innovation Archives - Page 2 of 3

Toward a Global Cashless Economy

By Andrea Durkin/November 30, 2018CATEGORIES: Digital Commerce, EVERYDAY TRADE, Shop, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

At some point between the start of the Thanksgiving holiday and Cyber Monday, did you reach for your credit card or use another secure payment system like PayPal to make a purchase online? You’re in good company: 259 million Americans routinely buy online. Last year, internet sales in China on “Single’s Day” reached $25.3 billion — $6 billion more than what Americans purchased online over the entire Thanksgiving weekend. In the future, the whole world just might be cashless.

The Global Space Economy is Taking Off Like a Rocket

By Andrea Durkin/September 28, 2018CATEGORIES: Digital Commerce, ESSENTIALS, Global Economy, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Until recently, the gains from commercial use of space manifested primarily in the growing use of satellites that enable precise navigational maps in your car and the dish on your roof to channel satellite television into your home. A new era is dawning in which private companies routinely launch payloads into space. We’re a long way off from having the framework of rules we might need here on Earth to accommodate the take off of the global space industry.

Patents aren’t a Pat on the Back, They are the Backbone of Life-Enhancing Discoveries

By Ayelet Haran/May 3, 2018CATEGORIES: Intellectual Property, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

The National Inventors museum inducted fifteen more members into its Hall of Fame. Among those honored were Marvin Caruthers, Arogyaswami Paulraj, and Stan Honey. You may not have heard these names, but you’ve benefited from their inventions.

The Role of Trade in Your Medicine Cabinet

By Ayelet Haran/April 12, 2018CATEGORIES: EVERYDAY TRADE, Intellectual Property, Shop, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Despite the diffusion of drug production globally, a full three-quarters of spending on medicines in the United States is on products that are manufactured domestically, by both American and foreign companies.

How Your Collar Stays Stiff and Your Yoga Pants Stretch

By Andrea Durkin/March 8, 2018CATEGORIES: EVERYDAY TRADE, Manufacturing, Shop, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

The super powers of the materials in our jeans, suits, and mattresses require textile innovation, something at which American researchers, engineers, and designers in the textile industry excel.

Protecting Big Ideas by Small Firms

By Raymond J. Keating/March 1, 2018CATEGORIES: Intellectual Property, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Small businesses have more opportunities than ever to sell to customers around the world, but IP theft is one of their biggest risks to pursuing these sales. Just ask Liz Fields, a successful designer of bridesmaid and wedding dresses, who found counterfeit versions of her designs undercutting her business — and her credibility.

Trade in Carputer Parts

By Andrea Durkin/January 26, 2018CATEGORIES: EVERYDAY TRADE, Manufacturing, On The Go, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

The operator’s manual for the popular entry-level Honda Civic is 601 pages. It doesn’t fit in the glove box; it comes in the form of an electronic document to download, which seems appropriate considering the number of electronic components in the car. High-tech, high-cost, components are lightweight and positioned to move long distances on a just-in-time basis.

The American, International Automobile Market

By Scott Miller/January 19, 2018CATEGORIES: ESSENTIALS, EVERYDAY TRADE, Global Economy, Manufacturing, On The Go, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Every January, the global automobile industry gathers in the Motor City for the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). In a celebration of ingenuity, companies display futuristic concept cars, present cutting-edge technologies, and promote their latest offerings.

Global Risks: Protectionism 2.0

By Ian Bremmer/January 11, 2018CATEGORIES: Tariffs & Trade Barriers, Trade War, TRENDING, Unfair Trade

Protectionism is making a comeback. Governments aren’t just trying to protect traditional sectors such as agriculture,chemicals, and machinery out of concern for lost jobs or domestic economic interests. They’re also intervening in the digital economy and innovation-intensive industries as critical components of national competitiveness.

Static Trade Laws are Careening Toward Obsolescence

By Scott Miller/July 14, 2017CATEGORIES: ESSENTIALS, Trade Rules

In an era when who trades, what is traded, and how it’s trade are in constant flux, the only constant for international trade rules is the potential for obsolescence. Technological innovations are testing the limitations — and rationale — of the old rules.

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