‘The data monetization trend calls for a common framework, but we need to prioritize questions of trust’

Now in its eighth year, the 2024 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking measures the capacity and readiness of 67 economies to adopt and explore digital technologies as a key driver for economic transformation in business, government, and wider...

In the 2010s, card processing – Mastercard’s flagship service – started showing signs of commodification as new, nimble players (typically, fintech startups thriving on digital) entered the payment processing space, and customer preferences evolved beyond plastic cards and traditional contact payments. To re-energize its central position and its ability to capture value, Mastercard – as the incumbent – had to make bold decisions. The case details Mastercard’s approach to conceptualizing and building a global platform ecosystem that upholds the principles and design elements of modularity (i.e. interoperability and scalability) and optionality. Today, Mastercard's services, based on application programming interfaces (APIs), integrate with a variety of platforms and offer flexibility to businesses that require customized payment solutions. All along, the company has accommodated a high level of internal disruption. The case also explores the nature of Mastercard’s systematic collaboration with fintechs – players that often started out as competitors in specific parts of Mastercard’s value chain. It describes the company’s engagement with fintechs as fostering collaboration and co-creation and facilitating access; in other words, opening doors and sharing tools with partners. The case presents observations and quotes by CEO Michael Miebach, whose career trajectory at Mastercard – spanning Africa & Middle East experience, fintech partnerships, product management and the CEO role – sheds additional light on the philosophy and values that have driven the company’s transformation to a technology powerhouse and self-described original fintech.

The UAE has been making waves recently in the technology world. A $1.5 billion deal between American tech giant Microsoft and Abu Dhabi’s AI champion,G42, seems to mark a shift in global alliances. This deal is significant not just in terms of the dollar value, but in what it represents for the UAE’s technology ambitions.

Michael Wade and Tomoko Yokoi explain how IMD ranked the world's leading companies on AI adoption and use – and reveal which topped the list.

A balanced assessment of the past eight years is that, in terms of trade policy, America has turned protectionist, implementing significant measures to restrict domestic market access to foreign (non-US) imports.

Improvements in technology have made deepfakes — fraudulent audio, video, and images — easier than ever to create. As a result, 2024 has seen a nearly 60% surge in phishing attacks. These attacks hijack our perceptions and our ability to distingui...

Climate change, geopolitical frictions, and supply chain disruptions call for more sustainable trade practices that can withstand the pressures of volatility. But for trade to be sustainable, it must also be resilient. IMD World Competitiveness Ce...

The idea of an EU bond, a common safe asset, has been gaining attention lately, particularly following calls for its introduction this month by former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi.

The ways popular frameworks are used fall short in today’s rapidly changing environment. Here is a new way to make better-informed strategic choices.

99designs.com is a global platform connecting freelance designers with potential clients. The case study examines the potential impact of generative AI on 99designs’ business model. The platform uses a crowdsourcing approach that invites designers...