Starting the European Retail Academy the USUE Ural State University of Economics in Yekaterinburg (see) was one of its first members - and immediately got the first exchange student Sandra Hoedl from Austria.In 2007 Prof.Dr.B.Hallier was honoured with a Dr.h.c. in Yekaterinburg. The USUE also became the nucleus for the Eurasian Economic Youth Forum which was one of the drivers for the EXPO 2017.

Prof.Hallier remembers the long-standing friendship : "It is a pleasure to contribute now a review of 25 years rule setting for food security in the USUE well-respected magazin; USUE is a benchmark for high quality standards ! Hurra, hurra, hurra !!"
 

Due to the digital dialogue Focus India (see: News of 14.02.2021) Prof.Dr.B.Hallier could welcome as a new bi-lateral university partner of the TUN-Community the SSU India (see).

The Sri Sri University was envisioned by Sri Sri Ravi Shangkar Ji, who is a renowed spiritual leader and multi-faceted humanitarian from India whose mission is uniting the world of East and West into a violence-free family. His ideas fit totally in Prof.Halliers approach of a global equilibrium for economics, ecology and ethics. The SSU has a 188 Acre Green Campus : also a benchmark in the concept of the Global Green University (see: www.european-retail-academy.org/GGU).
 

For 2030 the United Nations have defined the ambition for the world-community to reach 17 aims for the sustainable development of the globe. The Thematic University Network Food (TUN) was started on 5 of those goals (see also : www.european-retail-academy.org/GGU /News 09.10.2017).

Now Violena Nencheva from Sofia/Bulgaria starts as a far-distance trainee of the ERA-network a SURVEY in how far the UN Goals 2030 are on the screen of Universities and Companies. The questionnaire 1 with the first 4 questions can be ordered from violena.nencheva@gmail.com.
 

In his Reader "From Crisis to Competence" Prof.Dr.B.Hallier describes at pages 118/119 the importance for food producers to have a strategy to move for example anonymous meat via tracing/tracking plus marketing into the sector of brands. "In a market which is living from differentiation BRANDING is the key of success " Hallier explained "... and certification by Third Parties is necessary to gain the TRUST of consumers" he added.

A very nice up-to-date certification scheme for the total production stream is according to Hallier the chicken brand Cocorico from the poultry producer AAylex Group from Romania. The brand has different certifications from farming and production for its marketing claims. Cocorico respects nature, is complying with EU environmental directions and is using sustainable energy where possible. Social responsibility is a cornerstone for Cocorico's activities like promoting healthy living through various initiatives : healthy lifestyle education, social causes, sustainable business practices." The brand is by those claims and testimonials also a reflection of the penetration of standards and its supervision by certification institutions" Hallier concluded.
 

Prof.Dr.B.Hallier points to the fact that the state of art of a Standard depends on the status quo of the level of national economies and their potential connections with other markets on the globe. "Therefore benchmarks are very helpful as we can see for example in our Globalgap-system for the chain from farm to fork" Hallier explained in a lecture about Innovations. "There is always an interdependence between what could be done and which technologies are available/affordable." Macro-Innovations seem to have a Rythm of roughly 50 years, Retail/Wholesale in Western Europe from the year 1800 onwards major developments all 25 years according to Hallier.

Nikolai Kondratieff was the first who published in 1926 observations about innovations having long-term effects on macro-economic levels : 1939 called "Kondratieff-Cycles" by Joseph Schumpeter. A period of innovation driven by cotton/steam engine (1800) was followed by railways/steel production (1850) , electrical engineering/chemestry (1900), petrochemical industry/automobiles (1950) and information-technology/revitalization of global trade networks for sourcing and distribution(2000). Prof.Dr.B.Hallier defines as the next Kondratieff-Cycle the Lithium Production/Applications of Lithium/ Crypto-Currencies in a world of Smart Economies. Lithium production will replace the petroleum production in the impact of the geopolitical power-play according to Hallier. Taken the period of 1974-2018 measured in metric tonnes Australia leads by 123.206 units, followed by China (45.747), Zimbabwe ((34.604), Canada (22.097) and Chile (16.137). "South America is expected to increase its volume by roughly 200 percent in the next decade" Hallier expects.