The Knowledge to Decide

China accounted for 15% of the USD660 million professional Esports market in 2017. Can China cash in on this booming market before other players jump on the bandwagon? Spire’s viewpoint on Asia’s e-gaming landscape was cited in China Daily – Asia Weekly. Esports – sporting activity built around public performances of electronic game-play – is a booming industry world-wide. In comparison to other sports, Esports training does not require an actual stadium, pitch or course. All you need is stable net connectivity. Esports is set to go further at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province in Eastern China, where it will be acknowledged as an official medal sport. The growth potential in Esports is immense. The International Olympic Committee has already partnered with Chinese tech giant Alibaba to power future Olympic Games with its infrastructure services for cloud computing. Such technology infrastructure would be a powerful enabler for the Olympic Games to em

Microsoft has signed its first solar power agreement with Atria Power in India to purchase 3 megawatts (MW) of solar-powered electricity at its new office in Bangalore, India. This ensures that 80% of the building’s projected electricity requirement is met by supporting the local clean energy industry. Encouraging initiatives like this will help India fulfil its Paris Agreement obligations to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The deal comes a week after the announcement of another deal in Singapore for a 60 MW solar project. Has Asia’s renewable energy sector hit a tipping point? For further information, click here.

Spire Research and Consulting group’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Bahar was honoured to be a guest speaker at the International Franchise Conference 2018. The conference was held on 21 April 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, organized by the Malaysian Franchise Association. Jeffrey Bahar shared insights on the growth of the regional retail industry, focusing on key trends and the attractiveness of various emerging markets across Asia. With global retail sales set to rise from USD25 trillion in 2018 to USD28 trillion in 2020, the Asia Pacific is expected to record USD10 trillion in retail sales by the end of 2018. Bahar highlighted that Asian players were also among the top 250 global retailers in 2016, with China’s e-commerce player JD.com and Japan’s retailer Seven & I Holdings at the 28th and 20th rankings respectively. With technology development, urbanization and the rise in working women, customers are demanding more innovative services, and retailers are responding. For e

With the increase in pet ownership, healthcare and spending, Asia’s pet industry is expected to grow at 14.3 per cent annually from 2016 to 2021. Pet ownership as well as expenditure per pet is increasing. Will Asia become the next global hub for pet-related products and services? The beginning of pet ownership As of 2016, the majority of households across the globe owned a pet. Pets have been a part of human society for thousands of years. Cats and dogs were buried with humans. The ancient Romans also kept small toy dogs approximately 2,000 years ago. As of 2016, the majority of households across the globe owned a pet. Dogs are officially man’s best friend with one third of households world-wide (on average) owning a dog. Cats are not far behind, with one quarter of households (23 per cent) owning cats, making them the second most popular pet. Where do the market opportunities lie? The annual growth rate of the pet care industry in Asia between 2017- 20

Traffic congestion in densely population Asian cities is nothing new. To address this growing menace, emerging Asian economies continue to invest heavily in new transport infrastructure in cities like Jakarta, Manila and Ho Chi Minh City. For instance, Manila suffered annual economic losses of USD18 million due to road congestion. According to a recent study, Southeast Asian emerging states under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – excluding Laos, Brunei and Singapore – need an investment of USD147 billion each year in infrastructure through 2020 to maintain growth momentum. Will new infrastructure and traffic management technology address traffic congestion in emerging Asian economies? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/new-transport-systems-in-asian-cities-to-curb-traffic-congestion/

The Middle East is sometimes viewed as an economic failure story. But at the Western fringe of that region, a new global economic powerhouse is rising – Turkey, the transcontinental country positioned strategically between Asia and Europe. With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD786 billion for 2014, the nation opens its doors to investment across multiple sectors. Will Turkey continue to be a safe haven for investment and can it be a springboard into Europe and the Middle East? Turkey’s steady progression The 1980’s marked a turning point in Turkey’s history. The liberalizing reforms by visionary Prime Minister, Turgut Ozal opened up the economy. Even though the latter years were marred by economic disruption, the Kurdish conflict and a banking crisis, Turkey’s economy consolidated its gains after 2002 when the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came into government. The AKP have since made concerted efforts to institute structural reforms, new fiscal policies and macroe

Among global food product categories, Halal food is one of the few that is in the fast-growth stage. The global Halal food market is currently worth nearly USD700 billion – with 65 per cent of the demand coming from Asia. Opportunities abound – but how can companies best address them? Halal certification The literal meaning of the Arabic word ‘Halal’ is permissible. It is used in reference to food and drinks that are permissible for Muslims under Islamic Law, as defined in the Koran. It lays down instructions specifying what food can be consumed as well as the method of preparation, addressing mostly meat items and animal tissue. For example, the Islamic form of slaughtering animals involves killing by a cut to the windpipe, carotid artery and jugular vein. Muslim consumers now contribute to a growing demand for high quality and varied Halal food. The Halal certification is a concern for the 1.6 billion global Muslim population because many Muslims live in non-Muslim majority