Economic classification systems are, by nature, a step behind the frontiers of innovation. The International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) system has served the world well—providing a backbone for economic statistics, policy analysis, and international comparisons. Yet, as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and entirely new business models blur the lines between sectors, the challenge is clear: […]
The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, effective since November 2022, marks a significant step in federal efforts to combat severe animal mistreatment in the United States. Although originally focused on criminalizing acts such as crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, or impaling animals, the law has helped shape a broader supply-chain transparency culture in industries […]
Pretoria, South Africa — The 42nd annual Southern African Transport Conference and Exhibition is slated for 8-11 July 2024 at the CSIR International Convention Centre (ICC) in Pretoria. This year’s theme, “Upskilling and Reskilling the Transport Industry for Current and Future Challenges,” aims to highlight the critical need for innovation and collaboration within the sector. […]
Infrastructure Africa, the leading business event dedicated to infrastructure development on the continent, has unveiled the Projects Dealroom. This innovative platform is designed to accelerate investment in African infrastructure projects, meeting the continent’s urgent socio-economic needs. The Projects Dealroom serves as a dynamic marketplace for project developers, investors, financiers, and other key stakeholders to […]
The aftermath of Brexit has produced few certainties and a great many questions, not least for those charged with tracking the movement of goods and services between the UK and the European Union. For analysts, policymakers, and supply chain professionals, the challenge is to move from broad narratives—“disruption,” “realignment,” “new corridors”—to concrete evidence. One of […]
The European Union’s 2022 Textiles Strategy represents a landmark effort to create a circular, sustainable, and fully transparent textiles industry. A core feature of this strategy is the requirement for manufacturers, brands, and retailers to disclose the origins of textile fibers and provide detailed information on chemicals used during production. This regulatory shift responds to […]
Pune, India –  The highly anticipated India Fastener Show 2024 is set to take place from  October 17-19  in Pune, Maharashtra, a key manufacturing hub in the region. This premier event is poised to be a central gathering for industry leaders, innovators, and stakeholders in the fastener and fastening technology sectors. With over 150 […]
Australia’s National Plastics Plan, released in November 2023, marks a significant regulatory advance in the country’s efforts to reduce plastic waste and promote circular economy practices. At its core, the Plan imposes mandatory upstream reporting requirements on producers, importers, and users of plastic packaging materials. The goal is to create full transparency across the plastics […]
The rise of the gig economy has challenged economists and policymakers alike. Its energy is unmistakable, but its contours remain stubbornly hard to define. Ride-hailing apps and digital freelance platforms now shape the livelihoods of millions, but how many? In which sectors? And how are incomes distributed across these new arrangements? These are not idle […]
The US Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Climate Rule, finalized in September 2023, represents a landmark development in the federal government’s efforts to integrate climate risk and sustainability into its procurement practices. The rule mandates that major federal contractors—defined as entities with more than $50 million in annual federal obligations—disclose their Scope 1, 2, and 3 […]
The EU Conflict Minerals Regulation, which came into full effect on January 1, 2021, marked a critical step in the European Union’s efforts to prevent the financing of armed groups through the trade of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (commonly referred to as 3TG minerals). The regulation imposes mandatory due diligence obligations on EU importers […]
Natural disasters strike with force, but their economic effects unfold in ways that are anything but random. For those tasked with disaster-risk financing—whether in government, insurance, or international agencies—the challenge is to anticipate where losses will fall, how fiscal liabilities will accumulate, and what kind of targeted support will be needed when crisis hits. This […]
Environmental regulation is rarely straightforward. While the public often imagines pollution control as a matter of setting limits and issuing fines, those closer to the process know it is fundamentally a challenge of information—of knowing who is responsible, how much they emit, and what actions are most likely to produce meaningful improvements. In this context, […]
The final rule issued under the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Supply Chain Cybersecurity framework, effective January 2022, has reshaped how telecommunications providers manage vendor risk across critical infrastructure. Developed in response to growing threats against US communications networks, this rule compels telecom carriers to systematically assess the cybersecurity posture of their hardware […]
Japan’s 2022 amendment to the Act on Promotion of Transparency in Public Procurement marked a significant shift toward ensuring accountability and sustainability in the construction sector. Effective from April 2023, the amendment introduced new requirements for the disclosure of sources of construction materials in all public works projects. This reform was driven by increasing public […]
The global race to foster world-class biotechnology clusters is as much a matter of geography as it is of science. Policymakers and investors routinely ask where the next “Silicon Valley for biotech” will arise, but behind the aspirational talk, there is a practical need: how can we systematically identify, compare, and monitor emerging clusters of […]