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The 13 Biggest Fall 2018 Fashion Trends, From ’80s Mania to Exaggerated Fringe
by Caroline Grosso
CLEO GLOVER
After four cities, countless runway shows, and a healthy dose of Kaia Gerber, the fall 2018 runway season has come to a close. And with that, it's time to reflect on the themes and trends that emerged, both within the fashion industry and the cultural stratosphere in general.
In the wake of Time's Up and the Me Too movement, it felt important that the season was particularly strong for women designers, of which there continue to be fewer in number than male designers, with Donatella Versace, Simone Rocha, and Chitose Abe of Sacai all presenting standout collections. The social movement was also apparent in the clothes themselves, as a turn back to the '80s, when the working woman's wardrobe reigned supreme, was prevalent everywhere from Marc Jacobs to Miu Miu, while neon hues at Prada, Molly Goddard, and Sonia Rykiel made a strong statement to stand out.
There was also a trend toward sustainability, as faux fur appeared on nearly every major runway, with Clare Waight Keller's showing at Givenchy one shining example. Meanwhile, newer brands such as Marine Serre and Vetements made the case for up-cycling by incorporating recycled scarves into their eco-conscious designs. Other major houses gave back to international causes in their own way: Gucci pledged $500,000 to the March for Our Lives Gun Control Rally, and Balenciaga partnered with the World Food Programme to support its mission of ending hunger by 2030 by showing WFP-branded pieces on the runway (it will donate 10 percent of all sales from these pieces to the charity).
Of course, there was also plenty of flashy, exciting new fashion to lust over for months to come! Here, a look at the 13 biggest trends from the fall 2018 season - and if you're ready to tackle shopping for the major trends for Spring 2019, click here.
Left to right: Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Versace
‘80s Excess
The most prominent trend of the fall 2018 season is ‘80s-inspired fashion. In New York, the trend kicked off with Tom Ford’s glitzy show and gained steam at Marc Jacobs, where bold shoulders and ‘80s-hued colorblocking were inescapable. By the time Miu Miu offered up acid washed jeans and soft leather jackets in ‘80s silhouettes, it was impossible to ignore that the decade was back in full swing. Iridescent foil fabrics, neon, and glammed-up evening looks also added to the overarching idea of ‘80s excess.
Left to right: Marni, Alexander Wang, Prada, Sonia Rykiel, Valentino
Love it or hate it, this polarizing trend was prominent on the runways in each city—and when Prada champions something, it’s a trend.
Left to right: Michael Kors, Balenciaga, Roberto Cavalli, Tom Ford, Victoria Beckham
Everyone needs a classic leopard coat for fall, like the one Anna Ewers wore on the Michael Kors runway. But why not experiment with other spots and stripes as well? Zebra feels especially covetable again, thanks to brands like Balenciaga.
Left to right: Carolina Herrera, Givenchy, Gucci, Proenza Schouler, Roberto Cavalli
Exaggerated Fringe
Fall’s loose threads came party-ready at Carolina Herrera—where the designer of the namesake brand took her final bow—and at Gucci, but took on a more hand-crafted feel at Proenza Schouler.
Left to right: Balenciaga, Undercover, Comme Des Garçons, Prada, Moncler Genius
Protective Layers
Many of the looks from this season's collections lend themselves to the idea of protecting oneself from the outside elements. Major outerwear moments, including the parkas at Balenciaga, the puffers at Undercover and Moncler, as well as the layer-upon-layer styling at Prada (and the genius, over-the-top Comme Des Garçons looks), will make you want to bundle up for the next bomb cyclone.
Left to right: Maison Margiela, Balmain, Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, Christopher Kane, Marine Serre
Foils & Plastics
Last season’s see-through PVC has given way to a range of colored plastic, as seen at Balmain, and foil dresses, at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, and iridescent fabrications at Maison Margiela.
Left to right: Bottega Veneta, Chloé, Junya Watanabe, Loewe, Oscar de la Renta
On the runways overall, we’re seeing a return to a more refined and put-together woman. Knits layered over diaphanous or floral printed fabrics, and styled with sneakers or boots, is a look we can get behind.
Left to right: Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara
The Skirt Suit
Tweeds, plaids, and tailoring were again all over the fall runways. The update this season was the selection of charming skirt suits, seen at Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Chanel, giving customers a new way to wear the plaid trend.
Left to right: Givenchy, Burberry, Derek Lam, Valentino, Fendi
The cape is officially the new trench. While last fall everyone coveted a classic trench, this year designers turned from the practical to a more romantic take on outerwear with the cape. The cape-trench hybrid at Givenchy was a winner; the numerous capes at Valentino absolutely dreamy; and (although, technically spring season) the rainbow-hued cape worn by Cara Delevingne at Christopher Bailey’s final Burberry show was an unforgettable moment of the season.
Left to right: Akris, Alexander McQueen, Hermès, Saint Laurent, Salvatore Ferragamo
Leather Dressing
Leather for fall is very much expected, but it was nice to see the material used in suit silhouettes and different colors this season.
Left to right: Acne Studios, Dries Van Noten, Givenchy, Gucci, Stella McCartney
After pledging not to use real fur, Gucci and Givenchy lived up to their promise. Acne Studios, Dries Van Noten, and Stella McCartney, all offered up luxurious faux fur options to consumers who are looking for an alternative, as well.
Left to right: Gucci, Coach 1941, Marni, Molly Goddard, No. 21
After last fall’s Fair Isle knit sweater obsession, designers have moved on to graphic, colorful knits and chunky knits with cheeky characters emblazoned on the front.
Left to right: Alexander McQueen, Chloé, Coach 1941, Isabel Marant, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini
Western Details
Suede fringe, Western prints, and cowboy-inspired boots were spotted at Chloé, Isabel Marant, and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, pushing a trend that has slowly been gaining speed thanks to Raf Simons at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC.
Related: New York Fashion Week Fall 2018 Lacked Much Progress in Diversity
Fall 2018 Fashion: See the Best Runway Looks from Calvin Klein, Chanel, And More
Proenza Schouler did not show in New York this season, yet much of the pieces from the brand’s collection felt more connected with Americana than in seasons past, with their hand-crafted details and earthy hues.
The Mulleavy sisters asked their close friends and collaborators to step in for the models who usually wear their new collections. Kirsten Dunst, who is pregnant with her first child, was just one of the A-listers involved.
The most Instagrammed moment of Fashion Week may have been at Tom Ford’s women’s show (the designer presented his men’s collection days earlier), when Kaia Gerber walked the runway wearing a minidress, oversized earrings, and a headband.
For his eponymous collection, designer Jason Wu added bits of crystals and shine to many of his looks, including this dress and an overcoat worn by Bella Hadid.
Brock Collection’s romantic fall collection was filled with floral brocades, lace, and undone bows–all topped off by a new jewelry collaboration with Marie-Hélène de Taillac.
The design duo behind Eckhaus Latta stayed true to their artsy, individualistic roots, but also showed a more elevated vision this season. Highlights from their show, which was held in Bushwick, include sculptural outerwear and luxe knits.
Who can wear a ballgown and a hoodie? Any client of Brandon Maxwell’s, that’s who. Gigi Hadid did just that at the designer’s show, which also included lovely pieces that ranged from knitwear to eveningwear.
Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, the designers behind Monse and Oscar de la Renta, created a short film in lieu of a show this season. The film featured the easy, wearable clothes the brand has become known for, and starred model Erin Wasson and included a voiceover from none other than Nicki Minaj.
In addition to their perfect coats and suits, designers Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen offered up more fluid pieces like this cream look.
This cobalt blue coat was a highlight from Jason Wu’s last collection for Boss.
Many show-goers fell in love with this Oscar de la Renta look as it came down the runway, with the full skirt billowing softly behind.
To celebrate Bottega Veneta’s new store in New York City, designer Tomas Maier presented the Italian brand’s fall collection downtown instead of sticking to his usual Milan time slot. For the occasion, he transformed a huge cavernous space into a mid-century modern home filled with models, as well as international It girls and editors.
Michael Kors’s fall collection included plaids, leopard spots, and a great mashed up feel-good soundtrack, that left Blake Lively and Zendaya signing along in the front row.
Colorful marble prints that were present in everything at Rosie Assoulin’s fall presentation, from this silk dress to the cake that the designer served the guests who came to see her collection.
Earlier this month, Carolina Herrera announced that this season would be her last runway collection for the brand, and that she is officially handing over the creative director reins to Wes Gordon. Naturally, she closed the show with her signature look.
Gabriela Hearst won extra points from the show-goers for presenting a charming fall collection during lunch at Cafe Alto Paradiso in SoHo.
For fall, the designer presented a twisted preppy collection, including a unisex bright pink sweater set created specifically with the downtown crowd in mind.
While most of the Instagrams from Raf Simons’s Fall 2018 show for Calvin Klein focused on the popcorn that covered the ground, there was plenty to look at when it came to the fashion, as well, such as this graphic, hand crafted-feeling look.
Brooks Brothers is celebrating their 200th Anniversary this year by recreating archive pieces that feel just as relevant today as they did way back when, like this red riding jacket.
Marc Jacobs closed out New York Fashion Week with a drama-filled collection–and equally dramatic hairstyles.
One of London’s brightest talents, JW Anderson presented another standout show, where utility belts quickly emerged as a must-have accessory.
KIM WESTON ARNOLD
The ultimate ’80s prom dress got a cool, yet still quirky update for 2018 at Molly Goddard.
Ben Broomfield
Erdem thrives in florals—and there were plenty at his stunning Fall 2018 show—but it was an embellished emerald green velvet dress that truly stole the show.
A nude dress with the word “sex” emblazoned across the front may not be the most subtle choice, but it certainly is a standout one.
The designer presented an entirely wearable collection without loosing any of her romanticism, as seen in this sky blue leather trench.
Preen by Thornton Bregazzi London Womenswear Fall Winter 2018-2019 London February 2018
A windbreaker mixed with a tailcoat shouldn’t work, and yet Marques’Almeidra made it look impossibly cool.
For his final show at Burberry, designer Christopher Bailey played homage to classic house codes, such as the iconic plaid, mixed with romantic slip dresses and full skirts
A silk smoking set in mustard yellow is the perfect, unexpected option for your next night out.
DAN & CORINA LECCA
The Halpern girl is not one to shy away from drama, and this sequined tube dress and matching boots is perfect for a night on the town.
Photo: Luca Tombolini / Indigital.tv
Red continued to be a runway favorite this season, which Roksanda offering a ruby red update on the classic primary hue.
Margaret Howell made a very convincing case for uniform dressing with her Fall 2018 collection, which was filled with classic pieces that you’ll want to stock your wardrobe with
Delpozo’s Josep Font is known for his vibrant colors, but this cozy camel coat proves he does well with a neutral, as well.
TEAM PETER STIGTER
At Ports 1961, the humble clothing tag became a focal point on suiting and layering pieces.
Mary Katrantzou married the future with Victorian silhouettes, as evident with this slick blazer and patterned pants combo.
Tod’s certainly captured the audience’s hearts by sending puppies down the runway, but it was the sleek trenches that made a lasting impression.
Paul Andrew debuted his first foray into ready-to-wear for Salvatore Ferragamo with a workwear-inspired collection that featured cool scarf prints.
Missoni is never afraid of a bright hue, and this canary yellow jacket is just the bolt of sunshine needed for a dreary fall day.
Marni kicked off its colorful Fall 2018 show with a cobalt blue coat that is sure to turn heads.
Gucci may have been one of the highlights of Milan Fashion Week with actual human heads carried as accessories, but it was a simple New York–themed suit that made a lasting impression.
Altuzarra showed a regal, polished collection that made a purple velvet dress seem like a closet must-have.
Givenchy showed a black-tie-ready suit that is begging for a red carpet outing. Calling Cate Blanchett.
At Alexander McQueen, a gothic love story was formed in the union of classic suiting and moody lace.
Knitwear and prints were the main takeaways from Miu Miu, as best demonstrated by this charming look worn by Adwoa Aboah.
Thought you’d seen every iteration of the Chanel tweed? Think again. This stunning outerwear option was an impressive outing from Karl Lagerfeld.
O.Saillant
fall 2018 fashion trends London Fashion Week milan fashion week New York Fashion Week Paris Fashion Week trends
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70 medicines toblack rubber bracelets be added to reimbursement list
Wedding Favors: Dare Pertaining To Being Different No matter what you are wearing, a bracelet often go nicely with in which. As it has suddenly become most liked than before, the jewelry industry came forward along with a number of recent patterns and fashions. This trend has spread on a world and also men"s bracelets are quickly an associated with different materials. While most of the jewellery industry concentrates on women, it takes a small portion thats liable to bring out striking bracelets which usually are not only well designed but also durable and cheap. Whether you for you to keep the jewellery subtle or want a bright gold bracelet, you will find them all in the online world. "Whether it"s tight bracelets or else a ring on this finger, anything that is constricting could cause vascular insufficiency-meaning the blood circulation is being altered by some external force. In this particular case, this is basically the new, hip cool wristbands," Dr. Gregory Simonian replied. An individual are search net for WWJD, you will find information regarding a concept named "What Would Jesus Do?". This is a famous slogan among wwjd wristbands youth, especially in the The us. Their concept is this - When you"re just about to take a conclusion or do something, only consider what Jesus would do if he was in your place. What decision Jesus enjoy taken in this situation? And they act upon the insight they receive from this query. This way, WWJD is a thought which give purpose to thousands of believers. Your hair should possess a disheveled appearance. When applying your make-up, with regard to a bold lip color, black eyeliner and black mascara. Smudge some the color of eyes underneath your lower eye lid. Now product information add colour and effects to the cancer wristbands lace. Click Style 1 in the styles panel. Customize the color with the ribbon to #FF66CC. The whole stroke color to #970066. Now to help apply the drop shadow to the ribbon. Click the Effects button and click Shadow and Glow > Drop Shadow. Change the shadow color to # FF8CFF. A person leave another drop shadow settings since they"re. On the very first set of stops, the Columbia, Mo. (only a two-hour drive from the Kansas Speedway), native was hit with a pit road speeding penalty that put him nearby the rear with the lead lap cars. Do not miss out on my fragrance articles, launch announcements and reviews! Simply click the subscribe button at the top within this article so that they can to to be able to my gleam.
[Photo/IC]
Reduced prices will make treatments more affordable to those with disease
China has added a range of innovative cancer drugs to a list of medicines eligible for reimbursement from the national insurance system, medical and social security authorities said on Thursday.
In total, 70 new therapies have made it to the expanded list after monthslong price negotiations with authorities, offering an average price reduction of 60.7 percent, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration, who announced the adjustment with the Ministry of Human Affairs and Social Security.
Agreements have been renewed for another 27 products already on the list, with an average price cut of 26.4 percent, said Xiong Xianjun, head of the administration"s medical service department.
The new list will take effect on Jan 1, he added.
The administration has been actively negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to lower the prices of their products and reduce the financial burden on patients as part of the country"s healthcare reform. In return, drugmakers will get their products onto the national insurance list, which helps increase sales volume.
The latest round of negotiations, launched in early 2019, targeted 150 medicines, with about two-thirds of them striking a deal with the administration, including 22 cancer drugs.
Some drugmakers have provided the lowest prices in the world for Chinese patients, Xiong said.
"It is estimated that due to major price cuts resulting from negotiations and reimbursement from the national medical insurance system, the out-of-pocket amounts paid by patients will drop by between 80 and 95 percent," he said.
The drastic price cuts on lifesaving drugs will prove a boon for the country"s cancer patients, who are in urgent need of affordable treatment but are sometimes discouraged by their prohibitive prices.
Some have resorted to purchasing generic, cheap versions from overseas to sustain treatment, a dilemma that was highlighted in the 2018 hit movie Dying to Survive and later drew attention from the central leadership, who called for concerted efforts to make cancer drugs more affordable and guarantee supplies.
The newly-added cancer drugs include a foreign medication that treats myelofibrosis, an acute form of bone marrow cancer. It is known as Jakavi and developed by the multinational giant Novartis.
Deng Yuexin, head of the market access department at Novartis Oncology in China, said the medication, priced at about 8,000 yuan ($1,138) for 60 tablets, will be sold at the world"s cheapest price in China. The company won"t reveal how much of a discount it has granted to the Chinese market based on a confidentiality agreement with Chinese authorities.
"Last year, we failed to reach an agreement with the administration during the price negotiation due to shifts in our global market expansion strategy, which had saddened many of our Chinese patients," she said. "This time, they are bound to be over the moon."
Eight homegrown drugs have also made it to the list, including Tyvyt, an innovative cancer drug that battles lymph cancer. It was developed by Suzhou-based Innovent Biologics.
He Shiwen, an employee with Innovent, said it has decided to cut prices of Tyvyt by about 64 percent. "Even before the price cut, Tyvyt was significantly cheaper than its counterparts available on Chinese market. The medication is now even more affordable for patients," he said.
Tyvyt belongs to a class of frontier cancer drugs, called PD-1, that boosts a patient"s immune system to target and kill tumors. Xiong, with the National Healthcare Security Administration, said price negotiations surrounding PD-1 cancer drugs are likely to see "intense competition" next year.
The updated list now contains 2,709 drugs, 64 more than the original version released in 2017, according to Xiong.
He added that the administration will guide health institutions to stock these drugs in advance and ramp up efforts to build a dynamic mechanism that will facilitate more frequent updates of the reimbursement list.
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Widewalls Collection - Max Rippon
Maximilian Braun
Widewalls Collection curator Sickboy not only selected artworks from our collection to exhibit at STROKE but also brought two new artists to showcase at the art fair. One of these artists was Max Rippon aka RIPO. Sickboy selected four outstanding works that reflect the elaborate production processes Max Rippon includes in his artistic repertoire. The creation process involves calligraphy, 3D modeling, digital fabrication and traditional wood finishing techniques. RIPO’s works combine digital technologies and organic material. With use of new and often unrelated techniques the artists creates exceptional artworks we are proud to include in the Widewalls Collection.
Max Rippon – 93% Truth at Widewalls Berlin
93% Truth (Positive)
Layers of burnt plywood with latex paint
93% Truth (Negative)
86 x 58.5 x 13
Money to Burn
Burnt Plywood
About Max Rippon aka RIPO
Max Rippon was born and raised in NYC and currently resides in Barcelona, Spain. He began drawing from a very young age and with time his inspirations grew from comic books to skateboarding and graffiti as well as an art education and studying of art history. After graduating with a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis he left the United States for Barcelona, Spain where he has since been based.
RIPO’s work has become primarily text-based, exploring and communicating through typography, calligraphy and other hand-painted elements. His rhetoric often proposes questions rather than answers, always with a sense of sarcasm and humor crawling below the surface.
He has had solo exhibitions in San Francisco, Barcelona, Brussels, and Vienna and exhibited in various international group shows including the 11 Spring St. Show in New York City, called one of the best art shows of 2006 by the NY Times. He has also painted murals legally and illegally in cities, remote villages, and abandoned structures across 36 countries in three continents.
Galerie Openspace Paris Grand Opening at New Location Coming Up This Week
Bob Lansroth
Chained Project at Expo Milano 2015
Anika D.
Widewalls Podcast #9: Max RIPO Rippon
Steve Gray
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BSc and MSc Thesis Subjects of the Bioinformatics Group
On this page you can find an overview of the BSc and MSc thesis topics that are offered by our group. Please contact the project supervisor when you would like to learn more about a specific project.
MSc thesis: In the Bioinformatics group, we offer a wide range of MSc thesis projects, from applied bioinformatics to computational method development. Here is a list of available MSc thesis projects. If you consider doing your thesis project in our group, please email the thesis coordinators at thesis@bioinformatics.nl.
BSc thesis: As a BSc student you will work as an apprentice alongside one of the PhD students or postdocs in the group. You will work on your own research project, closely guided by your supervisor. You will be expected to work with several tools and/or databases, be creative and potentially overcome technical challenges. Below you will find short descriptions of the research projects of our PhDs and Postdocs. In addition you can take a look at the list of MSc thesis projects above. Please contact the thesis coordinators at thesis@bioinformatics.nl to discuss your interests.
Contact dr. S (Sandra) Smit
Contact dr. MH (Marnix) Medema
BSc thesis topics
Meiotic recombination in crops
Roven Fuentes
Meiotic recombination is a fundamental biological process that ensures balanced chromosome distribution and the formation of new allelic combinations. Breeders rely on this mechanism to develop new variety of crops with a collage of different alleles encoding for higher and better yield, tolerance to certain diseases and stresses, and resilience to the outcomes of climate change. Understanding the genomic features that influence the non-uniform distribution of crossovers gives insights on possible barriers or promoters of recombination, aiding introgression hybridization and precision breeding. For example, a large inversion result to unsuccessful chromosome synapse, consequently preventing recombination in the inverted region. We aim to develop a high-throughput and cost-effective approach of profiling crossovers and identify predictive features of crossovers on different crops. This profiling is particularly important for long-generation crops because it may reveal in advance issues like linkage drags or low recombination frequency in regions of interest, saving precious time and allowing breeders to address them earlier. We also plan to develop a system for breeders that predicts the possible landscape of recombination for a specific hybrid cross without the need for actual crossing.
Finding genes for traits using systems genetics
Margi Hartanto
Genome editing promises to revolutionize plant breeding because it allows accurate and efficient modification of genes to improve crop traits. Both for large-scale plant phenotyping and genotyping a range of high-throughput methods are becoming available, but there are no systematic methods to subsequently link the genes to traits, to find the targets for modification. A method potentially capable of this is Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) analysis, which is used to identify genomic regions affecting a 'continuous' trait (like plant height, or seed size). However, two main issues prevent QTL analysis from being used systematically: first, its low resolution, with identified DNA regions that can span hundreds of genes; and second, its lack of power when dealing with complex traits affected by many genes with possibly small effects. In this project we develop and apply systems genetics approaches to integrate QTL analysis with various kinds of molecular interaction data. By combining gene annotation and genetic variation with gene expression and phenotype measurements, we identify molecular networks underlying plant traits. These serve to identify key regulatory genes and predict the effects of naturally occurring genetic variants. The methods and predictions will be made available in the AraQTL workbench at www.bioinformatics.nl/AraQTL.
Structure/function prediction of lipopeptides
Barbara Terlouw
In nature, microbes such as fungi and bacteria produce a vast range of secondary metabolites to gain a selective advantage over other organisms. I am working on a specific group of metabolites called lipopeptides, and am particularly interested in their antibiotic potential. Several lipopeptide antibiotics have already been discovered, and the immense structural diversity of lipopeptides suggests that there may be many as yet undiscovered lipopeptide antibiotics out there. Lipopeptides are often produced from biosynthetic gene clusters; groups of physically clustered genes that together encode a pipeline responsible for the production of a secondary metabolite. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to predict the structure and the function of a lipopeptide from the DNA sequence of a biosynthetic gene cluster. Therefore, my research attempts to first predict the structure of a lipopeptide from its biosynthetic gene cluster sequence, and then from the structure infer its function. This will help with the discovery and possibly engineering of novel lipopeptide antibiotics.
Genome-guided discovery and structure prediction of novel bio-surfactants
Mohammad Alanjary
Surfactants are integral compounds found in cosmetics, industrial cleaners, and food. Mounting pressures to replace synthetically derived surfactants with environmentally friendly, low toxicity, bio-surfactants have steadily grown in various applications (e.g. dispersants used in oil spill cleanup). Lipopeptides are naturally occurring compounds that show great promise for sustainable bio-surfactants and are found in a breath of bacterial species including well-studied Bacillus strains. This project aims to chart the diversity of lipopeptides from bacterial genomes and to further develop structure prediction methods to generate targeted leads with desirable properties. Comparative analysis of the genetic diversity of lipopeptides will also aid re-engineering efforts for effective production at industrial scales and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Linking the metabolome and genome
Justin van der Hooft
The central theme of my research is the integration of metabolome and genome mining tools to accelerate and improve functional annotations of biosynthesis genes and specialized molecules. One the one hand, I am working on improving workflows to maximize the structural information obtained from mass spectrometry fragmentation data. On the other hand, I will develop and extend existing workflows that recognize patterns of co-localized genes in predicted biosynthesis genes clusters. Both the metabolomics and genomics workflows focus on the recognition of molecular substructures as building blocks of more complex natural products. As these tools will provide complementary structural data on the specialized molecules produced by microbes, fungi, and plants, I will finally integrate those workflows to boost natural product discovery.
Pangenomic applications for plants and pathogens
Eef Jonkheer
As a result of the advances in NGS sequencing there is a gradual shift from representing a species by a single reference genome sequence to representing it by a pangenome. A pangenome is a data structure containing all genomic variation in a species or population. In my project, we aim to develop pangenomic applications for plants and pathogens to demonstrate the advantages of pangenomes: pangenome-based discoveries and improved efficiency and/or accuracy. We will build upon the existing pangenome framework of PanTools, and exploit its existing features to develop new computational methods for highly efficient comparative analysis of large numbers of related genomes. One line of research focusses on gene-level analyses in large sets of genomes. For example, inferring the evolutionary relationships across thousand bacterial strains or identifying a subset of genes in tomato which contribute to a particular trait like drought tolerance. The other line of research is aimed at discovery and exploration of genome-wide variation, from single-nucleotide polymorphisms to large structural variation.
Protein sequencing
Carlos de Lannoy
The protein content of a cell holds a wealth of information on its nature and function, however high-throughput identification and sequencing of proteins at single-molecule resolution remains an unmet challenge. As was previously the case for nucleic acid sequencing methods, the development of a cost-efficient reliable protein sequencing method would allow major advances in our understanding of biological processes and disease mechanisms.
In a joint effort spanning three universities across The Netherlands, we develop and assess novel approaches to high-throughput protein fingerprinting and sequencing. In one approach, we aim to employ the molecular motor complex ClpXP to walk over a target protein and read out the passing of tagged amino acids. From the observed pattern in passing amino acids we then deduce the identity of the target protein.
Our contributions to this project fall into two categories. First, we perform in silico simulations of newly conceptualized approaches to protein analysis, to assess performance, explain observed molecule behavior and advise on further modifications to methodology. Second, we develop algorithms to automate the recognition of amino acid passing events and match read-out patterns to the identity of the target protein.
Detecting copy-number variation in plant genomes
Raúl Wijfjes
In recent years, we have sequenced a increasing number of plant species such as A. thaliana, maize and potato. From this data, it is becoming increasingly clear that differences in the number of genes between plant genomes, known as copy number variation, is used by plants to adapt to unfavourable environmental conditions. For instance, it was found that A. thaliana plants which were more resistant to salt stress contained a larger number of salt-resistance genes compared to non-resistant ones. It would be great if we could exploit this feature to breed stress-tolerant crop species, such as potatoes which are resistant to cold. However, bioinformatics methods which can detect gene duplication within plant genomes were mainly developed for human genomes and have not been properly tested on plant data. In this project, we aim to solve this problem by applying available copy number variation tools to plant datasets and assess which of them are the most suitable for our purposes. In this way, we hope to add copy number variation to the plant breeder's toolbox as a way to create crops which are more tolerant towards extreme conditions.
Novel Enzymes for Fragrance and Flavour
Janani Durairaj
Terpenoids represent a vast and diverse group of natural compounds produced by many plants which usually have a distinctive smell associated with them. This makes them valuable in natural flavour and fragrance products such as orange flavouring and sandalwood scents. Of late, such compounds are being produced by microbial production platforms. The enzymes responsible for the production of terpenoids, the terpene synthases, are very diverse in sequence and there is a great scope for improving their efficiency and specificity to produce compounds of interest.
This project aims to explore properties and mechanisms of terpene synthases, and improve overall catalytic efficiency as well as specificity for certain terpenoid products using machine learning techniques. Specifically, different features detailing the functionally important motifs or residues in each sequence can be found which are useful for predicting either the product catalyzed, or the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. Good predictors trained using these features will then allow us to make sequences predicted to form a certain product and test their catalytic activity experimentally.
Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in the human microbiome
Victòria Pascal Andreu
The human body is colonized by billions of highly diverse microorganisms, collectively referred to as the human microbiota. Having co-evolved with the human hosts, it is known that they play key roles in maintaining healthy conditions through several intrinsic mechanisms: metabolizing and digesting food, synthetizing essential vitamins and nutrients, providing protection against pathogens and priming the immune response. While many efforts have been done to catalogue the human microbiota, less is known about the molecular mechanisms behind the beneficial or detrimental phenotypes it governs. Nonetheless, several recent studies indicate that human-associated bacteria produce a wide diversity of small molecules in high concentrations in vivo, many of which are likely to mediate specific interactions with the host and other microbes. In this project, we propose to develop and utilize computational methods to acquire a comprehensive understanding and gain insights into the small molecules by which different microbial communities can alter the host condition, with a special emphasis to anaerobic biosynthetic gene pathways.
Bioinformatics Click to expand
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5 Andre the Giant dream matches
A larger-than-life Superstar and personality whose impact on sports-entertainment and pop culture has resonated for decades, Andre the Giant battled legends like Big John Studd, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. But what if he competed today? In celebration of the life of the iconic Eighth Wonder of the World, here are five modern-day WWE Superstars that could have had legendary encounters with the first-ever WWE Hall of Famer.
Roman Reigns has slayed giants. He’s toppled 7-footers in The Undertaker, Big Show and Kane. The Big Dog has stood toe-to-toe with WWE’s toughest Superstars, like Brock Lesnar, and he has refused to flinch.
Reigns’ speed and savvy would give Andre trouble. As he showed at WrestleMania 33, The Big Dog can turn on the jets at a moment’s notice. Although many Superstars might foolishly rely on lifting The Eighth Wonder of the World, Reigns wouldn’t need to move the immovable object. He can focus on the Spear and the Superman Punch to take Andre off his feet.
It would take a special competitor to beat Andre the Giant, but Reigns certainly has the tools to do it. — JEFF LABOON
WWE.com editors used to collectively speculate on what would occur if an irresistible force ever met the immovable object that is Andre the Giant … but what if the immovable object crossed paths with The Phenom?
The Undertaker and The Eighth Wonder of the World are both common denominators in several highly fantasized dream matches. What makes the hypothetical nature of them facing off with each other so intriguing, however, is what they each individually represent to their respective eras.
Both Superstars were, unquestionably, the most respected and revered figures in their generation’s locker rooms. A clash between the two would not just be a mashup of monsters, but the ultimate showdown between WWE’s Golden and Attitude Eras. — RYAN PAPPOLLA
The Legacy of Andre the Giant
More WWE News
Celebrate the release of "Andre the Giant" on WWE Network with 50 epic photos
The truth behind six Andre the Giant legends
Former WWE Superstars remember Andre the Giant
How to build a giant: The making of WWE's Andre the Giant statue
We’ve already seen the rampaging Braun Strowman lay waste to Big Show on Raw earlier this year — completely dismantling the ring in the process — but that colossal collision, as awe-inspiring as it was, has only made us wonder how the mountainous Monster Among Men might fare against The World’s Largest Athlete’s iconic and titanic predecessor, Andre the Giant.
At 6-foot-8 and weighing 385 pounds, Strowman gives up eight inches and 135 pounds to the gargantuan former WWE Champion and WWE Hall of Famer. However, the juggernaut has also somehow managed to tip over an ambulance — with Roman Reigns inside it — with apparent, horrifying ease. We don’t know if Strowman could similarly topple Andre the Giant in his prime, but we’d love to be able to see him try … in a reinforced ring, of course. — JAMES WORTMAN
Remember the days when the big question was whether anyone could slam Andre the Giant? Well, allow us to up the ante: Could it be possible, in the farthest reaches of the imagination, that someone could F-5 Andre the Giant? Perhaps punch a one-way ticket to Suplex City? Could a Kimura Lock stand the slightest chance of snapping The Eight Wonder of the World's tree-trunk arm like a twig is so desired?
Brock Lesnar has vanquished giants, legends and WWE Hall of Famers throughout his storied career. He shocked the entire world when he ended The Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak and remains one of the most fearsome competitors of all time. He lives to do one thing: conquer. Going toe-to-toe with the first-ever WWE Hall of Famer in his prime would prove to be a formidable challenge for The Beast, one he would surely embrace with the intention of adding another conquest to his résumé. — ANTHONY BENIGNO
There is no Superstar that better defines the modern era than 16-time World Champion John Cena. The Cenation Leader has battled Superstars of all sizes, including The Great Khali, Big Show, Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles, among many others. Cena has proven time and time again that his strength and resilience are defining traits of his successful career.
Though Cena has defeated monsters and slammed giants, it would be an epic clash of icons to see him go one-on-one with Andre the Giant. Only a select handful of Superstars have managed to pick up and slam The Eighth Wonder of the World, and it would surely pose a challenge that the 16-time World Champion would not shy away from. Though Cena certainly possesses the ability to lift giants on his shoulders, the question of whether The Cenation Leader could deliver an Attitude Adjustment to Andre the Giant in his prime is one that causes great debate. — KEVIN POWERS
WWE.com Staff
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Xara releases Xara Xtreme and Xara Xtreme Pro 4
Xara announced today a new release of Xara Xtreme and Xara Xtreme PRO, the world's fastest graphics program. But it's not only the speed that makes Xara Xtreme so popular, as it has pioneered many of the graphics technologies used in the industry today.
Favored by many professional designers for its slick workflow, Xara Xtreme is priced to be within the reach of all computer users. It's versatility makes it ideal for everything from graphic design tasks, DTP style documents, a wide range of photo handling tasks, website graphics and now complete website creation.
New in this version 4 release are:
Ultra-fast non-destructive photo editing features,10 times faster and resulting in files 10 times smaller, than other graphics tools
Real-time, fully shaded, 3D extrude
Multi-core support. An average of 40% faster and up to 80% faster on dual-core processors (Xtreme Pro only)
WYSIWYG website creation. Supports free-form web page design, 'anything anywhere' and advanced features such as text flow around shapes, mouse-over effects, pop-ups and more
Real-time 'flow around' text repelling
more than a dozen other new features and improvements
Charles Moir, Managing Director of Xara Group Ltd said "The truly spectacular performance of the new photo handling, plus the fact it's completely non-destructive, moves us into new territory. The 3D extrude is simply gorgeous and, of course, faster and more slick than on any other tool. The website creation feature has been described as a significantly useful feature by beta testers."
"Xara Xtreme was always the fastest graphics tool around, but with availability of multi--core processors, users of Xara Xtreme Pro can now take advantage of these processors for maximum performance. And with the support of our parent company, Magix AG, we're making the product available in multiple languages for the first time", he added.
Xara Xtreme and Xtreme Pro are probably the most powerful, versatile graphics software, at a price to suit anyone's pocket. Xara Xtreme retails for only \$89 and Xtreme Pro is only \$249 (+ VAT in Europe).
For further details see xara.com
For a full list of the new features see xara.com/products/xtreme/features/
You can see some examples of work created by our customers at xara.com/gallery
Demonstration movies showing Xara Xtreme Pro in operation are available from: xara.com/products/xtreme/tutorials-demos/
Performance - Xara Xtreme remains the highest performance graphics application, towering above other market leading vector products. See xara.com/products/xtreme/performance/
For more details or a review copy of Xara Xtreme or Xara Xtreme Pro please contact: Nova Fisher, [email protected] Tel: +44 1392 209509
Developed in the UK
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The Ocean Energy Probe
Hannah Herbst
Meet Hannah. Hannah's Ocean Energy Probe aims to provide a stable power source and fresh water to developing countries around the globe by using untapped energy from ocean currents. The energy is stored in a generator, and then can be harnessed for many uses, including the desalinization of water.
PolluCell: Using Waster Materials and Pollution to Generate Electricity
Sahil Doshi
Meet Sahil. Sahil entered the competition because he loves science and he wanted to get to know others who shared similar interests. His battery cell invention will use carbon dioxide and other waste materials to help clear the atmosphere from greenhouse gas emissions and, additionally, be a low-cost alternative for electricity in developing countries.
Concussion Detection
Braeden Benedict
Meet Braeden. In order to help diagnose concussions, Braedon developed a low-cost impact detection device that can make it easier to spot harmful concussions in athletes.
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financial services|21 November, 2019
India's bankruptcy code set to face huge test in DHFL case
India's bankruptcy-resolution process has just begun to find its feet with recent precedent-setting court rulings
A woman walks past a signboard of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. (DHFL) outside its office on the outskirts of Mumbai, India, January 31, 2019.
REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
By Nupur Anand and Swati Bhat, Reuters News
MUMBAI- India's bankruptcy-resolution process has just begun to find its feet with recent precedent-setting court rulings, but bankers, lawyers and insolvency experts say the system is about to face a huge test.
The non-bank financing giant Dewan Housing Finance Corp Ltd (DHFL) will go into insolvency proceedings, the central bank said on Wednesday, making it the first financial institution to test the new laws.
So-called shadow banks such as DHFL have been key drivers of lending growth in India, with their consolidated balance sheet worth a whopping 28.8 trillion rupees ($400 billion) in 2018-19, based on central bank data.
"No one knows how it will work out," said Manish Lalwani, an independent insolvency professional. "It is not clear if the existing law is equipped to deal with such cases."
With nearly 1 trillion rupees ($14 billion) owed to its staggering 85,000-plus list of financial creditors, DHFL's insolvency will be by far the largest process handled by tribunals in the three years since the bankruptcy code was enacted.
Its financial creditors range from banks to mutual funds and pension funds to deposit holders, which bankers and lawyers say could lead to conflicts over how any recoveries from the process are apportioned. That leaves little hope for vendors or other operational creditors who may also be owed money.
"In the case of Essar Steel we saw there was a precedent set when Standard Chartered Bank was not treated at par with other lenders because of the type of collateral security held. We may see that happening in DHFL's case too," said independent consultant Ashvin Parekh, referring to a recent court ruling that paved the way for ArcelorMittal to buy Essar Steel.
The government just days ago tweaked its insolvency regulations to allow for financial firms including non-banking finance companies to be forced into insolvency.
The new rules allow administrators to split the entity into good and bad assets and to divide up its retail and non-retail lending books.
But the range of stakeholders has many lawyers doubting whether the DHFL case can be resolved within the 330-day time limit for the process now set down in law.
"With the timeline and with all the investors...I think it's going to be a circus," said Vivek Daswaney, founding partner of V Law Partners. ($1 = 71.7380 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Nupur Anand and Swati Bhat; Additional reporting by Promit Mukherjee; Editing by Euan Rocha and Hugh Lawson) ((Nupur.Anand@thomsonreuters.com; +9122 68414388;))
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You are here: Home Solutions All Tutorials Fluorescent Protein zsYellow Fluorescent Protein Chromophore Formation
Home Solutions All Tutorials Fluorescent Protein zsYellow Fluorescent Protein Chromophore Formation
Fluorescent Protein Technology
zsYellow Fluorescent Protein Chromophore Formation
The yellow fluorescent protein, ZsYellow (originally referred to as zFP538), was discovered in the Anthozoan button polyp Zoanthus during a search in reef corals for naturally occurring GFP analogues emitting fluorescence in longer wavelength regions. Although ZsYellow shares only approximately 28 percent sequence homology with the original Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein, enough critical amino acid motifs are conserved to form a similar very stable three-dimensional beta-barrel structure. One of the most unique features of the ZsYellow fluorescence emission spectrum is that the peak (538 nanometers) occurs almost midway between those of GFP (508 nanometers) and DsRed (583 nanometers), presenting an opportunity to investigate proteins emitting fluorescence in the yellow portion of the visible light spectrum. This interactive tutorial explores the molecular rearrangement that occurs during the formation of the ZsYellow fluorescent protein chromophore, which features a novel three-ring system and peptide backbone cleavage due to the substitution of lysine for serine as the first amino acid residue in the chromophore tripeptide sequence.
Formation of the additional double bond contained in the heterocyclic ring results in a greater degree of electron delocalization during excitation when compared to GFP, which accounts for the longer emission wavelengths observed in ZsYellow fluorescent protein. In fact, the degree of conjugation observed in ZsYellow is intermediate between that observed with GFP and DsRed (one double bond more than GFP, and one less than DsRed), which accounts for the positioning of emission wavelengths in the yellow region. Structural analysis by x-ray diffraction indicates that the novel heterocyclic ring system lies in a plane that is approximately parallel with the rest of the ZsYellow chromophore, a finding consistent with the extended conjugation mechanism of increasing emission wavelengths. In addition, cleavage of the peptide backbone between residues Phe65 and Lys66 results in the formation of a terminal carboxamide group at residue 65, which should be available for participation in hydrogen bonding to stabilize the chromophore.
Similar to all of the fluorescent proteins isolated from reef corals to date, ZsYellow exhibits a marked tendency to form tetramers when expressed in vivo, hampering the use of this protein as a fusion partner for localization investigations. Furthermore, the reduced brightness level of ZsYellow when compared to enhanced green fluorescent protein (25 percent of EGFP) also limits somewhat the utility of this reporter in fluorescence microscopy. The unique emission spectral profile of ZsYellow, however, should encourage the search for genetic modifications that alleviate the tendency to form tetramers while simultaneously increasing the quantum yield and extinction coefficient, an effort that could ultimately yield a high-performance monomeric yellow fluorescent protein.
Tony B. Gines, Kevin A. John, Tadja Dragoo and Michael W. Davidson - National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 East Paul Dirac Dr., The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32310.
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Even cars are no longer safe from hacking
Most people are aware that there are many dangers lurking on the Internet: a hacking attack on the company network or the private computer is possible at any time. What hardly anyone knows is that hackers could also targeting cars – the more electronics they contain and the more networked they are, the greater the risk.
Nightmare or reality?
When your car goes on strike
I'm really in a hurry today because I have a job interview. I want to start the engine and set off, but nothing happens. Instead, I see words on the cockpit display. When I read the text, my heart starts racing: “Do you want your car to drive again? Then you’d better pay ...”
Ghost voice from the navigation device
On the way to work, I'm sitting in my car, stuck in traffic. Suddenly the navigation device switches on, but the friendly voice doesn't want to divert me, but informs me that the vehicle has been hacked and is now being shut down.
My car has gone crazy
For once, I have an empty freeway in front of me. I drive at over 100 kilometers per hour when suddenly the hazard warning lights switch on and all windows shut down. Excitedly I steer to the hard shoulder and swear: Has my car gone crazy? A text in the display of my navigation system lights up: “YOU HAVE BEEN HACKED!”
These stories no longer belong in the realm of James Bond films and science fiction novels, but are already technically possible and quite conceivable.
Cars, rolling computers
Gone are the days when a bit of technical wisdom and a wrench could be used to repair just about anything on a car. Today, motor vehicles are rolling computers – an enormous number of functions are controlled electronically. In addition, they are usually networked, which we usually forget in everyday life. Who is actually aware that the GPS receives congestion information in real time from somewhere, that the hands-free system only works because the car's software accesses the mobile phone via Bluetooth, or that the eCall accident assistance system can locate the vehicle at any time?
Networking makes cars vulnerable
This networking makes the vehicles vulnerable. And the more intensively they are digitally upgraded and connected to networks, the more ways hackers have to attack. Their motivation could be to steal cars by manipulating the access system. It is also conceivable that they could paralyze the car's software and extort a ransom payment. “It becomes really interesting when cyber criminals use this opportunity to block important private data of the owner,” comments Patrick Brielmayer, IT security expert and former hacker.
A cat-and-mouse game
Recently, security experts discovered vulnerabilities in the IT of a well-known car brand and gained access to the vehicles. “I am convinced that it is only a matter of time before ransom demands are formulated,” says Philip Herger, Head of Motor Vehicle Product Management at Zurich Switzerland. “Although car manufacturers are constantly upgrading, hackers are constantly finding new security vulnerabilities, just like with computers and cell phones. However, we want to protect our customers from the consequences of this new danger in the best possible way and with foresight.”
Zurich helps if cyber criminals access your vehicle
Just drive off and step on the gas – behind the wheel of my car, I decide where I want to go.
But what if someone else suddenly took control?
A possible theft with the help of hacking is already covered by the partial casco of the motor vehicle insurance. In addition, Zurich has launched the new car insurance supplementary module Cyber Attack.
This covers the costs if
a cyber attack damages or destroys your car software
your vehicle becomes unusable as a result of hacking or is restricted in its functions
the software or control unit of your car must be restored.
New inscurance
Insure it with Zurich.
Find the best protection now and include the cyber attack module right away. Until April 30, 2020, you will benefit from a 50 percent introductory discount on this cover.
Cyber attack options:
Up to CHF 2‘000 for CHF 39 (CHF 19.50)
Up to CHF 5’000 for CHF 49 (CHF 24.50)
Existing inscurance
Do you already have car insurance with Zurich?
Simply include the cyber attack module in your insurance cover – with a 50 percent introductory discount until April 30, 2020.
Up to CHF 2‘000 for CHF 39 (19.50)
Up to CHF 5’000 for CHF 49 (24.50)
INCLUDE COVER NOW
Cyber attacks: Nobody is immune
Bank robberies are a thing of yesterday. Nowadays, anyone who wants to make a lot of money quickly has no need of a crowbar, a gun or a getaway car; all that is required is a good Internet connection, a sharp mind and lots of criminal energy. Hackers are everywhere – and anyone can fall victim to them.
Expert interview: “Safety when driving”
René Früh, Lead Vehicle Expert at Zurich, in interview. He reports on why driving cars has become much safer – and what risks remain.
Pets in the car
The most important tips and tricks to keep people and pets relaxed on the road.
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2019 Global Human Capital Trends
Leading the social enterprise: Reinvent with human focus
Deloitte Reimagine Platform
Tapping the power of SAP® Leonardo to launch the digital enterprise
Disruption lies ahead
Complex Accounting Assurance
Accounting Operations Assurance
Media & Advertising Assurance
Disruptive Events Assurance
Strategy, Analytics and M&A
Restructuring Services
Deloitte Legal around the world
Dbriefs Legal
Deloitte Legal services
Global Business Tax
Global Tax Reset
Tax Automation and AI
Platforms and Ecosystems
Enabling the Digital Economy
The Future of Energy
Millennial Survey 2019
Optimism and trust reach troubling low levels
Inspiring leaders
GLOBAL-EN Location: GLOBAL-English
One Downstream
By Duane Dickson, Andrew Slaughter, Anshu Mittal
Article 20 minute read 25 June 2019
One Downstream Strategic imperatives for the evolving refining and chemical sectors
20 minute read 25 June 2019
Duane Dickson United States
Andrew Slaughter United States
Anshu Mittal India
Rising risks: Coming to the boil?
Disruption: An imbalanced equilibrium
Confluence: Too many irons in the fire
The downstream industry, although currently in its golden era, is likely to face disruption from a confluence of five forces in the future. Having a unified view of the industry is important for long-term success.
In the oil and gas business, the downstream segment traditionally includes refining, distribution and fuel sales, and marketing to retail and commercial customers. However, with growing interconnectedness between refining and chemicals, in terms of feedstocks, opportunities for process integration, and evolving end-markets, much is changing. In this report, we propose a “One Downstream” view to explore the trends that can impact both oil and gas downstream and chemicals.
Browse the Oil, gas and chemical collection
Read all articles in the series - Decoding the O&G downturn
Subscribe to receive more related content
Currently, the downstream business seems to be in the midst of a golden age, driven by a heady combination of low feedstock prices and healthy demand for both transportation fuels and chemical products. This recent period of healthy growth and profitable margins, however, may not necessarily signal brighter days ahead.
In fact, risks that have been on the horizon but were perhaps masked by near-term margins have started to strengthen, causing many downstream companies to worry about potential disruption. And while these risks—feedstock changes, long-term sustainability, the state of globalization, end-market disruption, and large-scale technology transformation—are already converging margins among the refining and chemical sectors individually, an emerging confluence of these risks may challenge the current arms-length transfer pricing integration and siloed segmentation in the entire downstream value chain.
Given the complexity of the market forces that could transform downstream in the next decade, it is important for companies to consider ways to tackle them. The cost of ignoring this interconnection and missing the One Downstream view of the industry is expected to be high for any participant along the downstream value chain. In this report, we provide a brief but comprehensive study of the forces of disruption on the horizon and their potential impact on each downstream segment and share considerations for seeing these forces as interconnected rather than merely linear or isolated.
Executives and analysts in the downstream sector (petroleum refining and chemicals) will likely remember the current decade as one of the most promising periods in its history. A lengthy period of lower feedstock (crude oil and natural gas, and their derivatives) prices and strong end-user demand for both petroleum and chemical products improved the financial health of the entire sector. Who thought that downstream (with operating margins of 8 percent in 2017) would make more money than even service-oriented oilfield businesses (with operating margins of 3.8 percent in 2017) in the O&G industry?1
This recent golden past, however, may not be an indicator of future prosperity. In fact, the sector is already showing some signs of softness—in early 2019, the ethane crack spread was 40–50 percent below its 2018 levels although the start of many polyethylene projects will balance out ethylene oversupply to some extent in the future.2 Market forces that have positively supported the sector (e.g., lower feedstock prices) or posed only minimal obstacles until now (e.g., sustainability goals) may not hold true in the next decade. Indeed, our text mining and sentiment analysis on the annual SEC filings of more than 80 US refining and chemical companies highlight five rising risks (or forces) for the sector (see figure 1):3
Feedstock changes and choices
The state of globalization
End-market disruption
Circular economy and long-term sustainability
Large-scale operational technology transformation
Although the overall sentiment for the sector is still positive, it has been falling lately. Among the five forces, volatility and uncertainty in the feedstock market is highlighted as the biggest risk, while sentiment has most weakened on the state of globalization (80 percent fall since 2016).4
Forecasting the future is impossible but ignoring it or not detailing (new) probable risks for shareholders can be troublesome. Only 40 percent of risks stated in the “risk factor” section (Item 1.A, 10-K filings) have been updated by US downstream companies over the past five years.5 Only 5 percent of the analyzed companies have revised/updated their risk section by more than 70 percent since 2013, in a period where the change and the associated opportunity/risk was the highest.
Most downstream segments, in the past, followed a reactive or outside-in approach to business, which not only restricted them from gaining a broad market perspective but also may have established suboptimal silos along the value chain. With constant pressure to tap limited growth while expanding margins, depending upon which segment one operates in, companies stayed focused on internal objectives such as asset optimization, driving synergies, product differentiation, and portfolio optimization. In fact, knowing most of these segments operate in a commoditized market, even value expectations from R&D spending diverged.
While appreciating the importance of a segment-specific focus and priorities, rising market volatility and business risks (discussed above) typically demand a much more comprehensive—or One Downstream—view of the value chain (see figure 2). The idea is not to get into a business that doesn’t align with the company strategy but to allow a constant flow of information and trends that can help each segment stay ahead of market disruptions and avoid any further migration of margins between businesses.
Why have these emerging risks been largely ignored? And why should we study refining and chemical businesses together in the context of these risks? A few downstream executives may argue that some of the above downstream risks don’t impact their subsector (e.g., changing mobility trends impact refiners more than chemical companies), won’t play out in the near term (e.g., the circular economy is a long-term challenge for many), or are only relevant for integrated oil, gas, and chemical companies.
However, in tomorrow’s connected and dynamic ecosystem of molecules, processes, and end-users, having a 360-degree view of the entire downstream value chain will likely be a bare minimum for both refiners and chemical companies (see sidebar, “One Downstream”). The cost of ignoring the future, or missing this holistic view, could be high. In fact, our analysis of more than 1,350 downstream companies listed worldwide suggests that these five forces have already started to alter the balance across the downstream value chain (which broadly starts with simple and complex refiners, extends to integrated refiners with petrochemical operations, as well as commodity chemicals and diversified chemicals, and ends with specialty and agro chemicals).
In 2010, the operating margin spread between the least and most profitable business in the downstream value chain was close to 13 percent. By 2018, the spread had narrowed to 8 percent.7 Similarly, within the four pure-play chemical subsegments (commodity, diversified, specialty, and agricultural chemicals), the differentiation has narrowed, and the margin spread is now less than 1 percent. This convergence of margins in the downstream industry may be surprising as commoditized businesses have done extremely well, while differentiated businesses (agrochemicals, speciality chemicals) have lost premium over the past few years (see figure 3).
A closer look at these companies highlights some interesting changes that each segment seems to be undergoing. For example, 60 percent of newly listed downstream companies have performed at par with incumbents or above the average, suggesting that they are ahead of incumbents in dealing with new market forces through their differentiated strategies and new-age processes.8 What did performers do differently in each segment?
Simple and complex refiners
Although no new major listing happened and almost every refiner made more money in the past few years, only 40 percent of refiners delivered above-average returns over the past 10 years and 31 percent of the companies were negatively disrupted.9 The advantaged light oil feedstock has benefitted many simple refiners in the United States, while it has challenged both operational efficiency and yield management of several complex refiners worldwide—since late 2018, US Gulf Coast topping refiners have been realizing 65–100 percent higher margins than complex refiners in Singapore that are processing Dubai crude.10
With varying feedstock and price differentials, complex refiners that have adapted in real time and yet maintained strong control over the supply chain have outperformed. For example, HollyFrontier’s level of apportionment of the advantaged heavy oil on the Enbridge system remains high despite tightening of Western Canadian crude in 2018.11 Similarly, most refiners with forward-looking, higher sustainability standards seem to have carved out a niche for themselves even in a commoditized market. Neste Oil, for example, drives more than 70 percent of its earnings from renewable products (biodiesel, residues feedstock, biopropane, etc.) on a revenue share of 20 percent.12
Integrated refiners
High cost of entry, vertical integration, and established supply chains constitute strong entry challenges for this part of the value chain. However, despite the segment’s dominant role in the entire downstream value chain, it continues to deliver middle-of-the-pack returns—60 percent of companies moved to below-average performance group or could barely hold their position during the past decade (see figure 4).13 Although a large operation base evenly spreads out the benefits of low-priced feedstock supply and the pressure to mitigate climate-related risks across the companies, there are a few companies that have captured market opportunities differently or strongly.
Within this segment, several regional players continue to outperform supermajors, largely due to their better crude optimization, optimal performance of all secondary units, and a greater focus on heavier products (e.g., butadiene and aromatics). Refining margins of major Asian players, for example, have remained US$4–5/bbl higher than their local benchmarks, while maintaining high utilization rates. 14 The result: Despite refining constituting more than two-thirds of their revenue mix, investors value them at par with highly valued chemical companies—at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 20, as against 10–15 for pure-play refiners and supermajors.15
With oil in a lower-for-longer oil price environment and increased availability of primary feedstock (ethane, propane, etc.), the segment saw more than 118 new listings (about 50 percent of the new listings in the entire downstream industry) in the formal equity market over the past 10 years.16 But these additions have made it into one of the most fragmented segments of the industry—more than 650 listed companies with average revenue of about US$1 billion.17 How have the incumbents fared against new entrants in this fragmented space?
Performance of these new entrants, which are mostly small-sized companies listed in China, has largely been mixed. Companies with limited economies of scale, lower feedstock flexibility, higher cost of feedstock & energy, and presence in the crowded plastics market (e.g., China’s Shenzhen) have underperformed significantly.18 On the other hand, a strong dealer/distribution network, presence in high-growth markets such as electronic boards and battery materials, and a focus on various grades of the same product (carbon black) to serve many industries seem to have helped companies such as Westlake Chemical and Sunstone Development sustain their performance.19
On the other hand, incumbents—especially those with high feedstock flexibility (not just access to low-cost feedstock), diversified presence across markets and products, a focus on advanced polymer solutions, and a multipronged strategy for sustaining operations in the long term—have consistently performed across cycles. LyondellBasell, for example, reportedly acquired A. Schulman to not only enhance the scope of its advanced polymer solutions but to also gain from the latter’s established relationships with customers in growing high-margin end-markets such as automotive, construction materials, electronic goods, and packaging.20
Diversified chemicals
The diversified chemicals group appears to have remained one of the most “stable” segments in the downstream value chain and has maintained its “value share” of nearly 14 percent across the value chain.21 In fact, starting with this segment, differentiated offerings and strategies start becoming more apparent in the entire downstream value chain. And this is also the segment where both feedstock and end-market disruption seem to be currently playing out most strongly.
Although at an overall level, this segment has been resilient to market shifts, some upward as well as downward performance shifts are visible here as well. Some companies with a siloed R&D focus and a disconnect with customers struggled despite the size advantage, while some companies realized exceptional margin expansion by strategic expansion into high-growth Asian economies and niche performance products for infrastructure related to energy efficiency, water cleaning, 5G, vehicle lightweighting, etc.
Specialty chemicals (including agrochemicals)
Among all the downstream segments, the specialty chemicals segment seems to be witnessing the highest disruption, primarily from changes in end-markets and the growing forward movement of integrated refiners/diversified chemical companies into this space. The segment is slowly losing its “premium tag” with its market capitalization share falling by 5 percentage points to 36.5 percent over the past 3–4 years.22
Additionally, new players in this segment aren’t making it easy for incumbents as they seem to be getting ahead or are in sync with forthcoming changes. Entrants that are focused on a differentiated, emission-free product portfolio that keeps them ahead of mobility and sustainability trends seem to be rewarded more by investors. Some successful agrochemical companies are disrupting the segment or breaking away from the homogeneity in the segment, by developing machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities that can help farmers to target a specific weed species and possibly even create new value pools for farmers.
Margin convergence and performance disparity among companies suggest that the disruption is already underway in the industry. Even a linear extension of the current trend suggests that the pace and impact of disruption will be unprecedented in the next decade.
Until now, the five forces have largely played out linearly and individually. In the next decade, however, all the five forces are expected to play out together and, most importantly, influence each other and cut across the value chain (see figure 5). Although each of the five forces can be detailed in length, our objective is to provide a big-picture perspective on the confluence of these forces to help downstream strategists not miss out on seeing the forest for the trees.
The first and the most important feedstock for the downstream, crude oil, is undergoing fundamental changes. Increased availability of light oil and higher relative prices of heavy oil have changed the value equation of the O&G industry; narrower light-heavy spreads further alter the relative processing economics. The blending of crude grades—the available option until now for refiners—is reaching its upper limits especially as the United States is expected to add more than 4 MMbbl/d of light oil production by 2023.23 Similarly, for chemical companies, the ongoing advantage of processing cheaper lighter products (natural gas liquids) seems to be narrowing due to lower throughput of premium-priced heavy products (e.g., pygas, benzene, and toluene).
It would be wrong to say that the downstream industry is oblivious to these feedstock changes; in fact, several of them are already exploring many investment and location options to adapt. Although this “light” ride itself won’t be smooth as it impacts the input–output ratio across the value chain, envisage the challenge when a confluence of factors alters the entire feedstock landscape of the industry.24
Sustainability, in the next decade, will likely demand higher mechanical, chemical, and thermal recycling of plastics where both the hydrocarbon and energy content is fed into polymerization units. Extending this thought further, Eastman Chemicals, for example, is not only recycling complex end-of-life plastics (nonpolyester plastics, flexible packaging, etc.) but also converting them to advanced materials and fibers where the margin differentiation is higher.25 Similarly, end-market disruptions could exponentially call for using “renewable” as a primary feedstock for petroleum products and chemicals (the global renewable chemicals market size is estimated to be more than US$100 billion by 2022) as against fossil fuels.26
Essentially, the future feedstock mix of the industry will not be limited to primary fossil fuels as higher recycling of end-products could lead to disintermediation of intermediate feedstock and a combination of “good” regulations and the “proactive” renewable movement (bioethanol, bioethylene, solar) may replace a portion of primary fuels. Feedstock grade, type, and usage in the petrochemical industry is on the edge of a period of great change, calling for a flexible and diversified fuel mix. Moreover, massive overinvestments in some petrochemicals will require companies to pay more attention to their feedstock strategy to sustain in a low-margin environment. And this is where both strategists and specialists should come together in a company.
Energy commodities have traditionally played an important role in international trade as energy resources are unevenly distributed among countries and the substitutes for energy aren’t available in the quantity or price needed. That’s why recent trade activities had a marginal impact on the energy trade, which is also cushioned by real-time adjustment in unaffected markets. But can this industry remain oblivious to “make in my backyard” campaigns of policymakers or “save the domestic industry” appeals of industry associations, especially when big investments and large employment are at stake?
In fact, growing availability of new resources (e.g., shales), large build-up in capacity over the past few years (especially in commodity chemicals), and upcoming production from mega, export-oriented integrated projects (the proposed oil-to-chemical complex in the Middle East is estimated to produce about 5 times that of the largest naphtha-based ethylene cracker in the world) will most likely keep the globalization topic hot even in the next decade.27 With energy trade and investment becoming more regionally concentrated—within Asia or between Asia and the Middle East—the downstream industry cannot afford to stand aside or adopt a defensive approach to globalization.
The uncertainty and, hence, the risks can expand as technology-led disruptions on the feedstock, process, and end-market front start demanding higher agility and dynamism from companies. Although the strategy of going “solo” has its own merits, global partnerships are a win-win for both and provide a natural hedge to globalization risks. ADNOC’s approach to partnerships and coinvestments is a case in point where it is securing access to target markets for its products across the value chain—a joint venture with Austria’s OMV and Borealis for petrochemicals and joint investments in Chinese plastics and Pakistani refining complexes.28
With the global energy industry changing rapidly, “energy cooperation” between supply and demand centers are expected to be the need of the hour—more so for large producers and exporters to de-risk themselves from oil’s uncertainties, trade conflicts, and changing demand patterns. The proactive and open partnership model of a few national oil companies is likely to give several private oil companies following closed operating models a run for their money.
Automotive, building & construction, and packing industries—key end-markets of the downstream industry—have been undergoing a transformation for a while, but the pace and degree of change seem to have now reached a point of disruption. Changing mobility trends, apart from cutting into oil’s demand growth, may eliminate demand for a few products (primarily engineering plastics) from the 40+ distinct classes of synthetic material used in the modern automobile.29 Concurrently, tomorrow’s automobiles are expected to need new high-performance materials to make everything from batteries to customizable interiors. Similarly, a growing number of online customers are demanding a good packaging experience but at the same time less waste from boxes and wrappers.
The disruption is not limited to end-markets; in fact, end-users are increasingly driving systemic change in circular thinking at an industry level. In 2018, 13 leading retailers and packaging companies—together representing more than 6 million metric ton per annum of plastic packaging per year—joined hands to move toward 100 percent reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025.30 According to the CEO of a European major in consumer industry, “As a consumer goods industry, we can go further in addressing the challenge of single-use plastics by leading a transition away from the linear take-make-dispose model of consumption, to one which is truly circular by design.”31
End-markets/end-users impacting demand for intermediates (polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene) through higher recycling is one thing; end-products becoming primary fuels or raw materials for manufacturing is another. BASF’s ChemCycling project, for example, converts unrecyclable plastic waste, such as mixed or uncleaned plastics, into primary feedstock or fossil fuels (syngas or oils).32 Put simply, it is both fascinating and challenging to see end-markets disrupting the first part of the value chain, feedstock, or disrupting the current linearity in the value chain.
Sustainability is not a new theme for the downstream industry—just that the definition has fast evolved and now extends beyond plant-level emissions. The industry, in fact, has been improving its environmental and carbon footprint through higher fuel switching (from liquids to natural gas and renewables for energy and electricity), material and process efficiencies (flaring, wastage, etc.), low-carbon processes and products (largely led by “good” regulations such as on high-sulfur fuel oil), energy-efficient transportation systems, and growing recycling and reuse of end-products.
With rising energy demand in “absolute” terms, however, the pressure on the industry to reduce its carbon footprint will likely only accelerate, intensified further by growing end-user, societal, and shareholder activism—the chemicals industry emits about 10 percent of global CO2, 5 percent through energy and 5 percent through production and distribution.33 Self-regulation by companies and expectations from stakeholders could rise to a level where sustainability starts encompassing all other internal and external forces (feedstock, technology, end-markets, and globalization) and featuring prominently on the boardroom agenda of companies.
Successful examples of renewables as a feedstock have already started to flow in, where not only are they commercially viable but also margin accretive and capex friendly. As against investing in a greenfield biodiesel complex, for example, a few refiners have started to blend lipids/animal fats in middle distillates before they are hydrotreated to produce diesel.34 The result: carbon credits and higher production of premium distillate needed to meet IMO 2020 regulations. Similarly, in sustainability-related technologies, examples such as crude-to-chemicals breakthroughs presage a new era of sustainable energy.
Considering about 90 percent of plastic waste isn’t recycled yet, booming global e-commerce sales dependent on premium packaging material is still less than 10 percent of total retail sales, and the share of energy-from-waste is miniscule, the next decade will likely need and witness much faster improvements in energy and emission intensity.35 The result: sustainability at the core of every decision-making, feedstock and portfolio strategy, technology selection, branding for stakeholders, and relationship with suppliers and partners.
Sustainability could throw open many new and innovative business models—from the knowns of investing in sustainability and reducing the usage of fossil fuels, to making fossil fuels an important input for renewables growth, and to even efforts to combine fossil fuels and renewables. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, for example, commissioned a 6 MW solar power plant within its refinery plant premises to reduce the net carbon footprint of its facility.36 The question is how each company sees and evaluates several available routes to sustainability—an essential cost, a branding exercise, or an opportunity to uncover hidden value.
Large-scale technology transformation (operational)
Information technologies led by automation, analytics, and artificial intelligence are expected to have a profound impact on the downstream industry. And this impact has been widely documented by solution providers/consultants and recognized by executives. Another opportunity lies in the operational aspect, which appears to be on the cusp of a big change. The context is the $3 trillion asset base of the industry.37
Changing feedstock mix (single to diversified), stricter and proactive green mandates (carbon emissions, recycling of plastics), and end-market disruption (peak oil demand by 2030s) could challenge the functionality and economics of many off-the-shelf technologies and commoditized processes that have been in operation for decades.38 For instance, the 2030 strategy of MOL Group, which aims to increase its non-fuel production in refining from the current 30 percent to 50 percent of total output, could be a preview of upcoming changes in the process and operations of downstream.39
Further, the rise of many technologies that can cut down several intermediate processes (e.g., crude-to-chemicals), lower feedstock cost and overall greenhouse gas intensity (e.g., direct oxidative coupling of methane), or have a superior catalyst and reactor process (e.g., integrated coal-to-liquids development in China) can present competition-beating opportunities for early movers and reduce the potential for late movers. 40 Saudi Aramco and SABIC’s planned oil-to-chemicals project, for example, aims to cut capital costs by 30 percent compared to conventional refining projects.41
With the ongoing disruption in feedstock and end-use consumption of downstream products, the industry should bring more agility and flexibility in their processes and operational technologies. Put simply, investment decision-making, selection of technology, reconfiguration of the original design capability of technology, or even a projection of the future demand-supply gap at a product level could challenge downstream specialists due to altered input–output relations in the industry.
The future of the refining and chemical business is expected to be shaped by a complex confluence of the five market forces—feedstock, process technologies, end-markets, globalization, and sustainability. The impact of the confluence will likely be felt across the value chain from simple refiners to specialty chemicals, challenging the current arms-length distance between transfer pricing, segmentation, and relationships among participants in the value chain. To stay ahead of the expected disruption of tomorrow, a company should:
Reassess role and ownership along the value chain: Replace the linear product- and efficiency-centric supply chain model with an ecosystem-linked and platform-based value-centric mindset; redeploy and redistribute total cost and asset ownership across the feedstock-to-customer value chain through new business models.
Prioritize speed-to-market strategies: Build modular operations and workflows that reduce prototyping time and cost, facilitate debottlenecking opportunities, complement chemistry and engineering with data analytics, and track and drive aggressive sustainability goals at value chain level.
Build a strong alliance capability: Explore new alliance archetypes that focus on open innovation on molecules and materials, co-own environmental footprint of a product across the value and supply chain, swap patents and know-how (especially with EPC/tech firms), and sponsor end-market innovations.
Deepen relationships with distributors: Specialty chemical companies could elevate the current manufacturer–distributor relationship to tap into unique insights of distributors in a specific market, provide laboratory- and application-specific support to small end-users, and offer both positive and negative incentives to reduce carbon footprint.
Pick a new global narrative: Speak the language of jobs, investment, and sustainability standards; support nations in reducing the cost of managing their recycling programs; provide strategic and technical support to normalize the uncontrolled growth in the informal plastic recycling sector; and explore new win-win trade strategies that go beyond securing supply and demand centers.
Preserve and advance the core: Before outlining new value creation initiatives, preserve business value from existing product lines and operations through cost rationalization, scale advantage in specific end-markets, secondary asset integration (water, heat, gases, etc.), and advanced analytics on assimilated bulk data sets such as historical plant operations, opportunity crudes, logistics cost, and end-market pricing.
A number of leaders and colleagues within Deloitte member firms generously contributed their time and insights to this report. In no particular order, the authors would like to thank John England (partner, Deloitte US), Robert Kumpf (specialist, Deloitte US), Dr. Wolfgang Falter (partner, Deloitte Germany), and Nick Hwang (senior manager, Deloitte France) for their review and contributions to this research.
We would also like to extend special thanks to Sandeepan Mondal (assistant manager, Research & Insights), Vivek Bansal (senior analyst, Research & Insights), Shruti Panda (analyst, Research & Insights), and Mayank Baheti (analyst, Research & Insights) for their extensive research and analysis support.
Thanks also to Aijaz Hussain (senior manager, Research & Insights), Rithu Thomas (editor), Sharene Williams (ER&I chief of staff), Jennifer McHugh (OG&C sector specialist), Dana Kruse (senior manager, US marketer), and Joanna Lambeas (senior manager, global marketer) for providing valuable inputs, extensive marketing support, and critical editorial help at important junctures.
Cover image by: Kotryna Zukauskaite
Deloitte analysis and S&P Capital IQ database. View in article
Bloomberg. View in article
These five risks are outlined by combining various forces that were mentioned by industry participants: 1) Feedstock changes include trends such as crude slate shifts, pricing differentials, and new feedstocks, 2) Globalization includes trade disruptions and protectionism, 3) End-market disruptions includes future of mobility, vehicle lightweighting, miniaturization, and changing consumer preferences, 4) Sustainability includes regulatory reforms, decarbonization, circular economy, and renewables, 5) Technology includes digitization, IoT, Industry 4.0, and COTC. View in article
The sentiment analysis is based on TextBlob function sentiment, which is basically the process of determining the attitude or the emotion, i.e., whether it is positive or negative or neutral. The sentiment function of TextBlob returns two properties—polarity and subjectivity. Polarity is a float and lies in the range of [-1,1] where 1 means positive and -1 means a negative statement. Subjective sentences generally refer to personal opinion, emotion, or judgment whereas objective refers to factual information. Subjectivity is also a float that lies in the range of [0,1]. View in article
The similarity score or analysis is based on Gensim Doc2Vec model—an unsupervised algorithm that converts the entire document into a numeric representation, regardless of the length, and it is usually called as a vector—which was run on extracted risk factor section (Item 1.A in 10-K filings) of 54 US downstream companies. The vectors generated by Doc2Vec were then used to calculate the cosine distance between two documents to determine how similar the two documents were over a period of time. View in article
Deloitte analysis based on SEC filings of US listed companies. View in article
Ibid. View in article
The Motley Fool LLC, “HollyFrontier Corp (HFC) Q4 2018 earnings conference call transcript,” February 20, 2019. View in article
Neste Oil, Neste interim report Q1 2019 presentation, April 26, 2019. View in article
Deloitte analysis, Bloomberg, and S&P Capital IQ database. View in article
S&P Capital IQ database, Westlake Chemicals Partners LP: 4th quarter 2018, March 6, 2019; Sunstone Circuits, “Industries we serve,” accessed May 27, 2019. View in article
LyondellBasell, “LyondellBasell completes acquisition of A. Schulman, Inc.,” August 21, 2018. View in article
S&P Capital IQ database. View in article
Energy Information Administration, “Tight oil development will continue to drive future US crude oil production,” March 28, 2019. View in article
World Oil, Overcoming shale oil processing challenges, December 3, 2013. View in article
DeAnne Toto, “Eastman announces second chemical recycling technology,” Recycling Today, April 4, 2019. View in article
Zion Market Research, “Renewable chemicals market to register humungous growth, revenue to surge to US$ 102.76 billion by 2022,” September 10, 2018. View in article
Alexander H. Tullo, “Why the future of oil is in chemicals, not fuels,” C&EN, February 20, 2019. View in article
Mustafa Alrawi, “A new era for ADNOC” The National, July 10, 2017. View in article
Shay Eliaz, Robert Kumpf, and Tom Aldred, Making the future of mobility, Deloitte Insights, April 19, 2018. View in article
New Plastics Economy, “Companies take major step towards a new plastics economy,” January 22, 2018. View in article
BASF, “BASF for the first time makes products with chemically recycled plastics,” December 13, 2018. View in article
BP, BP energy outlook: 2019 edition, February 14, 2019. View in article
Ron Kotrba, “The complex dynamics of coprocessing,” Biodiesel Magazine, October 24, 2018. View in article
Hydrocarbon Processing, “Business trends: How plastics waste recycling could transform the chemical industry,” April 2019. View in article
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, “MRPL commissions largest solar project of 6.063 MWp in a refinery site in India,” April 10, 2018. View in article
Society of Petroleum Engineers, “The technology arm of sustainability,” March 1, 2019. View in article
MOL Group, “Strategy 2030,” accessed May 27, 2019. View in article
Don Bari, “Double” disruptive technologies: Positioning to impact the petrochemical industry, HIS Markit, March 22, 2018. View in article
Oil & Gas , Supply Chain , Globalization
Deloitte Oil & Gas professionals offer you the integrity, innovation, and insight to help you meet the most complex challenges. We support you in developing and executing initiatives that achieve your strategic objectives to deliver value to your stakeholders. Through audit & assurance, tax, consulting, and risk and financial advisory, our Deloitte Oil & Gas team provides comprehensive services and solutions to help move your business forward.
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Deloitte Services LP
anslaughter@deloitte.com
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Australia visa system will target skilled and younger immigrants said Peter Dutton the Immigration Minister of Australia. He added that the support for skilled immigration in Australia is increasing. Australia visa system should set a global example and voters will endorse migrants if the system is administered fairly, said Dutton.
Peter Dutton was addressing the audience at the office of the London’s Policy Exchange think tank. He informed that support for immigration is strong in Australia and has in fact enhanced over the years. Survey of the Australian Scanlon Foundation revealed that overall support for immigration was 59% and was even more for skilled immigration and migration for the family reunion.
Immigration Minister informed that skilled immigrants occupy 2/3rds of the planned yearly ceiling of 190, 000 places. Well managed and targeted Australia visa system will enhance the opportunities, as quoted by the Australiaforum. It will also increase the standard of living, enhance productivity and assist Australia to decrease the deficit in Budget, added Dutton.
Skilled immigration makes Australia more competitive globally and has assisted to achieve more than two decades of unhindered economic growth, said Peter Dutton. Australia Migration Council has estimated that immigration will add 1.6 trillion dollars to GDP of Australia. 16% will be added to participation in the workforce by 2050 elaborated the report of the council.
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People and change management
Others may be required in your specific situation. To provide program management to the overall project.
If you have always done something a certain way, then changing your habit is very difficult. Once the separation had been effected, the focus was on creating a new brand and rapidly building the business into a viable standalone operation.
Involving and informing people also creates opportunities for others to participate in planning and implementing the changes, which lightens your burden, spreads the organizational load, and creates a sense of ownership and familiarity among the people affected.
So, although people hate uncertainty, they will often stick to a plan that they know is failing, in preference to changing to the uncertainty of a new plan. See the personality styles page to help understanding about different types of people.
People much prefer certainty. Assessing training needs driven by the change, and planning when and how this will be implemented. But change them to what?
Hiding behind memos and middle managers will make matters worse. They defined a series of unique branding propositions that would, ultimately, give them standout recognition. Bedding People and change management new processes — and continuous improvement pressure. Do it with them, not to them Staff surveys are a helpful way to repair damage and mistrust among staff — provided you allow allow people to complete them anonymously, and provided you publish and act on the findings.
Patience and tolerance are required to help people in these situations to see things differently. Do not 'sell' change to people as a way of accelerating 'agreement' and implementation.
Leaders must actively involve the people most affected by the change in its implementation. Focus retained resources on higher value activities. Change can be unsettling, so the manager logically needs to be a settling influence.
Project Change Management Project change management is the controlled integration of change into every phase of a project. Equally, some of the above may not be within your remit, so plan carefully, and coordinate with other people involved.The field of change management is a relatively new discipline and the evolution in putting people first shows its growing maturity.
Highlighting the business necessity of change while explaining its personal impact cushions the blow, and is crucial to putting people at the center of a structured change management process. Ten guiding principles of change management Success at large-scale transformation demands more than the best Change is inherently unsettling for people at all levels of an organization, and when it is on the horizon all eyes will turn to the CEO and the.
Change is the new normal, but unfortunately, so is the failure of most change initiatives. So why take the same old approach? We help demystify how to make change happen on. In simplified terms, management of change is about dealing with the technical side of change, often seen in a manufacturing or industrial setting, but it can be applied anywhere; and change management is about dealing with the people side of change, or changing people’s behavior.
The Change Curve is a popular and powerful model used to understand the stages of personal transition and organisational change. It helps you predict how people will react to change, so that you can help them make their own personal transitions, and make sure that they have the help and support they need.
Managing change means managing people's fear. Change is natural and good, but people's reaction to change is unpredictable and can be irrational. It can be managed if done right.
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OTCQB:BOSQF
FRANKFURT:YG3
YIELD GROWTH Registers with Health Canada 3 Lip Glosses with Hemp Root Oil made using Urban Juve’s Patent Pending Extraction Technology
February 28, 2019 – Vancouver, B.C. – The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE:BOSS) (OTCQB:BOSQF) (Frankfurt:YG3) is pleased to announce that its subsidiary Urban Juve has registered for sale with Health Canada 3 Lip Glosses with Tint named “LOVE”, “PLEASURE”, and “SERENITY”. Each contains a unique blend of camelia, jojoba, avocado, castor and coconut oils designed to moisturize the lips to make them look full and supple. Cannabis sativa hemp seed oil, and hemp root oil extracted using Urban Juve’s proprietary patent pending technology, are included as ingredients intended to give extra moisture and hydration for lusher looking lips that stay smooth.
According to ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global hemp oil market accounted for US$ 81 million in 2017 and is expected to reach US$ 1.2 billion by 2026, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 35.8% from 2018 to 2026.
“We are thrilled to register new products for the Urban Juve brand. This brand has been very well received in discussions with major retail chains in Canada and the United States,” says Urban Juve President Sandi Lesueur, “we are now designing packaging for our new products that will be compliant with Quebec, Canada and U.S. FDA labelling regulations so we can sell our products through international retail chains.”
ResearchAndMarkets.com states that Hemp oil is gaining significant adoption among food & beverages industry and as well as in personal care products across the globe, in part because of nutrients, essential fatty acids and antioxidants that are perfect for skin. Also, hemp oil is known to provide relief from chronic pain, sleep disorders, anxiety, and nerve pain.
About The Yield Growth Corp.
The Yield Growth Corp. is dedicated to the rapid and sustainable growth of cannabis wellness assets. Its directors, officers and advisors have C- level experience at multi-billion dollar international companies including M.A.C Cosmetics and Johnson & Johnson and have worked at Aritzia, Procter & Gamble, Skechers, Pepsi and Coca Cola. Yield Growth’s key assets are 100% owned subsidiaries Urban Juve Provisions Inc., UJ Topicals Inc., UJ Beverages Inc., UJ Edibles Inc. and Thrive Activations Inc. Urban Juve is a brand rooted in the organic synthesis of ancient knowledge and modern techniques to create exceptional beauty and wellness solutions. Ayurvedic knowledge delineates three general categories or skin types, which Urban Juve has translated as Vitalize, Balance and Align, each with its own dedicated range of skin and body care formulations. Through its subsidiaries Yield Growth owns over 60 wellness formulas for topicals and beverages, has registered 33 products with Health Canada, has applied for 11 U.S. provisional patents and is currently selling products online in the U.S. and Canada and through retailers in Canada. Its subsidiary UJ Topicals is launching THC and CBD products through a distribution network of 400 cannabis retail stores in Oregon, USA.
For more information about Yield Growth, visit www.yieldgrowth.com or follow @yieldgrowth on Instagram. Visit www.urbanjuve.com and #findyourjuve across social platforms to learn, engage and shop.
Investor Relations Contacts:
Penny White, President & CEO
Kristina Pillon, Investor Relations
invest@yieldgrowth.com
1-833-514-BOSS 1-833-514-2677
The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.
This press release includes forward-looking information and statements (collectively, “forward looking statements”) under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: risks related to the development, testing, licensing, intellectual property protection, and sale of, and demand for, Urban Juve, UJ Topicals, UJ Beverages and UJ Edibles products, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals where applicable, and the state of the capital markets. Yield Growth cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements provided by Yield Growth, as such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future results or performance and actual results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Yield Growth expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
YIELD GROWTH Announces that Urban Juve Products were included in Awards Season Presenter Gift Bags at Four Seasons Hotel Pre-Oscars Event
YIELD GROWTH Announces Healthy Planet Canada, an Independent Health and Wellness Company with 24 Ontario Retail Locations, Will Stock and Sell Urban Juve Products
The Yield Growth Corp.
200 - 1238 Homer St.
Vancouver, BC, V6B 2Y5
info@yieldgrowth.com careers@yieldgrowth
invest@yieldgrowth.com 1-833-515-2677 1-833-514-2677 Investor Deck
© 2019 The Yield Growth Corp. All rights reserved
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Pentel Smash Q1005 - Limited Gold/Silver - 0.5mm
Qualified for free U.S. shipping.
Pentel Smash Q1005 - 0.5mm. Released in 1987, Pentel Smash has been an iconic and popular mechanical pencil among students in Japan. The tip and grip is made of one piece, with a slight weight near the tip of the pen. The grip features pronounced squared rubbers that allow a more comfortable and secure hold. The pencil is designed with durability in mind. When it was first released, it was advertised to be able to withstand 10000 clicks.
This limited special edition was released in 2019.
Regular edition is available in Black
Limited edition is also available in Gold and Gold/Silver
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