Sector Archives - Page 13 of 68

High Tech Companies need not be the Inequality Bad Guys

For many cities, tech hubs have been a key to jump starting economic growth in the wake of the global financial crisis. In an era of uncertainty, tech-sector growth is proving to be a driving force for nations attempting to reach into the “next economy”.

In the UK, for instance, the sector is – optimistically – predicted to grow four times faster than GDP, while tech job growth is expected to outperform all other occupation categories by 2020.

QR Code to Barcode…Step Aside

The ubiquitous barcode has revolutionised the retail industry since its arrival on a packet of Wrigley’s chewing gum in 1974. The black and white striped sticker encodes information about the product that can be easily scanned, speeding up checkout and making logistics easier. However, businesses, regulators and shoppers themselves are demanding more information about their products – and this may mean the reign of the barcode is ending.

Oops! I Invented Something Amazing

Accidents will happen – and as far as innovation is concerned, that’s a good thing. While much of any businessperson’s attention is focused on bringing new ideas to market or making systematic and strategically targeted changes, there are some occasions when fate takes a hand. What might appear to be a failed experiment or a strange but ultimately useless outcome can sometimes turn out to be the basis of a game-changing innovation. History is replete with examples – here are three of the most surprising.

1. The microwave oven

Economies Feel Impact of Declining Oil Prices

The continued fall in oil prices is being felt in several parts of the global economy, with many negative results causing financial turmoil.

Rising Default Rates

Riding the Storm Out on the North Sea

The oil price is struggling to stay above $30/barrel, little more than a quarter of the price 18 months ago. Recent forecasts for the UK industry have become much gloomier as a result. As recently as three months ago, industry association Oil & Gas UK predicted 79 platforms would close by 2024. Several major consultancies have since suggested that it might be more like twice that. So how pessimistic is it reasonable to be?

Oil’s Geopolitical and Economic Connection

The price of crude oil resumed its slide this week, falling below US$29 a barrel and approaching the 12-year low reached last month.

The International Energy Agency is warning oil’s fall has further to go. So what factors suggest the price of oil will continue to drop? In addition, what will be the economic and geopolitical fallout? The answers to these two questions go hand in hand, as we shall see.

First, let us recap what is behind the plunge in the first place.

Supply and demand

When You Have to Translate English into English

Language skills are often trumpeted as a cornerstone of social integration, allowing citizens to participate fully in their host communities. British Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced a £20m fund for English language lessons to tackle radicalisation in the UK, for example. Similarly, US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has called for assimilation and English-speaking in the US.

Nuclear Decommissioning could Leave Taiwan with a Power Shortage

The newly elected Taiwanese government led by President Tsai Ing-wen and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will be faced with significant challenges in energy policy. Most urgently, viable replacements for Taiwan’s ageing fleet of nuclear reactors must be found.

The Steel Industry Offers a Fantastic Macro-economic View

Few industries offer a picture glass window to see numerous macroeconomic forces as steel does. Excess capacity, trade policy, and the yuan all intersect when looking at the steel industry. Moreover, it also shed light on why the drop of energy and other commodity prices, such as iron ore, have not bolstered the steel industry, let alone the general economy, as many expected.