During a recent talk on behalf of AHK, the Italian and German Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Robert Scheid was reviewing the economic performance of Germany following the financial crisis with respect to other European countries. He highlighted how the country, differently from most of its continental neighbours, was able to perform well despite the rather difficult situation. GDP growth, in particular, was consistently higher than those of stagnating economies like Italy and Spain

Infrastructure is increasingly important in today’s global policy agenda as investments made in the previous century reach the end of its fruitful life. Investments in infrastructure, traditionally financed with public funds, are critical elements that sustain a country’s economic competitiveness, prosperity and growth sustainability. Without essential services supplied by infrastructure assets in areas such as utilities, clean water and transportation, modern society would f

A Brief Sketch of Commodity Supercycles Frequently we are reminded of the fickle nature of markets. This is no exception when it comes to commodities. Take WTI crude oil as an example. In the early 2000s its price was hovering around $40 per barrel. By mid-2008 its price peaked at $140, then abruptly dropped to $40 half a year later (as a result of the financial recession), only to recover again shortly afterwards. This all came to a sudden halt approximately one year ago and