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HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) and Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo will open this October

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2 years ago

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Lighting Fair

The upgraded Hall of Connected Lighting spotlights lighting designs, innovations and solutions
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 7 October 2024 –

Fair websites
Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition): hktdc.com/hklightingfairae/en
Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo: hkotlexpo.hktdc.com/en

Hong Kong continues to solidify its status as Asia’s premier trade fair capital, drawing business professionals from around the globe for pivotal trade activities. This year, The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is set to host the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) and Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo this October. Under the theme Light & Life, the twin lighting fairs will feature some 3,000 exhibitors from more than 20 countries and regions, showcasing innovative products and solutions that integrate lighting with life

Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition)
The 26th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) (Autumn Lighting Fair) will be held from 27 to 30 October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Fair not only provides industry players with a one-stop sourcing platform, but also highlights key trends on sustainable development, healthy living and innovative design.

The Connected Lighting Zone, which made its debut last year, will be upgraded to the Hall of Connected Lighting, located the Grand Hall and Grand Foyer, 3/F, to highlight the market’s pursuit of high-quality design and smart solutions. International brands JDI from Japan and Signify from the Netherlands will move to this hall, together with returning exhibitors, LEDiL from Finland, Tridonic from Austria, TUYA Smart from Mainland China, and newcomers TOPMET from Poland and Zencontrol from Australia. The hall will gather some 50 industry elites to showcase innovative designs, smart technologies and solutions.

To showcase the latest industry trends and aesthetics, renowned designer Tino Kwan and his team, in collaboration with CM Jao from OFT Interiors, will present a demonstration area Glow and Grow – How Lighting enriches a Space at the Hall of Connected Lighting, giving the hall an artistic realm while showcasing the interaction between light and life through smart lighting systems and carefully selected fixtures that combine light and shadow with geometric structures. The lighting fixtures and systems used in the demonstration space are jointly sponsored by renowned commercial lighting brand ERCO and lighting effects expert TRAXON | e:cue.

The Hall of Aurora (located at Hall 1) is consistently one of the most popular destinations for buyers, showcasing an impressive selection of exceptional lighting products from renowned brands.

Other zones include:
The Commercial Lighting zone (located at Hall 3 and Mezzanine 4) will showcase a wide range of commercial lighting products designed to meet the diverse needs of buyers across various industries, addressing the distinct lighting needs of commercial spaces;
The LED Essentials zone (located at Expo Drive Hall, G/F) will feature a diverse collection of lighting accessories and components;
The LED Lighting zone (located at Hall 5, Expo Drive Hall, G/F, and N100 series meeting room) will display all kind of LED light sources, including the most recent and trendiest eco-friendly lighting designs available in the market;
The Residential Lighting zone (located at Hall 3 and Mezzanine 2) will showcase a stunning array of functional and decorative household lamps from around the globe, creating a captivating lighting spectacle.

Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo (Hall 6,8,10 @AsiaWorld-Expo)
The 9th Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo will be held from 29 October to 1 November at AsiaWorld-Expo. The Expo serves as a comprehensive one-stop sourcing platform, showcasing a diverse range of outdoor commercial and industrial lighting solutions in shaping a smart city. This year, the Expo introduces a Smart Pole and Solution zone, showcasing innovative solutions to optimise energy efficiency, while enhancing the quality of life for urban residents. The Horticultural Lighting zone will feature an array of new products, including cutting-edge plant lighting technology and a selection of lighting fixtures ideal for outdoor parks and domestic gardens. The Outdoor and Public Lighting zone continues to highlight lamps designed for outdoor public spaces and advertising purposes. The Technical & Professional Lighting zone goes beyond offering various lighting fixtures tailored for professional settings such as warehouses and production facilities.

Program Activities to Get Updated Trends
The twin lighting shows will also include a series of seminars, product launches and networking events. The Innovative Lighting Design Forum will take place for the first time on 27 October at the HKCEC, focusing on two topics: Arts of Lighting: Astonishing Design for the Dynamic Future and Lighting Design Tugging at the Heartstrings: Integrating the Cultural Legacy of RCEP Markets. Renowned architects and lighting designers will share leading design cases from various regions, analysing the latest market trends. The Connected Lighting Forum on 28 October will explore interconnected and intelligent lighting applications.

The AsiaWorld-Expo will host three seminars, including Spotlighting on Architainment Lighting on 29 October. Outdoor lighting professionals will share cases of architectural lighting, festive lighting, drone light shows and more.

Providing Buyers with a Seamless Sourcing Journey
The events will adopt the EXHIBITION+ hybrid model, enhanced by the “Click2Match” online smart business matching platform, available from October 20 to November 8. Furthermore, “Scan2Match” will be also available at the fairs, serving as a feature designed to bridge offline and online interactions. With the HKTDC Marketplace App, buyers can scan dedicated QR codes from exhibitors to bookmark their favorites, access product information, view electronic floor plans, and engage in conversations with exhibitors even after the fair, allowing them to seamlessly continue their sourcing journey.

Product at a Glimpse

Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) Product Feature
LumiFree – Liquid Crystal Light Distribution Control Device
(Japan Display Inc.; Booth No.: GH-J03)
LumiFree is innovative liquid crystal device that allows for free control of light distribution characteristics. This technology has just won the Japan Lighting Technology Development Award and the Innovative Product Award of Asia Lighting Conference in 2024.

lichtMONITOR – Lighting Management Software (Tridonic Shanghai Co., Ltd.; Booth No.: GH-D01)
It provides live data visualisation, effectively illustrating data generated on the floor plan and highlighting the potential for data exchange through standard APIs. This innovative tool offers comprehensive monitoring, delivering a quick and efficient visual overview of the entire lighting system’s status across various areas within buildings.

Valta WP1 – Connected Wooden Pendant Lamp (Liricco Technologies Limited; Booth No.: GH-J04)
Compatible with Casambi, DALI, and Valta systems, its pendant lamp combines elegant design with smart technology for versatile lighting solutions. It is suitable for both commercial and residential environments.

Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo Product Feature
Mason Opto Co., Limited – Smart Lighting Pole (iSense Smart Control System) (Booth No.: 8-D02)
It offers advanced urban lighting solutions and serving as a central hub for various important services, including communication base stations, video surveillance systems, LED advertising screens.

Amo Technology Co., Ltd. – Solar and Electricity Hybrid Street Light
(Booth No.: 8-A05)
The street light features advanced technology, including an MPPT fast charging controller that enhances charging efficiency by 60% compared to standard controllers.

Luxgend Electronics Co., Ltd. – 40000 Lumens Rechargeable Light Tower
(Booth No.: 6-G18)
It features an electro-telescopic mast pole that extends up to 3.8 meters high and offers a 90° adjustment for optimal lighting angles. It is equipped with a four-head floodlight that provides adjustable angles and four different light modes to suit various needs.
 



 

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Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

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3 days ago

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June 26, 2026

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Africa

Regional power pools are advancing and renewable pipelines are growing, but the regulatory and financial architecture needed to connect them remains the continent’s most critical infrastructure gap – an issue central to the Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Business

African Development Bank Group and La Francophonie Sign Partnership Agreement to Promote Youth Employment in Francophone Africa

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June 26, 2026

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The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France

PARIS, France, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on Wednesday entered a strategic partnership to strengthen digital skills, employability, and entrepreneurship of young people and women in five African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.

 

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France. The agreement will address a major challenge faced by countries in the Francophone world and across Africa: providing young people with access to opportunities offered by the digital economy and fostering the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The partnership calls for the implementation of training programs in digital professions and entrepreneurship, in fields such as web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Participants will also receive guidance toward employment and self-employment, as well as support for innovation and business creation, notably through training camps, prototyping activities, and partnerships with incubators and accelerators.

The African Development Bank Group and OIF will also work with national authorities in these five countries and training institutions to sustainably strengthen local capacities and promote ownership of the programs by national stakeholders. An initial pilot phase, lasting 12 to 24 months, will be rolled out in the five partner countries, followed by a gradual expansion to other member states depending on the results achieved.

The African Development Bank Group is pursuing a bold agenda based on “Four Cardinal Points” developed by Dr Ould Tah, the third of which is ‘Turning Demographics into a Dividend.’ This is about strategically converting Africa’s rapidly growing and youthful population into a decisive engine of inclusive growth, productivity, and innovation through large-scale investment in human capital—particularly youth and women.

 

It sees Africa’s growing young population not as a risk, but as a major asset. With the right policies and investments, this potential can create jobs, help small businesses grow, bring more informal businesses into the formal economy, and equip young people with the skills needed for the future. By investing more in education, science and technology, vocational training, entrepreneurship, finance, and digital tools, Africa can help its people drive economic transformation, stay competitive, and build lasting, resilient growth.

The OIF said the agreement marked the first concrete step in its initiative to mobilize innovative and additional funding for its most impactful projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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Paddles up! Hong Kong marks 50 Years of international dragon boat thrills

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June 26, 2026

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Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 June 2026 – With top teams from around the world gearing up for the hotly contested Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races this weekend (June 27-28), participants and spectators can expect a bumper programme of action, fun and entertainment along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui – one of the city’s most vibrant districts known for its iconic skyline views and tourist attractions.

There is much to celebrate. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races as well as 35th anniversary of both the co-organiser, Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, and the sanctioning body, International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). The IDBF added to the occasion by announcing earlier this year the relocation of its headquarters back to Hong Kong.

Riding on the wave of excitement, the organiser, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), extended the annual Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival period to 13 days (June 19 – July 1), beginning on the historic Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) and concluding on July 1, which is the 29th anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

As the headline international flagship event of “Hong Kong Summer Fun”, Dr Peter Lam, Chairman of the HKTB, said the Festival not only ran over a longer period, but also featured a stronger race line-up and more vibrant entertainment programmes than in previous years, offering an experience found only in Hong Kong for locals and visitors, while showcasing Hong Kong’s position as the Events Capital of Asia.

More than 220 teams from 16 countries and regions will compete for top honours in the world‑renowned setting of Victoria Harbour. This year’s event also introduces the special 50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup and the 50th Anniversary Championship, paying tribute to the traditional spirit of dragon boat racing.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a series of thematic activities along the Avenue of Stars, including a 22-metre traditional wooden dragon boat, a dragon boat-themed installation in collaboration with the new film Minions & Monsters, live music performances and a line-up of intangible cultural heritage performances, including martial art Wing Chun, Chinese juggling diabolo, traditional musical instruments ruan and guzheng.

Highlighting Hong Kong’s reputation as the birthplace of modern international dragon boat racing, as well as its strengths as a global hub city, the IDBF has taken a significant step in its long‑term global strategy with the formal incorporation of International Dragon Boat Federation Limited in Hong Kong on 29 April 2026.

“Incorporation in Hong Kong is not a conclusion, but a beginning. It anchors our Federation in the city where our international story started and strengthens our ability to serve our members and the global dragon boat family,” said Claudio Schermi, President of the IDBF.

As part of this new chapter, the IDBF has applied for funding under “the Pilot Scheme to Strengthen the Presence of Hong Kong in Asian and International Sports Associations”, which was recently introduced by the HKSAR Government’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. The Pilot Scheme is an initiative designed to support Asian and international sports associations establishing their headquarters or regional headquarters in the city.

The Dragon Boat Festival has a long and colourful history dating back more than two thousand years. Held each year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the day commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.

According to legend, Qu committed suicide for his beliefs by throwing himself into the Luo River. The villagers nearby raced out on their dragon boats, banging gongs and drums to scare away fish and other underwater creatures to stop them from eating Qu’s body. The tradition continues to this day, with dragon boat competitions taking place at locations across Hong Kong, each reflecting the unique characteristics of its neighbourhood.

Traditional dragon boat treats feature prominently during the festival, notably zongzi. These glutinous rice dumplings, traditionally wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled, are widely available during the festive period.

 

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