Acer unveils new ‘Conscious Technology’ branding

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — International tech company Acer unveiled recently its “Conscious Technology” vision for technology designed and made with consideration for the future.

It also shared its ongoing climate efforts, while a showcase of two new energy storage solutions and a climate exhibition featuring technology and product concepts were made open to the public.

“The ‘Conscious Technology’ concept is designed with human at the heart, and the planet in mind,” Acer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jason Chen said at his keynote message during the launch attended by Philstar.com.

“To help tackle the increasing challenges posed by climate change, on the product side, Acer is proposing ‘Conscious Technology’ designed and made with consideration for the future,” said Jerry Kao, Acer Inc. Chief Operating Officer.

According to Chen, the concept involves a lot of initiatives, and the three that the company was most proud of were:

• The Vero line of products made with a high percentage of recycled materials,
• In 2017, they initiated Project Humanity, participated in by more than 70% of their employees from over 40 countries for over 300 projects focused on sustainability. The initiative educates and unites its employees around the world to take greener actions,
• The Earthion platform that further brings together the company’s supply chain partners including their employees to tackle environmental challenges through innovative and integrated solutions. Reducing the company’s sea logistics emissions with biofuel and researching sustainable packaging materials with manufacturing partners are some of the initiatives under Earthion.

Only two years ago, the company expanded its supply chain via the project Earthion, a combination of the names “Earth” and “mission.” Under this project, six missions related to climate change were launched, including energy, product design, packaging design, production, logistics, and recycling, Chen shared.

Founded in 1976, Acer is one of the world’s top ICT companies with a presence in more than 160 countries. As it evolves with the industry and changing lifestyles, it is focused on enabling a world where hardware, software and services will fuse with one another, creating ecosystems and opening up new possibilities for consumers and businesses alike. The company stated that its 7,700 employees are dedicated to the research, design, marketing, sale, and support of products and solutions that break barriers between people and technology.

“I’ve known Acer for a long time. I believe it’s one of the world’s most important companies. It has been for 47 years. But even more important, it is one of the world’s most human companies. It was founded by Stan Shih with the mission to break barriers between people and technology,” attested Michael Birkin, CEO of kyu, the strategic operating unit of Japanese advertising and communications group Hakuhodo DY Holdings.

Acer, he said, has done many things to democratize personal computer (PC) ownership over the decades, and by making eco-conscious PCs more affordable to everyone, it is also spreading the sustainability advocacy to more and more people.

Emmanuel Fromont, Corporate Vice President and President of Acer's EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) Operations, said that while PC remains to be their core business, the company has evolved to become more “human-centric.”

In the PC industry, “we’ll be here as long as we can,” Chen said, but they are now moving toward becoming a lifestyle brand with an ecosystem of solutions for people’s needs.

He explained that they have to create multiple business points and also enter the worlds of gaming, service and support, among others, because many PC companies lose money when the PC business is not making much.

“We have to challenge the entire organization to go beyond the PC. PC is core, but given our proven technology and knowledge, how can we expand beyond PC because the PC market has to adapt if they want to be more resilient.”

Related: The future of computer: In-depth analysis from tech leaders

The company, he said, is taking off from just producing products and is leveling up to become a “conscious economy” that “empowers millions of people using computer to change lives and the way we work.”

“Ever since the company was established, we’ve evolved from the PC brand. Nowadays, as a solutions company… we believe we empower people to make their marks in life but not to make negative marks on the planet,” he noted.

The company has joined the RE100 initiative and committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2035. It has also pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. As one of the world’s top Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies, the company seeks to amplify positive impacts on the environment through united actions; 60% of its critical suppliers have committed to RE100 or set science-based carbon reduction targets (SBT).

“One example is we collaborate with logistics shippers using biofuel for the delivery of the products to be more eco-friendly,” declared Chen.

“Until last year, 2022, 60% of our key suppliers in our supply chain… have committed to a science-based commitment to make sure that we do the right thing for the planet.”

To demonstrate the company’s new “Conscious Technology” campaign, the brand unveiled the exhibition “Conscious Technology for a Brighter Tomorrow,” in Dubai’s arts center Alserkal Avenue, to speak of the company’s ongoing climate efforts and the technology designed and made with consideration for the future. The exhibition highlights products and services under four lifestyle concepts:

• Concept for Working – An on-demand subscription service to Acer’s vast product portfolio with subscription package upgrades, services and repairs that can be made available with the click of a button. Customers can actively become part of a system that stretches the life of a digital device, lessening the use of new resources.
• Concept for Learning – Computer hardware and software that help schools reduce their carbon footprint. Students can learn in a climate positive environment using refurbished laptops along with tools to enable conscious use.
• Concept for Moving – A network of mobility stations with charging hubs, nimble e-bikes and e-scooters available to ease journeys, along with tools such as data-informed urban planning and prediction of micro-mobility infrastructure, helping to increase transportation access for more people and support infrastructure planning within smart cities.
• Concept for Living – A hyper-compatible system with a mobile app that enables the use of both existing and new smart appliances to make homes more climate resilient. The app lets users manage their energy consumption more efficiently and increase visibility on the energy distribution of appliances.

“We must speed up the adoption of renewable energy to fight climate change caused by global warming,” said Chen. “In 2022, the Acer Group reached 44% of renewable electricity usage. To reach our goal of 100%, solar and wind power utilization in energy storage technology will be the key. We are taking decisive actions that advocate circular economies and providing solutions that minimize the negative impacts on our environment.”

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Editor's note: The tour to COP28 was hosted by Acer. At no stage does the host organization have a say on the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Philstar.com following editorial guidelines.

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