Issue 5
Rigshospitalet
Denmark’s Medical Specialists As the flagship hospital for the capital region of Denmark, Rigshospitalet will continue in its efforts to remain the preferred choice for patients in need of highly specialised treatment Writer: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Eddie Clinton Rigshospitalet is perceived as a modern, patient-oriented and state-of-the-art facility, highly specialised in key medical areas. As Denmark’s leading hospital, it is known as the flagship for research and development, innovation and sustainability which are at the heart of the organisation. In close collaboration with other hospitals in the capital region, and with enterprise and knowledge institutions such as MD Anderson Cancer Centre and Copenhagen Science City, Rigshospitalet serves as a power centre for research in healthcare and medical science.Among the 10 best research hospitals in Europe, Rigshospitalet offers education and training programmes at a high level and holds the highest productivity rate among specialised hospitals on the continent. “Competent and dedicated employees who cooperate to provide the best quality for patients is just one of our visions and goals we uphold as part of our vision 2020,” said the hospital. Award-winning patient careBeing one of the region’s largest workplaces, with a good national and international image, Rigshospitalet attracts a wide range of employees and students from around the world, who contribute actively to developing the Copenhagen Science City North, while remaining the preferred choice for patients in need of exceptional specialised treatment. Divided into six treatment centres and two interdisciplinary centres, each centre has a number of clinics and departments, 12 of these key areas have been awarded The Global Excellence…
Previder
Low Cost, High Quality Previder has gone from strength to strength since its 2006 acquisition by the Odin Group, and is now looking to introduce its reputable Datacenter and IT solutions to an international audience Writer: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Dan Hester Previder is striving to make waves on an international scale after securing its position as one of the leading data centre providers in Holland over the past decade.Opening its doors as Introweb back in 1996 as an internet service provider (ISP), the company as it is currently known and renowned was kickstarted in 2006 following an acquisition from the Odin Group.The subsequent nine years of rebranding, development, expansion and improvement has made Previder one of the leading business partners of choice within the tech domain in the Netherlands; something which Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Eric Vredeveldt attributes to the transformation of key services being offered following the Odin acquisition.“The Odin Group of Companies acquired Introweb with the vision of expanding the hosting and ISP services we were already active in, but adding data centre activities as well,” he explains. “We then started planning the build of our brand new data centre, which was 2,500 square metres in size, and we finished that in 2010.”Named PDC2 (Previder Data Centre 2), it was evident to the company very early on that this concept could be improved upon and Previder soon capitalised on the opportunity to build PDC1, an even larger data centre to provide an overall twin concept to send into the market.“As of 2010, we were renamed Previder and…
Argos Energies
The Netherlands’ Fastest Growing Oil Company Bio and LNG fuels have grown in importance in Western Europe in recent years and downstream oil player, Argos Energies intends to use its extensive market experience and knowledge to keep ahead of this industry curve Writer: Emily JarvisProject Manager: James Mitchell Argos Energies is looking for alternative sources of energy by branching out into using LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as bunker fuel. As the largest independent player, not listed on the stock exchange or state affiliated in the Western European downstream oil market, Argos Energies combines storage and distribution with the international trade-in and sale of mineral oils and biofuels.With a range of customers including major oil companies, international shipping firms, trading firms and resellers, Argos products are among the highest quality in the region, boasting a reliable supply and a streamlined delivery process.In addition to further expanding its current activities, in scale as well as geographically, Argos will focus on a wider spectrum of low-emission energy products in 2015 and beyond, with safety, sustainability and the environment a priority throughout. “This is a key aspect of the business going forward as biofuel has become an important new product group for Argos,” says Piet Van den Ouden, Business Development Manager for Argos Energies.The company is gearing up to take the position among Western Europe’s front runners in the land, sea and air markets for both biofuels and other renewable energy services. Consequently, Argos comprises a well-balanced range of the most sustainable and innovative products currently available in the market.In 2016, Argos Energies…
Barco Fredrikstad
Globally Renowned Innovators in Visualisation Barco is a brand that is known as a leader in its field. Boasting in-house competence, state-of-the-art equipment and testing facilities, customersrecognise its products as visualisation solutions that they can count on Writer: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Dave Alexander Barco Fredrikstad is at the forefront of technological advancements in high resolution, compact visualisation projectors. Designed to perform in a wide variety of fields including control rooms, training and simulation, visitor attractions and scientific visualisation to name but a few, the company is one of the small number remaining in Europe that still designs and manufactures in-house.Part of the one billion euro Barco Group headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, the Norwegian arm of the business is located in Fredrikstad and is regularly recognised as a Centre of Excellence in the visualisation industry worldwide.Previously known as projectiondesign, the company name was changed to Barco following an acquisition in 2013, which CEO John Paulissen says was designed to merge competencies and blend synergies of the two reputable visualisation companies: “The Group wanted to extend its focus into areas that it could build further strength in; namely simulation, visitor attractions, and the venues and hospitality industry. These were areas that projectiondesign held its strengths.”“The former projectiondesign brand and accompanying image is to be retained going forward as it has always focussed on the people behind the company. It remains invested in human development with an emphasis on our reputation as trustworthy and investable among partners,” says Paulissen.With the pace of development in the technology industry ever-increasing, Barco Fredrikstad invariably invests…
Fjord Line
Propelling Energy Efficient Shipping An award-winning company known for its energy-efficiency commitments, Fjord Line has experienced rapid expansion of its passenger and cargo business in recent years Writer: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Tom Culllum Providing transport between Norway and the rest of Europe with emphasis on energy efficiency is Fjord Line’s primary aim. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, Fjord Line has been expanding rapidly over the past few years due to additional tonnage and expansion of services for both passengers and cargo carriers. With roots tracing back to 1993, Fjord Line has today around 600 employees, 175 of which work on land across Norway and 425 at sea year-round. In addition to passenger traffic, Fjord Line carries all types of commercial vehicles and freight via its container ships. These are handled by Fjord Line’s cargo departments in Norway and Denmark.As a modern shipping company that offers safe and comfortable transport, Fjord Line is keen to fuel its vessels using alternative sources of energy including LNG fuels going forward. New management The company entered 2015 with a new Chief Executive at the helm, Rickard Ternblom, who has taken over from Ingvald Fardal. Since 2007, Fardal led the company through a period of rapid growth and fleet modernisation, going to great lengths to create the market’s two most modern and environmentally-friendly cruise ferries, as well as opening new lines. Current CEO Ternblom hopes that his personal experience at sea combined with long term involvement in management and administration for this industry will form a “good foundation that will ensure the company has…
FM Logistic
Demandingness, Drive, Entrepreneurship FM Logistic continues to expand its supply chain footprint and offering in line with its core internal values, ensuring customer satisfaction, staff development and flexible operationsWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: James Mitchell FM Logistic has diversified, expanded and enhanced its range of supply chain operations over the past five decades to become one of the most internationally reputable businesses in the industry, all the while staying true to the same entrepreneurial family values that helped build its initial success.Beginning life as a family run business in 1967 as a transport company in eastern France, it was two significant periods of evolution which laid the platform for FM’s rise to prominence ever since; a strategic move into warehousing in 1982, and the company’s first foray into international territory 10 years’ later.Since then, the business has taken its extensive range of storage & handling, transport & distribution, co-packaging & co-manufacturing, and warehousing services to 12 different countries, across three different continents.Servicing the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), manufacturing, cosmetics (beauty and perfumes) and health industries through this range, FM Logistic is now regarded as one of the most reliable, innovative and truly turnkey providers within the supply chain world.“It is one of our key considerations: how to be an international company based in 12 countries with 18,000 people, but to keep our philosophies and values and to be a company with the right governance and respect to all people,” says FM Logistic’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jean-Christophe Machet.“It’s about putting the respect of the company in the middle…
Adidas Turnaround Plan Brings Production Back to Europe
In a bid to gain market share are rebound from a previous business plan that did not achieve its goals, popular German sportswear firm Adidas has outlined a new strategy that includes manufacturing some of its apparel in Europe rather than Asia.The company's Chief Executive, Herbert Hainer, said that he intends to bring production back to “where the main markets are", hoping that the changes will help it make new products available with a much quicker route to market.In a blog on the company's website, Mr Hainer wrote: “We had to accept in late 2014 that we'd not met all our financial ambitions which we'd set ourselves in the light of the strategic business plan Route 2015 five years ago.”Adidas says the initiative will help increase net income by 15 percent a year from now through to 2020 and will keep rivals such as Nike from eating into its market share. The company said it was testing automated production units that would speed up manufacturing and allow customers to personalise their purchases.One marketing expert called the shift to strategic cities a sensible move. “Those areas are important because they are opinion leaders,” said Vince Mitchell, Professor of Marketing at Cass Business School. Mr Mitchell added that “swift production speed” was the secret to the success of such High Street retailers as Zara.As part of Adidas’ strategic business plan, called ‘Creating the New’, the company will invest in talent and marketing in Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo.The company's executive board member in charge…
Lafarge Shares Drop amid Holcim Deal Dispute
Shares in French cement group, Lafarge have fallen by around two percent following the news that two shareholders of its Swiss merger partner, Holcim appeared unhappy with revised deal terms that were designed to placate them.Russian businessman Filaret Galchev, who owns a 10.8 percent stake in Holcim via Eurocement Holding AG, has rejected the new merger terms, which give Holcim shareholders a more favourable share exchange and which remove Lafarge boss Bruno Lafont from the role of CEO of the combined group.Galchev, Holcim's second-largest shareholder, views the terms as "not satisfactory and half-baked", the Sonntagszeitung reported, citing an unnamed source described as a Galchev confidant.Separately, Harris Associates said it was not prepared to back the deal until it knows who will take Lafont's place."Before we decide on the transaction we first want to know who will be put forward for this post," David Herro, chief investment officer for international equities at Harris, said in an interview with Swiss business newspaper Finanz und Wirtschaft.Harris owns 3.19 percent of Holcim's shares according to Thomson Reuters data.Lafarge and Holcim are two of the biggest names in the European construction industry, leading the eyes of the sector towards the ongoing situation which is likely to have a large bearing not only on both companies’ share prices but also the future of the wider market.
Christo Botes: How to Grow Your Business
Starting a business is a daunting task, and growing the business, or even just keeping it afloat, can be even more overwhelming. Many new businesses do not survive this initial phase due to the business owner making mistakes during the first few fragile years of operation. Christo Botes, spokesperson for the 2015 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition, says that while some mistakes can sometimes be fatal to a business, they also teach entrepreneurs very important lessons. Botes says that growing a business takes time, patience and practice, and entrepreneurs should aim for consistent and profitable growth, which is sometimes a struggle in the early years. “Growing a business takes more than just a great idea. During the business’ growth stage, entrepreneurs are bound to face challenges where they may stumble, but this is the nature of venturing into new territories. Often we see new businesses with great growth potential falling short due to costly, and sometimes, avoidable, mistakes.” Botes points to some hurdles entrepreneurs fall victim to when growing their business, and provides tips on how to avoid these: The need for speed: While it is advisable to enter the market as early as possible when noticing a gap, and to leap at opportunities that present themselves, rushing your market research and not planning sufficiently for such a venture can be detrimental to your business. Rather take a step back, analyze the pros and cons and do the necessary due diligence. Remember that concepts take time to develop, and investing enough time and resources in building the…
More Customers, More Staff, Less Costs: Top Three Priorities for UK Business
Increasing the size of their customer base, employing more people and cutting costs are the three most important business goals for UK SMEs in 2015, according to new research from Santander Corporate & Commercial. Finding more customers was ranked by three-fifths of businesses (61%) as the key target, followed by half (52%) for employing more people and a similar number (51%) for cutting costs. Other objectives include buying new capital equipment (45%), to develop new products (41%), and to seek out new suppliers (33%). The survey, which gauged sentiment from a range of UK businesses around their business plans in 2015, found that SMEs which described themselves as ‘highly ambitious’ were even more focused on growing customers and employees: two-thirds (66%) were looking to grow the number of customers and 57% to employ more staff. Highly ambitious businesses were also more likely to be actively trading internationally: 56% stated they already trade internationally versus half (50%) for all firms; and a quarter (23%) said they will look to expand further into international markets in 2015 against a fifth (20%) of all businesses. Commenting on the survey, Marcelino Castrillo, Head of SME at Santander Corporate & Commercial, said: “It is great to see that expansion is a key theme for UK businesses in 2015, particularly with regards to employing more staff. This is great news for the UK economy as the health of the country’s small and medium-sized businesses significantly affects us all. It is also interesting to note that firms that see themselves as highly ambitious are eager to expand,…
Managing Risk Beyond The Walls Of Your Own Company
By Philip Johnson, FM GlobalEuropean companies have become dependent on the emerging economies for production, new facilities and customers. Today, over half of the income from the global 500 occurs outside the country of domicile, proving we have shifted towards a truly global business landscape. More than 90 Global Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in emerging markets, whereas in 1996 there were none.Supply chain planners must also deal with rising complexity. Many companies are having to work harder to meet their customers’ increasingly diverse requirements. According to a recent report by McKinsey, mobile-phone makers introduced 900 more varieties of handsets in 2009 than they did in 2000.This movement of multinational organisations into emerging markets, combined with the diversification of their product portfolio, has meant that supply chain risk has become an increasingly complex and important issue for businesses today. To make good supply chain decisions now requires lots of data and research. When building resilience to natural catastrophes and other property losses, companies need to understand the risk landscape, in order to identify the "pinch points" where problems may cause business interruption. Using data, companies can analyse the risks they face and prevent or control them.The FM Global Resilience IndexAt FM Global, we identified that this kind of information (based upon hard data) wasn’t readily accessible to organisations today. As commercial property insurers, with the belief that the majority of loss is preventable, we strive to push supply chain issues as far up the corporate agenda as possible. We want to help companies so that they are…
Are Telecoms Shooting Down Skype And Viber With New LTE Technology? (Part One)
By Jakob Sand, BDOTelecoms companies all over the world are busy rolling out their Voice over 4G LTE technology, also known as VoLTE.For telecoms, VoLTE kills two birds with one stone by lowering their costs as well as giving them the means to offer higher quality and new services to end consumers. It also looks likely that telecoms are getting ready to lob VoLTE in the general direction of some of their newest competitors.“One of the things that VoLTE does is that it puts the Voice over IP applications like Skype, Google Hangouts and Viber squarely in the crosshairs of the telecoms,” IDC’s Telecom Industry Analyst Rosalind Craven says. “VoLTE gives seamless integration of voice and video calls and can provide a higher quality alternative to these services.“While it is difficult to know whether telecoms are also willing to compete with the VoIP services on price, it does lead to an interesting confrontation.”The stakes of the confrontation could, in other words, be as high as the future of voice and video messaging.Recent bad memories could be set for repeatFor the telecoms, there are plenty of reasons to take on the newcomers.A report from the telecoms and media research company, Ovum predicts that telecommunications providers stand to lose a combined $386 billion of the so-called over-the-top (OTT) voice over IP (VoIP) services.To put it into perspective, they stand to lose more than the entire annual GDP of the likes of Hong Kong, Austria or Norway. At the same time, we are spending more and more time on…
Are Telecoms Shooting Down Skype And Viber With New LTE Technology? (Part Two)
By Jakob Sand, BDOSlow moving train – at first For telecoms, 2015 looks set to be a big year in regards to VoLTE. In countries from Australia to Venezuela, including markets in the US, UK and China, the technology is being rolled out or trialled.In the long run, telecoms will be able to dismantle some of their current infrastructure as 4G in general and specifically VoLTE becomes standard for all voice and video calls, as well as freeing up valuable bandwidth to meet ever-increasing demands. “It helps them to reduce costs especially with regard to maintaining several separate networks. Until now, they needed to run a second network - either 2G or 3G - in order to be able to provide voice services. This requirement is not necessary anymore and they can focus on LTE as the ‘only’ technology for the entire range of services,” Christian Götz, Partner in Corporate Finance, BDO Germany, says. The changes are still in their infancy, but will gather pace in the coming years, meaning that telecoms stand to save a lot of money on infrastructure. In the shorter term, these services will augment the current offerings that telecoms have, and put them in a better position to fight back against apps like Skype and Viber. While the current drop in minutes that people are spending on voice calls via telecoms’ services is limited, there is a much more pronounced drop in relation to international calls. Offering customers a higher quality alternative with new features might turn that tide, and prevent it happening…
MWC: The Must-See Gadgets of 2015
Mobile World Congress 2015 (MWC) retains its title as one of the key technology events where captains of industry break news, showcase their latest innovations and even launch products big and small. Cnet described this years’ event as showing off “interest-piquing gadgets and big-name speakers proving that the mobile industry is still evolving in critical ways”. From flagship smartphones and watches to the darn right weird and wonderful tech of the future, MWC is a platform that delivers year after year. Europe Outlook takes a look at some of the technological wonders debuting at the event, hand-picking some of this years’ most talked-about gadgets.SmartphonesOrange and Firefox to launch $40 phone in developing countriesCheaper smartphones still play a vital role in connecting people in emerging countries around the world. In line with this mantra, Orange expect to sell millions of its new Klif device with Mozilla’s Firefox OS pre-loaded, and will be launching the phone in the second quarter of 2015 on a $40 package deal to 13 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The device will come bundled with six months of voice, text and data services.At MWC, Mozilla identified that the low-budget category in developing nations would be an excellent entry point to get noticed and distinguish themselves from Google and Apple, whose software typically requires more powerful, expensive hardware.“We will address this part of the population who still don’t have access to the internet,” Yves Maitre, Orange’s Executive Vice President of Connected Objects and Partnerships stated. “In this part of the world, smartphone penetration is…
Waste Not Want Not: Improve Forecasting For Better Business
By Andrew Fowkes, Head of Retail Centre of Excellence, SAS UK and IrelandFood waste is never far from the headlines and has long been a thorny issue for retailers and consumers alike. The figures are staggering: A leading UK supermarket chain generated almost 30,000 tonnes of food waste in the first half of 2013, while the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) suggests 4.2 million tonnes of food went to waste in the UK in 2012. Aside from the obvious sustainability and ethics issues, this surplus is hitting grocers’ bottom lines and reducing visibility of profits for the whole supply chain. The finger of blame is usually pointed at the cornucopia of price promotions found on grocers’ shelves as they strive to compete with the ‘dreaded discounters’. It’s true that the number of deals has accelerated surprisingly quickly; our customers tell us that up to 50 percent of sales now come from deals and promotions, compared to just 12 percent five years ago. And, anecdotally, it’s estimated 60 percent of waste is caused by inaccurate forecasting around those deals. And this is just the beginning. Recent research by the Institute of Grocery Distribution sees the fastest growth in the UK grocery market coming from the discounters, whose value will double to £21.4bn by 2019. Convenience stores and online channels are not far behind, with superstores holding on to just 35 percent of the market. This all points to one thing: the price wars are here to stay. If grocers want to be in control of their own destiny in this…
Holcim and Lafarge Deal Re-Emerges
Europe's two largest cement companies Holcim and Lafarge have rescued a stumbling €41 billion ($43.82) merger by reconciling differences over financial terms and management that nearly caused the collapse of one of the biggest deals in recent years. After several days of intense negotiations to salvage the proposition, a new arrangement was formed whereby Holcim will pay around 0.90 of its shares for each one in Lafarge. What was initially agreed as a one-for-one share deal when it was announced last April will now be adjusted in favour of Holcim, after the Swiss company outperformed its French rival financially and saw the relative value of its shares enhanced by the strengthening of the Swiss franc. Private talks to salvage the €41 billion merger became under the spotlight after Holcim said the deal to create the world's biggest cement company could “not be pursued in its present form”. Although internal management shifts were protested, large shareholders on both sides remained supportive of the deal, motivated in part by the large cost savings promised.
Telefónica Agrees Sale of O2 to Hutchison Whampoa
Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL), parent company of UK telecom operator Three, has entered into an agreement with Telefónica to buy its UK subsidiary, O2 UK, for a final total of £10.25 billion. The timing and amounts of these payments will depend on the actual cash flow positions of the combined businesses.The acquisition of O2 UK will create the number one mobile operator in the UK with almost 33 million customers and the deal is expected to generate significant synergy potential. This combination will provide our business with the scale and financial strength necessary to be an even more effective and aggressive competitor in the rapidly evolving UK telecommunications sector. The combined business will have a much stronger ability to compete and businesses and consumers alike will benefit from the combined networks which will deliver better network coverage and quality of service.Commenting on the deal Canning Fok, Group Managing Director of HWL, said: “We are proud of the business built up by Three in the UK. It is a market leader in mobile data and customers benefit from a superior high speed mobile data network. The signature of definitive agreements with Telefónica today is a major milestone. Completion of the transaction is expected in 2016 as it is of course subject to conditions, including most importantly, satisfactory approvals from competition regulators.“The combination of Three UK and O2 UK will create a business with unmatched scale and strength that will allow us to better compete against other operators in the marketplace and will also enable us to provide even better service…
Costa Rica is Fossil Fuel Free for 75 Days
According to the state-owned Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), the country hasn’t had to burn fossil fuels to supply the grid with electricity so far in 2015, a stretch that has never been previously attained by any nation. It is worth noting that not all of their energy has come from renewables as their vehicles, for example, still use fossil fuels, but what they have achieved is extremely impressive. “The year 2015 has been one of electricity totally friendly to the environment for Costa Rica,” the ICE said in a statement last week. As reported by Think Progress, the country’s clean streak is predominantly attributable to heavy rains experienced this year, which have kept four of the main hydroelectric power stations busy. In fact, these have been churning out so much energy that virtually all of 2015’s electricity demands have been met through these plants, according to Quartz. The remainder of the country’s grid requirements have been met through a combination of wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy. In Latin America, Costa Rica ranks second in terms of electricity service provision (behind Uruguay) with a household coverage rate of 99.4 percent. And thanks to this boon in renewables, citizens are shortly due a 12 percent drop in electricity rates this year and given the reserves so far accumulated, this downward trend is predicted to continue in the second quarter, Latin American Herald Tribune reports. Costa Rica is determined to become carbon-neutral by 2021, which seems an achievable goal given that the country is currently meeting around 94 percent of its energy needs from renewables. Around 68 percent is sourced from hydroelectric power plants, followed by geothermal energy that contributes about 15…