From fDi Intelligence

Jacopo Dettoni May 2 2023

Hello everyone, this is Jacopo writing from Dubai, where I’m covering the biggest annual gathering of global free zones. 

Can the future be institutionalised? Dubai’s ruling elite believes so, and the much-touted Museum of the Future enshrines its efforts in this direction. And yet the future may hinge on less pompous endeavours. Producing cement without using water, for example, possibly a game-changer for a dry geography like Dubai. Danielle finds out that a local investment firm is pledging to invest $1bn in graphene-based technology developed in Manchester, UK, to produce waterless cement. Elsewhere, India has found abundant lithium in Kashmir. In a world thirsty for batteries, it can fuel the development of a battery value chain in the notoriously contested region, but also have a sting in its tail as the locals have yet to buy in. Finally, don’t miss Alex’s coverage of Albania, where tourism and investment promise to drive new economic development. Thank you for reading and please feel free to reach me with any comments and suggestions on geographies we should visit next at [email protected].