Issue 21
Kingspan Environmental
Kingspan Environmental has established a loyal client base across Europe, the UK and Ireland over the past four decades, and is now looking to replicate its market-leading approach to energy and water solutions on a truly global scaleWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Richard ThomasCreating an industry-leading set of products is one thing, but to do so by addressing and solving one of the most significant, and rapidly evolving multi-sector trends adds a whole other dimension to the Kingspan Environmental success story.Producing a host of services and solutions to cater for the energy and water sector, the Company’s resultant portfolio not only meets the needs of a customer demographic that ranges from the homeowner to the corporate heavyweight; but is compounded by a longevity and R&D expertise that tops anything else that the market has to offer.Now, proven experts and innovators across energy storage solutions, wastewater treatment, rainwater harvesting, wind and solar energy generation, and the monitoring of all the above; the Kingspan Group subsidiary is now looking to replicate its more than four decades of success, outside of its core Europe, UK and Ireland markets.“From an environmental perspective, the predecessor company started off by manufacturing water tanks back in the 1970s and evolved as such until it was acquired by Kingspan in 1996,” introduces Commercial Director, Mark Vaughan. “Becoming a separate division two years later, the business has evolved over the years by leading change and developing new solutions that break the barriers that are out there in the environmental space.“We have achieved numerous industry and world…
Khidmah LLC
Khidmah LLC has developed a business model that is well respected by housing authorities all over the world, delivering a first-class service and pioneering property management projects Writer: Phoebe CalverProject Manager: Richard ThomasKhidmah LLC effortlessly delivers excellence through its comprehensive services, providing a single-point of contact to some of the finest properties and most prestigious clients located in the Middle East and further afield.When the Company was first established, the market it began operating in was full of opportunities for expansion. As an Emirati owned and operated entity, every member of the Khidmah team understands the ever-fluctuating needs of its customers.“Our business model translates into any language, culture and industry,” explains the Company on its website. “We consistently recognise the need to remain competitive across the diverse marketplaces. In doing so Khidmah’s capability to deliver outstanding service to our clients is done so at exceedingly good value.“This is one of the factors that has made us genuinely unique within the market and has spurred on our growth to go from strength to strength.”In the present day the Company is working to set the benchmark for standards for integrated service solutions, adding sustainable value to its stakeholders’ assets and providing them with the peace of mind that enables them to concentrate on their core business.Ongoing strategy Over the years Khidmah has been presented with numerous awards for its services within the industry, last year obtaining two awards simultaneously at the Facilities Management Middle East Awards (fmME Awards) held at the Conrad, Dubai. “The annual fmME Awards provides a leading platform…
First Qatar Real Estate Development Company
First Qatar Real Estate Development Company has nurtured a diverse and dedicated workforce to drive forward both the local and global real estate industry Writer: Phoebe CalverProject Manager: Richard ThomasThe longstanding philosophy of First Qatar Real Estate Development Company (FQ) involves developing projects that meet with the direct needs of clients, while educating a world-renowned team to carry out each specific requirement.Its projects have become synonymous with luxury after years of work dedicated to building that reputation, and subsequently when clients hear the name ‘First Qatar’ in association with a development, they expect luxury.“Our executive management and leadership teams have worked consistently to sustain such repute by ensuring that we always deliver the product we market,” begins Michael El-Jarouch, Vice President of First Qatar Real Estate Development Company. “We value the fact that our strategy has to begin with the dedication of a highly-motivated corporate team, creating unrivalled real estate developments and investment opportunities for future growth.”Currently the main objective for FQ is to drive commitment to high-quality standards, positioning the Company perfectly as a unique real estate developer in the region. And since the Company was founded in 2005, it has been steadily expanding with thanks to these aforementioned standards.“Our past selection of projects, combined with the lengthy experience of our team makes us one of the most experienced professional companies in the industry,” explains First Qatar Real Estate Development Company Chairman, Fahad Al-Ghunaim. “We are one part of a highly successful corporate group which has allowed us the privilege of knowledge far beyond our…
IBM Germany
Shaping the FutureIBM’s influence in Germany is epitomised by the levels of R&D and technological innovation being driven across the country, subsequently attracting some of the biggest names in global business as they begin their own digital transformationsWriter: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Jamie Sutherland IBM is focusing on the most modern and pressing of strategic technological trends as it looks to expand its solution portfolio and its progressive transformation vision to become a holistic cognitive solutions and cloud platform provider.Focusing on growth initiatives such as business analytics, cloud computing, mobile enterprise, social business and security, the goal is to do what IBM has always done in the tech era: to assist companies with their own digital transformations and to harness the potential of digitalisation.In Germany, such innovation emanates from the Company’s Research & Development Centre in Boeblingen; one of the largest of its kind outside of the US.“Established in 1953, the Centre runs IT development and research projects for the global market,” introduces Managing Director for the Daimler Group, Christian Klezl. “Today, around 1,800 computer scientists, electrical engineers and physicists from more than 30 countries operate on site as well as in other cities in Germany. All-told we are working on more than 70 hardware and software projects in close cooperation with other IBM research & development centres around the globe. “The project topics range from cloud computing to data analytics; from software for business process management and data centre optimisation to Web 2.0 technologies; and to hardware, firmware and operating systems for IBM systems.”In addition to…
Benify
Benify has evolved from a facilitator of employee wants, to employee needs; progressing from a Swedish borne tech idea to a global human resource enablerWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Jamie SutherlandUpholding core values of love, foresight and client satisfaction, Benify has grown from humble beginnings to become one of Europe’s leading innovators across human resource technology. It has expanded globally over the years and continues to spread its expertise and ethos worldwide.Encouraging the notion of “employees participating in what their employers offer”, the Company’s vision since day one has been to spread its knowledge and expertise of the inner cultures of a workplace beginning with benefits and the employment offer; this expertise deriving from an initial inspiration among just three pioneers.“It started with an idea among three cofounders,” introduces the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Markus Kullendorff. “One of us was working for a start-up company in early 2000 and he was trying to help a particular German company grow in Sweden; a part of his role was to try and recruit talent to grow the local staff. He began wondering about the benefits aspects of the employment offer. He asked his current company’s payroll provider if they could help guide him, and soon he realised that richness of benefits is important but arranging them was a difficulty.“From his own personal experience, he involved the rest of us and a few years later, we presented our business plan before soon launching Benify. We wanted to help companies solve this problem of compensation and benefits administration.”Benify’s first client…
University of Exeter
As one of the UK’s leading higher education institutions, The University of Exeter’s appeal as a centre of learning is established, but it is its technological prowess that continues to drive its role as a centre of global research Writer: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Jamie SutherlandSince receiving its Charter and full University status in 1955, the University of Exeter has evolved into one of the UK’s leading academic institutions; diversifying and expanding in line with the most contemporary of trends, technologies and demands in order to remain a consistently relevant and thriving option for both national and international students.Joining the prestigious Russell Group of research-led establishments in 2009 affirmed this dedication to modernity and innovation, and in no way is this better demonstrated than through its commitment to technology over the decades.In recent years, this has culminated in a series of significant investments in the University’s IT infrastructure, specifically targeted at optimum performance across computing in research; in particular, focusing on areas of electromagnetic materials, nanomaterials and graphene.“We have, in-house, all the state-of-the-art materials, nanofabrication and characterisation facilities required by our researchers and students,” affirms and introduces the University of Exeter’s Chief Information and Digital Officer, Alan Hill. “This includes e-beam lithography, thin film deposition, plasma-etching systems, and associated photonic laboratories; through to a suite of 3D printers and fully-equipped microwave and acoustics laboratories. This work has been directly supported by our Zen supercomputer and Beowulf clusters.”Mirroring the growth of the institution’s technological prowess has been the size of the University itself; four campuses now making up…
Qvantel
Working closely with some of the world’s largest telecommunications operators, Qvantel is accelerating the path to digitalisation Writer: Phoebe Calver Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki When Qvantel opened its doors in 1995 in Jyväskylä, Finland, internet connectivity was yet to come to mobile devices and some of the biggest growth for mobile industry was still ahead. The new Company’s journey started by providing billing software to Finnish telecommunications operators and then quickly expanded to Norway, Sweden and Denmark, where it began its pioneering billing and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions for Scandinavian operators. In the following years, Qvantel continued to grow and expand into new markets by addressing the biggest pain points of Communication Service Providers (CSPs). To put it simply, Qvantel handles the most critical assets of the CSP’s business including customers, revenue streams and products and the ways CSPs interact with their customers. “We have built both a solid reputation and loyal customer base thanks to our success with digital transformations for CSPs,” explains Ove Anebygd, Qvantel’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our work over the years has enabled operators to maximize business efficiency and reduce operational costs, resulting in up to 80 percent reduction in BSS System OPEX. “Today we are one of the fastest growing Finnish companies with teams spread across Finland, Estonia, India, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the US.” Over time, Qvantel has expanded its portfolio to address the needs of its customers. These products and solutions helped position the Company for future opportunities with technologies that ensure the business is compatible…
BEP Europe
BEP Europe (BEPE), a Burke Porter Group company, has perfected its skills in the development of machines, branching out into the development of autonomous driving as well as innovation in life sciences and advanced manufacturingWriter: Phoebe CalverProject Manager: Tom ArnoldBurke Porter Group’s intriguing approach to industry progression is not to become inventors, but to closely follow trends and disruptions to the market to ready themselves for forthcoming advancements.In order to achieve this, the Group has accomplished strategic acquisitions before integrating these companies to become active leaders in new high-growth niches. This creates extensive and sustainable growth opportunities for the future of the Company, while maintaining a strong market-leading position in the automotive industry.As part of the Burke Porter Group, BEP Europe (BEPE) works together with other companies within the group to build intelligent machines for automotive, life science and advanced manufacturing markets. Until 2009 BEPE focused exclusively on end-of-line test installations for automotive assembly plants, with some of its biggest customers including PSA and the VW Group.“Today our position in the market is a far more diverse one, although end-of-line tests still remain our main revenue generator,” begins Ward Van de Walle, Chief Technology Officer at Burke Porter Group. “Alongside BEP Europe’s original customers, the larger group now works with the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Fiat and JLR, offering full vehicle End-of-Line testing, axle testing and component testing.”In addition to its automotive test installations, BEP Europe is skilled in the development of new machine technology. The majority of its R&D (research and development) work in recent…
FORD UK
Keeping Britain MovingFor more than 50 years businesses have relied on Ford Transit to get the job done, and the Company is more determined than ever to maintain that tradition as the industry moves into the electric age Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Tom ArnoldTo be an outstanding global entity in a given industry is one thing, but to then hone in on more localised success over a sustained period of time is a whole other prospect; and one that Ford has achieved unwaveringly for more than 100 years in the UK.As the renowned automotive manufacturer’s third largest global market, accounting for around 30 percent of all sales in Europe, the UK has long served as a continental flagship for the Henry Ford-initiated pioneer. But by no means is this a one-way street of country empowering company; with the latter also enriching each presence point far beyond just its products offering.In essence, and as the Company correctly and proudly states, “Ford has a social responsibility to keep Britain moving” and this responsibility is carried out on a daily basis across more than five million customers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.“People rely on us consistently delivering class-leading products and services that allow them to run their lives and their businesses,” affirms and introduces Ford UK’s Chairman and Managing Director (MD), Andy Barratt. “Our position as the UK market leader is recognised and valued, with the Company frequently asked to comment - supporting Government and industry bodies - on key issues such as the future…
The Future Arrives in the Gulf
The second edition of the Future Cities Show will take place in Dubai, UAE, from 9-11 April, 2018, setting the tone for smart cities through the three pillars of sustainability, innovation, happiness and showcasing the future of urban life. With a theme of achieving sustainability through innovations, the show will showcase the cities of the future by highlighting the latest and the most innovative technologies that will change the future.As the worldwide smart cities movement gains momentum, Future Cities Show reflects and also presents the transformation of urban societies, infrastructure and environment that currently hosts more than 54 per cent of the 7.5 billion people and uses 75 percent of the power generated.A recent white paper, Evolution of Smart Cities and Connected Communities, co-sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association and the United Parcel Service (UPS), states that market value of smart cities is expected to jump from $14.85 billion in 2015 to $34.35 billion by 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate of over 18 percent.The white paper found that a key driver of smart cities growth is the ongoing trend of global urbanisation. “With 70 percent of the World’s population forecast to live in cities by 2050, the need for sustainable and liveable world cities is essential for a prosperous future,” said the report.More than 250 smart city projects are currently underway across 178 cities around the world, according to a new report from market research company Navigant Research, while many other cities are preparing to join the smart city movement.Future Cities Show focuses on education, wellbeing, knowledge sharing,…
Largest Construction Industry Event to Kick-Off In Dubai
Having contributed to build many regional landmarks over the past 38 years, The Big 5 2017 is set to leave an even greater legacy on the cities of tomorrow. The largest construction show in the Middle East will host an unprecedented line-up of visionary leaders this year, from 26-29 November at the Dubai World Trade.From the Chairman and Co-Founder of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Bibop G. Gresta, to acclaimed 3D printing experts, Benjamin Piper and Nick Billotti, today’s construction pioneers will present their revolutionary ideas, which are transforming our transportation systems, homes and cities.Dignitaries and key decision makers already confirmed they participation at The Big 5, including His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Shaikh, Chairman of Ducab HV, and Ahmed Al Khatib, the Vice President of Real Estate for Expo 2020 Dubai. Expected to welcome 79,000 construction professionals this year, the show will be strong of more than 2,500 exhibiting companies from 60 countries, offering 360 degree building solutions. Raktherm, Khansaheb, Wurth, Ritver Paints, Al Anwar, Nassar Stone, Dupont, Pedrollo, Zamil Industries, NAFFCO, Kludirak, Danube, Gulf Extrusion, Emirates Steel, Hassan Abul, Finpower, SABIC, Arabian Extrusions, and Robosoft Solutions are just some of the leading industry players that will be exhibiting their newest products in Dubai.Josine Heijmans, Portfolio Event Director of The Big 5, said: “The upcoming edition of the event will mark a turning point in the construction industry, setting the way to build better, more efficiently, and develop smart, sustainable cities.“We’re extremely proud to announce that The Big 5 2017 will gather some of the most brilliant and forward-thinking minds from around…
Six Challenges Facing Online Retailers during Black Friday Fortnight
Five or so years since it first crossed the Atlantic, Black Friday fortnight - and the run-up to Christmas - continues to hold challenges for ecommerce businesses, according to R&D tax credits specialist, Jumpstart. Although online retailers are better prepared than ever, new issues are constantly arising, says Stuart Pearson, a former IT developer who is now a Jumpstart adviser working with ecommerce companies. He says: “While retailers have greatly improved their ability to deal with traffic spikes, the changing landscape - for example the growth in social media sites and outlets and the rise in cybercrime - means there are plenty of other challenges to be addressed.“The UK is a global leader in ecommerce and we work with many companies that are developing exciting new technologies. However, running an ecommerce operation can throw up complex challenges, and retailers should be aware that it is not just work on leading-edge systems that will qualify for R&D tax credits; often it is dealing with the day-to-day challenges too.”Here are some of the key issues that companies are reporting this year:1. Server response times Dealing with traffic spikes is less of a problem than it once was, as retailers have increased their capacity either by using flexible hosting services, or creating their own load-balanced environments. However, problems can still arise if the additional servers cannot be brought online fast enough when traffic levels step up. 2. Improving customer insights While retailers are more sophisticated in using data to drive customer insights, the widening array of social media sites means there…
Middle East Electricity Show Surges as Regional Demand Dynamics Shift
Middle East Electricity (MEE), the region’s leading annual international trade event for the power industry, is undergoing major expansion in 2018 in order to service the shifting demand dynamics of the regional sector.To aid ongoing growth, Informa Exhibitions - the event organiser - has launched a dedicated energy storage and management solutions sector for the show, which is hosted by the UAE Ministry of Energy and runs at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 6 - 8 March, 2018. Informa will also debut the thought-leading Global Smart Energy Summit alongside the mega exhibition.“Middle East Electricity is evolving in line with the regional industry, which is now one of the world’s most vibrant,” said Anita Mathews, Group Director, Industrial Portfolio at Informa Exhibitions.“Our new dedicated product sector will launch as the Middle East and Africa's most comprehensive coming together of local, regional and international energy storage and management providers, with international manufacturers demonstrating the latest technologies transforming industry practices to regional audiences.“With governments looking to meet spiraling demand - between seven and eight percent a year - caused by population growth and industrialisation, change is the name of the game across the entire Middle East and Africa power gambit. There is also a tremendous appetite to embrace technologies and renewables to combat climate change, deliver smart cities and make local eco-systems more resilient.”Energy storage and management solutions will join four other specialised sectors at the show, which more than 43 years has ignited and then maintained a reputation of being a bell-weather for regional development. The other…
World Islamic Banking Conference Announces 24th Edition
Middle East Global Advisors have announced it will convene the 24th edition of the World Islamic Banking Conference, the largest gathering of Islamic banking and finance leaders in the world.
Ras Al Khaimah: The Forgotten Emirate
While Dubai and Abu Dhabi continue to grab headlines, attract celebrities and boast the limelight amid the UAE’s surge to prominence, one of the remaining seven emirates is slowly evolving as a hidden gem; leveraging more natural attributes to catch the attention of tourists and business travellers alike.Its name deriving from the meaning, ‘headland of the small huts’, Ras Al Khaimah actually attempts to stay true to this more humble of origins rather than ditching its indigenous appeal in preference of more modern glitz.Split between Old Ras Al Khaimah and Nakheel on either side of the creek that runs through the northern Emirate, its beaches, mountainous terrain and hospitable inhabitants make for much more of a quaint, picturesque, adventurous experience in comparison to some of its counterparts’ Riviera-esque make-up.That being said, some facets do remain consistent across the entire UAE contingent; namely the hot and arid desert climate, and the religious influences on both the country’s people and infrastructure.But whereas the familiar visitor stomping grounds of Abu Dhabi and Dubai have then gone to great lengths to modernise and westernise its spectacular offerings, Ras Al Khaimah offers a much more grounded - if not equally refined and developed - environment.And people’s heads are turning. On the tourism side, outdoor pursuit enthusiasts and adventurers are arriving to the Emirate in their droves, eager to soak in the stunning scenery across ‘RAK’s hot springs, sun-baked desert, sandy beaches, and striking mountains.And inevitably, the same attractions also serve as effective pastimes for the executive and corporate community, which Ras…