Author: Sai Krishna

BML Munjal University hosts ICATS 2026 to explore how AI is reshaping trade and sustainable growth

International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Trade and Sustainability brought together 400 participants, 100+ research papers and global experts to examine responsible AI, digital trade and sustainable business

NEW DELHI, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As artificial intelligence increasingly shapes how businesses operate, economies trade and organisations approach sustainability, BML Munjal University (BMU) brought together academicians, researchers, industry leaders, policymakers and practitioners at the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Trade and Sustainability (ICATS 2026). Held on October 6 and 7 in a hybrid format at the University’s Gurugram campus, the conference examined the intersection of AI, digital transformation, global trade and sustainable development, with around 400 participants and more than 100 research papers.

The two-day conference sought to move the conversation beyond AI as a technology and towards its wider implications for businesses, economies and society. Discussions at ICATS 2026 focused on AI-driven trade ecosystems, smart supply chains, digital commerce, sustainable business models, responsible governance and the future of work, bringing together perspectives from technology, business, economics, management, social sciences and public policy.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Jaskiran Arora, Dean – Education Quality and Professor, School of Management, BML Munjal University said, “Artificial intelligence is no longer shaping businesses in isolation, it is influencing how economies trade, how organisations make decisions and how we think about sustainable growth. ICATS 2026 brings these conversations together because the opportunities created by AI need to be examined alongside questions of responsibility, inclusion and long-term resilience. By bringing academia, industry and policymakers into the same dialogue, the conference aims to encourage ideas and collaborations that can translate technological progress into meaningful and sustainable economic outcomes.”

Sharing her thoughts at the conference, Dr. Nishu Ayedee, Founder and CEO Confab 360 Degree and MentorEDGE said, “ICATS 2026 connects academia and industry through meaningful dialogue on artificial intelligence, trade and sustainability, creating opportunities for collaboration and responsible innovation with lasting societal impact.”

Dr. Buddha Chandrashekhar, CEO Anuvadini AI and CCO, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), graced the conference as the Guest of Honour.

The conference featured participation from leading international institutions including the University of Sydney, University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, University of Groningen, High Point University, Rushford Business School, Universidade Portucalense, Sofia University, INTI International University, Tamaulipas Autonomous University and others. Indian institutions including IIM Indore, SRCC, Manipal University, Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand University, IILM University and Dev Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya also participated.

ICATS 2026 brought together experts from academia and industry, including Dr. Chandrashekhar Buddha, CEO, Anuvadini AI, Ministry of Education and CCO, AICTE, along with industry leaders from DBS Bank India, Landis+Gyr India, MAHR Metrology India, Twimbit and Physics Wallah, among others. The conference was chaired by Prof. (Dr.) Anuj Kumar, Rushford Business School, Switzerland, and Dr. Michael E. Auer, CEO, CTI Consulting, USA, with Dr. Atul Mishra and Dr. Jolly Masih of BMU serving as Conference Co-Chairs.

The International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Trade and Sustainability (ICATS 2026) was organised by BML Munjal University in collaboration with Confab 360 Degree and Orchid University, Sikkim.

The conference team comprised Dr. Anuj Kumar as Conference Chair; Dr. Jolly Masih and Dr. Atul Mishra as Co-Chairs; Mr. Neelesh Kumar as Convenor; and Dr. Jaya Ahuja and Dr. Meenakshi Malik as Co-Convenors. MentorEDGE and Pathlock were the major sponsors of the conference.

Across its two-day programme, ICATS 2026 featured keynote addresses, industry and global panels, technical research sessions and discussions around the role of AI in emerging economic and social systems. Discussions included the role of resilient academic networks in strengthening global collaboration, as well as the application of AI, Industry 4.0 and sustainable business models.

The conference was structured around five thematic tracks covering AI and emerging technologies; trade, commerce and the digital economy; sustainable business and management; innovation, entrepreneurship and the future of work; and AI, society, education and sustainable development. These tracks covered subjects ranging from Generative AI, Large Language Models and robotics to digital trade, smart supply chains, ESG, circular economy, human-AI collaboration, future skills, smart governance, digital inclusion and data ethics.

With more than 100 research papers received and approximately 400 participants joining through online and offline formats, ICATS 2026 provided a platform for knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration. The conference aimed to encourage research and partnerships that contribute to innovative, inclusive and sustainable approaches to economic growth in an increasingly AI-powered world.

About BML Munjal University (BMU)

Named after the late Founder Chairman of the Hero Group, BML Munjal University (BMU) is a not-for-profit initiative established by the promoters of the Hero Group. The University is committed to creating, preserving, and disseminating internationally benchmarked knowledge and skills through a future-facing approach to teaching, learning, and research. BMU aims to transform higher education in India by fostering a world-class, innovative academic ecosystem and nurturing the leaders and change-makers of tomorrow.

BMU’s School of Management has been consistently ranked among the top 100 management institutions in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for the past five years. In the Careers360 B-School Rankings 2025, the School secured Rank 3 in Haryana and Rank 55 nationally.

The University has also been ranked #5 in India and #1 in Haryana among Top Private Engineering and Technology Universities in the EducationWorld India Higher Education Rankings 2024–25. BMU is accredited with an A-grade by NAAC, reaffirming its commitment to academic excellence and institutional quality.

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YINGFA Showcases TOPCon 3.0 Multi-Cut and XBC 2.0 Solar Cells at REI 2026

Manufacturing in China and Indonesia, combined with dedicated local support in India, strengthens partnerships with module manufacturers

GREATER NOIDA, India, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — YINGFA will showcase its TOPCon multi-cut and XBC solar cells at Renewable Energy India Expo 2026, taking place October 22–24 at India Expo Mart. At Hall 14, Booth C33, the company will present cell technologies designed to help module manufacturers achieve higher efficiency and greater design flexibility, supported by production facilities in China and Indonesia and dedicated local customer support in India.

Cell Innovation for Module Design

YINGFA’s TOPCon 3.0 solar cells deliver a measured cell efficiency of 27.3% and are available in full-cell, half-cut, third-cut and quarter-cut formats to accommodate different module designs. Visitors can view physical samples and discuss cell selection, product configurations and manufacturing compatibility with the YINGFA team.

YINGFA’s XBC 2.0 solar cells deliver efficiencies of up to 28.4%, combining a pure black appearance with a front surface free of metal gridlines. These characteristics make them suitable for module designs where both performance and aesthetics matter.

Both efficiency figures apply to individual solar cells. Actual finished-module performance will vary depending on module design, materials and manufacturing processes.

Global Manufacturing, Local Support

With manufacturing operations in China and Indonesia, including PT. Bintan Cellular Indonesia (BCI), YINGFA combines international production capacity with dedicated customer support in India.

Its India-based team provides customers with access to sales, technical and customer service specialists, helping address product requirements, quality considerations and after-sales needs. By combining manufacturing capabilities across Asia with local market expertise, YINGFA aims to strengthen long-term partnerships with Indian module manufacturers.

At REI 2026, YINGFA invites customers and industry partners to visit Hall 14, Booth C33 to learn more about its solar cell portfolio, discuss next-generation module designs and explore potential areas of collaboration.

About YINGFA

YINGFA is a solar cell manufacturer with operations in China and Indonesia, serving customers in international markets. Its portfolio includes TOPCon and XBC solar cells in multiple formats. With a commitment to “We Only Make Better Solar Cells,” YINGFA focuses on cell innovation, manufacturing quality and customer service.

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24X Completes Spot Cryptocurrency Trade in BTC with Standard Chartered and Wintermute

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 24X Bermuda Limited (“24X“) today announced that it has successfully completed its second consecutive spot cryptocurrency client trade on its institutional-grade, multi-asset trading platform, solidifying its position as one of a select few global venues offering both crypto spot and FX trading on a single, unified technology infrastructure.

The trade was executed in Bitcoin (BTC) as part of 24X’s strategic partnership with Standard Chartered, a leading international banking group and one of the world’s global systemically important banks (G-SIBs). Standard Chartered acted as liquidity taker and Wintermute served as liquidity provider for this trade.

The transaction follows 24X’s inaugural spot crypto trade, in which Cumberland DRW served as liquidity provider. Taken together, these two trades mark the continued development of regulated, institutional-grade infrastructure for digital asset markets, demonstrating how established financial institutions and specialist liquidity providers are helping accelerate the adoption of digital assets by institutional investors.

“Institutional demand for digital assets is increasing at an unprecedented level, and our 24X platform is ready to meet this moment,” said 24X CEO and Founder Dmitri Galinov. “This trade with Wintermute affirms the deep liquidity, rigorous oversight, and the seamless workflow of our crypto trading infrastructure. We are very happy to be working with Wintermute and Standard Chartered on this transaction, and we look forward to continuing to execute these types of trades as global markets continue to converge around digital assets.”

“Institutions already represent a significant part of the digital asset market, as reflected in their record share of our OTC spot flow in the first half of 2026, and expect the same quality of execution and infrastructure they are used to in traditional markets. Meeting those expectations requires the long-term investment in technology and operational efficiency we’ve made since Wintermute was founded. That approach has allowed us to serve a broad range of counterparties and now expand into traditional markets. We’re pleased to have provided liquidity for this trade,” said Evgeny Gaevoy, CEO and founder of Wintermute. 

24X also offers Deliverable Swaps, Non-Deliverable Swaps, Metals and Spot products to institutional customers in addition to NDFs. Since its launch in 2019, 24X’s multi-asset offering through a single trading interface has enabled market participants to access increased liquidity at lower cost. 24X’s crypto activity is regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority.

About 24X

24X Bermuda Holdings LLC (“24 Exchange”) is a privately held company with two primary operating subsidiaries: 24X Bermuda Limited, which allows seamless and cost-effective exchange of currency exposures; and 24X National Exchange LLC, the first national securities exchange approved by the SEC to operate 23 hours each weekday. 24X’s mission is to enable cost-effective trades across a growing range of asset classes around the clock. 24X lowers the cost of exchanging assets in the global markets while delivering creative and unique workflows catered to each asset class. More information is available at https://24exchange.com/. 24X National Exchange enables retail and institutional customers around the world to trade in U.S. equities via broker-dealers who are approved members. More information about 24X National Exchange is available at https://equities.24exchange.com/home.

About Wintermute

Wintermute is a global algorithmic trading firm, leading OTC desk, and liquidity provider operating across digital asset and traditional financial markets. With over $3.5 trillion in annual trading volume, it provides liquidity across more than 70 centralized and decentralized exchanges and is a key partner to token projects seeking deep, scalable liquidity. Wintermute’s proprietary trading infrastructure allows it to trade across the entire digital asset ecosystem as well as on the leading global derivatives exchanges in traditional markets, making it the preferred counterparty for a broad range of market participants, including some of the world’s largest financial institutions. Alongside trading, building is central to Wintermute’s DNA, from backing early-stage projects through Wintermute Ventures to incubating new protocols, some of which have grown into independent businesses. 

Media Contact:

Eric Andrus, KARV

24Xmedia@karv.global

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Canton Fair Expands Global Partnership Network, Elevating Open Platform Toward Shared Value Creation

GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The signing ceremony for the 140th Canton Fair Global Cooperative Partners was held on October 16th. Zhu Yong, Director General of CFTC; Eugene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles Harbor Department and Ali El Abdallah, President of the Lebanese Chinese Business Association, delivered remarks to over 70 guests.

Zhu Yong noted that the Canton Fair Global Cooperative Partners Program advances Premier Li Qiang’s vision of “following the trend of economic globalization and answering the call of the international community for joint development.” This round of signings, she said, marks a deeper partner network, more complete and effective matchmaking services and higher, more substantive levels of cooperation.

Eugene Seroka described the agreement with the Canton Fair as a new beginning built on mutual trust, one that drives business growth and promotes shared progress.

Strengthening Global Partnerships for Shared Growth

The Canton Fair signed memoranda with eight organizations, including six new partners: Benelux Chamber of Commerce in China, Joinco, Palestinian Businessmen Association, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI), Polish-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Port of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles Harbor Department, and renewed ties with two existing partners, Lebanese Chinese Business Association and China Information & Culture Centre (Kenya).

The new partners span key nodes, from a major North American port gateway to established European markets and cover a diverse mix of shipping and logistics firms, business associations and leading procurement enterprises.

As of the 140th session, the Canton Fair has partnered with 240 organizations across 112 countries and regions.

In his congratulatory letter to the 140th Canton Fair, President Xi Jinping noted that China stands ready to join hands with countries around the world to jointly uphold the multilateral trading system and expand the space for mutually beneficial international economic and trade cooperation. Guided by this spirit, the Canton Fair will extend cooperation beyond goods trading to joint brand-building, shared market development and shared services.

For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:

https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16 

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Comviva and Aduna Showcase Network Intelligence for Financial Services at Money20/20

 NEW DELHI and LAS VEGAS, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Comviva, a global leader in digital transformation solutions, and Aduna, the global aggregator of standardized network APIs, are advancing the use of network intelligence to address growing digital identity and fraud challenges in financial services. At Money20/20 USA, taking place October 18–21, 2026, in Las Vegas, the companies will showcase the progress of their collaboration and demonstrate how network APIs can help financial institutions strengthen identity verification, detect SIM-swap detection, enhance fraud prevention, and streamline customer onboarding. By enabling financial institutions to leverage network-derived insights, the collaboration aims to strengthen digital trust while supporting more secure and frictionless customer experiences.

The showcase comes nearly a year after Comviva and Aduna announced their strategic partnership in November 2025 to accelerate enterprise adoption and monetisation of Network APIs through Comviva’s NGAGE platform. Through the platform, enterprises can access communication and network APIs through a single interface, while Aduna brings together standardised network capabilities from its global operator ecosystem. NGAGE platform already operates at significant commercial scale, supporting 7,000+ enterprises, 40+ deployments, 100+ industry use cases, 130+ Communication APIs, and 25+ Network APIs, while processing 250+ billion messages annually. NGAGE is deployed across industries.

For banks and fintechs, network-level intelligence can provide an additional layer of information for customer verification and risk assessment. Capabilities such as number verification and SIM-swap detection can help identify potential fraud, strengthen authentication and support faster, lower-friction onboarding and KYC journeys.

The focus on financial services builds on Comviva’s established presence in the sector and its experience supporting digital financial services ecosystems globally. The collaboration brings this expertise together with network intelligence to address practical challenges across identity, fraud prevention and customer onboarding.

Rajesh Chandiramani, Chief Executive Officer, Comviva, said, “Over the past year, NGAGE has evolved as a unified and scalable access point for enterprises looking to bring network intelligence into their digital journeys. Financial services is a natural priority because the impact can be measured directly through outcomes such as faster onboarding, stronger fraud controls and reduced dependence on OTPs and other verification steps. Our collaboration with Aduna, combined with Tech Mahindra’s BFSI reach, enables us to take these capabilities to financial institutions across markets and help address these challenges at scale.”

Peter Arbitter, Chief Commercial Officer, Aduna Global, said, “Standardisation is essential to scaling the use of network APIs across financial services. Aduna brings together CAMARA-standardised APIs from leading mobile operators, simplifying access to trusted network intelligence across operators and markets. Working with Comviva and Tech Mahindra makes it easier for banks and fintechs to embed these capabilities into customer verification, fraud prevention and onboarding processes, helping them strengthen security while reducing friction for their customers.”

The collaboration will continue to focus on expanding the use of Network APIs across financial services markets and exploring applications beyond identity and fraud, including lending risk, payments intelligence and other areas where real-time network information can support secure and seamless digital experiences.

Comviva will showcase its NGAGE, a new-age Communication Platform as a Service that draws its power and performance from robust AI engines at Money20/20 USA alongside its parent company Tech Mahindra at MC-7. Together, the companies will demonstrate how AI, advanced analytics, network APIs and digital platforms are helping financial institutions accelerate innovation, strengthen fraud prevention and identity verification, and deliver more seamless customer experiences.

About Aduna

Aduna is a landmark venture between some of the world’s leading telecom operators and Ericsson, dedicated to enabling developers worldwide to accelerate innovation by leveraging networks to their full potential via common network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Its venture partners include AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, Orange, Reliance Jio, Singtel, Telefonica, Telstra, T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone. By combining network APIs from multiple operators globally under a unified platform based on the CAMARA open-source project, driven by the GSMA and the Linux Foundation, Aduna provides a standardized platform to foster collaboration, enhance user experiences, and drive industry growth. To find out more about network APIs and Aduna, visit adunaglobal.com

About Comviva

Comviva empowers organizations to drive transformative growth with measurable business impact. Our AI-driven digital solutions and intelligent platforms enable our customer to unlock new revenue opportunities, enhance customer experiences, and simplify operational complexities to achieve exponential success.

From maximizing customer lifetime value to enabling large-scale digital transformation, Comviva is trusted by 200+ global communication service providers and enterprises to solve complex challenges and prepare for the future. With our solutions deployed across 100+ countries, Comviva has brought the benefits of digital innovation and mobility to billions worldwide. As a subsidiary of Tech Mahindra and a member of the Mahindra Group, Comviva is committed to driving growth, efficiency, and transformation for tomorrow. For more information, visit us at www.comviva.com

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Altimetrik Opens Healthcare & Life Sciences Center of Excellence in Hyderabad

Launches PharmaOS as the Center’s first offering, taking clients from concept to validation in a week

HYDERABAD, India, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Altimetrik, an AI engineering company, today opened its Healthcare & Life Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE) in Hyderabad to accelerate AI innovation for its clients. The Center’s first launch is PharmaOS, Altimetrik’s agentic AI framework for life sciences, built on Altimetrik’s ALTi AIOS™ (operating system), with more offerings to be built alongside clients across the industry. With PharmaOS, the Center promises to take clients from a defined concept to a validated, governed AI agentic workflow in one week, helping organizations move quickly from an initial idea to a working, validated use case.

The CoE brings together AI engineers and life sciences specialists to build agents that meet regulatory requirements, trace every output to trusted sources and keep people accountable for decisions. The Center is part of Altimetrik’s 22,000 sq ft office at Phoenix Equinox in Gachibowli, near HITEC City, which is home to more than 300+ Altimetrik employees. It will support work across drug discovery, clinical development, commercial operations, manufacturing, patient engagement and care delivery.

“Enterprises want AI that delivers meaningful outcomes, and in healthcare and life sciences, that means engineering solutions that are grounded in industry context, regulatory requirements and trusted data. PharmaOS is our first offering from the Healthcare & Life Sciences Center of Excellence, designed to help global customers build and scale governed AI agents across critical workflows. Hyderabad’s deep pharma expertise and technology talent make it the right home for this Center, bringing together the capabilities needed to deliver practical, industry-specific innovation,” said Raj Sundaresan, Chief Executive Officer, Altimetrik.

PharmaOS connects AI agents to life sciences workflows

Built on Altimetrik’s ALTi AIOS™ framework, PharmaOS brings together more than 35 purpose-built agents and accelerators spanning commercial operations, clinical and regulatory evidence review, manufacturing and quality, responsible AI and data modernization. The framework connects them to enterprise processes and trusted data, traces their outputs to source evidence and keeps people responsible for decisions. This approach allows organizations to apply AI to tasks such as clinical study report review, GxP compliance checks and batch-release readiness, while building governed capabilities that can be reused across teams and workflows.

PharmaOS is designed to work with leading enterprise AI ecosystems, including Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI, with model flexibility supported by its underlying architecture.

A one-week path from concept to production-grade execution

Alongside PharmaOS, Altimetrik is introducing a one-week delivery model designed to shorten the time between identifying an AI use case and assessing its potential for deployment. Given a defined business challenge, agreed data access and a bounded workflow, life sciences specialists and AI engineers use reusable agents and industry-specific accelerators to build an executable workflow within a week.

The engagement incorporates security, observability, source traceability, quality checks, human decision rights and a measurable business KPI from the outset. Clients can therefore assess an agentic workflow in its enterprise context and make an informed decision on the next stage of investment.

“Across healthcare and life sciences, organizations must move faster without compromising patient safety or compliance. AI can transform that value chain, but only when it works within a regulated and governed environment and earns the trust of the teams who own the outcomes. PharmaOS is our first offering from the Center, giving clients a validated agent on their own data in a week, and the start of a broader portfolio we’ll co-create with clients across the industry,” said Ramji Vasudevan, Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences, Altimetrik.

“In pharma, AI’s value comes from helping our teams work faster while preserving trust in the evidence and accountability for decisions. PharmaOS brings together capabilities we look for: agents built for life sciences workflows, outputs traceable to trusted sources, and human oversight. This foundation supports the responsible use of AI in developing pharmaceutical products, building trust in technology to serve the larger purpose of healthcare and life sciences—improving patient care and outcomes,” said Dr Vivek Jha, Global Healthcare Pharma Leader, Co-Founder DANRICX.

Hyderabad strengthens Altimetrik’s India expansion

Altimetrik chose Hyderabad to place the CoE close to the pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations whose workflows will shape its life sciences offerings. The city’s pool of clinical, regulatory, quality and engineering specialists will support the development of those offerings for global clients. Following its recent expansion in Pune, which took its global workforce past 10,000, the Hyderabad launch gives Altimetrik a dedicated industry-focused center in India and expands the role of its India teams in global AI engineering delivery.

Learn more about the CoE.

About Altimetrik

Altimetrik is an AI engineering company helping some of the most revered and iconic enterprises modernize systems, data, and processes at the heart of their business, so they can move faster, operate more efficiently, and innovate continuously. Through ALTi AIOS™, its AI-native operating system, Altimetrik combines the latest AI capabilities with deep engineering expertise to help clients solve complex challenges, accelerate modernization, and deliver measurable outcomes at scale.

Altimetrik’s clients get access to the latest AI innovations while maintaining flexibility to choose the right technologies for their business, through trusted relationships with OpenAI, Google Gemini, Anthropic, Databricks, and major hyperscalers.

A member of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for AI Excellence, the Forum’s global hub for shaping responsible AI, Altimetrik is also recognized in the 2025 Constellation Research ShortList™ for Global AI Services and named a Major Contender in multiple Everest Group PEAK Matrix® assessments, including Software Product Engineering Services (2026), Enterprise Quality Engineering Services (2025), and Digital Engineering Services for BFSI and Life Sciences.

Learn more at altimetrik.com

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Health Innovation South West and Helfie AI announce partnership to evaluate digital-first hypertension screening

Findings from real-world settings will add to the evidence base for preventing cardiovascular disease

MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Helfie AI and UK-based Health Innovation South West have announced a partnership to explore how digital-first approaches to hypertension screening can support earlier identification of people at risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The collaboration will test and evaluate the potential of smartphone-based screening technology to engage people in prevention, particularly those who may face barriers to accessing traditional healthcare services.

Hypertension remains one of the leading modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, yet many people remain undiagnosed until they experience serious health problems. By combining Helfie’s technology with Health Innovation South West’s expertise in implementation and evaluation, the partnership will explore how smartphone-enabled screening can be integrated into healthcare pathways and assessed in real-world settings, with a particular focus on improving access for underserved and hard-to-reach populations. Insights generated through the programme will contribute to the evidence base for innovative approaches to prevention and population health.

Rania Awad, Chief Strategy Officer, Helfie AI, said: “Prevention only works if it reaches people where they are. Our mission is early detection, proactive prevention and optimised wellbeing for all eight billion-plus humans, and that has to include the person who cannot easily get to a clinic.”

Christelle Kelley, Population Health Lead, Helfie AI, said: “Population health is about understanding the needs of communities and shaping prevention around the people and places we serve. Digital innovation brings opportunities to reach beyond traditional healthcare settings and support place-based care. I’m excited to explore not only how we can identify and support more people at risk of hypertension, but how we translate that opportunity into meaningful, equitable improvements in cardiovascular health.”

ABOUT HELFIE

Helfie is a global health platform for early detection, proactive prevention and optimised wellbeing for all humans. Science-backed and AI-powered, it delivers 30+ easy, instant and affordable health checks via smartphone, working with governments and businesses to make preventive health accessible to everyone.

More details: www.helfie.ai

Helfie AI has part-funded this project, including elements of the work to evaluate the impact of incorporating the platform within cardiovascular disease prevention pathways. The outputs and findings arising from this partnership should not be interpreted as an endorsement, recommendation, or procurement guidance from Health Innovation South West in relation to any specific product, technology, or manufacturer.

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TraceLink Expands Global Investment in Track & Trace and Supply Chain Agentic Business Processes

Dedicated Commercial, R&D, and Services organizations accelerate innovation, customer success, and agentic transformation across both commercial business lines

BOSTON, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TraceLink, the world’s largest Agentic Business Network, today announced a major organizational investment, establishing dedicated global Commercial, Research & Development (R&D), and Services teams for its Track & Trace Compliance and Supply Chain Agentic Business Process (ABP) businesses.

The evolved operating model provides each business with specialized expertise spanning product innovation, customer engagement and education, implementation, and ongoing success. The investment reinforces TraceLink’s long-term commitment to its Track & Trace customers worldwide while accelerating the development and adoption of Agentic Business Processes across both commercial business lines.

Doubling Down on Track & Trace Customer Success and Innovation

TraceLink is expanding its commitment to Track & Trace customers through a new dedicated Customer Account Management organization, continued global compliance innovation, and the rapid introduction of Track & Trace Agentic Business Processes.

Dedicated Customer Account Managers will help organizations that partner with TraceLink maximize the value of their existing investments, improve operational and compliance outcomes, and navigate evolving regulatory requirements. TraceLink continues to advance its multinational compliance roadmap, including emerging requirements in Egypt and Ethiopia, the FDA’s transition to a uniform 12-digit National Drug Code, and regulatory developments across other markets.

At the same time, TraceLink is accelerating the introduction of Track & Trace ABPs that combine governed OPUS Agents with serialization, traceability, compliance, and supply network information. These advancements will help customers automate compliance reporting, manage exceptions and recalls, improve productivity, and progressively agentify their Track & Trace operations.

Scaling Supply Chain Agentic Business Processes

Growing adoption of TraceLink’s MINT, POET, and groundbreaking OPUS Agents solutions has enabled the company to establish a dedicated global commercialization organization for Supply Chain ABPs.

Specialized Sales Executives, Agentic Business Process Architects, Value Engineers, and supporting teams will work with customers to identify high-value opportunities, establish business cases, and deploy Agentic Business Processes that digitalize and agentify complex supply chain operations across planning, procurement, manufacturing, inventory, logistics, and commerce.

These resources will help customers accelerate their transformation journeys and achieve measurable improvements in productivity, service, cost, working capital, and operational performance.

Dedicated Expertise Across Two Business Lines. One TraceLink Platform.

“We are making major investments for our customers with enormous opportunities ahead,” said Shabbir Dahod, President and CEO of TraceLink. “By aligning our Commercial, R&D, and Services organizations around each business, we are strengthening our commitment to existing customers while accelerating transformation and growth. Agentic Business Processes are central to the future of both Track & Trace and Supply Chain operations. We intend to create synergistic value for all end-to-end supply chain processes.”

Both business lines operate on TraceLink’s OPUS Platform and Integrate-Once™ Agentic Business Network, enabling customers to build on existing digital foundations as they adopt new Agentic Business Processes. Track & Trace Compliance intersects and integrates with all end-to-end supply chain operations. With the single Agentic OPUS Platform, customers can integrate business transactions and information, with agents working across all processes.

Customers benefit from dedicated expertise across each business, coordinated account engagement, and the full support of TraceLink’s global services, technical support, education resources, and partner ecosystem.

Learn More at FutureLink Barcelona

Explore TraceLink’s latest Track & Trace capabilities, emerging Track & Trace ABPs, and Supply Chain Agentic Business Processes at FutureLink Barcelona, October 19–21, 2026.

About TraceLink

TraceLink powers the transformation to an Agentic Supply Chain Operating Model, enabling organizations to perform and improve supply chain work across their business and trading partner networks. The OPUS Agentic Supply Chain Operating System brings together Agentic Business Processes, Agentic Control Towers, governed OPUS Agents, and the Integrate-Once™ Agentic Business Network to link systems, end-to-end business transactions, and collaborative peer-to-peer processes with trusted, real-time operational context. In this agentic environment, humans and agents work together with greater speed, reasoning, control, and accountability to improve organizational productivity, service, inventory, working capital, cost, compliance, quality, resilience, and revenue performance.

Learn more at www.tracelink.com.

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ECOVACS launches DEEBOT X12 OmniCyclone and WINBOT mini 2: This Diwali is about your guests, not your cleaning

MUMBAI, India, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ECOVACS Robotics today announced the launch of its flagship DEEBOT X12 OmniCyclone robot vacuum and the WINBOT mini 2 window-cleaning robot, built to take floor and window cleaning off your list during the festive season.

Diwali is when homes fill with family and friends. Between the sweets, rangoli, late-night gatherings and constant footfall, floors and windows take a beating, and cleaning up should not take away from the celebration. ECOVACS lets hosts stay present while their home looks after itself.

DEEBOT X12 OmniCyclone: Host the Party, Skip the Clean-Up

• Stubborn festive stains, gone. Sticky sweets, spilled chai and dried-on cooking splatters are pre-softened by FocusJet Stain Pre-dissolving Technology, then lifted by a continuously freshwater-rinsed OZMO ROLLER 3.0, leaving floors streak-free.
• Spotless to the edges. TruEdge 3.0 cleans right along walls, cabinets and corners where crumbs gather, while BLAST suction clears dust, debris and hair, and ZeroTangle 4.0 prevents brush tangles.
• Hands-free, always ready. The OmniCyclone station takes care of the robot too. PureCyclone 2.0 Auto-empty Technology clears dust automatically with no replacement bags to buy, and automated station maintenance keeps your robot vacuum clean and ready for action, with minimal upkeep from you.
• Power through the busiest days. PowerBoost Charging Plus restores 13% battery in just 3 minutes, supporting uninterrupted cleaning across spaces of over 1,000 m² in adaptive charging mode.

“Festive seasons such as Diwali are when homes are at their fullest and floors work the hardest. With the DEEBOT X12 OmniCyclone, we want families to enjoy every moment with their guests while their home stays effortlessly clean,” said Chua Han Xiong, ECOVACS Robotics’ Head of Sales, South-east Asia and South Asia.

WINBOT mini 2: The Diwali Gift That Keeps Giving

Looking for something more thoughtful than sweets and dry fruits? The WINBOT mini 2 is an affordable, practical gift that makes everyday home care easier long after the festival ends.

• Sparkling windows, no climbing. No stools, no stretching, no streaks, so windows are ready for festive lights and family photos. Ultrasonic Atomization Spray softens built-up stains for a thorough clean.
• Made for tricky spaces. Its ultra-slim 55mm body fits narrow windows, and upgraded four-corner brushes clean as close as 1mm from the frame.
• Smart and safe. WIN-SLAM 4.0 plans an efficient cleaning path, while 8,000Pa suction and a Ten-Tier Safety System keep operation secure.
• More than windows. It also cleans full-length mirrors, glass dividers and tiled bathroom walls, so one gift works across the whole home.

Set Up in Minutes, Supported Across India

ECOVACS offers free installation and demonstration after purchase, so customers never have to worry about setting up, backed by a service network spanning 200+ cities across India.

Make This Diwali Effortless

The DEEBOT X12 OmniCyclone and WINBOT mini 2 are available now at the ECOVACS official website, Amazon India and authorised retailers.

About ECOVACS ROBOTICS:

Founded in 2006, ECOVACS ROBOTICS is a global leader in home service robotics with a diverse portfolio of products encompassing robotic vacuum cleaners and robotic window cleaners. With its expansion into robotic lawn mowers, commercial cleaning robots, robotic pool cleaners and robotic pet companion, ECOVACS solidified its position as a multi-category leader in home service robotics.

Guided by the mission “Robotics for All,” ECOVACS continues to advance technology and enhance the user experience to make life smarter and more stylish for consumers worldwide. With sales subsidiaries in Germany, the United States, Japan, and Singapore, ECOVACS products reach nearly 180 major markets and serve over 38 million households globally.

A testament to this market leadership, ECOVACS ROBOTICS has ranked first in China’s robotic vacuum cleaner market by share for ten consecutive years (2015-2024), and in India for four (2023-2026).

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Questex’s IHIF Asia Connects Hospitality Leaders with Investors Managing $450B in AUM

HONG KONG, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Questex’s IHIF Asia united leaders spanning hospitality, investment and real estate to explore market trends, economic factors and opportunities. It attracted 470+ delegates from 38 countries, a testament to its international reach. 46% of attendees were from investor, capital and ownership-related organisations representing $450B in AUM, 60% were first-time attendees.

“IHIF Asia demonstrated the strength of hospitality investment across the region, uniting the capital and leadership shaping the future. It reinforced its position as the premier platform for hospitality investment in Asia-Pacific,” said IB Saravanan, VP, Questex Asia.

The programme delivered thought leadership through panel discussions, fireside chats, presentations and networking. 125 speakers from 21 countries shared perspectives on investment, ownership, development, operations and policy.

The CEO panel united leaders from Minor Hotels, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts and Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide Inc. who discussed competitive advantages, unlocking new value streams and building future-ready organizations.

Hospitality has emerged as a real estate asset class for family office capital. Reflecting on this investment, IHIF Asia featured content and networking for family offices and family office-owned property groups, supporting engagement and connections across this investor segment. The dedicated programme united 30+ family offices and family office-owned property groups.

Two new tracks focused on the region’s areas of growth. The BxR Asia – Brand x Residential track examined the intersection of hospitality brands and residential real estate. The Nippon Track examined the opportunities within its domestic hospitality market and the growing role of Japanese capital. It attracted 160 attendees and 20 speakers across four hours of focused programming.

Government and tourism organisations reinforced IHIF Asia’s role in connecting public and private sector stakeholders to advance hospitality investment and destination development including Singapore Tourism Board, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Tourism Western Australia, Oman, Turismo de Portugal, Brunei Investment Agency and Marjan. UN Tourism provided a global perspective on tourism growth, capital flows and investment opportunities.

IHIF Asia Digital lets you watch coverage of main stage sessions, extending the event’s reach to the broader hospitality investment community.

IHIF Asia 2027 takes place 8-10 September in Hong Kong.

Media Contact

Meryl Franzman

mfranzman@questex.com          

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