Will China become the next football super-power?

Football has found yet another ttttttfan – this time in the form of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who hopes for China to lift the football World Cup in the future.

Backing the growing interest in the sport, a real estate company – Evergrande – turned a rural southern China area into a Football School in Quingyuan, Guangdong, making it the largest football academy in the world at a cost of USD185 million.

The 167-acre site has 50 pitches in addition to basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, a movie theater and swimming pool along with a gym, several canteens with even a library. It is home to 2,600 boys and 200 girls. A link up with Real Madrid means more than 20 Spanish coaches run sessions at the school alongside translators.

Parents are even willing to pay up to USD9,200 a year – more than the average annual wage in China – with hopes pinned at their children to either make it to the national football team or play for Spanish clubs.

Will China translate its economic power into football prowess?

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/will-china-become-the-next-football-super-power/

Comments

Spire joins list of sponsors for Phoenix Global Chamber

The Phoenix Global Chamber aims to grow the number of people successfully engaged with cross-border trade and investment. With over 20,000 followers on its list, it strives to advance companies, careers as well as communities. Spire Research and Consulting is proud to announce its association with the Global Chamber of Phoenix as a sponsor. The Global Chamber of Phoenix, Arizona further engages leaders, companies and communities to facilitate global business growth and improve cross-border understanding. It aims to bring together like-minded people with the common mission of growing business across borders. As a sponsor, Spire will have the privilege of appearing in banner ads across the Chamber’s website, featured in regular e-newsletters and have access to speaker opportunities. Spire is proud of this new association and hopes to have the privilege of working with more Phoenix-based organizations to develop and execute their strategies in global emerging markets. This a...

Korea needs to focus on developing service robots

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/

China’s landfills: Can waste be turned into energy?

260 million used tires are dumped in landfills all over the world. These tires contaminate groundwater and create clouds of black grime when they ignite, releasing toxins into the atmosphere. IFW Recycling Corporation based in the U.S. sees these old tires as a clean, green and efficient source of fuel. The tires are gassed to result in usable diesel fuel. This does not cause pollution and creates by-products for further use such as distilled water, carbon black and ash. With China emerging as one of the world’s biggest polluters, its government is seeking alternatives to coal-fired electricity generation. This could be one of them. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/chinas-landfills-can-waste-be-turned-into-energy/

Mobile banking poised to take off in Vietnam’s rural areas

Vietnam’s rural population is still struggling with access to basic financial services. With the high mobile penetration rate, can mobile phones be a platform to address their needs? Yap Far Loon, Business Development Director, Telecommunications at Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights on the untapped potential for mobile financial services to serve Vietnam’s rural population in The Saigon Times Daily. According to a Spire report, an astounding 60 million people in Vietnam do not have access to basic financial services. Only 22% of the population – predominantly those residing in urban areas – have access to financial services. Why are the rural areas being left out? Yap opined that high costs are the main reason. For instance, the cost of installation, maintenance, operation and location rental for Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) alone exceeds VND300 million annually. Moreover, as rural transaction volumes are low, economies of scale are limited, making it even ...

The air purifying power of 500 trees Taking green buildings to the next level, an eco-friendly building is now visible in the posh area of West SoHo in Manhattan, New York. The first of its kind luxury building has 25 storeys with air purification mechanisms. The façade is painted with Pureti, a water-based treatment that transforms contaminants in the air into oxidizing agents. This treatment purifies the air like 500 trees, removing the equivalent of 2,000 cars from the roads for an entire year. The technology is soon to be used on buildings across Turkey, Argentina and Spain. Can green technology ensure all buildings ‘breathe’ air in the future? Read here more:https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/the-air-purifying-power-of-500-trees/

The Knowledge to Decide

Search This Blog