At a time of worldwide recession, increasing scarcity of basic commodities and with an untried president in the White House, 2009 will be a year of profound change and turbulence. Old economic rules will be obsolete, the international banking system re-engineered and all the old certainties called into question.
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Against this formidable backdrop of unpredictability, security flashpoints will intensify, and business will face a challenging landscape of political risk and complex investment opportunities.
In this year’s RiskMap, specialist business risk consultancy Control Risks examines the perils 2009 will present to business and identifies potential rewards in every corner of the world. “In 2009, risk will become still more significant as business is forced to negotiate an increasingly difficult and uncertain landscape”, says Control Risks Research Director, Adam Strangfeld. “It is clear from our analysis that the financial crisis is worldwide – the emerging markets as well as more mature economies are not immune.
“But not all countries will have the same degree of exposure; and differentiating clearly between markets will become a critical factor in making successful investments; opportunities will remain to those who put a premium on careful pre-investment planning.
“In many parts of the world, scarcity of resources is a mounting problem that cannot be confined by national boundaries or even regions. In 2009, scarcity will represent a strategic challenge for business that only first class intelligence can meet.”
