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Manulife and World Economic Forum Launch the Prospering in Longevity Challenge to Drive Health and Financial Resiliency

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Multi-year partnership taking steps to help shape the future and funding of human longevity innovation 

TORONTO, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Manulife and the World Economic Forum (“the Forum”), today announced the launch of the Prospering in Longevity Challenge, through UpLink, the Forum’s open innovation platform. Earlier this year, a multi-year partnership between Manulife and Uplink was announced at the Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos and the Prospering in Longevity Challenge is the first of three innovation challenges designed to help shape the future of, and investment in, longevity innovation. 

Together, Manulife and the Forum invite global start-ups with innovative preventative healthcare and financial well-being solutions, and those committed to enabling people of all generations to thrive while enjoying a financially resilient and fulfilling long life, to participate in the challenge. Applicants can begin applying today through July 22, 2024. Full project details, including eligibility criteria and timelines, can be found on the challenge page here.  

“By 2050, the global population over 65 is expected to double to 1.6 billion, bringing significant health and wealth challenges for our planet,” said Sarah Chapman, Global Chief Sustainability Officer for Manulife. “We are partnering with the World Economic Forum and UpLink because of our shared sense of urgency to find inclusive and accessible solutions to help people worldwide live longer, healthier, and better lives.” 

While people are living longer than in previous generations, it does not always equate to improved health span. On average, people spend about 50 percent of their lives in less than good health, including 12 percent in poor health1.  

As the population ages, factors like financial resilience and literacy, healthy ageing, generational skill-building, social connection, and longevity inequalities across gender, race and class will be critical in ensuring a more sustainable, healthier future – and we must act with urgency. 

The themes for the first Longevity Challenge are as follows: 

Strengthening financial resilience across longer lives, which will create solutions that democratize access to tools that increase financial resilience, e.g. empowering better financial decisions, capacity to save, behavioral focused financial apps. Embracing a preventative approach to healthcare, which will aim to surface solutions aimed to improve physical and mental health with a preventative approach to healthcare, e.g. early risk factor detection and intervention, lifestyle trackers, access to virtual medical care. 

“Innovation is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and by partnering with Manulife, we are committed to sourcing and scaling innovative solutions that strengthen financial resilience across longer lives and embrace a preventative approach to healthcare,” said John Dutton, Head of UpLink, World Economic Forum. “This collaboration will democratize access to tools that increase financial resilience and surface solutions aimed at improving physical and mental health.” 

This multi-year partnership builds upon Manulife’s continued partnership with WEF’s UpLink to run innovation challenges to spur nature-based solutions to climate change across two key areas in 2023. The first focused on sourcing innovative solutions across the entire sustainable forestry value chain, while the second surfaced innovations aimed at improving the connection between planetary and human health. In total, 21 ecopreneurial start-ups providing innovative and scalable models for sustainable forest management and more were selected as challenge winners. More information about the program can be found here.  

To learn more about Manulife’s Impact Agenda, and to track progress against its goals, visit manulife.com/impact

About Manulife 

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as ‘MFC’ on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under ‘945’ in Hong Kong.

Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

About UpLink  

UpLink is the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum, designed to unlock an ‘entrepreneur revolution’ for people and planet by supporting start-ups with innovative solutions for the world’s most pressing issues, as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

Launched at the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos in partnership with Deloitte and Salesforce, UpLink builds bridges between entrepreneurs and the investors, experts and partners who can help scale their ventures. UpLink crowdsources new innovations through a competition framework known as innovation challenges. UpLink has now run more than 43 challenges and identified over 350 entrepreneurs with innovative solutions across critical SDG areas including health, food, freshwater, ocean, plastics, education, climate and more. For more information, visit https://uplink.weforum.org.  

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SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation

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Deye’s Micro Hybrid ESS: A New Era of Compact, Efficient Power

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Suitable for on-grid, off-grid and portable use96.5% DC-AC conversion efficiency1000W rated power AC charge/discharge1600W high-power PV input4ms on-grid/off-grid switch

NINGBO, China, Jan. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — At Deye, we believe in redefining the way customers experience energy—whether customers are seeking reliable backup power for their home or exploring the great outdoors. Today, we’re proud to introduce the Deye Micro Hybrid Energy Storage System, AE-F(S)2.0-2H2, a game-changing innovation that brings intelligent, flexible, and portable energy solutions to customers’ fingertips.

The Deye Micro Hybrid ESS is an all-in-one system that combines an energy storage micro-inverter, battery modules, and a Battery Management System (BMS) into one compact unit. Designed with the modern lifestyle in mind, this system offers seamless integration with customers’ home and outdoor activities, offering intelligent monitoring and power management 24/7 via Lora smart communication and an easy-to-use APP monitoring interface. With 6,000 cycle life, the system is designed for a 10-year service life, and also comes with a 5-year warranty for added assurance.

1. Plug-and-Play Simplicity

With its minimalist design, the Micro Hybrid ESS is a true plug-and-play solution. It offers multiple output ports, meeting the diverse energy needs of various devices simultaneously, whether at home or in the great outdoors. Equipped with two MPPTs and a high PV power input of 1600W, it can be paired with over 99% of photovoltaic panels on the market, offering maximum flexibility.

2. High-Performance, Low Noise

The Micro Hybrid ESS is engineered for high performance. Featuring a 2kWh LFP battery, the system can expand up to 10kWh for extended power supply. Whether users need emergency backup at home or are camping off the grid, this system guarantees ultra-low noise during use thanks to its fanless design, making it the perfect companion for both residential and outdoor settings.

3. A Greener Future in Every Mode

The Deye Micro Hybrid ESS is designed for smart energy management with three intuitive modes:

Green Power Mode: Uses solar energy first to power your home, then charges the battery with any leftover. If more power is needed, the battery supplements the shortfall and sells excess power to the grid under the guarantee of the set SOC, thereby minimizing reliance on purchased electricity.TOU(Time-of-Use) Mode: Allows you to optimize energy consumption based on time-of-use pricing, buying electricity during off-peak hours and using or selling it back during peak hours.Full Charge Mode: Acts as a backup power source during emergencies, ensuring your home stays powered during outages or extreme weather events.

4. Empower Existing Systems to New Heights

The Micro Hybrid ESS features a unique AC coupling function that easily upgrades existing balcony micro-inverter systems. It could ensure no energy waste from the exsiting systems while meeting power needs during nighttime or outages.

It also supports Deye Smart loT System for further enhancement. When quipped with Deye Wireless Smart CT for Zero Export, this system could enhance its percentage of self-consumption. And if equipped with Deye Smart Plug, the system could realize 24-hour time-zone intelligent control of whole-house power equipment on and off.

5. Compact, Powerful, and Versatile: Ideal for Every Lifestyle

The Deye Micro Hybrid ESS is designed with flexibility in mind. Whether you’re someone seeking a reliable home backup power solution or simply an outdoor enthusiast, an RV traveler, this system is built to meet your needs. Its compact size—occupying less than 1/4 square meter—makes it an ideal solution for small apartments or spaces where every inch matters. With an IP65 rating and capable of operating in extreme temperatures from -10°C to 50°C, it’s ready to perform in all weather conditions.

The Deye Micro Hybrid Energy Storage System is not just about today; it’s about tomorrow. Technology may not give meaning to people’s life in a direct way, but this Deye new innovation could empower people to explore the distant places they long for. With green energy by customers’ side and electricity at their command, let the Deye AE-FS2.0-2H2 Micro Hybrid Energy Storage System be customers’ charging station for every step of their journey.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deyes-micro-hybrid-ess-a-new-era-of-compact-efficient-power-302348745.html

SOURCE Deye

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NYP Launches New Studio Devoted To Cutting-Edge New Media Technologies

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The facility features industry-grade virtual production, preparing learners for an industry estimated to grow 14.7 per cent each year and be worth US$10.07 billion globally by 2032.

SINGAPORE, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) unveiled its BeyondReality Studio, a one-stop playground of emerging immersive media technologies.

Virtual Production is an exciting and rapidly evolving field that combines traditional filmmaking techniques with cutting-edge digital technology. It involves the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI), augmented reality (AR), motion capture, and other technologies to create realistic environments and effects on virtual sets.

What you can expect in a virtual production studio:

LED Volume Walls: These replace traditional green screens, allowing real-time visualisation of virtual sets. This technology was notably used in “The Mandalorian”.Camera Tracking System: Allows the virtual environment to synchronise dynamically with the camera movements to achieve a realistic and immersive experience.Unreal Engine: A powerful real-time 3D creation platform that enables photorealistic rendering and real-time adjustments.

The global virtual production market is projected to reach US$10.07 billion by 2032[1]. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for high-quality visual effects in movies, TV shows, and commercials, as well as the rising adoption of virtual production technologies in the gaming industry. Major players like Disney, Epic Games, and ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) are heavily investing in virtual production. Disney, for instance, has extensively used LED video walls for in-house shoots, significantly reducing the need for on-location filming.

The Asia-Pacific region, particularly China, Japan, and South Korea, is also seeing rapid growth due to rising investments in the entertainment industry.

NYP’s investment in this state-of-the-art facility underscores its commitment to preparing students for the future. The BeyondReality Studio will provide students with unparalleled opportunities to develop skills in CGI, augmented reality, motion capture, and more, ensuring they are well-equipped to meet the demands of the entertainment and gaming industries.

The 2,500-square-feet virtual production facility features 24 professional motion capture cameras for high precision full-body performance capture, a large curved green screen cyclorama for greater versatility and illusion of depth, and an LED volume wall and floor for the most authentic replications of virtual environments.

The studio prepares students for the future of media production, offering opportunities to work with Extended Reality (XR), Virtual Production (VP), Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Metaverse and Web 3.0, as well as Generative AI.

The studio boasts numerous firsts in Singapore’s visual and audio production scene:

NYP is the first and only Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) in Singapore to feature advanced LED volume technology. These skills have also been identified as emerging skills in the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) refreshed Skills Framework for Media.The BeyondReality Studio is the only studio in Singapore that features a unique 3-in-1 setup of motion capture, green screen, and LED volume virtual production all under one roof. NYP will be the first polytechnic to receive the official certification of a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Surround Audio Studio – to supplement the audio productions in the BeyondReality Studio – ensuring that soundtracks produced within the studio can be accurately reproduced worldwide, at the highest quality.

The studio also references Hollywood-standards, while ensuring space optimisation and creating conducive learning experiences. The studio’s LED volume wall is optimised for mid-to-close shots, making it an ideal training environment and the perfect size suitable for local productions. This allows industry partners to explore and experiment with innovative technologies and streamline production workflows.

Mr Albert Lim, Director at NYP’s School of Design & Media, said: “We are focused on equipping our students with more than just qualifications – we want to prepare them with the emerging skills required for them to stay at the forefront of media production, whether for further studies or career growth. With our new BeyondReality Studio, our students will learn what it takes to create their very own next-gen immersive masterpiece.”

Students across different disciplines in NYP will also get to work together on real-life virtual production projects. School of Business Management students can manage production shoots through set operations, scripting, and scheduling, while School of Design & Media students create virtual assets and integrate them into live environments using tools like Unreal Engine – an industry-leading 3D creation software. This collaborative approach equips our learners with relevant experience in working across teams on large-scale projects.

Final-year Diploma in Animation, Games & Visual Effects student, Choy Yu Feng, will be getting hands-on with the new facility in his final semester. “Virtual production is really up and coming, it will be very useful for me when I graduate with experience in these new technologies and some skills under my belt. I think it will help me stand out,” he said.

Creative media professionals can also take on a plethora of courses – from short courses to specialist diplomas – to upskill and reskill themselves in emerging immersive media technologies.

The BeyondReality Studio will be officially opened by Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Tan Kiat How, on 24 Jan 2025.

-END-

About Nanyang Polytechnic

Established as an institution of higher learning in 1992, Nanyang Polytechnic’s (NYP) academic schools offer quality education and training through 37 full-time diploma courses and common entry programmes. NYP also has a full suite of Continuing Education and Training (CET) options for lifelong learning, ranging from specialist and advanced diplomas to SkillsFuture-supported modules and courses. NYP’s Asian Culinary Institute Singapore and the Singapore Institute of Retail Studies are CET institutes set up in partnership with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to champion and transform Singapore’s F&B and retail sectors, respectively. A third NYP CET institute – the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning – also set up in collaboration with SSG, will spearhead the development of progressive workplace learning strategies and programmes for companies here.

[1] Source: Fortune Business Insights, “Virtual Production Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis,” https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/virtual-production-market-107105

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/nyp-launches-new-studio-devoted-to-cutting-edge-new-media-technologies-302346753.html

SOURCE Nanyang Polytechnic

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GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT Delivers 406 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Sanitation Vehicles

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BAODING, China, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On January 10th, the first batch of 406 hydrogen fuel cell sanitation vehicles equipped with GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT’s hydrogen power system were officially delivered to customers, marking the successful implementation of GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT’s first “hundred-unit level” hydrogen sanitation vehicle demonstration application scenario in Baoding, China.

This batch of hydrogen sanitation vehicles includes three main models: hydrogen sweeping and washing vehicles, hydrogen cleaning vehicles, and hydrogen high-pressure flushing vehicles. They were jointly developed by GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT in collaboration with three well-known Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturers – Changzheng, Yutong, and Dongfeng. All vehicles are equipped with GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT’s self-developed commercial vehicle fuel cell system and hydrogen storage system. Compared to electric sanitation vehicles, they have significant advantages such as faster fuel replenishment and better adaptability to high and low-temperature environments. It only takes 5-8 minutes to complete hydrogen refueling, and a single refueling allows for continuous operation of over 10 hours.

This delivery is another large-scale, mass-application demonstration scenario of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles implemented by GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT in China, following the world’s first hundred-unit level 49-ton hydrogen heavy-duty truck demonstration application scenario. These vehicles will act as “mobile air purifiers” to support the low-carbon circular development model of “waste-free city + green hydrogen”, and create a benchmark for the application of hydrogen sanitation vehicles in China.

At present, the number of hydrogen energy vehicles equipped by GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT that have been launched in the Chinese market has reached the thousand-unit level.

Follow the website of FTXT for more information: http://en.ftxt-e.com/

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/gwm-hydrogen-ftxt-delivers-406-hydrogen-fuel-cell-sanitation-vehicles-302347833.html

SOURCE FTXT

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