Connect with us

Technology

40th World Petrochemical Conference to Discuss Outlook & Recovery For Global Chemical Markets

Published

on

Global forum to focus on ‘Investing for Market Growth and A Low Carbon Future’

HOUSTON, Feb. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Celebrating 40 years of sharing unmatched market intelligence and convening top thinkers across the industry, the annual World Petrochemical Conference (WPC) by S&P Global returns to Houston from March 17 to 21, 2025, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel located downtown.

At this gathering of more than 550 leading companies in the global chemical industry, more than 200 speakers and close to 1500 attendees representing 53 different countries, notable thought leaders will converge to discuss the chemical industry at a critical juncture today – building on its key learnings from the past four decades and looking ahead to building a sustainable future.

Mark Eramo, Co-President, S&P Global Commodity Insights, said, “We are pleased to celebrate WPC’s 40 years as the industry’s leading platform for critical debate and constructive dialogue to drive innovation, enhance understanding and contribute to solutions for the chemical sector’s most pressing challenges. Today, the industry stands at a crossroads and is poised for continued change, amid a backdrop of shifting global trade policy and a tough commercial environment, while navigating ambitious climate goals and sustainability regulations. Our esteemed speakers and experts will discuss the key trends shaping the global chemical industry in the years ahead and provide much needed insights for your business and the marketplace. We hope you will join us for WPC’s 40th year anniversary celebration and an enlightening exploration of the past, present and future of the petrochemical industry.”

WPC’s Key Highlights include:

Executive Conference (March 18) – through the day

Executive Session: 40 Years of Innovation Enabling the Path to a Sustainable, Low-Carbon FutureFireside Chat – Chemicals Leading the Way to a Lower Carbon EconomyExecutive Panel: Energy and Material Transition Impact on Chemical IndustryExecutive Panel: Electoral Shift and Policy Impact on World OutlookExecutive Panel: Sustainable Financing: The New Catalyst for the Petrochemical IndustryExecutive Panel: Securing Feedstocks for a Low Carbon FutureExecutive Panel: Supply Chain Disruptions and Evolving Trade DynamicsExecutive Session: Global Chemical Industry Outlook – Markets in Recovery?

Wednesday Tracks (March 19) – Concurrent

Olefins, Polymers and Derivatives: Grow by anticipating market dynamics in a low carbon futureAromatics, Fibers and Derivatives: Is the energy transition beneficial or harmful for aromatics? Or both?Methanol & Ammonia and the Low Carbon Transition: Navigating the Future – Market Dynamics and Opportunities in Ammonia and MethanolFeedstocks and Integration: Feedstocks of the Future: Shifting to heavier and lower-carbon intensive

Thursday Tracks (March 20) – Concurrent

Specialty Chemicals – Creating the FuturePlastics and the Circular Economy – The Journey Towards a Circular Plastic Industry: Drivers, Initiatives and ProgressInnovation & Emerging Technologies – Sustainable Innovation Driving Chemical Transformation and GrowthGlobal Dynamics Reshaping Supply Chains – Supply Chains Driven by Geopolitics, Changing Trade Dynamics & Energy TransitionCarbon Markets – Unlock the Future of Petrochemicals

Friday Regional Spotlights (March 21) – Concurrent

China – How will the chemical industry in China manage the investments needed to meet both future demand and the country’s ambitious net-zero targets?Latin America – Petrochemical Industry (next 40 years) driven by passion for innovation and sustainability

WPC 2025 Speakers include:

Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, CEO, SABICJim Fitterling, Chair and CEO, DowGina Fyffe, CEO, Integra Petrochemicals PTE LtdPeter Huntsman, Chairman, President and CEO, HuntsmanMazuin Ismail, Managing Director/ CEO, PETRONAS Chemicals Group BerhadChris Jahn, President and CEO, American Chemistry CouncilIlham Kadri, CEO, SyensqoRoger Kearns, President and CEO, NOVA Chemicals CorporationUdo Lange, CEO, Stolt-Nielsen M.S LtdNikhil Meswani, Executive Director and Member of the Board, Reliance Industries LtdNavanit Narayan, Wholetime Director and CEO, Haldia Petrochemicals LtdSteve Prusak, President and CEO, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LPPeter Vanacker, CEO, LyondellBasell Industries NV

S&P Global Speakers & Experts:

Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, S&P GlobalMark Eramo, Co-President, S&P Global Commodity InsightsCarlos Pascual, Senior Vice President, Geopolitics & International Affairs, S&P Global Commodity InsightsTony Potter, Chemicals, Derivatives, Plastics & Materials Lead, S&P Global Commodity InsightsKurt Barrow, Head of Oil, Fuels & Chemicals, S&P Global Commodity InsightsAtul Arya, Chief Energy Strategist, S&P Global Commodity InsightsSatyam Panday, U.S. Chief Economist, S&P Global RatingsOlivier Maronneaud, Global Analytics Lead, Methanol & Plastic Circularity, S&P Global Commodity InsightsRavivenkatesh Narayanaswamy, Vice President, Oil, Fuels & Chemicals Research, S&P Global Commodity InsightsRahul Kapoor, Head of Shipping Analytics & Research, S&P Global Commodity InsightsJim Burkhard, Head of Research for Oil Markets, Energy & Mobility, S&P Global Commodity InsightsGarrie Li, Chemical Insights APAC Lead, S&P Global Commodity Insights

View the complete list of speakers and the latest agenda.

Registration information

WPC will be held at the Marriott Marquis Houston Hotel from March 17-21, 2025. For further information and to register, visit https://wpc.spglobal.com/about/registration.html 

Media accreditation and passes

Members of the media interested in covering WPC 2025 are required to apply for accreditation and should email pressCI@spglobal.com.

Media Contacts 
Americas and EMEA: Kathleen Tanzy + 1 917-331-4607, kathleen.tanzy@spglobal.com
Asia: Melissa Tan + 65-6597-6241, melissa.tan@spglobal.com   

About S&P Global
S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) provides essential intelligence. We enable governments, businesses and individuals with the right data, expertise and connected technology so that they can make decisions with conviction. From helping our customers assess new investments to guiding them through ESG and energy transition across supply chains, we unlock new opportunities, solve challenges and accelerate progress for the world.

We are widely sought after by many of the world’s leading organizations to provide credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help the world’s leading organizations plan for tomorrow, today. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/40th-world-petrochemical-conference-to-discuss-outlook–recovery-for-global-chemical-markets-302387346.html

SOURCE S&P Global Commodity Insights

Continue Reading

Technology

Toku launches Makimoto Flows, a visual builder for speech AI pipelines, taking its open-source initiative beyond transcription

Published

on

By

Developers can chain transcription, summarisation and call tagging on one canvas, test each step and export the pipeline as code, with every step processed in Singapore

SINGAPORE, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Toku Ltd. (SGX: TKU), a Singapore-headquartered AI-powered customer experience (CX) platform, has launched Makimoto Flows (“Flows”), a visual builder within its open-source conversational AI initiative where developers assemble speech AI pipelines block by block and test each stage on a recorded call. Flows is now live at makimoto.ai.

On the Flows canvas, developers connect blocks to build a speech AI pipeline and test each step individually. The Transcribe block converts audio into text using Kawa, the Summarise block generates a topic and short summary from the transcript, and the Tags block classifies each call across seven categories, including customer sentiment. Developers can see how audio moves from transcription to analysis, and control how each stage connects and runs. Every block runs in Singapore, so audio, transcripts and the resulting analysis stay in-country.

The Chained Analysis starter template puts these blocks together in one click, and developers can adjust any block and rerun it to compare results. Each block maps to a Makimoto API endpoint, and any flow can be exported as ready-to-run Python code, so developers can take the same capabilities into their own code for applications such as call recaps and call triage.

“Developers should have control over how their voice AI works, from the models they use to the way each stage connects. That is the principle behind Makimoto. Flows puts the orchestration layer in front of them: they can build a pipeline, run a recorded call through it and see what each step produces before anything reaches their customers. Models will keep changing. The ability to compose them, and to know where they run, is what lasts,” said Thomas Laboulle, Founder and CEO at Toku.

Flows builds on the composable architecture Toku set out when it introduced Makimoto in April 2026, and takes the initiative beyond transcription. Kawa, released on schedule on 1 July 2026, established the transcription layer through a Singapore-hosted API; summarisation and tagging endpoints followed in September; Flows now lets developers compose them visually. Next, Makimoto plans to add audio preparation blocks, starting with noise filtering, giving developers more control over how recordings are processed before transcription.

By pairing open-source development with enterprise-grade deployment, Makimoto complements Toku’s existing customer experience platform and supports long-term innovation opportunities across the Group’s AI roadmap.

Developers can create a free account at makimoto.ai, open the Chained Analysis template and run a sample recording, or one of their own call recordings, through it; each account includes 1,000 free minutes. Feedback reaches the Makimoto team directly from the portal.

About Toku

Headquartered in Singapore, Toku Ltd. (SGX Catalist: TKU) is a cloud-native, AI-powered customer experience platform purpose-built for enterprises operating in complex, multi-market environments. With deep roots in the APAC region and an expanding global footprint, Toku’s modular 360° CX Platform orchestrates customer interactions across voice, chat, email and digital channels while managing regulatory, linguistic and infrastructure complexity at scale.

Built on end-to-end ownership of its technology stack, from carrier-grade connectivity to AI applications, Toku delivers enterprise-grade security, reliability and deployment flexibility in commercial cloud, private data centres and hybrid environments. Its AI capabilities include transcription, summarisation, sentiment analysis, conversation analytics and governed virtual agents, designed to integrate seamlessly with enterprise systems and customer data.

Trusted by leading enterprises and public-sector organisations, Toku helps organisations streamline operations, scale customer engagement and deliver consistent experiences in fragmented markets worldwide.

For more information about Toku, visit toku.co.

About Makimoto

Makimoto is Toku’s open-source initiative, operated through Makimoto Technology Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Toku Group, dedicated to building composable conversational AI infrastructure for Asia-Pacific. Its releases include Makimoto Kawa, a Singapore-hosted transcription API; summarisation and tagging endpoints; and Makimoto Flows, a visual builder for composing speech AI pipelines. For more information about Makimoto, visit makimoto.ai.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Toku’s expansion plans, business strategy and planned product releases. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Toku undertakes no obligation to update these statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Sponsor’s Statement

Toku Ltd. (the “Company”) was listed on Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “Exchange”) on 22 January 2026. The initial public offering of the Company was sponsored by PrimePartners Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd. (the “Sponsor”). This press release has been reviewed by the Sponsor. It has not been examined or approved by the Exchange and the Exchange assumes no responsibility for the contents of this press release, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this press release. The contact person for the Sponsor is Ms. Ng Shi Qing, 16 Collyer Quay, #10-00 Collyer Quay Centre, Singapore 049318, sponsorship@ppcf.com.sg.

Investor Relations Contact:
investor.relations@toku.co

Developers and Partners:
contact@makimoto.ai  

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/toku-launches-makimoto-flows-a-visual-builder-for-speech-ai-pipelines-taking-its-open-source-initiative-beyond-transcription-302914906.html

SOURCE Toku Ltd.

Continue Reading

Technology

Conscious Spark LLC Launches Alphimiya® Neuro-Recalibration Framework Designed to Resolve C-Suite Revenue Plateaus

Published

on

By

New research-backed neuro-recalibration framework targets the autonomic nervous system’s threat response to managing high financial amounts, offering enterprise leaders a biological pathway to scaling.

ANTALYA, Turkey and ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Conscious Spark LLC, a research and advisory firm specializing in applied neuroscience for executive leadership, today announced the official launch of Alphimiya®, a proprietary C-suite neuro-recalibration framework designed to resolve corporate revenue plateaus by upgrading the biological capacity of enterprise decision-makers.

Developed to address the root causes of stalled enterprise growth, the Alphimiya® framework targets the human autonomic nervous system’s subconscious threat response to managing high financial amounts. When commercial leaders and CEOs attempt to scale past historical capital thresholds without recalibrating their stress response, the body’s natural survival mechanism triggers decision fatigue, strategic risk aversion, and systemic self-sabotage. Alphimiya® recalibrates this biological safety brake, enabling executive teams to hold, absorb, and scale larger financial volumes without physiological or operational friction.

“A corporate revenue plateau is rarely an operational or marketing failure; it is a biological safety brake embedded within executive leadership,” stated Dr. Ahmed Al-Nashi, Founder of Conscious Spark LLC. “When managing high financial amounts triggers an underlying physical stress response, the enterprise subconsciously contracts to remain in its perceived safe zone. Alphimiya® removes that biological friction, allowing C-level leaders to multiply revenue with calm, biological authority.”

The Alphimiya® framework restructures executive performance across three core operational pillars:

Sovereign Enterprise Scaling: Expands the nervous system’s tolerance for high-stakes capital, allowing leadership teams to scale revenue without experiencing executive burnout.

High-Value Deal Execution: Regulates autonomic stress responses during multi-million-dollar negotiations and volatile market entries, eliminating hesitation under pressure.

Restored Strategic Clarity: Removes chronic decision fatigue across C-suite teams, restoring mental focus and strategic presence inside and outside the boardroom.

By recalibrating the autonomic nervous system’s response to high capital exposure, Alphimiya® removes the subconscious biological brakes that lock corporate revenue at a standstill. Senior C-level executives and enterprise leadership teams seeking to evaluate their organization’s biological capacity can access the official executive briefing, case studies, and framework assessment directly at https://alphimiya.co/.

About Conscious Spark LLC

Conscious Spark LLC is a U.S.-registered firm specializing in executive education, training, and strategic performance consulting. Pioneering applied neuroscience for C-level leaders, founders, and commercial decision-makers, the firm utilizes its proprietary Alphimiya® methodology to enable leadership teams to recalibrate biological stress responses, resolve revenue ceilings, and build scalable corporations.

Media Relations Team
Conscious Spark LLC
Email: hello@consciousspark.online 
Website: https://alphimiya.co/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/conscious-spark-llc-launches-alphimiya-neuro-recalibration-framework-designed-to-resolve-c-suite-revenue-plateaus-302901454.html

SOURCE Conscious Spark LLC

Continue Reading

Technology

Daffodil Software Brings Multilingual Conversational AI to Aadhaar’s Udai Mascot

Published

on

By

GURUGRAM, India, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Daffodil Software showcased an AI-powered conversational experience featuring UIDAI’s Udai mascot at Aadhaar Samvaad 2026. Developed by Daffodil Software, the assistant is designed to help users access Aadhaar-related information through natural conversation, using official UIDAI as its reference knowledge base.

Daffodil Software has developed Udai, an AI-powered virtual mascot that helps users get clear, reliable answers about Aadhaar simply by talking to it. The assistant was showcased at Aadhaar Samvaad 2026, held in Kolkata on 29 September, coinciding with the 17th Aadhaar Day, where visitors watched it listen, respond, and gesture in real time in their own language.

For most people, questions about Aadhaar come up in daily life, and they usually need answers fast. Which documents do I need for an address change? How much does an update cost? How do I link Aadhaar to my bank account or mobile number? The answers exist, but finding them usually means working through long help pages and documents.

 Udai is designed to answer exactly these questions in a natural conversation, without anyone having to search through long help pages.

A conversation in the user’s own language

Udai speaks and understands 11 languages: Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Odia, and English. A user simply asks a question. Udai listens, works out the answer, and replies in the same language, with natural speech, matching lip movements and expressive hand gestures.

What sets Udai apart is how it is built. AI avatars rely on expensive, specialised graphics hardware to bring a face to life. Udai takes a simpler route. The character is created from pre-filmed footage, and its lip movements are matched to its speech in real time using lightweight processing that runs in a web browser.

The result is a smooth experience at 24 frames per second on ordinary servers, at a fraction of the usual cost per user. For a programme that serves hundreds of millions of people, that efficiency is what turns a nationwide rollout from an ambition into a practical plan.

“Our focus with Udai was to make Aadhaar-related information easier to access through natural conversation. Combining multilingual voice interaction with official reference content allowed our team to build an experience that is practical, approachable, and useful to users,” said Yogesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Daffodil Software.

Answers drawn only from official sources

The assistant uses official UIDAI material as its reference knowledge base: frequently asked questions, provisions of the Aadhaar Act, and government policy documents on Aadhaar services. It covers the topics users ask about most:

Enrolment and registrationAddress and demographic updatesFees, required documents and eligibilityeKYC and Virtual IDLinking Aadhaar with bank accounts, PAN and mobile numbersmAadhaar servicesGrievance redressal

Users don’t need to phrase their questions in any particular way. Udai understands everyday language, whether a question is spoken in English, Hindi, or asked in a mix of both, and finds the most relevant official information to answer it.

Built to be accurate, respectful, and secure

When a public service speaks directly to users, trust matters as much as convenience. Udai is protected by three layers of safeguards.

Accuracy first. Udai answers only from its verified knowledge base. Responses are grounded in a curated knowledge base of official UIDAI material. If a question falls outside Aadhaar, it guides the user back rather than offering an answer it cannot stand behind.

Respectful conversations. A screening layer catches abusive or offensive language in English, Hindi, and Hinglish before it reaches the assistant. Screening is designed to identify abusive language while supporting legitimate queries

Protection against misuse. Udai cannot be talked into abandoning its role, pretending to be someone else, revealing its internal setup, or answering beyond its approved scope. These checks work almost instantly, so users experience no delay.

What comes next?

Udai is planned to roll out in two phases.

In the first phase, the mascot will be placed in Aadhaar Centres. Visitors will be able to check information and understand processes on their own, such as which documents they need for an address change. This frees centre staff to focus on their core work instead of answering the same questions again and again.

In the second phase, Udai will come to the Aadhaar website and mobile app, taking the place of the current text-based chatbot, which was also built by Daffodil.

About Daffodil Software

Daffodil Software is a software engineering and AI solutions company serving businesses across industries. Its services span software consulting, product engineering, UI/UX design, AI/ML development, quality assurance, cloud and DevOps, and maintenance. The company serves sectors including healthcare, fintech, banking, technology, and digital commerce. Its client portfolio includes organizations such as the Reserve Bank of India, Mount Sinai Hospital, Maruti, Samsung, Pramerica Insurance, and Dangote Group. Daffodil Software has also been featured in industry research and recognition by Gartner, Everest Group, Zinnov, and Frost & Sullivan. For more information, visit https://www.daffodilsw.com

Media contact

Kunwar Pal Singh
media-relations@daffodilsw.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/daffodil-software-brings-multilingual-conversational-ai-to-aadhaars-udai-mascot-302914965.html

Continue Reading

Trending