globalEDGE NEWSLETTER

Transport Manufacturing

February 2009 Vol. 8 - Issue 2

Inside This Issue

  1. Fact of the Month
  2. Feature of the Month: Transport Manufacturing
  3. From the globalEDGE blog
  4. Featured Resources
  5. Featured Academy
  6. globalEDGE Business Review
  7. Newsletter Information

FACT OF THE MONTH...

The largest subway system in the world belongs to Moscow, which pushes through nearly 8.8 million passengers daily. Tokyo has 7.4 million riders, and Paris around 6 million. Eighty-five percent of the world's daily mass transit population is comprised of European and Asian commuters.

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FEATURE OF THE MONTH: TRANSPORT MANUFACTURING

The transport manufacturing industry is responsible for the construction of transportation that gets people and goods from Point A to Point B. The main form of transportation that comes to mind for most is the automobile, but transport manufacturing encompasses much more than that. Mass transit, trains, planes, and ships are all facets of transport manufacturing. Historically, the world has shifted from horses and ships to automobiles and planes, though we still use ships today. Changing trends, however, indicate a departure from traditional gas-run automobiles and airplanes to more eco-friendly and affordable mass transit. While mass transit is already popular in other parts of the world such as Europe and Asia, there have been pushes to implement more efficient systems of mass transit in areas such as the United States, which have traditionally relied on the automobile. This isn't to say that the automobile and airplane are going away though. Auto companies and airplane manufacturers such as Toyota and Lear have begun to focus on the research and development of products which are more energy efficient, such as reduced emissions engines and hybrid vehicles. The commercial aircraft manufacturing sector is expected to see growth as projected air travel worldwide is expected to double by 2025.

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FROM THE globalEDGE BLOG

Could Mass Transit Revolutionize the International Business World?

Imagine if you could use one simple swipe pass to pay for everything. No, I'm not talking about a credit card. Think of it more like a bus pass. Now integrate this pass into a whole infrastructure of travel. Behold Hong Kong's octopus card! In Hong Kong, 90% of all traveling is done by mass transit. 7 million daily riders have access to an "octopus card," used by 95% of Hong Kong's population(16-65), which is accepted as currency not only for the various forms of mass transit but as well as parking meters, convenience stores, and fast-food restaurants. Hong Kong is widely regarded as having the best blueprint of a successful mass transit system. Could this spread elsewhere?

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FEATURED RESOURCES

Mass Transit Magazine

Mass Transit Magazine is a comprehensive resource on the mass transit industry. It offers daily industry news, announcements, event listings, opinion pieces, job listings, and a buyer's guide. Additionally, the site offers an eNewsletter and industry briefs through a free subscription.
Category: Transport Manufacturing Resources

The Industry Handbook: The Airline Industry

Produced by Investopedia, put forth by Forbes Magazine, The Industry Handbook for the Airline Industry offers a general background on things potential investors in the airline industry should look for, as well as helpful advice for investors already involved. The site also provides a general background on the airline industry itself.
Category: Transport Manufacturing Resources

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FEATURED ACADEMY

Doing Business in Russia

Doing Business in Russia offers a general overview of the conditions for doing business in Russia today. It includes sections covering Russian social and business cultures, marketing distribution and sales channels in Russia, and supply chain management, as well as information on the costs of doing business in Russia and issues currently facing the country. This module also includes a case study on Russia's Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure.
Category: Online Course Modules

The Business Strategy Game

The Business Strategy Game is a web-based simulation in the athletic footwear industry, and each company is managed by a team of players competing against other companies. The simulation tries to mirror the real athletic footwear industry to a large extent, and requires the players to make decisions on all operational aspects of business, including sales, marketing, finance, web sales, warehousing, and distribution. Companies can sell their products in four regional markets.
Focus: International Business, Management
Format: Web Based Category: Exercises & Simulations

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globalEDGE BUSINESS REVIEW

"The BRIC Countries" by Tomas Hult

Brazil, Russia, India, and China form the so-called BRIC countries. This article summarizes the basics of the BRIC countries, including: the impact on the BRIC's by the world economy, organizing by the BRIC countries, economic and population changes in the BRIC countries, key strengths and weakness of the BRIC countries, and key issues for countries and firms to consider when doing business with the BRIC countries.

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NEWSLETTER INFORMATION

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