Business Wire

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) today signed a USD 15 million development loan agreement with the Republic of Palau, marking the Fund’s first-ever development partnership in the Pacific island nation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260406306007/en/ Saudi Fund for Development Signs USD 15 Million Agreement with the Republic of Palau to Drive Local Economic Growth (Photo: AETOSWire) The agreement was signed by H.E. Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, Chief Executive Officer of SFD, and H.E. Surangel S. Whipps Jr., President of the Republic of Palau during a ceremony in Palau’s capital, Ngerulmud. The USD 15 million development loan will be channeled through the National Development Bank of Palau. Designed to empower the local economy, the financing will support projects spearheaded by Palauan developers, businesses, and entrepreneurs. By aligning with Palau’s national priorities, the funds will catalyze high-im

Bureau Veritas, a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification services (TIC), announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire Lotusworks, a global leader in mission‑critical assets commissioning and quality assurance and control. This strategic move will uniquely position the Buildings & Infrastructure Product Line to benefit from AI-driven construction investments. Headquartered in Ireland, Lotusworks is a leading provider of commissioning, quality assurance and quality control, calibration, maintenance, and construction management services for mission‑critical facilities for semiconductors manufacturers and data center owners. The Company operates in the United States and Europe, and employs 750 people including highly skilled experts, serving a diversified base of blue‑chip global clients, including hyperscalers and semiconductor manufacturers. Lotusworks’ activity is supported by long‑term frameworks, a strong multi‑year backlog, and recurring technical services in

Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced Brazos Valley Flight Services, Executive Air Taxi Corporation, Fairmont State University, Sterling Flight Training and Victors Aviation as its 2026 Top Hawk program recipients, continuing a legacy that has placed 55 factory-new Cessna Skyhawks in training environments since the program launched in 2015. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402481685/en/ Factory-new Cessna Skyhawks (Model 172) to take flight as Textron Aviation names five 2026 Top Hawk recipients—helping train the next generation of pilots Now entering its second decade, Top Hawk is one of the industry’s longest‑running manufacturer‑school partnerships. Designed to support aviation workforce development, the program loans custom‑branded, factory‑new Skyhawks to selected organizations for one year, giving students access to the world’s most popular training aircraft and help

Microsoft agrees to purchase 626,000 tonnes of durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits over a 15-year delivery term from the North Star BECCS project in Saskatchewan, Canada. Indigenous ownership: North Star Carbon Solutions LP is a Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC)–Svante partnership. The deal is Microsoft’s first Canadian BECCS CDR offtake agreement and is believed to be the first of its kind in Canada involving Indigenous ownership. The project is co-located at the MLTC Bioenergy Centre and supplied by sustainable waste biomass from MLTC’s adjacent sawmill. Svante Technologies Inc. (Svante) and Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) announced today that North Star Carbon Solutions LP has entered into an offtake agreement with Microsoft to deliver 626,000 tonnes of durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits to be delivered over 15 years from the North Star bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project in Saskatchewan, Canada. The project is being developed through a par

237 films from 54 countries to be screened under the slogan “Beyond the Frame” The 27th JEONJU International Film Festival (JIFF) is set to run from April 29 to May 8 in Jeonju, featuring 237 movies from 54 countries. Jeonju—the most authentic Korean city and a prominent tourist destination in Asia known for its tradition and cuisine—will host this year’s film festival under the slogan “Beyond the Frame.” This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260406890043/en/ The 27th JEONJU International Film Festival will take place from April 29 to May 8 in Jeonju (Image: JEONJU CITY) Opening the 27th edition will be Kent Jones’s “Late Fame,” while the film “The Longest Night: Namtaeryong” directed by Kim Hyun-ji will close the festival. In addition, a special program honors the late Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki, who passed away last year. Titled “Special Focus: Ahn Sung-ki’s Memorable Films Yet Rarely Seen,” it showcases seven of hi

Andersen Consulting indgår en samarbejdsaftale med Multiplica, et digitalt konsulentfirma, der hjælper organisationer med at designe, bygge og skalere effektfulde digitale oplevelser. Multiplica, der er stiftet i Spanien og desuden har aktiviteter i Latinamerika og USA, fokuserer på brugerundersøgelser og behovsafdækning, research af kundeoplevelser, digital strategi, datamodellering og -analyse, rapportautomatisering og datavisualisering, konverteringsoptimering, produktdesign og design af brugeroplevelser. Virksomheden hjælper organisationer med at fremskynde den digitale transformation ved at opbygge digitale kompetencer, teams og aktiver, der fremmer ekspertise på tværs af digitale produkter, rådgivning og talentudvikling. Multiplica gør det muligt for kunder at prognosticere nye tendenser inden for digitale oplevelser og transformere deres forretninger gennem styrkede digitale kanaler og kundeengagement. "Samarbejdet med Andersen Consulting udgør en spændende mulighed for at udvid

Gaming, finance, and lifestyle merge to democratize the startup ecosystem: Enry’s Island opens 2026 applications for game development studios seeking more than just capital. Enry’s Island SpA (WBAG: EIOS), the world’s first publicly traded Venture Builder, today announced the upcoming Kickstarter launch of Enry’s Island Adventures (EIA), developed by its New York-based portfolio company, Enry’s Island Adventures LLC. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402548535/en/ The game is designed to make venture capital accessible to new generations, transforming startup creation into an engaging and social gaming experience. After three years of R&D, EIA introduces a "bleisure" model (business + leisure): players learn to launch and manage startups through gameplay that includes real business KPIs, a customizable and evolving personal island, synchronous and asynchronous multiplayer modes, social events, and community-d

SES (the “Company”) held the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) of Shareholders today in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. Following the recommendations made by the Board of Directors of SES, the shareholders have voted in favor of all resolutions, including the Company’s 2025 annual accounts and the proposed annual dividend of EUR 0.50 per A-share (EUR 0.20 per B-share). The total dividend amount comprises the interim dividend of EUR 0.25 per A-share (EUR 0.10 per B-share), which has already been paid to shareholders on October 16, 2025. The final dividend of EUR 0.25 per A-share (EUR 0.10 per B-share) will be paid to shareholders on April 16, 2026. “I would like to sincerely thank our shareholders for their active engagement, visionary support and continued confidence in SES’ strategy,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. “The outcomes of today’s AGM underscore our shared commitment to a bold multi-orbit approach, with Medium Earth Orbit as the strategic backbone of a dynamically evolving global interco

Andersen Consulting tilføjer samarbejdspartneren Lukkap, et konsulenthus med fokus på oplevelsesdrevne kompetencer, der er tilpasset kundernes skiftende behov inden for transformation af medarbejdere, kunder og det digitale område. Lukkap, der blev stiftet i 2009 og har hovedsæde i Spanien, leverer integrerede løsninger, der hjælper organisationer med at transformere, hvordan de betjener kunder, engagerer medarbejdere og frigør værdi gennem adfærdsindsigt og dataanalyse. Virksomhedens tværfaglige tilgang spænder over nytænkning af kunderejsen, effektive programmer for medarbejderoplevelser, talent- og ledelsesudvikling, prædiktiv analyse samt omfattende outplacement- og transitionsydelser. Lukkap arbejder på tværs af sektorer — herunder sundhedsvæsen, medicinalindustri, forbrugsgoder, detailhandel, finans og bankvæsen — for at opbygge menneskecentrerede strategier, der skaber målbare forretningsresultater. "Ved at kombinere vores erfaringsdrevne metode med Andersen Consultings globale

Low AI fluency, uneven adoption, and marginal productivity gains are limiting enterprise-scale impact According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) latest report, Accelerate Your AI Voyage, most enterprises are struggling to turn growing AI adoption and investment into measurable business impact. One of the key factors holding businesses back is low artificial intelligence quotient (AIQ) — Forrester’s measure of AI aptitude — with many employees lacking a clear understanding of how to use AI. Other barriers include an overemphasis on productivity-focused use cases, difficulty measuring impact, and siloed adoption within individual functions. While these challenges can leave firms frozen in doubt or indecision, the wait-and-see approach to AI adoption is no longer viable. To unlock AI’s full potential, organizations need to focus on four key areas: Define the business outcomes and success metrics for what they want AI to achieve; identify specific use cases for AI deployment aligned to those

New enhancements to Lenovo 360 make growth more intuitive, profitable, and collaborative for Lenovo partners Lenovo today announced new enhancements to its global channel framework, Lenovo 360, building on the success of its channel-centric model to further simplify and accelerate partner growth. Lenovo 360 has become the foundation for how Lenovo enables, connects with, and grows alongside its global partner ecosystem. These latest updates reflect Lenovo’s continued commitment to evolving the partner experience and creating more intuitive, scalable paths to growth. "The channel is central to how we do business,” said Pascal Bourguet, Chief Sales Strategy & Channels Officer at Lenovo. “It’s how we scale, how we innovate, and how we grow together. With these latest enhancements to Lenovo 360, we’re making it simpler, more predictable, and more rewarding for partners to build their business with us. From services-led growth to new technical communities and streamlined tiering, we’re focu

New identity reflects expanded vision to help CIOs “See Clearly. Spend Better.” Brightfin today announced that, following its merger with Proven Optics, the combined company will operate under a single brand: Brightfin. The unified company brings together deep expertise in Technology Expense Management (TEM) and IT Financial Management (ITFM) to help organizations better understand, manage, and reduce total technology spend. Technology spending will exceed $6 Trillion this year, and for most organizations, it remains one of the least understood. CIOs can tell you what they’re spending. Far fewer can tell you whether it’s working. “Over the past several months, we’ve brought these two businesses together around a shared purpose: help enterprise businesses better understand and optimize their technology spend,” said Joel Martins, CEO of Brightfin. “What we are seeing now is a shift. Visibility alone isn’t enough. Teams need to be able to act, tied to real financial outcomes. See Clearly.

Agreement with Texhong Advances Sustainable Fiber Applications The LYCRA Company, a global leader in innovative and sustainable fiber solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, today announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Texhong International Group Limited (“Texhong”), one of the world’s largest suppliers of core-spun cotton textiles. Under the agreement, Texhong will exclusively partner with The LYCRA Company to bring Renewable LYCRA® fiber made with 30 percent plant-based content* to China’s core-spun yarn sector. This collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of bio-derived spandex across the global apparel and textile industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402505834/en/ The LYCRA Company announced a strategic partnership with Texhong International Group for renewable LYCRA® fiber. Pictured at the signing ceremony held in Shanghai (left to right): Jason Wang,

IFF (NYSE: IFF)—a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences—is introducing PureStrong™, a new probiotic developed exclusively for canine digestive health. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401736960/en/ IFF introduces PureStrong™, a probiotic made specifically for dogs. Today, many people consider their pet dogs part of the family. This shift is fueling rapid growth in the $3.2 billion U.S. pet supplement market. With nearly half of U.S. pet owners having purchased or considering probiotics for their dogs, PureStrong™ sets a new standard: pet‑first science built specifically for canine biology. “PureStrong™ is sourced directly from the microbiome of healthy canines and designed to support how dogs actually live—how they eat, travel, age and adapt to change,” said Allyson Fish, senior vice president of health sciences for IFF. “That’s how IFF leads pet wellness: science-dr

New Visa research reveals more than half of business leaders surveyed are open to AI-to-AI negotiation, but consumers say trust and override capability are non-negotiable A majority of business leaders are preparing for a world where artificial intelligence doesn’t just assist commerce, it participates in it. New research from Visa (NYSE:V) underscores how quickly that shift is gaining momentum. The Visa Business-to-AI (B2AI) Report, conducted in conjunction with Morning Consult, highlights how AI is already influencing demand. Nearly 40% of Americans have made a purchase they normally would not have considered as a result of using an AI agent or tool. This is an early indication that intelligent systems are beginning to shape how people discover and decide what to buy. The new report also reveals that 53% of U.S. businesses in the survey would allow AI agents to negotiate prices or terms directly with other AI agents on their behalf, signaling that AI-to-AI commerce is poised to scale

News summary: Operators face rising edge capacity demands as 100G becomes standard across access, aggregation and mobile backhaul Adtran’s new Terabit-class edge routers deliver high-capacity in compact, cabinet-ready platforms Open disaggregated architecture integrates routing, optics and software-driven management for simplicity, flexibility and control Adtran today extended its edge routing portfolio with new Terabit-class edge routers, featuring 400Gbit/s interfaces. These new devices give operators a practical, cost-effective way to scale capacity at the network edge without adding space, power or operational burden. Supported by a unified software foundation that simplifies deployment and operations across the portfolio, the solutions provide a consistent, future-ready environment for edge growth. With 100Gbit/s interfaces now widely deployed across fiber access, aggregation and mobile backhaul, operators need higher-capacity edge options that reduce cost, complexity and inventor

Traxys S.à.r.l., a global trader and merchant in the metals and natural resources sectors, is pleased to announce that the previously announced acquisition of Comax2 AB - the holding company of Carbomax AB - from Investment Aktiebolaget Spiltan and the other shareholders of Comax2 AB has successfully closed. Traxys Group has now acquired 100% of the interests in Comax2 AB, making Carbomax AB a wholly owned subsidiary of Traxys Group. All required Swedish regulatory clearances including foreign direct investment and antitrust approvals have been obtained allowing the parties to finalize the transaction. Carbomax AB is a leading Swedish trading house and industrial operator specializing in ferroalloys, carbon products and briquettes. Through this acquisition, Traxys strengthens its presence in the Scandinavian market and reinforces its commitment to advancing sustainable steel production in the region. The combination of Traxys and Carbomax creates significant commercial, operational and

Reply [EXM, STAR: REY] announced today that it has signed a strategic collaboration agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate the adoption of cloud and artificial intelligence solutions across key international markets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402597802/en/ This strategic collaboration agreement further reinforces Reply’s commitment to enable organizations across industries to harness the full potential of cloud and artificial intelligence technologies. At the core of the SCA is a strong focus on Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI. Leveraging the deep expertise of its specialized companies - Comsysto Reply, Data Reply, Sense Reply, and Storm Reply - Reply supports organizations in designing and deploying enterprise-grade GenAI solutions, including agentic AI systems for autonomous workflows, domain-specialized models for vertical industries, and governance frameworks aligne

Bending Spoons today opened applications for the 2026 edition of its Women in Computer Science Scholarship. The program offers twenty scholarships, each worth €5,000, to university students pursuing technology degrees across Europe and the United Kingdom. This year’s recipients will also be invited to a two-day networking event in Milan in October, fully covered by the company. The initiative is part of a broader set of programs Bending Spoons runs to recognize and support the next generation of technology talent, including merit-based scholarships, networking events, and student competitions. "The students of computer science today will define what the field looks like in the years ahead," said Eva Milenkovska, talent manager at Bending Spoons and lead of the scholarship initiative. "This scholarship is about recognizing the women who are pushing themselves to excel and to help shape the future of the industry." This is the fourth time Bending Spoons has offered this specific scholars

In fiscal year 2025, Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) reaffirmed its position as global leader in SecurityTech for mission-critical infrastructure. In a market where security is becoming essential for technological and societal stability, G+D demonstrates strong growth prospects. In 2025, G+D achieved a record order intake of €3.6 billion (+8%). Revenue increased to €3.2 billion (+1%), although exchange rate effects dampened growth. The key figures underscore the company's strong operational performance and profitability: Adjusted EBIT reached a new high of €211 million. The substantial free cash flow of €119 million provides additional leeway for future investments. With its equally strong segments – Digital Security, Financial Platforms and Currency Technology – G+D boasts a resilient portfolio that effectively cushions market volatility. The company's success reflects this strategic strength, combining technological depth, a global presence and operational reliability. G+D is making targeted