Category: 3. Business

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By Andrea Figueras

  Haleon said it appointed Vindi Banga as chair, succeeding Dave Lewis, who is set to become chief executive of U.K. drinks group Diageo. 

  The British consumer-health company said Monday that Lewis would step down as chair and director on Dec. 31, with Banga taking over from Jan. 1. 

  Banga served as Haleon's senior independent director since the company's listing in 2022. 

  "The board was unanimous in its appointment of Vindi given his wealth of global corporate and commercial leadership experience," the group said. He spent 33 years at Unilever, where he held a number of executive roles. 

  Banga is currently chair of U.K. Government Investments and a partner at private investment firm CD&R. He is also chair of council at Imperial College London and was previously senior independent director at GSK and Marks & Spencer. 

  Write to Andrea Figueras at andrea.figueras@wsj.com 

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires

  November 10, 2025 02:36 ET (07:36 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Enhancing L-malate production of the M4-ΔiclR/pck strain

Our initial objective was to enhance L-malate production by utilizing metabolic engineering on the M4-ΔiclR/pck strain [27]. We hypothesized that glycerol uptake could be a bottleneck in the process. Glycerol enters the cell via facilitated diffusion through the glycerol transporter protein (GlpF), and is then assimilated into cellular metabolism through phosphorylation by the glycerol kinase enzyme (GlpK) [49]. To test our hypothesis, we tried to enhance glycerol uptake by overexpressing the E. coli glpK (Table S1) in the previously reported genetic background (M4-∆iclR/pck) and using pure glycerol in Erlenmeyer Flasks (Fig. 1). We found that L-malate production and molar yields significantly improved in the strain overexpressing the glpK gene (M4-∆iclR/pck–glpk strain), reaching 9.71 ± 0.46 g/L at 72 h, while the control M4-∆iclR/pck strain produced 4.69 g/L of L-malate, a value similar to that reporter by [27], and consequently half of the production of the strain that additionally overexpressed glpk (Fig. 1a). This improved performance is indeed related to the predicted rapid uptake and consumption of glycerol, as evidenced by the decrease in glycerol concentration in the culture, which fell from 13.06 ± 0.25 g/L in the inoculation medium to 4.72 ± 0.36 g/L after 24 h. This is almost half the amount observed in the reference strain (Fig. 1b). The pH decreased in line with the accumulation of L-malate in the culture medium, reaching 5.8 ± 0.1 in the M4-∆iclR/pck–glpk strain (Fig. 1c). The growth of the strain overexpressing GlpK was also higher at this point-time, but remained unchanged up to 72 h (Fig. 1d). Therefore, most of the glycerol consumed from 24 to 72 h was transformed into L-malate. Moreover, succinate (1.45 ± 0.18 g/L) and acetate (1.61 ± 0.12 g/L) were also produced from glycerol (Fig. 1e, f). The L-malate molar yield (mol/mol of consumed glycerol) after 72 h was also significantly higher (0.58 ± 0.05 mol/mol) than that of the control strain (0.31 mol/mol), and the total organic acids molar yield from consumed glycerol was 0.90 ± 0.05 (mol/mol) (Fig. 2).

The increase in biomass and L-malate production in the M4∆iclR/pck-glpK strain can be explained by its higher glycerol uptake rate compared with the reference strain, which does not overexpress the GlpK enzyme. In the M4∆iclR/pck-glpK strain, the increase in glycerol consumption rate during the log phase was 0.46 g. L-1.h⁻¹, which is significantly higher than that of the reference strain (0.21 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹). This higher carbon uptake led to increased biomass and L-malate production as an end product of the linearized TCA cycle. Although the final glycerol uptake is similar in both strains, the higher L-malate production at 72 h indicates an increased CO₂ intake in the stationary phase due to the anaplerotic reaction catalyzed by Pck (PEP + CO₂ → OAA + ATP).

Optimizing L-malate production in the M4-∆iclR/pck-glpK strain

The optimization of culture conditions is critical to scale up a biotransformation process from Erlenmeyer Flasks to bioreactors. To this end, we used the Micromatrix microbioreactor platform (Applikon, Netherlands), which allows the simultaneous monitoring and control of temperature, oxygen, and pH using small working volumes (3 mL in our case). A full-factorial screening was designed for the identification of independent factors that significantly influenced the L-malate molar yield at 24 h as a response variable using the optimized strain M4-ΔiclR/pck-glpK (Fig. 3). The factors evaluated were inoculum biomass, DO, and glycerol concentration in the initial culture medium (Table S2). This full factorial screening (Supporting information, Table S2) was carried out using either pure or crude glycerol to investigate possible differences in influential factors when using the two grades of glycerol. The analysis revealed that the initial biomass had a significant positive impact on L-malate yield in both cases (Fig. 3), and therefore OD₅₇₀ 1.1 was selected as the inoculum biomass for further experimentation. Glycerol concentration was also a positive significant factor using crude glycerol within the analyzed concentration range (9 to 15 g/L) (Fig. 3a, b), but no statistical differences were found with pure glycerol (Fig. 3c, d). This effect is likely due to components other than glycerol in the crude glycerol extract. On the other hand, controlled DO at a range from 20% to 100% was not a significant factor using either crude or pure glycerol, and therefore, 20% DO was chosen for scaling up the process (Fig. 3). The inoculum biomass and crude glycerol concentration were also significant factors when pH and final biomass were set as response variables (data not shown).

Dark fermentation: scaling up the production of L-malate in a bioreactor and in silico metabolic modeling and flux balance analysis (FBA)

To scale up L-malate production, the mini-bioreactor system MiniBio (Applikon^® Biotechnology) was used for monitoring and/or control of pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Based on the results of the full-factorial screening previously described, the following parameters were set: DO controlled at 20% of air saturation, and an inoculum of induced bacteria at an OD₅₇₀ of 1.1 (0.363 g CDW/L). The minimal medium was first supplemented with ∼12.5 g/L pure or crude glycerol as the only organic carbon source to test the scalability from Erlenmeyer flasks [27].

These assays showed that L-malate reached similar maximal concentrations in the bioreactor as in the Erlenmeyer flasks (9.55 g/L with crude glycerol and 8.89 g/L with pure glycerol), but with higher productivity, obtaining the maximum values at 24 and 48 h, respectively, versus 72 h in Erlenmeyer flasks (Fig. 4a, b). Almost all of the crude glycerol had been consumed by 24 h, concomitantly with the maximum production of L-malate (Fig. 4a). As previously reported by [27], once the glycerol had been consumed, the bacteria used up the L-malate and decreased in the culture medium. In contrast, pure glycerol was fully consumed by 48 h, coinciding with the maximum L-malate production. (Fig. 4b). This suggests that the composition of the crude glycerol extract is suitable not only for E. coli growth [42], but also for L-malate production. Regarding pH, similar trends were observed when using either type of glycerol. There was an increase over three hours concomitant with a decrease in biomass. This was followed by acidification alongside malate production (Fig. 4c, d). In these experiments, pH was monitored but not controlled. The main reason for this was to keep dark fermentation as simple as possible. Given that the L-malate yield was quite high (0.65 ± 0.13 mol/mol) when 13 g/L of crude glycerol was used, we reasoned that scaling up would be easier and cheaper without pH control.

Oxygen was consumed steadily at the set point until the carbon source was depleted. At this stage, oxygen consumption ceased, and its concentration in the culture medium increased (Fig. 4c, d). These results support the use of the engineered E. coli strain to consume crude glycerol from a biodiesel refinery and produce L-malate. This process is even more efficient than using pure glycerol.

In order to investigate the metabolic rewiring of the strains used in this work, the experimental data were applied to metabolic reconstructions and simulations. For this, an iterative constraint matrix approach was performed to evaluate extracellular compounds by calculating metabolic fluxes using a metabolic-based model to generate the final metabolic flux distribution inside the cell under different scenarios. This allowed us to predict some non-experimentally measured parameters [50]. The strategies of metabolic engineering, together with the optimization of the culture conditions (glycerol grade, reactor configuration, and DO), revealed that fluxes from glycerol assimilation towards L-malate production have been improved from E. coli M4-ΔiclR (with pure glycerol medium) to the final M4-ΔiclR/pck-glpK mutant (with crude glycerol medium) (Table 1). FBA calculations reveal that CO₂ production (Ex_ CO₂) lowers in each step of optimization, and actually, becomes a net uptake of 3.13 mmol/g CDW h in M4-ΔiclR/pck-glpK strain. This in silico model indicates that there must be a net carbon uptake in the optimized strain because it is necessary for the carbon closure value (1.05) (Table 1). In theory, this additional uptake could come from CO₂ or HCO₃⁻ from crude glycerol, which were not experimentally measured. Regardless, the optimized metabolic phenotype displays minimized biomass, and maximized L-malate production and glycerol consumption. These differences are also apparent by examining the energetic metabolic pathways fluxes (mmol/g CDW in bracket): in the M4-ΔiclR/pck-glpK strain with crude glycerol, the source of ATP synthesis increased in glycolysis by phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) (17.4), PCK (PPCK in Escher-map and CobraPy model) (13.2) when compared to the M4-ΔiclR strain with PGK (13.6) and PPCK (1.27). In contrast, the ATP Synthase (ATPS4r) activity diminished from 83.5 to 47.88 in the optimized strain (Table 1), which indicates that the oxidative phosphorylation is lower in this case. Flux variability analysis for ATP-related reactions shows that the flux range for PPCK in M4-ΔiclR was very low (1.27–3.48) and 0 in all of the strains overexpressing PPCK (Metabolic model results are available in Data availability statement). These results indicate that there is a unique pFBA solution for ATP synthesis in all of the constraints based-models for the strains overexpressing PPCK. In this strain, Pck is predicted to transform phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) into oxalacetate (OAA), contributing to CO₂ assimilation and ATP production. This is consistent with previous reports that E. coli overexpressing Pck with glucose in anaerobiosis had an intracellular ATP concentration that was approximately twice as high, increasing the ATP/ADP ratio via substrate phosphorylation rather than oxidative pathways, and this occurred concomitantly with CO₂ fixation [51, 52]. Our in silico analysis corroborates these results when using the optimized strain with crude glycerol in anaerobiosis, and also explains why a high O₂ concentration is not a significant factor, as was experimentally deduced from the full factorial design of experiment (Fig. 3). Regarding NADH production, GAPD fluxes increased from 13.8 to 17.4 and diminished in the NADH transhydrogenase (NADHTRHD) from 51.9 to 30.3 in the M4-iclR and M4-iclR/pck-glpK strains respectively (Table 1), confirming the NADH production is balanced with the malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity.

In summary, FBA analysis provides insight into metabolism, confirming that the engineered strain is a crucial step in optimizing crude glycerol fermentation. The model predicts a minimal O₂ consumption by reducing metabolic energetic pathways, increasing the efficiency of C and energy utilization (avoiding fermentative end-products), and maximizing the C-flux towards L-malate. This optimized strain facilitates the scaling-up and the application of different bioprocess operations to increase L-malate production and productivity.

Effect of crude glycerol concentration on the production of L-malate in bioreactor and fed-batch fermentation

We continued to explore the optimization of the biotransformation in bioreactor comparing two different crude glycerol concentrations (12.91 ± 1.71 g/L and 19.12 ± 0.15 g/L) to set the optimum (Fig. 5). We found that L-malate production and yield at 24 h was higher using 19 g/L of glycerol (11.41 ± 2.88 g/L and 0.80 ± 0.09 molar yield), with no succinate or acetate production. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest E. coli L-malate production using either pure or crude glycerol. However, almost half of the initial glycerol remained in the culture medium (Fig. 5c). On the other hand, when 12.9 g/L of glycerol was used, L-malate concentration and molar yield were slightly lower (8.94 ± 1.54 g/L and 0.65 ± 0.13 mol yield respectively), but 75% of glycerol was consumed (Fig. 5c). The pH evolution and oxygen intake were similar when using either concentration (Fig. 5a and b), with the highest L-malate concentration correlating with the lowest pH. Therefore, a better yield or L-malate concentration will depend on the initial glycerol concentration. Depending on the downstream application of the L-malate produced in the fermentation, either initial glycerol concentrations would be appropriate, since a lower concentration leads to a higher L-malate yield, and a higher concentration leads to a higher L-malate concentration.

At an industrial scale, fed-batch fermentation is a usual strategy [43]. To test the applicability of this strategy, one fed-batch fermentation was also carried starting with 12.5 g/L of glycerol and removing 90% of the culture medium after 20 h the inoculation and adding the same volume of fresh M9 crude glycerol medium (Fig. 5d and e). In this assay, the pH increased slightly to 7.8, and then dropped to 5 between 24 and 48 h, showing a similar trend to that observed between 0 and 24 h. Oxygen consumption remained constant up to 48 h, after which it decreased (Fig. 5d). In the first step, production of L-malate was also similar to that previously obtained in the single batch fermentation, reaching 10.07 g/L (Fig. 4d). However, L-malate concentration after 20 h of the second batch was significantly lower (6.68 g/L) but increased up to 11.09 g/L at 40 h. The production rate was lower, although the final concentration was higher in this second batch. This difference in production rate was probably due to the initial biomass in the first (OD₅₇₀ = 1.1) and second (OD₅₇₀ = 0.6) batches. Further studies would be needed to adjust the optimal biomass concentration by, for instance, removing less than 90% of the culture medium in the second batch. This study therefore validates the scaling up of L-malate production in bioreactors using E. coli and crude glycerol.

Bio-H₂ production by photofermentation using the L-malate-enriched culture medium from glycerol dark fermentation

One of the drawbacks of biotechnological L-malate production is the purification and downstream processes required to obtain the highly purified extracts needed for certain industrial applications. Nevertheless, the fermented medium obtained from crude glycerol by DF in this study contains mainly L-malate, as well as small amounts of succinate, acetate, and non-consumed glycerol. This medium can be used in an additional fermentative process to produce an added-value product, such as bio-H₂. This would be of particular interest in a biodiesel refinery, as it would transform a by-product into another clean energy source, creating an integrated process capable of producing two clean bioenergy sources from biomass: biodiesel and bio-H₂. In this study, we propose a procedure that uses non-purified, crude glycerol to produce an L-malate-enriched medium. This medium is then used to formulate an RCV culture medium for producing bio-H₂ via photofermentation using the R. capsulatus S2 strain. To this end, we assayed increasing final concentrations of L-malate from 1 to 8 g/L in the RCV L-malate medium. We found that R. capsulatus grew and produced H₂ in all the conditions except when 6–8 g/L of L-malate was used, where H₂ production was negligible (< 5 mmol/L). The optimum was achieved using 3 g/L of L-malate with a H₂ production of 55.14 ± 3.80 mmol/L and 62.97 ± 5.85 mmol H₂/g CDW) (Fig. 6a). The analysis of the culture after photofermentation showed that the consumption of organic acids was almost 90% with 1 and 2 g/L L-malate in RCV medium, and 73% was consumed with 3 g/L L-malate. However, when higher L-malate concentrations were used, very low bio-H₂ synthesis and growth were observed, probably due to an inhibition by the excess of L-malate or other components of the spent M9 culture medium. In this sense, although there was some L-malate consumption, most of the glycerol remained after photofermentation (Fig. 6a). In the 3 g/L L-malate – RCV medium, not only L-malate, but also acetate, succinate, and most of the glycerol content were consumed, which represents 87% of the carbon sources (Table 2). This means that the yield was around 1.5 mol H₂/mol (C2-C4 consumed) and the productivities 0.6 mmol/L h and 0.7 mmol/g CDW h. To find out the optimum fermentation time point, the culture medium containing 3 g/L of L-malate was tested every 24 h from inoculation to 120 h. This analysis showed that 92 h was the optimal time point, at which 58.0 ± 6.0 mmol/L of bio-H₂ was achieved. Bio-H₂ dropped from 92 to 120 h (Fig. 6b), probably due to some remaining hydrogenase activity in the R. capsulatus strain used in this study. For example, it was reported that R. capsulatus B10 wild type uses 35 mM lactate and 7 mM sodium glutamate in a 1 L photo-bioreactor yielded 1.45 mol H₂/mol lactate [53], which is very similar to the yield obtained in this work (1.48 mol H₂/mol with a consumption of 36.5 mM C2-C4 compounds in this work) (Table 2). In terms of productivity [54], reported 0.56 mmol H₂​/L h using R. capsulatus DSM 1710 at 27.5 °C with light power 287 W/m², which are similar conditions to those of this work (0.59 mmol H₂​/L h). Other R. capsulatus strain (KU002) produced 1264 mL H₂​/L, a similar value to that obtained in this work (1041 mL/L) but with higher productivity (XXX6.8 mL H₂​/L h). In this case, the author also used L-malate as a carbon source and improved the productivity by optimizing pH, temperature, and light intensity [53]. Recent publications have used several carbon sources (glucose, acetate, butyrate), obtaining variable productivity values (0.15–2.3 mmol/L h) [55, 56] reported a higher productivity (1.388 mmol H₂/L h OD and 1500 mL/L culture) using the S2 strain and similar conditions to those of this work (RCV with 30 mM L-malate in diazotrophic conditions, 30 °C at 63 h). This difference is probably due to the higher light intensity (60 W) used by Barahona et al.

Another widely used PNSB in hydrogen production is the R. sphaeroides species. This bacterium has been reported to produce hydrogen at a broad range of rates (0.29–8.7 mmol/L h) using different organic compounds (acetic, butyric, xylose, glucose, lactate, L-malate), or food wastes (oil palm, brewery effluent, restaurant effluent, etc.) [35]. The wide range of substrates, bioreactor configurations, and environmental conditions (including light intensity, temperature, pH, etc.) significantly affects H₂ production and productivity, as also described for R. capsulatus and other PNSBs [55, 57]. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, no publications have reported the consumption of glycerol and L-malate for H₂ production in R. capsulatus or other PNSBs. These evidences make this work very interesting in terms of productivity, reproducibility, and the scalability of photofermentative H₂ process when a defined L-malate medium is used. The identification and construction of new PNSB strains by genetic engineering [58], together with bioprocess engineering studies, are promising strategies to improve H₂ rates [41, 56, 58].

DynamicHealth is currently used by approximately 60 Tietoevry Care customers. It offers comprehensive tools tailored to the needs of private healthcare providers in Finland. More than 50,000 professionals use the system across roughly 1,000 units of Aava and Pikkujätti, Pihlajalinna, Mehiläinen, and Terveystalo. DynamicHealth covers key healthcare functions of private healthcare, from online appointment booking and patient data entry to reporting and accounting. With this agreement DynamicHealth will be further developed to be more efficient, user-oriented, and digitally advanced for all private healthcare customers. This supports high-quality care and enables smooth customer experience. 

“Aava and Pikkujätti, Mehiläinen, Pihlajalinna, and Terveystalo are Tietoevry Care’s long-standing and significant customers. We are very pleased to continue and deepen our collaboration through this new agreement. Our goal is to build the next-generation system that enables high-quality and cost-effective services. Thanks to the DynamicHealth system, professionals can focus on what matters most: patient care, better decision-making, and impactful treatment,” says Tietoevry Care’s Managing Director Ari Järvelä. 

According to Wille Komulainen, Chief Physician and Director of eHealth at Aava and Pikkujätti, the development work focuses especially on solutions that will support the daily work of healthcare professionals. 

“The primary purpose of the renewed platform is to improve the user experience of healthcare professionals. In recent years, system development and increased regulation have brought along new requirements, which highlight the need for smooth and user-oriented tools. Going forward, our goal is to improve efficiency, support decision-making, and enable continuous care pathways,” says Komulainen. 

According to Marko Honkanen, CIO/CDO at Aava and Pikkujätti, collaboration is key to successful system development. 

“Collaboration with Tietoevry Care and other private sector service providers enables us to develop the system from both the customers’ and healthcare professionals’ perspective. Through this joint initiative, we are gaining a modern and fit-for-purpose platform that supports data flow, open interfaces, and data-driven management. This means we are able to provide even higher quality care for our customers,” Honkanen states. 

“This close cooperation ensures a long lifecycle for the DynamicHealth system and enables its development in a more agile way in the future. Our goal is a technically modern and flexible platform that integrates seamlessly with our other services and thus best supports the work of our professionals,” Mehiläinen’s CIO Janne Jakola says. 

“The partnership agreement with Tietoevry Care is a good step in the development of DynamicHealth system. Its modernization improves the user experience for healthcare professionals and enables the system to be integrated more seamlessly into Pihlajalinna’s overall solution in the future. This also enhances the service experience for our customers. The new collaboration model, in which we develop the system together with other Tietoevry Care customers, allows for cost-effective development and ensures that we are moving in the right direction,” says Pihlajalinna’s CIO Lauri Muhonen. 

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to develop DynamicHealth in a joint initiative. Terveystalo has already taken pivotal steps in its digital agenda. Terveystalo Ella is an example of how a digital solution can significantly improve healthcare professionals’ daily work experience. The development of DynamicHealth supports this journey and ensures that smooth progress continues to be made. This development enables Terveystalo to establish a fundamental system architecture, while ensuring the continuity of the core system going forward,” says Sanna Huttunen, Director, Digital development at Terveystalo. 

For more information, please contact  

Tietoevry Newsdesk, news@tietoevry.com, +358 40 570 4072    

Tietoevry Care is a leading provider of health and social care software with strong Nordic roots and a growing European presence. Our smart, flexible, and collaborative Lifecare software supports the daily lives of more than 10 million citizens. With a data-driven approach, we enable care professionals to uncover critical insights and deliver the right support at the right time, ensuring a smoother and more personalized care experience for everyone.  

We are part of Tietoevry, a leading technology company with annual revenue of approximately EUR 2 billion. Tietoevry’s shares are listed on the NASDAQ exchange in Helsinki and Stockholm, as well as on Oslo Børs. www.tietoevry.com

Continua a leggere

HOOFDDORP, 11 November, 2025 — Federal Express Corporation, the world’s largest express transportation company, today unveiled insights from a new survey examining trade lane trends between Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe, which highlights key enablers and barriers to cross-border trade.

Conducted in September 2025, the survey polled over 1,200 small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) across nine European markets, and 850 SMEs across 13 APAC markets, exploring business sentiment, readiness, and challenges for cross‑border expansion — both for APAC firms entering Europe and European firms trading internationally and pursuing opportunities in Asia Pacific.

The survey findings reveal a notable surge in European trade among APAC small and medium businesses, with 76% of respondents reporting increased export volumes over the past year. The United Kingdom (42%), Germany (40%), and France (38%) emerged as the top three markets driving business growth.

Confidence is equally strong among European SMEs trading with APAC, with 87% of businesses expecting to shift their trade balance in 2026 toward exports or maintaining current levels. This reciprocal optimism aligns with broader market trends. The Asia–Europe trade lane has recorded 30 consecutive months of growth as of August 2025, demonstrating remarkable momentum along this vital trade corridor for businesses of all sizes.

Asia Pacific Opportunity and Expansion Challenges:

Confidence in European markets is running high among APAC SMEs, with 85% planning to begin or expand trade within the next 12–24 months. This confidence in growth has been driven by heightened European demand, improved price competitiveness, and a need to diversify market strategy to build greater resilience in the face of a shifting trade landscape.
In Europe, internationally trading Turkish SMEs have the highest proportion of their customers in APAC, with more than one in 10 (12%) coming from this region. They are followed by SMEs in Belgium (8.5%), the Netherlands (7.6%), France (7%), Italy (5.7%), Poland (5%), Germany (4.4%), the UK (4.3%), and Spain (3.6%).

Looking toward 2026, China (55%) is overwhelmingly seen as the APAC market offering the best opportunities to grow for European SMEs, followed by Japan (36%), India (26%), and South Korea (24%). Strategic expansion prospects, comprehensive logistics solutions, and favorable trade agreements are cited as critical factors in supporting increased trade with APAC.

To better support customer growth, FedEx has expanded its global network by adding five weekly flights connecting Asia to Europe this month. Additionally, FedEx enhanced connectivity between Vietnam to Europe resulting in a one day faster transit time. With increased frequencies between APAC and Europe, FedEx now operates 26 weekly flights connecting Europe shipments to APAC, delivering express shipments to major destinations in as little as 48 hours. Within APAC, businesses benefit from the company’s vast capabilities with four regional hubs serving 44 countries and territories, supported by over 28,000 team members.

Apart from the APAC region, the U.S. (48%) and the Middle East (34%) are the top intercontinental regions with which Europe’s SMEs are trading. The top European market trading with the U.S. was the UK, while for the Middle East and APAC it was Turkey.

Despite enthusiasm for cross‑border expansion, challenges remain. Regulatory shifts, complex customs procedures, and global market volatility have emerged as key concerns, with 86% of APAC SMEs and 78% of European SMEs reporting that these factors impact their ability to conduct business.
“It’s clear that the Europe-APAC trade lane represents huge opportunities for SMEs across both regions,” says Wouter Roels, European President at FedEx. “This study also confirms that factors like support with trade complexity and supply chain visibility are critical to realising the full potential of the Europe-APAC corridor. With our physical networks and our vast amount of supply chain data, FedEx is ready to translate these opportunities into growth for our customers.”

Digital Innovation and Trade Expertise Essential for Cross-Border Trade Growth

As SMEs look for cross-border expansion, 30% of APAC and 41% of European businesses are calling for innovative digital tools to improve supply chain visibility, streamline shipping, and reduce delivery times. Meanwhile, 27% of APAC and 41% of European SMEs are also seeking greater customs expertise to navigate shifting regulations, avoid delays, and manage costs effectively.

FedEx is stepping up to meet evolving customer needs with an expanded portfolio of smart digital solutions and specialized trade expertise designed to simplify cross-border commerce. Its clearance and compliance teams help businesses navigate complex regulations — amongst others via customer webinars — to avoid customs delays, and minimize unexpected costs. Through tools like Electronic Trade Documents, customers can streamline customs declarations by uploading documents digitally to ensure timely delivery. To further support European SMEs who are expanding their global footprint, the FedEx SMB Hub provides multimedia resources, trade guidelines, and local market insights, equipping businesses with the knowledge and tools to confidently expand and compete across borders.

To learn more about how FedEx enables and expands global trade, visit fedex.com/trade.

About the SurveyThis online survey was conducted by Mortar Research in September 2025 across nine European markets including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Belgium and Germany, and by Milieu Insights across 13 Asia Pacific markets including Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The survey gathered insights from1,206 European SMEs engaged in international trade, alongside 850 Asia Pacific SMEs who actively trade with Europe. To access the full report click here.

About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce, and business services. With annual revenue of $89 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions utilizing its flexible, efficient, and intelligent global network. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 500,000 employees to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards, and the needs of their customers and communities. FedEx is committed to connecting people and possibilities around the world responsibly and resourcefully, with a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. To learn more, please visit fedex.com/about.

October 2025 ADV up 492% Year Over Year,  A Testament to Tokenized Real Asset Settlement Growth

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), global Fintech leader, today announced record activity on its Distributed Ledger Repo (DLR) platform, which processed an average of $385 billion in daily repo transactions during October. The results mark a ~13% increase over September’s $339 billion daily average and a 492% increase year–over–year ($65 billion in 2024 vs. $385 billion in 2025), indicative of continued adoption of tokenized settlement.

According to its latest whitepaper based on the 2025 Broadridge Tokenization Survey, titled, Next-gen markets: The rise and reality of tokenization, tokenization is reshaping capital markets, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing transparency. As direct-to-investor distribution models gain momentum, tokenization is increasingly being recognized as a transformative force — with more than 80% of early adopters citing its potential to deepen client engagement and streamline operations.

Broadridge is an early leader in supporting tokenized trading. The DLR solution is the largest institutional platform for the settlement of tokenized real assets. Broadridge has committed to supporting the trading of digital assets across its industry-leading technology platforms and unlocking new opportunities across global capital markets as the industry moves toward a digital-first financial ecosystem.

Please visit Broadridge’s DLR platform for more information and to learn more on the 2025 Tokenization Survey, download the full report here.

About Broadridge:

Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR) is a global technology leader with trusted expertise and transformative technology, helping clients and the financial services industry operate, innovate, and grow. We power investing, governance, and communications for our clients – driving operational resiliency, elevating business performance, and transforming investor experiences.

Our technology and operations platforms process and generate over 7 billion communications annually and underpin the daily average trading of over $15 trillion in equities, fixed income, and other securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work^®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500^® Index, employing over 15,000 associates in 21 countries.

For more information about us, please visit www.broadridge.com.

CONTACT: Gregg Rosenberg, [email protected]

SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.