Leading the Way in Design Innovation at Hong Kong’s Premier Annual Event

HONG KONG, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) 2024, organized by Hong Kong Design Center (HKDC), has concluded after 30 forums, 7 workshops, 5 masterclasses and a series of meet-the-speakers and networking sessions held by over 30 renowned pioneers and creative leaders from a broad spectrum of creative industries across the globe at W Hong Kong hotel and other offsite premises under the theme “Inter/Section: Crafting Tomorrow’s Design“. The speakers gathered to exchange, ideate and envision the future of design, business and society through the innovative fusions of craftsmanship and technology with over 2,300 in attendance in the three-day event, bolstering Hong Kong’s position as a hub for design, technology and innovation between Asia and the world. The event’s success was made possible through the incredible support from the Lead Sponsor, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), our year-round Partner Country France, and Regional Strategic Partners Guangzhou Design Week, Macau Designers Association, and Macau Design Centre.

Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) said, “HKDC is fully committed to our mission of promoting Hong Kong’s design economy, inspiring design thinking within the creative sector, and elevating Hong Kong’s desirability as a nexus for East-West exchanges in design business and tourism, with continued initiatives alongside France, our partner country extending throughout the rest of the year. Our calendar of events includes the annually recurring Business of Design Week (BODW) 2024, the Maison&Objet trade fair, as part of the ‘Design December’ initiative, to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of Sino-France bilateral relations, and help shape the future of Hong Kong as a true design centre for high-quality arts, culture and creativity.” Carrying forward the momentum from KODW 2024, the BODW 2024 summit later this year will feature a 3-day long programme that showcases the exceptional talent and creative visionaries at the forefront of design, brands and innovation under the theme “Inter/Section: Design, Artistry, and Innovation“. BODW 2024 and the Maison&Objet trade fair in Hong Kong are also sponsored by CCIDA.

Prof. Eric Yim expressed his gratitude to the continual support from CCIDA, formerly known as Create Hong Kong, to KODW, and to Mr Kevin Yeung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Mr Victor Tsang, Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries, for officiating at the InnoDesign Leadership-Forum-cum-CEO Dinner and the Opening Ceremony of this year’s KODW respectively.

The KODW 2024 theme “Inter/Section: Crafting Tomorrow’s Design” spanned a variety of discussion topics on Scenography and Exhibition Design, Communication Design and AI, Architecture and Built Environment, Craftsmanship & Artisans, Design Education and Furniture & Product Design.

Some of the pointers raised by speakers are as follows:

Speakers from France

During their panel “Crafting Aesthetics in Exhibition and Curation Design”, Nathalie Crinière, Founder and CEO of Agence NC, and Laurent Ungerer, Founder & CEO of c-album, shared insights on scenography and communication design. They believe that the location is of utmost importance in scenography design, and that designers need to consider its physical conditions alongside their own emotional reactions. They stressed that designers and curators must work together, as location and scenographic design “are really to help visitors understand the content, and has to touch the heart of every visitor”, serving the critical role of conveying the exhibit’s intent to audiences on behalf of the curators.

On the topic “Aesop on Store Design”, Director of Aesop’s Global Retail Design Marianne Lardilleux spoke on the necessity of intelligence and sustainability in Aesop’s interior designs, and on prioritising both functionality and aesthetic appeal, sharing that “We want to have engaging conversations with our customers, and to do so we have the same level of intellect in the way we designed our stores.” 

Sylvie Corréard, CEO of Les Arts Décoratifs, on her forum “Craftsmanship, Design and Inspiration: The Unique Role of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs”, shared how the intersections of design inspired her practice. “We could describe our collection as a polysemic collection. The very principle of the collection was structured around heritage and contemporary creation. The idea was to showcase and preserve objects from the past or from other cultures that could inspire current creativity. It was necessary to acquire and exhibit ongoing creations that reflect technical, artistic, and industrial evolution.” 

Speakers from Hong Kong

Qeelin’s Founder and Creative Director Dennis Chan spoke at length about the importance of balancing inspirations from East and West traditions, mechanical ingenuity with aesthetic design, and delivering impactful brand stories through strategic boutique locations and celebrity ambassadors during his keynote “Inter/Section of Cultures: The Qeelin Perspective of East Meets West”. Dennis shared, “That’s why I think the Qeelin design is not only about Chinese design. The inspiration is from China, but we still take on a lot of inspiration from around the world.”

Discussing “Tradition, Innovation and Beyond: Journey to the Inter/Section with Alan Chan“, Alan Chan, Founder & Creative Director of Alan Chan Design Company, believes in “Never go for references, but study it if you want to create something.  All your energy, memory, creatives should be from your history and experience of life”, which is integral to his design philosophy.   

Olivier Segura, Managing Director of L’ECOLE Asia Pacific in his power talk on “Preserving the Art of High Jewellery”, talked about how intersection is interwoven with the school’s mission. “Intersection is there to support and help young talents who have a promising future. Intersection for us also means to create bridges between our experts and our audience.” 

Speakers from The Mainland and Overseas :

On his power talk “Tea Beyond the Cup: Sustainable Solutions Across Industries”, Calvin Sio, Founder, CEO and Director of Sustainability at Zence Object Technology and Chazence, delved into how traditional Eastern wisdom and philosophy guides his brand’s transformative and sustainable vision for innovating tea waste. “By providing valuable insights for the application of bio-based materials, we can integrate Eastern wisdom to create an environmentally friendly material system. This approach is rooted in the Eastern philosophy of harmony between humans and nature, ecological balance, and the fusion of wisdom and culture.”

Dong Gong, Founder and Design Principal at Vector Architects, and Foreign Member at the French Academy of Architecture, offered a profound perspective on “integrating new design with existing structures” during his presentation on “New into Old”. “By respecting existing layouts and natural elements, we enhance living environments, blending the old with the new. This approach not only preserves the historical and emotional significance of the sites but also improves the quality of daily life.”

Alexis Georgacopoulos, Director at University of Art and Design Lausanne (ECAL), and Rama Gheerawo, Director of The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art, discussed the necessity of leveraging design to solve the challenges faced by society during their panel of “Empowering Tomorrow’s Designers”. Gheerawo said, “Design bridges ideas to implementation and impact, turning concepts into real-world solutions. This unique ability justifies giving design a critical role in multidisciplinary discussions.”

Lex Pott, Founder and Designer of studio LEX POTT, and Frank Chou, Founder & Creative Director of Frank Chou Design Studio, in their panel “Craftsmanship, Culture, and Challenges: Exploring the Evolving Landscape of Design in East & West”, Pott shared that “traditionally, when we speak about craft, it’s a skill. It’s something that you train and that you master. But I think from a design point of view, it’s also about intellect, culture, tradition, so many of those ingredients.”

“Global Online Premier” – the full versions of KODW 2024 Forum, will be available on bodw+ and social media channels on July 17 for free.

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BEIJING, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A report from People’s Daily: “Friendship and mutual trust are particularly important in a world that is undergoing changes unseen in a century, which further highlights the significance of the movie The Composer,” said Sabit Kurmanbekov, an art director of the movie and a screenwriter from Kazakhstan, during a recent interview with People’s Daily.

“The Composer” is the first movie jointly produced by China and Kazakhstan. Kurmanbekov said he is proud to be a part of it, adding that cultural cooperation between the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) enjoys bright prospects.

The movie was an outcome of the inter-government co-production shooting agreement signed by China and Kazakhstan in 2016. It tells the story of how late Chinese composer Xian Xinghai was saved and helped by a Kazakh peer during World War II when he got stranded in Almaty, Kazakhstan while trying to return to China from the Soviet Union.

Kurmanbekov was initially invited by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan to be an art director of the movie. During the production, filmmakers from the two countries soon made friends with each other. Under the proposal of Chinese director Sherzat Yahuf, Kurmanbekov was promoted to assistant director.

Recalling this experience, Kurmanbekov said he was impressed by the advanced technologies and strict procedure control of China’s filmmaking industry, and he was delighted to see that his Chinese counterparts had embraced his revision to the script.

“I was lucky to have such an experience in my career,” Kurmanbekov told People’s Daily.

Kurmanbekov, who lives in Almaty, is quite familiar with the name Xian Xinghai. However, it was when he worked with his Chinese peers to refine the details of the story that he truly delved into the fate of this great Chinese musician.

“I often couldn’t help but wonder if I could overcome all the challenges and keep making music in a remote and cold foreign land just like Xian did. His love and loyalty to his home country are also what touch me,” Kurmanbekov noted.

He said the movie portrays a story about friendship and mutual trust. Friendship is beyond national borders and identities. It saves people in times of danger and gives them wings to soar.

“In the movie, we can always see the beauty of friendship and mutual trust, and these good qualities are exactly needed by the world today,” Kurmanbekov said.

He called the movie a very successful co-production and an exemplary model of international people-to-people and cultural exchanges. He believes that people-to-people and cultural exchanges between nations are as important as political and economic cooperation.

He said Kazakhstan and China enjoy a long history of friendship, with a shared goal of promoting peace and friendship worldwide in the 21st century.

“Art is a language spoken to people’s hearts and serves as a vessel of ideas that will be appreciated and interpreted by future generations, thus having incomparable influence. It plays an important role in enhancing mutual trust, showing mutual respect, and promoting peace,” Kurmanbekov remarked.

In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the main cast members of the movie at the Great Hall of the People and watched the trailers. Kurmanbekov said the meeting still excites him today.

He said the BRI proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping is a great cause that revitalizes the ancient Silk Road on the Eurasian continent, promotes the development of partner countries, lifts millions of people out of poverty, and embraces peace and development.

People in Central Asia particularly value the opportunities brought about by connectivity projects under the BRI, which helps connect the five landlocked countries in the region to the rest of the world, Kurmanbekov added.

Kurmanbekov filmed another movie in the years following the completion of “The Composer,” which tells a story of mutual assistance happening along the China–Kazakhstan border. Currently, the Kazakh screenwriter is studying the discourse on peace in Chinese philosophy and hopes to make a film that tells the shared historical stories of Eurasian countries.

“I’ve already developed a mature concept and really hope to cast a Chinese actor as the male lead,” Kurmanbekov said.

He said he hopes to keep contributing to friendship and mutual trust between the people of Kazakhstan and China through his artworks.

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In the news release, Menarini’s cell based non-invasive prenatal technology demonstrates high resolution detection of fetal genomic abnormalities from a simple maternal blood draw, issued 02-Jul-2024 by Menarini Silicon Biosystems over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the subheadline, second sentence and the second paragraph, second sentence should read “400Kb” rather than “600Kb” as originally issued inadvertently. The complete, corrected release follows:

Menarini’s cell based non-invasive prenatal technology demonstrates high resolution detection of fetal genomic abnormalities from a simple maternal blood draw

Data presented at the 2024 FMF (Fetal Medicine Foundation) World Congress in Lisbon, Portugal shows the potential for an automated system to deliver genomic profiles of fetal cells that is highly concordant with the genomic analysis obtained from invasive procedures. Results of a large clinical validation study show that Menarini Silicon Biosystems’ fetal cell based noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPT) technology can accurately detect both fetal genome-wide pathogenic copy number variants greater than 400Kb in size and the commonly screened trisomy conditions.

BOLOGNA, Italy and HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ –The Reproductive Precision Medicine Unit of Menarini Silicon Biosystems (MSB) presented last week, at the 21^st World Congress of the Fetal Medicine Foundation meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, results of a large multicenter study describing their next generation non-invasive prenatal testing technology using fetal cells isolated from maternal blood. The genomic analysis of these fetal cells showed a high concordance with the analysis of fetal cells obtained from invasive diagnostic procedures. Moreover, MSB’s cell-based test, under development, demonstrated its potential validity for screening genomic conditions not easily found with currently available, state of the art, non-invasive screening technologies based on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis.

This large study, which enrolled over 1,000 women, was centered on isolating individual fetal (trophoblast) cells from maternal blood and analyzing them for both common trisomic conditions and genome-wide microdeletions and microduplications, called pathogenic copy number variants (pCNVs), that account for significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. The results presented showed that MSB’s fetal cell based NIPT could deliver information beyond core “common” trisomies detected by standard non-invasive cfDNA analysis, as well as detect with a high level of accuracy and granularity genome-wide microdeletions and microduplications down to a size of at least 400Kb. The cell-based test was compared with chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and karyotype from chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, the clinical gold – standard fetal diagnostic methodologies to detect genomic chromosomal abnormalities in the prenatal setting.

According to Professor Jon Hyett, Head of Maternal and Fetal Medicine at Liverpool Hospital and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Western Sydney University, who looks after pregnancies that have a high risk of complication – either for the mother, or for the fetus: “This data is exciting because it shows the potential to deliver clinically relevant and actionable information about fetal genomic abnormalities  at higher resolution and accuracy than existing screening tests and at an early gestational age when almost no pCNVs are currently detected.” Menarini’s new study thereby opens the door to a whole new paradigm in prenatal screening.

For Thomas Musci, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Head of Menarini Silicon Biosystems’ Reproductive Precision Medicine Business Unit, who presented the results of the study, “Isolating intact fetal cells from maternal blood for prenatal screening has  long been perceived as an extremely challenging goal. Our highly automated system for the isolation and single–cell analysis of circulating extravillous trophoblasts (cEVTs) supports the feasibility of a cell–based NIPT for fetal genomic profiling that can lead to more informed decision-making at all levels.”

Menarini has been actively investing to advance single cell analysis and sequencing in the field of reproductive care. For Fabio Piazzalunga, President of Menarini Silicon Biosystems, “The results of this study, which confirmed the potential ability of our cell based NIPT to identify fetal abnormalities with high sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity, show the potential of Menarini to significantly impact women’s health. Our continuous commitment and efforts to advance our scientific findings in this field aim to provide, in the future, a potentially revolutionary solution that brings more information to women and their doctors”. These new activities fully support the company’s vision to become a leader in minimally invasive cell-based applications that can allow for easier, faster, and more precise diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in multiple therapeutic areas.

About Menarini Silicon Biosystems (MSB)

MSB offers unique rare cell technologies and solutions that provide clinical researchers with access to unparalleled resolution in the study of cells and their molecular characterization.

Menarini Silicon Biosystems, based in Castel Maggiore (Bologna, Italy), and Huntingdon Valley, PA., U.S., is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Menarini Group, a multinational pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics company headquartered in Florence, Italy, with more than 17,000 employees in 140 countries.

Contact:
PAVY Consulting
Linda PAVY
lipavy@pavyconsulting.com 

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