作者： sarah

TOKYO, Oct 23, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Idemitsu Kosan ("Idemitsu") and Mitsubishi Corporation ("MC") have agreed to jointly study the efficient operation of clean ammonia carriers and transshipment terminals, participation in ExxonMobil’s planned low-carbon hydrogen and low-carbon ammonia production project * in Baytown, Texas, USA, as well as the offtake of ammonia. Through this joint study, Idemitsu and MC will accelerate their study on structuring a supply chain for low-carbon ammonia procured from overseas.*This planned project will produce virtually carbon-free hydrogen with approximately 98% of carbon dioxide (CO2) removed and low-carbon ammonia. Final investment decision is expected in 2025 and is subject to necessary regulatory permits. This project aims to start production of low-carbon hydrogen (approximately 900,000 tons per year) and low-carbon ammonia (over 1 million tons per year) by 2029 and is expected to be the world's largest of its kind.Idemitsu has established an ammonia import and receiving terminal utilizing the existing infrastructure at its Tokuyama Complex in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and aims to jointly introduce over 1 million tons of ammonia as fuel and raw materials by 2030 in cooperation with neighboring companies in the Shunan Industrial Complex. In February of this year, Idemitsu’s Tokuyama Complex conducted a demonstration of ammonia combustion in naphtha cracking furnace that is currently in commercial use, the first of its kind in Japan, and in May, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, METI adopted the "Ammonia supply base in the Shunan region, pipeline development in the region, and combustion facility study project" together with the 3 companies in Shunan Industrial Complex as part of the Government’s Hydrogen Supply Infrastructure Development Project. In order to be a pioneer in strengthening the competitiveness of domestic industrial complexes, Idemitsu is working with industries, government and academia to make the entire region carbon neutral.MC is assessing the partial conversion of its LPG terminal (Namikata Terminal) in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, into an ammonia terminal. MC is preparing to build a hub terminal that will supply approximately 1 million tons of ammonia annually to various industrial applications such as electricity, transportation and chemicals by 2030. In April 2023, MC and potential customers in the Shikoku and Chugoku regions agreed to establish “Council for utilizing Namikata Terminal as a Hub for introducing Fuel Ammonia,” and have been discussing measures to handle ammonia, operate the terminal efficiently and expand demand. Taking advantage of Namikata Terminal’s 40 years of experience as an energy hub, MC is working to develop ammonia so that it can quickly respond to decarbonization demand in the region.Ammonia does not emit CO2 when burned and can effectively use existing transportation and storage facilities without significant modifications.As a result, it is expected to contribute to low-carbon and decarbonization in various industries. Idemitsu and MC both plan to supply low-carbon ammonia produced by this project to Japan through their receiving terminals.Both companies will study the structuring of a low-carbon ammonia supply chain to realize a carbon-neutral society.Inquiry Recipient:Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd., Public Relations Department Public Relations www.idemitsu.com/en/contact/flow/index.html Mitsubishi CorporationCorporate Communications DepartmentTelephone:+81-3-3210-2171 Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

LONDON, Oct 23, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Building on the partnership formed last year between Hitachi and First Bus, seven of First Bus’ depots now use Hitachi’s ZeroCarbon battery and charging management software and managed services – another move taken by the UK’s leading bus operator to accelerate its 2035 net zero fleet emissions goal.Hitachi ZeroCarbon has onboarded over 400 buses across seven First Bus depots, including Leicester, Aberdeen, Bramley, Scotstoun, Norwich, Hoeford and York. This is currently in addition to the 148 buses already under management at the Caledonia depot.The seven depots with the new services play a crucial role in ensuring operations run efficiently, helping streamline operations and overall performance.Through tariff optimisation, First Bus’ energy consumption is being reduced during peak demand periods, making significant savings on energy costs. Plus, data reports, insights and recommendations from telematics are helping First Bus monitor and extend the battery health of its fleet.A centralised view of real-time information for all depot operations has also been implemented and the operational support provided by Hitachi ZeroCarbon’s managed service team, for the charging ecosystem combined, will ensure smoother operations.Andrew Gwilliam, Product and Propositions Manager, Decarbonisation at First Bus, said: “We’re committed to reducing our impact on the communities we serve, and creating cleaner air for future generations. Our continued partnership with Hitachi ZeroCarbon helps us maximise the potential from our investment in technology, and we’re pleased that Hitachi’s goals mirror our own when it comes to being a fully net zero business. Our goal is to put the bus at the heart of an integrated, sustainable and reliable transport network, allowing us to more effectively tackle congestion, liberate roads and public spaces, and deal with the climate emergency by ending dependency on fossil fuels. We’re thrilled that Hitachi is on the journey with us.”Dan Pollard, Programme Manager at Hitachi ZeroCarbon said: “As a climate change innovator, we strive to deploy our technologies through collaboration and co-creation with our partners, enabling the decarbonisation of fleets while providing new revenue streams. We are particularly proud of the positive impact our partnership with First Bus will have on air quality in local communities. By partnering with such a sustainably ambitious business and leveraging data, technology, our managed services and a shared-ownership model with First Bus, we are able to decarbonise bus fleets faster and accelerate towards global net zero commitments.”About First BusAt First Bus, we’re on a mission to grow bus usage – so we’ll get behind initiatives that move people out of cars and onto the bus. We’re one of the UK’s largest bus operators, transporting more than a million customers a day. We serve over 20% of the population of Great Britain with our local bus services, and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.Transforming our business for the better, we’re putting our people and customers at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we’re the UK’s largest national bus operator to achieve real Living Wage employer status, cementing our position as an employer of choice in the sector.We’re all about making journeys easier for our customers, which is why we were the first national bus operator to roll out Tap On, Tap Off payment technology across our entire fleet of around 4,500 buses. Our First Bus app has also been voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators. First Bus is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We already operate over 600 zero-emission buses – that’s 14% of our overall fleet. We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their own decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland, Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company and Ensignbus. First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.Find more information on our website here: https://news.firstbus.co.uk/About Hitachi ZeroCarboHitachi ZeroCarbon’s mission is to provide end-to-end solutions to decarbonise commercial vehicle fleets globally, helping them to accelerate electrification and sustainability, reduce battery risk and total cost of ownership, and generate new revenues. Deploying data analytics and digital optimisation technologies, we provide the platform to optimise battery performance and life, charge EV fleets and decarbonise sites and depots through a battery charging and management service model. Through digital optimisation, our solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of commercial vehicle fleets, offering a range of charging options that maximises fleet efficiency and minimises costs. These solutions are built on the foundation of leading the innovation programme Optimise Prime, the world’s largest commercial EV trial of more than 8,000 vehicles. Leveraging Hitachi’s global reach and industry experience, we offer battery financing solutions to help accelerate electric fleet transition, reduce capital expenditure, and maximise the residual value of assets.For more information: https://www.hitachizerocarbon.com. Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

KYOTO, Japan, October 23, 2024 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Valuufy, a sustainability assessment startup, today announced the appointment of Dr Sachio Semmoto as Chairman of the Board. This strategic move comes at a critical juncture for the sustainability sector. It also emphasizes Valuufy's commitment to transform how organizations measure and create sustainable value.Dr Sachio Semmoto, appointed Chairman of the Board at Valuufy, Inc."The sustainability sector is at a critical inflection point, facing challenges such as greenwashing and lack of standardized metrics, but also unprecedented opportunities," said Dr Semmoto. "Valuufy's approach to redefining sustainability measurement through the ValuuCompass has the potential to create significant positive change. I am committed to leveraging my experience to help Valuufy become a global leader in driving meaningful, measurable sustainability practices."Dr Semmoto, brings over five decades of experience in building transformative companies. His track record includes co-founding KDDI,  one of Asia's largest telecommunication providers and a Fortune Global 500 Company, founding eAccess and EMOBILE (now Y! Mobile), and serving as Executive Chairman of RENOVA, a leading renewable energy company in Japan."Dr Semmoto's joining Valuufy at this stage in his career, especially given the current challenges in the sustainability sector, is a testament to the potential of our mission," said Kyle Barnes, CEO of Valuufy. "His expertise in scaling businesses from start-up to industry leaders aligns with our ambitions to redefine sustainability assessment worldwide."Dr Semmoto's career spans both academia and industry. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Florida and has held professorships at Keio University and visiting professorships at UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, and Stanford University. He is also known for his philanthropic efforts, including founding the Frances & Sachio Semmoto Foundation, which provides educational opportunities to students from Asia-Pacific nationsThis appointment underscores Valuufy's commitment to combining expertise and innovative technology to address the pressing sustainability challenges facing businesses today.Following this announcement, Valuufy will be sharing a comprehensive analysis of leading sustainability ratings frameworks against the ValuuCompass, illustrating where they fall short in comprehensively analyzing true stakeholder impact and value creation.About ValuufyValuufy seeks to transform how the world understands and acts on sustainability. Founded in 2024, Valuufy, Inc is a registered Japanese startup in Kyoto, Japan, born of 10 years' academic value research at Doshisha University and the Value Research Center. Led by an international team with expertise in value creation, sustainability and ESG, Valuufy provides new standards that transform how companies assess, manage, and leverage their sustainability efforts. For more on Valuufy and its impact on shaping the future of sustainability strategies, visit www.valuufy.com.Contact:Kyle Barnes090-9742-0860news@valuufy.com Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Oct 23, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Fujitsu today announced the global launch of its Fujitsu Kozuchi AI Agent, an AI service that can engage in high-level tasks both autonomously and in collaboration with humans. This service will be offered through Fujitsu Data Intelligence PaaS, Fujitsu’s all-in-one operation platform that is part of the Fujitsu Uvance business model which works to provide cross-industry solutions to societal issues. As of today, Fujitsu will offer the first AI agent, for use in business profitability discussions and business negotiations to share appropriate information and propose measures. Fujitsu plans to eventually expand its AI agent lineup to include services in production management and legal affairs, and other areas, and will implement a broader roll-out of the service during fiscal 2024. In addition, Fujitsu will incorporate Fujitsu Kozuchi AI Agent into its digital offerings, including Fujitsu Uvance’s Work Life Shift.Building generative AI models for business applications requires a significant investment of time and money as well as a high level of expertise and there is no guarantee that a single AI model can deliver the desired results.To solve this issue, Fujitsu has developed the Fujitsu Kozuchi AI Agent. This AI can think autonomously and function as a full team member, making proactive suggestions that can lead to new insights and inspire creativity.The Fujitsu Kozuchi AI Agent uses Fujitsu’s proprietary processing logic to break down abstract issues from conversations and generate discrete tasks. The agent creates a plan to complete the tasks and selects multiple optimal AIs to implement. Models available include those developed by Fujitsu, such as Takane, a large-scale language model for enterprises with the world’s best Japanese language capability and significant customization options, Fujitsu Kozuchi AutoML, which generates advanced machine learning models in a short amount of time, as well as various models from other companies. The Fujitsu Kozuchi AI Agent provides instructions to each of the AI models and provides a solution based on the feedback.For example, the AI agent for use in business meetings will autonomously participate in necessary meetings. To give an example situation, if one of the meeting participants were to state that sales revenue in the Asia Region was half of what it had been the previous year, the AI agent would select several AI and direct them to perform an analysis based on this statement. Then, as a result, the AI agent would autonomously present a clear answer, for example stating that “I will show the amount of sales revenue from April through September in the previous and current fiscal years as a bar graph. As shown in the graph, sales revenue in other regions is the same or slightly up from the previous fiscal year, and only sales revenue in the Asia Region is down. It has decreased by 54% compared to the previous fiscal year.” In this manner, Fujitsu Kozuchi AI Agent will support the smooth progression of meetings and will contribute to increased productivity.Fujitsu will promote the use of AI agents in a wide range of business operations to further improve the efficiency of customers' businesses, and work to achieve a world in which customers can easily benefit from business transformation via generative AI.About FujitsuFujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.7 trillion yen (US$26 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.Press ContactsFujitsu LimitedPublic and Investor Relations DivisionInquiries Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Oct 22, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Fujitsu today announced the launch of an AI computing broker middleware technology designed to enhance GPU computational efficiency in AI processing and address the global GPU shortage. The new technology integrates Fujitsu's proprietary adaptive GPU allocator technology, which dynamically allocates GPUs for real-time high-efficiency processing, with various AI processing optimization techniques.Following successful pilot trials, TRADOM Inc. (1) will begin utilizing solutions based on the AI computing broker technology in October 2024. Additionally, SAKURA internet Inc. (2) has commenced a feasibility study on the AI computing broker technology for its data center operations.Starting in May 2024, Fujitsu has also been conducting trials of this newly developed technology with AWL, Inc., (3)Xtreme-D Inc., (4) and Morgenrot Inc., (5) and has demonstrated significant improvements in these companies’ operations. The trials confirmed up to a 2.25x increase in computational efficiency for various AI processes and a substantial increase in the number of concurrently handled AI processes across diverse cloud environments and servers.The newly developed technology will be available to customers in Japan starting October 22, 2024 and to users globally.Fujitsu will continue to provide its AI computing broker technology to end users including AI service providers seeking to reduce GPU costs by enhancing computational efficiency, and to cloud service providers aiming to maximize GPU utilization. By addressing the challenges of GPU shortages and power consumption driven by the increasing global demand for AI, Fujitsu aims to contribute to enhanced business productivity and creativity for its customers.Addressing growing energy consumption of AI with adaptive GPU allocationDriven by the rapidly increasing global demand for AI technology (including generative AI), the need for GPUs, which are better suited to AI processing than CPUs, has been increasing dramatically. The global market for generative AI is projected to grow approximately 20-fold from 2023 to 2030 (6), and correspondingly, GPU demand is expected to increase at a similar rate. However, the rising power consumption in data centers to meet this GPU demand presents a significant challenge. It is estimated that data centers will consume 10% of the world's electricity by 2030 (7).To address this global societal challenge, Fujitsu developed an adaptive GPU allocator technology in November 2023. The technology optimizes the use of CPUs and GPUs by allocating resources in real time to give priority to processes with high execution efficiency, even if the GPU is running a program. Fujitsu has been conducting verification trials of this allocater technology across various platforms.About the newly developed AI computing brokerThe newly developed AI computing broker middleware integrates adaptive GPU allocator technology with AI processing optimization technologies, automatically identifying and optimizing GPU resource allocation for AI processing in multiple programs.Unlike conventional allocation on a per-job basis, Fujitsu’s AI computing broker dynamically allocates GPU resources on a per-GPU basis, leveraging Fujitsu's computational optimization expertise to improve availability rates. The GPU memory management capabilities of the technology allow users to run numerous AI processes without worrying about GPU memory usage or physical capacity.In pre-release trials, Fujitsu’s AI computing broker demonstrated up to a 2.25x improvement in GPU processing performance in terms of time per unit compared to deployments not using the technology. Furthermore, the technology’s memory management enables the simultaneous handling of up to 150GB of AI processing—approximately five times the physical GPU memory capacity.Figure: Technical overview and verification results of the AI computing brokerFuture PlansMoving forward, Fujitsu will expand the scope of its AI computing broker technology application, including implementation across multiple GPUs installed on multiple servers, anticipating use in even larger computing environments. Fujitsu will continue to develop advanced computing technologies to address challenges including GPU and power shortages, contributing to the realization of AI that enhances productivity and creativity as a trusted assistant.Junichi Kayamoto, Chief Data Science Officer, TRADOM Inc. comments:“Our company delivers cutting-edge AI-powered solutions for managing foreign exchange risk. The trial of Fujitsu's AI computing broker technology proved its ability to significantly streamline GPU resource allocation for AI model generation, enabling the development of substantially more accurate models in significantly less time through AI learning process multiplexing. We are committed to leveraging this technology, in continued collaboration with Fujitsu, to proactively expand our solution offerings, driving both TRADOM‘s growth and the advancement of the FinTech industry.”Ken Wakishita, Senior Director, SAKURA internet Inc./ SAKURA Internet Research Center comments:“Our trial of Fujitsu’s AI computing broker has proven the technology’s ability to significantly enhance the efficiency of GPU resource allocation within our cloud business, expanding GPU access to a broader customer base. We hope to collaborate with Fujitsu to fully integrate this technology and meet the increasing demand for GPUs.”Hiroshi Fujimura, R&D General Manager - AWL, Inc., comments:“We are committed to developing and delivering cutting-edge AI camera solutions that solve various problems and maximize the value of all real-world spaces, particularly retail environments. Meeting the high demands of our clients, optimizing GPU operating costs during parallel AI model training is paramount. Our trial proved Fujitsu’s AI computing broker's ability to significantly enhance GPU utilization and AI processing efficiency. We are excited to see further advancements in this important technology.”Naoki Shibata, Representative Director, CEO and CTO, Xtreme-D Inc., comments:We congratulate Fujitsu on the launch of the AI computing broker. Xtreme-D provides Raplase, a cloud-based service for AI and HPC clients. A critical challenge for our customers is optimizing price/performance through efficient utilization of costly on-premise and bare-metal cloud GPUs. We are confident that Fujitsu's AI computing broker will significantly address this challenge, and we are actively collaborating with Fujitsu to integrate this solution into our customer offerings.“Masamichi Nakamura, COO, and Hisashi Ito, CTO, Morgenrot Inc., comments:“Our company is revolutionizing the cloud computing landscape with its innovative, decentralized approach leveraging container data centers. We're building a cutting-edge sharing economy model for computing power, perfectly poised to meet the increasing demand for advanced computational resources, including GPUs. Our recent trial, with a view to collaborating between our HPC management solution (M:Arthur) and cloud service (Cloud Bouquet) and Fujitsu’s AI computing broker technology, yielded impressive results. By enabling GPU sharing between multiple jobs, we achieved a remarkable near 10% reduction in overall execution time compared to running jobs sequentially on two GPUs. This parallel processing capability unlocks significant advantages, allowing simultaneous execution of long training sessions for model building and shorter inference/testing tasks, all within constrained resources. We are excited to explore further usage of Fujitsu’s AI computing broker to integrate this transformative technology into our product suite.”[1] TRADOM Inc. :Headquarters: Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President and co-CEO & CTO: Shinichiro Urashima and co-CEO & CSMO Shin Sakanehttps://www.tradom.jp/company-en[2] SAKURA internet Inc. :Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, Japan; Founder & CEO, President: Kunihiro Tanakahttps://www.sakura.ad.jp/corporate/en/[3] AWL, Inc. :Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Muneharu Kitadehttps://awl.co.jp/en/[4] Xtreme-D Inc. :Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Founder and CEO: Naoki Shibatahttps://xtreme-d.net/ (in Japanese)[5] Morgenrot Inc. :Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Representative Director, CEO: Ryuei Morimotohttps://morgenrot.net/[6] The global market for generative AI is projected to grow approximately 20-fold from 2023 to 2030 :Source: Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association "JEITA Announces Global Demand Forecast for Generated AI" (December 21, 2023) (in Japanese)[7] It is estimated that data centers will consume 10% of the world's electricity generation by 2030 :Exhibit February 2020 Japan Science and Technology Agency "Impact of Information Society on Energy Consumption (Vol.2)" (in Japanese)About FujitsuFujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.7 trillion yen (US$26 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.Press ContactsFujitsu LimitedPublic and Investor Relations DivisionInquiries Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Oct 21, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team further closed the gap in the FIA World Rally Championship with a strong final day performance even as it missed out on overall victory.Car 33 (Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin)Takamoto Katsuta was the star of the final day as he completed an excellent return to action, claiming the maximum 12 points on offer by topping both the Super Sunday classification and the rally-ending Power Stage.Following a short break in his season as he sat out the previous round in Chile, Katsuta showed good confidence and pace from the start of the all-asphalt CER, while also driving smartly when the often-slippery conditions required a more cautious approach. Pushing harder on Sunday, he was quickest on the first pass through the Passauer Land test and again when he returned for the Power Stage.Finishing fourth overall, Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston were quickest across Sunday by 3.8 seconds ahead of team-mates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, who scored a second successive podium in second place and were third in the Power Stage.Together, the efforts of Evans and Katsuta meant TGR-WRT scored two points more than its main rival Hyundai this weekend, closing the gap to 15 points ahead of next month’s final round at Rally Japan – where a maximum score across the event would be enough to claim another title.Evans had been part of a close battle for the victory which was led by TGR’s Sébastien Ogier coming into the final day. While a wide moment meant he conceded the lead to Ott Tänak (Hyundai) in the first stage of the day, Ogier responded to reduce the gap to 1.5s with two stages to go. Continuing to push hard, he then unfortunately slid wide on a muddy corner in SS17 and hit a tree, forcing him and navigator Vincent Landais out on the spot.Sami Pajari and co-driver Enni Mälkönen suffered a similar fate in the first stage of the morning, bringing a slightly early end to another impressive outing in a GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID – his first on asphalt and third in total. Pajari was on for another top-six finish overall as he continued his learning process at the highest level, gaining more valuable experience.As planned, Pajari will return to driving the GR Yaris Rally2 car at Rally Japan where he has a chance to claim the WRC2 championship title if he can finish in the top two in the category.The GR Yaris Rally2 car took second place on the WRC2 podium at CER in the hands of Czech driver Filip Mareš and the Toyota Dolak team.Quotes:Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)“I’m happy with the really strong results of Elfyn and Takamoto on this rally and especially today, they have really helped the team to keep the championship alive. Seb was naturally very disappointed after his accident which was very unfortunate because he was again very fast here. After that, it was looking like we might lose some points, but in the end thanks to Taka and Elfyn we gained two on our competition, so we are still in the game for Rally Japan: it’s in our hands if we aim for a one-two overall and full points on Sunday. We’re really happy for Taka especially: with time to reset he came back and did exactly what we needed him to do. He was careful when he needed to be, increased the confidence and then his performance on Sunday was coming naturally. With Sami, his performance was growing all the time on asphalt. It was just a small mistake this morning and he paid a big penalty but that’s part of the learning process and the next goal for him is to fight for the WRC2 title in Japan.”Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)“It’s not been a bad weekend for us. Together with Scott we come away as the crew that scored the most points and we have to be somewhat satisfied about that and it’s good for the team. Maybe we were not always setting the stage times alight, but we had some strong moments and it was quite a consistent weekend. We were missing a little bit here and there but we’re here at the end in second place and we can be reasonably happy with that. In terms of manufacturers’ points we took a little hit today unfortunately but it wasn’t bad on that side so at least we’re still in the game and it’s all open for Rally Japan.”Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 17)“I feel really very sorry for the team for what happened today. In this penultimate stage the first corner going under the trees was much muddier than I anticipated and I just understeered wide and hit the tree on the outside. The route note crews did not have the chance to pass through this stage before us so I didn’t have the information in my notes, but this is no excuse because I’m behind the wheel and the other drivers didn’t make the same mistake. Right now I feel very disappointed, especially for the team because it could have been a strong weekend for us. It's been three rallies in a row where we clearly have the speed but not the result at the end. Thanks to Elfyn and Taka we still have a chance in the championship at Rally Japan and we will try our best again there.”Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)“I want to say a huge thanks to the team for the incredible support they gave me through some difficult moments in the last two months. It’s been a very tough season for myself so I felt a lot of pressure to do a good job here, but we are able to do it with full points on Super Sunday and the Power Stage as well as fourth overall. I was really enjoying the driving and the feeling in the car, and I’m really happy to finish the rally with this result. Of course we have still one rally to go at Rally Japan and I will try to do my best there together with the team. We never give up and we keep pushing.”Sami Pajari (Driver car 5)“In the first stage today I went a bit wide on one corner and we were maybe a bit unlucky to roll so easily, but it was my mistake. It’s a pity and I’m sorry for the team. I just need to learn from this, understand what happened and be better in the future. Up to then, the rally had been really nice for us, every day was really clean, and there was clear development through the weekend. I got quite a nice feeling with the car and did some decent stage times, and most importantly we learned a lot. These three rallies in the Rally1 car have been really amazing, a dream come true for me and I’ve enjoyed it a lot. Now I look forward to doing my best at Rally Japan in WRC2.”PROVISIONAL FINAL CLASSIFICATION, CENTRAL EUROPEAN RALLY1 Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) 2h37m34.6s2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +7.0s3 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) +39.8s4 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +1m21.0s5 Grégoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID) +3m41.9s6 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Citroën C3 Rally2) +9m17.6s7 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +9m34.1s8 Filip Mareš/Radovan Bucha (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +11m41.5s9 Miko Marczyk/Szymon Gospodarczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +12m10.6s10 Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +12m20.3sRetired Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID)Retired Sami Pajari/Enni Mälkönen (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID)(Results as of 17:00 on Sunday, for the latest results please visit www.wrc.com)2024 FIA World Rally Championship for drivers after round 12:1 Thierry Neuville 225 points2 Ott Tänak 2003 Elfyn Evans 1854 Sébastien Ogier 1665 Adrien Fourmaux 1466 Kalle Rovanperä 1147 Takamoto Katsuta 1028 Dani Sordo 449 Sami Pajari 4110 Gregoire Munster 372024 FIA World Rally Championship for manufacturers after round12:1 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 526 points2 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team 5113 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 267What's next?The season will conclude on home roads for TGR at Rally Japan on November 21-24. The event, which returned to the WRC calendar in 2022, is held on demanding asphalt roads in the mountains of the Aichi and Gifu prefectures, around the service park in Toyota City near Nagoya. Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

Key Highlights:GHL and JCB announce its strategic partnership, enabling the acceptance of JCB Cards on GHL’s merchant terminals in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.This partnership ensures that GHL will continue to remain an omni-channel provider of payment acceptance services across its footprint, enabling its merchants to accept all payment types including JCB cards, bolstering the accessibility and flexibility.The rollout is set to begin in Malaysia in the third quarter of 2024, followed by Thailand and the Philippines.TOKYO & KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - GHL Systems Berhad (GHL) and JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan’s leading international payment brand (JCB) have officially announced its strategic partnership, enabling the acceptance of JCB Cards for GHL’s merchants in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. This regional collaboration represents a significant step forward for both companies, aiming to empower merchants and shoppers across these regions with enhanced payment convenience.With JCB's extensive global presence and card network, this partnership adds another dimension to GHL's payment solutions. GHL merchants will seamlessly accept JCB Cards, offering a smooth payment experience for JCB cardmembers.With GHL's merchant network stretching over a vast footprint of over 480,000 payment touchpoints, spanning various sectors across Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, this partnership holds the potential to significantly increase JCB Card usage and accessibility. Through this partnership, the entire region can benefit from greater flexibility and the fostering of stronger business relationships between merchants and customers alike.The tourism industry is projected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, with international tourism levels expected to surpass pre-pandemic figures. This resurgence is primarily driven by a stronger recovery in Asia, according to a report by the UN World Tourism Organization.Sean Hesh, Executive Director & Group Chief Executive Officer at GHL said, "This partnership not only reinforces our dedication to innovation and delivering seamless payment solutions but also highlights our commitment to simplifying payments regionally. With GHL poised to expand payment options at the merchant’s point of sale, businesses are empowered to better accommodate the anticipated surge in inbound tourist spending in 2024 and beyond."Hiroko Michishita, Managing Director, JCB International Asia Pacific said, “This is a milestone for JCB’s business expansion in the region since GHL has a strong presence as well as ambition to grow further in acquiring business. Leveraging this partnership, we will be able to better serve our cardmembers from across the globe with enhanced card acceptance points. In addition, our confidence in this partnership is strengthened as GHL utilizes the JCB Payment Gateway* powered by Soft Space.”The rollout is set to begin in Malaysia in the third quarter of 2024, followed by Thailand and the Philippines.About GHL Systems BerhadAs ASEAN’s leading payment solutions provider, GHL’s reach spans across 6 countries; Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia – stretching over a vast footprint of over 480,000 payment touchpoints across the region. At the forefront of the region’s cutting edge fintech, GHL empowers the payment revolution that is shaping today’s spending trend, offering extensive payment options, both offline and online to fulfil merchants’ and consumers’ needs.GHL is the leading payment acquirer in ASEAN for over 100 global and regional payment schemes and channels, processing over RM2 billion payment transactions per month. Apart from being Malaysia’s largest prepaid credit top up and bill collection network, GHL aspires to catalyse sustainable livelihood of the Micro Small Medium Entrepreneurs (MSMEs) through financial and non-financial value-added services. In 2024, GHL Systems Berhad was acquired by and became a wholly owned subsidiary of NTTData Japan, one of the top ten global IT services providers. (www.ghl.com)About JCBJCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 49 million merchants around the world. JCB Cards are now issued mainly in Asian countries and territories, with more than 158 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase its merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/About JCB Payment GatewayThis is a regional payment gateway service which enables businesses to accept payments from JCB cardmembers, both in-store and online. Powered by Soft Space, a leading fintech-as-a-service (FaaS) provider backed by JCB investment, it offers acquirers and payment facilitators a straightforward Application Programming Interface (API) specification and provides their merchants access to 158 million JCB cardmembers.For more information, kindly contact:GHL Group Corporate CommunicationEmail: marcomm@ghl.com Tel: +603 6286 3388JCB Corporate CommunicationEmail: jcb-pr@info.jcb.co.jp Tel: +81-3-5778-8353 Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is pleased to announce that MC, Ayala Corporation (AC), and AC Ventures Holding Corp (ACV) have reached an agreement on MC’s investment in ACV subject to the execution of definitive transaction documents and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. AC is a major conglomerate in the Philippines and ACV currently holds an about 13% stake in Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc. (Mynt), the parent company of GCash, the Philippines’ number one finance super app and largest digital cashless ecosystem in the country. Under the terms of the agreement, MC shall acquire a 50% stake in ACV and pursue future investment opportunities.In addition, MC and AC are going to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a comprehensive collaboration in the Philippines. The MoU covers additional business developments aimed at stimulating the country's economic growth.MC aims to create a prosperous society and a “Smart-Life” ecosystem in the form of improved lifestyle for consumers by launching multiple attractive businesses that address social issues and consumer needs in each region and country, and organically connecting them. These ecosystem addresses both challenges faced by social issues and consumer needs, and sustainable growth of our business portfolio.Among the various consumer services, digital financial services are positioned as a critical initiative to capture the growth of consumer demand in ASEAN and to realize a society where everyone can easily access financial services (i.e. financial inclusion). It is also seen as an infrastructure business that organically connects multiple consumer services.The Philippines is expected to have the highest population and GDP growth among ASEAN countries. Although relatively few people in the Philippines have bank accounts, most have mobile phones and access to the Internet, which makes the Philippines an attractive market with significant room for growth in digital financial services. Approximately 80% of the country's citizens have ever tried using the "GCash" mobile wallet, which is Mynt's core business. With a vision to accelerate financial inclusion in the Philippines, the product has by far the largest mobile-wallet customer base in the Philippines and has grown into an indispensable service infrastructure, relied on by millions for daily payments, transfers and other financial transactions. In addition to its digital payments and transfers, Mynt, through its other subsidiaries, also provides access to loan services using non-traditional ways to assign customer credit scores to enable access to fair lending. It has also expanded its financial services offerings to provide users access to savings, insurance, and investment products. Furthermore, it has built the largest network of online and offline merchants including social sellers with over 6 million partners while hosting over 1,000 merchant partners in its app, via GLife.AC is among the Philippines' largest business conglomerates. MC first partnered with it in 1974 and has since built up an impressive, nationwide track record of collaborative businesses in various industries. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the partnership, and to further enhance the relationship, the two companies have signed an MoU for comprehensive collaboration. Both MC and AC are committed to boosting Mynt's corporate value and leveraging other joint initiatives to create new businesses in the Philippines and contribute to its economic development. Those efforts will include continuous business development and cross-sales in C2B area* like retail and healthcare, and multifaceted collaborations in mobility, renewable energy, carbon management and elsewhere.*In MC, we develop our growth strategies starting from consumer needs under the belief that it is the consumers who hold the power of choice in today's society with full of goods and services. To emphasize the importance of addressing consumer needs through a 'market-in' perspective, we deliberately define and refer to our so-called 'B2C' business as 'C2B' business.With the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) having also announced its investment in Mynt this past August, MC and AC shall work with MUFG as fellow shareholders to aid the company's future growth and development.VisionAbout Mitsubishi CorporationEstablished:  April 1, 1950 (Foundation July 1, 1954)Representative: Katsuya Nakanishi, Representative Director, President and CEONumber of employees:  Non-consolidated 5,421, consolidated 80,037 (as of the end of March 2024)Business description:  The company develops diversified businesses in a wide range of industries through its eight groups: Environmental Energy, Materials Solution, Mineral Resources, Urban Development & Infrastructure, Mobility, Food Industry, S.L.C. (Smart-Life Creation), and Power Solution.Website: www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/About MyntHeadquarters: Taguig City, PhilippinesRepresentative: Martha Sazon, President and CEO   Year of Establishment: 2015   Main Business Activities: Mynt is the first and only $5 billion unicorn in the Philippines. It is a leader in mobile financial services focused on accelerating financial inclusion through mobile money, financial services, and technology.  Mynt operates two fintech companies: GXI, the mobile wallet operator of GCash — the #1 finance super app and largest digital cashless ecosystem in the Philippines, and Fuse Lending, a tech-based lending company that gives Filipinos access to microloans and business loans.About Ayala CorporationHeadquarters: Makati City, PhilippinesRepresentative: Cezar P. Consing, President and CEOYear of Establishment: 1834Main Business Activities: For 190 years, Ayala Corporation has been building businesses that enable people to thrive. As one of the largest and most enduring conglomerates in the Philippines, Ayala has established meaningful presence in real estate, banking, telecommunications, and renewable energy. It likewise has a growing presence in healthcare, logistics, mobility, fintech as well as investments in industrial technologies, education, and technology ventures. Ayala manages its corporate social responsibility initiatives through Ayala Foundation.MaterialityBased on the Three Corporate Principles, which serve as MC’s core philosophy, MC has continued to grow together with society by contributing to the sustainable development of society through its business activities while pursuing value creation. MC’s revised “Materiality” was announced in Midterm Corporate Strategy 2024 as a set of crucial societal issues that MC will prioritize through its business activities, towards the strategy’s goal of continuous creation of MC Shared Value (MCSV). Guided by this Materiality, MC will continue to strengthen its efforts towards sustainable corporate growth. Out of the six material issues relating to “Realizing a Carbon Neutral Society and Striving to Enrich Society Both Materially and Spiritually”, this project’s activities particularly support “Contributing to Decarbonized Societies”,“Promoting Stable, Sustainable Societies and Lifestyles”,"Utilizing Innovation to Address Societal Needs","Addressing Regional Issues and Growing Together with Local Communities".Inquiry Recipient:Mitsubishi CorporationTelephone:+81-3-3210-2171 Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has received an order from Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. (Kyushu) to supply MOX(1) fuel assemblies for Unit 3 of the Genkai Nuclear Power Station. Under this contract, MHI will perform design of MOX fuel, and have components such as cladding tubes manufactured by Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd. (MHI Group) provided to Orano, who plans to fabricate 40 MOX fuel assemblies at its MELOX plant in France.MOX Fuel AssemblyMHI has previously supplied 57 MOX fuel assemblies to Japanese utilities, and will supply high-quality MOX fuel by leveraging its past experience and technical capability. MOX fuel will enable Kyushu to utilize plutonium extracted by reprocessing spent fuel, and MHI will contribute to steady promotion of Kyushu's "Plu-Thermal" plan(2) through the supply of MOX fuel.(1) MOX (Mixed Oxide Fuel) is nuclear fuel made of plutonium extracted by reprocessing of spent fuel, and uranium.(2) The "Plu-Thermal" plan is to utilize MOX fuel in light water reactors.About MHI GroupMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com. Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2024 - (JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501; hereafter Hitachi), today announced that Hitachi Building Systems Co., Ltd. (hereafter Hitachi Building Systems) and Hitachi Lift India Pvt. Ltd. (hereafter Hitachi Lift India), a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. which operates sales, installation, and maintenance of elevators and escalators in India, successfully secured an order for 56 units of elevators and escalators from CRC Group for CRC The Flagship in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Theproject is one of the most prestigious commercial projects in Noida.The order consists of 44 elevators including high-speed elevators with a rated speed of 180 or 150 m/min, 12 escalators and a destination floor reservation system that efficiently allocates elevator cars. The elevators have anearthquake emergency operation system that detects an earthquake and stops the elevator quickly on the closest floorso that passengers can get out without being stuck in it. These features provide users with safety, security, and comfort.Masaya Sakakibara, Managing Director, Hitachi Lift India said “We are honored to be involved in this prestigious project for the Noida district. Our aim is to contribute to the safe, secure and comfortable transportation for all usersand development of the city by offering our high-quality products and services. We will continue to commit to the improvement of India’s society and the well-being of its people.”Bharat Kaushal, Corporate Officer, Hitachi, Ltd. and Managing Director, Hitachi India said “Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd. (hereafter Hitachi India)’s burgeoning partnership with India for over nine decades is growing at an unprecedented pace. As India accelerates its voyage to become one of the leading economies in the world by not only empowering its citizens, but also by building a world class infrastructure to enhance quality of life for billions. Hitachi Lift India is an integral partner of India’s transformational journey and CRC Group has been instrumental in further strengthening the resilient infrastructural landscape of the nation. We are overwhelmed to collaborate with CRC Group that marks a significant milestone in our commitment to further enhancing the urban infrastructure in India. This collaboration not only represents a strategic alignment between two leading organizations but also underscores our shared vision of innovation and excellence in ensuring India takes a giant leap forward for setting unparalleled architectural benchmarks, building a sustainable society. With our exemplary yet varied bouquet of solutions including urban mobility, energy, IT, payments, e- Education and e-Healthcare, Hitachi India is chartering an ambitious and progressive vision for building an ecosystem that further supports the mission of offering best in class technology for India and for the World.”By undertaking this project, Hitachi Lift India aims to enhance its presence in the premium market and commit to the further business growth in India.Outline of CRC The FlagshipCRC The Flagship is a 223,000 square-meter business hub mainly consisting of 4 towers and a retail building. It offers office spaces, retail shops, and premium services apartments with various facilities such as a co-working space, an auditorium, and even a putting golf course.The project also has the greenery with more than 20% of its whole area, achieving climate- friendly infrastructure with pre-certified platinum rating by Indian Green Building Council.Closely located to the Noida–Greater Noida Expressway, it takes approximately 35 minutes from Noida InternationalAirport, being constructed at present and to be the one of the biggest international airports in India as an alternative to Indira Gandhi International Airport.Outline of CRC GroupCRC Group is a highly respected developer in the NCR region of India known for its premium projects. The Group is dedicated to enhancing the standards in the real estate industry by introducing the finest buildings, which have beenand will continue to be full of perfection and excellence.Hitachi's Elevators and Escalators Business in IndiaIndia's new installation market for elevators and escalators exceeds 67,000 units in fiscal year 2023, making it the world's second-largest market that is expected to grow 6-7% per year.Hitachi established Hitachi Lift India in January 2008 and began full-scale operations in the elevator and escalatormarket. Since then, it has secured many orders and has been engaged in installing and maintaining its products,including high-speed elevators for luxury residences, hotels, and offices. Hitachi Lift India currently operates in all majorcities in India, such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad.For more information, visit www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2024/10/241017.pdf. Website of Hitachi Lift India: www.hitachi-lift.co.in/Website of Hitachi Elevators and Escalators: www.hitachi.com/businesses/elevator/Hitachi Building Systems Brand Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOgxcLRk3NHm2WrqHeQ6MAAbout Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the 3 business sectors of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railwaysystems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in variousindustries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s revenues as 3 sectors for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totaled 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.  Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.