BE Europe Issue 6

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE Issue 6 | www.bus-ex.com

The Future of Work in a Covid 19 world

EUROPE EDITION

Copenhagen Metro

Breathing Life into Denmark’s Capital City The city’s rapid transit expansion is part of a massive investment being made by the Danish government

Infraestruturas de Portugal Brussels Airport

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BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

THE TEAM RESEARCH Eurides Lopes e.lopes@bus-ex.com Fernando Ruiz f.ruiz@bus-ex.com Joseph Philips j.philips@bus-ex.com

Involved Feature your business today

EDITORIAL Kaye Kalu k.kalu@bus-ex.com Charline Simonin c.simonin@bus-ex.com Michael Minihan m.minihan@bus-ex.com

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CONTENTS

COVER STORY

56 Copenhagen Metro

Breathing Life into Denmark’s Capital City The city’s rapid transit system since 2002 is currently undergoing expansion.

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INSIGHT

The Future of Work in a Covid 19 world

The advent of millions of professionals all over the world has underlined to companies just how effective the tools at their disposal really are.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Covid 19 and Infrastructure projects in Europe

The advent of Covid 19 in early 2020 has tested the resolve of the European Union arguably more than even the Euro currency crisis almost a decade ago.

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STRATEGY

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Offers365: Open for Business

One small team in Manchester offers an optimistic outlook on the future.

ADPL

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Infraestruturas de Portugal

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana

Running like clockwork BE Europe looks at RFI in some detail.

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RB RAIL AS - Rail Baltica Project

At the heart of Portugal’s modern maritime industry We learn about a proud maritime history.

The backbone of Portugal How Portugal has been investing in long-term infrastructure for as long as the records go back.

Connecting the Baltics and Europe Rail Baltica is a much needed European gate railway and an economic corridor of high importance to the European Union.

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A Flight to the Future of Europe We recently visited Brussels Airport to find out about the new directions the airport is taking.

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BUSINESS PROFILES

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Brussels Airport

A.R.M.

Maintaining Madeira for over a Decade Madeira, the island off Portugal, is regularly voted the best island destination in the world.

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The Future of Work in a Covid 19 world The advent of millions of professionals all over the world has underlined to companies just how effective the tools at their disposal really are.

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he future of work may have arrived faster than we were expecting.

While the economy at large has changed irrevocably even in the past 20 years, with movements in the markets being dictated by technology firms rather than their peers in manufacturing, the working environment has remained largely the same for the past 50 years. That is, until the beginning of 2020, when Covid 19 arrived and made everyone rethink this arrangement.

The advent of millions of professionals all over the world has underlined to companies just how effective the tools at their disposal really are. One senior executive at international accounting firm BDO captured this reality when telling the Financial Times: “In six weeks we’ve taken almost the entirety of the back offices of

corporate America and moved them to kitchens and living rooms and it’s been pretty seamless.”

For one thing, this has made some companies question the need for a centralized physical workplace at all. S4 Capital, a London-based financial firm, recently noted that it spends £35 million a year renting office space when Covid 19 has shown that this money could be better spent on people development. Likewise, Twitter - itself with 35 offices around the world - has told its employees that it can continue to work from home after Covid 19 has passed.

With a quiet workspace and an internetenabled laptop computer connected to the company’s network, the physical presence of people at a company’s office is no longer a prerequisite for getting the work done.

“WITH A QUIET WORKSPACE AND AN INTERNET-ENABLED LAPTOP COMPUTER CONNECTED TO THE COMPANY’S NETWORK, THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF PEOPLE AT A COMPANY’S OFFICE IS NO LONGER A PREREQUISITE FOR GETTING THE WORK DONE”

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INSIGHT

Meetings can be conducted by pre-existing technology such as Zoom, Whatsapp and Google Hangouts. Document sharing can be conducted through virtual data rooms such as DealRooms. Workflows are easily handled with Trello and others.

None of this is to dismiss the power of an office setting entirely. The benefits of bringing colleagues together in one place such as idea sharing, bond-making and developing networks outside immediate work circles outweigh such a scenario. But by allowing people to work from home on a more regular basis - say, 2 to 3 days a week - would create efficiencies elsewhere that the companies themselves would gain from.

Outside of the costs associated with running offices, less traffic on the roads would mean lower commute times,

allowing companies to appeal to workers spread across a larger catchment area.

More time at home would also mean them giving better options to their workers in areas such as childcare (still a major hurdle for women, even at the best companies) and study programs, where study is easier when a large chunk of the day isn’t spent commuting.

Covid 19 has wrought a dreadful human and economic cost. If there has been one bright spot amidst the gloom, it’s that it may have made us look at some things differently - how we carry out our work, being a prime example. It has even brought what we always considered to be the ‘future of work’ to the current day.

Many years from now, we may look back and see Covid 19 as a pivotal moment in the history of how people work.

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Covid 19 and Infrastructure projects in Europe The advent of Covid 19 in early 2020 has tested the resolve of the European Union arguably more than even the Euro currency crisis almost a decade ago.

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he need for a collective response conflicted with countries justifiably closing their borders and transport routes to protect their citizens against the spread of coronavirus. After a German Supreme Court ruling in May said the EU was overstepping its mandate, some even questioned the future of the union.

The collective response by the EU is best seen through the prism of its plans for infrastructure. The European Commission has set an unprecedented 6-year budget to 2027 of €1.85 trillion. This budget will be used to roll out the EU’s ‘Next Generation’ infrastructure projects, which include projects in traditional transport infrastructure, the technology transition

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and infrastructure projects which emphasise the shift towards green energy and sustainability.

Chief among Europe’s plans for infrastructure technology postCovid include projects in 5G, AI and cybersecurity. These projects are seen as ways to kickstart economies across the continent. Governments of all 27 EU member states have either already, or are in the process of, running auctions for telecommunications providers to roll out 5G infrastructure. Widespread 5G will be a big driver behind the work-from-home movement in Europe after Covid 19.

In terms of energy infrastructure, European Commission President,

INFRASTRUCTURE

Ursula von der Leyen, has said that the so-called EU Green Deal will be ‘our motor for the [post Covid 19] recovery.’

This includes a massive renovation of buildings and infrastructure to improve their sustainability, increased funding for energy projects - especially wind, solar and clean hydrogen projects, and cleaner transport and logistics, underpinned by over 1m new electric car charging stations.

Transport infrastructure too, will also gain.

In London, the crossrail project is expected to cost the UK capital in excess of £17.5 billion to complete, but represents the kind of infrastructure project London has been needed for decades. Similarly, the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, an 18-kilometre tunnel

project linking Denmark and Germany, has been designated by the EU as one of the 30 most important projects on the continent.

When finished, it will be the world’s longest immersed road and rail tunnel.

These are just to name some of the infrastructure projects in Europe, which, far from being derailed by the impact of Covid 19, have only grown in urgency and importance as the continent seeks to get back on track. Other projects such as the Sognefjord floating tunnel in Norway and the Brenner Base Tunnel in Central Europe, show that Covid 19 has neither dampened the endeavour nor the ambition of the infrastructure projects set for delivery in Europe over the next five to ten years.

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RUNNING LIKE CLOCKWORK Rete Ferroviaria Italiana BE Europe looks at RFI in some detail. We look at its operations, how it has progressed since being founded in 2001 and where its future is likely to take it.

RESEARCH BY

Joseph Philips

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RETE FERROVIARIA ITALIANA

n just a few days in Italy, a visitor could begin a train ride in Genoa, pass the Italian Riviera and the Cinqueterre, take in Bologna and Florence, head south to Rome and then on to Napoli and the Amalfi coast. It’s genuinely hard to think of anywhere in the world that one could take in a more breathtaking range of cities and landscapes.

The best way to take this journey, not to mention the most affordable, would be by train.

Anyone that has ever been to Italy will know that its rail network runs like clockwork. That it does so is a testament to Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), the company in Italy whose mandate it is to design, build, operate, manage and maintain the country’s rail infrastructure.

In this article, BE Europe looks at the organization in some detail. We look at its operations, how it has progressed since being founded in 2001 and where its future is likely to take it.

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Background RFI was established in July 2001 as an infrastructure company of the Ferrovie dello Stato Group (literally the state rail group). RFI had previously been run as a government entity but the new arrangement, an EU directive implemented by the Italian Government, aimed at separating the network operator from the producer of transportation infrastructure.

“At the end of 2019, the RFI was responsible for managing 24,500 kilometres of railway track, with approximately 2,200 passenger stations of some format”

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RETE FERROVIARIA ITALIANA

“RFI employs approximately 26,500 people and constantly works on what it calls ‘improving the generational mix.’”

The RFI has a broad mandate where operating the rail network is concerned. This includes everything from the planning and implementation of investments, maintenance of the railway infrastructure and definition of the rail network timetable to the accessibility of railway terminals for people with reduced mobility, maintaining maritime links between mainland Italy and its islands, and conducting regular psycho-physical assessments of its workforce to assess their capability of providing the best possible service to passengers.

At the end of 2019, the RFI was responsible for managing 24,500 kilometres of railway track, with approximately 2,200 passenger stations of some format. It was also responsible

for four ferries and 211 freight plants. Regular maintenance and updating of the system also means that the majority of this infrastructure is state of the art. For example, over 13,000 kilometres of the track can be run by remote control and 12,500 kilometres of track where the train can be controlled remotely.

Putting Italy in motion In 2018, RFI recognized a profit of EUR 274 million - the twelfth year in a row that the company achieved a profit, and not always against the backdrop of a growing Italian economy. Notably, the company also makes annual investments in excess of EUR 4 billion aimed at maintaining the standards set by the

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We draw, forge and shape the future Hydraulico designs and delivers advanced press technology and complete production lines to exceed your expectations.

We are dedicated to building competitive advantage for our customers by means of highly productive and reliable solutions as well as best in class service.

T. +45 87 80 20 00 E. info@hydraulico.com hydraulico.com

Management and design Offering integrated engineering services to the most demanding and qualified clients who are acutely aware of the need for careful design and planning to complete the work within budget and on time.

T. +390471099521 E. info@3m-engineering.it www.3m-engineering.it

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inspired Your weekly digest of business news and views

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RETE FERROVIARIA ITALIANA

HYDRAULICO

Switch-Rail Forging line by Hydraulico Hydraulico is specialized in developing Turn-key solutions to provide its customers with sustained competitive advantage at a reasonable price.

As an example, we have the latest Switch-Rail Forging line developed for Rete Ferroviarial Italiana with which Hydraulico consolidates as a world leader within this specific niche.

Each solution is tailormade to maximize customer value. Based on Hydraulico’s core business and process knowledge within hydraulic presses Hydraulico has the right know-how to supply complete Automated Turnkey Solutions. In the case of Rail Ends forging, the solution includes: • Preheating • Forging • Dies • Lubrication • Handling of rails • Hardening Through consistent and proven developments; Hydraulico has optimized the individual subprocesses to fulfill customers’ requests and comply with global standard. The Forging line is based on a 5000 tons forging press. The press is the heart of the forging line and combined with highly defined induction furnace – minimum preheating time. To achieve optimum forging results, minimizing the heat affected zone and decarbonation of the rail-material, the heating technique of the rail ends is crucial!

Every sub-process in the Rail Forging Line is optimized accordingly to achieve the best geometry and microstructure of the rails, at lowest energy consumption. This also includes the design of the forging dies, which minimizes

customer’s post forming machining; Hydraulico makes the design of the dies and simulates the forging results before the design is released to manufacturing.

The rail forging line is being loaded, handled, and unloaded automatically by our RTS system (rail transfer system). The 3 forging-steps are carried out within strictly controlled time window. In the forging process time is a crucial parameter; every forging step must be done before the temperature of the rail ends falls out the range.

Finally, a head hardening process can be integrated. The purpose of this process is to secure and fulfill the hardness of the specified rail ends. Overall the output of the Hydraulico Rail Forging line is from 4-8 rails per hour depending on the specified rail and the standard to comply with.

Hydraulico’s capacity to provide complete solutions based on know-how will not only minimize your risk but also put you ahead of the market.

+45 87 80 20 00 info@hydraulico.com www.hydraulico.com

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company and continuously modernizing its fleet and infrastructure.

All of the company’s work is underpinned by four strategic objectives: safety, punctuality and reliability, performance upgrade and efficiency and innovation and sustainability.

The large investments over the past five years have contributed significantly to meeting these objectives, including through the installation of advanced technological equipment in large metropolitan hubs and increasing the network’s capacity and performance.

Above all has been the marked enhancement of Italy’s connectivity, both

between its own cities and between Italian cities and those of its neighbours. This has been achieved through building new lines, making its transport services faster, connecting more ports, terminals and airports to the railway network - including passengers and freight.

People and Sustainability RFI employs approximately 26,500 people and constantly works on what it calls ‘improving the generational mix.’ This means bringing in new high school and college graduates every year as well as offering incentives to

“In everything from its annual reports to its promotional material, RFI underlines the importance of ensuring that it provides for people with reduced mobility”

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RETE FERROVIARIA ITALIANA

older members of staff to put retirement plans in place. What results is a balance between young and old that gives the company a winning combination of fresh new thinking and invaluable experience.

In everything from its annual reports to its promotional material, RFI underlines the importance of ensuring that it provides for people with reduced mobility. It has rolled out ‘easy station’ and ‘smart station’ programs aimed at improving accessibility for this cohort, making its stations into more appealing places to be for everyone.

RFI’s green credentials and its commitment to sustainable procurement was also rewarded in May 2018, when it was awarded a prize in the Ethical Purchases and Sustainability category of the third edition of the Procurement Awards Beyond Saving. The judging panel commented on RFI’s strong performance in promoting responsible global supply chain and CSR practices in its procurement process.

At a time when homelesses is on the rise across Europe, RFI is making a worthwhile effort to counteract the problem. Where ever possible, it makes its unused real estate assets (which include 450 disused railway stations) available to local bodies, foundations and associations across Italy. The impact of this remarkable gesture was captured in a 2018 book entitled “Stazioni Impresenziate. Un riuso sociale del patrimonio ferroviario” (Disused stations. A social re-use of railway assets).

Partners and Providers RFI operates a scoring system whereby it gives preference to suppliers with sustainable credentials. As the single largest buyer of railroad-related products and services in Italy, this creates a culture of sustainability across the industry: If you’re not buying, manufacturing and distributing sustainably, you’re missing out on the biggest commercial opportunity that exists in the country.

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RETE FERROVIARIA ITALIANA

As one might expect, the partner and supplier firms for RFI are all specialists in railroad operations and include Hydraulico (rail forging presses), Tekfer S.r.l. (a railroad and logistics company) Vossloh Cogifer ITALIA and Bombardier (railroad technology), Officina Meccanica (rolling stock) and Cinel Officine Meccaniche and AnsaldoBreda for the specific engineering and construction works required by railroad operations.

Finally, complementary services are provided by Atos Italia, which operates the company’s considerable (and constantly growing) telecommunications network and REM, which designs the company’s tailored electronic devices.

Looking to the future RFI is sustainable both in environmental and economic terms, meaning that it can look to the future with confidence. Its ongoing investments in R&D reflect this forward-facing outlook: In 2018 alone, it signed over 20 research agreements with Italian universities working in areas such as embedded systems, software engineering for railway applications and IT and applications.

Its commitment to sustainability is relevant not only for the company for the country: Making RFI more sustainable also translates to Italy being more competitive.

The future vision of the company is one of intermodal hubs and service centres.

This also means increased cooperation and connectivity with neighbouring countries. In summary, RFI will continue to be at the heart of connecting Italians with the world.

RETE FERROVIARIA ITALIANA

 info@rfi.it www.rfi.it

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THE TRANS-NATIONAL GATEWAY CONNECTING THE BALTICS AND EUROPE RB Rail AS - Rail Baltica Project Rail Baltica is a much needed European gate railway and an economic corridor of high importance to the European Union.

RESEARCH BY

Joseph Philips

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RB RAIL AS - RAIL BALTICA PROJECT

ail Baltica is a much needed European gate railway and an economic corridor of high importance to the European Union. When completed in 2026, it will pass through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, connecting Finland in the north with the rest of Europe in a way that it has never been possible before: for the first time, all the largest Baltic cities, seaports and airports will be connected through a continuous rail link.

This is what the European Union calls ‘a European value-added project’ meaning that it ticks boxes in areas like removing a transportation bottleneck, bridges a missing link, utilizes innovation and digitalization, promotes the EU single market and equal competition, reduces CO2 emissions and above all, increases the safety of EU citizens.

R

estimated total cost is EUR 5.8 billion and of this, the EU is expected to contribute around 85% (or EUR 4.6 billion). The remaining EUR 1.2 billion will be provided by the Baltic countries’ national budgets. Construction began in 2019 and EUR 800 million has already been made available to ensure that the project runs according to its schedule.

To formalize the arrangement, a joint venture (“RB Rail AS”) exists between the three Baltic States, which each holds a third of the shares in the venture. This is not just a commercial partnership however: All three countries stand to become more integrated in a number of ways when the project is delivered - through connecting regions, fostering business relations, technological transfer and tourism development.

“By 2030, it is estimated that it will be carrying 5 million passengers and 16 million tonnes of cargo daily” By 2030, it is estimated that it will be carrying 5 million passengers and 16 million tonnes of cargo daily.

The impact that project is set to have on Europe is massive. We took the opportunity to look over some of the aspects of a project which is set to become a catalyst for building a new economic corridor in northeastern Europe. We look at the difference the arrival of Rail Baltica will make to the Baltic states, Europe as a whole and of course, the socioeconomic impact which will be felt during and after its construction.

Financing and Construction As a project which stands to benefit all of Europe, Rail Baltica was naturally able to draw from the European Union’s CEF funds. The

In terms of the technical aspects of the project, 870 kilometres of new fast, conventional double-track electrified and ERTMS-equipped railway line will run through the three countries (of which 213km in Estonia, 265km in Latvia and 392km in Lithuania). The trains will be capable of speeds of up to 249 kilometres per hour for passenger trains and 120 kilometres per hour for freight trains. The axle load is 25 tonnes with a maximum freight train length of 1,050 metres.

As of Q1 2020, all of the formalities for the project are in place: feasibility studies have been conducted, environmental impact studies completed, contracts have been signed with the partners and suppliers (see below), the land required has all been

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RB RAIL AS - RAIL BALTICA PROJECT

“The estimated total cost is EUR 5.8 billion and of this, the EU is expected to contribute around 85% (or EUR 4.6 billion).”

purchased. Construction has now begun. At its peak, this phase will involve 3,000 full-time jobs as well as supporting a further 24,000 indirect and induced jobs as a result of the work being carried out.

Tangible Socio Economic Impact At a time when some people are questioning the ‘European Project’, Rail Baltica serves as a powerful response to the power of integration.

It is truly part of something much bigger: It bridges a gap, reconnecting the Baltic countries by railway with the rest of Europe.

This means two things: First, that passengers and cargo can move from the southeastern most tip of Europe in Portugal, through the continent before passing through the Rail Baltica network and moving directly on to Helsinki. Secondly, it means that the European rail network is now all connected

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Photo: Max Lautenschläger

As a leading engineering and consulting company in the rail sector, we offer sustainable, made-tomeasure mobility and transport solutions. From light rail to high-speed traffic, from industrial railway to complex logistics concepts – as a full-service provider we take care of consulting, design and realization, from the idea to operations. No matter what challenges you face – we will find the best solution. We always keep the goal in mind: to make your project a succes

www.db-engineering-consulting.com

DB ENGINEERING & CONSULTING GMBH Since 2017 DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH is actively working for the Rail Baltica Global Project. From the very beginning as Deutsche Bahn it was our intension to support Rail Baltica as a partner with German operator knowhow and high-speed rail operator experience.

Starting with the development of the Rail Baltica Business Plan, our engagement continued with various studies up to BIM design services for the Latvian section Vangazi-Salaspils-Misa, which is considered as the most complicated design section of the whole Rail Baltica railway line and includes a 1,1 km long bridge over the Daugava river and two triangles leading to the Riga Central Station. For the Riga Central Station, DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH delivers engineering supervision services, transforming it to become the central hub of the Rail Baltica Global Project.

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We are very proud to be part of this magnificent project and contributing to the development of railway transport in Europe. The Rail Baltica highspeed line is a significant milestone in the further extension of an Europe wide high-speed railway network. It will bring the Baltic States more closely to central Europe and will be a powerful catalyst for sustainable economic growth in the Baltic States.

In the upcoming years we are looking forward to support Rail Baltica with services in the field of railway systems engineering, operation and maintenance knowhow and training of future railway staff.

As a partner we want to support Rail Baltica in the day to day challenges as a future railway operator. www.db-engineering-consulting.com

RB RAIL AS - RAIL BALTICA PROJECT

“When completed, the time saved by Rail Baltica on journeys will amount to an estimated EUR 5.3 billion in productivity gains or 5.3 million passenger hours gained each year.”

with the Eurasian rail network, meaning cargo can travel by rail as far as China or even Vladivostok, the largest port on Russia’s eastern seaboard.

When completed, the time saved by Rail Baltica on journeys will amount to an estimated EUR 5.3 billion in productivity gains or 5.3 million passenger hours gained each year.

It will also become a catalyst for significant

economic gains in the Baltic States located on Europe’s fringe. This should translate to spinoff investments, new business formations and enhanced labour mobility.

Partners and Suppliers As an EU-funded project, public tenders were opened to companies across the trading bloc and not just those within the Baltic States. The

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result is a rich tapestry of firms from right across the continent which are involved at the construction phase. Looking through their names and origins, it’s not difficult to see that the project is connecting Europe before it has even been delivered.

Inevitably, given the nature of the project, the list of partners is dominated by engineering and engineering consulting firms. They include DB Engineering & Consulting from Germany, Systra and Egis from France, 3TI Progetti Italia from Italy, and ETC Consultants GMBH from Germany. AS YIT Infra Eesti, an Estonian construction firm, is responsible for much of the construction on the line, while IDOM, the Spanish architecture and engineering house, rounds out the list.

Bentley Systems International Limited, a British firm, was contracted in the fourth quarter of 2019 to “deploy, implement and maintain Rail Baltica Common Data Environment for building [an] information management system (BIM).” Finally, Marsh SIA, a financial institution, has been tasked with managing the project’s considerable budgetary requirements.

Rail Baltica shows the European Project is on Track Rail Baltica shows the best of the ‘European Project’: that small countries in a community

TEST TUNNEL Real scale fire and ventilation tests Training for Fire-Fighters

CONTACT info@appluslaboratories.com www.appluslaboratories.com +34 667 186 957

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“Rail Baltica shows the best of the ‘European Project’: that small countries in a community have much to contribute to big countries and vice versa”

RB RAIL AS - RAIL BALTICA PROJECT

“Rail Baltica will bring countless benefits to the Baltic States and Europe as a whole”

have much to contribute to big countries and vice versa; it shows that by making your neighbour stronger, you also become stronger (i.e. with enhanced rail networks in the Baltic states, the EU now has a fully integrated rail network which has access to the Eurasia network); above all, it shows that integration in Europe is far more than an intangible idea.

Rail Baltica will bring countless benefits to the Baltic States and Europe as a whole: safer, cleaner transportation, new opportunities for multimodal freight logistics development, sustainable education and employment opportunities and an environmentally

sustainable transport infrastructure. The Baltic States were officially welcomed into the European Union in May 2004 but one feels that, when Rail Baltica arrives in 2026, they will truly be a part of the continent.

RB RAIL AS RAIL BALTICA PROJECT

 +371 6696 7171  info@railbaltica.org @RailBaltica www.railbaltica.org

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A FLIGHT TO THE FUTURE OF EUROPE Brussels Airport We recently visited Brussels Airport to find out about the new directions the airport is taking, particularly in the areas of sustainability and integrating with other modes of transport in and around the city RESEARCH BY

Joseph Philips

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ew cities are European in the way that Brussels, the multilingual capital city of Belgium, is. This is reflected by the fact that, as the administrative capital of the EU, it is also known as ‘the capital city of the EU.’ This is where nearly all the important EU-level decisions are made on an ongoing basis - the beating heart of the European project.

In this context, Brussels Airport acts as a nexus for all of Europe. When passing through its terminal, it’s not unusual to bump into well known senior European politicians coming to and from the city.

However, they’re not the only ones: in 2018, over 25 million passengers passed through

F

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the airport, from a total of 238 destinations, shuttled by nearly 80 airlines.

We recently by Brussels Airport to find out about the new directions the airport is taking, particularly in the areas of sustainability and integrating with other modes of transport in and around the city. We started by learning about the social and economic impact that it has on Belgium at large.

Social and Economic Impact One of the standout statistics about Brussels Airport is that it contributes almost 2% to Belgium’s GDP every year, and has an estimated added value of around €3.2 billion to the

BRUSSELS AIRPORT

“One of the standout statistics about Brussels Airport is that it contributes almost 2% to Belgium’s GDP every year, and has an estimated added value of around €3.2 billion to the country’s economy.”

country’s economy. In terms of employment, it directly employs 24,000 people, but that figure jumps to 60,000 people when indirect employment is accounted for.

Brussels Airport closely works together with regional public employment agencies including VDAB (Flanders), Actiris (Brussels) and Forem (Wallonia) to bring together employers at the airport and jobseekers, and promotes an improved accessibility of the airport by public transport to make sure that they arrive at work.

Making sure that thousands of jobs can be created at Brussels Airport in the coming years and continuing to connect Belgium to the rest of the world is our everyday challenge. In doing

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BRUSSELS AIRPORT

AEROSERVICES Aeroservices, an aviation handling company started its operations at Brussels Airport during the winter of 2017-2018.

As an expert in winter operations, particularly de-icing, we are making a difference at Brussels Airport. As a flexible and highly qualified handler, we provide support to airlines and active ground handlers for all aviation services.

External cleanings, lavatory & potable water services are some of the services that we offer today.

Our approach at Brussels Airport came after several airlines informed us about some “present” bottlenecks.

We are proud of our team and the goals we have already achieved and will continue to invest in training as well as up-to-date equipment so that we will always make the difference at Brussels Airport.

Our brand new Safeaero de-icing trucks as well as towbarless Douglas trucks can only confirm the above mentioned statement. www.aeroservices.be

so, the airport strives to achieve the optimal balance between economic growth and the impact on the environment in a stable legal and regulatory framework.

One of the ways in which the airport has a daily impact on the social fabric of the city is by being an intermodal transport hub. That is - unlike most cities - the airport in Brussels is the centre of the action rather than a bus journey into a neighbouring commuter city.

Many people already travel by public transport to the airport now, not to catch a plane, but to easily change to another means of transport.

They’re using Brussels Airport as a junction where they change to another means of transport on their way to work, school or any other destination. Management at the airport wants to develop this role even more in the future, so we can contribute towards solving the mobility problems in our region.

Building on its role as a mobility hub Recognizing its role as a mobility hub, the management at Brussels Airport have set out to improve on that for the citizens of Brussels.

They envision a future with more train services,

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Reliable partner for value-added logistic process automation

Vanderlande is the global market leader for value-added logistic process automation at airports. Its systems are active in 600 airports including 14 of the world’s top 20. Vanderlande’s extensive portfolio of integrated solutions – innovative systems, intelligent software and life-cycle services – results in the realisation of fast, reliable and efficient automation technology. > vanderlande.com

VANDERLANDE, SETTING THE DIRECTION FOR A LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP Since 2019, Vanderlande is working on upgrading the baggage handling system at Brussels Airport.

Previously Vanderlande was involved in the implementation of our PAX checkpoint solutions, enabling a secure, seamless, rapid and positive traveling experience for all passengers.

Brussels Airport Company is rolling out a large-scale investment programme, including the replacement of the conventional baggage handling system with Vanderlande’s innovative ICS technology. New hold baggage screening machines will be integrated to comply with the latest EU standard 3 regulations. The foreseen operational improvements will allow the airport to handle an expected growth in annual passenger numbers from 25 to 40 million within the next 20 years.

Vanderlande is cooperating closely with ENGIE Fabricom, a key supplier in respect to BHS-

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related activities at Brussels Airport. Integration of the new system will be executed during live operations, without impact on the passenger experience. This requires a high level of ‘brownfield’ experience in terms of both hardware and software. With this in mind, the strengths of Vanderlande and ENGIE Fabricom have been combined to create synergy and implement the best overall innovative and sustainable solutions to support Brussels Airport in achieving its longterm strategic vison 2040. And become Europe’s best airport by 2040. www.vanderlande.com

BRUSSELS AIRPORT

24/7 bus services, an airport shuttle, tram connections, connections with local cycle paths and new access roads.

This vision led them to set an ambitious target that by the year 2040, 50% of the passengers and the airport employees will come by public transport, bicycle or on foot, as compared with the current 30%. That will help to reduce traffic congestion in the region as a whole. Airport management is working with the government and with the transport companies to give substance to this plan.

The next few years will also see the introduction of an automated airport shuttle.

The self-driving people mover has already clocked up its first few metres at Brussels

Airport. In the month of November 2019, the shuttle performed several demo trips without passengers to test the technology in a real-life environment. In 2021, it will be fully ready.

Developing Transport means Developing Sustainability The increasing role of Brussels Airport as a mobility hub for the city means that it needs to get sustainability right. The good news is that it does, and it continues to improve. As recently as March 2019, the airport put in place a fleet of electric buses, dramatically reducing carbon emissions for journeys to and from the airport’s terminal. They represent just a small step that the airport will make to reach its target of 40%

“The next few years will also see the introduction of an automated airport shuttle”

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ENGIE ENGIE, through its subsidiaries active in Belgium, has been a long term partner of Brussels Airport since 1989. More than 200 colleagues are present at Brussels Airport on a daily basis, putting all their energy in increasing the safety and comfort of the passengers.

Our competencies range from technical installations in airport buildings to passenger safety. Our know-how enables us to implement multi-technical airport projects, including design, development, installation and maintenance. engie-fabricom.com engie-cofely.be engie-axima.be

Partner of the zero carbon transition

engie-fabricom.com / engie-cofely.be / engie-axima.be

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BRUSSELS AIRPORT

carbon reduction (from 2010 output) by 2030.

Sustainability is one of the most important values of Brussels Airport Company. One of the key aspects of sustainability within Brussels Airport Company is care for the environment, the surrounding area and energy consumption.

Its environmental and energy policy fits in with the mission and vision of the company.

The airport’s environmental policy looks at a broad spectrum of environmental sustainability: Energy and CO2 reduction, waste reduction and disposal, water use limitations and treatment, soil maintenance and noise control.

These goals, in turn, drive the operations at the airport, and every time a management decision is made, the environmental criteria must underpin it.

For example, all new buildings at Brussels Airport are designed setting out from particularly strict sustainability criteria. The energy consumption of the future fire stations for instance will be virtually zero, by resorting to solar panels, solar water heaters and heat pumps. Elsewhere, a study into the biodiversity at the Brussels Airport site is to be conducted in association with non-profit organisation Natuurpunt, in order to better identify how to safeguard or even improve this biodiversity.

Brussels Airport is also signing up to the Flemish Government’s Circular Procurement Green Deal. This implies that, over the coming two years, the airport operator undertakes – where possible – to procure high-quality raw materials, equipment or products that can

“One of the key aspects of sustainability within Brussels Airport Company is care for the environment, the surrounding area and energy consumption. ”

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Let’s sort together for better recycling

Fost Plus and Brussels Airport are heading for excellent sorting and maximum circularity.

FOST PLUS, THE ENGINE OF THE CIRCULAR PACKAGING ECONOMY The non-profit organisation Fost Plus supports the promotion, coordination and financing of selective collection, sorting and recycling of household packaging waste in Belgium.

Brussels Airport and Fost Plus are working together to prevent waste and improve waste sorting and recycling. To this end, several airport partners have signed the Brussels Airport Waste Charter in which they explicitly choose to apply the principles of circular economy. Together, they commit to reducing waste at the airport.

They are also aiming to recycle at least 50% of the waste at the airport - including passenger waste - by 2030, which is double the current recycling rate.

All signatory airport partners also undertake to make their staff and passengers aware of how

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to properly sort waste, with a specific attention that is put on the recovery of plastic bottles and cans.

Fost Plus, in collaboration with Brussels Airport Company, is also conducting an audit at each signatory airport partner to map the current waste sorting organisation. Each company will receive a tailored action plan to achieve the objectives of the Brussels Airport Waste Charter. www.fostplus.be

BRUSSELS AIRPORT

“The increasing role of Brussels Airport as a mobility hub for the city means that it needs to get sustainability right” be recycled after use. Brussels Airport has invested heavily in renewable materials and energy in recent years.

Partners and Suppliers Transporting 25 million passengers every year would be an impossible task without the assistance of the finest partner companies in the aviation industry. These include Vanderlande - the global market leader for value-added logistic process automation at airports and in the parcel market. It has also been invaluable in allowing the Brussels airport to implement its logistics strategy.

Vanderlande is backed up by Fost Plus, which contributes to a more sustainable waste management at the airport facility. Other services within the airport are carried out by Aeroservices sprl, Mobility Masters (which

helped with the delivery of the recently-arrived electric buses) and Swissport Belgium N. V. The responsibility for the huge volumes of fuel required by the airport’s visiting aircraft has been delegated to Skytanking Holding GmbH and Brussels Airfuels Services.

Finally, the airport also maintains close relations with Textron Sweden AB - a developer of state-of-the-art aviation technology - and Engie Fabricom NV. The latter is an engineering and consulting firm which has been central to the airport’s delivery of a renovated runway in 2020 to cater for its ongoing passenger growth.

Onward and Upward Change continues apace at Brussels Airport.

In 2019, it opened a new logistics building at BruCargo, its logistics platform. This is a crucial addition for the import and export of goods to and

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BRUSSELS AIRPORT

“In 2020, the airport will deliver a renovated runway - the first renovations which have been made on the runway since 1996.” from Belgium. BruCargo, already has more than one hundred different countries operating on its logistics chain, making it an important logistics hub for international trade and air transport in Europe.

In 2020, the airport will deliver a renovated runway - the first renovations which have been made on the runway since 1996. This renovation has involved replacing the entire surface (which has an area of 3.3 kilometres in length by 45 metres in width). Its arrival will allow the runway’s life to be extended for a further 15 years, guaranteeing the best possible landing and takeoff standards for aircraft.

Finally, the airport’s Vision 2040 envisions doubling the number of airport-related jobs in the next two decades. The plan is supported by a long-term development plan by Belgium as a whole and underlines the airport’s role as a growth hub for the country. It will deliver more destinations for its passengers and more import and export opportunities for business. The capital of Europe, it seems, has an airport worthy of its name.

BRUSSELS AIRPORT

 info@brusselsairport.be @brusselsairport www.brusselsairport.be

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AT THE HEART OF PORTUGAL’S MODERN MARITIME INDUSTRY ADPL Portugal has a proud maritime history. In 1494, the country signed a treaty with Spain, brokered by the Vatican, to share the global navigation routes between the two countries.

RESEARCH BY

Eurides Lopes

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ortugal has a proud maritime history.

In 1494, the country signed a treaty with Spain, brokered by the Vatican, to share the global navigation routes between the two countries. Under this agreement, Portugal dominated those routes. In 1498, it discovered a previously unknown route to India (around the southern coast of Africa). In 1500, a Portuguese fleet commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral, was the first documented fleet to land in Brazil.

Today, although the age of discovery has long since passed, maritime trade thrives in Portugal. That is partly down to companies of

P

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the like of APDL (Portuguese: Administração dos Portos do Douro, Leixões e Viana do Castelo, S.A.), which manages the largest port in Northern Portugal - Leixões. Located just 10 kilometres outside the UNESCO world heritage city, Porto, Leixões plays a significant role in Europe’s trade, being on the continent’s Atlantic seaboard.

In 2018, 19.1 million tonnes of cargo was loaded and unloaded in the docks of Leixões, just shy of the port’s record of 19.5 million tonnes set the year before. Located next to Portugal’s industrial heartland, APDL’s assets, which also include the ports of Viana de Castelo and

ADPL

“In 2018, 19.1 million tonnes of cargo was loaded and unloaded in the docks of Leixões, just shy of the port’s record of 19.5 million tonnes set the year before”

Douro, and the Douro gateway, play a pivotal role in the Portuguese economy. BE Europe recently sat down with Prof. Guilhermina Rego, Chairman of the board at APDL to learn more about the company at the heart of Portugal’s modern maritime industry.

From shelter to port to tourism provider The strategic location of Leixões on the bank of the Atlantic has historically made it a trusted shelter for boats navigating the Atlantic, but it wasn’t until the second half of the 19th century that a structured port began

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BUILDING THE FUTURE These last years, GABRIEL COUTO was awarded and therefore completed two major works promoted by APDL (Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo).

These works were the “General Earthworks, Hydraulic and Electric Infrastructures, Pavement and Entrance of the no. 1 Centre of Leixões Logistic Platform and the Construction of the new unit of the Logistics company Luís Simões in Center no. 2.

The first work had an intervention area of approximately 30 hectares and will definitely be an asset in terms of boosting the development of the logistic and industrial activity associated to the operation of the Port of Leixões and the Francisco Sá Carneiro airport.

The second work was a new industrial facility executed to increase the activity of the Luís Simões company in Center 2.

We are very proud of these two projects that emphasize the confidence that APDL has in our company.

T: +351 252 308 640 E: cgasc@gabrielcouto.pt www.gabrielcouto.pt

In 2018, Gabriel Couto celebrated 70 years of activity.

It is one of the oldest construction companies in the Country operating in the sector of road, rail, port and airport infrastructures. Likewise, its activity extends to all kinds of hydraulic infrastructures. In the building sector, one must highlight the public and private residential, commercial, industrial, school and hospital construction.

These past years, the company has developed significant operations in the field of renewable energies, in particular in wind energy, being that it is still currently responsible for some operations as it carried out Civil Engineering works – foundations, accessibility and infrastructures – in about 30% of the Country’s installed power.

Gabriel Couto has extended its activity beyond Portugal, being currently present in Africa – Angola, Mozambique and Zambia – and in Central America – Honduras and Nicaragua. In these two continents, it has been executing important enterprises funded by major multilateral institutions – European Union, World Bank, African Development Bank, Central American Bank for Economic Integration and Millennium Challenge (American Sovereign Wealth Fund), among others.

ADPL

to arise, primarily to cater to Portugal’s wine industry, the families of which nearly all live in the nearby city of Porto. However, as is often the case, the project suffered a series of delays, and it wasn’t until 1914 that a port still a relatively humble one due to budgetary constraints - was developed. This was the genesis of what is now dock at at Leixões.

This was further developed to the extent that, by 1940, it was 550 metres long and had two berths totalling 1,000 metres. From there, a phase of extraordinary growth began, which goes some way to explaining how today, it is what Ms. Rego calls: “the second largest port in Portugal in tonnes handled and the largest gateway port in containerized cargo.”

In addition, she says, it is “one of the most competitive and versatile multi-purpose ports in the country.”

GABRIEL COUTO These last years, GABRIEL COUTO was awarded and therefore completed two major works promoted by APDL (Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo).

These works were the “General Earthworks, Hydraulic and Electric Infrastructures, Pavement and Entrance of the no. 1 Centre of Leixões Logistic Platform and the Construction of the new unit of the Logistics company Luís Simões in Center no. 2.

The first work had an intervention area of approximately 30 hectares and will definitely be an asset in terms of boosting the development of the logistic and industrial activity associated to the operation of the Port of Leixões and the Francisco Sá Carneiro airport.

The second work was a new industrial facility executed to increase the activity of the Luís Simões company in Center 2.

We are very proud of these two projects that emphasize the confidence that APDL has in our company.

In 2018, Gabriel Couto celebrated 70 years of activity. It is one of the oldest construction companies in the Country operating in the sector

of road, rail, port and airport infrastructures.

Likewise, its activity extends to all kinds of hydraulic infrastructures. In the building sector, one must highlight the public and private residential, commercial, industrial, school and hospital construction. These past years, the company has developed significant operations in the field of renewable energies, in particular in wind energy, being that it is still currently responsible for some operations as it carried out Civil Engineering works – foundations, accessibility and infrastructures – in about 30% of the Country’s installed power.

Gabriel Couto has extended its activity beyond Portugal, being currently present in Africa – Angola, Mozambique and Zambia – and in Central America – Honduras and Nicaragua. In these two continents, it has been executing important enterprises funded by major multilateral institutions – European Union, World Bank, African Development Bank, Central American Bank for Economic Integration and Millennium Challenge (American Sovereign Wealth Fund), among others. www.gabrielcouto.pt

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All of that isn’t to overlook the remaining assets in the APDL portfolio. Of these, Ms. Rego points out: “The Port of Viana do Castelo has installed capacity and conditions to meet the current demand. The construction of the new road access is already under way, which will improve accessibility to port infrastructure, strengthen its competitiveness and widen its hinterland.”

She continues: “Our inland waterway of Douro, which runs from Barca de Alva to Porto, is increasingly a sustainable alternative to freight transport. A true river freeway, in which cargo and tourist vessels navigate

side by side.” This reflects a much wider change in Portugal over the past century: What was once a truly industrial river, with boats transporting port in barrels from the Douro Valley is now home to a burgeoning tourism industry.

Tourism is booming in the north of Portugal in general. Ms. Rego says: “The opening of the new Cruise Pier in 2011 and the Cruise Terminal in 2015 opened opportunities for growth in the port and the region as a Tourist Destination. Porto’s tourism potential along with the other Atlantic maritime-port cities favors the

“Our inland waterway of Douro, which runs from Barca de Alva to Porto, is increasingly a sustainable alternative to freight transport”

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ADPL

development of a diversified and differentiated product in relation to the offer of other destinations and regions.”

She continues: “Another key factor for Leixões is its proximity to Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport with direct connections to various European destinations, the US and Brazil, and the hotel capacity available at Porto, which allows the Porto Cruise Terminal to be selected as a port of turnaround, that is, the start and end port of cruise voyages.”

form the company’s strategic development plan, of which Ms. Rego says: “Earlier this year, the port authority (APDL) Earlier this year, launched the public tender the port authority for the extension of the outer (APDL) launched breakwater and maritime the public tender accessibilities of the Port of for the extension Leixões. The contract has a of the outer value of €141m and a lead time of breakwater 30 months.” and maritime She continues: “With this accessibilities of project, the port authority the Port of Leixões. will improve safety conditions The contract has and navigability in the access a value of €141m to the port as well as in the and a lead time of manoeuvring zone for ships. It 30 months will also create conditions for Strategic access of larger cargo vessels, Development Plan namely those in the 300 m APDL has initiated a number of long, 40 m beam and 13.7 m draught class. steps which will ensure that the company’s The improved accessibility to Leixões will operations continue to develop as they enable another important project to create have done over the past period. These

Did you know?

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ADPL

“Exporting to 184 countries is only possible due to the wide network of more than 50 shipping companies” a new terminal in the South Mole of the port, with a private investment of €70m, featuring depths of 14.8 m and a 360 m berth on a 16-ha embankment.”

In addition to this, she says: “The South Container Terminal is being refurbished and by March 2021, it will have its capacity increased by 210,000 teu per year following a €43.4m investment by Yilport. Hence, terminal capacity will rise to 660,000 TEU and overall port capacity will hit 800,000 TEU. Capacity expansion will be achieved through the expansion of the full container yard and handling platform, enhancements in the terminal layout, and improvement of container handling equipment. The work is essential for the Port of Leixões and for the market it serves.”

Sustainability APDL works actively to improve the sustainability of its activities. In its annual sustainability report, it outlines a series of measurable milestones that it intends to achieve by 2030. Ms. Rego says: “The Port of Leixões has been guiding itself by the principle of mitigating environmental impacts resulting from the port activity. We implemented systems to manage and oversee environmental impacts such as noise, air quality and waste collection. We also have been successfully promoting the reduction of water and energy consumption.”

Partners As with all of the best port operators, APDL works with a range of industry players, each bringing their own expertise to the task at hand. To illustrate this, Ms. Rego says: “The

Container Terminal, granted to Yilport Leixões, that handles almost 700 thousand TEU’s per year; the Break-bulk and Solid Bulk Terminal, granted to TCGL – Terminal de Carga Geral e Granéis de Leixões, that handles 2,6 million tonnes of Solid Bulk and 1,1 million tons of Break-bulk per year. Finally, the Oil Terminal, granted to Galp Energia handles around 8 million tons per year.”

Conclusion It’s clear from speaking with Ms. Rego that APDL sees it role as a facilitator of tourism as much as traditional logistics. Being located so closely to Porto, APDL has a symbiotic relationship with the city and its requirements.

Ms. Rego tells us: “Leixões serves the most important industrialized area in Portugal, where 70% of the Portuguese small and medium size companies are located. We are an export ports par excellence and we are able to serve an hinterland of 14 million inhabitants,.”

She concludes: “Exporting to 184 countries is only possible due to the wide network of more than 50 shipping companies that provide daily and weekly regular services to the nearby hub ports. Therefore, we have the clear ambition of maintaining our current high standards of service and continuing to be the port of reference.

APDL

 +351 22 999 07 00  info@apdl.pt www.apdl.pt

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Henrik Plougmann Olsen, Chief Executive Officer

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BREATHING LIFE INTO DENMARK’S CAPITAL CITY Copenhagen Metro Copenhagen Metro, the city’s rapid transit system since 2002 is currently undergoing expansion as part of a massive investment being made by the Danish government RESEARCH BY

Joseph Philips

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COPENHAGEN METRO

o anyone that has ever visited Denmark’s picturesque capital Copenhagen, it is immediately clear why the city makes a regular appearance in the top ten positions of Mercer Consulting’s annual ‘Best Cities for Quality of Living’ survey. 2019 was no different, with the city of Hans Christian Andersen coming in as the 7th most livable city on the planet.

Copenhagen is no ordinary city. Across any one of a number of indicators, from economic and environmental to health and public services, it features among the best in the world. It will come as no surprise then, that the city authorities places a keen emphasis on a world class transport system to ferry everyone around as safely and efficiently as possible.

This is the task thrust upon Copenhagen Metro, the city’s rapid transit system since 2002 and currently undergoing expansion as part of a massive investment being made by the Danish government to update the city’s transport infrastructure: the Cityringen Project. Might this be the final piece of the jigsaw for Copenhagen to become the world’s most livable city?

T

Overview The origins of Copenhagen’s metro system go back to 1992, when the Ørestad area of the city was being developed and the area’s transport infrastructure was being proposed.

Several alternatives were put forward, including a tram and light rail system, before a light rapid transit system was chosen, based on a number of criteria considered.

“After the initial concept planning phase, construction began in 1996”

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SikA WATerPrOOFing SySTeMS SIKA DANMARK A/S delivers flexible Waterproofing Systems to the Metro Cityring in Copenhagen: • • • •

Waterstop Systems - Sika®Waterbars, Sika®Swell, SikaFuko® High flexible TPO membranes (FPO) to guarantee close fit to the surface profile and to improve the workability Mortars Shotcrete Accelerator

SIKA DANMARK A/S +45 48 18 85 85 sika@dk.sika.com www.sika.dk

COPENHAGEN METRO

“The 34 trains owned by Copenhagen Metro, each of three cars, serves the city’s residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week”

After the initial concept planning phase, construction began in 1996, and operations commenced six years later in 2002. Further phases were added in the following five years, resulting in a two-line system spread of total length 20.4 kilometres and 22 stations, of which nine are underground. The metro carries over 64 million passengers per year.

The 34 trains owned by Copenhagen Metro, each of three cars, serves the city’s residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

It is also fully electric and driverless, making it one of the most efficient systems of its kind in Europe. Furthermore, plans are well underway

to double the size and capacity of the system through the delivery of three new lines.

Cityringen In September 2019, the Cityringen project is expected for completion - a circular line which transects the other lines in the system, introducing 17 new stations and two 17.4 kilometre-long tunnels. The two lines which constitute Cityringen, lines 3 and 4, are expected to more than double the passenger numbers of the Copenhagen Metro.

As with that of the other lines, the construction of Cityringen was a testament

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DSV - Proud to have helped with the construction of the Copenhagen Metro We delivered the prefabricated tunnel walls from Germany to Copenhagen by ship and flatbed truck. On time.

www.dsv.com/project-transport

Deformation monitoring

Geometric and geotechnic monitoring mitigates risks and ensures the overall safety of your project.

Monitoring is a profitable investment: Early detection of movement of buildings and construction elements at and around the building site. Ensure environmental protection risk management control with real-time monitoring and automated alarms.

www.le34.dk

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+45 7733 2222

le34@le34.dk

COPENHAGEN METRO

“The two lines which constitute Cityringen, lines 3 and 4, are expected to more than double the passenger numbers of the Copenhagen Metro” to state-of-the-art engineering. Copenhagen is a city on the banks of the Baltic Sea and located at sea level, posing enormous technical challenges for a project of these parameters. Furthermore, works had to be carried out in built-up city centre areas with as little disruption as possible.

Most importantly, Cityringen integrates as much of the existing transport infrastructure as possible, allowing travelers maximum ease of utility. For example, the northern section of the line joins with Nordhavn, a commuter town, and runs through Copenhagen Central station all the way to commuter towns [in the south. This also creates an interface with the bus system and regional train network.

In total, investment in the project is estimated at around 21.3 billion Danish Kroner (approximately US$3.2 billion), but that outlay was seen as crucial if Copenhagen is to take more drivers off the roads and deliver on its promise of becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2025, becoming just the second capital city in Europe to do so, after Edinburgh.

Sustainability is clearly worth investing in.

Sustainability Copenhagen Metro is just one component - albeit a central one - that forms part of a much larger drive towards sustainability in the city. For example, Danes are keen cyclists (Copenhagen’s bikes outnumber its cars)

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Did you know?

Copenhagen Metro was founded on 26 October 2007.

Metroselskabet is a partnership, owned jointly by: The City of Copenhagen 50% The Danish Government 41.7% The City of Frederiksberg 8.3 %

“Over 40,000 trees have been planted in the city over the past decade and this is set to rise to 100.000 in the years ahead”

and by taking cars off the road, the metro’s mere existence means the city becomes more cyclable in terms of space, air quality and safety.

The space which might otherwise have been used overground by a tram system, or more roads, has also been given over to trees.

Over 40,000 trees have been planted in the city over the past decade and this is set to rise to 100.000 in the years ahead. This has also coincided with a planned reduction by

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2-3% per year of parking spaces within the city confines, incentivizing drivers to get out of their cars and onto the metro.

Partners and Suppliers As always with the firms being profiled by BE Europe, there are a range of partners and suppliers who work diligently behind the scenes, carefully curated to ensure the very best service is delivered consistently.

Denmark’s rich engineering heritage (a

COPENHAGEN METRO

Copenhagen architect/engineer team was behind the Sydney Opera House at a time when most said it was impossible to construct) also means that most of its partners and suppliers are Danish.

The list includes Per Aarsleff A/S, an infrastructure construction specialist; SIKA Danmark, Scheller, Zacho-Lind A/S, Haugaard & Petersen A/S and Barslund A/S, a quartet of Danish construction firms; Cramo A/S, a Swedish lift and elevator company; DSV, a British logistics firm; and the list is rounded out by a German and a Swiss firm - Tuv Rheinland inter traaffic GMBH and Renesco AG - respectively operating on the technical side of controls for the trains and the extensive tunneling operations required at Cityringen.

Further Plans on the Horizon Lines 3 and 4 of Cityringen will open shortly and be followed by further extensions

of line 4 in 2020 and 2024. One of these extensions will feed into a new regional rail transport hub at the Ny Ellebjerg station, allowing passengers to take advantage of long-distance rail and even a mooted high speed connection running north to south in the country.

Metro Copenhagen is an excellent project for an excellent city. In the mid-nineteenth century Denmark’s most celebrated writer, Hans Christian Andersen wrote: “to travel is to live.” How fitting that Metro copenhagen should be breathing life into his wonderful city almost 200 years later.

COPENHAGEN METRO

 +45 3311 1700  m@m.dk www.m.dk

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THE BACKBONE OF PORTUGAL Infraestruturas de Portugal The ancient Roman Aqueducts which are scattered around Portugal are testament to the fact that this small European country has been investing in longterm infrastructure for as long as the records go back RESEARCH BY

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Eurides Lopes

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he ancient Roman Aqueducts which are scattered around Portugal are testament to the fact that this small European country has been investing in longterm infrastructure for as long as the records go back. These days, all anyone needs to do is travel by car or train from north to south of the country, or cross the magnificent 25 de Abril Bridge in Lisbon to realize the country’s infrastructures are as ambitious as ever.

Infraestruturas de Portugal integrates the essential technical know-how to offer

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an excellent performance on road and rail infrastructures networks in different areas, such as of design, construction, business consulting, maintenance, operation, redevelopment, extension and modernization, which also includes, in the railway domain, the command and traffic control.

IP currently has a stake in the share capital of three companies: IP Engenharia, IP Património and IP Telecom. In 2018, GIL – Gare Intermodal de Lisboa merged with IP Património into a single Company, which is responsible for

INFRAESTRUTURAS DE PORTUGAL

Bridge over the Guadiana river (South of Portugal)

“IP was founded in 2015 from the merger between two state-owned companies, which were responsible for Portugal’s road and railway”

the entire business of commercial operation of real estate belonging to the road and rail infrastructure.

Mr. António Laranjo, CEO of Infraestruturas de Portugal, recently took some time out to speak with BE Europe about the Companies strategies and future.

Background Mr. António Laranjo begins by telling us about each of Infraestruturas de Portugal’s Companies. The largest Company of the

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neopul

Moving ahead together to achive new goals Road transport - Building - Railways Airports - Hydroelectric - Tunnels

sacyrinfraestructuras.com

INFRAESTRUTURAS DE PORTUGAL

António Laranjo, CEO of Infraestruturas de Portugal

“IP Engenharia, which is responsible for the international activities, develops institutional capacity-building solutions for infrastructure management companies, mainly in Portuguese-speaking Countries”

Group is Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP).

Mr. Laranjo tells us: “IP was founded in 2015 from the merger between two stateowned companies, which were responsible for Portugal’s road (Estradas de Portugal, or “EP”) and railway (Rede Ferroviária Nacional, or “REFER”) network. IP Telecom, the telecomunications and IT Company was founded in 2000, and had become an increasingly central part of our infrastructure

responsibilities. It has grown to the extent that it now offers its services to external third parties in areas like cloud, data management and technology consulting”.

“IP Engenharia, which is responsible for the international activities, develops institutional capacity-building solutions for infrastructure management companies, mainly in Portuguese-speaking Countries. It has been in operation for more than forty

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INFRAESTRUTURAS DE PORTUGAL

Operational Command Center, in Oporto

“The mandate to manage the transport network infrastructure means that Infraestruturas de Portugal is responsible for a significant amount of Portugal’s sustainability efforts”

years, and provides railway engineering services to the other IP Group companies.”

Mr Laranjo continues: “IP Património, our Company that is responsible for the integrated management of road and railway assets, offers expertise in the commercial operation of the network of stations and transport interfaces, ensuring their efficient use, increasing valuation and profitability: those assets are an impressive array of road and rail infrastructure - enough to grace any bigger European state. Consider statistics like 15.000 km of road (plus a further

1.000 km under concession), 2.550 km of railway line of which 1.700 km is electrified, and over 400 passenger stations spread across the country”.

Sustainability The mandate to manage the transport network infrastructure means that Infraestruturas de Portugal is responsible for a significant amount of Portugal’s sustainability efforts.

António Laranjo also takes particular pride in the Company’s Greenways, implemented by

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IP Património – a network of routes recovered from old railway lines transformed into pedestrian routes - the Greenways, which are now used for recreation such as pedal biking or trekking.

He adds: “Since 2001, we have been rehabilitating old railway lines in the North and Central Portugal regions in partnership with the municipalities, a rewarded work which enabled IP to become a member of the European Association of Greenways.”

In 2018 Infraestruturas de Portugal also gave a special attention to the reforestation of Portuguese forests. Several activities were developed, involving some IP employees, who volunteered for different social actions.

For example, following the serious fires that occurred in the country in the Summer of 2017, IP employees planted around 700 native trees (Portuguese ash and oak trees) on a plot of 9.000 m2, located in Pedrogão Grande, in the centre of Portugal, near the IC8.

“Since 2001, we’ve been rejuvenating old railway lines into Greenways in the North and Central Portugal regions”

S. João bridge over the Douro river, in Oporto

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INFRAESTRUTURAS DE PORTUGAL

Marão Tunnel (5.625 km length)

Ferrovia 2020’ Program This huge European Union Investment Plan, ‘Ferrovia 2020’ will allow IP to implement the main railway lines across the border with Spain towards Europe, the electrification of more than 400 km of existing railway lines and the initial set-up phase of the European Rail Traffic Management System.

With “Ferrovia 2020” IP will increase the capacity for freight trains and promote the interoperability of the rail corridors (track gauge).

Portugal, once the world’s leading maritime nation of Europe is now very much on terra firma.

The Future In recent years Portugal has been considered as one of the countries with the best road network in the world. Therefore, on railways,

the future passes through the conclusion of the bold “Ferrovia 2020” EU Investment Plan.

The “Ferrovia 2020” project includes a global investment of around 2 billion euros to intervene in over 1.000 km of railway, aiming to achieve three main goals: • To assume international commitments (Spain and the “Atlantic Corridor”) • To promote rail freight transport, supporting export growth • To guarantee links between national ports and main land borders

INFRAESTRUTURAS DE PORTUGAL

 info@infraestruturasdeportugal.pt www.infraestruturasdeportugal.pt

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MAINTAINING MADEIRA FOR OVER A DECADE A.R.M. Madeira, the island off Portugal, is regularly voted the best island destination in the world. Home to just a quarter of a million people, the island’s population soars each year as over one million people come from around the world to enjoy its unique mountainous geography RESEARCH BY

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Eurides Lopes

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A.R.M.

adeira, the island off Portugal, is regularly voted the best island destination in the world. Home to just a quarter of a million people, the island’s population soars each year as over one million people come from around the world to enjoy its unique mountainous geography.

In doing so, they generate huge pressure on the island’s infrastructure, not least its water, sanitation and waste disposal infrastructure, most of which are catered for by A.R.M. In 2019, the company celebrates its tenth anniversary, having been founded in 2009, after a restructuring, at a time when Portugal was undergoing one of its most difficult periods in recent history. As Portugal come out of that period even stronger, A.R.M is one of the poster

M

water based on supply and demand and which allowed the authorities to visualize, in real time, water levels, its quality and its consumption, bringing the system to a level considered state-of-the-art for its time.

In 2000, the organization transformed into the IGA - Investimentos e Gestão da Água, SA (Water Investment and Management, Inc), with the same mandate as before but increased responsibility in the areas of drainage and urban waste water treatment.

This trend of adding increased responsibilities to the mandate of the organization continued until 2009, when the firm that we now know as A.R.M was founded.

By 2014, the process of integrating various government-owned water-related subsidies

“By 2014, the process of integrating various government-owned water-related subsidies on the island into A.R.M. was completed” children of the country’s recent recovery. There’s never a bad time to drop in on Madeira, so we decided that the 10th anniversary celebrations of A.R.M. was the only excuse required.

History and Background The story of A.R.M. goes back to 1991, when the Institute of Water Planning was founded for the island of Madeira with the aim of planning, coordinating and managing the water infrastructure required on the island.

In its first decade, the Institute made good progress in developing a set of standards for water on Madeira and putting in place everything needed to achieve that standard.

Until that time, Madeira had gotten by with a largely antiquated sanitation system, which served its purpose but needed modernizing.

The Institute of Water Planning took on this task, putting in place a system for pricing

on the island into A.R.M. was completed.

These include the likes of IGA, IGSERV, IGH and Valor Ambiente, various legacy businesses which took care of areas such as sanitation, the environment and water management, employing a total of 700 people. From 2014 onward, everything would be managed under the name of A.R.M., which streamlined management and processes at the company to cater for the evolution. Now, everything water and waste-related would be taken care of under one umbrella.

Vital Statistics Despite a relatively steady permanent population on the island of Madeira, its tourist population grows year on year, creating an additional strain on the water and waste infrastructure. Nevertheless, the figures which A.R.M makes public on its own

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A.R.M.

“The volume of water supplied by A.R.M. to municipal reservoirs exceeded 58 million liters of clean water which would fill about 22,000 Olympic pools” performance, both in terms of drinkable water output, wastewater management and waste treatment, suggest that the company is going above and beyond its remit.

For example, in 2018, the volume of water supplied by A.R.M. to municipal reservoirs exceeded 58 million liters of clean water which would fill about 22,000 Olympic pools. In the case of Porto Santo - the smaller of Madeira’s two main islands – the output to the public remained more or less steady at 1.1 billion litres of drinkable water.

During 2018 A.R.M. received approximately 119,178 tons of municipal solid waste for incineration treatment at the Solid Waste Treatment Plant Incineration Facility, which allowed the production of 46.6 GWh of renewable electricity. Of this energy, part is used in the self-consumption of the Solid Waste Treatment Plant, while the rest, about 75%, is directed to the public distribution network, which in enouht to care for the needs of about 38,000 inhabitants, representing circa 15% of the population of the Region.

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In 2018 ARM sent a total of 13,715 tons of waste (4,400 tons of paper, 5,900 tons of glass and 1,600 tons of plastic and metal, among others) for recycling or other recovery mechanisms, which represents an increase of 4,5% compared to the year 2017.

In terms of wastewater management, in the year 2018 A.R.M had, under its management, 324 km of wastewater pipes. In the island of Porto Santo, all the wastewater collected is treated and reused for the irrigation of the local golf course.

Environmental Commitment The statistics about the amount of waste sent for recycling in 2018 underline the work that A.R.M. does in the environment at large. For the past few years, the company has run a campaign under the slogan, “Reciclar faz bem ao Planeta� (Recycling is good for the

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Environment). This promotional campaign has the objective of raising awareness for people across both islands of Madeira about the importance of disposing of waste responsibly.

This campaign may well have contributed in some part to a 5% increase in requests from residents in Madeira to collect their waste over the past 12 months. A.R.M, like many companies in its position, has committed to supplying more and more recyclable materials bins for the neighborhoods around Madeira to ensure that the message about responsible waste disposal finds its intended target.

Environmental Commitment As one might expect, on a small island on the very periphery of Europe, there aren’t many large international companies to call on. No matter - there are a host of local and national firms operating in the same space as A.R.M. - all of them private enterprises

A.R.M.

which employ locally - which it can call on to deliver its services. They include a range of engineering, consulting and environmental waste experts.

In engineering, they include NRV Madeira, Consultores de Engenharia, S. A., R. Pereira — Estudos e Projetos de Engenharia, Lda and Socicorreia — Engenharia, S. A.; Opertrans – Equipamentos, Lda and Hidromadeira — Hidráulica e Materiais de Construção, SA provide the waste disposal vehicles that A.R.M disperses around the islands.

Elsewhere. A.T.M. — Assistência Total em Manutenção, S. A. assists in the day-today operations of maintaining various parts of Madeira that falls on A.R.M., Lusical — Companhia Lusitana de Cal, SA and Sapec Química, S. A. provide chemicals that are uses in the operation of A.R.M. facilities, mainly its incineration, ensuring that the air and water used is returned to the environment in sustainable and healthy conditions.

A Clean Island Destination Madeira was named the best island destination in the world in 2019 for the second year running. Many of the people that voted cited its crystal blue waters among their motives. Those crystal blue waters don’t just happen when the island is full of tourist visitors. Rather, they’re the product of lots of hard work behind the scenes in cleaning, sanitation, waste disposal and environmental protection - all the tasks of A.R.M - which has been keeping Madeira clean for a decade now.

Here’s to many more years with them working behind the scenes.

A.R.M.

 (+351) 291 201020  geral@aguasdamadeira.pt @aguasdamadeira www.aguasdamadeira.pt

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Offers365: Open for Business At a time when many UK businesses are struggling amid the economic storm brought by the coronavirus epidemic, one small team in Manchester offers an optimistic outlook on the future.

O

ffers365, founded by Seun Olabisi, is an affiliate marketing company with a staff of just four and a client list which would be the envy of most marketing firms with teams five times bigger.

In the first half of May, the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund announced it was awarding a fivefigure sum to Offers365 to boost the company’s headcount as it looks to continue on its growth trajectory. It’s the latest step on a remarkable journey for the startup which only began a little over a year ago in 2019. We recently caught up with Seun Olabisi who shared a little more about this pocket rocket of a company he founded.

SMALL FIRM WITH BIG AMBITIONS Offers365 was founded by Manchester native Seun Olabisi last year, who’d spent several years working in various project

management roles and spotted an opening for a high-quality digital marketing firm. This was the genesis of Offers365. The company hosts links on a range of networks, including email marketing, mobile traffic, social media and voucher websites an area of digital marketing that has allowed the company to reach scale at extremely quickly.

As Olabisi says: “we specialise in lead generation. Our aim is to drive traffic to landing pages for clients, generating leads and subsequent sales.” By all accounts, they’re over-achieving on that aim. Despite being little over a year in operation, Offers365 already has a portfolio of high profile clients in the UK, Europe, Australia and the US. These include blue chip companies like Amazon, Apple Music, Unilever, Nintendo, Nielsen, The Week and Lush Cosmetics. In all, it currently has

“WE SPECIALISE IN LEAD GENERATION. OUR AIM IS TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO LANDING PAGES FOR CLIENTS, GENERATING LEADS AND SUBSEQUENT SALES.”

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STRATEGY

over 500 live campaigns, with revenue being generated through leads, clicks or generated from the firm’s affiliate network.

If this is where they are after a year, the mind boggles to think where they could be after five.

But Olabisi is keen to keep his feet firmly on the ground. For now, the investment by the MPIF comes at just the right time for the fledgling marketing firm. “This investment is vital for us as a small firm in order to expand the business beyond what we have been able to do with our working capital.

Employing new staff and expanding our product range will enable us to push

Offers365 to new heights, supporting our ambitious expansion plans.”

30 COUNTRIES AND GROWING Offers365 is an example to small companies all over the UK. You don’t need an office in the city of London to reach blue chips. You don’t need a big team to achieve huge scale. And you don’t need huge investment to beat companies with massive resources at their own game. This small 4-person team operating out of a small office in outer Manchester on laptops proves all of that. Don’t expect Offers365 to stay small for long.

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