The Knowledge to Decide

The construction material that could define the 21st century might just be wood. As part of the United Kingdom’s prestigious design festival at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, a construction made entirely of tulipwood is the most complex structure produced by cross-laminated timber (CLT). The installation known as ‘The Smile’, is a 34-meter-long, 3.5-meter-high tube which is rectangular with curves on both ends – similar to a Cheshire cat grin. Visitors can walk through the hollowed interior. This collaboration with the American Hardwood Export Council and Arup aims to highlight the potential of timber construction for architects and engineers. Furthermore, timber is a sustainable material that is less energy-intensive than concrete. Is timber construction the future of architecture? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/is-wood-stronger-than-concrete/

With global warming gradually melting away polar ice caps, new opportunities are slowly, but surprisingly, emerging for trade, tourism and natural resource extraction in the Arctic Circle. But is developing such opportunities at odds with environmental sustainability? Arctic sea ice sank to yet another record annual low in September 2012, at 44% below the 1981-2010 average. The Arctic Ocean is projected to be almost ice-free by the end of this century; with the ice melting at an accelerating rate, quicker than predicted by any climate model. A decade ago, Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” drew world attention to the moral consequences of global warming. These included the destruction of farming, the flooding of coastal land displacing millions of people and the spread of tropical diseases to new parts of the global population. Though the consequences of global warming on the Arctic are inherently detrimental, the shrinking icecaps herald new opportunities for trade, tour

How can Singapore become more eco-friendly? Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in The Business Times – Views from the Top section on 24 April 2017. Perera commented that to increase the public collection of recyclables, there should be better education and more frequent collection from recycling bins in housing estates. Perera also opined that measures should be taken to tackle food waste in Singapore’s hawker centers. The government also needs to work together with business chambers and retailers to encourage the purchase of products which are produced in a sustainable manner. Moreover, businesses need to think whether the supplies they purchase are made in a sustainable manner and not focus solely on reducing expenditure for paper, electricity and other supplies. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/increase-collection-of-recyclables-for-a-greener-singapore/

The ASEAN region will see double-digit growth for e-commerce. Indonesia has the highest retail sales in ASEAN at USD469 billion and is expected to see robust e-commerce growth. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Office of Spire Research and Consulting group, highlighted the growth potential and key opportunities present in this sector during his presentation at the third Annual South East Asia Retail Expansion Summit in October 2015. The number of online shoppers in Indonesia is set to reach 8.7 million in 2016. Indonesia boasts of being among the top six retail e-commerce markets with a total retail value at USD1.3 billion (in 2013). Bahar mentioned that 51% of Indonesian online shoppers fall in the 21-27 age category where free shipping, exclusive deals, product warranty and safe payment methods are strong motivators. Key growth categories are books (22%) and fashion products (20.5%). Nonetheless, challenges remain. Barriers that need to be addressed to promote Indon

Spire Research and Consulting and ABL Consulting of Thailand co-organized an expert seminar on Building Operational Excellence through Go-To-Market (GTM) Optimization. The event was held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand on 19 August 2015. Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Rajiv Seth, Senior Director (Go-To-Market Practice) of Spire Research and Consulting were honored to jointly address the seminar. The agenda focused on strategies that help deliver sustainable yet profitable growth in an increasingly volatile and challenging business environment. This can be achieved through Go-To-Market playbooks which help businesses optimize their profits. The seminar was attended by a group of over 30 senior executives from both large global firms and larger Thai companies. The ensuing discussion was lively and rich with insights. Discussants raised questions and opinions relating to supply chain management, sales force management

Experts have commented that the annual fires in Sumatra and haze pro https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/sustainable-palm-oil-production-remains-hazy/ blem can be reduced through concerted efforts on the ground. All stakeholders can play a part in adopting sustainable sourcing practices. Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, gave his two cents on how palm oil companies can take the necessary measures to avoid such haze problems. As with previous years, there was much large-scale burning in many parts of Sumatra during this time of the year. With the winds during the Southwest Monsoon, smoke and unhealthy particulates from the burning vegetation would inevitably head towards Singapore and Malaysia. As such, many palm oil and pulp companies were facing increasing pressure to put an end to such traditional slash-and-burn practice – a method to clear land cheaply. Hence, large companies should be responsible for educating and providing the

The haze from annual fires in Sumatra, which worsened disastrously in 2013, has focused regional and global attention on making palm oil production sustainable. Industry leaders are facing increasing pressure from governments and consumers to prove that their palm oil sourcing practices are sustainable. Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his views on how the palm oil industry was adapting to these new realities. Large-scale burning in many parts of Sumatra remains an annual affair. The winds of the Southwest Monsoon circulate smoke and unhealthy particulates from the burning vegetation towards Singapore, Malaysia and many parts of Indonesia itself, such as Sumatra and the Riau islands. Aside from the public health problem it creates, the haze has drawn global attention to the environmental disaster of replacing rainforest with palm oil plantations in Sumatra and Kalimantan in an unsustainable way. Palm oil companies are facing increa