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China Masters AI at Scale, Japan Leads in Reliability, Driving Regional Innovation
SINGAPORE, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in products and solutions across Asia-Pacific, as engineers advance adoption while addressing operational and design challenges. This is according to Avnet's fifth annual Avnet Insights survey, which tracks global trends in AI integration across industries.
Globally, 77% of engineers reported improving market conditions for their design products and solutions. Across APAC, adoption is accelerating, with China leading in large-scale deployment and Japan emphasizing reliability and long product lifecycles. These regional strengths and shifting priorities are collectively fueling the next wave of Asia-Pacific's technological evolution.
"While the survey focuses on major global design hubs, the findings serve as a critical framework for Southeast Asian markets," said Tan Aik Hoon, Regional President for Avnet South Asia, Korea and Avnet United. "As ASEAN grows as a global manufacturing powerhouse, the 'commercial-first' AI strategies highlighted in the report offer a clear path forward for engineers in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam looking to maintain competitive speeds."
Download the 2026 Avnet Insights: The Reality of Artificial Intelligence whitepaper here.
How is AI Adoption Advancing Across APAC?
More than half of engineers globally (56%) said they are shipping products with AI incorporated, a 33% increase from the previous year. In China, adoption exceeds the global average, with engineers embedding AI across industries including automotive, industrial automation, and smart manufacturing. Japan and other APAC markets are advancing steadily, prioritizing practical applications that enhance efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.
Top AI applications across the region mirror global trends: process automation (42%), predictive maintenance (28%), and fault/anomaly detection (28%) remain the most adopted functionalities. Engineers are also increasingly combining Edge AI and machine learning (ML), with 64% globally prioritizing both equally, reflecting the growing importance of multi-modal AI.
"We see a clear shift from AI experimentation to industrial-scale deployment across the ASEAN manufacturing corridor," added Tan. "Regional engineers face a growing complexity tax—balancing rapid time-to-market with specialized data requirements. Avnet's role is to help partners overcome these barriers and move from concept to revenue faster."
Navigating Challenges to Drive Broadening Impact
As AI's influence expands, APAC engineers continue to balance technical challenges with evolving skill requirements. Data quality (46%) and continuous maintenance (54%) remain the most cited obstacles, while regional teams are investing in talent development—particularly in model optimization (17%) and data analysis (16%)—to convert complexity into competitive advantage.
"The report confirms that AI has entered its most critical phase: at-scale implementation," concluded Tan. "In a market where production speed drives optimism, Avnet helps bridge the regional resource gap by providing the technical expertise and ecosystem support our partners need to lead—not just participate—in Asia-Pacific's technological evolution."
The 2026 Avnet Insights survey conducted online was fielded to 1,200 engineers from the Americas, EMEA, Asia and Japan, from October 21 through November 5, 2025.
Download the full 2026 Avnet Insights: The Reality of Artificial Intelligence whitepaper here.
About Avnet
As a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, Avnet has served customers' evolving needs for more than a century. Through regional and specialized businesses around the world, we support customers and suppliers at every stage of the product lifecycle. We help companies adapt to change and accelerate the design and supply stages of product development. With a unique viewpoint from the center of the technology supply chain, Avnet is a trusted partner that solves complex design and supply chain issues so customers can realize revenue faster. Learn more about Avnet at www.avnet.com.
CONTACT: Seraphina Wee, seraphina.wee@avnet.com
China Masters AI at Scale, Japan Leads in Reliability, Driving Regional Innovation
SINGAPORE, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in products and solutions across Asia-Pacific, as engineers advance adoption while addressing operational and design challenges. This is according to Avnet's fifth annual Avnet Insights survey, which tracks global trends in AI integration across industries.
Globally, 77% of engineers reported improving market conditions for their design products and solutions. Across APAC, adoption is accelerating, with China leading in large-scale deployment and Japan emphasizing reliability and long product lifecycles. These regional strengths and shifting priorities are collectively fueling the next wave of Asia-Pacific's technological evolution.
"While the survey focuses on major global design hubs, the findings serve as a critical framework for Southeast Asian markets," said Tan Aik Hoon, Regional President for Avnet South Asia, Korea and Avnet United. "As ASEAN grows as a global manufacturing powerhouse, the 'commercial-first' AI strategies highlighted in the report offer a clear path forward for engineers in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam looking to maintain competitive speeds."
Download the 2026 Avnet Insights: The Reality of Artificial Intelligence whitepaper here.
How is AI Adoption Advancing Across APAC?
More than half of engineers globally (56%) said they are shipping products with AI incorporated, a 33% increase from the previous year. In China, adoption exceeds the global average, with engineers embedding AI across industries including automotive, industrial automation, and smart manufacturing. Japan and other APAC markets are advancing steadily, prioritizing practical applications that enhance efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.
Top AI applications across the region mirror global trends: process automation (42%), predictive maintenance (28%), and fault/anomaly detection (28%) remain the most adopted functionalities. Engineers are also increasingly combining Edge AI and machine learning (ML), with 64% globally prioritizing both equally, reflecting the growing importance of multi-modal AI.
"We see a clear shift from AI experimentation to industrial-scale deployment across the ASEAN manufacturing corridor," added Tan. "Regional engineers face a growing complexity tax—balancing rapid time-to-market with specialized data requirements. Avnet's role is to help partners overcome these barriers and move from concept to revenue faster."
Navigating Challenges to Drive Broadening Impact
As AI's influence expands, APAC engineers continue to balance technical challenges with evolving skill requirements. Data quality (46%) and continuous maintenance (54%) remain the most cited obstacles, while regional teams are investing in talent development—particularly in model optimization (17%) and data analysis (16%)—to convert complexity into competitive advantage.
"The report confirms that AI has entered its most critical phase: at-scale implementation," concluded Tan. "In a market where production speed drives optimism, Avnet helps bridge the regional resource gap by providing the technical expertise and ecosystem support our partners need to lead—not just participate—in Asia-Pacific's technological evolution."
The 2026 Avnet Insights survey conducted online was fielded to 1,200 engineers from the Americas, EMEA, Asia and Japan, from October 21 through November 5, 2025.
Download the full 2026 Avnet Insights: The Reality of Artificial Intelligence whitepaper here.
About Avnet
As a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, Avnet has served customers' evolving needs for more than a century. Through regional and specialized businesses around the world, we support customers and suppliers at every stage of the product lifecycle. We help companies adapt to change and accelerate the design and supply stages of product development. With a unique viewpoint from the center of the technology supply chain, Avnet is a trusted partner that solves complex design and supply chain issues so customers can realize revenue faster. Learn more about Avnet at www.avnet.com.
CONTACT: Seraphina Wee, seraphina.wee@avnet.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Avnet Insights Survey: APAC Engineers Accelerate AI Adoption Across Industries
SINGAPORE, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore has been awarded the ASEAN MICE Venue Award 2026 in the Meeting Room Category, a prestigious regional recognition under the ASEAN MICE Venue Standard (AMVS). The award celebrates venues that meet the highest benchmarks for business meetings across Southeast Asia and was officially presented at the ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards Ceremony during the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) on 30 January 2026 in Cebu, Philippines.
In 2026, only 41 establishments across all ten ASEAN Member States attained this distinction after undergoing rigorous on-site audits evaluating structural quality, soundproofing, amenities, safety standards and service excellence. Grand Copthorne Waterfront is one of only two hotels in Singapore to receive the award, and one of just three Singapore representatives overall, highlighting its leadership in the regional MICE sector and reinforcing Singapore's standing as a premier MICE destination.
The ASEAN MICE Venue Award – Meeting Room category honours venues that meet rigorous standards in facilities, service, safety and accessibility. This recognition reflects the hotel's commitment to quality and seamless meeting experiences.
Commenting on the achievement, Andrew Tan, General Manager of Grand Copthorne Waterfront, said: "This ASEAN MICE Venue Award is a strong affirmation of our team's dedication to delivering exceptional meeting experiences. It reflects the high standards we uphold across our facilities, service and operations, and reinforces our commitment to continuously innovate and elevate the experience for our clients and partners."
Benedict Ng, Vice President, Operations, Southeast Asia and North America, added:
"Being recognised under the ASEAN MICE Venue Standard places Grand Copthorne Waterfront among the region's most trusted and capable MICE venues. This achievement highlights the strength of our operational excellence and our continued investment in people, infrastructure and technology to support world-class business events."
The accolade follows the hotel's $40 million refurbishment completed at the end of 2023, which significantly enhanced its MICE capabilities. Featuring 6,200 square metres of meetings and events space, including naturally lit meeting rooms and three pillarless ballrooms spanning 1,385 square metres; the hotel is well equipped to support hybrid, in-person and virtual events. Overlooking the Singapore River, its venues offer a distinctive setting paired with state-of-the-art technology and world-class audio-visual facilities, reinforcing its role in elevating regional MICE standards and strengthening Singapore's position as a leading international MICE hub.
Contact:
Claire Chan, Assistant Director of Marketing Communications
Claire.Chan@millenniumhotels.com
Kok Nee Tsu, Assistant Manager of Marketing Communications
neetsu.kok@millenniumhotels.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore Honoured with ASEAN MICE Venue Award 2026
