Hong Kong – Approval for first round of applications under Labour Importation Scheme for Transport Sector – Aviation Industry completed

Approval for first round of applications under Labour Importation Scheme for Transport Sector – Aviation Industry completed

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     The approval process for the first round of applications under the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector – Aviation Industry (Scheme) has been completed. The Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) issued letters today (August 14) to all applicants on the application results.

     The application period for the first round of applications under the Scheme was from July 17 to 30. A total of 29 eligible companies submitted applications within the application period, involving 2 889 labour importation quotas covering all 10 job types under the Scheme. After assessment by the inter-departmental liaison group comprising representatives from the TLB, the Labour Department and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), the Permanent Secretary for Transport and Logistics approved the applications from 28 companies with a total of 2 841 quotas (45 per cent of the quota ceiling of 6 300), among which a few applications were not approved as they failed to meet one of the following basic requirements of the Scheme:
 
i. The job for which quotas are applied must fall into one of the 10 specified job types under the Scheme;

ii. The number of quotas applied for must be within the limit under the manning ratio requirement of full-time local staff and imported labour; and

iii. An applicant must have conducted local recruitment for the jobs for which quotas are applied. 

     One application was not approved as the wage intended to be offered was lower than the median wage of the corresponding job type. The results with breakdowns by job types in the first round of applications are at the Annex.

     A stakeholder consultative group, comprising the TLB, the AAHK, industry players and labour representatives, has earlier been set up to gauge the views of the relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the Scheme. During the first round of applications, the TLB and the AAHK have been maintaining close liaison with the group, including meeting with the representatives of trade unions this morning on the approval results. The TLB and the AAHK will continue to maintain communication with the consultative group and provide appropriate assistance to eligible applicants in order to ensure their understanding of the relevant requirements of the Scheme.

     A spokesman for the TLB said, “We hope that imported labour will receive training and work in Hong Kong soon, with a view to relieving the acute manpower shortage in the aviation industry and supporting the continual recovery of the industry. The TLB and the AAHK will continue to listen to the views of the group on matters relating to the Scheme and closely monitor its implementation.”

     The TLB will announce the details of the second round of applications under the Scheme in due course.

     The Chief Executive in Council endorsed in June 2023 the introduction of the Scheme to, on the prerequisite of safeguarding the employment of local labour, suitably allow the aviation sector to apply for importation of labour to fill vacancies for frontline non-supervisory positions under 10 specified job types with a quota ceiling of 6 300.

Japan – Ministerial Approval Granted to Form Research Body HySE for Development of Hydrogen Small Mobility Engines to Help Build Decarbonized Society

Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. (hereinafter “Kawasaki Motors”), Suzuki Motor Corporation (hereinafter “Suzuki”) , Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Honda”) , and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Yamaha Motor”) jointly announced today that they have received approval from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to form a technological research association called HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology) for developing hydrogen-powered engines for small mobility.*

To realize a decarbonized society, a multi-pathway strategy to address various issues in the mobility sector is necessary, rather than focusing on a single energy source. Against this backdrop, research and development targeted at commercialization of mobility with engines powered by hydrogen – deemed a next-generation energy source – is gaining momentum.

However, the use of hydrogen poses technical challenges, including fast flame speed and a large region of ignition, which often result in unstable combustion, and the limited fuel tank capacity in case of use in small mobility vehicles. In addressing these issues, the members of HySE are committed to conducting fundamental research, capitalizing on their wealth of expertise and technologies in developing gasoline-powered engines, and aim to work together with the joint mission of establishing a design standard for small mobility’s hydrogen-powered engine, and of advancing the fundamental research endeavors in this area.

The members of HySE will continue to deepen their collaborative relations in order to provide a variety of small mobility options to users and meet their diverse needs, thereby contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society.

Kenji Komatsu, Chairman nominee of HySE and Executive Officer of Technical Research & Development Center, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., comments, “We are extremely pleased to announce the planned formation of the association. There are many challenges in the development of hydrogen-powered engines, but we hope to see the association’s activities advance the fundamental research in order to meet those challenges. We are committed to this endeavor with a sense of mission to preserve the use of internal combustion engines, which epitomize the long-time efforts that our predecessors have invested.”

Main research and development areas, and the role of each company:

1. Research on hydrogen-powered engines
Research on the model-based development of hydrogen-powered engines (Honda)
Element study on functionality, performance, and reliability of the hydrogen-powered engines (Suzuki)
Hands-on research using real hydrogen-powered engines on their functionality, performance, and reliability (Yamaha Motor, Kawasaki Motors)

2. Study on hydrogen refueling system
Studying the requirements for a hydrogen refueling system and hydrogen tanks for small mobility (Yamaha)

3. Study on fuel supply system
Studying the auxiliary equipment required for a fuel supply system and tanks, and the equipment installed between the fuel tank and the injector (Kawasaki Motors)

In addition to the full members (the four aforementioned motorcycle manufacturers), Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (hereinafter “Kawasaki Heavy Industries”) and Toyota Motor Corporation (hereinafter “Toyota”) support the association as special members. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, being one of the main organizers of the “CO2-free Hydrogen Energy Supply-chain Technology Research Association” (hereinafter “HySTRA”), will drive forward HySE’s activities, based on the knowledge gained from its activities for HySTRA. Toyota, on the other hand, will assume the role of leveraging HySE’s research results to the maximum benefit for the development of hydrogen-powered engines, utilizing its know-how on experiments, analyses, and the designing of large hydrogen-fueled power units for four-wheel vehicles.

Overview of HySE (Details, including members, are still in the planning stage)
Name: Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology (HySE)
Address: Yaesu Central Tower 2-2-1 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Chairman: Kenji Komatsu(Executive Officer, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.)
Members: Regular Members: Kawasaki Motors, Suzuki, Honda, and Yamaha Motor
Special Members: Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Toyota
Establishment: Establishment procedures in progress

*Small mobility: motorcycles, Japan-originated mini-vehicles, small marine vessels, construction equipment, drones, etc.

Copyright ©2023 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Japan Corporate News Network.

CGI+ Receives Approval for Mixed-Use Development on Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile

Transformative 201,000-Square-foot transit oriented development located adjacent to new Purple Line Metro Station at Wilshire and La Brea will include first institutional quality hotel on Miracle Mile

639 La Brea

639 La Brea

LOS ANGELESOct. 19, 2021PRLog — CGI+ Real Estate Strategies has received full entitlements and will begin development on a major hotel/multifamily/retail multi-use project at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles’s Miracle Mile District.

The transit-oriented development at 639 S. La Brea, which takes up nearly half a city block along the west side of La Brea, is immediately adjacent to Metro’s Wilshire/La Brea subway station now under construction.  The eight-story development is the result of nearly five years of planning and land assemblage by CGI+.  It will comprise three components; a 125 key hotel; 121 residential rental units; and 13,000 square feet of street-level and rooftop restaurant space.

639 La Brea will feature the only institutional quality hotel with more than 100 rooms in the Miracle Mile/Mid-Wilshire neighborhood.  The boutique-style hotel, which is planned to accommodate both the leisure and business traveler will offer rooms ranging in size from 320 to 415 square feet, as well as two top-floor guest suites as large as 1,200 square feet.  Amenities will include a 3,500-square foot event space, a layered roof top guest deck and swimming pool offering unobstructed views of Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood Hills and Century City.

The residential portion will consist of 121 apartment homes consisting of one-, two- and three-bedrooms floor plans with 18 units set aside for extremely low-income households and one for a moderate-income household. Each apartment home will feature hardwood floors, in-unit washer/dryer, home automation controls for security and climate, as well as one-touch access to neighborhood services.   Common area amenities will include a state-of-the-art fitness center, roof top deck with interactive lounge spaces and pool and bicycle storage area. Given the immediate adjacency to the metro station, property residents will also receive Metro TAP cards and have access to onsite car and bike sharing.

CGI+ engaged celebrated New York architecture and interior design firm Morris Adjmi to design the project, which will be its first in Los Angeles.   The architect is known for designing ground up buildings that celebrate neighborhoods through its simplicity of design and historical context.   Adjmi’s noted projects include the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, The Standard at South Market in New Orleans, Il Palazzo in Fukuoka, Japan, The Edition Hotel and Residences in Tampa Bay, FL and Front & York, a one million-square-foot residential building in Brooklyn’s Historic Dumbo District.

“639 La Brea will anchor a neighborhood that is really coming into its own,” said CGI+ Executive Vice President of Acquisitions and Development Andre Soroudi.   “Our goal has always been to create a project of scale, scope and design that fits appropriately into the community while becoming a focal point of activity for the neighborhood.  In addition to the excellent rooftop and ground floor on-site dining offerings, its location next to the Metro Station will offer easy connectivity to jobs and attractions in Downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, Museum Row, Beverly Hills and the Westside, easing our residents and hotel guests’ reliance on automobiles,” added Soroudi.

About CGI+ Real Estate Investment Strategies

CGI+ Real Estate Investment Strategies (http://www.cgiplus.com) is a Los Angeles-based multifamily investment and development firm with more than $1.6 billion in assets under management. Our portfolio of multifamily and mixed-use assets represents approximately 3,000 apartment units located primarily in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and Florida.

Contact

Bruce Beck

DB&R Marketing Communications, Inc.

***@dbrpr.com

Japan – New Drug Approval for in-House Developed Anti-Insomnia Drug Dayvigo (Lemborexant) in Hong Kong

Eisai Co., Ltd. announced that its Hong Kong subsidiary Eisai (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. has obtained approval for the in-house-discovered and developed orexin receptor antagonist DAYVIGO (generic name: lemborexant) for the treatment of adults with insomnia, characterized by difficulties with sleep onset and/or sleep maintenance. This approval is the first approval for DAYVIGO in Asia outside of Japan.

DAYVIGO is a dual orexin receptor antagonist that inhibits orexin neurotransmission regulating sleep-wake rhythm by binding competitively to the two subtypes of orexin receptors (OX1R and OX2R). DAYVIGO acts on the orexin neurotransmitter system and is believed to facilitate sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and wake by regulating sleep-wake rhythm. DAYVIGO binds to orexin receptors OX1R and OX2R and acts as a competitive antagonist with stronger inhibition effect on OX2R, which suppresses both REM and non-REM sleep drive, such that DAYVIGO may provide faster sleep onset and better sleep maintenance to patients.

In June 2020, DAYVIGO was launched in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with insomnia, characterized by difficulties with sleep onset and/or sleep maintenance; and in July 2020, DAYVIGO was launched in Japan for the treatment of insomnia. In addition, DAYVIGO has been approved in Canada, and an application for approval has been submitted in Australia. In Asia, Eisai has currently submitted applications to the respective regulatory authorities in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, and plans to further expand submissions of applications for approval in other countries.

Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or both, despite an adequate opportunity to sleep, that can lead to daytime consequences, such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritability.(1),(2) Insomnia is one of the most common sleep-wake disorders. Approximately 30% of adults worldwide have symptoms of insomnia.(3),(4) In Hong Kong, over 35% of adults are reported to have symptoms of insomnia.(5) In particular, older adults also have a higher prevalence rate with many experiencing insomnia symptoms for months to years. As a result, insomnia causes various social losses, such as long absences and reduced productivity. It can increase the risk of falls in older adults.(6)

Eisai will continue its efforts to deliver DAYVIGO as a new treatment option to insomnia patients across the world with the hope of contributing to restoration of daytime function and recovery for patients with insomnia by potentially delivering an active daytime life through fast sleep onset and good quality sleep.

About DAYVIGO (Generic Name: Lemborexant)

DAYVIGO is Eisai’s in-house discovered and developed small molecule that binds to orexin receptors, OX1R and OX2R, and acts as a competitive antagonist (IC50 values of 6.1 nM and 2.6 nM, respectively). The mechanism of action of DAYVIGO in the treatment of insomnia is presumed to be through antagonism of orexin receptors. The orexin neuropeptide signaling system plays a role in wakefulness. Blocking the binding of wake-promoting neuropeptides orexin to receptors OX1R and OX2R is thought to suppress wake drive (Ki values of 8.1 nM and 0.48 nM, respectively). Higher affinity and faster on/off receptor kinetics of DAYVIGO to orexin receptor 2, which also suppresses non-REM sleep, indicates its potential to facilitate non-sedative onset and maintenance of sleep.

In addition to the indication of insomnia, a clinical study of DAYVIGO in the treatment of Irregular Sleep Wake Rhythm Disorder (ISWRD) associated with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s dementia is underway.

About Sleep-Wake Disorders and Insomnia

Sleep-wake disorders consist of disease categories such as insomnia, ISWRD, hypersomnia and breathing-related sleep disorders. Among the sleep-wake disorders, insomnia is the most common with persistent insomnia symptoms experienced by approximately 30% of the adult population worldwide.(3),(4) Insomnia disorder is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or both, despite an adequate opportunity to sleep, which can lead to daytime consequences, such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritability.(1),(2)

Sleeping well is essential for good health, including brain health.(7) Studies suggest an optimal sleep duration between seven and eight hours.8 Poor sleep is associated with a wide range of health consequences, including an increased risk of hypertension, accidental injury, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, stroke, dementia and adverse effects on mood and behavior.(1),(8)

Women are 1.4 times more likely than men to suffer from insomnia.(9) Older adults also have higher prevalence of insomnia as aging is often accompanied by changes in sleep patterns, including disrupted sleep, frequent waking, and early waking, that can lead to less sleep time.(10)

About the Anti-Insomnia Drug Market in Hong Kong

The anti-insomia drug market in Hong Kong as of 2019 valued at approximately 7.6 million USD, comprising nearly 8% of the insomnia drug market in Asia (Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand).(11)

(1) Ferrie JE, et al. Sleep epidemiology – a rapidly growing field. Int J Epidemiol. 2011;40(6):1431-1437.
(2) Roth T. Insomnia: definition, prevalence, etiology and consequences. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007;3(5 Suppl):S7-S10.
(3) Institute of Medicine. Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation: An unmet public health problem. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. 2006.
(4) Ohayon MM, et al. Epidemiology of insomnia: what we know and what we still need to learn. Sleep Med Rev. 2002;6(2):97-111.
(5) Wong, et. al. Prevalence of Insomnia among Chinese adults in Hong Kong: a population-based study. J Sleep Res. 2011; 20: 117-126
(6) National Institute of Public Health. Sleep disorders practice guidelines – for the proper usage of sleeping medications and the withdrawal: insomnia medical manual aiming for breaking through (available in Japanese only).
(7) Cappuccio FP, et al. Sleep duration and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Sleep. 2010;33(5):585-592.
(8) Pase MP, Himali JJ, Grima NA, et al. Sleep architecture and the risk of incident dementia in the community. Neurology. 2017;89(12):1244-1250.
(9) Roth T, et al. Prevalence and perceived health associated with insomnia based on DSM-IV-TR; International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, tenth revision; and Research Diagnostic Criteria/International Classification of Sleep Disorders, second edition criteria: results from the America Insomnia Survey. Biol Psychiatry. 2011;69:592-600.
(10) Crowley K. Sleep and sleep disorders in older adults. Neuropsychol Rev. 2011;21(1):41-53.
(11) Copyright – 2021 IQVIA.Internal analysis based on IQVIA Analytics Link 2019. Reprinted with permission.

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Eisai Co., Ltd.
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