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The World Smart Industry Expo 2025 Concludes Successfully, and the 2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference Bears Abundant Fruits
Hu Henghua, Deputy Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of the Chongqing Municipal Government, attended the 2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference held on the afternoon of 5th September and delivered an opening speech. He noted that with the theme of “Embracing Intelligence, Shaping a New Future”, this conference has facilitated the sharing of forward-thinking insights and sparked dynamic intellectual exchanges, , which will undoubtedly pool wisdom and strength while building momentum for the digital industry. Chongqing stands ready to seize this opportunity to work with all parties in shareing new opportunities in Digital Chongqing, advancing breakthroughs in digital technology, creating new landmarks for the digital industry, exploring innovative models of digital governance, and collectively building a brighter future in the intelligent era.
Hu Henghua stated that, as an important strategic pivot for the Western Development in the New Era and a comprehensive hub for inland opening-up as positioned by the central government, Chongqing boasts a well-developed industrial system, prominent geographical advantages, and abundant strategic opportunities, providing vast prospects for the development of its digital economy. In recent years, Chongqing has deeply implemented the spirit of the important speeches and instructions ofPresident Xi , and fully embraced the intelligent era. Led by the construction of Digital Chongqing, it has vigorously carried out the “AI +” initiative, promoted the deep integration of the real economy and the digital economy, and sped up the building of a highland for AI applications and a highland for digital-intelligence technological innovation. Chongqing is strengthening the foundation of digital development by enhancing data aggregation and computing power supply. It is fostering new quality productive forces in the digital sector through advancing digital industrialization and the digitalization of industries. By strengthening scenario-driven applications and AI empowerment, the city is promoting comprehensive digital transformation across urban domains. Additionally, it is optimizing the development environment for the digital industry by focusing on talent cultivation and building an open-source ecosystem.
Miao Wei, a member of the Standing Committee and Deputy Director of the Economic Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and former Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said in the keynote speech that, China, as the only country in the world with all industrial categories, is rapidly integrating its digital and real economies. He particularly lauded Chongqing as a benchmark for the integration of digital and real economies in the Western China, highlighting its remarkable achievements. Specific examples included the SERES Smart Factory, which has achieved 100% automation in key processes and reduced product delivery cycles by 30%, as well as Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd.’s large language model “Tianjing 3.0″which uses AI to empower financial services so as to boost domestic consumption.
As the host city of the World Smart Industry Expo, Chongqing has also established itself as a major hub for the digital economy. The city is experiencing vigorous growth in this sector, with the scale of its digital economy exceeding the one-trillion-yuan threshold. It has nurtured a group of leading enterprises and formed a virtuous cycle of “innovation and R&D — real-world application — cluster expansion,” providing core driving force for the regional digital economy.
Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. is a typical example of an enterprise rooted in Chongqing while serving the whole nation. Backed by the excellent business environment in Chongqing, the company has always clung to independent R & D in science and technology. It has formed a research team of over 3,400 people, accounting for over 75% of its total staff, and independently built more than 1,000 core systems covering the whole processes of risk control, customer service, marketing and asset management, making a key leap from a “technology user” to a “technology creator”. In 2023, Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. pioneered the release of “Tianjing”, a large language model for retail financial services targeting a user base of hundreds of millions. Now it has evolved to Version 3.0 and the model has been fully deployed across eight major application scenarios.
At the 2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference, Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. released a number of achievements and cooperation projects, leading the collaborative development of the digital industry ecosystem. It officially launched the first financial blockchain management platform ahead of other national consumer finance companies, and implemented the first-ever “Blockchain + Digital Yuan” ABS transaction, building a reliable, open and shared “digital base” for the industry. It unveiled two Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratories jointly with Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications and the Chongqing-Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, aiming to build an innovative platform for special-purpose quantum computing and enhance the research level of cybersecurity and digital economy governance. Additionally, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed with the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics to jointly build a new paradigm for deep industry-academia-research integration. This initiative integrates basic research, technological breakthroughs, talent development, and results translation into a unified strategy, fostering a fertile environment for Chongqing’s digital economy.
The conference also invited Jiang Xiaojuan, Honorary President of the China Society of Industrial Economics and Former Deputy Secretary- General of the State Council, Lu Jianhua, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Deputy Director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Liang Tao, Former Vice-Chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, Wang Zixiong, a member of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Li Lihui, former President of the Bank of China, Jiang Ning, Executive Deputy General Manager of Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd., Yuan Foyu, Vice-President of Baidu Group, and Liu Yuanxin, Chief Expert of Huawei’s Digital Finance Legion, to jointly discuss key issues like the development trends of the digital industry and the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy. More than ten government leaders and academicians, over 50 technologyfirms , more than 300 top-notch companies and over 1,500 industrial – chain partners gathered in Chongqing. The event demonstrated nearly 20 billion yuan in potential investment attraction, drove over 30 million yuan in direct and indirect economic benefits, and generated more than 20 million online and offline impressions. These efforts propelled “Chongqing’s Digital Industry” to trend once again, serving as a powerful testament to the city and the industry moving forward together.
At the closing ceremony of the Smart Expo held on the afternoon of 8th September, Cao Jingquan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd., stated that under the guidance of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government of Chongqing, the company will continue to leverage the dividends of large language models to create a replicable and scalable “Mashang Solution”, and together with industrial partners, to enhance the accessibility, coverage and satisfaction of financial services , channeling more “financial vitality” into the real economy, and infusing more “intelligent nourishment” into thousands of households across the coutry.
As a national-level exhibition platform, the World Smart Industry Expo and Chongqing have mutually reinforced each other’s growth. The event has converged unprecedented flows of people, goods, capital and information, unleashing a strong “Smart Expo Effect”. Though the Expo concludes, its impact endures. The 2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference not only enhanced Chongqing’s reputation as a hub of digital industry, but also continues to attract high-end talents, cutting – edge technologies and high – quality resources to Chongqing and Western China, injecting robust momentum into regional high – quality development while offering valuable “Chongqing Model” and “Western Experience” for talent mobility and industrial upgrading across the country.
Hashtag: #TheWorldSmartIndustryExpo2025
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Graduate salary data provides useful guidance, but it should not be read in isolation. Starting salary is one indicator of return on investment. It should be considered alongside employment rates, full-time permanent employment, industry pathways, career support, programme fit and long-term skills relevance.
For students considering Singapore Institute of Management Global Education (SIM GE), SIM’s Graduate Outcome & Employability page provides a reference point for understanding graduate outcomes. The page explains how SIM graduates have performed in the Private Education Institution Graduate Employment Survey (PEI GES), where they have worked, and how SIM supports students in building career readiness.
Why the PEI Graduate Employment Survey matters
For students considering private education pathways, the PEI Graduate Employment Survey (GES) is an important reference because it provides employment and salary outcomes for graduates from registered private education institutions.
The 2024/2025 PEI GES focused on economically active fresh graduates who graduated between May 2024 and April 2025 from full-time Bachelor’s level External Degree Programmes. The survey covered about 6,150 full-time graduates across 26 private education institutions, with a response rate of 61.6 per cent, and was conducted from October 2025 to January 2026.
Among 2,600 economically active PEI fresh graduate respondents in the labour force, 78.9 per cent secured employment within six months of graduation. The median gross monthly salary for PEI fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment remained stable at S$3,500.
This makes the PEI GES useful for students and parents who want to compare graduate outcomes within the private education sector. It also allows SIM’s graduate outcome data to be read against a broader PEI sector benchmark.
What SIM graduate outcome data shows
SIM’s Graduate Outcome & Employability page reports that SIM fresh graduate respondents recorded 81.0 per cent secured employment, 77.9 per cent currently employed, 47.0 per cent in full-time permanent employment and a median gross monthly salary of S$3,565. The page attributes these figures to Skills & Workforce Development Agency 2024/2025 PEI GES.
| Indicator | SIM | Avg of All PEI (include SIM) |
| Secured employment | 81.0% | 78.9% |
| Full-time permanent employment | 47.0% | 46.9% |
| Median gross monthly salary | S$3,565 | S$3,500 |
This comparison places SIM’s graduate outcomes at the top spectrum of the PEI sector. It also shows why employability should be assessed through more than one indicator. Secured employment, full-time permanent employment and median gross monthly salary each provide a different view of graduate outcomes.
Secured employment indicates whether graduates entered work, accepted job offers or were taking steps to start a business venture. Full-time permanent employment provides a view of stable employment. Median gross monthly salary shows the middle salary point among full-time permanently employed graduates.
Where SIM graduates have worked
SIM graduates have entered a range of sectors, including aviation, aerospace and engineering, airline and tourism, banking and financial services, information and communications technology, cybersecurity, insurance, consumer services, public sector and government, consulting and professional services, healthcare, logistics, transportation, retail and manufacturing.
These employer destinations are relevant because students are not only selecting a degree. They are also considering possible pathways into industries, job functions and future career options. A business-related pathway may support roles in banking, consulting, retail, logistics or entrepreneurship. A technology-related pathway may lead to opportunities in information and communications technology, cybersecurity, data, digital services or business technology roles.
How students should compare salary, employability and ROI
A practical approach to comparing degree options is to consider four areas: relevance, return, readiness and resilience.
| Factor | What to consider |
| Relevance | Does the degree connect to industries that are hiring? |
| Return | What do employment and salary outcomes show? |
| Readiness | What career support, internship guidance and employer exposure are available? |
| Resilience | Can the skills support future career changes? |
This approach helps students avoid selecting a degree based only on the highest salary benchmark. While starting salary is an important consideration, long-term value also depends on whether the student can build relevant skills, gain experience and adapt to changes in the labour market.
How SIM supports employability
SIM supports students through career preparation and employer engagement, including résumé writing, interview preparation, job search guidance, career fairs, employer talks, recruitment events, internship search guidance and workshops that build communication, teamwork, problem-solving and professional confidence.
Such support is relevant to return on investment because employability is influenced not only by the qualification awarded, but also by how prepared students are to enter the workforce. Career readiness, employer exposure and workplace skills can support the transition from study to employment.
Conclusion
Graduate starting salary is an important consideration for students and parents assessing higher education options in Singapore. However, it should not be the only measure used to evaluate a degree pathway.
A more balanced assessment considers employment rates, full-time permanent employment, median gross monthly salary, industry pathways, career support and long-term skills relevance. This provides a broader view of how a higher education pathway may support employability and future career development.
When read together with the PEI Graduate Employment Survey, national salary benchmarks and SIM’s Graduate Outcome & Employability page, graduate outcome data can help students and parents make more informed decisions about salary expectations, employability and return on investment.
References
- SIM’s Graduate Outcome & Employability page – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/parent-resource-hub/graduate-outcome-employability
- SWDA PEI Graduate Employment Survey 2024/2025 – https://www.swda.gov.sg/home/skills-career-resources/private-education-resources/graduate-employment-survey/2024-2025
- Employment Outcome for PEI Graduates – https://www.swda.gov.sg/home/newsroom/employment-outcomes-for-private-education-institution-graduates-remain-stable-in-2024-2025
- SIM Career Service – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/life-at-sim/career-services
Hashtag: #SIMGlobalEducation #SIMGE #GlobalEducation #InternationalDegree #CareerReady #FutureSkills
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About SIM Global Education
SIM Global Education (SIM GE) is a leading private education institution in Singapore and the region. We offer more than 140 academic programmes ranging from diplomas and graduate diploma programmes to bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes with some of the world’s most reputable universities from Australia, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, and the United States. SIM GE’s cohort is made up of 17,000 full- and part-time students and adult learners, of which approximately 41% are international students hailing from over 50 countries.
SIM GE’s holistic learning approach and culturally diverse learning environment aim to equip students with knowledge, industry skills and employability competencies, as well as a global perspective to succeed as future leaders in a fast-changing, technologically driven world.
For more information on SIM Global Education, visit www.sim.edu.sg
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SBI Global Asset Management and DigiFT Launch JX, Bringing a Japanese Asset Manager’s Equity Strategy On-Chain for the First Time
The launch comes as investor attention returns to Japanese equities, supported by the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s continued push for listed companies to improve capital efficiency and demonstrate greater awareness of share-price performance. It also reflects a broader evolution in tokenization: the value of tokenized RWAs distributed on public blockchains grew from USD 5.9 billion to USD 21.9 billion globally in 2025, moving the category beyond cash-like instruments and into actively managed public-market strategies. DigiFT was an early mover in this shift, launching a tokenized U.S. equity income fund developed with BNY in January 2026. This shift is now extending directly into Japan’s own institutional market, where SBI Group has been among the country’s most active builders of on-chain financial infrastructure.
DigiFT holds Capital Markets Services and Recognised Market Operator licences from MAS, as well as Type 1 and Type 4 licences from the Hong Kong SFC – a dual regulatory standing that has made it a tokenization and distribution partner for global and regional asset managers, including UBS Asset Management, Invesco, BNY and Franklin Templeton. DigiFT’s roster now extends into Japan, through SBI GAM’s participation, adding a Japanese listed-equity strategy to that lineup for the first time. DigiFT is launching the JX Token on Solana, further expanding the availability of regulated RWAs on-chain, with ecosystem participants including Solana Company, Huma Finance and Plume.
SBI Holdings brings its own substantial on-chain track record to the collaboration. The group reported consolidated revenue of JPY 1.90 trillion for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2026, with its Crypto-asset Business segment generating JPY 89.6 billion in revenue over the same period. SBI Holdings has taken direct stakes across the region’s tokenization infrastructure, including leading a $50 million investment in Startale Group to build a blockchain purpose-built for tokenized securities, and holding a majority stake in Osaka Digital Exchange, operator of a secondary market for security tokens in Japan.
JX is structured around the underlying strategy managed by SBI AM. This authorized, manager-referenced model is critical as regulators are increasingly distinguishing tokenized securities developed with issuer or manager alignment from products that provide only indirect economic exposure. In a joint staff statement issued 28 January 2026, the U.S. SEC staff drew a formal line between issuer-sponsored tokenized securities, which can represent true ownership, and third-party products that typically offer only synthetic exposure or custodial entitlements – signalling an intent to encourage the former while curbing the spread of the latter.
Henry Zhang, Founder and Group CEO, DigiFT: “Our mission at DigiFT has always been to bring real, institutional-grade assets on-chain through infrastructure that investors and asset managers can actually trust. JX extends that mission to Japan for the first time, opening regulated, on-chain access to Japanese equities. We’re proud to build this with SBI Group, one of Japan’s most forward-looking financial institutions, and excited about what this partnership signals for the future of tokenization across the region.”
Hashtag: #DigiFT
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Smilegate LORDNINE Launches Pre-Registration for New Growth-Accelerated Server ‘Helena’ in Celebration of 1st Anniversary… 32,000 USDt Reward Event Underway
- Pre-registration for new server Helena opens July 14… Official launch on July 29
- Sweeping new server growth-support systems, including 50% additional EXP via Mastery Buff
- Rich rewards including a 32,000 USDt reward event, limited edition skins, and 1,111 summon tickets
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – EQS Newswire – 15 July 2026 – Smilegate announced on Tuesday, July 14 that pre-registration has begun for ‘Helena’, a new growth-accelerated server for the MMORPG 《LORDNINE: Infinite Class》 (developed by NX3 Games), in celebration of the game’s 1st anniversary.
Pre-registration for the new Helena server is available through the official LORDNINE page (https://l9asia.onstove.com/en), with the official launch scheduled for July 29 at 7:00 PM.
Helena is a growth-accelerated server designed to allow players to level up characters faster than on existing servers. Key features include a Mastery Buff that provides an additional 50% EXP gain and more than 40,000 ‘Fragments of Ancient Relics’ to support character progression, helping players settle in smoothly during the early stages.
To celebrate the launch of the Helena server, Smilegate has prepared a variety of events, including a 32,000 USDt reward event. Helena server users can participate in in-game attendance and mission events to obtain three Hero-grade avatars and three artifacts, as well as up to 1,111 summon tickets.
A pre-registration event will also be held. Users who sign up for pre-registration will receive a limited edition skin, and among users who refer 20 friends through the pre-registration page, a drawing will be held with winners receiving an iPhone 17 Pro.
In addition, a skin design contest will be held to celebrate the 1st anniversary. Participants can freely submit skin designs they would like to see released in LORDNINE. In-game rewards worth up to 80 million KRW are up for grabs, and notably, the grand prize-winning design will actually be released in-game.
For more information about the game, please visit the official page (https://l9asia.onstove.com/en).
| Contact Point | Office | Mobile Phone | ||||
| Sangjik Oh, Team Leader | 031-630-3142 | 010-5236-0571 | sj****@*******te.com | |||
| Hyeran In, Deputy General Manager | 031-630-3143 | 010-3291-6710 | hr****@*******te.com | |||
| Jiwon Hong, Deputy General Manager | 031-630-3144 | 010-4135-0298 | jw****@*******te.com | |||
| Taehyun Park, Assistant Manager | 031-630-3179 | 010-6805-1177 | th****@*******te.com |
Hashtag: #Smilegate
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
