The Knowledge to Decide

Official Coverage on The Times of India website Business World (2 September 2016   The Hindu, Business Line (2 September 2016) Business Standard (3 September 2016)   The Times of India (4 September 2016) Business Wire India (7 September 2016) Student engagement only 55% in active learning, say Indian teachers In mid-2016,   Spire Research and Consulting   collaborated with global education service provider Pearson for the fourth consecutive time, to conduct a survey of 6,494 teachers from higher education institutes and schools across 546 cities and towns in India (serving around 18.9 lakh students). The survey revealed the opinions of teachers on Indian students’ level of engagement in active learning and gave recommendations on improvements. The Pearson-Spire survey revealed that, in the view of teachers, close to 55% of students are involved in active learning. These (percentage of) students are found to be the highest in Telangana at 63% and the lowest in Haryan

Natural calamities and war often cause chaos, where many people become homeless or displaced. That is when people often want to contact their loved ones to tell them they are safe. However at such times, the communications infrastructure often takes a hit. Providing medical aid, food and shelter also becomes difficult for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and aid agencies without proper communications. This is where innovation can play a role. The Vodafone Foundation – the telecom giant’s charity – has developed an instant ‘network mini’ which is an 11kg backpack that contains a 2G mobile network. It offers a 1km coverage radius with a 6-hour battery back-up and a small solar panel. Is mobile technology set to change global disaster relief communications? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/mobile-technology-a-beacon-of-hope-during-natural-calamities/

Imagine running a farm – without any soil or use of a tractor. Hard to believe? A Boston-based startup, Freight Farms offers consumers’ high-tech hydroponic farms connected to the Cloud – built within a shipping container. Its vertical hydroponic growing towers have 90% less water consumption capability in comparison to a conventional soil-based farm. Moreover, one shipping container can yield produce equivalent on an acre of land. How does it work? An insulated container shell enables optimal environment for growth of produce. Sensors monitor and control the whole system. In addition, farmers can use their smart phones to check up on lighting, soil temperatures, moisture content, carbon-dioxide levels and other environmental variables to help grow herbs, lettuce and other green vegetables in water filled with nutrients. Can hydroponic farms replace conventional farming techniques? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/fancy-a-farm-in-a-box/

Post-harvest losses amount to 10% in India – where the percentage might be higher for fruits and vegetables. To help, US-based impact investment firm, Creation Investments Capital Management led a USD15 million investment through private equity in Sohan Lal Commodity Management (SLCM), an Indian agricultural logistics firm in September 2015. SLCM’s technology platform known as Agri Reach offers protection and storage services for agricultural commodities to farmers, stakeholders, traders as well as importers and exporters involved in the trade. This is achieved through a vast network spread across 17 cold storages and 760 warehouses in India. It further claims to reduce post-harvest losses down to 0.5% with this technology. With global expansion on the line, SLCM offered procurement solutions and warehouse management in Myanmar (in 2014). The African market is also under their radar. Is agricultural infrastructure set to improve in India? https://www.spireresearc

The Korean robotics industry grew by 60% a year between 2005 and 2011. Korea has a strong position in industrial robots. Now, the government’s focus should now be on developing service robots to sustain growth. Spire Research and Consulting shared its insights, published on the Business Korea news portal. Korea’s industrial robot sector is larger than any country’s, except for Japan, China and the U.S. However, the service robot sector is emerging as a new growth hotbed, thanks to the accelerated use of artificial intelligence. However, Korea does not have any companies that specialize in the development of service robots. It will take time to further develop Korea’s service robotics technology which is where the government and Korean enterprises need to step in and focus so as to claim early global leadership. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/korea-needs-to-focus-on-developing-service-robots/

As ASEAN trade grows rapidly, so does its economic clout – the combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the region is set to reach USD3 trillion by 2024, making it among the top ten economies in the world were it a single country. What key trends will emerge as ASEAN trade forges ahead? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer, of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. The share of intra-ASEAN trade out of the region’s total trade has grown to over 27% in 2014 from 17% in 1990. The ASEAN region continues to be an export-oriented global manufacturing and services hub for thousands of multinationals. Economic growth has led to the rise of the upper and middle classes and an increase in the consumption of luxury goods. Perera noted that Southeast Asia still imports aircraft and industrial equipment from Europe and the U.S. Moreover, toys and consumer electronics continue to be heavily imported from China. So there is no question of ASEAN beco

Water scarcity is a pressing issue in emerging markets. Droughts have affected parts of India and Australia in recent years, wreacking havoc on people’s lives and the economy. Can science help plants become more drought-tolerant? California’s drought story is not new. So much so that this US state has become synonymous with droughts. Water shortage means tough times for plants. This is where scientist Sean Cutler – from the University of California – brings a glimmer of hope. His unique technology – protein engineering – could help plants survive droughts. His team found that Abscisic Acid (ABA) – a hormone produced by plants during water shortage – causes the plant to consume less water as well as minimize water loss. Moreover, they suggest using an existing agrochemical to modify the ABA receptor of the plant to control water consumption as well as use water judiciously. Drought-prone countries such as Brazil, China, India and Pakistan should take lessons from Cali

The San Francisco Bay area has set the global benchmark as a successful tech innovation and start-up epicenter. Drawing inspiration from this, the Asia-Pacific region wants to foster its own tech hubs. Will it succeed? Spire Research and Consulting shared its insights, published on the US Consumer Electronics Association’s blog. The formula for success for San Francisco’s Bay area, more commonly known as ‘Silicon Valley’, includes strong backing from a pro-business government, a pool of highly talented and educated workers as well as ample access to venture capitalists – all in the context of a risk-taking culture. Other Asian countries are working towards developing a similar culture and business eco-system in order to clone this technology hub. Some of the up and coming innovation centers across the Asia Pacific region are Cyberport in Hong Kong, Daedeok Innopolis in Daejeon, Korea, Fusionopolis in Singapore, Macquarie Park in Sydney, Australia and Yokosuka Research Park in

Satellite technology is gaining ground in Asia. Asia-Pacific satellite telecommunications revenues hit USD 2.9 billion in 2014 – a quarter of global revenue. Japnit Singh, Senior Director for Singapore and India of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights on this growing industry with China Daily – Asia Weekly. Whether it is commuters in Hong Kong’s subway reading their daily news on smartphones or farmers across rural regions in Asia using mobile phones for banking, ordering fertilizer or selling crops, satellite-based data transmission has penetrated everyday life. With the rise of the middle-class in Southeast Asia (SEA), demand for more digital content on phones, home TV screens and at offices is skyrocketing. The demand for satellites is coming both from emerging markets such as Myanmar and Cambodia as well as more mature markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Singh highlighted that Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite broadcasting is set to drive growth for Asi

As drone technology matures, the business applications continue to multiply – from logistics to security to agriculture. It is only a matter of time before drones overcome the remaining technical and legal barriers and become assimilated into most industries. It is estimated that the drone industry would be worth USD10 billion by the year 2025. It is set to transform the operational landscape of many industries. For instance, a Singapore restaurant is experimenting with trials of drones to serve customers their food. With over 7,000 staff needed to keep Singapore’s booming restaurant industry ticking, drones could raise productivity. Several companies (including Amazon.com) are experimenting with the use of drones for document and small parcel delivery in big cities, as well as surveillance of crops to monitor crop health in large plantations. Drones are being used for entertainment purposes as well. The world’s first drone circus, known as “Air”, is coming to the Net

Voice-activated applications continue to gain popularity in Vietnam as the younger generation becomes more tech-savvy due to increased smartphone usage. How will such applications grow? Spire Research and Consulting shared its insights, published on the US Consumer Electronics Association’s blog. Mobile phones are continually being revolutionized by new features and technologies – witness hands free features and navigation tools. The latest is speech recognition apps. Apple first explored this feature by introducing Siri – a voice-activated assistant – as a built-in feature in iPhone 4S mobile devices in 2011. Smartphone usage in Vietnam rose from 20% in 2013 to 36% in 2014, which, together with its population of 90 million, has helped place Vietnam on the global map for new mobile app launches. The growing popularity of Voice-activated apps in Vietnam is visible from a survey conducted in 2014 among 1,168 respondents, where 46% used voice-activated apps as a virtual assi

A new germ-zapping robot manufactured by Xenex in the U.S. could emerge as a saviour against deadly viruses like Ebola. It uses pulses of high-intensity, high-energy ultra-violet rays to crack bacterial cell walls and kill virus-afflicting pathogens. It has been successfully tested on 22 different microorganisms – destroying viruses similar to Ebola. Standing at 5 feet and bearing the nickname “Saul”, the ultra-violet rays it emits are 25,000 times brighter than fluorescent lights and can kill pathogens that are generally missed by the naked eye. A few surgical teams in the United States have been trained to use this technology on Ebola patients. According to research, hospitals with access to this technology have been able to bring down general infection rates by 60%. It is already being used in 250 hospitals. Can such technology breakthroughs arrest global pandemics in the 21st century? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/zapping-away-viruses/

European investors are showing keen interest in railway projects in the Middle East and North Africa – estimated to be worth USD300 billion. The Middle East’s market for railway equipment has been largely dominated by European producers of railway cars and facilities. Chinese investors are not far behind. Japan, on the other hand, continues to lag. Although the Japanese are far more advanced in railway technology, their success in winning railway projects abroad is poor, reflecting the preference of many Japanese companies to choose projects only in Asian markets. Qatar presents an up-and-coming test case. To host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar will need four lines covering Greater Doha. Japanese vendors are vying for the project. One advantage the Japanese now have is the weaker Yen versus the US dollar and Euro. Will Japan be able to harness the First Arrow of Abe-nomics to gain railway market share in the Middle-East and globally? https://www.spireresearch.com

In spite of attracting 8.8 million international tourists in 2013, Indonesia has the lowest tourism rating in the region – 17th in Asia and 70th worldwide. As more hotels and resorts start to integrate social media and mobile technology into their operations, what untapped opportunities lie in Indonesia’s hospitality sector? Taking that as the keynote, the Bali Technology Conference, Indonesia 2014 brought together professionals from the hospitality industry to discuss technology trends and potential business opportunities. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, was amongst the prestigious list of speakers at the Bali Technology Conference 2014 held in Bali, Indonesia. In his presentation, Bahar emphasized the vital importance of hotels integrating mobile technology and social media to reach out to tech-savvy tourists who are increasingly making decisions using online content. He opined that the rise in domestic trips and increased spe

Identifying VIPs with strong purchasing power is crucial to retail success. More often than not, retail staff fail to do this in time. Facial recognition technology can help prevent this. But does it put our privacy at risk? With high-spending customers making out-sized contributions to retail profitability, it is increasingly crucial for retailers to provide personalized customer service the minute a VIP customer sets foot in the store. For instance, Katie Holmes reportedly spent USD100,000 on a fashion makeover and USD14,200 on lingerie alone in 2012! This is where identification technology can play a role. NEC, a Japan-based ICT vendor, has developed an identification application based on a facial recognition system – comparing the individual’s facial features against its database, and sending prompts when a match is identified. The initial purpose of the application was to help identify terrorists and criminals , but it was subsequently adapted to the retail setting.