Conflict

WHAT'S NEXT?: Rising tensions around are bringing new and regional geopolitical threats and the possibility of eventual global war. Keep abreast of the unfolding drama and know where the risks and opportunities are in the world.

• [New] An oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia will most likely accumulate over the course of the year, with no end in sight until 2021 at the earliest.
• [New] The U.S. has denounced a ruling by the International Criminal Court that its chief prosecutor could probe alleged war crimes in Afghanistan that may have been committed by U.S. and other forces, intensifying a clash with the Trump administration.
• [New] Amnesty International on Wednesday rebuked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over new comments bashing the International Criminal Court and threatening court staff - and their family members-investigating alleged war crimes committed by United States forces in Afghanistan.
• [New] If the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia continues while the world slips into a recession, the oil glut could grow to 800 million to 1.3 billion barrels in the first six months of this year.
• [New] Current submarine silencing seems to have defeated the sort of ocean-wide system the United States operated during the Cold War, but by 2039 much greater computing power might revive that capability in a different form.
• [New] The single greatest political question over the next twenty years is probably whether a new Cold War will break out between the United States and China.
• Poised to reach over US$ 24.5 Billion by the year 2025, Consumer Electronics will bring in healthy gains adding significant momentum to global growth.
• Within five to 10 years, quantum computers are expected to be able to solve problems no classic machine can, through the work of key players like Google, IBM, Microsoft and Quantum Circuits, among others.
• More than 720,000 tons of blade material will be disposed of over the next 20 years in the United States - a figure that does not include newer, taller higher-capacity turbines.
• Worldwide shipments of devices, PCs, tablets and mobile phones, will total 2.16 billion units in 2020, an increase of 0.9% from 2019.
• Global SSB demand in 2040 is expected to reach 300 GWh and 1,600 GWh per annum in the consumer electronics and EV market respectively.
• The global market for Consumer Batteries is projected to reach US$ 50 billion by 2025, driven by the growing indispensability of batteries in the digital era of laptops, smartphones, tablets, smart electronic wearables and digital cameras.
• While in Central and Eastern Europe, for every 100 smartphones shipping in 2023, there will be 36 smart personal audio devices, 16 desktops or notebooks, 15 wearable bands, five smart speakers and six tablets.
• The flexible hybrid electronics market was valued at USD 95.28 million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 231.12 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 16.2% over the forecast period of (2020-2025).
• The Worldwide 3D Printing Market in Aerospace and Consumer Electronics is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.2% during the period 2016-2022 to reach an aggregate of $11,140 million by 2022.
• Global consumers are forecast to spend $21.5 billion this year on devices they can connect to smartphones or tablets for better control, convenience and information.
• 65% of Americans expect that, in the coming decades, robots and computers will do much of the work currently done by humans.
• The global flexible electronics market accounted for USD 18.05 billion and market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% by the end of 2025.
• The Consumer Electronics Show 2020, which starts tomorrow in Las Vegas, US, will be the platform for companies to showcase their new smartphone innovations.
• As the market continues to mature, the companies that embrace 3D printer hardware, software offerings, cloud options, and material partnerships are the ones who will see successful long-term growth.
• The rapidly increasing automotive industry especially electric vehicles and the consumer electronics market in developing nations offers a worthy growth opportunity to the Lithium-ion battery market during the forecast period.
• Although critics claim that commercially available quantum computers will be 10 to 20 years away, in the government world, people who are paying attention are more worried, with some predicting working machines in under five years.

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Last updated: 31 March 2020