Industry Sector Research Highlights

Industry in Emerging Markets

Georgy Georgiev, President, Honeywell Qatar, Kuwait & Pakistan

On how emerging technologies can provide efficient solutions to key challenges

Is the Gulf ready for electric and autonomous vehicles?

As the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) work towards economic diversification objectives and net-zero goals, opportunities are opening up for automotive manufacturers to roll out innovations in electric and autonomous vehicles. With the region characterised by a relatively young, tech-savvy and wealthy consumer class and governments keen to advance sustainability progress and gain an early-mover advantage in next-generation technologies, the GCC potentially offers fertile ground for growth...

Jack Uppal, President and Managing Director – Africa and Middle East, General Motors (GM)

On learning from supply chain challenges and the development of other segments

Gulf countries look to space to harness scientific and commercial opportunities

OBG

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In the push to embrace emerging technologies and harness their potential commercial opportunities, Gulf countries are launching new initiatives to bolster their domestic space industries. In June Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers approved the transformation of the Saudi Space Commission, which was launched in 2018, into a full government agency known as the Saudi Space Agency (SSA), underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to the space sector and exploration activities. The move followed the successful launch...

Can MENA capture a share of the green steel market?

OBG

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As the global industrial sector seeks to shrink its carbon footprint, a number of MENA countries are investing in green steel production to capture market share and help meet emissions targets. Despite generating 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, industry has been slow in adopting carbon-efficient manufacturing technologies. Steel is the manufacturing segment with the largest emissions, accounting for 7% of global emissions annually due in part to a reliance on coal to heat smelting furnaces...

What shifting supply chains for semiconductors mean for emerging markets

OBG

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After the US levied sweeping restrictions against China’s semiconductor manufacturing industry last autumn, opportunities are emerging for other countries to bolster their positions in the supply chain for this critical component of the global economy and linchpin of future technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and next-generation computing. In October the US Department of Commerce blocked the sale of semiconductors and chip-making equipment to China in a bid to slow its domestic industry...

Will more sustainable plastics revolutionise waste management in emerging markets?

OBG

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As an increasing number of countries ban single-use plastics, waste remains a significant environmental issue – although a variety of initiatives promise to make emerging markets the focus of the global struggle against plastic waste. The Covid-19 pandemic saw a decline in plastic usage; however, it led to an increase in littering from personal protective equipment (PPE) and single-use plastics. Additionally, much of this waste is disposed of unsustainably, ending up either incinerated or stored in landfill, the third-largest source...

The role of industrial zones in SME growth in emerging markets

OBG

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As governments across Africa look to bolster the economic potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industrial parks and special economic zones (SEZs) are emerging as key enablers of their development. SMEs are the backbone of the global economy, particularly in emerging markets, where they make up 90% of all businesses and create 50% of all jobs. The impact is higher in Africa, where SMEs employ around 80% of the continent’s workforce. But while SMEs are a major economic driver, there is also significant room for further growth. In Egypt, for example, SMEs employ 75% of the workforce, but contribute less than 20% of the country’s exports....