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The East Asian financial crisis revealed the structural weaknesses of the banking systems in Asia. Post crisis, there were signs of limited recovery of the region in sight, but the region-wide reforms would take some time to complete. This paper identifies the main challenges and opportunities that are posed to the financial sector in Singapore in a post East Asian financial crisis scenario. Preserving the stability of the banking sector whilst engendering a more efficient use of capital remains a central issue in this paper. The paper also evaluates the liberalization measures adopted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to enhance the development of Singapore as a leading international financial center.

The process of technology transfer is complex and involves a series of factors and variables. Within this process, it is common that transferor and transferee might face several barriers. Furthermore, processes involving innovation and technology transfer must consider the impacts for the sustainable development. Taking these aspects into account, this paper aims to identify the barriers and opportunities in technology transfer oriented to sustainable development. To reach this goal, a systematic review of literature was carried out using the methodology Methodi Ordinatio. A portfolio composed of 107 scientific articles was built. The results demonstrate the main barriers, among which we can mention unavailability of financial resources or subsidies to obtain or implement a certain technology, and bureaucracy to obtain these resources. On the other hand, some opportunities can also be found, like Clean Development Mechanism and policies and regulations that favour the adoption and diffusion of clean technologies. Thus, this paper contributes to the academy by exploring the interconnections of Technology Transfer and Sustainable Development in the literature. This paper also contributes to the presentation of knowledge resources — information regarding barriers and opportunities to technology transfer oriented to sustainable development — so that governments and decision makers could define policies and strategies for a more effective process.

The dawn of the new millennium is uniquely characterized by the rapid advancement in technologies and tectonic change in global markets. This paper enumerates on opportunities for engineers to add value to technology organizations, such as e-transformation, web-based tools, product development, innovations, and management of global supply chains. These opportunities entail challenges in six dimensions, namely inside, outside, present, future, local and global; they are linkable to stakeholders' value. Engineering managers need to emulate specific personal strategies in order to seize these value-addition opportunities and convert them into business profitability for their technology organizations.

This paper develops a conceptual understanding of how corporate venture managers recognise and discover opportunities in a network environment. In an effort to create a better understanding of who is involved in the process, this paper reports on the development path of several entrepreneurial opportunities of the Danish corporate venture capitalist, Danfoss A/S. This paper distinguishes itself from previous research done on entrepreneurial opportunities by creating a holistic and conceptual framework, which broadens and expands the perception of the market participants involved in processes of recognition and discovery. Consequently the paper offers insight into a diversified group of actors who mix and match technological and market capabilities in a constant process of recognition and discovery.

The aim of this study was to illustrate the methane gas impacts on AL-Russifa region, Jordan, in addition to the opportunities and obstacles faced. AL-Russifa city suffers serious health and environmental problems as a result of the methane gas emissions from Al-Russifa Landfill.

The uncontrolled methane emissions and the potential of collection, use for producing electricity and the existing activities that include the biogas plant and regulations were analyzed and recommendations presented. The required institutional management and social structure that promote the proper management of solid waste that affect methane emissions need to be advanced through technological exchanges and training programs. Improving the existing biogas project and the establishment of new ones can reduce green house gases while generating electricity; thus reducing Jordan's dependency on imported oil.

The lack of financial, technical expertise and awareness among public and private sectors, in addition to the bureaucracy and the short time pay back phenomena are all considered as constraints for achieving such prosperous environmental projects. Establishing upgraded institutions will need to embrace improved capability to generate replicable projects that serve as a vehicle for solving pollution problems and promoting sustainable development.

The generation and use of spatial information has significantly increased in recent years. Its importance has been magnified by the INSPIRE Directive, which has subsequently led to specific requirements within several legislative frameworks, such as the Water Framework and Noise Directives, for generating spatial data and spatially-specific outputs, as well as encouraging the creation of spatial data infrastructures at European level. The increased availability of spatial datasets resulting from these initiatives facilitates and promotes the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in planning and environmental assessment, among other sectoral applications. Arguably, the inclusion of geographic information through GIS supports and enhances environmental planning processes, enabling a rapid and objective analysis of environmental issues, and presenting information in a spatial and graphical manner. However, there are a number of considerations for the successful application of spatial data and GIS, and a number of issues remain affecting consistency and validity of results. This paper provides a critical review of current issues affecting spatial dataset management and use (such as format, scale, completeness, timeliness and metadata), and discusses common GIS methods and existing constraints to their application in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It concludes outlining existing opportunities to optimise the contribution of spatial data to environmental planning, and establishing future research and practice needs to enhance GIS use in SEA and EIA practice.

The MSME sector is the most demanded, vibrant and dynamic sector which contributes highly to country’s manufacturing output, employment and exports. As this sector contains more than 80% of the total enterprises of the economy, its labor intensity is much higher than that of any other large enterprise. MSME is an important pillar of Indian economy as this sector is continuously contributing greatly to the growth and development of Indian economy by creating around 70 million employment, manufacturing more than 6000 products, contributing about 45% of manufacturing production and 40% from exports. Presently, the MSME sector is mostly dominated by microenterprises. This signifies that this sector is inviting and giving opportunities to new people for earning and being independent through its available schemes. Therefore, this paper is focused on the financial performance analysis of MSME sector.

The generation and use of spatial information has significantly increased in recent years. Its importance has been magnified by the INSPIRE Directive, which has subsequently led to specific requirements within several legislative frameworks, such as the Water Framework and Noise Directives, for generating spatial data and spatially-specific outputs, as well as encouraging the creation of spatial data infrastructures at European level. The increased availability of spatial datasets resulting from these initiatives facilitates and promotes the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in planning and environmental assessment, among other sectoral applications. Arguably, the inclusion of geographic information through GIS supports and enhances environmental planning processes, enabling a rapid and objective analysis of environmental issues, and presenting information in a spatial and graphical manner. However, there are a number of considerations for the successful application of spatial data and GIS, and a number of issues remain affecting consistency and validity of results. This paper provides a critical review of current issues affecting spatial dataset management and use (such as format, scale, completeness, timeliness and metadata), and discusses common GIS methods and existing constraints to their application in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It concludes outlining existing opportunities to optimise the contribution of spatial data to environmental planning, and establishing future research and practice needs to enhance GIS use in SEA and EIA practice.

The experience of people with advanced or life threatening cancers speaks volumes for the health care system of their home country. The overall prognosis of many cancers reflects the effectiveness of screening services, because screening allows the detection of treatable malignancies. The prognosis also reflects timely access to appropriate and competent health care and the extent of teamwork and collaboration across the primary, secondary and tertiary health care sectors. The theme of this chapter is that primary care, more than any other sector in health, can reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality from cancer. Because the majority of contact with cancer patients in primary care is in the period following diagnosis and treatment, some people believe that primary care has a relatively minor role in cancer care, yet nothing could be further from the truth. In many countries, policy makers are promoting a move away from the biomedical practice model to a community-based, primary care practice model, acknowledging that it will deliver ‘better’ health outcomes for a lower cost than a health system that focuses on hospital-based medical practice. Nowhere are the potential gains greater than in the improvements that could be made to patients with cancer by rethinking our approach. People with a cancer diagnosis increasingly want to have a say in their treatment and how they live their life during and after treatment. This chapter explores the role of the general practitioner and of primary care in cancer management, currently and in the future.

Climate change is the outstanding survival and ethical issue of our time, and requires urgent action if our descendants are to inherit a livable world. Substantial opportunities exist in the transition to a renewable economy provided through climate action. Reliable, relevant, and accessible information is key…

Climate change poses increasingly serious risks to human society. Climate change is the outstanding survival and ethical issue of our time. Climate change is now moving the planet into new uncharted risky states since civilization began. Climate change risk management, (climate risk management for short) is a best practice. Urgent action is needed…

The ability to successfully engage in entrepreneurship is contingent on numerous factors including societal norms, overall market environment and economic conditions in which entrepreneurs operate. The topic of female entrepreneurs has attracted much attention during the past few decades. It is an interesting phenomenon as it tests the general assumptions among people about the perceived characteristics of entrepreneurs and possible impact of gender differences in outcome of entrepreneurial activities. This chapter provides insights about the unique societal and economic conditions in Libya and how these affect women entrepreneurs. The chapter also discusses potential strategies for female entrepreneurs that might be utilised to appropriately collect rent from entrepreneurial opportunities in Libya.