RiskMap 2016: Crisis Point?

- LONDON, December 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Control Risks, the global business risk consultancy, today publishes its annual RiskMap report, an authoritative guide to political and business risk and a key reference for policy makers and business leaders seeking to plot global trends over the coming year. RiskMap highlights the most significant underlying trends in global risk and security, and provides a detailed view from the markets that will matter most in 2016. Control Risks' report suggests 2016 will be a challenging year for businesses, as they are forced to navigate escalating security and political risks. And perhaps the biggest potential disruption of all, another global financial crisis, could be triggered by any combination of an end to cheap money, a Eurozone crisis, or a Chinese hard landing. But political and security concerns need not translate into a major business downturn.  Control Risks expects that the relative political stability of Western democracies will potentially give their economies a renewed competitive advantage over developing economies (such as China and India), which are confronting slowing growth and the prospect of political unrest. Introducing RiskMap 2016, Richard Fenning, CEO, Control Risks, commented: "We live in an age of surprises. "We have seen very clearly how agile start-ups can subvert entire industries, how firebrand celebrities can single-handedly alter a country's political landscape, how corrupt governments can be jolted into reform by angry protests, how terrorists can use social media and the internet to revolutionise their operations, and how skilled cybercriminals can steal sensitive data from even the most secure corporate databases. "These risks - and many others - will continue to threaten unprepared businesses. Whether it is the see-sawing balance of economic power between the East and the West, uncertainty about the future of commodities prices, the disconcerting metastasis of IS, the ramifications of China's adjustment to its new economic reality, or an explosion in the frequency and severity of criminal cyber-attacks, successful businesses will need to prepare themselves to face tough challenges on a number of fronts. "It would be easy to think the world has never been more unsettled, or unpredictable, than now. But businesses and investors would do well to remember that, despite the many risks and challenges that 2016 will present, the world has always been a shifting and unpredictable place. That may be little comfort if your boat is sinking off the Greek coast, if your company is left stranded by an unforeseen technical innovation, or if you have just discovered a 16-year-old hacker at large in your network, but it is important to remember that the world remains full of promise for the well-prepared investor. Risk is a necessary precondition for opportunity, and 2016 will be no exception." For the RiskMap 2016 report, please visithttp://www.controlrisks.com  About Control Risks   Control Risks is a global risk consultancy specialising in political, security and integrity risk. The company enables its clients to understand and manage the risks of operating in complex or hostile environments.  Through a unique combination of services, wide geographical reach and by adopting a close partnership approach with clients, Control Risks helps organisations effectively solve their problems and realise new opportunities across the world.   http://www.controlrisks.com