Trends & Forecasts

American manufacturers should expect to see numerous benefits from 3D printing as the technology continues to improve and printing costs decrease. While large printers capable of running thousands of parts in a day are still costly, the smaller counterparts are becoming very affordable. It may soon be considered more expensive not to have a 3D […]

Until mid-July, the diplomatic crisis generated by Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March and Moscow’s ongoing indirect support for a pro-Russia separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine appeared to have settled into a state of equilibrium. Powerful EU members resisted pressure from the U.S. for an expansion of economic sanctions targeting strategic government agencies and powerful […]

Change in the manufacturing industry is required for growth and profit. Without a crystal ball, not all changes can be guaranteed, but certain changes appear to be gaining in strength. From an increase in green manufacturing to automated factories and reshoring, the manufacturing industry is evolving and several trends in this evolution are expected to […]

The U.S. has experienced 11 recessions since the end of WWII and the most recent one has been the most severe. The Great Recession started in December 2007 and ended in June 2009 as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research, an independent group of economists that has officially defined business cycles since the […]

U.S. economic growth dipped 2.9 percent in the first quarter of 2014 and is unlikely to exceed 2 percent this year. Projections for the European Union (EU), at 1.6 percent, and Emerging Markets, at 4.9 percent, also remain low, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Nevertheless, Emerging Market projections are considerably higher than...

The court-ordered removal of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the grounds of abuse of power proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the troubled PTP government that came to power on a wave of popular optimism in 2011. Growing street protests and clashes between the red-shirted supporters of the PTP (and exiled […]

Egypt held its presidential election on May 25, and, as seemed a foregone conclusion, the victor was Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former commander of the armed forces and the leader of the coup that toppled the Islamist government of President Mohammed Morsi in June 2013. The recently retired military leader won 96.9 percent of the […]

President Xi Jinping has broadened his government’s anti-graft campaign to include former senior Communist Party officials and high-ranking military officers. In an unprecedented move, the authorities recently rounded up hundreds of associates and relatives of Zhou Yongkang, a former domestic security czar who retired from the Politburo Standing Committee in 2012. Perhaps even more surprising […]

In June of 2013, President Obama announced plans for sweeping reforms in coal fired power generation. His Climate Action Plan included a call for the EPA to draft carbon emission standards aimed at putting “an end to the limitless dumping of carbon pollution” from power plants. The President’s words appeared to be the death knell […]

Today’s new innovations and technologies are having a tremendous positive — and disruptive — impact on the United States and the world. These new drivers of growth, which likely will create trillions of dollars in new economic output, are transforming industries, labor markets, and the global economy at warp speed. But they also are forcing...

A career in sales can be one of the most financially, professionally and emotionally rewarding experience, and it often provides the opportunity to control one’s destiny. Selling offers the freedom to make ones own schedule, working whenever you choose. And if you’re a self-starter, you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it. […]

If what is meant by manufacturing “revival” is a sector that once again supports nearly 20 million jobs, as it did at its peak in 1979, or accounts for 28 percent of the U.S. economy, as it did at its peak in 1953, the answer is, thankfully, an emphatic “no.” If “revival,” however, is defined...

Even as the world becomes a “global village,” small to medium-sized companies continue to miss export opportunities. Most business owners believe exporting is either too expensive or inappropriate for them. But with a clear strategy and an understanding of how to seek out marketing opportunities, it is more than possible to become a successful exporter. […]

Any successful business must have a strategic plan that is fluid and workable. And not surprisingly, all too often the plan is complex, unrealistic and difficult to grasp. Over the last 30 years, I have come to realize that there is a very simple and straightforward strategy that drives the success of many great companies […]

His dominant political position buttressed by gains for his United Russia party in regional and local elections held in September 2013, and a raised international profile for Russia after successfully hosting the Winter Olympic Games earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin has stepped up repression of dissent at home while adopting a disconcertingly aggressive posture […]

As the global economy continues to evolve, world populations continue to shift — and at a rate faster than ever. As a result, an understanding of these trends can help a company determine whether its target markets are growing or shrinking, and where to focus its resources. But that’s not all. Population demographics also can...

During the careers of international executives, many are confronted with the important question of how to establish and evaluate foreign distribution strategies and partners. To do this, consider the seven “Cs.” These include commitment, cost, continuity, coverage, capital, consistency, and control.

Elections for seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, will be held in April–May 2014. Regardless of which party wins, the result will usher in a new political era as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will step down after a decade in power. He likely would have been out of a job anyway […]

All business executives are interested in company growth. In turn, many organizations are making fundamental changes in order to stay viable and expand in these uncertain times. An organization cannot grow, however, unless its people grow. New strategies and business initiatives require new mindsets from business leaders — and a thoughtful focus on the culture...

In the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations, many nations expressed shock and dismay over the mass surveillance of their citizens and governments. In turn, on March 12 the European Union (EU) Parliament passed a resolution and new law relating to data privacy. This will have profound implications for every U.S. tech company, as well […]