All Insights

The technology industry is synonymous with innovation, fuelled by investments and a continual focus on research and development (R&D). By its very nature it is at the forefront of change. Those businesses which fail to keep up with technological change and stay current with consumer requirements are left behind.

We asked the 3,500 business leaders who responded to our latest Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) a new question in Q4-2013: Do you expect rising energy costs to constrain the growth of business over the next 12 months?

I was interviewed this week by CNBC and BBC World News to discuss the economic outlook for 2014, drawing on the views of 3,500 senior executives in 45 economies we interview for our International Business Report (IBR).

Business optimism in markets such as China, the UK and the US has risen markedly over recent months according to the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR)[1]. And the most interesting aspect for me is the contribution of the real estate and construction sector to the brightening economic outlook.

The outlook for the cleantech sector looks to be improving. While the Climate Policy Initiative reported that global climate finance flows had plateaued at US$359bn in 2012, business growth indicators from our Q3 International Business Report (IBR) are positive, particularly as regards investment and R&D, although a shortage of talent remains a challenge

Business leaders in the hospitality & tourism sector are continuing to do ‘more with less’ according to the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) Q3 results. Expectations for business growth remain robust, but job creation is fairly stagnant, reflecting a broader drive for efficiencies within the sector.

I was interviewed last week by CNBC and BBC World News[1] to discuss our Q3 International Business Report (IBR) results. The big surprise was that business optimism in the UK more than doubled over the past quarter.

In the second of our Future of Europe series, we look at three aspects of the sovereign debt crisis: the stagnation of the region’s economies, closer integration and the future expansion of Europe.

The appetite for cross-border deals has rocketed by 18% during the past 12 months. This is the key finding from our latest research that looks at attitudes to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) among business leaders worldwide.

The economy of France continues to suffer as the eurozone crisis continues. Following a deep contraction in 2009, the economy recovered robustly, posting seven consecutive quarters of expansion. However, France has stagnated over the past two years as problems in southern Europe intensified, with growth slowing as unemployment and government debt rise.

Presidential elections in some of the world’s largest economies, the sovereign debt crisis and the US fiscal cliff have all contributed to a global sense of economic uncertainty. How are major and developing markets faring in the face of these developments and what does the year ahead have in store?

Stefano Salvadeo was interviewed on Focus Economia di Radio 24 recently to discuss some positive indicators regarding M&A activity in Italy.

Businesses in the hospitality & tourism industry are the most bullish globally on the outlook for both revenues and profits. That’s according to the Q2 International Business Report (IBR[1]) results, providing further evidence of strong performance in the industry.

Reviewing the Q2 International Business Report (IBR[1]) results, I was pleased to see some good news for construction & real estate companies: Profitability expectations around the world are up. However, my optimism is tempered somewhat by recent news from China and it will be interesting to see how businesses react in Q3.

The brightening outlook for Spain. Rising exports amongst reasons to be optimistic

At a time when China and the EU are arguing over solar panel subsidies and shale gas has revolutionised the US – and perhaps soon the global – energy market, I was encouraged to see the general optimism amongst cleantech businesses in the Q2 update from our International Business Report (IBR).