globalEDGE International Business Blog

“Sustainable Development” has quickly become a term used by companies across the world to explain efforts addressing the use of natural resources.  Generally speaking, the concept describes how a company can increase its efficiency, thereby reducing its overall impact on mother earth.  The demand in the marketplace to solve energy-related issues is growing, based on recent changes in global governmental policy.

Recently, Doug Berry, a Program Manager at the U.S. Commercial Service, hosted an interview with a colleague, Stephan Crawford.  Stephan is an Office Director at the San Francisco U.S. Export Assistance Center and an expert on clean technology.  The discussion revolved around the advent of new companies that are developing solutions to reduce the use of natural resources.  Stephan highlighted the growth in the sector, as well as the opportunities that are currently developing in global markets such as Turkey, Vietnam, China, India and many others. 

The discussion between Stephan and Doug provided some great insight into the future. Stephan made the point that clean technology is much more than just an industry; it spans across many different sectors including water, energy, design, transportation and advanced materials. Solutions to environmental problems are more critical and global than ever.  As this clean technology develops and matures, it will be fascinating to see how innovations can not only change the amount of energy used, but the influence this change will have on product design and corporate strategy.

How are filmmakers from developing countries helping students learn about strife and poverty across the globe?  How can a student in India earn a Masters degree in America without ever setting foot on campus?  The answer to these questions is the same: Technology.  Technological capabilities are improving at a break-neck pace.  At the same time, the demand for personal cultural awareness, advanced degrees and lower costs are more prevalent than ever.  International education now means much more than studying abroad.  In today’s society, new technological capabilities are allowing more people to develop skills at a lower cost.

We have all learned to ignore the pile of cables connecting the pieces of our home entertainment. But how great would it be if we could just get rid of them? This is something consumers and engineers have been dreaming of for years. Now, it is a reality.

There is no need to carry around all those books any longer! You can thank Amazon’s Kindle, an electronic device sold in the U.S. made for reading e-books and other digital media. Books and other content are downloaded through Amazon’s Whispernet, by using free internet access. Kindles have a 6 inch (diagonal) screen, it holds over 200 titles, and it only weighs 10.3 ounces. Let me know if you find a book like that!

In light of the ballooning global cost of providing healthcare to patients, there has been much discussion as to how operations in the healthcare industry can be implemented in a smoother and more cost-efficient manner. One major solution could lie in the efforts of various supply-chain management firms and programs to help hospitals and health care systems reduce their supply chain costs. In addition to supply chain revamps, technological revisions of documentation in the health care industry should have a significant impact in cost-cutting and time-saving.

As mobile technology improves, many of the cell phones people are using are becoming outdated at an increasingly-faster rate. This is especially the case in Japan, where the latest cell phone can be usurped by another within a few weeks. In fact, the Japanese are so far advanced in cell phone technology that they've had a difficult time taking their cell phones global. So, what does one do with a bunch of outdated phones that nobody wants? Recycle them for their precious metals!

Imagine a 3D videogame like environment, except instead of a game, you are attending a virtual trade expo, with other real people, over the internet.  Could this ever catch on?  Personally, I think there is no replacement for meeting in person, however, this has a lot of potential applications for international businesspeople that can't afford to travel overseas often. 

Here's an interview with the CEO of InXpo, talking about his product:

There’s been a lot of talk lately about a new global reserve currency, or how the Yuan might overtake the dollar. One little-examined currency issue, however, is the role of virtual currency. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing-Games such as World of Warcraft, which has nearly 11 million players worldwide, use an in-game currency system, where players can buy items, creatures, or even services from other players with virtual “gold”. In China, where a huge online gaming community exists, government officials are worried that, to some degree, virtual currency could replace the actual currency, and might even have a significant impact on the country’s economic system.

One of the more interesting subplots of the environmental movement that has popped up lately is the potential of lithium-ion batteries to replace gasoline in automobiles. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, more energy dense, and lower-maintenance than some of their more conventional counterparts.

Even after Google's little shutdown at the beginning of May, CEO Eric Schmidt is still predicting that cloud computing technology would elminate the need for software. Businesses and individuals would be able to access their information or programs, stored on a central server, from anywhere in the world. This would completely revolutionize the way that businesses communicate with eachother around the world. Check out this neat little interview from CNN Money on the future of server based applications.