When tariffs are announced, headlines tend to follow the drama: winners, losers, political posturing. The reality for those tasked with analysis is less theatrical and more intricate. In the food processing sector—ISIC code 10, “Manufacture of food productsâ€â€”the effects of new tariffs are anything but uniform, and quantifying them calls for methodical work rather than […]
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 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 corridorsâ€â€”to concrete evidence. One of […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
Digital advertising has moved from the margins to the mainstream of marketing strategy, transforming not only how brands engage with consumers but also the structure of entire advertising industries. For policymakers and economists, the challenge is to look beyond anecdotes of viral campaigns and record-breaking online sales, and instead ground analysis in consistent, sector-specific data. […]
The business of fighting money laundering is defined as much by the need for structure as by the unpredictability of risk. For financial crime units and regulators, deciding where to look—who, exactly, to prioritize for checks and audits—has never been straightforward. There are only so many investigators and so much time, yet the diversity and […]
Efforts to spur the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are ubiquitous in economic policy. Whether through subsidized lending, tax incentives, or direct grants, governments and development agencies routinely invest in programs designed to accelerate SME performance, hoping that broader economic dynamism will follow. Yet, evaluating whether these efforts truly make a difference requires […]
The rapid evolution of digital infrastructure has pushed cloud computing from a specialist niche into the core of global business operations. As organizations in every sector migrate to the cloud, policymakers and economists face a new challenge: how to measure, compare, and anticipate the growth of this still-maturing industry. The International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) […]
Few areas of healthcare have changed as rapidly or as visibly as telemedicine. Once a peripheral offering, it has now moved toward the center of service delivery in many systems. For economists and policymakers trying to track its expansion, the challenge is not only the novelty of the model, but the limitations of the data […]
Discussions of the circular economy often lean toward the aspirational. It’s one thing to declare an ambition to move from waste to resource, quite another to quantify what is actually happening on the ground. The real challenge for policymakers, economists, and industry leaders is measurement: tracking not just intentions but material flows, and doing so […]
The informal sector remains one of the most persistent—and elusive—features of many economies. Policymakers and analysts routinely debate its size, its contribution to livelihoods, and the best path to formalization. Yet the tools for measurement are often limited, particularly in contexts where economic activity escapes official registration. The International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) framework, typically […]
The evolution of smart cities has placed new demands on urban planners—demands for precision, foresight, and a more systematic way to manage the complexity of modern metropolitan life. It is no longer enough to zone by intuition or tradition. Cities today require a sharper, data-driven approach to balancing economic growth with livability, environmental sustainability, and […]
E-government has become more than a vision of digital convenience. For many policymakers and businesses, it’s now a practical necessity—an answer to the growing demands for efficiency, transparency, and international integration. But as more economic activity spans borders, traditional administrative systems often become a bottleneck rather than a bridge. The International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) […]