Author: Duc Dao

China is advancing rapidly in next-generation manufacturing, while parts of Europe are struggling to keep pace due to legacy systems and structural challenges, according to the Industry 4.0 Barometer 2026, a study on industrial digitalization conducted by Germany-based management and IT consultancy MHP.

Atome, a Singapore-headquartered digital financial services platform, has announced a year-long partnership with the Philippines' food & beverage (F&B) giant Jollibee Foods Corporation to enable the use of the former's Atome Card across more than 1,300 Jollibee stores in the Philippines.

China's Alibaba Group has introduced Wukong, an AI-focused enterprise platform designed to enable multiple AI agents to coordinate and perform complex tasks within a unified interface, supported by enterprise-grade security infrastructure.

Vietnam-based rooftop solar startup SmartSolar has closed a debt financing round, bringing its total funding to $3.15 million in combined equity and debt, as it expands financing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)) facing rising electricity costs.

Sweden's networking and telecommunications giant Ericsson and Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) will jointly deliver next-generation mobile infrastructure for major airport projects in Vietnam.

VinFast, the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer under Vietnam's top conglomerate Vingroup, reported a revenue of $3.6 billion and delivery of 196,919 vehicles in 2025, according to its preliminary and unaudited financial results released on Tuesday.

Singapore-based Ant International has announced a partnership with the Argentina National Football Team, becoming an official sponsor of the team in the Asia region, excluding the Middle East.

The Vietnam National Space Center, developed with official development assistance (ODA) from Japan, was inaugurated on March 13 with the participation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Virdalis, a Singapore-based biotechnology company developing protein from Wolffia globosa—commonly known as duckweed—has secured US$700,000 in pre-seed funding led by Wavemaker Impact.

FWD Group Holdings Limited has announced several senior leadership appointments, including David Junius as Managing Director & Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from July 1, 2026; Alex Wong as Group Chief Actuary; and Khun Knattapisit Krutkrongchai as Chief Executive Officer for Thailand effective May 11, 2026.