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Taiwan Cement Corp. (TCC) held its 2022 annual general meeting, in which Chairman Nelson Chang delivered a speech and shared business updates

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TAIPEI, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Taiwan Cement Corp. (TCC) held its 2022 annual general meeting, in which Chairman Nelson Chang delivered a speech, and TCC shared its 1Q22 results as below:

Chairman Nelson Chang’s Speech

In the past half a year or so, it seems foreboding dark clouds are surrounding the world, such as the fast-spreading COVID-19 variants in Asia, and the interruption of worldwide commodity supply chains. These have all led up to uncertainty, pessimism, and anxiety about the future. It is also the most difficult year for Taiwan Cement for the past ten years. Granted all is true, we remain positive that every cloud has a silver lining if we position ourselves in just the right direction. A beam of light always comes out from behind the clouds. However tiny it may be, it gives us hope that we shall remain undaunted so as to embrace a promising future.  

Living in the 21st century, we are unsure of where to go from here and what can be made sure in this world. The risks are no less great than those of the Age of Exploration in the 15th century, notwithstanding the greater knowledge we have gained about the world today.

The totally inexcusable war has caused the ensuing scarcity in both resources and energy. The worldwide break-out of a virus has caused millions of unexpected deaths as well as increased wastes, especially of plastics to an alarming ubiquity. The sudden shortage of energy has also worsened the emissions of carbon-dioxide to make the Earth even warmer. All these issues are posing grave threats to the future existence of Humankind.     

In fact, the reason Humankind has strayed today lies entirely in ourselves. Only when self-examination is in place to allow a fundamental conceptual change in conduct can we afford to claim that we are underway to explore a real answer.

The sense of co-existence in our age should be awakened and evoked on a full scale of the Planet Earth. We must be upfront with the pandemic, weather change and a more idealistic society. Each of us will require a cognitive restructuring in our thinking. It can no longer be “I,” but “WE.” To familiarize ourselves with the capitalized “WE” is an indispensable step to a sustainable future of mankind. But unfortunately, at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, it seems to be going backwards and moving towards a regional economy, an economic model where every country comes first. We cannot continue to contemplate living a life solely for our time and selfishness. Most wars took place for individual rights or self-interests of politicians per se. Only a minimum of warfare was fought genuinely for such lofty causes as freedom and human life.

The Great Leap of the next generation will beyond doubt be motivated by continuous revolutions. It will no longer be technology-driven cognitive change but a restructured mental framework for sustainability.

Dante wrote, “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a period of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”

Lastly but not least, may I remind you ladies and gentlemen, “Today is the beginning of eternity.”

TCC: Silver Lining

In 1Q22, TCC saw cement revenue in Mainland China decreased by 7.8% year-on-year. Sales volume for the same period also decreased by 24.1% year-on-year. Despite the cement price increase by 18%, it could not catch up with the price hike of coal, especially in 1Q22, when international coal price grew by 195% year-on-year. This price increase in coal caused TCC to see a drop both in gross margin and net profits.

Nevertheless, TCC’s 1Q22 consolidated revenue was NT$22.97 billion, representing a 4% increase compared to NT$22.03 billion in 1Q21. This growth was mainly attributed to the new energy businesses. Cement revenues in 1Q22 dropped by 3% year-on-year, but new subsidiaries in the energy segment such as, NHΩA, E-One Moli, and TCC Energy Storage contributed positively to TCC’s consolidated revenue.

TCC has transitioned into a circular economy company. As cement markets begin to shrink from their peak, waste treatment has become the focus of business operation. This transition not only helps solve society’s waste problem but also increases profits. In the future, TCC’s target is to become one of the growth tech stocks. For growth tech stocks around the world, cash dividend payout ratio has not been the main reason for market capitalization growth.

In the past two years, TCC has been redeploying two-thirds of its profits into ESG-related projects, such as building waste treatment facilities in Taiwan and Mainland China, investing in green energy projects, and buying the majority stake in the Italy-based energy storage company NHΩA. These steps are part of a comprehensive strategy to help TCC Group to achieve carbon neutrality. For example, TCC’s total renewable energy generated by 2025 is actually sufficient for the Company to achieve RE100 but, TCC’s renewable energy are still provided mainly to meet the demand of Taiwan’s companies that focus on exporting products.  

As a circular economy company, its waste treatment capacity has been increasing, together with alternative material and fuel usage. Using cement kilns’ high temperature to co-process wastes can help the society solve its waste problem. It can also generate alternative material and fuel to help increase cement production once stricter energy and coal controls, such as the situation in Mainland China in 4Q21. Moreover, it can help reduce carbon emissions, generate carbon rights, and reduce cost and reliance on coal. Currently, the cost of alternative fuel is only 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost of coal. By 2030, the total waste treatment volume by TCC may rise up to 10 million tons while alternative fuel usage can exceed 1.3 million tons. This is equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by more than 10 million tons. CIMPOR and OYAK, TCC overseas-invested cement companies, have also been using large amounts of alternative fuel.

As energy business is concerned, TCC foresees a possible supply shortage of industrial green energy in Taiwan. The green energy installations scheduled by the government for 2025 and 2030 are 27Gw and 45GW, respectively. To have green energy used at full capacity and efficiency, TCC believes that there must be at least 20% of energy storage complementary to green energy. This means that at least 5GW and 9GW of energy storage are needed in 2025 and 2030. TCC’s total green energy installation is estimated to exceed 500MW by 2025 and is also building, scheduling, and planning many energy storage projects.

TCC’s global energy storage installation is expected to exceed 400MWh by the end of 2022. By 2024, the figure is estimated to exceed 2,900MWh. NHΩA, the Italy-based TCC subsidiary, has been rapidly expanding global energy storage presence with projects completed or under planning, spanning across a total of 26 countries. Free2Move eSolutions, an business line of NHΩA, has also built the world’s largest vehicle-to-grid (V2G) site with a capacity of 30MW and, when the grid needs electricity, the site can have up to 600 EVs connected to provide electricity back to the grid. NHΩA’s other business line, Atlante Co., has been swiftly expanding businesses in Southern Europe with the aim to become the largest virtual independent power producer (IPP).

Energy storage requires batteries and that is why TCC believes the key to the future of energy is batteries. Molie Quantum Energy, a TCC subsidiary, has been building a 1.8GWh super battery factory in Xiaogang, Taiwan since October 25, 2021, and it is scheduled to begin production in 1Q23. Combining the current 1.6GWh battery capacity of E-One Moli, by 2024, TCC’s total battery capacity will reach 3.3GWh, around 216 million units per year. The price of batteries is also expected to increase to US$5 per unit in 2024.

In addition to maintaining existing business and expanding to new energy businesses, TCC also has a responsibility to its current and future shareholders. The Company has been taking initiatives to revitalize its land assets, namely the properties in Taiwan and Mainland China. In Taiwan, the Zhudong property is aimed at becoming a lifestyle theme park while the property at Keelung Road, Taipei is aimed to be an “Urban Green Eco-Valley“. In Mainland China, an iconic building is under construction in the name of “TCC Gong Liang Building in Hangzhou“, which is scheduled to be completed in 2024 and will be TCC’s headquarters in Mainland China.

TCC firmly believes that an enterprise should be responsible for its current and future shareholders, but cannot solely focus on current profits. The most important responsibility lies in its positive contribution to the society and the Earth. We have inherited this planet from our ancestors. Therefore, we need to prove to the future generations that the decisions we are making right now is the correct one.

For the next decade, low-carbon cement, resource circulation and green energy are the three pillars for TCC’s sustainable growth.

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Best AI Design Tools (2026): CapCut Named a Top Choice for Creating Images and Marketing Assets by Software Experts

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NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Software Experts has recognized CapCut as a top choice among AI design tools for 2026, citing its AI Design Studio as a standout resource for creating images and marketing assets. The recognition points to the platform’s combination of automated layout generation, image editing, and campaign focused features built for marketers, e-commerce sellers, and content creators.

Best AI Design Tools

CapCut AI Design Studio – a web based design workspace that uses AI to help users create ads, product visuals, and branded content without prior design experience.

Core Capabilities of the AI Design Studio

The AI Design Studio is built around a conversational, infinite canvas that allows users to work with an AI design agent in real time. Instead of starting from a blank template, users type a prompt, upload reference images, and receive layout options generated automatically.

The latest version, Design 2.0, brings references, drafts, assets, and edits into a single workspace. Features include pencil prompting for visual editing, smart layer split for separating subjects and backgrounds, and a One More function that generates new creative directions from an existing design. Users can circle, brush, or mark up an image directly to guide how the AI adjusts a design, rather than relying only on written prompts.

An inspiration hub with built in assets and license free images is also part of the workspace, helping users start projects without sourcing outside materials. Layers for text, subjects, and backgrounds remain editable throughout the process, which allows for adjustments without regenerating an entire design from scratch.

Applications for E-Commerce and Marketing Teams

The AI Design Studio supports several common business use cases, including product content creation, trend based design remixing, and clothing visualization for fashion brands. These features are designed to reduce the time spent on repetitive production tasks, particularly for teams that need to update visuals frequently.

For e-commerce sellers, the tool can generate product main images, banners, and packaging designs from a single uploaded photo, and supports batch replacement across shared backgrounds. A seller managing multiple product lines can apply the same background and layout across different items with one click, rather than recreating each asset individually.

Fashion brands can use the AI clothing try-on feature to visualize how garments appear on different models, helping with catalog updates during seasonal campaigns such as Black Friday. Marketing and social teams can generate assets in multiple styles and resize them automatically for different platforms, which helps maintain consistency across channels without manual reformatting. The trend remixing feature also allows brands to reference the structure of a popular design while keeping the content original to their own products.

Design Automation Powered by Seedream 5.0

For marketing posters and layout heavy assets, the AI Design Studio incorporates the Seedream 5.0 model, which is ranked first on Artificial Analysis’ Text-to-Image Leaderboard. The model is used to arrange visual elements, generate multiple layout variations, and handle typesetting automatically based on uploaded product images.

This approach is intended to reduce the manual work involved in formatting marketing materials. Uploading one or more product photos allows the system to generate several layout options, positioning text, imagery, and other elements without requiring manual placement. Once a layout is generated, users can continue refining it with stickers, filters, or additional effects within the same workspace.

The process is designed to move from prompt to a finished, ready to use asset without requiring separate design software. For teams producing large volumes of seasonal or promotional content, this can reduce the number of tools involved in a single campaign.

Why AI Design Tools Matter for Small Teams

AI design tools are becoming useful because many teams need more visual content than traditional workflows can comfortably support. The Software Experts review notes that marketers, creators, and small businesses often need product images, social graphics, banners, email headers, event posters, and campaign visuals on tight timelines.

For small teams, the main advantage is not simply automation. It is the ability to get to a workable draft faster. Starting from a blank canvas can slow down campaign production, especially when a team is managing several platforms or product lines. AI-assisted design tools can generate starting points, resize assets, suggest layouts, and help keep visuals consistent across channels.

Access and Getting Started

The AI Design Studio is accessible through CapCut desktop by selecting Design Agent from the main dashboard. Users enter a text prompt describing the desired output, optionally upload reference images, and review the generated results.

A typical workflow might involve uploading a reference photo and entering a detailed prompt describing a desired style, color palette, or setting. The AI then generates initial design options based on that input. The built in editor allows for further adjustments, including color changes, auto cutout, element removal, and text overlays, before the final image is downloaded in high resolution.

Software Experts noted that the AI Design Studio is suited to a range of users, from e-commerce sellers managing large catalogs to individual creators producing social media content, as well as marketing teams handling multiple campaigns at once. The tool is offered as part of CapCut’s existing platform, with pricing details available directly through CapCut.

Readers can find the full review at Software Experts.

About CapCut

CapCut is an AI-powered photo and video editing platform designed to make high-quality video creation accessible across devices. The platform supports creators, businesses, and everyday users with tools for video editing, AI video generation, captions, templates, audio, and visual editing. CapCut is available across mobile, web, desktop, and iPad experiences, helping users create, edit, and prepare video content for social media, marketing, education, and personal projects.

About Software Experts: Software Experts delivers in-depth news on the digital tools shaping today’s consumer experience. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/best-ai-design-tools-2026-capcut-named-a-top-choice-for-creating-images-and-marketing-assets-by-software-experts-302828625.html

SOURCE SoftwareExperts.org

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Best AI Design Tools (2026): CapCut Named a Top Choice for Creating Images and Marketing Assets by Software Experts

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NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Software Experts has recognized CapCut as a top choice among AI design tools for 2026, citing its AI Design Studio as a standout resource for creating images and marketing assets. The recognition points to the platform’s combination of automated layout generation, image editing, and campaign focused features built for marketers, e-commerce sellers, and content creators.

Best AI Design Tools

CapCut AI Design Studio – a web based design workspace that uses AI to help users create ads, product visuals, and branded content without prior design experience.

Core Capabilities of the AI Design Studio

The AI Design Studio is built around a conversational, infinite canvas that allows users to work with an AI design agent in real time. Instead of starting from a blank template, users type a prompt, upload reference images, and receive layout options generated automatically.

The latest version, Design 2.0, brings references, drafts, assets, and edits into a single workspace. Features include pencil prompting for visual editing, smart layer split for separating subjects and backgrounds, and a One More function that generates new creative directions from an existing design. Users can circle, brush, or mark up an image directly to guide how the AI adjusts a design, rather than relying only on written prompts.

An inspiration hub with built in assets and license free images is also part of the workspace, helping users start projects without sourcing outside materials. Layers for text, subjects, and backgrounds remain editable throughout the process, which allows for adjustments without regenerating an entire design from scratch.

Applications for E-Commerce and Marketing Teams

The AI Design Studio supports several common business use cases, including product content creation, trend based design remixing, and clothing visualization for fashion brands. These features are designed to reduce the time spent on repetitive production tasks, particularly for teams that need to update visuals frequently.

For e-commerce sellers, the tool can generate product main images, banners, and packaging designs from a single uploaded photo, and supports batch replacement across shared backgrounds. A seller managing multiple product lines can apply the same background and layout across different items with one click, rather than recreating each asset individually.

Fashion brands can use the AI clothing try-on feature to visualize how garments appear on different models, helping with catalog updates during seasonal campaigns such as Black Friday. Marketing and social teams can generate assets in multiple styles and resize them automatically for different platforms, which helps maintain consistency across channels without manual reformatting. The trend remixing feature also allows brands to reference the structure of a popular design while keeping the content original to their own products.

Design Automation Powered by Seedream 5.0

For marketing posters and layout heavy assets, the AI Design Studio incorporates the Seedream 5.0 model, which is ranked first on Artificial Analysis’ Text-to-Image Leaderboard. The model is used to arrange visual elements, generate multiple layout variations, and handle typesetting automatically based on uploaded product images.

This approach is intended to reduce the manual work involved in formatting marketing materials. Uploading one or more product photos allows the system to generate several layout options, positioning text, imagery, and other elements without requiring manual placement. Once a layout is generated, users can continue refining it with stickers, filters, or additional effects within the same workspace.

The process is designed to move from prompt to a finished, ready to use asset without requiring separate design software. For teams producing large volumes of seasonal or promotional content, this can reduce the number of tools involved in a single campaign.

Why AI Design Tools Matter for Small Teams

AI design tools are becoming useful because many teams need more visual content than traditional workflows can comfortably support. The Software Experts review notes that marketers, creators, and small businesses often need product images, social graphics, banners, email headers, event posters, and campaign visuals on tight timelines.

For small teams, the main advantage is not simply automation. It is the ability to get to a workable draft faster. Starting from a blank canvas can slow down campaign production, especially when a team is managing several platforms or product lines. AI-assisted design tools can generate starting points, resize assets, suggest layouts, and help keep visuals consistent across channels.

Access and Getting Started

The AI Design Studio is accessible through CapCut desktop by selecting Design Agent from the main dashboard. Users enter a text prompt describing the desired output, optionally upload reference images, and review the generated results.

A typical workflow might involve uploading a reference photo and entering a detailed prompt describing a desired style, color palette, or setting. The AI then generates initial design options based on that input. The built in editor allows for further adjustments, including color changes, auto cutout, element removal, and text overlays, before the final image is downloaded in high resolution.

Software Experts noted that the AI Design Studio is suited to a range of users, from e-commerce sellers managing large catalogs to individual creators producing social media content, as well as marketing teams handling multiple campaigns at once. The tool is offered as part of CapCut’s existing platform, with pricing details available directly through CapCut.

Readers can find the full review at Software Experts.

About CapCut

CapCut is an AI-powered photo and video editing platform designed to make high-quality video creation accessible across devices. The platform supports creators, businesses, and everyday users with tools for video editing, AI video generation, captions, templates, audio, and visual editing. CapCut is available across mobile, web, desktop, and iPad experiences, helping users create, edit, and prepare video content for social media, marketing, education, and personal projects.

About Software Experts: Software Experts delivers in-depth news on the digital tools shaping today’s consumer experience. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/best-ai-design-tools-2026-capcut-named-a-top-choice-for-creating-images-and-marketing-assets-by-software-experts-302828625.html

SOURCE SoftwareExperts.org

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Samsung Selects Chandigarh University Student as ‘Punjab AI State Topper’

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CU Student Devesh Panwar Wins Rs 1 Lakh Award for Developing AI-Based Document Search System

CHANDIGARH, India, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student of Chandigarh University, Devesh Panwar, has been named the “Punjab State Topper” in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program organised by Samsung in collaboration with Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) and training partner Focal Skill Development (Focalyt) to equip Indian youth with industry-relevant in-demand skills in AI, loT, Big Data, and Coding & Programming, preparing them for future careers.

A final-year student of Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) at University Institute of Computing (UIC) of Chandigarh University, Devesh Panwar also won a cash award of Rs 1 lakh along with a laptop, and exclusive Samsung rewards for achieving this remarkable milestone under the Samsung Innovation Campus AI Program.

 “Being named ‘AI State Topper’ was a moment of profound pride and validation for me. Hard work, intense technical training and a passion for AI culminated in the immense honor of the Punjab State Topper title. Besides getting access to state-of-the-art tools to fuel my future research and development endeavor, I gained world-class knowledge during the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program. It helped me in gaining hands-on experience and applied AI to solve real-world challenges, especially in aeronautical and technical domains,”

During Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program, Devesh and his team worked on innovative AI capstone project which was presented before the jury panel as part of the final assessment.

“Our team developed the advanced AI-powered system AI Research Agent, a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) platform designed for intelligent querying of private document collections. Organizations, researchers, legal professionals, and HR teams often work with large collections of documents. Traditional search methods rely heavily on keyword matching and require significant manual effort to locate relevant information. The project was developed to address the limitations of traditional document search systems, which often struggle with contextual understanding, retrieval accuracy, learning adaptability, and response speed,” said Devesh.

 “The developed system demonstrated significant improvements over traditional document retrieval approaches with faster response generation with integration of modern AI techniques, full-stack development, database systems, and intelligent automation into a single practical solution.  By combining modern RAG architecture with innovative retrieval and reasoning mechanisms, this system provides a fast, intelligent, and user-friendly solution for knowledge discovery and resume evaluation. This project not only enhanced our technical expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Full-Stack Development but also strengthened our problem-solving, teamwork, and professional communication skills. It stands as a significant achievement of our Samsung Innovation Campus 2025 journey and reflects our commitment to building impactful AI solutions for real-world challenges,” he added.

Congratulating Devesh Panwar for being named “Punjab State Topper” AI under the Samsung Innovation Campus Samsung Innovation Program, Deepinder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director, Chandigarh University, said, “Devesh’s achievement reflects Chandigarh University’s focus on experiential learning and industry-academia collaboration.  Through the Samsung Innovation Campus AI Program, CU students gain practical exposure to AI and building solutions for real-world challenges. This accomplishment reflects not only Devesh’s commitment to excellence but also the growing culture of innovation and industry-oriented learning at Chandigarh University,”.

“Since its inception, Chandigarh University has set benchmarks for world-class education with its dynamic hands-on experiential learning model, industry-aligned programs, dynamic fraternity, state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities and impeccable placements. Samsung Innovation Program is also part of our initiatives to develop a future-ready talent pool equipped with advanced capabilities in AI, loT, Big Data, and Coding and Programming. By bridging the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application, this collaboration helps in providing CU’s computer science and computing students exposure to cutting-edge and emerging technologies.  CU’s this partnership with Samsung is focused on building future-ready talent equipped with industry-relevant skills in AI and emerging technologies,” Sandhu said.

He said Chandigarh University’s Institute of Computing (UIC) prepares students for a successful career in computing, to create and disseminate computing knowledge and technology. “Chandigarh University carries a vision of crafting next-gen IT professionals who can take up industry challenges effectively and our Institute of Computing (UIC) prepares students for a successful career in computing, to create and disseminate computing knowledge and technology.  UIC’s hands-on approach paves the way for a smooth transition to the workforce after graduation. Our students are equipped with the best knowledge, skills and passion to succeed in any number of computing careers.   CU’s Institute of Computing renders cutting-edge education ranging from the expertise in traditional software development -to- modern computing technologies. Fully-equipped industry-sponsored labs, industry-aligned curriculum, and accreditations and validations by top companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Google Android, Red Hat etc. give our students an exclusive edge over others,” the Chandigarh University CMD said.

Sandhu said the latest edition of QS World University Rankings has yet again reaffirmed Chandigarh University global standing as a top educational institution. “Continuing its remarkable rise among the world’s leading higher education institutions, Chandigarh University (CU) has made impressive strides in the latest edition of prestigious QS World University Rankings 2027 by securing an overall world rank of 526, an increase of 49 ranks as compared to 575th rank in QS’ 2026 Rankings. This is for the fifth consecutive year that Chandigarh University’s global rankings have witnessed an impressive surge with CU’s world rank going up by an impressive 274 ranks — from the 800th rank in 2023 to 526th in 2027’s Rankings,”.

“As per the latest QS World University Rankings, with All India Rank of 13 among all universities in the country as compared to 16th rank in 2026’s rankings, Chandigarh University now ranks among the top 1% of universities in India and the top 2% of universities in the World, underscoring its growing reputation as a leading institution of higher learning, both in India and globally,” he added.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

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