• 7,000 Humanoids emerge as new market
• 117,000 Transport and logistics’ robots lead as top application

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 30 September 2026 – Global shipments of professional service robots increased by 24% to almost 250,000 units in 2025, highlighting a successful shift tocommercial automation. These findings are presented in the World Robotics 2026 Service Robots report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

“Service robots are expanding into everyday operations,” says Jane Heffner, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “Sales went up across all three segments with double-digit growth rates: professional service robots gained 24%, medical robots grew 19%, and consumer service robots surged by an impressive 37%.”

Top applications for professional service robots

Transportation and logistics stays in the lead as top application, with 117,500 units sold in 2025. This was up 21%, and represents a market share of 47%. These robots are primarily used for transportation as well as for the automation of material flows and delivery processes.. Although traditional sales remained the main monetization channel, RaaS business models continued to grow in popularity. In the US, this already is the dominant business model.

Hospitality robots rank in second place. Machines for mobile guidance, information points in public environments, and telepresence account for the majority of these robots. The market for professional cleaning robots follows in third place, with floor cleaning as the main application in this segment.

Humanoid Robots

Humanoid robots, which are designed to resemble humans and operate in human-centric environments, are gaining massive attention for their potential flexibility. While recent advances in AI, sensors and control systems have enabled impressive pilot projects, most current applications remain specialized and often require human teleoperation. In 2025, about 7,000 units of full-size humanoids (above 140 cm) were sold globally. These robots are intended for commercial and professional applications beyond R&D and entertainment.

Key challenges such as safety standards, high training and maintenance costs, and the lack of a strong business case, particularly in industrial settings, continue to limit widespread adoption. For humanoid robots to become practical everyday tools, further progress in intuitive programming, robust manipulation, economic scaling, and standardized safety is essential.

“In a special chapter of the World Robotics 2026 report, we provide a comprehensive overview about humanoids as the robotics newest market,” says Dr. Werner Kraus, Chair of the IFR Service Robot Committee.

Robots for consumer use

Consumer service robots have primarily consisted of domestic robots aimed at the mass market. Overall sales of consumer robots increased by 37% to almost 34.2 million units in 2025. Key trends include automating household tasks, integrating artificial intelligence and connecting to smart home systems.

Medical robotics

With 8,400 units sold and a growth rate of 57 % surgical robots are the main driver of growth in the medical robotics market, reflecting their increasing adoption in clinical practice. The transition from technological development to commercial deployment has gained significant momentum over the past decade. This is driven by advances in robotics, improved clinical outcomes, and growing acceptance among healthcare professionals.

Downloads

Graphs and press releases for download by IFR at: https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/global-sales-of-professional-service-robots-surge-24-percent

Please note: World Robotics Service Robots report is sample data. Data is NOT projected to the whole industry. Sample composition varies each year. All numbers at the World Robotics Service Robots 2026 report are based on a sample of 238 service robot suppliers. Compiling or comparing data from different World Robotics Reports is strongly discouraged.

https://www.ifr.org
https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-federation-of-robotics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIdKFuqg5XxIPf_k2j4ZRfA

Hashtag: #IFR #InternationalFederationofRobotics

About IFR

Source: ONEKEY GmbH

UPDATED – The Düsseldorf-based firmware security specialist will focus on compliance with the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) at it-sa in Hall 9 (Booth 9-346)

Düsseldorf/Nuremberg, September 29, 2026 — Since September 11, manufacturers of connected devices, machines, and systems have been required to actively report vulnerabilities and serious security incidents in accordance with the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). At the same time, pressure is mounting to comply with all CRA obligations, which will take effect on December 11 of next year. From that date on, products with digital elements may only be placed on the European Union market if they meet the essential cybersecurity requirements of the EU Regulation. This means that vulnerabilities must be addressed throughout the support period, software components must be documented, and a conformity assessment must be available.

To meet the growing demand for CRA compliance, the Düsseldorf-based cybersecurity company ONEKEY will present its “CRA Fast Start” program at it-sa 2026 (October 27-29) at booth 9-346. The program allows manufacturers to assess their products against CRA requirements in a structured manner and get started without lengthy lead times. It is estimated that the Cyber Resilience Act affects hundreds of millions, if not billions, of digital products in the EU.

The “CRA Fast Start” program is based on the following pillars: CRA Readiness Assessment; creation of software bills of materials (SBOMs) to establish a solid foundation for ongoing CRA compliance; systematic vulnerability management; and continuous monitoring. The program is suitable for companies at various stages of readiness. For manufacturers in the early stages of addressing CRA requirements, the assessment serves as a guide. Those who already understand the extent to which they are affected by the CRA and require rapid implementation can begin directly with vulnerability management and continuous monitoring. Additionally, a compliance check and a wizard assist with the initial CRA compliance review. The wizard is continuously updated to reflect future regulatory requirements and anticipated harmonized standards.

“With CRA Fast Start, we provide manufacturers with a systematic and rapidly deployable approach to meeting the CRA’s legal requirements,” explained Jan Wendenburg, ONEKEY’s CEO.

Get Started with the CRA Readiness Assessment

An initial, structured CRA Readiness Assessment is a core component of the program. This assessment analyzes a company’s level of readiness for the CRA requirements. In addition to product requirements, the assessment examines existing processes for addressing vulnerabilities, SBOM documentation and organizational responsibilities, among other things. Based on the results, compliance gaps can be identified and priority actions defined. ONEKEY particularly recommends this assessment to companies that are unsure how the CRA applies to them and which steps they need to take.

Continuous Monitoring for Potential Vulnerabilities

The next step applies to all companies, including those that have already started preparing for CRA compliance. Ongoing vulnerability management and continuous monitoring help identify existing gaps. SBOMs ensure transparency throughout the software supply chain. New vulnerabilities, affected libraries, and security-related changes are continuously tracked, ensuring ongoing transparency regarding the security status of digital products. The ONEKEY Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Platform is used for this purpose.

Launching a Long-Term Security Strategy

“Our platform, combined with the CRA Readiness Assessment, unites our expertise in consulting with the extensive analytical capabilities of the ONEKEY platform. This enables us to take immediate action while simultaneously paving the way for a long-term strategy to ensure compliance,” Jan Wendenburg said. He also clarified: “Ultimately, for manufacturers, this is about more than meeting mandatory legal requirements. They also need to effectively protect their product portfolios against cyberattacks. Any vulnerability that is successfully exploited can create both legal and reputational risks.”

ONEKEY is the leading European specialist in Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Management and part of the investment portfolio of PricewaterhouseCoopers Germany (PwC). The unique combination of the automated ONEKEY Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Platform (OCP) with expert knowledge and consulting services provides fast and comprehensive analysis, support, and management to improve product cybersecurity and compliance from product purchasing, design, development, production to end-of-life.

Critical vulnerabilities and compliance violations in device firmware are automatically identified in binary code by AI-based technology in minutes – without source code, device, or network access. Proactively audit software supply chains with integrated Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) generation. “Digital Cyber Twins” enable automated 24/7 post-release cybersecurity monitoring throughout the product lifecycle.

The integrated ONEKEY Compliance Wizard already supports compliance with requirements from IEC 62443-4-2, ETSI EN 303 645, UNECE R155, and many other standards and regulations.

As part of the EU-funded CRACoWi (Cyber Resilience Act Compliance Wizard) project, ONEKEY is collaborating with 13 European partners to develop an AI-powered assistant for the automated implementation of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

The solution will guide companies through the entire compliance process–from the initial CRA scope assessment to the generation of the required Declaration of Conformity.

The Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is effectively supported by the integrated automatic prioritization of vulnerabilities, significantly reducing the time to remediation.

Leading international companies in Asia, Europe and the Americas already benefit from the ONEKEY Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Platform (OCP) and ONEKEY Cybersecurity Experts.

iMotion will adhere to its overseas expansion strategy by serving Chinese OEMs’ overseas business on the one hand, and actively developing international customers on the other. Based on its established presence, iMotion’s products and solutions have followed its customers and been deployed across regions and countries including Europe, Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan. This has enabled iMotion to accumulate extensive on-the-ground experience in overseas applications and develop strong localized service capabilities.

In the first half of 2026, iMotion for the first time obtained nominated projects from a customer in the Taiwan region of China and an overseas direct-supply customer, marking significant breakthroughs in both customer coverage and overseas expansion. With the establishment in Tokyo, iMotion’s Japanese Branch will serve as a bridge between Japan and iMotion in relevant business, expanding long-term business cooperation with Japanese OEM and strengthen iMotion’s global brand presence.

From product expansion to system globalization, iMotion is rapidly building an end-to-end global delivery system. iMotion’s joint venture in Malaysia has completed trial production and is currently undergoing the final customer audit process. It is expected to commence full-scale production and mass deliveries to customers in the third quarter of 2026.

Looking ahead, iMotion plans to continue strengthening its global sales and service network. Through its overseas business units and production bases, technical adaptation, ecosystem collaboration, and data compliance capabilities, iMotion aims to accelerate its integration into the direct supply chains of international automakers. In addition, iMotion will leverage the resources provided by its strategic overseas shareholders to explore new international business opportunities and establish more international strategic alliances.

Hashtag: #iMotionTechnology

Markets, not savings, powering the gain

Global financial assets increased by 8.6% in 2025 to a record EUR268.4trn, despite a challenging geopolitical and economic backdrop. Markets did the heavy lifting in 2025, as rising asset prices accounted for roughly 4 out of every 5 euros of new household wealth. Fresh savings fell 5.4% to EUR4.1trn. “Global wealth set another record in 2025, but that only tells half of the story,” said Ludovic Subran, Chief Economist and Chief Investment Officer at Allianz. “Since 2019, nominal financial assets are up 50%, but in real terms, stripped of inflation, they only grew 23%. The situation is worse in Western Europe where financial assets in real terms are up 0.5% compared to 2019. It is 21% in North America and 70% in China.”

Portfolios set the tone

Portfolio composition increasingly determines who captures the gains from wealth creation. Securities increased by 12.4% in 2025, more than twice as fast as deposits (5.7%) or insurance and pensions (5.0%), pushing their share of global financial assets to a record 46.9%. North American households, with 60.7% of their portfolios invested in securities, benefited particularly strongly from rising markets; their region generated 51.4% of the global increase in financial assets. Over the past decade, valuation gains accounted for 71% of North American financial-asset growth, compared with only 36% in Western Europe, reflecting the importance of investing savings over holding them in low-earning accounts.

2026-27: AI as a swing factor amid slowing GDP growth

We estimate that global financial assets could grow by a solid 9% in 2026, but the medium-term backdrop is turning tougher as slower growth, persistent inflation, fragmentation and high public debt weigh on returns. Going forward, AI is therefore the key swing factor: stronger productivity and earnings could sustain asset returns, but the growing reliance on AI-powered markets to drive household wealth also creates vulnerability. With the S&P 500 up around 95% since end-2022, much of the recent wealth boost rests on elevated market valuations and AI expectations. We find that a 25% correction in the S&P 500 would erase around USD27trn of US household wealth in the year of the shock, equivalent to almost 14% of total net worth, weighing on confidence and consumption, and pushing the US economy into recession.

But the AI wealth story is not only about how much wealth is created, it is also about who captures the gains. “AI could become the next great wealth engine, but the key question is who gets a stake in it,” said Katharina Utermöhl, Head of Thematic & Policy Research at Allianz Research. “As AI potentially shifts more value creation towards capital, broader participation in capital returns and policies that help workers adjust will be key to making the AI wealth dividend more widely shared.”

Singapore: The world’s 4th-richest country by net wealth per capita

Gross financial assets of Singapore’s private households increased by 9.1% in 2025 to EUR1.4trn, up from 8.5% growth in 2024, modestly above the global average (8.6%) though just below the average for the surveyed Asian countries excluding Japan and China (9.8%).

Securities grew fastest among all asset classes, up 12.7%, ahead of insurance and pensions (9.3%) and deposits (6.8%). However, due to Singapore’s strong capital-funded pension system, insurance and pension remained the dominant asset class in the average private household’s portfolio, with a share of 47.2%, followed by deposits with 33.2%. Securities accounted for just 19.6% of Singaporean portfolios – well below both the regional average of 30.8% and the global figure of 46.9%.

Adjusted for inflation, Singaporean financial assets grew by 8.1% in real terms in 2025, up from 6.0% in 2024. They have increased by a cumulative 33.3% since 2019 – below the regional average of 39.6%, though well above the global average of 22.9%.

Private households’ liabilities rose by 7.4% to EUR269.9bn, growing more slowly than gross financial assets. As a result, net financial assets increased by 9.5% to EUR1.1trn. With net financial assets of EUR192,840 per capita, Singapore ranked 4th among the world’s richest countries in 2025.

Net financial assets per capita in 2025

The interactive “Allianz Global Wealth Map” can be found here on our homepage:
https://www.allianz.com/en/economic_research/research-data/interactive-wealth-map.html

You can find the study here on our homepage:
https://www.allianz.com/en/economic_research/insights/publications/global-wealth-report-2026.html

Hashtag: #AllianzResearch

About Allianz

Forging new Hong Kong–Europe pathways in AI, New Industralisation and smart city innovation with German Industry and Commerce and ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 September 2026 – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), in partnership with German Industry and Commerce (GIC) and ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA, and supported by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, InvestHK and HKETO Berlin, led a delegation of eight Hong Kong Science Park companies to Germany and Austria from 21 to 25 September 2026 for a focused programme of business matching, ecosystem exchange and institutional engagement across Munich, Vienna and Graz. Bringing together government, industry, academia and innovation ecosystem partners, the mission deepened engagement with leading stakeholders, created new opportunities for cross-border collaboration and commercialisation in artificial intelligence (AI), new industralisation, and smart city, and reinforced Hong Kong’s role as a preferred platform for innovation exchange between Europe and Asia.

The delegation marked a major step forward in HKSTP’s growing engagement in Central Europe. As HKSTP’s first market-focused mission to Germany, Europe’s largest AI market and a leading enterprise technology hub, it built on earlier collaboration with ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA, including GO AUSTRIA Spring 2025 and 2026 and the renowned ViennaUP Festival, as well as more recent joint efforts with partners in Germany and Austria under Global Connect and the Global Innovation Exchange. The ongoing efforts created practical pathways for Hong Kong companies to explore partnerships, validate demand and expand into key European markets.

A key highlight was HKSTP’s participation in the Applied Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026 (AAIC) in Vienna, Austria, to connect with key industry partners and investors for potential business collaboration. Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, delivered a speech titled “AAIC-Talk: Applied AI in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area: Innovation, Industrial Transformation and Opportunities for Collaboration with Austria”at theAustria’s flagship international AI business conference.He shared Hong Kong has elevated AI into a core industry and is emerging as one of the world’s most dynamic innovation and technology (I&T) centres. He also invited Austria to partner in shaping AI’s next chapter, and highlighting opportunities for collaboration between Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and Austria. During the Conference, Professor Sun had a brief exchange with park companies from the delegation participating in the Conference to learn about their innovative solutions.

Mr Eric Or, Chief Ecosystem Development Officer of HKSTP, said, “HKSTP is committed to helping innovators scale beyond borders. Our inaugural delegation to Germany and the continuous connection with Austria highlights the value of strategic international engagement in opening doors for park companies to connect with leading industry, academic and investors in Europe. It also reflects Hong Kong’s unique role as a gateway for cross-border collaboration, underpinned by its distinct strengths as a super-connector and super value-adder. As HKSTP continues to expand its global outreach to further strengthen Hong Kong’s innovation links with global markets, and reinforce the city’s position as an international innovation and technology hub.”

The delegation began in Munich, focusing on Germany’s industrial AI and enterprise innovation ecosystem, and engaging institutions including Chamber of commerce and industry for Munich and upper Bavaria (IHK), Siemens AI Lab, and the European Union’s top Technical University of Munich (TUM). Discussions centred on industrial AI, advanced manufacturing, technology translation and cross-border collaboration. The high potential tech firms continued the week-long journey in Vienna and Graz, connected with leading Austrian research, industry and innovation organisations, including the leading Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Austrian Institute of Technology and more.

Highlighted innovations from the delegation:

• GenAI-Powered Marketing – Amber International Holding Limited introduced MIA, its new agentic AI marketing platform designed to monitor markets, generate on-brand content and support distribution workflows with human approval.
• Let AI run enterprises. Let AI do business – Echronos AI Group, a China-based innovator in industrial-grade AI Agentic OS, leverages the HKSTP ecosystem and Hong Kong’s global connectivity as a gateway for international expansion. The company introduced its flagship JovaAI platform to European industry leaders. Powered by proprietary semantic and multi-agent orchestration technologies, JovaAI coordinates complex enterprise workflows, from inquiry-to-quote orchestration and cross-border customs planning to dynamic production rescheduling.
• End-to-end AI Talent Solution – Neufast offers corporate AI strategy consulting and technical implementation for an agentic AI platform covering candidate sourcing, performance appraisals, and leadership development. It is expanding in Europe through partnerships with SAP SuccessFactors for enterprise business transformation and TÜV Rheinland for ISO27001 certification, with the support of the Austrian government’s Go Austria Plus programme by the Global Incubator Network Austria (GIN) and Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).

Together, these engagements in Germany and Austria deepened HKSTP’s ties with the regions’ innovation ecosystem and opened new opportunities for collaboration in applied AI, robotics, smart production and commercialisation between Hong Kong and Europe.

Appendix: List of park companies in the HKSTP’s delegation

1. Amber International Holding Limited
2. Cogniser Infotech Ltd
3. Echronos AI Group
4. Haircosys Limited
5. IGRAPH TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
6. Neufast Limited
7. Robocore Technology Limited
8. Westwell Technology (Hong Kong) Limited

Hashtag: #HKSTP

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

• The partnership will bring Qutenza^®, Vimovo^®, Palexia^® and Zomig^® to people living with pain in Asia-Pacific, spanning Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Pain is a significant healthcare challenge in the region, due to the ageing population and the high burden of chronic diseases.^1,2,3
• The partnership is a key step in Grünenthal’s strategy to enhance patient care and expand access to its innovative medicines.

AACHEN, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 28 September 2026 – Grünenthal, a global leader in pain management and research, and DKSH Business Unit Healthcare, a strategic healthcare business partner and leading provider of Market Expansion Services for pharmaceutical, over-the-counter (OTC), consumer health and medical device companies, today announced a new partnership agreement to bring four Grünenthal medicines, Qutenza^®, Vimovo^®, Palexia^® and Zomig^®, to Asia-Pacific, accelerating access to innovative pain therapies in the region.

The partnership will support the availability of Grünenthal’s pain medicines across eight markets in Asia-Pacific: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, bringing up to four new medicines to patients in each market, pending local regulatory approvals. Under the agreement, DKSH will commercialise the medicines on Grünenthal’s behalf across the eight markets, being responsible for seeking local marketing authorisations and the activities of marketing, medical, market access, sales and distribution. Grünenthal will manufacture the medicines through its integrated global manufacturing network.

“Qutenza^®, Vimovo^®, Palexia^® and Zomig^® have delivered meaningful benefits to millions of people living with pain worldwide. Through our partnership with DKSH, we are taking another significant step toward broadening access to proven therapies and extending the reach of our medicines to more patients who need them,” said Jan Adams, Chief Commercial Officer, Grünenthal. “With pain affecting potentially hundreds of millions across Asia-Pacific, new care options that meet the broad spectrum of patient needs are critical. We are proud to join forces with DKSH to help improve lives and advance our vision of a World Free of Pain.”

“This partnership marks another important milestone in DKSH Healthcare’s new chapter of growth. Grünenthal is a globally recognised leader in pain management, and we are proud to further strengthen our relationship through an expanded alliance partnership spanning eight markets across Asia-Pacific. Leveraging our Regional Partnership model and integrated end-to-end commercialisation platform, we are well positioned to accelerate growth, improve access to innovative therapies for patients across the region, and advance our mission of delivering Healthcare for All,” said Patrik Grande, Global Head of Business Unit Healthcare, DKSH.

Pain is a significant healthcare challenge in in Asia-Pacific, due to the ageing population and the high burden of chronic diseases.^1,2,3 Hundreds of millions of people in the region may be living with chronic pain, based on population figures and global estimates of chronic pain prevalence.^2,3

Grünenthal and DKSH first established their partnership in 2023, when DKSH took over the commercialisation of the already established medicines Nebido^®, Zomig^® and Tramal^® in selected Asia-Pacific markets. Under the new agreement, DKSH will now seek local marketing authorisations for Qutenza^®, Vimovo^®, Palexia^® and Zomig^® across the eight participating markets, with Zomig^® being introduced in additional markets not covered by the 2023 agreement.

About Qutenza^®
In Europe, Qutenza^® is indicated for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain in adults, either alone or in combination with other medicinal products for the treatment of pain.

Qutenza^® (capsaicin) 8% topical system is approved in the US for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia and for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) of the feet in adults. Important US safety information is available at www.qutenza.com.

About Vimovo^®

Vimovo^® (fixed-dose combination of esomeprazole and naproxen) is indicated in adults for the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, in patients who are at risk for developing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-associated gastric and/or duodenal ulcers and where treatment with lower doses of naproxen or of other NSAIDs is not considered sufficient.

About Zomig^®

Zomig^® (zolmitriptan) is indicated as an oral formulation in adults aged 18 years and older for acute treatment of migraine headache with or without aura, and as a nasal spray in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older for the acute treatment of migraine headache with or without aura and in adults for the acute treatment of cluster headache.

About Palexia^®

Palexia^® (tapentadol) is indicated as a prolonged-release tablet for the management of severe chronic pain in adults which can be adequately managed only with opioid analgesics, and for the management of severe chronic pain in children above 6 years and adolescents, which can be adequately managed only with opioid analgesics. It is also indicated as a film-coated IR tablet for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain in adults which can be adequately managed only with opioid analgesic, and as an oral solution for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain in children* and adolescents from 2 years of age and in adults which can be adequately managed only with opioid analgesics.

*in children restricted to hospital use where appropriate equipment to enable respiratory support is available. As with all symptomatic treatments, the continued use of tapentadol exceeding 3 days must be evaluated on an ongoing basis.

Statement on the responsible use of opioids

General considerations for the management of pain with any medication that contains an opioid mechanism of action.

All opioid medications are not authorised for all types of pain indication. Always refer to the product prescribing information.

An individualised, patient-centred approach for the diagnosis and treatment of pain is essential to establish a therapeutic alliance between patient and clinician.

To optimise opioid treatment:

• It is important to optimally use multimodal, non-opioid approaches in acute and chronic pain before escalating to opioids or in conjunction with opioid therapy.
• Opioids should be used only when benefits for pain and function are expected to outweigh risks.
• Consider patient variables that may affect opioid dose for each patient prior to opioid use.
• During ongoing opioid therapy, clinicians should collaborate with patients to evaluate and carefully weigh benefits and risks of continuing opioid therapy and exercise care when increasing, continuing, or reducing opioid dosage.
• Make a careful selection of patients, abuse risk factors evaluated, and regular monitoring and follow-up implemented to ensure that opioids are used appropriately and in alignment with treatment goals (pain intensity and functionality) as agreed with the patient.
• Make patients aware of the potential side effects of opioids and the potential for developing tolerance, dependence and addiction.
• Addiction is possible even when opioids are taken as directed.
• Signs of opioid use disorder should be monitored and addressed.

If an opioid is authorised and selected for treatment of acute pain, please consider:

• The use should be for the shortest necessary time.

If an opioid is authorised and selected for treatment of chronic pain, please consider:

• To continue opioid therapy only if there is clinically meaningful improvement in pain and function that outweighs risks to patient safety.
• Regular monitoring, clinical reviews, re-evaluations are required for long-term opioid treatment to assess pain control, impact on lifestyle, physical and psychological well-being, side effects and continued need for treatment.
• How opioid therapy will be discontinued if benefits do not outweigh risks (CDC new ref), incl. tapering down the dose where possible.

Patients and the general public can benefit from clear educational materials and awareness interventions to support the responsible use of opioids.

References

Hashtag: #Grünenthal #DKSH

About DKSH

About Grünenthal

QUORRA is a global physical AI company focused on Door-to-Door (D2D) mobility scenarios and dedicated to developing micro-mobility robots. Its first mass-produced model, the QUORRA X5, reimagines the form factor of conventional mobility aids. Equipped with five LiDAR sensors and front- and rear-facing cameras, it uses fused LiDAR-vision perception and on-board AI for real-time, 360-degree awareness of its surroundings. On detecting pedestrians, obstacles, steps or uneven ground, it decelerates and brakes within milliseconds, steers around obstacles and passes through narrow passages, and stops safely when the path ahead is impassable. Drop-off protection applies smooth braking on detecting a change in ground level. Smart Cruise, being demonstrated live at the show, holds a set speed while avoiding obstacles without constant joystick input; pulling the joystick back exits the mode.

A 5-inch display shows real-time system status and key operating parameters, with one-tap switching between “Sport” and “Comfort” driving modes. Over-the-air updates enable continuous improvement, while a rear-view camera and reversing collision-avoidance system bring the robot to a smooth, controlled stop. The high-end variant supports autonomous return-to-charge.

Through the iQUORRA app, users can check battery level, online status and real-time location, and operate the robot via Bluetooth remote control within effective range. Caregiver authorization and “Safe Zone” (geofencing) let caregivers define safe activity areas, with instant alerts if the robot leaves preset boundaries.

The QUORRA X5 has won two prestigious international design awards — the Red Dot Award: Design Concept and the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA®) presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). Retaining a stable four-wheel chassis and joystick control, it adopts a foldable body and wraparound cockpit, shedding the clinical look of traditional mobility aids for consumer-electronics styling.

The QUORRA X5 holds CE marking for the European Union and UKCA marking for the United Kingdom, meeting the safety and technical standards of global markets.

Empowering global enterprises across software, electronics, logistics, gaming, IT and entertainment to enhance efficiency and accelerate innovation through full-stack cloud and AI solutions.

HANGZHOU, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 September 2026 – Alibaba Cloud, a leading global provider of AI infrastructure and the intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today announced its latest global infrastructure expansion plan at the 2026 Apsara Conference, alongside a series of new AI capabilities designed to help enterprises build, deploy and scale AI applications more efficiently. The technology company has also announced its comprehensive collaboration with global enterprises including Panasonic Digital, Unity China, Lion Parcel, Loomi Entertainment Group and SHAKE to accelerate enterprise innovation via its advanced AI and cloud technologies.

Over the next 12 months, Alibaba Cloud will establish its first cloud regions in Türkiye, Finland and the Netherlands, while expanding its data center footprint in Malaysia, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, France and Hong Kong. The expansion will further increase Alibaba Cloud’s global computing capacity and strengthen its ability to provide localized cloud and AI services to customers across key markets. The cloud leader currently operates 107 availability zones in 31 regions around the world.

“As Alibaba Cloud has advanced from AI-native infrastructure to an Agent-Native Cloud architecture, AI is also moving rapidly from experimentation to real-world deployment, creating demand for both scalable infrastructure and more accessible AI capabilities,” said Dr. Feifei Li, Chief Technology Officer and President of International Business of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “We are expanding our global cloud footprint to bring computing resources closer to customers and partners, while continuing to evolve our AI technologies to help enterprises deploy models, optimize multi-model workloads and create new AI-powered applications. At the same time, our growing ecosystem of customers and partners demonstrates how these capabilities can translate into tangible business value across industries and markets. We are committed to working closely with our global ecosystem to make AI more scalable, practical and accessible for businesses.”

At the conference, Alibaba Cloud launched three new AI solutions to help international businesses build and scale production-grade applications. Smart Studio, an out-of-the-box product designed to help businesses build dedicated Model-as-a-Service (MaaS) platforms in minutes. It provides everything needed to package, price, meter, and bill model APIs under their own brand. Its advanced inference architecture delivers up to 505% higher throughput than standard open-source frameworks on the same hardware.

Smart Fusion serves as an intelligent engine that helps users and businesses achieve state-of-the-art model performance at low cost through a unified standard model API. The engine supports multi-model collaboration within one task, selecting the best-suited available models to work together by analyzing real-time dimensions. By abstracting multi-model deployment into a single endpoint, it can help reduce token spending by around 50%.

Smart Video is an AI video agent designed for short-drama studios and advertisers to automatically create videos up to one hour long. With a single prompt, creators can turn an idea into a finished cut, while continuously refining it through natural language. The platform supports multiple video models, including Wan, and offers seamless support for more than 20 languages.

Turning AI Innovation into Real-World Impact

Alibaba’s cloud and AI technologies are helping customers and partners across industries address diverse business needs, from digital transformation and enterprise applications to logistics, gaming and AI-powered content creation. Through collaborations with enterprises including Panasonic Digital, Unity China, Lion Parcel, Loomi Entertainment Group and SHAKE, Alibaba Cloud is enabling businesses to enhance efficiency, accelerate innovation and explore new opportunities with cloud and AI.

Panasonic Digital (Shanghai) has partnered with Alibaba Cloud to accelerate its comprehensive digital and AI transformation. Leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s Bailian (Model Studio) to securely access the Qwen models, alongside advanced data management tools like DataWorks, MaxCompute, and Hologres, Panasonic has built a custom capability hub that powers specialized AI agents across manufacturing, supply chain, and corporate functions.
This collaboration has delivered significant operational benefits. It has achieved an 80% reduction in documentation time through automated meeting minutes, a 10-fold increase in contract review efficiency using the “Smart Compare” agent, and enhanced data-driven decision-making by empowering non-technical staff to perform complex inventory analyses using natural language—all while ensuring strict data security and compliance through Alibaba Cloud’s robust governance features.

“We are very grateful for our strategic collaboration with Alibaba Cloud, which has been instrumental in accelerating Panasonic Digital’s enterprise-wide AI transformation. By seamlessly integrating their world-class AI models and robust data infrastructure into our operations, we have successfully moved beyond isolated IT optimizations to build a highly scalable, secure, and unified intelligence platform,” said Yueming Li, Head of GenAI Innovation & Workforce, Panasonic Digital (Shanghai).

Unity China, a leading game engine and real-time 3D development platform that operates the Tuanjie Engine, has leveraged Alibaba Cloud’s Model Studio to deploy Qwen and third-party foundation models for Tuanjie AI-Codely, its AI-native engineering platform. Unity is a leading game engine and real-time 3D development platform. The platform streamlines production-scale game development by automating mission-critical workflows, including code comprehension, real-time editing, and debugging, while supporting cross-team collaboration.
“Game development is becoming increasingly complex, and our goal with Tuanjie AI is to remove technical friction so creators can focus on innovation and gameplay,” said Junbo Zhang, CEO of Unity China. “Alibaba Cloud’s Model Studio and the Qwen model family provide the performance, flexibility, and low latency our developers require. By integrating these advanced AI capabilities directly into the development pipeline, we are enabling studios to debug, iterate, and bring ambitious game projects to life faster than ever before.”

Lion Parcel, a leading Indonesian logistics and delivery provider, has leveraged Alibaba’s Qwen model to improve its finance and document processing workflows. To eliminate time-consuming and error-prone manual data transcription, Lion Parcel deployed the Qwen-VL-Plus model through Alibaba’s Model Studio platform to automate routine workflows. Supported by Alibaba Cloud’s fully managed platform and predictable pay-per-token pricing, Lion Parcel has significantly accelerated processing efficiency, maximized data accuracy, and established a centralized digital repository that boosts overall business scalability.
“Alibaba Cloud’s OCR solution powered by Qwen helped us accelerate Document Order processing in Finance. It’s improving accuracy while saving both time and operational costs,” said Probosetyo Krishna, Head of IT, Lion Parcel.

Loomi Entertainment Group (LEG), a Malaysia-based entertainment company, has partnered with Alibaba Cloud to accelerate the adoption of AI-generated content (AIGC) among creators and businesses in Malaysia and the wider region. LEG has integrated Alibaba ‘s visual generation models, including Wan and HappyHorse through Model Studio, into Imaginary, its proprietary cinematic AI engine. The integration enables high-quality video and visual generation, streamlines content production workflows, and helps reduce production costs. Additionally, the two companies have hosted two AIGC hackathons and trained more than 100 local content creators through online and offline workshops, providing creators with practical exposure to the latest generative AI tools and applications. Alibaba Cloud and LEG are also exploring the use of Wan in Loomi’s micro-drama production pipeline, alongside joint go-to-market initiatives and talent development programmes.
“Alibaba Cloud’s advanced AI models give creators new ways to turn ideas into engaging content more efficiently. Through this partnership, we look forward to bringing AIGC capabilities to more creators in Malaysia and the wider region, while exploring new possibilities for AI-powered content production,” said Ivan Tan, CTO of Loomi Entertainment Group.

SHAKE, a pioneer in agentic resource planning (ARP) for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), is leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s powerful compute resources and Qwen models to expand its services across APAC markets. Through this partnership, SHAKE is building a proprietary AI model based on Qwen to deliver highly optimized ARP solutions. Additionally, SHAKE’s ARP services will be featured on the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, supporting SMBs across industries to seamlessly transition into and thrive in the agentic era.
“By fusing SHAKE’s pioneer expertise in Agentic Resource Planning with Alibaba Cloud’s world-class compute infrastructure and cutting-edge Qwen models, we are unlocking unprecedented value for our customers. This collaboration serves as a powerful catalyst for our regional growth across APAC and marks a monumental milestone in our journey. Together, we are accelerating our vision to empower SMBs with the intelligent tools they need to thrive and scale in the agentic era,” said Sean Hinton, CEO of SHAKE.

AnyMind Group, a BPaaS company for marketing, e-commerce and digital transformation, has today announced a strategic agreement with Alibaba Cloud to integrate Qwen, a family of large language and multimodal AI models developed by Alibaba, into AnyLive, AnyMind Group’s AI-powered live commerce platform. The integration is designed to improve how AnyLive understands customer questions and delivers accurate, contextually relevant responses in real time. Qwen will be added as one of the models within AnyLive’s multi-model AI architecture, utilized and delivered through lifelike AI avatars. Its language understanding capabilities will help AnyLive better interpret customer intent, including conversational or ambiguous questions, and generate more natural and relevant responses across Asian languages.
Akinori Kubo, Managing Director, Global E-Commerce, AnyMind Group, said: “The quality of a live commerce experience depends on how well brands understand customers and respond to their needs in the moment. Adding Qwen to AnyLive’s multi-model stack will strengthen intent analysis and response accuracy across Asian languages, helping brands create live rooms where customers feel understood and can make more informed purchase decisions.”

Hashtag: #AlibabaCloud

While World Cleanup Day often brings attention to streets, parks and other public areas, Eureka used the occasion to highlight less visible spaces around us – from overlooked corners at home to shared environments that can easily escape regular cleaning.

The campaign brought together creators across four European markets – Germany, Italy, France and Spain – with each collaboration bringing a local perspective to the idea of “Find the Unseen.”

In Germany, @mit_den_jungz explored “Find the Unseen” through a familiar everyday habit: cleaning the spaces we see, while often missing the ones we do not. By combining personal interaction with a hands-on demonstration of Eureka FloorShine 880 Wet and Dry Vacuum, the content encouraged viewers to look at familiar surroundings more carefully and reconsider what may be left out of their usual routines. In this way, the campaign idea became less about simply cleaning more, and more about noticing what is usually overlooked.

Looking ahead, Eureka plans to continue working with creators across Europe to discover more of these “unseen” spaces. Through future collaborations, the brand aims to encourage people to pay greater attention to their surroundings, both in their own homes and in the shared spaces they use every day, and make cleaner environments part of everyday life.

Eureka also introduced the “Find the Unseen” social media challenge, which invited consumers to use Eureka cleaning products on overlooked areas in their homes and share videos of the process online for a chance to receive cashback.

As part of the World Cleanup Day campaign, Eureka is offering 6% off any Eureka product from now through September 30 with the promotional code eureka920 on its German website.

Learn more: https://de.eureka.com/pages/worldcleanday2026/

Hashtag: #Eureka

About Eureka

Founded in Detroit, USA, in 1909, Eureka is a century-old vacuum cleaner brand dedicated to making cleaning easier. The brand focuses on innovation, practical design and ease of use, developing cleaning solutions for everyday homes.

Presented at Port Canto, the M800E attracted strong interest from boat owners, industry professionals, dealers and international media. During the show, MIRAVA received dozens of serious expressions of interest and prospective orders, providing early market feedback on its new approach to smart boating.

The M800 combines intelligent technology with a modular design focused on freedom and versatility on the water. Its intelligent system integrates functions including assisted navigation, automatic docking, position holding and safety features, while a wearable smart band allows users to interact with the boat and enables the vessel to follow them during activities such as swimming, paddleboarding or exploring with the detachable electric tender.

The platform is designed around different ways of enjoying time on the water. Its flip-up stern mechanism transforms the rear area for easier access and greater flexibility, while the bow can be equipped with a removable hammock and shelter, creating a dedicated space for relaxing, socialising or enjoying the surroundings.

The Cannes debut is only the beginning of MIRAVA’s European journey. The company will next present its products and technology at boot Düsseldorf in January 2027, followed by a European sea-trial tour beginning in May 2027 across Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Northern Italy, Austria, and Hungary.

The sea-trial program will give prospective customers, dealers and industry partners the opportunity to experience the M800 platform and its intelligent boating system directly on the water.

MIRAVA Smart Boat – The Next Generation Smart Boat.

Hashtag: #MIRAVA

World Cleanup Day often draws attention to streets, parks and other public areas. Eureka extended that idea into everyday environments, asking people to look beyond the spaces they clean routinely and notice the corners and shared areas that may receive far less attention.

The wider campaign brought together creators across France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with each collaboration interpreting “Find the Unseen” through a local perspective.

In France, @Antoiz turned the campaign into a real-world challenge by offering €50 to anyone who could help him find the dirtiest place possible. After speaking with people about spaces that might fit the challenge, the search led to an entrance hall where dirt had built up away from everyday attention.

Rather than simply talking about overlooked spaces, the content went out to find one. @Antoiz then put the Eureka FloorShine 880 Wet and Dry Vacuum to work on the area, turning the discovery into a hands-on cleaning challenge and showing the result after cleaning. The format gave “Find the Unseen” a literal and relatable meaning, connecting curiosity, discovery and practical cleaning in one story.

Looking ahead, Eureka plans to continue working with creators across Europe to discover more of these “unseen” spaces. Through future collaborations, the brand aims to encourage people to pay greater attention to both their homes and the shared spaces they use every day, making cleaner environments a more natural part of everyday life.

Eureka also introduced the “Find the Unseen” social media challenge, inviting consumers to clean overlooked areas in their homes with Eureka products, share videos online and participate for a chance to receive cashback.

As part of the campaign, Eureka is offering 6% off any Eureka product from now through September 30 with the promotional code eureka920 on its French website.

Learn more:
https://fr.eureka.com/pages/worldcleanday2026/

Hashtag: #Eureka #WorldCleanupDay

About Eureka

Founded in Detroit, USA, in 1909, Eureka is a century-old vacuum cleaner brand dedicated to making cleaning easier. The brand focuses on innovation, practical design and ease of use, developing cleaning solutions for everyday homes.

Under the theme “Ecosystem Synergy for Intelligent Evolution,” the event introduced BDStar’s iLDB® strategy and shared the applications and development roadmap of GNSS Services. Training sessions were also organized for distributors. BDStar and attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on strengthening cooperation and fostering ecosystem synergy.

BDStar Founder and Chairman Zhou Ruxin stated that internationalization is a key strategy currently being implemented by BDStar. The company will continue to increase investment in global markets and build localized teams to provide customers worldwide with not only better products, but also enhanced services and support.

Meanwhile, BDStar also participated in INTERGEO 2026 in Munich, showcasing its GNSS chips, modules, antennas, services, and Chip-Cloud GNSS Solutions for a wide range of applications.

Hashtag: #BDStar

With the Omni Trio washing machine and AT8 Ultra wet-and-dry floor cleaner as key highlights, the showcase addressed a wide range of everyday home-care challenges, including separate laundry care, noise and vibration reduction, stubborn stain removal and the cleaning of tangled hair from floors.

During the exhibition, the products drew attention from German technology and smart-home media and also received recognition from industry bodies. The showcase innovations were honoured with the YD Best Design Award, while the Omni Trio received VDE A-10% low-noise certification, highlighting Midea’s continued strengths in both industrial design and product engineering.

Two Products, One Home-Care Direction

The Omni Trio brings a different approach to laundry separation. Its three independently operated drums—a 10 kg main drum and two 0.5 kg smaller drums—allow different loads to be washed separately at the same time. Everyday clothing, baby garments, socks and underwear can be handled without waiting for one cycle to finish before starting another.

Independent water inlets and Auto Dose systems, Foam & Flow DualSpray technology and low-noise performance support the same objective: making categorized laundry care easier to integrate into daily routines.

For floor care, the AT8 Ultra addresses another set of frequent cleaning tasks. Its technologies include Easy Foam cleaning, 60°C hot water on demand, a mechanical arm for improved water pickup, anti-tangle technology, and automated roller cleaning and drying. Each targets a practical issue, whether it is a stubborn stain, residual water or hair wrapped around the roller.

Together, Omni Trio and AT8 Ultra demonstrate how “Zoned Care, Omni Clean” extends beyond individual product features. Different cleaning tasks call for different solutions, and Midea FFC is applying its experience across laundry care and floor cleaning to address these needs with greater precision.

From European Needs to Global Development

IFA 2026 also provided Midea with an opportunity to observe how these innovations respond to expectations in the European market, where quieter operation, efficiency, flexibility and ease of use remain key considerations for home appliances.

These local insights also contribute into Midea FFC’s global product development. Learnings from different markets help shape technologies that can be adapted to diverse homes, daily routines and cleaning habits.

For the home-care category, the next stage of innovation is not simply adding more functions. It is about enabling appliances to better understand and handling specific household tasks, with greater automation and less effort from the user. For Midea FFC, the response at IFA 2026 offers a valuable reference point as the company continues to develop home-care technologies for markets around the world.

Hashtag: #Midea #OmniTrio #AT8Ultra

ABOUT MIDEA & MIDEA GROUP

Midea is a global technology company specializing in smart home appliances, climate solutions and floor-care technologies, with a focus on user-centric design, energy efficiency and sustainable innovation.

Press Conference: For Greener Cities, NOW!

On Press Day, 14 September, JAC Motors held a press conference at its booth under the theme “For Greener Cities, NOW!,” presenting four electrified models to the European market. Partners, fleet operators, and trade media from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, and other countries attended.

At the press conference, Oscar Yu, General Manager of JAC International, stated that Europe is a key market in the company’s global expansion. JAC commercial vehicles are already present in Germany, Spain, France, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland, with a target of full European coverage by 2028. Since IAA Transportation 2024, JAC has established one subsidiary in Europe and built a localised marketing and service system covering 13 countries, including 8 regional strategic partners, over 50 authorised sales outlets, and more than 100 after-sales service outlets. In Spain, JAC holds a 41% market share in the medium-duty electric truck segment, ranking first. (Source: Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) registration data, Jan–Jun 2026.)

The solutions JAC offers European customers go beyond the vehicles themselves. JAC’s subsidiary in Italy serves as a regional parts centre, covering warehousing, service and technical support, customer operations, and marketing. On financing, JAC has partnered with Santander and others to offer finance leasing, operating leasing, PCP (Personal Contract Purchase)/TCM (Trade Cycle Management), and flexible instalment plans, covering needs from fleets to individual users. On complete vehicle solutions, JAC works with bodybuilder partners such as Infore Environment to cover refrigerated transport, municipal sanitation, rescue, and other specialist applications.

The press conference also showcased JAC’s progress in Europe: JAC Motors Italy is now operational, the German dealer network is taking shape, and the parts logistics system already covers all of Germany. As JAC’s European business gradually moves from building its footprint to day-to-day operations, the atmosphere of conversations at this year’s booth has changed noticeably compared with 2024. Conversations at the booth now go straight to operations: Is the range enough? How long does charging take? Can this vehicle save the fleet money?

Looking ahead, JAC will continue to advance product introduction and channel expansion, targeting full coverage of the European market by 2028, participating in Europe’s urban green logistics transition with a complete electrified product portfolio and localised service capabilities.

Hashtag: #JACMOTORS

The third site in Europe extends TDCX’s multilingual delivery footprint for EMEA, with a second Lisbon building planned for 2027 as client demand accelerates

Hashtag: #TDCX #CX #Outsourcing #EnableTheFuture

About TDCX

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom awards its Freedom Prize 2026 to the courageous people of Iran who are fighting for freedom, civil rights and democracy.

POTSDAM, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 15 September 2026 -The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom honors the Iranian people with its Freedom Prize 2026 on 7 November 2026 at St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt. Reza Pahlavi will accept the award in a fiduciary capacity. Bijan Djir-Sarai, foreign policy spokesperson the Free Democratic Party (FDP), will deliver the laudatory address.

Since 2006, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has awarded the Freedom Prize every two years in recognition of outstanding commitment to the development of a liberal civil society, thereby contributing to strengthening values and goals of freedom around the world.

Steffen Saebisch, Chairman of the Board of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, comments: “The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom is deliberately awarding the Freedom Prize to the Iranian people rather than to an individual. We seek to honor the desire for freedom of the many hundreds of thousands of people who have risked their lives to overthrow the criminal mullah regime. We are pleased that Reza Pahlavi is accepting to receive the award in trust on behalf of the Iranian people until the day the prize can be presented to the freely elected representatives of Iran.”

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has asked Reza Pahlavi to receive the award in trust on behalf of the Iranian people, as he is the best-known personality of the Iranian opposition and is committed to the return to freedom and democracy in Iran. According to his own statements, he does not advocate one form of government over another, as long as it is democratic. He repeatedly emphasizes that the future political order of Iran must be decided by the Iranian people. According to many, he is currently also the most important political figure of identification for many Iranians (probably the majority) in Iran. In addition, Reza Pahlavi is committed to an end to Iranian-fueled conflicts in the Middle East, the normalization of Iran’s relations with its neighboring countries and, in particular, reconciliation with Israel.

The award goes to all those who stand up for their rights, for their own freedom and for a free and democratic society. It is dedicated in particular to those who lost their lives in the fight against a murderous regime and to those who were or are currently persecuted and imprisoned because of their commitment to freedom and democracy.

The award honors the courage of countless people who resist in their everyday lives: women who stand up for their right to self-determination; students who demand freedom of thought and learning; journalists who, despite intimidation and threats, stand up for press freedom; workers who fight for fair conditions and dignity; families who resist paternalism and the denial of individual choices in their conduct of life. Their strength lies not in individual actions, but in the perseverance of a society that refuses to be silenced.

For decades, the theocratic regime has ruled brutally and with great contempt for basic human rights. That is why it is all the more admirable that so many people in Iran are speaking out in various ways against the regime and in support of their freedom and fundamental rights, taking to the streets to make their voices heard. These extraordinarily courageous people deserve the full support of everyone for whom freedom, self-determination and democracy are the highest ideals.

By conferring the Freedom Prize on the Iranian people, the Foundation is deliberately drawing attention to the many unnamed people whose civic courage often remains unseen, but who form the basis of any peaceful change. The Freedom Prize is an expression of respect and solidarity – and at the same time an appeal to the international community to consistently protect the rights of all Iranians and to support their demands for freedom effectively.

The Iranian people stand for the hope that an open society can also emerge where freedom is suppressed. Their commitment reminds us: freedom is indivisible – and it begins with people who have the courage to stand up.

That is why our Foundation is committed to honoring freedom-loving people in Iran. By conferring the Freedom Prize on the Iranian people, the Foundation is sending a clear message to the public: The struggle for freedom and democracy has the full support of all liberals.

Hong Kong’s role as a springboard for global innovators to grasp Greater Bay Area opportunities.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 September 2026 — A Europe-wide I&T hackathon co-organised by Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) and the EuroTech Federation gave winning I&T talent in Europe a first-hand look at opportunities across the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), positioning Hong Kong as a gateway to regional collaboration. The hackathon attracted about 1,200 applicants from over 25 countries, with about 250 advanced to the final round. 90 per cent of finalists expressed stronger interest in Hong Kong and GBA Mainland citiesafter taking part. About 20 winning talent visited Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou to meet investors, incubators, research institutes and industry leaders.

First-hand insights into the GBA’s I&T opportunities

The delegation toured Cyberport, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong–Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, and Northern Metropolis to gain an in-depth understanding of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem and development opportunities, and support measures for talent and enterprise incubation.

In Qianhai of Shenzhen and Nansha of Guangzhou, delegates met local I&T organisations and enterprises to explore industrial applications in AI, robotics, smart transport and biotechnology, showcasing how Hong Kong can help overseas innovators connect with GBA opportunities and turn thoughts into action.

“What impresses us most is how vibrant and interconnected the tech ecosystem is. Within days, we met incubators, industry leaders and potential partners, giving us a clearer and more comprehensive view of how to turn thoughts into action.” — Cem Araz, heal.health / Germany

Building long-term connections

The programme is designed to sustain engagement beyond the competition.

“We want the global innovators not simply to visit Hong Kong and GBA, but to build their future here,” said Mr Chris Sun, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the HKSAR Government. “The programme demonstrates Hong Kong’s role as an international I&T centre and an international hub for high-calibre talent,and connects global talent with I&T opportunities in GBA, thereby injecting new impetus into I&T development in GBA.”

Mr Felix Chan, the Director of HKTE, said that the visit calls for continued engagement and support for talent seeking career advancement, entrepreneurial opportunities and settlement in the city.

Building on these engagements, Hong Kong provides international innovators with access to a global business environment, effective fund-raising platform, renowned research institutes and transparent talent admission pathways, while linking them to immense markets, diversified partners and strong growth prospects across GBA and the wider Chinese Mainland.

Hashtag: #HongKongTalentEngage

About Hong Kong Talent Engage

HKTE, an office under the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the HKSAR Government, promotes Hong Kong’s opportunities and talent attraction initiatives worldwide, and offers comprehensive support to help incoming talent and their families settle in Hong Kong for long‑term development.

The core highlight of the event is an exclusive, live on-site exhibition tour hosted by world-renowned creator Pamela. During the live stream, Pamela visited the booths to experience several flagship products firsthand. Sharing her genuine personal impressions, she effectively communicated the key features and advantages of each product to a global audience. This livestreaming seamlessly bridged the physical exhibition with online digital communities, significantly boosting the exposure and global impact of the Tech Festival.

The exhibition features four major categories of technology products, covering image creation, home cooking, smart cleaning, and home fitness. DJI presents its portable, intelligent pocket imaging devices, leveraging advanced sensor technology and AI-optimized algorithms to deliver stable, high-quality footage for everyday content creation. Bosch showcases its upgraded dual-chamber air fryer, optimizing the home cooking experience with a healthier, more efficient, and user-friendly solution. Roborock introduces its high-end flagship robotic vacuum, equipped with precise smart navigation and all-scenario adaptive cleaning capabilities to effortlessly achieve whole-house smart cleaning. Meanwhile, UMAY exhibits its ergonomically designed, smart-connected fitness equipment, lowering the barrier to entry for long-term, professional home workouts.

Driven by its youthful, scenario-based, and experiential exhibition format, the Tech Festival has emerged as one of the most popular and iconic experiential highlights of IFA 2026. It vividly illustrates the emerging trend of how lifestyle technology empowers and elevates the quality of everyday life.

Hashtag: #TechFestival