The Knowledge to Decide

University of Warwick researchers developed an organo-metal compound coded as FY26 to infiltrate cancer cells and activate cellular mitochondria to destroy cancer cells. To date, FY26 has been tested in ovarian cancer cells and has been deemed 50 times more effective and cheaper than other chemotherapy drugs. Can a newly discovered metallic compound vastly improve the treatment of ovarian cancer? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/precious-metal-destroys-cancer-cells/

Taking a cue from a Japanese bank – Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ – Indian banks plan to use robots with artificial intelligence. Kumbakonam-based City Union Bank launched India’s first robot on-site assistant, known as Lakshmi. The robot imitates human action, thereby reducing the response time to customers by up to 60% and improving accuracy tremendously. The bank became the first to deploy robots that can perform repetitive, high volume and time-consuming tasks, raising productivity and efficiency. Will artificial intelligence enable banks to use robots on a mass scale? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/indias-first-banking-robot/

Singapore needs to harness its older workforce and instil confidence in the economy to survive the age of disruption. Can the nation continue to maintain its economic competitiveness? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in the Asian version of Japan’s Nikkei newspaper. With one of the worst total fertility rates amongst developed countries worldwide, Singapore needs to utilize the older workforce as a source of economic potential and also stimulate entrepreneurship among Singaporeans of all ages. This can be attained through policies that focus on managing the cost of living and enhancing retirement adequacy. The nation boasts of a good civil service and an efficient infrastructure which needs to be preserved. However, national competitiveness in the 21st century will hinge on innovation and entrepreneurship, arenas where Singapore has thus far been less successful than some other developed countries. There needs to b

As Singapore turns 52 amidst global and domestic uncertainties, how should it evolve its global brand image? Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in The Business Times – Views from the Top section on 7 August 2017 on the future trajectory of the Singapore brand. Singapore’s brand is synonymous with efficiency, anti-corruption along with an effective civil service. These strengths should be maintained. Perera opined, however, that Singapore needs to develop its global brand to become associated with the opposite category of strengths too – those associated with entrepreneurship, freedom of expression and creativity. In an age of artificial intelligence and perpetual economic disruption, the Singapore of the future will need to groom innovators, knowledge-seekers and artists. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/singapore-turns-52-what-next-for-the-national-brand/

Malaysian telco edotco’s launch in Bangladesh underlines its seriousness in becoming a regional leader in telecom infrastructure. Spire collaborated on a major Customer Satisfaction Survey which found that edotco Bangladesh was indeed among the top preferred local infrastructure providers. The findings of the survey were also highlighted on TowerXchange’s website. The launch of edotco Bangladesh underline’s edotco’s interest in Bangladesh’s rapidly growing telecommunication market. The launch has involved partnerships with local telecom operators, in line with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s (BTRC) infrastructure sharing agreement. Spire’s survey covered edotco’s customer base which consists of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Non-MNOs. Consumers’ were questioned on perceptions of the quality of services and network availability, as well as maintenance of non-telecom equipment such as batteries, towers, cooling systems and electricity transmiss

Do Asia-Pacific financial services institutions need to spend more on IT operations to avoid losing market share to non-conventional players? Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, discussed this view in FST Media. According to a McKinsey report, organizations that provided financial services in emerging markets – especially in the Asia-Pacific region – needed to spend more on IT operations. The study showed a dip in emerging market IT spending out of total operational costs from 9.4% in 2010 to 8.1% in 2012. On the contrary, IT spending in European banks averaged as high as 19% in 2012. Bahar commented that IT spending in mature markets cannot be compared to emerging markets. This is because stringent regulations had stoked higher IT spending in mature markets as compared to emerging ones. The report also suggested that spending on IT infrastructure improved overall efficiency; which was why banks in mature markets functioned effect