Entries tagged with “japan”
Articles
19 articles found for japan:
- Exploring Financial Performance Trends of Leading Japanese Corporations
The Nikkei 225 functions as the principal index in Japan. It is constituted of prominent corporations within the nation, which collectively generated JPY 596 trillion in revenue during the fiscal year 2023. These companies have demonstrated exceptional financial performance last year, and indeed, over the past five years. The article highlights some interesting insights on their performance over the last fiscal year and preceding five-year period.
- Virtual Power Plants: The Way Forward
Growth of distributed energy sources (renewable energy) and fluctuations in demand for electricity has led to the development of Virtual Power Plant (VPP) systems. A VPP is a cloud-based system that uses software and algorithms to integrate and manage distributed energy resources. Currently, most VPPs are being established in developed countries such as the US, the UK, Germany, and France. Over the past year or so, VPP’s growth has been fueled by COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Price Corrections in Global Caustic Soda Market
The global caustic soda market observed substantial price corrections in 2023 following the elevated energy costs in 2022. APAC, commanding 55–65% of chlor-alkali capacity, saw a 19% drop, led by China. In contrast, North American suppliers were resilient to declines, maintaining a strong market stance. After Russia-Ukraine challenges, Europe faced surging prices and reduced utilization rates. Nevertheless, the caustic soda market shows promise, driven by stable demand in traditional applications and emerging Li-ion battery opportunities. The outlook foresees price recovery in APAC and Europe, with North American suppliers expected to concede to lower prices for better plant utilization.
- Friendshoring: Strategy to Reduce Supply Chain Dependency on China
Supply chains globally have barely recovered from the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic. The Russia–Ukraine war has added to the woes of already fragile supply chains. The only silver lining is that companies realize the perils of relying on a select few countries for manufacturing, raw materials, and components. For decades, companies have followed strategies such as offshoring, nearshoring, and outsourcing business operations to low-cost countries. However, recent events accelerated the movement to safeguard supply chains and move away from depending entirely on countries like China. One such concept that could be a game-changer for global trade order is “Friendshoring.”
- Floating Offshore Wind Energy
The need for environment-friendly resources and technology is rising. Renewable energy resources are gaining popularity, with wind energy being the second largest source. Though offshore wind is the fastest growing source, floating offshore wind source is also emerging as a powerful source of energy. Platforms and turbines are being developed to garner this energy. Though the resource faces challenges in implementation, it is a viable and economic option, and if a few measures are taken, it can easily become a main contributor of renewable energy.
- Global Market Opportunity for Bio-Based Resins
Bio-based resin is being increasingly adopted across industries as the need for sustainability has risen. Bio-based resins, made from partially or wholly plant-derived monomers, offer a sustainable and carbon-positive approach for consumers and manufacturers shifting to a bioeconomy model from highly-priced and depleting fossil fuel ingredients. Government regulations have also boosted their application. Successful commercialization is leading to the growth of bio-based resin throughout the world.
- Impact of Biosimilars on Treatment Landscape in US and EU
Rising healthcare costs vis-à-vis the expanding population and lifestyle-related diseases are some of the key areas of concern across the globe. Governments and the healthcare industry, in particular, have been exploring avenues to address these challenges while offering affordable healthcare services. Digital health users opted for online prescriptions and virtual consulting during the pandemic for faster transformation of the health care delivery. However, advances such as development of biosimilars are a key step toward addressing the concerns of the escalating cost of healthcare and patients' access to critical medicines.
- Exploring the Complexities of Hair Loss: Insights into Causes and Research Trends
Hair loss is a pervasive worldwide concern. It can be caused due to various conditions such as androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, and telogen effluvium. The past decade has witnessed extensive research efforts dedicated to understanding the intricate factors that cause hair loss, delving into internal and external elements, alongside the impact of signaling pathways in varying manifestations of hair loss. While some studies have explored genetic predisposition associated with androgenetic alopecia, others have researched the role of hormonal imbalance linked to conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid disorders.
- Millets – The New Super Crop
Millets, often referred to as "food grains of the poor," are grown and consumed worldwide. Currently, there is a renewed interest in millets due to their numerous health benefits, low environmental impact, and adaptability to diverse growing conditions. In fact, the United Nations declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets”, highlighting the importance of these crops for food security and sustainable development. This is expected to increase the demand for millets globally and create new opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs in the millet value chain.
- Private Label Retail in F&B – A New Paradigm in Consumer Choice
Private label retail, also known as store brand or own brand, posted remarkable growth in recent years globally. Retail giants, such as Walmart and Target, played a significant role in driving this surge, revolutionizing the way consumers perceive and engage with private label products, especially in the Food and Beverage(F&B) segment. While it can help increase the profit margin of retail stores, it comes with a set of challenges.
- Sugar Alternatives – The Sweet Success Story
Sugar alternatives are an emerging ingredient category gaining popularity due to the consumer shift toward health and fitness. Various factors drive its growth, with certain regions recording higher demand than others. With various options available, the sugar alternative industry is poised to grow as it is an exciting sector with unexplored opportunities and potential.
- An Alternate Revenue Stream from Decarbonisation Techniques
Most industries are now moving towards “reducing CO2 emissions and targeting to become carbon neutral by 2050”. Companies have already set sustainability targets to reduce CO2 emissions. Methane processing techniques are being evaluated as a potential decarbonisation process compared with commercially available CCS/CCU techniques. These techniques decarbonise natural gas and form a feasible business case for companies adopting it, as hydrogen produced can be re-titrated to natural gas stream to achieve up to 100% sequestration of carbon content and solid carbon (carbon black/graphene) produced can be traded in various end-use industries, including tyre, construction, and ink & coating industries.
Carbon black is a mature and low-priced market ($1-2/kg) with the tyre industry contributing to >70% of the demand. While graphene is a high price point market ($100-1,000/kg), the actual demand of graphene is still optimistic and highly dependent upon the mass adoption by major end-use applications such as cement, concrete, etc.
- Mexico – A Promising Sourcing Destination for US Procurement Organizations
With the global supply chain disruptions, countries are looking to develop strong supply base near to them. For the US, Mexico has emerged as a strong contender. Many drivers contribute to the country being a preferred option. The number of collaborations and trading transactions between the two countries rose in the past year, and this will only increase further. In this article, we discuss why sourcing from Mexico is an attractive option for large US organizations to procure key categories such as metal & electronics components, automotive parts, and other manufacturing products.
- The Rise of Vertical Farming and Hydroponics
Increasing demand for food, coupled with decreasing farmlands and fertile soils, has led to the emergence of alternative forms of farming, such as vertical farming, to boost food production. Countries that have long struggled with domestic production and supply constraints due to the lack of natural resources and favorable climatic conditions are implementing these technologies to achieve food self-sufficiency.
- Latest Trends in Regenerative Medicine
Healthcare and medicine are in a constant state of evolution. Innovative technologies such as regenerative medicine are bringing about a paradigm shift in the healthcare industry. While the segment does raise some moral questions, it is witnessing huge capital infusion from pharmaceutical companies. Despite the major challenges associated with regenerative medicine, industry trends indicate that it is poised for growth.
- Non-Conventional Caffeinated Drinks: Innovative Alternatives for Caffeine Fix
In today's fast-paced world, coffee and tea continue to be staple beverages staples for people worldwide. However, with growing innovation in production, beverage manufactures are offering caffeinated alternatives such as ready-to-drink tea/coffee and energy drinks in varied flavors, functional blends and low caffeine which has altered consumer preferences.
- Towards a Greener Future: The Rise of Eco-Friendly Disposable Hygiene Products
Disposable absorbent hygiene products are becoming more popular among people of all ages and socioeconomic groups. Campaigns for public education, wider availability of the goods, and enhanced marketing initiatives have contributed to normalizing the use of these products and lowering the stigma attached to them. There is a rise in the need for absorbent hygiene products, notably those for adult incontinence, as many nations' populations are getting older. The need for disposable absorbent hygiene products has been influenced by contemporary lifestyles, which include busy schedules, lengthy workdays, and substantial travel.
- The Other Side of ESG Investing
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors play a critical role in investment analysis, actions, and recommendations. Globally, investors are looking at different methods such as positive or negative screening, green finance, thematic investing, shareholder engagement, and activist ownership to include ESG factors. Sustainable investing is the new buzzword for successful investing. However, various private ESG data providers use inconsistent scoring approaches or inappropriate constraints and assumptions. Lack of standardization and transparency makes it tough for investors and analysts to determine the effectiveness of ESG scoring. Additionally, companies having a low environmental score, owing to uncertain emissions reduction targets, but a high social and governance score may not be considered ESG compliant by a few market participants. This lack of uniformity has given rise to issues such as greenhushing and greenwashing.
- The Future of Internal Combustion Engine
In 2021, the worldwide internal combustion engine (ICE) market was approximately worth USD 58,514.15 billion and is predicted to reach USD 93,615.18 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 6.05% between 2022 and 2029 showing tremendous growth. It is likely to expand further as demand for passenger and commercial vehicles rise in both established and emerging markets. Electric powertrains are increasingly coupled with ICE to enhance vehicle fuel efficiency, which is driving industry development. The demand for ICE is growing exponentially in industries such as agriculture, construction, mining, and power generation. The global lack of EV infrastructure availability is partly responsible for the ICE market's growth.
Special Reports
1 special reports found for japan:
- Unwinding the Policy - Japan’s Yield Curve Control
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has been using the yield curve control (YCC) as a monetary policy tool since September 2016 to maintain stability in the Japanese government bond market and achieve a consistent inflation rate of 2%. However, following the announcement of the October policy allowing the reference rate to rise to 1%, speculation has intensified, resulting in increased volatility in Japanese government bonds. This has led to discussions within BoJ about further potential YCC adjustments, as the bank could allow bond yields to cross 1% but at a monitored pace. This has triggered speculation about the potential end of YCC, which could lead to disruptions in sovereign bond yields, affect the Yen’s strength, and impact the performance of Japanese equity indexes.