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SMBC Invests in Deep Sky to Strengthen Partnership for Carbon Dioxide Removal Market Development in Japan

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MONTREAL and TOKYO, June 25, 2026 /CNW/ — Deep Sky Corporation today announced a strategic investment from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), supporting the advancement of Japan’s carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and direct air capture (DAC) sector. The investment was made under SMBC’s Social Value Creation Investment Fund and marks the bank’s first investment in the CDR/DAC sector.

Through this investment, SMBC will leverage Deep Sky’s expertise in DAC project development, CO2 storage, and the generation of high-quality carbon removal credits to support the sourcing and use of DAC-based carbon credits, while also creating opportunities for collaboration with project developers and corporate buyers. Through these efforts, SMBC aims to strengthen support for its customers’ decarbonization initiatives and contribute to the growth and commercialization of the CDR/DAC market in Japan. The terms of the investment were not disclosed.

“Through our partnership with Deep Sky, we seek to gain insights into market developments, technology deployment, and the evolving landscape of carbon credit generation in the carbon removal sector. This investment represents an important opportunity for SMBC to leverage these learnings to further enhance our support to the carbon removal ecosystem in the future,” said Kenji Irie, Executive Officer and General Manager, Sustainability Planning Department at SMBC.

In response to climate change, CDR is becoming increasingly important as a means of addressing residual emissions that remain even after the maximum deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. Durable carbon removal solutions, including DAC paired with long-term storage are intended to address these residual emissions.

“SMBC’s partnership with Deep Sky reflects the serious momentum building around durable carbon removal in Asia and the opportunity to strengthen the Japan-Canada carbon removal corridor. Japan is a critical market for DAC. Demand is real, the policy environment is maturing and the opportunity to build lasting market infrastructure is here,” said Alexandra Petre, CEO at Deep Sky. “This investment sets a standard for how leading financial institutions can play a foundational role in scaling high-integrity carbon removal globally.”

The agreement was signed in Tokyo alongside the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, as part of the Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan, highlighting the growing strategic importance of Canada-Japan collaboration in clean technology, carbon removal and sustainable economic growth.

“Canada and Japan are trusted partners in building the industries that will support the global transition to net zero. The collaboration between Deep Sky and SMBC highlights how Canadian companies are developing and scaling world-leading carbon removal solutions while creating new opportunities for international investment and commercial growth. Investments like this help strengthen commercial ties between Canada and Japan while supporting the growth of innovative climate solutions developed in Canada and deployed globally,” said the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade.

The investment builds on the strategic partnership established by SMBC and Deep Sky under a memorandum of understanding signed on Dec. 3, 2025. The partnership is focused on creating demand for DAC-based carbon removal credits, exploring commercial opportunities with Japanese companies and contributing to the market conditions needed for durable carbon removal to scale in Japan.

About Deep Sky: Montreal-based Deep Sky is the world’s first tech-agnostic carbon removal project developer aiming to remove gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere and permanently store it underground. As a project developer, Deep Sky brings together the most promising direct air and ocean carbon capture companies under one roof to bring the largest supply of high quality carbon credits to the market, commercializing and catalyzing carbon removal and storage solutions like never before. With $130M in funding, Deep Sky is backed by world class investors including Investissement Québec, Brightspark Ventures, Whitecap Venture Partners, OMERS Ventures, BDC Climate Fund, Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, BMO, National Bank of Canada, and more. www.deepskyclimate.com

SOURCE Deep Sky Corporation

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China Xplained | The China Squeeze, or the China Opportunity?

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GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This is a news report from South: 

Is China’s manufacturing rise squeezing out or creating opportunities for other economies?

Ahead of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in China this November, journalists and experts from around the world gathered in Guangdong for the Asia-Pacific Media Forum (APMF) 2026.

The forum opened in Shenzhen on September 5, bringing together more than 400 representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as from international organizations.

Before the opening of the forum, participants travelled across Guangdong to see China’s industries and development first-hand.

In this episode of China Xplained, we look at the numbers, supply chains, investment and voices from across the developing world—to ask a bigger question: Is China squeezing out room for other economies?

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-xplained–the-china-squeeze-or-the-china-opportunity-302870814.html

SOURCE South

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PUDU D7 Named Honoree in IFA Innovation Awards for Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies

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BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, today announced that its PUDU D7 Semi-humanoid Intelligent Robot has been named an Honoree in the Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies category of the IFA Innovation Awards. The recognition highlights PUDU D7’s ability to combine mobile navigation, dexterous manipulation and intelligent sensing to perform a range of tasks in real-world industrial and commercial environments.

The IFA Innovation Awards recognize outstanding innovations across the global technology landscape. Entries are evaluated by an independent international jury based on criteria including technology and functionality, innovation and originality, and the potential to create tangible value for users and the market. The recognition places PUDU D7 among emerging technologies demonstrating new possibilities for the future of robotics.

From Industrial Operations to Guest Interaction

PUDU D7 is designed for industrial, warehouse, retail and hospitality environments, where it can move through human-oriented spaces and perform tasks that require both mobility and dexterous manipulation.

In industrial and warehouse settings, D7 can handle materials, pick items from shelves, replenish inventory, transport goods between work areas and push carts. With a payload capacity of up to 20 kg (44.1 pounds) and an operating height of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet), it can work with a range of storage systems and materials.

In retail, D7 can support shelf replenishment, item handling and store organization, moving products between storage areas and shelves and helping maintain product displays.

In hotels and hospitality, PUDU D7 can take on the role of an intelligent front-desk host, welcoming guests, preparing and serving coffee, interacting with visitors and providing engaging experiences. Its semi-humanoid form and dual-arm capabilities allow it to combine practical service tasks with natural human-robot interaction, bringing a more personable and engaging presence to the guest experience.

Designed for Adaptable Performance

PUDU D7 combines a dual-arm manipulation system, tactile sensing and a 360-degree perception system to support these applications. Front- and rear-facing LiDAR and other sensors enable navigation around people and obstacles, while tactile sensing provides precise control when handling objects.

The robot also features autonomous battery swapping, allowing it to independently replace its battery and reduce downtime during extended operation.

Together, these capabilities enable D7 to support different tasks across a range of environments without being limited to a single application.

PUDU D7 Makes Its European Debut at IFA

IFA 2026 marks the first time PUDU D7 is being showcased in Europe. At the Pudu Robotics booth, visitors can experience live demonstrations highlighting the robot’s capabilities and its potential for human-robot interaction.

D7 interacts directly with visitors through demonstrations including waving, making heart gestures and picking up objects. These demonstrations showcase the robot’s ability to combine movement, manipulation and interaction in a human-oriented environment.

Advancing the Next Generation of Intelligent Robotics

The IFA Innovation Awards recognition marks another step in Pudu Robotics’ expansion from service delivery, commercial cleaning and industrial delivery into embodied intelligent robotics.

PUDU D7 is part of Pudu Robotics’ broader strategy to develop a portfolio of specialized, semi-humanoid and humanoid robots, building on its capabilities in embodied navigation, manipulation and interaction. This approach enables the company to address a broader range of applications across commercial and industrial environments.

Pudu Robotics will continue working with customers and partners worldwide to explore new applications for embodied intelligence and bring increasingly capable robots into real-world environments.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics is a global leader in commercial service robotics and the industry’s first company to offer a full portfolio spanning specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots. According to Frost & Sullivan’s latest market report, Pudu Robotics ranks No. 1 globally in commercial service robotics by both revenue and shipment volume. Built on its One Brain, Multiple Embodiments architecture, Pudu offers robots for service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied AI applications across hospitality, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, education, public services, and more. To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 130,000 robots to customers across 85+ countries and regions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pudu-d7-named-honoree-in-ifa-innovation-awards-for-best-in-ifa-next–emerging-technologies-302870806.html

SOURCE Pudu Robotics

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Asia-Pacific Media Forum held in China’s Guangdong

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SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Xinhuanet: 

The Asia-Pacific Media Forum opened on Saturday in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, with the theme of “Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action.”

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, attended the forum and delivered a speech.

Participating guests noted that this year marks 2026 APEC “China Year,” during which China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. They expressed their belief that with support from all sides, the summit will yield fruitful outcomes and elevate Asia-Pacific cooperation to new heights.

Participating guests emphasized that development and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region depend on the active participation of media. The media are expected to share stories of openness and integration, provide comprehensive coverage of the region’s progress and achievements across various fields, and help foster a favorable public opinion environment for the region’s open development.

Participating guests noted that the media should actively promote outcomes of the series of APEC activities, interpret policies and measures of various economies to support scientific and technological innovation, and build regional consensus for innovative development.

They also called for deepening results-oriented cooperation in joint reporting, technological innovation and personnel training, and leveraging media exchanges to carry forward civilizations, spread culture and convey goodwill, so as to enhance mutual understanding and closer bonds among the peoples of the Asia-Pacific.

The forum was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Xinhua News Agency and the Guangdong provincial government, and organized by the Shenzhen municipal government.

More than 400 representatives from over 40 countries and regions, as well as UN agencies and international organizations, attended the event. At the opening ceremony, 16 founding organizations from China and abroad jointly formed the Organizing Committee of the Asia-Pacific Media Partnership Program.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/asia-pacific-media-forum-held-in-chinas-guangdong-302870809.html

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