Sunday, May 22, 2011

UK Parliamentary discussion: Rebalancing UK trade and investment with China



In this discussion by a UK parliamentary panel (HoC Business, Innovation and Skills Committee) looks at how how the UK can expand its business with China and be more competitive in the country.  It is rather long at just over two hours but it is worth watching.  Many subjects are covered in this discussion such as:
  • A brief introduction into how China developed
  • China's business culture
  • Why Germany is so successful in the country
  • The complex nature of who owns Chinese companies
  • China's respect of IP 
  • Many others
Some things that have come out in this discussion include:
  • The need for cultural training and support for British business people hoping to do business in the country.
  • The UK's major export industry, if you will, (finance) is not some thing that China is interested in yet but Germany's sophisticated manufacturing industry is some thing they are interested in.  
  •  The need for financial and technical support by government for SMEs going into China.

Here is a quick introduction on the UK parliamentary home page:

Rebalancing the economy: trade and investment
Witnesses

  1. Stephen Phillips, Chief Executive, China-Britain Business Council, Dr Kerry Brown, Head of Asia Programme, Chatham House, Professor Peter Nolan, Cambridge University
  2. Paul Anderson, International Sales Director, JSR Genetics Ltd, Steve Young, Head of Business Development and Sales, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, Simon Carter, and Joan Turley

Thursday, May 19, 2011

(TED) Angela Belcher: Using nature to grow batteries


Introduction from TED:

Inspired by an abalone shell, Angela Belcher programs viruses to make elegant nanoscale structures that humans can use. Selecting for high-performing genes through directed evolution, she's produced viruses that can construct powerful new batteries, clean hydrogen fuels and record-breaking solar cells. At TEDxCaltech, she shows us how it's done.

The presentation can be viewed on TED's website here:

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Creating jobs (This American Life)


 In this episode of This American Life the Planet Money team look at how to make jobs in the USA.  With a current unemployment rate of 8.7%* it has become a pressing political issue.
Some of the jargon in economic development circles in the USA today:
  • Smoke stack chasing: establishing one large anchor industry
  • Clusters: getting many companies in the same or closely related industries to setup business in one area.
  • Creative cities: attracting young, smart, well educated and entrepreneurial  people to move into your town/city
  • Economic gardening: help local residents become entrepreneurs.
The program goes on to note that the USA is still the largest producer in the world even though China looks set to overtake it by 2012.  They also noted that unemployment in the US today is actually relatively low amongst the well educated.  It is those people without even a high school education that have a very high unemployment rate.  They also noted need to have what is known as a "high school plus" education to get a decent - middle class - manufacturing job in a developed economy.  'High school plus' basically refers to having a high school education plus some sort of additional technical training. 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Last updated May 7, 2011, retrieved: 18 May 2011.