From its beginnings in 1843, when The Economist newspaper was founded by a Scottish hat manufacturer to further the cause of free trade, The Economist Group has evolved into a staunchly independent global media and information-services company with intelligent brands for an international audience.
GM has been under heavy pressure for some time now. Their problems began small, with just 500 of their latest full-size pickups being recalled because of a minor problem with airbags. But GM’s woes escalated after admitting that it waited a decade to act on an ignition-switch problem linked to at least 13 deaths, in addition to…
The Economist reports on the extent to which 3D printing may help entrench the world’s engineering giants in the 21st Century. But these engineering companies are picky about terminology in this regard, for reasons encompassing the fact that the technology itself has now moved beyond the development labs. Indeed, 3D printing is now being used…
According to the Economist, robots offer a unique insight into what people want from technology – and that makes their progress peculiarly fascinating. DARPA, the Pentagon research agency which runs the DRC, has made robots a priority because it suspects that the technology may be on the cusp of scaling great heights. This fascination has produced robots…
Metaphorically speaking, the Economist suggests that corporate headquarters have put on weight, and need to slim down again. Literally speaking, PepsiCo, for example, began a $243m upgrade of their complex to make space for more staff. While a group called ‘the raiders of the 80’s’ were supposed to put an end to corporate extravagance and administrative bloat…
According to the Economist, the relationship between business and the state bears some resemblance to the Rhine in the Middle Ages. Like those Rhine boatmen, the companies operating within national borders must pay something towards the cost of supporting commerce, but if the tolls are excessive, trade will suffer. In such a scenario, some of the world’s 200…
We have all come to hold some knowledge, at least, about the wolves of Wall Street. But as for the barons of high-tech/wolves of the web – these guys tend to think of themselves as very different creatures from the barons of Wall Street. In the words of Steve Jobs, they are “the crazy ones, the…
