Ireland: The Brexit Victor?

13 January 2021 There are no winners in Brexit, or so they say. In the recently agreed EU-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the United Kingdom was able to "regain control" of its immigration policy, to maintain tariff-free access to the EU Single Market (for now at least), to regain the ability to negotiate independent trade [...]

Strategy 2021: V(accine)-Shaped Recovery?

13 November 2020 Three cheers for the world's scientific community! The recent announcement that an effective vaccine may be on the way is a very welcomed, early Christmas present at the end of a tough year. Of course, there are numerous medical questions and logistical challenges that still must be solved. But, along with everyone [...]

Covid Second Wave: Bracing For a Long Winter

22 October 2020 The long-anticipated Covid second wave is here (third wave in the USA). Experts project, correctly I suspect, that as winter arrives and activity heads indoors, the rate of infection will accelerate significantly further. In the United States, for example, I would not be surprised if daily new cases rise from 50,000 to [...]

Europe: Will Second Wave Derail Recovery?

12 October 2020After Europe's devastasting Coronavirus outbreak in early 2020, painful measures succeeded in suppressing the spread of Covid-19 during the summer. As health experts warned, however, social lockdown is only akin to hitting the pause button; buying time to allow more sustainable mitigation to be put in place. Unfortunately, as lockdown measures were eased [...]