The Trent 7,000 engine made its first appearance at the 2018 Farnborough International Air Show when Airbus unveiled the aircraft. Trent 7000 is the seventh and latest member of the Rolls-Royce Trent engine family.

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace chief, said: “Today is a special day for the Rolls-Royce team, we are thrilled to see the A330neo unveiled at the Paris Air Show with the Thai AirAsia X livery. We are excited to see the aircraft grace the skies in Asia. The Trent 7,000 is critical to the delivery of the 14 per cent improvement in fuel burn reduction per seat of the A330neo, compared to its predecessor the Trent 700, which is a key factor in this aircraft’s success.”

AirAsia X Group CEO, Nadda Buranasiri, said: “This is a significant milestone for the aviation industry – and importantly for our guests it will revolutionise the long-haul, value-air travel market. AirAsia is thrilled to lead the way once again, as the first airline in Asia Pacific to operate the technologically advanced new generation A330neo aircraft. With 100 aircraft on order, the A330neo is the future of our long-haul operations.”

The Trent 7000 brings together the technology from the Trent XWB, which powers the Airbus A350, and draws on experience from more than 50 million flying hours of the Trent 700. The 68,000-72,000lb thrust Trent 7,000 will deliver a step change in performance and economics compared to the Trent 700, which powers the Airbus A330.

The first Trent 7,000-powered A330neo entered service in November 2018.

Leading the new lineup is the 77-inch LG OLED TV W9 Series featuring the advanced second-generation α9 (Alpha 9) Gen 2 Intelligent Processor with a deep-learning algorithm that delivers enhanced picture (AI Picture) and upgraded sound (AI Sound) as well as augmented ThinQ AI voice assistant technology (AI Smart).

LG is also introducing the latest range of LG NanoCell TVs equipped with the second-generation α7 (Alpha 7) Gen 2 Intelligent Processor, along with LG Big Screen TVs with up to 86-inch screens with outstanding picture quality that take the home entertainment experience to a whole new level.

Nipon Wongsaengarunsri, marketing director of LG Thailand, said: “We have seen a huge shift in consumer behaviour towards TVs with 70-inch screens and larger. Sound quality and AI technology have also become key factors that buyers consider when buying a new TV. All these demands can be answered by our new lineup.”

Developed by Sharp, the Plasmacluster technology is an air purifying mechanism to neutralise allergens, bacteria, mould and viruses and eliminating odours, leaving air cleaner and healthier. The three companies said the collaboration will bring benefits to BTS passengers, allowing them to enjoy better air quality.

In addition, VGI is considering the adoption of Sharp’s digital signs for its advertising. Sharp is also planning to use VGI’s media platforms for its marketing campaigns.

TikTok’s mission is to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge and precious life moments, Surayot said.

In the less than two years since its late-2017 launch, TikTok has managed to land on the chart as the most downloaded application on both Play Store and App Store worldwide, said Surayot.

“TikTok is a rising-star social platform for brands to communicate with their target audiences in a variety and number of executions, such as by reaching the target audience and creating engagement,” said Surayot.

“TikTok in addition has created a huge success in conducting talk-of-the-town partnership campaigns with brands, such as Big Mountain Music Festival, S2O Songkran Festival, and SOS Children’s Village Thailand for Send A Heart CSR campaign.”

TikTok is now available in over 150 markets and in 75 languages with a robust localisation strategy to encourage users to create and interact with content relevant to local cultures and trends.

The proceeds from the debentures issuance will be spent for working capital and for refinancing senior debt.

Phongsthorn Thavisin, the president and chief executive officer for PTT Exploration and Production Plc said the debentures, due in 2022, have a tenure of three years, bear a fixed interest rate of 2.26 per cent per annum and are fully guaranteed by PTTEP.

“These are the first bonds PTTEP has offered to the Thai market in over five years. The transaction success is highlighted by initial investor demand of over three times,” said Phongsthorn. “Moreover, the issuance, year-to-date, is also the largest order book for a single-tranche non-retail corporate issuance in the Thai bond market for 2019, and represents strong investor confidence in PTTEP. Proceeds from the bond issuance will be spent on working capital as well as for refinancing senior debt obligations,” said Phongsthorn.

Registered on the Thai Bond Market Association, the bonds are rated “AAA/Stable” by TRIS Rating. HSBC and Siam Commercial Bank acted as joint book runners and lead managers.

“Thirty pairs of hands touch even the simplest piece of jewellery we make,” said Nils Helander, the SVP manufacturing and managing director at Pandora A/S in Thailand. “We want to ensure handmade craftsmanship in every important step of the manufacturing journey.”

Visit one of Pandora’s manufacturing buildings at the Gemopolis Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Suvarnabhumi airport and one can see how the production set-up enables Pandora’s Thailand team of 13,000 employees to add value in the most productive way.

At the heart of the manufacturing process is what Helander, 50, refers to as “flexible work cells,” where teams of 20 employees, work side by side in a well-orchestrated rhythm. Each team is guided by a team pacemaker, who overseas rapid consistent manufacturing. Individual work stations are designed to support the kind of intense concentration and delicate handiwork needed to ensure stones are properly set with no room for error.

“With the assistance of technology and feedback on performance, pacemakers are able to identify opportunities to improve efficiency or reduce errors and continuously improve output,” said Helander.

This enables Pandora to minimise material wastage to an industry best of just 3 per cent of output, compared to an industry average of around 11 per cent.

Much of Pandora’s manufacturing savvy has been advanced by Helander himself, who joined Pandora in 2016 after an extensive career in manufacturing and supply chains with consumer product giants, including Nestle and most recently Unilever in China.

“Working with consumer products companies, I have been able to apply some principles in manufacturing from fast-moving businesses, where margins are often razor thin and productivity is the name of the game. The challenge is to tailor what we know without losing the essence of craftsmanship. To do this, we start with people and organise processes around them.”

The results speak for themselves. Over the past two years, Pandora has reduced average lead times – when a customer places an order to when the order is delivered, from eight weeks down to two weeks.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the flexible work cell is its ability to quickly changeover production lines. Each work cell is equipped with the capability and team skill-set to manufacture any product.

“We can changeover production lines with no slack time. Our workers are trained to be multi-skilled.

This allows us to be even more flexible and productive, whether we are producing bracelets, rings or necklaces,” said Helander.

Over time, the flexible work cell concept has enabled Pandora to scale up and become one of the dominant players in the mid-tier jewellery business. “Last year, we set 1.7 billion stones by hand,” according to Helander.

Pandora’s manufacturing philosophy also offers consumers more value for money.

“Although our brand may not be perceived as ultra-high end such as Tiffany or Cartier, we aim to provide our consumers great value. For example, our competitors might put Bt4,000 worth of gold in a piece of jewellery and sell it for Bt150,000, whereas we would sell a similar piece of jewellery for a fraction of that price.”

What guides much of Pandora’s decision-making when it comes to designing and pricing products is a commitment by its founders Per and Winnie Enevoldsen to produce jewellery that people can afford in a responsible way. Call it the democratisation of jewellery, said Helander. Moreover, Pandora uses 100 per cent recycled gold and silver that can be traced back to its sources.

As far as the future of Pandora is concerned, it is all about continuous improvement in the manufacturing process with an eye to innovation, while continuing to be a responsible corporate citizen.

“We are always looking for ways of making distinct, high quality jewellery that is lighter, stronger and more beautiful,” Helander said. “If we can do this and continue creating distinct designs and value for money, we can provide our consumers with an enriching experience they can feel proud of.”

LARRY CHAO is managing director of Chao Group Limited, a manufacturing consultancy based in Bangkok and New York since 1995 [www.chaogroup.com]