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The report examines co-operative IPR practices—including cross-licensing and patent pools—as mechanisms to overcome patent thickets and accelerate technology diffusion. Using case studies from the mobile telecoms industry (ETSI) and South Africa's pre-paid metering (ESKOM), it argues that such arrangements can reduce litigation risks, lower costs, and enable developing countries to enter markets. The authors suggest that public policy intervention may be necessary to facilitate these arrangements in the low-carbon energy sector, particularly for technologies like wind power and smart grids, to avoid proprietary lock-ins and high costs in developing economies.

The report assesses the potential for aerospace collaboration between India, Brazil, and South Africa, noting that while there is high political interest and complementary capabilities, actual collaboration is currently minimal. It highlights South Africa's strategic shift toward becoming a preferred supplier of subsystems to global contractors, exemplified by its role in the Airbus A400M programme. Key opportunities for IBSA co-operation include expanding supply chains for regional aircraft, collaborating on strategic defence systems, and developing small and micro satellites. However, the report identifies significant barriers, most notably corruption allegations involving Denel and the Indian government, as well as the challenge of balancing South-South co-operation with existing partnerships with 'first-tier' Northern contractors.

The report examines the carpet industry in Europe, finding that despite sustainability claims, the vast majority of carpets end up in landfills or incinerators. It highlights a significant gap between the environmental commitments of leading manufacturers like Interface and Desso and their actual recycling rates, which are estimated at 1.5% and 3% respectively. The document identifies specific systemic failures in France's events sector and Germany's waste management infrastructure, and calls for immediate regulatory action, including the inclusion of carpets in the Eco-design Directive.

The report details a global surge in plastics production capacity driven by cheap fossil fuel feedstocks. In the US, shale gas has led to planned investments of $164 billion for 264 new or expanded facilities. China is heavily investing in carbon-intensive coal-to-olefins technology to overcome a lack of natural gas. Meanwhile, the Middle East continues to leverage oil and gas, and Europe is seeing new investments enabled by US liquefied natural gas shipments. The report warns that this capacity expansion could lock in high plastic production for decades, exacerbating environmental pollution and the climate crisis.

The report identifies that while the EU's 'Everything But Arms' (EBA) policy has removed tariffs and quotas for Bangladesh, SMEs still face significant non-tariff barriers. Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), including standards and certification, are the most dominant obstacles across all four studied sectors. Government-related administrative procedures and strict rules of origin also hinder trade, particularly in the knitwear and pharmaceutical industries. The study concludes that without capacity-building and technical assistance, SMEs will struggle to utilize duty-free trade regimes.

The report argues that while the technology to double trucking efficiency already exists, adoption is hindered by a fragmented industry structure, a lack of trust in efficiency data, and regulatory constraints. It highlights that Class 7 and 8 heavy-duty trucks are the primary targets for improvement, as they account for nearly 80 percent of truck fuel consumption despite representing less than half of the total truck population. The document maps the complex stakeholder ecosystem—including OEMs, mega-fleets, and regulatory bodies like the EPA and DOE—and emphasizes that systemic improvements require collaboration across the entire value chain, from design and manufacturing to operations and infrastructure.

The paper argues that the wind power industry is integrated primarily through foreign direct investment rather than trade, and that promoting global integration can reduce technology costs and foster innovation without sacrificing local job creation.

The report highlights the 'black box' nature of the animal feed industry, where complex supply chains and proprietary formulations mask risks such as deforestation, human rights abuses, and high greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, WWF and Grieg Seafood developed an ESG screen for feed ingredients, initially tested on salmon aquaculture, to standardize data requests and enable 'apples-to-apples' risk comparisons. The tool aims to move the industry toward greater traceability and is intended for expansion into other animal protein sectors like swine and poultry.