globalEDGE Blog - Page 71

If you were born in 1900, you were expected to live a mere 50 years. Today, the average global life expectancy is 72.8 years. The good news is that people are living longer. The bad news is that many of the resources necessary to care for the aging population are dwindling. Of all the demographic trends in the world today, preparing for and managing the implications of the aging population might be the most important. 

The first thing a visitor to China notices is how fast most things move.  It seems every week or so, a new high-speed rail line is opening somewhere in the country.  Building construction takes place around the clock, with new housing blocks rising out of what were empty lots the last time you looked.

Artificial limbs, manufacturing machines, and transportation drones all share one common trait: the implementation of robotics.  One of the fastest growing sectors in the world, robotics and its applications are revolutionizing the way society conducts our lives.  The recent data boom has produced a newfound excitement around all technology, using the benefits of mass statistics to carefully craft new innovative products.  Robotics has been one of the largest, if not the largest, benefactors from this trend, using systems like cloud storage, artificial intelligence, and responsive programming to evolve into a highly intelligent and efficient tool.  Currently, technology stocks are growing tremendously compared to past years and robotics seem to be on the cutting edge of a new era.

Mauritius is an island nation flourishing economically and socially. The population has origins from the European and African continents, as well as from India and China which makes it unique for its social peace and multi-cultural society. Mauritius is the fastest growing economy in sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, it has one of the highest GDP per capita incomes in Africa.  All of these facts make Mauritius a prosperous country in diversified ways.   

It is no surprise that the proposed Chinese tariffs looming over American agricultural industries such as soybeans, fruit, nuts, wine, and pork have the potential to greatly affect not only the companies and farmers that they target but the everyday Chinese consumers who purchase those products as well. If the duties are imposed, they will raise the cost of American imported goods in China to a point that exported goods from other countries may become a more valuable and competitive option than those from the United States.

As The Masters, one of golf most prominent tournaments approaches, we took a look at the state of the golf industry which is played by many individuals around the world.

Ms. Sheila Khama serves as the Practice Manager for the World Bank’s Energy and Extractive Industries Global Practice with a focus on eastern and southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, southern Asia, Europe and central Asia, and the Extractives Global Programmatic Support Trust Fund. Khama previously worked as the Director of the African Resources Center at the African Development Bank (AfDB). With these along with her other positions, Khama focused on the development of African countries from the use of natural resources.

With evolving technology comes a growing number of sophisticated data breaches aimed at obtaining emails, credit card numbers and addresses for shoppers worldwide. In the last five years, there has been multiple high-profile breaches including Under Armor and the MyFitnessPal app, Target, Whole Foods Market, Chipotle Mexican Grills, and most recently Hudson’s Bay Co. which is home to Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor.

In simple terms, inflation rates measure what has happened to consumer prices over the latest 12-month period. But what increases inflation? Well, economic growth is generally followed by a stronger and growing labor market, which means that unemployment is down and wages are increasing. This increases consumer’s disposable income and increases the cost of wages for companies. Both of those factors push prices up for consumers, which in turn, increases inflation rates. This is where interest rates, inflation’s best friend, comes into play. Shortly after inflation increases, interest rates begin to increase to control inflation (generally to 2%). Governments increase interest rates to incentivize people to save a larger chunk of their disposable income and decrease discretionary spending, in turn, decreasing consumer prices.

This is the fifth post in a five-part blog series focused on future trends in business.

Advertising has evolved from traditional print, television, and radio ads to today's multi-channel mobile and online media campaigns. With more data being collected and analyzed than ever before, many aspects of advertising have become integrated and therefore more apt at addressing consumer needs. The future of advertising lies in the connectivity of our devices and in the data derived from our activity. This post will explore the effect these advancements have on consumers and highlight opportunities for businesses.