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Could Pakistan SAF technology transform its agricultural waste crisis?

Dashveenjit Kaur — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:39:32 +0000

Pakistan SAF technology initiative to convert agricultural waste into sustainable aviation fuel.
$121 million Sheikhupura facility Asia-Pacific’s first private-sector SAF project.
Promises 300 jobs and 20,000 indirect opportunities.

Pakistan SAF technology developments are positioning the agricultural-rich nation as a potential dark horse in Asia’s race toward aviation decarbonisation. As Asian airlines face mounting pressure to reduce emissions amid global climate imperatives, Pakistan’s unique approach of converting agricultural waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could offer a regional model worth examining.

Converting an environmental problem into economic opportunity

The smog that blankets major Pakistani and neighbouring Indian cities each harvest season has become an annual crisis, driven largely by the burning of agricultural residue. The practice, particularly prevalent in Punjab province, releases particulate matter that compromises air quality across borders.

However, this challenge presents a technological opportunity that Pakistan’s emerging SAF sector aims to capitalise on. “Crop residues burned during both winter and summer in Pakistan represent an underutilised resource with immense potential for SAF production,” noted experts in an April 2025 report by The Express Tribune, highlighting a practical technological solution to an entrenched environmental issue.

The technology equation

Pakistan SAF technology implementation focuses on two principal conversion methods, each suited to different agricultural inputs:

Hydroprocessing Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA): For lipid-based feedstocks including used cooking oil and non-edible oils
Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ): Optimised for converting sugar-based inputs like wheat straw and rice husks

The technologies produce aviation fuels chemically identical to conventional jet fuel, requiring no aircraft modifications, and deliver substantially improved carbon profiles. A third technology using carbon dioxide capture remains in development but holds promise for further emissions reductions. Dr Adeel Ghayur, described by The Express Tribune as an “eminent energy scientist and expert in circular economy,” indicated that commercial SAF technologies can scale from 100,000 to one million tonnes of annual production capacity, with corresponding economic impacts.

Asia’s first private SAF project

The December 2024 announcement of a $121 million SAF facility in Sheikhupura represented a milestone not just for Pakistan but for all of Asia. According to Pakistan Today, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed $86.2 million to the project, with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) providing $35 million. What makes this development particularly noteworthy in the Asian context is its designation by the ADB as “the first private sector-led SAF project in Asia and the Pacific,” excluding China.

For a region where state involvement typically dominates energy infrastructure, this private-sector approach merits attention from investors and policymakers across Asia. The facility is operated by SAFCO Venture Holdings Limited and owned by Taimur Shaikh and Ali Shaikh, and presents compelling environmental and economic metrics: projected annual production of 200,000 tonnes of SAF, reduction of 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly, creation of 300 direct jobs, and facilitation of approximately 20,000 indirect employment opportunities in the supply chain and tertiary industries.

The regional competitiveness question

While Pakistan’s SAF ambitions are technologically sound, important questions remain about its competitiveness in an Asian market where Singapore, Japan, and South Korea have already established advanced biofuel capabilities.

The price difference remains substantial, with SAF currently commanding approximately $2,500 per metric tonne versus $700 for conventional jet fuel. For price-sensitive Asian carriers navigating post-pandemic recovery, this cost gap presents significant challenges to adoption.

Dr. Ghayur said in The Express Tribune that “strengthening R&D is essential for Pakistan to remain competitive in the global SAF market, secure its position as a hub for innovation, and maintain leadership as SAF adoption rises across Asia.” The acknowledgement reflects awareness of the technological race underway in the region.

For Asian nations with similar agricultural profiles – Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia – Pakistan’s SAF initiative offers a potential template for converting agricultural waste into aviation biofuels and addresses seasonal air pollution events. The multiplicative benefits – enhanced energy security, emissions reductions, rural economic opportunities, and foreign direct investment – align with development priorities across South and Southeast Asia.

Four-dimensional solution

Pakistan SAF technology implementation addresses four interconnected challenges that resonate in developing Asian economies:

Energy security: Reducing petroleum import dependence via domestic production
Economic development: Creating value-added manufacturing with substantial job creation potential
Foreign direct investment: Attracting capital for industrial-scale bioprocessing operations
Environmental mitigation: Addressing agricultural burning emissions and aviation carbon footprints

Critical path forward

For Pakistan’s SAF sector to achieve its potential, several hurdles will need to be surmounted. First, continued investment beyond the initial Sheikhupura facility will be necessary to achieve meaningful scale. Second, as SAF technologies evolve, Pakistan will need to maintain technological competitiveness through sustained R&D investment. Finally, efficiency improvements in agricultural waste collection and transportation will be essential to maintain favourable economics.

The byproduct potential enhances the business case further, with SAFCO’s facility projected to produce 18,000 tonnes of bionaphtha annually for sustainable plastics production, according to Pakistan Today.

As Dr Ghayur concluded in The Express Tribune, “The comprehensive policy roadmap will serve as both a blueprint and a catalyst to propel Pakistan to the forefront of the global SAF revolution.”

While significant challenges remain in scaling production, optimising costs, and matching competitive alternatives, Pakistan’s SAF technology trajectory represents a distinctive approach to circular economy implementation with potential regional application across all of Asia’s agricultural economies.

The post Could Pakistan SAF technology transform its agricultural waste crisis? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

US panic-buying as Trump’s tech tariffs hit 100%+

Dashveenjit Kaur — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 10:32:16 +0000

Trump’s tech tariff threats reach unprecedented levels.
Potential 100%+ duties on China, placing digital supply chain at risk.
Asian electronics manufacturers and US tech giants face market disruption.

“We’re all living inside the president’s head, and nobody knows anything,” wrote The Atlantic recently – an encapsulation of the market turmoil surrounding Trump’s tech tariffs.

The tariff policy has intensified rapidly, marking an escalation from the president’s previous trade approach. The latest threat to impose an additional 50% duty on Chinese imports unless Beijing withdraws its retaliatory measures would push the total tariff rate to 104%, more than quadrupling the cost of importing Chinese goods into the US.

Beijing’s 34% retaliatory tariffs, imposed in direct response to Trump’s initial tariff announcements, represent China’s own calculated approach – not seeking to match the complete US duties but sending a message that it won’t absorb economic punishment without a proportional response.

China’s Commerce Ministry stated, they “firmly oppose” the US threats and will “resolutely respond,” calling Trump’s approach “doubling down on its mistakes” and “exposing its nature of coercion.”

The severity of this action goes far beyond the 25% peak rates seen during Trump’s first administration, when economists warned of significant market disruption. Now, global technology supply chains that took decades to optimise face the prospect of a complete restructuring, as duties exceeding 100% would effectively close off the world’s largest consumer market to Chinese manufacturers.

This represents a continuation of Trump’s first-term policies and an amplification that creates immediate consequences for technology companies and consumers. “If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long-term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” Trump declared on his Truth Social platform this week.

Immediate market response to Trump’s tech tariffs

The escalating tariffs have created an unexpected short-term boom for companies like Apple, with consumers flooding stores to purchase electronics before potential price increases. “Almost every customer asked me if prices were going to go up soon,” reported one Apple store employee, who requested anonymity as they weren’t authorised to speak publicly.

Bloomberg reports that Apple’s US retail locations experienced higher sales this past weekend than in previous years. The sudden purchasing surges illustrate the real-world impact of tariff policies on consumer behaviour, with the prospect of iPhones potentially costing thousands of dollars creating what one employee described as an atmosphere resembling “the busy holiday season.”

The mathematical absurdity of “reciprocal” tariffs

What makes Trump’s approach particularly problematic is the disconnect between his “reciprocal tariff” rhetoric and the calculation method employed. Documents from the office of the US Trade Representative reveal that the tariff levels do not match other countries’ rates; instead, they are based on bilateral trade deficits. The formula mathematically ensures that any nation selling more to America than it buys faces punitive duties, regardless of their actual trade practices.

The reductive approach treats complex global trade relationships as a simplistic zero-sum game, ignoring the reality of how modern supply chains function.

Tech industry fallout

Few sectors stand to lose more from the escalation in trading relations than technology. The industry’s heavy reliance on transnational production networks means that components often cross borders multiple times before reaching consumers. Each crossing potentially incurs tariffs, creating a compound effect that industry analysts call a “tariff cascade.”

Apple exemplifies companies subject to this effect. While it has worked to diversify its manufacturing base since Trump’s first term, shifting some production to Vietnam, India, and other locations, China remains central to its supply chain. The company’s stock suffered its worst three-day rout since 2001 following Trump’s tariff announcements. Bloombergreported that Apple “lost more than half a trillion dollars in valuation” in just two trading days.

Beyond rhetoric: the real-world impact

Despite the president’s claims that tariffs will revitalise American manufacturing, economic forecasts paint a different picture. Fitch Ratings warned that the tariffs have “significantly raised the risk for a recession in the United States” through higher consumer prices, squeezed wages, and dampened business investment.

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, said “most CEOs I’ve talked to would say we are probably in a recession right now.”

For tech consumers, the Yale Budget Lab estimates American households could face an additional $2,100 in annual costs due to the April 2nd tariff announcement alone. Lower-income households will bear a disproportionate burden of these increases, as they spend a higher percentage of their income on consumer electronics and other goods affected by the tariffs.

Strategic incoherence

Perhaps most concerning for the technology sector is the lack of coherent objective.

As Navin Girishankar, head of the economic security programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told the South China Morning Post, “The Trump administration has been transparent all along about its desire to use tariffs primarily as an instrument of choice for several different objectives,” but “less coherent, I would say incoherent, about the actual goals.”

The strategic ambiguity leaves tech companies in a precarious position, unable to make informed long-term investment decisions. Should they accelerate reshoring efforts, potentially at great expense, or hope for a negotiated resolution?

Cracks in support

Even some of Donald Trump’s most staunch supporters have begun to express concern. Elon Musk, who serves as a senior adviser to Trump, has expressed discomfort with the policy. Meanwhile, billionaire investor Bill Ackman stated bluntly, “I am just frustrated watching what I believe to be a major policy error occur.”

The coming days will determine whether Trump follows through on his threat to escalate duties to their new levels. What’s already clear is that his approach to trade represents a wrecking of the integrated global technology ecosystem that has fuelled innovation worldwide.

For tech companies and consumers across Asia, the message is unmistakable: the era of predictable trade in digital goods is over, at least for now. As markets reel and supply chains reconfigure, uncertainty is the only certainty.

The post US panic-buying as Trump’s tech tariffs hit 100%+ appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Trump’s tariffs: A strategic gambit or economic self-harm?

Dashveenjit Kaur — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 13:24:36 +0000

Trump’s reciprocal tariffs rely on formula that ignores trade realities.
Threatens Asian supply chains

Region face tariffs as high as 60%, in “strategic containment via tariff warfare.”

When President Donald Trump stepped to the podium last Wednesday brandishing colourful charts listing countries and their supposed trade barriers, the world watched with collective anxiety. “If you look at that… China, first row, 67%. That’s tariffs charged to the USA,” Trump declared, waving his visual aid.

However, as markets tumbled and governments scrambled to respond, a striking revelation emerged: Trump’s reciprocal tariffs didn’t match actual foreign tariff rates. Instead, buried in documents published by the US Trade Representative’s office (USTR) was an entirely different calculation – a simple mathematical formula focused primarily on bilateral trade deficits.

For all the rhetoric about fairness and reciprocity, the administration had quietly reduced complex global trade relationships to a single ratio: If a country sells more to America than it buys, it’s “cheating” and must be punished accordingly. The approach assumes persistent trade deficits automatically indicate unfair practices by trading partners, a view that has caused economists to object.

The formula uses price elasticity of import demand, tariff pass-through rates, and a country’s export-import balance with the US, and ensures mathematically that any nation selling more to America than it buys faces punitive tariffs. It’s a simplistic solution to what trade experts recognise as a complex, multi-faceted issue.

“This isn’t tit-for-tat – it’s strategic containment via tariff warfare,” noted Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management, describing what he calls “a full-frontal assault on Beijing’s extended supply chain.”

Asia in the cross-hairs: “Slamming the door shut”

The consequences are particularly severe for Asia. China faces a 34% reciprocal tariff, compared to the 20% tariffs that Trump created. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian nations that benefited from supply chain relocation during Trump’s first term now face what Professor Pushan Dutt of INSEAD business school described as having their door “slammed shut,” with Vietnam facing 46% tariffs, Cambodia 49%, and Laos 48%, according to BBC reporting.

The approach represents a stunning reversal in American economic policy. As Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim observed, “It is quite unusual, as the country that previously supported the spirit of free trade and established the World Trade Organisation and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade […] is now taking a different approach.”

The USTR document outlines the administration’s underlying assumptions: “If trade deficits are persistent because of tariff and non-tariff policies and fundamentals, then the tariff rate consistent with offsetting these policies and fundamentals is reciprocal and fair.” Yet this position contradicts economic understanding that trade deficits reflect broader macroeconomic factors, including savings rates, investment flows, and economic structures.

The White House claims the tariffs will force manufacturing back to American shores. “If you want your tariff rate to be zero,” Trump declared, “then you build your product right here in America.” However, economic forecasts suggest a different outcome. Fitch Ratings warns that the tariffs have “significantly raised the risk for a recession in the United States” through higher consumer prices, squeezed wages, and dampened business investment.

Strategic responses: Retaliation or regional integration?

For Asian economies, the impact could be devastating. The targeting of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos – among the region’s poorest countries – threatens to undermine their development models.

Those nations are heavily dependent on exports and Chinese investment in supply chain infrastructure, and now face prohibitive barriers to their largest market. China’s Commerce Ministry immediately called the move “a typical act of unilateral bullying” and pledged “resolute countermeasures.” The country’s response signals a likely escalation rather than capitulation.

As former US trade negotiator Stephen Olson told the BBC, “China and the Chinese will have to retaliate. They will not be able to sit back and watch this.”

The strategy may also backfire by accelerating Asian economic integration. China, South Korea, and Japan recently held their first trilateral economic talks in five years, with new momentum to finalise a free trade agreement proposed over a decade ago. Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for ASEAN to present a unified stance with its combined market of 640 million people.

Inevitably, American businesses operating in Asia will face significant uncertainty. Major companies like Apple, Intel, and Nike maintain substantial manufacturing operations in Vietnam, and a recent survey by the American Chamber of Commerce found that most US manufacturers expect to lay off staff if tariffs are imposed.

While the US administration has framed the tariffs as a negotiating tactic that could be rolled back if countries eliminate their “unfair trade practices” or reduce their trade surpluses with the US, the actual mechanism for such adjustments remains unclear. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s comment that other countries must do some “deep soul-searching on how they treat us poorly” suggests little appetite for compromise.

Trump’s drastic economic realignment demands an equally strong response from businesses and policymakers in Asia. Whether through regional integration, economic diversification, or direct negotiations, Asian economies must now navigate what Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar aptly called “post-normal times, when political and economic policies are implemented unexpectedly.”

Will Trump’s reciprocal tariffs achieve their stated aim of re-balancing global trade, or will they fragment the global economy into competing blocs? With policy volatility becoming the new normal in international trade, businesses and governments across Asia must adapt to a reality where today’s tariff walls could be tomorrow’s negotiating chips. As markets reel and supply chains reconfigure, the coming months will determine whether this represents a temporary disruption or a fundamental realignment of global commerce.

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Microsoft pauses data centre investment in Indonesia, US, and UK

Muhammad Zulhusni — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 09:04:45 +0000

Microsoft pauses or delays data centre projects in the UK, US, and Indonesia.

Rivals Oracle and OpenAI ramp up investments.

Microsoft is scaling back or delaying data centre developments in several countries, including Indonesia, the UK, Australia, and in certain US states, as it reassesses strategy.

According to individuals familiar with the matter, ongoing talks and planned builds have been paused in North Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, the UK midlands and Jakarta, Indonesia. The pullback comes amid questions about whether expected demand for AI services can support the pace and cost of Microsoft’s global data centre expansion.

Microsoft has acknowledged changing its strategy but declined to provide details about specific projects. “We plan our data centre capacity needs years in advance to ensure we have sufficient infrastructure in the right places,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “As AI demand continues to grow, and our data centre presence continues to expand, the changes we have made demonstrates the flexibility of our strategy.”

Some of the shelved plans include a site near Chicago, and a proposed lease near Cambridge in the UK for a facility to host Nvidia hardware. Microsoft has also paused work at a site in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, where development has already cost US$262 million, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg.

In Jakarta, parts of a data centre campus have been placed on hold. Elsewhere, Microsoft has walked away from a proposal to acquire more capacity from cloud infrastructure company CoreWeave. CoreWeave’s CEO Michael Intrator confirmed the decision, but did not specify which locations were affected.

In other cases, negotiations have slowed rather than stopped. At a server farm in North Dakota originally earmarked for Microsoft, discussions stalled until an exclusivity clause lapsed. Applied Digital, the data centre operator, has since found other tenants and secured funding to proceed with development.

At Ada Infrastructure’s Docklands site in London, Microsoft was in talks for about leasing 210-megawatt of capacity, but has is holding off on committing. The site is now being shown to other potential tenants, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Microsoft says it remains committed to key projects, which include a US$3.3 billion facility in Wisconsin and the launch of the Indonesia Central cloud region in mid-2025. It has maintained that it will spend roughly US$80 billion on data centre buildouts in its current fiscal year but signalled a shift in its next fiscal year toward equipping existing sites rather than construction of new data centres.

While Microsoft is re-evaluating, other firms are pressing on with large-scale infrastructure. OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank have announced joint venture Stargate, which aims to invest up to US$500 billion in AI infrastructure in the US. Stargate’s first phase includes a US$100 billion deployment in Texas, intended to support large-scale AI development.

The contrast in strategy between competing hyperscalers has drawn attention from investors and analysts. TD Cowen reported that Microsoft has abandoned projects amounting to two gigawatts of electricity capacity across the US and Europe. The firm suggested this may indicate a mismatch between expected demand and Microsoft’s existing capacity. Analysts also speculated that OpenAI may be shifting workloads from Microsoft to Oracle.

The change in infrastructure strategy is also being influenced by developments in the technology. Chinese AI firm DeepSeek claims it can deliver competitive AI performance using fewer resources, raising the possibility that future AI systems may require less computing power than originally anticipated.

At the same time, Microsoft’s adjustments may reflect external constraints. In cities like Dublin and Amsterdam, data centre growth has been met with tighter regulation due to concerns over electricity consumption and environmental sustainability. Dublin has limited new grid connections for data centres, while Amsterdam previously paused all new development to address strain on local resources.

Industry observers say hyperscalers are increasingly shifting focus to projects that can deliver results more quickly and cost-effectively. “You may have initially thought one data centre project would be the fastest speed to market, but then you realise that the labour, supply chain and power delivery wasn’t as quick as you thought,” said Ed Socia, director at datacentreHawk. “Then you would have to shift in the short term to focus on other markets.”

CoreWeave’s Michael Intrator said that Microsoft’s retreat appears to be specific to its situation. “It’s pretty localised, and their relationship with OpenAI has just changed,” he said.

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AI race intensifies: China narrows the gap

Dashveenjit Kaur — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:54:25 +0000

China is closing the gap with the US in AI technology advancements.

DeepSeek’s open-source models demonstrate improvements through algorithmic efficiency.

The artificial intelligence race between China and the United States has entered a new phase as Chinese companies narrow the technology gap despite Western sanctions.

According to Lee Kai-fu, CEO of Chinese startup 01.AI and former head of Google China, the gap in core technologies has shrunk from “six to nine months” to “probably three months,” with China actually pulling ahead in specific areas like infrastructure software engineering. The Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has become the epicentre of the intensifying technological rivalry.

On January 20, 2025, while the world’s attention was fixed on Donald Trump’s inauguration, DeepSeek quietly launched its R1 model – a low-cost, open-source, high-performance large language model with capabilities reportedly rivalling or surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, but at a fraction of the cost.

“The fact that DeepSeek can figure out the chain of thought with a new way to do reinforcement learning is either catching up with the US, learning quickly, or maybe even more innovative now,” Lee told Reuters, referring to how DeepSeek models show users their reasoning process before delivering answers.

Innovative efficiency: China’s response to chip sanctions

DeepSeek’s achievement is particularly notable because it emerged despite US restrictions on advanced processor chip exports to China. Instead of being hampered by international limitations, Chinese companies have responded by optimising efficiency and compensating for lower-quality hardware with quantity.

The adaptive approach was demonstrated further on March 25, 2025, when DeepSeek upgraded its V3 large language model. The new version, DeepSeek-V3-0324, features enhanced reasoning capabilities, optimised front-end web development, and upgraded Chinese writing proficiency. DeepSeek-V3-0324 significantly improved in several benchmark tests, especially in mathematics and coding. Häme University lecturer Kuittinen Petri highlighted the significance of these advancements, stating on social media:

“DeepSeek is doing all this with just [roughly] 2% [of the] money resources of OpenAI.” He added that when he asked the new model to “create a great-looking responsive front page for an AI company,” it produced a mobile-friendly, properly functioning website after coding 958 lines.

Global market implications

The impact of China’s AI advances extends beyond technological achievement to financial markets. When DeepSeek launched its R1 model in January, America’s Nasdaq plunged 3.1%, while the S&P 500 fell 1.5%, demonstrating the wider economic significance of technological competition.

The AI race presents opportunities and challenges for Asia and other regions. China’s low-cost, open-source model could help emerging economies develop AI innovation and entrepreneurship. It also pressures closed-source firms like OpenAI to reconsider their stance.

Meanwhile, both superpowers are making massive investments in AI infrastructure. The Trump administration has unveiled the $500 billion Stargate Project, and China is projected to invest more than 10 trillion yuan (US$1.4 trillion) into technology by 2030.

A double-edged sword for global technology

The US-China tech rivalry risks deepening global divides, forcing nations to navigate growing complexities. Countries face difficult questions: How can they manage research partnerships with China without jeopardising collaboration with US institutions?

How can nations reliant on Chinese materials and exports avoid Chinese technologies? South Korea, the world’s second-largest producer of semiconductors, labours with this dilemma. In 2023, it became more dependent on China for five of the six important raw materials needed for chip-making. Major firms like Toyota, SK Hynix, Samsung, and LG Chem remain vulnerable due to Chinese supply chain dominance. And, the climate implications of this AI race are significant.

According to the Institute for Progress, maintaining AI leadership will require the United States to build five-gigawatt clusters in the next five years. By 2030, data centres could consume 10% of US electricity, more than double the 4% recorded in 2023.

The path forward

As the AI landscape evolves, DeepSeek’s arrival has challenged the assumption that US sanctions were constraining China’s AI sector. Washington’s semiconductor sanctions have proven to be what Lee Kai-fu calls a “double-edged sword” that created short-term challenges and forced Chinese firms to innovate under constraints.

The rapid development of Chinese AI has reignited debates over US chip export controls. Critics argue that the present restrictions have accelerated China’s domestic innovation, as evidenced by DeepSeek’s development and improving capabilities.

China is demonstrating remarkable resilience and innovation in the face of restrictions. As DeepSeek prepares to launch its R2 model potentially early, the technology gap continues to narrow.

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Digitisation for better experiences: Satisfying demand, not selling dreams

Joe Green — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 16:07:10 +0000

For over two decades, organisations in the APAC region have digitised, with technology investment growing at faster rates than in the West. Asian companies aren’t struggling with digitisation per se. Rather, they’re battling to translate their investments into measurable outcomes, like better customer experiences, and improvements for employees – making people more efficient and processes more streamlined.

Doing business in Asia means being able to address the specific geographic, linguistic, and cultural complexities of the region. But more than that, it means getting technology investment aligned with local businesses’ goals, which are to achieve smart, experience-focused results for customers at home and abroad. According to some, it’s human-centred thinking, combined with strategy and the best in technology that can achieve Asia’s business goals.

Part of the impediment to getting the investment levels and targets right can be a lack of credible expertise available in-house. There’s growing demand for outside IT services (up by 6.5% in 2024, according to Forrester) in the region, yet a slower growth in available technology consultancies with whom to partner. Several large companies work in the region in an effort to correct the shortage of skilled hands in-house, with one multinational, Concentrix, part of the recent growth in the region’s IT consultancy offerings.

Anywhere in the world, companies like Concentrix focus on ensuring measurable ROI in digitisation. Its broad experience working in APAC dictates that aligning technology investments with customer and employee experience is the foundation of success.

In Asia, transformation needs to provide first-rate interactions with a brand in ways that are locally-relevant to Asian customers and the organisation’s Asian employees. Concentrix’ approach in particular is experience-driven, therefore, aiming for the improvements in processes that local consumers and businesses demand.

Building on infrastructure

Part of many digitisation projects is investment in infrastructure – ensuring the business has a technological foundation on which to build. Yet according to investment company SSC, “Infrastructure investments in the APAC region are becoming progressively intricate due to changing regulations.” That’s the first warning shot across the bows of digital transformation initiatives that aren’t steered by the needs of and required expertise in the region.

For example, Southeast Asian businesses are finding that IT investments they make can lead to them becoming the subject of fraud and financial crime – something they perhaps never envisioned as a result of digitisation. Preempting potential problems takes specific insight and existing experience of issues such as promo abuse, where consumers use bots and multiple email accounts to ‘game’ digitising retailers. While many domestic businesses know their markets intimately, sometimes partnerships can complement in-house abilities with a deep knowledge of the vagaries and pitfalls awaiting the unwary, out there in the complexities of the digital landscape.

While there’s risk in all sectors, one report on financial crime in the APAC states that much of it arises “from the state of hyperconnectivity and data ‘overwhelm’ in today’s Industry 4.0.” In a region that’s the definition of digital interconnectivity, where the use of advanced technology is an everyday part of business, having seasoned pros from organisations like Concentrix actually in the same room as decision-makers can make a significant difference in achieving business success.

Distinguishing the latest from the greatest technologies

The arrival of new technology platforms, as of itself, does not guarantee financial success. Misalignment of technology’s abilities with overall business goal of experiential improvements for staff and customers can mean a brand seriously misfiring publicly or losing its operational efficiency internally.

The region is very much prone to swift customer reaction in the event of a mis-step. Over half (56%) of APAC consumers say they would stop doing business with brands they do not trust (according to Twilio [PDF]). Twilio’s report also found that even choosing the wrong digital channel with which to communicate with customers can make 20% of customers look to another brand for their needs.

Refining the nature of need

One very interesting statistic, however, tells why some digitisation projects, despite often huge investment, don’t necessarily yield the results desired. McCann Worldgroup’s global study, published at the time of the COVID epidemic, found that “brands should address [APAC customers’] concerns, rather than selling them dreams.”

Are the region’s companies and organisations being sold digitisation dreams by faceless vendors and resellers, rather than solutions that address their desire to provide more to customers and employees? And isn’t there a better way than relying solely on marketing narratives from ‘big tech’ companies? As a consultancy and partner, Concentrix thinks there is.

Tech for its own sake

Sometimes, the problem is technology deployment for its own sake. It’s simply not practical to throw money at new technology and hope for success in business. As we’ve discussed above, it’s easy to go very wrong and still be significantly out of pocket, with little hope of seeing an ROI from digitisation efforts. With that comes a worse service for hard-won customers at home and abroad, and staff who should have been happier and more productive.

In experience earned from its work with many APAC businesses, Concentrix has found that concentrating on two initial outcomes is one of the possible ways to choose a digitisation journey’s next steps: For customers, every interaction needs to be intentional and personalised; with employees, the goals are to improve wellness and engagement, and keep staff retention figures healthily high.

“Our approach to digital transformation starts with people: those within the organization and those it serves. By combining deep human insights with advanced technology and domain expertise, we reimagine experiences end to end. As we drive AI-led transformation, this human-centric approach consistently amplifies the value we deliver, especially through elevated customer interactions at scale.”

Ashish Pandey, GVP, Concentrix Southeast Asia

Which technology achieves those objectives is less important, perhaps, as long as it provides the means to succeed.

Clearly, the needs of every organisation are different, and so there are no quick answers to be presented in the space of one, short article. In the coming weeks, we’ll discuss in greater detail just how Asian businesses can ensure their digitisation investments align with customers’ and workers’ needs. We’ll look at approaches to and advice on choosing a technology partner. And we’ll explore how organisations can mitigate emerging risks. Most importantly, we’ll look at how companies can achieve real return on investment – all without falling into the common traps, like procuring technology for its own sake, cybercrime, and forgetting about the people working at the heart of any business.

Check back on these pages over the course of the next few weeks to get answers, pointers, advice, and a lot of incisive discussion. If nothing else, decision makers will get significant food for thought as they consider their next steps in digital business evolution.

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Malaysia: 80% of tourists’ DuitNow QR payments come via Alipay+

Tech Wire Asia — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:56:41 +0000

Tourism boom helped by familiar payment methods.

Accepting payment vi QR code popular with Malaysian retailers.

Huge growth in spend from tourists in the country.

The continuing partnership between Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) and Ant International (owner of Alipay+) has helped Malaysian SMEs during the first year of its existence, according to statements by the two companies.

In October 2023, the nascent partnership between PayNet and Ant International began to let Malaysian businesses accept Alipay+ transactions via DuitNow. DuitNow is a Malaysian QR code-based payment system that allows digital transfer of funds between participants using their bank details, eWallet or mobile. It’s a payment system that’s particularly suited to small transactions made at SMBs and has proved increasingly popular among a range of retailers from tiny street food vendors upwards.

In the last 17 months, the number of businesses and financial organisations that accept DuitNow has more than doubled. Of those, payments via Alipay+ comprised more than 80 percent of international inbound QR payments made from funds that originate outside Malaysia.

There was a 600% growth in revenue moved over the PayNet infrastructure in December 2024, compared to figures from the previous year.

Alipay+, owned by Ant International, went live on DuitNow QR in October 2023, which enabled payment via QR code by international travellers to Malaysian businesses. The number of Alipay+ payment partners that support DuitNow QR has more than doubled, with 15 international digital wallet apps currently supported, offering more options to customers wishing to spend in Malaysia but without the inconvenience of using new payment apps or network.

The partnership between Ant International and PayNet means users from countries where Alipay+ is popular are more likely to spend in Malaysia, which encourages visitors especially from China, Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia, the Philippines, and South Korea. While in the country, tourists simply use their digital wallet app as usual, getting the experience they’ve grown accustomed to in their home countries.

Currently, there are over 2.5 million DuitNow QR touchpoints in Malaysia, with the number set to increase as the payment network expands. The DuitNow facility is rapidly gaining popularity for foreign visitors, with the number of Alipay+ transactions made via DuitNow QR growing by an average of 50% every quarter in the last two years. Alipay+ is at present the largest contributor to cross-border QR payments made in Malaysia by overseas visitors.

Gary Yeoh, Chief Marketing Officer of PayNet, highlighted Alipay+ as a major factor in the expansion of Malaysian businesses accepting cross-border payments. “Our partnership […] has significantly enhanced cross-border payment acceptance for local merchants, helping them tap into a growing wave of global travellers. With Alipay+, […] DuitNow QR is empowering SMEs to compete on an international scale, reinforcing Malaysia’s position as a premier travel and shopping destination.”

Tourism is an important element of the Malaysian economy, with Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang the most visited cities last year. The ‘Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign’ hopes to attract 35.6 million visitors to the country next year, up from over 25 million in 2024 – nearly a 50% growth in two years.

“We’re just getting started, and in the years ahead, we can make an even greater impact together, positioning Malaysia as a global tourism hub and generating more growth for Malaysian businesses,” said Edward Yue, General Manager for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Ant International.

PayNet operates Malaysia’s national retail payments infrastructure, including services such as DuitNow, JomPAY, FPX, MyDebit, MEPS, and IBG. DuitNow QR is part of a regional cross-border payment initiative and is interoperable with QR payment networks in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.

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How AI is changing recruitment and upskilling: Insights from LinkedIn

Muhammad Zulhusni — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:10:49 +0000

LinkedIn: AI is reshaping recruitment.

LinkedIn’s Hiring Assistant aims to improve hiring efficiency.

AI has the ability to transform the way companies hire, develop talent, and engage with candidates. Tech Wire Asia spoke with Hari Srinivasan, Vice President of Product at LinkedIn, about how AI is transforming recruitment and professional development.

AI’s role in enhancing recruitment efficiency

Recruiters typically spend more time on administrative work than connecting with candidates. According to Srinivasan, nearly half (47%) of recruiters in Asia-Pacific spend one to three hours a day analysing applications, a time-consuming task that AI could streamline.

Hari Srinivasan, LinkedIn’s Vice President of Product

LinkedIn’s new Hiring Assistant is designed to handle repetitive tasks, letting recruiters focus on more strategic work like advising hiring managers and improving candidate engagement. “Every recruiter I talk to always tells me there’s this ‘magic moment’ that comes together when they get the perfect person to the perfect job. But most of the day isn’t spent doing that. It’s spent following up with hiring managers, filling out paperwork, or reviewing job descriptions,” Srinivasan said.

Hiring Assistant, currently in beta testing with select customers – including some in Singapore – automates key recruitment tasks. It allows recruiters to concentrate on high-value activities like creating relationships with candidates and providing improved hiring experiences.

Overcoming challenges in AI-driven upskilling

AI plays a growing role in professional development, but companies face challenges to implement effective upskilling programs. According to Srinivasan, 63.7% of APAC HR professionals struggle to find tailored learning resources, 50.8% of HR professionals are uncertain about which skills will be most valuable in the future, while 55% report a lack of mentorship and career coaching.

“Employees are eager to learn,” Srinivasan said. “Global learning content consumption on LinkedIn has grown by 13% year-over-year, with countries like India (37%) and Indonesia (59%) leading the way in skill development.” Companies are starting to respond by making AI training more accessible and relevant. LG Electronics, for example, uses LinkedIn Learning to provide tailored and flexible training programs, with 67% of its employees taking part in training each month.

Preparing for an AI-driven job market

AI adoption is creating new demands on the workforce, notably in soft skills. While technical skills remain important, HR professionals in APAC report that the hardest-to-find skills include technical fluency (36%), leadership (35%), and communication and problem-solving (34.5%).

“As AI adoption accelerates, professionals have a significant opportunity to invest in their growth – not just in AI skills, but also in human capabilities,” Srinivasan said. He highlighted LinkedIn Learning’s AI-powered coaching tool as one method firms use to help employees build these skills. It allows users to practise real-world scenarios like delivering performance reviews and giving feedback.

HR teams are responding by balancing AI training with soft skills development. In APAC, 78.3% of HR leaders are prioritising AI upskilling while also investing in important collaboration and communication skills.

How candidates can stand out to recruiters

With hiring expected to become more selective in 2025, job seekers will need to demonstrate their value beyond meeting basic qualifications. According to Srinivasan, candidates should keep their LinkedIn profiles updated with relevant skills and certifications to reflect their continuous learning. “Pro tip: people who list five or more skills on their profile receive up to 5.6x more profile views from recruiters,” Srinivasan said

He advises job seekers to highlight their core skills and achievements to stand out. Building a strong professional network and engaging with industry content can also improve visibility and increase the chances of being noticed by recruiters.

Ensuring fairness and reducing bias in AI-powered hiring

AI-driven recruitment tools offer efficiency, but fairness and transparency remain important challenges. Srinivasan said LinkedIn’s Hiring Assistant evaluates explicit and implicit capabilities listed on a candidate’s profile, helping guide hiring decisions so they’re based on verifiable qualifications rather than traditional markers like educational background or firm affiliations.

“With AI paired with our platform insights, we can help recruiters find professionals based on their skills rather than where they worked or went to school,” he said.

LinkedIn reviews its algorithms continuously to detect and eliminate unintended biases in hiring processes. This includes identifying factors that may accidentally exclude certain candidates and adjusting models to ensure a more inclusive and balanced evaluation process. “If harmful biases are identified, we take immediate steps to address them, ensuring that the recruitment process remains inclusive, fair, and aligned with human values,” Srinivasan said.

Expanding AI’s reach across Microsoft’s ecosystem

LinkedIn’s AI initiatives reflect broader changes in the Microsoft (LinkedIn’s owner) ecosystem. The MAI models Microsoft has been developing could improve LinkedIn’s recruitment and upskilling tools, in addition to its other software, such as Teams and Azure. AI models could offer real-time transcription, language translation, and meeting summaries in Teams, while for Azure, AI-driven automation could help enterprise clients.

For LinkedIn, AI-based job matching and recruitment insights are strengthening professional networking and users’ career development. Srinivasan understands that while AI can handle repetitive tasks and provide insight, the human element remains essential to make hiring decisions and build meaningful connections between the network’s users.

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Malaysia’s 5G Advanced rollout: From industry to office

Dashveenjit Kaur — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:55:18 +0000

DNB and Ericsson’s partnership places Malaysia as a frontrunner in 5G Advanced deployment.

Enterprises could replace traditional wi-fi with 5G-powered workspace network infrastructure.

Malaysia’s 5G Advanced rollout has moved forward, as Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson announce a new partnership.

The collaboration was announced during Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, and aims to implement 5G Advanced technologies across industrial zones and introduce what the companies describe as the “world’s first 5G-powered mobile workspace solution.” The partnership centres on two initiatives: a 5G Advanced deployment to enhance industrial connectivity across Malaysia, and a 5G-powered mobile workspace solution that is designed to replace traditional wi-fi in enterprise environments.

Positioning Malaysia as a 5G global frontrunner

Datuk Azman Ismail, CEO of DNB, highlighted the significance of this collaboration. “By combining DNB’s expertise in 5G deployment with Ericsson’s global leadership in connectivity, we are strengthening Malaysia’s position as a digital economy leader, powering innovation across key sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and agriculture,” he said.

The partnership’s core focus areas include:

Accelerating enterprise digitalisation: Expanding 5G connectivity in strategic industrial zones and collaborating with mobile network operators to deliver connectivity services.

Driving IoT and wearables innovation: Using Reduced Capability (RedCap) technologies to enable connectivity for industrial automation and smart devices.

Co-creating future-ready solutions: Using DNB’s 5G Advanced network as an platform to develop applications with solution providers, developers, and academic institutions.

Advancing sustainability: Integrating AI-powered energy optimisation tools to maximise efficiency and reduce environmental impact, in support of Malaysia’s journey net-zero emission goals.

Strengthening network security: Implementing security measures to help safeguard Malaysia’s digital infrastructure against cyber threats.

Expanding global API ecosystem: Integrating with a worldwide Application Programming Interface network.

DNB implements a 5G-based office network solution

In a separate announcement during MWC 2025, DNB said it has begun deploying Ericsson’s Enterprise Virtual Cellular Network (EVCN) at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters. The companies claim this is the first instance of a complete “5G-first” office environment, replacing existing wi-fi with cellular technology. Instead of using standard wi-fi infrastructure, DNB’s headquarters now connects devices through 5G cellular networks. The system integrates with Microsoft Intune and Entra ID to manage the 5G-enabled client hardware throughout the organisation.

The change brings several advantages over traditional enterprise networking solutions:

Security and control: 5G infrastructure eliminates extant and future wi-fi vulnerabilities, and gives administrators greater control over devices’ connections.

Operational efficiency and cost savings: Simplified network management and large-scale device setup reduce the need for legacy infrastructure, cutting costs.

Mobility and user experience: Employees get consistent experiences on their 5G-enabled devices, in the office or working remotely.

“By integrating Ericsson’s Enterprise Virtual Cellular Network with DNB’s nationwide 5G infrastructure, we are empowering organisations to move beyond traditional IT models and embrace a new era of cloud-native, secure, and scalable solutions,” David Hagerbro, Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh said.

Implications of Malaysia’s 5G Advanced rollout

Malaysia’s implementation of 5G-A systems represents an early test case worth monitoring. While DNB and Ericsson have outlined ambitious plans, the accurate measure of success will be in practical adoption rates, measurable efficiency improvements, and the results of cost-benefit analysis by early adopters.

Key questions remain about how widely these solutions will be adopted beyond initial deployments:

Will the promised security benefits outweigh the costs of transitioning from established WiFi infrastructure?

Can the system scale effectively in different enterprises with varying technical requirements?

Will the everyday experience of workers and businesses show meaningful improvements over current connectivity solutions?

The coming months will likely reveal whether Malaysia’s approach to 5G Advanced implementation offers a viable model for other countries or whether adjustments will be needed as real-world applications expose unforeseen challenges. Technology observers across Southeast Asia will be watching to see if the technology delivers on its potential.

The post Malaysia’s 5G Advanced rollout: From industry to office appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Micro-moments to macro-meaning: Blis on humanising APAC data

Dashveenjit Kaur — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:12:34 +0000

Consumer behaviour analysis shows decisions happen in community spaces outside stores.

Consideration moments matter more than transactions.

Successful APAC marketing requires cultural relevance not overwhelming digital noise.

“We’re not goldfish. We have attention when we want to have attention.” With this declaration at DMWF Asia, Sukanya (Su) Das Gupta, Blis APAC’s senior insights manager, addressed conventional marketing wisdom.

As brands try to capture ever-diminishing attention spans, Das Gupta offered a refreshing counter-narrative: marketers are drowning in data while missing the human stories behind consumer behaviour analysis.

In her day one session titled, “From instant hits to lasting habits: Crafting sustainable brand presence in APAC,” Das Gupta challenged marketers to move beyond quick wins and focus on building genuine connections that endure.

Photo: Blis’ LinkedIn

Humanising data: beyond numbers and statistics

Das Gupta challenged the reductive view of data science, emphasising that effective marketing requires seeing beyond raw numbers to understand human emotions and decision-making patterns. “Data isn’t just numbers,” Das Gupta said. “It’s been so reductive because everybody likes ‘data science’ and ‘data analysis.’ It’s human emotions, and it’s not rational because externalities push people to make these decisions.”

Her team’s consumer behaviour analysis for a QSR brand in Malaysia revealed three important facts that transformed their approach:

Decisions happen outside the store: Das Gupta’s team discovered that purchasing decisions weren’t primarily made at the point of sale as commonly assumed. “The decisions were happening outside of the store. They were happening in neutral spaces of community,” she explained. The insight prompted the brand to shift its messaging strategy to target consumers during everyday interactions with peers and family rather than focusing exclusively on in-store promotions.

Consideration trumps transaction: The data revealed that the psychological journey leading to the purchase was far more influential than the purchase moment itself. “The moments of consideration mattered so much more than moments of transaction,” Das Gupta said. Consumers’ consideration of a purchase was much more important than the moment they were buying.” Even for impulse-driven QSR products like pizza or burgers, consumers were making evaluations well before entering stores, and that suggested brands need to invest in nurturing consideration rather than merely optimising transactions.

Context drives behaviour: The most surprising finding was how the brand’s contextual positioning directly influenced consumer response. “When the brand shifted its context slightly, then behaviour started to shift. It was really about how the brand reacted to everything versus how audiences reacted,” Das Gupta said. By reframing its messaging to acknowledge consumer hesitations rather than simply pushing products, the QSR brand saw dramatic improvements in engagement.

The brand saw a dramatic turnaround, shifting from short-term firefighting to consistent, long-term engagement. “Instead of having a campaign once every quarter, we said, let’s try to keep it monthly. Let’s make it more realistic. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” she noted.

The marathon mentality represented a fundamental shift in campaign philosophy. Das Gupta explained that their initial burst campaign had produced an unsustainable 73% increase in exposure. Rather than celebrating this artificial spike, her team recognised the danger of such volatile results and recalibrated toward steady, incremental growth.

“We steadied it,” she said, describing how the team replaced infrequent high-intensity campaigns with consistent monthly touchpoints. The approach proved more sustainable and gradually built consumer trust through reliable, predictable brand interactions. It allowed attention, awareness, and consideration to build over time rather than attempting to force immediate results.

The APAC challenge: Why Western formulas fail

Das Gupta highlighted Western brands’ common mistakes when entering APAC markets, noting the region’s extreme fragmentation and cultural diversity. “When Western brands come in, they believe what’s worked in the US and the UK works beautifully in APAC. And I don’t think they could be more mistaken. You can’t take something that works elsewhere and fit it in APAC. It’s really that simple.”

She cited a cautionary example of an FMCG brand that tried to use a swimsuit-themed advertisement created for US and European markets in Bangladesh, resulting in cultural backlash. While localisation is widely recognised as essential, Das Gupta acknowledged the challenges: “It becomes a matter of cost and time investment. It’s always easier to try your luck.” She stressed that successful brands invest in understanding local nuances: “You have to understand, this is all behavioural economics. People are not rational beings. So you need to understand what triggers their irrationality.”

Subtle impressions win in a noisy digital world

Das Gupta also made a counterintuitive argument for subtlety over attention-grabbing tactics in today’s digital environment. “Look at brands everywhere in any Asian market. You see a giant billboard. You drive 200 metres; you see the same giant billboard with the same creative, same influencer, same tagline, same font, and same background. Are you registering the brand, or have you just ignored it?” she asked.

She advocated for “small, subtle touches” that embed brands in consumer memory, citing Netflix’s distinctive sound for example: “[The] Netflix jingle became a Netflix jingle because it was only there before a Netflix movie started playing. It was not because every brand was blasting it.” The approach requires patience from stakeholders expecting immediate ROI. “Yes, ROI takes time, but so does anything good,” Das Gupta noted. “Try to lean into patience and consistency. It will never not play.”

Content strategy: relevance over length

Regarding shrinking attention spans, Das Gupta rejected simplistic formulas about content length. “I think it’s very reductive to say that people have less attention. We’re not goldfish. We have attention when we want to have attention,” she stated. Success depends on relevance and storytelling, not arbitrary time limits. “Your story can be five seconds long, it can be 30 seconds long, it can be 15 hours. You convey your message in the story you want to tell and be relevant.”

She referenced PETRONAS’s festive season campaigns in Malaysia and Nike’s inspirational ads as examples of longer content that still captures the audience’s attention because of compelling storytelling. For brands seeking to navigate APAC’s complex markets, Das Gupta’s insights offer a roadmap: humanise your data, respect cultural contexts, maintain subtle consistency, and tell stories that resonate. Simply put, when marketing is approached as behavioural economics rather than just promotion, the results speak for themselves.

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