special feature - green in future€¦ · that help accelerate smarter & greener built...

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Green Pulse | Issue: 19 2020

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RE!MAGINING CITIES WITH DIGITAL TWINS

at the intersection of proptech, real estate & smarter cities

This is an excerpt from the publication by

Re!magining Cities Foundation. An attempt has

been made to explain the potentials of a

"phased approach" to Digital Twin deployment

that help accelerate smarter & greener built

environments and communities. They will help

make better decisions and reap better

benefits.

The three initial areas of Digital Twin Phase

One would include:

1. Energy Optimization

2. Health & Well-being

3. Space Optimization

Re!magining Cities is quite active in the

proptech space to better understand how the

real estate community is adopting technology

to improve the performance of their assets.

And want to combine these areas with some of

the objectives of Smart Cities so that they can

also be actively engaged in the development of

Digital Twins in their local jurisdictions. For a

smarter and greener future!

Global leaders in real estate are rapidly

adopting technologies to better manage their

real estate assets. Enhancing the end-user

experience becomes the new mantra of how to

stay competitive while driving down

operational costs and maximizing profits. Co-

working is changing the way offices look,

operate, and managed. Proptech plays an

essential role in the evolution of space as a

service. More reliance on technology in real

estate raises more privacy and cybersecurity

concerns while utilizing Big Data analytics for

decision making is becoming a norm. This rapid

growth and complexity of the landscape makes

understanding the opportunities and

navigating the risks in Proptech an ever more

challenging endeavour.

Energy Optimization

Buildings are responsible for nearly 40%

percent of global energy consumption. The

built environment will go through

unprecedented expansion as 60% of the

buildings that will make up the world’s fastest-

growing cities by 2050 are yet to be built.

Driving down energy use in buildings will be

one of the crucial items in lowering GHG

emissions. It will help to battle Climate Crisis

and create sustainable liveable cities. There

are several incentives for the real estate sector

in optimizing the energy usage in their

portfolios:

• saving money by driving energy cost down

• optimizing assets’ performance and reducing

maintenance cost

• increasing profit and improving valuation

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• reducing peak load and detecting

malfunctions and defaults

• freeing up capital from building efficiency for

other strategic investments

Health & Well-Being

Smart cities are focusing a lot of their services

toward improving the lives of its citizens.

According to several research studies people

spend about 90% of their time indoors. The

pollutant levels can be higher indoors than

outdoors. A 2015 joint study between Harvard

T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Syracuse

University and SUNY Upstate Medical

University, showed a direct link between

cognitive function and indoor environment.

The study tested employee performance in

environments with “healthy” and “unhealthy”

air. In healthy air conditions, the results yielded

performance improvements valued up to

£11,500 in additional revenue per employee

per year.

Employee productivity and cognitive ability can

increase by up to 50% in a “healthy” building

environment. Addressing Health & Well-being

in buildings improves peoples’ health and

efficiency. It helps building owners and

managers attract and retain tenants and

employees. Those employees have less “sick

days” and enjoy a better working environment

provides them with the comfort of an indoor

air quality, thermal, lighting and ventilation

controls.

Space Optimization

With rapid urbanization, cities need to deal

with an incredible influx of people moving into

cities to live, work, and play. The UN estimates

that approximately 1.5 million people move

into cities per week. With a scarcity of land and

resources, building more buildings to

accommodate the growing urban population

becomes even a bigger challenge. Thus, there

is a need for technology to help us be more

efficient in the use of our resources.

CASE STUDIES

ENERGY OPTIMIZATION

Switch Automation

www.switchautomation.com

Switch Automation is a smart building platform

that drives energy efficiency, equipment

optimization and occupant comfort for existing

Real Estate Portfolios. Over 2500 buildings

around the world utilize their solution to save

on energy and equipment maintenance costs.

Switch Automation was deployed by Oxford

Properties, a global real estate company that

manages over $45 billion of real estate assets

on behalf of its co-owners and investment

partners, with a global portfolio spanning over

60 million square feet. Switch Automation

have documented $430k in savings across 7

sites for the last 12 months. That equates to an

excess of $6M in portfolio value with an

applied cap rate of 7% for retail spaces.

Within the first three months on the Switch

Platform, Oxford uncovered equipment and

building optimization opportunities totalling

$160,000 in annual operating expense savings.

The opportunities identified in 3 short months

increasingly saved Oxford Properties

operational costs and increasing team

efficiency.

Enertiv

www.enertiv.com

MetaProp Portfolio company Enertiv

showcases how their customer gets maximum

value, and save time and money, using their

solution. Enertiv is a property tech company

that creates hardware and software to track

the performance and energy usage of building

systems. The company drives net operating

income (NOI) growth in commercial real estate

portfolios by bringing a data-first approach to

operational workflows such as maintenance

and repairs, energy management, tenant

billing, vendor management, and capital

investments. Laramar selected two buildings in

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the Chatsworth Business Park, a 230,000

square foot office complex in Southern

California, as the site for the first phase of

deploying Enertiv’s technology.

Enertiv installed sensors to track the

performance of 43 pieces of critical equipment

for a nominal one-time implementation fee

and a recurring annual subscription. As part of

the standard process, the Enertiv client success

team on boarded Laramar’s operations team

on how to use the platform with a focus on

their specific goals. Within weeks, the Enertiv

Platform began firing automated notifications

to the on-site staff alerting them to

malfunctioning equipment.

RESULTS:

The maintenance insights were coupled with a

series of energy-saving optimizations that

combined to $75,000 in annual savings, a

potential 440% return on the first year’s cost of

ownership.

HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Awair

www.getawair.com

Indoor air quality can be five to ten times

worse than outdoor air. Good outdoor air

typically has C02 at 250 to 350 parts per

million. At 2,000 to 5,000 symptoms includes

headaches, sleepiness, increased heart rate,

and slight nausea. One of the leading

companies that help improve the air we

breathe indoors is Awair. It’s an indoor

environment management solutions company

that works with businesses across the world to

equip them with real-time, actionable

environment data to achieve their financial,

productivity and wellness goals. The company

produces an Indoor Environmental Monitoring

system that enables to gather and track IAQ

data from millions of data points across 2,000

cities and 60 countries.

Awair tracks 7 key factors that affect air

quality: chemicals, dust, CO2, humidity, light,

noise and temperature. The chemicals that

Awair tracks are commonly referred to as

VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. It is an

umbrella term used to describe any organic

chemical that evaporates easily at room

temperature. The VOCs detected by Awair

include Formaldehyde, Methane, Ammonia,

Ethanol, Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen gas,

Hydrogen sulphide, Toluene, and more. Higher

levels of VOCs can include irritation of eyes and

nasal passages, nausea and headaches,

lethargy and malaise, rash, skin irritation, and

eczema.

With advanced predictive analytics, Awair

solutions help their customers, property

managers and building operators make

smarter data-driven decisions in real-time.

4D Monitoring is a UK based company that

provides comprehensive building monitoring

solutions that enable its clients to have

complete visibility of their building

environments, with a focus on plant and boiler

rooms.

CHALLENGE:

The company provides their clients with data

on energy usage, but the clients were

interested in more robust IAQ data. They

expressed interest in verifying their indoor air

quality, but many could not afford to apply for

popular certifications. In addition, they

preferred monitoring solutions that make little

noise and are designed to fit their aesthetic.

SOLUTION:

The 4D Monitoring team integrated Awair

Omni into their services and began installing

Omnis in client projects.

Since February 2018, 4D Monitoring has

leveraged Awair for Business to enhance its

client experience.

• The Awair Dashboard and API allow 4D

Monitoring to easily manage data for multiple

clients at a time.

• Omni is offered to clients as a cost-effective

IAQ monitoring solution that verifies their

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building sustainability needs at a fraction of the

cost of a certification application.

• 4D Monitoring is able to expand their service,

leveraging findings collected by their clients’

new in-depth IAQ data to provide actionable

insights and building performance reviews.

SPACE OPTIMIZATION

Saving floor space in the Outlook building of

Microsoft:

Microsoft is an American multinational

technology company with headquarters in

Redmond, Washington and offices throughout

the world. In the Netherlands their primary

office is in the building called ‘The Outlook’

located at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam. In

2018 the building interior was completely

renovated with spaces that are designed and

arranged in such a way that it provides building

users with an optimal working experience. To

increase this experience a smart building

network was required together with areas for

concentration, relaxation, telecommunication,

meetings and of course flexible working.

Microsoft wanted to use smart technology to

facilitate and improve both the employee- and

the visitor experience. From the moment

people set off to come to The Outlook and

park, to receiving guests, being able to work

comfortably and host a meeting, through to

their departure.

To realize this open and intelligent office

environment, Microsoft wanted to have insight

into the actual usage & occupancy of the

building before remodelling to be able to

optimize the design.

SOLUTION:

To answer both the question of insight prior to

remodelling and to provide a smart building

infrastructure, the bGrid® solution was

implemented in two phases. In phase one a

temporary setup was created intended to map

building usage and environmental parameters;

no connection was made to existing building

management systems. During the renovation,

phase two started where the bGrid® solutions

was fully integrated within the complete

building making connections to the (new)

building systems. This made it possible to

control light and temperature (automatically

and by the users) and increase the personal

comfort.

With the occupancy information gathered at

phase 1, Microsoft decided to decrease the

amount of floor space for its new building.

They reduced their floor space from 12.000 to

8.000 m2, resulting in an annual saving of

about 1,4 Million Euro. This can have an impact

on the balance sheet of 10,8 Million Euro as

displayed in the Table below. The leftover

space in the building was transferred to

Spaces, a company specializing in Office as a

Service Solutions. As the bGrid® solution was

rolled out throughout the entire Outlook

building, Spaces also uses the Smart Building

capability to offer an attractive and modern

office. Furthermore, Microsoft decided to

create more workspace open to the public and

less workspace for employees only.

In phase 2 the personal comfort of the building

went up by environment control based on real-

time measurements and by user preferences.

Also, the usage of all chosen areas (areas for

concentration, relaxation, telecommunication,

meetings and of course flexible working) are

monitored to be used for potential adaptions

during their rental contract. With the

optimized building Microsoft noticed an

increase in health and focus of its employees

and more people who wanted to join the

company and work in the smart building.

The Outlook: From the new world of working

with 11.500m2 for 700 employees and 30%

workspace open to the public and 70%

workspace for employees only - to a workplace

transformation with 8.500m2 for 1000

employees and 70% workspace open to the

public and 30% workspace for employees only.

Credits: Chungha Cha, Co-Founder & Chair,

Tsatsral Baatar, Global Proptech Research,

www.re-cities.org

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The Liveability Challenge Global challenge offers more than S$1M of funding and resources to tackle the triple threat facing Asian cities of the future Temasek Foundation’s Liveability Challenge unveils new themes in its search for deep tech solutions for urban sustainability in urban settings

A new, global call for game-changing solutions to grow food, package products, and reduce carbon emissions in cities located in the world’s tropical belt was launched in Singapore. The launch marks the start of The Liveability Challenge, presented by Temasek Foundation, organised by Eco-Business, and convened by Closed Loop Partners, in partnership with Ecosperity Week 2020. The third edition of the Challenge is inviting project proposals in the areas of Urban Food Production, Circular Packaging and Decarbonisation, where the critical need for innovation reflects the size of the business opportunity available. The chosen themes support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action). Mr Lim Hock Chuan, Chief Executive, Temasek Foundation Ecosperity said: “Global hunger is on the rise; and the past four years have been the hottest on record, with carbon dioxide concentration levels continuing to rise. We hope The Liveability Challenge 2020 will highlight the valuable opportunities present in these areas of need and catalyse impactful solutions that can accelerate the transition to a more food secure, resource-efficient and decarbonised future.” Selected finalists will get a chance to pitch their projects to a panel of Asia’s most sought-after venture capitalists and investors during Ecosperity Week at The Liveability Challenge Grand Finale. Winners of the Challenge could secure over S$1 million in opportunities such as funding, exclusive spots in incubator programmes, and mentorship opportunities. The grand prize winner could secure up to S$1 million in grant funding from Temasek Foundation to further development and launch a pilot project in Singapore.

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Green Pulse | Issue: 19 2020 9

Since the first edition in 2018, The Liveability Challenge has seen rapid growth in interest among the business, government and civil society and has become an annual highlight in Singapore’s calendar of sustainability events. “As businesses and governments continue to work on societal solutions around climate change, we welcome participation from potential partners, especially from the food, packaging and energy sectors to join us in supporting this year’s challenge,” said Ms Junice Yeo, Deputy Managing Director of Eco-Business, who added that the third edition of the Challenge aims to walk the talk of sustainability. Carbon emissions resulting from this year’s event will be offset and recorded in an impact report to be published after July. Mr Lim said: “As a champion of sustainability and liveability, Temasek Foundation has provided support to the winner of last year’s Challenge, Sophie’s Kitchen, to develop its plant-based protein that can be produced in a more economically viable, urban setting.” Through The Liveability Challenge and other channels, Temasek Foundation seeks to bring together an ecosystem of innovators, funders, investors, platform providers and professionals, and excite them to source, catalyse and advance impactful solutions towards eventual successful commercialisation, as a first step to making a positive difference to the everyday lives of city dwellers in Singapore and beyond.

Temasek Foundation supports a diverse range of programmes that uplift lives and communities in Singapore and beyond. Collectively, our programmes strengthen social resilience, foster international exchange, enhance regional capabilities, and advance science for a sustainable world. Temasek Foundation’s programmes, made possible through philanthropic endowments gifted by Temasek, strive towards

achieving positive outcomes for individuals and

communities now, and for generations to come.

Eco-Business is the leading media company serving Asia

Pacific’s clean technology, smart cities, responsible

business and sustainable development community. Its

platforms include the award-winning Eco-Business.com

site. Eco-Business offers a wide range of content and

marketing services, including online advertising, custom

publications, market research and whitepapers,

multimedia production, consultancy, training and high-

impact bespoke events catered to deepen discussions

on sustainability.

Ecosperity Week is a confluence of events gathering global business leaders, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs and academia to drive action on sustainable development. The week-long programme features an experiential solutions showcase, sustainable finance conference, roundtable discussions, pitch sessions, site visits and networking opportunities across events. Ecosperity Week 2020 takes place from 6 to 8 July 2020 at Sands Expo and Convention Centre, in Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

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Dr. Ong Chee Wee, Victor Dr. ONG Chee Wee, Victor is the President of

Singapore Institute of Building (SIBL) and the

Managing Director of ONE SMART Engineering

Pte Ltd. He obtained his PhD in Civil

Engineering from the National University of

Singapore (NUS).

Dr. Ong is currently serving on two International

Technical Committees and was elected as

SPRING Singapore Technical Committee for

The Standards Council (Civil & Geotechnical

Works). He was named Young Consulting

Engineer of the Year in 2014 by the Association

of Consulting Engineers Singapore (ACES) and

in year 2017, Dr. Ong has been awarded

Singapore’s Top 50 Engineering Achievements

by Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES).

Dr. Ong shared his views to Green in future on SIBL’s role towards sustainability and future of construction and how Build Tech Asia and Facilities Management Conference will help the industry to get knowledge on the upcoming trends and technology. Here is an excerpt of the interview.

Could you share a little about your role

as the President of SIBL and the

mandate of SIBL? At the SIBL, we always strive to promote the science and best practices in the building and facilities management sphere to maintain competency and standard practices of the profession, based on the current and latest technology development. On that note, my role requires me to keep tab on the “what’s trending” and “what’s upcoming” pertaining to this sector to ensure that our members are equipped with the relevant and most updated knowledge on the industry.

Furthermore, as the Singapore government emphasises on sustainability, productivity enhancement and internationalisation, I play a role in ensuring the new board under my leadership are on track in helping building professionals to adopt productivity-enhancing technologies through organising events and trainings. With regards to internalisation, we

encourage our members to go for a mission trip to our partner association countries like Australia, New Zealand, Burma and Poland, to name a few.

Aside from these, we also ensure our members are kept abreast on the new emerging technologies through our e-newsletters and social platforms. We continuously devote ourselves to be at the forefront of the building and engineering construction industry for the benefit of our members and foster environmental sustainability in built environment in Singapore.

As a Co-organiser of BTA, how can

SIBL play a role in the built

environment and what does SIBL hope

to achieve (as the organiser)? SIBL plays a crucial role in making sure more companies adopt emerging construction technologies and increase their productivity. As the co-organiser of BTA, we are able to forge stronger bonds with Facility Managers and Project Managers, who made up a big portion of our core members at the Institute. With our vast network and connections, we are able to get more companies to exhibit their smart construction and productive technologies and showcase some of their best practices.

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While the outlook of Singapore construction industry remains positive and robust, we acknowledged the lack of qualified built environment professionals in Singapore, particularly in high risk mega projects, due to the imbalances in supply and demand of trained talent for various infrastructure projects. Therefore, through BTA, we hope that exhibitors and practitioners are able to explore different ways to work together and penetrate into the growing sectors a cross different verticals from engineering, procurement and construction, research and development, among others.

What do you think would be the

biggest disruption in this space in the

mid to long term? Technology, as everyone is saying, is indeed one of the biggest disruptions for the building and construction industry - though SIBL perceives this as a positive disruption than a detrimental one. Some jobs will be affected, but it will create new ones as well.

Blockchain technology may potentially disrupt the construction industry’s supply chain process. It allows “smart” contracts to be developed which enable company to enforce the obligations that are set forth in a typical paper contract. Payment obligations and receipts can be tracked in a blockchain ledger. In return, by removing paper processes, it will increase productivity, help projects proceed more quickly, and reduce costs.

Other technology that could make a difference in this space would be artificial intelligence. The technology will be able to identify the number of people in the building, personas of the people and experiences they prefer, etc. This information generated by the AI and other detectors allow different building facilities to operate accordingly, as energy saving as possible, including security, elevators, lighting and air-conditioning.

In the long term, with all these new technologies, one may question about the invasion of data and privacy information being played out in the digital realm, as part of the built environment.

In light of these upcoming technologies and trends, we need to be able to manage the newly created / available opportunities. Which means, more training courses would be required to get the professionals equipped with the right skillsets - and, SIBL will be a perfect platform for all these.

What are the trends in the construction

industry that we are expecting in 2020? There are always changes in any industry as the world starts focusing on new trends and so is there in the construction industry – be it technological advancement, focus on sustainability, climate change or circular economy to name a few. Although this industry is traditionally resistant to new technological adoption, with the invention of 3D printing, robots for safety inspection, Artificial intelligence, modular construction, Reality modelling –AR, VR& MR, Digital twins, drones, BIM, Block chain etc., adaptation to advancement has been significant. And with the upcoming stringent regulations imposed on buildings’ environmental impact and on reducing and recycling construction waste to useful materials, methods to incorporate sustainability in the process has increased.

What technologies companies should

invest in this year? It is always necessary to keep up with the trends to be relevant and technology always assists. For the construction industry, companies should continue investing in a skilled and competent local workforce who will lead and drive the built environment sector into the future. But also invest to adopt new technologies like drones, robots, artificial intelligence, cloud-based data analytics, and mobile computing to drive efficiency – this will definitely help to boost productivity. _____________________________________ The Build Tech Asia is organising a Facilities Management conference at Singapore Expo. For more information, you can visit their website https://www.buildtechasia.com/

https://www.buildtechasia.com/


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Buildtech Asia 2020 TBC Singapore Expo, Singapore https://www.buildtechasia.com/

World Cities Summit 2020 5 - 9 July Marina Bay Sands, Singapore https://www.worldcitiessummit.com.sg/

FIA Food For the Future Summit April 23 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore https://fiasummit.org/

CleanEnviro Summit2020 Singapore 5 - 9 July Marina Bay Sands, Singapore https://10times.com/cleanenviro-summit-singapore

The Future Food Asia 2020 2-3 June Drama Centre, Singapore https://futurefoodasia.com/

11th World Renewable Energy Technologies 20-23 August Convention Centre, New Delhi, India http://wretc.in/about_WRETC-&-Expo.html

ASEAN Super 8 23-25 June MITEC, Kuala Lumpur https://www.super8asean.com/

Green World Asia 2020 18-19 November Marina Bay Sands, Singapore https://www.greenworldasia.com/

Upcoming GREEN Events:

• NEWS


Gallant Venture and Obayashi Corporation to build

greenhouse optimised for tropical climates on Bintan island Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park widens appeal of Bintan island as an eco-tourism destination

Gallant Venture has partnered with Obayashi

Corporation – one of Japan’s largest general

contractors – to pilot a technologically-

advanced eco-tourism focused greenhouse on

Bintan island, Indonesia. This was announced

at the Joint Development Agreement Signing

Ceremony held between the partners. PT

Persada Hijau Cemerlang (PHC), a company

owned by Gallant Venture and Salim Group,

will work with Obayashi Corporation to fine-

tune the latter’s pioneering technology to

build the Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park

– a greenhouse optimised for tropical climate

using advanced environmental controls.

The imminent launch of the Bintan Resorts

International Airport and the upcoming Bintan-

Batam sea bridge is expected to catalyse

tourism demand for Bintan island. In response,

Bintan Resorts’ hotel room inventory is

expected to grow five times to 10,000. The

Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park will

further increase the island’s appeal as a

destination with wide-ranging experiences for

different tourists including families,

adventure-seekers, photography enthusiasts,

MICE and business travellers, students and

more. They will also be able to enjoy farm-to-

table culinary experiences while Bintan Resorts

becomes more self-sustainable. The Agritech

Park will also be an eco-tourism destination.

The Visitor and Education Centre will offer

educational tours to deepen the public’s

knowledge of urban technology-driven

cultivation.

“This collaboration yields strong synergies and

Gallant Venture is thrilled by the opportunity

to join Obayashi Corporation in pioneering

new technology for Southeast Asia’s ecology. It

is a small testament of our effort to prepare

Bintan island as the Agritech sandbox of the

region,” commented Mr. Eugene Park,

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

of Gallant Venture. “The Agritech Park offers

visitors opportunities to learn about this

innovative solution and will join a slew of

attractions that visitors can experience at our

award-winning integrated tropical beach

resort destination. In line with Gallant

• NEWS


Venture’s sustainability mission, other

features such as solar panels will also be

installed at the Gallant Obayashi Green

Agritech Park to support the daytime energy

consumption of the greenhouse,” he added.

This new tropical agritech greenhouse merges

Obayashi Corporation’s construction expertise

with strong agricultural know-how. The Gallant

Obayashi Green Agritech Park will leverage on

environmental controls to create optimal

growth conditions for Japanese-grade cherry

tomatoes and kale. Tapping on Obayashi’s

technology and experience in understanding

plant physiology, the high-tech greenhouse

will also utilise heat and air flow analysis. The

greenhouse will be equipped with a complex

environmental control system that regulates

temperature, humidity and light intensity to

maximise crop production and quality as well

as reduce water usage.

“As part of the Obayashi Sustainability Vision

2050, we have begun several new initiatives

including developing a proven model

cultivating premium cherry tomatoes at our

greenhouse in Katori City, Japan,” said Mr.

Yuichi Yamamoto, Managing Executive Officer,

General Manager of Technology Business

Development Division, Obayashi Corporation.

“To expand our Sustainability Vision 2050,

several sites across the region were evaluated.

Bintan emerged as the choice location with its

rich resources and close proximity to

Singapore. We are excited to partner Gallant

Venture to customise this technology for this

environmental condition and to bring our

laboratory simulations to life,” he concluded.

About Gallant Venture Ltd.

Gallant Venture Ltd is a public-listed company in Singapore focusing on commercial development and

growth opportunities in the Riau Archipelago of Indonesia. Since our establishment in the 1990s, we

have been an important innovator in key business segments, namely utilities, industrial parks, resort

operations, property development and automotive. As an integrated master planner and developer

for the industrial parks and resorts in Batam and Bintan, we also develop, own and manage Batamindo

Industrial Park in Batam and Bintan Industrial Estate in Bintan. Both industrial parks are home to many

MNCs with regional headquarters based in Singapore.

About Obayashi Corporation

Obayashi Corporation has handed down its DNA of honest craftsmanship and technology since its

founding in 1892. We have relied on that DNA to complete buildings and infrastructure emblematic

of their era. Obayashi aims to be a leading sustainability company. Meanwhile, we are developing

next-generation technologies including energy conservation tech and expanding our business into

new domains.

Mr. Eugene Park, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gallant Venture,

at the Joint Development Agreement Signing Ceremony between Gallant

Venture and Obayashi Corporation for the Gallant Obayashi Green Agritech Park.

• NEWS


The Future Food Asia 2020

2020 has been off to quite a buzz and many predict it to be

the year the AgriFoodTech industry becomes the latest trend

in Asia Pacific. But Food has not only always been cool, it’s

always been a necessity - a source of joy and a way of cultural

expression.

But with revolutions in alternative protein, genetically edited

crops and vertical farming, coupled with rising concerns over

sustainability, food has new ways of taming nature. The

Future Food Asia 2020 (FFA 2020) conference will help

discover out just how ‘cool’ food is, separating the fad from

the future.

❖ Focused networking with global AgriFoodTech

Enthusiasts

❖ Understand the Asian perspective on potential

solutions for global issues

❖ Hear thought leaders and innovators on how

start-ups can disrupt our food value-chain

Date – 2-3 June 2020

Venue – Drama Centre, Singapore

Website - https://futurefoodasia.com/ffa2020/

• NEWS


Asia Pacific Rayon Joins World Economic Forum’s Public

Blockchain Platform to Accelerate Public-Private

Cooperation in Supply Chain Transparency

Davos, Switzerland– Asia Pacific Rayon (APR)

has joined the first neutral and public

traceability platform capable of visualising

blockchain-based supply chain data from

multiple companies and sources. It aims to

help businesses across industries respond to

consumer demands for ethical and

environmentally friendly products. The neutral

and safe space for collaboration is provided by

the World Economic Forum and created in

collaboration with Everledger, Lenzing Group,

TextileGenesis™, and the International Trade

Centre. APR will contribute to Phase 2 of the

initiative which seeks to incorporate more data

sources.

“APR has started harnessing the potential of

enterprise blockchain technology to enable

customers to trace finished products back to

the plantation forest origins on a smartphone

app. To be able now to connect our data to

other similar industry initiatives is a natural

next step for APR, as is extending the benefits

of our upstream traceability to the rest of the

textile value chain. The more data is shared,

the more we can join the dots to harness

efficiencies as a business as well as provide

sustainability assurance to consumers,” said

APR’s Business Head, Ben Poon.

Enhancing Follow Our Fibre with New Mill

Sustainability Dashboard

Launched in mid-2019, APR’s blockchain-based

Follow Our Fibre allows customers and

stakeholders to scan its viscose product with a

user-friendly app to access data that traces the

product’s journey from plant nursery to

viscose manufacturing and on to seaports. In

October 2019, APR announced a collaboration

with TrusTrace to integrate Follow Our Fibre

with the latter’s T-Trace module. This helps

connect APR’s upstream data to downstream

textile value chain actors such as yarn and

fabric customers and fashion brands.

More recently, a sustainability dashboard

tracking key mill environmental performance

indicators has been added to Follow Our Fibre.

The dashboard presents APR’s performance in

its first year of operations where a baseline has

been established for quarterly tracking,

reporting and continuous improvement.

The performance indicators follow key

industry standards being set by ZDHC for Man-

Made Cellulosic Fibres (MMCF), as well as the

European Union Best Available Technologies

(EU BAT).

About APR

APR is the first integrated viscose-rayon manufacturer in Asia with a production capacity of 240,000

tonnes a year. APR started operating in December 2018 and is located in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau

province, Indonesia. APR’s wood fibre comes from sustainably-managed plantations that are

traceable along the entire value chain from nursery to viscose-rayon. APR is committed to become a

leading viscose-rayon producer that is sustainable, transparent, operationally efficient, serves the

community’s and country’s interests and provides value to customer

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