He said the system would enable consumers to trace where the material for the product was sourced from, to where and when it was processed, stored, sold and delivered.

Beef brand Kerchin and nutrition brand Wyeth are among the 30 plus brands that are building such a system with JD, Yang added.

Yang told chinadaily.com.cn that currently luxury companies and fresh produce firms are more willing to build such a blockchain traceability system as more and more luxury products are sold online and they have the need to show their authenticity.

In addition to that, these companies are able to absorb high costs in building such a system, he added.

“Whole-process traceability is not a new concept but blockchain makes it really possible,” Yang told chinadaily.com.cn, adding that traceability information in the past was easy to be altered but blockchain technologies could stop such alternation.

IDC China has revealed 10 predictions for the internet and communications industry and one of them was that blockchain would enter commercialisation by 2021.

Wu Lianfeng, vice president of IDC China, said at least 25 per cent of the world’s top 2,000 enterprises will adopt blockchain services at scale as the foundation for digital trust, while the adoption rate in China might be 20 per cent.

In an interview with The Korea Herald, Claes Nilsson, president of Volvo Trucks, said the company has been in talks with the South Korean tech giant to introduce electric trucks, which are part of what the company envisions for a “greener” future.

A fully electrified truck, not only for Volvo but also other traditional manufacturers, still remains a mere concept, as it requires a long driving range, or in other words, lots of batteries.

“We are already collaborating with Samsung when it comes to battery technology,” he said.

“Where we are using the fully electric drive lines today is on the bus side. But as we move forward, we need (full electric lines for) trucks as well and yes, Korean industry, when it comes to semiconductors and batteries, etc, are very advanced,” he said, without elaborating on the extent of collaboration with Samsung SDI, a battery and display making affiliate of the group, and what type of batteries they may be developing.

Although Hydrogen has potential today, batteries are more likely to be the mainstream, he said. “But right now the most promising development is in batteries rather than hydrogen,” he said, adding that the company has been developing all three types of green trucks to be prepared as to where the technology might lead to. “But that can change in five or 10 years, nobody knows.”

The head of Volvo Trucks was in Seoul to present the company’s future vision of taking a lead in connectivity, automation and electro-mobility in the commercial vehicle segment. Also, to keep its top position in the Korean market, the company has decided to install two safety features – collision warning with emergency braking and lane-keeping support – in all its heavy-duty trucks to be sold from January, one year ahead of the Korean government’s plans to require commercial vehicle manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, to enhance safety features in their models from 2019.

Traffic accidents caused by trucks and buses have been major safety concerns in South Korea.

“When we think the technology is mature and the market is ready, we don’t wait for the legislation,” he said.

Currently, Volvo Trucks is the top commercial vehicle importer in South Korea and the third after two domestic brands, Hyundai and Tata Daewoo.

South Korea is Volvo Trucks’ ninth-biggest market in terms of profit generation. It expects to sell about 3,000 trucks in the country, a 15 per cent increase from last year. Though the market here accounts for only 3 percent of all Volvo trucks sold worldwide, South Korea is a growing and important market. Demand for efficient trucks is high not just among customers, but also in terms of the traffic environment.

“The customer base in this county is demanding efficient types of trucks in transportation, we believe we have good product offers to this market,” he said.

“We also believe that (the) transportation environment here is very demanding in terms of weight and road condition and utilisation, and very quality conscious customers can help us actually develop.”

For her research achievements on using homecare solutions, Hiep won the top prize at the third annual Asean-US Science Prize for Women 2017. She is the first Vietnamese woman to receive the award.

This prestigious award supports promising early-career women scientists in Southeast Asia and is sponsored by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Underwriters Laboratories, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Last year, Hiep was awarded the Talented Young Science Researcher LOREAL National Fellowship for her research discovery about the use of titanium materials in restorative dentistry.

Hiep graduated from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Science in HCM City in 2006, and earned a Master’s and PhD degree at the Soonchunhyang University of South Korea’s College of Medicine’s department of tissue engineering and biomaterials. She speaks to Gia Loc of Inner Sanctum, V iet Nam News, about her research activities.

COULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH WHICH HELPED WIN THE THIRD ANNUAL ASEAN-US SCIENCE PRIZE FOR WOMEN 2017?

In developing countries such as Vietnam, urbanisation has caused problems and put pressure on both healthcare services and the environment. This has prompted me to do research on biomaterials which can be used in homecare.

One of my research works focuses on bio-glue and needle-less suturing kits for wound healing, which can be used for more effective first aid in remote areas. I am also stuying how to make biomaterials that protect skin and bones..

The country still has many poor areas where people use substandard devices, which causes burn accidents. In addition, many traffic accidents occur, which often cause bone injuries. I see a great need for biomaterials for skin and bones. The biomaterials that I’m investigating are used for skin grafts and bone surgeries.

MOST BIOMATERIALS USED IN THE COUNTRY ARE IMPORTED FROM ABROAD, AND MANY OF THEM MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR VIETNAMESE. ON THE OTHER HAND, OUR COUNTRY HAS GREAT NATURAL RESOURCES TO MAKE BIOMATERIALS. FOR INSTANCE, THE SOURCES OF COLLAGEN AND CHITOSAN, WHICH ARE USEFUL FOR SKIN REGENERATION, ARE PLENTIFUL IN NATURE IN OUR COUNTRY. THEY ARE EXTRACTED AND EXPORTED TO DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WHICH IN TURN MAKE PRODUCTS TO SELL TO OUR COUNTRY.

This situation has prompted scientists like me to investigate biomaterials to respond to the needs of healthcare in the country.

I chose regenerative medicine, which is a new trend in the country, I am focusing on research, education and entrepreneurship because I want to educate and inspire young people to work with me to use research results to alleviate the country’s medical burdens.

I suppose that was why I won the third annual Asean-US Science Prize for Women 2017.

Through my research and achievements, I have proven the potential of regenerative medicine. I’ve received calls from other colleagues asking for counselling on how to develop research facilities on regenerative medicine.

DO YOU PLAN TO WORK WITH HEALTH FACILITIES TO USE THE BIOMATERIALS IN CLINICAL APPLICATIONS?

Currently, many scientists face difficulties in applying scientific results in clinics. We want to have easily accessible administrative procedures that will help us apply our research findings in clinics. Now, we are just publish findings in journals.

IS FINANCE ONE OF THE MAIN BARRIERS FOR SCIENTISTS? COULD YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN SEEKING FUNDS FOR YOUR RESEARCH?

Yes, indeed, doing research is quite challenging. This is true everywhere, especially in Vietnam. Having appropriate funding is a must. It’s been extremely difficult to obtain good funding. I’m still working on this matter.

Having a sufficient salary is also very important to help researchers pursue their passion of doing research without worrying about their living conditions and maintaining their family. I’m lucky to work at a university that offers me a decent working environment.

AS A FEMALE SCIENTIST, WHAT DISADVANTAGES AND ADVANTAGES DO YOU FACE IN YOUR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES?

Women in Southeast Asia do not have a lot of time for their own professional work because they have to take care of their families and children. During the day, I work at my department. At home, after my children go to bed, I start my own work.

Having motivation and taking the initiative are important factors that have helped me move forward. Moreover, my family is crucial in keeping me mentally balanced and in high spirits.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

I am striving to discover research topics which are appropriate for Vietnam and unique in the world, instead of following work done elsewhere, so as to establish a signature for our group. This will also be a contribution to the international research community and should help attract researchers to my department to collaborate.

I want to maintain an ideal environment for my team, especially students, and have more research funding to incubate many talented students and scientists who can develop regenerative medicine throughout the country.

HOW DO SCIENTISTS BENEFIT FROM HCM CITY’S PROGRAMMES ON INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE STARTUPS?

These programmes create opportunities and encourage scientists to run their own startups. I have been operating my own startup for several months which is located at Saigon Hi-Tech Park in District 9. The park has an incubator programme to help beginners like me start our own entrepreneurial initiatives. I am striving to develop commercially viable biomaterials useful for our country.

Geely said it will acquire all the operations and assets of Terrafugia and has received all the necessary approvals for the deal, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. It, however, did not disclose any financial details of the deal.

Founded in 2006 by five graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Terrafugia launched its first flying car model Transition in 2012, with an estimated base price of US$279,000 then. In 2013, the company released the design for its next model TF-X, which is the world’s first flying car capable of vertical take-off and landing. It is expected to be available by 2023.

Geely said it would further invest in the flying car business and create additional jobs for Terrafugia upon the completion of the deal. However, the car will not be available in the Chinese market in the short term due to the country’s regulations on low-altitude flying.

Geely’s innovation centre in Hangzhou will also be used by Terrafugia. In anticipation of the transaction, Terrafugia’s team of engineers in the US has been tripled over the past quarter with Geely’s support.

Ultimate mobility solution

Li Shufu, founder and chairman of Geely Group, considers flying cars as the ultimate mobility solution. The group’s international operations and track record for innovation will make the flying car a commercial reality, he said.

Terrafugia’s newly appointed CEO Chris Jaran said the first priority would be to expand the company’s R&D capabilities.

Shenzhen-based technology giant Tencent Holdings has led the US$90 million series B financing in the German flying car startup Lilium. Other industry leaders such as Airbus, Toyota, Uber and Google have all stepped into the flying car sector, as it is believed to be the next big thing following autonomous driving.

Yale Zhang, managing director of Shanghai-based consulting firm Automotive Foresight, admitted that such cars will help alleviate traffic jams, but added that they are a little bit far from reality.

“The main problem is technology. They have to run fast but at the same time make it affordable. If they cost as much as US$2 million, then they mean nothing to the public. Then there is the legislation,” he said. John Zeng, managing director of LMC Automotive Shanghai, said that such cars might be easier to promote in North America, where there is little control over the sky and has a much smaller population, like Canada.“But it would be hard to imagine that cars fly at any time in densely populated Chinese cities like Beijing or Shanghai,” he said.

“At least in the short term, flying cars will not become something important in Geely’s business,” he said.

“But it is not surprising that Geely is investing in it. Many carmakers, faced with challenges brought about by electric cars and autonomous driving, are making investments in frontier technologies, as the future is becoming more uncertain. So they make hay when the sun shines.”

Every industry has had a smart makeover. Now, it is the turn of health and fitness to be fast-tracked through technology.

Smart sports are the latest buzz words echoing around this multibillion-dollar sector.

Backed by government policies, high-tech equipment and products are being rolled out to help people stay healthy.

Custom-made fitness programmes are also in vogue.

“With the rapid development of new technologies, including big data and the internet of things, smart sports will enable a more personalised and smarter exercising experience,” said Chen Gang, director of the Jiangsu provincial sport bureau.

Already this is starting to happen with heart-rate monitor wristbands and fitness apps flooding the sports equipment marketplace.

But Chen is convinced this is just the start of a digital transformation after mapping out his vision of the future at an intelligent sports summit during the World Internet of Things Exposition in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, last month.

“The future scenes of smart sports often take shape in my mind,” Chen said. “Trackers and fitness apps will be the new personal coaches to record workout conditions and offer routines, allowing users to connect with neighbourhood groups to exercise together.

“People will be able to use apps to book venues, and arrange coaches and partners. And in the event of bad weather, people will be able to use smart tools to work out at home with the help of virtual reality,” he added.

During the past few years, China has witnessed stunning growth in the sports industry linked to digital and online merchandise.

A report released earlier this year by iResearch showed Chinese active users of online sports and fitness products had exceeded 350 million by November, 2016.

The market research company also predicted that monthly active users of sports and fitness apps will surpass 100 million this year.

Statistics from the China Internet Network Information centre back up this internet boom.

Figures from the CNNIC revealed that among the 751 million Chinese netizens, 96.3 per cent were mobile phone users, which provides a larger base for the evolving online sports and fitness industry.

Government policy is also fueling the smart sports sector. Last year, Chinese authorities announced a national fitness plan, aimed to cope with an ageing population.

The blueprint showed that spending on sports and fitness in China is expected to expand to 1.5 trillion yuan ($227 billion) in 2020.

This in turn will generate unique business opportunities for companies involved in the industry, Wang Weidong, director of the economic department of the General Administration of Sport of China, stressed.

“With an increase in average income, Chinese people are now sufficiently affluent to seek a better quality of life,” he said.

“Meanwhile, the government’s supportive policies and blossoming technologies, such as the IoT (internet of things), will (increase) the trend in smart sports (and fitness),” Wang added.

Chen, of Jiangsu provincial sport bureau, underlined the role that integrated high-tech will play in the transformation of the industry. Inter-connected apps and devices will spur growth in the sector as domestic companies gear up to wheel out new sports and fitness products for consumers.

“The sports (and fitness) industry is now ready to embrace a technological revolution,” Chen said.

“The emerging smart sports in China will help companies in related traditional industries, including healthcare, culture and tourism,” he added.

The market has certainly attracted new investors.

Analysys consultancy in Beijing reported that funding has poured into the sprawling mobile fitness and sports app market during the past few years.

In 2016, leading Chinese online fitness startups, including workout provider Keep and mobile app Codoon, raised 935 million yuan compared to just 22 million in 2011.

These apps cover a wide range of niche programmes.