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AVPN and Google.org Announces USD 15-Million AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific to Empower Workers in APAC for the AI-Driven Future

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The three-year programme aims to contribute to “AI Just Transition” in the workplace through impact organisations and an ecosystem of strategic partners

SINGAPORE, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AVPN, the largest network of social investors in Asia, announced the launch of the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, with the support of Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The USD 15-million Fund is a three-year programme to equip Asia’s workforce with essential artificial intelligence (AI) knowledge and tools required for the evolving work landscape, thereby ensuring that jobs and roles presented by AI are accessible to more people in the region, specifically those from underserved communities. The Fund will be available through an Open Call to identify and select the non-profit organisations, social enterprises, and workforce associations in Asia-Pacific which meaningfully reach the workers who will be most impacted by the workforce transitions caused by AI. Selected organisations will receive comprehensive support, including guidance, financial support and tailored AI training based on foundational AI courses designed by Google and its external partners.

“AI presents tremendous opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region, but it’s crucial to equip people with the skills needed to thrive. This new AI Opportunity Fund in Asia Pacific will help to empower underserved communities and ensure everyone benefits from the transformative power of AI,” said Scott Beaumont, President of Google Asia-Pacific.

Employers in Asia-Pacific are confident in AI’s potential to boost productivity. Over the next five years, 93% expect to use generative AI tools, with some even offering salary bumps of up to 44% for workers with AI skills[1]. While AI is perceived positively by employees, 16% of those surveyed by PwC believed AI could replace their jobs[2]. The work uncertainty compounds for those already disadvantaged, where a third of the population does not use the internet and where high job informality persists[3].

Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN, said “Building an AI-ready workforce is an essential social mandate for businesses and governments, and one that can unlock Asia’s full workforce potential, considering this region will have 165 million working-age people by 2030. There is urgency for such an enablement initiative, as the new world work realities unfold, and we start to see the socioeconomic impact of AI work transition on workers who have limited support to adapt and catch up. AVPN is optimistic about leveraging the knowledge and reach of impact organisations that are already actively working on the ground to bridge the gaps for an AI Workplace Just Transition, and to ensure that the benefits of AI work opportunities reach more of our workers.”

Asia’s evolving work landscape, shaped by the increasing influence of AI, highlights the pressing need to bridge critical skills and knowledge gaps in the underserved communities. The AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific will support organisations to upskill and reskill workers, ensuring they can access and benefit from the evolving opportunities in the age of AI,” said Jason Rush, Principal Regional Cooperation Specialist, ADB.

Applications for the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific will open soon. Interested organisations can register their interest to be notified when applications open here

About AVPN

AVPN is the largest network of social investors in Asia, comprising over 600 funders and resource providers across 33 markets. Our mission is to increase the flow and effectiveness of financial, human, and intellectual capital in Asia by enabling members to channel resources towards impact. As an ecosystem builder, AVPN enables its members to connect, learn, act, and lead across key pillars and improve the effectiveness of deployed capital, bringing local field needs, regional expertise, and policy insights to the forefront.

For more information about AVPN and our work, please visit our website and read our latest Annual Review 2022/23.

About Google.org

Google.org, Google’s philanthropy, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. We engage nonprofits, social enterprises and civic entities who make a significant impact on the communities they serve, and whose work has the potential to produce scalable, meaningful change.

 

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SOURCE AVPN

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Baidu to Report First Quarter 2026 Financial Results on May 18, 2026

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BEIJING, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIDU; HKEX: 9888 (HKD Counter) and 89888 (RMB Counter)) (“Baidu” or the “Company”), a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, today announced that it will report its financial results for the First Quarter 2026 ended March 31, 2026, before the U.S. market opens on May 18, 2026. Baidu’s management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM on May 18, 2026, U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 PM on May 18, 2026, Beijing Time).

Please register in advance of the conference call using the link provided below. It will automatically direct you to the registration page of “Baidu Inc. Q1 2026 Earnings Conference Call”. Please follow the steps to enter your registration details, then click “Register”. Upon registering, you will then be provided with the dial-in number, the passcode, and your unique access PIN. This information will also be emailed to you as a calendar invite.

For pre-registration, please click:
https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10054331-iu876y.html

In the 10 minutes prior to the call start time, you may use the conference access information (including dial-in number(s), the passcode and unique access PIN) provided in the calendar invite that you have received following your pre-registration.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this conference call will be available at https://ir.baidu.com.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following number until May 25, 2026:
US: 1 855 883 1031
Reply PIN: 10054331

About Baidu

Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on Nasdaq under “BIDU” and the HKEX under “9888.” One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-to-report-first-quarter-2026-financial-results-on-may-18-2026-302751204.html

SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

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Phase 1 of 139th Canton Fair Introduces New Dedicated Product Zones as Emerging Technologies Take Center Stage

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GUANGZHOU, China, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 139th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) has further optimized its exhibition landscape with nine new dedicated product zones, reflecting ongoing structural shifts in global trade and the continued upgrading of China’s export portfolio.

Among the most closely watched additions in Phase 1 are the consumer and agricultural drone zones, both making their debut at the Canton Fair and offering a focused showcase of applications in the low‑altitude economy. The consumer drone zone showcases progress in flight control, AI‑based obstacle avoidance and energy efficiency across imaging, tourism, emergency response and patrol. The agricultural drone zone highlights precision farming, with spraying, seeding and field‑management demonstrations showing terrain‑following, intelligent route planning, and precise payload control.

On day one, a Shandong‑based drone manufacturer welcomed buyers from 30+ countries, with over 50 strong leads. One buyer, after seeing load and wind‑resistance demonstrations, immediately confirmed three sample units and even proposed becoming a regional distributor.

Display technology is another focal point of Phase 1, highlighting advances in color accuracy, energy efficiency, and overall visual performance. Developments in fine‑grained control, expanded color gamut, and reduced power consumption point to a clear trend toward immersive viewing experiences combined with sustainability gains.

The smart wearables zone underscores how intelligent devices are becoming key interfaces for human‑machine interaction. From real‑time language translation and adaptive noise cancellation to long‑term health monitoring and AI‑enabled eyewear, wearables are evolving from standalone products into integrated systems that support communication, well‑being, and productivity across daily and professional settings.

The service robots zone further illustrates how artificial intelligence is moving from conceptual exploration to large‑scale deployment. Advanced robots showcased across industrial, commercial, medical, and public‑service scenarios demonstrate growing autonomy, multi‑sensory perception, and closer human-robot collaboration.

By bringing emerging technologies into clearer focus through dedicated zones, the 139th Canton Fair is reinforcing its function as a platform where trade trends take shape, innovation meets application, and global buyers gain early insights into cutting-edge technologies.

For pre-registration, please click: https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2963958/1.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/phase-1-of-139th-canton-fair-introduces-new-dedicated-product-zones-as-emerging-technologies-take-center-stage-302751520.html

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OZMOSI Announces Strategic Partnership with Planview to Advance AI-Driven Planning in Pharmaceutical R&D

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By combining structured clinical intelligence with AI-driven portfolio planning, the partnership gives pharmaceutical teams a faster, clearer way to make high-stakes R&D decisions

SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS, N.J., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — OZMOSI, a leading provider of structured pharmaceutical development intelligence, today announced a strategic partnership with Planview, the leading AI-powered end-to-end platform for Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) and Digital Product Delivery (DPD).

By integrating OZMOSI’s machine-readable clinical datasets directly into Planview’s AI-driven portfolio planning platform, external scientific data is now connected to internal R&D planning in one system,  helping pharmaceutical organizations better predict market shifts, prioritize R&D investments, and make faster, more confident decisions.

This integration brings external clinical reality into internal R&D decision-making, so teams can plan based on what’s actually happening, not just on what they hope will happen.

The two organizations combine deep expertise in complementary areas, united by a shared focus on improving the quality and usability of data for strategic decision-making. OZMOSI provides structured, machine-readable intelligence across clinical trials, drug development programs, regulatory activity, and scientific literature, built on a consistent taxonomy that standardizes how data is connected and understood. Planview’s platform enables organizations to model complex investment scenarios, align initiatives with corporate strategy, and optimize resource allocation.

Together, these capabilities give teams a clearer, more complete view of the R&D landscape, grounded in clean, standardized data and strengthened by AI-driven analysis.

“AI is only as powerful as the data that fuels it,” said Beau Bush, President and Founder of OZMOSI. “Pharmaceutical organizations have no shortage of data, but too often it’s fragmented, inconsistent, and difficult to operationalize. By bringing OZMOSI’s structured data foundation together with Planview’s AI-driven planning capabilities, we’re enabling teams to move beyond disconnected analysis and toward truly integrated, forward-looking decision-making.”

“Strategic planning in pharmaceutical R&D is becoming increasingly dependent on advanced analytics and AI,” said  Louise Allen, Chief Product Officer at Planview. “Integrating OZMOSI’s clinical intelligence into Planview’s platform enables pharmaceutical leaders to make better decisions by combining trusted external data with AI-driven planning

OZMOSI’s dataset spans more than 800,000 clinical trials, over 35,000 drugs, and 4,000 diseases and conditions. It brings together insights from clinical trial registries, regulatory filings, scientific literature, company disclosures, and industry announcements into a unified, structured dataset.

When integrated into Planview’s platform, this intelligence enables pharmaceutical and biotech organizations to evaluate competitive landscapes, identify emerging clinical trends, and simulate portfolio outcomes with unprecedented precision.

Together, OZMOSI and Planview are redefining how pharmaceutical organizations approach R&D strategy, ensuring that investment decisions are guided by accurate, standardized, and AI-ready data. By combining internal portfolio visibility with a continuously updated external view of the market, the partnership helps leaders not only understand what they have, but what to do next.

About OZMOSI

Founded in 2013, OZMOSI specializes in transforming complex pharmaceutical R&D intelligence into structured, machine-readable data. The company provides the foundation needed for accurate competitive analysis, product forecasting, and portfolio strategy. Through its proprietary taxonomy and semantic layer, OZMOSI connects fragmented data across the pharmaceutical ecosystem, enabling faster, more confident decision-making for global pharma, biotech, and investment teams.

Based in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, OZMOSI is focused on making pharmaceutical intelligence clear, usable, and ready for the future of AI-driven strategy. Learn more at www.ozmosi.com.

About Planview

Planview is the leading end-to-end platform for Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) and Digital Product Delivery (DPD), powered by advanced AI capabilities that give business and technology leaders the strategic foresight to prioritize investments and initiatives, make plans real within constraints, and pivot with certainty when things change. Our AI-driven connected platform of solutions underpins the business and digital transformations of more than 3,000 customers and 3.1 million users globally. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Planview has over 1,500 employees worldwide. Learn more at www.planview.com.

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SOURCE Ozmosi Company

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