ReleaseWire

Operations technology cyber risk is something that frequently goes unaddressed in many organisations. This is due to the fact that there have been only a few cyber-attacks that have successfully managed to undermine industrial control systems (e.g., Stuxnet in Iran). However, everything changed in 2021, particularly when ransomware hit the Colonial Pipeline in the US, resulting in a very new threat landscape when it comes to operations technology cyber risk.

Hong Kong is to be a 'smart port,' as the government seeks to find new ways to improve Hong Kong's status as an international transportation centre. Recently unveiled plans show that integrating digital technology into business operations and processes in the maritime and port industry will be used to create a 'smart port' that is designed to help increase the volume of trade and attract new organisations and investors into the region. It is part of a broader initiative that includes adding a range of new maritime business services, including ship registration and ship finance and management, as well as tax breaks for members of the maritime.

The government in Singapore has announced a range of new initiatives that are designed to boost the local stock market, help to secure a recovery from the pandemic and bring in "promising high growth companies" from around the area. Although the stock market here has previously been a favourite for REITs there hasn't been much in the way of big-ticket IPOs from the tech sector and the government is keen to start making this happen. So, the government has announced a new fund to help companies raise capital through public listing in Singapore. The first phase of the fund will begin with a $1.5 billion Singapore dollars tranche that will come from the government co-investing with state investment firm Temasek.

Hong Kong has long had a challenging housing situation and now new plans have been announced to tackle this. Currently, still a blueprint, the new "Northern Metropolis" will provide around 900,000 homes for 2.5 million people. The process of construction alone will generate significant activity in procurement and logistics roles, as well as supply chain planning jobs. While the finished Metropolis is viewed as a major strategic shift for Hong Kong's development. The logistical needs of the area do not stop here as businesses of all types will need to rely on the expertise of procurement and logistics professionals to continually service this area of the country.

CCI Consulting, the talent management and human resource consulting firm based outside Philadelphia, today announced several awards that the organization won at Career Partners International's annual global meeting. Among the 50 partner firms within Career Partners International, CCI Consulting took home top awards including Highest NPS Score, Highest Satisfaction Rating for an Individual Consultant, Leadership Excellence in Executive Coaching, and Leadership in Upskilling and Reskilling.

A national digital currency has been the theme for many countries in recent months and Hong Kong has now taken the first steps towards making this a reality. The Hong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued a whitepaper on the e-HKD looking at the design options and the architecture that could be put in place to make this happen. HKMA made it clear that the whitepaper is not a decision to launch a digital currency but to look into what might be required to bring it into being.

'Green buildings' has become a bona fide buzzword over the past year as the drive towards sustainable construction and building services continues to gather momentum. The ethos behind green buildings is to help reduce carbon emissions and also minimise operating costs so there is a dual benefit for all those areas where this becomes the dominant approach.

A leading financial consultancy firm, ILS World offers consultancy services to help businesses navigate complex regulatory landscapes. Their services are tailored to guide businesses through all phases of strategic development- from start-up through to expansion. Their comprehensive, encompassing services are prompt, cost-effective and remain consistent across the entire organisation utilising their in-house teams of professionally qualified accountants, company secretaries, and estate practitioners. They provide clients with a transparent written proposal covering the background of the consultancy engagement, scope, objectives, approach, timescales and fees.

Volt International offers workforce consulting solutions to recruit quality talent for in-house roles and responsibilities. The company offers a wide range of talent acquisition and workforce management solutions for their clients, helping them hire the best professional talent dependent on the client's needs. In addition, their services include talent management solutions to enhance productivity and create better workforce strategies to meet desired business goals, while reducing the burden over in-house administration and limiting recruitment costs.

A leading recruitment service provider, Volt Consulting group offers recruitment process outsourcing to hire best-in-field talent. The company provides crucial support to businesses in need of talent acquisition by curating and managing a pool of qualified workers best suited for the client's requirements. Reducing the pressure on in-house recruiters, the company's expertise in recruitment and workforce management enables businesses to tackle multiple recruiting challenges and efficiently manage fluctuating demands during high-volume ramp ups or seasonal surges, in a cost-effective manner.

HB NEXT, hbnext.com, the nationally recognized workplace safety compliance company, has announced an alliance partnership with Horwath HTL, Atlanta, market leader in all areas of hotel, tourism and leisure consulting, and Peerless Performance, a full-service engagement and performance improvement agency that focuses on the overall well-being of companies and their employees, to introduce a wellness, training, safety and compliance solution specific to the hospitality industry called Guardian SMS.

A leading workforce and recruitment expert, Volt Singapore offers recruitment process outsourcing solutions to help businesses create a great in-house team. Their recruitment services assist organizations in finding the right talent for critical roles in an efficient and cost-effective manner, reducing the burden on the internal administration team. For complex and diverse vacancies, the company adopts customized solutions best suited to the requirements of their clients, giving them a competitive edge and an opportunity to enhance their talent pool with highly skilled candidates.

According to ING bank, three of Asia's major economies are likely to spend upwards of $12 trillion in an effort to achieve net-zero carbon emissions within the transportation sector. China, Japan, and South Korea are the main producers of carbon dioxide emissions within the Asia Pacific region.

The number of cryptocurrency hacks and scams has gone into overdrive over the past year. While overall crypto-related fraud activities have been falling since 2019, recent research suggests that this is not the case in niche areas and the latest target is decentralised finance (DeFi) applications and protocols. It's these crimes (De-Fi related crimes) that continue to surge from one quarter to the next and which are proving particularly lucrative - it's estimated that criminals made around US$471 million from De-Fi related crimes between January and July 2021.

Digital transformation holds the key for many businesses to move successfully forward after the challenging time that the past year has been. However, there are also obstacles. One report has found that specific obstacles in the way of digital transformation for the manufacturing sector, for example, include funding, a lack of digital skills and resistance to change.

Cryptocurrency may not initially have made a big impact in terms of attracting investors but this market has continued to expand and become a much more credible option. Now that digital assets are much better established, bitcoin etc represent a far more attractive choice. This has resulted in a whole host of quants and systematic traders migrating to cryptocurrencies and created many more options for those who are looking to pursue quant careers in the UK.

While the boundaries between hedge funds and private equity used to be very distinct, we are starting to see the space between them in investment portfolios becoming an increasingly grey area. One of the reasons for the mixing of private equity and hedge funds has been the advantages that this has for those who are operating in a more illiquid private markets space. And given that hedge funds and private equity firms aren't in competition when it comes to the best ideas there is a lot more room for this grey 'in between' space to develop.

The British Army had a big role to play in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not all of its achievements were as visible as building hospitals and managing testing stations. One regiment of the army also designed a groundbreaking data platform that turned out to be crucial to the way that the country was able to handle its response to the pandemic. 42 Engineer Regiment designed a geospatial intelligence system that could draw together data from the NHS and its partners to facilitate analysis for real time decision making.

Technology is changing the way that businesses and economies function and that applies across the board today. Wall Street banks are the latest to make moves towards a more tech-driven future by accelerating efforts to use automation to take the "grunt work" out of the hands of juniors.

The impact of the global pandemic has been varied in the supply chain world. COVID-19 caused a significant re-evaluation by businesses of their supply chain needs across all sectors and this has been a catalyst for change for many. In particular, the pandemic revealed just how vulnerable many supply chains really are and that there are significant disadvantages where there is a reliance on the manufacturing and distribution systems of one region.

Compliance is a necessity that is globally recognised and there are plenty of internationally accepted definitions of what it really means for businesses to be compliant. However, a unique set of challenges exists for those working within global organisations who also need to be aware of, and on top of, what is happening on local and regional levels within the business. This is when the issue of compliance often shifts from being less about law and regulation and much more about an enterprise's compliance culture and how this topic should be approached on an organisation-wide level.

eCommerce went through a significant period of proliferation during the pandemic, especially sectors such as grocery that saw a big uplift in activity. This created some big challenges in areas such as Asia Pacific where there is often a heavy reliance on imports. Logistics and supply chain jobs in Asia Pacific have changed considerably in response to the new set of needs the pandemic created.

A new partnership has been established between the UK and Singapore with a view to working jointly to reinforce regulatory co-operation and make green finance more of a priority. The Monetary Authority of Singapore and HM Treasury in the UK made a joint statement over the summer indicating that this collaboration was imminent.

Offshore wind farms are a burgeoning trend in the Asia Pacific region. In fact, 46% of global offshore wind farms are being hosted in this part of the world. The pace of development continues to accelerate as countries across the region start to invest more in this incredible, renewable power source.

Due to ongoing supply constraints, the German industry failed to keep up with rising demand in August, with the aftereffects of the coronavirus pandemic still affecting supply chains around the world. Production increased at a far slower rate than new orders. Furthermore, industrial businesses' confidence in future growth has dipped marginally, owing mostly to rising pricing pressure. The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/BME Purchasing Managers' Index (EMI) dropped by 3.3 points in August, demonstrating this.