In The News

Talk of an Internet Fast Lane Is Already Hurting Some Startups

David Talbot May 16, 2014
Studies of internet and computer use suggest that full potential is far from realized. The US Federal Communications Commission is proposing rules that “would allow ISPs to charge content providers like Netflix to ensure speedy service, so long as those charges are ‘commercially reasonable,’” reports David Talbot for MIT Technology Review. “History shows that some Web-based products and services...

Water Scarcity Challenges to Business

Arjen Y. Hoekstra May 2, 2014
Water – so essential for living and business, from agriculture to mining and high-tech manufacturing – is under-priced. Scarcity is on the horizon due to growing populations and economic growth as well as climate change. Greater efficiency and improved storage encourage demand. Businesses recognize the risks and anticipate greater competition over allocation. “Countries such as the USA, Brazil,...

The Rise of Asia Means You Need Different Style of Leadership

Rick Lash April 29, 2014
The challenges of globalization and global markets require new leadership – of broader collaboration among diverse players. “Countries and organizations can no longer operate under the outdated notion that they are surrounded by intact borders and bear sole responsibility for taking charge over what happens on their turf,” writes Rick Lash for the Globe and Mail. “Leadership in the new world...

How We Can Manufacture Forests Like Toyota Makes Cars

Marcus Wohlsen April 2, 2014
Forests and individual trees offer numerous benefits that include absorbing carbon emissions and noise, conserving energy and shielding shelters, preventing water pollution or soil erosion, and even increasing property values and reducing violence along city streets. An industrial engineer with Toyota applied strategies from the car manufacturer and Japanese forester Akira Miyawaki to growing...

Fresh Corporate Default Tests China’s Resolve

Lucy Hornby and Jamil Anderlini March 14, 2014
Defaults, like profits, are a part of doing business, warns China’s premier, after Haixin Steel and Chaori Solar failed to make payments on debt. “Li Keqiang told reporters that China was likely to see a series of defaults as the government accelerates financial deregulation but said his government would take steps to ensure they do not pose a threat to the wider financial system,” reports the...

Fears for Bangladeshi Democracy Rumble Across Region

Victor Mallet January 16, 2014
Some Asian democracies are not handling polarization well and fail to contain extreme responses by political parties after election or policy defeats. In Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Thailand, “parliamentary democracies have fallen prey to the diseases of authoritarianism, violence and strident populism,” reports Victor Mallet for the Financial Times. Amid the political problems for the...

“Chance of a Century”: International Investors Flock to Tehran

Susanne Koelbl January 6, 2014
Investors and businesses, particularly major oil and gas companies, are descending on Iran, hoping to profit from 80 million people, many of whom are eager to engage in international commerce. Iran has the world’s fourth largest oil reserves and the second largest gas reserves, and the nation’s equipment requires updating and renovations. Western sanctions, imposed on Iran’s nuclear program,...