The intraocular lens market is highly competitive; thus, key players need to upgrade their products to up to date with the latest technologies. Hence, product development (product launch & approval) is the key developmental strategy adopted by major players to sustain the competitive environment. These players focus on new product launches & approvals to commercialize their products with new advanced features, thus offering innovations in this market. In this regard, in October 2015, Alcon received FDA approval for AcrySof IQ Aspheric IOL with the UltraSertTM Pre-loaded Delivery System for patients undergoing cataract surgery. Moreover, new product launches facilitate companies to increase their market share to survive the competitive intraocular lens market. For instance, in May 2017, STAAR Surgical received CE approval for the commercial distribution of EVO+ Visian ICL with Aspheric (EDOF) Optic in Europe. This product approval helped the company to expand its portfolio for the treatment of hyperopia and myopia between +3.0 diopters and −18.0 diopters.

The Industrial Co-ordination Act 1975 (ICA) was introduced with the aim to maintain an orderly development and growth in the country’s manufacturing sector. The ICA requires manufacturing companies with shareholders’ funds of RM2.5 million and above or engaging 75 or more full-time paid employees to apply for a manufacturing licence for approval by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Applications for manufacturing licences are to be submitted to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), an agency under MITI in charge of the promotion and coordination of industrial development in Malaysia.

There were 4,300 registered enterprises in the basic metals segment and 41,000 in the metal products segment as of end-2017, according to data from the Russian statistics office. Nevertheless, the Russian metal processing sector is highly consolidated, with a few companies responsible for most of the country’s metal production. Since 2014, many companies have restructured their businesses by selling ineffective assets and by investing in more efficient and profitable technologies. M&A activity has also increased: in 2016 there were just eight M&A and equity capital market (ECM) deals in the sector worth some USD 296mn, but in 2017 their number increased to 26, valued at USD 5bn.

In 2017, the production value of Colombia’s food manufacturing performed better than in 2016, growing by 1.8% y/y. This positive result was driven by the growth of the oil and fat segment, which rose by 3.6% y/y, accounting for 21% of the food and beverage GVA in 2017. The beverage segment GVA, on the other hand, posted a significant drop of 4.5% y/y, after the 7.6% y/y increase observed in 2016. The intensified domestic demand for beverages in 2016 stemming from the extreme temperatures caused by the El Niño phenomenon stimulated the domestic output. Yet, in 2017 the beverage sales value followed the decreasing trend of the production and fell by 4.7% y/y.

Brazil ended 2017 with installed power generation capacity of 157.1 GW, an increase of 4.6% y/y. The country’s electric energy mix is dominated by renewable energy sources, with only 18.5% of installed capacity depending on fossil fuels or nuclear power, as of December 2017. Hydropower alone had a 63.8% share in the mix. During the year, the country added 6,976 MW of installed capacity, mainly due to the entry into operation of new large hydropower plants, wind farms and solar power plants. According to the estimates of ANEEL, Brazil will add a further 5,431 MW of new capacity over the course of 2018.

In 2017, Brazil’s economy reached a turning point, exiting from the deepest recession in decades. During the year, the economy grew by 1% y/y, supported by a record high agricultural harvest and an uptick in consumption, as a result of lower inflationary pressures, decreasing borrowing costs and positive sentiments over government reforms. Based on these fundamentals, in April 2018 the IMF raised its growth estimates for Brazil’s economy from 1.9% to 2.3% for 2018, expecting stronger private consumption and investment. The institution defended the government drive towards fiscal sustainability – including the adopted public spending cap at end-2016 and labour market reform in November 2017 – as key measures for the recovery of confidence and private sector investment. Nevertheless, economic growth is projected to remain subdued in the medium-term, at about 2.2% per year through 2022, weighed down by an ageing population, stagnant productivity and high uncertainty regarding the implementation of the government’s reform agenda. Mounting corruption investigations surrounding top government officials, coupled with the upcoming General Elections in October 2018, are rapidly closing the window for legislative action. Notably, reforms of the pension system, public healthcare and tax code are seen as essential to support macroeconomic stability, secure confidence and help the economy achieve its potential.

Autonomous emergency braking system or AEBS is a new safety technology increasingly being fitted to vehicles; it monitors the traffic conditions ahead and automatically stops the car if the driver fails to respond to an emergency situation. AEB is seen by experts as an important development as the seatbelt, but rather than protecting the occupant in the event of a crash, it aims to prevent the crash occurring in the first place. The application of AEBS is engaged in advanced driver assistance system (ADAS).

After 17 straight profitable quarters, airlines based in the United States can be expected to keep the winning streak going in 2018 and beyond. Even as the industry’s two largest operating costs – fuel and labor – edge up, a combination of persistent demand for air travel that’s outpacing the overall economic growth and newfound discipline on adding capacity is keeping network and value carriers in the black. A return to growth in passenger yield – the measure of the average fare paid per mile per passenger – is an example of the industry’s enduring strength. After years in decline, year-over-year yield rose 2.3 percent in second quarter 2017, driven primarily by network carriers’ capacity restraint. Passenger yield fell 13.4 percent from 2014 through 2016, hitting a year-over-year quarterly low in third quarter 2016 of 13.4 cents. The systemwide yield by second quarter 2017 was 13.9 cents.

The production of base metals in Indonesia stagnated in 2016 as oversupply on the global markets depressed metal prices. Additionally, demand from China, which traditionally accounts for about 50%- 60% of global metal consumption, weakened in 2015-2016 and led to worsening sector economics. In 2016, Indonesia’s aluminium ingot production decreased by 4.5% y/y to 245,500 tonnes, crude steel output declined by 2.2% y/y to 4.7mn tonnes, while tin metal and nickel volumes shrank by 10.3% y/y and 4.5% y/y, respectively.

Turkey has the youngest population in Europe, with an estimated median age of 30.9 years in 2017. That is slightly above the median age of the world’s population (30.4 years) but below the EU’s median age of 42.9 years. The crude death rate in Turkey, at 5.8 per 1,000 population in 2016, is below the average of 5.0 for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) but well above the world and EU averages of 7.6 and 10 respectively. Government efforts to expand the quality and availability of healthcare mean that Turkey has experienced the largest gain in life expectancy at birth of any country in the world since 1970, according to OECD data. Life expectancy increased to 75.8 years in 2016, from 65.3 years in 1992. The county has set a target for life expectancy to be 85 years by 2023, when it will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its foundation as a republic.