The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

At the event, FanRuan highlighted that as generative AI and intelligent analytics tools accelerate their entry into enterprise scenarios, the focus of Hong Kong businesses has shifted from \"whether to adopt AI\" to \"whether AI can truly support business judgment and management decisions.\" In an environment characterized by multiple coexisting systems, complex cross-departmental collaboration, and heightened compliance and access control requirements, enterprises lacking a consistent, accurate, and traceable data foundation will find it difficult for AI to produce analytical results trusted by management.

Therefore, FanRuan proposed an enterprise AI implementation pathway of \"Governance First, Intelligence Second,\" emphasizing that AI\'s value stems not only from model capabilities but also depends on whether enterprises possess a governable, verifiable, and sustainably usable data foundation.

AI Applications Enter Deep Waters: Data Governance Becomes a Critical Prerequisite

In recent years, Hong Kong enterprises have actively explored AI applications in operational management, financial analysis, procurement decisions, customer engagement, and risk control. However, in actual implementation, many companies still face challenges such as data fragmentation, inconsistent metrics, system silos, and complex access controls.

For enterprises, the true value of AI lies not merely in generating answers, but in its ability to help managers faster understand business changes, diagnose problems, and take action based on trusted data. If underlying data sources are untraceable, metric definitions are inconsistent, or different departments maintain separate versions of data for the same business issues, even advanced AI tools will struggle to form analytical bases credible to decision-makers.

FanRuan believes that enterprise AI applications are moving from tool experimentation into the deep waters of business operations. In the future, the key to successful AI adoption within enterprises hinges on whether they can first establish a clear, stable, and manageable data governance foundation.

From Standardization to Intelligent Analytics: FanRuan Presents an Enterprise AI Implementation Pathway

Addressing enterprise needs to progress from data governance to intelligent decision-making, FanRuan showcased its \"Governance First, Intelligence Second\" implementation approach at the summit, helping enterprises sequentially build comprehensive capabilities from data standardization and BI applications to AI analytics.

First, at the data standardization level, FanRuan provides standardized analytics templates across multiple industries through Fine Gallery (App Marketplace), assisting enterprises in rapidly establishing consistent metric definitions and analytical frameworks. For companies whose data architectures still require refinement, standardized analytics scenarios serve as a starting point for building a Single Source of Truth (SSOT), reducing cross-departmental communication costs and enhancing the reusability of data applications.

Second, at the BI application level, FanRuan helps enterprises transform data scattered across ERP, finance, procurement, project management, CRM, and other systems into reports, dashboards, and analytical charts usable by both management and business teams. Through consistent data presentation and access control management, enterprises can more effectively grasp operational conditions, transforming data from backend records into daily management tools.

Building on this foundation, FanRuan further demonstrated Dora Data Agent, an AI-powered data analytics assistant designed for enterprise management and business analysis scenarios. Based on governed enterprise business data, Dora assists users in conducting multi-dimensional root-cause analysis, anomaly interpretation, and issue diagnosis. When enterprises face performance fluctuations, cost variations, procurement anomalies, or deviations in operational metrics, Dora helps managers shorten the time from \"problem discovery\" to \"cause diagnosis,\" making AI analytics more aligned with actual business objectives and decision-making contexts.

Deepening Presence in Hong Kong Market to Drive AI Data Analytics Adoption

FanRuan stated that for AI applications to deliver long-term value within enterprises, reliance on single tools is insufficient; supporting data governance methodologies, talent training, and localized service support are equally essential. For the Hong Kong market, FanRuan will continue to advance its digital talent certification system, helping enterprises reduce dependence on individual technical staff experience, enabling more business and management personnel to acquire data analytics capabilities, and gradually fostering an organizational culture where \"everyone can understand data and use data for decision-making.\"

As Hong Kong enterprises accelerate their digital transformation, the key to successful AI adoption will be how to transform data scattered across different systems, departments, and processes into decision-making assets trusted by management and routinely used by frontline business operations. Moving forward, FanRuan will continue to center on the \"Governance First, Intelligence Second\" core pathway, helping Hong Kong enterprises lay a solid data foundation for the AI era and establish more robust decision-making advantages.

https://www.fanruan.com/en

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 27 April 2026, and Jakarta, Indonesia, on 29 April 2026, the seminars brought together importers, distributors, retailers, foodservice professionals, media, and industry stakeholders for a focused introduction to Washington Blueberries and their market potential in Southeast Asia. Together, the Thailand and Indonesia seminars welcomed close to 100 attendees, underscoring the region's robust appetite for premium imported blueberries and the growing depth of trade opportunity.

The seminars were designed to advance market education and deepen understanding of Washington Blueberries among key trade audiences. Alan Schreiber, Executive Director of the Washington Blueberry Commission, attended as a principal representative of Washington Blueberries and delivered insights on their export potential, spotlighting opportunities for deeper and more sustained trade engagement throughout Southeast Asia.

Washington State offers a premium product that aligns well with growing consumer demand in the region for healthy, high-quality, and great-tasting foods," said Alan Schreiber.

Bryan Sakuma of Sakuma Brothers Farms also provided first-hand perspectives from a grower and exporter standpoint, giving attendees a greater understanding of Washington's blueberry supply capabilities, and the market opportunities available to regional partners.

Through product presentations, market insights, culinary applications, and networking sessions, attendees gained a comprehensive appreciation of the outstanding quality, versatility, and commercial potential of Washington Blueberries across fresh, frozen, and dried formats.

A key highlight of both events was the live culinary demonstration, which showcased the application of Washington Blueberries across foodservice, dessert, and menu innovation. In Thailand, the demonstration was led by Chef Arttasit Pattanasatienkul, widely known as Chef Big, winner of Top Chef Thailand 2023. In Indonesia, the demonstration was led by Chef Degan Septoadji, a respected chef and television personality best known as a judge on MasterChef Indonesia.

"I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Washington frozen blueberries compared to other frozen blueberries available in the Indonesian market. They are able to hold their shape and texture very well, making them suitable for a wide range of culinary applications," said Chef Degan Septoadji.

Their demonstrations brought the product experience to life, showing trade audiences how Washington Blueberries can be used creatively across both Western and Asian-inspired applications.

In Thailand, the seminar at The Athenee Hotel, Bangkok, attracted a distinguished group of importers, retailers, foodservice representatives, culinary professionals, media, and influencers. The event firmly positioned Washington Blueberries as a premium fruit of choice with potential across retail, bakery, beverage, dessert, breakfast, and health-focused product categories. The Thailand seminar further extended its reach beyond the venue through targeted media and influencer engagement, amplifying awareness among a broad consumer audience.

In Indonesia, the seminar at Park Hyatt Jakarta established a high-impact B2B platform for direct engagement with importers, traders, retailers, foodservice operators, and industry leaders. The event introduced Washington Blueberries to a dynamic market with rapidly growing interest in premium imported fruits, superior ingredient quality, and foodservice innovation. Through hands-on product education, guided tastings, and substantive trade discussions, the seminar built strong familiarity with Washington Blueberries and catalyzed conversations about future collaboration.

Across both markets, the enthusiastic response from trade audiences affirmed the outstanding relevance and commercial appeal of Washington Blueberries in Southeast Asia's evolving food and beverage landscape. As consumers and businesses alike continue to seek out premium imported fruits, healthier snacking options, and versatile ingredients, Washington Blueberries is uniquely positioned to lead retail and foodservice growth in Thailand, Indonesia, and across the wider region.

The success of the Thailand and Indonesia seminars reflects the Washington Blueberry Commission's unwavering commitment to investing in market education, partnership-building, and long-term trade development in Southeast Asia.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Decision to Correct: The ability to determine when AI-generated output is sufficient and when it poses a risk that requires human revision or rejection.

• Contextual Sovereignty: Ensuring human oversight remains central so AI outputs align with Singapore's cultural, commercial, and ethical contexts.

• Critical Inquiry: Moving beyond prompting to actively question assumptions, logic, accuracy, and completeness in AI-generated responses.

Real-World Practice vs Theory

As AI tools evolve rapidly, practitioners argue that effective AI capability cannot rely solely on static classroom theory. Real-world usage often involves changing workflows, unpredictable outputs, and context-specific decision-making that require continuous practical application and human judgment.

Maintaining AI fluency increasingly requires learning from practitioners actively applying these tools in commercial environments.

"At OOm Institute, our focus is on building practical decision-making in AI usage," Mr Cheow added. "Our goal is to help professionals use AI with stronger critical thinking, clearer accountability, and practical business understanding."

https://www.oom.com.sg/institute/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

1. Liquidity Shift
2. Earnings Focused
3. Adding Credit
4. Diversified Assets

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

For more information, please visit dusit-international.com

dusit.com

Scott Price, Group Chief Executive, DFI Retail Group said: "Tackling Scope 3 emissions requires collaboration across the value chain, and we are pleased that the Challenge has created opportunities for innovators to test and scale practical solutions within real operating environments. We look forward to seeing how they support our progress towards more sustainable and resilient food systems."

Meet the Winner: From Pitch to Pilot Across Asia's Supply Chains

Number 8 Bio has built a feed additive that does two jobs at once. BetterFeed™, a family of proprietary organic small molecules, free of bromoform, reduces enteric methane from grazing cattle and sheep, which is responsible for both the majority of livestock emissions and a 12% loss of nutritional energy from every pasture. By stopping that methane from forming, BetterFeed™ redirects the recovered energy straight back into animal growth and production, a genuine win for farmers' bottom lines as much as for the climate. Winning the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge opens a pilot pathway across DFI's beef and dairy supply chains, including with Mengniu Dairy and Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF).

Thomas Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Number 8 Bio said, "We are grateful for the exposure to such a high-calibre ecosystem, from fellow innovators addressing the same problem from different angles to the investors and industry players. The conversations alone have accelerated our thinking in ways that months of independent work could not."

A Global Search Anchored in Asia: Addressing the Region's Beef and Dairy Decarbonisation Challenge

Across Asia, rising incomes and urbanisation continue to drive demand for meat and dairy products. Supporting the transition to lower-emission production will be key to ensuring the long-term resilience of food systems while meeting evolving consumer expectations.

Launched in December 2025, the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge was designed to bridge innovation and implementation by connecting global innovators directly with DFI's extensive supply-chain network.

Through The Mills Fabrica's global scouting network across 30 countries, including university research institutions, venture capital and startup-incubator networks, the Challenge attracted over 40 submissions from five continents. These solutions ranged from novel feed, feed additives and biomanufacturing to AI and SaaS data platforms, processing innovations and energy management systems. Nearly half were at commercial-ready maturity, reflecting a strong pipeline of scalable solutions rather than early-stage concepts.

Cintia Nunes, General Manager, Head of Asia, The Mills Fabrica said, "The next phase of climate innovation is not just about discovering new technologies but helping them scale in ways that create tangible change. DFI is an industry leader willing to put real supply-chain access and pilot pathways behind climate-tech innovators. We are committed to deepening this partnership with DFI and to working with more forward-looking partners, so that the most promising innovators get the partnerships, capital and pilots they need to translate their work to commercial impact."

The Finalists: A Global Cohort Tackling Beef and Dairy's Hardest Climate Problems
The finalists represent leading approaches to reducing ruminant emissions, including novel feed additives, synthetic biology, AI-enabled monitoring, genetic optimisation, and waste-to-renewable resources:

• Provectus Algae (Australia): Creator of Surf'N'Turf®, a scalable seaweed-based feed supplement designed to reduce ruminant livestock methane emissions. Powered by Provectus Algae's proprietary Precision Photosynthesis® and AI-enabled biomanufacturing platform, Surf'N'Turf® has demonstrated enteric methane reductions of up to 98% while improving feed efficiency and supporting lower-emission livestock systems.
• AbacusBio (New Zealand): A genetics consultancy working in over 30 countries. Its Methane Sire Selection Tool is an app that generates a selection index to help select breeding sires for genetic methane reduction, balancing total and intensity emissions cuts with on-farm profitability metrics.
• eVerse.AI (India): Their dual-track platform is revolutionising dairy sustainability and productivity, leveraging cutting-edge innovation. GreenCow harnesses methane measurement tech and eco-friendly interventions to generate verified carbon credits, empowering farmers to monetise their sustainable practices. ConnectedCow, a SaaS platform, integrates biometric ID with AI-driven insights to optimise milk yield, fertility, and herd health, providing a unified dashboard for monitoring productivity, breeding, and methane.
• Kinava (South Korea): G2E Company (Green Waste to Energy) applies Hybrid Hydrothermal Carbonization to convert organic waste — livestock manure, food waste, wood waste, and sewage sludge — into odorless biofertilizer, biocoal, biocokes, biochar, and biogas in under three hours, using 70% less energy than conventional drying. Kinava's first commercial plant has processed 100T/d pig manure since 2024, with a cassava-to-biocoal pilot plant also installed in Thailand in 2025.

Finalists pitched to a panel of leading academics and industry experts in ruminant nutrition, environmental science, agri-food sustainability, and corporate decarbonisation strategy. The pitching day brought together the DFI Management Committee, leading regional beef and dairy suppliers, academic experts, and ecosystem partners, enabling direct engagement between solution innovators and industry stakeholders.
In addition to formal pitches, all finalists presented their solutions through a dedicated Product and Technology Showcase, facilitating deeper discussions on pilot and deployment opportunities.

Erica Chan, Group Chief Legal, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, DFI Retail Group added: "We are pleased that this partnership with The Mills Fabrica has identified technologies with real commercial potential. Their global network and deep expertise in sustainability innovation helped us connect with a very strong cohort of climate-tech innovators. What impressed us most was the commercial readiness of the solutions. These are practical technologies with the potential to reduce emissions, strengthen supply chain resilience, and support more sustainable food systems."
DFI Retail Group and The Mills Fabrica will continue to provide ongoing mentorship, ecosystem connections, and access to its global network, both to the winner and to the wider finalist cohort.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

With healthcare as the initial focus, the two parties have already collaborated with leading medical institutions to conduct clinical validation in areas such as cancer GenAI, foundational medical Large Language Models (LLMs) and personalized cancer treatment planning.

Building Integrated Infrastructure for Medical AI with Shanghai Cube as the Foundation

The training and inference integrated AI platforms deployed under this collaboration are powered by Shanghai Cube, combined with InfiX.ai's training, inference and multimodal AI capabilities. This integration delivers a truly unified hardware-software infrastructure tailored for medical AI applications.

Shanghai Cube, developed with the participation of Suanova, was among the earliest of its kind in China and is currently the highest-density domestically developed GPU supernode product. It adopts a high-density deployment architecture featuring 128 GPUs per rack with liquid cooling, enabling compact and efficient deployment of large-scale computing clusters. Shanghai Cube integrates a range of domestically produced core components, including liquid-cooling systems, high-performance parallel storage systems, retimers and motherboard capacitors. It provides a one-stop, highly efficient solution for the large-scale deployment of domestic computing systems and models.

Partnering with InfiX.ai to Build Enterprise-Grade AI Infrastructure

InfiX.ai is a research-driven AI infrastructure company serving global markets, with capabilities spanning IaaS, PaaS and MaaS. The company is building a Decentralized Co-GenAI Network that connects computing power, models, platforms and intelligent applications, with the aim of helping enterprises and organizations train, deploy and own their domain-specific AI based on proprietary data, expertise and business workflows.

InfiX.ai brings together world-class talent in AI research and industry deployment. The company is led by its Founder and Chief Scientist, Prof. Hongxia Yang, with Co-Founder and Vice President Haiqing Chen and Chief AI Architect Jianmin Wu forming the core management and technology team. Prof. Yang is also a Chair Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and is a globally recognized leader in artificial intelligence, with extensive experience spanning both academia and industry. She previously served as Head of LLMs in the at ByteDance (U.S.), AI Scientist and Director at Alibaba Group, Chief Data Scientist at Yahoo!, and Research Staff Member at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. Prof. Yang has published more than 150 papers and holds over 50 patents. She has also received numerous international honors, including the WAIC SAIL Award, the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award, and recognition as one of the AI 2000 Most Influential Scholars worldwide.

By integrating InfiX.ai's training and inference algorithms with Suanova's high-performance computing platform, the solution significantly reduces memory usage and computing resource requirements. This enables higher throughput and supports training and deployment of larger-scale models under equivalent hardware configurations. The system is also capable of continuously capturing data for incremental training, integrating user feedback for fine-tuning and reinforcement learning, thereby ensuring that model performance evolves alongside changing business needs. Furthermore, the infrastructure supports local execution of the entire AI workflow – from training and fine-tuning to inference – thereby ensuring data security by design and meeting the stringent security requirements of sectors such as healthcare, finance, and government.

Daliang Chen, CEO of Suanova, said: "This partnership with InfiX.ai represents an important milestone in Suanova's expansion into medical AI. Leveraging the Shanghai Cube high-density domestic computing platform, we aim to accelerate the adoption of medical AI in real-world clinical settings. This collaboration not only brings together the complementary strengths of both companies from a technological perspective, but also serves as a key step in advancing the domestic computing ecosystem. Looking ahead, we will continue to work closely with our partners to drive the deep integration of artificial intelligence across diverse industries."

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

To learn more, visit www.elliptic.co

www.kast.xyz.

The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration to facilitate consented cross-border credit report applications for individuals with financial footprints in either country. The initiative aims to enhance financial inclusion, strengthen credit risk assessment, and support the growing economic integration between the two neighbouring markets.

Singapore and Malaysia share one of ASEAN's most dynamic economic relationships, with bilateral trade regularly exceeding SGD 100 billion annually. Both countries maintain deep labour, education and business linkages, supported by strong digital infrastructure and rapidly growing digital financial services ecosystems.

The collaboration is strategically aligned with the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which places strong emphasis on digital industries, data-driven enterprises and technology-enabled services. As the digital economy accelerates cross-border business models, including fintech, e-commerce, digital banking and platform-based SMEs, trusted cross-border credit infrastructure will be critical to enabling secure digital onboarding, responsible lending and seamless access to capital across both markets.

Under the MOU, CBS and Experian Malaysia intend to collaborate on a cross-border initiative that enables the structured and secure exchange of individual credit information between the two markets.

The proposed framework will define:

• The operational roles of the "Source Bureau" and "Processing Bureau" in generating and facilitating cross-border credit data applications
• Secure mechanisms for obtaining and managing consumer consent for a one-time release of the credit report
• Personal data protection and compliance safeguards in accordance with applicable laws
• Commercial and governance models to support sustainable implementation

For consumers, the initiative is expected to improve access to financial products by enabling lenders to consider verified credit histories of individuals from across the border. This may particularly benefit digital-native workers, entrepreneurs and professionals whose financial footprints span both jurisdictions. As more individuals build financial footprints on both sides of the Causeway, the ability to securely and responsibly reflect their credit history across borders becomes increasingly important. A structured cross-border credit reporting framework can help ensure that consumers are assessed more fairly and comprehensively, rather than being treated as "new-to-credit" applicants when they move between Singapore and Malaysia.

For financial institutions, access to cross-border credit data can provide a more holistic view of an applicant's financial obligations, supporting stronger digital underwriting, reduced cross-border fraud risk and more confident expansion into adjacent markets. Improved cross-border data transparency may also enhance operational efficiency and portfolio resilience in increasingly digital lending environments.

CBS and Experian Malaysia emphasised that data protection, regulatory compliance, and consumer consent are foundational to the initiative. Both parties are committed to working within their respective legal and regulatory frameworks and engaging relevant authorities to facilitate responsible implementation. The MOU also contains confidentiality provisions governing information exchanged in the course of collaboration.

William Lim, Executive Director of Credit Bureau Singapore, said:

"As individuals and businesses operate more seamlessly across Singapore and Malaysia, credit information systems must evolve to reflect cross-border realities. This collaboration represents an important step towards enabling more seamless and responsible access to credit for consumers."

Ms. Dawn Lai, Chief Executive Officer of Experian Information Services Malaysia, added: "Trusted data collaboration is key to strengthening digital financial ecosystems. By working together, we aim to enhance financial inclusion, improve risk transparency and support sustainable growth across both markets."

Vincent Yap, CBS Board Chairman & Group Chief Credit Officer, Consumer Credit Risk Management of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, said "The access to cross-border credit data can provide a more comprehensive view of an individual applicant's financial obligations, supporting more accurate risk assessment outcomes, reduced cross-border fraud risk and promote seamless access to capital across both markets."

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The award recognizes solutions that deliver measurable operational results. TraceLink was recognized for building OPUS as an industrial, multienterprise digitalization and no-code agent development platform that enables companies to coordinate and execute work across the end-to-end supply chain—from brand owners, direct suppliers, and external manufacturing partners to logistics and transportation providers, distributors, and dispensers—in real time.

"Supply chain leaders do not need another out-of-date dashboard telling them there is a problem," said Shabbir Dahod, President and CEO of TraceLink. "They need a transformational approach to a new agentic supply chain operating model that spans across the partners, processes, and transactions to determine whether their healthcare products can be manufactured, transported, and fulfilled on time with consistency and quality. OPUS gives companies a proven network digitalization platform today that creates the foundation for governed agents to perform supply chain work in concert with human teammates in the future."

Replacing Fragmented Partner Coordination with Real-Time Multienterprise Execution

Supply chain teams manage a constant flow of work across partners—from confirming purchase orders with suppliers, to coordinating production with contract manufacturers, to tracking shipments with logistics providers, to resolving issues with distributors and pharmacies.

Today, much of this work still happens through email, spreadsheets, and manual follow-ups. When something goes wrong—a delayed shipment, a missing order confirmation, or an inventory mismatch—teams must track down information across systems and partners before they can act.

OPUS digitalizes this work through a secure, permissioned, multienterprise operating environment where authorized teams can coordinate supply chain processes using real-time business transactions and partner-specific context. Companies can proactively track the status of orders, production, shipments, and inventory across their trading partner ecosystem and take governed action when exceptions occur.

Organizations that have deployed secure, multienterprise solutions on OPUS can:

• Digitalize execution across order-to-cash, external manufacturing, logistics, inventory, and compliance processes.
• Use real-time transaction data and process information to detect exceptions before they disrupt supply.
• Coordinate actions across authorized teams, trading partners, and systems when orders, shipments, inventory, or production commitments change.
• Reduce manual reconciliation by giving teams governed visibility into transaction status, process state, and partner-specific data.
• Strengthen governance, consistency, and auditability across multienterprise operations.
• Create the operational context required for better human decision-making and future agent-enabled supply chain work.

From Executing Tasks to Performing Work

Most automation is designed to complete predefined steps within a process—sending a notification, routing an approval, validating a transaction, or triggering a handoff. These actions can improve efficiency, but they typically remain bound to a specific task and still require people to interpret context, coordinate across partners, and manage the broader business outcome.

Agentic supply chain operations require more than task automation. They require a secure, multienterprise digitalization platform that gives governed agents access to the transaction data, process intelligence, decision rules, permissions, and partner-specific information needed to reason across the work to be performed. OPUS provides that proven platform and network infrastructure.

With OPUS, governed AI agents operate as permissioned users and can be assigned business objectives across multienterprise supply chain processes, such as improving order fulfillment reliability, reducing inventory disruption, accelerating exception resolution, or strengthening product availability. Instead of completing a single transaction and stopping, agents can monitor process activity across trading partners, evaluate the operational impact of changes, recommend or coordinate the next best action, and escalate to human teams when judgment, approval, or intervention is required.

In practice, this unique agentic supply chain operating model means companies can begin moving from manual coordination toward agent-enabled business processes where:

• Exceptions that span orders, shipments, inventory, production commitments, and compliance events are detected earlier using real-time transaction and process context.
• Required actions are coordinated across authorized teams, trading partners, and systems according to defined business rules and governance.
• Human teams are prompted with the recommendations and next steps needed to resolve issues faster and with greater consistency.
• Supply chain work continues to progress across partners with greater control, auditability, and operational resilience.

Rather than automating isolated steps, governed agents help manage the flow of work required to achieve broader supply chain outcomes—improving responsiveness, reducing operational friction, and increasing the capacity of human teams to manage complex, multienterprise operations.

Discover how OPUS provides the secure, multienterprise foundation for scalable, agent-enabled supply chain execution.

Learn more at www.tracelink.com.

This follows the recently announced strategic collaboration agreement with SAMJIN and enables engineering work to progress the project from front-end loading (FEL-1) through FEL-3 to the final investment decision (FID). Through this effort, Utility is on track to deliver its first commercial-scale plant in the country, marking a major milestone and its first global expansion of a commercial low-carbon fuels project outside of the USA. It is also the first in a series of projects Utility is actively developing in Korea.

Daejeon is emerging as a key hydrogen hub and continues to invest significantly in its infrastructure and production to support sustainable energy and transport decarbonization. When operational, the H2Gen plant will produce 3.5 ton per day of fuel cell grade hydrogen that is targeted for a fleet of hydrogen-powered trams, as the first project of its kind in South Korea. Numerous other cities in the country have announced similar initiatives.

"Reaching this milestone underscores how we translate clean energy ambition into economically viable, real-world projects," said Parker Meeks, chief executive officer and president of Utility Global. "By partnering with SAMJIN to move this project through front-end engineering, we're taking a critical step toward delivering scalable, commercially viable hydrogen solutions for hard-to-abate sectors. South Korea's leadership in hydrogen innovation makes it an ideal market to demonstrate how localized H2Gen deployment can support industrial and transportation transition to clean fuels, energy resilience and meaningful emissions reduction at the same time."

Under the engineering services agreement, the companies will complete the necessary front-end engineering and design (FEED) to enable the deployment of the Daejeon H2Gen project, with FID targeted by June 2027.

"This engineering services agreement represents meaningful progress from collaboration to execution," said Ho Young Jeong, chief executive officer of SAMJIN E&I. "SAMJIN is proud to work with Utility as we believe its H2Gen technology can support the advancement of decentralized hydrogen infrastructure in South Korea. Their differentiated approach aligns with Korea's rapidly growing hydrogen economy while focusing on practical and economic decarbonization in multiple sectors, including transportation."

Utility's proprietary H2Gen technology converts water into clean hydrogen and a high-purity carbon dioxide stream without electricity by using industrial off-gases and biogases. The process supports economic and scalable decarbonization by reducing costs and complexity around carbon capture, utilization or sequestration (CCUS). Additionally, H2Gen's modular system is designed to seamlessly integrate into existing industrial infrastructure and operations for applications with a small footprint across industries including steel, refining, petrochemicals, chemicals, mobility, low-carbon fuels and distributed energy systems.

For more information on Utility's solutions and services, visit www.utilityglobal.com

www.samjinvalve.com

www.arapartners.com

At a press briefing in Ho Chi Minh City on June 9, ATR noted that a joint study with Vietnamese transport consultancy Transport Engineering Design Inc. (TEDI) last year identified 87 unserved domestic routes with viable traffic potential. Since then, new cross-border services and ATR's latest cabin concepts have opened up new possibilities for regional connectivity in and around Vietnam.

Vietnam's aviation market is largely concentrated on major routes, yet the country's long, narrow shape – stretching from north to south with coastal cities, highland communities, and island destinations – points to a much broader potential network of routes that could support regular air service with ATR 72-600 aircraft.

ATR and TEDI's research identified 149 potential domestic routes under 555km, of which 87 remain unserved. Connecting them would require around 25 ATR 72-600 aircraft.

Jean-Pierre Clercin, head of Region Asia-Pacific at ATR, believes Vietnam has strong fundamentals for growth in regional aviation. There is growing passenger demand, an expanding airport network and many city pairs that are better suited to regional turboprop aircraft.

"The ATR 72-600’s lower operating costs allow airlines to serve routes profitably at demand levels where narrowbody jets may not be economically viable. The ATR 72-600 burns 45 per cent less fuel than similar-sized regional jets. The ATR’s frugality, when it comes to fuel consumption, means it is a natural hedge against volatile fuel prices," he added.

The economic and social impact of regional aviation is also profound: studies indicate that a 10 per cent increase in regional flights can lead to a 5 per cent rise in local tourism, a 6 per cent boost in regional GDP and an 8 per cent increase in foreign direct investment. ATR’s success in markets such as Japan and New Zealand demonstrate how regional aviation can drive connectivity and economic development.

Beyond Vietnam's domestic market, Air Cambodia's ATR 72-600 service on the Ho Chi Minh City–Phnom Penh route demonstrates how ATR aircraft can serve short-haul international sectors efficiently, supporting international tourism and business links in the region.

The latest generation ATR 72-600 equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, operated by Air Cambodia, delivers a three-percentage-point fuel burn reduction compared with older generation ATRs.

The ATR 72-600 is also ideal for connecting Vietnam to neighbouring Laos and Thailand, markets where ATR aircraft are already active. ATR sees cross-border turboprop connectivity, especially to tier-two and tier-three cities, as an important and underdeveloped part of Southeast Asia's wider air transport network, and one that complements rather than competes with larger airline operations.

One of the enhancements introduced with the ATR 72-600 series is an upgraded passenger cabin, Armonia, designed in collaboration with the renowned Italian design firm Giugiaro Design. The Armonia cabin has much larger overhead bins than the earlier -500 model, and LED lighting throughout.

Both ATR models are compliant with the most stringent external noise standards, and internal noise is comparable to that of regional jets of the same capacity.

The ATR 72-600 also has an ‘all-glass’ cockpit by Thales that has five large-format LCD screens. The intuitive user-interface reduces pilot workload and provides greater situational awareness. The aircraft’s avionics system also makes use of satellite-based navigation for more efficient flight paths and precision approaches.

For further comfort, ATR developed ATR HighLine, a wide offering of premium cabin configurations. The world’s first ATR HighLine-equipped aircraft was delivered to Malaysian airline Berjaya Air in May 2026.

The ATR 72-600 can seat 26 passengers in a 1-1 all business class configuration. Berjaya Air will be using the aircraft to serve high-end resorts in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, including resorts in Phu Quoc.

Vietnam’s aviation authority pushes shift to greener operations The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has instructed aviation stakeholders to study alternative fuels and gradually deploy sustainable aviation fuel, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the sector’s energy transition.

Vietnam’s business aviation growth fuels rising demand for MRO support Vietnam’s business aviation market may still be modest in size, but it is emerging as the fastest-growing segment in Southeast Asia, creating new momentum for maintenance, repair and overhaul providers across the region.

Government weighs higher foreign investment limit for local airlines The Ministry of Construction has renewed a proposal to lift the foreign ownership cap in domestic airlines to 49 per cent, aiming to expand capital access while maintaining local control over aviation businesses.

The third meeting of the Vietnam-Canada Joint Economic Committee took place in Ottawa, Canada on June 5, under the co-chairmanship of Phan Thi Thang, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, and Arun Thangaraj, Deputy Minister of Global Affairs Canada.

Against the backdrop of continued volatility in the global economy, the restructuring of global supply chains and growing demands for economic breakthroughs, energy security and sustainable development, both sides reaffirmed the important role of the Joint Economic Committee mechanism in advancing bilateral cooperation and deepening the Vietnam – Canada Comprehensive Partnership established in 2017.

Deputy Minister Thang said, “Economic ties between Vietnam and Canada had continued to develop in a positive and substantive manner. Bilateral trade reached nearly $8.6 billion in 2025, maintaining strong momentum since the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) entered into force.”

Vietnam’s exports to Canada rose by 18.2 per cent in 2025 to $7.5 billion and expanded by 25 per cent in the first four months of 2026. Meanwhile, Canada’s exports to Vietnam increased by 24 per cent in 2025 and surged by 62 per cent on-year in the four months of 2026. The results reflect the increasingly complementary nature of the two economies and the effectiveness of efforts to strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

Deputy Minister Thangaraj spoke highly of the positive progress in bilateral economic relations and affirmed that Vietnam was Canada’s largest and fastest-growing trading partner in Southeast Asia.

“Canada would like to expand cooperation with Vietnam in trade, investment, supply chains, critical minerals, clean energy, innovation and infrastructure," he said.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral economic cooperation and agreed to focus on three priorities. Accordingly, the two sides will diversify trade and investment, maximise the benefits of the CPTPP, support an open trading system and accelerating negotiations on the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in strategic industries, including critical minerals, high technology, innovation, digital transformation and strategic supply chains. This is coupled with expanding cooperation in energy, infrastructure and green growth, including clean energy, liquefied natural gas, logistics, digital infrastructure and sustainable development.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Deputy Minister Thang and Deputy Minister Thangaraj signed a Joint Statement, adopted Action Plans for 2026-2028 and agreed to hold the fourth meeting of the Joint Economic Committee in Vietnam in 2028.

The third meeting reaffirmed the determination of both Vietnam and Canada to strengthen economic cooperation, deepen the Comprehensive Partnership and lay the groundwork for a new phase of bilateral relations in the years ahead.

Canada pledges $81 million for initiatives in Vietnam Canada has committed $81.43 million in development funding to support initiatives in Vietnam, focusing on climate action, inclusive institutions and economic empowerment for vulnerable groups.

Canada backs Vietnam’s green transition with AGILE project The Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada, and the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam, launched the project “Advancing Innovation, Growth and Leadership Capacity for Vietnamese Enterprises” on February 6.

CanCham Vietnam joins new Canadian business network for Indo-Pacific The Canadian Chamber of Commerce Vietnam has joined a new network of Canadian business chambers across the Indo-Pacific region.

The company's core basa fish segment recorded revenue growth of more than 14 per cent and accounted for 55 per cent of total revenue, serving as the primary driver behind their strong start to the year.

Also benefiting from robust global demand was Nam Viet Corporation, which posted a 66 per cent increase in net revenue to approximately $73.8 million, while net profit surged 48 per cent to around $7.8 million.

Seafood companies continue to face significant risks in 2026 despite improving business performance

Beyond basa fish, Nam Viet has gained attention for expanding exports of tilapia, a whitefish species that is increasingly favoured as a substitute for more expensive whitefish products amid ongoing pressures on the global economy.

The positive picture was also reflected in the financial performance of shrimp exporters. For instance, Sao Ta Foods JSC reported Q1/2026 net profit of approximately $2.03 million, up 34.6 per cent on-year, despite a nearly 30 per cent decline in revenue to around $56 million.

According to PAN Group, Sao Ta's parent company, the sharp revenue decline resulted from the company's deliberate decision to limit exports to its key market, the United States, while awaiting the outcome of anti-dumping proceedings. At the same time, disease outbreaks affecting shrimp farming reduced the supply of raw shrimp, further weighing on revenue.

Nevertheless, Sao Ta was able to optimise costs thanks to its self-sufficiency in raw material supply. According to the company, the sharp increase in earnings stemmed largely from favourable results from the settlement of its late-2025 shrimp farming season.

Meanwhile, Minh Phu Seafood Corporation reported a twelvefold increase in after-tax profit during the period, reaching nearly $8.6 million, while the company’s revenue climbed more than 98 per cent to approximately $228 million.

The comeback of the company was driven by improved cash-flow management and a strategic focus on value-added products, which significantly enhanced profit margins.

The performances of Sao Ta and Minh Phu underscore the resilience and adaptability of Vietnam's shrimp producers at a time when competition in international markets is intensifying and the United States – one of the industry's most important export destinations – continues to pose challenges through trade remedies and protectionist measures.

In the first five months of 2026, Vietnam's seafood export value reached $4.67 billion, up 11 per cent on-year.

Combined with the strong financial results reported by leading industry players, the figures point to a promising recovery trend for the seafood sector.

However, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), underlying market conditions are not entirely favourable, as buyers have become more cautious and divergences among export markets are becoming increasingly apparent.

Notably, tightening standards and growing trade protectionism are creating headwinds for the industry.

This was reflected in a 10 per cent decline in seafood exports to the United States and a 2.2 per cent drop in exports to EU during the first five months of the year.

These two markets have been among the most proactive in introducing trade defence measures, traceability requirements, sustainability standards and policies aimed at combating illegal fishing.

For the shrimp industry, the most significant challenge stems from anti-dumping litigation involving warm-water shrimp exports to the United States.

Although preliminary tariff rates have been reduced substantially compared with earlier findings, they continue to place considerable pressure on corporate profit margins.

For the basa fish sector, challenges arise from rising costs of fingerlings, production, feed and transportation, all of which have continued to increase since 2025. As a result, many farming areas remain cautious about expanding cultivation acreage.

In 2025, Vietnamese basa fish exporters shipping to the United States benefited from a zero per cent anti-dumping duty, creating better conditions for business. Nevertheless, VASEP cautioned that future trade defence measures in the US market remain highly uncertain.

VASEP forecasts that Vietnam's seafood exports could grow by 8-10 per cent in 2026, surpassing $12 billion if market conditions remain favourable and trade remedy obstacles are effectively addressed.

Conversely, if compliance costs, transportation expenses, logistics costs and trade barriers continue to persist, growth in the seafood industry is likely to slow significantly in the latter part of the year, particularly for shrimp exporters and fishing companies.

Seafood exporters urged to prepare for expected downturn in 2026 After a bright year with export revenue on track to reach $10 billion in 2025, Vietnam’s seafood industry is forecast to face multiple headwinds from 2026 onwards.

Seafood exports to Japan surge towards new annual record Vietnam’s seafood exports to Japan have gained strong momentum, reaching nearly $1.6 billion since the start of the year and positioning the sector to set a new annual record.

Middle East tensions drive cost pressures for seafood exporters Seafood companies are facing mounting cost pressures and rising cold chain risks as the Middle East conflict escalates, posing urgent questions about market restructuring.

National Statistics Office (NSO), Vietnamese companies received investment licences for 85 overseas ventures worth $760.8 million in the first five months of 2026, nearly 2.8 times higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, 10 ventures raised investment capital by an additional $33.8 million, a decrease of 18.7 per cent on-year.

The construction sector forms the largest share of outbound investments with $178.8 million, or 22.5 per cent of the total. Electricity, gas, hot water, steam, and air-conditioning supply came in second with $163.8 million, or 20.6 per cent. Transportation and warehousing held third spot with $150.5 million, or 18.9 per cent.

In the first five months of 2026, Vietnamese companies invested in 33 countries and territories. Laos continued to top the ranking with $199.5 million, making up for 25.1 per cent of the total sum. Kyrgyzstan trailed closely behind with $149.9 million, representing 18.9 per cent. The UK ranked third with $82.8 million, accounting for 10.4 per cent.

Other overseas markets are Kazakhstan ($36 million), Cambodia ($32.9 million), the US ($31.9 million), and the British Virgin Islands ($30.1 million).

Vietnam has witnessed a positive increase in outbound investments for the past few years. This reflects that Vietnamese companies have actively explored overseas investment opportunities. In particular, some overseas ventures have generated significant economic and social benefits to the host countries.

Meanwhile, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Vietnam continue the upward trend in the first five months of 2026. Total registered foreign investment reached $24.81 billion in the given period, rising 34.9 per cent on-year. Among them, 1,576 new ventures were licensed, more than doubled from a year ago, with total registered capital hitting $14.84 billion, up 1.7 per cent on-year.

The manufacturing and processing sector topped the list with registered capital of $9.64 billion, accounting for 65 per cent of registered FDI. It was followed by electricity, gas, hot water, steam, and air-conditioning supply at $2.45 billion, making up 16.5 per cent. The remaining sector received $2.75 billion, representing 18.5 per cent.

Vietnam’s outbound investment surges as foreign inflows remain resilient Vietnam's outward investment surged in 2025, driven by a sharp rise in newly licensed projects and expanded capital commitments overseas.

Vietnam steps up overseas investment Vietnam’s total outbound investment reached $540.2 million in the first two months of 2026, up 2.3 times on-year, marking a significant expansion of Vietnamese firms’ overseas activities.

Outbound investments accelerate in Q1 Vietnam’s outbound investments continued to gain momentum in the first quarter of 2026, totalling $620 million.

Nguyen The Minh, director of Investment Banking at ABS Securities JSC, noted that the VN-Index’s average price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio has fallen to around 10–11 times.

“This is a relatively low level, approaching the valuations seen when the market bottomed during previous crises, including the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the US tariff shock in April last year, and the escalation of tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran in February this year,” he said.

According to the ABS expert, in a market environment characterised by ‘deep discounts’, stocks supported by specific growth stories are likely to experience stronger recoveries.

One example is state-controlled enterprises, which are expected to benefit from Politburo Resolution 79 on the development of the state sector. The policy aims to reduce state ownership in enterprises and increase free-float ratios.

Secondly, the prospect of a market upgrade is expected to support large-cap stocks, particularly in the securities, banking, and real estate sectors.

Within the banking sector, the average price-to-book (P/B) ratio currently stands at 1.2–1.3 times, a relatively low level amid pressure on net interest margins (NIMs).

Expectations that such pressures will ease during the second half of the year, allowing NIMs to recover, could provide meaningful support for banking stocks.

Thirdly, with the government targeting economic growth of 10 per cent this year, manufacturing companies have attracted increasing attention.

One of the economy’s bright spots is the recovery in new orders, reflected in the Purchasing Managers’ Index, which rose to 52.8 points in May.

This trend is expected to support retailers, food producers, and export-oriented businesses.

Another investment theme involves the initial public offerings (IPOs) of subsidiaries owned by listed companies. A vibrant IPO market could enhance the appeal of the parent companies’ shares.

Meanwhile, according to MBS Securities, several sectors are likely to attract returning capital flows, supported by pro-growth policies such as public investment initiatives, banking sector support measures, and industries expected to benefit from the World Cup season, including retail, food, and telecommunications.

From the perspective of Truong Hien Phuong, senior director at KIS Vietnam Securities, securities stocks still offer substantial growth potential.

Share prices of brokerage firms have undergone significant corrections in recent months despite the sector’s strong long-term prospects.

Many securities stocks are currently trading at attractive valuations, with P/E ratios below 15 times and P/B ratios below 2 times. Examples include SSI (P/E of 14.81 times; P/B of 1.7 times), VIX (P/E of 8.24 times; P/B of 1.97 times), VND (P/E of 11.95 times; P/B of 1.22 times), or SHS (P/E of 12.13 times; P/B of 1.15 times), among others.

The sector’s most significant growth catalyst is the anticipated upgrade of Vietnam’s stock market.

An official market reclassification in September 2026 is expected to create opportunities for substantial international capital inflows, particularly from passive investment funds and global financial institutions. Passive inflows from global exchange-traded funds alone are estimated at $1.67 billion. These funds are expected to be deployed gradually over several quarters.

In addition, KIS Vietnam Securities holds a positive view on steel stocks, which are currently trading at attractive valuation levels while benefiting from policies promoting public investment.

Large-scale infrastructure projects such as the North–South high-speed railway, metro systems in major cities, the national stadium, and numerous other key developments are either underway or planned, creating substantial steel demand over the coming years.

Moreover, the recovery of the residential and industrial real estate markets, along with a rebound in global construction activity, should provide additional support for the steel industry.

According to Phuong, from a valuation perspective, many stocks within the aforementioned sectors are currently trading at P/E multiples of around 10 times. During more favourable market conditions, reasonable valuations for industries with strong growth potential typically range from 15 to 17 times.

This suggests that considerable upside potential remains if corporate earnings improve and market sentiment becomes more positive in the upcoming period.

However, the KIS Vietnam Securities expert also advised that investors should not focus solely on how deeply a stock has been discounted, but should pay close attention to a company's underlying fundamentals.

Priority should be given to shares of industry-leading businesses with strong financial positions, clear earnings growth prospects, and direct exposure to the economy’s major long-term growth trends. Investors should also consider accumulating such stocks during market pullbacks and correction phases.

Untangling bottlenecks in Vietnam’s property market The panel “Untangling Bottlenecks, Unlocking Resources” at VIR’s real estate seminar discussed some of the market’s most pressing issues, including the mismatch between supply and demand, homebuyer confidence and investor sentiment.

Infrastructure stocks poised for growth as Vietnam advances PPP bond framework Vietnam’s planned public-private partnership bond framework is expected to ease long-term funding constraints for infrastructure projects, creating fresh growth momentum for listed infrastructure companies.

Stocks poised for earnings-led boost as Q2 profits accelerate Expected double-digit earnings growth in the second quarter could bolster Vietnam’s stock market, with banks, real estate developers and energy companies leading the recovery despite increasingly selective investor sentiment.

Nguyen Thi Vinh Ha, senior partner, National Head of Advisory Services, Grant Thornton Vietnam noted that in terms of value, the market was predominantly driven by a $530 million strategic restructuring transaction, while foreign investors remained active through a series of small- and mid-sized investments across multiple sectors.

“M&A activity remained robust and well-diversified across sectors. Industrials led the market by deal volume with four transactions, representing approximately 17 per cent of total deal count, followed by technology with three transactions, representing 13 per cent of total announced deals. The healthcare, financials, energy and utilities sectors also recorded steady activity, with two transactions recorded in each sector,” Ha said.

In terms of investor composition, domestic investors maintained a stable presence across traditional and strategic sectors.

By contrast, foreign capital predominantly targeted venture, growth, and impact-oriented investments from Singapore and the UK, rather than large-scale private equity deals from Japan and South Korea observed in prior periods. This shift was reflected in transactions such as LeapFrog Investments’ stake in Pharmacity and Stride’s funding round involving UOB Venture Management, TRIREC, Clime Capital Management, and Lightrock, according to Ha.

Source: Capital IQ, Grant Thornton research and analysis

The industrial sector saw a notable transaction involving VinFast Auto's plan to divest its entire stake in VinFast Production and Trading JSC to a consortium of investors in a deal valued at approximately $530 million. The consortium includes Future Investment Research and Development JSC (49 per cent), Ngoc Quy Trading Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (46.5 per cent), and Pham Nhat Vuong (4.4 per cent).

This initial structure is expected to be followed by internal transfers, ultimately making Future Investment the controlling shareholder with a 95.5 per cent stake. The transaction is part of VinFast's broader restructuring strategy to streamline operations and transition towards an asset-light business model by separating manufacturing from its other core activities.

Meanwhile, Thai Hung Trading JSC acquired an additional 11.5 million shares in B.C.H JSC, raising its ownership from around 26 per cent to a little over 49 per cent. The transaction value is estimated at more than $12 million and continues Thai Hung's ownership expansion strategy in B.C.H for 2025-2026.

Established in 2004, B.C.H operates in the sourcing, processing, and trading of scrap metal, steel scrap, coke coal, and related inputs for the steel industry.

Stride, a clean energy technology platform providing financing for rooftop solar and energy storage in Vietnam, raised $15 million in a Series B funding round co-led by Lightrock and TRIREC, with participation from existing investors Clime Capital Management and UOB Venture Management. As part of the transaction, Stride issued convertible preferred shares to investors. The proceeds will support the expansion of solar energy solutions and accelerate Vietnam's clean energy transition.

In healthcare, Pharmacity raised $50 million to $80 million in a funding round led by LeapFrog Investments, an impact investment fund focused on healthcare and financial services in emerging markets. The transaction was structured through the issuance of convertible preferred shares. The new capital is expected to support business expansion, strengthen the company's financial position, and reinforce its market presence in Vietnam's pharmaceutical retail sector.

Tasco Pharma acquired approximately 1.5 million shares of Pharmedic Pharmaceutical Medicinal JSC, with an estimated aggregate value of $7.7 million. Following the acquisition, Tasco Pharma increased its ownership to approximately 15.89 per cent and became the third-largest shareholder of Pharmedic. The transaction coincided with a significant divestment by Vietnam Pharmaceutical Investment and Trading JSC, which reduced its stake from 15.89 per cent to 4.29 per cent, with Tasco Pharma effectively replacing this shareholder within Pharmedic's major investor group.

The utilities sector saw Thu Dau Mot Water JSC and Biwelco Investment and Construction JSC acquire a 48 per cent stake in Phu Yen Water Supply and Sewerage JSC through two negotiated transactions in May, with an estimated total value of $23.6 million.

Meanwhile, a notable technology deal involved SoBanHang, a digital business management platform serving micro-enterprises, raising approximately $3.8 million in a pre-Series A round led by Hong Leong Bank, with participation from OSK-SBI Venture Partners and existing investors FEBE Ventures and Antler.

Vietnam's consumer finance sector sees renewed merger momentum The local consumer finance sector is seeing renewed merger and acquisition momentum, with strategic stake increases and ownership transfers highlighting strong investor appetite.

Private capital market shifts from growth-at-all-costs to patient capital As Vietnam's private capital market matures, investors are shifting their focus from aggressive expansion to long-term, sustainable growth. At the VIPC Summit on May 28, Nguyen Thanh Thao, CEO of Thien Viet Securities (TVS) explained why 'patient capital' – capital focused on governance, operational resilience, and sustainable value – is becoming the new benchmark.

Ho Chi Minh City attracts over $3.8bn foreign investment in five months Ho Chi Minh City has pulled in more than $3.8 billion in foreign investment in the first five months of 2026, a more than 20 per cent increase on-year.

The delegation was led by Bui Huy Vinh, Deputy Secretary of the Phu Tho Party Committee, and included representatives of the provincial People's Committee, members of the Party Standing Committee, and leaders of several departments and agencies.

Receiving the delegation were Nguyen Dieu Linh, acting head of the Vietnamese Embassy in Finland, and embassy officials responsible for political affairs and bilateral relations.

The visit followed the elevation of Vietnam-Finland relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2025, a development expected to create new opportunities for cooperation in economic development, trade, education, innovation, digital transformation and sustainable development.

That growing relationship is also supported by a sizeable Vietnamese community in Finland. More than 17,000 Vietnamese people currently live in the country, mainly in Helsinki, Tampere, Vaasa, Oulu and Turku. In the municipality of Närpiö, Vietnamese residents account for around 25 per cent of the population. Vietnamese workers are highly regarded for their professional qualifications, vocational skills and ability to integrate into Finnish society, providing an important bridge for expanding bilateral ties.

To maintain momentum from the visit, the Phu Tho Investment Promotion and Enterprise Support Centre was designated as the focal point for future coordination with the embassy in information sharing, partner engagement and cooperation activities.

The Phu Tho delegation hold talks with officials of the Vietnamese Embassy in Finland on June 8 as part of a European investment promotion programme

Against this backdrop, Vinh briefed embassy officials on Phu Tho's socioeconomic development following the merger of the former provinces of Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc and Hoa Binh in July 2025.

He said the province is pursuing a strategy aimed at maintaining double-digit economic growth through 2030, with industry identified as the main growth driver. Phu Tho is prioritising projects in high-tech manufacturing, green industry, logistics, trade, digital transformation and innovation.

“Phu Tho is continuing to implement a range of measures to sustain strong growth momentum while improving the investment environment and expanding cooperation with international partners,” said Vinh.

The province's development ambitions align closely with areas where Finland is seeking more in-depth engagement with Vietnam. Linh said Finland currently considers Vietnam one of four priority countries for attracting highly skilled workers.

“Finland currently considers Vietnam one of four priority countries for attracting highly skilled workers. In 2025, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the recruitment of Vietnamese experts, skilled workers and seasonal labourers, creating a framework for deeper labour cooperation between the two countries,” she said.

Building on these favourable conditions, the two sides discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in human resource development, skilled labour cooperation, green transition initiatives and infrastructure development.

Beyond economic cooperation, tourism was identified as another area with significant potential. The Phu Tho delegation sought support in encouraging the cultural heritage of Vietnam, together with key destinations such as the Hung Kings Temple Historical Site, Xuan Son National Park, Tam Dao and the province’s growing eco-tourism and resort offerings.

The Phu Tho delegation met with officials of the Vietnamese Embassy in Finland

The delegation also proposed exploring tourism links between Finland and Vietnam while attracting investment into eco-tourism, accommodation, long-stay resort and elderly-care projects targeting visitors from Nordic countries.

In response, Linh pointed to the Matka International Travel Fair in Helsinki, the largest annual tourism exhibition in the Nordic region, as a potential platform for introducing Phu Tho’s tourism offerings to Finnish businesses and travellers through promotional materials and multimedia campaigns.

She added that the embassy is prepared to support the province’s participation in events such as Vietnam Day in Finland, ASEAN Day and other international cultural exchange activities. Growing interest among Nordic travellers in wellness and healthcare tourism could also create new opportunities for destinations in Vietnam, including Phu Tho.

Concluding the meeting, Vinh expressed his hope that the embassy would continue supporting efforts to boost the province’s investment environment, tourism potential and development opportunities among Finnish businesses and investors.

To maintain momentum from the visit, the Phu Tho Investment Promotion and Enterprise Support Centre was designated as the focal point for future coordination with the embassy in information sharing, partner engagement and cooperation activities.

Phu Tho accelerates industrial growth as post-merger economy gains momentum Phu Tho is witnessing robust industrial expansion after provincial consolidation.

Phu Tho lays groundwork for next investment wave Phu Tho province is stepping up investment promotion efforts with a pipeline of 175 priority projects for the 2026-2030 period across industry, urban development, infrastructure, and high-tech agriculture.

Phu Tho calls on Spanish investment in high-tech, green growth projects Phu Tho province has called on Spanish businesses to invest in high-tech and green growth projects, offering tax incentives, fast-track procedures, and expanding industrial infrastructure.

The partnership will jointly develop up to 1 GW of utility-scale wind, solar and battery capacity, underpinned by a long-term power purchase agreement. Both parties will collaborate on the investment and asset management of targeted projects.

Brookfield’s stake in the partnership will be made through its Catalytic Transition Fund, its primary vehicle for investing in and facilitating the transition to net-zero in emerging markets and developing economies including Southeast Asia.

Daniel Cheng, head of Energy at Brookfield Asia Pacific said, “Brookfield’s partnership with Foxconn underscores the scale of corporate demand for renewable power in Vietnam, one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies. As global manufacturers increasingly turn to renewables for its cost-competitiveness, speed to market and energy security benefits, we’re seeing strong and rising demand for long-term supply from across the region."

“Policy momentum around Southeast Asia is also providing a second-order tailwind for renewables development and our Catalytic Transition strategy, which has been very active over the past 12 months,” said Cheng.

James Tu, chief investment officer of Foxconn, said, “We are pleased to be a strategic partner to Brookfield to secure long-term access to renewable energy for our operations and supply chain in Vietnam. This initiative, where we’re investing and managing alongside Brookfield, ensures stable and cost-effective power supply for our continued growth in the region.”

The partnership is expected to progress alongside Vietnam’s evolving direct PPA framework.

Foxconn's Vietnam unit raises registered capital A Foxconn subsidiary in Vietnam has increased its charter capital by nearly $40 million across two separate adjustments in early 2026.

Foxconn pumps additional $287 million into Bac Ninh facility Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn), a key electronic supplier to Apple, has poured an additional $287.1 million into Fulian Precision Technology Component Co., Ltd, its wholly-owned unit in Bac Ninh province.

Brookfield builds Southeast Asia platform with first catalytic transition investments New York-headquartered Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global investment firm with more than $1 trillion in assets under management, has made its first renewables investments in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, creating a significant decarbonisation platform in Southeast Asia.

The move, announced on May 25, aligns with the State Bank of Vietnam's (SBV) strategy to accelerate digital transformation and improve security in payment operations. The SBV has launched the system to monitor accounts suspected of fraud, in line with Plan No.02/KH-NHNN issued by the Governor on February 13 on science, technology and digital transformation tasks in the banking sector for 2026.

SIMO stands for System of Information Monitoring Online. It is an information system for managing, supervising, and preventing fraud risks in payment operations, serving as a platform to receive reports from banks, foreign bank branches, and payment intermediary service providers.

Developed and managed by the State Bank of Vietnam in close collaboration with relevant agencies, SIMO is considered the banking sector's national 'digital shield' in the fight against cybercrime. The system compiles a list of payment accounts and e-wallets showing signs of fraud, scams, or legal violations to provide timely warnings to users.

Once operational, the integration of the SIMO system will bring significant benefits to Nam A Bank’s customers through the direct and immediate protection for money transfer transactions.

First, the system will warn and prevent risks in real time. If the target account or e-wallet is on SIMO's suspicious list, the transaction screen will display an immediate warning. Based on this reminder, customers can stop the transaction and double-check the information to minimise the risk of financial loss.

Secondly, the system helps eliminate information 'blind spots'. Previously, customers often found it difficult to verify whether an unfamiliar account was linked to fraudulent activity before clicking the transfer button. Through an industry-wide data interconnection mechanism, Nam A Bank’s customers can benefit from continuously updated data from regulatory bodies and other financial institutions, thereby increasing transparency regarding the destination of capital flows.

Thirdly, customers will be able to make secure transactions at every touchpoint. Customers are not limited by protection boundaries. Leveraging heavy investment in technology and personnel, Nam A Bank ensures the SIMO system operates smoothly 24/7, ready for deployment from May 25. Customers can verify information and make secure transactions from the Open Banking digital banking platform, OneBank 365+ digital transaction points, to the counter.

Fourthly, the system ensures maximum protection of personal information. It strictly ensures security and personal data protection in accordance with the regulations of the regulatory bodies. As a result, customers can conduct transactions safely without concerns about personal information leakage.

"Against the backdrop of increasingly sophisticated and complex online fraudulent activities, it is no longer the sole responsibility of individual institutions, but requiring the collaborative efforts of the entire industry to protect customers’ assets," a representative of Nam A Bank said. "The SBV has selected Nam A Bank as the early adopter of the SIMO system, underscoring the bank’s technological capabilities, comprehensive risk management system, and proactive commitment to optimising experience and bringing peace of mind to customers. At the same time, the initiative also contributes to building a healthy, secure, and sustainable digital payments ecosystem."

Nam A Bank forms position as strategic member at VIFC through three key partnerships After becoming a strategic investor in Vietnam's International Financial Centre, Nam A Commercial Joint Stock Bank has implemented a series of strategic partnership agreements to deploy practical solutions as part of its commitment to building a green, modern, and integrated financial centre.

Nam A Bank and Proparco sign MoU strengthening green financial resources Southern lender Nam A Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Nam A Bank) and Proparco, the development finance institution of the French Development Agency, have signed an MoU to develop and mobilise green financial resources.

Nam A Bank joins IFC trade programme in strategic partnership Nam A Commercial Joint Stock Bank has established a strategic partnership with the International Finance Corporation, marking a significant step in its international expansion.

Spanning 18 countries, this year's honorees were identified through data gathered as part of FTG's Star Ratings, based on exacting incognito inspections conducted globally. The bars selected for the list excelled in scores related to their beverage program and presentation, as well as providing seamless, luxurious service and an exceptional guest experience.

"The 2026 Hotel Star Bars showcase extraordinary hotel bar experiences that create lasting impressions with guests," said Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. "From inventive cocktail programs to thoughtful hospitality and distinctive settings, these hotel bars deliver experiences that resonate long after the final sip."

This year's 37 honorees include both storied icons and emerging standouts redefining the modern hotel bar experience.

Shanghai and Tokyo led this year's list with three winning bars each. Five bars earned repeat recognition: Le Bar at Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li; Le Bar Américain at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo; Le Bar Botaniste at Shangri-La Paris; Library by the Sea at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa; and The St. Regis Bar at The St. Regis Macao.

Some notable new standouts include:

• The Champagne Bar at Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, a palm-filled hot spot with Miami's largest collection of champagne.
• The Bvlgari Bar at Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo, a 45th-floor Mediterranean garden in the sky.
• Vault Bar at Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, a cozy former bank vault serving innovative drinks.
• Don Manuel's at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, an open-air oasis with distinctly Mexican cocktails.

To view the full list of 2026 Hotel Star Bars, visit ForbesTravelGuide.com.

Connect with Forbes Travel Guide:

For more information, visit ForbesTravelGuide.com.