On-Site Report The heat island effect is a common issue that many cities around the world have to struggle with during the summer months. Tokyo is among those cities and now with the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics on the horizon, the health of both the athletes and spectators is becoming a major concern. From road temperature reducing coatings to bio heat shields for buildings, we will look at some new heat reduction technologies that Japanese companies hope will help Tokyo and other hot spots around the world to cool down. World Perspective With rapid economic growth and a market that is still opening up to foreign companies, Myanmar is often referred to as Asia's final frontier. The country has recently been expanding its Special Economic Zone, located near the business center of Yangon, in hopes of attracting more investment from abroad.

Recently Japan has seen a boom in the development of various eco-friendly materials. One example that stands out is a new type of "aerogel". This is a lightweight, transparent material that offers extremely high levels of insulation. Many see this material as a new way to drastically improve efficiency for the heating and air conditioning of buildings. Another material that is attracting attention, is a new type of "cellulose nanofiber" that is made from plants yet is 5 times stronger than steel. It offers several potential applications, ranging from stationary to aircraft.