Investment boosts job creation and advanced manufacturing capabilities in the region
LUBUMBASHI, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Varun Beverages, one of the largest franchisees of PepsiCo in the world, has announced a USD 50 million investment in a state-of-the-art Pepsi production facility in Kiswishi City, the first private Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The plant – one of the largest consumer-focused foreign direct investments (FDI) in DRC history – will create thousands of jobs and expand the brands of New York-based PepsiCo in the fast-growing African country.
The Pepsi beverage facility will be developed on 15 hectares (37 acres) of land at Kiswishi City SEZ, along the N1 Highway, with easy access to the Lubumbashi's rapidly expanding population, the Haut-Katanga Province and beyond. Kiswishi is strategically positioned to enhance logistical efficiencies and economic development across the region, a growth engine for PepsiCo and Varun Beverages.
"Varun's expansion will meet the rising demand for Pepsi beverages in DRC and support our long-term growth trajectory in Africa," said Ravi Kant Jaipuria, Chaiman of Varun Beverages. "Our investment in Kiswishi City SEZ exemplifies our confidence in Congolese consumers and commitment to sustainable manufacturing."
Backed by American, New Zealand, British and Norwegian investors, Kiswishi City SEZ is a project by Rendeavour, Africa's largest new city builder, whose mixed-use cities in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia have catalysed billions of dollars in foreign and domestic investment, along with tens of thousands of jobs for young Africans.
"We are delighted to welcome Varun Beverages and Pepsi to Kiswishi City SEZ, which will create thousands of job opportunities and bolster the economic landscape of the Haut-Katanga province," said Yannick Kitambo, Director of Operations, Kiswishi City SEZ. "This investment is a testament to our commitment to make Kiswishi the most attractive destination for FDI in DRC. With its secure and predictable business environment, Kiswishi is an engine for growth in the Democratic Republic of Congo."
Kitambo credited the Special Economic Zones Authority and Ministry of Industry for creating a conducive investment environment through the country's reliable SEZ framework. Other businesses at Kiswishi City SEZ include Congo Petrol and Queen Energy. Phase one of Kiswishi's residential estate, Kimia, is 95% sold out.
Kitambo added: "Due to the professional support of the Government of DRC, particularly the President's office, the Ministry of Industry, and its Special Economic Zone Agency, we expect further foreign direct investment in DRC, which will help drive socioeconomic development in the country."
About Varun Beverages Limited (www.varunbeverages.com)
Varun Beverages Limited is one of the largest franchise bottler globally of PepsiCo beverages. The company operates in multiple regions across Asia and Africa, encompassing an extensive portfolio of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. Varun Beverages entered Africa in 2007 when it acquired the PepsiCo franchise in Mozambique. Since then, it has expanded operations into Zambia, Morocco, Zimbabwe, South Africa and more recently, the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it has already commissioned a Pepsi production facility at Maluku SEZ near Kinshasa.
About Rendeavour (www.rendeavour.com)
Rendeavour is the largest new city builder in Africa. Backed by American, Norwegian, New Zealand and British investors, Rendeavour's cities are among the largest construction projects in Africa and hubs for businesses, homes, education and recreation within a infrastructure-ready economic zones.
Current development at Rendeavour is valued at more than $5 billion, with 150 businesses, schools educating more than 6,000 students and 10,000 mixed-income homes occupied or under development.
Rendeavour has created more than 50,000 jobs in the last five years, including the largest call center in East Africa, staffed by 5,000 young Kenyans serving major American customers like United Airlines, JetBlue and Amazon. A further 4,000 call center jobs are confirmed by 2026.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Varun Beverages DRC Announces USD 50 Million Pepsi Production Facility at Rendeavour's Kiswishi City Special Economic Zone
Curiosity Lab and Opsys will showcase the technology live at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona
PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga., Nov. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Peachtree Corners – one of the nation's first smart cities powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G – today announced a collaboration with Opsys, developer of the world's most advanced pure solid-state scanning LiDAR sensor, to launch and deploy the company's Advanced LiDAR Technology Opsys Sensors (ALTOS) Gen 2 LiDAR at Curiosity Lab. This marks Opsys' first real-world deployment of the ALTOS, the company's first deployment with a municipality and the company's first deployment in the United States.
As a pure solid-state LiDAR, the ALTOS Gen 2 has no moving parts, enabling the best-in-class performance with high resolution and extreme reliability with a 4D point cloud from the device's specific field of view. The pure-solid state characteristics make the unit more robust, avoiding mechanical failures associated with moving components and allowing the unit to have 24/7 operation and pass a 50g shock and full vibration test. The ALTOS Gen 2 brings a simple, customizable design to market that can be used for different applications and unique shapes with a low-power consumption, without sacrificing performance.
"The ALTOS Gen 2 represents the future of smart city technology," said Rafi Harel, Chief Executive Officer of Opsys. "This collaboration with Peachtree Corners and Curiosity Lab gives us the unique opportunity to showcase the reliability and efficiency of our pure solid-state LiDAR technology in a real-world environment, which will soon improve safety and traffic management for cities across the globe. As our first real-world deployment and first U.S. deployment, we are looking forward to working with Peachtree Corners as our test and demo site to then launch into the U.S. market."
Opsys' new technology boasts a higher partial differential equation (PDE) and a larger array than other models, which gives the unit improved detection range and a higher resolution of objects. The improved optics reduce unwanted light, while improving uniformity and enhancing illumination. In addition, the unit's optimized ASIC/processor allows for advanced processing of data, as well as lower power dissipation and cost.
"Opsys' technology was extremely easy to calibrate and deploy in our city. The simple, yet flexible design made it easy for set up, without the need of special custom cables or proprietary connectors," said Brandon Branham, Executive Director of Curiosity Lab. "The device behaves like a normal network device which also made it easy for us to integrate into our single pane of glass smart city management systems. By adding this cutting-edge technology into our infrastructure, we're able to enhance safety and operational efficiency for our community while showcasing scalable solutions that other cities and industries can easily adopt."
The ALTOS Gen 2 LiDAR units are deployed in the City of Peachtree Corners at the intersection of SR 141 and Town Center Boulevard. Here, the ALTOS Gen 2 units provide precise, real-time data on traffic flow and pedestrian movements, offering significant enhancements to urban safety and traffic management. Its ability to operate continuously while supporting PoE (power over ethernet) and auxiliary power, make it adaptable for different municipal implementations and ideal for use across various industries including intelligent traffic systems (ITS), smart factories, robotics and public safety applications such as perimeter security and healthcare.
Opsys will be debuting this technology at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona from November 5-7 in the Curiosity Lab booth. This will include a demo with live LiDAR feed from the Peachtree Corners intersection. Representatives of Curiosity Lab and Opsys will be available for interviews at Booth D40 Hall 3 in the USA Pavilion.
About Opsys
Opsys has developed the world's most advanced solid-state scanning LiDAR sensor. Opsys technology uses fully addressable VCSEL arrays, combined with a single chip addressable CMOS SPAD array. No moving parts allows for 24/7 operation. This gives the benefit of ensuring there are no mechanical failures over time, which increases the LiDAR's lifetime expectancy well beyond any other solution on the market today. The patented technology provides a 4D point cloud in real time. Opsys sensors provide major cost savings as they are semiconductor-based, and the solution is scalable. The high-performance sensor is already in mass production. Opsys technology is designed as a Lego brick system to enable complete customization at an affordable price. In addition, to the original Opsys LiDAR used in autonomous driving, the company has also developed a LiDAR especially for industry, the ALTOS (Advanced LiDAR Technology Opsys). The ALTOS provides a fully integrated solution to meet the myriads of demands of industry across numerous different sectors, such as Smart Cities, Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS), Robotics, Smart Factories, AGV and Security (for example in Perimeter Security, Public Safety, Healthcare and Education). Founded in 2016, the company has major investment, is headquartered in Israel, with offices in USA, APAC, and Europe.
For more information: https://www.opsys-tech.com/
About the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia
As the heart of what is being called #SiliconOrchard in the metro-Atlanta region, Peachtree Corners is a vibrant municipality that's home to more than 45,000 residents, 45,000 jobs and an innovation hub that houses some of the world's most disruptive technology companies. As the United States' premier smart city powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G, Peachtree Corners serves as the model for how government and private industry can better collaborate to create a better future for society and business. From the world's first deployment of teleoperated e-scooters to fully autonomous shuttles being utilized by actual residents, and from a solar roadway to the largest electric vehicle fast-charging hub in the region, Peachtree Corners is where the most future-forward Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technologies come to life for the benefit of its citizens, and the world. For more information, visit http://www.peachtreecornersga.gov.
About Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners
Curiosity Lab is a 5G-enabled intelligent mobility and smart city living laboratory located in the southeastern United States near Atlanta, Georgia. Designed as a proving ground for IoT, mobility and smart city emerging technologies, the centerpiece of the lab is a three-mile autonomous vehicle lane leveraging cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies. Additional infrastructure includes intelligent traffic cameras and traffic signals, smart streetlights, the country's first "IoT Central Control Room" implemented in a city and a 25,000 square foot technology incubator. Owned and operated by the City of Peachtree Corners, Curiosity Lab is one of North America's only real-world testing environments and is available for use free of charge. Additional information can be found at www.curiositylabptc.com.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Opsys Collaborates with Curiosity Lab and City of Peachtree Corners to Launch Solid-State LiDAR Technology
Opsys Collaborates with Curiosity Lab and City of Peachtree Corners to Launch Solid-State LiDAR Technology
