Author: sHq_LoGiNz

– For Pioneering Contributions to Conception and Development of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and Leadership in Its Practical Application –

TOKYO, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Honda Foundation has selected Dr. Kenichi Iga (honorary professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo and 18th president of former Tokyo Institute of Technology), as the recipient of the 2025 Honda Prize. The international award in science and technology honors his pioneering work in conceiving the Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and his contributions to advancing fundamental research and practical applications. The foundation is a public interest incorporated foundation established by Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and his younger brother Benjiro.

Image 1:
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In 1980, the Honda Foundation established the Honda Prize to acknowledge research achievements that contribute to “the creation of a truly humane civilization.” Foreseeing the new potential of ecotechnology,*1 the Honda Prize is Japan’s first international award for scientific and technological achievements across a wide range of academic fields, encompassing the entire research process from discovery and invention to application and widespread usage.

In 2025, the 46th Honda Prize will be awarded to Dr. Iga for his conception of VCSEL in 1977 and his pioneering contributions to its development and practical applications. The award ceremony will take place at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, on November 17, 2025. In addition to the prize medal and diploma, Dr. Iga will receive 10 million yen in prize money.

*1 Ecotechnology: Human-friendly philosophy founded on science and technology and designed to harmonize the natural and human environments and find resolutions to social issues, adopting a methodology that implies something more than just “being friendly to the Earth,” which is the meaning usually associated with the word “ecology.”

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What is VCSEL

VCSEL, with a vertical resonator, is more compact than conventional Edge Emitting Laser (EEL), allowing dense integration, stable single-wavelength oscillation, mass production, continuous wavelength tuning and low power consumption. These features drive innovations in optoelectronics, including high-speed data communication, fiber optics, 3D facial recognition, computer mouses and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems for autonomous vehicles.

When Dr. Iga first proposed VCSEL, his concept was met with skepticism from both academia and industry due to concerns about its feasibility. However, through persistent research and continuous advocacy, Dr. Iga and his team gradually established global recognition for this innovative technology. In 1988, his collaborator, Dr. Fumio Koyama, later a professor at former Tokyo Institute of Technology (now the Institute of Science Tokyo), achieved the first room-temperature continuous-wave operation of a VCSEL—a decisive step toward its commercialization. Since the late 1990s, VCSELs have been industrialized worldwide, transforming modern optoelectronics and shaping numerous industries.

– Details of achievement commentaries and past Honda Prize laureates
Please see the Honda Foundation official website.
Official Website: https://www.hondafoundation.jp/en/index.html
Achievement Commentary:
https://www.hondafoundation.jp/commemoration/index_en/285/year:2025
Honda Prize Laureates: https://www.hondafoundation.jp/en/winner.html 

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SOURCE Honda Foundation

SHANGHAI, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Shanghai Electric (SEHK: 2727, SSE: 601727), a global leader in industrial and energy equipment manufacturing, announced its mid-term performance results for the period ending June 30, 2025. The Group reported revenue of RMB 54.303 billion (USD 7.605 billion), marking an 8.9% year-on-year increase, while net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company surged by 7.3%. These results underscore the success of Shanghai Electric’s strategic growth in emerging sectors and its expanding influence in international markets.

Shanghai Electric’s three core business segments—energy equipment, industrial equipment, and integrated services—synergized operations to drive structural improvements in both revenue composition and order portfolio:

• Energy equipment segment generated operating revenue of RMB 30.116 billion (USD 4.218 billion), up 22.2% year-on-year;
• Industrial equipment segment reported revenue of RMB 18.598 billion (USD 2.604 billion), remaining largely flat compared to the same period last year;
• Integrated services segment saw modest growth, with revenue rising 3.8% to RMB 8.260 billion (USD 1.156 billion).

In the first half of 2025, Shanghai Electric secured new orders totaling RMB 109.81 billion (USD 15.38 billion). Orders in the energy equipment sector accounted for RMB 60.04 billion (USD 8.41 billion), followed by industrial equipment for RMB 22.82 billion (USD 3.2 billion) and integrated services for RMB 26.95 billion (USD 3.77 billion). Notably, orders in the new energy sector achieved robust growth rates, showing significant progress of Shanghai Electric’s green energy transition strategy.

Furthermore, the Group’s overseas revenue reached RMB 8.696 billion (USD 1.218 billion), an 11.7% increase year-on-year. Key milestones included the on-schedule completion of the Zafarabad 220kV digital substation project in Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh Province and the full commissioning of the Similajau-Bunut 500kV transmission line project in Sarawak, Malaysia. These achievements aligned with Shanghai Electric’s strategic focus on the Belt and Road Initiative and further strengthened its market share in participating countries.

Shanghai Electric prioritizes technological innovation. In the first half of the year, the Company allocated RMB 2.546 billion (USD 356.61 million) to R&D, representing 4.7% of its total operating revenue with a 9.4% year-on-year increase.

It has solidified its position as a technological pioneer and reported core breakthroughs in controlled nuclear fusion, AI and robotics innovation. Shanghai Electric delivered the world’s first cryogenic test Dewar for the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) magnet in July. The Group launched its LINGKE dual-arm industrial robot and SUYUAN industrial humanoid robot, marking the initial establishment of a comprehensive robotics ecosystem spanning industrial, specialized, and intelligent robotics. Concurrently, it has strengthened its capabilities in critical components, laying the groundwork for end-to-end automation solutions.

In energy storage technology, Shanghai Electric achieved a milestone with its solid-state battery production line, where key equipment, including wet coating, mixing, rolling, and solid electrolyte transfer printing systems, has passed rigorous real-world project validation. It has accentuated the Group’s technological advancement and positioned it as a frontrunner in next-generation energy storage solutions.

For further details, please visit https://www.shanghai-electric.com/group_en/.

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SOURCE Shanghai Electric

GENEVA, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) – a joint initiative of World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) – have today announced a landmark partnership to harmonize their existing portfolios of greenhouse gas (GHG) standards and to co-develop new standards for GHG emissions accounting and reporting.

Under the agreement, ISO and GHG Protocol will combine their leading GHG standards into harmonized co-branded international standards. This includes standards from the ISO 1406X family of standards, alongside the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting, Scope 2 and Scope 3 Standards.

The harmonized portfolio will represent a major step towards a more common global language for emissions accounting – simplifying processes for companies, increasing consistency for policymakers, and reducing measurement and reporting burdens for all users.

“ISO is proud to announce this landmark partnership with GHG Protocol, which drives forward an ambition that enables co-creation, resulting in a harmonized portfolio of standards. Both ISO and GHG Protocol have a shared vision to efficiently advance climate action and simplify the task for all stakeholders. This is a new era for the carbon accounting landscape and both organizations are thrilled to be working together,” Sergio Mujica, ISO Secretary General said.

“We are very pleased to announce this historic agreement that leverages the respective strengths of both organizations. Harmonizing corporate, product and project-level GHG accounting standards is key. With users top of mind, this partnership establishes a new mechanism for long-term collaboration, demonstrating our commitment to reducing complexity in the field of international standards and allowing the development of the core frameworks needed to enable meaningful climate action across stakeholder groups,” Geraldine Matchett, Steering Committee Chair of GHG Protocol said.

One of the barriers to effective climate action is the fragmentation of standards and policies. This new partnership, which includes a common approach and portfolio of dual-logo standards covering corporate, product and project accounting, addresses that challenge by aligning the existing portfolio of GHG standards and providing a shared platform for future co-development.

Both ISO and GHG Protocol standards have been widely adopted by organizations around the world. The ISO 1406X family of standards is used by governments in legislation and regulation and forms the foundation for GHG reporting and verification frameworks in many industries. GHG Protocol standards are relied upon by leading sustainability and disclosure initiatives.

By combining standards from the ISO 1406X series and the GHG Protocol suite of standards, the partnership will bring technical rigor, policy relevance and practical usability into one set of standards.

Experts from both organizations will now collaborate through an integrated technical process, with the goal of delivering cohesive standards that meets the needs of all users, and support robust, science-based decarbonization across regions, sectors and economies.

More information about ISO is available at www.iso.org. More information about GHG Protocol is available at www.ghgprotocol.org.

Contact: Katie Clift, press@iso.org, +351 913 976 202

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SOURCE International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On the eve of President Russell M. Nelson‘s 101st birthday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a photo of the prophet taken in his office on Sunday, September 7, 2025.

The leader of the worldwide Church enjoyed a pre-birthday celebration Sunday with a small gathering of family members at the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City. His birthday is Tuesday, September 9.

Earlier this week, TIME magazine published an op-ed authored by President Nelson. His “birthday wish for all of us,” he wrote, is to embrace eternal truths that “we are happiest when we remember our divine worth and extend that recognition to others — beginning with our own families.”

Read the full article in TIME here.

President Nelson’s 101st birthday has prompted millions of Latter-day Saints and friends worldwide to reflect on and share how the leader’s teachings have increased their faith in and desire to follow the Savior Jesus Christ.

Highlights from President Nelson’s Ministry

• September 9, 1924: Born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• April 7, 1984: Called as an Apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• July 15, 2015: Became President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
• January 14, 2018: Set apart as the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, succeeding President Thomas S. Monson after his death.
• April 1, 2018: Introduced an enhanced focus on service and ministering to others through creation of the ministering program.
• October 6, 2018: Introduced a new worldwide two-hour Church schedule and new resources for daily at-home gospel study, creating a more “home-centered, Church-supported” model of gospel learning.
• October 7, 2018: Emphasized the importance of referring to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by its full name, reinforcing the sacred nature of that name.
• March 2020: Led the Church in adapting to the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, including innovations in online missionary work and ways Church members could worship together and minister to each other remotely.
• 2018–Present: Continues to lead the Church with a focus on following the fundamental principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, temple building, personal revelation, and preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

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SOURCE The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints