Considerations for a Rail-Served Industrial Property

1. Developers who are looking to build rail-served industrial parks must consider a few questions.

2. Does it make sense to provide freight rail service to this development and is there a market for it? What must be accounted for when it comes to logistics, internal and external operations, cost and design?

3. After determining the facility type, identify the transportation access the site will require. Is the site near a major highway, port or inland port? Is there existing access to rail onsite?

4. The Transportation Research Board(TRB)’s National Cooperative Freight Research Program study recommends the goals of delivering goods with speed and accuracy that meets or exceeds the competitive standards in the market and establishing a set of logistics costs that are as low as possible within the delivery standards. In other words, the site’s location should help lessen operating time and monetary commitments.

Malaysia listed among top ten in global logistics ranking

1. In February 2021, Malaysia has been named among the top ten attractive nations to logistics providers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, air cargo carriers and distributors.

2. Freight forwarding and contract logistics provider Agility said Asia-Pacific nations led all emerging market regions with China, India and Indonesia being the world’s top emerging markets in the 12th annual Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index, a broad gauge of competitiveness based on logistics strength and business fundamentals.

3. The Index ranks 50 countries by factors that make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, air cargo carriers and distributors.

Artificial Intelligence Growth, Adoption & Development in Asia

1. There has been a rapid increase in the adoption and development of artificial intelligence across the globe. Business platforms are depending on AI for better growth, efficiency, and digital transformation. 

2. Cutting-edge technologies like 5G will escalate the use cases of AI across industries. According to McKinsey Global Survey 2020, 50% of respondents reported that their companies have adopted AI in at least one business function.

3. The global leaders in AI adoption, research, and development include Asian countries like China, Singapore, and Japan. 

Major Leading & Lagging Economic Indicators

1. Paying attention to economic indicators can give you an idea of where the economy is headed so you can plan your finances and even your career accordingly.

2. There are two types of indicators you need to be aware of:

3. Leading indicators often change prior to large economic adjustments and, as such, can be used to predict future trends.

4. Lagging indicators, however, reflect the economy’s historical performance and changes to these are only identifiable after an economic trend or pattern has already been established.