Digital Transformation

Seoul, South Korea – September 22, 2026 -- Kakao Pay and Kakao Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding with Fireblocks to build secure onchain infrastructure for Korea's emerging digital asset market, with stablecoins as an initial focus area.

Three parties will test stablecoin distribution frameworks through proof-of-concept trials

Under the agreement, Kakao Pay, Kakao Bank and Fireblocks will jointly explore business opportunities based on Korea's market conditions and infrastructure demand. The companies plan to design digital asset distribution frameworks tailored to Korea's regulatory, security, and service requirements, then run proof-of-concept tests to validate their applicability.

Copenhagen – – September 22, 2026 -- Lightera has committed major capital to expand submarine optical fiber manufacturing in Denmark and the United States, a move set to nearly triple production capacity by 2029.

Lightera targets tripled output to meet surging subsea bandwidth demand

The expansion covers Lightera's manufacturing centers in Brøndby, Denmark, and Norcross, Georgia, which supply optical fiber for undersea communications networks worldwide. Company CEO Holly Hulse said the investment secures existing customer commitments while preparing capacity for future submarine cable programs.

Pune, India – September 22, 2026 -- The global pharmaceutical logistics market is set to nearly double from approximately $100.0 billion in 2025 to $194.0 billion by 2034, expanding at a 7.7% compound annual growth rate, according to a new report from Maximize Market Research.

Cold-chain demand for biologics and vaccines drives infrastructure investment

Growth is being fueled by rising volumes of biologics, vaccines, specialty medicines and clinical trial materials that require validated temperature control. Logistics providers are investing in refrigerated transportation, specialized cold storage warehousing and real-time temperature monitoring to protect product integrity across international drug distribution networks.

Denver – September 22, 2026 -- EverPeak Insurance has launched a direct-to-customer workers' compensation insurance offering in Georgia, with policies starting at $18 a month and instant certificates of insurance issued upon purchase.

Georgia marks EverPeak's first state expansion of its direct digital insurance model

The move extends a channel built on EverPeak's Colorado-based partnership with Pinnacol Assurance, bringing an online quote-and-purchase process to Georgia small businesses without phone calls or paperwork delays. EverPeak said it plans to launch the direct channel in additional states.

Franklin Lakes, N.J. – September 22, 2026 -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), listed on the NYSE under BDX, has appointed Arthur (Art) Hu as executive vice president and chief information and digital officer, effective September 30.

Hu Joins BD From Lenovo's Solutions and Services Group

Hu departs Lenovo Group, where he served as senior vice president, global chief information officer and chief technology and delivery officer for the Solutions and Services Group. He brings more than 25 years of experience in global technology, digital and business transformation. Prior to Lenovo, Hu spent over a decade at McKinsey & Company advising organizations on technology, operations and strategy.

Appointment Follows Retirement of Longtime BD Technology Chief

Hu succeeds Denise Russell Fleming, who will retire from BD at the end of 2026.

Phoenix – September 22, 2026 -- SWCA Environmental Consultants has launched Regulatory Radar, a subscription-based intelligence platform designed to help project teams anticipate environmental regulatory changes before they disrupt budgets, permitting timelines and compliance obligations.

Platform targets power, energy and infrastructure compliance teams

Regulatory Radar currently supports audiences focused on power and energy, infrastructure and construction compliance. Subscribers receive portal access and targeted alerts when regulatory developments may affect inspections, permits, schedules, budgets or compliance obligations.

San Francisco – September 22, 2026 -- INSEAD launched its Future Council and detailed a five-year, €15 million gift funding a new Human and Machine Intelligence Institute (HUMII) during its two-day AI Forum Americas 2026, held in San Francisco this week.

New York – September 22, 2026 -- Prospect HQ, a career platform connecting student-athletes with employers, has launched an iOS app that gives its network of nearly 300 colleges and universities direct mobile access to job matching and profile tools.

Network reaches nearly 300 colleges since January 2026 launch

Prospect HQ went live in January 2026 and has since built an active community of current and former student-athletes drawn from close to 300 colleges and universities. The platform matches candidates to open roles based on self-described goals and cultural fit, aiming to reduce time spent on broad job searches.

San Francisco – September 22, 2026 -- Architecture firm NBBJ has partnered with Stanford physician and health economist Dr. Kevin Schulman to redesign hospital campuses for an era of AI-driven care, as health systems commit billions of dollars to facilities meant to operate for decades under uncertain technology trajectories.

Hospitals face multibillion-dollar bets on unpredictable care models

Health systems are currently planning large-scale campuses even as AI, automation and distributed care delivery make it difficult to forecast how medicine will be practiced by the time those buildings open. The partnership targets a specific gap: making long-term real estate investments flexible enough to adapt to care models that do not yet exist.

Reston, Va. – September 22, 2026 -- ASRC Federal's subsidiary, ASRC Research and Technology Solutions (ARTS), has secured a $494 million, five-year contract from the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) to support the Case Processing Operation Center (CPOC) 2.0 program.

DCSA relies on the contract to process roughly 2 million background checks annually

The CPOC program serves 100 government agencies and approximately 10,000 cleared companies, underpinning the federal government's personnel vetting infrastructure. ARTS will handle application ingestion, case maintenance, item-level processing and post-closing support under the new award.