THE FUTURIAN #6 Another northern summer had passed for Max and Qiang, the two economics professors. It was another one of the thirty summers that these friends had shared. For both, it was another set of new subjects that had been prepared. Yet again, their respective research programs had belatedly…

One critical component of humanity is communication. This is the focus of Industry Division J. From the age of Gutenberg until the closing stages of the 20th century, this industry was dominated by publishing words in physical form. Think newspapers being sold from the corners of city blocks, think university…

THE FUTURIAN #5 Kapena and Tobias looked at each other. Was it true what their teacher was saying? Just before Christmas, in their last middle school year, they learnt of the great power rivalry in and around their Pacific island home. And now, in this history class they were being…

THE FUTURIAN #4 Kim was aghast. The events that his grandfather was recounting seemed to be from another time. Another planet even. For decades it was a technology that did not have a good reputation. After the widely panned Fleischmann and Ponn “breakthrough” in 1989, no scientist of any repute…

Moving people and freight by land, sea, air or space together with warehousing, storage and transport support services are covered in this industry division. Of note are the international differences — in India’s NIC (National Industrial Classification) these economic activities are categorised in “Code H”, across Europe their NACE (“nomenclature…

Industry Division H is about accommodation and food services industry. Think hotels, youth hostels, resorts and camping grounds. And add in restaurants, takeaway (or, depending where you are from, take-out, carry-out, to-go or grab-n-go) and catering services. Its an industry that is associated with holidays, social gatherings and so on…

Industry Division G is about retail trade. Its about the purchasing and on-selling of goods to the public, where those goods do not undergo any significant transformation. It is an industry that has had a very long history. Picture, if you will, how it used to be: itinerant peddlers trudging…

Wholesale trade is about the sale of goods in quantity. In use since the 1400s, the term is associated with the intermediaries that sit between producers and retailers. And just like other industry divisions, the wholesale trade division is changing. This article is a reflection upon this — what could…

The construction industry encompasses a broad suite of activities. From those involved in building houses and civil engineering works to the construction of office towers and the practices of landscaping. Whatever the activity, we are witnessing changes across the industry division, and this article reflects upon this fact. The primary…