An intriguing piece of European Union legislation came into force earlier this week which will affect every home across Europe. From 1st September 2014, it now illegal to manufacture or import vacuum cleaners into the European Union which are above 1600 watts in power. The new EU directive is targeting high power appliances which are… Continue reading Cleaning up high energy appliances in Europe
Category: Strategy
Best Places In The World To Start A Company
When it comes to things like workforce education, low cost of living, and economic health, five countries come out on top for the best places to launch a startup, according to research compiled by Washington State University’s College of Business. So if you are a talented young entrepreneur and are thinking of where in today’s… Continue reading Best Places In The World To Start A Company
The Importance of the Summer Holiday
With the “better” summer weather upon us here in Europe our thoughts at this time of the year turn to the holidays. Europeans are very lucky compared to many in the world as we tend to take 2-3 weeks holiday, usually over the summer period. Others cultures view this long period of low productivity and… Continue reading The Importance of the Summer Holiday
The New Reality of Business
Today whilst on a quite long, enjoyable drive through a sunny, rural Sweden in a rented Volvo, I listened to a program on Swedish radio hosted by Björn Wahlroos, PhD in Economics and Chairman of the mighty Nordea Bank amongst other roles. He spoke about globalisation, the technological revolution and the challenges to regain economic… Continue reading The New Reality of Business
Public consultation on EU Urban Agenda and the Integrated Territorial Investment platform
Public consultation is a regulatory process by which the public’s input on matters affecting them is sought. Now a new EU public consultation has been announced, that ought to help all great cities of the European Union in preparing the necessary Integrated Territorial Investment platform. Following the news from a few days ago that the… Continue reading Public consultation on EU Urban Agenda and the Integrated Territorial Investment platform
EU legal fundaments all member states need to adopt before end of 2014
On July 14th, the European Commission released an update on the adoption of Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes. EU member states with PAs approved by the EC on June 20th include Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus, and Slovakia. Up until now, the EC has approved 9 out of 28 PAs. The ones that have already been… Continue reading EU legal fundaments all member states need to adopt before end of 2014
EU Partnership agreements statuses and the details about submitted PA Croatia
Partnership agreements between the European Commission and individual EU countries set out the national authorities’ plans on how to use funding from the European Structural and Investment Funds between 2014 and 2020. They outline each country’s strategic goals and investment priorities, linking them to the overall aims of the EU 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable… Continue reading EU Partnership agreements statuses and the details about submitted PA Croatia
New French trains are “too large”
A news article caught my eye this morning which demonstrates how easily a project can go badly wrong, and the financial consequences of rectifying the problem. France’s national railway operator SNCF recently ordered 2,000 new TER (Trains Express Regionaux) trains from Alstom and Bombardier, as part of a £2.43bn national upgrade. Responding to customer demands… Continue reading New French trains are “too large”
High Speed 2: Controversy on the rails
High Speed 2 (HS2), the controversial planned high speed railway which will link London, Birmingham and the north west of England has taken a major step forward this week as Members of Parliament have approved legislation allowing funding for the next stage. Phase 1 of HS2 will run from London to Birmingham, with a small… Continue reading High Speed 2: Controversy on the rails
Innovate across the business system
All over the world, Innovation is high on executive’s agendas. However what innovation means and how it is prioritised has not been well understood, and within organisations different interpretations can often be confusing. The problem is that while the eyes of the CEO are fixed on innovation, the body of the organisation may not be… Continue reading Innovate across the business system