Innholdsfortegnelse for 6/18-6/25/2021 i Newsweek International

1984 As the Simpson-Mazzoli bill, “a landmark proposal on immigration reform headed toward a showdown vote” in the House, Newsweek reported on “the nation’s ambivalent attitudes toward illegal aliens.” How to handle illegal immigration and create a pathway to citizenship for those who have been living in the U.S. remain thorny issues. They were symbolized in the last administration by President Trump’s border wall construction. Now President Biden is reversing of many of his predecessor’s policies even as he attempts to mange the overcrowding conditions caused by an influx of migrants. 1979 Alien was “the blockbuster hit of the summer—and it’s just the tip of the reign of terror that is seizing the country,” said Newsweek following a resurgence of horror movies as the “prestige product of big-budget Hollywood.” The genre…

As the continent’s undisputed financial hub, South Africa has witnessed more than a decade of stellar banking industry growth following 2007’s global financial crisis. Retail banking holds particularly high potential, and McKinsey reports that this segment will soar in the future, with South Africa projected to account for the highest share of retail revenue growth in Africa, at least $4bn between 2017 and 2023. Innovative local players Finbond Group is already capitalising on rising consumer demand, but its business model has proved so successful that it is also being exported to bigger markets. Established in 2003, Finbond was an instant hit in South Africa. The group made a name for itself with a unique offering: value- and solutions-based financial services products designed with the client, rather than institutional needs, in…

South Africa is expecting a GDP growth of 3.3% in 2021, according to a recent report by Deloitte. After a volatile period for one of Africa’s biggest economies, the country is set to reassert itself as one of the world’s most promising emerging markets. With a strong growth outlook, among the highest income levels in Africa, and a population nearing 60 million, South Africa is one of the biggest automotive markets on the continent. Vehicle sales rose 32% in March 2021 when compared to March 2020 as demand rebounded, with 44 217 units sold. Motus Holdings, the country’s leading automotive group, is well-placed to benefit from the market’s resurgence. Selling one in five vehicles in South Africa each year. The South African vehicle market is projected to stabilise at 450…

CHRIS EVANS IS BEST KNOWN FOR portraying Captain America, who teams up with other superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to form the Avengers. In real life, Evans has joined director and actor Mark Kassen and health care entrepreneur and philanthropist Joe Kiani to launch a website and app called A Starting Point, with the aim of getting young people interested in learning more about their elected officials and political issues. Evans and Kassen met with Newsweek Contributor David H. Freedman via Zoom to talk about some of the obstacles they’ve had to overcome, the success they’ve had so far and their ambitions for the project. Newsweek: What were the biggest challenges you faced in getting A Starting Point up and running? Chris Evans: First we had to collect the…

“We endeavor to work hand-in-hand with our customers in the automotive industry to further the evolution of the automobile. We strive to provide products of increasingly high quality, using even greater technology.” While humble-looking, fastening systems – the literal ‘nuts and bolts’ of industry – play an important role in the performance and safety of vehicles that cannot be understated. Having celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2020, Aoyama Seisakusho is a chief supplier of fastening systems to the automobile industry. The company counts Toyota, Ford, BMW, and China’s FAW Group among its long list of satisfied clients that rely on the unbeatable performance and quality of its fasteners, which continue to evolve in tandem with the rapid changes and demands of the industry thanks to Aoyama Seisakusho’s ceaseless pursuit of…

Since its foundation in 1948, Chugai has been supplying a wide variety of products such as soundproofing parts, electronic parts and chemical products to the automotive, electronics, housing equipment and other industries, based on the principle of “planning, development and delivery”. And we have expanded our solutions offering to develop and propose products, including simulations, on the themes of “lighting”, “thermal”, “sound” and “lightweight”. The “Lighting Solution” offers optical components using simulations. For automotives, we offer a wide range of lighting solutions, including functional lighting for driving support and spatial lighting for interior decoration, which can be optimized using simulations. The “Thermal Solution” is a simulation-based solution for thermal management. We help our customers, mainly in the electronics industry, to solve their thermal problems in three ways: by testing the…

“We have three business divisions: automotive electrical parts, pneumatic equipment and electric control products and their associated technologies. We can integrate all three divisions for the customer’s benefit, that is New-Era’s strength.”Hiroshi Miyashita, President, New-Era Co., Ltd. New-Era, specialists in automotive electrical parts, have now expanded into robotics with their unique pneumatic equipment developed via their monozukuri spirit which they have cultivated over many years. From challenges come opportunities. It is an old saying that holds pertinence in this era-defining moment for the automotive industry, and particularly for the legion of Japanese SME manufacturers that have built success supplying parts and components for traditional combustion engine vehicles. “Our main focus has been in automotive electrical parts up until now,” says Hiroshi Miyashita, President of New-Era, which is located in Osaka,…

From manufacturing solutions to air purification systems, FUJICO leads the fight against both climate change and COVID-19 with its groundbreaking technologies. Established in 1952, FUJICO has built its success upon technological innovation aimed at “making the impossible possible”. The company’s founder, Hidesuke Yamamoto, developed a groundbreaking repair technology for ingot molds used in steel manufacturing that allowed the molds to be reutilized, leading to a major reduction in environmental waste. Since then, the company has continued to develop unique technologies for the betterment of industry, environment and society, providing its clients with quality solutions far superior to those of its competitors. One of FUJICO’s exemplary technologies, the CPC process (Continuous Pouring process for Cladding) is a composite casting method used to manufacture rolling mill rolls and rollers for the steel…

The South African economy was severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, with its tourism and service sectors facing considerable external shocks in the wake of rolling lockdowns and extended international travel restrictions. But the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals remain solid. It is Africa’s most stable, modern, and well-diversified economy, and rising global inflation has seen demand for key exports surge in recent months. The National Treasury projects GDP growth will rise by more than 10 percentage points y-o-y in 2021 to hit 3.3%. Growth will be supported by an ambitious recovery plan focused on aggressive infrastructure investment, in partnership with the private sector, as well as ambitious new job creation schemes aimed at boosting skilled employment and further modernizing the industrial base. Recovery fund spending will underpin steady mid- and long-term…

In a January 2021 review of the South African economy, the International Monetary Fund highlighted the country’s strong monetary policy, which has helped support the economy during the covid-19 pandemic. The Fund expects the economy – the second-biggest in Africa – to rebound to 3.1% growth in 2021. Recovering growth is bolstering the construction industry, which is expected to expand by a remarkable 13.2% a year to 2024, according to ConsTrack360, a sector-focused research and consultancy firm. The resurgence has already doubled the order book of Raubex, one of South Africa’s biggest construction companies. Its current order book is worth around $1.2bn, and it has prospects of a further $1.4bn in the pipeline. The booming business has proved a boon for the company’s investors following its IPO on the Johannesburg…

From the perspective of the end consumer, Toyota, Honda and Suzuki are the brand names that represent Japan’s reputed automobile industry, whose logos adorn the finished vehicles that we see and drive. But behind those famous brand logos – under the hood, inside the gearbox and behind the steering wheel – lies the work of Japan’s SME manufacturers that supply the parts and components essential to the quality, safety and performance of Japanese automobiles and motorcycles. Indeed, thanks to their renowned product quality and technological prowess, these companies also count leading international car makers – from GM to BMW – among their satisfied customers. Today, the changing global market landscape has posed a major challenge for these companies to innovate and diversify their product offering. Firstly, the increasing competition on…

For close to 90 years, Nagata Auto Parts has practiced continuous innovation and utilization of the most advanced technology to meet and exceed its customers’ needs and expectations. Adopting the Japanese monozukuri manufacturing philosophy, Nagata develops a range of high-quality auto-parts for major automobile makers in Japan and abroad, including body parts, hinges and fuel filler doors. The quality and performance of Nagata’s products can be largely attributed to the company’s production processes, which it has successfully managed to transfer to its overseas factories to ensure monozukuri manufacturing principles are strictly adhered to even at these international production facilities. “We are striving to be the best in all our production processes and products and this is part of our company philosophy. Our aim is to provide the best quality products…

For 60 years, Asahi Denso has been a vital cog in the automotives industry, supplying switches, locks, and electrical equipment used in motorcycles, marine vessels, PWCs, ATVs and snowmobiles, as well as construction, industrial and agricultural machinery. Around 45% of Asahi Denso’s sales come from switches and electrical components for motorcycles, with its range of high-performing products including APSs (Axle Position Sensors), Smart Systems (hands-free ignition switches) and anti-theft technology. The company is the world’s largest supplier of APSs, and counts leading Japanese and international motorcycle brands among its clients, namely Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda, Triumph, Ducati and KTM. Like many Japanese companies, Asahi Denso nowadays faces stiff competition from Chinese and other regional competitors. Nevertheless the company continues to set itself apart thanks to its state-of-the art production system…

Japan’s leading position in the automobile and factory automation/ robotics industries is not only attributed to giants like Toyota and FANUC, but also to the legion of small, agile and tech-savvy SMEs that build parts and components for tier-one companies domestically and worldwide. One such firm operating in both industries is Kondo Seisakusho. Aside from supplying auto parts for automobile manufacturers, Kondo Seisakusho develops factory automation (FA) and robotics equipment for a wide range of industries, including automotives, food, medical and semiconductors. As a trusted supplier of both parts and robotics equipment to many companies, including several Toyota Group companies, Kondo Seisakusho adopts Toyota’s monozukuri (Japanese craftsmanship) and kaizen (continuous improvement) approach to manufacturing. This approach ensures products of the highest quality and performance – which are built with speed,…

After a bruising year of pandemic-induced economic shocks, the South African economy is poised for a strong rebound, with GDP set to rise by more than 10 percentage points this year. Its renewable energy sector will play a huge role in shaping the country’s post-Covid economy, and a global shift towards green energy and climate spending puts South Africa in a good position to benefit from rising American and European investment in renewables. Leading domestic energy investor Reatile Group is bracing for the boom. Established in 2003 as an investment holding company, Reatile Group is a major player in the South African energy sector. Its board and executive management have more than 200 years of combined experience in the energy and allied sectors, and the group boasts a proven track…

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS GET A LOT OF calls from people wanting things, most of which receive polite regrets from staffers. But lately one particular call is consistently getting past the gatekeepers: the one from Chris Evans. Yes, that Chris Evans. For a year and a half, the 39-year-old megastar (he turns 40 on June 13), best known for playing Captain America in the Marvel movies, has been quietly working the halls of the Capitol, occasionally in person, in an effort to persuade senators and representatives to put aside their hyper-partisan hyperbole and explain, in under two minutes, their views on politics and policy to a new generation of young potential voters. The two-minute interviews are posted to A Starting Point, an app and website that Evans co-founded with director and…

“Honda Motors’ products are very unique and distinctive,” says Noboru Takahashi. Looking back to a time when electronic devices were becoming increasingly prominent fixtures of the automobile, the Honda Lock president recalls how Honda, unlike other companies, looked to reduce consumption instead of increasing battery size. “This is something unique to Honda Motors, as was applying weight reduction instead of installing bigger engines to increase output efficiency,” he adds. As a company 100% owned by Honda Motors, Honda Lock – which specializes in the manufacturing of components such as side and rear-view mirrors, smart entry systems, door handles, start/stop switches, immobilizer systems and steering wheel lock switches for both four-and two-wheeled vehicles – also embodies this unique think-outside-the-box approach to innovation and product development. This approach has enabled Honda Lock…

“We have created a new facility that is solely dedicated to making high-precision EV parts.”Yoshinori Ooka, President, O-OKA Corporation Founded in 1937, O-OKA has earned a stellar reputation worldwide as a supplier of high-quality gears and components to car makers around the globe, particularly in Europe. When it comes to the manufacturing process, O-OKA has set itself apart from its competitors by incorporating its long-cultivated forging technology to manufacture its gears, resulting in products of award-winning standards. “Usually, these types of gears are made using a cutting process with machines. The advantage of using forging technology is that you can make the items stronger and save on costs,” says president, Yoshinori Ooka. “Our strength is we can provide everything from designing the die to the final finished product. We can…

“Japanese products are based on a high level of craftsmanship and this applies to our company.”Hideo Ando, President & CEO, Fuji Seiko (Bellows) Co., Ltd. The monozukuri craftsmanship and high-performing technology of Japan’s SME manufacturers largely remain invisible to the end consumer, which is why these companies are often referred to as the “Hidden Champions” of Japanese manufacturing. While they may be small, these Hidden Champions play a huge role in global supply chains, supplying hi-tech parts and solutions for leading corporations in Japan and around the world. A case in point, Fuji Seiko – which counts Toyota, Honda, Isuzu, Suzuki, Panasonic, TOTO, LIXIL, MHI, JAXA, and Japan’s Ministry of Defence among its clients – develops thermostats, thermal valves and constant flow valves that contribute to water saving, as well…

LAST YEAR WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN A big one for Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Liz Phair, who shook up the indie rock world almost 30 years ago with her debut Exile in Guyville. In 2020 she was scheduled to release Soberish, her first new album in 10 years, and embark on a summer tour with Alanis Morissette and Garbage. The pandemic suspended those plans. The pause, though, gave Phair time to update the record. She remembers thinking, “Well, if it’s going to come out a year from now, we have to make it for then. Here’s the things that I think are going to be in place: Trump will have lost, we’re also going to be coming out of the pandemic at that exact moment. We want the comfort of…