Reading Time: < 1 minute日本の観光ブームは衰える気配がありません。2025年には、外国人旅行者が初めて4,000万人を超え、過去最高を記録しました。さらに2026年初頭も、前年を上回る成長が続いています。
Category: Regions
Lost in the policy maze: Why UK SMEs are missing out on tech gains
Reading Time: 3 minutesAI is spreading through the UK economy, but not quickly enough. Recent UK evidence shows that around one in three firms with fewer than 50 employees adopted AI, compared with almost two in three larger businesses, while regional adoption ranged from 32% in the North East to 67% in London. What can government do to close these adoption gaps?
Connecting communities in Alba lulia: why urban-rural linkages matter
Reading Time: 4 minutesThousands travel into Alba Iulia daily for work, school and services, while rural businesses supply food, goods and visitors that strengthen the city in return. The relationship runs both ways. What lessons can be drawn on building skills, mobility and collaboration between rural and urban communities?
COGITO Talks… AI in small businesses: hype, hope or hard reality?
Reading Time: 7 minutesRecorded live for the first time at the 7th Digital for SMEs (D4SME) Roundtable, this special episode is hosted by Shayne MacLachlan and Alix Philouze.
Building the ecosystem around the rules: What AI startups actually need from policy
Reading Time: 3 minutesSome frame AI policy as a choice between protecting people and enabling innovation, but that is too simple. Regulation and growth need not be opposed. How can governments close the gap between AI policy ambition and reality so that early-stage companies can genuinely innovate and scale?
Time, certainty, and the cost of capital: What the OECD’s latest SME finance Scoreboard means for America’s small businesses
Reading Time: 4 minutesSmall and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) don’t ask for special treatment. They ask for a fair shot, and the ability to plan. How can the uncertainty gap be closed and what lessons can be drawn from what the US Chamber of Commerce is doing to help?
When energy shocks hit home
Reading Time: 3 minutesSince late February 2026, the escalation of conflict in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Can faster, simpler and more trusted building renovations turn energy shocks into a catalyst for greater resilience and long‑term security?
Housing an ageing society: Lessons from France’s overseas territories
Reading Time: 4 minutesBy 2030, Guadeloupe and Martinique are expected to have between 70 and 80 elderly people for every 100 people of working age, compared with around 60 in mainland France. This highlights the particularly rapid pace of demographic aging in these territories.
What lessons can be drawn from housing in France’s overseas territories to manage this transition effectively?