DA NANG, Vietnam, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vietnam demonstrated its clear commitment to become a serious SAF leader on Wednesday, as several key government ministries gathered in Da Nang for the country's first international SAF summit and Asia SAF Association (ASAFA) signed two institutional agreements with state bodies.
The ASAFA Innovation & Policy Summit (IPS) Vietnam 2026, running 6–8 May in Da Nang, brought together leaders from approximately 70 organisations, including high-level policymakers from the National Assembly's Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs, the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Finance, Construction, and Science and Technology, alongside airlines, fuel producers, financiers, and technology providers. The summit was opened by Mr. Ho Quang Buu, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee.
The first MOU was signed with the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion (IGIP), a body under Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, establishing a strategic framework covering SAF capacity building, technical knowledge transfer, and policy development support. The second, signed with the Da Nang Innovation Startup Support Centre (DISSC), positions Da Nang as a hub for SAF innovation through co-organised events, expert networks and workforce development.
"Vietnam has the key fundamentals required to build a competitive SAF ecosystem," said Fabrice Espinosa, Founder and CEO of ASAFA. "The question is not whether SAF will scale. The question is where, and who will lead."
Since 2024, ASAFA has established itself as Asia-Pacific's leading independent voice on SAF. Its members and partners, spanning 44 organisations across 17 countries, have shaped SAF policy across Asian governments, driven real SAF procurement and certificate purchases and produced the region's first APAC SAF Outlook report. The association was recognised as winner of the EuroCham Sustainability Award 2025 and represented at COP30 in Belém.
IPS Vietnam 2026 is the first of three summits ASAFA will convene this year, with Thailand in June and Malaysia in October. Beyond the summits, ASAFA will release three major publications, launch a Market Structures Committee to harmonise regional standards, and open its first intake for the International SAF Professional Training Academy in September.
About ASAFA
Asia SAF Association is Asia-Pacific's first, largest and only independent non-profit dedicated to accelerating SAF adoption, facilitating the policy frameworks, market structures and industry coalitions needed to scale SAF. www.asiasaf.org
Media Contact:
Gabriel Ho, Chief Sustainability Officer
mktg@asiasaf.org
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Vietnamese Ministries Back Vietnam's First International Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Summit in Da Nang
Vietnamese Ministries Back Vietnam's First International Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Summit in Da Nang
A relentless focus on real consumer needs, a willingness to reinvent completely, and a homegrown success story that earned global recognition
SINGAPORE, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- When Wilson Chew (aged 51) founded mc.2 in 2004 as a small electronics retailer at Funan Centre, few would have predicted that it would one day be acquired by Hunter Douglas, the global market leader in window coverings operating in more than 100 countries. Yet the acquisition is perhaps the most logical conclusion to a brand story defined not by the products it happened to sell, but by its persistent focus on identifying where consumer needs were unmet and building practical solutions to address them.
A Brand Built on the Courage to Reinvent
mc.2 started out selling electronic products and accessories at Funan Mall. After approximately 13 years, intensifying competition from major brands and the rise of e-commerce prompted a decisive shift. Rather than persisting in a crowded market, Chew stepped back, read the landscape honestly, and asked where the real consumer problems lay.
The answer was closer to home than most had realised. In one of the world's most densely urbanised cities, balcony spaces in high-rise homes were being left underutilised, rendered impractical by heat, monsoon rain and persistent humidity. mc.2 was among the first to recognise this gap and invest in purpose-built solutions designed specifically for Singapore's conditions, developing what it positioned as the first locally researched and manufactured outdoor zip blind system in the country.
From the outset, the company anchored itself to a clear principle: that complacency is the greatest threat to any successful brand, and that doing things twice as smart was the only reason for its existence.
Building an Experience, Not Just a Product
mc.2's ambition extended well beyond the product. Whilst many retailers in the category sold through samples and catalogues, Chew invested heavily in the customer experience, opening Singapore's first smart blinds and curtains fashion gallery in Ubi in 2018, a 4,200 square foot showroom where homeowners could see, feel and experience the full range in person. The investment signalled a brand that understood its customers were not simply buying a blind. They were reimagining how they lived.
Always Moving Towards the Next Consumer Need
Each chapter of mc.2's growth has been driven by the same question: where is the next unmet need, and what is the most practical way to address it? When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional retail, mc.2 pivoted rapidly to e-commerce and virtual consultations. Most recently, the brand developed the MAGNAZip+ system, featuring patent-pending magnetic anti-crease technology and an eight-year warranty, engineered specifically for tropical conditions.
With Singapore's curtains and blinds market projected to reach US$150 million by 2029[1] (Statista), mc.2's growth has tracked, and in many respects helped shape, that broader shift in consumer behaviour.
A Homegrown Model That Earned Global Recognition
The acquisition by Hunter Douglas reflects the natural progression of a brand that built something genuinely distinctive. As a longstanding and strategic partner in Singapore, mc.2's combination of consumer-led product development, proprietary research and development, and end-to-end service capability created a business model with relevance well beyond the local market.
"Joining Hunter Douglas marks a defining moment for mc.2. This is not just about growth, but about elevating the standards of window furnishings in Singapore. With their global expertise behind us, we are in a stronger position to lead the next phase of innovation in the market," said Mr Wilson Chew, Founder and Managing Director of mc.2.
As mc.2 marks its 22nd year, its journey from a modest retail unit at Funan Centre to recognition by one of the world's foremost window furnishings groups is a testament to what a relentless focus on the consumer, and the discipline to reinvent completely when the market demands it, can build.
[1] Source: Statista,Curtains & Blinds - Singapore, Updated Dec 2025: https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/furniture/home-decor/curtains-blinds/singapore .
About mc.2
mc.2 has been in the consumer retail business since 2004, providing smart solutions to all its customers. It sets itself aside from its competitors by delivering not just products, but a full suite of solutions to its customers.
mc.2 prides itself on offering end-to-end service to its customers. With a factory in place, mc.2 has the capabilities to manage its own research and development for products such as retractable outdoor blinds. mc.2 sells directly to its customers, and handles the installation process as well, for quality assurance.
Its business portfolio now covers window solutions, balcony solutions, wall solutions, flooring solutions and wall coverings. The brands that mc.2 carry include 4 Space, ALTEX, Harlequin, Hunter Douglas, Camengo, Casadeco, Louvolite, Sangetsu, Simta, Somfy, TOSO Japan, Wood Couture and more.
About Hunter Douglas
Hunter Douglas is the global leader in custom window coverings and a pioneer in architectural shading solutions. Founded in 1919, the company has spent more than a century shaping the modern window covering industry through continuous innovation, purposeful design, and engineering excellence.
Today, Hunter Douglas operates in more than 100 countries, offering premium shading solutions that combine aesthetics, functionality, light control, energy efficiency, and smart home integration. Its portfolio includes internationally recognised products such as Duette® Honeycomb Shades, Silhouette® Window Shadings, Pirouette®, Luminette®, and PowerView® Automation.
Driven by a commitment to innovation and customer experience, Hunter Douglas continues to set the benchmark for high-performance window coverings across residential and commercial spaces worldwide.
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From Funan to the World Stage, Homegrown mc.2 Acquired by Global Leader Hunter Douglas After Two Decades of Consumer-Led Innovation
