Peugeot and BMW form hybrid components joint-venture

Good example of Collaboration, Network Level Strategy. This is a Joint Venture between to well established rival companies in the automarket. This collaboration concerns a segment of the market that none of them entered in the early stages. It concerns a Macro-External factor (technology) which was an uncertainty in the previous decade and has now created a new segment in the market. As usual most of JV are driven by R&D needs. It is also interesting to note that in other industry these companies would had considered a stronger collaboration (Merger?) but it is well established that European governmenets will not give in easily on such mergers.


Peugeot and BMW form hybrid components joint-venture

French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen and Germany's BMW have extended their engine partnership by creating a joint venture to develop, purchase and produce powertrain components for hybrid vehicles.

Read the whole article at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/02/us-peugeot-bmw-idUSTRE71124V20110202

additional article with more analysis on the same topic: http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/110912/20110210/bmw-group-psa-peugeot-citro-n-electrification-venture-hybrid-technology.htm

Easyjet paint job makes fuel bills less of a drag

This is an example of how macro external factor (technology) can impact operations. It is an interesting one because nano-technology is always an uncertainty for scenario planning.

Easyjet paint job makes fuel bills less of a drag
By Jonathan Sumberg Transport reporter, BBC News

How to cut the costs of flying? It's one of the key questions facing the aviation industry.
With the price of a barrel of oil at about $100, airlines are having to think of new - and often ingenious - ways to save money.

Read the whole article at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12428667

China reassures US on key 'rare earth' minerals

Could rare earth materials availability become an uncertainty for the future of some industries?

China reassures US on key 'rare earth' minerals
China has reassured the US it has no intention of withholding "rare earth" minerals from the market, the US Secretary of State has said.
China suspended export of the metals, key to the global high-tech industry, to Japan after a diplomatic spat.

Read the whole artile at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11657982

Terrorism and cyber attacks among top threats to UK

For businesses that rely on online transactions, the cyber-terrorism is a significant uncertainty for the future.

Terrorism and cyber attacks among top threats to UK

Terrorism and attacks on computer networks are among the biggest threats to the UK, Home Secretary Theresa May has said ahead of the publication of a new National Security Strategy
The strategy will form the background for Tuesday's Strategic Defence Review, setting out the shape of UK forces after expected budget cuts of 8%.

Read the whole article at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11562969##

'Road trains' get ready to roll

Good example of how the evolution of a Technology (Macro External Environment) can influence an entire industry. It is also useful to note that this Technology was development by European Funds (Regulatory Macro External Environmental factor) due to Environmental and Socio-Cultural trends.

'Road trains' get ready to roll
Road trains that link vehicles together using wireless sensors could soon be on European roads.
An EU-financed research project is looking at inexpensive ways of getting vehicles to travel in a 'platoon' on Europe's motorways.
Each road train could include up to eight separate vehicles - cars, buses and trucks will be mixed in each one.

Read the whole article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8349923.stm