MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Energy Association has released the shortlist for the 2026 Global Energy Prize – the final list of this year's nominees for one of the world's most prestigious awards in energy science. The roster of the finalists includes 15 scientists from nine countries: Chile, China, Cyprus, India, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States.
The shortlisting crowns the second stage of the nomination cycle. The first stage took place from January 1 to April 20, 2026. Representatives of 30 countries and territories participated in the nomination process, with nominees hailing from 28 countries. Following the selection process, the nominees that received the highest scores were shortlisted for the award in three categories: "Traditional Energy," "Non-Traditional Energy," and "New Ways of Energy Application."
At the final stage of the nomination cycle, an international committee chaired by Nobel laureate Rae Kwon Chung will select the recipients of the prestigious award. "This year's shortlist reflects the vast scale of modern energy science. I am confident that many of the submitted projects will have an impact on the development of global energy in the coming decade. Therefore, I congratulate all the scientists whose names have been included in the short list for the award," said Rae Kwon Chung.
Traditional Energy
1. Yilu Liu, U.S.
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee
2. Amit Goyal, U.S.
Founding Director of the multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary RENEW (Research & Education in Energy, Environment & Water) Institute at SUNY-Buffalo in Buffalo, New York
3. Haisheng Chen, China
Director of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
4. Jorge Ancheyta-Juarez, Mexico
Professor at the Higher School of Chemical Engineering and Extractive Industries (ESIQIE) at the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) in Mexico
5. Alexander Batanov, Russia
Head and Chief Designer of the Special Design and Technology Bureau of Applied Robotics
Non-Traditional Energy
1. Bhim Singh, India
Emeritus Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi
2. Soteris Kalogirou, Cyprus
Professor at Cyprus University of Technology
3. Yushan Yan, U.S.
Director, Center for Clean Hydrogen, University of Delaware
4. Josep M. Guerrero, China
Center for Research on Renewable Energy and Microgrids, Huanjiang Laboratory, Zhejiang University
5. José H. Zagal Moya, Chile
Professor Emeritus, Director of the Electrocatalysis Laboratory, University of Santiago de Chile
New Ways of Energy Application
1. Johann W. Kolar, Switzerland
Professor Emeritus at the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich
2. Jun Liu, U.S.
Director of the Innovation Center for Battery500 Consortium, Battelle Fellow at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
3. Yulong Ding, UK
Founding Chamberlain Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham and Director of Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage
4. William A. Goddard, U.S.
Director of the Materials and Process Simulation Center at the California Institute of Technology
5. Laura Gagliardi, U.S.
Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
Contact for media inquiries:
Gabriela Casulo
gcasulo@ge-prize.org
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
The 2026 Global Energy Prize shortlist released
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Deploys Unitree G1 Humanoid Robots to Build Proprietary Enterprise Datasets; Integrates Automation into Core IFM Platform for Scalable Revenue Growth.
SINGAPORE, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- YY Group Holding Limited (NASDAQ: YYGH) ("YY Group" or the "Company"), an AI-native workforce management platform and integrated facility management (IFM) provider operating across Asia and beyond, today announced the strategic deployment of Unitree G1 Edu Ultimate B-U4 humanoid robots. This initiative accelerates the integration of autonomous AI into the Company's enterprise facility management portfolio to optimize labor efficiency and expand operating margins.
The deployment initiates YY Group's commercial framework to monetize proprietary real-world training datasets for humanoid robotics applications in the high-demand commercial facility management sector. The Company's initial focus centers on high-frequency, labor-intensive commercial sanitation and facility maintenance workflows across shopping malls, hotels, and asset-heavy commercial real estate environments.
To fast-track dataset monetization, YY Group's cleaning personnel will wear proprietary data-collection gear during active operational shifts. This captures high-fidelity, real-world workflow data—including spatial interaction, human kinematics, environmental telemetry, and real-time operational decision-making—directly converting labor hours into proprietary digital assets.
The data will process through YY Group's advanced data training lab to scale imitation learning and simulation-to-real (Sim2Real) development. By converting human capital expertise into proprietary, structured automation data, YY Group is positioning itself as a key data provider and operator within the autonomous facility management ecosystem, driving long-term software-as-a-service (SaaS) and automation revenue lines.
The Unitree G1 Edu Ultimate B-U4 humanoid robot architecture—featuring advanced mobility, 3D touch-sensitive robotic hands, and the NVIDIA Jetson Orin onboard AI computing platform—serves as the hardware foundation for YY Group's proprietary software models.
"This initiative bridges the gap between physical labor workflows and scalable AI data infrastructure," said Mike Fu, Chief Executive Officer of YY Group Holding Limited. "We are aggressively transforming operational know-how into a proprietary, high-margin data asset. This deployment directly targets the structural labor shortages in the IFM market, optimizing contract economics and driving long-term value for enterprise clients and Nasdaq shareholders."
The humanoid robotics initiative directly integrates with YY Group's existing AI-native ecosystem, including its workforce optimization platform, YY Circle, and the 24IFM software platform. By blending automated workforce deployment with physical robotic execution, YY Group is scaling a hybrid operating model engineered to maximize labor productivity, lower operational overhead, and accelerate margin expansion across all asset tiers.
About YY Group Holding
YY Group Holding Limited (Nasdaq: YYGH) is an AI-native workforce management platform and integrated facility management (IFM) provider, headquartered in Singapore and operating across Asia and beyond. The Company's intelligent workforce solutions platform, YY Circle, helps clients across hospitality, food and beverage, retail, and other service sectors predict, plan, and optimize workforce deployment. In YY Group's IFM business, its 24IFM software platform and comprehensive IFM subsidiary portfolio support clients across hospitality, transportation, banking, retail, and mixed-use facilities.
As both business lines scale, the Company is systematically embedding AI and automation capabilities – progressing from intelligent decision support toward increasingly autonomous workforce management – to improve service quality, reduce deployment costs, and drive long-term margin expansion. Listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, YY Group is committed to infrastructure innovation, measurable client outcomes, and long-term value creation.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the YY Group Holding Limited's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, (i) growth of the hospitality market across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and other markets in which the Company operates, (ii) capital and credit market volatility, (iii) local and global economic conditions, (iv) our anticipated growth strategies, (v) governmental approvals and regulations, (vi) our ability to successfully develop, deploy, and commercialize our AI-powered products and capabilities, including through strategic partnerships, and (vii) our future business development, results of operations and financial condition. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and YY Group Holding Limited undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
Investor Contact
Jason Zhi Yong Phua, Chief Financial Officer
YY Group
enquiries@yygroupholding.com
Deploys Unitree G1 Humanoid Robots to Build Proprietary Enterprise Datasets; Integrates Automation into Core IFM Platform for Scalable Revenue Growth.
SINGAPORE, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- YY Group Holding Limited (NASDAQ: YYGH) ("YY Group" or the "Company"), an AI-native workforce management platform and integrated facility management (IFM) provider operating across Asia and beyond, today announced the strategic deployment of Unitree G1 Edu Ultimate B-U4 humanoid robots. This initiative accelerates the integration of autonomous AI into the Company's enterprise facility management portfolio to optimize labor efficiency and expand operating margins.
The deployment initiates YY Group's commercial framework to monetize proprietary real-world training datasets for humanoid robotics applications in the high-demand commercial facility management sector. The Company's initial focus centers on high-frequency, labor-intensive commercial sanitation and facility maintenance workflows across shopping malls, hotels, and asset-heavy commercial real estate environments.
To fast-track dataset monetization, YY Group's cleaning personnel will wear proprietary data-collection gear during active operational shifts. This captures high-fidelity, real-world workflow data—including spatial interaction, human kinematics, environmental telemetry, and real-time operational decision-making—directly converting labor hours into proprietary digital assets.
The data will process through YY Group's advanced data training lab to scale imitation learning and simulation-to-real (Sim2Real) development. By converting human capital expertise into proprietary, structured automation data, YY Group is positioning itself as a key data provider and operator within the autonomous facility management ecosystem, driving long-term software-as-a-service (SaaS) and automation revenue lines.
The Unitree G1 Edu Ultimate B-U4 humanoid robot architecture—featuring advanced mobility, 3D touch-sensitive robotic hands, and the NVIDIA Jetson Orin onboard AI computing platform—serves as the hardware foundation for YY Group's proprietary software models.
"This initiative bridges the gap between physical labor workflows and scalable AI data infrastructure," said Mike Fu, Chief Executive Officer of YY Group Holding Limited. "We are aggressively transforming operational know-how into a proprietary, high-margin data asset. This deployment directly targets the structural labor shortages in the IFM market, optimizing contract economics and driving long-term value for enterprise clients and Nasdaq shareholders."
The humanoid robotics initiative directly integrates with YY Group's existing AI-native ecosystem, including its workforce optimization platform, YY Circle, and the 24IFM software platform. By blending automated workforce deployment with physical robotic execution, YY Group is scaling a hybrid operating model engineered to maximize labor productivity, lower operational overhead, and accelerate margin expansion across all asset tiers.
About YY Group Holding
YY Group Holding Limited (Nasdaq: YYGH) is an AI-native workforce management platform and integrated facility management (IFM) provider, headquartered in Singapore and operating across Asia and beyond. The Company's intelligent workforce solutions platform, YY Circle, helps clients across hospitality, food and beverage, retail, and other service sectors predict, plan, and optimize workforce deployment. In YY Group's IFM business, its 24IFM software platform and comprehensive IFM subsidiary portfolio support clients across hospitality, transportation, banking, retail, and mixed-use facilities.
As both business lines scale, the Company is systematically embedding AI and automation capabilities – progressing from intelligent decision support toward increasingly autonomous workforce management – to improve service quality, reduce deployment costs, and drive long-term margin expansion. Listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, YY Group is committed to infrastructure innovation, measurable client outcomes, and long-term value creation.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the YY Group Holding Limited's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, (i) growth of the hospitality market across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and other markets in which the Company operates, (ii) capital and credit market volatility, (iii) local and global economic conditions, (iv) our anticipated growth strategies, (v) governmental approvals and regulations, (vi) our ability to successfully develop, deploy, and commercialize our AI-powered products and capabilities, including through strategic partnerships, and (vii) our future business development, results of operations and financial condition. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and YY Group Holding Limited undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
Investor Contact
Jason Zhi Yong Phua, Chief Financial Officer
YY Group
enquiries@yygroupholding.com
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
YY Group (NASDAQ YYGH) Launches Commercial Humanoid Robotics Initiative to Drive AI-Driven Margin Expansion and Address Global Facility Management Labor Shortages
