Australia, Singapore and China are driving momentum and interest for infrastructure investment in the Asia-Pacific, according to the CMS Infrastructure Index: A New Direction, which ranks 40 jurisdictions in order of infrastructure investment attractiveness according to six key criteria. Four of the top 20 spots for investment attractiveness were secured by Asia Pacific countries in the report, with robust economic growth across the region, ambitious renewables plans, and the world’s largest infrastructure project – China’s Belt & Road – set to reshape the continent’s landscape over the next decade.
The Netherlands claimed top spot overall, despite a prolonged period with no government at all, after seeing the highest GDP growth since 2007, expected to reach 3.3 percent in 2017. The country’s success was in part down to its transparent and efficient procurement process, and its healthy multi-billion euro pipeline in road and water Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs). Other countries in the top five included Canada, Germany, UK and Australia
CMS partner and Co-head of Infrastructure & Project Finance in the UK, Kristy Duane, commented, “From China’s Belt and Road to the UK’s Brexit bump in the road, politics and policy remain central to shaping infrastructure investment flows globally. If governments are to attract the apparent wave of private capital available, they should look to countries like the Netherlands and Canada for inspiration where transparency and a clear strategic vision for infrastructure shapes the agenda.
“The CMS Infrastructure Index charts interesting shifts in the attractiveness of 40 countries across the globe and also highlights changes occurring in the infrastructure asset class bringing a new wave of innovation to a market long dependent on standardised PPPs for much of its deal flow. The quest for deals has already prompted the industry to explore less mature sectors such as energy storage, broadband, smart meters, as well as student accommodation and rolling stock. It is fascinating to see which countries are leading the way.”
Mr Seah Chee Huang and Mr Ng San Son from DP Architects have been selected by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to showcase their portfolio of works as part of the “URA 20 under 45” initiative. Both Mr Seah and Mr Ng joined DP Architects in 2003 and are actively involved in the design and planning of notable projects in Singapore. They have been recognised for the community-centric and socially conscious quality in their work.
Mr Seah, a director at DPA, has completed several inclusive community projects, among them Singapore Sports Hub; Our Tampines Hub; Project Bus Stop, an experiment that re-imagines bus stops as meaningful social nodes; and Goodlife! Makan, a seniors’ activity centre with a communal kitchen that engages stay-at-home elderly.
On this award, Mr Seah said, “I am deeply humbled and honoured to be recognised alongside my peers who are working on outstanding works in their respective practices. It is an exciting and challenging time for architects in this age of digital disruption, rapid urbanisation and increasing environmental changes – I hope that as part of the new energies of our fraternity, we will collectively drive Singapore architecture to new levels of design rigor and professionalism, to better lives of local and global communities.”
Mr Ng was the design architect of myVillage at Serangoon, Civil Service Club at Changi and River Safari. He is currently leading the revitalisation of recreational and community destination, Downtown East. He is also the principal designer for local healthcare project, Ang Mo Kio Nursing Home.
Mr Ng considers it “a privilege to be recognised as one of 20 leading architects in Singapore under the age of 45. I am grateful to all my mentors and collaborators, who have encouraged me to push myself in my work and given me the opportunities to make my small contribution to the community and the built environment. It is important to remain cognizant of our commitment to the profession and industry as we press on in our architectural journey.”
In the second edition of this initiative in 2010, DPA’s Ms Angelene Chan and Mr Tan Chee Kiang were among the 20 selected architects. Today, Ms Chan is the CEO of DP Architects and its group of companies, and Mr Tan, one of its directors.
A Data Center Journal article estimates that the number of PoE ports installed globally is already over 100 million.
Approval of the 4-Pair PoE standard is expected next year, leading the way for an additional 45 million devices to be powered by the network.
CommScope, a global leader in network infrastructure solutions, is supporting its customers’ increasing PoE needs by introducing new software capabilities in imVision, its unique automated infrastructure management (AIM) system. The enhanced imVision capability enables IT managers to keep track of the location of PoE powered devices while providing more visibility into where PoE services are and can be deployed.
“Serving the intelligent building marketplace today demands support for PoE and an ecosystem approach that brings technology leaders together to deliver best-in-class solutions,” said Gavin Milton-White, Vice President, Enterprise, Asia Pacific, CommScope. “CommScope’s networking experts work in standards organisations to help evolve PoE standards and directly with partners and customers to provide efficient PoE delivery solutions.”
CommScope is hosting an exclusive webinar that will examine the latest PoE standards, the implications of PoE application in buildings and how the imVision management solution helps realise its utmost potential. “More power to you: How PoE is shaping modern networks” will be presented on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 10 a.m. EST. Registration is free.
PoE growth trends are due to the ongoing explosion of IoT devices in the building—LED lighting systems, security cameras, wireless access points, etc.—as well as the convergence of IT and building operations technology. PoE technology safely transmits electricity along with data over twisted pair cabling to remote devices. Most people initially came to know PoE through the use of VoIP telephones, which were the first, massively deployed devices to utilise PoE.
Central Vietnam is fast emerging as the new hot tourist destination in Asia, and its position as a ‘must visit’ destination will be further cemented with the opening of HOIANA in 2019, Vietnam’s first world-class integrated resort (IR). Located between Danang, Vietnam’s third-largest city, and Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site, HOIANA, the giant US$4 billion venture on the outskirts of Hoi An, is now set to join the IR club, with the first phase scheduled to open in 2019.
The opening will be headlined by a world-class casino, an ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®, a 445-room hotel and 200 buy-to-let condos; and a championship golf course-country club by Robert Trent Jones II. Recreational facilities will include a beach club and entertainment venue for live shows and events, water sports and dive centre, and a promenade packed with bars and restaurants.
Over the next 10 to 15 years, HOIANA’s master development plan envisages a host of complementary tourism and leisure-related projects through subsequent development phases. The ultimate vision is a thriving township of hotels, residential and lifestyle zones, trendy beachfront village, convention centre, hospitality training college, water sports hub, and a giant lagoon for safe year-round swimming. It is estimated that Phase One will create 2,000 jobs for local residents.
“HOIANA is set to rank among Asia’s most renowned resort destinations, offering a self-contained world of entertainment, leisure, pleasure and luxury lifestyle,” says HOIANA’s Head of Business Development, Ms Amy Do. “This unrivalled, world class integrated resort and leisure playground will set a new benchmark for high-end tourism in Vietnam, bringing economic prosperity and opportunity to Quang Nam province.”
The developers have committed to establishing a hospitality school that will train employees not only for HOIANA, but other tourism businesses in this growing region.
“HOIANA is set to be destination for visitors and residents alike. Beyond directly creating thousands of jobs, HOIANA will play an important role in supporting businesses in the community. This development is truly a game changer for the central Vietnam region,” concluded Ms. Do.
Hong Kong leads the world for sustainable transport, according to the 2017 Sustainable Cities Mobility Index from Arcadis, a global design and consultancy for natural and built assets. The index was compiled for Arcadis by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr) and explores mobility through three pillars of sustainability – social (People), environmental (Planet) and economic (Profit) – to develop an indicative ranking of 100 of the world’s cities.
Boosted by its innovative and well-connected metro network and a high share of trips taken by public transport, Hong Kong manages to achieve many of the aims of an effective urban transport system – enabling comprehensive mobility, creating economic opportunity and enriching the lives of citizens, business and tourists alike.
Cities benefiting from ‘money, mass or maturity’, namely high wealth, significant global cities, do not necessarily lead the ranking in sustainable urban mobility. Although these factors can help, we do see wealthy, large and/or older cities not automatically punching their ticket to sustainable urban mobility.
Aside from Hong Kong, two other Asian cities rank highly, taking two of the remaining top ten spots and matching the results of the 2016 Sustainable Cities Mobility Index. Modern metro systems, large airports and low usage of private vehicles help boost the rankings of developed Asian cities such as Seoul (4th) and Singapore (8th). It is however, a tale of two halves in Asia as other cities would score higher were it not for damaging levels of urban pollution and emissions while metropolises such as Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur are some of the world’s least sustainable for mobility.
European cities dominate the top of the overall Index, occupying seven of the leading ten spots. Zurich, Paris and Prague are the highest placed European cities, ranking second, third and fourth respectively, with strong scores in the Planet and Profit sub-indices due to established infrastructure, efficient metro systems and commitment to green technology.
North American cities are spread throughout the overall Index; while citizens of some American cities enjoy well-funded and comprehensive transport systems, many cities in the U.S. and Canada are undermined by a reliance on private vehicles and underdeveloped public transport options.
Pacific Star Development Limited (PSD), an ASEAN real estate developer, recently announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, PSD Singapore Pte Ltd (PSD Singapore), has partnered with DAMAC International, a property developer in the Middle East, to develop luxury properties in key cities across Southeast Asia over the next five years.
The partnership will see the two property leaders jointly develop high-end properties across ASEAN countries, with Malaysia and Thailand as primary markets, followed by Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore. Both developers will collaborate on identifying prime locations in key gateway cities where they will jointly develop new residential, hospitality and retail projects.
“The partnership with DAMAC International is a perfect fit for PSD as both our goals for the Southeast Asian markets are aligned, and we are excited to find common grounds with such a well-established and respected player in the real estate industry,” said Glen Chan, CEO and Managing Director of PSD, who was recently named “2017 Malaysia Real Estate Personality of the Year” at the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (Malaysia) 2017.
“We are looking at a broad spectrum of development opportunities that capitalise on Southeast Asia’s rising urbanisation, favourable demographics and increasing tourism. DAMAC’s strengths are a clear advantage in these markets where it has demonstrated leadership in developing world-class projects, creating innovative sales and marketing strategies and optimising cost effective delivery approaches.”
Euro Auctions,worldwide auctioneers of industrial plant, construction equipment and agricultural machinery, has just announced its first ever ‘Timed Auction’ to be coordinated via its new Hong Kong operation, with the hammer day, to conclude all transactions, set for Thursday 07 December.
By late October over 200 consignments had already been assigned to this auction by loyal construction, rental and financial institutions in the region including significant consignments from Mitsubishi Bank and Wealth Mind, plus a number of smaller consignors. Significant early interest in this first Euro Auctions milestone timed auction has also been shown by bidders, not just in Asia, the Far East and Australasia, but from as far away as Central Europe, Russia, Scandinavia and North & South America.
“Our first physical Hong Kong sale last September was a resounding success, with approaching 500 bidders from over 40 countries registering for the event and over 70% of all winning bids being placed via the internet,” stated Jonnie Keys, Euro Auctions’ Commercial Manager. “Organising our first ever timed auction in the Asia and Pacific Rim region was therefore the logical next step in our development as it means equipment doesn’t have to be transported to a central location and busy buyers also have more flexibility in pre-placing bids plus they don’t have to attend on the day.”
Timed auctions differ from the established Euro Auctions sales concept as there is no live, physical auction to attend; instead bidders submit their maximum bid in advance and these are invisible to all other bidders. Bidding then starts at a reserve price at an allotted time with the automated auction system increasing bids in pre agreed increments on behalf of all registered interested bidders, up to their set maximum per lot. If someone’s maximum bid is outbid, the under-bidder is automatically sent an email inviting them to increase their maximum offer should they wish. Then when the ‘end time’ is reached, each lot goes to the highest bidder at the time, for their current bid, which may still be below the maximum they set.
This next step for Euro Auctions was driven by client feedback along with the general forecast for massive growth in the used construction equipment sector over the next few years in the Asia Pacific Rim, so demanding this type of auction. Establishing new auction facilities in Hong Kong and Dubai earlier this year were a key part of Euro Auctions’ global expansion plans and its robust, flexible and secure online sales platform, along with its ongoing global marketing campaign means it both reaches all prospective equipment buyers around the world plus enables consignors to provide detailed specifications for each individual lot in this sale.
Used construction equipment and machinery from major brands including Liebherr, Kato, Komatsu, CAT, Doosan, Hitachi and Volvo have already been consigned to this first Hong Kong Timed Auction. The inventory grows by the day and includes many low hours, quality used and almost new pieces of equipment, with key lots comprising: a growing selection of excavators ranging from 45 tonne down to 10 tonne, articulated dump trucks, 30 mobile cranes ranging from 220‑25 tonnes plus other associated equipment and smaller items such as generators and compressors .
Keys continued: “Traditional live auctions are still hugely popular with our loyal customers around the globe and will remain a key part of the Euro Auctions schedule; but we continually communicate with our customers and listen to their views and our first Hong Kong Timed Auction will further extend both our reach and appeal.”
Euro Auctions is providing full logistical support for this sale, including detailed machine specifications and making available upon request independent equipment reports. Advice on transportation and shipping costs for each piece of equipment to all the major shipping destinations around the World can also be provided.
Euro Auctions now hosts over 60 auctions a year including specialises off-site sales providing access to quality used equipment somewhere around the globe each week so buyers and sellers can now sell or acquire what they need with relative ease. Other upcoming Euro Auctions sales include one day sales in Brisbane, Australia on 16 November; in Zaragoza, Leeds on 22-24 November, Spain on 28 November; and in Dubai in the UAE on 11 December.
Further details and catalogues for all future auctions are available on the Euro Auctions website at www.euroauctions.com and separate Bidder Numbers are required to bid on any Lot at each event. In order to obtain a Bidder Number you must first register for whichever auction and bidders can then take part in one of three ways:
Established in 1998 Euro Auctions is the market leader in the UK, Ireland and Europe, conducting over 60 major auctions every year. It has permanent auction sites in the UK, Europe, Australia, the USA, and new facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong have just held their first auctions. Euro Auctions also specialises in off-site sales which included the largest ever one day auction of mobile cranes, where 127 units sold for €32m. Euro Auctions markets equipment globally to over 150,000 buyers in over 95 countries and also offer an online sales platform that is robust, secure and free to use.
For more information on this or any of the other auction sites operated by Euro Auctions, visit www.euroauctions.com, email info@euroauctions.com or contact Euro Auctions on 0044 (0) 2882 898262.
IDS GeoRadar, a leading provider of multi-frequency, multi-channel Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and interferometric technology solutions worldwide, today launched C-thrue, a radar-based technology solution specifically developed to support construction and service companies as well as civil and structural engineers to locate rebars, voids, post-tension cables, cavities, conduits and any other objects buried in the structure before cutting or drilling into the concrete.
The solution is suited for all construction sites and operations including building renovation, overpasses, bridges and tunnels surveys, as well as for detailed analysis of the original engineering project and comparison with the as-built structure.
The C-thrue software enables visualisation of 3D images to simplify data interpretation. Rebar/void automatic insight capabilities improve safety before cutting or drilling into the surveyed structure. The system also features augmented reality for data visualisation and sharing across operators – in real time or intervals after acquisition.
Data displayed on the C-thrue’s multi-touch display are not obscured by the handle and clearly displayed, highly increasing interaction with the product and overall user experience.
“C-thrue provides clearer, faster detection of both first and second levels of rebars. An automatic positioning and navigation system for assisted data acquisition supports users, eliminating the need for manual, error-prone paper grids, and further increasing data accuracy. As a result, their daily surveys become easier and more productive,” said Paolo Papeschi, manager of the IDS GeoRadar GEO business unit.
Kaer Pte Ltd, the Singapore-based Air Conditioning as a Service (ACaaS) provider, has released a paper documenting the fundamentals and benefits of the different business models that are available in the air conditioning sector.
With the current interest and move towards the ‘circular economy,’ and how it impacts the formerly conservative air conditioning sector, the paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the different air con provision models that are available, as well as the rise of the circular economy business model known as Air Conditioning as a Service (ACaaS).
Commenting on the impact of circular economy thinking on the air conditioning sector, Justin Taylor, CEO of Kaer, said: “ACaaS allows building owners, developers and users to outsource responsibility for their air con climate. Today we all subscribe to services like music, TV shows, entertainment and transport, and pay only for what we use. Why should air conditioning be any different? Our customers buy air conditioning from us by paying a fixed single rate for how much they have consumed. They do not have to pay for the capital cost of the plant, monitoring, repairs, maintenance, electricity and all other costs associated with the chiller plant system. We take the responsibility of buying and operating the plant, and reducing energy consumption from building owners. We take on all future costs related to operations and maintenance.”
ACaaS is becoming the norm with more than 10 such sites in Singapore. Under this model, developers and building owners outsource the ownership and operations of their air con system. Kaer designs, installs, finances, owns, monitors and operates the system within the building. Users only need to pay a single rate applied to the consumption of chilled water on a monthly basis. They do not have to pay for repairs, maintenance, electricity and all other costs associated with the system.
ACaaS was first seen in 2013 and is an example of the familiar concept of servitisation. Rolls Royce famously no longer supplies jet engines but provides airline operators with ‘power by the hour’ – a phrase it coined over 50 years ago. This is a win-win business model. Building owners can reduce their electricity costs and concentrate on their core business activities.
Besides helping building owners reduce capital expenditure and recurring maintenance costs, Kaer also undertake the responsibility of monitoring and controlling the indoor climate to maximise energy efficiency of the buildings, thus ensuring that the air con system is green and environmentally sustainable.
Singapore real estate company, CapitaLand Commercial Trust, has agreed to buy Asia Square Tower 2, part of a world-class commercial development in Singapore’s Marina Bay business and financial district. Real estate consultancy JLL advised on the transaction on behalf of the seller, BlackRock Asia Property Fund III. The sale represents the largest office transaction in both Singapore and the Asia Pacific region in 2017 and is the second largest office transaction globally this year.
“The sale of Asia Square Tower 2 continues the trend of buyers being attracted to mega deals in Asia. The sales process generated strong interest from major global investors and sends a clear message about the continued recovery of the Singapore office market,” says Stuart Crow, Head of Asia Pacific Capital Markets, JLL.
According to Greg Hyland, Head of Capital Markets, Singapore, JLL: “The Singapore office market is really starting to gain pace and this deal is likely to spur further interest, both domestically and internationally. Investors will be aware that we are at a point in the cycle where there is still the opportunity to get good value, but we expect prices to pick up in the coming quarters as supply starts to taper down between now and the end of 2019.”
The 46-storey Tower 2 has a net lettable area of 778,719 square feet. Asia Square Tower 1 was sold in June 2016 to sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority for S$3.4 billion (US$2.45 billion). The entire Asia Square asset, which comprises Tower 1, Tower 2 and the Westin Singapore, achieved a combined sale price of S$5.8 billion (US$4.3 billion). The three elements were sold in 2016, 2017 and 2014 respectively.
JLL has been the leasing agent and property manager of Asia Square since it opened in 2011. Tenants of Tower 2 include major financial institutions such as Allianz, Mizuho, Mitsui, National Australia Bank and Westpac.