Belt, Road Summit concludes with nine deals, $1bln deals
Organizers highlighted that Hong Kongآ’s external trade with Belt and Road countries reached $276bln in 2024. The 10th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong
Can AI give small scale producers the right advice?
The World Bank has long recognized the critical importance of agricultural extension services – ranging from training and data to technology transfer – which make
Crypto, tokenisation, and the future of payments
The introduction of crypto technology and tokenisation is spurring changes in the financial system. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is taking steps to integrate crypto into
How is innovation competition exacerbating global overcapacity?
The world is moving into a period of entrenched manufacturing overcapacity, threatening deflation and stagnant growth. Over the past two decades, China has emerged as
Task-based returns to generative AI: Evidence from a central bank
How does generative AI affect real workplace productivity? This column reports results from an experiment at the National Bank of Slovakia, where staff were randomly
US-China high-tech friction and Japan’s response: Implications from a comparison of innovation processes
The competition being fought between the US and China in cutting-edge technology fields friction is also affecting basic research activities at universities and other public
Rethinking social protection sustainability: What people want (and don’t want)
Population ageing makes it harder for governments to finance programmes like public pensions and long-term care. But policy responses, such as tightening programme eligibility and
Customized strategies key to setting up MSMEs, start-ups for success
Developing countries invest about $1 billion annually to train millions of aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. While significant, this investment doesn’t fully address the shortage of
The state of globalisation: A new eBook
Three forces have always shaped globalisation – technology, policies, and geopolitics. What distinguishes the current moment is that all three are accelerating simultaneously but in
Export strength does not equal tech strength: Rethinking EU comparative advantage
Amid geopolitical shocks, the EU is revisiting its industrial strategy. However, traditional metrics often paint a misleading picture of Europe’s underlying strength. This column uses
