Spicer can provide fully equipped air-conditioned hose service containers with stateof-the-art crimp machines, and managed inventory services to ensure the right products are available while minimizing the working capital impact to your business. For a total solution, Hardy Spicer through its fleet of 1800HOSEVAN service vehicles can provide full onsite hose services; assessing, removing, replacing and installing hoses 24/7.

The mobilization of fully equipped and stock containers to sites, and ensuring these are maintained on an ongoing basis has been pivotal in Hardy Spicer’s relationship with major mining customers such as Goldfields Australia. “Sites cannot afford unnecessary downtime” according to Billy Cumming, Hardy Spicer’s Manager in the Goldfields region. “Goldfields Australia expects a

very high standard from its service partners which we are proud to be; and our ability to deliver this is through a combination of high quality products and high quality services”. The combination of local expertise, product and consistent delivery is what has established Hardy Spicer as the clear leader in Hose services in the Goldfields region. “Having the best product is not enough” says Billy, “it has to be backed up with local resource and consistently high standards of service and delivery. Our ability to maintain these high standards is something we are very proud of and this is reflected in our customers feedback”.

Hardy Spicer’s strong pedigree is not limited to the Goldfields region. “We work with major miners across Australia” explains Michael Verschaeren, Hardy Spicer’s Mining Sales Manager. “Our national footprint and scale make us an ideal partner, being part of Motion Asia Pacific – Australia’s largest Industrial parts supplier”. With services tailored to meet the needs of each site, Hardy Spicer’s Hose Management system allows mines to track hose assets, measure uptime, provide analysis of failures and expedite replacement hoses through rapid access to hose build data. “Our hose tracking systems coupled with our hose databases means we know what is on site, how long its been there and if we are seeing repetitive issues” says Michael.

“Having information at your fingertips means we are able to ensure stocks are held in the right place, in the right quantity and a new hose can be ready for a quick change”.

To explore how Hardy Spicer’s hose solutions can help keep your assets in motion, contact Michael at michael.verschaeren@hardyspicer.com.au, or on 0417 711 267

hardyspicer.com.au

GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA

Aquila Mining PTY LTD Key Business Strengths Our knowledge of mine backfill operations is backed up by experiences across a diverse customer base within the mining resource sector. We can deliver a complete source to stope solution from recovery and pre-conditioning of raw materials to production and conveyance of engineered fill mediums delivered to the underground mine voids.

Aquila staff and employees are extensively trained and fully conversant with the operating requirements and standards required on all mine sites. By embracing a diverse workforce, we are committed to creating employment and economic development opportunities for the communities in which we operate.

Renewable Energy Project Agnew is leading the way in the transition to renewable power for off-grid mining operations. The Agnew Hybrid Renewable Project is Australia’s largest hybrid renewable energy microgrid and the first to utilise wind generation at a mine site This commitment from GFA showcases its active search and implementation of alternative ways of energising its operations, reinforcing the company’s sustainabilityfocused values for the betterment of communities and the environment.

The company partnered with energy company EDL to carry out the development of a hybrid power solution for the Agnew mine comprising a four megawatt (MW) solar facility, and 18 MW wind farm, underpinned by natural gas.

The new power plant allows a substantial 60 percent of GFA’s energy for its on-site locations being made up of renewables, even reaching as much as 80 percent for multiple hours in optimal conditions - a high standard of business sustainability that is only moving forward and increasing.

The investment at Agnew has also generated great motivation and pride 50 | APAC Outlook issue 48

Health, Safety and Environmental awareness is of prime importance to Aquila and is encapsulated in our central organisational initiatives.

from our employees.

At the Granny Smith mine we have also recently commissioned an eightmegawatt solar facility in partnership with Aggreko and a battery storage solution. The increased power was required as our mine was getting deeper and again provided a great opportunity to invest in a renewable and sustainable energy solution going forward.

“In order to provide our remote sites with energy solutions, the notion of running powerlines for hundreds of kilometres is not ideal,” Mathews elaborates.

“That’s why the solar facilities, and wind-power facility, have been so valuable. They have allowed two of our mine sites to run on renewable or alternative energy solutions across the board. In comparison, diesel now looks like a great expense; both financially, and of course, for the environment.”

At Aquila we work closely with our clients to deliver continuous productivity improvement systems to enhance performance and efficiency at all interfaces. Our forte is the seamless integration of mine fill systems into existing operations, built on outcomes that are backed by underlying service guarantees - embracing joint business improvement teams to measure performance.

Aquila has developed strong relationships over many years with most of the major mining companies throughout Australasia. Through these working relationships, Aquila has become proficient in understanding client requirements and has become the preferred supplier of Paste Fill Services in W.A.

www.aquilamining.com

SPECIALISING IN UNDERGROUND MINE FILL Aquila Mining Pty Ltd was established in July 2003 and began operating specifically in the field of backfill, servicing underground mines within the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.

At Aquila we pride ourselves on delivering cost effective results through our capable and

dedicated teams, best practice systems and processes utilising purpose developed equipment.

Administrative improvements within our business recently have been introduced to further enhance relationships with our key business partners be they clients, suppliers, or Aquila Staff.

OUR SERVICES PASTE FILL - Re-pulped and Wet Tailings - Plant Design and Installation - Mix and System Design - UG Reticulation Design and Installation - Whole of Process Operation - Tailings Pre-Conditioning CEMENTED AGGREGATE / ROCK FILL - Aggregate Production - Slurry Production - Plant Supply and Operation CUSHING AND SCREENING - Underground Road Base

- Mill feed circuits - Back Fill and road making Mediums CIVIL WORKS & CONSTRUCTION - Road Base Production - Moisture Conditioning (OMC) - Cement Stabilisation - Emulsion Stabilisation - Fumigation STABILISED BACK FILL - Runway, Tarmac and Hardstand - Drainage Culverts - Bridge and Highway

support of strategic assets across multiple sites within Australasia.

-

Stackers / Feeders Binder Silos and Feeders Crushers and Screens Pugmills

ALL HIRE ENGAGEMENTS ARE SUPPORTED BY - Process set up and advice - Operator Training and Assessment - Preventative Maintenance Programs

MACHINE AND PLANT HIRE We specialise in the development and

Office 61 8 9410 1763 | admin@aquilamining.com | www.aquilamining.com

GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA And when it comes to company projects this sustainability aim is at the centre of developments - GFA is looking to decarbonise its mining operations throughout 2021 and beyond.

This applies to each of the company’s active sites, including those under construction such as its new Solares Norte project based in Chile.

PARTNERSHIPS AND TECHNOLOGY

STUART MATHEWS

We have good, trusted, and important partners.

We are associating ourselves with companies that are looking to have the ability and commitment to working with new technology and introduce and adapt this technology into our businesses to help us move forward, advance, and reach our company goals and aims.

We are really talking about modernisation in our business, and this comprises of utilising the great initiative from our people that provide innovative ways of doing their jobs, combined with new technologies. All of these, if we remain current, will help manage and control cost, improve productivity and efficiency, and reduce exposure of our people and assets to risk and potential harm. It’s good business.

This is due to us currently having quite an aggressive roadmap on the technology front, yet we still need partner companies to work with us.

We are looking ahead to incorporate technology alongside business partnerships to prepare for the future of the industry.

52 | APAC Outlook issue 48

“We are also continuing our aggressive exploration of our four Australian sites. This will consist of an approximate investment of $75 million and should extend the reserve base and life of the mines. This is on top of our substantial sustainability investments,” Mathews explains.

PEOPLE-CENTRIC AND COMMUNITY BUSINESS The quality operation of GFA’s mining sites is not only down to the utilisation of the latest industrial technologies, but also down to its hard-working employees. The company strives to ensure that employee recognition is a consistently integrated factor in the workplace, and that individual semi-autonomous leadership is implemented to provide workers with a truth behind their work – that they are the individuals that make GFA work.

“We have a recognition reward system for people that live and

breathe the values of the company,” Mathews elaborates.

“We’re very big on empowerment, health and safety of our people. Two of the things we’ve implemented are the Courageous Safety Leadership (CSL) and Vital Behaviours (VB) programmes. The CSL programme transmits teachings and experiences from the management and the workforce straight down to the ground level and is an emotional day of personal commitment.

“The VB programme has been running for over six years now and focuses on involvement of the programme from the ground up with “story-telling” from our employees and identifying core behaviours that commonly lead to incidents, accident and harm.

“From there we develop vital behaviours to improve the health and wellbeing of all. Combined with CSL and VB, along with field level risk assessment and socialisation of

MINING

GROW WITH US

Industrial Protective Products (WA) Supporting Better Products

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IPP (WA) OUR HISTORY Under the current management Industrial Protective Products (WA) commenced on September 1st 1984.

Industrial Protective Products (WA) is a wholly owned Western Australian Company operating as a “true specialist safety house” supplying PPE, including footwear and clothing to the mining, construction and associated industries throughout Western Australia.

T+61 8 9330 6355

IPP(WA) see our alliance partners as our first priority and continue to develop our business and our people with feedback from our alliance partners.

IPP(WA) and Goldfields Australia have enjoyed and long standing, evolving alliance partnership for some 20 years. We continue to work together to provide and offer both parties an inclusive, engaging and respectful relationship to protect our most valuable asset our people.

www.ippwa.com.au

“We’re very big on empowerment, health and safety of our people. Two of the things we’ve implemented are the Courageous Safety Leadership (CSL) and Vital Behaviours (VB) programmes” APAC Outlook issue 48 | 53

GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA

GOLD FIELDS VALUES AT A GLANCE

RESPONSIBILITY: • We responsibly manage our impact on the environment and host communities.

Our values need to become the very fabric of our company – the go-to touchstone that we use every day to make all our decisions.

• We hold ourselves accountable for our actions and the impact we have on the environment and host communities.

SAFETY: • If we cannot mine safely, we will not mine.

• We care deeply about the safety of our people.

• We are vigilant about identifying unsafe behaviours and are not afraid to speak up.

• We work towards zero harm on a daily basis.

INTEGRITY: • We act with honesty, fairness and transparency.

• We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards.

• We use the Code of Conduct and company policies to guide us.

• We treat people in host communities with respect.

DELIVERY: • We strive for excellence and do what we say we will do.

• We pay attention to detail and take pride in what we do.

• We work hard to deliver on time and on budget.

• We take individual responsibility for our own work.

INNOVATION: • We encourage innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit.

RESPECT:

• We do not allow ourselves to be constrained by limiting beliefs.

• We treat all stakeholders with trust, dignity, and respect.

• We respond positively to creativity, spontaneity and innovative thought.

• We allow others to voice their views, even when they are different to or in conflict with our own.

• We are open to change and support new ways of working.

• We embrace, value and accept diversity and difference.

Gruyere Gold Mine

St Ives Gold Mine

Granny Smith Gold Mine

54 | APAC Outlook issue 48

MINING If you are an accountant, or biology degree, or if you have knowledge or experience of the energy sector there is potential for employment with GFA. And with technology becoming ever more present across varying industries that potential for widening the employment talent pool just gets bigger.”

2021 AND BEYOND

Gruyere Gold Mine

safety in the workplace have driven our safety performance to best performance. Gold Fields in Australia are now leading the safety direction of the greater company.”

The firm’s people-centric values align with that of its community goals.

With a focus on local community engagement, GFA holds key objectives related to, not only to provide employment to those local to company sites, but also to procure necessary resources and materials from local areas as well.

“Our mines are very isolated in areas of outback Western Australia, but our foremost commitment is to mutually benefit and support the areas of these operational sites. 25 percent of our procurement expenditure surrounds local communities, and through this we are conducting the right business practices to ensure the betterment of these communities,” Mathews comments.

With 2020 having been dominated by the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, GFA turned its focus to helping communities as much as it could.

“During this time of crisis, especially

last year when it caught everybody unaware, we felt like people in the general community in Western Australia needed help,” Mathews tells us.

“We decided to provide some funding directly to them and took this opportunity to contribute $300,000 dollars to aid people, split between the food bank and medical services, including Lifeline mental health service and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.”

GFA is also involved in sports sponsorship aimed to attract and provide employment to young talent in the sector. Direct sponsorship of Football West (the main football body in Western Australia) has allowed the company to support the general community further, and actively promote healthy sport, competition, and exercise alongside the provision of potential future employment for many.

“We are going to grow our active presence at these sports events, such as setting up company tents, where people can talk directly to us about various careers and pathways into the resources industry,” Mathews explains.

“The industry isn’t just about geologists, engineers, and truck drivers anymore - it’s a lot broader.

GFA has many aims and goals to work upon and reach by the end of this year and those that follow. The maintenance of quality operations and growth of yield is one of the key company aims, and continuation of sustainability promotion and practices is deemed an absolute necessity. One of the primary goals for the firm is providing help to all those individuals within the local site communities of Western Australia that require it.

Mathews ends on a positive note.

“A big delivery for us is that we have committed to a reconciliation action plan in Australia. We are one year into this journey, and it’ll take us about three or four years to deliver what we intend,” he elaborates.

“Within our indigenous and aboriginal people of Western Australia, we as a company are committed to acknowledging and actively promoting reconciliation, not just for ourselves, but for greater Australia. That includes recognising that the indigenous and aboriginal people represent approximately 2.5 percent of the national population and have been significantly disadvantaged over the last 200 years. To reconcile this, we are working with tribes to make a difference.”

GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA Tel: + 61 (08) 9211 9200 www.goldfields.com.au

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 55

TNI KING COFFEE

Le Hoang Diep Thao, CEO of Trung Nguyen, the company that owns TNI King Coffee

FOOD & DRINK

Building a Global Coffee Empire The story behind the rise of TNI King Coffee, a Vietnamese coffee brand and café franchise with ambitious plans at home and abroad Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

PART 1 – A PERSONAL STORY “Coffee has always brought me endless joy, creativity and passion,” gleams Le Hoang Diep Thao, Vietnamese entrepreneur and Founder and CEO of Trung Nguyen, the company which owns her latest venture – TNI King Coffee.

It took two decades of building up her first enterprise before the decision was made to launch a second startup, the lesson very much being the need to master the fundamentals of business, and coffee.

“With Trung Nguyen, everything starts from the most basic things,” Mrs Thao says. “You learn about coffee beans, grasp seasonal prices, learn how to process and package finished products, self-manage with the first employees in the small coffee factory.

Then, you gradually reach further, find ways to open stores and develop a distribution system according to international standards.

“As for King Coffee, since I have accumulated more than 20 years of experience, when starting a business,

I chose to immediately set up a standards system from the beginning – a modern factory with international certifications, systematic distribution regularity, and diverse products to satisfy all the demands of enjoying coffee in modern society. However, you cannot forget to still pay attention to the smallest details towards perfection.”

Mrs Thao’s journey to this point has not been without its challenges.

The entrepreneur admits that there have been ups and downs along the way, but acknowledges the impossibility of establishing and growing a business without having to embrace failures at some stage.

Coffee, she points out, has played its own part.

“I think the cups of coffee I drink every day have helped me to always renew myself in such creative ways,” Mrs Thao muses. “There have been times when it’s so difficult that you want to give up – there are times when I’m tired and want to listen to many loving people telling me to rest.”

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 57

TNI KING COFFEE

AN INTRODUCTION TO TNI KING COFFEE TNI King Coffee was launched in 2016 and represents Trung Nguyen’s premium coffee brand.

The brand quickly grew its presence out of Vietnam and into the likes of Korea and the US, its overarching aim being to become a Vietnamese coffee brand that is favoured all around the world.

Today its various coffee products are present in more than 60 countries thanks to the hard work of more than 3,000 company employees.

VISION: To become the world’s leading Vietnamese F&B corporation.

MISSION: Commit to bringing Vietnamese brands to the world equating with other multinational corporations.

CORE VALUES: High aspiration; constant creativity and innovation; outstanding execution; value creation and sustainable development; social responsibility.

But these moments have only been fleeting ones. What has truly kept Mrs Thao motivated throughout her journey is the network of people who depend on her company’s success to make their own livings – be they employees and their families or thousands of farming households who supply Trung Nguyen and TNI King Coffee.

Ms Thao adds: “This is the value of entrepreneurship, I think. Once a certain milestone is reached, enriching yourself is not the ultimate goal.

58 | APAC Outlook issue 48

To create jobs, to enrich society, to be a refuge for the community... those are the qualities that make an entrepreneur.”

Her altruistic approach has not gone unnoticed in Vietnam, and indeed the world. In 2020 Mrs Thao was recognised with the Most Admired CEO Award 2020 in the Food & Beverage sector from Global Brands Magazine (GBM).

It is an extraordinary accolade, one which the entrepreneur hopes

will inspire a new wave of young businesspeople to enter the industry and forge a living for themselves, especially young Vietnamese women.

“Youth gives people many opportunities,” Mrs Thao continues.

“They learn, stumble, fail, and start over. Even though they had tasted the pain, they still had the strength to move on. I think if someone knows their own self and knows how to make a meaningful use of their youth, that person will surely succeed.”

FOOD & DRINK PART 2 - A GLOBAL FMCG OPERATION Coffee has been a mainstay and hallmark of Vietnam for hundreds of years.

Already a sizable industry, Mrs Thao is a firm believer in the potential to bring billions more dollars of value to the country’s economy and people, and determined to make sure TNI King Coffee plays a leading role.

The CEO is understandably ambitious. Through executing a global growth strategy, she wants to develop the business to become one of the top 10 coffee brands in the Asian market, as well as a key stakeholder in the Vietnamese agri sector.

“I chose to develop King Coffee from overseas markets,” Mrs Thao says. “We appeared first in the US market, then through other major

international markets such as Korea, China and Singapore before concentrating on our home country.

Within a year, King’s distribution network covered all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam thanks to our international quality products and reputation from overseas markets.

“In the near future, I will once again promote Vietnamese coffee in the international market. Coffee will become a strategic commodity of Vietnam and promote alignment between Vietnamese brands in this sector – with that, we will become a global power in the coffee world.”

Technology has and will continue to play its part in achieving this worldly ambition.

Each of its product lines, from instant and ground to roasted and new generation RTD coffee, relies on

innovative technological solutions to produce. The latter product, for instance, was created using pioneering ASEPTIC sterile cold extraction technology.

“Additionally, based on modern technology, I believe we absolutely can help our Vietnamese coffee industry by educating farmers about water recycling and waste-reduction techniques, installing advanced drip irrigation systems in farms that use too much water, providing better services, fair-trade solutions and so on,” Mrs Thao adds.

“My constant motivation is how I can develop Vietnam’s coffee industry, and help farmers get rich and be proud of their own achievements. Our products are consumed and loved all over the world. From there, there can be benefit to the nation and the community.”

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 59

TNI KING COFFEE PART 3 - ACCELERATING HIGH GROWTH IN NEW TERRITORIES As Vietnam is one of the best antiepidemic countries in the world, disease has also helped King Coffee actively seek orders from other markets by developing a network of personal sales agents worldwide. In just 12 months, King Coffee’s market doubled its export numbers from 60 countries up to 120 countries.

“For King Coffee to enter the “always crowded” international market, I was determined that there is

no common strategy for all markets, “think global and act local”. I will have a different strategy in accordance with the trends, tastes and needs of coffee in each locality depending on each country and region.”

In 2020, TNI King Coffee was recognised as the fastest growing global coffee brand in Vietnam’s food and beverage industry. “This is reflected in our growth — expanding our overseas market share up to 200 percent,” she says. “Particularly in the Russian market, our turnover

“For King Coffee to enter the ‘always crowded’ international market, I was determined that there is no common strategy for all markets, ‘think global and act local’” – Mrs Thao

60 | APAC Outlook issue 48

reached 350 percent. These are very encouraging numbers amid the Covid volatility.”

“Coffee is the quintessence that stimulates the brain, promotes creativity and discovery, maintains alertness for high productivity,” explains Mrs Thao. “That is the same page of those who come to coffee, need coffee, and love coffee.

Coffee also creates its own culture of enjoyment, a resonance for travel and connection. That’s where my customers are.”

FOOD & DRINK

“When women have their jobs and are financially independent, they take control of their lives.

That is what I am most passionate about” – Mrs Thao

PART 4 – A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY Indeed, inspiring society is the endgame for Mrs Thao and TNI King Coffee.

All business activities are geared towards this end, and away from commercial operations the company engages in a tremendous array of dedicated corporate social responsibility programmes.

This includes the Happy Farmers campaign, launched in response to the challenges brought about by the drought, floods and COVID-19 during the 2019-2020 harvest season.

Farmers also suffer from relatively low coffee prices, another issue this initiative aims to reverse.

“The project encompasses our desire to help the people of the Central Highlands learn new techniques in production, stabilise farming and ensure social security, subsidise the purchase price, and increase the economic benefits of the coffee farmer segment,” Mrs Thao says.

The CEO is also extremely proud of the work she and the company are doing to support Vietnamese women through the Women Can Do programme.

“Women Can Do is an 4.0 ecosystem in which we exchange experiences, knowledge and learn from each other,” Mrs Thao explains.

“In cooperation with the Vietnamese Women’s Union, Women Can Do connects 22 million women and aims to support 100,000 women in starting their business.

“The goal of setting up 100,000 SMEs after the COVID epidemic crisis is considered the best solution for an early economic recovery and will create new jobs and reduce unemployment. The female participants will be starting with us from the smallest of origins, and gradually we will grow and become bigger together.

“When women have their jobs and are financially independent, they take control of their lives. That is what I am

most passionate about.”

And this prompts Mrs Thao to offer arguably her most important piece of advice. She ends the conversation by revealing what has guided her to this point in her career.

The entrepreneur concludes: “Let perseverance overcome adversity. In life, the thing that never changes is our love for family, parents and children.

No-one can predict what events will happen in their family. No matter what happens, that is, before the changes, if we keep in our hearts an unchanging love, we will know what we need to do to protect the family, and the people who we love most.”

TNI KING COFFEE Tel: +84 28 3526 0196 www.kingcoffeenetwork.com

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 61

BANGKOK AIR CATERING

Navigating Disruption Khun Linus A.E. Knobel, Managing Director of Bangkok Air Catering, discusses the importance of an agile approach following COVID-19 travel disruptions Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

62 | APAC Outlook issue 48

FOOD & DRINK

R

egarded as one of the world’s most popular travel destinations, Thailand is renowned for its unique culture, offering exotic food, beautiful landscapes and rich culture to those that visit. Approximately 25 million people a year visit Thailand and it experiences one of the highest tourism rates from US citizens when visiting Asia.

Bangkok Air Catering (BAC) is considered one of the highest quality airline caterers in Thailand. Its guiding principle is to offer exclusive products and services through the values of reliability, dedication, compliance, never-ending care, and with pride. BAC is committed to sustaining its position as the leading food provider in Thailand.

Over the years, the organisation

has successfully established Gourmet House Culinary Care, a provider of premium catering services for private hospitals, Gourmet Primo, a production plant of customised meal solutions that enjoys strong representation in the airport lounge, HORECA and event sectors, and Gourmet House Group of Restaurants, authentic cuisines with a modern flair.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 63

BANGKOK AIR CATERING

DISKOMAT UNDER THE SAME WINGS Diskomat, a Swedish engineering company with in-depth experience in dishwashing room design, logistics and waste handling, along with Wexiödisk, the leading Scandinavian dishwashing machine manufacturer, are together supplying turn-key solutions for the airline catering industry “Under the Same Wings”.

The cooperation dates back more than 20 years, in which Bangkok Air Catering has been part of the journey since its inception.

Gourmet House

Our product line extends from the most robust and energy efficient flight type dishwashers, cart lifts, automatic cutlery sorters, customized conveyors, to the unique trolley washer with extremely low water consumption.

Diskomat and Wexiödisk are well represented throughout the entire APAC region.

And overseeing operations is Khun Linus A.E. Knobel, Managing Director at Bangkok Air Catering Group.

Having been with the company since its inception in 2004, his passion for the food and beverage industry is evident. “I see it as much, much more than a profession or a trade,” he explains. “And it could never be a mere hobby for me. Whatever the occasion, it is nothing less than an art

BAC’S BUSINESS UNITS • Bangkok Air Catering • Gourmet House Culinary Care • Gourmet Primo - Al Saray - Brasserie 9 - Ruen Noppagao

64 | APAC Outlook issue 48

form. I have pursued this commitment to culinary art for over 45 years since setting out on my career in my native Switzerland.”

Having first arrived in Asia in 1985 for the Peninsula Group in Hong Kong, Knobel moved to Taiwan for the pre-opening and opening of The Sherwood Hotel in Taipei.

Subsequently, he returned to Hong Kong and joined Gastro Primo, a prime supplier of quality customised food products and meal solutions for hotels, restaurants and other catering businesses before becoming General Manager of Bangkok Air Catering in 2004, then moving into the role of Managing Director a year later.

“These days, all of my passion is focused in Thailand,” he explains.

“I have presided over the company’s expansion from a base at Suvarnabhumi to additional units on Samui, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Don Mueang.”

COVID-19 has disrupted most

industries in one way or another but perhaps none more so than the air travel industry. With passenger flights around the globe cancelled as travel restrictions were imposed, Knobel admits it was a challenging time for firms such as his that rely on air travel.

“We could easily have wallowed in gloom,” he affirms. “Instead, we are seeking opportunity in the crisis. In this sense, we are shifting the emphasis of our strategy from international to domestic markets, “The Thailand food and beverage sector keeps on growing despite the escalation of COVID-19. We also see a great potential in food exports, which is currently in the works.”

Upon discovering how severe the global situation was, BAC immediately set up a Business Continuity Management Committee to ensure effective business operations during the pandemic. Knobel stresses that his priority was the health and well-being of its people, families and communities

FOOD & DRINK

trolley washer

tray dishwasher

flight type dishwasher

Warewashing systems for up

cart lifts

to 50 000 trays/day

DISKOMAT is your supplier of customized and professional flight catering solutions.

Together with our partner WEXIODISK we supply the flight catering industry with Swedish high quality products.

Contact us for more information, info@diskomat.com

www.diskomat.com

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Our services: • Cleaning Management • Pest Management • Specialist Service • Outsourcing Service DD NATURE CORPORATION CO., LTD. (HEAD OFFICE) 42 Soi Suvintawong 28 Saensab Subdistrict, Minburi District Bangkok 10510, Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 2 518 1881 Email: napatsorn@ddnature.co.th banchun@ddnature.co.th

Gourmet Primo.

Customised meal solutions for the airport lounge

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 65

BANGKOK AIR CATERING

BAC’S FIVE KEY PILLARS • PRODUCING AND DELIVERING THE FINEST QUALITY INTERNATIONAL CUISINE • ENFORCING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF HYGIENE AND SAFETY IN CONFORMITY OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS • DEDICATING TO PROVIDING SUPERIOR SERVICE TO BAC CUSTOMERS • MAINTAINING LEVELS OF PRODUCTIVITY • EMPLOYING THE MOST EFFECTIVE OPERATING SYSTEM AND AIMING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

66 | APAC Outlook issue 48

and introduced comprehensive health and safety measures in the workplace.

“We continue to work closely with our customers and suppliers and listen to their concerns about the immediate impact of COVID-19 on their businesses and to support where possible.”

In order to be better prepared, BAC thoroughly reviews its working processes and further develops its programme of training for the workforce.

“Our aim has been clear and simple – we will be a better-skilled and stronger team than before,” he affirms. “Furthermore, we are also gearing up for ISO 9001 certification to enhance business performance and overall efficiency. Many of our people have been working temporarily in other businesses within the BAC group. This has proved a great learning experience, and good for broader team building.

“As a management team, we have reminded ourselves to keep thinking outside the box and exploring new

ways to generate revenue during this crisis.”

This crisis has proven our business diversification strategy to be on a right path. Gourmet Primo, for example, is already established as a producer of customised food for businesses, with notable success in VIP lounges, HORECA and event catering. Now the company is intent on exploring further potential in the domestic market, targeting B2C in particular.

The company plans to launch ‘eatfit’ (a healthy food delivery service) and ‘Sky Deli’ (on-the-go airline meal box) in December. What’s more, Gourmet Primo opened its first outlet at Foodland Supermarket under the concept of “Gourmet Food to Go,” and is planning to open no fewer than 14 outlets this year.

Inaddition, Bangkok Air Catering currently operates four restaurants under the Gourmet House group of restaurants: Brasserie 9, an authentic French eatery, the multiple awardwinning AI Saray restaurants at

FOOD & DRINK Soonvijai and Silom, which serves pure classic Lebanese and Indian cuisine, and Ruen Noppagao which restores charming classic recipes to Thai cuisine. Gourmet House serves several cuisines including Asian, European, and Arabic through additional expertise in outside catering service.

“For our newest restaurant venture, Ruen Noppagao, we are intent on reviving Thai traditional cuisine as it has declined in the past years due to its gaining popularity around the globe,” says Knobel.

“Only Thai ingredients are used, including much from organic farm from Sukhothai, royal projects, all served on porcelain from Chiang Mai.” Supply chain operations are an essential component of improving the overall business performance and customer satisfaction. At BAC, all the processes which take place in its sites are based in the procurement of the raw materials and MRO products. Knobel

believes that in a volatile landscape like today’s environment, agility is vital.

“We focus on our ability to remain agile and react to unforeseen changes across the supply chain – from sourcing issues to demand inclines and declines – which we believe

Kosher

are more beneficial than scenario planning and forecasting,” he explains.

“Likewise, we emphasise efficient stock management whilst increasing the availability for the customer in all channels of fulfilment.

“Our suppliers and partner relationships are important to us. We choose vendors based on quality and reliability – its ability to meet fluctuation demands - over price, so that we can always deliver a great end-product.”

Alongside his team, Knobel also manages another four airline catering units on Samui Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Don Mueang. Samui primarily supplies Bangkok Airways and a busy

assortment of charter flights while Phuket caters to international and regional carriers. Having brought the most advanced equipment to all of its units and introduced systems that are fully compliant with GMP and HACCP, as well as with Halal and Kosher, it has helped BAC to establish a reputation for food services that is always safe and high-quality.

“We intend to make the most of these attributes with a new venture in value-added products for export,” Knobel explains. “We’ll continue to attract business from overseas – but according to a new model. Our initial focus will be Middle Eastern Countries, China, and eventually Hong Kong, starting with the Halal-accredited production of Thai meals and snacks for export.”

BAC is optimistic about the future and harbour aims of serving 30,000 meals every day at its Suvarnabhumi unit alone post-COVID-19. However, Knobel is realistic and admits that the air travel industry might be unable to fully recover within the next couple of years.

“Sadly, due to the ongoing crisis, we aren’t running at full capacity and we plan to prolong our concession at Suvarnabhumi Airport from 2026 to 2031,” he says. “However, we expect the airlines will gradually increase its international and domestic operations by 30-40 percent during this year.

Currently, Bangkok Air Catering Suvarnabhumi has 27 airlines in its customer portfolio, but we hope to expand our airline customer portfolio over the course of the year and our initial focus will be Chinese and Middle Eastern carriers.”

BANGKOK AIR CATERING Tel: +66 (0) 2 131 7500 sales@bangkokaircatering.com www.bacgroup.net

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 67

DESIGNWILKES

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bangkok

CONSTRUCTION

Timeless and Elegant Design Jeffrey Wilkes, founder of DESIGNWILKES, discusses his organisation’s drive to always put the customer at the forefront of decision-making Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

A

passion for quality.

It’s something that Jeffrey Wilkes, founder of DESIGNWILKES has in abundance.

Wilkes has always been passionate about architecture and questioned why things looked the way they do.

He puts that down to his parents’ influence and credits them for being the key factors in setting him on the path he is on today.

“Hanging out with my Dad in the workshop he had at home helped along with a creative mother. They were very home proud,” he explains.

“But it certainly rubbed off and they also let me contribute. They never put down my ideas.”

This laid the foundations for Wilkes who then went to fine arts and design school before designing high-end condominium projects in Toronto, Canada. This subsequently led to hotel designs which is a true mix of a variety of aspects of interior design, where in 1994, Wilkes moved to Malaysia to open a branch of a renowned design firm.

16 years later, Wilkes decided to open his own business. And today, DESIGNWILKES possesses an established group of repeat clients such as Mandarin Oriental, The Leela Hotels India, The Oberoi Group, and ITC Hotels, while employing 35 fulltime members of staff, the majority having been with the firm since launch.

“We like to think that we excel at meeting our clients’ needs before our own,” explains Wilkes.

“Service is key as well as timeless and elegant design.”

However, Wilkes believes that what sets his organisation apart is its commitment to the end product and a drive to put the client first.

“We do try to keep people excited by the projects they are working on, and allow them opportunities to travel and work on site in the various countries we work,” he says. “On site experience is a huge benefit to a designer, and of course to the end product.”

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 69

DESIGNWILKES

KEY PROJECTS

MANDARIN ORIENTAL BANGKOK One of DESIGNWILKES’ most important projects was the design of the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Wilkes describes a first-hand experience of travelling to one of its key projects.

“The three times that we have worked on this property, it has been our mission to preserve history, and disseminate it throughout the property to new areas all with a sense of freshness not pretension.

When I first travelled in Asia, I, like many, made a pilgrimage to Bangkok for the fun uninhibited lifestyle and the sheer magic of its people and its Kingdom.

Naturally a trip to The Oriental as it was then known was on that list. Now known as the Mandarin Oriental, the property is in itself its sense of place. We do look to the Thai culture of course, and Bangkok, but unlike newer properties we look to its past.

Further, our journey took us to reflect on its riverside location, almost taken for granted over the years. The Chao Praya River allowed us a wonderful opportunity to dwell on the property as a resort in the city. The views from the pool have been opened to the river, the terrace revamped as was the Verandah and Lord Kim’s restaurants with a small extension and larger windows to the river.

The water inspired carpet in the guestrooms have fish swimming around, as do the bedside lamps. Various boats seen on the river have been sculpted in brass sheeting. Brushed teak floors have been installed now in all principal areas of guestrooms, balconies added in some rooms extended to the building edge for enhanced river views, these factors all contribute to a more relaxed resort atmosphere. The room sofa is comfortable and big with a tea height table suitable for work or play.

Throughout the property fresh colour was played with very liberally. Redoing the lobby was great fun. We had done it before but this time it was different. We were renovating so many areas that it allowed us to really feel the place. And as each area folds into the next there is a wonderful connection. In the Main Lobby, walls were lightened, as were other features. Crystal chandeliers that replaced iconic teak bells were added for sparkle and sunlight, yet fashioned in the bell shape to reflect

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on the past. Seating was painted with Jim Thompson fabrics in yellow and green and orange, so fresh and citrusy - happy. And as it was once one of the hotel’s original owners, it was so fitting. It feels very much The Mandarin Oriental of old but new.

It all combines to welcome you to its 140 years of spirit.

As part of the Mandarin Oriental mantra, it is more than just a sense of place, it is a realisation. It is geographical identification and cultural representation.”

About Jaquar Group Conceived back in 1960, Jaquar Group is built on the platform of highest quality standards, aesthetics and with the intent of exceeding customer expectation.

Today, Jaquar Group caters to premium and luxury bathroom segments with Jaquar and Artize brands respectively for residential and commercial sectors across the globe as a one stop destination for all bathroom products.

Overview on the Jaquar Group • Jaquar Group is one of the fastest growing bathroom company in the world with presence in over 60 + countries across Europe, Middle East, Asia- Pacific and Africa.

• Currently, the Group delivers over 2.4 million bathrooms every year and produces over 28 million bath fittings annually. Jaquar Group produces 125,000 faucets on a daily basis.

• Currently there are 15 Jaquar World showrooms across countries, you can find Jaquar world at London, Milan, Moscow, Leeds, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Dhaka, Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait, Muscat, Addis Ababa, Kinshasa, & Dar es Salaam with plans underway for more to open in geographies across the world.

• The company’s approach to aesthetic design has won several accolades like IF Awards (Germany), Plus X (Germany) Good Design (U.S.A & Japan), Elle Décor International Award, Red Dot & German design award (Germany).

• The Group has been globally certified in quality

by WRAS, KIWA, SON, ISO, CE, TISI, SASO, PZH, ZNAK-B, IKRAM QA, PUB, KC, SABS.

• Jaquar Group is setting up exclusive showrooms across the world showcasing unique features like wide range of products & concepts from leading global bath brands i.e. Jaquar and Artize. Customers also get expert advice, design consultancy and unmatched customer service as special benefit at Jaquar world.

T +60196499338 | E Irfan.m@jaquar.com | www.jaquar.com

DESIGNWILKES

Alexander Lamont British designer Alexander Lamont is known for his peerless creations of furniture, lighting, accessories and wall art using meticulous craftsmanship and contemporary designs. As creative director, he and a team of international designers innovate using the worlds’ precious decorative materials; straw marquetry, shagreen, eggshell, natural lacquer, mica, parchment, to name a few.

The company has over 150 staff working in its design, production, sales and customer support teams across Europe and Asia. Its workshops are in Thailand and benefit from the incredible artistic and craft traditions of that country with the addition of master craftsmen from Europe.

Jeffrey Wilkes, founder of DESIGNWILKES

DESIGNWILKES’ work on the Verandah Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok was transformational. To renovate the All Day Dining Restaurant, The Verandah size was increased in conjunction with the adjacent Terrace and BBQ areas.

As a result, the restaurant was able to increase the back of house kitchen.

There is an area for semi-private dining as the hotel caters to a number of groups for both business and leisure. The existing structure and kitchen location within the hotel site meant that additional space for the kitchen needed to be taken along the lengthwise position of the room, which was not originally the plan. Space across the front area with the river view is the more desirable space.

Ceiling heights are low, access to natural was compromised with a number of solid awnings along the access corridor. We moved the windows into the corridor marginally 74 | APAC Outlook issue 48

and created a stronger windowscape with a range of mullion sizes to add focus to the window, which accentuated the feel of a verandah.

The rear section of the room was lifted upwards with timber flooring, the front section in patterned marble.

This pattern repeats out on the terrace connecting these spaces. Cream painted planked ceilings and a mass of hand - blown glass pendant lights provide a bright and cheerful nature.

A Thai inspired artist mural provides a jovial garden atmosphere, which brings the outdoors to the inner room.

DESIGNWILKES values quality.

The firm prioritises high standards of design and remains dedicated and committed, refreshed and rejuvenated with a new spirit of adventure. Despite its origins beginning in Southeast Asia, the company has expanded to China, India, Japan, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. DESIGNWILKES operate with its headquarters in

For its project work, the firm has amassed an A-list of customers from luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Cartier to hoteliers including Mandarin Oriental, Aman and Four Seasons, while collaborating with leading interior decorators such as Jeffrey Wilkes, Bill Bensley, Peter Marino, David Collins and Yabu Pushelberg.

With over 20 years of experience in working at the highest quality, in both residential and commercial projects, the company is praised for its specialized approach and flexibility. New collections are launched twice a year and Alexander Lamont also offers its savoir-faire and craftsmanship for numerous bespoke projects. We collect all information for a custom quotation, and guide the designer and contractor in an open communication to ensure the smooth delivery of incredible workmanship and style to the world’s great projects.

www.alexanderlamont.com

DESIGNWILKES

Skyfold® The Mandarin Oriental Jumeira is a new luxury resort located on the beach with a view of the Dubai skyline.

Providing unparalleled service and flexibility for its clientele, the hotel was able to maximise its space using Skyfold walls. Skyfold fully automated vertical walls offer excellent acoustic ratings up to STC 60.

Skyfold solutions are not just acoustic walls used to reconfigure spaces; they are created to be multipurpose design pieces that live within a space. Thirteen Skyfold Classic 55’s were used in the ballroom, meeting rooms and show kitchen.

www.skyfold.com

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bangkok

Malaysia, however, conduct most of its work outside of the region.

“The majority of our work is in India, we have also done projects in Thailand, Indonesia, UAE, Sri Lanka, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and the UK,” explains Wilkes.

“Kuala Lumpur is a fantastic base. It has a fantastic loyal workforce and is a dynamic city full of architecture that inspires, both old and new. We hope to do more work there in the future.”

Wilkes strives for a green approach wherever possible and stresses that everyone has a social responsibility to do their bit.

“I am a great lover and admirer of craft so whenever we can use local artisans, we will,” he explains. “It’s very important to keep craft alive as it is disappearing as fast as the rainforests.”

“We believe in reusing and upcycling. When we are confronted with a renovation, we often look at what elements can be saved or manipulated to appear fresh and new.

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Mandarin Oriental, Dubai

CONSTRUCTION

DesignWilkes

Discover the endless possibilities with Skyfold® premium space solutions

• Acoustic movable walls that exceed industry standards up to STC 60 (Rw 59 dB) • Vertical Innovation with fully automated walls that store in the ceiling

info@skyfold.com | www.skyfold.com

• Effortless Flexiblilty to seamlessly reconfigure space for multiple uses and events

admin@zenzii.net sales@shreejiinnova.com

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 77

DESIGNWILKES We don’t always blast out the marble and throw it away because what may appear unusable in one location may be better suited for another location.

Locally supplied products are also important both for the environment and reinforcing a sense of place.”

INSIDE THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL JUMEIRA PROJECT DESIGNWILKES’ original design of the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira had been inspired by a trip to Dubai at the time of year when the flame of the forest trees was out in full bloom, while the canopy of orange blossoms brightening the landscape. Having opened in 2019, the Mandarin Oriental Jumeria is now regarded as one of the most competitive luxury hospitality markets and was the inspiration for the idea of a ‘Canopy of Light.’

Mandarin Oriental, Jumeira

“WE’VE GOT LOTS OF EXCITING PROJECTS UNDERWAY. WE’RE RENOVATING A BEACH RESORT IN GOA FOR ITC HOTELS, FINISHING UP MAJOR RESIDENCES IN GENEVA AND A PALATIAL HOME IN AHMEDABAD” In its planning of the lobby, DESIGNWILKES wanted to connect the front of the hotel to the beach side, so the idea of an islamic based garden stretching through the lobby was then accelerated with its Canopy of Light.

Mandarin Oriental Jumeira could have used real trees, however, they would have been switched with artificial and look akin to an airport or shopping park. The idea of making the trees in crystal with sparkle would be unique.

It spoke to its overall concept of the Dubai Riveria, simultaneously incorporating glamour and a resort setting.

And so, its forest in its weathered travertine garden was created.

Mandarin Oriental showcases 256 rooms and suites, many with private balconies and terraces providing incredible views across the Persian Gulf. The hotel lobby is filled with 14 artificial trees, each possessing 900 lights and cooling white marble floors. One of the property’s most impressive features is a state-of-theart 2,000 square metre destination spa, a complex whose curbed ceilings pay tribute to the rolling dunes of the desert, while the blue hues on

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo display in the flooring call to mind the crystalline waters outside. The Mandarin Oriental Jumeria Dubai also features six restaurants and bars, each with their own distinctive design aesthetic and ambience.

INSIDE THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL TOKYO PROJECT In 2019, Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, completed the refurbishment of its 179 guestrooms and suites in a style resembling Japanese culture.

Wilkes was appointed as the principal interior designer for the hotel’s luxurious Presidential Suite, which has picturesque views of Mount Fuji.

Mandarin Oriental, Dubai The hotel confirmed bespoke fabrics and furnishings were used to reflect woodlands and changing seasons, with autumn leaf colours of gold, orange and purple, and springtime wisteria and sakura patterns embroidered onto headboards.

Wilkes himself is recognised for his ability to blend cosmopolitan influences with tradition. He has contributed to the interior design of some of the world’s most renowned hotels including the W Goa, Mandapa Ritz Carlton Reserve in Ubud, Mandarin Oriental Dubai, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, The Leela Udaipur among many others.

DESIGNWILKES’ future is bright, and it has projects such as the ITC Luxury Collection in Sri Lanka and Nepal on the horizon. At DESIGNWILKES, diversity continues to play an influential role as it challenges creative interpretations to reflect its client’s aspirations.

With the future in mind, Wilkes is optimistic about the next couple of years and is keen for his employees to continue to be happy in their craft.

“We’ll continue to work for our clients and ensure they are always happy with the end product,” he affirms.

“We’ve got lots of exciting projects underway. We’re renovating a beach resort in Goa for ITC Hotels, finishing up major residences in Geneva and a palatial home in Ahmedabad. We’re also beginning work on a penthouse in Chennai and turning an actual palace in Khajuraho into a six-star hotel and renovating Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant Veeraswamy. We will also complete three major homes in Kuala Lumpur by the end of 2021.”

Tel: +(603) 2092 1699 Fax: +(603) 2092 1695 info@designwilkes.com www.designwilkes.com

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 79

KRAMER AUSENCO

COMMITED to Asia-Pacific Adam Kramer, Director and Project Manager at Kramer Ausenco, discusses the organisation’s journey after more than four decades of success Writer: Sean-Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

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CONSTRUCTION

C

onsidering the right career to pursue can be a task that takes many years. But for Adam Kramer, Director and Project Manager at Kramer Ausenco, his mind was made up from an early age.

“For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be in the engineering and construction industry,” recalls Kramer.

Engineering and construction runs in his blood and Kramer believes he was always destined to end up in the industry and follow in his family’s footsteps.

“I am the third generation that is in the engineering and construction industry, primarily out of the Pacific and Oceania region.”

Indeed, the story of how his company Kramer Ausenco was born

is an interesting one.

Kramer’s grandfather, Henry Kramer (Senior), was a shipbuilder for his entire life on Catholic Mission in Madang Province in Papua New Guinea, and Adam’s father, Frank Kramer, was the first Papua New Guinean Civil Engineer with international qualifications, after graduating from a scholarship to Guelph University in Canada.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 81

KRAMER AUSENCO “My dad returned home to Papua New Guinea not long after attaining his qualifications and started working in civil engineering and road construction,” he explains. “He later started his own company which became the foundation of what Kramer Ausenco is today. I am now fortunate enough to manage our business with my twin brother – we are both civil engineers of course.”

Having graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Engineering in 2008, Kramer has over 10 years of

AT A GLANCE: KRAMER AUSENCO Kramer Ausenco was founded in 1978, providing civil engineering services for roads and transport projects in Papua New Guinea.

Over the last 43 years, the company has expanded into Australia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, and Samoa.

The company has also grown into most allied disciplines to provide end-to-end professional design and project management solutions for buildings, transport infrastructure (roads, maritime, and airports), mining, energy, industrial, government, municipal, and donor funded projects.

At the core of its business, its purpose is to be the partner of choice for project management and technical services for infrastructure projects in our region. Its services are holistic and can include small aspects such as regulatory approvals and permits – sounds simple but can cause many headaches for those not familiar with the processes.

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experience in engineering consulting for commercial and civil infrastructure projects, as well as planning and execution for mining projects in PNG. Using his combination of engineering, finance and business management capabilities, Kramer plays an influential role in planning and execution of business strategy and operations.

Today, Kramer believes that what sets his organisation apart is its ability to connect to the communities that Kramer Ausenco has a presence in.

“Over 90 percent of our employees are from or have direct connections to the Pacific region, and with all the adversity created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the silver lining has been an opportunity for all our local teams to strengthen our client relationships as some of our competitors left,” he affirms.

Operating with a people-centric culture, Kramer acknowledges how critical retaining and recruiting the right staff is and stresses how vital employees are to the success of Kramer Ausenco.

“Talent management is critical because people are our strength,” he explains. “We have to ensure we nurture and retain talent throughout our organisation to obtain sustained success.”

Building on over three decades of consulting experience in PNG and the South Pacific, Kramer Ausenco provides full lifecycle, engineering design, project management and asset support solutions to the mining, oil, gas, LNG and Power Generation industries in PNG and across the South Pacific region. Kramer Ausenco is the only indigenous engineering firm developing sustainable delivery for Papua New Guinea, developing qualified registered national engineers, assured by its strategic selection of internationally proven consulting and mega-project delivery partners.

The organisation has completed many significant projects over the years since its inception. However, there is one in particular that stands out.

Pacific Islands International Established in 1998, Pacific Islands International (PII), is a trusted one-stop shop for the building and construction needs of the Pacific Islands.

A family-owned business, based in Townsville, North Queensland, which is committed to helping the Pacific Islands develop and grow. With a global sourcing reach, PII has offices in both Australia and China supplying materials and products to a variety of industries whilst representing many leading Australian, New Zealand and Asian manufacturers.

PII’s distribution network reaches all corners of the Pacific, from Guam and all the islands of Micronesia, through Melanesia and all of Polynesia. It’s fully integrated supply chain ensures the quickest and most cost effective supply solution no matter where the project is located. PII is your supplier of quality building materials.

www.pacificislands.com.au

Power Protection Industries Power Protection Industries (PPI) delivers full, turn-key electrical solutions to a diverse range of industries including energy, water, mining, commercial, manufacturing and renewable energy.

Since 2016, PPI has delivered customised electrical solutions to clients spread throughout Asia-Pacific and Australia.

With a unique roster of capabilities spanning design and procurement through to supply and project management, PPI has built a reputation as the ultimate electrical service provider – growing the business exponentially whilst maintaining a solid grounding in family values.

www.ppindustries.com.au

CONSTRUCTION

Delivering quality to the Pacific

Since 1998, PII has been a trusted one-stop shop for the building and construction needs of the Pacific Islands.

Find out how we can quickly and reliably supply the materials and products you need. +61 7 4412 6800 sales@pacificislands.com.au pacificislands.com.au

Industry Leaders in electrical solutions We power your business

We have a team of hands on electrical trade qualified and engineering qualified professionals to supply and design an electrical solution for your project.

Townsville Office 1/12 Northern Link Circuit, Shaw, Qld 4818 Australia Brisbane Office 4/26 Navigator Place, Hendra, Queensland 4011 Australia

T (+61) 7 3734 7159 E sales@ppindustries.com.au

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 83

KRAMER AUSENCO “We are the financer’s engineer on the nine mile Laloki Road Project in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea,” explains Kramer. “We are proud of our strong recurring revenue line from owner or financer engineer roles as we strongly believe we can manage their risk when it comes to infrastructure projects.”

Kramer Ausenco’s other major projects include the Project Management of the Baime 4 hydropower project in Papua New Guinea, the soon to begin construction of the University of the South Pacific, Honiara Campus in Solomon Island as well as being the

COMPANY VISION AND MISSION VISION: To be the professional service provider of choice in the Pacific for project development, design, delivery and management, with the ability to introduce positive sustainable change in the community.

MISSION: To provide industry leading Project Management and Engineering services for its clients, people and Pacific region.

Kramer Ausenco meet these objectives by: • Offering expert knowledge, professionalism, value, and integrity.

• Providing global expertise delivered locally.

• Employing and training staff from the region.

• Delivering culturally attuned solutions for local governments and communities.

CONSTRUCTION

Slaughterhouse Engineering and Managing Consultant for a Meat Processing Facility in Samoa. However, Kramer is adamant his company doesn’t rest on its laurels.

“We now want to invest in greater technology to allow us to do amazing new things in incredible timeframes,” he explains. “We want to expand our footprint and produce a culture of continuous improvement.”

Kramer Ausenco is also engaged to provide architectural, engineering and project management support services for the rehabilitation and upgrading of three Area Health Centres (AHC) in Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. These AHCs reside in very remote locations and will be receiving much-needed improvements.

SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS Kramer Ausenco offers a diverse range of services. These include: • Project Management • Procurement and Planning • Civil Engineering • Structural Engineering • Building Services • Architectural Design Services

And Kramer Ausenco is also being acknowledged for its achievements.

The firm received the Innovation and Technology Award at the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Business Excellence Awards in 2017. This award was based on the design capabilities of the company for projects such as the Ministry of Environment’s four-storey, eco-friendly building, the Solomon Telekom Office in Auki, Malaita Province, the University of South Pacific’s Solomon Islands Campus as well as the Solomon Islands Electricity Authority Solar Farm project. These all showcased Kramer Ausenco’s technological software knowledge and innovative design capabilities.

However, adamant to focus on the future and not yesterday, Kramer is focused and upbeat about the next couple of years, believing that he should ‘make time to work on the business and not in the business.’

“We must prioritise, maintain and grow client relationships in our markets through client-focused results and exceptional service delivery.”

• Surveying • Construction Management • Studies

Port Moresby: +675 325 6033

• CAD and 3D Design Services

Port-Moresby@KramerAusenco.com

www.kramerausenco.com

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 85

NEXANS OLEX

Responsible Manufacturing With sustainability a core part of Nexans Olex’s strategy, the company’s CEO Greg Stack discusses its place in the manufacturing industry today Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Thomas Turnbull

T

oday, leveraging a greener approach to operations is more than just optional.

Being more sustainable goes further than just helping the environment. It provides greater efficiency, improves brand reputation and even helps companies to achieve better growth.

And in the case of Nexans Olex, it goes beyond that.

“I see it as my responsibility to contribute to protecting the planet,” says Greg Stack, CEO at Nexans Olex “Cable manufacturing (especially ours with processes starting at rod breakdown and fine wire drawing) has traditionally been big consumers of energy and water, contributing to CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions as well as producing hazardous waste as a bi-product.

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MANUFACTURING

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 87

NEXANS OLEX Nexans is Australia’s leading cable manufacturer and possesses over 80 years of success in delivering innovative solutions for Australian businesses. Having already outlined its intention to be carbon neutral by 2030, it is seeking greener alternatives wherever it can.

“Our environmental management strategy is designed to address this, deploying initiatives to reduce consumption and waste whilst also investing in renewable energy on both sides of the meter,” adds Stack.

“We have initiatives already underway, ranging from LED replacement to photovoltaic energy generation. Energy performance

criteria has become a large a component of any purchasing decision for new equipment as is price.”

Stack has been the CEO at Nexans Olex since January 2019. Having taken inspiration from his father’s career in manufacturing, Stack began his journey in the industry working in a sales and administration role for an Australian PVC and rubber hose manufacturer.

“From there, my career took me to a global business based out of the United States, a worldwide manufacturer of motion control components across electromechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic motion systems,” he tells us.

SUSTAINABILITY

Akdeniz Chemson GLOBAL AND RELIABLE SOLUTION PARTNER: AKDENİZ CHEMSON Akdeniz Chemson is a global supplier for Nexans in the World. Akdeniz Chemson Additives Pacific (formerly Chemson Pacific) in Australia is a leader in the cable stabiliser market of Australia/New Zealand and has been cooperating with our Nexans Olex partners for many years, supplying specialty stabilisers as required for the local cable markets.

Proud of our long-standing and innovative collaboration with Nexans Olex, we look forward to further expanding our cooperation to assist them bring the ever more important connections to the world!

Sustainability is a key pillar to Nexans globally. As an established force in the world’s sustainable electrification, the shift by major industrial groups to be more committed to energy decarbonisation is now more important than ever. With global demand for electricity to increase in the future, there are several challenges for electrification projects. The firm is fully aware of its responsibility to electrification and is operationally committed to achieving this goal setting a plan to be carbon neutral by 2030. In order to achieve this, Nexans has set out a defined roadmap: • 4.2 percent average annual reduction of company greenhouse gas emissions • 100 percent of production sites certified ISO 14001 • 100 percent of production waste to be recycled • 100 percent of research and development projects to be dedicated to energy efficiency and energy transition, promoting eco-design and low carbon offers • Optimisation of logistical flows by using multimodal transport and shorter delivery routes • 100 percent of Nexans cable drums to be connected using IoT technologies and recyclable • 100 percent of Nexans employee automobile fleet to switch to either hybrid or electric vehicles • Use of renewable energy via local production of the purchase of decarbonised energy for all locations

Akdeniz Chemson Additives Pacific Pty Ltd ABN 58 003 230 635 Unit 3, 2 Capicure Drive Eastern Creek N.S.W. 2766, Australia T +(61) 2 9620 1575 F +(61) 2 9620 1105 M +(61) 423 552 941 E sales.au@akdenizchemson.com

• Deployment of energy efficiency solutions at all sites www.akdenizchemson.com

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LOREM IPSUM A US$ 500 million merger in LOREM LOREM IPSUM IPSUM

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Akdeniz Chemson, the new world leader in PVC stabilizers, is formed by merger of Akdeniz Kimya and the global Chemson Group.

In 2012, Akdeniz Kimya joined Turkey’s OYAK Group of companies.

One-year later, the global Chemson Group became part of OYAK Group as well.

In October 2020, these two strong brands merged into Akdeniz Chemson, one of the leading producers of polymer additives, and the world market leader in PVC stabilizers. Focused on quality, innovation and sustainability, the company works as a “one-stopshop” for clients around the world, aiming to supply all their needs in product formulating.

Following the merger, Akdeniz Chemson is strengthening its market leader position. Having a dominant position for PVC stabilisers in many countries, Akdeniz Chemson is investing in a large new plant in China to capture more local market share. The new plant will be an investment of US$ 27 million and have a final production capacity of 60,000 tons/a.

Akdeniz Chemson Additives Pacific (formerly Chemson Pacific) in Australia is the strong partner for the Asia-Pacific region. Having Lorem ipsum sit aLorem leading position indolor the innovative stabiliser markets of Australia/ ipsumdolor sitamet, amet, New Zealand, recent expansion of elit, this high-quality stabiliser supply consectetuer adipiscing sed diam nonumLorem ipsum dolor sit the amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diamin nonuminto Asia-Pacific have increased market presence the region. myOYAK nibh euismod. ipsum sit amet, Chemicals Group isLorem also investing insed thisdolor site withsit a new consectetuer adipiscing elit, diam nonummy nibh euismod.

Lorem ipsum dolor amet, production line in 2021. This will increase Akdeniz Chemson’s local consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed dolor diamsit nonummy nibh euismod.

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www.akdenizchemson.com www.akdenizchemson.com www.akdenizchemson.com www.akdenizchemson.com

NEXANS OLEX

“I may be biased, but I believe our staff are among the best in the industry. We have a good mix of experience, passion, competence and diversity. Engagement is a major focus with a range of initiatives designed at empowering, recognising and rewarding” – Greg Stack, CEO “To me, it seemed I was destined for a career working in manufacturing. I started with Nexans 15 years ago and today I’m proud to lead the organisation as CEO of a manufacturer across three sites, Australia, New Zealand and Yanguu, with an exciting future.”

The Nexans Group worldwide maintains a long-standing reputation and excellence in delivering world-class cable design, engineering solutions and manufacturing excellency. Operating with a rich history at its core, Nexans draws on global parentage to lead the electrical industry through technical innovation, quality and industry stewardship, while seeking to differentiate from competitors by focusing on its customer experience.

“Ultimately, I believe it comes down to our value proposition which is to create superior value creation,” insists Stack.

“We strive to innovate right throughout the value chain, extracting 90 | APAC Outlook issue 48

efficiencies and value we share with our customers. We also develop partnerships that generate tangible benefits for customers.”

Today, the Australian manufacturing facility at Lilydale, Victoria, currently manufactures up to 3,300 different types of cables to support the demand of residential, commercial and engineering construction sectors.

Nexans has a strategic footprint through Australia and New Zealand, with 450 employees across two manufacturing sites and nine sales locations. While, the firm is also a founding member of the Australian Cablemakers Association and advocates for the upholding of the highest quality and safety practices and conformance to Australian Cabling Standards.

Nexans Olex has recently completed construction of Stockyard Hill Windfarm the largest onshore windfarm in the Southern Hemisphere.

Having begun in May 2018, it has 149 turbines capable of producing 530MW of electricity and has enough to power 390,000 homes and save two million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. It is thought to be one of the world’s most cost-effective wind farms, ensuring that renewable energy is an affordable source of electricity for Australian

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Established reputation for ‘bestin-class’ solutions • Technical expertise, ability to deliver tailored solutions • Customer centric approach and culture • Turnkey HV and MV project capability • Extensive sales and distribution infrastructure businesses and homes.

Bridon-Bekaert The Ropes Group Bridon-Bekaert The Ropes Group is a leader in providing steel strand and wire plus synthetic rope solutions, serving thousands of customers globally.

What makes us unique and valuable to you?

The engagement and expertise of our people: our people are at the core of our business, and it is their knowledge, experience and commitment that provide the foundation of our competitive advantage in comparison with our competitors.

Our technology leadership: the combination of rope technology strength and wire technology strength will provide a platform for strong differentiation.

Our global footprint: with 17 manufacturing locations around the world including Australia.

www.bridon-bekaert.com

The company’s supply chain is considered dynamic and comprehensive. It consists of everything from labour, raw material and finished goods supply to service providers such as warehousing and logistics. Stack recognises how valuable partner and supplier relationships are to sustained success.

“Supply chain engagement ensures customer needs are understood and integrated into our processes and workflows,” he explains.

“This approach ensures tailored solutions for customers are possible; whether that be specialist cable design with delivery to remote locations, project planning or specialist requirements such as GPS technology ‘Connected Drums’ which can be added to product to assist with managing cable assets in remote locations.

“We’re looking to engage needs and develop solutions and can only do this with strategic partner and supplier relationships.”

MANUFACTURING Nexan Olex_BBRG AD.pdf

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The world’s premier supplier of mission critical strand & ropes. www.bridon-bekaert.com salesau@bridon-bekaert.com

Solar Energy services have been a fundamental part of our business since 2010 in order to cater for the high consumer demand for alternative energy sources. Our team of qualified and accredited installers supply and service systems from residential through to industrial sized setups. CHS Renewable Energy has worked on wind farm projects from earthing & HV underground/ overhead reticulation to the connection of the nacelle for almost 20 years.

SOLAR SERVICES • • • • • • • • • •

Solar farm mechanical & wiring New home installations Remote monitoring setups Installation upgrades Agri-business solutions Commercial setups Off grid solar supply Energy retailer & inspection liaison System maintenance Power bill analysis

WIND SERVICES

• • • • • • • • • • •

Temporary Site establishment Office & Warehouse construction WTG Earthing Fibre Optic Cabling Terminal station construction Fibre Optic Termination & Testing Low & High Voltage work SCADA & Comms. configuration Landscaping & Industrial piping Full ECC & MCC FOB Testing

www.chsgroup.com.au | admin@chsgroup.com.au | +1800 554 488

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 91

NEXANS OLEX

MANUFACTURING

Talent management is an essential component to the success of all businesses and Stack is quick to point out the contributions that staff make to ensuring Nexans’ success.

“I may be biased, but I believe our staff are among the best in the industry. We have a good mix of experience, passion, competence and diversity. Engagement is a major focus with a range of initiatives designed at empowering, recognising and rewarding.

“We have had in place for many years an Nexans Olex Performance Coaching framework that is designed to align objectives, set expectations and empower employees with the support of coaching and tailored development programmes.”

Indeed, in order to recognise the long-standing employees, Nexans strives to build a culture of longevity and has created an exclusive group for those that work for the organisation

for over 25 years.

“It’s all about recognition,” he says.

“We celebrate milestones every five years, but specifically for those who have achieved 25 consecutive years of employment, we welcome new inductees into this esteemed group, and create a culture that people aspire to. This group give back; experience can’t be bought, and we encourage these employees to support the development of others and impart knowledge for those at the early stages of their career with us.”

With the future in mind, Stack is optimistic about the next 12 months and is well aware of the importance of diversifying.

“I have high expectations for this year,” stresses Stack.

“Safety comes first, and we must strive to be injury free. Digitalisation and a customer-centric mindset is key and it’s important that we meet the needs of our customers through

continuing to improve our value proposition which will be at the core of all priorities.

“Branding, innovation and marketing are our key value creation levers, so you can expect to see a lot of activity across these levers.

Meanwhile, the environment and digitalisation will also be fundamental in our evolving strategies and expect to see some diversification in our offer.

“Our goal will be to pivot deeper into the value chain to deliver a more differentiated offer than you have seen from us in the past.”

Tel: 61 3 9231 4444 olex.customerservice@nexans.com www.olex.com.au

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 93

STARS MICROELECTRONICS

MANUFACTURING

Innovation inThailand Mr. Prompong Chaikul, Chairman of the Executive Committee at Stars Microelectronics, talks tackling new technologies, streamlining supply chain management and making a mark on Thailand’s flourishing electronics manufacturing market Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

T

he future looks bright in the Land of Smiles.

Since the mid-1980s, electronic products have been at the forefront of Thailand’s manufacturing industries and are a key component in the country’s exports. Bolstered by private investments and the transfer of production from other Asian countries, it is unsurprising that Thailand has become one of Southeast Asia’s largest economies, second only to Indonesia. Using its own healthy economy as an anchor to its neighbouring developing countries, including Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, Thailand enjoys a well-earned reputation as the hub of Southeast Asia when it comes to electronics manufacturing.

Thanks to the Thai government’s acknowledgement of the contribution made by electrics and electronics industries to Thailand’s economic development, investment incentives remain an attractive prospect to

major global players. The country’s well-diversified manufacturing sector accounts for 33.4 percent of the GDP. It is calculated that various industries, primarily steel and electronics manufacturers, generated employment for 22.5 percent of Thailand’s active population in 2020 (World Bank).

At the centre of it all sits Stars Microelectronics, a well-established contract manufacturer of electronic goods based in Ayutthaya. Providing Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Outsourced Assembly and Test (OSAT) customers, Stars also specialise in Microelectronics Module Assembly (MMA) and Integrated Circuit Packaging (IC).

We spoke with Chairman of the Executive Committee, Mr. Prompong Chaikul, who is in charge with production and material planning, inventory management, and supply chain management at Stars Microelectronics.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 95

STARS MICROELECTRONICS “We manufacture and assemble complex and innovative electronic components with high precision and accuracy to serve both the product’s specification and the requirements from leading global customers,” he comments.

“Products from manufacturers are able to distribute via worldwide logistics to all continents as distribution centres, with after sale service when it is required.”

Stars Microelectronics is well-suited to serve the needs of a worldwide market.

“With free-zone privileges, world-class facilities, experienced professionals and strategic infrastructure, all our products are assured to exceed customer expectations at a competitive cost,” Chaikul comments. Indeed, Stars Microelectronics aims to take the lead in the supply of medical device manufacturing services across Thailand and Southeast Asia.

“We operate under the ‘True Vertical Integration’ model, supporting our customer at any phase from design, certification, and production to aftersales service,” Chaikul says.

In his opinion, this, combined with their capabilities in handling advanced manufacturing technologies before integrating them into a completed system solution, is what gives Stars Microelectronics its edge.

“These capabilities can be demonstrated in a very limited selection of enterprises. The company is a true integrated technology to support production capabilities from semiconductor wafer level through to the electronics product system build.”

KEEPING ON TOP OF TECHNOLOGY EMS is an industry defined by rapid advancement and constant innovation. With change at its very core, developing and adapting to the latest technologies is essential.

K-Tool K-Tool Engineering Sdn Bhd is a ‘ONE STOP TOOLING SOLUTION’ Precision Tooling company since year 1995.

Our primary business activities include supplying and manufacturing of high Precision Tooling, Design and Manufacture of Mold for Semiconductor and Connector Industries, Die-Sets, and Mass Production Parts to Multi-National-Companies in Malaysia, as well as globally.

On our consistent emphasis on ‘Total Customer Satisfaction’, we work very closely with our valuable customers to provide solution and improvement design, especially to reduce cost by new concept of precision mold with compound saving and used of types of material for longer tool life.

K-Tool Engineering is committed to continuously improving on its product innovation, upgrading of new sophisticated equipment and improving of process management to enhance our service and product quality to our customers.

www.ktoolmalaysia.com

STARS MICROELECTRONICS: AT A GLANCE Stars Microelectronics’ quality systems and technologies fulfil the following segments: • Wafer, Integrated Circuit (IC) packaging and test • Automotive products • Medical devices • Communication (Network, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VHF/UHF radio, Satellite) • Optoelectronics (Data centre, IoT devices, Data Communication, AOC, Transceiver) • MEMS Sensor • Industrial control • Audio/Video K Prompong Chaikul, Chairman of the Executive Committee

96 | APAC Outlook issue 48

• JDM, design, NPI and Vertical Business

MANUFACTURING

To provide Total Customer Satisfaction & to be the Supplier of choice in the Precision Tooling Industry.

K-Tool Engineering Sdn. Bhd. Plot 159, Jalan Sungai Kluang, Bayan Lepas Phase 1 FTZ, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia. +604 645 1518 www.ktoolmalaysia.com sales-sc@ktoolmalaysia.com hptan@ktoolmalaysia.com

“Smart devices, sensors and new technology companies are racing to be the first and the best in the market every minute,” Chaikul tells us, and this relentless tide of forward development is entirely embraced by Stars’ philosophy.

“Stars is actively engaged in continuous improvement as we believe that it will bring us improved performance, organisational flexibility, and increased ability to embrace new opportunities. We look forward to continually creating new processes and adapting to new market situations,” he comments.

The advent of new products that require a higher degree of customisation inevitably impacts the supply chain, making it more complex and competitive. As such, the process of NPI (New Product Introduction), is driven to become more “rapid, robust and responsive to changes”, whilst successfully meeting the requirements of the client.

“We aim to be the company that everybody is looking up to in the industry not only because of the capability but because of technology,” Chaikul notes.

The company has fully embraced the developments of digitisation and believes in the potential for future improvements as a result.

“Stars is shooting for the stars on a nice rocket called digitisation.”

“Machine to machine communication will play a larger role in production, data analytics and availability will be crucial and an integration between ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), MOM (Manufacturing Operations Management) and every system will have to be seamless not only at enterprise level, but throughout the supply chain to ensure that the customer demand is fulfilled,” Chaikul reflects, speaking specifically of the effect that this will have on his company.

A PROMISE OF QUALITY From prototype, to turnkey and mass production, quality is essential at every stage of the product life cycle. The company strictly adhere to principles of Quality Management.

“Stars is a best-in-class company in Quality Management System.

Our QMS is fully compatible and supports IT and ERP systems, to ensure that the products and services that we produce are material and manufacturing traceable, of the right standards or fit for a specified purpose that matches with our customers’ expectations,” Chaikul explains.

One such example of this is Star’s “Zero Defects Program” operated through Six Sigma.

“Driven on our critical operations, we create step-by-step processes that include benchmarks as we believe that well-designed processes will lead to high quality products and services,” he adds.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 97

STARS MICROELECTRONICS

THE PERSONAL TOUCH Although a technological industry, people are at the centre of Stars.

“Being customer focused has always been at top of our mind,” Chaikul states. “We strive to meet and exceed the customers’ expectations and needs, and by understanding the customers’ current and future needs and catering to them, we hope to achieve long-term success that stems from customer satisfaction.”

Stars’ respect for the satisfaction of their customer also translates to the treatment of their workforce.

“We have established unity and purpose among the workforce and shareholders. We try to create a thriving company culture so that it provides an internal environment that allows our employees to fully realise their potential and get actively involved in achieving company objectives.”

Chaikul understands that it’s all very well to keep up to date with digitisation and the implementation of new technologies, but the real transformation begins with people and a workforce that feels empowered and respected.

“What we have to remember is that a digital transformation must start from our everyday. Stars aims to empower and allow our people to evolve with the increasing capability of machines and software,” he elaborates.

“We want to allow them to be more productive while there is less work to manage. What digital transformation and/or digitisation will bring is not only a technological advancement but the growth of some of the greatest people, cultures and environments.”

Technicians, operators, engineers and supply chain officers are the real backbone of this industry.

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With a global supply chain managed by an intelligent ERP system, Stars Microelectronics endeavours to communicate security and safety in the sourcing and supply chain of electronics manufacturing. This is evidenced by the pride they take in their relationships with quality suppliers, something that, alongside partner relations, is “extremely important” and continues to be closely monitored. This developed recently with a departure from Stars’ 2020 supplier management approach, thereby enhancing the company’s strategic relationships.

“In 2021 we will implement a monthly supplier development programme to track supplier performance,” Chaikul informs us.

This will enable Stars to maintain a continuous improvement to supply.

“We will also engage more key suppliers to set up a VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) or a safety stock programme for Stars to facilitate demand fluctuations with short notice.”

MANUFACTURING

“Stars Microelectronics is now lined-up for an exponential growth and we are all excited for the future that we are going to create” – K Prompong Chaikul LOOKING TO THE STARS Working in such a saturated market is not without its challenges and Chaikul is explicit about the common challenges faced by all electronic manufacturing service providers; how to secure materials at the best price whilst preventing a shortage, how to minimise the transition time between each product by working with common materials on the production line, and the best way to react to customers engineering change orders that can be translated to the production in a quick and efficient manner.

“Several tools and system have been devised to combat these issues.

The traditional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) and homebrew-customised software have been effective but may no longer be optimised for the upcoming growths and demands where everything is near instantaneous,” Chaikul informs us.

Major new investments have been launched with the company’s five-year business plan, one of which includes acquiring a new operation in Europe that will support Stars’ EU based market and supply chains.

“We are also investigating the best strategic location to expand our geographical footprint to serve our customer better while leveraging

the local advantages that we have in Thailand.” Meanwhile, Stars will continue to strengthen the vertical integration pipeline, with “higher design capabilities and additional precision facilities.”

Despite the challenges experienced by industries worldwide, Stars’ refuse to let the current global situation impede their goal of becoming a $300 million company by 2023.

“Stars Microelectronics is now lined-up for an exponential growth and we are all excited for the future that we are going to create,” Chaikul concludes optimistically.

“We are embracing the transformation that is happening right now.”

STARS MICROELECTRONICS Tel: +66 (0) 35 258 555 sales@starsmicro.com www.starsmicro.com

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 99

PLUS SOLAR SYSTEMS

Driving Sustainability in Malaysia Ko Chuan Zhen, co-founder and CEO of Plus Solar Systems, discusses his organisation’s journey and details how it became a major force in clean energy solutions Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Nicholas Kernan

100 | APAC Outlook issue 48

ENERGY & UTILITIES

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 101

PLUS SOLAR SYSTEMS In Malaysia, clean energy has increased in terms of adoption and awareness among the public, especially business owners.”

Ko Chuan Zhen is a CEO and co-founder at Plus Solar Systems.

Today, Plus Solar believes in the Energy Trilogy - Energy Generation, Energy Efficiency, and Energy Storage which showcases its passion towards providing clean energy solutions for a better future.

Having initially been founded as

Leaf Energy in 2011, the organisation became the first solar energy consulting firm in Malaysia. The three co-founders Ko Chuan Zhen, Poh Tyng Huei, and Ryan Oh Zhi Kang had a vision.

The trio wanted to drive the world towards a cleaner and more sustainable future. In 2012, Leaf Energy became Plus Solar and was created with the mission statement of reshaping the way energy is generated and consumed one community at a time through providing turnkey

solutions. However, Plus Solar’s journey hasn’t been straightforward.

“When we started, we installed solar on the roofs ourselves, under the rain and shine, whilst our friends were in corporate roles,” says Ko, co-founder and CEO. “The working environment wasn’t very friendly, and I wondered if I should be sitting comfortably behind the desk as my friends in the corporate world were. I realised that some people enjoy being on-site and sitting at a desk, and at that point, that was who I was.”

PLUS SOLAR’S JOURNEY The company began its venture in 2012 with only four employees.

Today, Plus Solar employs over 160 people. Plus Solar provides engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning solutions catered for commercial buildings, the industrial sector, more commonly known as Commercial and Industrial (C&I) and for solar farms.

In a bid to expand the reach of generating clean energy, Plus Solar has a total of four offices in the central, Northern and Southern regions of Malaysia. In each office, the company would hire individuals from the specific state to ensure the energy solutions provided would cater to the needs of the customers in the following region.

Moreover, in order to cater for the ever-evolving needs of business owners, they provide business owners with an energy performance management system (EPMS) which uses AIoT to convert their building energy data into business intelligence.

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PLUS SOLAR SYSTEMS

SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY

PLUS SOLAR ACADEMY Sustainability is a key pillar to Plus Solar’s strategy. As a company who believes in providing for the greater community, Plus Solar Academy was established by Plus Solar to bridge the gap in solar photovoltaic (PV) education between classroom theories and real-life industry practices. The firm remains determined to meet the principles of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and upholding its country’s goal to meet overall sustainable development and combat the effects of climate change.

As a result of Plus Solar’s mission to build a positive environment for talent to grow, innovate and impact the energy revolution, Plus Solar Academy serves to educate and collaborate with institutions and professional bodies, reaching one community at a time. Plus Solar Academy educates and collaborates with institutions and professional bodies which take place in the form of solar engineering workshops, internship

Indeed, like so many start-ups, Plus Solar initially struggled with cash flow and Ko explains that his organisation faced many challenges, one in particular being even given an opportunity to have an appointment.

“We even would get scolded for showing up at a potential client’s door.

They wouldn’t give us an appointment so we would try our luck by just showing up,” reflects Ko. “There were many challenges, but we did anything we had to. We were so hungry and determined.”

Eventually, people began to 104 | APAC Outlook issue 48

programmes, and industrial research for university students.

The academy has had more than 70 university students as interns hailing from global institutions such as but not limited to the University of California-Berkeley and Imperial College London.

LIGHTS OF HOPE Plus Solar also created ‘Lights of Hope’ which is dedicated to assisting individuals in need by providing them with the resources to live sustainably. Via an assessment, Lights of Hope will choose a non-profit organisation and offer them a resource of sustainability. For example, Lights of Hope visited Vision Home in Perak and provided time, energy as well as tangible and educational resources.

Lights of Hope assisted in cleaning the place, had a session on solar PV energy and most importantly installed a complimentary solar PV system.

a significant impact to vulnerable parts of the community. During the 2020 holiday season, Plus Solar raised funds for meals and groceries to be provided to a local refugee community centre.

SUPPORTING FRONT-LINERS DURING COVID-19 With its belief in adding value in the way it serves customers to enhance the overall customer experience, Plus Solar decided to add value in the way it appreciates its front-line workers. Plus Solar sent medical gloves to 10 hospitals across the state and the local defence in order to equip them with the appropriate supplies to help the nation fight this virus.

WARM MEALS FOR THE REFUGEE COMMUNITY While the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed businesses to reinvent their business models, it has had

understand the benefits of solar and experience real savings and impact to bottom lines.

“As we gained more experience, we began to get more recognition as a reliable solar solutionist,” he says.

“Things really started looking up when we got recognition from big names.

Our credibility really grew and leapt from here.”

Now, Plus Solar Systems has completed over 200 Mega Watt peak (MWp) in solar photovoltaic (PV) system installation services all over Malaysia. Its clients include but are

not limited to IKEA, Petronas, Sunway, Secret Recipe, Mah Sing Plastics and PKT Logistics. On top of that, Plus Solar is the first solar company in Malaysia that provides AIoT solutions that enable business owners to source smart energy savings at the touch of their fingertips.

And Asia is a region brimming of potential, particularly in the south-east due to its position as geographically closer to the equator. As many countries in Asia Pacific continue to grow aggressively such as China, India, and Australia, nations such as Vietnam

ANTAI leads the solar mounting structure industry with strong cost-effective design capacity and supply capacity.

Antai, the expert in Hard & Core technology for solar mounting & tracking system, was established in 2006, with roughly 800 employees and over 75 engineers, a senior tracker engineering team with more than 10 years’ experience. At the end of 2020, Antai cumulative solar racking shipments have reached 14.3GW. Antai has been ranking No.1 among Chinese supplier to Japan for 7 years, which is based on Antai one-stop service, including 4 complete production bases around world, on-time technical support, professional after sales service with logistic service.

Antai leads the solar mounting structure industry with strong cost-effective design and supply capacity.

ANTAI offering solution through a range of solar mounting systems including:

• Pitched roof mounting (metal rooftop, tile rooftop) • Flat roof mounting (ballast, triangle mounting) • Ground mounting (steel proposals, aluminum proposals) • Carport mounting (BIPV waterproof, single pole) • Solar tracker (slewing drive, linear drive) • Customized solar mounting system +86-592-5902515 info@antaisolar.com www.antaisolar.com

PLUS SOLAR SYSTEMS

are robust and rapidly developing, with over 9GW of rooftop solar installed in the country.

Plus Solar is currently working across a number of different projects and solutions. The local government has recognised solar generation as an important contributor towards the national 31 percent renewable energy goal by 2025. Industry experts have chosen the 1GW solar development tender by the Energy Commission, with an expectation to create around 12,000 new jobs.

“We have had the honour of working with many industry leaders to drive higher adoption of clean energy,” says Ko. “One of the corporates we were 106 | APAC Outlook issue 48

able to work with is AJIYA Group of Companies, where we outfitted a solar photovoltaic (PV) system and an energy performance management system (EPMS) for their factory in Johor.”

Large scale solar (LSS) has been a focus area for Plus Solar as it has outfitted notable projects during the second cycle of LSS such as Leader Solar Energy II (LSEII) with a system capacity of 27.469MWp, Jentayu Solar with a system capacity of 8.976MWp and more. These initiatives focused on opportunities for local players will stimulate the country’s renewable energy sector throughout the pandemic.

In 2020, Ko was awarded with the Generation T List 2020 for

the category of “Engineering, Manufacturing and Energy.” The list recognises 400 young leaders who are shaping Asia’s future and Ko was chosen as being a voice of sustainability and recognised as a driving force of clean energy in Malaysia. As a result of the everevolving impact of the pandemic and the change in business environment, it brought higher awareness for clean energy and a better world.

“For us, this title is evident that Malaysia is moving towards a more sustainable era, which is in line with our mission to reshape the way energy is generated and consumed in Malaysia is becoming the reality we envisioned for.”

ENERGY & UTILITIES

PLUS SOLAR SYSTEMS

ENERGY & UTILITIES

As a result of the global disruption caused by COVID-19, Plus Solar switched all four of its branches to a remote setting almost overnight.

However, Ko acknowledges how challenging the working from home environment was initially.

“It wasn’t easy to motivate 150 people remotely,” he explains.

“To overcome the strain and stress, we kept leaders and their team members in close communications, each individual was accountable in terms of work and shared how they were coping personally. Virtual checkins were done at least once a day and any gaps that arose were quickly addressed. When there wasn’t an immediate solution, even the ability to share the challenges and to be able to relate to another truly helped every individual to cope better. In the bigger

scheme of things, this helped the team stay focused on our business goals.”

Looking to the future, Ko is focused on creating a sustainable ecosystem for Malaysia in order to double the amount of rooftop solar for buildings while doubling the use of smart energy solutions among business owners.

“With the future in mind, we have also set a clear regional growth agenda for our company as we seek to expand our presence in SEA. We already have plans for Vietnam and have put things in motion. Although this has been affected by the pandemic, we have partners in Vietnam who are making headway in spite of the situation.

“Digitalisation of energy will also be our concentration with Plus Solar’s AIoT(artificial intelligence internet of things) energy performance management system (EPMS) called

SOURCE which empowers the business owner to turn their building energy data into smart energy savings.

“We rolled out this system last year as we saw how much it would resolve the concerns of business owners where they can gain up to 25 percent energy savings.

“With the recently extended government subsidies till 2023, we hope that solar will be realised by business owners as no longer a luxury but an essential.”

PLUS SOLAR SYSTEMS Tel: +603 8994 2890 web@plus-solar.com.my www.plus-solar.com.my

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 109

BLUELEAF ENERGY

Harness the Sun, Transform the Future Sol Proops, CEO at Blueleaf Energy, discusses the potential for exponential growth in Asia’s renewable sector and discusses his organisation’s sustainable approach Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Nicholas Kernan

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ENERGY & UTILITIES Renewable energy is one of the global megatrends and Asia is a huge growth area for population, modernisation and electrification,” starts Sol Proops, CEO at Blueleaf Energy.

Today, Asia is a region with opportunity. It’s a place which offers potential for establishing energy networks across Asia and actively avoiding the growth of new fossil fuel generation. Proops has witnessed first-hand the dramatic change in approach over the past few years.

“We’re seeing that in developed countries the governments are turning towards making Net Zero targets law and this trend will further fuel the expansion of the sector,” he tells us.

Blueleaf has a mission to develop, deliver and operate safe, high quality, ethical onshore renewable energy projects, delivering a greener energy mix and lower power bills. Blueleaf is a portfolio firm that is owned

by Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG) and operates on a standalone basis. It specialises in the development, finance, construction, and operation of both commercial and industrial (C&I) and utility scale solar systems across the Asia Pacific region.

Recently, Blueleaf completed work on its first corporate PPA rooftop solar power plant in Penang, Malaysia, providing renewable energy to the automotive electronics plant for Bosch.

“This marks our first corporate power purchase agreement as we commence supply of power from a rooftop solar system,” says Proops.

“We are excited to contribute to Malaysia’s green energy transition and continue to play a role as we see growing corporate interest in renewable energy.”

The power generated by the three mega-watt (MW) plant is provided on a self-consumption basis with the opportunity for Bosch to sell excess generated energy back to the grid under Malaysia’s NEM (Net Energy APAC Outlook issue 48 | 111

BLUELEAF ENERGY Metering) scheme. In order to meet its commitment to clean renewable energy, Bosch dedicated a rooftop area of 24,500 metre-squared for the installation of around 7,500 solar panels. Despite the impact of COVID19, the project was still completed quickly and to the highest safety and quality standards.

BLUELEAF’S COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Blueleaf operates with a long corporate history under previous ownership and brand name, as well as the strong technical and commercial background that comes from that history.

The organisation has all the support that comes from being a wholly-owned Green Investment Group business, while also having robust access to flexible equity for new projects from its shareholders and having the ability to tap into vast experience when it comes to financial structuring, debt raising and packaging assets for sale.

Blueleaf maintains all the backing and support that comes from being a wholly owned Green Investment Group business. The organisation also has very strong access to flexible equity for new projects from its shareholders and can tap into their vast experience when it comes to financial structuring, debt raising and packaging of assets for sale.

This allows Blueleaf to be agile like a start-up and highly technical like an experienced engineering company while being supported by the resources and global reach of GIG.

In November 2020, Blueleaf acquired a majority stake in Vibrant Energy from ATN International.

“By combining our global customer base and technical expertise with Vibrant Energy’s deep local knowledge and strong project pipeline, this acquisition offers C&I customers an exciting opportunity to take control of their energy needs and achieve their decarbonisation objectives,” Proops elaborates.

“With the acquisition of Vibrant Energy, we’ve secured a deeply talented team and an impressive development pipeline in one of the most significant and exciting markets for the solar energy industry.

“The transaction represents Blueleaf’s entry into the Indian market, which is now the third largest solar market in the world. From its current base of circa 35 GW, India is targeting the installation of 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022, and 300 GW by 2030. The county’s fast-growing solar C&I market will be a major contributor to this.

“We see India as a large market with huge growth potential and with the Vibrant Energy acquisition we expect to be able to participate more meaningfully and ramp up quickly.”

Proops recognises the value of developing key, strategic partnerships and believes that longterm collaborations are central to everything Blueleaf does.

“Our development partners are critical to what we do,” affirms Proops.

Greencells Group Greencells - a strong partner in delivering one of Malaysia´s largest rooftop systems Greencells Group, a global provider of Development, EPC and O&M services for utility-scale and rooftop solar plants, has been Blueleaf Energy´s choice in building one of Malaysia´s largest rooftop systems for high profile customer Bosch.

Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, restricting free movement of goods, services, and labour in and out of Malaysia, the project was delivered successfully, implementing Greencells’ high quality and HSE standards.

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Germany, Greencells Group has a track record of over 2.1 GWp installed capacity in over 25 countries. With its international footprint, bankability, and high technical expertise, Greencells counts renowned developers as clients and has an extensive network of financing partners.

Greencells Group made its APAC market entry in 2016. From Greencells’ Asia hub in Kuala Lumpur, an experienced senior team caters to project requests all over the region.

CIDB-registered Solar Greencells Sdn Bhd has successfully participated in several photovoltaics projects, among others as co-developer and EPC for a 44 MWp project under Malaysia’s Energy Commission’s LLS2 program.

European quality and safety standards are applied to all projects, regardless of where they are located. This results in highly robust plants running so reliably that Greencells will back the plant’s performance and availability during operation with financial securities.

Showcasing the company´s technological expertise, Greencells’ Pekan plant currently nearing the end of construction is one of the first photovoltaic plants in SEA to implement single-axis trackers and bi-facial modules.

greencells.com

112 | APAC Outlook issue 48

ENERGY & UTILITIES

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APAC Outlook issue 48 | 113

BLUELEAF ENERGY

ESTABLISHING A KEY, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH GREENCELLS “As an experienced international EPC contractor, Greencells has had success in large scale solar, bringing innovations to the market such as augmented reality remote assistance for construction and new financing solutions for their own developments.

“In Europe, Greencells have successfully placed a Green Bond recently and were awarded Green SME Bond of the Year 2020.”

Sol Proops, CEO, Blueleaf Energy

“These partners give us the scale and local intel required to play in the very diverse markets in Asia. Diverse in language, engineering standards, regulatory requirements, and culture.

We are always on the lookout for great local partners with a channel of PPA customers or project sites that are looking for a partner that can complement these aspects with our global buying power, strong technical background and enviable access to funding.”

Under its previous ownership, Blueleaf Energy has been everything from a solar panel manufacturer to an inverter supplier and the company understands how vital a robust supply chain is.

“This enables us to talk with these parties on the same technical and quality terms and to be an educated client,” he says.

“Our supplier partners are key to developing and building valuable

renewable energy assets and so a key part of what we do. Our other key supply chain segment are our EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contractors,” adds Proops.

“We generally run a model where we ask a single EPC contractor to design and build the renewable energy asset that we own, with the exception of having the option to supply key components to them procured with global buying power by our solar experts in Hamburg.”

Blueleaf places considerable emphasis on its employees and Proops believes that staff are the key ingredient in what makes his organisation successful.

“Our staff are key to our future success and my aim is to give them the resources and support they need to be successful, for themselves and our business,” he affirms.

ENERGY & UTILITIES

“We have aspirations of exceeding 4GW of new renewable energy development over the next five years and everything we do is aimed at that target” Sol Proops, CEO, Blueleaf Energy

Proops admits he has a vision of who he wants to work at Blueleaf Energy from a recruitment perspective.

“We look for energetic, experienced staff and young team members that are willing to pitch in and move at pace to meet our growth objectives,” he explains further.

“We are actively seeking new members of the team in investment leadership roles in Taiwan, Philippines, and Vietnam currently, and are also looking to bolster our investment capabilities with financial analysts and

investment managers that can run M&A deals, prepare financial models and investment cases, and raise debt as required. As a company with high growth expectations in an exploding sector we think this can offer our staff some exciting career prospects.”

With the future in mind, Proops has a clear idea of what the next couple of years at Blueleaf will look like.

“We have aspirations of exceeding 4GW of new renewable energy development over the next five years and everything we do is aimed at that target,” he tells us.

“In the immediate future, we aim to secure strong local development partnership arrangements and secure pipeline of work in our key markets, as well as building a strong customer base in the corporate PPA market.

Historically the business has been solar focused, but we are working on some onshore wind and battery storage opportunities now that would make us a true onshore renewables platform.”

BLUELEAF ENERGY Tel: +65 6849 5540 info@blueleafenergy.com www.blueleafenergy.com

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 115

INTEGRATED FACILITY SOLUTIONS (IFS)

Facilitating Thailand Bangkok based facility solutions firm ‘IFS’ on expansion and adapting to customer demand during the pandemic Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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ENERGY & UTILITIES

W

ith 30,000 employees and a healthy appetite for expansion, Integrated Facility Solutions’ (IFS) journey to becoming a global leader in facilities management (FM), seems guaranteed.

In its previous incarnation as ISS, a member of the Danish ISS group founded in 1901, IFS established a successful history of over 25 years as a leading provider of single services, including cleaning and security operations.

Since integrating its model and entering the FM market in 2012, adopting its new moniker just last year, Thailand-based IFS has worked with an impressive roster of clients.

These include the country’s principal airport, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International, and Thailand’s largest duty-free mall.

Following a career in property management, Worapong Padungkirtsakul now serves as the CEO of IFS. “Effective facility management can help businesses enhance their productivity and achieve their goals by streamlining operating costs and, just as importantly, allowing businesses to effectively allocate resources where they are most needed,” Padungkirtsakul says.

The company now offers a full gamut of facility services, spanning from security and cleaning, to technical and support services, all of which are provided through the IFS’s self-delivery model. By operating with a multi-faceted approach, where all services are integrated, IFS strengthens its ability to manage the services that they offer, eliminating the uncertainty and potential compromise in quality that can come from relying on thirdparty subcontractors. This approach also enables IFS to be highly cost-effective.

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INTEGRATED FACILITY SOLUTIONS (IFS) Since 1985, IFS has undergone various stages of expansion into different sectors. What began as a goal of becoming the world’s largest cleaning company in 1997 soon morphed into other targets. The acquisition of MPA Securitas Limited in 2004 kick-started the company’s branch off into security services. In 2010, as the firm’s attention turned to support services, Bangkok-based

A NEW IDENTITY CEO Worapong Padungkirtsakul on rebranding the company: “We recently launched our new brand, ‘IFS’, in early December.

‘IFS’ stands for ‘Integrated Facility Solutions’, which is what we provide. Our new logo is comprised of three circles. The outer circles represent customers with specific needs for their business and our services. The middle circle where both outer circles meet (where services meet needs) represents the solutions we provide for our customers.”

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‘Golden Mind Services’ was also assimilated into the IFS group.

Most recently, IFS has embarked on a large contract with a leading Thai bank with world-class financial solutions.

“This is a large contract, and it represents a very good start to the year for us. We are providing them with facilities management by way of Building Managers

“The change in our name and logo does not affect the quality and standard of services that we provide our customers. We aim to fully understand the needs and goals of our customers so that we can design solutions that best answer those needs, while being a supporting part of their success journey. We take care of their facility and other matters related to it, giving our customers peace of mind and enabling them to focus on their core business.”

and Admin/Finance Support as well as engineering and technical services, cleaning, and security,” Padungkirtsakul comments.

STRENGTH IN SUPPLIERS Turning to talk of IFS’s supply chain management, Padungkirtsakul says the selection process is of “paramount importance”, as are the criteria that they expect suppliers to meet. IFS works with just a few chosen partners to give them confirmed volume throughout the year.

“We have strict codes and rules for on-boarding a supplier that are compliant with not only the prevalent laws of the land but also with international standards,” Padungkirtsakul says. “Once on-board, we take our relationships very seriously and work closely with our partners to ensure a win-win situation.”

For Padungkirtsakul, the challenges of the current pandemic have highlighted and even strengthened the “mutual trust and respect” that exists between the company and suppliers.

“It is a testimony to our relationships with our partners that even in the COVID-19 era, we never faced a shortage of cleaning material, masks, or PPE for either our staff or our customers.”

IFS dedicates similar attention to the welfare of its sizeable workforce.

“Human Resources has always been a top priority for us – for the obvious reason that people are at the core of our business. More than any of our competitors, we invest HSE resources into making sure that our work environments are safe. Additionally, our employee relations department works tirelessly to improve communications among all our staff – Thais and foreigners alike.”

The “people-oriented” nature of the company’s work extends above all to the customer. By prioritising customer satisfaction and ‘peace of mind’, IFS is keen to maintain the highest standards of quality. “We do this by truly listening

ENERGY & UTILITIES

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WHO ARE THEIR CLIENTS? Clients are mid to large corporates in all business sectors. These include: HEALTHCARE: The largest hospital group in Thailand is its client.

AVIATION: IFS provide services to major airports in Thailand and international airlines landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

RETAIL: Its customers include luxury malls in central Bangkok, the largest duty-free mall in Thailand, etc.

MANUFACTURING: IFS have a wide range of manufacturing customers, from the auto industry to food & beverage.

REAL ESTATE/COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

to our customers and designing solutions that meet their sector’s specific needs. Indeed, our people are experts in the sectors they serve, which enables them to go above and beyond client expectations.”

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY Enhancing the effective interaction between people and technology was one of Padungkirtsakul’s original motives for entering the working world of service management.

“I always felt that more could be done to manage facility services in order for properties to be more technology-oriented while still maintaining the people-oriented nature of the services,” he says.

This philosophy is evidenced in the myriad examples where technology is embraced across the company’s operations. For instance, IFS uses Cloudtime to monitor attendance and access real-time reporting online.

Within the healthcare sector, the ‘Emergency Discharge Management’ application developed by IFS helps hospitals manage their in-patient facilities and rooms, streamlining the entire process of cleaning as well.

IFS is among one of the first companies in Thailand to launch e-payslip system, improving working conditions while also contributing to sustainability.

“Most companies in Thailand still issue paper pay slips, but we try to reduce our use of paper and ink wherever possible,” Padungkirtsakul informs us. “IFS is committed to conserving the environment, and eliminating unnecessary waste is a big part of that commitment.”

IFS’s paper usage is also lessened by internal communications systems that allow for instant messaging.

“Knowledge sharing is crucial and with this system, everyone can gain access to the latest company information in real time.”

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INTEGRATED FACILITY SOLUTIONS (IFS)

WHAT MAKES IFS STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION? WORAPONG PADUNGKIRTSAKUL: “In three words: flexibility, technology, and safety. We use leading-edge technology in our operations to increase our efficiency and provide optimised solutions to our customers.”

The same mobile platform, Bizconnect, is also utilised to improve site management during visits to customers, with tools designed to report and track data, perform high quality audits and collect invaluable feedback.

The use of QR codes that have been implemented company-wide streamline logistics across the board. This has been effective for distributing training and safety information, while enhancing security with ‘check-in’ at various checkpoints.

Furthering the use of technology to ensure client security, IFS customers also have access to 24-hour advanced control centres that offer constant monitoring.

“This cutting-edge technology 120 | APAC Outlook issue 48

optimises the security of our clients’ facilities,” Padungkirtsakul says.

ENDURING THE PANDEMIC The need to develop new technologies has been accelerated by the ongoing pandemic.

“COVID-19 has had a massive and unprecedented impact on the industry.

Health and hygiene awareness are at an all-time high.”

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, demand is not declining.

“More than ever before, businesses are demanding efficient, comprehensive, flexible, and less labor-reliant service offerings,” Padungkirtsakul says.

IFS has been proactive by technologically enhancing their facility solutions in order to reduce the risks

ENERGY & UTILITIES

for customers.

Above all, flexibility is key.

“Customers would like more professional, efficient, flexible services that support their business plans. We are flexible in our service offerings to support our customers during this difficult time.”

An example of this can be seen in IFS’s work within the aviation sector.

“Before the COVID-19 crisis, we had a very high growth rate in aviation. Now that the travel industry has stalled due to the pandemic, our clients in aviation can access our professional facility solutions as and when they need them.” Full services can resume once the travel industry is back on its feet. Such flexibility is extremely reassuring for our clients.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE While IFS has its sights set on further expansion into the healthcare sector, they are also excitedly anticipating a new bidding project with a leading airline in Asia Pacific to provide comprehensive facility services for all of their offices and stations across Thailand, including a new training academy.

“This will be an excellent and exciting project for us to work on.

We have very strong capabilities to serve the aviation sector and we are thrilled to expand our services with this leading regional airline,” Padungkirtsakul tells us.

He concludes by expressing his total confidence in IFS’s abilities. “Our expertly delivered facility solutions

set the stage for our clients to reach their full potential. That’s why so many leading companies trust IFS.” Continuously striving to be a leader in facility management, IFS is always on the lookout for investment opportunities to expand capabilities and assist operations. The company shows no signs of slowing down.

INTEGRATED FACILITY SOLUTIONS (IFS) Tel: (66 2) 552-5015 www.th.issworld.com

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 121

BUKALAPAK

I

ndonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, with a population of 270 million people.

It has the 15th largest economy by nominal GDP, and thanks to a burgeoning middle class and a skilled workforce, this looks set to rapidly increase.

The country seems like the perfect place for a technology company to set up shop. However, Indonesia is a country with low technology literacy and internet penetration. Meanwhile, ecommerce penetration in Indonesia is estimated to be between five to seven percent.

“This challenge is also an opportunity for us as a tech company to engage in disruptive actions that could also help boost the digital economy. All in all, I think there is huge potential that is yet to be realised by most people in Indonesia,” explains Rachmat Kaimuddin.

Kaimuddin is the CEO of Bukalapak, a ‘technology unicorn’ – a term used to refer to a tech startup company valued at over a billion US dollars – which was founded in 2010.

It is a position he is passionate about holding, having long had an interest in technology. This was first fostered by a degree at MIT studying electrical engineering at the time when the internet was beginning to blow up, and Silicon Valley was beginning to be established as a “tech mecca”.

“Now I am right at the centre of it,” he exclaims.

HELPING DIGITALLY UPLIFT THE INDONESIAN ECONOMY Ecommerce company Bukalapak has only been in operation for a decade, but it already has 2,000 employees, its platforms serving 6 million online sellers and hundreds of millions of users.

The company’s rapid expansion is underpinned by a noble goal: to help create a fair economy for all.

“Via marketplace and offline commerce platforms and through 122 | APAC Outlook issue 48

Fairness Through Technology This technology unicorn is motivated by a noble goal: to help grow the digital economy in Indonesia and make it fair for all Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager:Vivek Valmiki

TECHNOLOGY

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 123

BUKALAPAK Mitra Bukalapak, we want to provide everyone with options and opportunities to get more out of life by providing accessible technology to make their lives better and easier,” the CEO says.

Bukalapak has three main interlinked business activities: an ecommerce platform; Buka Pengadaan; and contributing to the growth of SMEs in Indonesia. Its ecommerce platform sells a range of goods from toiletries to electronics, many of which are heavily discounted.

Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS? Rachmat Kaimuddin: “Operations in supply chains play an important role in our business.

We need to maintain our business relationships with suppliers and partners in order to create fair prices. All of this is part of our strategy to help our country’s MSME’s and our users get the most of our platforms and add beneficial value to their business.

“Our logistics partners also play a very important role in our business ecosystem. Without their vast networks, and speed in deliveries, I think the e-commerce field would be a big empty one.

The nature of our business is that everyone wants items delivered at lightning speed, and our logistics partners made that possible.”

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Buka Pengadaan is a B2B e-procurement line, which was started in 2019.

“Through BukaPengadaan we are uplifting SMEs to not only play in the B2C field but also to become the supplier for the big companies,” Kaimuddin explains.

“We have six million SMEs in our marketplace and they are all across Indonesia. Whenever we have companies that need a big chunk of supplies, we can connect them with the listed SMEs in Buka Pengadaan.

With this approach, we also propel the growth of SMEs in Indonesia.”

Another business stream is Mitra Bukalapak, in which the company partners up with small, family owned businesses in Indonesia. Within the past four years it has established six million partners in 477 cities and regencies across Indonesia.

In 2020, it launched Buka Investasi Bersama (BIB), a digital-based mutual fund selling agent, registered and supervised by Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (Indonesia’s government-run financial services authority). It is the first mutual fund of its kind in the marketplace with an APERD license.

“BIB provides a secure and reliable investing experience, to cater to customer’s needs and accessible to all segments from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Through BIB, we hope that everyone can have equal access to investment products and get closer to Bukalapak’s mission of ‘A Fair Economy for All’,” the CEO explains.

“We have a wide range of products and services to offer such as virtual products, financial technology, payment, financing, insurance, and many more.”

Alongside its multiple offerings, Kaimuddin believes that one of Bukalapak’s key distinguishing features is its strong grassroots level support from MSMSEs across over 142 cities. It has also grown a strong user base in non-Tier One cities in

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To gain competitive advantage, the leading ecommerce company focused on improving its app KPIs with a data-driven approach and doubled app average order value to 98% year over year.

When asked why they chose Criteo, Osbert Poniman, Bukalapak’s Head of Performance Marketing explained, “Criteo is the only consistent provider in the open internet, and they offer wide reach and scale. We were most impressed with Criteo’s AI in targeting quality users, and the vast and valuable data from the Criteo Shopper Graph.”

www.criteo.com Indonesia, predominantly consisting of MSME players.

“We already have the platform to disrupt, without forgetting our contributions to the acceleration of the digital economy of Indonesia,” the CEO explains.

OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN A CHANGING ECOMMERCE SPACE Bukalapak, like many companies, has been tested by 2020’s ‘black swan’ event, the COVID-19 crisis.

Some aspects of the business have improved during the pandemic, while in other areas it has been less profitable – the year has been very uneven.

The company has also had the challenge of working from home, which it has been doing since March, although employees are allowed to work from the office if it is urgently required. It plans on continuing with this approach for the foreseeable future.

TECHNOLOGY

www.criteo.com/contact-us

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 125

BUKALAPAK

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TECHNOLOGY

“We are very grateful that in this era of COVID-19, Bukalapak is a resilient company,” Kaimuddin says. “And fortunately, with this new normal condition, the acceleration on the digital platform is also getting better; the comfort level of the Indonesian people in shopping in e-commerce is improving.”

During the lockdown imposed by the Indonesian government, more and more consumers began to actively shop through the digital marketplace.

Meanwhile, Bukalapak has seen an increase in people signing up to trade on its e-commerce platform.

“According to Bukalapak’s internal data, at the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic (mid to late March), searches for health products such as hand sanitisers, masks, vitamins, cold and cough medicine experienced a very sharp increase and became the most sought-after products,” the CEO explains.

“Meanwhile, in April, people tended to look for productivity-supporting products at home and products related to their hobbies, such as game consoles, auto parts and baking equipment. It showed that the community had begun to adapt and was starting to shop for business and pleasure despite being in quarantine at home.”

The company’s O2O (Online to Offline) division has also increased, with many sign-ups from family-run shops located in the suburbs. This means that more people are doing grocery shopping online, but want to do so from the shops located nearest to their homes.

But despite these encouraging signs, the CEO remains cautious when it comes to discussing future plans.

“With all that has been going on right now, I think it’s best that we watch and see because we don’t even know what’s going to happen in the

next few months,” he explains.

Whatever happens, Bukalapak will continue its vision to become a sustainable company, which helps develop MSMEs, create a fair economy for all, and support the growth of Indonesia’s digital economy.

To do so, it is continuing to build resilience into the company.

“We are strengthening our business strategies, engaging better with our users, sellers, and partners, and at the same time always reminding ourselves of our mission to create a fair economy for all,” Kaimuddin concludes.

BUKALAPAK Tel: +6221-50982008 fairuza.ahmad@bukalapak.com www.bukalapak.com

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MORATELINDO

Indonesia’s Critical Connector Michael McPhail, CTO of Moratelindo, discusses the path to growth following a challenging year Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

A

gainst the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, many companies are seeking to recover from what has been the most challenging year ever.

However, in the case of Moratelindo, expansion is on the horizon. The Indonesian tech specialist has laid more than 40,000 kilometres of cable over the past few years and has plans to scale that figure to 100,000 within the next three to four years.

Michael McPhail, CTO

128 | APAC Outlook issue 48

“It’s been a strange year,” admits Michael McPhail, CTO of the company.

“We’ve been fortunate that we haven’t been disrupted as badly as other industries. 2021 for us is about major expansion and I’m looking forward to the future.”

Indeed, Moratelindo is considered one of the largest network access providers in Indonesia. Based in Jakarta, the company is a domestic telecommunications service network operator that runs its business in the field of broadband ecosystems, specifically the internet, data centres, interconnection network leases, domestic and international.

And the firm is in safe hands. With over 20 years of telecoms experience to McPhail’s name, there isn’t much he hasn’t seen since moving into the industry two decades ago. But, his move to Asia happened by chance and so began a chain of events which would eventually lead him to Moratelindo, which he joined in January 2016.

TECHNOLOGY

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 129

MORATELINDO

“I felt there was scope for so much growth at Moratelindo,” explains McPhail. “The company was in a unique position because it’s privately owned and has collaboration with all other players in the market.”

In tandem with his responsibility to oversee the planning and execution of his firm’s planning, engineering, project and operations, McPhail looks after IT where the majority of its applications are developed in-house.

The company adopts the same approach for all project deployment, where it purchases materials itself and manages the fibre infrastructure, while also working on any maintenance internally too. McPhail explains that the reason for this is that it provides Moratelindo greater cost control and can enable the firm to respond quickly to customer issues. For the work that can’t be conducted in-house, Moratelindo has partnered with Cisco, Nokia, Huawei and ZTE. “Managing our spend is vital to us but at the same time we only deal with the best in the market,” explains McPhail.

130 | APAC Outlook issue 48

KEY SERVICES Moratelindo’s business offering covers: CONNECTIVITY • International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC - SuperNAP) • Domestic Leased Circuit (DLC MetroM) • Local Loop (Inner City) • Dark Fiber • Oxygen.id METRO INTERNET SERVICES • IP Transit International (SuperNET & SuperNET MIX) • IP Transit Domestic (Super IIX) • Internet Exchange (Mora-IXP) • IP-VPN • NET-Hosting • Broadband & Dedicated Internet (Oxygen.id) • Oxygen.id HOME

DATA CENTRE • Rack Colocation • DRC (Disaster Recovery Center) • VPS (Virtual Private Server) • Shared Hosting • Cloud Hosting (Private Cloud & Public Cloud – MORA CLOUD) • Mora Cloud Express Connect (Direct Connect to Azure, AWS, Google Cloud)

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MORATELINDO

A DIVERSE BUSINESS In addition to providing network access, Moratelindo also possesses internationally scaled Data Centres (Nusantra Data Center), which are located in six major cities: Jakarta, Batam, Medan, Surabaya, Palembang and Denpasar. All NDCs are developed with best-in-class operational standards to ensure data security and is supported by multiple network connections.

In 2015, through its Oxygen.id brand, Moratelindo further developed their metro fibre optic network throughout many business district areas to provide high-speed internet access. The Oxygen.id brand delivers services to all types of industries ranging from education, small and medium enterprise, healthcare, hotel, manufacturing, defence, oil and gas, government to media industry. It is now available in over 200 high-rise buildings across Jakarta.

In 2017, the company introduced ‘Fibre To The Home’ (FTTH) service under the brand Oxygen.id Home. The service is an unlimited multimedia entertainment package that can be enjoyed by residential customers. It offers a choice of internet speed packages of up to 100 Mbps and provides 70 local and international cable TV channels to be enjoyed by all.

132 | APAC Outlook issue 48

“If we invest in the right infrastructure and equipment then it will benefit us in the long-term. The most important point is that we work together in partnership and that we’re constantly reviewing and adapting based on market demands.”

Moratelindo is growing. The number of staff the company employs has increased exponentially and now stands at over 2,000.

And McPhail believes what sets the firm apart is its customer-centric approach. “We really pride ourselves on our ability to deliver not just a new connection as quickly as possible but for it to be best-in-class and that if something does go wrong, we’re on hand to fix it quickly,” he explains.

One of the biggest projects that McPhail has overseen during his tenure has been the major Palapa Ring network, with Moratelindo winning its bids on the East and West regions.

In 2019, Moratelindo successfully completed the project which digitally

TECHNOLOGY

Huawei Upgrades Its Optical Networking 2.0 Solution to Enable Operators’ Business Innovations

Richard Jin spoke at Huawei’s 7th Optical Network Innovation Forum [Shenzhen, China, November 30, 2020] At Huawei’s 7th Optical Network Innovation Forum, Huawei announced to fully upgrade its Optical Networking 2.0 (ON2.0) solution, which features new speed, new sites, new smart O&M, new schema and new service. This solution will fully enable global operators’ service innovations and business growth.

New smart O&M: Smart O&M is realized by building an all-optical Autonomous Driving Network (ADN) by using Huawei’s iMaster NCE-T. At the same time, Huawei’s ASON2.0 solution ensures service “Always On” with 99.999% availability. Huawei’s iMaster NCE-T has been deployed in 130 optical networks of leading operators worldwide.

New speed: Fiber capacity is maximized to achieve optimal cost per bit. The 200G CFP2 solution is a very efficient solution in both backbone and metro scenarios, has become the most-widely-used technology. Huawei’s Super 800G optical module is tunable from 200 Gbit/s to 800 Gbit/s. Thanks to the unique Channel Matching Shaping (CMS) algorithm, it provides the highest spectrum efficiency and 20% more transmission reach, increasing fiber capacity by 40%. The Super C-Band solution provides up to 120 channels and supports smooth evolution to Super C+L.

New schema: Optical networks are extended to the edge to build a stable all-optical metro architecture for next decade, providing ultimate customer experience. By working with leading operators, Huawei has implemented OXC solution on metro networks, extended OTN to CO/SubCO, and deployed OTN CPE in enterprises.

New sites: Sites are simplified to reduce TCO. On the electrical layer, Huawei’s Liquid OTN solution reduces per-site latency by 70%, and supports 100-fold more connections by breaking bandwidth into 2M hard slices. On the optical layer, Huawei’s compact OXC product OSN 9800 P32C fits various scenarios. It reduces footprint by 90% and power consumption by 60%, and eliminates internal fiber connection. Currently, around 1000 OXC products have been deployed across more than 60 global commercial networks.

connects 440 cities or regions in over 30 provinces. The fibre optic network has a total length of 10,710 kilometers and connects Riau, Riau Islands, NTT, NTB, Maluku, Papua and West Papua together.

With the western division completed quickly and efficiently, the eastern ring was far more challenging to complete.

“Our marine surveyors described the western division as one of the most complex submarine cable projects they’ve ever seen,” explains McPhail.

“There was around 6,000 kilometers of submarine cable that passed through tectonic plates and through the outer edges of the Ring of Fire at water depths of five kilometers.”

McPhail explains that one of the hardest tasks with the eastern project was getting the 2,000 kilometers of terrestrial cable laid. “We had to build 52 towers, with over half of them inaccessible by road,” he says. “The only way we could construct it was using helicopters.”

New services: Premium service experience can be enabled by high quality optical connections. The OTN premium private line solution offers differentiated SLA services, helping operators to monetize network in bandwidth on demand (BoD), latency, time to market (TTM), and availability.

Until now, more than 70 optical networks for private line services have been built worldwide. Meanwhile, Huawei also released OTN premium home broadband solution to bring enterprise-class premium experience to home users. This solution is to provide deterministic home service experience through an all-optical gold pipe as well as increasing the ARPU of home users.

In Indonesia continuous construction can meddle with underground cables. “We have to work proactively to make sure our cables aren’t damaged,” affirms McPhail. “there’s no protection or consequence for damage to cables. It’s down to us to protect our infrastructure.”

However, McPhail relishes challenging projects and believes they are the most rewarding. “I love it – I can’t get out of bed without it,” he quips. “I don’t like an easy life.”

McPhail is clearly a man that doesn’t like to stand still. This extends to the adoption of new technology and he recognises the significance of maintaining an agile approach. “We like to be the frontrunners in the market,” he adds. “We constantly monitor what’s happening and if we see something that brings value then we leverage it.”

And monitoring the latest developments has been essential during 2020 as a result of the global

COVID-19 pandemic that has been felt worldwide. But, McPhail is thankful that his organisation responded quickly and positively in the face of adversity.

“The pandemic has been a challenge for everyone,” he admits. “But, to us, the most important thing is our employees.

We must ensure they’re motivated and happy. We’ve tried to adapt and change our culture to do right by them and we currently have a work from home policy because it’s essential that our staff are safe and healthy.”

“The key thing is adaption to change – our team is at the heart of what we do.”

MORATELINDO Phone: +6221 3199 8600 info@moratelindo.co.id www. www.moratelindo.co.id

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 133

OMNI TECH

Trade in Technology Having built his business from the ground up, we spoke to Alex Chang, Managing Director of OmniTech, about the growing technology and retail sphere in New Zealand Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

Your customers are your best advocates.”

In a small country building a reputation is everything especially within New Zealand’s highly competitive retail sector.

For Alex Chang, Managing Director of OmniTech Limited and iterator of the opening statement, cultivating and maintaining a good reputation is the key to the company’s past and continued success in the nation’s market.

OmniTech is one of New Zealand’s largest retailers of mobile phone accessories and repair services and has 28 stores kept in successful operation by 85 employees, covering various regions of the nation. The company offers its customers highquality products at competitive prices, as well as operating as a reseller for well-known global brands such as Apple, Huawei, Motorola, and Samsung.

134 | APAC Outlook issue 48

OmniTech has managed to carve a niche as a provider of quality products and services at reasonable prices, placing customer service and experience at the fore of its business.

It also designs and markets its own branded products, such as mobile phone cases and screen protectors, to best serve its customer base.

“People are always looking for great value for money. We are thankful that we have served many thousands of customers who continue to tell their friends about us. The most significant business challenge is hiring suitably qualified and experienced staff,” Chang begins.

“However, I am fortunate to have started this business in New Zealand as, overall, this market is very stable with good laws, and as long as you’re willing to work hard you can still build a significant business.”

Initially, Chang’s journey began with selling at flea markets before he had the opportunity to open a small shop in Auckland, New Zealand. Having always held an interest in the technology and retail sphere, he and some helpful family members provided mobile phone repairs and sold phone accessories to their customers. As Chang’s business grew its potential began to show, and he began to hire more employees to broaden his servicing and selling scale, that led to him founding OmniTech in 2007.

TECHNOLOGY

OMNI TECH

Doria International

Alex Chang, Managing Director of OmniTech Limited

Born and built in Los Angeles, Raptic prides itself on crafting electronic accessories that fit seamlessly into your world.

Everything we offer are built with the L.A. lifestyle in mind, combining sophisticated details with strong protection to elevate the concept of drop-proof accessories.

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“I could see the massive potential of this sector as technology is a key part of our lives, and will become more so in the future,” he tells us.

OMNITECH: OUR STORY Omni Tech Limited, a 100 percent New Zealand based and operated company, was founded in 2007.

It was based on the simple idea of one mobile store located at the heart of Henderson, right outside Westfield Shopping Mall.

The store has great exposure since it is located right next to the main lights, which sees turning traffic moving to the Henderson train station and Westfield Mall entrants. It is also a spot where the traffic passing through Henderson, stop at the lights.

136 | APAC Outlook issue 48

“By 2010, we were in shopping malls in various locations within Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga.

Today, OmniTech has 28 mobile phone repairs and mobile accessories stores across New Zealand.”

And OmniTech sets itself above and apart from its competition in the industry for a variety of reasons.

A provider of high-quality and new products in the market, OmniTech is constantly innovating its services to best suit its customers.

The company produces its own range of branded products (Omni Life and iKiwi), and an extensive range of others including Otter Box, Life Proof, Zagg, Gear 4, original Apple and Samsung accessories, and popular brands like: Devia, Mercury, Red Pepper, Kingxbar, Hanman, X-Doria, and Obliq.

“A key factor that sets us apart is our ability to identify and market winning products that we know our customers will like. Being first to market with

winning products allows us to capture significant market share and gain a head start on our competitors,” Chang elaborates.

“How do we know what our customers will buy? We utilise our experience as possibly the oldest and largest mobile accessories business in New Zealand and the rich data we have from serving thousands of customers daily. We also take risks by bringing products to market that customers can’t find anywhere else.

“Of course, this can be risky, but we believe in ourselves and the risks we have taken have paid off. We are also large enough to operate our own warehouse and specialist procurement function, which allows us to buy in large quantities and optimise our supply chain.”

What this means is that OmniTech are often the first to the market with the broadest range of products. The company’s array of phone cases and protectors exemplifies this, as it is the

TECHNOLOGY

STRONG DESIGN. BUILT TO LAST.

www.rapticstrong.com

largest variety for every new model of mobile phone to be launched, and these are more often than not available in the country before the phone itself is.

“Our customers know this,” Chang adds. “So OmniTech is the default store for many early adopters because they know by coming to us, they can always find the product they want.”

Recently however, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting global impact have significantly affected the business. Like many across various industries, OmniTech received very little notice before lockdown was imposed in March of 2020.

“Most of our physical stores were inside shopping malls and the closure of malls during the lockdowns had a major impact,” Chang tells us, and elaborates.

“The management team took decisive action the moment the first lockdown was announced. Firstly, we

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RapticStrong

OMNITECH: OUR GROWTH “Business growth, moving forward” We had to move on for the growth in our business and staff rate, although it was a hard decision considering the fact that this shop has been lucky and brought a lot of business to us. We teamed up with a group of technical specialists in various new divisions of repairs in mobile phones, unlocking, gaming consoles, tablets, and computers. Further, the year 2010 saw our mobile store business in the shopping malls in various locations of Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga.

We still continue growing our repair and accessories business, but we eliminate our telco and e-security business in 2017, we are now more focus on building our e-commerce and marketplace app.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 137

OMNI TECH

OMNITECH: OUR VALUES “We have a strong belief in our brands, products quality, partners, and services.”

Our employees are the backbone of the company and their skills, motivation, passion, and knowledge are the keys to our achievements and growth in the industry. Our professional team and passionate employees have a thorough understanding of their everyday work and contribute to accomplishing the company’s long-term goal. In our established business, we always work towards the customer perspective, current market trends, and business strategy to meet the new challenges and opportunities.

We are continually thriving in technology by introducing new divisions into the Omni Tech business and working towards success in the competitive market.

138 | APAC Outlook issue 48

engaged with our staff and kept everyone informed of our strategies. We did what we could online, directing people to our online store, and subsequently when it was possible to operate some physical stores, we started taking in devices for repairs and implemented contactless pick up and drop off as well as online sales.

“The management team worked hard to put together an action plan for post-lockdown recovery. Although it was very difficult and the future was unknown at the time, we did not give up and maintained our optimism. We knew we had a good business, and we knew COVID-19 also represented an opportunity for us to strengthen our position as the market leader.

Through maintaining an active online presence through social and

digital media, OmniTech engaged potential customers over 10 times a week in the form of marketing newsletters and through its various social media channels. The company is currently developing this customer engagement. OmniTech has launched new offerings to its customer base, such as a gift card programme that has seen thousands of individuals purchasing the gift cards.

OmniTech’s supply chain and business partners are key to its success. Mobile repair services are conducted in-store and also at the company’s Henderson headquarters, and turnaround time is an important factor in providing quality and fast service to customers.

“We have some of the best turnaround times in our industry,”

TECHNOLOGY

Chang informs us proudly.

“For repairs done at a local store, turnaround could be within an hour.

For more difficult jobs these are sent to our Henderson headquarters and typical turnaround time is within five business days. We source from suppliers around the world, but we have an established procurement function in Auckland, and China, ensuring we get access to the best possible products at the quickest time possible.”

Prior to the COVID-19 related restrictions on movement, Chang would travel to meet with suppliers to maintain strong relationships in the industry.

Although the norm has shifted to online meetings, the aspect of long-term business partnerships is still critical to the success of the company.

“Many of our suppliers have been with us for more than 10 years, and we appreciate their support,” Chang states.

As for the rest of 2021 and beyond, OmniTech’s primary priorities are twofold: the growth of store numbers to 50 across New Zealand, and expansion abroad within the next two years.

“Australia is the largest market in Oceania,” Chang explains.

“To realise our ambition of being the market leader (by revenue and number of stores) in our industry across Oceania, we have to be in Australia. We are considering various options at present including mergers and acquisition, franchising and joint ventures. We can leverage our scale and also what we’ve learnt from building this business to grow across

the Pacific. We are confident we will do well in Australia and across the Pacific Islands.”

Chang wraps up with an exciting note on his personal aim for the company.

“We are working towards an IPO by 2025. My dream is for OmniTech to become the first mobile phone repair and accessories from New Zealand to be publicly listed.”

Tel: +649 8383943 info@omnitech.co.nz www.omnitech.co.nz

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 139

CELLCARD

140 | APAC Outlook issue 48

TECHNOLOGY

Digitising Cambodia Ian Watson, CEO of Cellcard, discusses how his organisation is setting the standard for a digital revolution in Cambodia Writer: Sean Galea-Pace Project Manager: Donovan Smith

A

ll eyes are on 5G. And with 5G there will come opportunities like never before for Cellcard and all of its customers across Cambodia.

Cellcard’s CEO Ian Watson a self-described 5G evangelist and innovation leader sits at the forefront of this technological evolution. Having worked in the telecommunications industry for over 25 years, Watson has witnessed first-hand how the industry has transformed during the past few years as the Fourth Industrial Revolution takes hold.

But that doesn’t perturb Watson - far from it. It’s clear that Watson thrives in the face of pressure and he is tasked with driving Cambodia’s digital transformation journey and overseeing the launch of the country’s first 5G network. He’s aiming high.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 141

CELLCARD “We’re excited about 5G. We’re not just here to digitise a company - we’re here to digitise a country,” he explains.

“That’s our mantra, and we believe that 5G is the way to really digitise this country and drive Industry 4.0 after COVID. We believe we will have one of the best 5G infrastructures across Southeast Asia.”

Cellcard is fully-Cambodian-owned and is committed to connecting Cambodians wherever they may be. Watson is adamant that his organisation is at the forefront of the latest technological innovation and is well-placed to be a trailblazer within Cambodia.

“We’ve invested a substantial amount,” he informs us.

“All our 5G roll-out plans are ready, we’ve identified all the sites and place orders with our partners. We’re ready to launch new products and services that are very exciting.”

MANAGING COVID-19 In a bid to help Cambodia’s most ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cellcard introduced the country’s first 5G use case - a telemedicine service at four locations across Phnom Penh. The service saw Phnom Penh’s best doctors assess patients via video conference link to mobile phones and devices across Cambodia. The service could be used

AT A GLANCE: CELLCARD HISTORY As Cambodia’s longest-serving telecommunications firm, Cellcard possesses more than 24 years of experience and boasts a customer base of over three million subscribers.

Cellcard launched in 1997 in a joint venture with Millicom International Cellular providing its customers with the first prepaid service with scratchcards.

What followed for Cellcard was a number of firsts in the market such as introducing SMS, Value-Added Services, dedicated Loyalty programme, roaming services and a credit sharing platform.

But what’s more exciting are the market firsts achieved more recently such as launching a Network Guarantee reimbursing any customer who experiences a dropped call, the award-winning app-based Super Data Race, Cambodia’s first virtual gamer platform PlayGame and the first gamer focused data plan PlayGame Unlimited.

And the latest proud innovation was revealed on Valentine’s Day, Cellcard’s Pouk Mak App – Pouk Mak, meaning friend, is the first major chat app in the world in full Khmer language.

Cellcard is Cambodia’s most awarded network having achieved more than 30 industry awards for network excellence including an impressive six consecutive Ookla Speedtest awards and a number of category wins from Opensignal including Best Games Experience in February 2020.

From a digital marketing perspective, Cellcard is the only telco who has diversified its content across three suites of Social Media, the first to win a YouTube Silver Button, and still leading the TikTok with close to 1.5 million followers and rising by the day.

Digital content is proving to be a major force for the brand with production increasing three times as much as before COVID. Cellcard even launched its own PlayGame TV show and are about to release its second series.

Is it only a game?

The secret to success is to combine everything together into

Gamification taps into our fundamental motivations. We all

a seamless, gamified customer experience layer around your

want to have fun, find purpose in our lives, and move forward

products, services and programs, embedding this within the self-

measured by passing discrete milestones. So it’s no wonder

care app in order to stimulate the desired customer behavior.

that some of the most successful marketing programs have involved gamification, like Nike+ Run Club, Samsung Nation or

At Evolving Systems, we believe that the entire customer

Orange Wednesdays.

experience can be gamified.

In the mobile market, understanding gamification is important.

The spectrum of gamification mechanics that can be used to

Self-care applications sit at the heart of most Digital Customer

boost customer engagement is very broad. Some of these are:

Engagement strategies and provide highly effective channels

1. Using badges or stickers

to actively engage and manage the lifetime value of the

2. Using loyalty points

customer. Yet the global average of downloads of such apps is

3. Playing a simple game like Scratch and Win, Spin

low, an issue we often have to contend with in the APAC region.

the Wheel or Shake the Phone to reveal the Next Best Offer (using Machine Learning)

It is clear that telcos must focus on improving download and engagement if they want to move the dial on ARPU or retention KPIs from the digital channel. But how? We’d

4. Allowing users to burn points by playing hyper casual games 5. Gamify lending by providing micro-loans

suggest gamification provides an answer.

Each game type has its advantages and disadvantages and

Defining “Gamification”

not every customer enjoys the same type of casual game, so

Gamification, by definition, is the application of game

it’s important to consider your target audience, your market,

mechanics to what are traditionally non-game activities.

and your regulatory restrictions when selecting the type of

The intent is to prompt specific behaviors by creating an

game to brand and use.

entertaining experience which incentivizes desirable actions to be taken. In the context of customer care, it harnesses an

Let’s Play

established social behavior (game-playing/challenges) in

What can you expect from a gamified experience? For

the service of a desirable commercial outcome (retention,

certain, an impact on whichever KPI you target as the primary

increased brand affinity).

objective. Gamification can: • Grow ARPU

At Evolving Systems, we have been enabling this for many

• Drive Brand Affinity and Engagement

years within the award-winning programs powered by our

• Increase Net additions

solutions and services. In doing so, we’ve observed that any transactional program is a form of ‘gamifying’ the customer’s

…and much more. Plus, it has proven to stimulate app

general usage, spend and tenure with your products and

downloads as well as digital engagement frequency. At

services measured by the Customer Lifetime Value KPI.

Evolving Systems, we have seen up to 50% app engagement rates and a 400% increase in app downloads as a before and

How to gamify a Customer Experience

after result of adding gamification layers into it.

The principle of a transactional loyalty and engagement program is to introduce one or more mechanics between the

If you’re interested in learning more please feel free to get in

customer usage and spend transactions and the earning of

touch via www.evolving.com. Beyond the fun and games,

a reward. The mechanics required are similar if not identical

there are serious benefits we can help you accrue.

to those you find in “general” context games that make them so addictive. The game is like the product and core customer experience, but it’s the mechanics around it that provide the sense of achievement and incentive to engage.

CELLCARD

Ezecom Cambodia Upon its launch in 2007, Telcotech has gone on to become a leading provider of innovative communication services across Cambodia.

Telcotech is an EZECOM company and supplies wholesale voice, data and capacity to corporates, enterprises and residential clients. Its mission is to offer a superior level of uninterrupted connectivity to region and the globe and to be renowned as the wholesale market leader in Cambodia.

Telcotech is the sole Cambodian member of the AAG Submarine cable, the 20,000km network of high bandwidth Submarine cable that connects the United States to Southeast Asia. Telcotech is an initial investment Consortia Member to the MCT Cable, the first Submarine Cable to be landed in Cambodia and connects to Malaysia and Thailand. The network became operational during the first quarter of 2017. It operates 11,000km of domestic fiber optic network throughout the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Telcotech was the first ISP to introduce international standard service, such as MPLS, to Cambodia. It has also invested in a range of high-quality infrastructure and is considered the best-in-class ISP in Cambodia.

to connect to patients in their homes, clinics or other hospitals.

The service allowed doctors to provide real-time standard clinical care, counseling and therapy, in addition to education for patients and professional consultation and supervision for the on-the-ground medical teams. It installed the service at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital, The Chak Angre Health Center, and Ministry of Health.

In addition, Cellcard gifted doctors and nurses free data packages and calls to help with the 5G telemedicine project.

“Fundamentally, we wanted to help the country,” affirms Watson. “We just wanted to do our part. We had several 5G sites which we were testing and people were impressed with how quickly we got this rolled out.”

As the disruption of COVID-19 has 146 | APAC Outlook issue 48

been felt globally, Cambodia has been one of the few countries to keep cases to a minimum. The country has recorded just 474 cases and no deaths, which is stark contrast to the impact felt by the rest of the world, something Watson is full of praise for.

“Hats off to the Cambodian government because they’ve been very diligent with their handling of the pandemic and have been one of the shining lights of not just Southeast Asia but the whole world,” says Watson.

“For Cellcard, we split working between home and site and monitored staff every day as part of our commitment to the cause to ensure they were safe and well. We took it very seriously to try and prevent any COVID entering the building.”

With the global esports market now worth over a billion dollars in

And the organisation isn’t finished there.

Telcotech is also striving to expand and is showing no signs of slowing. Alongside its headquarters and sales office in Phnom Penh, the firm has also launched satellite offices in Siem Reap, Sihanoukvile, Battambang and Koh Kong, as well as hierarchy agents that serve other key provincial markets such as Kampong Cham, Pursat, Prey Veng and Poipet.

National Network: Telcotech operates the most robust underground domestic fiber network throughout Cambodia with full redundancy. In 2008, Telcotech began by leasing network infrastructure from other operators. From 2010, the company now leases its own fiber network infrastructures to many operators in Cambodia who need more domestic capacity and DPLC services.

International Network: Its upstream IP bandwidth is sourced from Tier-1 providers and connects to POPs in Hong Kong and Malaysia with guaranteed service performance. It is the sole Cambodian member of the AAG Submarine cable that connects the US to Southeast Asia.

CELLCARD “WE ALL SHARE THE VISION ABOUT DIGITISING CAMBODIA AND IT’S IMPORTANT YOU ARE ALIGNED WITH SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG-TERM GOALS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, YOU’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR PARTNERS” – IAN WATSON, CEO

HUAWEI Huawei, our key Strategic partner has been working side-by-side with Cellcard on 4G projects within many key cities and provinces in 2020.

With the support from Huawei’s most advanced technologies and solution, we have completed the first real 5G trial test in Cambodia following the download speed that reached 1.6Gbps with lower latency rate at less than 10ms.

Cellcard is confident in choosing Huawei to embrace 5G era and Digitatization life to every person, home and organization in Cambodia for an agile future with intelligent connection.

www.huawei.com

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revenue, Cellcard is at the forefront of the industry’s prominence in Cambodia. With around 60 percent of the population under the age of 30, Cellcard has acted quickly and has partnered with Tencent, Moonton and NetEase in a bid to accelerate esports within the country.

And Cellcard has signed more than 30 influencers to represent.

“We have all the best teams here that we sponsor and engage with,” he explains. “We’ve really embraced esports and I expect that to continue.”

However, Watson admits that it’s 148 | APAC Outlook issue 48

impossible for Cellcard to achieve the level of success it has enjoyed on its own and stresses the importance of partnerships.

“In this digital age, it’s all about partnerships and it’s essential,” he states.

“We all share the vision about digitising Cambodia and it’s important you are aligned with short, medium and long-term goals because ultimately, you’re only as good as your partners. We have a number of strategic partnerships and we conduct regular reviews to ensure we’re all on track and meeting our KPIs.”

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TECHNOLOGY

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APAC Outlook issue 48 | 149

CELLCARD

Printcare Secure Ltd. At its security printing plant in Sri Lanka Printcare Secure has for fifteen years manufactured hundreds of millions of phone cards for Cellcard and other telecom companies in Asia and Africa.

In these difficult times phone cards and telecom companies like Cellcard allow people to communicate with loved ones and access vital services in Cambodia and other countries.

Printcare Secure is a member of the Printcare Group. The group has been servicing the international community with print and packaging, labels, security print and digital services from its base in Colombo for more than forty years.

The last 2020 Super Data Race

EMPLOYEE-CENTRIC MENTALITY Employees are a key component in making all companies successful but when it comes to Cellcard, Watson is adamant that Cellcard wouldn’t be the company it is today without its staff.

“I know I’m only as good as the team,” he admits.

“And I am so lucky that I have one of the best management and employee teams that I have ever worked with. My most valuable asset here is the staff.

We could have the best of everything but unless we have the right team to drive the business forward, we’d be nowhere.”

In order to ensure staff feel acknowledged, Watson affirms that Cellcard values its employees and wants them to feel like ‘part of the family.’

“It really is a family at Cellcard and I always have an open door policy where anyone can come to me with their ideas,” he explains.

“We include everyone in the decision-making process because I believe if they don’t feel part of the process 150 | APAC Outlook issue 48

www.printcare.lk then they don’t feel connected. We recognise employee’s hard work and really highlight that to ensure it becomes part of their routine. We also provide digital training and education to encourage development.”

With the future in mind, Watson is excited about what the next few years at Cellcard looks like.

“I see Cellcard as one of the key drivers of digitisation in Cambodia,” he says. “We’re very excited about the future, 5G and its influence on the economy. We’ve just launched Cambodia’s first digital app and it is groundbreaking. We have to make sure we give back to the local community and in our opinion, we will be the template for emerging markets to launch 5G and digitisation.”

Tel: +85512812812 media@cellcard.com.kh www.cellcard.com.kh

Camtower Link Communication Our utmost gratitude to Cambodian local authorities and other relevant ministries in the country for their support to our company.

We strive to become a premier telecommunications facilities provider in the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia.

We pray the world would heal from the pandemic soon.

www.camtowerlink.com

TECHNOLOGY

Partnerships For Perfection

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TOWARDS GREENER TELECOMMUNCATION TOWER

Camtowerlink Communication Co.Ltd, a network facility provider (NFP) license holder from the Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC), has been established in order to solve TELCOs coverage issue and, most importantly, ensure that all telecommunication infrastructure in the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia is more organised, safe, and suitable for the public.

Camtowerlink is an independent telecom company in the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia kick-starting an era of broader infrastructure within the nation. The organisation is also embarking on hybrid energy systems for telecom towers through

which all TELCOs can sign fixed PPA with the firm.

The company is headed by Major Badrul Hisham Md Isa (badrul@ camtowerlink.com) - please do not hesitate to contact him should you have any queries.

Camtowerlink is proud to share its utmost gratitude and acknowledgment towards the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the Kingdom of Cambodia (MPTC), the TRC, and all other relevant government authorities in the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia for their strong support towards the organisation.

www.camtowerlink.com

#33, street 200, block 12, sangkat phsar thmey 3, khan daun penh, phnom penh, cambodia.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 151

UFS DISPENSARIES LTD

CARING FOR

Australia

A business that believes in giving back, UFS Dispensaries Ltd has been contributing to the Australian healthcare sector for 200 years Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Callam Waller

152 | APAC Outlook issue 48

HEALTHCARE

A

s the biggest employer in Australia, the health sector employs approximately 14.2 percent of the population and is delivered primarily through Medicare, the public healthcare programme.

For such a vast sector, the outlook of Victoria-based healthcare organisation UFS Dispensaries Ltd is surprisingly local.

What sets UFS Dispensaries apart

is their customer-centric outlook, prioritising the care of their community and extensive network of members, but also in the wider sense.

“We exist for the benefit of our members, working to improve the health of both our members and the local communities where we operate.”

Founded over 200 years ago in the Central Highlands of Australia, UFS Dispensaries has grown to become

an established name within the healthcare sector.

Based in the city of Ballarat, UFS and its associated pharmacies prides itself on having treated generations of local families.

The pharmacies themselves have been a landmark on the historic local landscape since the first dispensary opened its doors on Ballarat’s Armstrong Street in 1881.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 153

UFS DISPENSARIES LTD Known as an employer of choice, UFS Dispensaries’ staff body now comprises over 440 full-time, parttime and casual staff.

“UFS Dispensaries also operates three pharmacies in Coburg in Melbourne’s inner-north, on behalf of another mutual organisation, Friendly Pharmacy (Victoria) Ltd. The pharmacies operate as UFS Pharmacies.”

A MUTUAL ORGANISATION The organisation is run by an elected board of directors and is owned as a mutual not-for-profit by over 48,000 members. At present, the company is headed by CEO Lynne McLennan.

Owned entirely by members, as opposed to shareholders, the company benefits in many ways from its status as a mutual organisation.

“A mutual organisation is a company that is owned by its members, who are usually also its customers, rather than by shareholders interested in receiving a return on their investment.”

Essentially, this lays the foundation for UFS’ status as a social enterprise.

Annual membership is available for just $10 per year and offers discounts and reciprocal benefits across the ‘Friendly Society’ pharmacies. A democratised system, all members are invited to attend and cast their vote at the association’s Annual General Meeting.

“Any profits generated are reinvested in the business, and are used to improve services for our members, offer member discounts, invest in our people, etc... This is in contrast to publicly traded companies where profits are distributed to shareholders without necessarily benefiting the company’s customers.”

True to their ethos, UFS extends the same level of care and attention to the selection of their partners.

“UFS partners with organisations whose values align with our own and we are delighted to partner with Australian Unity to offer UFS members health insurance.”

MPS Connect HOW ARE THINGS CHANGING AT MPS? MPS CONNECT, the new MPS eNRMC Software that connects everyone to the one platform makes it easier for doctors, aged care nurses and carers as well as pharmacists to provide medication to consumers incorporating the following: MPS-DOCTORCONNECT – electronic prescribing for doctors to improve the safety of managing medication changes and prescriptions required MPS-PHARMACYCONNECT – electronic ordering and confirmation of medication profiles MPS-DOSECONNECT – electronic administration records for nurses and carers to reduce the risk of missing a medication dose MPS-FAMILYCONNECT – electronic portal for families to view current medication profiles and any changes made

www.mpsconnect.com.au

COMPANY ASSETS AND OPERATIONS UFS Dispensaries currently owns and operates: • 16 pharmacies in the western region of Victoria, encompassing Ballarat, Beaufort, Gisborne, Ballan, Bacchus Marsh and Melton • A Supercare Pharmacy operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in Ballarat • Three medical centres • A day spa and well-being centre • A specialty gift store

154 | APAC Outlook issue 48

MPS CONNECT, the new MPS eNRMC Software that connects everyone to the one platform makes it easier for doctors, aged care nurses and Cares as well as pharmacists to provide medication to consumers incorporating the following: MPS-DOCTORCONNECT – electronic prescribing for doctors to reduce time and safely manage medication changes and prescriptions required MPS-DOSECONNECT – electronic administration records for nurses and carers to never miss a medication administration again MPS-PHARMACYCONNECT – electronic ordering and confirmation of medication profiles MPS-FAMILYCONNECT – electronic portal for families to view current medication profiles and changes

HEALTHCARE

Key Features: • Reporting and monitoring on the way medication is used with KPI dashboards in line with regulatory compliance and monitoring pharmacy performance.

• New family medication portal for better transparency with secure IT protocols protecting consumer’s information • Safer medication prescribing, dispensing and administering with the MPS software suite.

MPS provides consumers the choice of how their medications are packed through your selected pharmacy.

• Use one of three MPS TGA dose manufacturing facilities providing the safest way to pack medications, or • The pharmacy packs in store using the MPS software suite in either sachets or blister packs.

Come and discover what we have learnt and see how our model can assist your facility and your consumers be better connected.

A total solution for Pharmacies, Aged Care

MPS Connect MANAGEMENT IN AGED CARE IS MEDICATION Facilities, Doctors and Families.

CHANGING AND SO IS MPS A TOTAL SOLUTION FOR PHARMACIES, AGED CARE FACILITIES, DOCTORS AND FAMILIES

Connect today • 1800 003 938 • www.mpsconnect.com.au • hello@mpsconnect.com.au MPSconnect_FP.indd 1

Over the past 12 months MPS has spent time connecting with Doctors, Aged Care Staff, Pharmacists, Consumers and their family members to tailor our new approach.

25/1/21 11:07 am

Connect today CHANGING • 1800 003 938 • www.mpsconnect.com.au • hello@mpsconnect.com.au HOW ARE THINGS AT MPS? MPS CONNECT, the new MPS eNRMC Software that connects everyone to the one platform makes it easier for doctors, aged care nurses and Cares as well as pharmacists to provide medication to consumers incorporating the following:

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT IN AGED CARE IS CHANGING AND SO IS MPS

MPS-DOCTORCONNECT – electronic prescribing for doctors to reduce time and safely manage medication changes and prescriptions required MPS-DOSECONNECT – electronic administration records for nurses and carers to never miss a medication administration again MPS-PHARMACYCONNECT – electronic ordering and confirmation of medication profiles MPS-FAMILYCONNECT – electronic portal for families to view current medication profiles and changes

Over the past 12 months MPS has spent time connecting with Doctors, Aged Care Staff,

Pharmacists, Consumers and their family members to tailor our new approach.

Key Features: • Reporting and monitoring on the way medication is used with KPI dashboards in line with regulatory compliance and monitoring pharmacy performance.

• New family medication portal for better transparency with secure IT protocols protecting consumer’s information • Safer medication prescribing, dispensing and administering with the MPS software suite.

MPS provides consumers the choice of how their medications are packed through your selected pharmacy.

• Use one of three MPS TGA dose manufacturing facilities providing the safest way to pack medications, or • The pharmacy packs in store using the MPS software suite in either sachets or blister packs.

Come and discover what we have learnt and see how our model can assist your facility and your consumers be better connected.

MPS Connect A TOTAL SOLUTION FOR PHARMACIES, AGED CARE FACILITIES, DOCTORS AND FAMILIES

HOW ARE THINGS CHANGING AT MPS? MPS CONNECT, the new MPS eNRMC Software that connects everyone to the one platform makes it easier for doctors, aged care nurses and Cares as well as pharmacists to provide medication to consumers incorporating the following:

Connect today • 1800 003 938 • www.mpsconnect.com.au • hello@mpsconnect.com.au

MPS-DOCTORCONNECT – electronic prescribing for doctors to reduce time and safely manage medication changes and prescriptions required MPS-DOSECONNECT – electronic administration records for nurses and carers to never miss a medication administration again 25/1/21 11:07 am MPSconnect_FP.indd 1 MPS-PHARMACYCONNECT – electronic ordering and confirmation of medication profiles MPS-FAMILYCONNECT – electronic portal for families to view current medication profiles and changes APAC Outlook issue 48 | 155 Key Features:

UFS DISPENSARIES LTD A fellow mutual organisation with a rich heritage, Australian Unity goes back more than 175 years to the establishment of Manchester Unity in Victoria and South Australia in 1840.

“They trace their origins to a pub in Melbourne where a group of eight people formed a friendly society with

COMPANY STATEMENTS OUR MISSION: UFS aims to improve the health of our members and the local community.

OUR VALUES: • Focus on our members • Provide professional services • Be connected to our community • Operate with high ethical standards • Support our staff • Lead innovation in healthcare • Provide leadership in health solutions

156 | APAC Outlook issue 48

the goal of looking after the health and wellbeing of its members.”

CHARITABLE VALUES Crucially for UFS, their status as a ‘mutual organisation’ gives them the means to contribute to worthy causes based in their area.

“This means that we invest money back into the local communities that we operate businesses in, by supporting a range of organisations and causes, providing considerable donations, in-kind support and sponsorship to local groups and organisations each year!”

UFS prides itself on its active role amongst the local community. Last year, the company donated over $100,000 to community groups across Ballarat and the Victoria district through donations and sponsorship.

This was distributed amongst several worthy causes, including ‘Share the Dignity’, an organisation dedicated to ending period poverty in Australia, and ‘BRMC’, a charity focussing on promoting multiculturalism and the well-being of migrant communities across the region.

In 2019, when Australia was gripped by a devastating outbreak of wildfires, UFS made significant donations to

support emergency relief, including $10,000 towards the Victorian Bushfire Disaster Appeal that ravaged their home state.

Other organisations that have been funded by UFS include the Ballarat District Suicide Prevention Network and a community choir that aims to benefit local mental health. The loss of such services was felt on the local landscape when several programmes were forced to come to a halt due to the pandemic.

RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC As a component of the sector that is at the very forefront of the pandemic, UFS met the task of adapting to operating under COVID-19 whilst also fighting the virus, admirably.

“We stayed nimble and adapted to the changing conditions. We continued to protect, innovate and grow our business offering in a way that was aligned with our core values and purpose. The establishment of a Commonwealth Government funded COVID-19 respiratory clinic allowed us to respond to the needs and help protect our community.”

In their 2020 report, UFS Dispensaries’ Chairman went on to comment, “Under the astute leadership of our CEO Lynne McLennan, strategies were rapidly put in place to ensure the protection of our staff and customers and to guarantee continual communication across the business was early and frequent. We mobilised employees to work from home and ensured frontline teams were ready to respond.”

In the nascent days of the pandemic, the Australian Commonwealth Government issued a request for general practices to set up and run COVID-19 testing clinics. UFS didn’t disappoint, and soon established a dedicated testing facility in the City of Ballarat’s Community Hub building with government funding.

The safety of both patients and staff remains of paramount importance to the company.

HEALTHCARE within the course of the pandemic is ample evidence of this. As CEO Lynne McLennan commented in their annual report, “The new systems, processes and services implemented in response to the pandemic have been highly effective and will now stand us in good stead for the future.”

“In UFS Medical, our GPs and some allied health staff moved quickly to telehealth to ensure that patient attendances in person could be minimised, and those who experienced respiratory symptoms could be provided with appropriate care.”

A FINAL WORD

THE KEY FIGURES

7,222

COVID CLINIC TESTS CONDUCTED BETWEEN 14/4/2020 AND 30/06/2020

operates. One of the larger donations of $10,000 was to Rural Australians for Refugees Ballarat, who responded to the support we were able to provide.”

“Our response to the pandemic will be recorded as another proud moment in the long history of the organisation”, concludes the organisation’s Chairman.

OUR PEOPLE ARE OUR STRENGTH True to the charitable values that are at its very foundation, UFS was also quick to respond in the form of financial aid.

In June, the company dedicated a significant portion of their donations to emergency relief services for those in the community most affected by the pandemic.

“The funds were allocated to organisations across all areas where UFS

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY Two of the principal challenges facing Australia’s health system today are the use of the new technologies and the better use of health data.

Although there is improvement to be done, with the Australian government investing in further medical research and technological innovation, UFS is testament to the efficacy of embracing and incorporating tele-health and digital technology.

The crucial role that they have plaid

It comes as little surprise that UFS Dispensaries’ ethical values extend to their concern for the environment.

The company adheres to a strong eco-policy to minimise their carbon footprint.

To name a few of the myriad examples of how UFS choose to work in an eco-friendly way, all ten UFSowned buildings are supplied with solar panels, plastic bags have been phased out across their pharmacies, whilst also offering a safe disposal for unwanted or expired medicines, thereby reducing their impact on the environment.

Last year, the company saved 224 tonnes of CO2 by relying on the 209,343 kilowatt-hours of electricity generated by the solar panels erected across their pharmacies.

UFS Dispensaries Ltd.’s ethical standpoint, community spirit and sustainable approach seems appropriate for our modern context and serves as a worthy example for other industries within the sector.

www.ufs.com.au

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 157

BOMBARDIER AUSTRALIA (ALSTOM)

Moving Together

Bombardier develops sustainable rail transport across the globe, fuelling innovative new safety solutions in the face of COVID-19 Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Thomas Turnbull

158 | APAC Outlook issue 48

TRANSPORT

T

he railway represents one of the most iconic, classic, and modern forms of transport since the 19th century. From the earliest steam locomotives to the high-speed Shinkansen (bullet trains) of Japan, rail networks have marked the evolution of developing societies since their inception.

A critical form of both passenger and supply chain transportation, railways can be considered the veins and capillaries of nation’s body pathways carrying vessels from start to finish and keeping the cycle of development alive.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Bombardier Transportation is

one company that represents this continuous development. Bombardier exists as a company that provides reliable, safe, and sustainable transport available for a world of urban growth and digital change. The firm’s Australian branch strives to create holistic, high-quality mobility and transport solutions that anticipate APAC Outlook issue 48 | 159

BOMBARDIER AUSTRALIA (ALSTOM)

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS Bombardier’s cloud-based, data-driven solution helps rail operators maintain social distancing for their passengers while at the same time improving operational efficiency. By delivering accurate real-time data, the company empowers operators with the information they need to adapt their fleet’s operations and accurately predict train occupancy and demand in an environment of limited space.

In turn, mobile apps put this information at passengers’ fingertips, giving them the ability to better plan their journeys and respond to travel changes or disruptions with confidence.

Benefits for operators: • Full transparency of real-time data in one suite • Predictive analysis and smart decision support system • Efficient planning for fleet and staff deployment • Optimized delay and disruption mitigation • Increased profitability through smooth operations Benefits for passengers: • Increased passenger satisfaction • Easy journey planning and on-route adjustment • Trust in punctual and reliable service • Optimised passenger distribution anytime, anywhere • Safe distancing ensures comfortable ride

162 | APAC Outlook issue 48

the needs of the future, therefore maximising value for those who work alongside them, and the customers and passengers that choose to travel via the company’s transport.

Bombardier provides solutions for various forms of rail transport, such as metro, tram and light rail, commuter, people mover, and monorail trains, as well as e-mobility and battery technology.

Combining the latest technology, high performance, and the peoplecentric ideals, Bombardier Australia manages to bring to the fore transportation that serves to benefit all those involved, including the environment.

SAFETY AND INNOVATION Since the emergence and spread of COVID-19, rail transport providers have seen a dramatic decline in passenger numbers. The pandemic has disrupted the jobs and lives of countless people, such as transport operators who have suffered substantial financial implications.

The latter half of 2020 saw people adapting to the impacts of COVID, emerging from government-imposed lockdowns, and resuming daily life (although not in the same way) such as returning to work. In order to restart the lifeblood of national economies and get communities moving once more, it was (and still is) essential for the public to feel safe and protected while taking to public transport such as the railway.

Bombardier places safety as a paramount importance in its operations. The company strives to protect its customers, employees, and partners against the effects of the pandemic. As a top priority, Bombardier continues to develop solutions to best deal with and exceed beyond the evolving challenges that exist.

Increased urbanisation and demands for comfort are balanced with the operators’ responsibility

The Power of Partnerships Cummins Engines are known throughout the world for being reliable, fuel efficient, low emissions, and through partnerships such as with Bombardier they show how innovation, new technology and true integration can benefit the community.

Cummins Asia Pacific has worked with Bombardier Transportation in Australia for more than two decades, developing high-speed trains such as the VLocity, operating at speeds of up to 160 km/hr with world leading reliability.

The partnership started long before the first VLocity railcar went into service in Melbourne back in 2005 and has continued to grow with now over 260 trains in service.

The latest models are powered by the 750 horsepower Cummins QSK19 diesel engine, whilst each of the three railcars are fitted with a Cummins powered, 85 kW genset, making them some of the cleanest and quietest trains available.

The Off-Highway Engine Business Director for Cummins Asia Pacific, Tim Worme explains further; “We enjoy a close relationship with Bombardier across all parts of our business, from design, engineering, sales, and ongoing service support which is available 24 hours a day.”

With so many trains running across the rail network daily, reliability is a key factor that has driven the partnership.

“The initial design aim was for 70,000 kms of travel without a delay of four minutes or more, and are currently achieving over 150,000 kms, which is world leading reliability.”

Together, the partnership has pushed for ongoing innovations and through new technologies, have been able to develop a modular raft approach allowing for out of chassis upgrades for continued development of the trains, whilst minimizing downtime.

“Our team of technicians can swap over an entire genset in a VLocity train in less than eight hours.”

Victor added. “Which helps as we look to upgrade the fleet’s gensets with the more powerful latest common rail diesel engines with the highest level of environmental standards, which are also much quieter; to reduce their impact in the communities.”

Leading the future direction of Cummins Asia Pacific, Peter Jensen-Muir, Executive Managing Director, has a clear vision of how the business will continue to work alongside customers to lead into the future; “Cummins has over 100 years of history in helping shape the industry. Importantly with Bombardier, we share a common set of values and objectives to drive improved operator and commuter experience.”

“Into the future, we will be focused on offering greater connectivity for improved machine learning, continuing to decrease emissions through cleaner diesel engines and further integration of systems, as well as offering new fuel cell technologies,” Peter concluded.

Victor Lekhtman is the Rail Business Manager at Cummins Asia Pacific and has been involved in the partnership for over 15 years. “Cummins and Bombardier have been focused on developing the most reliable trains available, which you can only achieve through close collaborations.”

cummins.com

BOMBARDIER AUSTRALIA (ALSTOM)

AME Systems AME Systems is a leading Australian designer, manufacturer and integrator of quality electrical wiring harnesses, electrical systems and value add assemblies.

We specialise in design and manufacture of customised electrical solutions across a multitude of industries encompassing rail, aerospace, defence, heavy transport, agriculture, medical, mining and special purpose vehicles and machinery, offering full service and support from design to delivery, and after-market sales.

As leaders in our industry, we continue to invest in the latest technology and staff capability to offer the best electrical harness design and manufacturing services.

“BOMBARDIER’S SOLUTIONS MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING UTILISING ADJUSTABLE VEHICLE LAYOUTS, AND SMART TOOLS FOR PASSENGER FLOW AND CROWD CONTROL” to keep passengers moving and maintaining safety.

In light of this, Bombardier’s solutions maintain social distancing utilising adjustable vehicle layouts, and smart tools for passenger flow and crowd control. An aspect of the transport solution is to reinforce safety from the virus in the form of increased sanitation measures, innovative surface treatments, to install contactless interfaces, and the inclusion of filters to reduce the presence of harmful pathogens from within the vehicle’s internal atmosphere.

Bombardier’s antiviral filters for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HAVC) systems are smart and efficient solutions for present issues surrounding COVID-19 in the rail transportation sector. The 164 | APAC Outlook issue 48

systems are quick and easy to install, and safe in operation, making them ideal for newly designed trains and retrofitting existing fleets of vehicles.

These filters capture and eliminate the virus (with a 99.9 percent efficiency rate) making the company’s air filtration solution unique in the market.

These are just some of Bombardier’s latest solutions that give passengers the confidence they need to continue choosing reliable, safe, and sustainable rail travel as their preferred mode of transport for their daily commutes, as well as long-distance travelling.

At the same time, the company is raising the bar on rail safety without compromising on efficiency, performance or the premium travel experience that passengers have come to expect from our vehicles, systems and services.

Our focus is on building relationships, partnerships and understanding your specific industry needs. The strong partnership AME Systems has with Bombardier Australia is one we value very highly. This has enabled our business to grow, gain exposure in partnering with a global OEM company and promote local manufacturing in Australia.

Bombardier Australia is one of Australia’s leading rail industry partners with a strong portfolio of upcoming projects which is extremely beneficial for Bombardiers local supply chain through providing opportunity to keep jobs local and build capability.

AME Systems commissioned a purpose-built facility to begin our supply of wiring harnesses and assemblies for trams being manufactured in Dandenong.

Bombardier Australia was very supportive during the introductory phase and this has continued to this day.

AME Systems is very grateful for the opportunity to partner alongside Bombardier Australia and we look forward to many more years working together.

amesystems.com.au

S O LU T I O N S T H AT M OV E YO U

D E L I V E R I N G Q U A L I T Y, CUSTOMISED ELECTRICAL S O L U T I O N S Y O U C A N R E LY O N

A M E SYST E M S . CO M . AU

BOMBARDIER AUSTRALIA (ALSTOM)

ALSTOM In a recent agreement, ALSTOM acquired Bombardier creating a global mobility leader committed to respond to the increasing need for greener transportation worldwide.

Leading societies to a low carbon future, ALSTOM develops and markets mobility solutions that provide the sustainable foundations for the future of transportation.

ALSTOM’s products portfolio ranges from high-speed trains, metros, monorail, trams, and e-buses, to integrated systems, customised services, infrastructure, signalling, and digital mobility solutions.

ALSTOM IS MADE UP OF: • 75,000 employees, in 250 sites, across 70 countries, including 17,500 engineers

ROLLING STOCK (INCLUDING COMPONENTS): • High Speed • Regional and Commuter • Locomotives • Components • Metro and Suburban • Light Rail • E-bus • Monorail DIGITAL AND INTEGRATED SYSTEMS: • Urban Signalling • Infrastructure and Telecom • Signalling and Infrastructure services • Mainline Signalling

• 300 city partners

• Smart Mobility

• 150,000 vehicles in service

• Cybersecurity

• A commitment to sustainability

• Turnkey

“The acquisition of Bombardier Transportation is a unique opportunity for ALSTOM to strengthen its global position on the booming mobility market. It enables us to improve our global reach and our ability to respond to the increasing need for sustainable mobility.” - Henri Poupart-Lafarge

REAL-TIME CLOUD-BASED SOLUTIONS Bombardier’s passenger flow and crowd-control solution equips operators with the necessary information to make informed decisions about their fleet’s operation.

This removes the guesswork and estimation that is found traditionally in fleet management, through the 166 | APAC Outlook issue 48

SERVICES: • Maintenance & Operation • Modernisation • Parts, Repairs and Overhauls • Digital services • Support services

systematic consolidation and analysing of key information from a variety of sources. These sources include rail vehicles, station infrastructure, and ticketing and open-source data, giving rail operators both important data and sight of the larger picture – both of which they need to deal with and stay ahead of challenges in logistical and functional management.

AWM Clayton AWM Clayton is a part of the MM Electrical Merchandising network of 340 service centres across Australia and is proud of our strong relationship with Bombardier Transportation Australia.

AWM began in Melbourne in 1968 and was acquired in 1981 by Metal Manufactures Ltd and so with our strong Victorian foundations we are enormously proud to play a role in supporting such innovative local manufacturing.

Our relationship with Bombardier continually challenges us to improve and refine our global sourcing infrastructure to eliminate production downtime. Electrical and Industrial Components is a complex product category to manage, it requires experience, flexibility, attention to detail and strong supply chain relationships.

Our Vendor Managed Inventory programs are tailored for individual project requirements focusing on ensuring timely component delivery.

This year has been a clear example that not all things go according to plan, but our broad support network enables us to respond to unexpected challenges and ensure production continues.

This relationship is rewarding beyond any financial consideration. We felt a sense of accomplishment when Bombardier recently won Australian Design Awards for their trains and of course when we see the finished product in action there is an accompanying sense of pride.

We look forward to growing our relationship with Bombardier and supporting this progressive Victorian manufacturing facility.

clayton.sales@mmem.com.au

BOMBARDIER AUSTRALIA (ALSTOM)

TRANSPORT

“keeping comfort on track”

Bendigo Rail Workshops (BRW) is a rail maintenance facility located in Bendigo. Victoria. BRW is a critical member of the Southern Shorthaul Railroad group of companies and as such performs maintenance work for some of the largest rail companies in Australia.

• Locomotive driver’s cab HVAC units • Passenger train HVAC units for EMU, DMU, Metros, Carriages & Trams • Split-system HVAC systems • Water coolers & galley refrigeration systems • Hot water heaters • Custom design & standard solutions • Comprehensive in-house testing in New Zealand R&D centre • Whole of life support including maintenance, repairs, overhauls and long-term total care contracts • Brand agnostic repairs and upgrades • Global supply

BRW specialises in rail rolling stock; • Maintenance & Upgrades • Accident Repairs • Full Strip-Down & Overhaul • Bogie Overhaul • Painting • Field Services & Provisioning • Emergency Recovery

Head Office: (03)5434 7777

Passenger experience becomes another vital addition to data collection for the operators.

Leveraging this data, operators are able to provide real-time info regarding capacity, arrivals, and departures back to the passengers so that individuals can manage their own social distancing and travel comfortably by moving to less crowded cars, or by choosing alternative routes.

MOVING WITH BATTERY POWER An increasing number of railway companies and governments are seeking clean alternatives to diesel traction. Bombardier’s battery technology is the perfect solution for electromobility on non-electrified lines, replacing diesel trains with battery-powered vehicles.

Bombardier’s MITRAC Pulse traction batteries are an innovative solution for environmentally friendly mobility and

20 Noel Rodgers Place, Palmerston North 4414, New Zealand sales@nkrvnz.com | Phone +64 6 353 0350

“BOMBARDIER’S MITRAC PULSE TRACTION BATTERIES ARE AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MOBILITY AND CAN BE APPLIED TO VARIOUS TRAINS, FROM APMS, TO COMMUTER AND REGIONAL, TO HIGH-SPEED” can be applied to various trains, from APMs, to commuter and regional, to high-speed. With battery technology, trains can operate catenary-free for distances up to 100 kilometres.

One of its earliest battery projects was for Nanjing, China, in 2013. In partnership with one of its Chinese joint ventures, it won a contract to deliver 15 catenary-free low-floor trams. With its MITRAC traction batteries, Nanjing’s trams can operate without overhead cables on 90 percent of its lines, re-charging seamlessly during regular passenger operation.

Its most recent battery project is the TALENT-3 battery-electric

multiple unit (BEMU), the first modern regional battery-powered train to enter passenger service in Europe. The battery train is emission-free and sets the standards for smart mobility, with a highly efficient propulsion system and a high degree of recyclability.

This battery project won the Brandenburg innovation award in November 2018 for its contribution towards environmentally friendly mobility.

Now part of ALSTOM, Bombardier continues its sustainable and safetycentric solutions for rail transport across the globe, driving forward an increasingly innovative future.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 169

Outlook Creative Services Complementing the production of APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising these same specialist production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN: Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 959 656 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

E D I TO R I A L : Sean Galea-Pace +44 (0) 1603 959 657 sean.galea-pace@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 959 661 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Marcus Kääpä +44 (0) 1603 959 660 marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com

dpa lighting consultants

Light in Design 172 | APAC Outlook issue 48

CONSTRUCTION We spoke to Richard Bolt, Partner at dpa lighting consultants, about the company at the centre of the lighting design industry Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

I

Balanstrasse Haus 24, Munich PHOTO BY MÜLLER-NAUMANN AND WEICKENMEIER, KUNZ + PARTNER

t is accurate to say that for many global industries the COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a period of uncertainty, instability, and necessary adaptation.

The lighting industry, like several others, has experienced this past year as one of turbulence and challenges, and businesses within the sector have had to evolve and develop new methods of working to sustain their trading positions. But several companies are optimistic.

“The industry is resilient and will continue to seek and explore new and exciting opportunities to maintain the progressive momentum that has built up over many years,” says Richard Bolt, Partner at dpa lighting consultants.

“The medium of ‘light’ both natural and manufactured is so tangible and exciting to work, that it keeps us inspired and drives us forward.”

Bolt has been with the company for over 24 years and joined after gaining an Urban Design Diploma from Oxford Brookes University in 1996.

That year the firm had advertised for a Junior Lighting Designer with architectural experience, and Bolt, fresh out of higher education with a willingness to learn and excel, took the opportunity that presented itself.

“It sounded like an interesting position, so I researched the industry, not knowing anything about it, and found an instant attraction,” he tells us. “My architectural degree tutor had previously advised me to try and find a specialist design discipline within construction, and I quickly realised through the good fortune of discovering dpa, and my now business partner Nick Hoggett, that the lighting industry was it.

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 173

dpa lighting consultants

PROJECTS AT A GLANCE

Creation Gulf

Balanstrasse Haus 24, Munich

Creation Gulf is a leading provider of architectural light fixtures and automation solutions since 1998.

We specialise in the design, supply, testing and commissioning of a variety of turnkey lighting projects and guest room management systems.

dpa were appointed by Allgemeine SÜDBODEN to design the lighting of Haus 24, part of the expansive Neuen Balan Campus in Munich, working in close collaboration with Weickenmeier, Kunz and Partner architects.

Haus 24 is a striking and futuristic looking penthouse office space, overlooking the campus. With extensive glazed surfaces, the building presents itself against the Munich nightscape as a warmly lit, largely transparent volume.

The firm designed a lighting scheme that integrates the architectural lighting equipment within the fabric of the building as much as possible, whilst retaining obvious decorative elements to complement the modern interiors and provide a homely, warm layer of ambient illumination. The lighting scheme is controlled by a sophisticated architectural lighting control system that enables the seamless selection of scenes according to the time of day and the ambient atmospheric conditions, in close cooperation with a shading system that controls the ingress of natural light.

The end result is a superbly flexible working space that can accommodate a wide range of functions, within an ever expanding business hub in the city of Munich.

PHOTO BY MÜLLER-NAUMANN AND WEICKENMEIER, KUNZ + PARTNER

We also offer Project Management services, in which engineers are deputed to continuously monitor, maintain, retrofit and refurbish the existing lighting, lighting controls, and automation systems at various projects around the region. Our customercentric approach that lays emphasis on delivering both - premium quality and consistent value, is the core reason for our continued success.

Creation represents leading brands from across the world such as Honeywell from USA; Mode Lighting, Pharos Controls, Danlers, and Enigma Lighting from UK; Ruco from Germany; Helvar from Finland; Lamp 83 from Turkey and K-Lite Industries from India just to name just a few.

Our distinctive line up of over 500 successful projects throughout the GCC and India features high profile names across a spectrum of built environments such as a luxurious hotels, palaces, designer homes, restaurants, office complexes, retail shops, commercial and industrial establishments. Our recent projects in the UAE include Qasr Al Hosn, The Opus by Omniyat Designed by Zaha Hadid, King’s College Hospital London and the UAE Pavilion; In India, Hilton Residences; In Oman, Alila Resorts; and Sephora Stores across the GCC.

“I stumbled into the industry and have never looked back.”

From the outset dpa lighting consultants became an engaging and exciting career path for Bolt to follow.

The company, that was originally set up by architect Derek Phillips in 1958, currently has studios in Japan, Dubai, London, Oxfordshire, and Edinburgh, and a team of over 50 individuals who focus on the design aspects of lighting – natural and artificial.

“Our client base spans developers, 174 | APAC Outlook issue 48

hotel and spa operators, cruise ship companies, and retailers, to architects, interior designers, landscape architects, environmental consultants, as well as private building and residential clients and colleges,” Bolt explains.

Within the industry, the firm primarily sets itself apart through its collective years of experience. From its beginnings, dpa now stands with an impressive 7,000 completed projects in 80 different countries, and this provides

Our 22 year track record with all the leading design studios and contractors in the region depicts our reliability as we are known to provide a wide range of aesthetically pleasing and technically advanced solutions to meet the needs of a diverse range of customer requirements.

There’s always a solution in sight once you reach Creation.

www.creationgulf.com

dpa lighting consultants

PROJECTS AT A GLANCE The Langley, Buckinghamshire, UK dpa were commissioned with designing the lighting for all of the public front of house and guest areas as well as all external lighting to both the buildings and landscaping. Closely working alongside the interior designers: Dennis Irvine Studio, architects: Gibberd, and landscape designers: Colvin and Moggridge, to achieve a comprehensive and coherent scheme when moving throughout the property.

The Langley Spa, a state of the art subterranean 2,500 square-metre worldclass wellness centre, features an indoor pool, thermal areas, hammams, relaxation lounges, and five expansive treatment rooms. This comes together with a specially designed fitness suite by leading personal trainer and author, Matt Roberts with technologically advanced systems and equipment.

As a brand new facility, the spa did not have the same heritage listing restrictions as the other areas of the property do, and as such a considered approach creates a calming environment that pays homage to the adjacent Palladian mansion with a contemporary twist. As a subterranean space, the artificial lighting is more crucial than ever in creating a suitable environment. The use of concealed light sources, warm colour temperatures and a sophisticated lighting control system ensures the guest experience is second to none.

PHOTO BY JAMES BALSTON

Lucent Lighting Over the last 30 years working closely with the professional lighting design community Lucent has established itself as one of the foremost performance architectural lighting manufacturers in the World.

With offices in London and New York and supported by a specialist distributor and agency network in over 40 countries worldwide Lucent is ideally placed to be your global lighting partner.

PHOTO BY JAMES BALSTON

the company and its individuals with an incredible level of technical ability when serving clients’ needs.

The firm’s various teams consistently monitor and communicate all aspects of each project environment and the lighting technology used, be it LED light 176 | APAC Outlook issue 48

sources or digital controls, and shares this information to individuals in the practice.

What this achieves is an interconnected commitment to continuous research, debate, and innovation both internally and externally from the company. Combined with the

Traditionally Lucent specialised in the design and manufacture of architectural downlights but recently have diversified into other sectors with outdoor, spotlights, linear profiles, surface, pendant and in wall fixtures now available.

www.lucent-lighting.com

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ENHANCING LIGHTING AT THE LANGLEY Rako’s lighting controls offer luxury, comfort and sophistication in the hospitality sector by enhancing the atmosphere and client experience with smooth fading, reducing the impact and intrusion of cumbersome switching.

rakocontrols.com Images courtesy of dpa lighting consultants, Dennis Irvine Studio and James Balston Photography

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APAC Outlook issue 48 | 177

dpa lighting consultants

PROJECTS AT A GLANCE Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai This collaborative project is a newly constructed, five-star resort style hotel located on Dubai’s Arabian Gulf shoreline.

Over a period of four years, dpa worked in close collaboration with the client, operator and design team WASL Group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Architects DAR, interior designers from Design Wilkes, and Silverfox to design the lighting solutions for all public front of house areas of the hotel, internally and externally.

As part of the design brief, dpa worked closely with all parties from initial conception stage, ensuring that the lighting design was cohesive throughout the hotel, and well-integrated within the interior design and architecture.

The main lobby is very important, forming the first impression of the hotel for arriving guests and visitors. At 12 metres tall, it provided a challenge to ensure that the lighting was sufficient to adequately illuminate the space during daylight hours, with the dimming range to provide subtlety and ambience after dark. A discreet, linear, ceiling recessed system was

PHOTO BY ALES VYSLOUZIL AND PRECIOSA LIGHTING

178 | APAC Outlook issue 48

designed and specified, allowing high output linear LED luminaires to be installed in a way which matched the rhythm of the architecture and the ceiling.

At ground level, there is a colonnade of 14 Light Trees, designed by Design Wilkes and Preciosa, with technical and aesthetic input from dpa. The ‘trees’ feature approximately 900 individually addressed LED light points, illuminating hand blown glass leaves. The leaves are programmed to produce dynamic ripples of light, individually varying their brightness to create differing effects. The arrangement of the colonnades leads the eye along the central water feature, and through to the landscaped, beach adjacent courtyard and lap pool. dpa implemented a series of suspended lighting truss rigs, upon which were mounted theatrical RGBW projectors, with variable beam angles and focussing. These projectors were used to provide warm white intensity at the points where food is displayed and served, and dramatic coloured accents around the space. RGBW linear floodlights were mounted on top of the rigs to provide a coloured wash of light to the MEP service at high level, accentuating the height and industrial aesthetic of the space.

Feilo Sylvania Dubai The project’s range of work includes the development of the Al Shindagha Museum project located in the Shindagha Area in Dubai Creek where is the first area opened to World with trade-in Emirati culture. Opening the museum made Dubai Creek the venue of one of the largest open-air museums in the world.

Sylvania Beacon LED Muse has been installed throughout the Al Shindagha Museum highlighting art pieces and architectural details with soft and accurate beams of light.

XYZ AV Consultants and DPA lighting consultants have specified and installed Beacon LED Muse in this project to its full potential, delivering accurate and soft amounts of light throughout the exhibition.

Beacon LED Muse, with its unique adjustability using the soft-touch ring, enables beam control from a spot to a flood, Ideal for a museum, gallery.

Super high color rendering with CRI 97 typical; with R9 value at 90. Dimmable options - Trailing Edge, On-board dimming potentiometer also help to tailor light effects on site.

www.sylvania-lighting.com professionalism of dpa’s design team, this ensures that the company’s clients receive the latest and best information and advice available. “dpa has always been at the forefront of education regarding all aspects of the lighting environment, and this continues today,” Bolt explains. “Our desire and appetite to continually learn and share information has always been important, but perhaps with the current changes in light source technology and environmental legislation it is more important than ever.”

This technical ability and professionalism is showcased in dpa’s many projects, of which the Opus by Omniyat is one. A collaborative project between dpa and world renowned Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), the Opus was completed in 2020 and is home to the new ME Dubai hotel, in the Burj Khalifa district in Dubai (UAE).

“For dpa, the project spanned several years from concept to completion with various interesting

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CONCORD BEACON LED MUSE II

Sylvania Heritage Meets With Emirati Heritage in Dubai

+971 4 2998141 info.me@sylvania-lighting.com www.sylvania-lighting.com A Felio Sylvania Company

ITG mbH is an owner-managed Engineering office that has been established on the market for 24 years.

Our core competence is the electrical engineering, especially: o Implement high-quality lighting concepts o Media technology o Conveyor technology We always like to work with dpa lighting, e.g. in the following projects: o „neue Balan“, Balanstraße 73, Munich o Allianz SE Conference Center, Munich

Opus by Omniyat PHOTOS BY LAURIAN GHINITOIU, CMOA

www.itg-landshut.de info@itg-landshut.de

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 179

dpa lighting consultants

Al Shindagha Museum PHOTOS BY ALEX JEFFRIES PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP

challenges to illuminate such a unique and complicated piece of architecture,” Bolt continues.

“The design represents two towers that have converged as one, to a cube with the centre ‘eroded’ to create a stunning and contrasting void. This void is an important volume and canvas for the lighting intervention and solution to the internal ‘skin’ of the building’s void.”

The firm collaborated closely with ZHA and the other team members along with Vexica to develop a unique product to integrate seamlessly into the façade of the void. By day, the building’s façade reflects its surroundings like a monumental, mirrored sculpture; whilst at night, the void is transformed using 5,000 individually 180 | APAC Outlook issue 48

Richard Bolt, Partner at dpa lighting consultants controllable 1.5-watt LED points of light providing a sophisticated and dynamic lighting installation. Using DMX lighting control enabled unique tailoring of the content with the LED ‘pixels’ as a

creative tool to paint with light across the inner void façade.

In order to achieve the level of expertise that it provides its clients, dpa utilises a range of experienced professionals to broaden the potential of the company.

“The scale of our practice and close working relationship between our studios means we have been able to recruit from a wide variety of backgrounds such as architecture, urban design, interior design, product design, various engineering disciplines, the theatre and so on,” Bolt explains.

“This broad skill base that focuses solely on architectural lighting design provides dpa with an unparalleled human resource and knowledge to deal with the varying challenges each

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project demands, “We have a team ethos and approach within our organisation, whereby our studios are fully supportive of each other which is immensely important to us.”

This is what sets dpa lighting consultants apart from its competitors in the industry – the ability to utilise varied expertise, collaborative efforts, and communication to better enhanced the fluidity and overall process of client projects.

One factor that drives the success of dpa’s lighting projects is the relationship between the company and its industry supply chain partners.

Through positive collaborations with these external businesses, together with its design and wider project

teams, dpa is able to achieve the best possible results for its clients.

“It is imperative that we enhance existing relationships as well as nurture potential new ones, as our clients and the projects they ask us to design are the vertebrae of our business simultaneously alongside the dedicated team we are fortunate to have at dpa,” Bolt tells us.

“On top of this, we are reliant on lighting manufacturers to develop and design quality lighting products that act as tools of the trade to enable us to strive towards achieving lit excellence.”

As for the upcoming year, dpa is focusing on both the retention of resource level that was previously established before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, in order to

emerge from this period of uncertainty intact, which will be challenging but achievable through effective practice promotion, relationship building and continuing to contribute towards and deliver quality lighting projects.

“We continue to engage with innovative and creative projects particularly within the hospitality sector, whilst recognising a greater diversification into environmental type projects within the UK,” Bolt adds.

Tel: +44 (0) 1869 337412 dpa@dpalighting.com www.dpalighting.com

APAC Outlook issue 48 | 181

THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

WHAT OR WHO HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR YOU DURING YOUR CAREER? Alex Chang Managing Director, OmniTech “I am inspired by the stories of people who have started from nothing, and have gone on to build significant technology businesses, for example Jack Ma.”

Sol Proops CEO, Blueleaf Energy “My wife and family are always an inspiration.

They’ve come along with me as we’ve moved from country to country 182 | APAC Outlook issue 48

and are always there to support me through the challenging times.”

The other inspiration I draw on today is the thought that I’m doing something that contributes to limiting or eventually reversing global warming, and hopefully leading the way to a better place for my children and their children. Throughout my career I’ve always had jobs where I help create real assets for the betterment of the people that can access those assets. Now, working in renewable energy, the assets I create contribute to the betterment of all people in the world, which is a great reason to jump out of bed and get to work each day.”

Greg Stack CEO, Nexans Olex “My biggest source of inspiration throughout my career to date has been the opportunity to learn, continually evolve in an ever changing environment

and to make a difference. I have met, worked with, been mentored by and formed relationships with some amazingly talented people and it is the insights gained from these associations that continue to inspire and drive me.”

Ko Chuan Zhen CEO and co-founder, Plus Solar Systems “Elon Musk – His wild ideas of technologies continue to inspire me.

“Steve Jobs – Before I started my entrepreneur journey, I found him to be someone who made me think about the kind of impact and legacy I would like to leave this world with.

“Bill Gates – Someone who has done a lot to resolve many issues around the world.”

Are you a CEO/Director with a company story to tell? Contact APAC Outlook now!

Innovative, sustainable, and people-centric promotion in the mining industry...

GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA

MINING

See page

Core and Community

40 22

Gold Fields Australia showcases the potential of employee, environment, and community-centric business, we spoke to Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: Australasia, to learn more Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Joshua Mann GOLD FIELDS AUSTRALIA

W

It was Mathews’ interest in geology that led him to a career in the gold mining industry. Initially inspired by

production, and general operations management, that took him around the globe to work in a number of

20 years since the acquisition of St. Ives and Agnew mines from Western Mining in 2001. In 2013 Gold Fields acquired the Granny Smith, New Holland, and Darlot mines from Barrick. In 2016, Gold Fields took 50 percent ownership in the Gruyere Gold Project and operating management of the mine in Joint Venture with Gold Road Resources.

“I think back to when we first bought old operations back in 2001,” he says. “The company was criticised regarding its market actions at the time. The question on other peoples’ minds: why would you be buying expired and aging mining assets?’

“I’ve been here a long time and haven’t been able to see the end of them. 20 years later and we still have those core assets in our portfolio, and they are producing very well they still have significant life, provide consistency in production, and continue to yield great results.

“We have substantial tenements around our operating mines and, as long as we continue to invest at the right level of exploration, the mines remain sustainable for the long-term delivering growth of resources and reserves. We intend to be a compelling presence in Western Australia gold mining for a long time.”

The industry today reflects this success - Australian gold prices are at a record high. However, it’s not only gold that is being the focus of rising value in industrial mining activity.

The past year has seen a major uplift in the mining of silver, iron ore, and various alternative resources in industrial operations. Zinc, copper, and nickel are just some of the primary metals in the crosshairs of 2018. The processing plant, with a capacity of 8.2 Mtpa, consisting of single companies in the Australian stage crush and SABC1 circuit with pebble crushing was commissioned region at the moment. in mid-2019. The plant achieved commercial production at the end of “Nickel usually has long September 2019 and ramp-up to steady state is well advanced. The protracted down Gruyere mine produces approximately 280,000 to 300,000 periods, but APAC Outlook issue 48 | 4 ounces per annum on a 100 percent JV basis. when it goes up it rises well

ith 140 years to its name, his father’s business, the inclusion of community, own interest in geography different nations, from New Zealand and the process of geographical Australia, to a variety of areas of Gold Fields continues and the preservationand and promotion of formations, Mathews went on to study South America, and Mexico. Mathews geology at university and became is proud to have worked in the mining to be a key player in the the environment. an underground mine geologist after sector for almost 30 years - eight of international gold mining industry.

Its head office is based which hein has spent with GFA. graduating with a masters in the field. covered multiple areas company has been operating The firm places innovation and local His work Johannesburg, South The Africa, oversees of geology, such as mine geology, in West Australia for a substantial communities at the fore and drives the four regions of the business crossing promotion of environmental wellbeing AT multiple continents, including South A GLANCE through impactful investments Africa, the Americas MINES (Chile and Peru), GFA’S AUSTRALIAN in sustainability practices – Africa (Ghana), and Australasia ST.West IVES (OPEN PIT AND UNDERGROUND) are latter two main region open pits (Neptune Invincible), two developments that place it above and There the beingandthe thirdand largest underground mines (Invincible and Hamlet) with new UG extensions apart from its industry competition. gold producer ingold the nation. planned in 2021 and 2022. One processing plant with a throughput capacity of 4.7 million metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa) consisting of a In a positively unorthodox way, and primary“The firm’s region gyratory crusher, aAustralian single-stage Semi Autogenous Grind (SAG) with a gravity circuit and five-stageand Carbon in Pulp (CIP) despite being one of the largest gold millembraces the vision values ofcircuit. the Gold is recovered by electro winning. St. Ives produces a consistently at producers in the world, Gold Fields company,” begins Mathews, approximately 360,000 ounces of Stuart gold per annum. places its core values above all others AGNEW Executive Vice President of Gold (UNDERGROUND) Two underground complexes at Warronga and New Holland mines and and incorporates each of these into Fields Australia (GFA). one processing plant, with a capacity of 1.3 Mtpa consisting of a threetwo-stagejust millingover circuit, gravity every aspect of its business. The firm stage crushing GFA circuit, produces one-circuit, and CIP circuit. Currently the mine produces 225,000 to 230,000 ounces per focuses on becoming the best, rather annum. million ounces of gold annually The company has approved a three year strategicand plan to increase and milling capacity to 1.7 Mtpa.

The proposed feed increase than the biggest, gold mining firm on crushing is responsible for 44 percent ofmill the underpinned by exploration success of the last two to three years. the globe. broader group’s international gold GRANNY SMITH (UNDERGROUND) A change to the revenue-focused yield, with approximately 1700plant with a One active underground mine at Wallaby. A processing of 3.5 Mtpa consisting of two crushing circuits, SAG and ball mills, aims of the gold mining industry, the capacity direct employees across four mines leach and CIP circuits, and a tailings retreatment circuit. However, it is mine constrained and currentlyoffices. operates at 1.5 Mtpa makes on a campaign milling basis. company aims to align its key values and regional This the The Granny Smith mine produces approximately 260,000 ounces of gold alongside that of profit so that it branch an intrinsic part to the perAustralia annum. benefits all aspects involved with the GRUYERE success of the wider company on the (OPEN PIT) Theinternational main Gruyere open pitstage. commenced mining in the fourth quarter of production process: the growth of

INNOVATIVE, SUSTAINABLE, AND PEOPLE-CENTRIC PROMOTION IN THE MINING INDUSTRY

We understand that an underground mine is a demanding environment

The video link below demonstrates a range of functions, some of which will soon to be deployed at the Granny Smith site.

Dangerous areas, narrow roads and winding curves are all daily obstacles that threaten workforce safety.

Every unforeseen event, such as traffic collisions and other accidents, puts lives in danger and weakens production. Safety must be guaranteed and Epiroc together with Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering (MCE) is proud to partner with Goldfields and support these needs and the integrated platform project.

https://vimeo.com/478074376

Increasing Underground Safety at Gold Fields’ Granny Smith Mine Epiroc, together with Mobilaris MCE, is proud to deliver a variety of safety solutions that will help to ensure the safety of Gold Fields’ staff. The leading product portfolio Mobilaris Mining Intelligence™ includes a variety of digital solutions that are interconnected and developed in close collaboration with the mining industry, always with ease of use as a top priority. The solutions are totally technology agnostic and can easily be integrated with any infrastructure and systems that help maximize customer value. . Based on real-time information, the cutting-edge solutions seamlessly work together to increase safety and productivity of the mining operations.

By collecting reliable real-time information and positioning data, this is then represented on a 3D-map, which will allow Gold Fields’ control room staff to view who is in a safe zone and assist those who are not to reach a place of safety in the shortest time. Other features will allow Gold Fields’ staff to be pre-warned of potential dangers, allowing decisions to be made to mitigate risks and incidents.

The result is a safer and less stressful workplace.

Quote from Michael Place, Technical Services Manager, Granny Smith Gold Mine, Gold Fields “The Mobilaris project at Granny Smith has been well supported by Mobilaris from both their Australian and Swedish offices. The offsite support has been very positive, addressing all the issues and challenges experienced with deploying new technology. The project highlights one of the first deployments of an LTE network underground in Australia, along with the rollout of Bluetooth tracking beacons and Mobilaris Onboard.”

Quote from Mikael Nyström, CEO Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering “Mining safety is one of our top priorities and we are very happy that Granny Smith Gold Mine, Goldfields, has chosen us as partner for taking the safety of their mining operations to the next level. With Mobilaris Mining Intelligence, we will be able to provide digital solutions that defines a safer mine and safer ways of working”, says Mikael Nyström, CEO Mobilaris Mining & Civil Engineering.

www.epiroc.com | www.mobilaris.se/mining-solutions

7 | APAC Outlook issue 48

18 | APAC Outlook issue 47

2 | APAC Outlook issue 47

APAC Outlook issue 47 | 19

harvesting by 2022.

50,000 cubic metres of water provide approximately additional open quarry pits, which will constructing ponds and utilising water reservoir volume by CMIC is also increasing its surface awareness. To achieve this goal, water loss and water-saving consumption, the control of the optimisation of water reduction of water withdrawal, The main success factors are the

combined corps d’esprit, showing the demonstrating a strong and proudly risen to the occasion, corners of the organisation have APAC Outlook issue 47 Lynam adds. “And our staff in all period with the COVID-19 pandemic,” a very traumatic and anxiety-laden “We have, together, come through employee is accountable for. biguous clarity on what any leader or by all staff, and then assuring unamtional objectives are understood well of assuring that directional and funcpany striving to realise the importance much a two-way dialogue, the comThe communication stream is very feedback is taken and acted upon. town halls and check-ins, regular face to face interactions via monthly communications using digital tools to

CO-CREATED VALUE” AND SHARING OF THE MUTUAL PARTNERING 3 | UPTAKE IN A SPIRIT OF

and relationships with suppliers and of building long lasting partnerships “SCCC supports the philosophy levels are high. not least during times when disruption logistics excellence over the long term, best practices in supply chain and delivering building materials requires nature of manufacturing and concerned, he says that the very Indeed where suppliers are arrives in the months and years ahead. critical as further expansion at SCCC relationships will become even more on Lynam, who explains how such supply chain, a fact which is not lost stakeholders up and down the numerous partnerships with Every day the firm relies on indomitable pulse of the INSEE heart.”

mindsets – this supports mutual brand in turn normally tend to share our employees and their sub-suppliers health and wellbeing of their own Suppliers who value safety and the sustainability and the longer term. who place value on governance, who have similar mindsets and “We want to work with suppliers ency and equitable relationships. notion of a ‘fair deal’ and offer transparservice lifecycles. We believe in the ownership basis over full product and “We prefer to work on a total cost of co-created value. mutual partnering and sharing of the and product uptake in a spirit of and we offer long term services are in the business for the long term logistics providers,” he adds. “We

www.siamcitycement.com wecare@siamcitycement.com Tel: +662 797 7000 COMPANY LIMITED (SCCC) SIAM CITY CEMENT PUBLIC

Gold Fields Australia has told its story.

TIMES COMPASSION IN CHALLENGING SHOWING STRENGTH AND

Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

by the COVID-19 pandemic compassion for its local communities despite the challenges presented Company Limited (SCCC or INSEE) continues to show strength and Having last year marked 50 years in operation, Siam City Cement Public

Community

economic fallout.” and are now responding to the eyes firmly fixed on the situation crisis mode, we’re still keeping our we’re just about out of what we call staff and customers, and while was to protect the health of our response teams. The first priority management and emergency was to set up our crisis the first concern for us a crisis is going to get, so One never knows how bad

SERVICES AND PRODUCT WE OFFER LONG TERM gained throughout its past.

FOR THE LONG TERM AND “WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS to benefit from a degree of hindsight

has brought about through the obvious challenges that COVID-19 positive tone despite the clear and pandemic, Siam City Cement is able to his native Ireland, he sets a very given the global reach of the room in Bangkok following a visit appear somewhat unprecedented production. And although this year’s events Speaking from a quarantinedcement hotel measured as litres per tonne of Aidan Lynam. to navigate this crisis. to reduce water can consumption, has established specific targets Limited (SCCC) and its Group CEO, must continue to operate as best it committed to saving water and sustain communities.

CMIC is Siam City Cement Public Company a resolute one – that society can and requires enough reserves to extraordinary year in the life of The dry season is long Indeed, for SCCC, the message is and a global pandemic, it has been of an 50th birthday. this vital resource is critical. water, the proper management in existence in 2019 to running into recently celebrated the company’s season brings large amount of country, where the monsoon of 2020, this having just From celebrating a half century course

service and product quality”. and in delivering superior customer participant in the Asian growth story, a respected and highly valued “We continue to prioritise being both organic and otherwise.” for future growth in the Asian markets, workforce, extremely well positioned with a productive leadership and balance sheet which renders us, along ambitious approach, assuring a strong SCCC is taking a prudent and yet coming period through 2021 and 2022, Currently, with visibility low for the for improved internal efficiencies. welded to the never-ending quest the customer firmly at the centre, go-to-market approaches which place “We are focusing on competitive competitive. emerging fitter, more agile and more initial crisis, we have our targets set on well managed the immediate and The Group CEO concludes: “Having and service to its customers. innovation and enhanced offerings internal procedures and processes to on what they can control – from SCCC leadership is focusing staff couple of years, meaning that the fallout that will follow over the next extent of disruption and economic Uncertainty still remains as to the pandemic. shock caused by the COVID-19 as possible from the current economic priority remains to emerge as strongly In the more immediate term, the of SCCC’s strategy for the future. and other stakeholders forms the crux objectives to customers, employees Indeed, delivering long-term and reputation building.”

ASteward ofOur thebi-monthly magazine APAC Outlook is essential reading for Now, why not tell yours?

Though Cambodia is a tropical

CAMBODIA WATER IN PRESERVING

IN FOCUS

facilities. From regular formal internal of all its employees and visitors to its accountable to assure the wellbeing ward, with SCCC’s leadership made number one priority moving forabout health and safety being the He also reinforces the message the company.” to self-develop and to prosper with to continuously improve and to grow, developing and empowering our staff important to us. At SCCC we believe in between management and staff are efforts – daily, simple interactions and ‘on the spot’ in appreciating good “Recognition can be very simple

business executives wanting to keep up with the latest in global news and trends affecting Asia Pacific businesses across all industries.

SIAM CITY CEMENT PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED (SCCC)

CONSTRUCTION

Reaching an audience of over 220,000 readers, your company can take advantage of exposure in APAC Outlook with a FREE article and FREE digital brochure, as well as access to further digital and print-based marketing tools that could transform your business.

To share in this unrivalled opportunity, contact one of our project managers today!

SIAM CITY CEMENT PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED (SCCC)

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DESIGNWILKES | BUKALAPAK

w w w. a p a c o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 48

Gold Fields www.apacoutlookmag.com/work-with-us Australia Gold Fields Australia showcases the potential of employee, environment, and community-centric business, we spoke to Stuart Mathews, Executive Vice President: Australasia, to learn more

Complementing the production of APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising these same

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For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

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