Member Info for Nig1954

It's good to see that someone has some confidence having bought 1.419,222 shares for just short of £12K. Let's hope we hear some good news soon from the BOD. A nice Lokies contract, possibly with the Russians would be most welcome and would certainly benefit the sp

It’s a great opportunity to add at this price or for a Bed and ISA transfer. Someone has been offloading for over 2 weeks now. Not sure if we’ve seen the end of them yet but if the Lokies interest manifests itself then there will be a rapid improvement in sp performance. Still have sufficient patience to wait for further developments. BOD are happy to continue backing the company and can’t see why Igor would have increased his position recently if he had any concerns regarding the company’s short term future. He’s not a wealthy man and he’s in a better position than anyone to see what may be coming down the pipeline. Just think someone has lost patience and considers they can make a better return elsewhere

MR made a very interesting comment at the AGM. He said freight costs had increased by a factor of 4/5 . In the light of this Tetis which cost $400 usd was previously viewed as high cost but was now regarded as affordable because in the overall context it's cost was relatively low in terms of the aggregate shipping cost.
I've just researched this and apparently transporting a 40-foot steel container of cargo by sea from Shanghai to Rotterdam now costs a record $10,522, a whopping 547% higher than the seasonal average over the last five years, according to Drewry Shipping. With upwards of 80% of all goods trade transported by sea, freight-cost surges are threatening to boost the price of everything from toys, furniture and car parts to coffee, sugar and anchovies, compounding concerns in global markets already bracing for accelerating inflation. This was back in early June so by now is likely to be a factor of 6 times as expensive.
A confluence of factors — soaring demand, a shortage of containers, saturated ports and too few ships and dock workers — have contributed to the squeeze on transportation capacity on every freight path. Recent Covid outbreaks in Asian export hubs like China have made matters worse. The pain is most acutely felt on longer-distance routes, making shipping from Shanghai to Rotterdam 67% more expensive than to the U.S. West Coast, for instance.
There's now clear evidence that freight forwarders are considering other options such as rail freight, using the silk road initiative as it's not only much cheaper but can also be quicker.

Absolutely agree. I thought Colin's question was was very well phrased and i hope that the BOD take on board what he had to say on their marketing efforts. It's all a matter of "style over substance" and the actions of many AIM investors never ceases to amaze me. The RNS was atypical of Starcom's poor style of reporting.They were referring to matters over which they cannot exert any influence or control and which are impacting on all SME's everywhere and it dwelt too much on past events whilst failing to give sufficient recognition to the positive aspects and anyone who dialed into the AGM will be fully aware that there's a lot to look forward to .

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Further info on the new electric Polaris Ranger which is expected to be released in early December 2021 and incorporates Starcom hi-tech https://bit.ly/3e9krri

Apollo do appear to be providing the Logistics backup but their product offering doesn't appear to be as sophisticated as Starcom's. Either Dr Reddy's have opted for a cheaper option or one or more 3rd parties are providing additional technical assistance to Apollo.
It's proposed that additional Share Options will be granted at next weeks AGM so the BOD will not wish to see the share price advancing before that meeting. Hopefully, once the Share Options have been approved we'll see a resumption in regular news updates to shareholders informing us of developments across the board as regards all product offerings and their respective markets.
Also, pleased to see that the collaboration with DHL is taking place at their Singapore hub. The 23,600 square metre facility features what DHL describes as the industry’s first fully automated express parcel sorting and processing system in South Asia. The new facility,opened in 2016 and, is 33% larger than the previous hub and its location within the CAC, a 24-hour Free Trade Zone managed by Changi Airport Group, which allows consignments to be shipped or transshipped within an hour.
The new hub processes up to 24,000 shipments and documents per hour and can handle more than 628 tonnes of cargo during the peak processing window. According to DHL, this processing speed is six times faster, while the handling capacity is three times more, as compared to the manual operations in the previous facility.
This has enabled them to add more network flights in and out of Singapore, such as the recent introduction of the Phnom Penh-Bangkok flight that adds to their existing Bangkok-Singapore service, as regional trade continues to grow. This incorporates Vietnam which is growing at an exponential rate within South East Asia.
It's also probably fair to say that the potential business growth in this region will exceed anything that's happening in any other part of the World so it would be of great benefit to Starcom if Lokies could establish a foothold for itself in Singapore

Also, very good news today from the BOD who have again demonstrated the lengths they are prepared to go to in providing financial support for their Company. Unlike many AIM companies with Directors on large salary and benefits packages, they are prepared to defer taking a salary for a further 12 months in lieu of share options which can be exercised at the recent closing price.
Yet again they've avoided diluting the holdings of their Shareholders and have firmly aligned their interests alongside those of their patient long term holders. The BOD are demonstrating they have faith in the future of this company and anticipate earning their rewards through growing the company and extracting their return when they eventually dispose of their shares..
This resonates with their actions in Pilot Media, a company they previously grew and sold for over $100 Million. This helps to reaffirm my belief that they have similar intentions here and that they're not prepared to consider any offers until they've managed to grow the business to a level at which it becomes attractive to predators and they'll eventually relinquish control when they can dispose of their shares at a healthy premium to it's quoted share price.
All the main BOD are in their late 50's so this is likely to be their final business venture before they head off into retirement and they'd prefer to leave on a swansong .
I'm expecting a big improvement in Turnover, profit margin and profitability over the next couple of years. This should also become reflected in cashflows as the company becomes self sufficient and capable of financing its working capital requirements and it's future growth prospects. Eventually, we'll receive an RNS informing us of some lucrative contracts that have been awarded.
The company has an excellent suite of highly rated hi-tech products that complement each other and winning the recent DHL award indicates that many knowledgeable people within the Logistics industry concur. The RNS we are awaiting could come from one of several directions as the company is beginning to amass a group of successful customers who will help it to deliver it's future growth

Forto, a German freight technology start-up has today raised $240 Million from a group of investors led by Softbank. It will invest in expanding its platform for organizing trade shipments between China and Europe. It offers a single platform for managing the journey of a shipping container from origin to destination – a task long handled with pen, paper and post-it notes, said Forto CEO and co-founder Michael Wax.
“A shipment from Shanghai to a warehouse in Berlin should not be more difficult than a payment via Paypal or Stripe today,” Wax told Reuters, comparing the digitalisation of logistics with that of consumer payments.
With supply chains strained by shifting consumption patterns and a steep economic recovery, Forto says its freight management system is key for clients to maximise the visibility and flexibility of their own shipments.
“We are building the digital backbone of global trade – 90% of the goods that we have in our hands are either in a container or have been in a container,” said Wax.
This is an indication of the direction in which the rack and trace market is moving and there is considerable investment underway as this industry embarks on a period of consolidation. Big bucks are at stake and healthy returns for those leading this change

We must also factor into this the recent takeover of Panalpina by DSV, who are an iTrackIndia customer. That results in the creation of the 2nd largest airfreight provider in the world - DHL currently leads that pack. Furthermore, on 27th April DSV agreed to acquire Kuwait's Agility Public Housing for $4 Billion making it the world's 3rd largest freight forwarding company. Only DHL and Kuehne and Nagel are larger.
Finally, word on the street is that DSV are in talks with D B Schenker(the world's 4th largest freight forwarder) to acquire it for somewhere in the region of $8-10 Billion.This deal won't take place until 2022,at the earliest.
If this deals goes ahead it will place DSV on a par with DHL or could even take over No.1 spot. Now that's a mouth watering prospect especially if we happened to have a foothold in both camps

The above ignores Contguard, Cubemonk and several other high profile customers such as, CropX and Zero/Polaris.. Winning this award brings us into prominence within the European rail/cargo freight market. This is forecast to rapidly expand over the next 5 years and if we can gain a foothold within some of the largest freight forwarders/Logistics operators then there's a rich seam to be sewed

Some of the largest European Freight Forward Operators see China-Rail as an important complement to sea freight. The emphasis, however, is on supplementation because the entire cargo volume cannot be handled by rail. As always in logistics, it remains an interplay of the various modes of transport and the best individual solution for the
respective customer's requirements.
Particularly at present, with recent blockade in the Suez Canal and the changes in the sea freight market (Covid 19), it can be assumed that importers will increasingly examine their supplier network for alternative modes of transport such as China Rail and position themselves more broadly.
In the area of digitalisation, a few projects can be highlighted, in addition to the maintenance and further development of interfaces for automated order transmission and processing with customers and partners. For example, some of the larger operators are currently implementing a cross-group and cross-division digital document management system. In other words, a truly complete "digital forwarding file". They are also developing their web portals including the Track & Trace function in the general cargo area and can now inform the consignees about the status of the delivery in relation to the order and the consignment. Starcom have already recognised how this market is developing and they have specifically designed the architecture of their software to enable it to be slotted within the framework of a customers network without affecting their other internal operating systems.
There's currently a lot going on within the rail freight industry especially in relation to Euro-Asia and the Middle East. That RNS in 2020 which referred to several customers prepared to order Lokies without proof of concept , specifically mentioned several prominent countries who occupy locations within the NSN.
Everywhere you look at present indicates that significant capital investment is being applied both by Countries to improve their infrastructure and large cargo freight companies, such, as PKP in Poland (one of the largest cargo freight carriers in Europe) and is aimed at exploiting opportunities which will be presented by expansion of the NCN. Lokies are ideal for this mode of transport and I foresee a huge market developing in this area. Winning this award with DHL not only brings Starcom and their suite of products into the limelight but will hopefully enable us to exploit DHL's huge contacts book. I really hope Starcom's sales team are up to the task of making the most of this opportunity.

In the month since the Suez incident, there has been a noticeable increase in China-Europe rail freight services. It would be unrealistic to think that rail could possibly substitute large container ships in transcontinental transportation. However, just like during the Covid pandemic, rail proved during the Suez crisis that it is a viable and reliable mode of transport. Furthermore, other factors like the high costs in air freight, and container shortages in maritime transport, make rail look even more enticing.
Together with the short transit times, Eurasian rail freight seems to become a crucial part of the supply chain equation. When it comes to shipping specific goods like electronic devices, time-sensitive products or when there is a sudden demand increase, rail freight is there to provide dedicated and tailor-made solutions.
Interest spiked in overland logistics from the moment the Ever Given hit the banks of the Suez Canal on 23 March. Rather than sending consignments to east coast ports in China, forwarders immediately looked in the other direction, seeking to put boxes on trains heading west. Trade partners right across Europe, the Middle East and Asia were quick to realise how disruptive the blockage could be. There was a sharp rise in enquiries and promotions as soon as the extent of the problem was identified. For goods with any sort of time-critical delivery and price sensitivity, rail by any of the New Silk Road routes became the most feasible solution and alternative, ahead of air and road freight.
This should prove beneficial for Starcom and it's suite of track and trace products as there is a huge market waiting to be exploited

Defibrillators should be made available at all schools, gym's, sports halls, playing fields, community halls etc as they're invaluable to all communities and provide more benefit for your £ than any HS2 initiative

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In the February 2020 RNS Trading Update the BOD commented,"Following its successful launch in April 2019, Lokies, the Company's intelligent reporting padlock product, is attracting growing demand. The Company has recently signed an agreement with the Russian distributor that had previously tested the product and ordered an initial 500 units. This conditional agreement sets purchase targets for the distributor and supply targets for the Company and, whilst there are no binding purchase commitments, the Company is targeting the delivery of up to $2 million worth of Lokies in 2020. The agreement is for three years and provides exclusivity to the distributor in Russia, subject to them meeting certain targets.(That order still remains pending)
"The Board believes that Lokies, as an Internet of Things ("IoT") solution, could become the market leading product in the 'smart padlocks' market".
In the March 2020 RNS accompanying the 2019 final results the Business Review Statement commented " Lokies, was successfully launched in April 2019 and has been well received in the market, with proof of concept ("POC") projects having been initiated with various key customers. In addition, a number of customers in Russia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Bulgaria and Poland, have placed initial orders, forgoing the customary POC stage in order to reach their respective local markets faster. The Board believes that this innovative Internet of Things ("IoT") product can become a leader in the "smart padlocks" market and has the potential to spearhead significant growth for Starcom as it can be marketed via both B2B and B2C models."
Confirmation has now been received that the new transhipment terminal on the Kazakh-Chinese border started operating just over a week ago, so that order may now be very close to completion.
Also, note the planned increase in the volume of TEU's which the terminal will be capable of handling. https://bit.ly/3iNEI8K.

Encouraging signs for Starcom as a new report covering rail freight expansion suggests significant new investment as a result of global supply chain issues should provide a larger market for their Track and Trace logistics products.
A report, published by Research and Markets, an American-based specialist in business analysis, has singled out rail freight as a significant area of commercial growth in the next five years.
North America leads the global rail freight market but Asia-Pacific is expected to overtake North America during the forecast period. Moreover, the rise in global trade and various trade agreements are boosting the global trade flows. The surge in rail is anticipated in Asian markets – such as the recently announced Indian initiative by Maersk. Clearly, the New Silk Road, facilitated by China’s Belt and Road initiative is a significant factor behind that expected Asia-Pacific growth. The report examines the longer-term returns investors can expect from rail freight, noting that average tonnage per train is up by 80 per cent in the last decade.When shipping by rail, the lower interest costs for the tied-up capital partly cover the higher transportation costs, making rail freight a very cost-efficient shipping alternative. Rail freight is a factor in developing local economies. In some regions of Central Asia, Eastern Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa characterised by groupings of many small countries, rail freight can increase economic integration by providing access to international and regional markets and connecting landlocked countries.

The software solutions segment dominated the market for track and trace solutions and held the largest revenue share of over 54.0% in 2020 due to its growing adoption in healthcare companies, including pharmaceuticals, bio pharmaceuticals, and medical device companies. These software solutions are used for continuous management of manufacturing facilities, product lines, case and bundle tracking, and warehousing and shipping. Companies developing this software are investing in R&D for better product development which is expected to propel the growth.
The hardware solution segment is expected to show lucrative growth over the forecast period. The printing and marking solutions segment held the largest revenue share in the market. This system plays important role in the production and supply chain to ensure quality and product authenticity. Rising demand for serialization and the need to achieve regulatory compliance is fueling the market growth. Printing and marking equipment is expected to play a crucial role to meet the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requirements by 2023.
Moreover, advancement in coding technologies such as laser marking systems, Large Character Marking (LCM), and Thermal Transfer Overprinting (TTO) is expected to fuel the market in the coming years.

The global track and trace solutions market size was valued at USD 2.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.0% from 2021 to 2028. Associated advantages such as continuous transparency, packaging and logistics management, and product ID verification services facilitating hassle-free product movement within the distribution channel is the key growth driver for this market.
The COVID-19 impact is revealing the importance of traceability and standardization to effectively monitor people, supply chain, and assets in the healthcare industry. The COVID-19 outbreak has heightened the risks posed by the global trade in counterfeit pharmaceutical products. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a rising capacity of false medicines linked to COVID-19 is on sale in developing countries along with an upsurge in counterfeit medical products related to coronavirus.
The growth of the market for track and trace solutions is anticipated to be fueled by the rising deployment of track and trace solutions by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Drug counterfeiting is a major problem faced by pharmaceuticals and bio pharmaceutical companies. Thus, companies are adopting track and trace solutions for supply chain monitoring. It has been found that the influx of substandard/counterfeit medications is more prevalent in low to middle-income countries such as India and Africa. According to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) report in 2019, around 20% of all sold drugs in India were counterfeit.
Moreover, stringent regulations and standards pertinent to serialization implementation and aggregation are expected to drive the market for track and trace solutions. In July 2019, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) imparted new guidelines on product coding in order to reduce counterfeiting in Australia. tbc

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Excellent news on Lokies, Igor. Many congratulations to all of the hard working members on Starcom's team. Hopefully, this will act as a Catalyst not just for Lokies but also for all other Starcom tracking products

Forwarded Jun 17 at 12:45 PM Igor Vatenmacher 1:03 PM
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Thanks
Igor and all the boys at Starcom are really excited about the prospects of winning this prestigious competition and i begin to sense they see this as their defining moment. By all accounts, many global players in the Logistics, Track and Trace market, have sat up and taken note of this result. Further exposure through DHL will also throw the spotlight on their other product offerings. I'd have thought Tetis and Kylos, to name but 2, would be of particular interest to DHL on the shipping front

Missing link, below https://bit.ly/3vvbIp1