Tata Communications and MasterCard Join Forces to Empower 100 Million Women

Mobile platforms driving social and financial inclusion

NEW YORK - Thursday, October 1st 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting closing plenary, Tata Communications and MasterCard announced a CGI Commitment to Action to financially empower 25,000 women in the developing world, part of a larger vision to ultimately reach 100 million women. The global telecommunications leader and the leader in global payments technology join forces with a unique network of partners including Brightstar Corp, Kiva, Tone, Trickle Up and the Hidary Foundation to bring their shared vision to life over the next five years through access to transformative mobile platforms comprising a range of financial, health and education applications and services.

“Three billion people will come online over the next decade primarily from the developing world. We now have our generation’s greatest opportunity to unshackle women from endless cycles of poverty and dependency by providing them with access to information and economic opportunities,” said Rangu Salgame, CEO, Growth Ventures Group, Tata Communications. ”With this program, Tata Communications and MasterCard are embarking on a journey to harness the long-term potential of the next 3 billion online.”

In developing countries, 200 million fewer women than men are online, and 300 million fewer women own a mobile phone1. Yet, research also shows that the impact of empowering women financially is tremendous starting with their ability to raise the living standard of the entire household given that they are more likely to spend their income on establishing healthier and sustainable lifestyles for their families.

“Two billion adults globally, the majority of them women, still don’t have a safe and easy way to receive, store and use their money,” said Walt Macnee, vice chairman of MasterCard. “We see an opportunity and responsibility to empower women with access to and control over their finances through digital financial tools. By financially including women around the globe, we take an important step towards poverty alleviation, equality and economic prosperity.”

Tata Communications, MasterCard and its network of partners will realize this vision by taking a non-linear implementation approach as is often taken in the technology sector. The program will kick-off with pilot projects in India, Nigeria, Indonesia and Guatemala, targeting 25,000 women, serving as microcosms. The replication of these microcosms will enable scale with a vision to reach 100 million women by 2020.

Please find more information at:

Next3B Website: www.Next3B.com

Video: https://youtu.be/BBo8D8HNBGI

Twitter hashtags: #Next3B and #100millionwomen

About Tata Communications

Tata Communications Limited (CIN no: L64200MH1986PLC039266) along with its subsidiaries (Tata Communications) is a leading global provider of A New World of Communications™. With a leadership position in emerging markets, Tata Communications leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers.

The Tata Communications global network includes one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks and a Tier-1 IP network with connectivity to more than 240 countries and territories across 400 PoPs, as well as nearly 1 million square feet of data centre and collocation space worldwide.

Tata Communications’ depth and breadth of reach in emerging markets includes leadership in Indian enterprise data services and leadership in global international voice.

Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.

http://www.tatacommunications.com

Forward-looking and cautionary statements

Certain words and statements in this release concerning Tata Communications and its prospects, and other statements, including those relating to Tata Communications’ expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of Tata Communications’ operations, and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including financial, regulatory and environmental, as well as those relating to industry growth and trend projections, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tata Communications, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, failure to increase the volume of traffic on Tata Communications’ network; failure to develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; failure to successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services, including voice transmission services; failure to stabilize or reduce the rate of price compression on certain of the company’s communications services; failure to integrate strategic acquisitions and changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of Tata Communications’ industry; and, in general, the economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in Tata Communications’ control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in Tata Communications Limited’s Annual Reports. The Annual Reports of Tata Communications Limited are available at www.tatacommunications.com. Tata Communications is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements.

About Mastercard               

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

About TrickleUp

Founded in 1979, Trickle Up’s (TU) singular focus is unleashing the potential of the poorest, hardest to reach women on earth, people not otherwise served by government or nonprofits. TU has provided hundreds of thousands of women with business training, seed capital to start or expand a business, and guidance on how to set up and manage a savings group. Trickle Up works in West Africa, North Africa, India and Latin America, with regional offices located in Guatemala, Burkina Faso and India, and headquarters in New York City. http://trickleup.org/

About Kiva

Kiva is the world’s first and largest crowdfunding platform for social good with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. By lending as little as $25, anyone can help a borrower start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy and realize their potential. Since 2005, Kiva and their growing global community of 1.4 million lenders have crowdfunded more than $750 million in microloans to over 1.6 million entrepreneurs in 80 countries, with a 98% repayment rate. http://www.kiva.org/

About Brightstar

Brightstar, a SoftBank Group Corp. subsidiary, is the world’s largest specialized wireless distributor and a leading provider of diversified services focused on enhancing the performance and results of the key participants in the wireless device value chain: manufacturers, operators and retailers. With a local presence in 50 countries, Brightstar operates in about 100 countries across six continents and serves 200 mobile network operators, 40,000 retailers, and 15,000 enterprise customers. Brightstar brings it global scale and position at the center of the wireless ecosystem™ to the commitment.

About Tone

Tone is a mobile communications company. Our mission is to increase access to mobile broadband by enabling people to better afford and control their content. We achieve this by marketing mobile data plans with local mobile operators around the world. Tone's data plans are affordable to the base of the pyramid and compelling to upscale subscribers. Helping to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, we work with local partners to develop and augment development programs by designing and distributing “activation" kits with phones, a data plan, compelling mobile content and a data collection module. Current program pilots are in the areas of women’s empowerment and ocean protection.

About the Clinton Global Initiative

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together 190 sitting and former heads of state, more than 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 3,200 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries.

In addition to the Annual Meeting, CGI convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States; and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. This year, CGI also convened CGI Middle East & Africa, which brought together leaders across sectors to take action on pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.

For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative

1No Ceilings: The Full Participation Report, March 2015

Contacts

Tata Communications

Natalie Chak, +44 (0)7833 043 779

natalie.chak@tatacommunications.com



Hill & Knowlton Strategies

Neil Thomas, +44 (0)20 7416 3000

Neil.Thomas@hkstrategies.com







Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/15858/en

Taiwan Excellence Days in Dubai Draws to a Successful End

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Tuesday, September 29th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) has triumphed yet again with their second edition of the Taiwan Excellence Days campaign in the UAE. The exhibition took place from September 9th to the 12th, 2015 where a collection of leading Taiwanese brands took the opportunity to display their latest innovations to consumers at The Dubai Mall.

Award winning brands such as Acer, ADATA, ASUS, Aver, Avision, BenQ, BESV, D-Link, DrayTek, Edimax, EnGenius, FRANZ, Getac, Heartway, Hiti, Holux, HTC, IN WIN, Just Time, Maxxis, Mozbii, Orange Electronic, pqi, QNAP, Silicon Power, Transcend, Thermaltake, vivitek, and ZyXEL among others, enjoyed a large number of intrigued customers at the mall.

Thajin Thomas, CEO of D-Link stated, “We had no doubt that this tour would be successful. It is a pleasure to be able to expand and grow through this event. We noticed that the initiative to attract customers by organizing raffles and giving out prizes brought about a remarkable gathering of potential consumers.”

Renjan George, Managing Director of DrayTek's authorized distributor said, “We are extremely humbled to be a part of this experience as we were able to exhibit our most recent innovations through this influential campaign yet again. It contributed to our company’s growth significantly, as a fair amount of customers were attracted to the exhibition.”

Stanley Chien, Senior Manager of BESV commented, “We were pleased to be a part of this. It was the perfect opportunity to showcase our products to the UAE market. The promise of exciting prizes and an array of entertaining acts attracted a huge crowd, exposing us to a wider market. ”

Over the 4 days, Taiwan Excellence Days engaged the Dubai Mall visitors with performances by a renowned magician, stilt walking bands and a DJ in its entertainment segment. A number of competitions and raffles also excited customers, giving them a chance to win exciting prizes.

The 3rd day of the event, on September 11th, included prizes like the HTC M8 Eye, which was won by the UAE resident Mr. Houssam Ali Harkous, along with an Acer tablet won by Ms. Rifah Salman. The prize on the final day, the ASUS tablet, was won by the mall visitor Ms. Tamara El Ladah. The Mega Draw, which was a round trip ticket to Taiwan, was won by Mr. Faissal Mesmoudi, who ecstatically planned his trip to Taiwan.  

The event received an overwhelming response from mall visitors taking an interest in the 60 brands and 115 cutting edge products on display at the Star Atrium of The Dubai Mall. Over the 4 days, Dubai consumers had a chance to acquaint themselves better with Taiwan Excellence and the innovative products from Taiwan.

To continue its existing trade relations in the region while building new ones, TAITRA has recently launched The Taiwan Trade Arabic ICT Zone, a part of the Taiwan Trade website and Taiwan’s leading B2B platform in the region. Taiwan Trade has 69,000 Taiwanese suppliers, 360,000 products, and provides a wide range of online services to facilitate the trade and exchange between Taiwanese firms and worldwide companies.

To find out more about the Taiwan Trade Arabic ICT Zone, just log onto: http://ict.ar.taiwantrade.com.tw/

--- END---

About Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) was founded in 1970 to promote Taiwan’s foreign trade and its competitiveness in world markets. Over the past 45 years, TAITRA has played a key role in the development of the Taiwanese economy. TAITRA is jointly sponsored by the government and commercial associations and is viewed by all as the business gateway to Taiwan for the international business community.

Please visit http://www.taiwantrade.com.tw/ for more information.

About TAIWAN EXCELLENCE

A recognized name of innovation with added value, Taiwan Excellence is the highest accolade awarded to products that encapsulate “Innovalue” (innovation + added value). The Taiwan Excellence Selection was launched in 1993. The selection of the products is decided by a panel of international judges based on the criteria of design, R&D, quality, and marketing. The Taiwan Excellence Award winners not only represent the most revolutionary, highest quality, highest value added products made by Taiwan. They epitomize Taiwan’s unique genius in using innovation to create added value in the design and manufacturing of leading-edge products.

Please visit http://www.TaiwanExcellence.org/ for more information.

Photo*

Winner of the Round Trip to Taiwan Mr. Faissal Mesmoudi accepting the mega draw prize from Mr. Shyh Perng Chang, Director of Taiwan Trade Centre Dubai at the Taiwan Excellence Days in Dubai at The Dubai Mall(Photo*-ME NewsWire)

Contacts

Media Contacts

PR Agency: Absolute Communications FZE

Name: Marissa Pinto

Tel: +971-50-7541420

Email: MarissaP@absolutecommunications.ae



Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)

Name: Catherine Wu

Tel: +886-2-27255200 Ext. 1377

Email:  chaolin.wu@taitra.org.tw







Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/15850/en

New data demonstrate sustained long-term efficacy of OFEV®* on slowing disease progression and safety in patients with IPF

INGELHEIM & AMSTERDAM. - Tuesday, September 29th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

    Interim analysis of INPULSIS®-ON study shows: Beneficial effect of OFEV®* on slowing disease progression was maintained and the change from baseline in FVC was consistent over 2 years1
    Long-term treatment with OFEV®* had a manageable safety and tolerability profile (mean exposure of 2.4 years, maximum exposure of more than 3 years)1
    Commonly used concomitant medications, such as anti-acids or systemic steroids, do not influence the beneficial effect of OFEV®* on slowing disease progression2,3

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- An interim analysis of the INPULSIS®-ON extension trial has confirmed the efficacy and safety of OFEV®* (nintedanib) previously observed in the INPULSIS® trials.1 The results were presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2015, and confirm that OFEV®* has a long-term effect on slowing disease progression and a manageable side effect profile in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).1 This new data is important in light of the fact that IPF is a life-threatening and progressive disease, requiring patients to be on long-term treatment.4

The INPULSIS®-ON interim analysis showed that the change from baseline in forced vital capacity (FVC) at 48 weeks in patients continuing treatment with OFEV®* in the extension trial was comparable to what was observed in the 52 weeks INPULSIS® trial.1 This provides further evidence that the beneficial effect of OFEV®* on slowing disease progression is maintained in the long-term.1

“The safety and efficacy data presented for OFEV®* is very reassuring with regards to the long-term outcomes of treatment with OFEV®* and its effect on slowing disease progression,” said Professor Luca Richeldi, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. “They add further weight to the growing body of evidence in support of OFEV®* as an effective and manageable treatment for IPF. When managing IPF it is important that physicians discuss with their patients what to expect from treatment and which treatment is right for them, to initiate this treatment early and then to ensure the patient stays on it as long as possible.”

Key results from the interim analysis of INPULSIS®-ON

INPULSIS®-ON is an open-label single arm study. More than 90% of IPF patients participating in INPULSIS® and eligible for open-label treatment with nintedanib in INPULSIS®-ON opted to participate. Patients on placebo treatment in the INPULSIS® trials newly initiated treatment with OFEV®* in the extension trial and patients already treated with OFEV®* in the INPULSIS trials continued to receive OFEV®*. The effect of OFEV®* on the mean change from baseline in FVC at week 48 of the INPULSIS®-ON trial was comparable to the one seen at 52 weeks in the INPULSIS® trial:

    In INPULSIS®-ON: -87 mL for all patients, -96,4 mL for patients continuing treatment with OFEV® in the extension trial and -73,1 mL for patients initiating treatment with OFEV®1
    In INPULSIS® (pooled data): -88,9 mL (OFEV®) vs. -203,0 mL (placebo)1

The analysis substantiates the effects of OFEV®* on slowing disease progression and confirms the long-term efficacy of OFEV®*.1 Additionally no new safety signals were identified following long-term treatment with OFEV®* in INPULSIS®-ON.1 The most frequent adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature with diarrhoea affecting 64% of patients but leading to drug discontinuation in only 5%.1

Effect of OFEV®* on a broad range of IPF patients**

New subgroup-analyses from the INPULSIS® study presented at the congress examined whether OFEV®* had a consistent effect on patients with IPF who were also taking commonly used medications, including anti-acids and corticosteroids, when they were enrolled in the study.2,3

Anti-acid medications are often given to patients with IPF to manage gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is common in patients with IPF and is considered to be a risk factor for IPF disease progression and acute exacerbations.5 IPF patients are also sometimes treated with low doses of corticosteroids (e.g. prednisone) and therefore subjects receiving low doses of corticosteroids were allowed in the INPULSIS® trials.6

The analyses confirm that these concomitant medications taken at baseline do not influence the beneficial effect of OFEV®* on annual rate of FVC decline.2,3

The two analyses provided further evidence that OFEV®* slows disease progression in a broad range of IPF patients**.2,3

These data are presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress on 29 September 2015 at 14.45 CEST in Room 4.1. The corresponding abstracts can be found within the online programme, here: http://www.erscongress.org/programme-2015/access-the-programme.html

    Interim analysis of nintedanib in an open-label extension of the INPULSIS® trials (INPULSIS®-ON)
    Effect of anti-acid medication on reduction in FVC decline with nintedanib
    Effect of baseline corticosteroid medication on reduction in FVC decline with nintedanib

New IPF treatment guidelines emphasise the role of OFEV®* in the treatment of IPF

In July 2015, the international evidence-based 2015 ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis was published giving a conditional recommendation for the use of OFEV® (nintedanib*) in patients with IPF***.7 The committee noted the high value of OFEV® on patient-important outcomes such as disease progression as measured by rate of forced vital capacity (FVC) decline and mortality. The recommendation also takes into account the expected cost of treatment and potentially significant adverse effects.

*Nintedanib is approved under the brand name OFEV® in the US, EU, Japan and other territories for use in patients with IPF

**Including those with preserved lung function (FVC>90%pred), no honeycombing on HRCT and concomitant emphysema

*** This conditional recommendation means that clincians are encouraged to discuss preferences with their patients when making treatment decisions

~ ENDS ~

Please click on the link below for ‘Notes to Editors’ and ‘References’: http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/news/news_releases/press_releases/2015/29_september_2015_ipf.html

Intended audiences:

This press release is issued from our Corporate Headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany and is intended to provide information about our global business. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved products may vary from country to country, and a country-specific press release on this topic may have been issued in the countries where we do business.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150929006242/en/

Contacts

Boehringer Ingelheim

Corporate Communications

Media + PR

Dr Kristin Jakobs

Phone: +49 6132 77 144553

Fax: +49 6132 – 77 6601

Email: press@boehringeringelheim.com









Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/15853/en

Quintiles Recognized as Phase IV Services Leader for Third Consecutive Year

Remains preferred provider among biopharmaceutical companies

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C - Tuesday, September 29th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Quintiles has been named the market leader in Phase IV services for the third year in a row, according to the 2015 CRO Quality Benchmarking – Phase IV Service Providers Report from Industry Standard Research (ISR).

Quintiles was selected as the preferred provider among biopharmaceutical companies for Phase IV services based on a survey of 110 global biopharmaceutical representatives. In the report, Quintiles was highlighted as a leader across a number of key service quality metrics, including its service breadth, global footprint and technology that enables real-time data access delivered by its award-winning Quintiles Infosario® platform.

“We are proud to be honored once again for our leadership in Phase IV services across all of our customer segments,” said Andrea Spannheimer, senior vice president, Real-World & Late Phase Research at Quintiles. “This acknowledgement reflects our unmatched depth and breadth of expertise, as well as scientific affairs thought leadership and services, which are required to provide the right approach to the right question for our customers worldwide. We especially want to thank our talented employees – this recognition is a testament to their tireless dedication.”

Compared to the other 33 Phase IV Contract Research Organizations noted in the report, Quintiles was a top performer in a number of selection criteria including:

    Leadership
    Preference
    Customer loyalty
    Performance relative to expectations
    Perceived differentiation of service quality

Survey participants were decision-makers from small, mid-size and large global biopharmaceutical companies and were required to have been involved in outsourced Phase IV trials within the past 18 months.

To learn more about the report, click here.

About Quintiles

Quintiles (NYSE: Q) helps biopharma and other healthcare companies improve their probability of success by connecting insights from our deep scientific, therapeutic and analytics expertise with superior delivery for better outcomes. From advisory through operations, Quintiles is the world’s largest provider of product development and integrated healthcare services, including commercial and observational solutions. Conducting operations in approximately 100 countries, Quintiles is a member of the FORTUNE 500 and has been named to FORTUNE’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.” To learn more, visit www.quintiles.com.

Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for Quintiles.

Contacts

Quintiles

Phil Bridges, Media Relations

Office: 919-998-1653

Mobile: 919-457-6347

phil.bridges@quintiles.com



Todd Kasper, Investor Relations

919-998-2590

InvestorRelations@quintiles.com







Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/15839/en

TGM Consultants appointed on Tbilisi Mall in Georgia, the largest retail and leisure development in the Southern Caucasus region

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Monday, September 28th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

TGM Consultants has been appointed to provide full scope property management and leasing services for the Tbilisi Mall, the most significant retail and leisure development in Georgia and the Southern Caucasus. The mall, located in the rapidly growing capital of Georgia, an evolving economic hub, has been developed by Rakeen Development, the largest real estate developer in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. This appointment cements TGM's position as one of the leading consultancy firms in the region; following its entrance into the Southern Caucasus late 2013 through its ongoing involvement with the Yerevan Mall in Armenia.

With a track record of successfully managing and leasing shopping centres for a period of 20 years, Dubai based TGM Consultants has taken over the property management and leasing tasks of Tbilisi Mall from July 2015. The mall is the first modern centre to combine leisure, retail and entertainment in the region. With a GLA of 74,000 sqm, the centre attracts more than five million visitors per year from all over Georgia and neighbouring countries, and is considered the most successful family shopping and entertainment centre in both Tbilisi and the entire Southern Caucasus region. Tbilisi Mall includes 108 shops, 25 kiosks, and offers a broad range of high street fashion and internationally established brands including ZARA, Massimo Dutti, Gap, Marks & Spencer, Carrefour and Banana Republic. Close to 80% of the brands are new entrants into the Georgian market.

Having recently relocated to the new Dubai office in order to personally oversee the international operations, Philip Evans, Managing Partner of TGM Consultants, said: “Historically, TGM has focused on the increasingly saturated CEE region – and while there are still ample amounts of opportunities for TGM in this region, we have followed our long-term strategy to further explore markets that are less mature and have significant business potential. After conducting business in China and North Africa, and following our introduction to the MENA region last year, we are very pleased to have this opportunity in such a rapidly developing country within the Southern Caucasus.  On the basis of our expanding strategy, we will also utilize the best practices of our new headquarters for international operations in Dubai alongside those of our retail franchise contacts throughout the region.”

“Georgia lies at the crossroads between Asia and Europe, and Tbilisi itself lies on important international trading routes that are extremely significant networks for the country’s trade. We are happy to have TGM Consultants on board as property managers, as their wide scope of experience and network of offices complements our needs perfectly. We hope it will be a long and fruitful cooperation,” said Krieshan Groverr, CEO of Rakeen Development.

TGM Consultants

TGM was founded in 1994 as the operational wing of TriGranit Development Corporation, one of the largest privately owned real estate development companies in Europe. It has the capability to provide a full suite of services as a ‘one stop shop’, including: development and design consultancy, project management, asset and property management, leasing, marketing, commercialisation, facilities management consultancy, research and market intelligence.

TGM is currently active in 14 countries with nine offices in Europe and the Caucasus, the Middle East and in China. Its integrated portfolio consists of almost 1,600,000 sqm of retail property under management and leasing, and oversees over €3 billion of assets in 29 current retail, office and leisure projects. TGM welcomes over 64 million visitors every year, supporting the success of more than 1,500 international tenants within the leasing portfolio. TGM manages large assets - such as the WestEnd City Center in Budapest, Hungary, for example - with 23 million visitors in 2014 and operating successfully with 100% occupancy rate despite the unstable economic environment. Arena Centar, Zagreb is also a flagship in TGM’s portfolio, with increased visitor numbers and turnovers in 2014 as well as in Q1 2015. 

About Rakeen Development LLC

Rakeen Development LLC was established by RAKEEN Development, the largest developer in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.   RAKEEN’s diversified business portfolio spreads across the globe. LLC Rakeen Uptown Development is one of the fastest and most dynamically growing companies in the region, which is reflected in its financial data.  In 2012/2013, the total revenue of the company increased by 110%, gross profit by 59% and EBIDTA by more than 100% compared to 2012. Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Rakeen is furthering the vision of transforming the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah into a destination that thrives on development as much as it reveres the environment.  Sustainability, Responsibility and Prosperity are Rakeen's core values.

Contacts

Philip Evans

 Managing Partner

+97145546251

pevans@trigranit.com









Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/15774/en

New $20 Million XPRIZE Aims to Tackle CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuels

Global Competition Challenges Innovators to Develop Breakthrough Technologies to Convert CO2 into Valuable Products

AUSTIN, Texas - Tuesday, September 29th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- At Fortune’s Brainstorm E conference today, XPRIZE Chairman and CEO Peter Diamandis announces the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, a competition to address CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. With registration opening today, teams are challenged to develop breakthrough technologies that convert the most CO2 into one or more products with the highest net value. Co-sponsored by NRG and COSIA, the 4-½ year competition will include two tracks, with the new technologies tested at either a coal power plant or a natural gas facility.

“We are living in an age of unprecedented technological progress and prosperity driven by energy,” said Diamandis. “Yet, most of this energy comes from burning fossil fuels, a leading contributor to climate change. We are embarking on one urgent step in XPRIZE’s energy roadmap of incentivizing a clean and positive energy future that addresses a suite of Grand Challenges.”

According to the International Energy Agency, 82 percent of the world’s energy supply is derived from fossil fuels. While cleaner energy sources are on the rise, overall energy demand is expected to grow 37 percent by 2040, making immediate carbon mitigation solutions even more urgent. Few challenges are greater or more critical than ensuring access to clean, affordable and abundant energy. As CO2 emissions from fossil fuels continue to be a leading contributor to climate change, the Carbon XPRIZE will address global CO2 emissions by incentivizing solutions to convert CO2 from a liability into an asset.

The Carbon XPRIZE will incentivize breakthrough technologies that convert CO2 into a product or suite of products such as: alternative cement, concrete, and other building materials; chemicals used to manufacture a variety of industrial and consumer goods; low-carbon transportation fuels; and possibly new products altogether.

“Carbon is a unique challenge in that as we move toward a low to zero-emission future, we’ll need to continue using fossil fuels to meet current energy demands,” said Sicily Dickenson, chief marketing officer, NRG. “We’re using the highly effective XPRIZE process to engage the world’s brightest minds to find a solution that helps solve emissions problems, and simultaneously creates viable products that we use every day.”

“We know that CO2 emissions contribute to climate change so we’re continually working to improve our environmental performance in the oil sands,” said Dan Wicklum, COSIA chief executive. “This competition will be a catalyst to accelerate our progress towards a cleaner global energy future by converting CO2 emissions into valuable products. A team may win the money, but our energy future will win the prize.”

XPRIZE will appoint a judging panel to evaluate the various technologies and approaches developed by teams during the competition. XPRIZE will also appoint a third-party Scientific Advisory Board of experts available to advise on a variety of approaches to CO2 conversion.

The Carbon XPRIZE is a part of XPRIZE’s growing portfolio of Energy & Environment prizes and long-term vision for accelerating revolutionary energy technologies to help move the world towards a clean, abundant energy future.

For more information, and to register your intent to compete, visit carbon.xprize.org.

About XPRIZE

Founded in 1995, XPRIZE is the leading organization solving the world’s Grand Challenges by creating and managing large-scale, high-profile, incentivized prizes in five areas: Learning; Exploration; Energy & Environment; Global Development; and Life Sciences. Active prizes include the $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE, the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE, the $10M Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, and the $7M Adult Literacy XPRIZE. For more information, go to www.xprize.org.

About NRG Energy

NRG is leading a customer-driven change in the U.S. energy industry by delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices, while building on the strength of the nation’s largest and most diverse competitive power portfolio. A Fortune 250 company, NRG creates value through reliable and efficient conventional generation while driving innovation in solar and renewable power, electric vehicle ecosystems, carbon capture technology and customer-centric energy solutions. NRG’s retail electricity providers serve almost 3 million residential and commercial customers throughout the country. More information is available at www.nrg.com. Connect with NRG Energy on Facebook and follow on Twitter @nrgenergy.

About COSIA

COSIA (Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance) is an alliance of 13 oil sands producers, representing 90 percent of production from the Canadian oil sands. COSIA’s vision is to enable responsible and sustainable development of Canada’s oil sands as a global energy source while delivering accelerated improvement in environmental performance through collaborative action and innovation in areas of greenhouse gases, land, tailings and water. Since COSIA’s inception in 2012, member companies have shared more than 777 environmental technologies worth over $950 million. Find out more at www.cosia.ca and follow on Twitter at @COSIA_ca.

Contacts

XPRIZE

Eric Desatnik / Jackie Wei

310.741.4892 / 310.741.4918

eric@xprize.org / jackie.wei@xprize.org









Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/15844/en

G-STAR 2015, Global Game Companies 'Introducing New Innovations' in November

SEOUL, South Korea - Wednesday, September 30th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On September 23rd, G-STAR Organizing Committee (Organizing Committee hereinafter) had a press conference about the current status of G-STAR 2015 in Seoul.

A global game exhibition, G-STAR 2015 will be held in BEXCO, Busan, Korea from November 12th to 15th. This global game exhibition has generated more than $200 million of business value for four days, breaking records every year. As of now, 50 days to go before the exhibition, the Organizing Committee expects 1154 booths in Public Area and 916 booths in Business Area, breaking the record of 2014’s exhibition with the biggest scale of all time.

The Organizing Committee announced that it selected the mobile game company, 4:33 as a main sponsor of the event this year. 4:33 plays a significant role in the Korean game market as a mobile game company and is also well known for re-investing for the growth of small and mid-sized companies as well as the Korean game market.

Twitch will also participate in G-STAR as Global Media Partner. The scenes in BEXCO, Busan will be vividly broadcasted to the global gamers through Twitch for four days of exhibition.

The Chief of the G-STAR Organizing Committee, Martin Gwanho Choi said, “It is particularly great to see that mobile game companies are participating this year. Various innovations that combine IT technology such as VR and the games will attract visitors’ attention.” He also showed confidence in this year’s event saying, “As many companies from Asia and Europe are exhibiting in Public Area, it is proving that G-STAR is the hub of the global game business.”

The original source-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the source-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=51188477&lang=en

Contacts

G-STAR 2015 Secretariat

Jeonghun Kim, +82-2-6000-6694

b2c@gstar.or.kr









Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/15860/en