AI · Industrial
Under the theme “Powering the Future of Print with AI,” Canon will demonstrate how intelligent technologies, connected workflows and responsible printing practices can help businesses improve efficiency, strengthen security and manage resources more effectively.
Canon Middle East will participate for the first time in Cairo ICT 2026, taking place from 7–10 November at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC), New Cairo.
Marking an important milestone in Canon's engagement with businesses, government organisations and partners in Egypt, the exhibition will bring together intelligent printing, digital transformation and professional print solutions, demonstrating how connected technologies can address everyday business challenges and support more efficient operations.
Visitors to Canon's stand will discover:
Intelligent print and document management: AI-enabled technologies that help organisations improve document security, gain greater visibility over print environments, manage costs and streamline workflows.
Digital transformation: Solutions that help turn paper-based information into connected digital workflows, supporting faster access to information and more efficient business processes.
Professional and industrial printing: Live demonstrations and real-world applications showing how businesses can bring printing in-house, improve turnaround times and explore new opportunities.
Sustainability and genuine Canon consumables: Experiences demonstrating how smarter print management can support responsible resource use, alongside Canon's sustainability initiatives and the role of genuine Canon ink, toner and media in delivering consistent print quality.
The Canon experience will also feature live technology demonstrations, opportunities to engage with Canon experts and conversations exploring the evolving role of AI, printing and digital transformation across industries.
Event details
Event: Cairo ICT 2026 – 30th Edition
Canon participation theme: Powering the Future of Print with AI
Dates: 7–10 November 2026
Venue: Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC), New Cairo, Egypt
Interview opportunities
Canon welcomes business, technology and industry media to visit its stand, experience live demonstrations and arrange interviews with company executives and specialists on intelligent printing, digital transformation, professional print and sustainability.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).
Media enquiries, please contact:
Jayashri Namdar
jayashri.namdar@canon-me.com
APO Group - PR Agency
Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.com
About Canon Central and North Africa:
Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2016 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region - by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus. CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.
Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.
Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei (https://apo-opa.co/4yzj3EH) – ‘living and working together for the common good’. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services. At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.
For more information: Canon-CNA.com
Oct 20 · 10:30·APO Group
Energy · Industrial
Developed by Songon Energies S.A., Songon power plant is built to strengthen energy security and support future growing electricity demand in Greater Abidjan
GE Vernova 9E turbine technology to support reliable power delivery for industrial growth and millions of households
Infrastructure development expected to create up to 1,400 new jobs and drive positive community impact
GE Vernova (https://www.GEVernova.com/) announced today that it will provide the gas power technology for the new Songon combined-cycle power plant, located in the Songon region near Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Following the signing of financing agreements (https://apo-opa.co/3U5xBxI) last June, Songon Energies (https://apo-opa.co/483QKTX) - Ivorian development investment company focused on advancing energy infrastructure – selected GE Vernova to supply a 9E gas turbine and generator. The plant – to be built by the EPC contractor China Energy International Engineering Co., Ltd. - is expected to deliver 372 megawatts (MW), a capacity equal to the power needs of approximately 5 million Ivorian homes.
Download infographic: https://apo-opa.co/3UBqA7W
Supporting a growing national energy landscape. Côte d’Ivoire has made significant progress, reaching an electrification rate of 94.3 percent by 2024 through initiatives like the “Electricity for All Program” (PEPT), in line with the national goal to achieve universal electrification and improved power quality by 2030. Despite these gains, the nation faces an annual demand growth rate of 10 to 15 percent and rural areas still require expanded access. In this energy landscape, this new power plant will help fill a critical gap. The facility is projected to represent up to 12 percent of the country’s total installed base upon its scheduled 2029 operational launch, playing a vital role in meeting these ambitious development targets. Furthermore, the project is expected to generate up to 1,400 new jobs, creating economic opportunities for the local community.
"The Songon Energies project is designed to strengthen energy security and support future growing electricity demand growth in the Greater Abidjan region while reinforcing the country's position as a regional energy hub in West Africa," said Mr. Wang Xiaoming, Deputy General Manager (Acting CEO) for Songon Energies. “The facility is expected to ease energy pressure on the Abidjan metropolitan area, providing a reliable foundation for the development of skilled workers, the growth of industrial zones, the expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises, and a tangible improvement in the daily lives of millions of Ivorian households. We selected to work with GE Vernova for this new power plant, because of our deep trust in their efficient technology and their constant, proven presence in Côte d'Ivoire, which gives us great confidence in the long-term success of this facility."
“We are honored to support Songon Energies with our proven 9E technology for this crucial infrastructure project," said Joseph Anis, CEO of Gas Power in Europe, Middle East, and Africa at GE Vernova. "Our commitment to power plant operators is rooted in delivering advanced gas power technology that provides the reliable, dispatchable energy necessary for long-term growth and positive community impact. Beyond the turbine island, we look forward to applying our expertise in powering the HV sub-station, providing digital software, and long-term services to support the broader energy system in its goal to enhance grid stability, operational efficiency, and local prosperity."
GE Vernova’s commitment to Côte d'Ivoire remains steadfast, built upon a long history of supporting the nation’s electrification goals. The company’s footprint in the country centers on a large installed base, key power transmission hardware, digital software deployments, and long-term service contracts. GE Vernova utilizes its global expertise and local presence to help power plant operators increase power capacity, while supporting a more secure and reliable energy future.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GE Vernova.
Notes to editors:
For further information:
:
Laura Aresi
laura.aresi@gevernova.com
Abeer Masood
Abeer.masood@gevernova.com
About GE Vernova:
https://apo-opa.co/4dIF9x2) and LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.co/4ySoaRg)
GE Vernova’s Gas Power business engineers advanced, efficient natural gas-powered technologies and services, along with decarbonization solutions that aim to help electrify a lower carbon future. It is a global leader in gas turbines and power plant technologies and services with the industry’s largest installed base.
Forward Looking Statements:
Oct 20 · 08:29·APO Group
Automotive · Sustainability
- - • Alstom will continue to maintain Greater Anglia's fleet of 133 Class 720 Aventra trains until the early 2040s - • Contract builds on a successful partnership that has delivered one of the UK's most reliable modern commuter fleets - • Supports Greater Anglia with delivering an even better service for its customers and communities during its journey to Great British Railways - - - Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has signed a 15-year extension to its Train Servic...
Read the full story at https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=363061
Oct 20 · 07:53·WebWire
SaaS · Healthcare
Today, plant scientist Pamela Afokpe, R&D Operations Manager at East-West Seed (www.EastWestSeed.com) West Africa, accepts the 2026 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application at the World Food Prize Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa.
Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Borlaug Field Award honors exceptional on-the-ground scientific achievement by individuals under 40. Afokpe is being recognized for her pioneering work in transforming African indigenous vegetables, historically dismissed by the formal seed sector, into high-performing, commercial opportunities for smallholder farmers.
Afokpe accepts the honor on the same Des Moines stage where her mentor, the late Simon N. Groot, founder of East-West Seed, received the World Food Prize in 2019. This marks a continuation of East-West Seed's legacy on that stage seven years later.
Bridging world-class genetics and last-mile field impact
Despite feeding millions for generations, indigenous crops like Gboma (Solanum macrocarpon), Amaranth, and Jute Mallow (Corchorus olitorius) have suffered from decades of institutional underinvestment. Operating from East-West Seed's research hub at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture campus in Benin, Afokpe challenged the industry assumption that indigenous crops were commercially unviable. When skeptics argued that smallholders would only recycle farm-saved seed, Afokpe demonstrated that farmers relied on saved seed due to a lack of improved commercial alternatives, not preference.
Beginning in 2017 in a rented field with manual irrigation, Afokpe built the regional research platform from the ground up, collecting over 2,000 regional crop accessions across West Africa. Concurrently, while leading regional operations, she secured a competitive Wageningen Graduate School Sandwich PhD scholarship with Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. Her academic research has yielded published peer-reviewed findings on the genetic diversity and pest resistance of Jute Mallow, bridging advanced plant biosystematics with field-level breeding.
Her primary commercial breakthrough, the Sika Gboma variety, introduced intermediate tolerance to Bacterial Wilt (Ralstonia spp.), a pathogen causing historic field losses of up to 100%, alongside extended post-harvest shelf life.
Championing "opportunity crops" and the VACS vision
Afokpe's work directly exemplifies the core mission of the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) initiative, a global partnership led by the U.S. State Department, the FAO, and the African Union that champions "opportunity crops" as essential to climate-resilient nutrition and soil health.
Critically, Afokpe recognized that agricultural science only succeeds if it reaches the market. She replaced traditional seed broadcasting with precise nursery management, cutting farmer input costs by 40%. To prove commercial viability, she conducted open-air shelf-life demonstrations directly with female market traders, proving that Sika's reduced post-harvest spoilage translated into higher daily household margins. Market demand grew so intense that female retailers began pre-booking harvests directly on farmers' plots before production even began.
To date, Sika has generated over 3,000 tons of produce equivalent in its first three years, reaching tens of thousands of smallholder farmers and female retailers across West and Central Africa. The breakthrough earned Afokpe East-West Seed's global Platinum Helix R&D Award in 2025.
Inspiring visionary leadership across Africa
Afokpe is a One Planet Fellow recognized for her leadership in addressing climate challenges in agriculture. Balancing field research and doctoral thesis writing while managing motherhood and navigating regional gender stereotypes in agricultural fieldwork, she has become a leading advocate for women across agricultural value chains.
“African indigenous vegetables belong at the center of the global food security map,” states Pamela Afokpe in her acceptance remarks. “By bringing rigorous science to the crops our grandmothers grew, we are proving that smallholder farmers and market women can drive viable, commercial value chains when given access to quality seed genetics.”
“Pamela represents exactly the type of scientist Dr. Borlaug championed: combining rigorous genomic science with tangible, last-mile impact,” noted Prof. Eric Schranz, Chair of the Biosystematics Group at Wageningen University & Research. “Her work has established a fully functioning research platform that is actively transforming indigenous vegetable systems across West Africa.”
Scaling across Africa: A Fortune "Change the World" legacy
Afokpe’s journey was deeply inspired by Simon Groot’s smallholder-first philosophy, particularly East-West Seed's historic decision to make high-quality seeds accessible through small, affordable packages tailored to smallholders. As East-West Seed expands its footprint across West Africa, Afokpe’s leadership as R&D Operations Manager signals the company's commitment to scaling indigenous seed research across the continent.
Her work reinforces why East-West Seed was named to Fortune’s 2026 'Change the World' list, recognizing companies that drive positive social impact through core business strategy.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of East-West Seed.
Additional Link:
https://apo-opa.co/4s9tjC5
Media contact:
digital.communications@eastwestseed.com
About East-West Seed:
For further information, please visit our website: www.EastWestSeed.com
Oct 20 · 06:00·APO Group
Finance · Healthcare
BANGKOK, Oct 20, 2026 - Sappe Public Company Limited (SAPPE PCL.) is showcasing its innovative product portfolio at SIAL Paris 2026, a global food and beverage trade exhibition held from 17–21 October 2026 at Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre in Paris, France. The company is presenting new products and flavours that combine fun and creativity while welcoming trade partners, importers and distributors from around the world to exchange ideas and explore business opportunities.
Leading SAPPE’s showcase is its flagship brand, Mogu Mogu, with a wide range of new offerings, including Zero Sugar drinks, Jelly, Gummy, Candy and Iced Tea, alongside new flavours in its original drink range. The lineup extends the brand’s signature fun and creativity across diverse product formats, giving trade partners and visitors the opportunity to discover and taste the products firsthand.
SAPPE is also presenting products from Sappe Aloe Vera, Sappe Beauti and All Coco, adding variety to its booth and offering new choices for international markets. Trade partners, importers, distributors and other interested visitors can meet the team to discuss the products and explore opportunities for international business development.
SIAL Paris is one of the world’s largest food and beverage trade exhibitions, taking place every two years. For its 2026 edition, organisers expect 8,000 exhibitors and approximately 400,000 products across 10 industry sectors, covering 280,000 square metres of exhibition space. Bringing together manufacturers, buyers and distributors from around the world, the event provides SAPPE with another opportunity to showcase the capabilities of Thai brands and its diverse portfolio of innovative products to international trade partners.
Visitors can discover and sample SAPPE’s products at Booth 5C F035, Hall 5C, throughout SIAL Paris 2026, from 17–21 October 2026.
About SAPPE
Sappe PCL (SAPPE) is a leading Thai beverage innovator and the creator of the "Snack Drink" category through its iconic global brand, Mogu Mogu, now exported to over 100 countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. The company specializes in fruit juice and functional health beverages designed to serve the evolving lifestyle needs of modern consumers around the world.
SAPPE's diverse portfolio includes globally recognized brands such as Mogu Mogu, the world's first snackable drink; Sappe Aloe Vera, known for its refreshing taste and natural ingredients; and Sappe Beauti, a functional drink line focused on health, wellness, and women empowerment. Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, SAPPE is listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) under the symbol SAPPE.
Driven by innovation, deep consumer insights, and a strong commitment to sustainability, SAPPE operates with a balanced focus on product innovation, economic performance, social responsibility, and environmental impact. The company believes that building a sustainable future begins with valuing people, embracing diversity, and leading with authenticity, creativity, and the courage to drive positive change. SAPPE's mission is to inspire lives worldwide one meaningful beverage at a time.
Sappe official: https://www.sappe.com/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sappeplayground
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mogumogu_global/
Line: https://shop.line.me/@sappeonline
Shopee: https://shopee.co.th/sappe.official
Email: corpcom@sappe.com
Sappe PCL [SET: SAPPE, SAPPE/F, SAPPE-R] https://www.sappe.com/en/
Oct 20 · 06:00·ACN Newswire
Finance · Sustainability
Amsterdam, Netherlands – 20 October 2026 - Cabka N.V. (together with its subsidiaries “Cabka”, or the “Company”), a company specialized in transforming hard to recycle plastic waste into innovative Reusable Transport Packaging (RTP), listed at Euronext Amsterdam, today announces its trading update for the third quarter of 2026.
Oct 20 · 05:00·GlobeNewswire
Finance · AI
Hong Kong, Oct 20, 2026 - Beijing Yunji Technology Co., Ltd. (“Yunji Technology” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; stock code: 2670.HK) published a voluntary announcement recently. Ms. Zhi Tao, chairwoman of the Board, executive Director and president of the Company, and Mr. Li Quanyin, executive Director and chief executive officer of the Company, have each voluntarily undertaken to extend the lock-up period applicable to the Shares directly held by them to October 15, 2027. Against intensifying industry competition, market focus increasingly shifts toward companies with long-term sustainability. The decision of core management to extend the lock-up voluntarily at the expiry date fully demonstrates their confidence in the Group’s long-term growth prospects and their commitment to growing alongside the Group.
Concurrently with the lock-up undertakings, Yunji Technology also voluntarily disclosed business progress during the nine months ended September 30, 2026: the Group’s robot operations continued to grow steadily, with the products covering over 45,000 hotels on a cumulative basis. The average daily number of concurrently online robots increased by approximately 20% to 25% year-on-year, while the number of tasks completed during the period rose by approximately 25% to 30%. The newly launched noodle-cooking robot has been included in the new-opening procurement list of a major hotel group customer, extending in-stay services into dining. At the same time, as a supplier of core mobility technology and modules, Yunji Technology is extending its reach into healthcare, manufacturing and property services through ecosystem partners’ products. Deliveries are underway on the Group’s 1,000-robot order under the cooperation with Ye Niao. Meanwhile, the Runyi project involves an order for 100 robots, with deployment across multiple hospitals now underway.
As the robot network expands, penetration of the HDOS AI agent assistant into hotels’ daily operations has further deepened. In the first nine months of 2026, total HDOS subscribers exceeded 5,000, up approximately 230% year-on-year, while the number of paying subscribers increased by approximately 220%. The announcement states these day-to-day improvements in service efficiency and quality support further integration of HDOS into hotels’ workflows, with subscriptions and renewals generating recurring service revenue for the Group.
In the AI agent ecosystem, the related services cover approximately 400 apartment properties, with the busiest property handling approximately 650 orders per day. Recently, Yunji Technology has signed strategic cooperation agreements with Taobao Instant Commerce and Meituan to connect platform orders to its robot delivery network, rapidly expanding its service coverage.
In overseas markets, Yunji Technology continues to expand the distributor network and has recently entered Central Asia and Norway. It expects to sign robot sales orders with distributors in Norway, Greece, Germany and France within the next month, broadening the European sales network.
By voluntarily extending the lock-up period, the core managements have closely aligned the interests of management with the Company’s long-term operating performance. Together with the steady expansion of the multiple business lines, Yunji Technology’s commercial closed loop continues to improve. Building on the mobile robotics technology accumulated in hotel scenarios, the Group keeps extending the boundaries of the services and unlocking the potential of AI agents. In the future, it is well positioned to further consolidate the core competitive strengths and open up room for long-term growth.
About Beijing Yunji Technology Co., Ltd.
Beijing Yunji Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Yunji Technology") was founded in 2014 with the mission of "Robots, for a Happier Humanity," and is committed to building a world-leading ecosystem for service intelligent agents. By deeply serving enterprise clients, Yunji Technology redefines consumer experiences through cutting-edge robotics and intelligent agent services. From robots capable of interacting with the physical world to intelligent software platforms that streamline decision-making, Yunji Technology leverages intelligent agents to deliver adaptive, scalable, consumer-centric, and future-ready products and services, establishing itself as a pioneer in the R&D and commercialization of robotic service agents.
To date, the company has deployed its solutions in global scenarios, including 40000+ hotels, 200 hospitals, factories, apartments, and office buildings, covering regions such as the Middle East, the Americas, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. As of now, Yunji Technology robotics and intelligent agent services have cumulatively completed 1.1 billion interactions and traveled over 90 million kilometers.
In 2023, Yunji Technology pioneered a new form of embodied intelligent robotics—the Composite Polymorphic Robot [UP]. As a multi-functional robot capable of using tools, understanding and assigning tasks, and collaborating in groups, it was recognized as one of the first "Comprehensive 5G Application Solution Providers" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) for its integration of "robotics + 5G technology."Yunji Technology has been successively awarded the titles of "Specialized, Refined,Distinctive, and Innovative" (Little Giant) Enterprise by the MIIT and the Beijing Municipal Government. It has also twice received China’s prestigious AI accolade, the "Wu Wenjun Artificial Intelligence Award," and has participated in drafting 26 technical and industry standards, solidifying its leadership in technological innovation and application within the industry.
Oct 19 · 23:59·ACN Newswire
Finance · SaaS
Through 2031, NORMA Group aims to achieve average annual sales growth before currency effects of 1 to 3%, an adjusted EBIT margin of more than 10%, and cash conversion1 of over 70%
Strategic business units: Mobility & New Energy to strengthen competitiveness, capacity utilization, and cash generation; Industry Applications to drive profitable growth
Sales Push, Footprint optimization, and Transformation aimed at accelerating profitable growth, improving capacity utilization, and reducing structural costs
Disciplined capital allocation focused on financial strength and organic growth; new dividend policy starting in fiscal year 2027 targeting a payout ratio of at least 10% of the adjusted Group Net Income; accompanied by potential share buybacks
MAINTAL, GERMANY - October 19, 2026 - At its Strategy Update in Frankfurt, NORMA Group provides further details on the next steps in implementing its NewNORMA strategy and presents its financial ambition through 2031. Following the completion of major portfolio and capital measures in recent months, the focus is now shifting to operational execution. The three key initiatives to achieve profitable growth and an adjusted EBIT margin of more than 10% are Sales Push, Footprint, and Transformation. These initiatives aim to increase the utilization of NORMA Group's existing asset base through profitable business while reducing its structural cost base. In doing so, NORMA Group is laying the foundation for growth, margin improvement, and stronger cash generation.
Birgit Seeger, CEO of NORMA Group: “With our NewNORMA strategy, we are laying the groundwork for a successful future for NORMA Group. We have a strong industrial foundation that we now intend to leverage even more effectively. To achieve this, we are intensifying our commercial activities, making better use of our production assets, and reducing our structural costs. This will strengthen our competitiveness, increase profitability, and improve cash generation. Our vision is a focused, high-performing NORMA Group – an Industrial Powerhouse for connecting technology.”
Two strategic business units with clearly defined profiles
The NewNORMA strategy is based on the realignment of the two clearly defined strategic business units, Mobility & New Energy and Industry Applications. The two business units contribute to NORMA Group's ambition with distinct value-creation priorities: Mobility & New Energy forms the Group's resilient core business. The realignment of this business unit focuses on strengthening competitiveness, improving the utilization of the existing asset base, increasing profitability, and ensuring resilient cash generation. Industry Applications is the Group's driver of profitable growth. Going forward, the business unit aims to expand selectively into structurally attractive growth markets, tap into additional sources of growth, and broaden NORMA Group's sales base.
NORMA Group is leveraging its existing engineering expertise in fastening, connecting, and fluid-handling technology to develop new fields of application. These include data centers, battery energy storage systems, heat pumps, and household appliances. Additional orders will largely be served using existing production capacity, thereby improving capacity utilization and fixed-cost absorption.
Starting 2027, NORMA Group will consistently align its internal management structure with the two global strategic business units. Under the new SBU-led operating model, both business units will assume end-to-end responsibility for customers, pricing, growth, capacity utilization, and financial performance. By bringing together commercial, operational, and financial responsibility under clear business ownership, NORMA Group is shortening decision-making processes and creating the conditions for faster and more effective execution of the NewNORMA strategy.
More business on a more efficient operating base
NORMA Group is implementing its NewNORMA strategy through three closely interconnected initiatives:
As part of its Sales Push, NORMA Group is intensifying commercial execution, strengthening customer relationships, and systematically winning profitable business to improve the utilization of existing capacity. To this end, Sales and Engineering are working more closely together. The Company is leveraging proven technologies more effectively across new customers and applications and increasingly aligning pricing decisions with the market. Through target costing, required cost structures are defined even before a contract is awarded, enabling the Company to offer competitive prices while maintaining profitability.
Initial successes are already visible: In the first nine months of 2026, cumulative lifetime sales won in the Mobility & New Energy business unit increased by approximately 45% compared with the prior-year period.
In addition, NORMA Group is consistently aligning itself with demand, costs, manufacturing expertise, and customer requirements. In doing so, the company flexibly allocates orders across its global network. This improves plant utilization, reduces unit costs, and strengthens the company’s competitive position in new tenders.
Measures already implemented or underway include the consolidation of manufacturing sites in China, the concentration of production in Mexico, and the closure of a distribution center in Australia, as well as the planned closure of the regional office in Singapore. At the same time, NORMA Group is strengthening its Shared Service Center in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Another key focus is the manufacturing footprint in EMEA. The existing network, which comprises nine production sites, is currently structurally operating below capacity. NORMA Group therefore intends to consolidate production, concentrate manufacturing volumes at fewer sites, and make more targeted use of best-cost locations. By 2031, the company expects these measures to generate an additional annualized EBIT contribution of approximately EUR 20 to 30 million.
In addition to generating more business and improving capacity utilization, NORMA Group is reducing its structural cost base through its transformation program. To this end, the Company is simplifying its organization, reducing complexity, standardizing and automating core processes, and strengthening performance management through clear financial KPIs.
Based on the measures already initiated and the additional measures under the transformation program, as well as the EMEA footprint optimization, NORMA Group expects to achieve total additional annualized EBIT savings of approximately EUR 70 to 90 million by 2031 compared to fiscal year 2026.
Financial ambition through 2031
NORMA Group aims to achieve average annual currency-adjusted net sales growth of 1 to 3% through 2031. Growth momentum is expected to increasingly come from the Industry Applications business unit, while Mobility & New Energy will contribute to the financial ambition primarily through operational improvements.
The adjusted EBIT margin is targeted to exceed 10% by FY3(1). Profitable volume growth, an improved product mix, higher capacity utilization, and a lower structural cost base are expected to drive sustainable margin improvement.
Improved operational profitability forms the basis for stronger cash generation. By 2031, NORMA Group aims to achieve cash conversion¹ of over 70%, supported by disciplined working capital management and capital expenditure.
Okan Celiker, Group CFO: “Our financial ambition is underpinned by clear operational measures that we have already started implementing and will continue to expand systematically. We are combining profitable volume growth and an improved mix with higher capacity utilization, lower structural costs, and strict working capital and investment discipline. This is how we will improve our margins and translate operational improvements into stronger cash flows.”
Disciplined capital allocation and new dividend policy
NORMA Group aligns its capital allocation with strategic priorities, expected returns, and financial performance. Its highest priority is to maintain a strong and efficient balance sheet. In the medium term, NORMA Group targets a ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA of up to 1.5x.
Within this framework, the Company prioritizes organic, profitable growth with a clear focus on increasing productivity. This includes, in particular, the continued implementation of the Sales Push and targeted investments in research and development. NORMA Group will only allocate capital where the strategic fit and expected risk-adjusted returns meet its defined value-creation criteria.
The Management Board of NORMA Group has resolved to change the Company's dividend policy. Starting in fiscal year 2027, the dividend payout will target a payout ratio of at least 10% of the adjusted Group Net Income, provided that the Company's economic situation and liquidity position permit. Subject to approval by the Annual General Meeting, the dividend will be paid once a year for the preceding fiscal year.
With the revised dividend policy, NORMA Group will maintain a reliable base dividend while increasing financial flexibility to invest in profitable growth and additionally carry out potential share buybacks. Share buybacks are conducted taking into account the company's financial flexibility and alternative uses of capital.
The presentations from Strategy Update 2026 and further information are available on the Company's website: www.normagroup.com/global/en/investor-relations/publications-and-events/strategy-update-2026
(1) Cash conversion is defined as adjusted EBIT plus depreciation of property, plant and equipment and amortization of intangible assets, less investments from operating business, the change in trade working capital, and cash outflows from income taxes, divided by adjusted EBIT.
Contact
Media
Christian Filipcic
VP Sales Enablement IA & Group Marketing, Corporate Communications
E-Mail: Christian.Filipcic@normagroup.com
Tel.: +49 152 23587192
Investors
Pia-Maria Görner
Director Investor Relations & Corporate Responsibility
E-Mail: IR@normagroup.com
About NORMA Group
NORMA Group is an international market leader in engineered and standardized connecting technology. With around 6,000 employees, NORMA Group supplies customers in over 100 countries with more than 40,000 product solutions. NORMA Group supports its customers and business partners in responding to global challenges such as climate change and the increasing scarcity of resources. NORMA Group’s innovative connecting solutions are used in electric and combustion vehicles, ships and aircraft, in energy and infrastructure systems, in machinery, pharma, agriculture and white goods as well as in buildings. NORMA Group generated sales of around EUR 820 million in 2025. The company has a global network of 19 production sites and numerous sales offices in Europe, North, Central and South America and the Asia-Pacific region. Its headquarters are located in Maintal near Frankfurt/Main. NORMA Group SE is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in the regulated market (Prime Standard) and is a member of the SDAX.
Disclaimer
This press release contains certain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements include all statements which do not relate to historical facts and events and contain future-oriented expressions such as “believe,” “estimate,” “assume,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “could,” or “should” or expressions of a similar kind. Such future-oriented statements are subject to risks and uncertainties since they relate to future events and are based on the company’s current assumptions, which may not in the future take place or be fulfilled as expected. The company points out that such future-oriented statements provide no guarantee for the future and that the actual events including the financial position and profitability of NORMA Group SE and developments in the economic and regulatory fundamentals may vary substantially (particularly on the down side) from those explicitly or implicitly assumed in these statements. Even if the actual results for NORMA Group SE, including its financial position and profitability and the economic and regulatory fundamentals, are in accordance with such future-oriented statements in this press release, no guarantee can be given that this will continue to be the case in the future.
Oct 19 · 21:12·NewMediaWire
Finance · Education
National authorities responsible for fisheries and for the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), from across 22 African coastal countries, commit to strengthen cooperation for improved implementation of CITES through national fisheries legal frameworks.
In a regional workshop, jointly organized by the CITES Secretariat and the Development Law Service of the Legal Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from 29 September to 1 October, 2026, participants highlighted the fact that a well-established, comprehensive and agreed trading conventions are crucial for African nations, which produce over 7 million tonnes of aquatic animals annually through marine capture fisheries.
Opening the workshop, Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary General, reiterated the significance of adapting international conventions for the management and trading of fisheries and aquatic resources in Africa.
“Fisheries and aquatic resources are fundamental to food security, livelihoods and economies across Africa. CITES has brought the knowledge and tools it has developed over the years to support African nations to conduct lawful and productive management of the fisheries sector. Participants of the workshop are expected to extensively dwell on key legal and administrative issues that would help to advance our collective interest, which is a world where all international wildlife trade is sustainable and legal,” she remarked.
Farayi Zimudzi, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and Representative to the African Union and UNECA, a.i. stressed the fact that fisheries management, wildlife trade regulation, and marine conservation are essential to help countries address current and emerging food security challenges.
“The diversity of expertise represented here is one of the workshop’s greatest strengths. Bringing together CITES Management Authorities and national fisheries authorities offers a valuable opportunity for dialogue, mutual learning, and the development of practical solutions that are nationally relevant and regionally coherent. Sharing experiences in fisheries management, wildlife trade regulation, and marine conservation will be essential to helping countries address current and emerging challenges, including food insecurity,” she noted.
Bringing fisheries and CITES authorities together
Designed to encourage dialogue across sectors, the workshop responded to the increasing need for effective coordination between CITES authorities and fisheries administrations as the number of commercially exploited aquatic species regulated under CITES continues to grow.
Currently, more than 2000 marine species, ranging from sharks and rays to sea cucumbers and corals, are listed in the CITES Appendices. The number has continued to rise in recent years, reflecting both the mounting pressures on marine biodiversity and the growing confidence of governments that are Parties to the Convention in CITES as an instrument for ensuring that international trade is sustainable, legal and well regulated.
Implementing CITES requirements for these species involves scientific assessments known as Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs), evaluations of legal requirements known as Legal Acquisition Findings (LAF), and provisions concerning Introduction from the Sea (IFS), for specimens taken in marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
The FAO-CITES partnership assists countries in understanding how these requirements interact with national fisheries legislation (see CITES-LEX), institutions and fisheries-management systems.
Countries share experiences and common challenges
A central focus of the workshop was the exchange of experiences among national authorities. Country representatives presented their legal and institutional arrangements, highlighted good practices and discussed continuing challenges.
The discussions covered the regulation of trade in CITES-listed marine species, coordination between fisheries and CITES authorities, traceability, monitoring of sharks and rays, and the relationship between national fisheries legislation and CITES requirements.
The workshop also introduced participants to the recently launched FAO Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS), with a practical exercise on how information generated through fisheries-governance systems, including licensing, catch documentation, monitoring, control and surveillance, and fisheries-management measures, can support CITES processes.
Furthermore, representatives of the Regional Fishery Bodies Secretariats’ Network, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission and the Subregional Fisheries Commission demonstrated how regional bodies can contribute through conservation and management measures, scientific data collection, information exchange and cooperation.
Participants concluded that continued cooperation among fisheries administrations and CITES Management and Scientific Authorities will be essential to effective implementation of both CITES and national regulations.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Oct 19 · 19:59·APO Group
Sustainability
Wuxi, China, 2026-10-19 — As cities, businesses, and homeowners worldwide grapple with a growing threat of floods caused by climate change and [read full press release...]
Oct 19 · 17:27·Express Press Release
SaaS · Food & drink
The Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, held a meeting with Togo’s Minister of Environment, Forest Resources, Coastal Protection and Climate Change in Togo on October 9th, 2026. The engagement focused on strengthening cooperation between the ECOWAS Commission and the Togolese government on environmental protection, natural resource management, and sustainable development within the broader framework of regional integration and economic resilience.
The meeting highlights the importance of regional collaboration to address pressing environmental challenges confronting West Africa, including climate change, coastal erosion, deforestation, land degradation, and heightened pressure on natural resources. These challenges directly threaten livelihoods, agricultural productivity, critical infrastructure, and broader economic activities across member states.
For the ECOWAS Commission, environmental sustainability is intrinsically linked to agricultural output, economic stability, and food security. The Commission recognizes that climate-induced pressures exacerbate rural vulnerability, disrupt development gains, and strain public resources, necessitating coordinated regional policies, shared technical expertise, and joint investments in climate-resilient infrastructure and sustainable agricultural practices.
During the dialogue, the alignment between Togo’s national environmental conservation efforts and ECOWAS regional sustainability goals was underscored. Discussions noted Togo’s active measures to strengthen coastal protection, particularly along the Gbodjomé–Agbodrafo–Goumoukopé–Kpémé coastline where 26 groynes have been deployed to stabilize the shore and mitigate erosion. Attention was also drawn to Togo’s ambitious forest conservation targets, which include planting one billion trees by 2030, raising national forest cover to 26 percent, and establishing mobile environmental and forestry surveillance brigades to protect forests and natural resources. These national initiatives provide critical avenues for regional collaboration, joint environmental programming, and enhanced mobilization of international climate finance and development assistance across the bloc.
The engagement forms part of Commissioner Zuo’s official activities following his assumption of office on September 1, 2026, under the ECOWAS Commission’s 2026–2030 mandate. Covering Economic Affairs and Agriculture, his portfolio prioritizes economic cooperation, agricultural development, and environmental sustainability as essential pillars for building economic resilience and safeguarding vulnerable communities across West Africa.
The consultation reinforces the commitment of the ECOWAS Commission to sustain dialogue with national authorities to advance regional environmental protection, resource management and sustainable economic growth.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Oct 19 · 16:25·APO Group
Sports · Sustainability
As an authorized Nike Grind licensee, Gerflor North America incorporates recycled materials into select athletic flooring products. BOLINGBROOK, Ill., Oct. 19, 2026 -- Gerflor North America announced the availability of select sports flooring products containing Nike Grind...
Oct 19 · 16:11·PR Newswire