The U.S.-based AI-native leader is expanding in Europe to serve a growing regional customer base of retailers and consumer brands.

LUXEMBOURG and NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Verneek, the deep-tech enterprise AI company, today announced the expansion of its European operations and plans to establish its first European office in Luxembourg. Subject to final agreements, Luxembourg would serve as its regional base and launchpad as Verneek deepens its work with global retailers, luxury houses, and consumer brands.

The expansion will bring Verneek closer to leading retail, fashion, and luxury companies operating across diverse markets, languages, channels, and consumer expectations. Verneek selected Luxembourg as its preferred European launch point for its central location, multilingual business and technology community, connectivity to major markets, and active role in shaping and implementing EU-wide policies and solutions.

"Retail and wholesale together are Europe's largest private-sector employer. Companies across the sector face mounting operational headwinds — the kinds of challenges our AI-native operating platform is designed to address. We are excited to support our European retail partners more closely as we work to establish our first European office," said Dr. Nasrin Mostafazadeh, co-founder and CEO of Verneek. "This expansion gives Verneek a strong foundation for global growth and advances our mission to help Europe's consumer enterprises grow their top line, optimize their bottom line, and delight shoppers, as we have done for years in the U.S."

Built by AI scientists and trusted by Fortune 500 consumer enterprises, Verneek's AI-native platform creates a centralized intelligence layer connecting the front and back office. It unifies fragmented data and institutional knowledge across merchandising, planning, store operations, clienteling, e-commerce, and executive decision-making.

Verneek will also draw on investors and board members with extensive European and global leadership experience, including Philippe Schaus, former president and global CEO of Moët Hennessy and global chairman and CEO of DFS Group, now a director of Exemplar Luxury Group; and Nils Smedegaard Andersen, chair of ASML's Supervisory Board and former group chief executive of A.P. Møller–Mærsk and chair of Unilever.

"Luxembourg is pleased to support Verneek's European expansion," said Luc Decker, Consul General of Luxembourg in New York. "Verneek's intention to establish its first European office in Luxembourg represents an opportunity to build local expertise and help European businesses put artificial intelligence to practical use. We look forward to supporting Verneek's founders as they work to establish the company's presence in Europe."

The expansion coincides with Verneek's fifth anniversary and next phase of growth. Its technology now supports tens of millions of consumers and several hundred thousand employees, helping consumer enterprises increase productivity, accelerate decision-making, and create deeply personalized customer experiences.

About Verneek

Founded in 2021, Verneek is an enterprise AI company that delivers the consumer industry's first AI-Native operating platform. Built on more than two decades of scientific progress in AI, the platform autonomously transforms enterprise data into vertically integrated business workflows, breaking down silos and enabling unified operations. Through fostering close partnerships, Verneek helps consumer enterprises deploy AI-Native solutions across business functions — from supply chain, merchandise planning, marketing, store operations, and customer care to e-commerce use cases like search and discovery. Trusted by leading global enterprises, Verneek is committed to transforming the consumer industry by building the most helpful AI for augmenting intelligence and enhancing experiences for employees and consumers. Verneek is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please visit https://www.verneek.com.

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The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® and Al-Ghunaim Celebrate 130-Café Milestone in Kuwait

A 20-year partnership built on people, customer loyalty and a shared commitment to exceptional café experiences.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® (CBTL) and Al-Ghunaim Trading Co. celebrate the opening of the brand's 130th café in Kuwait, marking more than 20 years of partnership and a remarkable scale of growth in a market of approximately five million people. Today, the Kuwait business is supported by more than 1,135 employees across its cafés, operations and support functions, reflecting the significant footprint Al-Ghunaim Trading Co. has built in the market.

Since opening its first The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® café in Salmiya on 16 December 2004, Al-Ghunaim Trading Co. has built CBTL into one of Kuwait's leading premium café brands. What began as a single café has grown into a network embedded in communities across the country, built on a commitment to serving simply the best coffee and tea and creating meaningful everyday experiences for customers.

Mr. Abdulghani Al-Ghunaim, Chairman of Al-Ghunaim Trading Co., has been central to this journey. His vision and leadership have guided the business through rapid expansion, changing consumer preferences, the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing regional uncertainty, while maintaining a strong focus on customer experience.

"Reaching this milestone is a meaningful achievement for Al-Ghunaim Trading Co., but more importantly, it represents the trust our customers have placed in us and the dedication of the people who have built this business over more than two decades. We are proud of what we have achieved together with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® and grateful to everyone who has contributed to this journey. We look forward to building on this strong foundation and continuing to serve our customers and communities across Kuwait."

— Mr. Mishary Al-Ghunaim, Chief Executive Officer, Al-Ghunaim Trading Co.

"Our partnership with Al-Ghunaim Trading Co. reflects a shared commitment to our customers, the brand and sustainable growth. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to continuing our journey together."

— Ken Lingan, Chief Executive Officer, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

At the heart of this achievement are the people who represent the brand every day, from baristas and café managers to operations, supply chain and support teams. In the cafés, warm and welcoming teams help make each customer's day a little better. Their shared commitment to quality, service and operational excellence has enabled Al-Ghunaim Trading Co. to grow the business while preserving the café experience customers have come to expect from CBTL. Beyond coffee and tea, the cafés provide spaces for customers to pause, create and connect — becoming part of the everyday moments that matter.

The strength of that customer connection has also been recognised. In 2025, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Kuwait received the "First Café Award 2025" and was named among the "Top 10 Brands 2025" by Service Hero Kuwait, an independent customer satisfaction index evaluating more than 900 brands across 18 industries. The recognition marked the third consecutive year CBTL Kuwait was ranked among the country's top-performing brands.

Beyond its cafés, Al-Ghunaim Trading Co. continues to contribute to the communities it serves through employment opportunities and social initiatives. In 2026, the company reaffirmed this commitment with a US$1 million contribution to the Kuwait Emergency Response Fund.

Looking ahead, Al-Ghunaim Trading Co. and CBTL will focus on further strengthening the brand's position as one of Kuwait's leading café brands, with success measured by the strength of its network, customer preference and overall brand equity. Continued investment in innovation, people and operational excellence will support the next chapter of growth.

About The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

Headquartered in Asia and a proud member of the Jollibee Group, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is a modern, global specialty coffee and tea house. With a legacy that began in Southern California in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® now operates over 1,000 locations across more than 20 countries. We source the finest coffees and teas from local communities and then handcraft every beverage to bring out the freshest flavors. As the creator of The Original Ice Blended®, we continue to innovate to enable people everywhere to enjoy the classics as well as new flavors, both in our cafés and at home.

For more information, visit corporate.thecoffeebeanandtealeaf.com

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Fruit Attraction 2026 connects Middle East buyers with the global fresh produce supply chain

MADRID, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fruit Attraction organized by IFEMA MADRID and FEPEX, will once again position Madrid as one of the world's leading hubs for the fresh produce business. The International Fruit and Vegetable Trade Show will hold its 18th edition from 6 to 8 October 2026, further consolidating its role as a premier international platform for business development, innovation and market expansion across the entire fruit and vegetable value chain.

The upcoming edition will bring together more than 2,500 exhibiting companies from around the world, occupy 162,000 square metres of exhibition space, and welcome 121,000 trade professionals from over 150 countries, reflecting the event's sustained growth and international reach.

Fruit Attraction has become a key meeting point for growers, exporters, importers, distributors, retailers, logistics companies, technology providers and specialized operators, creating valuable opportunities to forge new partnerships and access strategic markets worldwide.

As one of the world's leading producers and exporters of fruits and vegetables, Spain will once again play a central role at the event. The participation of new exhibiting countries, including Armenia, Australia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Ireland, the British Virgin Islands, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Tanzania, Tunisia and Turkmenistan, further highlights the growing international reach of Fruit Attraction and its ability to connect new markets and business opportunities.

Fruit Attraction 2026 will provide importers, distributors and industry operators from the Middle East with a unique opportunity to connect with producers and suppliers from Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia, facilitating new business partnerships and access to strategic sourcing and export markets.

Internationalization will remain one of the key pillars of Fruit Attraction 2026. The International Buyers Program, developed in collaboration with Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, ICEX Spain Trade and Investment and FEPEX, will facilitate the attendance of 700 major buyers, importers, distributors and purchasing decision-makers from more than 50 countries, generating thousands of high-value business meetings throughout the three-day event.

In addition, China and the United Arab Emirates will participate as Guest Importing Countries, creating new opportunities to strengthen trade links with two strategic markets that are playing an increasingly important role in global fresh produce trade.

Alongside its strong commercial dimension, Fruit Attraction will once again place innovation, sustainability and knowledge sharing at the heart of its program. The Innovation Hub Awards, specialized congresses and industry forums will bring together international experts and companies to discuss the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the global fresh produce industry.

Iciar Martínez de Lecea 

Press Officer 

[email protected] 

Elena Valera/ Lucas Farioli

Intl Press contacts

[email protected]

lfarioli@ifema.es 

Begoña Jiménez

FEPEX Comms

[email protected]

SOURCE Fruit Attraction

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Horion and DisplayNote Partner to Deliver a More Seamless Meeting Experience on Interactive Displays

The partnership brings DisplayNote Launcher to Horion interactive displays, simplifying access to conferencing, calendars and collaboration tools

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Horion, a global provider of professional interactive display solutions, today announced its partnership with DisplayNote, the experience layer for shared meeting and learning spaces. The collaboration combines DisplayNote Launcher with Horion interactive flat panel displays (IFPDs) to create an integrated meeting-room solution that makes meetings simpler and more intuitive.

With DisplayNote Launcher, users can access supported conferencing applications, room calendars and frequently used tools directly from the Horion display. Meeting schedules can be displayed within the Launcher interface, while one-touch access to meetings helps users start or join calls with fewer steps.

Together, Horion and DisplayNote bring hardware and software into a more unified meeting-room experience, helping organizations reduce setup friction and provide users with a consistent way to access the tools they need.

"By combining DisplayNote Launcher with Horion's IFPDs, we are creating a more integrated and intuitive experience for modern meeting spaces," said Ryan, Global Head of Sales & Marketing at Horion. "This partnership reflects our commitment to making collaboration technology easier to use and more accessible."

"Great meeting room experiences depend on hardware and software working together as one," said Ed, CEO at DisplayNote. "By bringing DisplayNote's experience layer to Horion's interactive displays, we can make the technology in the room feel simpler and more natural for the people using it. We're looking forward to growing our partnership with Horion and working towards our long-term goal of removing friction from meeting spaces."

The integrated meeting-room solution is designed for organizations seeking a more intuitive and manageable meeting experience across corporate and professional environments.

About Horion

Horion is a global provider of professional interactive display and collaboration solutions. The company develops integrated hardware and software products designed to support communication, teamwork and digital interaction across professional environments worldwide.

About DisplayNote

DisplayNote is the experience layer for shared meeting and learning spaces, providing software solutions for meeting access, wireless collaboration and shared-space management.

For more information about the Horion, visit:global.horion.com

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Northeast Georgia Medical Center goes live with Sectra One Cloud to support faster, more coordinated patient care

LINKÖPING, Sweden, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) announces that Northeast Georgia Medical Center has gone live with Sectra's enterprise imaging solution as a cloud service, Sectra One Cloud, initially deploying the modules for radiology, breast imaging, and cardiology. By bringing imaging from multiple specialties into a single platform, clinicians can access and share patient studies more easily, enabling faster, better-coordinated care for the patients and communities the hospital serves.

"Going live with Sectra One Cloud has really made a difference in our day-to-day work. Having one system that supports the full imaging workflow, from viewing studies to finalizing reports, means fewer steps and less time spent switching between applications. It also means clinicians at different sites and from different specialties can consult on the same case, instead of each working from their own system," says Richard Wright, Executive Director of Imaging Services for Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville is the flagship hospital of Northeast Georgia Health System. The nonprofit health system operates five Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) campuses across northeast Georgia. As a regional tertiary referral center, NGMC Gainesville provides emergency, surgical, and specialized care to a population of more than 1.5 million people across 19 counties. With Sectra One Cloud, the hospital benefits from a cloud solution fully managed by Sectra, which means Sectra assumes responsibility for all system operation, maintenance, and support. This includes continuous monitoring, optimization, and upgrades, which helps reduce operational risk and supports high availability, while the solution's modular design allows the health system to scale into additional specialties over time.

Following a five-year contract, Northeast Georgia Medical Center went live with Sectra One Cloud in the fourth quarter of Sectra's 2025/2026 fiscal year, with an expected annual imaging volume of around 850,000 exams. The hospital has initially deployed the modules for radiology, breast imaging, and cardiology.

"We're proud to support Northeast Georgia Medical Center as they take this step into the cloud," says Isaac Zaworski, President of Sectra Inc. "This is what enterprise imaging as a service should look like: we manage the infrastructure, the monitoring, the upgrades, so their teams can focus on patient care instead of system upkeep. Their trust in our technology and the service behind it reflects a shared commitment to secure, reliable imaging infrastructure. Sectra One Cloud gives Northeast Georgia Medical Center a platform that scales with them, setting a new standard for secure, service-driven imaging that supports better care across the region."

Sectra's enterprise imaging solution provides a unified strategy for all imaging needs while lowering operational costs. The scalable and modular solution, with a VNA at its core, allows healthcare providers to grow from ology to ology and from enterprise to enterprise. Visit Sectra's website to read more about Sectra and why it's top-ranked in "Best in KLAS".

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Torbjörn Kronander, CEO and President Sectra AB, +46 (0)705 23 52 27

Marie Ekström Trägårdh, Executive Vice President Sectra AB and President Sectra Imaging IT Solutions, +46 (0)708 23 56 10

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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Daewoong Pharmaceutical Presents Baseline Characteristics of 104 Patients in Global Phase 2 Trial for IPF Drug Candidate 'Bersiporocin' at ERS 2026

- 104 IPF patients enrolled in US and South Korea as global Phase 2 trial progresses toward completion

- Study includes both antifibrotic-treated and untreated patients; top-line data expected in H1 2027

- First-in-class PRS inhibitor being developed as a potential new therapeutic option for IPF

BARCELONA, Spain and SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Daewoong Pharmaceutical (Co-CEOs Seongsoo Park and Changjae Lee) announced that it presented a poster on the baseline characteristics of all 104 patients enrolled in the global Phase 2 clinical trial of its idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) drug candidate 'Bersiporocin (DWN12088)' at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2026, held on September 6 (local time) in Barcelona, Spain.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis is a disease in which various inflammatory and fibrotic signals interact, leading to excessive production and accumulation of collagen. Bersiporocin, being developed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical, selectively inhibits prolyl-tRNA synthetase (PRS), thereby reducing excessive collagen production associated with fibrosis.

Bersiporocin has a differentiated mechanism of action that targets collagen synthesis downstream of multiple profibrotic signals through PRS inhibition. Based on this distinct mechanism, it is being evaluated both in patients receiving background antifibrotic therapy and in those not receiving such treatment.

This presentation analyzed the baseline clinical and functional characteristics of all IPF patients recruited in South Korea and the United States. Following the presentation of interim enrollment data at KATRDIC 2025, Daewoong Pharmaceutical presented baseline data from the fully enrolled study population for the first time at ERS 2026.

The analysis showed that of the total 104 patients, 55 (52.9%) were from South Korea and 49 (47.1%) from the US. A total of 71 patients (68.3%) were receiving background antifibrotic therapy, while 33 patients (31.7%) were not. Mean forced vital capacity (FVC) was approximately 77% predicted, while mean diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was approximately 51% predicted. Overall, baseline clinical and functional characteristics were generally similar between patients with and without background antifibrotic therapy.

The ongoing global Phase 2 study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial taking place in South Korea and the US. Patients receive either Bersiporocin or a placebo twice daily for 24 weeks, with concomitant use of pirfenidone or nintedanib permitted. The study design reflects real-world IPF treatment settings by including patients both with and without background antifibrotic therapy.

This baseline analysis provides important context for interpreting the Phase 2 efficacy and safety results. Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to announce top-line Phase 2 results in the first half of 2027.

Meanwhile, Bersiporocin has received Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track status from the US FDA, as well as Orphan Drug Designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), driving its global development forward.

Professor Moo Suk Park of the Department of Pulmonology at Severance Hospital, who participated in the study, said, "This study provides a comprehensive overview of the baseline characteristics of 104 IPF patients enrolled in South Korea and the US. As the study includes patients both with and without background antifibrotic therapy, these baseline data will provide important context for interpreting the efficacy and safety outcomes of Bersiporocin."

Seongsoo Park, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, stated, "Successfully completing enrollment for the global Phase 2 trial and sharing the full baseline patient profile at ERS 2026 marks a significant milestone in Bersiporocin's development. We will continue to advance the program toward top-line Phase 2 results in H1 2027 and use these findings to inform subsequent global development."

[Reference]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XSXImvc5mcgdoSozP_B4BnDlsTW7Pfz_/view 

Link to the poster: 'Baseline Clinical and Functional Spectrum of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients in a Fully Enrolled Global Phase 2 Trial of the PRS Inhibitor Bersiporocin'

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Grand Rapids Housing Commission Featured on "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia" for Innovative Approach to Affordable Housing

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As housing costs continue to challenge low-income households across West Michigan, the Grand Rapids Housing Commission (GRHC) is using a combination of rental assistance, affordable housing development, community partnerships, and resident-focused programs to expand housing opportunities and promote long-term stability.

On September 23, 2026, camera crews from "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia" will record on location with the GRHC for an upcoming Public Television segment highlighting the agency's work and its evolving role in addressing local housing needs.

The GRHC provides housing assistance to thousands of households through programs including public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Vouchers, and other federally supported housing programs. In addition to helping households access existing housing, the Commission works with nonprofit, public, and private partners to preserve and create additional affordable housing throughout the community.

The GRHC is also pursuing redevelopment and development partnerships designed to increase the long-term supply of affordable housing. These efforts include leveraging federal housing resources, partnering with local developers, and using Project-Based Vouchers and other financing tools to support new and rehabilitated affordable housing.

At the same time, the GRHC continues to advocate for federal housing resources that better reflect local market conditions. The Commission is currently working with research firm Econometrica on a Fair Market Rent study for Kent County. The study is intended to provide the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with updated local rental market information and help ensure federal rental assistance resources more accurately reflect the cost of housing in the region.

Beyond housing assistance, the GRHC offers programs focused on economic mobility and resident opportunity. Through initiatives such as the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, homeownership assistance, financial education, savings opportunities, and community partnerships, residents can pursue personal goals while maintaining stable housing.

"Affordable housing requires more than one program or one solution," said Lindsey Reames, Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Housing Commission. "Our work is about helping families access housing today, creating and preserving affordable housing for the future, and connecting residents with opportunities that support stability, mobility, and self-sufficiency."

The upcoming "All Access" segment will highlight how housing authorities such as the GRHC are responding to changing housing conditions by combining traditional rental assistance with development partnerships, resident services, local research, and community collaboration.

About All Access hosted by Andy Garcia

"All Access hosted by Andy Garcia" is an educational Public Television series highlighting initiatives and trends shaping communities across the country. The short-form documentary program explores topics in areas including housing, business, healthcare, and technology. Additional information regarding broadcast details and featured subjects can be found at allaccessptv.com.

About Grand Rapids Housing Commission

The Grand Rapids Housing Commission provides affordable housing, rental assistance, and supportive programs to thousands of individuals and families. Through housing assistance, affordable housing development, resident services, community partnerships, and programs that support economic mobility, GRHC works to advance its vision of creating communities where housing is affordable, opportunities are impactful, and self-sufficiency is the goal. To learn more about available housing programs, visit www.grhousing.org.

SOURCE All Access

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Huawei Unveils Six Global Power Showcases, Unlocking a New Power System with AI-Energy Synergy

SHANGHAI, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- During HUAWEI CONNECT 2026, Huawei held the 2026 Global Electric Power Summit under the title " AI × Energy: Unlocking a New Power System." More than 600 representatives from global power companies, industry organizations, ecosystem partners, and media gathered to explore new pathways for integrating energy transition with digital and intelligent technologies.

At the summit, Huawei, together with the global power companies, also unveiled six power showcases, demonstrating end-to-end digital and intelligent transformation practices, from power generation to consumption, and from domestic to international markets. This marks a substantial step forward for the power industry, moving from unidirectional enablement to computing-power synergy.

The global energy landscape is currently undergoing profound change. Distributed renewable energy has become crucial to reducing external dependency while balancing grid resilience and universal access to electricity.

Philippe Adam, Secretary-General of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE), said in his speech: "The power industry is undergoing massive transformation, driven by energy transition, AI data centers (AIDCs), and digitalization."

Faced with the intertwined challenges of the renewable energy transition, intelligent transformation, and the lack of electricity access for 700 million people worldwide, AI has become a survival essential of the century-old power system. Huawei believes that low voltage—the bottleneck of power grids—will become the main arena for AI in the future. To close the low-voltage management gap, systematic and transparent management is required on the low-voltage side. This rests on six core capabilities—observability, measurability, controllability, adjustability, tradability, and traceability—that are all essential for long-term sustainability.

David Sun, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Huawei Electric Power Digitalization Business Unit (BU), commented: "The essence of low-voltage transparency is simple: faster data, higher quality, and greater cost-efficiency. To unlock a new power system, the industry needs to advance with three core priorities: digital talent first, digital infrastructure first, and digital regulated asset base (RAB) first."

Scenario-Based Implementation: Six Global Showcases Highlight the Success of Digital and Intelligent Transformation

At the Global Electric Power Summit, the six global showcases unveiled include the digital and intelligent grid of Brazil's CEMIG; the new power system demonstration zone featuring distribution and microgrid synergy in the Guangzhou Baiyun Power Supply Bureau of the China Southern Power Grid; the intelligent diagnosis and smart operations of the new power distribution network in Shaoshan, Hunan, China; intelligent power supply and consumption in Jiangxi, China; the ±800 kV UHV digital converter station in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China; and the power communication network in Liaoning, China. Together, they demonstrate successful practices across different scenarios spanning the entire power process in the intelligent era.

Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to focus on its strengths in the information and communications technology (ICT) field. Using its three-layer framework of metrics, architectures, and technologies, the company will work with global power enterprises, standards organizations, and ecosystem partners to drive innovation, fostering the upgrade of the industry and overall ecosystem prosperity.

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ZPMC Hosts CIIE Industry Outreach Event Ahead of Ninth Expo

SHANGHAI, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ZPMC hosted an industry outreach event for the China International Import Expo (CIIE) on September 22.

Delegates from major Chinese companies attended, including Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), China Mobile, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Bank of China (BOC), and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

Representatives of ZPMC, Sinopec Honeywell (Tianjin) Limited, Austria-based WFL Millturn Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, and Omron Automation (China) delivered remarks and exchanged views. The China International Import Expo Bureau also provided an overview of its services for professional buyers.

The event focused on ZPMC's strengths in port machinery, offshore equipment, steel structures, and smart ports. It included thematic discussions, industry matchmaking sessions, and site visits. Nearly 30 CIIE exhibitors and ZPMC partners participated, including several Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders. ZPMC's headquarters and nine affiliated units also took part in the matchmaking program.

ZPMC has attended every CIIE since the expo began, making eight consecutive appearances. The cumulative value of its purchasing agreements signed at the expo exceeds $2.6 billion at current exchange rates, and the company has established enduring relationships with overseas suppliers. This November, it will return for the ninth edition, seeking to expand trade and business cooperation and contribute to continued economic growth.

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Initiative combines Rockwell's industrial automation expertise with Tekna's detection capabilities to support quality, consistency and manufacturing performance

MILAN, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation, the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced a collaboration with Tekna Automazione e Controllo and Prometeon Tyre Group focused on advancing automated tire inspection and quality-control processes within tire manufacturing operations.

The project brings together Rockwell's industrial automation and digital transformation expertise with Tekna Automazione e Controllo, a designer and manufacturer of image-processing and inspection systems, to support the automated detection and classification of tire anomalies during final inspection processes. The solution has been selected and commissioned by Prometeon, the only tyre manufacturer fully focused on the industrial, agricultural and OTR sectors, for the automatic checking of truck, bus and radial tire products.

"Tire manufacturers continue to face increasing expectations around product quality, operational efficiency and workforce productivity," said Luca Galluzzi, country director, Italy, Rockwell Automation. "This project demonstrates the value of bringing together complementary expertise from across the industrial ecosystem. We are helping create a framework that can support more consistent manufacturing outcomes while providing Prometeon with additional insight into production performance and continuous improvement opportunities."

Designed for use in high-volume manufacturing environments, the initiative aims to help improve inspection consistency, support product quality objectives and provide manufacturers with greater visibility into production performance. The project also incorporates support from Kalypso, Rockwell's digital transformation consulting business, helping align the new inspection capabilities with Prometeon's broader manufacturing modernization strategy.

The collaboration reflects the growing demand within the tire industry for technologies that can help manufacturers improve consistency, streamline inspection activities and use production data more effectively to support operational decision-making.

The automated inspection approach is intended to support identification and classification of tire defects, while providing manufacturers with structured production information that can be used to support quality management and process improvement activities. Industry research has highlighted the growing role of automated inspection systems in helping manufacturers improve detection consistency and reduce dependence on manual quality-control activities.

"For many years, Tekna has worked closely with tire manufacturers to develop practical solutions for inspection and quality control challenges," said Michele De Stasio, chairman and CEO, Tekna Automazione e Controllo. "By combining our experience in machine vision and data analysis with Rockwell's industrial expertise and Prometeon's manufacturing knowledge, we have created an opportunity to support more reliable and repeatable inspection processes while generating valuable production insights."

Prometeon expects the initiative to support its ongoing efforts to strengthen manufacturing processes through greater standardization, enhanced quality controls and increased visibility of production data. The company has been working with Rockwell on broader manufacturing modernization initiatives designed to improve operational efficiency and support long-term digital transformation efforts.

"As part of our continued focus on operational excellence, we are evaluating technologies that can help us further strengthen product quality, improve process consistency and support more data-driven manufacturing practices," said Bruno Lodi, chief manufacturing officer, Prometeon Tyre Group. "This collaboration combines expertise from multiple organizations and represents another step in our broader manufacturing transformation journey."

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2025. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise® to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

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