A shortage of semiconductor chips and explosive growth of electric vehicles emerged as arguably the two biggest stories in the global auto industry in 2021. The odds are strong that they will dominate headlines again in 2022.

So, if you wanted to get ahead of the curve and know more about what’s happening, where would you look? Are there particular factories or inventory lots that could reveal major clues? 

What is the outlook for global carmakers in 2022? To answer this question about where the industry is headed next year first requires an understanding of where things stand today.

Present conditions, as everyone is aware, have been defined by the semiconductor shortage, part of the larger story about supply chain disruptions upending businesses and everyday lives around the world.

Even before the data was released, a downturn was apparent in China’s automotive industry. 

Ursa Space’s China Auto Manufacturing Index (AMI) began falling in late May, and continued dropping through June.

The China AMI recovered from coronavirus lockdowns in early 2020, and stabilized for the remainder of the year and into 2021. In May 2021, before the decline began, China’s AMI was slightly above the average levels for 2016 to present.

In this blog, we list five economic hubs that are key to understanding the global economy, and demonstrate how satellite imagery can provide the tools needed to monitor them.

Recent upheaval in global financial markets has showcased the uncertainty that still exists over when economies will return to normal.

In last week’s blog, we examined Ursa Space data for insights, focusing on crude oil inventory measurements and automobile manufacturing activity indices.

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