Asia Outlook - Issue 32

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ASIA

ISSUE 32

Saka Energi continues to provide world-class upstream services to compound its marketleading status

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE

Bhutan: Many a Mountain to Climb

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FRONT 60 An innovative bridge between design and construction

JOHOR PORT 112 Malaysia’s southern gateway

UPC RENEWABLES LIMITED 118

A global track record in providing clean energy

ALSO FEATURING: GASTECH | SIREN DESIGN SINGAPORE (PTE) LTD | HSC HEALTHCARE GROUP

W E L C O M E Power to Discover

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ASIA

Both literally and metaphorically, the battle for power is unrelenting.

For most in the business world, this notion revolves around a continuous strive for perfection; to outperform competitors and to Saka Energi continues reach the top of their respective to provide world-class upstream services to compound its marketfields. For this month’s headline leading status profile though, the concept addresses a much more tangible exploration.

Saka Energi Indonesia is an old friend of Asia Outlook’s having first told its story of regional growth almost a year ago to the day. In such a traditional and established power-driven industry you could be forgiven for presuming that development would be limited over just 12 months, but the Company paints a much more hectic and exciting picture than that.

“We were able to achieve a high level of activity within our productions, consistently complying to international safety standards, while also continuously maintaining a safe and productive workplace,” explains CEO, Tumbur Parlindungan. “In addition to that we have successfully managed to create cost-efficiency through the reduction of our operational expenses at every level, keeping us both competitive and effective within the industry.

“Upon entering our seventh year of operation we are ready to embrace and face new challenges head-on in 2018, while focusing on our upcoming drilling and development activities. Each of those activities has been approved by government and will more importantly ensure that we are able to manage our OPEX game, staying strong and competitive in the industry.”

Continuing on the front foot, the remainder of our showcasing assortment is led largely by the construction sector; initially courtesy of cross-continental, architectural specialists, Front Inc, and compounded by similarly innovative and creative pioneers, Siren Design Group Singapore.

Malaysia has been on the front foot in AsiaPacific for much of the wider region’s industrial evolution and we go on to document two core exponents of the country’s role as ‘area hub’.

Fenestra firstly demonstrates its engineering excellence in line with sustainable practice, before Johor Port highlights its role as a pivotal, national and international gateway.

ISSUE 32

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE

Bhutan: Many a Mountain to Climb

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ASIA

FRONT 00 An innovative bridge between design and construction

JOHOR PORT 00 Malaysia’s southern gateway

UPC RENEWABLES

LIMITED 00 A global track record in providing clean energy

ALSO FEATURING: GASTECH | SIREN DESIGN SINGAPORE (PTE) LTD | HSC HEALTHCARE GROUP

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Matthew Staff matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Phoebe Calver phoebe.calver@outlookpublishing.com

PRODUCTION

Production Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Advert Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Images: Thinkstock by Getty Images

BUSINESS

Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com Training Development Manager: Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTORS Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com Tom Cullum tom.cullum@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Kane Weller kane.weller@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Joe Palliser joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Lewis Bush lewis.bush@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Office and Finance Manager: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Web Design: Hamit Saka IT: James Le-May

OUTLOOK PUBLISHING

Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Contact: Outlook Publishing Ltd Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 4AB, United Kingdom Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 655 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 655 matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com

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Matthew Staff

Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing

Enjoy the issue!

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In this issue...

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NEWS

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MANUFACTURING Developing the World’s Manufacturing Hub

All the latest top stories from across Asia

Displacing industrial and manufacturing giants

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ENERGY & UTILITIES A Low-Carbon Society Developing Japan’s 2050 emission plan

S E C TO R F O C U S

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OIL & GAS Fuelling China’s Growth

Analysing China’s gas development in the lead up to Gastech 2018

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDES

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BHUTAN

Many a Mountain to Climb

SOUTH PACIFIC A Portal to Paradise

ASIA 50 O

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SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

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27TH JAPAN IT WEEK SPRING

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FI VIETNAM

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AFRICA ENERGY FORUM

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HI CHINA

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MALAYSIAN INTERNATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE TRADE FAIR (MIFB)

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SAKA ENERGI INDONESIA Power to Discover

Providing world-class upstream services

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SAMSUNG C&T (KL) SDN BHD The Trusted Builder

Adding total solutions satisfaction to the Malaysian melting pot

SHIPPING & LOGISTICS

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JOHOR PORT Integrated Logistics

Malaysia’s southern gateway

CONSTRUCTION

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Vietnam’s premier ingredients event A gateway for investment into Africa’s energy sector China’s leading event for innovative health and nutraceutical ingredients

An innovative bridge between design and construction

ENERGY & UTILITIES

SIREN DESIGN GROUP (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD It’s What’s Inside That Matters

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FENESTRA MALAYSIA SDN BHD Environmental Engineering Excellence

H E A L T H C A R E

SEIKO ARCHITECTURAL WALL SYSTEMS Architectural Masterpieces

Expanding its product portfolio across Asia

UPC RENEWABLES LIMITED Dream, Develop, Deliver

Bridging business connections between Malaysia and the world

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FI ASIA-CHINA

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OIL & GAS VIETNAM (OGAV)

A global track record in providing clean energy

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Facilitating fantastic and futuristic façades

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Japan’s largest IT show expects to gather 1,800 exhibitors and 91,000 visitors

FRONT On the Front Foot

Redefining the interior architecture landscape

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F O C U S

HSC HEALTHCARE GROUP Asia’s Pioneering OneStop Medical Hub

A leading world-class healthcare group

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The only event in China to bring together the entire industry value chain under one roof

ALLSCRIPTS HEALTHCARE IT (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD Smarter Healthcare Connecting you to the future

The international exhibition of oil & gas companies, technologies and supporting industries

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Outlook Creative Services Complementing the production of Africa Outlook, Asia Outlook and Europe & Middle East Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s award-winning 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

CONTACT DESIGN: Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 959 656 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

E D I TO R I A L : Matthew Staff +44 (0) 1603 959 655 matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 959 661 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Phoebe Calver +44 (0) 1603 959 660 phoebe.calver@outlookpublishing.com

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of heightened pressure on China from the United States over trade and access to its massive markets.

China will raise foreign ownership limits to 51 percent in securities, fund management, futures and life insurance companies “over the next few months”, the PBOC said on its website. The current ownership cap for securities, futures and fund to be in place as early as June, 2018.

China has laid out a clearer management firms is 49 percent and They include allowing foreign firms timetable for opening its financial the cap for insurance companies is 50 to invest in trust companies, financial percent. sector to more foreign investment leasing, auto finance and consumer by the end of 2018, as Beijing looks President Xi Jinping promised to finance, plans that were announced to fend off growing criticism from open the economy further and lower the United States and other trading last year. The PBOC also confirmed it import tariffs on products like cars, aims to launch a planned trading link partners that it unfairly limits in a speech seen as an attempt to competition. between its stock markets and London defuse the increasingly bitter trade People’s Bank of China (PBOC) by end-2018. dispute with the United States and Governor, Yi Gang said China will Foreign businesses and China’s possibly open the way for the start allow foreign firms to compete on trading partners have long complained of negotiations after both sides an equal footing with domestic about a lack of implementation of threatened tit-for-tat tariffs. companies in the financial sector, reforms announced years earlier, and “The greater detail on the giving foreign banks more business that outside firms continue to face timing of implementation may scope in the country. unofficial restrictions even after some indicate China’s desire to avoid an Though the specific details offered sectors have ostensibly been opened. escalation in trade restrictions and were mostly incremental and China’s official pledges, made at to boost market confidence that the repeated past pledges, China for the the annual Boao Forum for Asia in announced measures to open the first time said it would implement a southern Hainan province, echoed market will be adopted in practice,” number of the measures by the end of previous promises from Beijing to open credit rating agency Moody’s said in this year, with some steps promised the financial sector but comes at a time a note.

F I N A N C E

China Pledges to Allow More Foreign Investment in Financial Sector by Year-End

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GO TO WWW.ASIAOUTLOOKMAG.COM/NEWS FOR ALL OF THE LATEST NEWS FROM ASIA

ASIA R E A L

E S TAT E

Chinese Real Estate Firms Boost Apartment Rentals in line with Xi Demands Major Chinese real estate companies are renting more of the apartments they develop as they respond to President Xi Jinping’s demand that China should produce homes to live in not to speculate on.

But currying favour with authorities who want to provide affordable housing to maintain stability in the property sector comes at a cost as the developers will make little, if any, initial return from renting.

The net yields on rental properties for the biggest developers are only five to six percent, and for smaller firms with higher costs they may even be negative, according to the developers and real estate analysts.

By contrast, the profit margins on properties that are sold have usually been clear for all to see - averaging in the 20-30 percent range in recent years.

It isn’t just Xi and the central government that has been piling the pressure on the real estate developers.

Many cities started imposing restrictions on land sales last year, forcing developers to build some homes to rent rather than sell, making the properties much less lucrative and higher risk for companies. Not only

are the companies looking at lower returns on the developments, but they also have the balance sheet risks of continuing to own them.

This is all, in turn, set to speed up market consolidation and joint bidding as companies share the costs.

Vanke, the country’s number two developer by sales and one of the early comers to the rental market, plans to double the number of apartments it is renting out to 200,000 in 2018.

as they are not authorised to speak to media.

The Government’s original goal was to achieve a surplus in fiscal 2020. But Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe shelved that deadline last year when he called a snap election with a pledge to revamp social welfare system for all generations.

The Government will decide a new

deadline in June for balancing the primary budget - which excludes debt servicing and new bond sales - with a timeframe sometime between fiscal 2023 and 2026.

“We are arranging to make it happen somewhere between the fiscal year 2023 and 2026,” said a senior government source.

That depends on how the Government proceeds with painful reforms on welfare spending in the face of the need to respond to a rapidly aging population, highlighting the difficulty of restoring fiscal health as spending grows.

Investors are closely watching the Government’s plans to balance the budget as Japan is already saddled with the industrial world’s heaviest public debt that is more than twice the size of its economy.

E C O N O M Y

Japan Government Eyes New BudgetBalancing Goal Around Mid-2020s Japan’s Government is considering setting a new balanced budget target for around the mid-2020s after pushing back the original, sources with knowledge of the matter said recently.

A final decision has yet to be made due to disagreements over how much social welfare should be curbed and concerns that spending cuts could derail the country’s economic recovery, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity

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Can China Fill Aluminium Shortage

TECHNOLOGY

SoftBank CEO Running Out of Time to Clinch Sprint-TMobile Merger SoftBank Group Corp CEO, Masayoshi Son faces a closing window of opportunity to merge the Japanese company’s debt-laden US wireless subsidiary Sprint Corp with Deutsche Telekom’s US wireless unit, T-Mobile US Inc. Sprint’s latest round of merger talks with T-Mobile, came just five months after their previous deal negotiations ended - this is the companies’ third attempt to clinch a deal in the past four years.

While the time window for a deal is not clearly defined, the companies need to act before a US wireless spectrum auction in November.

Sprint’s and SoftBank’s deteriorating finances and the 2020 US presidential election also make it unlikely they will get another chance, sources close to the negotiations and analysts said.

SoftBank controls Sprint through its 85 percent stake. Son pulled out of merger talks with T-Mobile in November after he changed his mind on the valuation he would accept. His willingness to entertain a deal again led to the negotiations restarting, sources have said.

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Dominant aluminium producer China may help fill a gap in global supply after the United States slapped sanctions on Russia’s aluminium giant, Rusal.

But a tangle of tariffs will obstruct flows to the United States so aluminium consumers will need to find other solutions as well, industry experts said.

International prices, which have shot up more than 10 percent since the sanctions were announced, will have to rise further to lure exports from China, whose metal faces a range of tariffs and duties.

“China is the only place with surplus material, so that’s where we need to incentivise that excess supply to be shipped to the US,” said Robin Bhar, Head of Metals Research at Societe Generale in London.

Rusal accounts for about 14 percent of world aluminium production outside China. Global flows of the metal, which were already shifting after the United States imposed import tariffs on steel and aluminium, will need to further contort to supply the 65 million tonne a year market.

T E C H N O L O G Y

WeWork Snapping up China-Based Rival Naked Hub US co-working space provider WeWork Cos said it would buy Chinabased rival, Naked Hub to boost its footprint in the world’s second largest economy.

WeWork, which opened its first China location in Shanghai in 2016, said the combined firm aimed to grow to serve one million members in Greater China by the end of 2021.

New York-based WeWork, valued at about $17 billion, currently serves more than 10,000 members in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Bloomberg earlier reported, citing sources, that WeWork would pay about $400 million for the Shanghaibased firm.

WeWork did not provide financial details of the deal, while Naked Hub did not respond to requests for comment about the size of the transaction.

Naked Hub has around 50 opened and planned locations across mainland China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Its chief executive told Reuters in January the firm was looking to expand around Asia and have 200 locations by 2020.

GO TO WWW.ASIAOUTLOOKMAG.COM/NEWS FOR ALL OF THE LATEST NEWS FROM ASIA

ASIA O I L & G A S

Oil Surges more than Three Percent as Trade War Fears Recede Oil prices surged more than three percent recently as investors grew more confident the United States and China would resolve their trade dispute without damaging the global economy, while Middle East tensions and a weak dollar also supported

prices.

President Xi Jinping recently promised to open China’s economy further and lower import tariffs, striking a conciliatory tone on the trade tensions between his country and the United States.

Prices of both crude benchmarks have risen more than five percent as a consequence. Both have erased their recent losses, when concerns over a possible trade war between the two largest economies contributed to declines of more than four percent.

T R A D E

Belt and Road Initiative is not a Chinese Plot President Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy plan to build a new “Silk Road” of infrastructure and trade links between China and Eurasia is not a Chinese plot, Xi said recently, according to state media.

Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative, unveiled in 2013, aims to bolster a sprawling network of land and sea links with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

“It is neither the post-World War Two Marshall Plan, nor is it a Chinese conspiracy. If you had to (call it something), it’s an ‘overt plot’,” he added, the official news agency, Xinhua, said.

M A N U FA C T U R I N G

Toyota Group Truck Maker Hino Enters Strategic Tie-up with VW Truck Unit F I N A N C E

China to Create National Financial Database to Fend off Systemic Risk China will launch a five-year plan to build a national financial database with a focus on cross-sector products and important institutions including holding firms, in Beijing’s latest measure to curb systemic financial risk.

The State Council added it will also create a balance sheet for the entire financial system covering banking, securities and insurance institutions and use it as the foundation for macro-economy leverage estimation, according to a guidance released online.

The existing system lacks sufficient monitoring and risk warning of certain key areas that “operate beyond the statistics system”, such as crosssector financial activity, systematically important financial institutions and financial holding companies, the cabinet said in the statement.

Japanese truck maker Hino Motors Ltd, majority-held by Toyota Motor Corp, said recently it had agreed to form a strategic tie-up with Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH. The two truck makers will consider cooperating in areas such as diesel and hybrid engines, connectivity and selfdriving, Hino said in a statement.

The announcement comes as Volkswagen AG aims to list its trucks and buses division in the first quarter of next year, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, as the German automaker considers a broader structural overhaul to boost efficiency.

GO TO WWW.ASIAOUTLOOKMAG.COM/NEWS FOR ALL OF THE LATEST NEWS FROM ASIA

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Developing the World’s

Manufacturing Hub hen it comes to the economic development of a country, it will always stem from the utilisation of the natural resources that are available there. The move to altering the stream of economic development through accelerating the manufacturing industry’s capabilities will make a vast difference if timed to perfection.

Through employing the approach of protectionism that has been seen in manufacturing industries all over the world, Northeast Asian governments have transformed their steadfast rural industries into best-in-class manufacturing hubs.

Protectionism is a widely recognised economic policy used to restrict imports from other countries through the method of placing tariffs on imported produce, quotas and a selection of regulations. This allows the Government to aid the country’s trade through taxing goods imported from other countries.

When it comes to new and infant industries that are recognised as a pivotal part of the economy and have a strategic developmental place, they are exempt and protected from the government policies in order to foster their growth. It is increasingly clear that the governments are unable to protect these smaller industries from the competition out there, and therefore this enables them to work on an even playing field while trying to grow.

These businesses within the industry are then given time to prepare for the foreign competition they will inevitably

that was built upon low-cost loans, tax and tariff exemptions on the raw materials being used.

Within the space of three years, South Korea had increased its manufacturing Asia is experiencing exciting merchandise export value from US$56 to more than US$170 million. It is this change in its manufacturing part of its history that enabled South industry, becoming Korea to flourish and compete in an international market in the modern day. a renowned hub across Another example of economic the globe growth through a new approach to manufacturing can be seen in Writer: Phoebe Calver Bangladesh during the past 20 years. face, while also being encouraged to In the past it was recognisable as one become export-focused. In order to of the poorest countries in the world, build the desired manufacturing hub ruined by floods and widespread of the future, the new businesses are famine. However, now the country is encouraged by preferential quotas and ranking at an average middle-income treatment. level, its spectacular growth with The spread of Asian countries are all thanks to the new generation of set at different levels when it comes to manufacturing power. their position of economic development, The growth seen in these new and adapting to this method is gradually manufacturing centres popping up increasing each of those. across Asia is perhaps one of the most exciting changes seen in recent years Manufacturing centres for the global economy, providing In order to ensure the success of the continent with new markets for the new businesses in the region, consumer goods as well as opportunities Northeast Asian governments are also for investors to bring countries out of rewarding their top performers with poverty-stricken positions. subsidies and government contracts With the growth in Asia as a - something that has been working manufacturing hub, China’s factories in across Asia for many years. particular are investing in automation In the past a large proportion of and robotics in order to achieve an South Korea had a limited amount increase in productivity in the of productivity in agriculture and future. subsequently required the exports of foreign countries to flourish. In order to counter this issue, it was able to create a substantial textile offering

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A Low-Carbon SOCIETY Japan’s energy panel sees a role for nuclear in its 2050 emissions targets Writer: Phoebe Calver

he development of renewable energy looks set to rapidly increase, with Japan’s current policy looking set to lower its dependence on nuclear power in pursuit of becoming a low-carbon society by 2050.

This achievement will play a huge role in the long-term policy, as well as demonstrating a shift in Japanese thinking as the country currently lags in the global trend of investing in renewables. Following on from the crisis in 2011 at Fukushima, nuclear power is no longer recognised as a cheap energy source as utilities are now required to invest in order to meet with tight regulations for a secure site.

Although there has been an increased move to phase-out nuclear power - particularly in the wake of

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Fukushima – the newly implemented plan will take time to come into effect, although notable efforts have been made recently to enhance the safety of the nuclear power generation for the time-being.

It is obvious that while it is still in operation, the nuclear power industry needs to regain the public’s trust. In order to achieve the aforementioned, the industry is working on strengthening many aspects of its operations, including technology and employees.

The recent report on energy plans for 2050 went on to note its plans for solar and wind power generation, calling for the development of storage systems for surplus renewable energy that is ready to be converted into hydrogen.

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An advisory panel, whose recommendations will also feed into a review of the country’s 2030 basic energy plan and its measures to cut carbon emissions by 2050, said Japan should reduce its dependence on nuclear power, shift

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from coal to gas and boost renewable energy.

However, it listed nuclear power as an option for decarbonisation in 2050, implying the possibility of new reactors, which is not part of the current policy of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

“The report does not specifically talk about possible building of new reactors or replacing existing reactors, but it does not deny such a possibility either,” commented Shogo Tanaka, Director of the Ministry’s Energy Strategy Office.

Nuclear faces strong public opposition in the wake of the deadly 2011 Fukushima disaster, with just five of the country’s 39 commercially viable reactors currently operating.

ASIA The closures have boosted Japan’s reliance on coal and natural gas and it is currently the world’s fifth-biggest carbon emitter.

The country has pledged to trim its emissions from 2013 levels by 26 percent by 2030 and by 80 percent by 2050. It is currently aiming for a 2030 electricity mix of 22-24 percent renewables, 20-22 percent nuclear and 56 percent fossil fuels including 27 percent gas and 26 percent coal.

In the fiscal year to March, 2017, fossil fuels accounted for 83 percent of Japan’s electricity, renewables 15 percent and nuclear just two percent.

The advisory panel, made up of industry and academic representatives and including Hitachi Ltd Chairman, Hiroaki Nakanishi, did not give a proposed energy mix for future years.

It called for a further boost in renewable energy to make the sector a key and economically independent power source by 2050, citing accelerating development in hydrogen and energy storage technology.

While urging a shift away from coal, it also recommended the continued development and export of highefficient coal power technology to help curb emissions overseas.

Hiroaki Nakanishi, Hitachi Ltd Chairman

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G R O W T H

Fuelling China’s GROWTH

s the demand for gas grows, the challenges of supply also increase. Key questions include, who will provide what to whom? Pipeline gas or LNG? And from which supplier?

Natural gas is the fastest growing fossil fuel globally with LNG playing a major part in the supply of this increasingly important energy source.

LNG supply growth has quadrupled since 1995; fuelled predominantly by growing demand from Asian economies. As a result, it has doubled its share of the international natural gas trade and triggered a significant increase in export capacity from producers including Qatar, Australia and the USA. Analyst, Wood Mackenzie forecasts global gas demand surging by as much as 41 percent over the next two decades, with LNG at the forefront of this new global ‘dash for gas’ as governments seek cleaner energy solutions to meet national energy

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Analysing China’s gas market development in the lead up to Gastech 2018

By Gavin Sutcliffe, Director of Gastech Governing Body

producers in North America, Australia, Qatar and Russia; with their targets importers of LNG or pipeline gas, and each looking to project their energy exports throughout the world.

The war on pollution

China has led the charge in the move to natural gas, as a result of requirements. The investment needed initiatives from President Xi Jinping. in driving such expansion of the global When he came to power in 2013, he gas and LNG industry could reach set about making drastic changes to a dizzying US$9 trillion, with most the country’s burgeoning pollution of that earmarked for major new problems, epitomised by his “war on infrastructure. pollution”.

During the recent Gastech 2018 As a result, emissions from energy Governing Body meeting in London, use have declined for two years discussion focused on how the world consecutively, and many coal-powered was currently experiencing a challenge generators are either being shut down between international gas producing or replaced with highly efficient and countries to determine who would less polluting clean energy alternatives ultimately take the spoils and lay claim including wind, solar and natural gas. to the title of ‘world’s most influential Consequently, the share of coal used supplier’. in China’s overall energy consumption Europe, China and India are among is expected to fall from around twothe key theatres of the global gas race thirds in 2015, to less than 45 percent and there is clear competition between by 2035, with its consumption of

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natural gas expected to almost double to 11 percent in in the same period.

In October last year, Chinese gas imports reached 3.4 mmt, and there was a rise of more than 21 percent in the average LNG price for cargoes delivered to China and other Asian countries including, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan; the biggest monthly gain since November, 2016.

The global energy industry has been completely shaken by China’s LNG industry advancement at what can only be described as ‘an unstoppable pace’.

Jinping’s Government is targeting gas to make up 15 percent of the country’s energy mix by 2030, up from five percent in 2015. To put this into context, an additional 100 mmt/year of LNG demand from China would be equal to an increase of more than 20 percent in total global LNG demand in 2030.

Currently, the five-year average growth rate of the domestic LNG production capacity is 36 percent and that of the LNG imports is 15 percent.

Domestic production reached 10.1 mmt in 2017, up 28 percent from 2016, and that of import reached 38.3 mmt, up 43 percent from 2016.

Indeed, China’s long-term growth potential remains considerable, despite recent downward revisions.

Chinese gas-into-power demand is set to grow 366 percent from 2016 to 2035, as the country becomes the world’s largest importer of LNG,

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overtaking Japan whose gas-intopower demand is to fall 33 percent as its nuclear fleet ramps up again.

The recent US$250 billion US-China deal will act as a green light for China to continue buying US spot LNG and will likely trigger another wave of investments in US LNG production projects later on. But market conditions could constrain this - there could be times when Chinese firms find it more economical to import through the traditional routes of Australian and Qatari LNG, or buy Russian gas via pipelines.

Cost (and infrastructure) is king

Infrastructure will play a major role in the use and uptake of natural gas, and, as two of the world’s key players in the natural gas industry, India and China both struggle from challenges in this area. However, Chinese banks are now offering loans for companies to help facilitate this growing need.

The total value of loans provided from 2014 to 2016 exceeded US$13 billion, clearly showing the Chinese Government’s commitment and drive towards LNG development and December, 2017 saw the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approve its first loan in China, a US$250 million funding for a natural gas project. The investment is expected to connect 216,750 households across 510 villages to the natural gas distribution network.

ASIA While the changing face of the modern energy industry means that questions still remain around the demand and supply of natural gas, it’s clear that China will play a key role in its future.

China’s expanding gas and LNG markets will be a key theme to discuss at the 2018 Gastech Exhibition and Conference in Barcelona.

This year’s Gastech, the global exhibition and conference at the forefront of the international gas, LNG and energy industries, will bring together professionals from across the industry to exchange strategies for driving forward the ever-evolving global gas industry.

Held from 17-20 September at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, the event is uniquely placed at the heart of the conversation, navigating the next steps the industry takes amongst discussion and debate around advances in technology, efficiency and market fluidity and the competitiveness of natural gas.

For more information: http://www.gastechevent.com

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B H U T A N

BHUTAN Bhutan’s aesthetic beauty and historical fascination is undoubted, but the country is now looking to translate such attractions into more tangible economic returns Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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B H U T A N U N D E R S T A N D A B LY W O U L D N ’ T be one of the first countries that spring to mind when identifying lucrative business opportunities, but as the country looks to concertedly advance and diversify its economic drivers, the natural splendour and historic appeal that awaits prospective visitors is unlike anything else on the planet.

For years, Bhutan has led a rather solitary life as one of the most untouched nations in the world.

Having never been colonised, its only influences emanate from its Indian neighbours on one side, and its Buddhism-based Tibetan relationship on the other side.

Inevitably this has culminated in a rather insular approach when it comes to business as well, the country remaining largely reliant on traditional strands of

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agriculture in order to keep its citizens content. However, with Bhutan still technically a ‘least economically developed country’, the past decade has seen slow but sure moves to instigate an economic transformation.

From a logistical standpoint, the transformation won’t be easy and will take many decades more; its subtropical flat farmlands in the

FACTS & FIGURES

ASIA south balanced out by Himalayan mountains in the north, but neither particularly designed for an infrastructural revolution.

With each baby step though comes an increased likelihood of both tourists and business travellers being able to explore Bhutan’s wonderful landscape, and for those lucky few, it will be a trip to remember.

Capital city: Languages: Area: Population (2016 estimate): GDP (2017): Currency:

Thimphu Dzongkha 38,394 square kilometres 797,765 $7.045 billion Ngultrum (BTN) & Indian rupee (INR)

Time zone: UTC+6 Dialling code: +975 Internet TLD: . bt

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B H U T A N

The Business End A C R O S S T H E S O U T H Asian region, Bhutan has often ranked first among parameters including economic freedom, ease of doing business, lack of corruption, and peace. However, this perhaps shouldn’t be surprising considering the lack of variables that have been added to the melting pot traditionally.

Safety in stagnation certainly isn’t the strategy anymore though, and a host of budding signs have begun to indicate diversification of services and business lines across the board.

A decade ago, these signs were

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already being translated into tangible results as its economy rose by eight and 14 percent in respective years between 2005 and 2007, making it the second fastest growing economy in the world at the time. The commissioning of the Tala Hydroelectric Power Station compounded this shift of gear from an energy generation perspective, alluding to a variation that had never really been seen in a country that had always looked towards agriculture and forestry as its primary sources of business.

Similar improvements to Bhutan’s manufacturing, construction, tourism

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and technology sectors - including Thimphu TechPark being launched in 2012 to promote innovative startups - have ensured that these early successes have been built upon, and the facilitation of prospective business travel is subsequently more resounding than ever.

And while these early improvements are small steps towards a promising future, it shouldn’t be underestimated how challenging the road ahead is in a country where landscape undulations make transport infrastructure development a serious difficulty.

Bicycle Tours, Trekking & Adventure

Yu-Druk Tours & Treks PO Box 140, Thimphu, Bhutan Telephone: +975-2-323461 Email: sonamwangmo.yudruk@gmail.com ongdrabhutan@gmail.com yudruk1985@gmail.com

www.bhutanyudruk.bt

B H U T A N

Out & About

Punakha Dzong

T W O A R E A S O F interest spring to mind when planning a trip to Bhutan and neither require anything other than a strong pair of walking boots and a fascination with natural history.

These two facets are scenic beauty, and historical significance.

Unlike a New York, a London or a Paris where you can race from eatery, to art gallery to theatre, to casino, Bhutan need not tamper with what it has to offer, given that it already

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'Embedded into these mountains and forests though are a host of spectacular temples and monasteries – or Dzongs – which formulate the must-see attractions in Bhutan.'

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boasts a globally unique offering.

On the nature side, you can mix subtropical heat in the south with mountainous snow in the north, via a host of wildlife parks, organised tours and treks, and outstanding scenic splendour in between.

Embedded into these mountains and forests though are a host of spectacular temples and monasteries – or Dzongs – which formulate the must-see attractions in Bhutan.

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In your spare time in Bhutan you could a lot worse than plotting your travels in accordance with these Dzongs; making Paro Dzong and Punakha Dzong a foremost port of call, before also venturing towards Trongsa, Jakar, Lhuentse, Simtokha, Gasa, Rinpung, Gonggar, Gyantse, Singye, Shongar, Tsechen… and the list goes on…

From a tourism perspective, these historical artefacts have played a

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'From a tourism perspective, these historical artefacts have played a massive role in bringing more than 100,000 visitors into the country each year over the past decade or so...'

ASIA

massive role in bringing more than 100,000 visitors into the country each year over the past decade or so; avid travellers making the most of seeing one of the world’s last few countries to be largely untouched by outside influences.

That being said, the country still isn’t the easiest to both get to or navigate once there, so prior planning needs to be every bit as precise as Bhutan’s esteemed archery festivals.

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B H U T A N

Outlook Recommends "Bhutan is no ordinary place. It is the last great Himalayan kingdom, shrouded in mystery and magic, where a traditional Buddhist culture carefully embraces global developments." – Lonely Planet

TOURS

NATURE

Yu-Druk Tours & Treks

Jigme Dorji National Park

Among the more than 1,400 tour operators that exist within Bhutan, Yu-Druk Tours & Treks stands as one of the first and foremost. As a mid-sized entity that mixes upmost quality and safety with entrepreneurial flair and fun flexibility, Yu-Druk connects visitors with the most vibrant, poignant and fascinating annual events that the country has to offer.

Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park HOSPITALITY Bhutan Silver Pine Resort Terma Linca Resort & Spa Osel Hotel Galingkha

World Tour Plan

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Thrumshingla National Park FOOD & DRINK Chh’a Bistro & Bar Sonam Trophel Restaurant

CULTURE

Zombala

Paro Dzong & National Museum

ZaSa

Kurje Lhakhang

RETAIL

Kyichu Lhakhang

Thimphu Centenary Farmer’s Market

Dochula Pass 24

Royal Manas National Park

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Visit through World Tour Plan – ensure the most wonderful experience of a lifetime.

World Tour Plan was established in 2009 by a team of true professionals equipped with years of experiences and capacity in the tourism and hospitality industry. Emblazoned with our mission of being ‘At its best for Travelers’ we endeavor to make each one of your visits a truly special one.

Our tour packages are designed in such a way that through them, you get the real taste and treat of true Bhutan.

P.O Box 2032, Thimphu, Bhutan.

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T: +975-177-89-278

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E: info@worldtourplan.com

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B H U T A N

Transport Links

IMAGE BY GÖRAN HÖGLUND - FLICKR, CC BY 2.0,

U P O N Y O U R A R R I V A L to ‘...these dangers Paro Airport, the only international have not escaped airport in Bhutan, it’s fair to say that your travel options around the country the powers that be’s are limited, but once again there are attentions and plans plans in place to remedy the situation. are being initiated A collaborative rail link with India has been in the pipeline for a long time to widen some roads and will certainly speed up the moving process between certain destinations. and make them more In the meantime though, the nation’s secure’ roads are really the only way to get around. Buses are few and far between There are numerous corridors but are expanding. But really, the car connecting most of the key sought-after is the best way forward, and utmost destinations but with nearly every route caution is the order of the day; every day! comes an element of danger whether

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it’s due to pavement conditions, sheer mountainous drops, hairpin turns, weather fluctuations or even landslides.

Again, these dangers have not escaped the powers that be’s attentions and plans are being initiated to widen some roads and make them more secure. And I’m sure, for many travellers, these precarious dynamics will form part of the charm of your trip. But for those who simply want to travel from place to place as efficiently and safely as possible, the best advice is to plan well in advance, stock up on provisions should road blocks hinder your journey, and drive carefully.

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IMAGE BY DOUG KNUTH FROM WOODSTOCK, IL - PARO DAY 1-58UPLOADED BY ALBERTHERRING, CC BY-SA 2.0,

taking you beyond the sky and the earth...

Thunphel Bhutan Travel Changangkha – 11001 Thimphu, Bhutan Contact No.+975-17113050 thunphelbhutan@gmail.com info@thunpheltours.com

www.thunpheltours.com

BY MD. AMINUL HASSAN

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B H U T A N

Landmark Attractions

Paro Taktsang

“Paro Taktsang is a Buddhist temple complex which clings to a cliff, 3,120 meters above the sea level on the side of the upper Paro valley, Bhutan. Mountainous Paro valley is the heart of Bhutan… [and] The Taktsang Palphug Monastery is one of the most famous touristic destinations of the country and the cultural icon of Bhutan. Visiting the Paro Taktsang Monastery is an unforgettable experience thanks to its unique location and the views of surrounding majestic mountains and emerald green valleys.” – Taktsang Palphug Monastery

Haa Valley

“Haa Valley” was only recently opened to tourism and has remained beautifully quaint and untainted by the influences of modern development. Experience Bhutanese hospitality at the beautifully restored Lechuna Heritage Lodge, engage in a variety of hikes that range from easy to moderate, or bike around the valley or riverside in this quiet location.

Our experienced guides lead guests through the Haa and Paro Valleys on day walks, incorporating Taktsang ‘Tiger’s Nest’ Monastery, and a wild hike to Kila Nunnery, between the two valleys.”

– Bhutan Travel Bureau

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Punakha Dzong

“Punakha Dzong in western Bhutan it’s often considered the most beautiful Dzong in the country, it is also the most important Dzong in Bhutanese history. The Punakha Dzong is by far the most famous sight in Bhutan, at par with The Tiger’s Nest in Paro so it´s easy to understand why the Punakha Dzong it´s one of the top three sights in Bhutan, the two others being the Tiger Nest Monastery and Dochula Pass.” – Unusual Traveller

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SOUTH S O U T H

P A C I F I C

Appeal and accessibility are concepts at two different stages when it comes to the South Pacific, as the first remains almost unparalleled and the latter improves year-on-year Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Ryan Gray

or a region so intrinsically linked to the notion of ‘paradise’ it comes as no surprise that the South Pacific relies primarily on tourism as its economic platform.

Business and tourism are one of the same to the cluster of island nations littered around the ocean, with one only thriving if the other is enabling.

Naturally, the more extensive hubs of Australia and New Zealand facilitate each state’s prevalence to a certain

extent, but in reality, the likes of Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, American Samoa, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and Niue all have their own, unique appeals that - relatively speaking - ensure almost unrivalled visitor satisfaction and economic sustainability in equal measure.

Christopher Cocker, Chief Executive Officer at the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) notes: “Tourism

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF SOUTH PACIFIC TOURISM ORGANISATION (©SPTO)

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continues to be an important industry for the Pacific, and SPTO member governments have invested tremendously in their respective tourism sectors to ensure its sustainability.

“For a long time, SPTO has strongly advocated for the tourism industry, specifically to lobby support from national leaders for the development of the sector. Now with various Pacific Island governments mainstreaming

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sustainable tourism policies in their national tourism plans and setting aside adequate budgets for their tourism promotion activities, SPTO’s message has clearly been received.”

It isn’t a casual ‘going through the motions’ kind of organic development either. Through the SPTO’s hard work and each national Government’s concerted efforts, both the tourism and business travel segments within the

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region have expanded exponentially over the past few years. As recently as 10 years ago, annual visitor arrivals were nearly half of that seen in 2017.

“The region has also grown in terms of source markets. We have long enjoyed Australia (30 percent) and New Zealand (20 percent) as our traditional source markets and quite confidently, tourists visiting the region were predominantly from these markets. Now, our source markets have expanded to include

ASIA

China, Japan, Europe, and the US to name a few,” Cocker explains.

Vaster influences and more of a globalised sample of visitors of course adds certain pressures in terms of keeping up appearances, but each country in kind has responded accordingly; improving its levels of infrastructure, corporate facilitation and especially environmental adherences to complement the unchanging landscapes, climate, friendliness and customer service.

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S O U T H

P A C I F I C

Facts & Figures

AMERICAN SAMOA Capital: Pago Pago Languages: English, Samoan Area: 199 square kilometres Population (2010): 55,519 GDP (2013): $711 million Currency: USD ($) Time zone: UTC-11 Dialling code: +1 684 Internet TLD: .as Climate: Tropical

TONGA Capital: Nuku’alofa Languages: Tongan, English Area: 748 square kilometres Population (2011): 103,036 GDP (2011): $763 million Currency: Pa’anga (TOP) Time zone: UTC+13 Dialling code: +676 Internet TLD: .to Climate: Tropical Average temperature: 23°C

SAMOA Capital: Apia Languages: Samoan, English Area: 2,843 square kilometres Population (2016): 192,342 GDP (2016): $1.06 billion Currency: Tala (WST) Time zone: UTC+13 Dialling code: +685 Internet TLD: .ws Climate: Equatorial Highest recorded temperature: 27°C

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VANUATU Capital: Port Vila Languages: Bislama, French, English Area: 12,189 square kilometres Population (2016): 272, 459 GDP (2017): $723 million Currency: Vanuatu vatu (VUV) Time zone: UTC+11 Dialling code: +678 Internet TLD: .vu Climate: Tropical

KIRIBATI Capital: Tarawa Languages: English, Gilbertese Area: 811 square kilometres Population (2015): 110,136 GDP (2011): $599 million Currency: Kiribati dollar, Australian dollar (AUD) Time zone: UTC+12, 13, 14 Dialling code: +686 Internet TLD: .ki Average temperature: 28°C

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NAURU

COOK ISLANDS Capital: Avarua Languages: English, Cook Islands Maori Area: 236 square kilometres Population (2016): 17,459 GDP (2014): $311 million Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD) Time zone: UTC-10 Dialling code: +682 Internet TLD: .ck Climate: Moderate-tropical

Capital: Yaren Languages: Nauruan, English Area: 21 square kilometres Population (2011): 10,084 GDP (2017): $160 million Currency: Australian dollar (AUD) Time zone: UTC+12 Dialling code: +674 Internet TLD: .nr Climate: Equatorial Average temperature: 27°C

NIUE

MARSHALL ISLANDS

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA

Capital: Majuro Languages: Marshallese Area: 181 square kilometres Population (2011): 53,158 GDP (2001): $115 million Currency: USD ($) Time zone: UTC+12 Dialling code: +692 Internet TLD: .mh

Capital: Palikir Languages: English Area: 702 square kilometres Population (2016): 104,937 GDP (2011): $310 million Currency: USD ($) Time zone: UTC+10, 11 Dialling code: +691 Internet TLD: .fm

Capital: Alofi Languages: Niuean, English Area: 261 square kilometres Population (2016): 1,624 GDP (2003): $10 million Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD) Time zone: UTC-11 Dialling code: +683 Internet TLD: .nu Climate: Tropical Average temperature: 24.5°C

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S O U T H

P A C I F I C

The Business End Smart and strategic marketing initiatives from each Pacific destination have further contributed to the recent success enjoyed by the region from a business travel perspective. And internally, this has had a profound knock-on effect on the local community and budding young professionals.

Cocker continues: “We have a lot of young entrepreneurs in our tourism industries across the Pacific who are innovative, creative and fearless.

Downtown Nuku'alofa

“ T H E C H A L L E N G E S W E face as a region are the same as those experienced in the past. For example, infrastructure is still a problem; greater access through aviation is still lacking; and inter-island connectivity still needs to be improved,” Cocker continues in laying out the South Pacific’s continuous strive for improvement. “While we still have the same challenges, I believe our region is

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blessed with donors and development partners such as China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand etc, who are keen on providing the much-needed technical and financial assistance.

“We now have better airports, improved port facilities, new roads and bridges, and other types of infrastructure that would appeal to our growing visitor numbers.”

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They are not afraid to enter into new territories. I would also add that a growing confidence in our respective business environment has contributed to the growth of the Pacific as a business travel hub.”

A positive cycle has subsequently formed whereby heightened business acumen continues to encourage larger swathes of business professionals and business events to each island; resultantly encouraging the entrepreneur fraternity even further as a result.

Fiji serves as a prime example to this end through its hospitality revolution which has, in turn, attracted numerous regional and international forums and conferences.

“Again this then adds to the growing appeal of tourism as a whole,” Cocker

says in completing the harmonious cycle. “Several of our islands are now following in Fiji’s footsteps and I would say Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga have done quite well in establishing new routes through their respective national airlines.

Such developments guarantee more business travel as connectivity is available now where it once was absent. This increases more business and tourism activity between our island countries.”

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P A C I F I C

South Pacific Tourism Organisation T H E M E E T I N G S , I N C E N T I V E S , conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market has inevitably contributed greatly to the Pacific’s heightened business status as a result of the aforementioned infrastructural developments; reflecting positively on each national Government of course, but especially on associations such as the SPTO. Christopher Cocker (CC): The South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) was originally called the Tourism Council of the South Pacific (TCSP) when it was established in June, 1988. The founding members recognised the need for increased cooperation in matters relating to tourism promotion and marketing which necessitated the establishment of a body to be responsible for tourism promotion matters. They also saw the need to work together in the coordination and planning of promotion and marketing strategies to be undertaken in conjunction with the work of other regional and international organisations.

Its purpose was to develop, through cooperation, the tourism industries of the South Pacific and by doing so, seek to foster travel in the region.

Asia Outlook (AsO): Since inception, how has the South Pacific Tourism Organisation developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

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CC: The evolution of the organisation has been partially driven by the demands and needs of its member countries, changes in management, the availability of resources, and priorities of donor agencies. National Tourism Offices (NTOs) from its member countries and industry capacity levels have also evolved since SPTO’s establishment which has impacted upon the role and priorities of the organisation.

From a solo role of tourism promotion and marketing, it has expanded its mandate to include tourism development.

The organisation has gone beyond its traditional marketing role and progressed to also undertake work related to digital marketing, sustainable tourism development, research and statistics, and project management and implementation, to name a few.

SPTO has secured donor funding over the years which has greatly assisted in the implementation of work programmes across the Pacific.

AsO: And how has this evolution been reflected in terms of association membership numbers?

CC: With the increasing need for capacity building through training, tourism marketing tools, and other priorities, coupled with SPTO’s ability to deliver accordingly, SPTO’s membership base has also increased. From nine founding government members, SPTO now has 18 government members with the inclusion of the People’s Republic of

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China. Its private sector membership has also grown to include more than a 100 members.

From its TCSP days, SPTO’s traditional development partners have mainly been the European Union and the members of the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP). That landscape has since changed for SPTO whose development partners now include organisations like the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ), New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), Sustainable Travel International (STI), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), to name a few.

AsO: What is in store for the South Pacific over the course of 2018 to continue the good work already commenced and to enhance its reputation as a tourism and business travel hub further in the future?

CC: Our priority over the past three years has been sustainable tourism development and we will continue to preach that over the course of 2018. It is very important for our Pacific Island members and communities to embrace the tourism sector as the source of their livelihoods, and in so doing, understand the importance of sustainable tourism.

Our islands are our assets and our environments (both land and sea) are our greatest tourist attractions. We have conducted awareness training in our member countries that teach communities, public and private sectors the concept of sustainable tourism development and its importance to our daily lives.

In 2017, we also began reaching out to hotels and

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accommodation providers through consultation workshops as well, with the objective of teaching them to monitor, measure, report on and address critical barriers to improving sustainable consumption and production in the tourism industry. The feedback has been very encouraging and we will continue the sustainable consumption and production programme this year. This will surely assist the sustainability of hotels so they are able to continue providing quality service to their guests with minimal cost to the environment.

AsO: Finally, looking forward, what progress and development would you hope and expect to be able to report back in the future; both in regards to the South Pacific Tourism Organisation as an entity, and in regards to the business travel industry in the South Pacific as a whole?

CC: For SPTO as an entity: an increase in its government membership base; an increase in donors/development partners; an increase in private sector members; an expansion of work programmes and activities implemented in member governments; and an increase in staffing for programme implementation.

For the travel industry: sustainable tourism policies and practices enforced and introduced across member governments; an increase in air links and inter-island connectivity; aviation infrastructure available in countries that are in dire need of them; strengthened efforts in waste management and conservation; maximised synergies between renewable energy and energy efficiency in the region; and culinary tourism as an attraction for tourists (Pacific cuisine as a brand).

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S O U T H

P A C I F I C

Out & About

T H E L A T T E R F O C U S on cuisine and culinary tourism shines further light on how the region is looking to not just attract new visitors, but to strengthen every element of the visitor experience as more and more people enter each country.

As a sub-set of agro-tourism, once again numerous partnerships have been set up across Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea to both improve levels of agricultural production, and then to apply the fruits of said labours across a more refined food & drink industry.

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'The emphasis on new products is similarly improving the overall offering to prospective business travellers... from bird watching, diving, whale watching and island tours, to weddings, honeymoons and exclusive resort experiences'

“Our work programme in this area encourages the use of local resources in local cuisine and menus of our hotels,” Cocker details. “This not only encourages import substitution but also positions our hotels as a ‘source market’ for our farmers. We have been in Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu from 2015 undertaking this mentioned programme and we will continue with other countries in the Pacific in 2018.”

The emphasis on new products is similarly improving the overall offering to prospective business travellers and tourists, facilitating everything from bird

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watching, diving, whale watching and island tours, to weddings, honeymoons and exclusive resort experiences.

Cocker continues: “To experience our culture these are the kinds of attractions we have always had, however, they were under-developed and not properly maintained for tourists to enjoy them and return to our shores for a repeat holiday indulging in the same.”

The situation is a whole lot different now though, and in reaction to such opportunities, sectors including hospitality, food & drink, art, history and culture have all begun to capitalise.

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'AGA Reef Resort, Jones Travel, Emerald Hotel and Brekkas Beach Resort represent just a select sample of the region’s exponents across Samoa and Tonga respectively.

And they, among others, are now primed to deliver best-in-class services to an ever-expanding number of visitors'

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AGA Reef Resort, Jones Travel, Emerald Hotel and Brekkas Beach Resort represent just a select sample of the region’s exponents across Samoa and Tonga respectively. And they, among others, are now primed to deliver best-in-class services to an ever-expanding number of visitors who are being attracted by SPTO-driven events including the South Pacific Tourism Exchange, the SPTO/PATA Tourism Insights Conference, and the construction of the 212-room Hilton Port Moresby and Convention Centre in Papua New Guinea in time for the 2018 APEC Convention.

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P A C I F I C

Paradise continues to be interjected with infrastructural development as each island - Nauru in this case - looks to evolve its overall offering without tarnishing its natural appeal

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P A C I F I C

Outlook Recommends “Our islands are our assets and our environments (both land and sea) are our greatest tourist attractions.” - Christopher Cocker, CEO, SPTO

TRANSPORT

HOSPITALITY AGA Reef Resort (Samoa)

Breakas Beach Resort (Vanuatu)

FAB Rentals (Tonga)

Jones Travel (Tonga)

Captain Cook Hotel (Kiribati)

FOOD & DRINK

Emerald Hotel & Restaurant (Tonga)

Aitutaki Lagoon (Cook Islands)

Tisa’s Barefoot Bar (American Samoa)

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SAMOA

Indulge Yourself IN

AWARD WINNING STYLE

P: +685 47800 | E: office@agareefresort.com | www.agareefresort.com

T: +676 23077 Long established and reputable car rental service on Tongatapu, with rates to suit most budgets.

FAB Rentals Vehicles to meet every budget • Our wide range of clean, reliable and comfortable cars enables us to choose the most suitable one for you to discover the delights of Tongatapu in comfort.

• Office is open weekdays from 8am to 5pm., Saturdays 8am to 12 noon • Pick-up and drop off to Fua`amotu International and domestic airports are available at TOP $40 each way • We can arrange a driver upon request.

• We can arrange to obtain a Tongan visitors drivers license for the Govt fee only for full drivers license holders from overseas, valid for 3 months

Salote Road, Ma`ufanga, Nuku`alofa, Tongatapu Island, Kingdom of Tonga E: leeintonga@gmail.com (responds quickly during working hours)

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P A C I F I C

Outlook Recommends MUSEUMS

NATURE Namu’a Island (Samoa)

Anibare Bay (Nauru)

Robert Louis Stevenson Museum (Samoa)

Millennium Cave Tours (Vanuatu)

Limu Pools (Niue)

National Museum of Vanuatu (Vanuatu)

Muri Lagoon (Cook Islands)

RETAIL

Alele Museum, Library, National Archives (Marshall Islands)

Fagatogo Market (American Samoa) 44

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ASIA

Emerald Hotel Comfort & Service with Style Relaxed

BEACHSIDE ISLAND RESORT VANUATU

Breakas Beach Resort is an intimate tropical retreat providing the ultimate “feet in the sand” beach holiday. Enhanced by the natural beauty of a private cove on Pango peninsular, Breakas Beach Resort rests in an unrivalled backdrop in Port Vila. The Award Winning Resort features a stunning 22 metre infinity pool which falls into the horizon of the Pacific Ocean.

Get in touch PO Box 1101 Port Vila ,Vanuatu T: +678 25844 E: reservations@breakas.com www.breakas.com

WITH US

The Emerald Hotel is ideally located in the heart of the capital, situated on the waterfront next door to the Convention Centre. The Hotel is a two minute walk from the famous Talamahu Market Place and a 4 minute walk to the Royal Palace.

The Emerald is a modern and stylish boutique hotel with all the facilities for the discerning business traveler or leisure guest. There are twenty spacious boutique rooms with spectacular ocean views. The famous Emerald Restaurant serves authentic Asian cuisine with 5 private dining rooms. It is the ideal place to stay for any visitor in to Tonga.

Tel: +676 87228888 | Email: emeraldhoteltonga@gmail.com

your home a way from home The Waterfront Cafe and Lodge, the best private Tonga hotel, is situated on the waterfront over looking the Habour, with the Nuku’alofa waterfront unfolding right before you. Just a 20 minute stroll to downtown Nuku’alofa and you will soon find yourself immersed in the sights, shops and markets of the Kingdom of Tonga capital city.

Most of our guests consider the Waterfront Lodge to be Tonga accommodation at its finest. If you’re looking for a base for your holiday exploration of Tongatapu or a stop-over before / after your visit to the beautiful islands of Tonga, the homely atmosphere of the Waterfront Café and Lodge will surprise you and will make your vacation simply unique.

ROOM

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CAR RENTAL Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa, Tonga Tel: +676 871 4876 / 25 260 Mob: +676 772 0810 Email: waterfro1@kalianet.to www.waterfrontlodgetonga.com

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Transport Links

A S A R E P R E S E N T A T I O N of how far the South Pacific has come in recent years, you need only look at the countries’ air links. Epitomising the attractiveness of each nation and the demand that now exists among the travelling world to visit their shores; the role that the likes of Australia and New Zealand have to play as transport facilitators speaks volumes.

Cocker affirms: “One should simply look at the air links into and across the Pacific to agree that we, as a region, have certainly grown as a business travel hub. The number of airlines flying into the Pacific through

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"One should simply look at the air links into and across the Pacific to agree that we, as a region, have certainly grown as a business travel hub"

entry points such as Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, etc, has increased dramatically and I am positive that this will increase in the years to come.”

Once on each island, there is inevitably an expectation of getting around under your own steam, whether that’s by car or walking (depending on distance), while any number of boat companies are on hand to encourage inter-island hopping. This all adds to the charm of a paradise trip though. Nobody has ever ‘endured’ an inter-island, sundrenched sail across crystal blue seas, and the only real challenge remaining

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from a transport perspective is the initial venture to the region; especially as the appeal broadens beyond traditional Australian and New Zealand demographics.

As Fiji is already showcasing though, each individual nation is slowly but surely developing its infrastructure to deal with its own demand.

Cocker says: “Fiji has and will always be the leading industry in the region and the hub of the Pacific. There are increasingly more flights coming through Fiji than ever before and its state-of-the-art international airport in Nadi has left Fiji in a league of her own

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"The number of airlines flying into the Pacific through entry points such as Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, etc, has increased dramatically and I am positive that this will increase in the years to come"

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in the Pacific. There are more direct flights from Fiji that link us to Asia, the US and our traditional markets of Australia and New Zealand.”

And as Cocker concludes, this trend is primed to be replicated across the rest of the region in the years to come.

“Several of our islands are following in Fiji’s footsteps though and I would say Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga have done quite well in establishing new routes through their respective national airlines. Such developments guarantee more business travel as connectivity is available now where it once was absent.”

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Ha’amonga ‘a Maui Trilithon (Tonga)

“Scattered over 700,000 square kilometres in the southern Pacific Ocean are the Tonga islands. On one of the 176 islands that make up Tonga, there stands one of the strangest megalithic monuments in the Pacific, a trilithon called Ha’amonga ‘a Maui (A carrying stick/burden of Maui). There are many legends about the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui. The most prominent story says that the trilithon was made by the Maui demigod(s) because no other mortals would be able to handle such giant stones.” – Ancient Origins

Mount Yasur (Vanuatu)

“Tanna is the most populated island in Tafea Province, almost entirely Melanesian. Most of Tanna’s 30,000 inhabitants still closely follow the lifestyle of their ancestors and their customs practiced for hundreds of years...

The principal attraction of Tanna is Mt Yasur, known as the most accessible active volcano in the world. Mt Yasur has... been nearly continuously erupting for centuries, although usually it can be approached safely.”

– Air Taxi Vanuatu

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PHOTO: TAUʻOLUNGA

Landmark Attractions

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Nan Madol (Federated States of Micronesia)

“Off the coast of a remote Micronesian island lay the ruins of a once-great city of man-made stone islands that inspired the city of R’lyeh in H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. Impressive in their own right, these ruins represent the remains of megalithic architecture on an unparalleled scale in Micronesia. Nan Madol is the biggest centre of the culture which left numerous other megalithic structures scattered on neighbouring shores on the main island of Pohnpei...” – Atlas Obscura

Ofu Beach (American Samoa)

“The beach at Ofu stretches for miles, but the sheer beauty of this curve of sand and the relative emptiness of its shores make it one of the best beaches in the world.

The soft pink sands are ideal for strolling and the protected waters are home to thriving coral reefs and a variety of sea life.”

– Travel Channel

To Sua Ocean Trench (Samoa)

“On the main south coast road you will find the iconic Sua giant swimming hole; a stunning attraction site featuring a unique land formation consisting of two giant holes joined via an ancient lava tube cave. One is without water and the other is a beautiful 30 metre deep swimming hole with turquoise water accessed by a ladder. This site also offers lush gardens, day fales with cliff top views, blowholes, sea arches and rock pools to explore.”

– Samoa.travel

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Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world.

ASIA OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries on the continent.

With content compiled by our experienced editorial team, complemented by an in-house design and production team ensuring delivery to the highest standards, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from the length and breadth of Asia.

We reach an audience of 220,000 people across the continent, bridging the full range of industrial sectors: agriculture, construction, energy & utilities, finance, food & drink, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & resources, oil & gas, retail, shipping & logistics, technology and travel & tourism.

In joining the leading industry heavyweights already enjoying the exposure we can provide, you can benefit from FREE coverage across both digital and print platforms, a FREE marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to grow your business.

To get involved, please contact Outlook Publishing’s Managing Director, Ben Weaver, who can provide further details on how to feature your company, for FREE, in one of our upcoming editions.

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ISSUE 32

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hen we last spoke with Saka Energi, it was riding off the success of a challenging and busy year at the Company where it acquired a production block from HESS and became the thriving operator of the block.

The transition of ownership of the production block runs well to this day, and during the same year the Company was also in the process of negotiating on several production sharing contracts with Indonesian multinational oil & gas companies.

“Our hard work on these projects was made worthwhile when we were able to farm in the aforementioned PSCs, and in 2016 we began farming in Bangkanai PSC,” explains Tumbur Parlindungan. “Following on from that period of success, 2017 was a

ues Saka Energi contin class to provide worldto upstream services tcompound its marke leading status

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particularly gratifying year for us as a Company.

“We were able to achieve a high level of activity within our productions, consistently complying to international safety standards, while also continuously maintaining a safe and productive workplace.

“In addition to that we have successfully managed to create costefficiency through the reduction of our operational expenses at every level, keeping us both competitive and effective within the industry.”

With thanks to its spirit and drive for exploration, Saka continues to develop its portfolio through exploration activity, development and production in a strategic and sustainable manner. Last year’s strategy was focused on the development of activities, with close attention to Pangkah PSC.

ASIA SAKA ENERGI INDONESIA

Providing world-class upstream services

Power to

DISCOVER Since last speaking to Saka Energi, the Company has engaged in numerous projects that is driving forward its market leading position within the industry Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

GUIDE BUSINESS aTRAVEL Mountain to Climb Bhutan: Many

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00 between design and An innovative bridge construction

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Malaysia’s southern

UPC RENEWABLES LIMITED 00record in providing A global track clean energy

CARE LTD | HSC HEALTH SINGAP ORE (PTE) H | SIREN DESIGN

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+44 (0) 1603 959 650 ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com

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hen we last spoke with Saka Energi, it was riding off the success of a challenging and busy year at the Company where it acquired a production block from HESS and became the thriving operator of the block.

The transition of ownership of the production block runs well to this day, and during the same year the Company was also in the process of negotiating on several production sharing contracts with Indonesian multinational oil & gas companies.

“Our hard work on these projects was made worthwhile when we were able to farm in the aforementioned PSCs, and in 2016 we began farming in Bangkanai PSC,” explains Tumbur Parlindungan. “Following on from that period of success, 2017 was a

particularly gratifying year for us as a Company.

“We were able to achieve a high level of activity within our productions, consistently complying to international safety standards, while also continuously maintaining a safe and productive workplace.

“In addition to that we have successfully managed to create costefficiency through the reduction of our operational expenses at every level, keeping us both competitive and effective within the industry.”

With thanks to its spirit and drive for exploration, Saka continues to develop its portfolio through exploration activity, development and production in a strategic and sustainable manner. Last year’s strategy was focused on the development of activities, with close attention to Pangkah PSC.

Power to

DISCOVER Since last speaking to Saka Energi, the Company has engaged in numerous projects that is driving forward its market leading position within the industry Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

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Continuous development

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In the present day the Company is operating in industry conditions that are full of uncertainty, however, it continues to show signs of positive performance that are more than satisfactory.

Saka Energi’s achievements are thoroughly supported through its commitment to the continuous development of its assets, alongside its continued work on efficiency.

“Upon entering our seventh year of operation we are ready to embrace and face new challenges head on in 2018, while focusing on our upcoming drilling and development activities,” adds Parlindungan. “Each of those activities has been approved by government and will more importantly ensure that we are able to manage

our OPEX game, staying strong and competitive in the industry.”

In recognition of its efforts in the industry, based on the SKK Migas grouping system, Saka is in the top 20 oil & gas companies in operation in Indonesia.

“Recently we have achieved the production target of approximately 50,000 barrels - at an increase of 36 percent -while also maintaining our OPEX at the right size,” states Parlindungan. “We have also proudly introduced the most efficient and effective drilling cost in the industry.

“We are one of very few Indonesian oil & gas companies that continuously performs exploration, discovery and development and as a national oil company we are incredibly proud of this achievement.”

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T Solar Alert Energy was incorporated in Indonesia in 2016 as part of the regional expansion plan of its parent company, Solar Alert Sdn Bhd of Malaysia.

Solar Alert (SASB) and Solar Alert Energy (SAE) are both API licensed manufacturers of wellhead and Christmas tree equipment.

Apart from being accredited with the API 6A and API 16A, SAE also carries ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2015, OHSAS 18001:2007, TKDN, SKT Migas, SKUP, CIVD and APDN certifications.

Other services provided by SAE are: • Wellhead maintenance services • H2S services • Habitat services • Wellhead chamber and de-sander SAE currently provides wellhead equipment rental in support of Saka Energi Indonesia exploration programmes on its Pangkah and Sesulu fields.

The Company has also supplied Christmas tree and complete wellhead and tree systems for their development projects, and the Company is keen to be the partner of choice for Saka Energi in its quest to discover new reserves and develop proven reserves.

Though in itsxxxxxxxxxxx infancy in Indonesia, Xxxxxxxxstill xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx the Company has proven itself to be a reliable provider with the highest service standards. Whilst continuing to evolve and improve its product design, reliability and service level, the Company is committed towards its customer satisfaction and delivering quality product and services.

The Company takes pride in achieving success through enrichment of its human capital and by developing and nurturing young local talent by offering them the platform to learn and developed their creativity and skills in the industry.

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Exploration and development

As previously mentioned the continued focus on efforts in exploration and development is enabling Saka Energi to seek new resources in oil & gas, which is especially apparent in eastern Indonesia.

“Each new target we set in terms of exploration is estimated with an accurate calculation,” explains Parlindungan. “In the medium-term we will focus on drilling with three rigs, consisting of a singular production well and two exploration wells in Pangkah block and South Sesulu block.

Furthermore, we will develop Sidayu field and West Pangkah field in East Java.”

From an operational aspect, Saka has also been working tirelessly to improve its internal efficiencies.

For the most part this effort has been implemented through the development of digital infrastructure and internal efficiency that enables support for every level of the business.

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HALLIBURTON

In the mediumterm we will focus on drilling with three rigs, consisting of a singular production well and two exploration wells in Pangkah block and South Sesulu block...

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We help our customers maximise value throughout the lifecycle of the reservoir — from locating hydrocarbons and managing geological data, to drilling and formation evaluation, well construction and completion, and optimising production throughout the life of the asset.

Mature fields, HP/HT, whatever your exploration or production need; we’ll bring innovative, tailored solutions that help you achieve the results you want.

Plus we’ll do it with an uncompromising focus on HSE. Contact us at www.halliburton.com today.

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For the past year the vast majority of the Company’s activities used a digital system, and in addition to reducing costs the digital infrastructure enables it to improve its accuracy and speed in every operational practice.

“As well as those factors, we have adapted towards transformation,” adds Parlindungan. “We’ve adopted new technologies such as the BlackBerry Unified Endpoint Manager (UEM), which is the exciting result of a collaborative project between BlackBerry and PT PGAS Telekomunikasi Nusantara (PGASCOM).

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We now deploy BlackBerry UEM, which enables us to secure and manage all end-points within an organisation while enabling truly secure mobile working

“We now deploy BlackBerry UEM, which enables us to secure and manage all end-points within an organisation while enabling truly secure mobile working.

“Blackberry was the obvious choice for us as a trusted enterprise solution that would increase our operation efficiency, as well as the ability for management, staff and clients to securely share information from wherever they are situated.”

Now the Company can increase the convenience of mobile working and make the business secure, while also

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reducing the operational burden it has previously been faced with.

Parlindungan adds: “That way our transformation to the digital world will be secure and cost-effective, supporting our first mobile application, SAKA Smart, where our employees can easily access the intranet and business processes directly from their phone.”

Moving forward

With thanks to the technology upgrades, enhanced administrative systems and facility upgrades that were previously mentioned, the

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Company is able to remain highly competitive in a saturated and increasingly difficult industry.

“In addition to that we also maintain our good corporate governance and compliance to the regulations the prove to be a key factor of success,” explains Parlindungan. “Alongside our processes and technological advancements are our people, providing the key asset to our success over the years.

“It is imperative to this continued success that we continuously train them in order to provide them with the best knowledge and tools to instil

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progress at every level.”

At present the Company continues to grow and evolve and alongside increasing its staff, Saka continues to strive towards increasing its production capacity through the development of its assets domestically.

“We expect that this development will continue with production activities well into 2018,” concludes Parlindungan. “Moving forward we hope to repeat the successes seen during the past three years and look forward to our continued efforts in exploration and development.”

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F R O N T

Front Foot On the

Front Inc has spent the past 15 years looking to apply innovative technologies, solutions and methodologies in the gap between design and construction; a proposition that has already taken the Company to great heights in Asia Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

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ridging the gap between design and construction, Front Inc has successfully replicated its innovative façade model from North America into Asian markets via a host of high profile project involvements.

Incepted in 2002 in Manhattan, New York as the brainchild of four founding principals, Michael Na Min Ra, Marc Simmons, Bruce Nichol and Martin Riese, the initial vision was to create a practice in support of good ideas and design underpinned by science and technology in order to evolve façade works in North America for owners, developers, architects, designers, and contractors. The found-ing partners have since been accompanied by two additional principals, Richard Green, the senior most structural engineer and Elaine Yau covering the administrative operational side of the firm.

With a specific focus on agility, a customised approach was adopted, and the realisation soon hit that such a proposition could be successful not just in the US and North America, but in the boom-ing Asian arena.

“We’ve expanded our works both from a service perspective and a geographical point pf view, our reach into Asia happening early, and eventually leading to our Hong Kong office in 2012,” recalls Company Principal, Michael Na Min Ra. “A few of the other partners here had extensive experience in Hong Kong and Asia in general so we knew that we had the expertise to capitalise on the opportunities existing in the region, and we were then quite lucky in our opportunity to be awarded the CCTV project in Beijing as one of our very early commissions.

“From a scale, form, location and complexity point of view, CCTV is a a globally recognised icon. We were very fortunate to work on something like that, coming off the back of

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projects like Seattle Public Library in Washington State.”

The accumulative portfolio on an international level now speaks for itself, comprising in Asia numerous significant projects including the LVMH building in Osaka, Japan.

Ra adds: “Our track record and the positive reputation formed as a consequence is absolutely critical.

These kinds of projects give us great exposure to experience but also bring two other pivotal advantages: they’re initially interesting and challenging to work on; but they also then have longevity in terms of being able to leverage those experiences to attain future projects as well.”

ASIA Finding a way in

The decision to move across continents is never one taken lightly, but grounded in the firm’s DNA and evolutionary logic, made the expansion into Hong Kong very natural.

While an analysis of prospective demand was inevitably initiated, the crux revolved around the sheer size of the market and the abundant opportunities that await any successful exponent.

Ra explains: “We started out in NYC but it just made sense to expand our footprint as a means to explore a wider range of projects and to exercise a form of diversification providing protection against regional economic variabilities.

“From a scale, form, location and complexity point of view, CCTV is a a globally recognised icon. We were very fortunate to work on something like that, coming off the back of projects like Seattle Public Library in Washington State.”

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F R O N T

“The trajectory that Chinese and Southeast Asian construction was and is still on is obvious and that is still the case as we now look towards the likes of Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand to complement the more established areas of Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Japan where we have already completed projects.”

It’s never easy finding a safe footing in a new domain, especially when the competition is so fierce, but Front certainly didn’t begin in Asia from a standing start; rather it was able to extend existing relationships with similarly international operators that had been formed across North America and Europe.

“It was initially about finding a way in via our clients - i.e, the architects - and that’s the portal we’ve come through to land here,” Ra affirms.

“But then, once in, it’s been about identifying and attaining those special projects in the market to align our own ambitions and expertise with the wants and requirements of various business owners and developers.

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“We find further advantages in knowing that the specific services we can provide haven’t been so abundantly available in the region until recently. We went through the same sector evolution in North America, and this niche was certainly the case as we made a name for ourselves in Asia.”

International level of expertise

Back in the US in the early 2000s, this evolution came from transforming a role of construction then known as waterproofing consultancy or curtain wall consultancy into an established façade-focused strand of the overall value chain.

Requiring high levels of technical and advisory-based skills, this is where Front Inc first found a dif-ferentiating attribute in the sector, in embedding itself into the wider design process rather than waiting as a third party for questions to arise.

Subsequently involving itself in aspects of material choices, system design and architectural iterations, the

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F R O N T

GNT GLASS CO. LTD GnT, Vision for Better Glass Positioning itself as a complex fabricated glass product provider with a mission of offering quality glass to customers, GnT Glass Co. Ltd has always strived to make a difference in the industry via pioneering improvements across product creativity and technological innovation.

Located in Dongguan City Guangdong Province, China, the Company’s development over the past decade has cemented its status as a leading deep processing glass company; and as such has endeared itself to a host of international manufacturers including Vitro-PPG, Guardian, Saint-Gobain, Glastrosch, Pilkington, AGC, Sefar, and many more.

consequent, collaborative proposition shed light on the importance of façade design and consulting in the wider project, while offering a personable, customisable facilitator of this facet within all stages of the design and construction.

“It was about trying to understand the core integrity of the ideas embedded in the architecture as a whole and looking for ways to manifest those ideas into finer, detailed aspects of the project,” Ra adds. “The great architects seek create coherent experiences and we embrace those ideas in support, synthesising materials to the finest levels of technical resolution.

“We’re good at; and it’s what we take great enjoyment in doing for our partners and clients.”

In creating a specific framework and proposition, it also allowed Front to be more selective in the projects it looked to enter into; rather than trying to become involved in every opportunity that came across the Company’s desk.

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Through each partnership GnT has successfully completed various landmark projects in North America, Europe, Australia, Middle East and Asia; expanding continuously from its strategically advantageous base in the Pearl Delta area. This positioning facilitates connections to shipping ports, airports, express trains and high-speed road networks, ensuring a faster and more efficient service to customers.

And ultimately, the Company’s vision for better glass is realised more effectively and consistently as a consequence.

GNT says: “We carry the mission of providing better glass to our customers, and always make improvements in our creativity, innovative technologies Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx and products as a top priority in the industry.”

An example of such expertise, GnT GLASS CO., LTD has been delivering complex architectural glass products to high profile projects such as Jewel @ Changi Airport in Singapore, 609 Main Street in the US, FASS Sydney University in Australia, Etihad Museum in USA and so on from its 100,000 square metre industrial park.

T +86 769 8109 2120

www.gntglass.com

Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

Hong Kong Xiqu Center

Hyundai Motor Studio, Korea

Jewel @ Changi Airport, Singapore

Etihad Museum, UAE

GnT Glass, Complex Fabricated Glass Provider

GnT Glass Co., Ltd | T: +86 769 8109 2128 | F: +86 769 8109 2118 | www.gntglass.com

F R O N T

“We don’t get all the projects we go for, but our portfolio is certainly growing at a pace that is sustainable, all the while leveraging prior relationships and global project experience.”

It all comes down to quality

The importance of not resting on laurels and remaining proactive from a continuous development perspective is paramount. Front Inc has beaten many to the punch in terms of not just its offering, but in the way it is presented and integrated into a wider project. And the emphasis is now on

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leveraging this positive platform in order to expand further in the future.

To this end, there has always been and will continue to be a significant reliance on technology; an ideology that would have carried risks in the past, but that is proving a significant, dynamic facilitator in the present day.

Ra details: “You have to be careful with technology because it can consume more than returning a timely yield, but at the same time it’s critical for us to engage with it intelligently to develop and harvest the best opportunities.

“Since inception one of our core

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missions has been to keep ahead of the technological curve, in order to bridge a disconnect that often exists between design and construction. Traditionally there has often been a lack of transparency or a misinterpretation of information between the two, and the rigidness of technology was unable to solve that problem. Right now, technology actually gives us a flexibility to make inroads here, to reduce the grind and conflict between design and construction.”

Resultantly, also, reducing the amount of unforeseen incidents

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throughout a build process, the issue of non-repeatability has similarly been mitigated, replaced by an appealing speed and innovation throughout Front’s service provision.

BIM has inevitably been integral as part of this continuous improvement but it’s more in the way that BIM is utilised that stands the Company apart; harnessing the technology in the most bespoke, appropriate way for each project to ultimately strengthen the connection across each stage, creating a smoother process with more predictable results. This process,

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invented by Front, is Called BIG BIM (Building Information Generation) and is driven by a software plug-in also developed by Front - affectionately called Elefront - which was deployed on the Morpheus City of Dreams tower in Macau. Handling the most geometrically complex parts of the building, the BIG BIM process was to model more than 1.6 million parts and 1.2 million unique parts from system design through in-formation and data generation used directly by the factory for fabrication and assembly with per-fect accuracy.

“What this helps to achieve is the

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underlying vision that all of us share: the creation of good buildings,” Ra concludes. “Despite all the nuances and technicalities, it all comes down to quality at the end of it – durable, sustainable, long-lasting, safe, aesthetically satisfying, quality.

“We take responsibility for these aspects when entering a project and once these staple parame-ters are achieved all the finer details fall into place and follow in kind. This quality has been a universally shared goal since our beginnings and is what we commit to in the future.”

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It’s What’s Inside That Matters

Siren Design is driving happiness, wellbeing and productivity among clients across the APAC region via an interior architecture proposition that proves it’s what’s on the inside that counts Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

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or the past 13 years, Siren Design has stayed true to the mantra of ‘it’s what’s inside that counts’ in order to become one of the most revered interior architects in the Asia-Pacific region.

Redefining the region’s architectural landscape as a consequence, CEO, Mia Feasey - alongside Managing Director, Penny Sloane - has led the charge, and has been rewarded via an ever-expanding business that now comprises more than 70 “creative and incredibly talented” designers, and a footprint that reaches Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne.

Co-owners, Feasey and Sloane share an intrinsic passion for design, people and business with the latter heading the Singapore office since its inception in 2011. Together, the management team’s ability to lead, inspire and grow talented personnel has turned Siren Design into one of the industry’s most successful pioneers.

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“Renowned for being the ‘go-to’ team for realising high performance interiors for high performance clients, Siren is always eager to take on a wide range of projects whatever the space; be it hospitality, workplace, residential or public,” introduces Sloane. “It is our belief that interiors have a big role to play in happiness, wellbeing and productivity. Interior design isn’t about labels, it’s about crafting an environment that reflects who you are and what you do and an environment which immediately tells others what’s in your heart. And most importantly, an environment that invites people in.”

Sloane goes on to emphasise that a good interior can make or break a business; an apt notion when analysing the rise of Siren Design since 2005 in leveraging its own levels of creativity and determination.

“We are a tribe of brave and talented souls realising high performance design solutions for high performance clients,” the MD continues. “Whatever the space, be it hospitality, workplace or public, today’s performance-driven organisations are looking for highly turned, user-centric, experiential design solutions that accelerate their social and economic initiatives to transform their space into a home with a heart. This heart is the lifeblood of Siren Design.”

The progressive future of work

Siren takes great pride in finding new and creative initiatives in order to achieve the wants and needs of its ever-growing client base; with the understanding that each project is individual in its own right.

Resultantly, customisability and agility are of utmost importance, formulating a bespoke strategy in each case to facilitate the relevant client’s own creative control and vivid imagination.

“Maintaining and upholding this individualist approach has contributed to the growing success by shining a

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enith has created products perfect for varying commercial environments since the 1950s, evolving over the decades to become a customised, international market leader.

Basing its portfolio and its ethos on a series of values, the resultant service has gained market-leading acclaim for a Company that is now ingrained into the fabric of the wider industry.

“We create products for spaces that inspire people and organisations to excel,” the Company affirms, alluding to its foremost value; an inspirational philosophy that facilitates Zenith’s ability to lead, serve, customise and grow in accordance with market and client demands.

In Asia-Pacific specifically, Zenith has become one of Australia’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of commercial furniture, since expanding across the region to expand the reach of its world-class products.

Remaining flexible has been key in order to achieve such a widespread international footprint, and is also evident throughout Zenith service offering.

“Extensive capabilities enable exceptional customisation and flexibility,” the Company says. “Zenith’s expertise around industrial design, engineering, rapid prototyping, manufacturing, sales delivery and installation along with our collaborative approach with clients enable us to meet customers’ specific needs.”

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The reason for Zenith’s success can be attributed much more internally though, virtue of its in-house capabilities across project management, design, ISO 14001-certified manufacturing, marketing and aftersales.

“We provide continuity in service, product and project performance and are able to guarantee competitive pricing,” Zenith states. “Through our experience we have developed procedures that ensure consistently high-quality installations and a high level of flexibility and adaptability to meet critical lead times and project demands.”

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EDO & KISSEN Focus, share, collaborate, socialise & learn.

EDO Work Lounge schamburg + alvisse

KISSEN Workstation ZENITH Design Pictured: lapalma KIPU ottoman & UNO chair

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INTERFACE AND CONTRAC IMAGE

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he design of modern interiors plays an increasingly growing responsibility to provide for the needs of interior spaces, as they become more complex with work/life integration.

As specialists in modular flooring, Interface and Contrac Image enable what they call ‘positive spaces’ to pave the way to better design. Interface’s comprehensive selection of modular carpet and luxury vinyl tile, provide a foundation for such spaces; giving people the flexibility to use it as they see fit. In doing so, people reach their potential, cascading greater good to others and our planet.

www.interface.com

MIA FEASEY, JEANNE CHAN AND NICOLE POLLAK are partners of the Australian business; the latter having set up Siren’s Melbourne office in 2014 and since contributing immensely to the success of the Company.

All three are admired for their bravery and passion in guiding their teams from the heart! With numerous international and national design awards under the team’s belt, Siren Design is one of Asia-Pacific’s most successful practices.

light on Siren remaining true to its core and true to its clients,” Sloane emphasises in relation to such a dynamic sector. “With an ever-growing focus on achieving a work-life balance, companies across the world are turning their attention to providing a fun, exciting, enlightening and creative performance-driven environment where their employees want to work and continue to work for a long time.

“Key global clients such as Facebook, Google, Uber, LinkedIn, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Visa,

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Denstu Aegis Network, ING, Nokia and Twitter who continue to engage with Siren on fun and exciting projects have contributed to Siren being awarded the Herman Miller “Best in Tech” Award, 2016 (Most liveable office awards for the Asia-Pacific region).”

Highlighting the Company’s drive towards continuous expansion has been its more recent collaboration with JustCo since 2015, the continent’s largest co-working company. Set to open up more than two million square feet of space as a consequence, the

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Siren team has gone on to design a product that changes the way business views real estate; as a prime example of the business’s sector reach.

“The nature of work is changing, and workplaces are in turn, responding to the shifts in the local and global business landscapes with a key emphasis centred on connectivity and energy transfer.

JustCo is championing the movement of the sharing economy with their coworking spaces, which is keenly focused on encouraging collaborations to boost innovation and productivity,” Sloane explains. “The need for the space to be an experience formed a critical part of the brief; in addition to creating an environment that extends the comforts of home, also creating a place that ultimately supports creativity, focus, collaboration, wellbeing, community and happiness.

“To maximise this experience Siren has created dynamic spaces that are inspired by the progressive future of work.”

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Positive spaces create moments that let you thrive. The pod where you collaborate, the sunlit corner where you go to focus. The best spaces have the power to influence and move people.

Learn more at interface.com

LUXSPACE

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uxspace provides architects, designers, and engineers with holistic lighting solutions in a world with ever-increasing demands, ranging from the quality to the efficiency of lighting, from innovative control systems to budget compliance.

With an emphasis on the latest European, Australian and Korean luminaire designs and LED light source technologies, our products are supplied through brands such as Trilux (Germany), Modular (Belgium) Multiline (Belgium), Targetti (Italy), Louis Poulsen (Denmark) Satelight (Australia) and Raat(Korea). Luxspace outfits designers with a comprehensive, integrated platform that paves the way for the successful implementation of your intended project.

LET US GO FORTH TOGETHER ON THIS LIGHTING JOURNEY

T +65 6515 0552 E sales@luxspace.biz

www.luxspace.biz

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The design team explored the physical, virtual and human elements that contribute towards an enjoyable work culture and its most dominant commonality - connection - as part of this process. And the result has been a connective hub hosting a vibrant community of brilliant individuals and companies who vibe off each other to launch and grow.

“We have our clients’ back, 100 percent, and I think they really feel it,” Sloane continues. “This translates into our clients placing their trust in us and often extends to a global scale. We are currently working throughout AsiaPacific including Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and China.

“From Bangkok to Jakarta, to Shanghai to New Zealand, to India, once a company interacts with the Siren design team, more often than not it is just the beginning. The relationship developed is longstanding and innovative; it’s a relationship built on trust and mutual respect; and it’s a relationship that has ultimately helped Siren be able to translate its design approach across places near and far to the head offices.”

At the forefront

As evidenced through the Company’s aforementioned innovations and collaborative solutions, Siren takes great pride in discovering new and creative initiatives; and this applies as much internally as it does across the client-facing aspect of its operations.

From a capital investment perspective, there has long been an acknowledgement that to stay at the forefront of the industry, there must be an ingratiation of the very latest and most advanced technologies, facilities, processes and operational efficiencies.

“To help us keep at the forefront of what we do, we rely on state-of-theart technology, including software, hardware and infrastructure,” Sloane affirms. “We ensure our IT and

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operations strategies are relevant and agile, to support our talented designers, so they can produce their best work.”

In 2017, internal expenditures were seen on an even grander scale via the relocation of its Sydney and Melbourne practices; thus, accommodating the continuous growth of the Siren team, and the sustainable environment in which this team could thrive.

Sloane adds: “We looked at our team and operations strategy in order to support further growth in Australia and especially Singapore.

“We now have an agile core team of people and processes that support the

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design team, including finance, people & culture, resourcing, IT services and marketing - both locally and across the group - ensuring that we are connected and the heart of what we do has the highest level of integrity.”

Intuitive design

However, while the development of Siren’s physical infrastructure is carefully planned and evolved, the recruitment of individuals that go on to occupy these spaces is relatively simple. Sloane states that the Company seeks ‘Sirens’ that are passionate, creative, brave, empathetic, caring, collaborative and

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“We now have an agile core team of people and processes that support the design team, including finance, people & culture, resourcing, IT services and marketing.”

“Being a Siren is a call from the deep. We are fiercely passionate, we act courageously, and we learn from each other.”

“We have our clients’ back, 100 percent, and I think they really feel it.”

“To help us keep at the forefront of what we do, we rely on state-of-the-art technology, including software, hardware and infrastructure.”

ASIA down to earth; the technical skills then falling in line with such personable attributes.

“Being a Siren is a call from the deep. We are fiercely passionate, we act courageously, and we learn from each other,” Sloane says. “We have a deep respect for our Siren family and our clients, and we care about doing the right thing.

“We therefore strongly believe in creating a collaborative roadmap for the growth and development of all our Siren; I myself started at Siren as a graduate and have been constantly given opportunities at the school of Siren. This consistent growth means we are always generating new opportunities both for our existing employees and those looking to join.”

This collaboration is evident across all arms of the business, whether its employees, clients or even supply chain partners; Siren working closely with likeminded, reputable examples of the latter in order to find extra value and efficiency for customers at the end of the value chain.

Ultimately, this level of assurance instils loyalty and longevity as Siren continues to embed itself into the fabric of APAC’s construction industry through numerous - repeat - client collaborations.

Sloane concludes: “It is our belief that interiors play a big role in driving happiness, wellbeing and productivity.

A good interior can make or break a business, and we’re working more closely with our clients to achieve smarter, user-centric design solutions: a fusion of experience and interface something we call “intuitive design”.

“Interior design isn’t about labels, it’s about crafting an environment that reflects who you are and what you do and an environment which immediately tells others what’s in your heart. And most importantly, an environment that invites people in…

Because ultimately, it’s what’s inside that matters.”

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EXCELLENCE Fenestra Malaysia’s façade expertise has transcended into one of the region’s most renowned consultancy services, with technological innovation and sustainable durability driving the Company’s rapid growth Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

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n a booming Asian façade sector, the need for elite, experienced, knowledgeable consultants is becoming a construction sector staple, and few have met these calls as prominently as Malaysian-based firm, Fenestra.

Commencing in 2010 as a natural continuation of a successful practice established by Connell Wagner in the country less than a decade previously; the resultant business has grown over the intervening years to become the biggest of its kind in the region.

Such rapid growth is testament not only to Fenestra Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s expertise on the subject of façades but the levels of innovation displayed across numerous high profile projects within the domain.

Focusing especially on sustainability and environmental preservation, the consequential durability of the solutions and advice offered has made

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Fenestra a natural go-to entity for construction companies, facilities managers, and owners alike.

“Fenestra Malaysia is a private limited liability company owned by its three directors and our workforce consists of people with a variety of backgrounds from mechanical engineering, structural engineering, material science, architecture, specialist façade detail designers, construction supervisors and design drafters,” introduces Managing Director, Masoud Moinfar.

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KIN LONG company has been an innovative and professional company engaged in research, development, manufacture and marketing of fittings for architectual hardware.

KIN LONG supplies high quality products and consulting services to the architectual industry.

INTEGRATED

SUPPLIER OF

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Guangdong Kinlong Hardware Products Co., Ltd. Tel: +86 769 82166666 Fax: +86 769 82955269 Email: mail@kinlong.com Contact: Nicky Liu (Ms) Mob: +86 13827420353 www.kinlong.com

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“We offer the full scope of façade engineering services from concept design to developed design, tender documentation all the way to construction observation services encompassing visual mock-up inspections, prototype testing to factory and onsite site supervision.

“Along and independent from this, we offer environmentally sustainable design [ESD] consultancy services for buildings with the aim of a reduction in dependency on natural resources, lowering the environmental impact of buildings and enhancing the quality of the indoor environment for the occupants.”

Fenestra’s latter ESD services range from analysis of building performance through computer modelling; parametrical energy analysis to increase the choices in building features available to the architects; commissioning management; the development of green building operations guidelines; post occupancy evaluations of buildings; and course green certification management.

Knowing clients’ needs

Particularly renowned for its influence on structural and sustainable design - as well as the interface of building services and façades - Fenestra’s façade portfolio ventures further into construction management and forensics too. While the former serves as a value-add assurance to sub-contractors, technicians and construction operators, the latter contributes to inspections for a range of purposes including: compliance with construction documentation; due diligence reports; emergency assessment of risk to public safety; cause and source of water leaks; general condition of cladding materials and systems; assessment of remaining service life; and materials assessment.

In offering such an array of solutions on a multi-sector basis, the business is able to meet all potential client needs;

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KinLong CONSTRUCTION HARDWARE EXPERT Kin Long has built its reputation on the thought that unique value can only be created by professionalism, as speculation has no future.

The Company has been striving to achieve worldwide leadership in the architectural hardware industry since it was established in 2003. Kin Long has also invested heavily in design and innovation, now with over 10,000 products available for supply.

At present Kin Long has a developing sales network both at home and abroad, with its products distributed throughout China and exported to more than 100 countries and areas.

Kin Long has achieved acclaim for its elegant appearance and innovative designs, with the Company receiving numerous awards for influential branding, preferred hardware suppliers and science and technology.

The Company’s vision is to ensure that where there are buildings, there will be Kin Long products, all of which are comfortable, beautiful and energy-saving. This in-turn will improve the living conditions for many and aid the Company’s hopes of making Kin Long the perfect synonym for high quality.

The spirit of the Company is perfectly represented through its ability to work with a unified mind, filled with the energy and enthusiasm that makes it an industry leader.

Enterprise technology centre Kin Long is the proud owner of a provincial enterprise technology centre, laboratory and research & development centre, all of which are responsible for helping to build marketdriven product development mechanisms.

Kin Long is fully certified as a high-tech enterprise, now owning more than 500 domestic and international patents. With such strong technical research and testing ability, the Company is also heavily involved in compiling national standards as well as industry and regional standards.

The Company’s laboratory was established in 2003 and was recognised six years later by the National Laboratory, as well as the first to win CNAS in the construction hardware field in China.

Development With thanks to the accumulation of widely developed experience over its many years of operations, Kin Long has been able to build a wide sales network. This has provided the Company with a competitive advantage in the industry, particularly when it comes to providing a fast market response.

At present Kin Long has more than 2,500 sales representatives and over 700 managerial and technical personnel, all of which play an integral role in market development, customer service and problem solving issues.

Kin Long also owns a logistics centre which functions across warehousing, logistics and planning capabilities and the Company has built more than 30 warehouses in China with sufficient stock that ensures a fast response time and improved customer satisfaction.

T +86 769 82166666 E mail@kinlong.com www.kinlong.com

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an attribute which Moinfar alludes to as a key differentiator.

“We have an eagerness to know the needs of our clients,” he affirms. “The closer we are with them, the better we understand their wants and desires, their boundaries and limitations. We then adapt our approach to those wants and boundaries in a way that produces an outcome which sits comfortably with the building owner or developer.

“The fact that most of our work is repeat business from people we have a rapport with is a testament to the success of this approach.”

Construction in Malaysia is buoyant

The aforementioned, increasingly pertinent, facet of Fenestra’s overall offering revolving around ESD consulting is an eco-focused showcase of the Company’s foremost attribute its environmental acumen.

From small refurbishments to major new builds, Fenestra’s knowledgeable, accredited professionals are able to assist clients in gaining green accreditation for new and existing buildings as well as whole township developments; compounded by

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HIGH-PROFILE PROJECTS “Truth be told, we have been extremely fortunate to be working on the projects that we have. When we took over from Connell Wagner in 2010, we already had some 28 current projects in various states of design or construction.

Some of these buildings such as the new KKR2, Platinum Park, Nu Sentral, Tower 3 at KLCC, the Grand Hyatt hotel, Shell Tower, Menara CIMB at KL Sentral were iconic buildings designed by renowned Malaysian and overseas architects.

Our fortune continued after we formed Fenestra Malaysia as we were selected for the new international airport in Kuala Lumpur known as the KLIA2 and a whole host of other projects; be they high-rise residential towers, large retail malls, office accommodation or institutional buildings.”

Long Lasting PVdF Coatings for Facade, Metal Roof and Wall Cladding Applications

Beyond The Surface www.beckers-group.com

Becker Industrial Coatings (M) Sdn. Bhd (489501-P) No. 3 & 5, Jalan Anggerik Mokara 31/54, Seksyen 31, Kota kemuning 40460, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel: +603 5122 7540 Fax: +603 5122 7542 Email: info-ma@beckers-group.com

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Masoud Moinfar, Managing Director

facilitation of Malaysian GBI (Green Building Index) as well as the US LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating systems.

This GBI and LEED certification management has had a positive influence whether clients are only just beginning their design process or whether the process has already begun; Fenestra then inputting the right questions in order to facilitate the interdisciplinary coordination required for integrated sustainable design.

Project wise, this has already transpired into a series of ESD projects as Moinfar adds: “We currently are engaged for façade engineering on around 40 projects and about 30 of these are green buildings. Construction in Malaysia has been buoyant since 2010 and our forward workload is currently taking us to 2022, not counting work already in the pipeline.

“The location of our projects [both

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oasting more than a century of experience in the architectural coating industry, Beckers Group has established an almost unrivalled footing in the sector courtesy of 24 manufacturing sites, numerous satellite offices, and corporate headquarters’ in no less than 19 countries.

Two additional long-term development (LTD) laboratories to help the Group focus on the market’s stringent demands for innovation, efficiency and environmental sustainability compound this influence even further, and pave the way for Becker Industrial Coatings to produce “lasting beauty beyond the surface” across its products.

The first and foremost consideration has always been durability; the Company’s BeckryFluor brand demonstrating such an advantage consistently and reputably.

“Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVdF) has a molecular structure that is stable and resistant to thermal, chemical and ultraviolet light attacks; and BeckryFluor is the leading brand of PVdF coatings,” the business explains. “Comprising Kynar 500 or Hylar 5000 brands of PVdF resin combined with selected inorganic pigments - proprietarily formulated by Beckers Group - this advanced formulation ensures and maintains colour retention of metal finishes even in extreme climatic conditions.”

BeckryFluor is applied via spraying or coil coating on metal fabricators such as aluminium extrusions, solid panels, window and door frames, metal roofing, aluminium composite panels, ceilings, and louvres.

And in each and every case Beckers demands the most stringent requirements in the evaluation and selection of spray applicators and coil coaters; not only to ensure that standards are maintained, but to also

guarantee that beauty is maintained too.

The Company continues: “BeckryFluor is resistant to most atmospheric pollutants, industrial stains and corrosive elements. It is moisture-resistant; repels fungus, mildew and dirt stains; and is resistant to abrasion and impact, hence providing the ability to withstand mechanical wear and tear. With its excellent performance, BeckryFluor is a low maintenance coating that preserves the condition of the building at an affordable cost.”

Again compounding aspects of sustainability and longevity in order to achieve ultimate value for money, buildings around the world still grace the same BeckryFlour coating that was applied years before, with very little noticeable change to the colour or quality.

“BeckryFluor possesses outstanding protective properties and can withstand chemical attacks, making them highly resistant to corrosion,” Becker Industrial Coatings adds. “Its proprietary coating system incorporates a corrosion inhibitive primer layer... and BeckryFluor constantly undergoes extensive real-life field tests, where it is exposed to the environment near coastal areas, deserts, industrial and residential sites for long periods.”

Such stringent testing is applied both from a variable perspective and a geographic point of view, ultimately ensuring that “BeckryFluor is able to consistently survive harsh weather and maintain its colours and gloss through the years, providing aesthetic appeal and protection to buildings in all climates and conditions around the world”.

T +603 5122 7540 E info-ma@beckers-group.com www.beckers-group.com

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façade and ESD-wise] is similarly diverse, ranging from Johor to Penang and Kuching to Kota Kinabalu although most of our current work is in Kuala Lumpur. The Astaka Padu development with two towers each of 72-storeys in Johor, for which we are the façade engineers, is the tallest of all the projects we currently have in hand.”

Building for the future

ESD considerations are completed via an entire roadmap report whereby Fenestra provides the project team with an objective assessment of each component of the green building grading criteria in order to attain

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certification.

And across both traditional façade management and the additional ESD services, no demographic of sector is off-limit.

Catering for areas inclusive of mixed-use developments, offices, retail, residential, institutional, special facilities, hospitality and townships; Fenestra’s expertise is mirrored by the project portfolio it can now boast.

The business has won numerous awards for its input towards projects including Phase 3 of Platinum Park; Menara KKR 2; Menara Hap Seng 2; The Grand Hyatt Hotel; Tower 3 KLCC; Menara CIMB - KL Sentral; and Nu Sentral office tower.

FAMELINE

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ameline Architectural Products (M) Sdn Bhd was formed in 2010 as a subsidiary company to Fameline Group of Thailand.

The Group was established in 1999 and is a leading architectural manufacturer of metal ceiling products, aluminium sun louvers and aluminium composite panels for the façade industry in Thailand. Besides manufacturing standard products, Fameline Group is capable of fulfilling architects’ visions of their work by customising special design requirements for internal or external façades.

Apart from the above mentioned products, Fameline Architectural Products in Malaysia is also a representative to products from COIL Europe, a world leader in continuous anodising and ELG Specialist Singapore for Performance Louvers.

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HALFEN-MOMENT GROUP

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he Halfen-Moment Group started its operations in Malaysia, supplying mechanical couplers to construction sites as a cost effective alternative for conventional splicing.

One of its first iconic projects was the Petronas Twin Towers. Since then, the Group has been expanding rapidly and today the MOMENT® coupler is a wellestablished brand in the market. With headquarters in Malaysia and being supported by subsidiaries in Singapore, Philippines and India, the Company has positioned itself as a leading building solution provider for the structure with an established and extensive network throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Partnering with its sister company, HALFEN from Germany, the Company has the access to innovative products and technical expertise in: • Anchoring technology • Reinforcement technology • Framing technology • Facade fixing technology • Transport anchor systems

However, perhaps none epitomise Fenestra’s overall capabilities better than Menara OBYU. Completed in 2012, the Company provided consultancy services for façade engineering as well as the facilitation for green building certification.

To achieve such widespread acclaim, the ability to keep on top of the latest and most pertinent industry trends is critical, and none more-so than that of the green building revolution.

Moinfar explains: “In Malaysia, the adoption of ‘green buildings’ has been spectacular in the past few years. This comes not only from the regulatory authorities, who relentlessly strive for buildings which use less natural resources, but as of late also from the building owners who have grasped the notion of truly building for the future.

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Halfen-Moment Group Promoting and contributing towards Fenestra’s rise to the top of the industry has been a plethora of long-term, trusted relationships such as the one enjoyed with mechanical coupler supplier, Halfen-Moment Group.

Halfen-Moment Group has been a regular and trusted partner of Fenestra for HALFEN Channel systems. The HALFEN Channel system supplied by HalfenMoment is a cost-effective and reliable method for connecting façade elements to a building’s superstructure.

• Tension rod systems Since being founded in 1929, HALFEN’s objective has been to offer customers individual solutions with the emphasis on quality, safety and technology.

Always guaranteeing the highest quality materials, an excellent engineering service and the proven product reliability of a global brand, your confidence is our most important asset.

Scan to watch our corporate video:

www.halfen-moment.com

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Outlook Creative Services Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

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LB ALUMINIUM BERHAD

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B Aluminium Berhad is Malaysia’s largest supplier of aluminium extrusion, remains steadfast to its mission of being customer centric with consistent quality and delivery.

Equipped with state-of-art technology and facilities, the Company meets market demand for increasingly sophisticated, versatile designs for heavy duty architectural systems with a greater depth and higher aluminium wall thickness.

Among its most recognised range of products are its ‘Albesash’ Window Series, ‘Albedoor’ Door Series, and ‘Albexwall’ Curtainwall Series.

T +603 8725 8822, +603 8725 8828 E enquiry@lmakum.com.my

www.lbalum.com

“This doesn’t necessarily have an environmental angle but has more to do with the commercial realities.

It won’t be long before the buildings in Malaysia have to publicly declare their resource consumption ratings as already has begun in some countries in Europe. The better the ratings, the higher the price of the property.”

On the lookout for talent

To be completely recognised and to maintain its market-leading position, there of course needs to be an ongoing search for expansion and diversification, and Fenestra certainly adheres to this notion as it looks to align itself more wholly to clients’ needs as they arise.

Subsequently, a whole host of new or broadened offerings have been added to the Company’s remit in recent times, partially incorporating further areas of training and industry enrichment.

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GlASS WAll GRoUTING THE SAFE AND DURABlE FIXATIoN oF GlASS BAlUSTRADES AND GlASS WAllS

laminated glass panel Sikasil® WS (outdoor) Self-levelling SikaGlaze® GG-735

AdvAntAGeS U-channel ́ Highly stable and durable ́ No visible mechanical fixings ́ Uniform linear stress distribution ́ No stress concentration at mechanical fasteners ́ Accident proof based on German TRAV (DIBT certified) ́ Tested in temperature range from -30°C to 70°C ́ For laminated safety glass with PVB and Ionomer interlayers Sika Services AG FFI Facade · Fenestration · Insulating Glass Tueffenwies 16 · CH-8048 Zurich · Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)58 436 40 40 · Fax +41 (0)58 436 35 40 www.sika.com/ses

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As ever though, the primary focus remains on where Fenestra can make a sustainable impact, as showcased through its growing list of projects and the ongoing efforts it puts into the workforce via ongoing training, promotion, retention initiatives and up-skilling.

“You have put your finger on a sensitive aspect of our business,” Moinfar states. “We are extremely fortunate to have in our employment some of the brightest designers in the country, nonetheless, we are always

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ASIA Record Automatic Doors (M) Sdn Bhd your global partner for entrance solutions

Fischer Systems Asia Pte. Ltd., 150 Kampong Ampat #04-03 KA Centre, Singapore SALES DEPARTMENT

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

HUMAN RESOURCES

E: sales@fischer.sg

E: technical@fischer.sg

T: +65 62 85 22 07 F: +65 62 85 83 10

www.fischer.sg on the lookout for more talented people. Staff training, be it internal or external, is a fundamental premise that we abide by. We hold regular and frequent in-house seminars for all the staff to ensure they are introduced to the latest materials and technologies or simply updated on industry trends.

Our staff attend external seminars and conferences for the same reason.

“Meanwhile, retention of staff in a booming construction industry is always challenging and we are no exception. However, we are proud of the fact that we have a relatively low staff turnover and take it as a compliment that we are doing something right!”

Immensely effective

Moinfar goes on to pinpoint Fenestra’s staff compliment as one of the Company’s key advantages in a competitive industry environment, alluding to each individual’s

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determination and expertise. This in turn has also had a dramatic effect on breaking into new realms and capitalising on new trends as has been seen across ESD and eco-related activities.

“Our staff is made up of façade designers, structural engineers, architects, mechanical engineers and sustainability professionals. This has inevitably skewed everything we do in the eco-friendly or sustainable direction,” the MD elaborates. “For example, glass selection is often seen as an aesthetic choice made by the architects. This may well be the case, but as a policy we carry out a parametric study on a number of glass types with the same visual properties as the glass chosen by the architect to determine their comparative impact on the building.

“This study covers energy consumption, daylighting and comfort indices. We perform the same study on

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other façade elements such as external shading which can be immensely effective in reducing the energy consumption of buildings.”

Complementing this manpower and trend adherence with an equally consistent dedication to modern technologies helps to create a more detailed, dynamic approach to solutions; culminating in a flexibility and scope that Moinfar envisions will take Fenestra to new heights in the years to come, across all evolving parameters and new innovations too.

“Over the next few years I would like to see us expanding our activities to façade related fields such as wind engineering,” he concludes. “There are currently no wind tunnels in Malaysia and we send our building models to Australia for wind tunnel testing.

Hopefully we, together with our associates in Melbourne, will establish Malaysia’s first wind tunnel in the next two years.”

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Masterpieces Seiko Architectural Wall Systems continues to strengthen its reputation for excellence on the continent in the Construction sector Writer: Phoebe Calver Project Manager: Tom Cullum

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It wasn’t until May, 1984 that the Company name was changed to Seiko Glass & Aluminium Co Pte Ltd, expanding its portfolio to include aluminium as another supply and installation product.

“Just under 20 years later we changed our name for the third and final time to Seiko Architectural Wall Systems Pte Ltd on 21 February, 2002,” explains the Company on its website.

“We felt that this re-branding would fully reflect our new status as an external façade system specialist.

“At present our shareholders are made up of a 51 percent share by the Cheong family in Singapore, 28 percent by Leung Yuen Yee in Singapore and 21 percent by Far Union Development Limited.”

The Company also has a selection of subsidiaries to its name, including the fully-owned Seikotech Architectural Components Sdn Bhd, located in Malaysia. The subsidiary company was established in 1996 as the main manufacturing location for operations.

The Company adds: “Another of our fully-owned subsidiaries is Seiko Architectural Wall Systems Consulting (Shanghai) Co Ltd., which was established in 2011 in the form of an additional design and engineering resource centre.

“We also have a 60 percent owned subsidiary company named SG Façade Systems Pte Ltd (Singapore)., which was also established in 2011 in order to undertake specialist projects.

“And lastly our final fully-owned subsidiary is Seikotech Management Pte Ltd, which was the most recently established in 2016 with the purpose of securing and managing supplies to projects outside Malaysia.”

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Commitment to service

Over the years Seiko has demonstrated a commitment to its customers, continuing to dedicate itself to complying with the Workplace Health & Safety Act, creating and fostering a safe and pleasant work environment, while also contributing to the profitability of the Company’s growth.

“We place a substantial focus on a number of carefully selected priorities,” continues the Company.

“These include ensuring quality in everything we do, meeting with customer quality requirements and expectations which is achieved by keeping to delivery schedules.

“Alongside quality, we also place a heavy focus on occupational health and safety within our organisation, preventing accidents and injuries and ill-health.”

The Company ensures quality in every aspect of its business activities

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ASIA Progresif Kukuh Sdn Bhd Progresif Kukuh Sdn Bhd is a company specializes in insulation materials, refractory materials, acoustic products and ceiling materials. Our main office is located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

Progresif Kukuh Sdn Bhd is professional in supplying and providing high quality thermal, sound and cold insulation product that suitable for any construction and industrial used.

5, Jalan Palam 34/18A,Taman Perindustrian Pak Chun, 40470 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

T: +603-5162 4182 | +6010-219 0888 F: +603-5162 4210 | E: pksb55@pksb.my

Façade components

In its present day form the Company is excelling in the provision of quality building façade components, as well as products to the construction industry in Singapore among other countries.

“The facades that we work with include curtain wall, window wall, aluminium doors, fins, granite, expanded mesh, cladding, sun shades, shop fronts, balustrades, trellis, skylights and canopies,” affirms the Company on its website. “In addition to its primary services, we also offer services to building owners/ developers, architects, consultants and contractors.”

As an engaged specialist façade contractor, the Company provides services that involve fabrication, painting, assembly and glazing, project management and site installation. It now also provides exceptional service as a façade fabricator, including the supply of materials, fabrication, painting, assembly and glazing.

Future architecture

Alongside quality, we also place a heavy focus on occupational health and safety within our organisation, preventing accidents and injuries and illhealth

Over the years the Company has undertaken a vast array of exciting projects within the region, including St Thomas Walk at River Valley Road which was completed in July, 2017.

The contract reached an impressive value of $15 million, and still has scope for work on design, fabrication and installation.

“The building project owner is Bukit Sembawang View Pte Ltd, and the main architect was DP Architects Pte Ltd and implemented the utilisation of curtainwalls, trellis’, glass railings and stainless-steel hand railings,” concludes the Company. “Alongside that development we also worked on Jalan Besar/Lavender Street at the same time, again including design, fabrication and installation services.

“We look forward to the continuation available through projects such as those previously mentioned and are extremely excited by the developments on the horizon for our Company.”

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A TRUSTED BUILDER

Combining one of the world’s most renowned brand names with one of the region’s most accomplished construction portfolios, Samsung C&T (KL) Sdn Bhd continues to contribute to Malaysia’s civil evolution Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

etween 2012 and 2016, Samsung C&T Corporation’s engineering and construction group subsidiary, Samsung C&T (KL) Sdn Bhd secured six projects simultaneously in Malaysia, accumulating a total contract value close to RM9 billion. Adjacently increasing its workforce to comprise more than 450 dedicated personnel, a subsequent strategic rebranding to Samsung C&T (KL) Sdn Bhd in 2013 has

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and will continue to see such developments continue in the future as the business looks to better align itself to the values of its parent organisation, and the needs of its clients.

Initially known as Samsung Engineering & Construction (M) Sdn Bhd, incorporated since 5 October, 1990, the business in its current guise remains a 100 percent owned subsidiary of the wider - and internationally renowned - Samsung

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C&T Corporation. No matter the name though, the vision has remained consistent: “to be responsible for and to deal with all business activities in Malaysia, including to fulfil and to meet all obligations and requirements set by the Malaysian authorities and related business parties”.

Managing Director, Daniel Kim introduces: “Our business operations are fully supported by our regional headquarters based in Singapore and overseen by our Seoul headquarters

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in term of engineering, financing and management etc. Our business activities in Malaysia offer a full range of services in engineering, procurement and construction in the areas of building, civil infrastructure and energy/power plants; similar to all our offices worldwide.”

In each presence point, Samsung C&T has made a name for itself not just through the end products and stunning constructs, but through its involvement in projects that are vital to

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each nation’s own economic and social growth ambitions.

“Our focus of interest in Malaysia includes high-rise buildings and largescale mixed developments (office buildings, residential towers, luxury hotels, shopping malls); energy/power plants (combine cycle gas power plants, coal thermal power plants, hydro power plants, nuclear energy power plants); and infrastructure developments (rail transportation, long-span bridges, dams, ports),” Kim continues.

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With the world’s most advanced technological expertise and experience in building, civil infrastructure, plant businesses, the Engineering & Construction Group is dedicated to providing customers with the best value Incheon Bridge, South Korea

“We are able to provide value engineering, new technologies and a wide range of expertise to support our stakeholders in the construction of challenging and complex projects.

“We are also supportive and respectful of the local business communities and seek to engage in projects where the local market lacks capability and is dependent on our support for technical ingenuity and expertise.”

A melting pot

Clients to have enjoyed this technical ingenuity and expertise over the past 27 years vary from private developers to government bodies; Samsung retaining close engagement, collaboration and communication in every case.

“We listen attentively to our clients’ voices to fully understand and deliver projects which satisfy their needs,” Kim affirms.

And this has been one of the

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driving philosophies of the business since its inception, channelling the values of its parent organisation into early projects which included the Samsung Electronics Manufacturing Complex at Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban and the Seremban Golf Resort. Five commercial buildings then followed throughout the 1990s including MNI Twins, Lusaka Office Tower, Petronas Tower 2 & Skybridge, Ampang Tower (Menara Maxis), and AIA office Tower; all in Kuala Lumpur.

“The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers successfully completed in 1997 had become the world’s tallest building at that point in time and also elevated our construction and engineering capabilities in the highrise building arena,” Kim elaborates regarding the Company’s standout achievement. “During this period, we had more than 400 staff members and was one of the biggest and most active overseas branches.”

The unforeseen 1998 global financial

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crisis curtailed progress in Malaysia for a 10-year period as attentions turned towards Middle Eastern and neighbouring APAC markets, but by 2010, the country was very much back on the agenda, and from that point on, Samsung C&T hasn’t looked back.

“Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures and we place great emphasis on understanding the needs, values and aspiration of its people,” Kim explains. “In essence, our vision is to become “The Trusted Builder” by operating our business with principles that guide each of our decisions and actions to cultivate trust through longterm relationships and partnerships with our clients and stakeholders; upholding the highest standards of safety, quality and commitment in delivery.

“We assume responsibility for every phase of our work, from conception to completion and we focus deeply on our impact on our clients, communities and the future.”

AN INTERNATIONAL HUB IN THE MAKING. With an international award under its belt, UMCity Medini Lakeside, a top-notch integrated development will offer branded retail outlets, alfresco F&B outlets, a premium office tower, a hotel and two residential components. Spread across 5.03 acres, the RM1.2 billion project will also front a beautifully landscaped lake park.

Features The UMCity office tower which garnered the Best International Office Development Award at the International Property Awards 2015 in London is currently being constructed by world-class builder, Samsung C&T of Korea.

It features a total of 108 Grade A quality low density business suites, with modern premium office designs. Businesses could take their pick from four spacious and flexible layout options, ranging from 772 sq ft to 1,812 sq ft. UMLand’s effort towards impeccable design, quality, service innovation, and commitment to sustainability have not gone unnoticed, as testified by its international award win, leveraging on technology and innovation to provide excellent property products.

Some of the many modern facilities include automated waste collection systems, high-speed broadband access with a fibre optic backbone to support network infrastructure and a comprehensive building management system. The corporate tower is also fitted with Samsung air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems to minimise the use of resources and conserve energy. Ozo, a member of the ONYX Hospitality Group is tasked with the

management of the hotel block as well as the Shama Medini luxury serviced residences. The latter will offer 196 homes ranging from 583 sq ft – 1,192 sq ft. Buyers of the Shama homes have the option to lease back their units for a guaranteed rental return of 6% for the first five years of the leaseback scheme. The next 10 years will be a revenue-sharing model, in which 45 percent of the rental revenue will be shared by the owners.

Conveniences UMCity Medini Lakeside enjoys a strategic location that is with close proximity to a host of amenities. Located nearby is the Johor Premium Outlet. The central business district of Medini Zone B, Johor Bahru’s central business district, EduCity and Gleneagles Hospital Medini. Tourist hotspots, Legoland Park, Pinewood Studios and Puteri Harbour are also within a few minutes drive while the Senai International Airport could be reached within 25 minutes.

Upcoming launch The other residential tower, Citadines Medini apartment-hotels which is slated to be launched soon will comprise of 214 units ranging from 431 – 1,051 sq ft. Purchasers will have the option to lease their units back to Citadines to be managed on their behalf, making it a great option for investors who are looking for long-term and sustainable returns.

For more enquiries

T+607 2989119 T+65 6532 3375

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nn Joo Resources Berhad, listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd, is the largest steel group in Malaysia by market capitalization, and primarily engaged in the manufacturing and trading of steel related products.

Ann Joo is committed to providing steel products and services to its customers with uncompromising standards and quality, making it the most trusted and reliable total business solution provider of steel products and services in Malaysia.

The Group’s Manufacturing Division focuses on the production of steel products ranging from hot metal, pig iron, billets, bars to wire rods serving mainly construction and engineering sectors. The integration of its iron and steel-making enables the Group to excel as the leading steel group and the most cost-effective producer of long steel products, not only in Malaysia but also in Southeast Asia.

Petronas Twin Tower bridge, Malaysia

Major impetus

“We are of the opinion that to win a project we should not limit to compete in price but to also provide technical and commercial value-added, especially via value engineering for the benefits and interests of the client,” Kim states.

This has not only been applied to the aforementioned, iconic Petronas Tower 2 & Sky Bridge, but also to TNB Prai’s 1,071MW combined cycle gas power plant project; further demonstrating the Company’s multisector influence. And such an influence can only derive from having one of the most comprehensive and technically astute teams in industry.

Kim continues: “We have very strong engineering and project management team from our headquarters, which always provide full support in term of engineering, financing and management whenever we need assistance. Besides that, it provides a platform to solve and offer advice

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on all technically challenging issues or problems on site.

“Our project execution team comes with high requirements and standards on safety, quality and commitment in delivery, and not only does this give comfort to the client and their consultant teams, but also eventually cultivates trust amongst the parties which paves the way for the smooth implementation and execution of each project.”

Samsung C&T is currently in the midst of constructing five major projects in Malaysia, leveraging its aforementioned differentiators. These include PNB’s KL118 Tower which, when completed, will become the tallest high-rise tower in Malaysia surpassing the Petronas Twin Towers; the Star Residences in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng which, once completed, will become one of the tallest residential towers in Kuala Lumpur; the Sapura HQ at KLCC Lot 91, a 54-storey office tower with a four-storey convention

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These manufacturing activities complement its well-diversified downstream steel business under the umbrella of Trading Division, which deals with a broadly diversified product portfolio comprising of a variety of flat and long steel for supply to a wide array for economic sectors.

T +603 7877 0028

www.annjoo.com.my

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he Halfen-Moment Group started its operations in Malaysia, supplying mechanical couplers to construction sites as a cost effective alternative for conventional splicing.

One of the Company’s first iconic projects was the Petronas Twin Towers. Since then, the Group has been expanding rapidly and today the MOMENT® coupler is a well-established brand in the market.

With headquarters in Malaysia and being supported by subsidiaries in Singapore, Philippines and India, we have positioned ourselves as a leading building solution provider for the structure with an established and extensive network throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

www.halfen-moment.com

Burj Khalifa, Dubai

podium; the UMCity Medini Lakeside mixed development project at Medini, Johor; and the Petronas Regasification Terminal at Pengerang, Johor.

“As the Malaysian Government intends to heavily invest in several major infrastructure-related projects in the coming years, we are very keen for involvement opportunities,” Kim enthuses. “Building and energy/power plant projects have always been our major impetus in Malaysia and there is continued interest in this pursuit.”

Project execution experience

To ensure that every project is delivered on time, within budget, and to the high quality and safety standards expected of Samsung C&T, the Company is just as active on an internal improvement note as it is on the external project front.

Vigorously pursuing strategic investment initiatives that enhance business operations and improve efficiencies is an ongoing process

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MNI Twins, Malaysia

and addresses everything from human capital development, to new equipment and technologies, and facility upgrades.

“We have invested in Building Information Modelling (BIM) to increase work productivity, avoiding preventable rework which provides greater time and cost savings in the long run,” Kim offers as an example. “We also invest in the use of high strength concrete (C95) for our construction methods to further enhance the reliability and safety of the concrete structures, whereby it reduces the congestion of reinforcement and provides better constructability; shortening the floorto-floor construction time.”

Enacting such innovations is a dynamic Malaysian-based team comprised primarily of local talents from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Regularly conducting knowledge transfer programmes to then instil the wider Group’s global experience

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HALFEN MOMENT Halfen Moment has supplied couplers and adjacent services to Samsung C&T (KL) Sdn Bhd for a number of years across numerous projects; in each case providing the Company with leading quality products and services. The Selangorbased construction solutions provider has demonstrated its commitment to “delivering excellence� through its responsive and professional team and its multinational experience.

RGT-2 Recognition Award HSE Performance Excellence

RGT-2 group, Malaysia

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into these local artisans, the end result is Samsung being recognised as a preferred employer of choice in the region from a career progression, motivation, company passion, and purposeful operations point of view.

As Kim elaborates though, this ethos doesn’t just stop at the Company’s door, but also extends to and throughout Samsung C&T (KL)’s supply chain.

“Through project execution experience accumulated in its 27-year presence in Malaysia, Samsung C&T (KL)

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Sdn Bhd offers advantages in the hiring of experienced local staff and has also built a strong network of relationships with vendors and suppliers,” he says.

“We have advanced integrated supply chain management systems to support our large-scale operation requirements in the region and source from the finest materials and services providers in the market, be it available locally or abroad.

“Our Head Office procurement team have, over the years, also built extensive global supply chain networks and acquired proficiency to procure the

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highest quality goods and services at competitive prices through corporate partnership arrangements. We also form strategic partnerships with wellestablished and reputable local firms to support us in our endeavours.”

Total solutions provider

Boasting more than two decades of success in Malaysia, and as one of Samsung C&T’s earliest global offices, the Company’s economic influence in the country is substantial and ongoing.

It also serves as an indictment of

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the Company’s strongly passionate commitment to the support of Malaysia’s long-term future though, and to the country’s infrastructural needs.

Naturally, this becomes the Company’s biggest differentiator when trying to secure new landmark contracts and this authority will only broaden in the years to come as it looks to diversify even more extensively through the refinement of its technological capabilities and impetus.

“We are constantly striving to enhance competitiveness while continuing to ensure customer satisfaction, quality and safety control as a top priority,” Kim affirms.

The latter focus on safety is especially prevalent given the Company’s reputation for providing one of the safest work environments in the industrial community. Having recently been bestowed the HSE Performance Excellence Award from Petronas for achieving 10.5 million safe man-hours with 1,054 lost time injury (LTI) free days

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at the Petronas Regasification Terminal 2 project in Johor; the Company’s goal to lead by example in exemplifying simultaneous quality and safety has been largely achieved.

This isn’t to say that Samsung C&T (KL) Sdn Bhd will rest on its laurels moving forward though, across either safety or quality parameters.

Kim concludes: “In the future, Samsung C&T (KL) Sdn Bhd will continue to explore new market prospects, strategically invest to increase business operations’ efficiency, and diversify our portfolio to emerge as a total solutions provider with a comprehensive construction value chain that ranges from development, planning, and project management consultancy (PMC) to engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) management and operations.

“We look forward for opportunities to further increase our presence in the region and aspire to become the preferred and trusted builder.”

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LOGISTICS Johor Port’s diversification over the past 40 years has been key to its regionally-significant standing and this ethos certainly remains true today as evidenced by its five-year development masterplan Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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ASIA ver the past 40 years, Johor Port has developed its remit, offering, site and mission in line with the latest requirements and trends in order to be one of the most efficient and integrated multi-purpose ports in the region.

Since inception in 1977, it has served Malaysia proudly and effectively; initially as the largest palm oil terminal in the world and as a gateway into the Johor region, before expanding over the course of numerous development phases to reach the level it can boast today.

Current services comprise break and break-bulk, edible and non-edible liquids, container operations and integrated logistics; a testament to its role as the only port in Johor to cover the full range of disciplines for practically all types of cargoes.

Chief Executive Officer, Shahrull Allam Shah recalls: “Our breakthrough came upon the commencement of Phase I development focusing on the break bulk terminal and liquid edible jetty operations. This development has been the catalyst for the palm oil industries that use Johor Port as their gateway to various parts of the world. Since then, Johor Port has been serving the Pasir Gudang Industrial Area as their main gateway for import and export and is now the largest palm oil terminal in the world.�

Subsequently attaining Free Zone status in 1984, Phase II focused on the dry bulk and non-edible liquid jetty, before Phase III addressed container terminal operations; ultimately leading to the privatisation of the port in 1995.

Later, in 2004, Johor Port became certified as an approved London Metal Exchange delivery point and is currently ranked sixth in the world in terms of tonnage handled. “With the completion of the entire Port Development, Johor Port now has a total area of 1,000 acres, 660

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almar, part of Cargotec, provides cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals, distribution centres and heavy industry.

We are the industry forerunner in terminal automation and energyefficient container handling, with one in four container moves around the globe being handled by a Kalmar solution.

acres of which is in a Free Zone and 24 berths with a total berthing length of 4.9 kilometres together with warehousing space of close to 200,000 square metres and able to handle up to 40 million tonnes of cargo on a yearly basis,” Shahrull explains. “Our current capacity allows us to cater for 1.2 million TEUs of container handling capacity each year, 12 million tonnes of liquid handling capacity a year, and 10 million tonnes of break bulk cargo handling capacity a year.

As a testament to the Port’s continuous improvement, Johor Port was awarded with a number of prestigious awards which include the “Anugerah Kecemerlangan Industri 2016”, the highest award in recognition of industrial excellence practice; Bulk Liquid Port/Terminal of the Year 2017

by Global Ports Forum; and MultiPurpose Port Operator of the Year 2017

by Forest & Sullivan, “As of today, Johor Port Berhad remains the world’s largest palm oil terminal and is the Southern Gateway’s Multipurpose Port in Malaysia with ISO-Certified status; venturing beyond traditional port operations.”

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Port Development Masterplan

Over the years, Johor Port has evolved and expanded its offering from core port services into a host of diversified services which include warehousing, port training services, offshore inspection, maintenance and repair, marine services and integrated supply chain solutions.

As such, the facility continues to meet its goal of playing a key role in the development of the Pasir Gudang Industrial Area and the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Estate.

“As for the future development of Johor Port itself, the port, through its concessionaire, Johor Port Berhad (JPB) realised the need to be dynamic and enhance its business landscape by not just limiting its activities to conventional seaport businesses and to develop a more entrepreneurial approach towards the expansion of its port services, logistics services as well as its liquid tank and storage business,” Shahrull continues. “In view of this, in 2013, Johor Port embarked on realising a five-year Port Development Masterplan. The main thrust of the masterplan focused on volume growth, capacity building and

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Since 1991, Kalmar has been working closely with Johor Port, improving the efficiency of the container moves in their operations through the provision of the Kalmar reachstackers and refurbishment upgrades of RTGs. In Malaysia, Kalmar’s office (Cargotec Terminal Solutions Malaysia, CTSM) is located in Port Klang. Together with our regional office strategically located in Singapore, Kalmar stays committed to provide top notch port solutions and services in the Malay Peninsula.

With our extensive product portfolio (Reachstacker, Empty Container Handler, Forklift, Terminal Tractor, AutoRTG, ASC, Shuttle and Straddle Carrier, etc) and global service network and solutions, you can enjoy seamless integration of terminal processes with Kalmar.

In 2017, we introduced a new TL2 terminal tractor for our customers in the Asia-Pacific region. With more than 10,000 machines built globally on our tested and proven platform, the Kalmar TL2 is built to withstand demanding operating conditions.

It features a robust chassis and the Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx ground-accessible service points allow for easy maintenance. The smart programming combined with our highly efficient driveline can reduce the overall fuel consumption by up to 15 percent, saving you money and reducing your carbon emissions substantially at the same time.

Contact us at www.kalmarglobal.com for more information.

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Built to last.

Introducing the new Kalmar TL2 Terminal Tractor.

By combining deep local insight and the experience of building over 60,000 terminal tractors globally, our new TL2 Terminal Tractor is made to last, even in the most demanding of conditions. Constructed on our tested and proven platform with a bolted chassis, you can expect a robust and reliable machine.

With long service intervals and a 15% reduction in fuel consumption, due to smart programming, you will save money and reduce your carbon emissions.

Kalmar, making your every move count.

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business diversification.”

Customer retention has been a pivotal pillar behind this strategy, compounded by a set of initiatives geared towards Port enhancements, operational efficiencies and improved productivity.

Shahrull continues: “In this respect ageing cranes have been replaced and current infrastructures and facilities have been improved with new warehouses being built. In addition, the restructuring of the Port’s existing spaces via a space optimisation plan is underway and the strategic initiative to merge existing warehouses has been completed. With an investment of more than RM500 million over the next five years, this entire exercise is expected to push existing business to above normal revenue growth figures.”

The overall strategy for capacity building has been simultaneously supported by numerous port expansion initiatives which will see a restructuring of the existing container terminal with new on-dock facility,

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the development of Johor Port Terminal 2 with Free Zone status, the development of an Offshore Inspection, Maintenance & Repair Centre (“OIMR” Centre) and the development of an Export Processing Zone in Tanjung Langsat.

“The business diversification initiatives involve strategic business collaborations to further improve revenue and reduce dependence on organic growth and the current business model,” Shahrull emphasises.

Performance enhancement

Given the current climate of globalisation and competition, port performance is of major importance for port competitiveness, and improvements in port management, facilities and operations have become equally critical.

“One way of increasing effective port capacity is through technological and operational innovations within Johor Port itself,” Shahrull states, in

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alluding towards equipment upgrades, a heavier reliance on advanced technologies and an overall increase in throughput across the Port’s facilities.

“In view of this, JPB has also embarked on a port performance enhancement programme to improve current productivity. This will ensure faster vessel turnaround and create additional capacity for the Port to induce more cargo throughput.”

As much as RM400 million will be spent over the next five years to meet these ambitions; consequently, enhancing every single strand of the overall service compliment.

In doing so Johor Port is better aligning itself not just to the needs of Johor and Malaysia but also to its advantageous neighbours; Singapore and Indonesia.

“Looking at these two countries in term of economic growth, both are enjoying a positive GDP increase.

In view of this, we are constantly monitoring the regional development,

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Turnkey Port Solutions Provider: Port Equipment Engineering Specialist We work with the world’s ports to match & their Terminal everydayOperator needs with our customised solutions.

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terminal management, marketing expertise and vicinity traffic unique combination of engineering, terminal development enables us to management, marketing expertise and vicinity traffic quickly gear up the capacity development enables us to quickly gear up the of aofterminal, capacity a terminal, establish establish its infrastructure infrastructure and its operations, and build upand container traffic. operations, and build Contact us today to traffic. find out how we can up container Our

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particularly in the area of port expansion and services provided by them. This will ensure that Johor Port continues to improve its operational efficiency and at the same time be innovative in our development.”

Excellent connectivity

The need for utmost customer satisfaction derives from Johor Port’s responsibility as a regional commodity hub and over the years it has successfully attracted various, sectorleading players involved in areas of trading, warehousing and processing.

Everything from cocoa, coffee, palm oil, coal, steel and aluminium - and most things in between - have been catered for via the Port’s flexible facilities; contributing to Johor’s globally-recognised status in both soft and hard commodity exchanges.

Shahrull notes: “As a regional commodity hub, Johor Port is: the world’s largest palm oil/edible oil terminal; one of the largest hubs in

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the region for non-ferrous metals as an LME location; one of the largest discharging points of rice and cocoa in Malaysia; one of the biggest terminals in Malaysia for fertiliser and cement; one of the preferred ports in the region for offshore, inspection, maintenance & repair (OIMR) activities; and a designated delivery point under LME, CME/KLCI, APEX and PLATTS.” Johor Port’s national and international acclaim is hardly surprising given its more than two million square feet of warehousing space; a number that is set to grow once again in the years to come in line with further investments to ensure continued customer satisfaction across the board.

“Through our five-year Port Development Masterplan, we will continuously improve the range of services that we can offer to all of our current and future customers and this includes not only depending on traditional port business, but also diversifying our services into nonenquiry@portek.com (65) 6873 1114

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traditional port services as a means to improve our overall revenue and to be able to accommodate thewww.portek.com market’s needs,” Shahrull concludes. “We have a focused objective that we want to achieve where Johor Port will be able to double its handling capacity from the current 40 million tonnes a year to 80 million tonnes per annum while at the same time creating a virtual terminal to create seamless logistics connectivity between us and all industrial areas.

“Within the next five years, with all the initiatives that we have put in place, Johor Port will be able to expand our output connectivity and our presence within the region. But for now, with our excellent feeder connectivity, Johor Port remains the premier Southern Gateway, Multi-purpose Port in Malaysia and will continue to play a critical role in connecting ASEAN to the Intra Asia Region as well as being a Load Centre for Sabah & Sarawak, and the gateway for the Indonesian exports.”

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Deliver UPC Renewables Limited is a pioneer in developing a robust and focused business through the utilisation of best-in-class equipment and quality project delivery Writer: Phoebe Calver Project Manager: Matt Cole-Wilkin

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he world’s appetite for wind and solar energy has grown dramatically since UPC Renewables came to fruition, and in that time the Company has built upwards of 50 renewable projects at a cost of more than €3 billion around the world to suit the needs of its increasing customer base.

Over the years UPC has remained true to its DNA, believing in good quality renewable projects, built accordingly to its tried and tested methodologies and using top-class management and equipment to produce clean energy.

As a developer, constructor and operator of renewable energy projects, the Company has been building both wind and solar farms around the world since the mid-90s.

Although it does business in a wide variety of countries and regions, the common thread is the Founder, Brian Caffyn, who has a controlling stake in each area of operation.

Initially UPC operated in Italy, under the name, Italian Vento Power Corporation (IVPC) and built up 75 percent of the wind energy capacity in the country until 2005. During those early years, the original partners of the Company set up UPC Wind Partners in the US, working on projects in Maine, New York and Hawaii. Then came China, the Philippines and North Africa.

“Our business became a very wellknown wind and solar developer and in late 2012 UPC set up its most recent platform - UPC Renewables Limited, based in Hong Kong,” explains Andrew Sutherland, Executive Director. “Now that entity has grown to encompass both wind and solar power in the Asia-Pacific region, including Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, India, Taiwan and Australia.”

Investment opportunity

One thing that remains a constant at UPC is Brian Caffyn’s influence.

ASIA Wherever a new UPC business is set up around the world, he remains central to driving it forward.

Sutherland continues: “When we start any new platform business, we will bring in likeminded development stage investors, usually individuals with an appetite for risk that suits the business we are in. Once projects are ready to construct, we will bring in different corporate investors with a different risk/reward appetite to provide construction funds.

For many project developers in the industry, they think of their product as the project itself and therefore as assets to be sold on when they can maximise their profits on those projects; normally exiting the project entirely sometimes prior to the project even getting built. UPC is different, staying in the project company once it’s in operation and retaining operational control.

“We like to think of our product offering as energy and specifically electricity, which we will go on to sell to utilities and corporate buyers.

“We also follow the trends in the industry closely,” adds Sutherland.

“For example, we were building projects with 500KW wind turbines in the early years, but now technological advances mean we are looking at turbines of 3,500KW and even 5,000KW rated outputs.

“Although these projects are more expensive to purchase and perhaps more difficult to transport and erect, they have approximately 20 times the output available, despite being only 10 times larger.”

Project milestone

At present UPC Renewables Limited is continuing to develop projects in Southeast Asia, Korea, Taiwan, India and Australia, the most recent of which is the Sidrap 75MW wind farm in South Sulawesi, Indonesia which reached commercial operation at the very end of March.

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“This project was the first utilityscale wind farm in the fourth most populous nation in the world,” affirms Sutherland. “We worked with national utility company, PT PLN (Persero) and helped to educate them - as well as a multitude of government agencies - in the nuances of wind energy, and after lengthy discussions and negotiations a power contract was signed.

“This was a huge milestone for us and congratulations and thanks go to PLN for their full engagement and thoroughness throughout the process.”

As it was the first project of its kind in the country, only international commercial and development banks were considered as an option to finance the development. This ultimately concluded in a loan agreement with OPIC (the Overseas Private Investment Corporation of the US) for 80 percent of the project cost. Ayala Corporation of the Philippines partnered with UPC in providing the other 20 percent of the funds necessary to fully fund the construction.

“We are hoping to begin work on the expansion of the Sidrap Project this year, while also pushing forward with four other wind projects in Indonesia plus another half dozen wind projects in Australia and Vietnam,” explains Sutherland. “Aside from wind, we have more than a dozen solar projects in operation throughout Asia, including Korea, Taiwan, India and Vietnam, all of which are moving forward well.”

Like many of the companies in the renewable energy space, UPC is also looking at moving forward with the development of energy storage. These projects will include battery storage, advanced control systems and other technologies that can alleviate the concern of intermittency that grid operators have to assist in managing wind and solar’s intermittency.

Sutherland goes onto describe: “Storage is becoming the key to

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FIELD OF SERVICE - TECHNICAL SURVEY - PLANNING & DESIGN - ENGINEERING SUPPORT - CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT - SUPERVISION OFFICE: PAHLAWAN #95 BANDUNG 40123 WEST JAVA INDONESIA

“We worked with national utility company, PT PLN (Persero) and helped to educate them - as well as a multitude of government agencies - in the nuances of wind energy, and after lengthy discussions and negotiations a power contract was signed.”

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obtaining additional contracts for projects and is driving the industry forward. To bring more renewable projects into operation, it is imperative that utilities gain acceptance of the renewable product (wind and solar plus storage) while also acknowledging that the cost of that project is attractive. With no fuel, there can be no fuel cost shocks to the utility either, so we consider the renewable product to be less risky too.”

Forefront of technology

Over the years UPC has worked tirelessly to remain at the forefront of technological advancements within the industry, as well as spending copious amounts of time looking at trends such as wind turbine and solar panel technology.

“Working in such a competitive landscape for renewable projects, we often have to specify products when we tender projects that may not yet be available,” adds Sutherland.

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“However, we have a very good insight into the manufacturers and keep up with their product commercialisation timetables so we can be sure that these products will be available when we are required to start building.

“This is a fine line and one that we have to walk carefully in order to monitor any changes in regulations or technical issues that might mean the trend patterns change and that could

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potentially upset this way of thinking.”

Alongside monitoring industry changes, in the operational phase of the projects, the Company carries out a vast amount of predictive analysis, ensuring that it will see any failures in wind turbine operations that are about to happen – rather than reacting to failures. Proactive management, not reactive management. This provides the Company with time to

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undergo a programmatic switch out of potentially failing parts before the failure happens, putting a halt on any potential disruptions to productivity and upsetting its utility customers.

“We are also incredibly conscious of our environment and put together a lot of effort to ensure that the environments we operate in are minimally impacted by our activities,” explains Sutherland.

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“We are also incredibly conscious of our environment and put together a lot of effort to ensure that the environments we operate in are minimally impacted by our activities.”

“In the same vein, we continue to nurture our relationships with the local government and communities through social engagement and a commitment to well-funded corporate social responsibility (CSR) budgets.”

The Company has remained relatively small and nimble in its operations, confining itself to markets that make good sense from a development point of view. Further to that, the Company manages its own construction processes through a multi-contracting strategy while also

staying in the game post construction.

“I hope the time is near when UPC and all companies in our industry would have managed to move all the utilities to renewable energy projects as a default, making them far more desirable, technically and financially, than coal or other fossil fired fuels,” concludes Sutherland. “It is only by doing this that we will be able to turn the tide on the relentless CO2 emissions that the world is experiencing at present, turning us away from the potential of a bleak future.”

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A One-Stop

Medical Hub HSC Healthcare Group is taking on Asia, expanding as a leading healthcare provider in the region Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Callam Waller

n just 12 months, HSC Healthcare Group has made significant progress on both an internal and external level; complementing structural improvements with strategic acquisitions that are set to the take the organisation to new countries, and new levels of innovation.

The acquisitions of TAGS Spine and Joint Specialists Group in Malaysia were compounded by a joint venture partnership with Oracle Medical Group in South Korea as pivotal examples of both initiatives, and the business is proud of the impact that the successful integration of these relationships has had already.

“The successful integration of TAGS Spine & Joint Specialists Group, one of Malaysia’s leading chiropractic groups currently with 12 outlets throughout the nation, has further elevated the presence of HSC in Malaysia,” Group Chief Executive Officer, Derrick Chan

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affirms. “Whereas, the partnership with Oracle Medical Group - which comprises a global network of 70 centres worldwide including South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and Hong Kong - to open the first Oracle Beauty Centre in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, has shaped HSC into a wellrounded leading world-class healthcare provider in Asia.”

Complementing this expansion of reach and footprint was a series of internal improvements over the course of 2017, especially at HSC’s Medical Center which is Asia’s pioneer in heart, stroke and cancer.

Chan continues: “We have established numerous initiatives to emerge as a top-quality healthcare provider in the region and today HSC Medical Center is recognised internationally for its elite medical experts, state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, and fully computerised hospital information system; all of which have contributed to the uniqueness of this medical centre.

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“Meanwhile HSC Integrative Medicine, which is a brainchild of the very own brand name, Dr’s Choice, is currently a rising star in Malaysia’s food supplement industry with inhouse branded food supplement and drinks formulated by HSC doctors and dieticians.”

HSC has reached a further exciting milestone over the past 12 months via the establishment of a strong digital presence, showcasing not just the Group but its ability to keep up-to-date with the latest integrated communications

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technologies and trends.

“Ranked among leading healthcare providers in Asia, HSC Healthcare Group has found a reputation around a philosophy of medical excellence, medical innovation and a patientcentred approach,” Chan continues.

“With this as our guiding principle, we continue to strengthen our vision as a leader in the early detection and treatment in heart, stroke and cancer and as a chosen one-stop medical hub for patients from Malaysia and the region.”

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Achieving excellent outcomes

Driving these aforementioned improvements is a newly appointed Medical Director, Dr. Timothy James Watson whose mission is to advance medical innovation and practice and to place HSC Medical Center on the regional map in terms of healthcare excellence and delivery.

“As we are strategising the image and business narrative of HSC Healthcare Group at a regional level to reflect our growth, vision

Chief Executive Officer, Derrick Chan

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and current service offerings; we are also materialising our mission in synergising market development strategy between all members of HSC Healthcare Group,” Chan explains.

“HSC has established a stronghold in Indonesia as we are continuing to retain the market. Concurrently, we are expediting our next and exciting focus in new market penetration into other parts of Southeast Asia.

“We have been able to build interests and garner demands in Myanmar through social media initiatives before we physically stepped into the market in the first quarter of 2018.”

A refreshment of HSC’s imaging capabilities and the introduction

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of new care pathways and more efficient medical reports are early signs of Dr Watson’s influence, while a host of new, regionally-first drug treatments have also been unveiled to combat conditions including diabetes, cholesterol and heart attacks.

HSC has a long pedigree of offering high quality medical services and achieving excellent outcomes.

To attain this, the Company has invested heavily in latest generation technologies with the aim of capitalising on this strong base and to work towards offering patients the best cardiac care available in Asia. Dedicated to innovation, HSC is continuously evolving its healthcare services which include utilising the

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latest top-notch medical technologies and devices in the region.

Recent introduction and new medical treatments include advanced health screening, advanced diagnostic and ear, nose & throat (ENT) treatment.”

World-class quality

Alongside sister company - HSB Development - HSC is also looking to build a new medical centre within its multiuse complex in Penang over the coming months; an investment which will house a hotel as well as a host of medical suites, but will also facilitate a new swathe of talented professionals to take the Group forward into the next stage of its evolution.

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“On the manpower front, retention of talent has been a topmost concern in many industries. At HSC, we treasure the staff we have in the Company and care for their needs for a fulfilling career,” Chan enthuses. “In 2017, we embarked on the PRS initiative which stands for Private Retirement Scheme.

With this programme, our staff are evaluated on a half yearly basis and an additional incentive is credited into a PRS account which is created in their name.

“This way, every individual within the Company can see their hard work being rewarded and monitor the growth of their PRS savings themselves.”

Safeguarding employees’ livelihoods and futures is just one strand of a much wider, all-encompassing corporate social responsibility ethos; a pivotal influence that emanates from a Group that places care and wellbeing as a foremost consideration.

“We are moving towards positioning

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our organisation as a leading worldclass healthcare group in Asia,” Chan concludes. “We believe that Myanmar and Cambodia have the full potential to grow as the next strategic market for HSC Healthcare Group, and hopefully, by implementing the right initiatives, we can successfully penetrate into the two new markets.

“The fundamental basis of HSC Healthcare Group is world-class quality.

To achieve such quality, we have been constantly upgrading ourselves by introducing new medical techniques, and by adopting the latest diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. With that, we hope to achieve outstanding progress of medical advancement with Dr Timothy James Watson, HSC’s new Medical Director, onboard.”

Keep track of HSC Healthcare Group’s latest updates, innovations and success stories at its new website, www.hschealth.com

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ALLSCRIPTS HEALTHCARE IT (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD

Smarter Healthcare Allscripts Healthcare IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd is successfully aiding the healthcare industry in Asia in its mission to achieve digital maturity, while endeavouring to help patients enjoy a healthier life Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Callam Waller

llscripts Healthcare IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd has a long-standing and esteemed reputation among the hospitals in Singapore, having partnered with the widelyrecognised Singapore Health for more than 15 years.

Having dramatically aided Singapore Health with the evolution of its clinical systems, the Company is now set to help them in achieving HIMSS Level 7 during the next few years of its working relationship.

“In addition to this specific work, we have also supported Singapore in its deep-rooted commitment to excellence in healthcare during the past 10 years,” begins David Chambers, Managing Director of Allscripts Healthcare IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd. “Our Sunrise technology has been deployed in 50 percent of the country’s public hospitals and 70 percent of private hospitals, while also developing a strong relationship with the Singapore Military (MINDEF).

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“We now recognise the significance of our presence within Singapore, and over the years our team has experienced a rapid growth trajectory from an initial team of two, to one that now includes more than 30 individuals.”

As an industry leader with 30 years of excellence under its belt, the Company has thousands of the top hospitals, healthcare systems, physician practices and healthcare facilities across the globe with the use of its electronic medical record (EMR) with impressive results.

Chambers adds: “We’re the original open and connected healthcare platform, providing evolved and client-focused solutions that will enable smarter care that is delivered with great precision. Inevitably this ensures that our patients are healthier and today, with an international team that is comprised of more than 7,000 employees, we are devoted to fulfilling the needs of providers today to create the health IT architecture of tomorrow.”

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Improvement implementation

Allscripts is dedicated to assisting healthcare organisations with their focus on achieving smarter patient care.

“We are firm believers that when it comes to good data collection and intelligent data analysis and usage, we are able to make a different in our patients’ lives,” continues Chambers.

“Through ensuring that our data is available to all clinicians, we are able to implement change within the industry, thanks to our data analytics platform.

“The platform enables us to identify potential trends and warnings that have directly altered the care industry, and in addition we are also incorporating EMR-agnostic, precision medicine and genomic capabilities to our remit.”

These new capabilities will capture and store genomic data from a wide range of sources, harmonised clinical knowledge and genomic research in order to identify the relevant information which can then be

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FRIARTUCK DPS

Saves Lives, Time And Money!

SurgeryOptimizer gives clients the solution to manage its preoperative processes.

The benefits of SurgeryOptimizer includes improved accuracy of scheduling with reduced cancellations, decreased patient waiting time for operations, increased utilisation of expensive operating room equipment, increased utilisation of operating facilities and reduced administrative effort.

WorkforceOptimizer helps analyse employee availability and use data to predict workload and optimise staff assignment and deployment. It provides increased adaptability, flexibility, openness and cost-efficiency by optimising your critical resources, giving you the edge over others in providing reliable and prompt service to our customers.

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pushed forward to determine the most effective regimen for the patient.

The Company’s primary function has come a long way since it was founded in 1986 with the primary business of repackaging medication for point-of-care dispensing and going on to transform doctor’s offices with more comprehensive management electronic medical record EMR solutions in the 1990s.

“To address the somewhat fragmented care delivery we went onto merge with the acute-solution leader Eclipsys in 2010 to create the new Allscripts,” adds Chambers. “We took several significant steps to solidify and advance our population health offerings.

“Looking into the future of healthcare, we then went on to launch a wholly-owned subsidiary named 2b2Precise in 2016, delivering a genomic and precision medicine platform which has aided us in the continued attempts to expand our solutions portfolio.”

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One of the most critical aspects of the Company’s research and development is the investments made into its business strategy, monitoring everchanging trends in order to note important advancements within its solutions.

“When it comes to monitoring consumerism and interoperability, health IT always needs to remain focused on the patient,” continues Chambers. “Now more than ever our

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consumers expect the availability of mobile, consumer-friendly technologies that provide them with access to their health information and control over it.

“The current trends in consumerism have also triggered an industrywide call for open-health data exchange throughout all application programming interfaces (APIs), which is incredibly exciting as we have been fighting for this for more than a decade as a company and soon it will become the norm.”

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eadquartered in Singapore, FriarTuck specialise in developing, implementing and supporting software solutions that allows enterprises to deploy and manage their resources optimally. We are committed to help our clients improve their human capital management and gain a sustainable competitive edge by applying new technologies and business strategies through innovative, high-quality professional services. Our cloud-based flagship products, WorkforceOptimizer and SurgeryOptimizer, employ breakthrough mathematical techniques that rapidly synthesise and process complex factors to automatically create optimised schedules, forecasts, and deployment plans.

WorkforceOptimizer WorkforceOptimizer (WFO) allows enterprises to deploy and manage their workforces optimally. Enabling interactive ‘what-if’ scenarios, WFO takes account simultaneously of critical factors such as staff skill mix, staff shift bidding preferences, staff fatigue, staffing regulations, and process/ staffing needs to rapidly calculate optimal workforce solutions. Combining high ease-ofuse with a vast array of configuration options, and seamless integration with most major human resources and payroll systems, WFO maximise customer’s ROI while minimising total cost of ownership (TCO). WFO is suitable for industries such as Healthcare, Hospitality, Entertainment, Transportation, Logistics, Retail, BFSI and Government sectors.

Surgery Optimizer SurgeryOptimizer (SGO) transforms the complex task of Operation Theatre (OT) resource management for the hospitals

into a synchronised, well-managed and optimised process. It encapsulates the inherent complexities of the scheduling process and provides each stakeholder (like surgeons, OT management & support staff) involved in decision making, with a highly flexible yet simple role-based interface. SGO suggests optimal time slots and operating room, considering multitude factors such as availability of equipment, pre/post op bed, surgeon and support staff; required time frame and patient waiting time. The optimised scheduling of OT resources achieved by SGO helps healthcare organisations to close the gap between patient demand and availability of resources which in turn unlocks the spare capacity of resources, hitherto latent in inefficient processes and provides prompt service to patients.

To name a few beneficiaries of our solutions; hospitals using our SGO had reduced their time in generating schedules by more than 70% and saved more than 3,000-man days per year.

We believe people are the critical component to success, while technology tools are essential improvement enablers, and methods or processes are essential for sustainable results leading to continuous improvement. The common pain points companies are facing in today’s challenging environment include labour shortage, downtime in managing manpower and staff scheduling, managing absenteeism and replacements, as well as optimising workforce through forecasting.

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Alongside the massive interest in consumerism trends, the Company has also placed a lot of time and resources into developing post-acute care coordination.

“People are living longer and subsequently create a higher demand for post-acute services than ever before,” adds Chambers. “We have looked into rehabilitation, skilled

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nursing opportunities and behavioural health facilities that can be integrated into traditional hospitals and clinics in order to achieve the goal of healthy communities and populations.

“At Allscripts we continue to invest in finding solutions for venues of care outside the four walls of a clinic, and therefore coordination is incredibly important to the entire process of

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care for a patient. This means that we have the ability to meet not only their physical care needs but also mental and social.”

In order to achieve the aforementioned aim, Allscripts is looking into the developments within precision medicine and specifically the exciting future to be discovered within the combination of clinical and

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information,” continues Chambers.

“We know that big data can lead to big thinking and more predictive models of care, and that is why our Allscripts Analytics division has extrapolated data from more than 48 million deidentified patient records.

“At present we are running through that information with a fine toothcomb with other types of data, including consumer and environmental information, gaining insights into diabetes, opioid use and other public health crises.”

“In doing this we are ensuring that people share data across the continuum, no matter where they are or which vendor and networks they have to work with. With the option of open access across the care community, providers are able to communicate effectively while also engaging patients directly with thanks to game-changing improvements in patient outcomes and operational performance.”

Moving forward the goal for Allscripts will be critically centralised on machine learning, particularly when Technological evolution it comes to the evolution of EMRs. Before the healthcare industry has a “Using human-centred design chance to achieve the promise of true through platforms such as our latest interoperability, companies such as ambulatory EMR named Avenel™, Allscripts must focus on making life which was built from the ground easier for clinicians instead of more up, we have already been able difficult. to transform the way physicians “For a long time we have experience and interact with been working on reaching true technology,” concludes Chambers. interoperability for all operating in a “At present we are working on multi-vendor healthcare environment,” incorporating machine learning Chambers describes. “Now we capabilities in order to learn client recognise the importance of making treatment patterns, helping us to data useful to clinicians at the point of improve quality and immediate care, enabling them to provide better interaction with the patient in the care for each patient within a unified future which will address the issue workflow. with provider fatigue.”

genomic data. As the data begins to enter the mainstream market, the information will help shape a more personalised care plan for each individual patient with truly predictive medicine.

“Within the modern and increasingly complicated healthcare landscape we have to be able to draw insights from an ever-increasingly large amount of

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2 7 T H J A PA N I T W E E K S P R I N G

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Japan’s largest IT show expects to gather 1,800 exhibitors and 91,000 visitors

Event Details WHEN: 9-11 May WHERE: Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan WEBSITE: http://www.japan-it.jp/en/

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27TH JAPAN IT Week Spring is Japan’s largest comprehensive IT show. Taking place 9 -11 May, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan, the show provides the best opportunity to source the latest IT technology and solutions from 1,800 Japanese and global exhibitors.

Exhibition booths can be reserved by submitting the form on the website, http://www.japan-it.jp/en/haru/ex/, and exhibition tickets are free if you register via the show website, http:// www.japan-it.jp/en/haru/inv/, before the show opens.

For the 27th year, Japan IT Week Spring consists of 13 exhibitions

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which cover the whole IT industry with diverse exhibits, products and solutions: AI & Business Automation Expo; Software & Apps Development Expo (SODEC); Big Data Management Expo (BIG DATA Spring); Embedded Systems Expo (ESEC); Data Storage Expo (DSE); Data Center Expo (DATA CENTER Spring); Information Security Expo (IST Spring); Web & Digital Marketing Expo (Web-Mo Spring); Cloud Computing Expo Japan (CLOUD JAPAN Spring); Mobile Solutions Expo (MOBIX Spring); IoT/M2M Expo (IoT/M2M Spring); Direct Commerce Solutions Expo (DIREX Spring); and Store & Retail IT Solutions Expo (STOREX Spring).

The show truly serves as the best platform to connect with the latest IT solutions from Japan and the rest of the world. This year, the show is expecting to welcome 350 international exhibitors from 21 different countries with several international pavilions.

For visitors interested in learning more about the latest IT trends in the industry, Japan IT Week Spring offers the very popular conference programmes featuring top industry leaders as conference speakers. For the 2018 show, the conference is expected to host 57 programmes including bilingual sessions.

Visit Japan IT Week Spring website, http://www.japan-it.jp/en/haru/, to register online for your exhibition ticket and to make an inquiry about booth reservation.

What to Expect at 27th Japan IT Week Spring:

– 1,800 international and domestic exhibitors – 91,000 professional visitors – 57 conference programmes

FI VIETNAM

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Vietnam’s premier ingredients event Event Details WHEN: 16-18 May WHERE: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam WEBSITE: www.fi-vietnam.net

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FI VIETNAM, NOW a biennial event, ensures that you’ll regularly connect with key industry professionals. The exhibition will take place on 16-18 May, 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City. Fi Vietnam provides exhibitors with unparalleled access to Vietnam and beyond, especially in the emerging markets of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Unlike other events, Fi Vietnam is dedicated exclusively to food and beverage ingredients, not finished foods. This focus ensures that we provide exhibitors and businesses, networking and learning opportunities; the right ingredients for your success. Fi Vietnam unites domestic and international leaders of the food & beverage industry.

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More than 4,700 visitors and 140 exhibitors from more than 30 different countries are expected to join this year’s exhibition covering more than 1,400 square metres, making the show Vietnam’s premier ingredients event.

At Fi Vietnam 2018 you will have the opportunity to participate in industry-leading discussions, discover the latest innovations first-hand, establish vital business connections, and develop new industry knowledge.

Fi Vietnam 2018 provides unparalleled gastronomic insight into the region’s food & beverage market development.

No matter what your business objectives, Fi Vietnam 2018 offers you a new recipe for growth! Write your page in Vietnam’s history cookbook and join us at Fi Vietnam 2018.

A new recipe for growth

Food ingredients Vietnam

Fi Vietnam is your gateway to meet and do business with the entire food and beverage value chain who are looking to Returning to Vietnam in 2018, make sure you book your stand as soon as possible as space will be limited. Should you need any assistance please contact: For Pan-Asia E: nongnaphat.j@ubm.com T: +662 642 6911

16-18 May 2018 SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam @Fi_Global

For Vietnam E: thao.nguyen@ubm.com T: +84 85 40 12 718

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AFRICA ENERGY FORUM

E V E N T

F O C U S

These benefits led to Mauritius being chosen as the next location for the Africa Energy Forum, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary from 19-22 June, 2018. The Forum brings together 2,000 decisionmakers from governments, utilities, regulators, power developers, financial institutions, technology providers, consultants, law firms and large energy users to form partnerships, identify opportunities and make decisions at the highest level about how to move the sector forward.

With head office on the island nation, Africa’s largest power infrastructure service provider CONCO is a sponsor of the Africa Energy Forum this year. “Having our international head office operating out of Mauritius provides CONCO with an ideal platform to service all our international customers across the globe. The business-friendly policies Mauritius has enjoyed numerous and trade agreements the country accolades within the business shares with many other countries community of late. In 2018 it was (including its African counterparts) ranked 25th out of 190 countries makes Mauritius a logical choice,” says in the World Bank ‘Ease of Doing Clive Pillay, CONCO’s Chief Commercial Business’ report, taking first place in Officer. sub-Saharan Africa. It also came out as The overarching theme of the Forum the top African country in the World - ‘Reflections on the last 20 years’ - will Economic Forum’s 2017-18 Global celebrate the achievements of the AEF Competitiveness Index. community over the past two decades.

The country boasts an impressive Key participants who attended and 100 percent energy access with supported the first years of the ambitious plans of increasing conference will be invited back to renewable sources to account for reflect on how the sector has evolved, 35 percent by 2025. The Mauritius and discuss developments likely to Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA) shape the industry over the next 20 was set up in 2016 to oversee the years. Representatives from the World development of renewable energy Bank and University of California, projects across the island. Other Berkeley will document outcomes sources include geothermal and waste throughout the Forum to assemble a to energy. Joint ventures between reference document with action points local companies and international firms for the next two decades. are viewed as desirable and contribute to the dynamic and competitive business environment.

A gateway for investment into Africa’s energy sector IN THE WAKE of Mauritius’ 50th anniversary of Independence on 12 March, we reflect on what the country has to offer African energy investors in 2018.

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 19-22 June WHERE: Mauritius CONTACT: aef@energynet.co.uk WEBSITE: www.africa-energy-forum.com

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Forum Sponsor

Africa

Forum Sponsor

Exhibition Sponsor

Lead Sponsors

Strategic Partners

All subscribers are entitled to an exclusive 15% off registration.

Email: AEF@energynet.co.uk quoting the code AEF18_AO for further details.

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HI CHINA

E V E N T

F O C U S

China’s leading event for innovative health and nutraceutical ingredients Event Details WHEN: 20-22 June WHERE: Shanghai, China WEBSITE: www.healthingredients-china. com/2018

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JOIN CHINA’S LEADING event for innovative health and nutraceutical ingredients on June 20-22, 2018 in Shanghai, China.

Hi China, co-located with Healthplex & Nutraceutical Products China and CPhI, is the place where the Chinese nutraceutical, functional food & beverages, and dietary supplement industries source innovative ingredients. HiC gives you the opportunity to discover an extensive offering in health ingredients, food ingredients, natural extracts, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, all under one roof.

Health ingredients China is a

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centralised area for health and natural ingredient suppliers and also includes the international pavilion.

Co-located with six other shows, it’s the one-stop event for sourcing Chinese food, health, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical ingredients, knowledge and partnerships.

Hi China 2018 offers you opportunities to grow your business.

We support you with matchmaking services, onsite supplier finder desks and the mobile app. There will also be a wide range of onsite seminars and conferences that will update you on the market trends and developments and help you navigate the Chinese regulatory system From the HNC conference about the latest nutraceutical developments, to leading global and local suppliers of health ingredients and health finished products, to specialised pavilions focusing on nutrition and wellness, Hi China has it all!

The perfect location for ingredients in China Hi China, and its co-located shows, brings you an extensive offering in health ingredients, nutraceuticals, natural ingredients & extracts, and pharmaceuticals - all under one roof.

20 – 22 June 2018 SNIEC, Shanghai, China

This event is brought to you by the organisers of Fi Europe, the trusted route to market since 1986 and is co-located with CPhI China, the world’s largest pharmaceutical tradeshow.

@FiGlobal Search for Food Ingredients

Join China’s leading event for innovative health and nutraceutical ingredients www.healthingredients-china.com/2018 Scan this QR code to step in the exciting world of Food ingredients events

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MALAYSIAN INTERNATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE TRADE FAIR (MIFB)

E V E N T

F O C U S

Bridging business connections between Malaysia and the world

Event Details WHEN: 27-29 June WHERE: Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia WEBSITE: www.mifb.com.my

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THE MALAYSIAN INTERNATIONAL Food & Beverage Trade Fair (MIFB) has been serving the food industry as the F&B business hub for 18 years. MIFB continues to play its role as a platform for the F&B industry players to introduce, exchange, and learn about the latest innovations and technologies from around the world.

Moving towards the 19th year, MIFB, the tantalising world of food business, aims to bridge the business connection between Malaysia and the world; the world and Asia.

MIFB 2018 will be offering four specialised segments: F&B - Natural and Healthy Produce; Halal; Food

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Technology; and Seafood. Exhibitors will also be offered a highly focused event which caters to their needs and bring them the best ROI. More than 500 exhibitors from 45 countries will be hosted and more than 20,000 trade visitors from around the world are expected to visit MIFB 2018.

FI ASIA-CHINA

E V E N T

F O C U S

The only event in China to bring together the entire industry value chain under one roof

Event Details WHEN: 11-13 July WHERE: SNIEC, Shanghai, China WEBSITE: www.fi-asia-china.com/2018

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11-13 JULY, 2018 Food Ingredients Asia-China will join together with ProPak China, Expo Food Manufacturing and Starch Expo to create a one-stop purchasing platform for the Chinese food & beverage industry. This combined event is the only event of this scale in China that brings together the entire industry value chain under one roof. Combined, the exhibitions will bring together food ingredients as well as food processing and packaging solutions and starch and starch derivatives to serve the ever-growing food & beverage industry in China. Combined, the shows will cover more than 80,000 square metres across six halls in the SNIEC, Shanghai and is expected to attract more than 35,000 professional visitors from China

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and abroad.

Food ingredients Asia-China (FiAC) has been serving the Chinese market for more than 15 years. Here you can find local and international food, health and nutraceutical ingredients.

China is the world’s largest consumer market for food & beverage products, larger than the US. This makes the Chinese market increasingly appealing for foreign brands, especially as Chinese consumer behaviour shifts.

You will find special zones onsite for dairy products, beverages, starch and other ingredients. At the event there will be a variety of educational programmes and other innovative features, which will provide visitors with new ideas for business development.

The one-stop sourcing platform for food & beverage manufacturers Fi Asia-China, co-located with ProPak China, is the only event of this scale in China that brings together the entire industry value chain under one roof.

11 - 13 July 2018 SNIEC, Shanghai, China

Combined, the exhibitions will bring together food ingredients as well as food processing and packagingsolutions to serve the ever-growing food and beverage industry in China.

@FiGlobal Search for Food Ingredients

market in the world www.fi-asia-china.com/2018 Scan this QR code to step in the exciting world of Food ingredients events

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Fi Asia-China

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OIL & GAS VIETNAM (OGAV)

E V E N T

F O C U S

The international exhibition of oil & gas companies, technologies and supporting industries

Event Details WHEN: 23-25 October WHERE: Vung Tau Province, Vietnam CONTACT: viet@asiafireworks.com WEBSITE: www.oilgasvietnam.com

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THE 6TH EDITION of Oil & Gas Vietnam (OGAV) exhibition 2018 is the only specialised event in Vietnam that brings together an international congregation of both upstream and downstream oil & gas companies and also its supporting industries gathered in the heart of Vietnam’s oil & gas industry in Vung Tau. The oil & gas industry has major impacts on the development of Vietnam’s economy. Therefore, fluctuations in global crude oil prices has always been the focus of the economic and financial news.

However, despite the changing trend of oil & gas, there is still huge demand for innovation and technological development to enhance ability for production and extraction while

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minimising risks. That is the reason why, for the past few years, the Oil & Gas Vietnam (OGAV) event has expanded and is now considered as the most authentic and one and only oil & gas event in Vietnam to showcase many advanced technologies and machineries in the industry.

Besides that, the Oil & Gas Conference is held concurrently with the exhibition to match the pressing needs of the industry, and its design to show you how to boost innovation and stay ahead in this rapidly changing industry. Even with this intense schedule, visitors will still find countless opportunities to meet and mingle with thought leaders from many countries.

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF OIL & GAS AND MARINE COMPANIES,TECHNOLOGIES AND SUPPORTING INDUSTRIES 2018

23-25 October 2018

Pullman Conference Centre & Events

15 Thi Sach Street, Thang Tam Ward, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province, Vietnam

w BOOK NOW !!!

For more info, contact us at: www.oilgasvietnam.com (+84) 28 3925 3042 viet@asiafireworks.com

m o c m.

a n t svie

a g l i .o w w Singapore Pavilion Supported By:

Singapore Industrial Automation Association

Incorporating With:

Organized By:

FIREWORKS VIETNAM & FIREWORKS VIETNAM CO., LTD

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Business Travel Guides

A complete guide to the world’s most popular locations

B H U T A N

BHUTAN Bhutan’s aesthetic beauty and historical fascination is undoubted, but the country is now looking to translate such attractions into more tangible economic returns Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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B H U T A N U N D E R S T A N D A B LY W O U L D N ’ T be one of the first countries that spring to mind when identifying lucrative business opportunities, but as the country looks to concertedly advance and diversify its economic drivers, the natural splendour and historic appeal that awaits prospective visitors is unlike anything else on the planet.

For years, Bhutan has led a rather solitary life as one of the most untouched nations in the world.

Having never been colonised, its only influences emanate from its Indian neighbours on one side, and its Buddhism-based Tibetan relationship on the other side.

Inevitably this has culminated in a rather insular approach when it comes to business as well, the country remaining largely reliant on traditional strands of

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agriculture in order to keep its citizens content. However, with Bhutan still technically a ‘least economically developed country’, the past decade has seen slow but sure moves to instigate an economic transformation.

From a logistical standpoint, the transformation won’t be easy and will take many decades more; its subtropical flat farmlands in the

FACTS & FIGURES

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ASIA south balanced out by Himalayan mountains in the north, but neither particularly designed for an infrastructural revolution.

With each baby step though comes an increased likelihood of both tourists and business travellers being able to explore Bhutan’s wonderful landscape, and for those lucky few, it will be a trip to remember.

Capital city: Languages: Area: Population (2016 estimate): GDP (2017): Currency:

Thimphu

Time zone: Dialling code: Internet TLD: .

UTC+6

Dzongkha 38,394 square kilometres 797,765 $7.045 billion Ngultrum (BTN) & Indian rupee (INR) +975 bt

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See page

18 Our Business Travel section not only gives executives the complete guide to the world’s most popular and populous locations, but also gives said locations the perfect opportunity to showcase their own businesses, events, venues and services to a truly international audience and readership of more than 220,000 each month.

To share in this unrivalled exposure and to put your own offering on our map, then please contact our Sales Managers, Joe Palliser or Ryan Gray to find out more.

joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 676

ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 672