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Hong Kong Smart Apps Shine in Asia Smart App Awards 2024

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Hong Kong Sweeps Top Three in “Lifestyle, Social, and Entertainment” Category

Israel Wins Grand Award for Second Consecutive Year

HONG KONG, Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The “Asia Smart App Awards 2024” (ASA) held its Award Presentation Ceremony at New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel on 11 September 2024. Organised by the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association (WTIA) and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), the ASA is well supported by partners from 16 other Asian countries/ regions as co-organisers. The ASA is dedicated to recognising the outstanding achievements of industry professionals in the smart app industry across Asia. It also provides an excellent networking platform for local smart app industry professionals and their counterparts in the region, with the aim to fostering the growth and development of the smart app industry, while encouraging Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industries to strengthen the use of smart apps in combination of technology to expand room for development. 

The Israeli company Vitalerter Ltd, developer of the Vitalerter app, which won the prestigious “Asia Smart App Awards 2024” Grand Award, also took home the Gold Award in the “Public Sector and Social Innovation Enterprise Category”. The app provides continuous monitoring for bedridden individuals using a non-contact wireless sensor that transmits data in real-time to an AI system for analysis. When the system detects a potential danger, it immediately alerts on-duty nursing staff via mobile phone.

Hong Kong contestants demonstrated outstanding performance in the 2024 edition of the ASA, particularly in the “Lifestyle and Entertainment Category”. Blua Health by Bupa (Asia) Limited won the Gold Award and the “Special Mention Award – Best UX/UI Design.” Blua Health is Hong Kong’s first AI-powered, one-stop health app, allowing users to assess their health status anytime, anywhere, guide their healthy lifestyle, and earn reward points. The Silver Award went to the Solos AirGo App, which enhances the smart glasses experience by integrating AI-driven conversations, translation, fitness tracking, and health monitoring, boosting productivity and well-being. The Bronze Award was won by the O+O MetaEvent Hub, which connects online and offline activities, enabling remote participants to engage in exhibitions and seminars through virtual avatars. The AI chatbot provides 24/7 service and analyses visitor behaviour to help optimise future events.

In the “Business and Commercial Category”, the Gold Award went to AIM, Korea’s first AI-driven investment app, offering top-tier personal investment advisory services. Users can quickly open accounts and receive expert advice from the AI algorithm “Esther” to invest in global markets. The app has served 70,000 users and manages $1 billion in assets. Other finalists in the three categories came from Israel, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, and Vietnam.

This year marks the 10th edition of the ASA. Since its inception in 2013, the competition has received over 1,300 smart app entries from across Asia, making it a prestigious and widely recognised event in the industry. It has become an annual highlight of the smart app industry in Asia. This edition, the ASA returns with the theme “AppAIchemy: Chapter 10 of ASA Saga”, highlighting the vibrant development of smart app across various fields including artificial intelligence (AI). The WTIA is pleased to continue collaborating with 16 co-organisers from various Asian countries and regions, including Mainland China, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar, to bring this timely event to further foster the growth of the burgeoning smart app sector in Asia. This edition’s ASA Award Presentation Ceremony and Summit took place on 11 September, bringing together the elites of the Asian smart app industry with the aim of promoting cooperation and development through exchanges and discussions, and driving innovation and the wider application of smart apps.

Officiating at this edition’s award presentation ceremony, Mrs. Lowell Cho, Assistant Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries congratulated all the winners and encouraged Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industries to leverage technology to drive industry development.

Keith Li, Chairman of the WTIA, also expressed during the award presentation ceremony, “It is with great pride and satisfaction that we commemorate the tenth anniversary of this prestigious Asian event. For this milestone edition, we have once again convened distinguished industry experts from 16 other Asian countries and regions here in Hong Kong, underscoring the international significance of this occasion. This edition’s theme centred on the exponential advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), and the competing smart apps have aptly demonstrated their capacity to drive rapid innovation and transform industry paradigms across diverse sectors. I am particularly impressed by the exceptional innovation and technical acumen displayed by all contestants. Among them, the finalists deserve special commendation, with their tireless efforts and ingenuity duly recognised and rewarded. The ASA not only celebrates technological achievement but also reinforces Hong Kong’s position as a hub for innovation in the smart app industry across Asia. We look forward to witnessing the continued growth and impact of these groundbreaking technologies in shaping our future.”

The ASA 2024 has three award categories: Public Sector and Social Innovation Category, Business and Commercial Category, and Lifestyle and Entertainment Category. The gold winners of each award category were further assessed to determine the winner of “Asia Smart App Grand Award”, which was presented to Vitalerter Ltd.

The two special mention awards introduced in this edition, namely the Special Mention Award – The Best Start-up and the Special Mention Award – The Best UX/UI Design, were open to teams from Hong Kong and the 16 participating countries or regions, aiming to recognise innovative applications from start-ups and applications demonstrating excellence in user experience and interface design. ReCube Limited from Hong Kong won the Best Start-up Award with their application “ReCube”, which allows users to easily borrow and return reusable tableware at partner restaurants, while encouraging environmental protection through a points system, thereby promoting sustainable development in the community. As for the Best UX/UI Design Award, a smart app from another Hong Kong company, Bupa (Asia) Limited’s Blua Health outshone its competitors by utilising AI technology to provide personalised health management advice so that users can conduct health assessments anytime, anywhere through the app, and cultivate healthy lifestyle habits through a points reward system.

The lists of the Asia Smart App Awards 2024’s awardees* are as follows:

Asia Smart App Grand Award

Awardee: Israeli – Vitalerter (Vitalerter Ltd)

Public Sector and Social Innovation Category:

Gold Award – Israeli – Vitalerter (Vitalerter Ltd)Silver Award – Indonesia – paperless (PT Digital Kreasi Muslim)Bronze Award – Indonesia – Silang App (Silang.id)

Business and Commercial Category:

Gold Award – Korea – AIM (AIM Inc.)Silver Award – Vietnam – Store Optimizer (Palexy Company Limited)Bronze Award – Malaysia – Agmo EV Super App (Agmo Holdings Limited)

Lifestyle and Entertainment Category:

Gold Award – Hong Kong – Blua Health (Bupa (Asia) Limited)Silver Award – Hong Kong – Solos AirGo App (Solos Technology Limited)Bronze Award – Hong Kong – O+O Meta Event Hub (Chef Digital Limited)

Special Mention Award–The Best Start up

Awardee: ReCube, ReCube Limited (Hong Kong)

Special Mention Award–The Best UX/UI design

Awardee: Blua Health, Bupa (Asia) Limited (Hong Kong)

*Further details and full winner lists (including the list of Certificate of Merit winners) of each category of “Asia Smart App Awards 2024” are available on official website at https://bestasiaapp.hk. 

The Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association (WTIA) organises the Asia Smart App Awards (ASA) 2024, the 10th edition following the success of past editions, with funding support from the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA). The ASA is dedicated to recognising the contributions of industry insiders to the smart app industry, provide a networking platform for smart app industry professionals from Hong Kong to other Asian countries and regions, encouraging growth and development of the industry.

The WTIA remains committed to enhancing the reach of these awards across Asia, bolstering the development of the local smart app industry, and facilitating local smart app talent in business expansion. The awards have drawn participants from an increasing number of Asian countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, India, Cambodia, and Bangladesh.

In addition to the “Asia Smart App Awards 2024” Award Presentation Ceremony, the Asia Smart App Summit was held on the same day. The Summit convened expert representatives from 17 Asian countries and regions to engage in discussions about trending topics.

The organiser express its gratitude to the CCIDA for the funding and to all the partners, supporting organisations, and speakers for their strong support. The highlights of all events of the ASA 2024 will be uploaded to https://contest2024.bestasiaapp.hk/  for review.

Media Enquiry:

Market Hubs Holdings Limited

Lierence Li

Debbie So

+852 3998-4900

+852 3998-4900

lierence@markethubsgroup.com

debbie@markethubsgroup.com

About the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association

The Wireless Technology Industry Association (WTIA), established in 2001, is a not-for profit, politically-neutral trade association dedicated to the wireless and mobile industry. The WTIA acts as a platform, an aggregator, and a community for industry professionals to learn and drive emerging wireless and mobile technologies, governance, and standards. It facilitates networking between like-minded professionals, boost interoperability between networks and devices, and strives to help all organisations apply these technologies to existing or new businesses. The WTIA also represents and is supported by digital industries pertaining to mobile such as digital entertainment, digital marketing & media, and start-up sectors. To know more about the WTIA, please visit http://www.hkwtia.org. 

About the Asia Smart App Awards (ASA)

The Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association (WTIA) organises the Asia Smart App Awards (ASA) 2024, the 10th edition following the success of past editions, with funding support from the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA). By uniting 16 co-organisers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Israel, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, in addition to Hong Kong, the ASA carries this auspicious occasion to further encourage the development of the expanding smart app industry. For more details about the ASA, please visit www.bestasiaapp.hk.

About the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong’s positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. CCIDA’s website: www.ccidahk.gov.hk.

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SOURCE The Wireless Technology Industry Association

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CompTIA Spark introduces free high-quality technology curriculum for middle grade classrooms

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October 5, 2024

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On World Teachers’ Day, the nonprofit organization highlights the importance of middle school teachers, empowers them to teach technology skills

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Oct. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Responding to a critical gap in technology education, CompTIA Spark has launched free technology curriculum specifically for middle grade classrooms, grades 5-8. It aims to support teachers so that they can teach the critical skills students need to succeed in whatever path they choose. The nonprofit organization worked with educators across the country to develop the curriculum.

“Getting this free resource into the hands of middle school teachers can help close the gap in technology education.”

“World Teachers’ Day celebrates how important teachers are,” says Randi Parker, chief of staff and vice president of CompTIA Spark. “And we know that middle school teachers in particular play such an important role in a student’s journey which is why they are the key to bringing technology education to more schools. We could not have developed this curriculum without them, and we can’t reach students without them.”

For about the past year, school districts as well as individual teachers have been implementing the CompTIA Spark curriculum in middle grade classrooms and providing feedback that allowed for a testing and development period prior to the full-scale launch. The schools that participated in this phase ranged from award-winning STEM schools to less-resourced ones, with all types of schools reporting the curriculum was a success and that students were engaged and excited to learn.

Getting students excited about technology and growing their confidence with hands-on learning is critical at the middle school level. Without access to quality technology education, students fall behind before they reach high school which means they do not have the digital fluency needed to succeed in school and in life. Filling this critical gap is the mission of CompTIA Spark.

With the new free curriculum, teachers can guide middle grade students through engaging project-based lessons that build capability using common applications and 21st century skills. Students gain a solid foundation in key technology concepts to prepare them for future opportunities — in high school and beyond.

Delivered through an online learning platform, the curriculum sparks interest in technology and how it is used in a wide variety of careers. For example, the Tech Exploration units have interactive lessons that show how tech skills are used in roles like product design, market research, accounting, marketing and more. Meanwhile, the Emerging Tech units focus on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and smart home technology. Full access to the curriculum is available to middle grade educators absolutely free — to empower more teachers to teach the subject, even if they have not taught it previously.

A recent special report from Education Week highlighted how schools have been “struggling to recruit and retain math and science teachers for decades,” let alone educators who can teach technology subjects. The report also stressed the fact that current teachers need to be given opportunities to be able to teach new subjects related to emerging fields and technologies — with this being a solution to tackling the shortage.

“Because of the way the curriculum is intentionally designed, we are able to take the burden off the teacher by providing high-quality technology curriculum that middle grade teachers can use in their classroom regardless of their past experience with the subject,” says Parker. “Getting this free resource into the hands of teachers can help close the gap in technology education that currently exists at the middle school level. CompTIA Spark curriculum is free, and always will be free, because it is a gift from the tech industry to future generations.”

Districts, schools and individual teachers are invited to explore the curriculum and get started at comptiaspark.org.

About CompTIA Spark

CompTIA Spark develops free high-quality technology curriculum for middle grade classrooms to close a critical gap in technology education that exists before high school. This work improves student outcomes and success, and helps ensure a diverse talent pipeline for the technology workforce. CompTIA Spark is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as the charitable arm of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a leading voice and advocate for the global information technology ecosystem and a trusted provider of technical training and IT certifications. Learn more at comptiaspark.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Laura Perillo and/or Cristina De Guia
news@comptiaspark.org

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SOURCE CompTIA Spark

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SAUNEX Partners with Saudi SIIVC in Strategic EV Initiative

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October 5, 2024

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The partnership will concentrate on the development and manufacturing of electric vehicles, enhancing industry capabilities

BANGKOK, Oct. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — UNEX of the Netherlands, a global leader in the research and development of electric vehicles (EVs), and Siam Racing Automobiles (SRA) of Thailand, a world-class automotive design and engineering firm, have announced that their joint venture, SAUNEX, has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia International Industrial Village (SIIVC). The alliance will establish a production facility for EVs in Saudi Arabia, aiming to extend their market reach across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southern Europe.

Chatchaval Jiaravanon, a member of the family that controls CP Group, addressed the audience at the signing ceremony. He highlighted the importance of automotive manufacturing as a benchmark of a nation’s industrial capabilities. Reflecting on CP Group’s past collaboration with China’s SAIC to set up a production facility for MG sports cars in Thailand, he noted that the success of automotive ventures relies critically on exemplary technology and leadership. The partnership between SAUNEX and SIIVC is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategic initiative, emphasizing sustainable collaboration in the development, production, and marketing of EVs. The goal is to drive significant progress in Saudi Arabia’s EV sector and position SAUNEX as a beacon of successful international cooperation between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Jiaravanon also remarked that SAUNEX stands at the forefront of electric vehicle R&D, particularly in the application of battery swapping technology and the fields of automotive design and engineering. Their leading model, the Manto, is a luxury electric SUV that utilizes UNEX’s battery swapping technology, enhanced by SRA’s sophisticated design and engineering. It significantly outperforms competitors, offering a superior choice for future EVs free from the usual range limitations.

Top management executives from UNEX at the ceremony pointed out that under the leadership of Dr. Faisal Abdullah, CEO of SIIVC, the project aims to develop cutting-edge automotive production and battery swapping facilities in Saudi Arabia, manufacturing a full line-up of vehicle models including sedans, SUVs, and vans. The partnership also includes collaboration with CP Group and automotive supply chains in Thailand and China, aiming to create a sustainable and advanced industrial ecosystem that sets a global standard for the electric vehicle industry.

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SOURCE UNEX

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Israel Banned from UAE BioTech Symposium

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October 5, 2024

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Israeli BioTech companies will not be permitted at the quarterly event with Roadshows throughout the Arab Gulf States, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia

In parallel, UAE BioTech Symposium has been dedicated to the memory of The Rockefeller University Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Günter Blobel, MD. PhD., Founder of The Friends of Dresden.

ABU DHABI, UAE, Oct. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — “The board of AmCham Abu Dhabi mandated that Chinese and Russian companies are not allowed. As Founding Chairman of AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee & Chairman of UAE BioTech Symposium, I mandate that Israeli companies are not allowed, says Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD.

Dr. Shekdar is Owner and Chairman of the quarterly UAE BioTech Symposium launching Nove 2-6, 2024 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE. Registration for UAE BioTech Symposium is hosted at AmCham Abu Dhabi. The detailed program is available at https://www.uaebiotechsymposium.com.

“I spent 8 years in the lab with Günter as my mentor. He would often talk about how his family was packed in a car, passing through Dresden escaping Nazi Germany when the fire bombing happened. I remember each time he remembered how he could read the pages of the newspaper by the light of the fire kilometers away. He donated his prize money to all three religions because he understood that peace is the fundament for achieving our human potential,” add Shekdar.

“I saw the firebombing destruction of Dresden from very near,” Blobel told The Times of Israel upon Dr. Blobel’s passing on February 18, 2018, “only a few kilometers away; for an 8 1/2-year-old, this was all very impressive. The bombing was so bright that you could read the newspaper by the red sky.”

Complete information about UAE BioTech Symposium is available at the Chairman’s personal portal at this link: https://linktr.ee/kambizshekdar

About UAE BioTech Symposium Chairman Dr. Kambiz Shekdar, PhD
From invention at The Rockefeller University to IPO at New York Stock Exchange to scale-up drug discovery for jointly owned Made-in-Abu-Dhabi IP in the U.A.E., Dr. Kambiz Shekdar is the first U.S. Biotech Abu Dhabi Golden Visa Inventor transitioning to the U.A.E.

Dr. Shekdar, PhD invented Chromovert® Technology while he was a graduate doctoral student in the laboratory of his mentor, the late Nobel laureate & King Faisal Prize winner Dr. Günter Blobel, MD, PhD. at The Rockefeller University in New York City. For more than 20 years, Dr. Shekdar has been pursuing applications of the same platform technology, now including pursuing the creation of a joint venture with Emirati stakeholders to implement the by-now validated research engine as part of a national-level public-private partnership for drug discovery at scale in the U.A.E. Dr. Shekdar is also a member of the Abu Dhabi, UAE chapter of American Chambers of Commerce where he is Founding Chairman of the AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kambiz-shekdar-51a52a34/

About UAE BioTech Symposium
UAE BioTech Symposium in partnership with the AmCham Abu Dhabi BioTech Committee and Masdar City will host quarterly panel discussions and lab tours in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and roadshow destinations throughout the GCC and Middle East. The events are free with attendance limited to prioritize U.S. and international BioTech owners and executives. Program details will be posted online in Arabic and in English as registration for each event goes live via the AmCham Abu Dhabi website.

Arabic site for scientific program: http://www.uaebiotechsymposium.ae
English site for scientific program: https://www.uaebiotechsymposium.com

About AmCham BioTech Committee
The AmCham BioTech Committee was formed to establish a BioTech sector in Abu Dhabi with a focus on promoting opportunities for U.S. BioTech companies with a vision to be a thought leader and facilitator for U.S. corporate interests in the emerging BioTech sector in Abu Dhabi and throughout the Middle East. Since its founding, the BioTech committee has seen a notable uptick in interest from U.S.-based companies seeking to broaden their service offerings within the region. AmCham BioTech Committee founding members include Seconcell Bio, Intelligenix Advanced Diagnostics, Extend Biosciences, Halia Therapeutics and Jones Lang LaSalle Inc (JLL).
https://amchamabudhabi.org/biotech/

CONTACT: Kambiz Shekdar, +971585820175

 

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SOURCE Secondcell Bio, LLC; UAE BioTech Symposium

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