globalEDGE Blog - By Author: Andrea Galvan

And just like that, another school year at Michigan State is in the books—which means it’s time for the globalEDGE blog to sign off for the summer!

Fast food is no longer just about cheap meals and convenience; it is becoming one of the fastest adopters of AI in the restaurant industry. From smarter drive-thrus to automated inventory management and predictive maintenance, significant chains like Taco Bell, KFC, McDonald’s, and Chick-fil-A are investing heavily in AI to deliver faster service, improve accuracy, and boost efficiency behind the scenes.

In today’s globalized economy, the ability to move freely across borders and access multiple markets is an advantage for business professionals. Dual citizenship or obtaining a second passport through Citizenship by Investment programs has emerged as a strategic asset, offering numerous financial, personal, and professional benefits.

Dubai has grown fast, attracting businesses, investors, and expatriates worldwide. While this has boosted the economy, it has created challenges like high housing costs, heavy traffic, and concerns over the balance between locals and expatriates. Dubai has become one of the most expensive places to live, making it difficult for middle-income residents to keep up.

Cashews are one of the most popular nuts out there. They’re found in everything from snack mixes to gourmet dishes. But behind every handful of these tasty nuts lies an industry crucial to Ghana’s economy. The country has become a significant cashew producer, supporting thousands of farmers.

Welcome back to the globalEDGE Blog! With the start of the Spring 2025 semester, our Michigan State University student authors are excited to bring you another season of blogs.

As the semester winds down, the globalEDGE team is preparing for a well-earned winter break. Your engagement and support motivate us to continue striving for excellence. We encourage you to explore the diverse content available across the globalEDGE website during this time. In the meantime, check out our social media—we recently joined Instagram! Check us out @msuglobaledge.

Japan is at an essential moment in its history. After three decades of slow economic growth, the country has a chance to rebuild its economy through startups and technology innovation. With a rising interest in Japanese startups from local and foreign investors and efforts by the government to support entrepreneurship, Japan can turn the corner. However, there are still many challenges the startups need to overcome.

Europe has seen different fiscal challenges across its governments. While Germany faces restrictive debt policies, Ireland struggles with a cash surplus and France prepares to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations. Each country’s approach to its unique economic situation illustrates the diverse fiscal landscape within the EU.

“Clean beauty” has become more than just a trend. Consumers demand transparency, sustainability, and natural ingredients in their beauty products, so the industry has been racing to keep up. But behind the allure of “clean beauty” lies a complex web of supply chain problems and the threat of climate change. Creating beauty products that are truly clean is far from simple, as many brands and business owners are discovering.

Coffee is making headlines for the wrong reasons lately, with prices reaching all-time highs! Climate change, changing farming practices, and limited supplies are shaking up one of the world’s favorite brews. Let’s spill the beans on what’s brewing in the coffee world!

The electric vehicle market is headlining global economic change. Trade tensions are on the rise between Western nations and China as the competition heats up. In recent months, Canada, the United States, and the European Union have all announced significant tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, aiming to protect domestic industries from what they deem as unfair competition.

As the school year ends, we bid adieu to another year of student blogs! It has been another great year of writing to our dedicated readers. Our blogs covered everything from “Swiftonomics” to surges in the gaming industry.

While cultural intelligence has been a notable skill in today’s diverse business world, emotional intelligence is a new buzzword, making its mark. Emotional intelligence is about understanding and managing our emotions and those of others. This shift has occurred, as emotional intelligence is more crucial in the business world than ever, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.

In recent years, Airbnb has emerged as a challenge to traditional hotels. It offers travelers unique and personalized accommodations in homes, apartments, and treehouses. This platform has transformed how people think about lodging. Its innovative business model, impact on pricing, and guest experiences challenge the dominance of hotel chains and ignite the question of the hotel industry's future.

Rice, a food staple in many countries, holds cultural and dietary significance in Japan. However, concerns are growing over the future of rice farmers in Japan as the demand for this essential food experiences a decline. The rice industry faces additional challenges with the recent ban on rice exports from India, one of the world’s leading rice exporters. The once-stable and crucial rice sector faces uncertainties threatening its long-standing role in Japanese agriculture and the global economy.

Welcome back, readers! The globalEDGE Blog is back for the Spring 2024 season. Our student authors have returned from winter break loaded up with new ideas. As always, we will post every Monday through Thursday as we explore the international business world.

The audience’s support is a significant driving force that motivates our team to prepare the best and most timely content for the readers. We look forward to reconnecting with our audience and are excited for the 2024 spring semester!

The tobacco and nicotine industry has significant economic influence, contributing to both global and national economies. This impact spans various business sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, distribution, and health care. With a massive consumer base, these industries combined generate substantial revenue.

Bursting with refreshing sweetness, pineapple juice stands as a testament to the exotic allure of tropical fruits. This delicious fruit juice market is experiencing growth due to increasing awareness about health and wellness, coupled with rising demand for healthy beverages. Increasingly health-conscious individuals incorporate pineapple juice into their daily diets to meet their health goals. Additionally, companies are introducing specialized juices and drinks tailored to specific diets, attracting a growing customer base. These factors are significantly contribute to the niche market's growth. 

Intense labor movements have been making global headlines recently; you might be aware of the strikes in Hollywood and the film industry, but let’s shift gears to the Three Giants and United Auto Workers (UAW). UAW has taken a bold stand against automotive giants - General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford. Select plants of these powerhouse companies are facing targeted strikes, all unfolding after the union’s contracts expired two weeks ago.

The Korean skincare industry has taken the beauty world by storm recently. As beauty enthusiasts become increasingly drawn to innovative products and multi-step routines, the focus on achieving flawless and radiant skin has made the Korean skincare industry, in particular, a global trendsetter.

Shrinkflation has infiltrated our shopping experiences in more ways than one. From supermarket aisles to the realm of services, it’s a phenomenon leaving consumers both puzzled and frustrated. A variety of companies worldwide are using this cost-saving technique. Companies are reducing the size or quantity of a product while keeping its price the same or even increasing it. In other words, less products cost more.

Formula One, also known as F1, is one of the world’s most popular and prestigious motorsport events. The adrenaline-pumping races, cutting-edge technology, and glamorous lifestyle associated with F1 have captivated audiences worldwide for decades. But did you know from the logistics to hosting races to the development of the race cars, Formula 1 is one of the most financially impactful sports.

In a world where everything is mass-produced and readily available, luxury brands are the gatekeepers of sophistication, the arbiters of style, and the purveyors of impeccable craftsmanship. From watches to handbags, these items with expensive price points and high demand make them difficult products to obtain. These goods are typically reserved for the select few, but the luxury consumer of the new generation, who has come of age in the era of the internet, displays new concerns for the industry.

Crypto gaming distinguishes itself from traditional gaming by providing gamers with a level of transparency that enables them to own the assets they earn and purchase within the crypto gaming world. In comparison, traditional gaming usually does not offer such ownership rights to gamers, and the assets owned by players in traditional games tend to hold little value outside of the game.

 The world's population continues to grow at an alarming rate, and many countries are facing declining birth rates. This has far-reaching consequences for economies as the aging population shrinks the workforce, leading to a shortage of low-wage labor. Additionally, the demographic pyramid is becoming inverted as the elderly population grows relative to the working-age population, creating sustainability issues for social contracts that rely on the young to support the elderly. These challenges are particularly pronounced in developed countries, while developing countries face the opposite problem of a growing youth population with insufficient job opportunities. With the future of the global population at stake, it's crucial to address these issues and find sustainable solutions that benefit all.

While coffee is known as one of the world's favorite beverages, many prefer a lower-caffeine option. Matcha, a cousin to green tea, has been storming the world. The rapid growth of the matcha industry is backed by its popularity through social media and immense health benefits.

2022 has been a difficult year for the technology industry. What was once considered a high-paying, reliable marking is taking a turn for the worse. Tech companies from Amazon to Zillow are laying off employees at an alarming rate. Tech stocks have fallen significantly after a recent series of upsetting earnings reports were released.

From November 20, 2022, to December 18, 2022, all eyes will be on Qatar for the FIFA National World Cup. Whether you are viewing it from your TV, phone, or laptop, the tournament will be one of the most accessible world cups, as it will be televised on FOX, FS1, and Telemundo while also streaming on a variety of legal platforms. The 2022 World cup is predicted to have 5 billion views which would surpass the 3.5 billion viewers from the 2018 Russia World Cup. This is the perfect opportunity for brands to capitalize on the World Cup and promote their goods or services.

India is currently undergoing extreme inflation. To curb the effects of inflation, which are raising the prices of many food staples for Indian people, the Indian government is placing a ban on the exportation of broken rice, as well as imposing a hefty 20% export duty on any overseas shipments of white and brown rice, which constitute roughly around 60% of India’s total global sales. Along with inflation, poor weather is also contributing to the imposition of this ban.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a hot topic in today's news. As the globe continues to battle climate change, the technology of electric vehicles shows promise to help build a more sustainable future. EVs are a thriving industry in this year's depressed market. What started as an electrified wagon in the 1890s is now an industry that offers a variety of models, from sedans to luxury cars.

Soccer, most commonly known as football worldwide, has an immense amount of popularity and support from individuals of all ages. It is universally known to bring others together to provide a positive and enjoyable experience. Lately, this has not been the case.

During the past two years, the airline industry has seen a drastic fall in revenue and air traffic due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many hoped 2022 would bring a rise of good fortune as it predicted the spread of the virus would slow down and will lift specific covid-19 regulations. However, 2022 has brought the opposite of good luck, causing the airline industry to meltdown.

Wheat is an ingredient in a wide range of goods, including bread, pastries, pasta, and more. This essential ingredient is at a 14 year high, and it is estimated that it will soon face a shortage due to recent events of the Russian-Ukrainian War.

Finder's keeper's loser weepers. When a person finds something and keeps it, the loser has no right. Many societies had followed this saying throughout history when it came to looting ancient artifacts, and now it's affecting our global economy and society.

There is a new saying in the French Canadian province of Quebec: “No vax, pay tax.” Quebec plans to impose a “significant” healthcare tax on all unvaccinated residents, due to their health system deteriorating after the most recent surge of the COVID-19.

All-inclusive resorts are known for including the essential amenities of food, drinks, activities, and entertainment, in the booking price. These all-inclusive resorts range from white sand beaches to mountain top retreats. The all-inclusive resort market has been booming during 2021. Due to the pandemic, travelers are more drawn to vacation options in which they are able to stay in one place. Staying in one place removes the stress of planning do-it-yourself activities.  

Food, everyone eats it. It is a nutritious substance that helps maintain life and growth. What started as hunting in gathering turned into strolling through a grocery store, and paying a price for food. This year, world food prices have risen for the third month in a row according to the United Nations Food Agency. The price for food is at an all time high and is continuously rising.

On Monday, October 3, 2021, global airlines within the lobby group International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced their plans of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. “For aviation, net-zero is a bold, audacious commitment,” International Air Transport Association Director General Willie Walsh said, “but it is also necessary.” To many, this plan may seem unattainable due to limited solutions and resources.

Pfizer-BioNTech, the American-German paired company, has been the leading company for providing a COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) granted Emergency Use Authorization in early December of 2020. Pfizer-BioNTech was later given emergency validation by the World Health Organization. As of August 23, 2021, Pfizer-BioNTech is the first vaccine to be FDA approved, meaning they have met the rigorous standards of the FDA. This is a significant milestone for Pfizer-BioNTech. While many have already been vaccinated, there is now additional confidence in the vaccine.