Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai Joins Fireside Chat, Maps Strategy for the Next Decade in the AI Era

TAIPEI, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cathay Financial Holdings (Cathay FHC) recently hosted its 2026 Cathay Technology Conference, one of Taiwan’s flagship fintech events, as the company marked the 10th anniversary of its digital transformation. Cathay FHC Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai participated in a fireside chat, reflecting on a decade of transformation and outlining the Group’s strategic roadmap for the years ahead.

This year’s Cathay Technology Conference focused on three key areas: Agentic AI and Digital Colleagues, AI-driven IT modernization, and digital assets and Web3. Cathay FHC unveiled, for the first time, trials of “digital colleagues” built with AI agents, while examining cybersecurity governance, access controls and audit practices as AI enters enterprise workflows, as well as emerging financial use cases including stablecoins, AI-agent payments and autonomous finance. The event brought together leaders from OpenAI, Google Cloud, Microsoft Taiwan, KPMG, National Chengchi University, National Taiwan University and the Taiwan Virtual Asset Service Provider Association. Nearly 7,000 people registered and combined online and in-person concurrent viewership exceeded 3,500.

Cathay FHC Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai said Cathay FHC’s transformation since 2016 was not about “digitizing for the sake of digitization,” but about recognizing the need for greater collaboration across business units and a more customer-centric approach. He said digital technologies were used to address practical business challenges and customer pain points.

Cathay FHC has remained guided by its core values of integrity, accountability and innovation, Tsai said. Cathay FHC has also sought to build trust among management, employees and customers through stronger horizontal and vertical communication, making this a key cultural transformation throughout its digital transformation.

Tsai cited Cathay United Bank’s CUBE credit card as an example. As an industry first at the time, the CUBE credit card consolidated multiple cards into a single card, empowering customers to choose and switch benefits according to their individual needs. The strategic shift reflected a customer-centric digital approach that uses technology to empower customers with greater choice and flexibility.

Looking ahead, Tsai said Cathay FHC will continue to explore opportunities in areas including asset management and wealth management. He called on businesses to use AI to rethink how work is done and how value is created, while building on their respective strengths to deliver more and better results for customers. AI could give Cathay FHC and businesses an opportunity to leapfrog, he added.

Taiwan has benefited from robust economic growth in recent years, Tsai said. As a major financial institution, Cathay FHC will continue to seize opportunities while addressing the challenges facing industry and society, growing alongside Taiwanese businesses and communities and living up to the expectations and trust of the public.

Building on GAIA 2.0, Cathay FHC’s generative AI technology framework introduced in 2025, Cathay FHC unveiled AI-Agent-powered “digital colleagues” for the first time, including pilots for project management, technology governance and legal contract review. Designed with defined roles and operating boundaries, the digital colleagues can autonomously use enterprise knowledge and tools to carry out tasks, while critical decisions and exceptions remain subject to human review. Controls covering identity and access rights, enterprise knowledge, system integration, cybersecurity monitoring and audit trails support Cathay FHC’s responsible-AI approach.

Building on its “Cloud First” infrastructure strategy, Cathay FHC is moving toward “Agent First” by applying governed AI workflows and an agent platform to develop scalable Group-wide IT capabilities. Through the BMad Framework, Cathay FHC has developed an Agent for SDLC requirements management, shortening the requirements analysis cycle. Cathay United Bank has also established AI Scrum and AI SDLC teams to support requirements organization, development and testing, as well as document preparation.

This year’s conference also featured Oliver Jay, Managing Director, International at OpenAI, and Harry Lin, Technical General Manager of Google Cloud Taiwan, who shared insights on enterprise AI adoption, secure deployment and multi-agent governance in financial institutions.

In digital assets, the conference explored virtual-asset custody, stablecoins, AI Agent payments and autonomous finance. Industry and academic experts discussed how financial institutions and VASPs (Virtual Asset Service Providers) can balance innovation with anti-money laundering, asset security and regulatory compliance.

Since launching its digital transformation in 2016 under the leadership of Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai, Cathay FHC, has continued to build capabilities in digital technology, data and cloud, extending into generative AI, Agentic AI and digital assets as technology evolves. Looking ahead, Cathay FHC will continue to strengthen its capabilities in AI, cybersecurity governance and financial technology talent development, while connecting industry, government and academic partners in Taiwan and overseas under its “BETTER TOGETHER” brand spirit and advancing toward its goal of becoming “a technology company with finance at its core.”

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SOURCE Cathay Financial Holdings

NUREMBERG, Germany, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hitachi scroll compressor is making its first independent appearance at Chillventa 2026, held from October 13 to 15. At Booth 1-637 of Exhibition Centre Nuremberg (NürnbergMesse), Hitachi scroll compressor is showcasing heat pump compressor solutions compatible with R-290 and R-454C refrigerants, as well as compressor technologies for a wide range of thermal management applications. The debut underscores Hitachi scroll compressor’s commitment to the European market and its intention to further strengthen collaboration with industry partners across the region.

As Europe advances its energy transition, growing heat pump adoption, evolving refrigerant regulations, and increasing demand for lower-GWP solutions are reshaping the HVAC industry. Manufacturers are seeking compressor technologies that can support changing refrigerant requirements while maintaining system performance, reliability, and operational safety. In response, Hitachi scroll compressor continues to develop compressor technologies for different refrigerants and system architectures, giving customers more options as they upgrade their product portfolios to meet changing market and regulatory requirements.

Heat Pump Solutions for Evolving Refrigerant Requirements

A key highlight at Chillventa 2026 is Hitachi’s DC inverter compressor designed for low-ambient heat pump applications using R-290. R-290 is a natural refrigerant with a GWP100 (Global Warming Potential over a 100-year time horizon) of 0.02, considerably below many conventional refrigerants. The solution is well suited for residential and commercial heat pump applications, expanding Hitachi’s compressor options for manufacturers developing systems around lower-GWP refrigerants.

Hitachi scroll compressor is also showcasing its R-454C-compatible DC inverter compressor. With a GWP100 of 146, R-454C provides an alternative for manufacturers navigating refrigerant transitions while balancing energy efficiency, system performance, safety, and evolving market requirements. Combined with Hitachi’s broader compressor portfolio, the solution gives manufacturers greater flexibility in developing heat pump and HVAC systems for evolving market requirements.

Extending Compressor Technologies Across Applications

Beyond heat pumps, Hitachi scroll compressor is extending its technologies across a growing range of cooling and thermal management applications. The portfolio on display includes fixed-speed compressors for refrigeration applications, horizontal scroll compressors for transport thermal management, and DC inverter compressors for energy storage temperature control. Hitachi scroll compressor is also exploring opportunities across emerging applications such as data center thermal management, reflecting the expanding role of compressor technologies across different industries.

“Europe’s energy transition is creating new requirements across heating, cooling and thermal management,” said Wisdom Hao, GM of Guangzhou Bosch Home Comfort Compressor Technology Co. Ltd. “We want to support customers with efficient, reliable compressor technologies that address evolving system and refrigerant requirements. Chillventa allows us to engage directly with partners across Europe, better understand their needs and explore how we can work together to develop solutions for the next generation of products.”

Backed by decades of compressor development experience, a diverse product portfolio, global service capabilities and continued investment in R&D, Hitachi scroll compressor is committed to advancing its technologies in step with customers’ evolving needs.

Visitors to Chillventa 2026 are invited to meet the Hitachi scroll compressor team at Booth 1-637 to explore its latest compressor technologies and discuss potential collaboration opportunities.

About Hitachi scroll compressor

Since pioneering the world’s first scroll compressor for air-conditioning applications in 1983, Hitachi scroll compressor has continued to advance compressor technologies across HVAC, refrigeration, railway, and other thermal management applications. Backed by more than 80 years of engineering expertise, Hitachi scroll compressor delivers high-quality compressor solutions recognized for reliability, performance, and continuous innovation worldwide.

For more information, please visit: https://compressors.hitachiaircon.com/en.

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bisedge Logistics & Infrastructure today announced a €10 million long-term investment loan from Finnfund, the Finnish development financier and impact investor.

The facility will fund the expansion of Bisedge’s electric material handling fleet across its African operations, with a particular focus on Nigeria and the East Africa region. It follows the recent equity investment from Metier Private Equity and gives Bisedge further momentum as it enters its next phase of growth in Nigeria and East Africa.

Bisedge’s “Zero CapEx” model enables customers to modernise their fleet of forklifts, reach trucks and tractors with the latest technology from Linde Material Handling. The result: significant reductions in total cost of ownership, lower emissions through the transition from diesel and gas to electric equipment, and higher overall efficiency of intralogistics operations.

The long-term tenor of the Finnfund facility is well suited to Bisedge’s multi-year customer contracts and equipment lifecycle. It positions the company to scale its fleet and service operations in Nigeria and East Africa, broaden its market coverage, and deliver more efficient and sustainable material handling services to its clients.

Christian Wessels, Co-Founder & CEO of Bisedge, commented: “Our business is built on long-term partnerships with our customers, and Finnfund’s long-term capital is a natural fit for that model. This facility allows us to accelerate the electrification of intralogistics in Nigeria and East Africa, helping our clients lower their costs and emissions while keeping their operations running every day.”

Justin Nthala, Senior Investment Manager at Finnfund, said: “Bisedge shows how a service-based model can make clean technology accessible to African businesses. By removing the upfront cost of electric equipment, the company helps its clients cut emissions and improve productivity while creating skilled local jobs. We are pleased to support Bisedge’s expansion in Nigeria and East Africa.”

About Bisedge
Bisedge is a green logistics company specialising in the provision of electric material handling equipment through a “Zero CapEx” model, delivering end-to-end equipment management for improved uptime across its clients’ intralogistics operations. Bisedge provides material handling solutions as Equipment as a Service across Sub-Saharan Africa and the GCC, supporting intralogistics operations with over 1,350 colleagues by supplying equipment, improving operational efficiency, and helping clients reduce emissions through the transition from diesel to electric equipment. Bisedge is the exclusive partner of Linde Material Handling, the world’s leading manufacturer of material handling equipment, in Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya (East Africa) and South Africa. Bisedge was co-founded by Christian Wessels, Chief Executive Officer, and Jasper Graf von Hardenberg, Chief Operating Officer.

About Finnfund
Finnfund is a Finnish development financier and impact investor. Finnfund builds a sustainable future and generates lasting impact by investing in businesses that solve global development challenges with Finnish added value. Each year, Finnfund invests 200–250 million euros in 20–30 companies in developing countries. Its focus is particularly on digital infrastructure and solutions, clean energy, forestry, agriculture, and on providing funding for small and medium-sized enterprises through financial institutions. Today, Finnfund’s investments, commitments, and investment decisions total about 1.2 billion euros. The company has about 100 employees based in Helsinki and Nairobi.

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SOURCE Bisedge Holding