Petrochemical industry leaders and financial investors need to update their strategic agendas and focus on recovery scenarios, regionalized supply chains, and capital productivity. That is, if they want to minimize the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the industry, according to McKinsey & Company. In a recent analysis, the global consulting firm wrote that slowing…
The tidal wave of travel cancellations that came along with the coronavirus pandemic upended usual accommodation patterns and put heavy pressure on occupancy levels across the world. Portugal was no exception, with its always-bustling capital now much quieter than usual and a large number of its hotel rooms and vacation rentals remaining dormant. Exclusive…
The coronavirus pandemic hit the global office real estate market hard but it is expected to fully recover in the next decade despite the accelerating remote work trend, says a new study. “The structural impacts of work-from-home trends will be offset by factors such as economic growth, population growth, and office-using penetration, which means demand…
Executives almost worldwide are more optimistic about the economy and their own companies’ performance than they have been at any time so far during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by McKinsey & Company. “More than half of all executives surveyed say economic conditions in their own countries will be better six months…
The immediate effects of the coronavirus outbreak and the ensuing lockdowns exacted a heavy toll on the global economy and presented the greatest challenge in a decade for the auto sector. According to McKinsey & Company, global sales of light vehicles in 2020 are expected to decline 20 to 25 percent from pre-pandemic forecasts. In…
Lifting coronavirus lockdown restrictions may not by itself be sufficient to restore confidence or growth and economic recovery will start only when the pandemic is under control, according to McKinsey & Company. “The evidence heavily suggests that a multifaceted public-health response that goes well beyond a simple transient lockdown is a necessary first step to…
Aside from delaying personal trips and vacations, the sudden halt of global travel during the coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on companies whose workforces used to travel frequently as well as airlines and hotels that depend heavily on revenue from corporate travel. At times of uncertainty like now, it is difficult to predict…
Short-time work policies hold the promise of helping countries combat the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 if they are aided by high uptake, generous wage replacement, incentives, and higher flexibility, says an economist. Michael Wolf from the Deloitte Global Economist Network cites short-time work—sometimes called a work-sharing program—as a policy that has gained considerable popularity…
Artificial intelligence (AI) may have popularized big data but applications like the internet of things (IoT) are taking it to the next level. The need to analyze large datasets to come up with insights and the increasing internet traffic is increasing the demand for data and digital storage services. The global data center market should…
As physical sports were grounded by the coronavirus pandemic across the globe, esports not only continued to thrive but also found new fans along the way. Multiple industry reports have painted a fairly bright future for esports—which refers to organized, multiplayer video game competitions—saying that there are great opportunities in this sector despite widespread disruptions…
