THE POWER OF PEOPLE, PLACES & FIRMS
Reading Time: 4 minutesRegions and cities are being reshaped by falling birth rates, ageing populations and the continued movement of young people to large metropolitan hubs. Japan knows this story well: for more than two decades, over 100,000 people a year have moved to the Tokyo metropolitan area from elsewhere in Japan. The question is no longer how to strengthen Tokyo, but how to strengthen everywhere else?
Reading Time: 3 minutesRecent reports suggest Volkswagen could close several German plants and cut up to 100,000 jobs globally, in what may be its largest-ever restructuring. Factories in Hanover, Zwickau, Emden and Neckarsulm would be hit hardest, as traditional automakers face pressure from Chinese competition, rising costs, and a slower-than-expected shift to EVs. Can Europe’s manufacturing heartlands adapt fast enough to survive the EV transition?
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen France recorded its hottest day in history last week, 41°C in Bordeaux, multiple deaths, half the country under red alert, the story got covered the way climate risk almost always is: one country, one number. But, how do we know which regions inside these countries are actually carrying the long-term economic cost?
Reading Time: 4 minutesSome economic models work on many levels. They create jobs, hold steady in a crisis, and provide essential care for people. The social economy is one of them. And for the first time in Spain, we now have data to prove it.
Reading Time: 4 minutesIn Abu Dhabi, investment in culture is helping to build the foundations of a diversified, future-facing economy. Between 2022 and 2025, Abu Dhabi’s cultural and creative industries recorded 13.4% growth, but how can culture become a new source of sustainable growth?
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。
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?
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?