Day: May 5, 2022

Seamless AR technology, to make walks more intuitive and immersive

Walking-based navigation has long suffered from the “last kilometer” issue. Even when the location and direction are displayed in traditional navigation apps, most users will still struggle to correctly orient themselves when encountering intricate networks of lanes and alleys. Petal Maps has introduced an all-new AR technology into its navigation feature, which uses the mobile camera as a sensor, and overlays the navigation instructions on the real world environment, with the help of smart visual recognition technology. By distinguishing between the current location and myriad of environmental data, Petal Maps can bring the direction of the arrow, road names, and other key info into perfect sync with what your eyes tell you, for seamless cohesion between virtual maps and the real environments that they represent.

On the walking navigation page, Start has been replaced with [AR] Start. When you lift your phone vertically, and the camera permission authorized, instructions such as straight, turning, approaching/reaching the destination will be overlaid on the real world setting, which is shown onscreen. These intuitive visuals make it easy to reach your destination in as little time as possible, and with minimal effort. You can also switch between plane navigation and panoramic navigation, according to your specific route and real time needs.

Now that there’s no need to try to make sense of maps, you’ll find that it’s so much easier to keep your walks on track, from departure to destination. Features like panoramic navigation, and guided directions, built into Petal Maps’ AR technology, bridge the longstanding divide between real world settings and virtual maps.

New custom icons, to take in your world at a glance

Users have long been able to mark asterisks for their favorite locations, but this standard icon makes it hard to distinguish between different types of places. The new location icons have been greatly enriched, with six colors to choose from, and three new shapes, in addition to the default flag and star icons. You can personalize the icon styles and colors for all of your favorite places, so that your day-to-day life is represented in a highly organized and visually appealing manner.

In addition to its wide array of enriching features, Petal Maps is also broadly compatible with all major smart device systems, which means that Android and iOS users can all enjoy trailblazing technologies like point of interest searches and smart navigation. Petal Maps will continue to expand and enhance its capabilities, in order to provide users with the best possible experience at all times.

Download here: https://petalmaps.dre.agconnect.link/pzyLVy

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1766843/AR.jpg

“Colombia is one of Dubai’s preferred destinations for developing new foreign investment and expansion projects in Latin America, with more than USD 44 million of investment in the last 10 years. For this reason, in the framework of Expo Dubai, we focused on presenting all the business opportunities that exist in Bogota, to generate new business alliances and promote the capital’s export and tourism offer,” said Maria Isabella Muñoz, executive director of Invest in Bogota, one of the entities that represented the city at the fair.

During the visit, investment agendas were set with the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah through working meetings with more than fifty capital funds, venture capital, entrepreneurs, and government entities.

For its part, the District Secretariat of Economic Development promoted the participation of 37 companies from the Bogota Region from sectors such as agri-food, fashion, metal mechanics, industries 4.0, chemicals, and life sciences in the Macro Business Roundtable in Dubai. At this event, sales and business expectations were reached in the order of USD 18 million. Countries such as the State of Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore were the most interested.

“The participation of the city and particularly of the Economic Development sector in this type of event is another way of strengthening our business fabric by connecting it with new markets while promoting the attraction of foreign investment, particularly for the major city projects proposed in the POT, which, in the long term, will allow us to increase productivity and generate employment opportunities for all,” said Alfredo Bateman, Secretary of Economic Development of Bogota.

Bogota was also present at the Global Business Forum Latam, an event that brought together thousands of businessmen from all over the world to learn about business opportunities in Latin America.

On the other hand, a new commercial route was opened with the airlines Fly Emirates and Etihad: Dubai – Miami – Bogota, to enter a market of more than 2 billion people and position Bogota as a gateway to the region with approximately seven frequencies of these airlines.

PARIS, France, May 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Accor, a world-leading hospitality group, today announced the launch of Health to Wealth, a new series exploring the current state of well-being and the defining issues of our time. Health to Wealth, which engages some of the leading thinkers of our era, kicks off today with a thought-provoking and informative podcast series, soon to be followed by an entrepreneurial start-up challenge in Paris in collaboration with VivaTech, and an insightful white paper later this year exploring the latest research in the areas of psychological and physiological health, societal structure and responsibility, global shifts, responses and predictions.

“The goal of hospitality is to provide a warm welcome, a spirit of caring, and a sense of well-being,” said Emlyn Brown, Global Vice President, Well-Being, Accor. “As a global leader of hospitality, Accor has led the industry in moving wellness matters beyond the traditional walls of spas and fitness centers into everything we do – from hotel operations to food & beverage, room design and so much more. We are excited to debut Health to Wealth and take our mission of care to the next level, convening a diverse group of innovative minds to act as a positive force for change that we hope will inspire mental and physical wholeness and a greater sense of well-being in what is a very complex and ever-changing world.”

The Health to Wealth podcast series was created by the Accor well-being team and curated by Well Intelligence. Well Intelligence is a UK-based international business advisory group that champions the relevance and cultural lifeblood that wellbeing investment brings; providing corporations and enterprise with insight and guidance in their quest to establish impactful wellbeing programs, transform company ethos and create healthier more sustainable communities.

“Accor is taking a powerful step forward to lead a global discourse among some of the world’s boldest thinkers, at a time when the collective wellness of the world has never felt more shaken,” said Anni Hood, CEO, Well Intelligence. “At Well Intelligence, we believe that sometimes a more radical approach is necessary to inspire a revolutionary shift, in perspective and beyond.”

The first four Health to Wealth podcast episodes are now available, featuring Wim Hof discussing democratic access to health and the power of the breath (Putting Mind Over Matter). Kate Cook will address the impact of nutritional health on business performance (Super Powered Through Strategic Nutrition); Saasha Celestial-One will outline her grassroots, real-world response to waste (Sharing A Recipe To Reduce Food Waste); and Manuel Muniz on the subject of technology, its impacts and strategic possibilities (Turning The Digital Tide).

“We’re all on this planet together, and when part of us isn’t doing well or isn’t properly nurtured, then it affects our entire collective organism. And that, to me, felt like a very natural way to think about the social and human and planetary interconnectedness that is coming to light in this Health to Wealth series,” said Saasha Celestial-One, founder of OLIO, the global food sharing app that is revolutionizing food waste and community service, and one of the Health to Wealth contributors.

“The macro well-being perspective that Health to Wealth is examining is essential,” added Manuel Muniz, Provost of the IE University in Madrid, former Secretary of State for Global Spain, and contributor to Health to Wealth. “I’m glad these discussions are taking place now, given the general state-of-affairs of the world. I believe this is the right time to address these matters.”

Additional podcast episodes will be released throughout May and June 2022, featuring such mind-opening discussions as:

• Thierry Malleret on well-being, changing values and global macro forces
• Oli Patrick & Harry Jameson on fitness, resilience and countering stress
• Olaf Blanke on how our body sense is governed by neuroscience
• Julian Ranger on why everyone should look after their own personal data
• Allie Burns on investing in the entrepreneurs who can make a social impact
• Ali Parsa on virtual doctors and the AI revolution in healthcare

The Health to Wealth podcast series is available on all major podcast platforms, healthtowealthbyaccor.com and Accor’s website.

Accor is a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,300 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. The group has one of the industry’s most diverse and fully-integrated hospitality ecosystems encompassing more than 40 luxury, premium, midscale and economy hotel brands, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more. Accor’s unmatched position in lifestyle hospitality – one of the fastest growing categories in the industry – is led by Ennismore, a joint venture, which Accor holds a majority shareholding. Ennismore is a creative hospitality company with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Accor boasts an unrivalled portfolio of distinctive brands and approximately 260,000 team members worldwide. Members benefit from the company’s comprehensive loyalty program – ALL – Accor Live Limitless – a daily lifestyle companion that provides access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences. Through its Planet 21 – Acting Here, Accor Solidarity, RiiSE and ALL Heartist Fund initiatives, the Group is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com, or follow Accor on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Press Contacts: Charlotte Thouvard, charlotte.thouvard@accor.com; Mike Taylor, mike.taylor@accor.com

The report put LONGi’s operating revenue for 2021 at CNY 80.932 billion, a year-on-year increase of 48.27%. Net profit attributable to the parent company during the period was CNY 9.086 billion, including CNY 8.826 billion of net profit deducted from non-recurring gains and losses attributable to shareholders of listed companies. The consolidated gross margin was 20.19% and the asset-liability ratio 51.31%, down 8.07% from the previous year.

In terms of results for Q1 2022, the company achieved an operating revenue of CNY 18.595 billion, up 17.29% compared to the same period in the previous year, and continues to lead the PV industry. LONGi sees significant potential for global energy transition and opportunities linked to the pursuit of worldwide carbon neutrality and has set itself the goal of achieving operating revenue of more than CNY 100 billion in 2022.

Wafer & Module production sees rapid growth and shipments remain No.1 globally

In 2021, LONGi achieved wafer shipments of 70.01GW, split between external sales of 33.92GW and 36.09GW for internal use and shipped 38.52GW of mono-crystalline modules, of which external sales accounted for 37.24GW and internal use 1.28GW. During the reporting period, the company’s global sales performance, market share and brand influence ranked it 1st in the world, with its total shipment volume of domestic and exported modules exceeding 2nd place by more than 10GW.

In Q1 2022, LONGi achieved 18.36GW in mono-crystalline silicon wafer shipments, split between external sales of 8.42GW and 9.94GW for internal use and shipped 6.44GW of mono-crystalline modules, of which external sales accounted for 6.35GW and internal use 0.09GW.

As of the end of 2021, the company’s production capacity for wafers, cells and modules had reached 105GW, 37GW and 60GW respectively, with 2022 capacity targets increased to 150GW, 60GW and 85GW.

LONGi has issued 2022 shipment targets of 90GW-100GW (including internal use) for wafers and 50GW-60GW (including internal use) for modules.

Globalization and localization strategy enables the business market to enter a new phase

As a key player in implementing a globalization and localization strategy, LONGi has achieved a leading position in market share for Greater China, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the U.S., the Middle East & Africa, module sales reaching overall leadership globally in 2020 with the status consolidated in 2021. The company has now established manufacturing facilities and sales networks in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide, employing 49,967 full-time corporate staff, with 9,827 employees outside China’s mainland accounting for 7.59% of the overall total.

With trade disputes (WRO) and other ad-hoc issues having an impact on China’s photovoltaic industry, LONGi’s advantage in not relying on a single market allows it to perform consistently well and meet growth expectations. The completion of the technical transformation of existing production lines will strengthen the overall coordination of global sales in various regions, shorten in-transit time of products and further increase product shipment levels.

Sustainable investment in technology R&D leads industry innovation

LONGi maintains a long-term commitment to R&D in technology. From the company’s listing in 2012 to 2021, the compound annual growth rate of operating revenue reached 53.52% and its total revenue increased from CNY 1.71 billion to more than CNY 80 billion, a 47-fold increase. The growth rate of R&D investment over the period is almost synchronous, totalling over CNY 10 billion.

As of 2021, LONGi had secured a total of 1,387 authorized patents and invested CNY 4.394 billion in technology R&D, accounting for 5.43% of revenue, a year-on-year increase of 69.55%. In the past year alone, LONGi has broken the world record for cell conversion efficiency 7 times across various technical disciplines and laid claim to overall leadership in new high-efficiency cell technologies including n-type and p-type TOPCon and n-type and p-type HJT. The company’s new solar cell technology will be put into production during the third quarter of 2022.

International organisations validate LONGi’s renowned brand and product quality

In 2021, the U.S. Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC) recognized LONGi as a “High Achiever” for the third consecutive year in its PV Module Index (PVMI) report and LONGi also earned Top Performer status in PVEL’s PV Module Reliability Scorecard.

At Intersolar 2021, LONGi was recognized as the winner in the Photovoltaics category for its high-efficiency Hi-MO 5 (182mm) series module, the  award given to companies making a significant contribution to the industry via technological innovation.

In 2021, LONGi was once again recognised at the TÜV Rheinland “All Quality Matters” Solar Congress, with its Hi-MO 4 and Hi-MO 5 high-efficiency modules winning awards for Outdoor Energy Yield (Monofacial Group) and Energy Yield Simulation (Bifacial monocrystalline group) respectively.

Promoting the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concept to achieve sustainability

LONGi actively implements sustainable development efforts. In 2021, the company announced an ambitious pledge at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) to convert the company’s Baoshan production base in Yunnan Province into its first “Net-zero Plant” by 2023. The announcement of the pledge will see the beginning of “Net-zero LONGi” and the establishment of a test field for the company’s “Solar for Solar” sustainable development concept.

2021 also saw LONGi issue its first White Paper on Climate Action at the COP26 summit. According to the document, the company will continue to actively fulfil its commitment to promote the implementation of the four international initiatives, RE100, EV100, EP100 and SBTi.

The 2021 annual report additionally states that LONGi has now reached 40.19% of renewable electricity use in its global operations and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1,687,933 tons, via the three disciplines of self-owned power generation facilities, procurement of third-party power generation facilities and contract procurement of green power.

As a socially responsible company headquartered in Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, LONGi donated CNY 10 million to the local government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also donated CNY 15 million to the people of Henan Province to provide disaster relief following extensive flooding.

Moving forward, LONGi will continue to enhance its product leadership strategy, taking the creation of value for customers as its starting point. The company will drive technological innovation with ambitious goals and continuously work toward the reduction of product cost and improvement in efficiency and quality, continuing to support high-intensity R&D investment and delivery of high-value results to global customers.

Note: The financial figures in the report are quoted in Chinese Yuan (CNY).

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Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1606520/LONGi_Logo.jpg