globalEDGE Blog - By Author: Sean Fleming

Hollywood has been the global capital of filmmaking for over a century. Even in international industries, American movies reign supreme. Since 1912, the highest-grossing movie of each year has been an American film. This dominant track record has led to the steady decline of international film industries as countries lost their confidence in competing in box office sales. This pattern is likely going to come to an end as a Chinese animated movie is looking to blow all other movies out of the water. Ne Zha 2 has taken China by storm and could lead a more progressive movement in international cinema industries.

In today’s age, the most common means of transportation is driving a car. Based on statistics from December 2024, 72% of American workers commute to work using a personal vehicle or car.

Streaming services are more significant than ever. By the summer of 2023, these services commanded 38% of television viewing, larger than traditional cable’s 31%.

Artificial Intelligence has become a household term over the past year. Over this time, consumption of AI, off all levels, has risen. ChatGPT, the most well-known AI chatbot, has reached 100 million daily users, which will likely continue to grow.

International Trade is the backbone of all of the largest economies in the world. China, the world’s largest exporter of goods, has completed the construction of a new port that will open a new trade highway in the Pacific Ocean.

Autonomous or self-driving cars were once an idea in a sci-fi movie. Even if this seems like a farfetched idea, we see autonomous transit starting in more locations worldwide.

One of the largest companies in this sector, Google currently facing its second large antitrust trial, focusing on its ad tech. Google has dominated the search engine market. It is the largest search engine in all major markets, excluding China and Russia. While Google is the only company being looked at, the outcome of this trial could have significant effects on the whole industry.

The electric vehicle market has been enormously increasing over the past decade. Large companies such as the Chinese BYD and the American Tesla focus solely on EV production and have become some of the largest companies in the world. At the same time, most other large automotive companies have set lofty EV production goals for the near future.

The Olympics need no introduction.

The UEFA Champions League is a well-known competition from around the world. It brings all the top soccer clubs together from the top European Leagues. Around 80 teams can compete in the 32-team group stage in its current format. The competition allows for great matchups that domestic leagues can’t. For the 2024/25 campaign, UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, unanimously passed a new format for the league. While the changes might seem small to the average eye, the implications can benefit the current state of European football.

The Grammy Awards were held for the 66th annual time this past week. The show is always full of monumental moments, triumphant or controversial. It is also a perfect look into the music industry and the trends that are currently happening. From the acts performing to the artists winning, much of the show can be read into. 

The Space Race was one of the most defining moments of the 20th century. Over the past few years, countries from all over the world have ramped up their space programs. In August 2023, India became the first nation to land near the Moon’s southern pole. Recently, NASA’s future moon mission has been moved back to 2025, leaving the lead for space exploration open to the many government-funded or private space programs.

Almost every large company in the world has used fossil fuels at some point, whether at a federal level or a state level. Restrictions are being placed on how certain corporations handle their carbon footprint. While some companies have pledged toward a more carbon-neutral future, reaching those sustainability goals takes time, effort, and money. This has led to a new industry solely based on carbon dioxide extraction from the atmosphere. The carbon capture and storage industry is on the rise, with Fortune 500 companies investing millions into reducing their carbon credit and billionaires launching their start-ups in the sector.

The coal industry is undoubtedly one of the world’s largest energy sources. According to statista.com, coal has been the second-largest energy source consumed in the world since at least 2019. The sector accounted for over a quarter of the energy consumption in 2022. Along with oil, natural gas, and petroleum, coal is considered a fossil fuel.

Since the early beginnings of farming, humans have used natural practices such as cross-breeding plants to find the best produce for consumption and growing. These practices change the size, color, and amount of seeds in a fruit, among other characteristics.

In the 1970s, however, scientists began genetically modifying foods to make the changes more predictable and favorable. The first genetically modified organism, or GMO, produce available for purchase was a tomato in 1994. Now, GMO crops are grown in 24 countries and imported and sold in 43.

The Panama Canal, one of the world’s largest trading channels, has been dealing with a severe drought this spring and summer, and is expected to continue to experience serious dryness in upcoming months. Panama has two seasons in a year: a dry season and a rainy season. Though the rainy season usually runs from late April until late November, Panama is still experiencing the lowest amount of rainfall since 2000. The unusual drought has caused lower water levels in the canal. According to Boris Moreno, the Vice President of Operations for the channel, the lakes that the passage depends on have close to minimum water levels. 

Africa is the second-largest continent in the world by land mass and the second-largest continent based on population. The largest reserves of diamonds, platinum, gold, and many other resources can be found on the continent. Africa also holds 60% of the world’s arable land and a tenth of the earth’s internal renewable fresh water supply. Although carrying an ample supply of resources, land, and population, Africa is one of the poorest countries in the world. Around 460 million Africans live below the extreme poverty line. In May 2019, the African Union signed the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) into place, which can be the first massive step toward economic growth.

Climate change, the idea that human behavior has long-term effects on the environment or weather, has become a global concern over the past few decades. Temperatures across the world have steadily increased over the past 100 years.

The global surge for renewable energy is increasing yearly, with record numbers set in 2020 and 2021, with expectations of this trend to continue with 2022 reports. Many countries have been increasing their use of solar, wind, and other energy sources to reduce their carbon footprint and help have energy independence. Some countries have begun to increase their industry and supply of solar panels. At the same time, some expect to increase their use within their borders. Whether in Europe, Asia, or North America, renewable energy will be in high demand in the upcoming years.

Esports has been a growing industry over the past few decades and has grown at a healthy rate. The popularity of esports started internationally in South Korea and China in the late 90s. By the early 2000s, its popularity reached the United States. With the addition of Twitch, a streaming service built around video games, the popularity of esports went international by the early 2010s. Investors were enticed by the esports industry and expected a fruitful market in the upcoming years. In 2022, many investors not seeing a return on their investments, not due to a lack of popularity, but rather a difference in markets.

Climate change is a subject that few need an introduction to. The world is continuing to see long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns, some of which are being driven by humans. The prevalent use of non-renewable energy has increased this shift in climate, forming new issues in other markets. One industry that is seeing new obstacles due to climate change is the travel industry.

The Nord Stream pipelines are two large underwater pipelines connecting Russia and Germany. These pipelines were designed to export Russian oil and gas to Germany. The natural gas exported through Nord Stream accounted for 35% of European energy that is supplied by Russia. As tension between Russia and Europe heightened, the amount of natural gas that Russian companies exported declined drastically. By early September, Nord Stream 1 was fully out of operation. The plans for the operation of Nord Stream 2, another pipeline that would export Russian gas, were shut down by the German government earlier this year. The Nord Stream pipelines and the Russian oil they supply are critical to European countries such as Germany, Hungary, Greece, and many more.

The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) is the most captivating place on earth for deep-sea mining contractors and the electric automotive industry alike. The CCZ is a giant international seabed stretching over 4.5 million kilometers from Hawaii to Mexico. The reason that the CCZ is seen in such high regard is that it is packed with tons of precious metals needed in the battery and electric production field. The only other option to get these resources is through terrestrial mining which is both labor and environmentally inefficient. Many companies are noticing how fruitful this venture is and are investing in it before extraction has been approved by international authorities.