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Canon Central & North Africa Achieves Great Success with Canon’s Latest Large Format Technology Developments at FESPA Global Print Expo 2025

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Canon

Through real-world applications across the retail, interior décor, Point of Sale (POS) and promotional packaging segments, Canon inspired sign makers and print service providers (PSPs) with an array of materials printed on the Arizona, Colorado and imagePROGRAF printers – as part of end-to-end workflow solutions that include both Canon platforms such as PRISMA XL Suite and multiple partner products. Under the overarching theme of ‘The Power to Move’, customer stories were brought to life, demonstrating how bold, high-impact print creates emotional connections, delivers real business momentum and transforms spaces into unforgettable brand experiences. Aligning with FESPA’s theme of ‘Where visionaries meet’, Canon showcased its collaboration with partners and highlight how it can satisfy the large format graphic needs of customers, helping them push the boundaries to expand their commercial scope.

Canon Central & North Africa marked a highly successful presence at FESPA Global Print Expo 2025, reaffirming its leadership in the wide format printing space. The event drew significant interest from the region, with 30 invited customers witnessing firsthand the power of Canon’s latest technologies.

The event proved instrumental in showcasing Canon’s cutting-edge innovations—including the new Colorado M-series update, enhancing capabilities for soft signage, and the powerful PRISMAElevate XL update that opens new dimensions for the Arizona series. The enthusiasm was palpable, with several deals secured during the show, including an on-stand sale of a Colorado M-series printer and commitments for additional Arizona and M-series units. Visitors were especially inspired by Canon’s immersive customer applications corner, featuring stunning displays using specialty print media and creative finishing effects.

Amine Djouahra, B2B Business Unit Director commented: “FESPA 2025 was a game-changing experience for Canon Central & North Africa and our customers. The energy at the Canon stand was incredible—we saw first-hand how our innovations like the Colorado M-series update and PRISMAElevate XL are inspiring new business models across soft signage, packaging, wallpaper, and interior décor. Our customers left feeling not just impressed but empowered. The discussions we had and the partnerships we showcased—especially with players like Neolt and Kongsberg—demonstrated how Canon’s holistic approach to the wide format ecosystem can help customers drive revenue, differentiate offerings, and expand into new markets. The overwhelmingly positive feedback we received reinforces how vital platforms like FESPA are for fostering innovation and growth.”

Customers were particularly captivated by real-world applications like the Colorado Packaging Factory, Poster Factory, and Wallpaper Factory, alongside diverse interior décor solutions enabled by the Arizona 2380 GTF. These demonstrations highlighted the commercial potential and creative versatility of Canon’s wide format portfolio. Discussions with strategic partners such as Neolt, Kongsberg, and Lamina further deepened customer understanding of the end-to-end print ecosystem—from packaging and wallpaper to labels and signage. Notably, Morocco’s Magic Walls signed a deal for the Colorado M3W to meet growing demand in the interior décor market, with ARKEOS taking charge of local after-sales support.

A number of customer case studies were featured, including Norwegian floristry business, Fiori, which was illustrated in a real-world, interior décor, business case how strong collaboration in the value chain can maximise the potential of high-value, impactful print. Elements of Canon’s immersive World Unseen project was also on display: a unique photography exhibition which enables everyone – blind, partially sighted and sighted visitors – to experience imagery in an entirely new way, reflecting print’s potential to enrich lives and businesses.

On the stand, the Arizona 2380 GTF flatbed printer with FLXflow technology with roll media option for flexible printing from roll-to-roll, demonstrated its uniquely intelligent way to not only ‘Hold’ and ‘Float’ media, but also perform an ‘Instant Switch’ between the two modes for easy media handling. As true flatbed printers, the Arizona series can work accurately and highly efficiently with various rigid and flexible substrates, including more challenging media such as cardboard, wood or glass, offering vast application possibilities ideal for a retail or hospitality environment. Optimising the workflow, PRISMA XL Suite samples showed how PRISMAelevate XL can be used to create printed layers to a height of 4 mm, helping users create stand-out, tactile artwork for elevated print applications that enhance and expand their product offering – including braille signage.

Highlighting to PSPs and print factories its productivity, modularity and in-field upgradability, the award-winning UVgel roll-to-roll printer, the Colorado M-series, was printing a variety of large format graphics applications live on the stand. The extensive and premium range of applications it can print was presented with bright and bold wallpapers, window graphics and soft signage made possible with a number of options, such as the hassle-free white ink, FLXfinish+ technology for printing both matte and gloss at the same time, and FLXture for subtle surface details. Visitors had the opportunity to see both the Arizona and Colorado printers live in action during demonstrations on the stand.

Multiple current and new UVgel Factory configurations featuring the Colorado were exhibited with different finishing partners to illustrate its broad application options, no matter what a PSP’s volume requirements or budget are. These included the UVgel Wallpaper Factory, situated on Fotoba’s stand, which showed how customers can automate production of mass-customised wallpaper at high volumes, unattended and around the clock. This end-to-end solution demonstrates the capability of the Colorado M-series when used in line with the Fotoba jumbo roll feeder, cutter and rewinder to produce a variety of curated wallcoverings. Nearby, on Canon’s finishing partner NEOLT’s stand, they presented the UVgel Packaging Factory, which displayed cost-effective and versatile digital printing for packaging as well as signage, and posters – perfect for short, custom runs.

Representing the Canon imagePROGRAF family of water-based inkjet printers was the imagePROGRAF GP-6600S (60 inch, 152.4 cm), which produces stunning graphics, ensuring precise colour replication for images and corporate colours. Boasting seven colours including orange ink, the imagePROGRAF GP-6600S can create an eye-catching spectrum of colours with PANTONE™ [1] precision [2], thanks to the innovative LUCIA PRO II inks [3], making it perfect for printing graphic applications in brand colours. The web-based poster creation software, PosterArtist, illustrated to visitors how they can easily create auto-generated, attention-grabbing posters, banners and flyers to meet all their commercial needs.

Demonstrating real-life, end-to-end workflows across the stand, Canon highlighted how its PRISMA XL Suite supports PSPs to deliver first-time-right prints and simplifies the production of complex jobs, whether it’s printing five layers or creating textured or elevated applications. Visitors were able to follow the entire workflow management process, from online ordering including file preparation and printing the job, right through to shipment. Encompassing also the software of Canon partners ERPA, SKYCO, Symphony, OneVision and Onyx, each automated step will show PSPs how a holistic approach to workflow can help them respond to constantly changing challenges and to achieve greater profitability. Visitors also had the opportunity to see a selection of Canon’s vast media portfolio, including sustainably sourced papers, for optimal printing results.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback we received reinforces how vital platforms like FESPA are for fostering innovation and growth

 

[1] PANTONE™ is a trademark or registered trademark of Pantone LLC.

[2] 96% of ‘PANTONE™ FORMULA GUIDE Solid Coated’ sample book using Canon Premium Semi-glossy paper 2 with imagePROGRAF printer driver at [High] [Colour Correction Off].

[3] Five of the seven inks are newly developed. The matte black and orange inks are the same as those used by the imagePROGRAF GP-2000/4000.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA)

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The 27th China International Education Annual Conference held a cloud dialogue, where Yin Yuzhen and Saikaos discussed the exchange of folk ecological education

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BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 November 2026 – The 27th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE) hosted a “CACIE Talk” session in Beijing on October 30, where Yin Yuzhen, a Chinese anti-desertification pioneer, Bai Fan, head of the Luoyang No. 2 Foreign Language School Education Group, and their American friend Sakolsky, whose full name is Ronald Sakolsky, reconnected via video link. The brief conversation added a new footnote to a cross-border green story now spanning 26 years.
 




 
In the video link, Sakolsky said he had launched preparations on October 1 to establish the Sakolsky Foundation. He plans to work with the China Education Association for International Exchange to build a platform for exchanges between Chinese and American teachers and students, using people-to-people exchanges to bridge cultural divides. Communication and understanding, he said, are important bridges to a peaceful future for young people in the global village we all share. Bai Fan also noted that face-to-face cross-border educational exchanges can help young people learn tolerance and respect, and see a real, multi-dimensional China. Yin Yuzhen responded with a simple observation that resonated with the audience: planting trees and nurturing people both come down to perseverance.

The friendship had its origins in the Maowusu Sandy Land. In 1999, Sakolsky, then teaching in Luoyang, was moved by Yin Yuzhen’s story of taking root in the desert to control desertification, and raised $5,000 himself to support her afforestation efforts. Yin invested the entire sum in the sandy land, planted some 50,000 saplings, erected a stone marker bearing her friend’s name, and kept one dollar as a memento.

The two then lost touch for more than two decades. Yin kept up her sand-control work day after day while thinking of her friend far away. In May 2026, she posted a video appeal to find him and located Sakolsky within 26 hours. In August that year, the two met in person in Ordos and walked together into the forest that now stands there.

For more than four decades, Yin Yuzhen and her husband have remained committed to the Maowusu, bringing a total of 70,000 mu (about 4,667 hectares) of barren sand under control. The shifting dunes that once rolled with yellow dust have gradually become woodland and pasture. Today, 85 percent of the Maowusu Sandy Land in Uxin Banner has been treated, and the transformation of this sandy expanse is regarded as a model case in reversing land degradation worldwide. Over the years, the area has continued to attract volunteers from many countries to take part in desertification control, and people-to-people cooperation on environmental protection has continued to grow.

The goodwill that began with sand control has long gone beyond a single stretch of sandy land. On October 15 this year, Yin Yuzhen was named one of the inaugural “100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development” at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. There she joined Sakolsky and FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in planting a crape myrtle as a symbol of friendship, sharing China’s experience in desertification control on the international stage. Windblown sand respects no borders, and a shared commitment to ecological conservation has carried the story of two ordinary people out of the desert and onto the international multilateral platform.

The thread of people-to-people friendship clearly runs from the saplings in the Maowusu to the crape myrtle as a mark of friendship in Rome, and now to the conversation in Beijing about exchanges among young people. Sakolsky’s plan to establish the foundation is meant to carry forward the goodwill that began in the desert: starting from an ecological commitment, using educational exchange as a bond, and helping more young people build connections and pass on the power of goodness and beauty.
 




 

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Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group–World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) Investment Excellence Awards 2026 Announce Winners

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Islamic Development Bank

Beyond recognizing excellence, the Awards foster peer learning and the exchange of best practices among IsDB Member Countries, helping transform investment opportunities into sustainable, impactful, and investment-ready projects

GENEVA, Switzerland, November 11, 2026/APO Group/ –The IsDB Group–WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 (https://www.IsDB.org) concluded today during the 30th World Investment Conference (WIC 2026) in Geneva, Switzerland, recognizing outstanding Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) for their contributions to sustainable investment, investment facilitation, and economic development across IsDB Member Countries.

 




  

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), Egypt, received the IsDB Group- WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 for Outstanding Sustainable Investment Project for the Kom Ombo Solar PV Power Project, a landmark initiative that has delivered measurable economic, social, and environmental impact while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Invest Oman received the IsDB Group-WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards 2026 for Investment-Ready Projects, Partnerships & Facilitation Excellence in recognition of its success in developing investment-ready opportunities through effective partnerships, stakeholder coordination, and investor facilitation.

The National Investment Promotion Agency of Comoros received a Special Recognition Award for Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The agency was recognized for supporting investors at every stage, from preparing projects to aftercare.

The Awards are a joint initiative of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group and World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), established to recognize Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) from IsDB Member Countries that are driving sustainable development, private sector growth, economic diversification, and long-term prosperity through investment.

A total of 15 applications were submitted for the 2026 edition. Following an eligibility screening process, all eligible submissions were reviewed and assessed by an independent international jury, which selected the winners based on the published evaluation criteria.

The awards were presented by Mr. Ismail Ersahin, Chief Executive Officer of WAIPA; Mr. Sahal Almarwai, Division Manager of Outreach & Events Management at the IsDB Group Business Forum (THIQAH); and Mr. Kadir Basboga, Associate Manager, Regional Integration, Cooperation & Capacity Development at IsDB. The ceremony brought together IPAs leaders, senior government officials, investors, and private sector representatives attending the World Investment Conference (WIC) 2026.

Launched during the IsDB Group Annual Meetings 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Awards reflect the evolving role of IPAs in supporting investors throughout the investment lifecycle, strengthening investment ecosystems, coordinating stakeholders, and developing bankable investment opportunities. Beyond recognizing excellence, the Awards foster peer learning and the exchange of best practices among IsDB Member Countries, helping transform investment opportunities into sustainable, impactful, and investment-ready projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

 

 




 

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Lord Nicholas Stern to headline Africa’s Green Economy Summit as continent looks towards 32nd Conference of the Parties (COP32)

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COP32

AGES 2027 brings global and African leaders together in Cape Town to focus on financing and delivering Africa’s sustainable future

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 11, 2026/APO Group/ –Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, one of the world’s leading authorities on the economics of climate change, will deliver a keynote address at Africa’s Green Economy Summit (https://apo-opa.co/4iRv4j7) (AGES), taking place from 23 to 26 February 2027 at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town. His participation comes as Africa looks towards COP32, which Ethiopia will host in 2027.

 




  

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, will address delegates during the opening keynote session: “Ready for the World: Financing and Delivering Africa’s Sustainable Future.”

A foundational figure in shaping the economic case for global climate action, Professor Lord Nicholas Stern led the landmark Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, which demonstrated the profound economic risks of inaction on climate change and made the case for investment in a transition to a low-carbon economy.

His participation comes as Africa enters an important period for climate action. With COP32 placing the global spotlight on the continent, the focus is increasingly shifting from ambition and commitments towards implementation: mobilising capital, building investable projects, strengthening resilience and ensuring the green transition supports economic growth, industrialisation and jobs.

“COP32 is an opportunity for Africa to change the narrative from a continent seeking climate finance to a continent offering some of the world’s most compelling green investment opportunities. AGES 2027 is about making that opportunity tangible by connecting capital with projects, policy with implementation, and ambition with delivery,” says Emmanuelle Nicholls, Group Director: Green Economy at VUKA Group.

That transition from ambition to delivery sits at the heart of the newly released AGES 2027 programme, with “Road to COP32: Africa’s Implementation Agenda” running as a cross-cutting theme throughout the summit. The opening programme also features a dedicated discussion on Africa’s adaptation and resilience agenda on the road to COP32.

New voices shaping Africa’s green economy

AGES 2027 is about making that opportunity tangible by connecting capital with projects, policy with implementation, and ambition with delivery

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern will be joined by a growing line-up of African and international leaders spanning green growth, climate finance, development finance, trade and investment.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Mallé Fofana, Deputy Executive Director and Head of the Directorate for Green Growth Implementation at the Global Green Growth Institute
  • Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Division Director for South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini
  • Haile Mekonnen, COP32 Climate Finance Representative for the Ethiopian Private Sector and member of UNECA’s COP32 Climate Finance Technical Team
  • Aakif Merchant, Director and Head of Africa at Convergence
  • Dave Chalila, Head of Africa and Middle East Investments at GuarantCo (PIDG)
  • Roslyn Ng’eno, Senior Investment Expert at the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat

 

The programme will examine some of the most immediate opportunities and challenges shaping Africa’s sustainable development, including energy access and green industrialisation, water security, sustainable agriculture, climate and nature finance, critical minerals, sustainable mobility, carbon finance, digital infrastructure and the mobilisation of institutional capital.

From climate ambition to capital

The COP32 conversation at AGES will be grounded in investment and delivery.

AGES 2027 is expected to bring together 700+ delegates, 150+ investors and 40 investment-ready projects representing a US$2 billion pipeline, creating a marketplace connecting African opportunities with the capital, partners and expertise required to take them forward.

New additions for 2027 include a Ministerial & Technical Leadership Roundtable, a closed-door DFI Roundtable and the Green Village, alongside investor roundtables, curated matchmaking and project pitches.

The City of Cape Town returns as host city for AGES 2027.

The full AGES 2027 programme is now available, together with the summit’s new infrastructure and SMME Dealbooks highlighting investment-ready African projects seeking capital and partnerships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

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