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ASTRI sets up FinTech and ESG Alliance

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The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has inaugurated a “FinTech and ESG Alliance” on 22 February to foster a dynamic platform for exchange and knowledge-sharing. This alliance aims to enhance engagement with regulators, policymakers, incubators and accelerators, FinTech start-ups and enterprises, as well as other stakeholders to promote technological collaboration and commercialisation, bolstering Hong Kong’s role as a world-leading green FinTech hub.
ASTRI was honoured to have the Hon Jeffrey Lam, Member, Executive Council and Legislative Council, HKSAR Government, as our Guest-of-Honour, together with over 400 experts and leaders from the academia, FinTech and the green sectors witness this special occasion.  Distinguished representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Invest Hong Kong and several financial institutions were invited to address the seminar. The discussion covered various topics such as the digital transformation of banking and insurance industries, digital asset, sustainable finance and related policy, heralding a new era of digital innovation in financial industry.
In the Policy Address 2023, the HKSAR Chief Executive highlighted the government’s commitment to driving green and sustainable finance in Hong Kong. In addition, Financial Secretary said earlier that building Hong Kong as an international green tech and green finance hub is one of the main goals in the coming year, as sustainability is a global agenda. “Alongside promoting the development of technological solutions and providing early-stage funding support for pre-commercialised green FinTech, we’re dedicated to expanding the green FinTech ecosystem and developing Hong Kong into a green FinTech hub,” said the Hon Jeffrey Lam, who also commended ASTRI for its significant contribution in this initiative.
“Our expertise in the financial sector spans a broad spectrum, providing diversified financial products and services in banking, investment, insurance and others, which exemplifies our role as Asia’s green FinTech hub,” he added.
Technology transforms financial services
The financial sector has long been a vital pillar of Hong Kong economy, contributing to over 20% of the city’s GDP. As Hong Kong continues to evolve into an international innovation and technology hub, there is an explosive expansion in the FinTech community.
Ir Sunny Lee, Chairman, ASTRI stressed that national policy supports Hong Kong’s journey to become a global innovation and technology (I&T) hub, with FinTech playing a crucial role in smart city development. “The Alliance serves as an effective communication platform for the industry to explore the utilisation of emerging technologies such as AI and blockchain to revolutionise financial services, enhance operational efficiency, and expedite the I&T adoption to benefit businesses and the public, cementing Hong Kong’s leading role as a financial hub,” he said.
Promote FinTech adoption for ESG
To foster the development of a knowledge-based economy and enhance accessibility to financial services for both the public and businesses, the HKSAR Government actively supports the growth of financial technology. This includes promoting more FinTech services and products to undergo proof-of-concept trials, alongside the enhancement of innovative FinTech infrastructure.
Mr Joseph Chan, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, HKSAR Government said:”To better integrate Fintech with green finance and actively expand the green Fintech ecosystem, we will launch a dedicated proof-of-concept subsidy scheme for green Fintech in the first half of this year. This pioneering scheme is designed to stimulate the development of innovative technological solutions in the green sector and to offer early-stage funding support for pre-commercial green Fintech initiatives.”
Aligned with the HKSAR Government’s initiatives, ASTRI has commercialised several self-developed technologies in FinTech & ESG fields. Key projects include: (1) collaborating with Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and Hong Kong Monetary Authority to establish a proof-of-concept CBDC system focusing on safety, flexibility and privacy; (2) creating a privacy-preserving Federated Learning model to enable banks to utilise alternative data for developing new credit models and aiding SMEs in obtaining financing; (3) establishing a sandbox environment to offer private, controlled and quorum-based runtimes for assessing the performance and security of smart contracts.
With the escalation of global climate change, there is a growing demand for environmental, social and governance (ESG) information disclosure from listed companies worldwide. ASTRI’s “Artificial Intelligence ESG Report Analysis” technology leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technologies to assist financial institutions in enhancing the efficiency of processing ESG report data. This innovative solution aids in meeting regulatory compliance requirements and information disclosure standard, while minimising compliance cost.
Encourage I&T collaboration
The “FinTech and ESG Alliance” marks ASTRI’s third alliance formation.  Dr Denis Yip, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI said: “Building on our previous achievements, our goal is to engage with all stakeholders to develop a holistic ecosystem that paves the way for an innovative era of financial services and sustainability. ASTRI remains committed in advancing knowledge transfer and technological innovation, fostering collaboration among Alliance members and the global industry through a range of networking and matchmaking initiatives.”
ASTRI is dedicated to promoting collaboration among government, industry, universities and research sectors. This commitment aims to enhance cooperation across the I&T industry’s upstream, midstream, and downstream segments, while also nurturing Hong Kong’s financial talent pool. Over the past two years, ASTRI has entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with six local universities (HKU, CUHK, HKUST, City U, PolyU and BU) and formed two industry alliances: the “Microelectronics Technology Consortium” (November 2022) and “Smart Mobility Technology (C-V2X) Alliance” (April 2023).
The newly established “FinTech and ESG Alliance” is backed by banks, financial institutions and businesses. It aims to foster the convergence of emerging FinTech solutions and drive the digital transformation of conventional financial and insurance services to enhance operational efficiency. The Alliance is set to host a series of events for its members including talks, seminars, technology showcases, overseas missions, to facilitate collaboration among stakeholders and tap into fresh opportunities in the Mainland China and overseas, injecting new impetus into Hong Kong’s economy.
The post ASTRI sets up FinTech and ESG Alliance appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

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Digital Domain Teams Up with AWS to Scale Autonomous Virtual Human Technology and Introduces Generative AI-Powered Features

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Digital Domain Holdings Limited (“Digital Domain”, stock code: 547), a global leader in visual effects and transformative experiences, recognized for nearly two decades of pioneering work in the virtual human space, today announced its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to migrate its Autonomous Virtual Human (AVH) technology to the cloud. This collaboration, leveraging AWS’s advanced cloud infrastructure and generative AI and machine learning (ML) services, aims to propel the evolution and global reach of Digital Domain’s AVH technology and expand its use for multiple industries, including entertainment, gaming, healthcare, hospitality, and commercial applications.
As the innovator behind Zoey, the groundbreaking virtual human introduced in 2022, this collaboration marks a significant milestone for Digital Domain. AWS’s cloud services, particularly Amazon Bedrock, provide the necessary adaptability to drive AVH’s growth. With its high-performing foundation models, Amazon Bedrock significantly enhances virtual humans’ capabilities in real-time interactions. Additionally, Digital Domain is using Amazon Polly to help enhance voice outputs, and is considering using Amazon Rekognition for facial recognition and video-based services. AWS’s robust security and compliance features will safeguard Digital Domain’s data, reinforcing the integrity and scalability of the AVH platform. Through a successful partnership with Slalom, a leading technology consulting firm, Digital Domain has efficiently transitioned all AVH workloads to AWS in just nine months, enabling the company to scale AVH technology to meet the burgeoning global demand for real-time, AI-powered customer interactions.
By leveraging AWS’s cloud infrastructure, Digital Domain will unlock the flexibility, efficiency, and performance necessary to expand AVH capabilities. This scalability not only ensures a promising future for AVH technology but also opens up a world of exciting possibilities for its growth. By moving to the cloud, Digital Domain can offer AVH technology with greater speed, reliability, and cost efficiency, allowing clients in hospitality, entertainment, healthcare, and other business sectors to integrate these advanced digital humans into their operations seamlessly. This global accessibility means businesses worldwide can harness AVH technology to deliver personalized, real-time interactions at scale, enhancing customer service, boosting engagement, and elevating brand experiences. Whether it’s offering virtual concierge services, interactive customer support, or immersive storytelling, businesses can now more easily tap into this potent technology, adapting it to their unique needs and enhancing their operations.
“This collaboration with AWS marks a significant milestone for Digital Domain and our ambitions in virtual human technology,” said Daniel Seah, CEO of Digital Domain. “By migrating our Autonomous Virtual Human technology to the cloud, we are not only enhancing its scalability and performance but also expanding its accessibility to a global audience. AWS’s involvement is instrumental in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, enabling us to create even more immersive and interactive experiences for our clients and their audiences. This collaboration will also allow us to establish new industry standards in the hospitality and travel sectors worldwide with our partnership with Plaza Premium Group, one of the largest independently run pay-in lounge operations in airports globally.”
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Digital Domain in this transformative journey to the cloud,” said Samira Bakhtiar, General Manager of Media & Entertainment, Games, and Sports at AWS. “As virtual humans play a larger role across industries to engage directly with customers, Digital Domain is ensuring that everyone has access to its visionary AVH technology by combining it with the most secure, extensive, and reliable global cloud infrastructure, as well as AWS’s generative AI and ML services. We look forward to working with Digital Domain to further expand AVH’s capabilities and bring virtual humans to more AWS customers.”
Digital Domain’s AVH technology represents a leap forward in creating lifelike virtual humans capable of real-time interaction. Through this collaboration with AWS and the use of advanced AI and ML tools, Digital Domain is set to redefine the standards of virtual human experiences, unlocking new possibilities in storytelling, customer engagement, and interactive entertainment.
The post Digital Domain Teams Up with AWS to Scale Autonomous Virtual Human Technology and Introduces Generative AI-Powered Features appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

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Driving Sustainable Digital Asset Mining: Kazakhstan’s AQGroup and Singapore’s MVGX Group Lead the Charge to Decarbonize Web 3.0

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AQGroup, Kazakhstan’s leading green electricity producer and a leader in infrastructure development for computing services – including data centers for artificial intelligence, digital mining, and international IT companies, together with MVGX Group, a pioneering Singapore-based digital green fintech group led by MVGX Holdings Pte. Ltd. are proud to announce a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership. This partnership seeks to leverage on the knowledge, expertise and know-hows of three key members of the MVGX Group in relation to their respective industries – Metaverse Green Exchange Pte. Ltd., MetaComp Pte. Ltd. and MVGX Tech Pte. Ltd.
The two groups have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the prestigious global conference, “Token 2049 Singapore“, marking the beginning of an ambitious collaboration. This MoU outlines plans to construct an innovative hybrid green power plant that combines wind, solar, and battery energy storage systems, ensuring a sustainable supply of green electricity to AQGroup’s Data Centres. Additionally, it lays the groundwork for the establishment of a joint carbon credit trading exchange in Kazakhstan, driving forward a shared vision for sustainable energy solutions and carbon market development in the region.
Kazakhstan, the world’s 9th largest country by territory, holds enormous potential for green energy production through wind and solar power plants (WPPs and SPPs) equipped with energy storage systems. The country’s proximity to China offers unique advantages, including access to high-quality equipments for WPPs and SPPs, alongside significant savings on logistics.
Additionally, the Kazakhstani government with its favorable government regulations—such as a 10-year tax exemption for renewable energy projects—offers a highly supportive environment for green energy development. Their advantageous geographical location between Europe and Asia, positions the country as an emerging regional hub for Data Centres, providing computing services to global markets.
MVGX Group, leveraging its strategic position as a Singapore-based group of companies, is well-positioned to build a financial bridge that empowers the generation and sale of green electricity from Kazakhstan’s green mining initiatives. This partnership offers seamless access to Singapore’s advanced financial services and dynamic capital markets. As the financial hub of South-East Asia, Singapore with its forward-thinking regulatory frameworks has attracted many advanced financial and fintech solutions to set up their headquarters here. MVGX Group seeks to leverage Singapore’s strength as a pivotal force in driving Web 3.0 innovation across the region.
By combining the competitive advantages of both countries, this partnership establishes a strong foundation for sustainable energy initiatives and financial infrastructure. It also creates a strong bridge of friendship and forges long-lasting, mutually beneficial cooperation between the business communities of Kazakhstan and Singapore for many years to come.
In his speech, the Chairman and the Co-Founder of AQGroup Islambek Salzhanov said, “We are very pleased to begin mutually beneficial cooperation with MVGX Group in this transformational project. Together, we will leverage our resources to promote sustainable initiatives, from green energy generation to developing a robust financial infrastructure for Web 3.0. This partnership affirms our shared vision of creating a cleaner and greener future.”
Dr. Bo Bai, the Executive Chairman and the Co-Founder of MVGX Group, added, “By combining our efforts with AQGroup’s extensive experience in green energy and operation of the Data centers, including digital mining, we aim to create a powerful platform that not only supports environmentally sustainable practices but also establishes a global hub for sustainable green digital mining and carbon credit trading.”
MVGX Group and AQGroup plan to leverage respective resources to establish a dedicated investment fund to be distributed by Metaverse Green Exchange Pte. Ltd., a capital market service license holder under the MVGX Group, to special classes of investors. The investment fund seeks to attract substantial financing for this groundbreaking joint project. This fund will not only support the construction and operation of green energy infrastructure but also, drive innovative financial solutions, such as the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) with the technological support of MetaComp Pte. Ltd. By leveraging blockchain technology, the tokenization process will enable these special classes of investors to participate in the green energy sector in new and efficient ways, fostering transparency, liquidity, and accessibility in sustainable investments. This forward-thinking approach highlights the partners’ commitment to integrating digital finance with renewable energy development, setting a new standard for future projects in the sector.
In addition to seeking investment, both AQGroup and MVGX Group are open to collaboration with a wide array of partners. They are inviting investors interested in green energy, as well as equipment manufacturers specializing in WPPs and SPPs, energy storage system suppliers, and experienced EPC contractors. These collaborations are vital to creating an integrated value chain for sustainable energy production and computing services, further solidifying the partnership’s role as a leader in advancing global sustainability and technological innovation. Together, AQGroup and MVGX Group aim to forge long-lasting industry relationships that drive their shared vision for a greener, more innovative future.
The post Driving Sustainable Digital Asset Mining: Kazakhstan’s AQGroup and Singapore’s MVGX Group Lead the Charge to Decarbonize Web 3.0 appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

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J.S. Held Expands Executive Leadership to Oversee Next Phase of Growth

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Global consulting firm J.S. Held, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years, announces Lee Spirer as its new President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), reporting to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jonathon Held.
Lee Spirer is a transformational leader with extensive experience creating value for investors in human capital-intensive businesses by focusing on developing innovative, high impact services for clients and building platforms which attract world class professionals to maximize their career success.
Over his 30-year career, Lee Spirer has been known for keen strategic insight tightly tied to successful plan execution, building and developing teams, tapping into innovation, and leveraging technology. His teams have balanced organic and acquisition-based growth strategies while driving operational performance.
CEO, Jonathon Held, commenting on Lee’s appointment to President and COO, reflects on his “extensive experience and proven ability to drive strategy focused on financial results and operational excellence.” Held continues, “I look forward to partnering with Lee to support all J.S. Held stakeholders – our team members, clients, and investors.”
Having started his professional career serving large complex clients as a strategy consultant, Spirer set the stage for his success in creating and cultivating human capital businesses including:

Navigant, where he led the growth and transformation of the 6,000 professional company, more than doubling revenues and ultimately taking the company private and merging with Guidehouse.
Kroll Risk & Compliance, where as President, he founded and built a new business intelligence division.
IBM Business Consulting Services, where following the IBMs acquisition of Mainspring, a digital strategy/transformation company, he led global financial markets for the Fortune 100 company.

Over his career, Lee Spirer has operated in public and private companies, acquired and sold businesses, guided a company through an IPO, and interacted with a wide range of investors and boards. Most recently, he worked with several private equity firms to identify and evaluate potential investments. “Lee is a growth-focused business leader with a strong track record of success,” observes Steve Dutton, Partner at Kelso & Company, J.S. Held’s private equity partner. Dutton continues, “Lee’s proven ability to identify, evaluate, and drive value creation in the professional and technology-enabled services sectors makes him an ideal partner to support further growth at J.S. Held.”
Lee Spirer, commenting on what attracted him to J.S. Held, shares, “J.S. Held’s unique combination of a very strong market position on which to build, extraordinary human capital, a proven track record of organic growth, and ability to augment with acquisitions and successfully integrate those professionals presents the ideal platform for growth at all levels – presenting career opportunities for our professionals, value to our clients, and returns for investors.”  Spirer continues, “As president and COO, I am focused on further strategic growth, evolution, and scale through service innovation and technology.”
Lee Spirer is now part of the dedicated and entrepreneurial team of experts who help transform J.S. Held. Explore our story and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com.
The post J.S. Held Expands Executive Leadership to Oversee Next Phase of Growth appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

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