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Tag: asia

  • Tiki raises $258 mln from global investors

    Tiki raises $258 mln from global investors

    E-commerce company Tiki raised $258 million in its latest funding round as it eyes a U.S. IPO.

    The Series E funding round was led by AIA Insurance, and included UBS AG London Branch, Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, and Taiwan Mobile Co.

    Tiki had planned to list in the U.S. by 2025, but it now plans to do so in a year’s time, Tiki founder and Chief Executive Officer Tran Ngoc Thai Son said in an interview.

    The company expects revenue growth of 40-50 percent in the next few years, he added.

    Vietnam is expected to have 53 million online consumers, or 71 percent of its population aged 15 and older, by the end of this year, an 8 percent rise from 2020, according to a report in August by Facebook and Bain & Co.

    Tiki in June raised VND1 trillion dong ($44 million) from bonds issuance.

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  • The Role Of Ribbon Mixers In The Food Industry

    The Role Of Ribbon Mixers In The Food Industry

    Mixers and blenders play a critical role to transform raw ingredients for human consumption. Whether it’s blending multiple ingredients in high volume or small-scale mixing by hand, proper mixing is essential to create consistency. Even with the right amounts of flavors and ingredients, a great recipe won’t transform into good food unless its components are well-incorporated.

    Appearance, color, taste, and texture are critical parameters influenced by the mixing process. Consumers expect their food items to be the same as their last experience. So, within the food industry, the right blender for the job can provide a high level of consistency. This could be present through each batch and also from one facility to another.

    One of the most universal types of blenders in the food industry is the ribbon mixer. This article talks about the basics of a ribbon mixer and its role in the food industry. It also includes choosing the right machine, whether finding used ribbon mixers or investing in new ones.

    What Is A Ribbon Mixer?

    A ribbon mixer consists of a U-shaped horizontal trough with a double or single helical ribbon agitator rotating within it. The outer and inner helical ribbons are pitched to axially move the material in opposite directions, as well as radially.

    The ribbon tip speeds can rotate up to 300 feet per minute. This ensures blending and mixing to the highest degree of efficiency and accuracy regardless of the available quantities of ingredients.

    The Role of Ribbon Blenders In The Food Industry

    A ribbon mixer is popularly used in a variety of industries, but mostly in the beverage and food industries.

    1. Dry Blending

    The design of a ribbon blender makes it cost-effective and highly efficient for mixing dry applications. It is used in mixing dry food products such as muffin and cake mixes, cereals, bread improvers, spices and herbs, snack bars, trail mixes, infant food, and dietary supplements.

    In terms of beverages, ribbon blenders can mix coffee, including ground or whole beans.   Tea, such as tea powders or leaves, chocolate drinks, whey protein, energy drinks, and powdered juices are some products that could use a ribbon mixer.

    1. Dry To Liquid Blending

    Although dry blending is its more popular function, a ribbon mixer can also be used in the preparation of flowing pastes or slurries.  This could be used in food extrusion operations. Food extrusion is a processing technology to produce a wide variety of food products from ready-to-eat cereals and pasta to pet food and snack chips.

    The role of a ribbon mixer in the extrusion process is to homogeneously mix two or more flour, grains, emulsifiers, sugar, extrusion aids, oil, and other powders. Once the constituents are blended, water is typically added to the batch to raise the existing moisture content to a proper level of extrusion.

    Liquid ingredients are often added through a charge port on the cover. For critical applications, a liquid ingredient is added via spray nozzles installed in a spray bar located just above the ribbon agitator. Oftentimes, liquid flowrate and blender speed are fined-tune during mixing to avoid the formation of wet clumps of powder or flooding the mixture’s consistency.

    1. Other Purpose

    Unlike other machines, a ribbon mixer features a double ribbon agitator, making it a highly versatile machine not only for mixing but also for other purposes such as:

    • Granulation,
    • Vacuum drying,
    • Coating of solid particles.

    How To Choose The Right Ribbon Blender

    If you’re into the food processing business, then you need to get a ribbon mixer. Here are some tips on choosing the right one for your business.

    1. Volume And Size

    The size and volume of the ribbon mixer are the most important factors to consider when choosing a ribbon blender. This depends on the number of food materials you’re mixing and the required speed to blend them all.

    As a general rule, a ribbon blender should be filled to its swept volume, which is the area occupied by the agitator, to get an efficient mix. So, if you’re processing materials that overfill its swept volume, you need to get a larger one.

    To get the best mix in the shortest period, the mixer size is also essential. The mixer length should not exceed two and a half times the diameter of the agitator. Also, consider the width, length, volume, and height of the machine, as well as the agitator size, to ensure the perfect size for your food processing needs.

    1. Material And Finish

    Ribbon blenders are usually made from mild steel or stainless steel. However, the materials of construction and its finish will depend on the ingredients being mixed and how these ingredients are going to be used.

    For instance, in the case of food-grade ingredients, blenders should be stainless steel with special weld finishes. This is so that the machine can be easily sanitized and cleaned. Meanwhile, the exterior or non-contact areas of the ribbon blender can be made from mild steel and painted. This is in contrast with its interiors where paint can contaminate the ingredients being mixed.

    The machine can also be layered with a material such as ceramic or Ultra-High Molecular Weight (UHMW) plastic.  This might be used to enhance its longevity and performance.  Also, this is usually seen when a material is abrasive and can prematurely wear out the interior parts.

    1. Horsepower

    To choose a mixer that’s both efficient and effective, you need to use a motor with enough horsepower. Choosing a motor that’s too powerful can mean extra expenses. However, underestimating the motor power can result in the mixer not being able to process your general ingredient load.

    Most ribbon blenders operate at 20 revolutions per minute. Mixers with wider ribbons or dual agitators will require more power. A general rule of thumb for medium density material in single-agitator ribbon mixers is 10 horsepower per ton of the ingredient being mixed.

    1. Discharge Gate

    How the ingredients exit the blender is also an essential factor to consider. Some processes will need immediate discharge. In this case, a full-length drop bottom discharge gate is essential.   It releases the ingredients immediately after mixing.

    Some processes may require a pneumatic slide gate that releases gradual discharge, allowing a set amount of material to escape.  This is useful for batching, measuring, and bagging ingredients after mixing.  If you need a faster discharge rate and a tight seal, you can use multiple gates to speed up the process.

    Conclusion

    There’s no doubt that mixing and blending is the heart of the food processing and manufacturing industry. Thanks to its high-speed and efficient blending abilities, ribbon blenders have always been a necessity for getting the right consistency in your food products.

     

     

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  • Allianz Asia Pacific Appoints CEO

    Allianz Asia Pacific Appoints CEO

    The Asia Pacific unit of Allianz has named a new chief executive officer to succeed Solman Altin, who has decided to leave the firm after first joining 13 years ago.

    Anusha Thavarajah has been named regional CEO of Allianz Asia Pacific, according to a statement.

    In her new role, Thavarajah has been tasked with delivering long-term growth and driving ongoing transformation efforts.

    Thavarajah has over 30 years of financial services experience and is currently Allianz Asia Pacific’s regional CEO of life and health after joining the business in December 2019 from AIA Malaysia.

    «Having joined our Asia senior leadership team since 2019, [Thavarajah] is also no stranger to our management philosophy and will bring valuable experience and insights, built over a long and illustrious career in insurance,» said Sergio Balbinot, member of the management board of Allianz SE.

  • ZaloPay reports losses of $36.5 mln

    ZaloPay reports losses of $36.5 mln

    Zion JSC, which owns e-payment service ZaloPay, said it racked up losses exceeding VND840 billion ($36.5 million) in the first nine months this year.

    Incurring losses of VND667 billion last year, Zion has heavily invested in boosting ZaloPay coverage, competing with other payment intermediaries in recent years.

    Vietnamese online gaming giant VNG, which holds a major stake in ZaloPay, made revenues of nearly VND5.7 trillion in the first nine months of this year, up more than 28 percent year-on-year, and gross profits of over VND2.7 trillion, up 34 percent.

    VNG, which targets revenues of over VND7.6 trillion this year, up 26 percent against last year, is diversifying business by focusing on payments, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.

    According to VNG’s 2020 annual report, the number of monthly ZaloPay users quadrupled against 2019.

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  • Lower Allowances Fuel DBS Profit Growth

    Lower Allowances Fuel DBS Profit Growth

    An improved credit environment coupled with lower allowances enabled DBS to post a surge in third quarter profits.

    DBS registered a 31 percent year-on-year increase in net profit to S$1.7 billion ($1.26 billion) for the third quarter, according to its latest results.

    Not unlike its peers, this was driven primarily by a significant improvement in allowances for credit and other losses – minus S$70 million compared to S$554 million booked in the same period last year.

    Excluding the allowances, the bank posted S$1.893 billion in profits, a 7 percent year-on-year decrease.

    Although DBS saw loans grow 2 percent and fee income reach the second-highest level on record, a 10 percent drop in other non-interest income led total income to stay flat (minus 1 percent) at S$3.561 billion.

    Expenses also climbed 8 percent higher to S$1.668 billion.

    Although the DBS’ profits were in part affected by lower net interest income, the bank expects a change in the rates environment to support upcoming improvements to the bottom line.

    A progressive normalization of interest rates in the coming quarters will be beneficial to earnings, said DBS chief executive Piyush Gupta.

    Asset quality continues to be resilient and total allowances are likely to remain low. These positives will offset expected cost pressures as the economic recovery takes hold.

  • Coca-Cola to fully acquire Gatorade rival BodyArmor for $5.6 bln

    Coca-Cola to fully acquire Gatorade rival BodyArmor for $5.6 bln

    Coca-Cola said on Monday it would buy the remaining stake in BodyArmor it did not already own for $5.6 billion, as the soda maker amps up its sports drink portfolio to take on market leader, PepsiCo Gatorade.

    The deal marks a shift in strategy for the world’s largest beverage maker after it spent the last year offloading or discontinuing brands, including its own energy-drink brand, to focus on Coca-Cola sodas.

    The deal, which values BodyArmor at about $6.59 billion, is Coca-Cola’s largest for a single brand; It comes about three years after the company bought British coffee chain Costa for $5.1 billion.

    BodyArmor, which markets itself as an electrolyte-filled energy recovery drink for athletes, currently makes about $1.4 billion in annual retail sales and has a 50% growth rate, Coca-Cola said.”It gives Coke a strong stable of products in the rapidly growing sports hydration category. It’s a nice premium brand that has an opportunity for expansion over time,” Edward Jones analyst John Boylan said about BodyArmor that gained popularity after basketball star Kobe Bryant backed it in 2013.

    However, Boylan believes the massive deal would only “give Coke a solid No. 2 position in an attractive category”.

    Coca-Cola, which had first acquired a 15% stake in BodyArmor in 2018, said the brand’s co-founder Mike Repole will stick around after the deal to advise on the marketing and packaging of products.

    At the time Coca-Cola took its initial stake, BodyArmor was valued at $2 billion, according to a Sunday Wall Street Journal.

    The deal comes as Coca-Cola and rival PepsiCo face immense supply chain bottlenecks, forcing the companies to raise prices to counter higher freight and raw material costs. PepsiCo has even said it has had to deal with a shortage of Gatorade bottles.

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  • Nestlé calls on FMCG companies to help end recycling confusion

    Nestlé calls on FMCG companies to help end recycling confusion

    The Flexible Plastic Fund is a UK industry first and is being led by producer compliance scheme, Ecosurety, with support from the environmental charity, Hubbub.

    In collaboration with manufacturers, retailers and recyclers, the fund intends to improve flexible plastic recycling and reduce plastic pollution by giving the material a stable value. This will in turn increase the supply of recycled plastic enabling the industry to become more ‘circular’ and meet the forthcoming UK plastic packaging tax obligations. The fund should motivate investment in much-needed jobs and infrastructure to make flexible plastic recycling a financially sustainable system in the UK.

    New research from the University of Sheffield suggests there is strong consumer demand for recycling flexible plastic with 95% of participants saying they would be willing to recycle their flexible plastics1. Sainsbury’s and Waitrose have already signed up to support the initiative by hosting flexible plastic collection points in selected stores across the UK. Several other major retailers are set to follow suit. As a result, recycling this material will become increasingly accessible to consumers, as they will be able to recycle all types of flexible plastic packaging with participating retailers.

    With just 16% of UK local authorities2 currently offering a household collection of flexible plastics, the amounts of this material collected for recycling are low. Flexible plastics include plastic bags, wrappers, films, pouches, packets and sachets and is described as ‘plastic bags and wrapping’, ‘soft plastics’ or ‘flexible plastics’. The fund will guarantee a minimum value of £100 per tonne of recycled product to incentivize recyclers to process flexible plastic.

    The long-term ambition of the fund is to drive progress towards creating a circular, UK-based flexible plastic recycling market that allows flexible plastic recycling via household collections. As part of the UK’s drive to boost recycling, WRAP recently announced new recommendations to support flexible plastic recycling.

    Flexible plastic represented 22% of all UK consumer plastic packaging in 2019 but only 6% was recycled. This type of plastic must be processed in a different way to other plastics due to its unique properties – it often contaminates rigid plastic recycling and clogs up machinery – something that could be overcome by creating a separate flexible plastic recycling stream.

    The initiative will provide fully audited transparency – at least 80% of the plastics collected will be recycled in the UK – rising to 100% by 2023. Until 2023, where there are currently limits in UK capacity and technology, up to 20% could be exported to qualifying facilities in Europe only. All material will be fully traceable and tracked from the collector through to new products. Unlike many other schemes, recyclers will only be paid if the plastic is definitely recycled. The manufacturers contributing to the Flexible Plastic Fund will then be able to access the Packaging Recovery Notes (“PRNs”) generated by this high-quality, tracked recycling scheme.

    The recycled plastic will be turned into a range of products including non-food-grade plastic, non-food-grade film and food-grade film. Through its graded payment hierarchy, the Flexible Plastic Fund is actively incentivizing the development of a circular model of production where flexible plastic packaging can be recycled into plastic packaging, including food-grade, again and again.

    The Flexible Plastic Fund is calling for recyclers, manufacturers and retailers to get in touch to play their role in this vital scheme that is driving solutions to flexible plastic waste in the UK.

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  • Soaring demand delays iPhone 13 delivery in Vietnam

    Soaring demand delays iPhone 13 delivery in Vietnam

    A global chip shortage and rising demand is delaying iPhone 13 delivery in Vietnam, with distributors reporting shortages in the Pro models.

    “We do not currently have the iPhone 13 Pro Max model you have ordered and you might have to wait until next month at the earliest,” a salesperson with a smartphone distribution chain in Vietnam told Thuy Linh, who is planning a smartphone upgrade.

    Linh, an English teacher in Hanoi, has tried several stores in Hanoi but the 128-gigabyte option is either out of stock or does not have the color she wants.

    The model she desires is available in the unofficial market, but prices are around 20 percent higher, the 28-year-old teacher said.

    Duc Anh, who works for a marketing company in HCMC, is also finding it difficult to get his hands on the latest Apple smartphones. Several stores have informed him that it would take weeks until the next delivery.

    “Gold and Sierra Blue models are not available in most of the shops I’ve contacted. Some have pushed up prices so I am waiting for the market to cool down.”

    The most expensive iPhone 13 models, Pro and Pro Max, are in short supply in Vietnam as the ongoing global chip shortage hampers Apple’s production.

    Apple is expected to cut its iPhone 13 production by as many as 10 million units this year due to the global chip shortage, Bloomberg reports.

    Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted last week that chip shortage and supply chain problems related to Covid-19 have cut sales by $6 billion in the last fiscal quarter.

    But another reason for the delay in delivery in Vietnam is the high demand, distributors say.

    The supply of iPhone 13 in Vietnam only meets half of the customers’ orders, according to estimates by CellphoneS. The company has only received 20 percent of the total it has ordered from Apple.

    “Demand has risen by 50 percent compared to the same period last year, and it does not seem to have been affected by the pandemic,” a media representative for the company said.

    CellphoneS estimate iPhone 13 sales to rise 50-60 percent over that of iPhone 12 in the same period last year.

    FPT Shop, with over 700 outlets nationwide, saw sales of iPhone 13 in the launching week double that of iPhone 12 last year, and the same percentage is likely to be maintained throughout the last quarter, a representative said.

    The iPhone 13 Pro Max, the biggest and most expensive of the four new models, accounted for 72 percent of iPhone 13 sales in October, the company said.

    Sierra Blue and Gold are the most sought-after colors for the Pro Max and the Pro models at FPT Shop, which explains the shortage, industry insiders say.

    They also say that the large number of incentives that Apple is offering users this year is motivating more buyers to go to authorized stores instead of buying them from stores that pick up the devices in other countries and sell them in Vietnam.

    Apple accounted for around 7 percent of the smartphone market share in Vietnam in the second quarter, ranking fifth behind Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, according to Counterpoint Research.

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  • Vietnamese remain keen on gold

    Vietnamese remain keen on gold

    Despite stock, Bitcoin boom, Vietnamese investors are still interested in gold, according to the World Gold Council.

    Local individual investors’ demand for gold would climb when the pandemic is controlled, the vaccination rate increases and economic growth becomes more stable, Andrew Naylor, the WGC’s CEO for the Asia-Pacific (excluding China), said.

    A report titled ‘Gold Demand Trends Q3, 2021’ it released recently said consumption of both jewelry gold and gold bars and coins halved year-on-year in the third quarter to one ton and two tons.

    He said gold sales in Vietnam were affected mainly by social distancing imposed to battle Covid-19.

    He hoped Vietnam would establish an electronic trading floor for gold investors.

    Many Vietnamese are interested in buying gold online, and could buy small quantities of gold rings or coins every month instead of a large quantity at one time, he said.

    However, other investment options such as stocks and cryptocurrencies are more attractive than gold now.

    Vietnam’s benchmark VN-Index downed 0.56 percent to 1,444.3 Wednesday after reaching a new peak Tuesday. Trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the index is based, rose nearly 50 percent to VND43.21 trillion.

    Meanwhile, Bitcoin surged to over $63,000 on Nov. 2, up from $43,000 on Oct. 1.

    Vietnamese have recently tended to invest more in high-risk asset classes, but remain interested in gold, while conservative investors always consider gold a safe investment, Naylor said.

    Real estate remains an attractive option though the market has slowed down amid the Covid outbreaks.

  • Skype takes the first step toward greatness, new update released

    Skype takes the first step toward greatness, new update released

    Microsoft revealed last month a large plan to rehabilitate Skype and bring it on par with other instant messaging apps. A bunch of new features has been confirmed to be delivered to Skype in the coming months, but no roadmap has been unveiled.

    Today, Microsoft announced a new Skype version is making its way to Android and iOS devices. The update adds several important new features and improvements that many users have been expected for quite a while.

    First off, Skype on the Web can now be used on an Android phone or tablet. Background blur for Skype on the Web video calls is now available for all users, as well as support for audio calls in Mozilla Firefox.

    The camera function on Skype for iOS has been updated to take full advantage of Office Lens. Improvements have been made to the Meet Now flow too, while issues with video rendering on mobile have been fixed.

    The update also adds the ability to pin participants to the active call stage. Last but not least, expect some visual changes meant to modernize Skype’s look. The new features and improvements are rolling out gradually over the next couple of days, so if you don’t see them right away, check again after a while.

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  • Bamboo Airways signs $2-bln deal with Safran, GE

    Bamboo Airways signs $2-bln deal with Safran, GE

    Bamboo Airways has signed a EUR1.73-billion ($2 billion) deal with France’s Safran and the U.S.’s General Electric for aircraft engines and equipment.

    The Vietnamese carrier on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Safran and GE to purchase equipment for 50 narrow-bodied Airbus A321neos and 30 wide-bodied Boeing 787-9s.

    Safran makes high-class airplane seats and other cabin equipment.

    Bamboo Airways currently operates seven A320neos and 5 A321neos.

    “We are looking forward to developing a strong relationship with Bamboo and being part of its future growth,” Alexandre Ziegler, Safran’s senior executive vice president of international and public affairs, said in a statement.

    The deals were signed in the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and French Prime Minister Jean Castex during the former’s working visit to France from Nov. 3-5.

    Earlier low-cost Vietnamese carrier Vietjet also signed an agreement with Safran.

    The two parties had an existing $10-billion deal for engines and engine maintenance, and it has been expanded to cover more aircraft engine deals and a number of other aspects such as seats and interiors.

    Vietjet operates a fleet of 90 aircraft.

    Safran is a global technology company with interests also in the defense and space markets, 76,000 employees and annual sales of 16.5 billion euros ($19.15 billion).

  • Talks for Hong Kong-China Border Reopening in Final Stages

    Talks for Hong Kong-China Border Reopening in Final Stages

    Authorities from Hong Kong and China are reportedly nearing a final decision on travel resumption, despite a fresh outbreak on the mainland.

    A second meeting is expected soon between Hong Kong and mainland China authorities to make a final decision on travel resumption, according to a report by local media «Sing Tao» citing unnamed sources.

    The focus of the discussion is on whether or not Hong Kong will adopt the mainland’s health code system which classifies individuals as red, yellow or green – the latter color being the only classification cleared for travel to the mainland.

    Other rules being discussed include initial quarantine-free travel and a «circuit breaker» to immediately suspend the system in the event of an emergency.

    The latest update occurs in the backdrop of growing concerns from the international business community that called for Hong Kong to reopen borders to foreign countries and learn to coexist with the virus.

    Chief executive Carrie Lam responded by reiterating the city’s two major priorities: reopening with mainland China and a zero-Covid policy.

    Meanwhile, China, which has also adopted a zero-Covid policy stance, is reportedly experiencing its worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic with more than 600 local infections recently found in 19 out of 31 provinces.

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  • Telegram brings global chat themes to iPhones, hyper-speed scrolling

    Telegram brings global chat themes to iPhones, hyper-speed scrolling

    Telegram has gained a lot of users after the Facebook/WhatsApp outage a few weeks ago, and that probably affected the developer’s update roadmap, hopefully, for the better. Today’s update doesn’t bring too many new features, but it does improve some of the existing ones.

    For example, a new date bar has been added on the side of the Shared Media page to faster scrolling. Users can even pinch to zoom in and out to have a better look at anywhere from two big thumbnails to a dozen small squares per row.

    Additionally, Calendar View for Shared Media is now available for Telegram users so that they can quickly find media from a specific time. Simply tap on the date bar to open a calendar window with media previews, then tap to see all the media from that date. New filters also available for shared media to show only photos, only videos, or both.

    As far as iOS users go, Telegram is getting global chat themes. The same 8 themes that could be set for individual chats are now available for the entire app on iOS. The themes can be personalized, their colors tweaked, and the pattern changed.

    Also, Settings on iOS have been redesigned to match the style of iOS 15. Finally, the update brings new interactive emoji on both Android and iOS versions of the app.

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  • DBS to Ramp Up Intelligent Banking Capabilities

    DBS to Ramp Up Intelligent Banking Capabilities

    The bank is setting aside more funds to bolster infrastructure, talent and technology to deliver hyper-personalized experiences to better serve wealthy and retail customers.

    DBS Bank aims to boost hyper-personalized experiences across its digital and physical touchpoints and will be investing S$300 million ($222 million) over the next year to boost its digital and intelligent banking capabilities.

    This investment represents a 14 percent year-on-year increase, and will go towards enhancing tech infrastructure and talent, embedding predictive technology in more financial solutions to better empower self-directed customers, and scaling the bank’s capabilities across both online and offline touchpoints across the region, DBS announced on Tuesday.

    According to the bank, its Intelligent Banking engine combines predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to transform raw data into personalized insights and nudges for every customer.

    This predictive technology is currently used in its «Client Connect» frontline advisory tool, and to generate smart insights and nudges for retail and wealth customers on its digibank platform. DBS said it plans to scale the use of Intelligent Banking across other key markets and extend it to the its PayLah! app.

    It’s still early days, but we are confident in the value-add that Intelligent Banking can bring to the banking industry, and we are in this for the long haul, Sim S. Lim, group head of consumer banking and wealth management, said.

  • VanEck Expands in Singapore

    VanEck Expands in Singapore

    New York-headquartered fund house VanEck expands in Singapore with the hire of a new marketing manager.

    VanEck hires Tiffany Tan as a marketing manager based in Singapore, according to a statement.

    Prior to joining, Tan was an investment writer at Nikko Asset Management Group. Previously, she also worked for Eastspring Investments as a fixed income portfolio specialist and Partners Group as a product manager.

    We are continuing to see strong appetite for our strategies, said VanEck Asia Pacific chief executive and managing director Arian Neiron.

    In addition, we expect further momentum to build in the Asia-Pacific region as the low-interest rate environment has seen an uplift in institutional investor risk-taking in the pursuit of income strategies, and thematic ETFs drawing attention from investors seeking structural growth opportunities.