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Nutrigenomics explores how nutrients or bioactive dietary compounds can influence gene expression and an individuals risk to certain diseases. Nutrigenetics is the study of how variations in an individual’s genetic makeup can increase or decrease the need for a specific nutrient or bioactive food component.

In the current decade, oncology has been one of the most important growth segments among the pharmaceutical markets with a major focus on targeted agents (drug treatments developed to preferentially target those signaling pathways that are disregulated in tumors). Most innovation in oncology over the past 10 years has been driven by scientific advances, particularly in genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics.

Turkey, a ‘pharmerging’ market, has evolved to this status after a series of economic and healthcare reforms. The country was at the verge of financial collapse until 2001 with inflation running in near three digits. However, the economic reforms implemented by the country have turned it into a dynamic economy. The country’s pharmaceutical industry has been a frontrunner in these reforms. Turkey has a growing pharmaceutical sector with around 300 pharmaceutical companies selling up to 1.3bn units of products every year. Factors that have fuelled the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the country include economic growth, high healthcare expenditures, a young workforce and a host of companies delivering drugs to the populace.

Diagnostic practice is undergoing a quiet revolution, with IVD tests moving out of the centralized hospital laboratory to point of care testing (POCT) locations. POC tests are more expensive than lab-based tests, but promise to reduce the overall cost of healthcare while improving the quality of outcomes. They are thus attractive to manufacturers and increasingly in demand by physicians, patients, and healthcare providers.

The advent of DNA sequencing technology has had a vast impact on the field of drug development. It has played a key role in the success of the Human Genome Project which has made it an essential tool for genetic analysis. Advanced technological developments in microarrays, bioinformatics and similar tools have increased the scope of applications and services.

Japan, the second single largest drug market in the world (historically known to be a land of innovation) is a leading nation in terms of scientific research, technology, machinery and medical research. Japan has been an industrially active nation ever since it adopted Western technology and gained industrial supremacy in the early years of the 20th century. In 2008, the services sector (72.1%) contributed the major portion of GDP growth in Japan followed by industries (26.4%) and agriculture (1.5%).

A ready meal is a type of convenience food that consists of a pre-packaged meal that needs little preparation. In 2009 the global market for ready meals was worth $71.6bn, with a projected CAGR of 3.9% to 2013. In the Western Europe and the US the ready meals markets are fairly mature and well-established with moderate growth rates. However, growth in the industry will primarily come from the key emerging markets such as China and Russia. Ready meals that provide health and indulgence benefits continue to provide a number of growth opportunities for manufacturers in developed markets. Ethical concerns relating to sustainable packaging and local sourcing of food are also having an impact on new product development (NPD) in ready meals.

In the early 2000s, telecom industry experts widely expected VoIP to change the dynamics of the voice communications business. But a decade later, the largest providers of consumer Internet voice services are, with one exception, conventional telecommunications companies. Some are pioneers and innovators, some are not.

Energy efficiency has yet to see a period in history more open to its products than now, thanks to a convergence of events: rising energy prices, concerns about climate change, and a desire to reduce use of petroleum products and promote clean energy. Several nations have set double digit goals to reduce their energy use and are backing plans with sizable government investment.

The last decade has seen a rapid growth in the generation of electric power from renewable sources. This growth has been the result of several stimuli but the most potent has been global warming and a consequent move to reduce emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere. While international agreement on action to combat global warming remains elusive, many countries and regions are pursuing their own renewable policies with the result that all types of renewable generating technology have benefited.