Events

Beijing – September 12, 2026 -- China's trade in services reached nearly 4.45 trillion yuan ($663 billion) in the first seven months of 2026, up 8.3 percent year-on-year, according to Ministry of Commerce data released ahead of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing this week.

Services exports outpace imports as knowledge-intensive sectors surge

Services exports climbed 17.1 percent year-on-year to over 1.77 trillion yuan, while imports rose a slower 3.2 percent to 2.67 trillion yuan, narrowing the composition gap even as the overall services trade deficit stood at 900.25 billion yuan for the period. Knowledge-intensive exports -- spanning telecommunications, information technology, finance and intellectual property services -- grew 12.2 percent to 948.28 billion yuan, now accounting for 53.5 percent of China's total services exports.

Washington – September 12, 2026 -- Rapidan Energy Group has appointed James McLennan as Senior Vice President for Business Development, tasking him with leading growth across the firm's energy market, policy, and geopolitical research and data services.

McLennan brings two decades of energy research sales experience to Rapidan

McLennan spent 17 years at Wood Mackenzie leading global commercial teams serving the energy and financial services sectors. He also held senior leadership roles at IHS Markit and S&P Global before joining Rapidan.

Rapidan CEO cites McLennan's commercial track record as key hire rationale

"James will focus on building long-term, trusted relationships across our client base while leading our sales and customer-success functions to support the firm's continued growth," said Scott Modell, CEO of Rapidan Energy Group.

Windsor, Calif. – September 12, 2026 -- Stäubli will present electrical and fluid connectivity solutions for semiconductor tool manufacturers at Semicon West in San Francisco this October, as chipmakers push suppliers to cut equipment qualification times and boost tool uptime.

Connector reliability targets over 100,000 duty cycles to protect yield

Stäubli's electrical connectors are engineered to maintain contact integrity across more than 100,000 cycles, operate at temperatures up to 350°C, and support lifecycle demands exceeding 10 years. The company states its RF precision components are built to stabilize plasma processes used in fabrication, addressing a persistent risk point where minor connectivity variance can degrade yield.

Chapel Hill, N.C. – September 12, 2026 -- TrueBridge Capital Partners has closed its second dedicated venture secondaries fund, TrueBridge Secondaries II, L.P., with $508 million in commitments, more than double the size of its predecessor.

Fund more than doubles predecessor's $230 million haul from 2024

Secondaries II was oversubscribed and drew capital from new and existing investors, including foundations, endowments, pension funds, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. It follows TrueBridge Secondaries I, which closed at $230 million in 2024 as the firm's first dedicated venture secondaries vehicle.

Hong Kong – – September 11, 2026 -- SANY Heavy Industry (600031.SH) posted first-half 2026 revenue of approximately $7.89 billion, up 19.49% year-over-year, with attributable net profit rising 9.13% to $838.887 million.

Second-quarter revenue growth accelerates to 24.39%, outpacing first-half rate

Q2 revenue reached $4.328 billion, while attributable net profit climbed 16.93% to $473.108 million. Operating cash flow totaled $1.44 billion. As of June 30, total assets stood at $26.708 billion and net equity at $13.576 billion.

Overseas revenue hits $4.724 billion, now 61.33% of core business

International sales grew 21.82% year-over-year. By region, Africa led growth at 47.66% to $790.234 million, followed by the Americas at 24.70% to $930.294 million, Asia and Australia at 17.38% to $1.981 billion, and Europe at 12.68% to $1.022 billion.

Barcelona – September 11, 2026 -- The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) will convene 1,000 cities, more than 25,000 visitors, over 1,000 exhibitors and 600 speakers in Barcelona from November 3-5, 2026, organized by Fira de Barcelona under the theme "Urban Solutions, Real Impact."

Housing takes center stage as a top urban priority

The 2026 edition places special emphasis on housing, one of the most pressing challenges facing cities globally, showcasing technologies aimed at delivering scalable, tangible results. SCEWC will host the first edition of "HOWS Barcelona," a new global housing summit focused on urban planning, land policy, housing law, affordable housing and building renovation and reuse.

Seoul – September 10, 2026 -- LX Pantos has completed a cross-border defense logistics project transporting air-to-air missiles (AAM) from France to South Korea for the Marine Attack Helicopter (MAH) program of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps.

LX Pantos delivers AAM shipment for KAI-backed MAH program under DAPA oversight

The project, led by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), was executed by LX Pantos on behalf of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The AAM units, shipped by a European military contractor, were flown from Châteauroux Airport in France to Incheon International Airport aboard a dedicated charter flight organized by LX Pantos, then delivered by road to a Marine Corps unit in Pohang.

Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- Morpho, a UV printing technology company, unveiled its first UV desktop printer at IFA 2026 in Hall 17-196, following a Kickstarter campaign that surpassed $10 million from more than 2,800 backers worldwide.

Morpho's UV printer applies industrial-grade color and texture to wood, glass, leather and metal

The device is G7 Master ColorSpace certified, a standard Morpho says ensures consistent color reproduction across different materials. Its industrial-grade print head layers fine ink deposits to create tactile, relief-style surfaces while operating at carriage speeds of up to 600 mm/s.

Paris – September 10, 2026 -- The 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art will open exclusive professional preview days on September 17 and 18, 2026, granting accredited industry figures early access to 120 artists and 400 works across 11 venues before the exhibition opens to the public on September 19.

Accreditation deadline falls September 16 for art-world professionals

Curators, gallerists, museum directors, collectors and cultural-institution staff must apply for personal accreditation by September 16, 2026, to secure entry to the two-day preview. The pass also unlocks the September 18 opening reception at Les Grandes Locos and access to all Biennale venues during the first two public days, September 19-20.

Hong Kong – September 10, 2026 -- Domestic philanthropic giving across participating Asian jurisdictions reached US$109 billion in 2024 and could exceed US$1 trillion within the next decade, according to an Interim Report launched at the Philanthropy for Better Cities (PBC) 2026 forum in Hong Kong.

The report, produced by the Commission on Asian Philanthropy and co-convened by the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) and the Asian Philanthropy Congress, marks the first comprehensive study of the scale and structure of philanthropic ecosystems across the region. It identifies everyday individual giving, corporate contributions and public investment as the primary drivers, positioning philanthropic capital as a strategic lever for national development.

Tempe – September 11, 2026 -- Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the world's largest professional association for supply chain and procurement, has appointed Neal J. Couture, CAE, FASAE, as its next president and chief executive officer, effective October 1, 2026.

ISM Board completes global search to select next leader

The ISM Board of Directors selected Couture following a comprehensive global search to guide the organization's next phase of growth, member value and global professional impact. Stacey Taylor, MBA, Chair of the ISM Board of Directors, said Couture's track record of leadership, innovation and member engagement aligned closely with ISM's mission.

Bethesda, Md. – September 11, 2026 -- EPS Learning has secured SOC 2 Type II attestation for its EPS Connect platform following an independent audit by SC&H Attest Services, P.C., providing school and district partners formal assurance over student data protections.

Independent auditor validates security controls over a sustained period

The SOC 2 Type II review, based on the AICPA's Trust Services Criteria for security, examined the design and operating effectiveness of EPS Learning's controls over time rather than at a single point. Auditors assessed policies, procedures, risk management, incident response, disaster recovery processes, and information and communication systems tied to EPS Connect.

Orlando, Fla. – September 11, 2026 -- Backswing Ventures, an early-stage defense venture capital firm, is underwriting every investment in its portfolio for an independent 3-5x return rather than betting the fund on a single breakout winner.

Carta data shows unicorn payouts are stalling, not disappearing

Among 2017 and 2018 vintage venture funds old enough to have realized outcomes, fewer than 20% have returned even 1x DPI to limited partners, according to Carta's Q1 2026 fund-performance data. Backswing argues paper valuations do not pay LPs back; distributions do.

SpaceX illustrates the timeline problem at scale. Founded in 2002, the company did not deliver a liquid outcome to shareholders until its initial public offering closed in June 2026 -- 24 years later.

Englewood, Colo. – September 11, 2026 -- Stefano S. McGhee, a Massachusetts technology executive who most recently served as Senior Director of Technology Operations for Harvard Business Publishing, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Toastmasters International, taking on a one-year term following the organization's 2026 International Convention in Vancouver, held Aug. 19-22.

McGhee brings enterprise IT leadership experience to a 245,000-member global network

At Harvard Business Publishing, McGhee led a team of cloud engineers, architects, integration engineers and help desk technicians responsible for the availability and stability of critical applications, including Harvard Business Review. Toastmasters International, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, operates more than 14,000 clubs in nearly 150 countries.

Locust Valley – September 11, 2026 -- TraderMade Systems Ltd, a foreign exchange market data provider, has agreed to supply real-time and historical FX data to EntangleX, part of the QuantumX Group of Two Hands Corporation (OTCID: TWOH), for testing artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum computing-based financial prediction models.

EntangleX will benchmark quantum-AI models against live FX market data

The initial programme centers on foreign exchange markets, where TraderMade's data depth and volume allow EntangleX to validate model performance and reliability against real-world trading conditions. EntangleX is examining whether AI and quantum computing techniques can detect patterns and market relationships in FX datasets that traditional analytical methods may miss.

Hartford – September 11, 2026 -- Shipman & Goodwin LLP has expanded into Dallas, Texas, adding restructuring partners Rachael L. Smiley and Megan F. Clontz to its Workout, Restructure and Bankruptcy Practice Group.

Firm Adds Dallas Office to Strengthen National Bankruptcy Practice

The move follows Shipman's recent expansion into Boston and gives the firm a physical presence in one of the busiest U.S. jurisdictions for bankruptcy filings. The Northeast-based full-service firm now operates offices throughout the region plus Dallas.

Austin, Texas – September 11, 2026 -- Humann, the Austin-based cardiovascular supplement maker behind SuperBeets, has formed a research partnership with the University of California, Davis and appointed Dr. Harold Schmitz, Ph.D., as Chair of its Science Advisory Board to lead the collaboration.

Schmitz brings Mars Inc. science leadership to cardiovascular nutrition research

Dr. Schmitz previously served as Chief Science Officer at Mars, Inc. and as Senior Scholar at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, with a background in nitric oxide research and food and nutrition innovation. In his new role, he will direct the partnership with UC Davis' Innovation Institute for Food and Health (IIFH), which will design and run scientific studies, including clinical trials, examining how nutrition influences cardiovascular health across life stages in women and men.

Almaty – September 11, 2026 -- The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation has allocated 460 million tenge (approximately $1 million) to fund the gasification of private homes in Almaty, partnering with the city's Akimat to expand urban gas infrastructure.

Foundation and city sign memorandum to convert coal-heated homes to natural gas

Under a newly signed memorandum, the Almaty Akimat will inspect private residences, advise homeowners on connection procedures, and provide end-to-end support for the switch to natural gas heating. Qualified contractors will then carry out the required construction and installation work.

Mayor Darkhan Satybaldy said the city continues working specifically to connect private homes to the municipal gas network, noting that requirements vary case by case and that support from socially responsible businesses allows the initiative to scale.

Salt Lake City – September 11, 2026 -- A decade-long study by ARUP Laboratories found that 50% of pregnancies with atypical prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening results carried at least one clinically significant abnormality confirmed by follow-up testing, reshaping how providers should respond to inconclusive genetic screens.

ARUP analyzed over 200 atypical cfDNA cases spanning more than 10 years

Researchers reviewed more than 10 years of data and over 200 cases where atypical cfDNA screening results were followed by additional prenatal, postnatal, or maternal testing. The findings, published in Genetics in Medicine, the official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), represent what ARUP describes as the largest study of its kind on atypical cfDNA findings.

San Francisco – September 11, 2026 -- Arkestro has been identified as a Sample Vendor for Supplier Discovery in the Gartner Hype Cycle for Multienterprise Solutions, 2026, marking the company's continued presence in Gartner's procurement technology research.

Gartner defines Supplier Discovery as AI-driven identification of new supply sources

The Hype Cycle report categorizes Supplier Discovery as solutions that help organizations identify, assess and onboard new suppliers using extensive databases and graph technologies to match sourcing criteria against potential vendors. Gartner cites supply chain disruptions, capacity constraints, cost optimization pressure and innovation targets as the drivers pushing procurement teams to qualify alternative suppliers faster. The report also notes that Supplier Discovery is increasingly embedded within third-party risk management and source-to-pay platforms rather than standing alone as a distinct market.