With the aim of deepening its connection to Thailand, the DSM office will serve as a catalyst for growth, signalling the company’s intent to further develop its operations in the country, where it has projected a growth of over 1 per cent.

During the official opening on Wednesday, Pieter Nuboer, president of DSM Nutritional Products in Asia-Pacific, said Thailand is its fifth largest market in Asia and the opening of its new facilities clearly signals long-term commitment.

“Attracting and retaining the best talent is key to driving innovation in close collaboration with our loyal customer base in Thailand and Indochina,” he said.

Growth potential in Thailand spans across the DSM portfolio, with products, services and solutions from both the nutrition and materials arms of the business.

More specifically, the increase in demand for fish and fish-based products in Southeast Asia has seen the region account for over a third of the world’s aquaculture production, with a significant rise in aquaculture industry in Thailand.

Last year, DSM also announced its collaboration with Starboard, a leading water-sports company based in Thailand, where DSM’s Akulon® RePurposed resin – fully recycled from discarded nylon-based fishing nets – is used as a component in surfboards.

The move also reconfirms DSM’s dedication to Thailand and Southeast Asia to contribute to the automotive, electrical, electronics and local industrial segments as well as assisting customers from both within Thailand and surrounding countries with application development and technical support.

It also called on the US government to halt its state-sanctioned campaign against Huawei because it would not deliver cybersecurity.

Banning Huawei using cybersecurity as an excuse “will do nothing to make networks more secure. They provide a false sense of security, and distract attention from the real challenges we face,” said Song Liuping, Huawei’s chief legal officer.

“Politicians in the US are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company,” Song said. “This is not normal, almost never seen in history.

Song added, “The US government has provided no evidence to show that Huawei is a security threat. There is no gun, no smoke. Only speculation.”

In the complaint, Huawei argues that Section 889 of the 2019 NDAA singles out Huawei by name and not only bars US government agencies from buying Huawei equipment and services, but also bars them from contracting with or awarding grants or loans to third parties who buy Huawei equipment or services – even if there is no impact or connection to the US government.

Song also addressed the addition of Huawei to the “Entity List” by the US Commerce Department two weeks ago. “This sets a dangerous precedent. Today it’s telecoms and Huawei. Tomorrow it could be your industry, your company, your consumers,” he said.

“The judicial system is the last line of defence for justice. Huawei has confidence in the independence and integrity of the US judicial system. We hope that mistakes in the NDAA can be corrected by the court,” Song added.

Glen Nager, Huawei’s lead counsel for the case, said Section 889 of the 2019 NDAA violates the bill of attainder, due process, and vesting clauses of the United States Constitution. Thus the case is purely “a matter of law” as there are no facts at issue, he said, thereby justifying the motion for a summary judgement to speed up the process.

Huawei believes that US suppression of Huawei will not help make networks more secure.

Huawei insists that the US take the “right approach” and adopt honest and effective measures to enhance cybersecurity for everyone, if the US government’s real goal is security.

In line with a court scheduling order, a hearing on the motion is set for September 19.

The campaign will be held from May 30 to July 17 at The Mall Shopping Centre and Department Store, The Emporium, EmQuartier, and Paragon Department Store.

The grand mid-year promotion offers up to 80-per-cent discounts from all the leading brands in the group’s shopping centres, which feature more than 10,000 brands in total.

The campaign introduces the group’s “Retailtainment” strategy, which is the first time that a department store has ever brought gamification to fulfill an innovative shopping experience in a fun and exciting way throughout the whole campaign.

The campaign is estimated to bring in over Bt8 billion, representing growth of 10 per cent from last year, which will increase traffic in the group’s shopping centres and department stores by up to 20 per cent during regular hours, the company said.

Voralak Tulaphorn, chief marketing officer of The Mall Group, said: “In response to the policy, set out by the Finance Ministry, to boost the nation’s economy during the mid-year period that aims to increase spending transactions and facilitate cash flow into Thailand’s economy, the government has arranged for tax deductions when consumers purchase educational and sports merchandise.

“Shoppers who purchase these items can receive individual income-tax deductions up to Bt15,000, which is a measure that will help boost sales and greatly increase the purchasing power of consumers in the retail market.”

The move is the company’s first step into the online market as it aims to stay in touch with customers as it embarks on the process of a digital transformation, said chief executive officer Sara Lamsam yesterday.