World Economic Forum [to 2 July 2016]
https://agenda.weforum.org/news/
Selected Media Releases

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News 28 Jun 2016
The Global Economy is Failing 35% of the World’s Talent
:: The Human Capital Report 2016 finds that globally only 65% of the world’s talent is being optimized through education, skills development and deployment during people’s lifetimes
:: Finland, Norway and Switzerland hold the top spots, utilizing around 85% of their human capital. Japan leads when it comes to 55 year-olds and over
:: Report aims to assess how public and private sector investments in education and skills can best prepare workforces for the future and how big data and the gig economy might drive greater opportunity for workers
Download the full report here
[See Week in Review above for more detail]

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News 27 Jun 2016
Technology Pioneers Are Mixing Latest Technologies to Kickstart the Next Wave of Industry Disruption
:: The World Economic Forum today announced its list of the 30 most promising Technology Pioneers 2016, including fintech provider Blockchain, collaboration tool Slack and market trend visualizer Quid.
:: Other awarded pioneers blend existing innovations like drones, 3D printing and the Internet of Things to create real-world solutions in fields such as health, food, energy, IT and finance
:: 70 per cent of the recognized pioneers come from the US, a sign of the country’s continued strength in innovation; other nominees come from Canada, France, Israel, Luxembourg and Sweden

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News 27 Jun 2016
Blockchain a Game Changer for the Future of Financial Transactions
Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, 27 June 2016 – Unlocking blockchain will be a game-changer for the future of financial transactions, noted panellists in a session on the innovative digital ledger today at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2016 in Tianjin.
“Blockchain will revolutionize banking and financial services as we know it,” acknowledged Pierre Gramegna, Minister of Finance of Luxembourg, “I think it is possible that blockchain will replace the word ‘internet’. By the time our children have children, the only time they will see the word ‘internet’ is in science and history books.”
“Some say that blockchain is the new internet of the financial world,” pointed out Axel Lehmann, Group Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Group Executive Board, UBS Group, Switzerland.
Blockchain is a secure ledger database made up of data blocks that are shared by all users in an established, continually evolving platform. For financial organizations, blockchain allows for faster processing time, lower costs, fewer intermediaries, greater market insight and increased transparency and compliance…