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Economics Trend Watching

Economy in Germany: Shortage of Skilled Workers Reaches an All-Time High

According to a new survey by the Ifo Institute, based in Munich, a record 49,7 percent of companies are currently short of workers.

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Design Innovation Readings

Watch Mike Kuniavsky’s “How designers will reinvent manufacturing” talk

Consumption directly drives production, and data informs design. If we weren’t talking about physical products, this would sound a lot like Web/app interaction design, but the worlds of making atoms and bits are quickly colliding, and the implications are profound. By mapping what we have learned creating analytics-driven digital design to the physical world, we can change how everything is made, for the better […]

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Economics Information Technology Innovation Software Trend Watching

Information Technology in Brazil: IT services push GDP numbers up

Segment was the fastest growing in 2011, according to GDP data. market jumped from U.S. $ 59 billion in 2008 to US$ 95 billion in 2011 […]

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Design Economics Innovation Software Trend Watching

How 3D Printing Will Make US self-sufficient

Autodesk’s Jeff Kowalski on how manufacturing will change in five years […]

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Design Information Technology Innovation Software

Autodesk Expands SketchBook Product Line

Autodesk announced a series of key updates that provide a new look and feel to the Autodesk SketchBook product line, spanning both the desktop and apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch […]

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China Economics Innovation

Intellectual Property: IPR threatens China’s new energy sector

Stimulated by governments’ supporting policies, a large number of Chinese firms have turned to new energy and related industries. Over 10 large scale new energy bases have been established. However, experts say that China’s emerging new energy sector may face a lack of core technology crisis […]

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China Consumer Behavior Design Economics Innovation Trend Watching

China’s Design Crisis

BusinessWeek’s Bruce Nussbaum has an interesting article on the Chinese Design Industry […]

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Design Innovation Software

Autodesk Ships SketchBook Mobile App for iPhone, iPod Touch

Autodesk announced that Autodesk SketchBook Mobile, a new professional-grade paint and drawing app that offers a full set of sketching tools in a streamlined and intuitive user interface designed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch, is available on Apple’s App Store […]

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China Trend Watching

Living in China: Shanghai home to 23 million by 2020

Shanghai’s population is expected to grow to 19.5 million in 2010, about 3 percent more than last year. And by 2020, the city’s total should hit 23 million, due to an increase in births, a large influx of new residents and longer life expectancies, according to a conference recently held by the Shanghai Population and Family Planning Commission […]

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Design Innovation

Watch Ray Anderson’s “the business logic of sustainability” talk at TED

At his carpet company, Ray Anderson has increased sales and doubled profits while turning the traditional “take / make / waste” industrial system on its head. In a gentle, understated way, he shares a powerful vision for sustainable commerce […]