Technology

Qingdao, A Venture Capital City Is Rising Up

Published

2 years ago

May 29, 2024

The city rises, and capital moves towards “new”!

QINGDAO, China, May 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On May 28th, with the theme of “Venture and Capital for a New Era Innovation and Entrepreneurship for a Brighter Future “, the “2024 Qingdao Venture Capital Conference “, hosted by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government and co-organized by CVINFO, opened at the Shangri-La Hotel in Qingdao. The one-and-a-half-day conference, which combines online and offline formats, has gathered more than a hundred industry experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs from internationally renowned investment banks and leading venture capital and private equity institutions to discuss the opportunities and future of capital and to activate new drivers for high-quality development.

A Conference with High “Gold Content”

In 2019, Qingdao set the goal of building a venture capital and private equity center and tailored the venture capital and private equity conference as a platform for gathering high-quality financial resources. Over the past five years, the influence of the conference has been continuously increasing and has become an important window for the venture capital and private equity industry to pay attention to the development of Qingdao.

Compared with the previous five sessions, this session of the 2024 Qingdao Venture Capital Conference has higher “gold content”.

Introducing a high “gold content” policy package.

Leveraging the advantages of policy transmission, innovation, and inclusiveness, we have made efforts to plan and layout the “five major articles”, enabling more accurate empowerment of scientific and technological innovation, which is the “best solution” for capital to serve the real economy.

For this reason, at this conference, the “Qingdao Further Support for the High-Quality Development of the Financial Industry Policy Measures” and the “Several Policies on Strengthening the Joint Linkage of Fiscal and Financial Support for the High-Quality Development of the Whole City” were released, aiming at the goal of “building a strong financial city”, further optimizing the policy environment, and contributing to the high-quality development of the whole city.

The two newly formulated policy systems are comprehensive in content, extensive in coverage, highlight key points, and have strong competitiveness, which will further promote the “two-way rush” between the city and capital power, and the “two-wing flight” of industry and new quality productive forces development. Enable venture capital and private equity institutions to invest successfully, thrive, and reap rewards in Qingdao.”

The landing of high “gold content” projects once again demonstrates Qingdao’s sincerity and confidence in attracting and serving high-quality development through project introduction and landing services.

At the conference, the Qingdao Municipal Government signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CICC, using the project resources and professional advantages of the leading investment bank to focus on major strategies, key areas, and major projects, providing comprehensive financial services, contributing to the development of Qingdao’s capital market and economic social development.

Focus on high-quality project signing to build a modern industrial system in Qingdao.

For example, Capital Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Shandong Energy Group, has established a 7 billion yuan technology industry fund, helping expand the new development pattern of industrial investment in Qingdao; New energy vehicle new power millet Xiaomi fund invested in Qingdao Yunlu New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Upgrading industry level in Qingdao; Hisense Group’s fund manager completed the registration, marking the full coverage of direct investment platforms for large enterprises in Qingdao.

A Conference with a Strong “Vane” Color

The “vane” color of this session of the venture capital and private equity conference is more intense.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on April 30 proposed that it is necessary to develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, strengthen the layout of national strategic scientific and technological forces, cultivate and expand emerging industries, advance the layout and construction of future industries, and use advanced technology to empower the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. It is necessary to actively develop venture capital and expand patient capital.

In terms of actively cultivating emerging industries and future industries, the 2024 Government Work Report proposes to “encourage the development of venture capital and equity investment, and optimize the function of industrial investment funds”.

The Central Economic Work Conference held in 2023 proposed to “encourage the development of venture capital and equity investment”. When explaining the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference in detail, the relevant responsible comrade of the Central Finance Office said: “It is necessary to encourage the development of venture capital and equity investment, and support long-term capital and patient capital to invest more in scientific and technological innovation. “

How can capital empower new quality productivity? How to cultivate more patient capital, guests attending this forum expressed their opinions and offered solutions respectively.

Tu Guangshao, Executive Director of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, brought a keynote speech on “Global Industrial Chain Restructuring and New Opportunities for China’s Industrial Economy”; Chen Wenling, Chief Economist, Executive Deputy Director, and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of China Center for International Economic Exchanges, shared wonderful insights on “Developing New Quality Productivity and Promoting Sustainable Development”; Du Pengfei, Party Committee Member and Management Committee Member of China International Capital Corporation Limited, expressed wonderful views on “Practice and Thinking of Capital Investment”.

In addition, Zhang Wei, Chairman of CoStone Capital, and Zheng Weihe, Chairman and Founding Partner of Cowin Capital, and other heads of domestic leading venture capital institutions elaborated on the development of the innovation system and the capital market, the innovation and development of China’s equity investment, and the acceleration of the construction of Qingdao’s venture capital and private equity ecology.

The guests generally believe that through efficient financial empowerment of new quality productivity, it is not only an important part of deepening the reform of the Supply-side Structural but also an important action to implement the spirit of the Central Financial Work Conference. In the process of accelerating the cultivation and development of new quality productivity, science and technology are equally important, and actively developing venture capital and jointly growing patient capital is the key to the transformation and development of the financial industry towards the new and the real.

In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Committee on actively cultivating and building a financial culture with Chinese characteristics, and actively practice the requirements of the financial culture with Chinese characteristics in the field of equity investment, combined with the characteristics and cultural connotation requirements of the equity investment field, the 2024 Qingdao Venture Capital and Private Equity Conference also initiated the “Initiative for the Construction of Chinese Equity Investment Culture” in the Chinese venture capital and private equity field for the first time, calling for the promotion of industry cultural connotation and the strengthening of the standard requirements for industry development.

A Conference to Create a High-Quality Capital Matrix

A high-quality capital matrix is the basic “base” for serving new quality productivity.

For a city, in a high-quality capital matrix, the government’s guiding fund with the effect of “lifting a thousand pounds with four taels” is indispensable, and one of its missions is to highlight the policy guidance function, guiding funds to flow to key technical fields that the market dares not invest in and where there is a large demand for funds, cultivating emerging industries and future industries, and filling the long-term capital gap.

On the afternoon of May 28, the 2024 Government Guidance Fund Ecological Conference, led by the Municipal Finance Bureau and the Municipal Guidance Fund Trusteeship Management Agency, was grandly held. More than a hundred well-known investment institutions, business representatives and industry experts gathered together to link the guidance funds through the conference. Various cooperative institutions and resource parties held discussions around the development direction of venture capital and equity investment, the virtuous cycle of government-guided funds, and the development of new quality productivity in venture capital and venture capital services, and conducted in-depth discussions on the fundraising, investment, and development of venture capital and venture capital industries. The core issues faced by management and withdrawal of various chains, and interpretation of the current status and development direction of key industries and hot spots.

In addition, the conference also cooperated with the city’s listed emerging industry professional parks to carry out project roadshows, organized on-site reviews of venture capital and venture capital institutions, expanded the influence of high-quality enterprises, smoothed the two-way docking channels for funds and project investment and financing, and led the venture capital to inject vitality into the fertile industrial soil. , connect industrial clusters and promote high-quality economic development.

At the conference, CVINFO also used the outstanding investment institutions’ establishment of funds, investment projects and project exit results in Qingdao in the past three years as a benchmark to discover and commend outstanding investors who have made outstanding contributions to the construction of Qingdao’s international venture capital and venture capital center. Partners, attract more outstanding investors to become Qingdao city partners, and provide a reference for Qingdao to build a high-quality capital matrix.

It is worth mentioning that this conference actively advocates the practice of green investment concepts and uses digital RMB payment to purchase the carbon emission reductions of Qingdao’s carbon inclusive platform “lcago” to neutralize this venture capital investment. The carbon emissions generated in transportation, catering, accommodation, conference affairs, etc. during the conference have achieved a “zero-carbon conference” and provided a reference for enterprises and financial institutions to serve green and low-carbon development.

Capital empowers industry, new quality drives development. In this warm season, let’s turn our attention to the 2024 Qingdao Venture Capital Conference.

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SOURCE CVINFO

Technology

FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION APPOINTS DAVID S. SCHULZ TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Published

25 minutes ago

July 21, 2026

LANCASTER, Pa., July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fulton Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: FULT) (“Fulton”) today announced the appointment of David S. Schulz as a member of its board of directors (the “Board”) for a term commencing September 14, 2026 and expiring at Fulton’s 2027 annual meeting of shareholders.

“We’re excited to welcome Dave to Fulton’s board of directors,” said Curt Myers, Fulton Chairman, CEO, and President. “Dave brings extensive financial leadership experience gained through more than a decade of service with publicly traded companies. His expertise in finance, strategic planning, risk, and mergers and acquisitions will provide valuable perspective as we continue to execute our growth strategy and create long-term value for our shareholders, customers and communities.”

With the addition of Schulz, Fulton’s Board will have 11 members, and he will serve on the Audit and Risk committees. Schulz has also been appointed to the board of directors of Fulton’s banking subsidiary, Fulton Bank, N.A.

Schulz served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Wesco International, Inc. (“Wesco”) from 2016 to June 2020, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Wesco from June 2020 to February 2026 and as Executive Vice President and Special Advisor to the CEO of Wesco from February 2026 until his retirement on May 31, 2026.

Prior to joining Wesco, Schulz served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Armstrong Flooring, Inc. and was previously Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. and Vice President of Finance of the Armstrong Building Products division.

Before joining Armstrong World Industries in 2011, he held various financial leadership roles with Procter & Gamble and The J.M. Smucker Company. He was also an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

In 2025, Schulz joined the board of Sterling Infrastructure, Inc., and he was appointed as chair of the audit committee in 2026. He also serves on the company’s compensation and talent development committee.

ABOUT FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Fulton, a $34 billion Lancaster, Pa.-based financial holding company, has more than 3,400 employees and operates more than 215 financial centers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia through Fulton Bank, N.A. Additional information on Fulton can be found at https://investor.fultonbank.com.

Contact: Steve Trapnell
717-291-2739

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SOURCE Fulton Financial Corporation

Technology

Octavio Marquez Elected to MSA Safety Board of Directors

Published

25 minutes ago

July 21, 2026

PITTSBURGH, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of MSA Safety Inc. (NYSE: MSA), a global leader in the development of advanced industrial safety technology products and solutions, today announced that Octavio Marquez, president and chief executive officer of Diebold Nixdorf, has been elected to the company’s Board of Directors. His election was part of the MSA Board’s regular succession plans.

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to add Octavio to the MSA Board,” said Robert A. Bruggeworth, MSA chairman. “He brings a broad range of executive leadership experience, including strategy development, capital allocation, business transformation and serving international markets, which will serve MSA well.”

“Octavio’s perspectives will be an asset to me and our entire Executive Leadership Team,” said Steven C. Blanco, MSA president and CEO. “It is a pleasure to welcome Octavio to MSA, and I look forward to working with him.”

Mr. Marquez joined Diebold Nixdorf in 2014 and has held senior leadership roles across the company’s Global Banking organization and its Americas region, including as executive vice president of Global Banking and senior vice president of the Americas. Before joining Diebold Nixdorf, Mr. Marquez held leadership positions at Dell EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM and NCR.

Diebold Nixdorf automates, digitizes and transforms the way people bank and shop. As a partner to the majority of the world’s top 100 financial institutions and top 25 global retailers, its integrated solutions connect digital and physical channels conveniently, securely and efficiently for millions of customers every day. Headquartered in North Canton, Ohio, Diebold Nixdorf employs approximately 20,000 employees globally, supporting more than 100 countries.

Mr. Marquez holds a degree in business and finance from Universidad Iberoamericana and has completed executive education programs at MIT Sloan, The Wharton School and The University of Texas at Austin.

About MSA Safety

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) is the global leader in advanced industrial safety technology products and solutions. Driven by its singular mission of safety, the company has been at the forefront of safety innovation since 1914, protecting workers and facility infrastructure around the world across a broad range of diverse end markets while creating sustainable value for shareholders. With 2025 revenues of $1.9 billion, MSA Safety is headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, and employs a team of approximately 5,300 associates across its more than 40 international locations. For more information, please visit www.MSASafety.com.

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SOURCE MSA Safety

Technology

BlueFolder Field Service Software Launches New AI-Powered Features to Transform How Teams Work

Published

25 minutes ago

July 21, 2026

New AI capabilities instantly surface customer insights and transform technician notes into actionable summaries to help field service teams work faster, stay aligned, and deliver better service

AUBURN, Ala., July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BlueFolder field service software recently announced the launch of two powerful new AI features: AI-Powered Customer Summaries and AI-Powered Field Notes Summarization. Together, these capabilities are designed to eliminate the time-consuming, manual work of reviewing fragmented customer records and lengthy technician notes—giving field service teams instant clarity to respond faster, make smarter decisions, and deliver exceptional service.

BlueFolder expands it’s field service and work order management suite with two exciting new AI field service features.

Built directly into the BlueFolder platform, both features leverage artificial intelligence to automatically compile and summarize complex, unstructured data into clear, easy-to-read overviews. The result: technicians, dispatchers, and managers always have the context they need, right when they need it.

AI-Powered Customer Summaries

As field service organizations grow, customer information becomes increasingly scattered across emails, service request logs, and communication histories. BlueFolder’s AI Customer Summary feature addresses this challenge head-on by consolidating those interactions into a single, actionable snapshot.

Instead of manually digging through multiple records before a service call or customer interaction, teams can now access a real-time summary highlighting key concerns, past service activity, and recent updates. The feature goes beyond basic summarization and surfaces critical business insights such as equipment past due for maintenance, approaching warranty expirations, and proactive revenue opportunities, empowering teams to recommend follow-ups or upgrades directly from the customer record.

Built-in traceability links each summary back to its original source communications, so users can validate insights with confidence, ensuring both speed and accuracy in every customer interaction.

AI-Powered Field Notes Summarization

In many service organizations, technicians log updates across multiple visits, often resulting in long, fragmented notes that are difficult to review at a glance. BlueFolder’s AI Field Notes Summarization feature solves this by automatically condensing multiple technician entries into a structured summary that highlights key milestones, actions taken, and next steps.

Rather than scrolling through pages of updates, managers and dispatchers can immediately understand job status and determine what needs to happen next, improving alignment between field and office teams, accelerating decision-making, and reducing miscommunication. The feature is especially valuable for complex or multi-day jobs, where clear continuity and smooth technician handoffs are critical to delivering consistent service. It’s another featuring making BlueFolder’s work order management software capabilities stronger every day.

“History is one of the most powerful tools a service team has — the problem is it’s usually buried. BlueFolder’s new AI features fix that. Your team walks into every interaction already knowing the customer, knowing the equipment, and exactly where things stand. That changes the entire experience,” says John Shaw, VP, Technology, Service Operations.

AI as a Core Part of the BlueFolder Platform

The launch of these two features reflects BlueFolder’s broader commitment to embedding AI throughout its field service management software as an integrated layer of intelligence that makes every workflow smarter. Rather than requiring teams to change how they work, BlueFolder’s AI capabilities are designed to surface the right information at the right moment automatically, within the tools that technicians, dispatchers, and managers already use every day.

“AI is transforming what’s possible in field service, and BlueFolder is answering that call. These features are the result of deep platform expertise and a clear vision for where the industry is headed. We’re embedding intelligence throughout the platform because we know it makes our customers more competitive, more efficient, and better positioned to grow,” says Stephen Myslicki, Group President of Field Services.

Availability

Both AI-Powered Customer Summaries and AI-Powered Field Notes Summarization are available now to BlueFolder customers as optional, easy-to-enable features within the platform. They are part of BlueFolder’s growing suite of AI-driven capabilities designed to help field service organizations operate more efficiently and scale with confidence.

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SOURCE BlueFolder