The Knowledge to Decide

O n 15 March, Spire and Yamada Consulting Group (YCG) jointly organized a breakfast seminar in Singapore for Japanese speakers, to share insights on Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) deals in Vietnam and investment trends for market entry. An English language seminar on the same theme was held the next day. The speakers were Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, Eiji Asano, incoming Director for YCG Vietnam and Hafidz Omar, Senior Manager at Spire Research and Consulting. The speakers discussed the impact of growing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as well as the keen interest in Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) in Vietnam. Vietnam’s economy racked up a USD15 billion positive trade balance from 2015 with manufacturing, metals and textiles as the top export industries. Most of Vietnam’s FDI came from Asian countries like the Republic of Korea, China and Singapore. The speakers discussed pull factors for investors, like competitive ...

Africa’s fashion industry is emerging as a serious global competitor and one that is known for its daring use of bright hues. Sub-Saharan Africa’s apparel and footwear market is now worth an estimated USD 31 billion. Singer Beyonce recently wore the Maki Oh label from Nigeria. African design houses are not limited to fashion but make luxurious accessories and jewelry. The rising fashion industry is good news for African economies. Textile factories are growing in number and capacity. However, the industry has been calling on African governments to invest more in training, finance and credit schemes as well as improved transportation infrastructure. This is necessary to help the industry attract the investment it needs to be competitive. Can Africa become a global fashion powerhouse? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/africa-the-rising-star-in-fashion/

You can now choose to not change or wash your shirt for days! A US-based company has come up with a shirt which does not require washing or ironing for up to 100 days, and would stay free of odor and wrinkles! This wool science is all about temperature thread dynamics, wicking and cotton comparison. The clothing industry generates USD7 trillion annually. Hence, the introduction of a wrinkle-free fabric with such sturdiness could create a niche for eco-friendly clothing. However, the chemical formaldehyde, also known as embalming fluid, used in the fabric to give it a wrinkle-resistant consistency could cause mild skin rashes. Should health risks become more prominent in the long-run, consumers would switch back to regular shirts without any hesitation. How else would such wrinkle-free fabrics reshape the clothing industry?