By 2018, the conversation around modern slavery in Canadian supply chains had regained momentum, even though Bill C-383—the proposed Modern Slavery Act introduced as a private member’s bill in 2016—had failed to pass. That legislative defeat did not put the issue to rest. If anything, it created space for new coalitions of lawmakers, industry groups, […]
The rise of offshore software services in South Asia has been a quiet revolution, transforming economies, employment, and global IT landscapes. By 2015, this sector was firmly established as a key engine of growth for countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, yet measuring its true size and trajectory required more than surface-level indicators. Analysts […]
When the European Union adopted the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) in May 2017, it set in motion one of the most significant overhauls of medical device oversight in decades. By 2018, attention had turned from the text of the regulation to its implementation. That year saw the emergence of early pilot projects across Europe, as […]
When the Build Act was signed into law in March 2018, it marked a fundamental shift in how the United States approached development finance, particularly in relation to global supply chain infrastructure. By consolidating and expanding the capabilities of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) into the […]
The European Union’s Plastics Strategy, announced in January 2018, marked a turning point in efforts to reduce environmental harm from plastics while promoting circular economy principles. At its core, the strategy called for systemic changes in the production, use, and disposal of plastic materials. One of its most significant implications for industry was the increased […]
The mid-2010s marked a pivotal moment for mobile applications, transforming the way people interact with technology and creating entirely new markets overnight. By 2015, the mobile app industry was rapidly evolving, spawning countless startups and attracting significant investment. Yet, capturing the scale and pace of this growth required more than anecdotal accounts and app store […]
Canada’s Zero Plastic Waste Strategy, announced in December 2017, set in motion a national framework aimed at eliminating plastic waste through collaboration, innovation, and systemic change. For the fast-moving consumer goods sector, the strategy signaled a shift from voluntary recycling initiatives toward structured partnerships that could deliver measurable improvements in plastic recovery and circularity. By […]
The European Timber Regulation (EUTR), implemented in 2013, sought to curb illegal logging and ensure that only legally harvested timber entered the EU market. By 2018, the European Commission had initiated a formal transparency review aimed at assessing the regulation’s effectiveness and identifying areas where digital tools could enhance compliance. The findings of this review, […]
The passage of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December 2017 represented one of the most sweeping changes to American tax law in decades. Among its many provisions, the Act’s repatriation tax incentives stood out for their potential to reshape how multinational corporations approached their global supply chains. By offering a one-time, […]
When Canada’s Bill C-63 became law in June 2017, it introduced a suite of maritime security provisions aimed at strengthening the integrity of the nation’s ports and safeguarding the country’s international trade routes. While the legislative text emphasized enhanced regulatory powers, including the ability of officials to board vessels and inspect cargo more efficiently, the […]
The quest for gender equity in the workforce is often discussed in broad, national terms. But beneath the surface, patterns of female participation diverge sharply by sector—sometimes with persistent, even stubborn, gaps. To make sense of these disparities and design effective interventions, researchers and policymakers have increasingly turned to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) […]
Germany’s commitment to renewable energy, particularly wind power, has long been a cornerstone of its energy transition. By 2014, the landscape was marked by a rapid rollout of wind farms across the country’s varied terrain. For analysts and policymakers aiming to measure and understand this expansion, ISIC 3510—covering electric power generation—offered a valuable framework to […]
The 2017 compliance cycle for the European Union’s recast Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive marked an important milestone in efforts to promote circular economy principles across the electronics industry. As manufacturers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment finalized their reporting obligations for the year, many confronted the growing complexity of managing and […]
Urban growth, once regarded simply as a matter of managing population density or expanding infrastructure, is increasingly understood as a dynamic, data-driven process. With the rise of smart cities, local governments and urban planners are embracing new technologies and standards—not only to guide development, but also to foster liveability, sustainability, and economic competitiveness. In this […]
In mid-2017, federal agencies released important guidance under the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 designed to help critical infrastructure operators enhance supply chain transparency and resilience. This guidance reflected mounting concerns over the potential for cyber vulnerabilities to cascade through the complex networks of vendors and service providers that support the nation’s most essential systems. For […]
The defeat of Canada’s Modern Slavery Act, Bill C-383, in 2016 did not put an end to the country’s conversation on corporate responsibility and supply chain transparency. In fact, it arguably catalyzed new forms of engagement by industry associations determined to fill the regulatory void through voluntary measures. By 2017, several prominent business coalitions representing […]