The Knowledge to Decide

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/

As wearable technology grows, attention is shifting to internables. These are internal sensors in our bodies used to measure wellbeing. Internables may well become the new wearables. We are naturally looking for better ways of living, trying to minimize our time spent on mundane chores but maximizing productivity. The ability to augment our sensory abilities with advanced technology might herald a new beginning. For instance, the Sgnl smart strap – developed by Innomdle Lab – enables a user to make phone calls with their fingertips, via a mobile device. Will the ability to augment sensory abilities with technological advances become a reality? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/internables-next-big-thing-in-wearable-technology/

The establishment of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 was a major milestone in the region’s economic integration. With a GDP of USD2.6 trillion and 600 million people, the AEC is Asia’s third largest economy and the seventh largest in the world. What is the AEC score card thus far? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. AEC’s Blueprint 2025 envisions in achieving a highly integrated and competitive regional economy with enhanced connectivity to improve market access for ASEAN companies to sell goods and services. However, the past year has seen missed opportunities to accelerate progress for cross-border investment between ASEAN countries, speeding up the harmonization progress of non-tariff barriers as well as integrating a competition policy across ASEAN. Nevertheless, the AEC is making some progress. In time, it is well-placed to improve market access and provide the ASEAN groupin

Women farmers in Africa are quietly learning new technologies to increase their crop yield. For this, training is being provided in different rice farming technologies targeting three groups from the Saakoba Gbugli, Kukuo and Yipelgu communities. Successfully implemented in 15 West Africa states, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) initiative – through the Agriculture Technology Transfer project – will enable farmers to increase productivity. These groups were exposed to technologies for weed control, rows transplanting and the application of briquetted urea fertilizer on rice farms. The program has been a success so far due to NGO intervention efforts (on behalf of USAID) to overcome challenges. For instance, farmers are now aware of the correct way to apply fertilizer and methods to increase productivity levels through in-depth training sessions. Asia already benefitted from a Green revolution in the 1960s which enabled it to feed over 50%

44 million people are being added to Southeast Asia’s urban population each year. As motor vehicle populations keep doubling every 5 to 7 years, what measures are being taken to tackle traffic congestion? Japnit Singh, Senior Director, Singapore and India of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. Southeast Asia’s middle-class continues to boom, fuelling car population increases despite the relative lack of infrastructure. According to the Asian Development Bank, the region’s major cities suffer from some of the highest air pollution levels globally – as much as 80 per cent being attributable to road transport. Singh cautioned that building roads is not a solution, as this region faces severe practical limitations and escalating costs due to shortage of land in urban areas. In Bangkok for example, roads have the capacity for two million motor vehicles whereas five million ply the city’s roads each day. This has led to the military g