T H E
M A G A Z I N E
F O R
FRENCH CHAMBER OF GREAT BRITAIN www.frenchchamber.co.uk
A N G L O - F R E N C H
B U S I N E S S MARCH / APRIL 2018
THE RISE OF THE
SMART CITY
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Five minutes with M. Tamara Box, Managing Partner, Reed Smith; French Embassy: A new plan for French schools; Interviews and analysis with architect Michel Mossessian, London’s Chief Digital Officer Theo Blackwell, and much more…
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Vous ne savez pas ? Nous non plus.
Retenez seulement que Hedios est le créateur des solutions de placement Gammes H qui visent un objectif de 8 % à 10 % de rémunération annuelle en moyenne, sous conditions et en contrepartie d’un risque de perte en capital. Précurseur, Hedios invente le premier mandat de produits structurés : le Mandat Gammes H. Depuis la création des Gammes H en 2009, 35 supports ont déjà été remboursés au 31 décembre 2017, avec une moyenne de rémunération de 9,10 % par an (avant prélèvements sociaux et fiscalité et hors frais liés à un contrat d’assurance vie ou de capitalisation ou à un compte titres, source Hedios). Les supports Gammes H non encore remboursés conservent un risque de perte en capital jusqu’à leur échéance (valorisations quotidiennes sur hedios.com). Les performances passées ne préjugent pas des performances futures.
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EDITORIAL
Estelle Brachlianoff President, French Chamber of Great Britain Senior Executive Vice President of Veolia UK & Ireland
A
s populations grow and public services struggle to keep up with demand, The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has set out his ambition for London to be the world’s ‘smartest’ city. He is appealing to the
London tech and business community to help define the solutions that can help make this a reality. There are also active smart city initiatives outside the capitol, notably in Bristol, Glasgow and Coventry, among other places. Indeed, Bristol was recently named top of the UK Smart Cities Index, overtaking London by a fine margin. This issue of INFO will touch upon the various, interconnected elements required to achieve the smart
city of the future. It is no surprise that data and sustainability are key concepts that recur throughout our expert contributions. Opening with an interview of Theo Blackwell, London’s Chief Digital Officer, further articles question how big data can be exploited within real estate; how buildings and transport infrastructure must be built with smart and sustainable aims; and how new technologies can be deployed to create sustainable solutions. With examples from specific industries, as well as overarching analysis on how these come together, this issue gives a comprehensive insight into what may be required to move forward together in building smart cities. You will also find reports of our own activities in this issue, including our range of forums, clubs and events from the past two months. Please circulate these reports in your organisation to share topical insight and to explore how your colleagues could get involved in future events. I am pleased to note that our activities are ramping up in coming months, notably with a Member 2 Member Cocktail & Exhibition, a Business Stories event, and our annual Cross-Cultural Quiz evening. As always, I encourage you to attend. Let me conclude by wishing you an enjoyable read. I
info
- march / april 2018 - 5
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THE RISE OF THE
SMART CITY
30 42
36
CONTENTS
25
8 INFO
T H E
M A G A Z I N E
F O R
A N G L O - F R E N C H
FRENCH CHAMBER OF GREAT BRITAIN www.frenchchamber.co.uk
B U S I N E S S MARCH / APRIL 2018
THE RISE OF THE
8 11 12 15 19 23 25 27 29
51 53 54
Five minutes with... M. Tamara Box, Reed Smith Brexit: Analysis and Key Dates Brexit: Judicial Cooperation Browne Jacobson Snapshot: Franco-British Summit Business News & Analysis SME Profile Stanley Robotics Education: A Plan for French Schools Education: Trends 2018 Reports and research
Culture: What's on Book reviews Wine Story Thibault Lavergne
AT THE CHAMBE R
56 57 58 60
Introduction by Stephen Burgin French Chamber News HR Forum: New co-Chair Brexit Forum Sponsorship ESCP Europe Business School New members
FOCUS | BE HIND THE FRONT DE SK
FORUMS & CLUBS
30 Introduction 32 A Smart City Strategy for London Theo Blackwell 33 Who Owns Smart City Data? NESTA 34 Smart City: A Holistic View SPIE 36 Urban Data and Real Estate Markets CBRE 39 Creating Sustainable Smart Cities Veolia UK & Ireland 40 What Buildings Can Learn Distech Controls 41 The Urban Campus Mossessian Architecture 42 Finance to Support Sustainable Goals HSBC 44 Keeping Up With the Pace of Growth Schneider Electric UK & Ireland 46 Autonomous Technology in Smart Cities Keolis UK 47 Data Making Cities Move Smarter Gett 48 Flexible Working in the Smart Office Majencia
61 62 63 64 65 66
Start-up & SME Club Legal Workshop and Intellectual Property Climate Change & Sustainability Forum Brexit and UK Environmental Law Retail Forum The Future of Customer Experience HR Forum Modern Slavery in the Workforce Digital Transformation & Innovation Forum The Case for Blockchain Women's Business Club Susan Liautaud: Business Ethics
CHAMBER EVENTS
68 69 70 71
Breakfast with... Guillaume Cerutti, Christie's Seminar with Theodo Past event highlights Galette des Rois; Corporate Cocktail at Home House; RVC Baglioni Hotel Forthcoming events
MARCH / APRIL 2018
CULTUR E AND LIFE S T YLE
THE RISE OF THE SMART CITY
BUSINE S S WOR LD
SMART CITY
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Five minutes with M. Tamara Box, Managing Partner, Reed Smith; French Embassy: A new plan for French schools; Interviews and analysis with architect Michel Mossessian, London’s Chief Digital Officer Theo Blackwell, and much more…
Managing Director: Florence Gomez Editor: Jakob von Baeyer Cover & Graphic Design: Katherine Millet Sales Manager: Suzanne Lycett Contributors: Jennifer Jenkins, Raymond Silverstein, Melanie Stancliffe, Theo Bass, George Adams, Stuart Stock, Chris Irwin, Graham Smith, Mike Hughes, Alistair Gordon, Matteo de Renzi, Thibault Lavergne, Suzanne Lycett Special thanks: Stephen Burgin, Peter Alfandary
Advertise in INFO: Please call our sales team on +44 (0)207 092 6651. Alternatively, please email: advertising@ccfgb.co.uk INFO is published every two months Printed by: CPI Colour Distribution: French Chamber members, Franco-British decision makers, Business Class lounges of Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Air France in London, Paris and Manchester
INFO is published by: French Chamber of Great Britain Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn London WC1V 7JH Tel: (020) 7092 6600 Fax: (020) 7092 6601 www.frenchchamber.co.uk
info
- march / april 2018 - 7
Five minutes with...
M. Tamara Box Managing Partner Europe & Middle East, Reed Smith LLP
INFO meets the finance lawyer and founding member of the Steering Committee of the 30% Club Tell us about Reed Smith and its activities?
Peter Rosher’s arrival is an example of enhancing
First and foremost, we are a relationship business. It’s through
our global offering to clients within a key industry group:
the strong relationships that we’ve built with our clients that
energy and natural resources. Peter is a highly regarded
we are able to develop an innate understanding of their
arbitration lawyer and with Paris being such an important
industries and their businesses in order to help them reach
global arbitration centre, his experience has provided critical
the right outcome. Our internal relationships are also key. We
bandwidth to our French clients and multinationals there and
are a single global profit pool and that means we are always
in other francophone jurisdictions.
incentivised to provide a seamless service across practice areas and geographies.
What pressing legal issues concern you?
Our activities cover the full spectrum of commercial law,
Where to start! We certainly live in interesting times… As
from advising a large pharma company on compliance with
I sit here in the UK and travel frequently to our European
global healthcare and data privacy regulations to advising on
offices, it would be impossible not to mention the impacts of
the acquisition of a pool of shipping loans for a private equity
Brexit; though not obviously a ‘legal issue,’ Brexit has been a
client to acting for a large managed care company in 'bet the
significant driver for advice being sought from our lawyers by
company' litigation. While as a global full service law firm, we
our clients in almost every area. GDPR is another hot button
can probably do just about anything, we have specific sector
for our clients at present – and thankfully, we have about the
expertise in five key industries: life sciences and healthcare,
hottest team in the market. Finally, just to pick another “hot
financial services, energy and natural resources, shipping, and
topic” out of many, we are seeing a growing interest from
entertainment and media.
many clients as they begin to understand the implications for them of the Payment Services Directive 2, whether they are
What are the current priorities for the company?
financial services business or not.
As for our main priorities, we continue to grow and adapt to meet client demand. For example, in the past year we have
What motivated you to take up a prominent role in the
significantly increased the breadth and depth of expertise in
30% Club?
our Paris office by welcoming high-profile additions such as
When Helena Morrissey approached me and others in
the energy expert Peter Rosher, an eight lawyer tax team from
2010 with the idea of encouraging Board Chairs to reach
Winston & Strawn, and a 19-strong multi-practice corporate,
a tipping point of cognitive diversity on Boards, I was more
tax and competition team from King & Wood Mallesons.
than enthusiastic. It has been shown that if 30 percent of any
Our expansion in Paris has been focused on enhancing our
group is ‘different,’ the common practice of ‘groupthink’ can
core industry group expertise (our five groups) as well as
be disrupted; for that reason, the figure of 30% was chosen
growing practices to meet client demand. We have focused
as our goal for working toward gender balance on Boards.
in particular on enhancing our transactional capabilities
It was all about making a better economic and commercial
including tax, corporate, M&A, private equity and competition/
environment for businesses to thrive.
antitrust.
8 - info - march / april 2018
F I V E M I N U T E S W I T H . . . M . TA M A R A B OX
The drive toward gender balance that started with the 30% Club is now a movement aimed at gender parity not only in FTSE-listed companies but also in every progressive company globally
How the world has changed in the past few years. Not
What does being a Patron member bring to Reed Smith?
only has the needle shifted from 12.5 percent women on
Reed Smith is proud to be a patron member of the French
FTSE 100 Boards to 27.8 percent, but the Board Chairs who
Chamber of Great Britain. France as a market is of strategic
form the nucleus of the 30% Club have been so pleased with
importance to the firm and we welcome the opportunities
the results that they now want to go further—to encourage
provided by the Chamber to exchange ideas and develop
their CEOs to reach a similar tipping point in the executive
our network with our colleagues from so many Franco-British
ranks of the world’s most successful companies. The drive
businesses.
toward gender balance that started with the 30% Club is now
I am particularly pleased to be involved in initiatives such
a movement aimed at gender parity not only in FTSE-listed
as the Women’s Business Club, where I am able to engage
companies but also in every progressive company globally.
with like-minded individuals to not only share best practice
Not only is it the right thing to do for people, it’s also good for
when it comes to business issues but also further the diversity
business.
and inclusion agenda within global organisations. I Interview by JVB
What is your own career journey? I’ve come a long way—both literally and figuratively—from Lubbock, Texas in the past thirty years. My studies at the London School of Economics awakened in me an element of intrigue about the world that was fostered further by Georgetown Law Centre in Washington, D.C., where I specialised in international and commercial law. I was able to spread my wings even more by working first in New York, then in Singapore, where I practiced law in the financial sector. Twenty years ago, I returned to my first love, England, and continued to explore international challenges by working
KEY FIGURES: REED SMITH
in both established markets like France and Germany and emerging markets like Eastern Europe and the Middle East. I’ve been with Reed Smith for six years now, and our opportunities and achievements just keep getting better! As
• Founded: 1877 • Number of attorneys: 1,700
the Managing Partner of Europe and the Middle East, I am
• Revenue: USD 1.23bn (2015)
able to work with clients and Reed Smith teams in all of the
• Global offices: 27
regions, affording me a chance to learn more about their unique issues as well as to capitalise on the ones that unite us
• Most recent office: Miami 2017
as our world becomes more globally integrated.
info
- march / april 2018 - 9
INNOVATION OR
INVASION
Don’t settle for black and white For the full perspective, turn to the FT Visit FT.com 10 - info - march / april 2018
Analysis and look ahead INFO looks at the latest news on Brexit and its impact on the Franco-British community
R
ound two. As negotiations re-commence this month, key
yet, and so some of the wording [of the treaty] will reflect an EU-
issues such as the Irish border, the customs union and the
only position.’ May has stated that ‘no UK prime minister could
length of the transition period are still un-decided. In the lead up, Theresa May convened a ‘war cabinet’ at Chequers to agree a way forward and build consensus within her party.
ever agree’ to the solutions proposed, primarily concerning a commitment to Northern Ireland remaining in the Customs Union, regardless of Britain’s position. On the other side of the British aisle, Jeremy Corbyn
According to the FT, a so-called ‘three baskets approach’
announced a shift in Labour policy, saying that he will push
was agreed, whereby Britain ‘binds some of its industries to
for a unique Brexit deal that would entail full access to the EU
single-market rules, commits others to the same spirit if not the
single market. The Labour leader also said that his party would
same letter and frees yet a third cluster to deviate over time.’
immediately announce legislation guaranteeing rights of EU
It will be a hard sell to the EU. Recent slides published by
citizens in Britain.
the European Commission state: ‘UK views on regulatory issues
According to the pro-Remain Conservative MP Anna
in the future relationship including [a] ‘three basket approach’
Soubry, Labour’s proposed single-market policy might force
are not compatible with the principles in the EuCo guidelines.’
the hand of her Leave colleagues who are intent on a ‘hard’
The first draft of the Brexit treaty published by the EU in late
Brexit. ‘If they are not going to change their position they
February reinforces the friction. According to the BBC, ‘there are
are going to lose votes in the House of Commons,’ she said.
some areas where the two sides have not reached agreement
I SL
Key dates Summit of heads of state and
One year to go until Brexit
Formal Negotiations
Government of the EU
(29 March 2018)
(Sping 2018)
(Brussels, 23 March 2018)
As the date that has been set up by the
Formal talks on the outlines of a future
The European council should agree on
British government is the 29th of March
relationship and notably on trade and
orientations and a common position on
2019, the UK will have one year left to
security are expected to begin in early
Brexit. The 27 leaders also hope to be
negotiate the terms of the termination of
April.
able to approve a set of instructions to
the European Union membership.
Barnier to secure a trade pact.
They fear that Brexit could lead to an AngloSaxon race to the bottom. With Britain plunged into a Mad Max-style world borrowed from dystopian fiction. These fears about a race to the bottom are based on nothing, not history, not intention, nor interest
I'm afraid that the UK position today is based on pure illusion DONALD TUSK, President of the European Council, speaking on 24 February
DAVID DAVIS, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, speaking on 20 February info
- march / april 2018 - 11
The question of judicial cooperation Britain may find itself out in the cold when it comes to judicial cooperation with the EU, say Jennifer Jenkins, Trainee Solicitor, and Raymond Silverstein, Partner, Browne Jacobson LLP
O
ne of the numerous issues requiring careful consideration
certain EU laws following Brexit, and the UK government’s
in Brexit negotiations is the policy area of freedom,
policy paper setting out its vision for future partnership
security and justice.
in cross-border judicial cooperation acknowledges that
Policies in this area concern free movement, border control,
continuing cooperation is in the interests of both parties.
data protection and police cooperation. They also govern the
However, the UK government has also made it clear that
principle of judicial cooperation, which is based on the premise
the CJEU will not have jurisdiction in the UK post-Brexit, nor
that EU citizens should not be prevented from exercising their
will the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights apply. In its report
rights as a result of incompatible legal systems across member
on the implications of Brexit for the area of freedom, security
states.
and justice, the European Parliament raised concerns that the
The EU has developed a range of regulations to ensure
disapplication of these fundamental pillars of the EU’s justice
judicial cooperation in both criminal and civil matters. The UK’s
system could present a huge barrier to any future judicial
involvement in the development of these measures began
cooperation.
before its ascension to the EU and has continued to this day. The risks EU regulations
A failure to ensure that the principle of judicial cooperation
The impact of Brexit on judicial cooperation in civil matters
in civil and commercial matters will survive Brexit could
requires a particular focus on one of the principle regulations
significantly impede access to justice and the availability
in this area: Regulation 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the
of effective remedies. Those most likely to be affected are
recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and
individuals and all but the largest businesses who will be
commercial matters (otherwise known as the Brussels I
unable to afford the increased cost of uncertain litigation
Regulation recast, or BIR).
which will inevitably follow the loss of BIR.
BIR allows judgments given in the court of one member
A House of Lords report in March 2017 examining the
state to be easily enforced by the courts of other member
potential impact of Brexit on justice for families, individuals
states, and also sets out reciprocal rules on jurisdiction. BIR
and businesses found that the lack of certainty caused by the
therefore allows for a party in one member state to enforce a
disapplication of BIR could present major difficulties for the
judgment against another party in a different member state. It
resolution of cross-border disputes.
also provides clarity on which member state’s courts will have jurisdiction to hear their dispute. Free movement of people, goods and services means that the subject matter of any dispute could very conceivably involve parties from more than one member state. BIR
In particular, the report found that the loss of BIR would lead to “an inevitable increase in cross-border litigation for UK based citizens and businesses as they continue to trade and interact with the remaining 27 EU member states”. There are likely to be lengthy disputes over which country’s
ensures that access to justice is not impeded by this, and
courts have jurisdiction to hear the claim, and a judgment
provides certainty about the resolution of disputes involving
given by the court of one country might not be enforceable
parties from different EU jurisdictions. Whilst BIR does apply
in the courts of another, meaning parties may not be able
to large scale commercial disputes, it is also equally applicable
to obtain effective or meaningful remedies. The European
to individuals and smaller businesses involved in claims
Parliament report asserts that the impact of this is likely to be
concerning parties or events in other member states.
felt most strongly by businesses and individuals in the UK.
What will remain?
Transition and solutions
As is the case with almost everything related to Brexit, the
The House of Lords concluded there was “no doubt that legal
future of BIR and judicial cooperation in general is uncertain.
uncertainty, with its inherent costs to litigants, will follow Brexit
The draft EU (Withdrawal Bill) gives the UK the ability to retain
unless there are provisions in a withdrawal or transitional
12 - info - march / april 2018
A failure to ensure that the principle of judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters will survive Brexit could significantly impede access to justice and the availability of effective remedies
agreement specifically addressing BIR.” The form any such
regard to the decisions of the CJEU, but would not be directly
provisions might take has yet to be agreed. In its report, the
subject to its jurisdiction. Yet at present, there appears to be
European Parliament stated that “whilst there is no precedent
no clear strategy for preserving judicial cooperation in the
for non-EU countries being party to BIR, this does not mean
area of freedom, security and justice post-Brexit. Amongst
such a thing is impossible.” However, it offers no explanation
the countless issues that need to be decided in the ever
as to how such an arrangement might work.
decreasing time between now and 29 March 2019, serious
Some commentators advocate a return to common law
consideration needs to be given to addressing this subject to
rules on cross-border disputes as a way to plug the gap left by
protect individuals and businesses in both the UK and
BIR. However, the House of Lords found that a return to the
the EU. I
common law would be “a recipe for confusion, expense and uncertainty” and would not provide a viable alternative to BIR. One option could be for the UK to join the Lugano Convention, which governs judicial cooperation between
For more information please refer to the recent research paper by the Policy Department for Citizen’s Rights and Constitutional Affairs: http://bit.ly/2BYxOc8.
the EU and some non-EU states. Under the Convention, participating states are required to pay “due account” to the courts of other participating states. Therefore, if the UK was permitted to join the Convention, it would have to have
info
- march / april 2018 - 13
Business regulations and Brexit Regulations affecting sectors from finance to cosmetics face an uncertain future, heard the latest Brexit Forum
T
he Chamber welcomed Geoff Skingsley, Chairman, L'Oréal UK and Olivier Morel, Partner & Head of International at
Cripps, Vice President of Marcalliance and Vice President of the French Chamber of Great Britain, to speak on the topic: The potential outcome of business regulations within the UK: Convergence or Divergence? The Forum is co-chaired by Angela Hepworth, Corporate Policy and Regulation Director, EDF Energy, and Neil Sherlock CBE, Partner, Corporate Affairs, PwC. The Forum announced its
‘ Changes from the current regulatory framework would result in significant additional costs and complexity, both for UK companies trading in the EU and EU companies trading in the UK, and would have no benefit to consumers
new sponsor, the ESCP Europe Business School. The big picture Olivier Morel, Partner at Cripps, provided an overview of the
security and ensure customer safety. They also set compliance
current state of the legislative and political process of the UK
standards on labelling and advertising and promote good
withdrawing from the EU. The future regulatory environment in
practices in development and manufacturing of products.
the UK is an unknown quantity, because the EU and the UK are
Specific to the cosmetics industry, this means standard product
still negotiating the terms of the separation, not the terms of
definitions and safety evaluations, ingredient definitions, post-
our future relationship.
market surveillance and in-market control and enforcement.
As part of that process, Parliament is currently examining
Other global cosmetics markets including UEA/Saudi Arabia/
the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19: the objective of
Gulf States, ASEAN countries and MERCOSUR countries
the legislation is to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act,
(including Brazil) use European guidelines as a reference.
which took Britain into the EU.
Skingsley reported that the industry believes that the best way
Once that Bill becomes law, all EU legislation will be
forward would be for the UK to continue to operate to current
transferred across into domestic law in the UK. Afterwards,
EU legislation. However there is uncertainty if this will be
Parliament can alter, cancel and create new legislation
possible, as regulations are subject to the political negotiation
independently of the EU.
process.
If the UK wants access to the Single Market, it will have to
Ideally, the deal should be negotiated which would allow the
abide by the same rules and regulations as the EU, albeit without
UK to have the status of ‘being established in the European
having an influence on the law-making process – it will be a rule-
Community,’ irrespective of the UK’s eventual status as EU/EEA
taker with no say on drafting the legislation. The EU has insisted
member or not.
that access to the SM is inseparable from the 4 freedoms – free
Changes from the current regulatory framework would result
circulation of goods, people, services and capital.
in significant additional costs and complexity, both for UK
The expectation is that the UK and the EU will sign a trade
companies trading in the EU and EU companies trading in
agreement, but there is uncertainty about what form it will take
the UK. Crucially, these additional costs and complexities
and how long negotiations will last.
would have no benefits to consumers, inside the UK or in the remaining EU27 countries.
Case study: cosmetics
The cosmetics industry has lobbied the government to keep
Geoff Skingsley, Chairman of L’Oréal UK, reported that current
EU regulations, as have the chemicals and pharmaceuticals
EU guidelines in the cosmetics industry are seen as setting
industries. I
the world standard for best practice. They guarantee product
14 - info - march / april 2018
Spotlight on the UK-France Summit Brexit was officially off the agenda at the meeting between leaders from France and the UK, but what they did talk about provides a road-map for the relationship between the two countries
B
ritish Prime Minster Theresa May and French President Emanuel Macron, flanked by their senior ministers,
announced a raft of agreements which will define cooperation between France and Britain for the coming years at a summit held at the Sandhurst military academy on 18 January 2018. A total of thirteen papers were released following the summit, addressing topics such as international migration, security and defence, foreign policy and cultural exchange, among others. INFO explores some of the detail of what was agreed, from a shared responsibility for Calais migrants to Macron’s offer to exhibit the Bayeux Tapestry in England in 2022.
money will be spent on fencing, CCTV and detection technology at Calais and other ports. This followed calls before the summit
Single market
for Britain to pay more towards the cost of the camps, including
‘I’m here neither to punish nor to reward.’ This was Macron’s
by interior minister Gerard Collomb, as well as accept more
soft warning; if the UK leaves the single market, British firms
refugees and unaccompanied child migrants from France.
will get less access to the EU than they current have. Crucially
However targets in this area were not formalised.
this includes financial services. What could have been a slightly awkward moment at the at the summit’s closing press
Foreign policy
conference was allayed by May’s acknowledgement that if
Several areas of foreign policy were discussed, including an
Britain is no longer a full members of the EU, it will not have full
agreement about closer cooperation on fighting al Qaeda-
access to its trading market. However she manoeuvred to say
linked militants in North Africa. May pledged British helicopters
a good deal for both parties was in everybody’s interest – what
to support the French campaign in the region. Currently 4,000
that looks like is anyone’s guess.
French troops are stationed across Mail, Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso. The move signals that cooperation
Defence
between the two countries will survive Brexit, and these joint
In the context of Brexit, there were questions going into the
military efforts are seen as an example of Macron’s interest
summit about the staying power of the Lancaster House treaties,
for the UK to be involved in what he has called a ‘European
signed in 2010. The treaty signalled defence cooperation
intervention initiative.’
between the two countries, outlining shared responsibility in terms of the armed forces and nuclear weapons. May was
Bayeux Tapestry
reported to have lobbied for a commitment from France on the
One of the summit’s more quixotic moments was Macron’s
UK’s continued involvement in European defence and security,
offer to exhibit the 950-year-old Bayeux Tapestry in Britain. The
particularly in respect of the EU’s defence funds, but no specific
artwork depicts the 1066 Norman conquest of Britain, and has
agreement was reached.
not left France for more than 900 years. Some commentators have seen the gesture as provocative, noting that an artwork
Migrants
commemorating a French victory over England is a subtle Brexit
It was announced that Britain will spend £44.5m on extra
message delivered by the French President. The tapestry is due
security measures at Channel ports. Reports said that this
to be exhibited in Britain in 2020. I
One of the summit’s more quixotic moments was Macron’s offer to exhibit the 950-year-old Bayeux Tapestry in Britain info
- march / april 2018 - 15
The Employment of EU citizens post-Brexit Melanie Stancliffe, Employment Partner at Irwin Mitchell LLP answers questions about how the decision to leave the European Union affects EU staff working in UK businesses Are there any current restrictions on the engagement of
right to engage EU staff after Brexit and how can their
staff from the EU?
employees help them?
No. Whilst the UK remains a member of the EU, it is bound by
The first step for employers is to audit their current staff, the
the principles of the freedom of movement, so EU citizens can
number of EU citizens working for them, and what steps they
continue to work here without any restrictions.
have taken to remain in the UK post-Brexit. Businesses can support their staff via:
Will businesses continue to engage their existing EU staff if the UK exits the EU on 29 March 2019 (the ‘Brexit date’)
Sponsorship: Businesses can become a visa sponsor.
without a deal?
This enables them to employ staff who require a visa to
Yes. If there is no agreement between the UK and the EU, the
work in the UK (including those from outside the EU).
UK will no longer be bound by EU law and will be able to set
Eligible employers can apply for a licence online by paying
its own immigration policy.
the requisite fee which varies according to the size of the
In a “cliff edge” Brexit where there is no deal,
business and the type of licence. The licence can either
scaremongers refer to the possibility EU citizens could be
cover skilled workers who will be employed on a long-
treated like citizens from a ‘third country’ and may need a visa
term/ permanent basis, or skilled workers employed on a
to continue to live and work here. The reality is that the UK is
temporary basis, or both.
unlikely to withdraw the rights of three million EU citizens who are living and working here prior to the Brexit date. Moreover,
Facilitating applications to stay: Employers can provide
there would be nothing to prevent a business employing
access to information about concretising their right to live
an individual to work outside of the UK. Many businesses
and work in the UK and offer their employees funding for
are reconsidering their needs. Where an employee is
applications, including:
contemplating returning to France, employers are considering consultancy-like arrangementsto retain staff and skills.
A. Permanent Residency This is available to any EU citizen who has lived and
Will businesses be able to continue to engage EU staff if
worked in the UK for at least 5 continuous years. The
the UK reaches an agreement with the EU?
lengthy application to the Home Office requires detailed
Yes. How they do it will depends on the rights of the staff and
information about any time spent outside of the UK,
when they came to the UK.
confirmation of funds, proof of private medical insurance,
A “common understanding” has been reached for EU
and a fee of £65.
citizens already working in the UK or who arrive prior to the Brexit date. The joint report of the EU and UK negotiators in
B. Naturalisation
December 2017 confirmed EU citizens who reside in the UK
After being permanently resident for 12 months, an EU
on the Brexit date (and their family members) will continue to
citizen can apply to become a British citizen (the spouse
benefit from existing EU freedom to live and work.
of a UK citizen can apply immediately). Naturalisation
EU citizens who arrive during or after the transitional
may require an EU citizen them to renounce any other
period will not enjoy these free movement rights. Currently
nationality.
they will have to satisfy the conditions imposed by the UK
The person must demonstrates to the Home Office that
government, although this may change in the transitional
they: plan to continue to live in the UK, can communicate
period or in the permanent deal.
in English, are over 18 years old, are of sound mind and of good character, have sufficient knowledge about life in
What steps can an employer take now to maximise the
16 - info - march / april 2018
the UK (by passing the ‘Life in the UK’ test) and have lived
Scaremongers refer to the possibility EU citizens could be treated like citizens from a ‘third country’ and may need a visa to continue to live and work here
in the UK for at least 5 years. The process is expedited
minimum of 5 years and have been employed, working, a
if the EU citizen has a connection to the UK through a
student or economically self-sufficient during that time.
spouse, parent, or citizenship in a current or former UK
Their family members who meet this test will also be able to
territory. The fee is £1,282 (as 6 April 2017).
apply for settled status.
A British citizen (or person with dual UK and another EU citizenship) cannot be removed from the UK.
The application must be made within 2 years of the Brexit date. The fee will be roughly £75 and the process is to be simple. Applicants who cannot show 5 years’ continuous
C. Settled Status (see below)
residence in the UK will be given ‘temporary status’ if they prove they lived in the UK before the Brexit date.
D. Training existing staff
These proposals are being negotiated. The final details will only be known when the Withdrawal Agreement and
Many businesses are upskilling their staff and diversifying
Implementation Bill becomes law.
the knowledge and skills needed in anticipation of losing
For EU citizens arriving after the Brexit date, the government
some employees. Many UK employers (with a payroll of
has not published any proposals.
over £3m each year) who pay the apprenticeship levy are not aware they can use funds in the apprenticeship
What checks will employers have to carry out post-Brexit?
service account to cover training and assessment to train
An employer will need to verify the person is allowed to work
their (non-apprentice) staff.
in the UK before agreeing to employ them. They must see the candidate’s original documentation (e.g. passport), check the
Has the government indicated the rights EU citizens will
documents are valid in the candidate’s presence, and ensure
enjoy post-Brexit if a deal is reached?
they show the candidate and the same name and date of
Yes. For EU citizens already living in the UK, the government
birth is on all documents. Employers must retain copies of
will introduce a new concept of ‘settled status’ to enable them
the documents and record the date of the check. Carrying
and their families to continue to live and work here.
out inadequate checks or employing an illegal worker carries
A settled person must show they have lived in the UK for a
serious penalties (unlimited fines, 5 years imprisonment). I
info
- march / april 2018 - 17
A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO HUMAN RESOURCES IN GREAT BRITAIN
New to HR in the UK?
ÂŁ15
Whether you are working within a large HR team, operating as an external advisor or are a business leader with responsibilities for the HR aspects of your organisation, this guide will help you to prepare for the challenges you face when working with employees in the UK. This guide is also much appreciated by the senior management and HR staff of UK subsidiaries of French companies. Millennials, working conditions, salaries or payroll, the guide provides an overview of all the topics that relate to managing a workforce in Great Britain. It is the reference tool to do HR in the UK! Areas covered include: How to recruit - The legal framework - What salary and benefits? - Payroll, taxation and other charges - Recruitment on the internet - Working conditions
Buy our practical guide on: www.frenchchamber.co.uk
Translated by HL Trad
NEWS
A ND
A N A LY S I S
The boom in cyber security Recent studies show that cyber security spend is on the rise due to the increased risk of digital attacks
T
he recent cyber attack at the Winter Olympics is just one case
demonstrating the increased risk of cyber attacks, currently forcing companies to re-think thier spending on digital security measures. A recent global survey by professional services firm EY reported that more than 50 percent of companies raised their budgetary spend for cyber security last year. The report also found that ‘56 percent of respondents
against $3.8bn in 2016, as reported by data analysis
have either made changes to their strategies and plans to
company CB Insights, demonstrating the potential for start
take account of the risks posed by cyber threats, or that they
ups to provide fresh solutions.
are about to review strategy in this context.’ These adjustments are mirrored by the projections of
Regulatory requirements
American research firm Gartner, which predicts that global
Although 76 percent of recipients in the EY survey suggested
security spending will reach $96bn in 2018, an overall growth
that only a damaging security breach would prompt them
of 8 percent.
to allocate further resources in defence of this threat, the
These shifts also come at a time when the General Data
new regulations imposed through the GDPR provide further
Protection Regulation (GDPR) is due to come into force in
impetus to improve and adapt. The regulations mandate
May 2018, standardising corporate best-practice in Europe
companies update their systems in aid of data protection.
for how data is collected and stored.
Business Opportunities
Those who cannot adapt to these new regulations could risk fines (up to 4 percent of annual global turnover or €20m through the GDPR), alongside the current costs associated
The recipients of this hike in spend are reaping the rewards,
with cyber breach ($141 per lost or stolen record in 2017,
with providers Atos and Thales reporting strong sales
according to a survey by IBM).
for their cyber security services (10.9 percent and 27
Although the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
percent increase in revenue vs. 2016 respectively). The big
suggests that up to 90 percent of SMEs remain unprepared
4 consultancy firms, Capgemini, EY, KPMG & PwC, also
for the GDPR conditions, those who can adapt quickly to
reported enhanced sales in the sector last year.
meet these rigorous requirements enhance their chances
According to the Cybsersecurity Almanac, there were 178
of securing contracts. ‘50 percent of SMEs have had cyber
M&A transactions in the security market in 2017 – a $20.4bn
security clauses added to new contracts in the last five
business. Organisations such as Altran and Thales have
years,' according to a survey by CybSafe.
acquired cybertech companies to develop their skills base and meet the growing demand for these services. These profitable circumstances are not just the remit
Large companies have a key role to play in a global overview of security issues extending to their supply chains. ‘The more enterprise sees cyber security as a value-add,
of established companies. They present an opportunity
the more SMEs will change online practices to become that
for start ups to benefit as well. Global venture capital
trusted vendor’, says Oz Alashe, CEO and founder of CybSafe;
investments in cyber security jumped last year to $7.6bn
a win-win for all involved. I Suzanne Lycett
More than 50 percent of companies raised their spend for cyber security last year info
- march / april 2018 - 19
BUSINE S S WOR LD – NE WS AND ANALYSI S
Veolia helps Scottish Water achieve energy self-sufficiency
Veolia, the global resource management company is now helping Scottish Water to achieve the target of energy self-sufficiency at its Seafield Wastewater Treatment Works, the largest treatment works in the east of Scotland. Since 2015 Veolia have extended
Thales to equip Spanish and German Armed Forces
The Spanish Army Aviation and the German Armed Forces are increasing their capabilities with Thales’s rockets. The two forces have been involved in different UN-peacekeeping missions and are currently deployed in Mali with Tiger helicopters. The Logistic Support Command of the Army (MALE) of Spain and the German Procurement Agency have just awarded Thales for a batch of respectively 1,000 and 10,000 70mm/2.75” rockets to complete the weapon systems of their Tiger HAD-E and their UH Tiger helicopters.
the site’s capability to generate its own energy from 55 percent to around 85 percent in 2017 by boosting the renewable energy derived from a combination anaerobic digestion of sludge and biogas fired combined heat and power (CHP) plants. Full selfsufficiency has already been achieved at various points during 2017 when Seafield used no electricity from the Grid. ‘Recent estimates indicate that the water industry could be self-sustaining for electricity by harnessing the 11 billion litre annual flow of waste water. Our application of technology to this process demonstrates how we can help deliver greater sustainability for the industry using waste water to energy systems, and also meet water industry carbon reduction targets,’ says John Abraham, Chief Operating Officer, Water. I
DS Virgin Racing Team reveal first Formula E driver FIA Formula 3 runner-up Joel Eriksson has been confirmed as one of DS Virgin Racing’s drivers for the forthcoming Formula E rookie test. Taking place after the Marrakesh E-Prix on 14 January, Eriksson, 19, will take to the wheel of the race-winning DSV-03 for the first time. The Swedish racer finished second in the highly competitive FIA Formula 3 Championship last year, securing seven wins and 14 podiums along the way. He was also recently voted an impressive 27th in Autosport magazine’s top 50 drivers of 2017. I
FMIDecaux wins Yangon City advertising contract
FMIDecaux Co., the new joint venture between JCDecaux S.A., the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide and its partner First Myanmar Investment Co., Ltd., Myanmar’s first listed company, have won an exclusive 20-year contract with Yangon City Development Committe for advertising street furniture in the city of Yangon (pop: 5.2 million). The first contract in Myanmar covers the design, installation, operation and maintenance of five hundred brand new, modern and elegant advertising bus shelters equipped with USB ports and LED screens on the roof. I
20 - info - march / april 2018
LVHM announces of Prize for Young Fashion Designers
The LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers will take place for the 5th year running. On the occasion of the 2018 edition, new experts and members of the Jury will appraise and choose candidates from all over the world. The semi-final of the Prize will take place in March. The panel of experts will select eight designers for the final among the candidates. The final of the Prize will take place in June, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The jury will feature the artistic directors of LVMH Houses and leading figures from LVMH.
NE WS AND ANALYSI S – BUSINE S S WOR LD
Eurostar commits to green power by 2030 Eurostar has this week confirmed its commitment to have complete
replacements for fossil fuels within the next twelve years. The company’s ‘Tread Lightly 10-point plan,’ sets out a range of promises, including completely replacing all vehicles with electrical alternatives by 2020. The programme aims to reduce the carbon footprint of all Eurostar services through a range of measures surrounding the responsible use of energy, reducing waste and plastics, and using sustainable products. By 2030, the company says it will have introduced 'alternatives to fossil fuel energy' for all the trains it runs, as well as investing in banks of solar panels at its UK depot. In addition to changing the way it produces energy, Eurostar has committed to a 5 percent reduction in train energy and energy meters on board each train by 2020. The company has recently undergone a change at the top, with former CEO Nicolas Petrovic leaving his position, replaced by ex-Yodel boss Mike Cooper. I
Dacia celebrates five years in the UK
Dassault Systèmes wins top sustainability award
Corporate Knights Global 100 index has ranked Dassault Systèmes No. 1 among the top 100 most sustainable companies in the world. This is the seventh consecutive year that Dassault Systèmes has been included. The 2018 ranking is a clear recognition of Dassault Systèmes’ holistic sustainability strategy, from reducing its environmental footprint, to developing the workforce of the future and driving the definition of new business models in today’s 'Industry Renaissance.' I
This year Dacia, by Groupe Renault, is celebrating five amazing years in the UK. Since launching in 2013, Dacia set out with a mission to shake up the UK car market with its no-
L'Occitane launches flagship Regent Street store
Twenty years after opening its first boutique on London’s
nonsense, ‘shockingly affordable’ cars and offer functional,
iconic Regent Street, L’Occitane returns to launch its first
cleverly designed vehicles with proven quality and reliability.
UK flagship store. Now open at 74-76 Regent Street, the
Louise O’Sullivan, Head of Dacia UK: ‘In just five years the
6,450ft store is the French beauty company’s largest in
Dacia community has built up significantly thanks to the
the world, spread across two floors and offering exclusive
annual Dacia Day, our incredibly passionate Dacia owners’
services including engraving, gift wrapping and personalised
clubs and major brand partnerships like our one with the
messages for more than twenty of its face, body care and
Rugby Football League.’ I
fragrance products. I
Saint-Gobain recognized as one of the 100 most innovative companies in the world For the 7th consecutive year, Saint-Gobain has been named in Clarivate Analytics’ Top Global Innovators ranking, recognised for four patent-related metrics: the total number of patents, the number of patents granted as a ratio of patents filed, the global scope of the portfolio of patents, and the impact of patents measured by the number of references. I
info
- march / april 2018 - 21
BUSINE S S WOR LD – NE WS AND ANALYSI S
Humanity & Inclusion rebrands with new name The NGO Humanity
CXB HUB launches a new consulting model for customer excellence
& Inclusion, formerly
The London-based start-up combines ‘plug-and-play’
Handicap International,
customer experience solutions with strategic consulting.
celebrated its new
With current projects in the UK, Russia and Romania, building
name and 35 years of
up customer excellence programmes for Fortune 500 and
innovation at a reception
medium size fast growing companies, CXB HUB offers a
at the Speaker’s House with Penny Mordaunt MP, Secretary
range of services on the value chain of customer experience,
of State for International Development. The organisation’s
solving business strategic issues, such as customer and
work includes the use of 3D printing technology for
employee centricity. It includes customer data analysis,
prostheses, the use of drones to clear landmines, and the
communications, customer excellence coaching and design
use of innovative software to make education projects
thinking. ‘In eight months, we have built with Claire Bonniol
more inclusive. ‘Our new name, expresses one of our
a strong hub business model which is scalable in many
organisation's core values, humanity, and the ambition that
countries, with many clients and many strategic partners,'
has driven our work for the last 35 years, the inclusion of
says co-founder Alexis Grabar, UK-based Franco-American
people overlooked or ignored by humanitarian response and
serial entrepreneur. I
development programmes, and communities around the world,’ said Aleema Shivji, Director of Humanity & Inclusion UK. I
Doctors of the World UK recruits cyclists for London-Paris ride
Doctors of the World UK (part of the Medecins du Monde network) is looking for a group of keen cyclists to help celebrate their 20th year of working in the UK by taking part in this summer’s London to Paris Cycle Challenge and raise at least £20,000 for their vital work. The event takes place over five days in late July and will be an exciting adventure with roughly 100 other cyclists through the English and French countryside before reaching the French capital in time for the final day of Tour de France 2018. Pete Aldridge, Fundraising Manager at Doctors of the World UK says: “This is going to be an exciting challenge for our team of riders, who we will help to raise as much money as they can for the charity while having a great five-day adventure. I
HL Trad announces recent acquisition of specialist translator
HL TRAD, a major player in the field of legal and financial translation, has completed its second external growth operation by acquiring Sémantis, a translation agency specialising in the fields of communications, marketing and luxury products. The acquisition has enabled the Group and its eighty employees to achieve consolidated revenue in 2017 of €16.5m, making the HL TRAD Group a benchmark player in the European translation market. 'In a market undergoing consolidation, HL TRAD is seeking to continue its strategy of targeted acquisitions by focusing on translation firms of high added value that offer the very highest level of service,' said Eric Le Poole and Emmanuel Hacques, co-founders and directors. I
Arts & Métiers Acceleration launches partnership with Caisse d’Epargne
Located at Station F in Paris, the world’s biggest start-up campus, Arts et Métiers Acceleration is currently hosting a finely selected group of 12 hardware start-ups. In addition to dedicating their expertise and giving access to the 34,000 alumni of Arts et Métiers ParisTech, the new partnership with Caisse d’Epargne will leverage over 200 million euros in loans and the support of 50 Neo-Business experts across the country. Arts et Métiers Acceleration aims to accompany about 20 start-ups per year to foster industrial innovation and create a vibrant community addressing tomorrow’s greatest industrial challenges. I 22 - info - march / april 2018
S TART- UP PROFILE – BUSINE S S WOR LD
Park and Go Stanley Robotics aims to revolutionise the parking experience through state-of-the-art robots that park your car for you, says Clément Boussard, CEO and co-founder of Stanley Robotics
For users, the experience is simple and pleasant. For operators, it improves the efficiency of their car park by more than 50 percent How did you become interested in
wheels. The robot then carries your car
de Gaulle airport last March, we signed
automated parking?
to a free space.
a partnership contract with Lyon airport
Three
founders,
Cord,
The parking lot is not open to the
in July to work on the exterior long-term
Stéphane Evanno and myself, created
public – only robots can move in it –
car park. It’s a project with an objective
Stanley
after
limiting the risk of damage or break-in.
of transforming an 8,000-space car park
discovering the existence of car movers
For users, the experience is simple and
into a 12,000-space car park. It is a huge
– platforms which allow you to move
pleasant. For operators, it improves the
technological challenge. For the first
vehicles without starting them. We
efficiency of their car park by more than
time in the world, an autonomous robot
were working on different autonomous
50 percent.
will park cars outdoors.
opportunity to install software into this
You tested your product in Paris
to deploy a hundred robots worldwide,
kind of platform. Instead of equipping
Charles de Gaulle last year. What
then multiply their number by two every
cars with autonomous software, we
were the results?
year. The challenges will be huge from a
equipped a robot which spends its time
Our first project was to automate a
production perspective, but we are very
parking cars, simplifying the parking
100-space car park in Roissy Charles
excited about deploying our projects
experience and making parking lots
de Gaulle Airport. The test lasted three
everywhere in the world.
much more efficient.
months. The objective for the airport
Robotics
Aurélien in
2015,
vehicle projects at the time and saw an
In a three years time, our objective is
was to evaluate the ability of Stanley
When will we see this technology in
How does automated parking work?
Robotics to take over the car park and
the UK?
You drop your car off in a bright and
manage the service with clients. They
The UK is a key market for us because
spacious box at the entrance of a
wanted to see how this innovation
the air transport infrastructure is highly-
parking lot, leaving it parked. In the
would impact travellers.
developed, ahead of many European
case of an airport car park (where we
That first project was a huge success,
countries. We already have a client in the
have tested our technology) after you
and we succeeded in welcoming more
country, and many prospective clients
validate your reservation, a terminal
than 300 travellers during this period.
as well. We give a lot of importance
allows you to verify the information of
They appreciated the simplicity and
to the UK because the market offers
your flight and confirm the parking in
ease of our service. We have since
a great challenge. We feel can offer a
just a few clicks. Once confirmed, the
extended discussions with the airport.
lot to this market, and learn from their
box secures your car and the valet
experience. I
robot then slides underneath and uses
What are your priorities in the future?
its arms to delicately lift the car by the
With a first success at the Roissy Charles
info
- march / april 2018 - 23
BUSINE S S WOR LD – SME NE WS
Les Bougies de Charroux open London store
L
aunched by Jean-Paul Corgnet in 2007 and joined by his son Pierre this year, Les
Bougies de Charroux is a family business. The company’s success is the result of handcrafted skill and flawless quality. All of their scented candles are made by hand in their Charroux atelier. Their perfumes are from the town of Grasse, famous for perfumes and flowers, and all have IFRA international quality and security certification. The store is located at 33 Smiths Court, W1D 7DP. I
Verdier & Co. named by Telegraph in boutique banking boom
French Fairs announce conference date
T
he Telegraph newspaper has reported on Jean-Philippe Verdier, who ran investment banking for Jefferies in France until 2016, and his London boutique Verdier & Co. Verdier started out as a one-man shop after being approached by contacts who wanted independent advice on a flexible retainer. He now has a board and four members of staff. ‘You really eat what you kill - clients retain you and your capabilities, not the fancy office or the corporate name,’ Verdier was quoted as saying. ‘I recall the thrill of getting a Friday evening call from a client appointing us to start on first thing Monday.’ I
F
rench Fairs Ltd. will host a day of debate, discussions, and talks around the future of Europeans in the UK on
19 March at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. The free-of-charge event is designed to give as much information as possible to Europeans currently in the UK to help them decide whether or not to stay in the UK post Brexit, and will feature panels of politicians, experts and activists. I
Business O Feminin launch prize for young entrepreneurs
French Radio London join French Morning group
T
he
French
Morning
T
group
he 2018 edition of the Business
announces the launch of French
of Feminin Awards will launch
Morning London, in partnership
a prize for a new generation of
with French Radio London. After
female entrepreneurs between
the launch of Maudits Français in
the ages of 12 and 25. The Young
Montreal, it is the second site of
Business O Feminin award is
French Morning outside the US
open to candidates who launched
and the first in Europe. The French
an independent or collaborative
speaking community will find a variety of information on the
start-up, and who can supply an
website: news, business, politics, arts & culture, events, tips,
executive summary of their project. The deadline to apply is
videos, and practical advice for settling into London life. I
31 March. I
24 - info - march / april 2018
FE ATUR E - E DUC ATION
A new plan for French
schools
in London The development of new schools as well as fewer French pupils arriving in the UK is leading to a strategy to internationalise the city’s existing schools, say Claudine Ripert-Landler, Cultural Counsellor, and Lorène Lemor, Deputy Cultural Counsellor of the French Embassy in Great Britain Does the Embassy have concerns
stabilise enrolment and attract a more
years (‘la maternelle’) don’t really exist
about student intake in London?
international student body.
as such in the English system. More
In September 2017, at the start of the
parents are aware that a bicultural
school year, we did not record more
How will the schools adapt to the
and bilingual education is an asset for
departures than in the previous years.
international demand?
the young generation with regard to
However, the number of arrivals in
Many of the schools already offer a
higher education, labour market, and
London is a little lower than it used
bilingual programme (50 percent in
international careers – e.g. diplomats or
to be.
French, 50 percent in English). The
businessmen.
Lycée français Charles de Gaulle also What effect will Brexit have on this
has a British section, offering the
What is the cultural dimension of a
situation?
British curriculum and British exams
French education?
Although we do not anticipate any new
such as GSCEs and A Levels. As of
Studying in a French school either in
drop in the short term, things may
September 2018, students at the Lycée
the United Kingdom or elsewhere is to
change if more staff relocate to Europe
international de Londres Winston
be part of a worldwide network (492
once Brexit takes effect in March 2019,
Churchill will sit the IB (International
schools in 137 countries), which is very
depending on the outcome of the
Baccalaureate) from Year 7 onward.
interesting for an internationally mobile
current negotiations between the UK
These adjustments help our students
population. This network has also
and the EU.
to be better prepared to join worldwide
recently launched an online platform for
universities.
the Alumni of French high schools in the
Where does the current intake come
world. Furthermore, the new ADN-AEFE
from?
What are the strengths of a French
programme aims at giving students
London is special, in that it comprises
education in London?
the opportunity to spend a term in
a large French population (approx.
French high schools are a gateway
another school in order to discover a
300,000 people). Our schools
to universities around the world.
new country. This type of education
welcome roughly 80 percent native
Each year, students join prestigious
in French fosters the development of
French-speaking students. However,
universities in the UK, the United
closer links with the Francophone world,
the creation of four new schools in
States, Canada, France, and many other
including developing African countries.
recent years (including the CFBL and
countries. Some specific aspects of the
The number of French speakers in the
the Lycée Churchill), representing an
French educational model also appeal
world is estimated to reach 700 million
additional 2,500 places, has helped to
to families. For instance its pre-school
by 2050. I
These adjustments help our students to be better prepared to join worldwide universities info
- march / april 2018 - 25
E DUC ATION – NE WS
Turenne Consulting advise on creation of Collège Français d’Amsterdam
Toulouse School of Economics train future environmental experts
The education specialist continues to expand in Europe
Faced with today’s global
with a new school project in Amsterdam. The economic
climate challenge, companies
capital of the Netherlands was recently selected to
and public powers need new
welcome the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and
professional
is now ranked second worldwide in the number of
preparing just those skills,
foreign direct investment projects attracted in 2017.
via its innovative Masters in
Nearly 6,000 French citizens are officially registered
environmental
in Amsterdam but the lack of a secondary school is
The course's future graduates
creating a huge recruitment challenge for the 136 French
are trained to both assess
skills.
TSE
is
economics.
companies located in the city. Turenne Consulting is
and recommend economic
advising private stakeholders for the opening of ‘Collège
policies and also guide industry strategies across the major
Français d’Amsterdam’ next year. I
environmental issues taking into account regulation: energy, air and water pollution, biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. I
INSEEC U. London Campus launch new programmes in tech and political science INSEEC London Bachelor and Master programmes are extending into new fields of technological expertise, namely Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Financial Innovation; as well as new programmes in International Relations and Political Communications. We continue to have considerable success with our Masters in Finance and Business Innovation. The multidisciplinary approach of the developing programmes extends to many of our new schools: EBS, Crea Genève, ESCE, ECE Engineers, HEIP, with the goal is to achieve a congruence of schools on one campus. I
London Languages launch new English Pronunciation Programme
Le Conversation Club offer real-life language learning
The long-standing language training
Let all the Chief Happiness Officers
provider introduces a new English
know: there is a fun and useful way to
Pronunciation Programme to suit even
improve your language skills in town.
the busiest professionals, offering an
Le Conversation Club is a language
innovative approach to pronunciation
school where you will work on your
training, with bite-sized sessions to
language skills through conversations
fit around work commitments. The
led by a professional. The expertise of
new programme offers techniques for accent reduction by working on voice projection, and body
our teachers covers everything from grammar to everyday situations.
posture. ‘We find that clients want a realistic approach to
Our courses also use authentic audio/video sources. Once
communication skills which focuses on the overall impression
a month all our students get together to use what they’ve
of their delivery. This leads to a boost in confidence and
learned in class in real-life situations with native speakers of
overall fluency, so important when delivering a work
the language they are learning and gauge how much progress
presentation to an international audience’, says Sarah Hobbs,
they have made. I
Head of English. I 26 - info - march / april 2018
FE ATUR E - E DUC ATION
EDUCATION
trends
OUTLOOK 2018 Benjamin Vedrenne-Cloquet, co-founder of the fast-growing EdTech forum and IBIS Capital investment advisory, outlines the key trends in education for 2018
Digitisation
Alternative solutions will need to be found. Current
Music has Spotify, publishing has Amazon, and television has
examples include scripted and remotely administered teaching,
Netlfix. Now the education sector is experiencing its own
such as those being trialled with some of the poorest children
platform-led disruption with the launch of new services like
in the world in Africa and Latin America by Bridge International
iTutorGroup, which uses algorithms and big data to personalise
Academies, a multi-national for-profit company, which charges
one-on-one tutoring on their digital platform. Another example
$6 per month for access to courses.
is Coursera, a Silicon Valley-based provider of online courses
Alternative investment models are also being discussed. The
with 28 million registered users.
American investor Warren Buffett made headlines by offering
Google has targeted the classroom as well with the launch of its low cost laptops and free apps. The New York Times recently reported on a Chicago classroom where each pupil worked
a group of business graduates from Columbia University to ‘pay $100,000 for 10 percent of the future earnings of any of you.’
on a thirty dollar Chromebook, accessing their coursework via
Automation
Google Docs and a new app called Google Classroom, which
With a 72 percent increase in the use of industrial robots and
enables teachers to set assignments.
a 16 percent decrease in industrial jobs in American in the
Personalisation
past ten years, automation is posing serious questions to the working world. Academics from Oxford University predict that
When the traditionally high-ranking country of Finland fell
45 percent of all US jobs will be replaced by robots within the
behind on international tables for literacy and numeracy, they
next 20 years.
took radical action. A new curriculum was devised that reduced
In 2016, Ashok Goel, from the Georgia Institute of
subject content and instead encouraged teachers to adopt a
Technology, used an artificial intelligence programme to
‘project-based learning’ approach, teaching ‘competencies’
respond to student questions. He told them that it was a real
rather than disciplines.
person. The AI responded to students queries 24/7 – incredibly
The approach is beginning to catch on elsewhere. A free school in Doncaster has implemented a similar design for its teaching. The XP School teaches through ‘expeditions’ or
the students did not notice that the AI named ‘Jill Watson’ was not real, signalling a potential for future initiatives.
projects, and often with involvement external to the school
Globalisation
itself. A recent project involved working with English Heritage on
Traditional educational establishments have diversified into
a poster campaign for Conisbrough Castle.
new markets, such as those in Asia and the Middle East, where
Privatisation
demand is growing. St Albans School will open an international school in Dubai, while Eton will launch online lesson for Chinese
There are concerns that state education will not be able to cope
students.
with increased numbers of students in the coming years. By
Currently, China is the biggest market for education, and the
203, there is expected to be 1bn new entrants into education
sector is highly valued within society. In 2016, it was already an
and 1bn workers to retain worldwide. Current forecasts by the
$8bn digital education market and had more than 9,500 Edtech
National Audit Office and others estimate that an additional
companies operating in the country – 2.5 times more than
25.8m teachers will need to be found – foreshadowing a global
operate in Europe. Currently, the Chinese market accounts for
teacher shortage.
thirty to forty percent of global Edtech venture investments. I
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E DUC ATION – NE WS
Smart cities come to higher education Sciences Po has announced a new chair aimed at challenging the current thinking about the digital transformation of cities
A
new research and teaching chair devoted to the transformation
‘From the IT company point of
the public debate and to help citizens,
view, it was a great success. they
governments and companies to better
of cities in relation to the digital
demonstrated their technical skills.
understand what is at stake with digital
revolution has been founded by a
However, the city administration was
cities,’ says Courmont.
leading French university.
not able to use the data to reshape their
The Cities and Digital Technology chair, launched by Sciences Po’s Urban
urban planning project,’ says Courmont. According to him, the research unit
Changing cities
School and the Centre for European
has established a unique methodology
Sciences Po, which is known as an
Studies and Comparative Politics, aims
to investigate projects in a more holistic
incubator for the political class in
to take a fresh perspective on growing
way – a specific approach to interrogate
France, including the majority of
smart cities activity, in both public and
digital technologies and urban
its recent Presidents, is a leader in
private sectors.
governance.
education in public administration.
According to the school, original
‘We do this by developing empirical
The new chair signals an evolution in
research in this area is needed, as
studies to analyze to what extent these
establishment thinking on the issue of
current smart city thinking can be
technologies impact urban governance
smart cities, which can struggle to keep
polarised as either too utopian or too
and public policies,’ says Courmont.
up with the pace of adoption of new
resistant.
They aim to take a macro approach
‘Most research on digital cities
to studying smart cities, with the goal
services offered by the private sector. ‘The fast development of digital
can still be categorised in two ways,’
to help public and private institutions
platforms such as Uber or Airbnb
says Antoine Courmont, its scientific
achieve greater results.
highlights the impact of these digital
director. 'It is either highly optimistic, welcoming new opportunities to improve urban services, or it is
‘Our research aims to contribute to
services on urban life against public policies,’ says Courmont. ‘Above all, we think that digital
pessimistic, strongly attuned to the risk
cities must not be reduced to projects
of privatization of urban government
implemented by governments or IT
and panoptic surveillance.’
companies.’
‘Both perspectives are based
This means making greater room
on a similar assumption that digital
for the citizen and social concerns in
technologies do something. But we've
the process, as digital technologies
also noticed that lots of smart cities
transform urban practices, in the first
initiatives have failed, mainly because
instance.
of a lack of understanding of urban governance,’ says Courmont.
A new methodology
‘We think that highlighting the sociopolitical issues of digital technologies is crucial to shape the city of tomorrow.’ In addition to their research
Among current projects, the research
projects, the unit will hold regular
unit is looking into Cisco’s project
meetings, including an upcoming
in Place de la Nation, the busy Paris
conference on the relationships
roundabout. The telecoms and
between territories and new actors in
tech giant, partnering with the local
the digital economy. ‘Digital platforms
municipality, used big data analytics to
and territories’ will be held at their Paris
identify environmental and quality of life
campus on 3 May 2018. I
ameliorations with mixed results.
We've noticed that lots of smart cities initiatives have failed, mainly because of a lack of understanding of urban governance 28 - info - march / april 2018
R E PORT S & R E SE ARCH – BUSINE S S WOR LD
A selection of research papers and reports produced by Chamber member companies and partners
EY: Future Cities: Is the path to future growth through smart infrastructure? Whilst many of the technologies that will power future UK cities and infrastructure are still emerging, disruption is increasing the pressure on cities to become smart and resilient. New ideas and providers are accelerating the pace of change, challenging traditional business models and demanding new approaches. This report explores the different challenges UK cities face, whether legacy cities dealing with aging infrastructure, new cities planning for the future, or transitioning cities buckling under the pressure of urbanisation and growth. EY Future Cities: Is the path to future growth through smart infrastructure? – 2017 Available at: https://go.ey.com/2FDvnec
Deloitte: Real Estate Predictions Technology has been incorporated by cities for many years. However, the pace at which this adoption takes place is increasing rapidly as disruptive digital technologies have the potential to solve major metropolitan challenges. As a consequence, urban areas transform into ‘smart cities.' A city is smart when investments in (i) human and social capital, (ii) traditional infrastructure and (iii) disruptive technologies fuel sustainable economic growth and a high quality of life, combined with thoughtful management of natural resources, through participatory governance. Deloitte Real Estate Predictions – 2017 Available at: http://bit.ly/2F3dXGX
Huawei: UK Smart Cities Index Huawei is proud to commission the 2nd UK Smart Cities Index from Navigant Consulting. In just 18 months since the last report, we have seen significant technology advancements in the way we get around, care for our citizens, communicate and fuel our towns and cities. These advancements have reinforced the role that Smart City technology must play in tackling the biggest challenges facing the UK. This report builds on and expands last year’s Index, looking at 20 cities each deploying Smart City technology to tackle urban challenges. Huawei: UK Smart Cities Index – 2017 Available at: http://bit.ly/2F9u88O
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- march / april 2018 - 29
THE RISE OF THE
SMART CITY
30 - info - march / april 2018
W
hat is a smart city? Is it a city with driverless-buses and trains, with smart buildings that automatically regulate their environment and air quality? Is it a city with mobile internet connectivity accessible anywhere? Is it a city with lamp-posts that generate their own power supply using photovoltaic panels? A smart city is all of these things – and much more. Smart cities have smart governments that make use of data to improve the efficiency and provision of services and utilities. They create smarter and more efficient energy grids, and make greater use of renewable energy. Smart cities link citizens in real time, through the Internet of Things (IoT) and open and shared data. Above all, they aim to create more liveable places. Seen as a response to the growing urbanisation around the world – for the first time in history more people now live in urban than rural areas – smart cities also present a huge challenge. Doubly-so if one takes into consideration concerns about climate change, sustainability and democracy. Indeed these stresses will be most acutely felt in the developing world – in Africa, Asia and South America, where booming populations will add more than 2.5 billion people to the world’s urban population by 2050, according to the UN. In the FOCUS, we hear from a cross section of our members working on smart city initiatives, as well as policy-makers and industry associations. Here the future is bright – but not without its challenges. What is clear is that the smart city is very much on the rise – top of mind for lawmakers, the business community and citizens. A recent study estimated that the global smart cities market size will reach $2.57tr by 2025. What is less certain is what our cities will look like in even five years time. We hope you enjoy a glimpse of what is in store. I
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- march / april 2018 - 31
A SMART CITY strategy for London
Newly-appointed Chief Digital Officer for London, Theo Blackwell explains how a smart city plan must put its citizens first
L
ondon is set to be the smartest city in the world. The Mayor
As the Mayor’s office is responsible for the delivery of
Sadiq Khan set out his agenda in a speech at London Tech
services, such as the police, transportation, waste collection,
Week last year, quickly followed by appointing the city’s
social care, and libraries, the changing nature of delivery within
first ever Chief Digital Officer to oversee the ambitious plan. Theo Blackwell, working alongside the new Smart London
a smart city context will be at the heart of the new plan.
Board, will develop the plan and seek to implement wide-
New data economy
ranging digital innovations and transformations, including
Although Blackwell’s primary role is to improve public services,
standardising data collection and usage across London’s thirty-
many of the innovations that will deliver smart city products and
three boroughs and preparing for fibre-optic connectivity on
services will come from the private tech sector. Blackwell sees
the underground network.
part of his role is ensuring that the right foundation is laid for
Other examples of forthcoming tech innovations include the
innovation to flourish.
smarter use of data to plan bus routes by tracking the changing
‘We need smart city thinking that takes on the transformative
way people move around London, as well as crowd sourcing
power of the tech sector, but that also expresses citizens’ needs
pollution data and using this to update Londoners about their
in a way that the sector can most appropriately respond.’
local air quality in real time.
Infrastructure first
Smart or Smarter Blackwell points out that London was one of the first cities to
Blackwell’s appointment points to the priority given to an
adopt a smart city plan back in 2013. The renewed call from
overarching smart city trategy, over strictly product or service-
the Mayor is part of a ‘refresh' which seeks to ‘learn from the
driven solutions. ‘When we talk about smart cities, a lot of people
experience of other cites.’
dive right into talking about products and services, rather than
Londoners
may
already
be
accustomed
to
recent
laying the foundations for these types of solutions to work,’ says
innovations, such as apps which provide real-time information
Blackwell.
about events, road works and other disruptions; police
‘We need to get the data infrastructure right first, and this
equipped with body-worn cameras which gather real-time
includes a plan that supports our data economy, both in public
evidence and provide accountability; and air quality sensors to
and private sectors.’
monitor atmospheric pollution (developed with the Alan Turing
According to Blackwell, achieving this in London has its own
Institute).
particular challenges, as currently the digital strategies across
Perhaps the most ubiquitous smart city application in the
the city differ between boroughs, resulting in ‘highly fragmented’
city is the TfL’s Oyster and contactless ticketing system, which is
data collection and analysis.
used by more than five million journeys every day. The system
‘Our first challenge is to promote common standards in a city where the average population of the boroughs is 250,000; Croyden is roughly the same size as New Orleans,’ says Blackwell. 32 - info - march / april 2018
has inspired similar systems worldwide. Watch this space to see if London will continue to set smart city standards across the globe. I
THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
Who 'owns' SMART CITY data? Collecting data on unprecedented scales requires a citizen-led approach says Theo Bass, Government Innovation Researcher at NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
M
ore than half the world’s
a
population
sovereignty’
now
live
in
‘roadmap
towards which
digital
includes
a
urban areas, and, according
commitment to promote openness
to the UN, this is expected to grow
in public procurement. Contracts
to more than two thirds by 2050.
with technology companies must
Increased scale and density brings
include clauses that explicitly state
acute challenges: how to move
that personal data collected in the
around people and things; how to
city is owned by citizens.
provide energy, how to keep people safe. ‘Smart cities’ offer technology and
data
as
a
solution.
Governments are partnering with private technology firms to install and manage wi-fi enabled sensor networks on street corners, lamp posts and buildings. Individuals are producers of valuable data too.
Most smart city deals happen with little scrutiny or public knowledge, despite the fact that these technologies are now becoming woven into the fabric of public spaces
Cities are working with technology
Case studies: Barcelona and Amsterdam Barcelona is also part of a project called
(DEcentralised
which is coordinated by Barcelona’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and has fourteen partners across
the
European
Union,
including Nesta. DECODE aims to develop open
companies like Uber, Strava, Google and Mastercard to gain access to user data.
DECODE
Citizen Owned Data Ecosystem),
technologies which give people more control over how their
The aim of a smart city is to exploit these valuable new
information is collected, shared and used. An important part of
sources of information for better local policymaking: to
this project will be in running practical pilots with Barcelona City
measure crowds, manage traffic and pollution, inform planning
Council, to see what kind of value is generated when people are
and monitor crime.
given these new means to control their data.
But there’s an important question in the smart city debate
One pilot will work with communities in Barcelona to use
which is often left unanswered, namely who ‘owns’ smart city
noise sensors (noise pollution is a big issue in the city), providing
data? Most smart city deals happen with little scrutiny or public
an accurate record of their experiences, and a means to share
knowledge, despite the fact that these technologies are now
information while maintaining control over who has access to it.
becoming woven into the fabric of public spaces.
By taking a citizen-led approach, residents will be able to collect
Responsible data collection
accurate data and help the council identify problem areas and identify suitable resolutions.
Access to large amounts of user data gives companies and
In Amsterdam DECODE is running a pilot with GebiedOnline
governments power that can be easily abused. Last year, Uber's
(GO). GO is a co-operative digital platform that enables local
license to operate in London was rescinded, partly due to
people, groups and organisations to view events taking place
'Greyball' - a method the company uses to track people, mining
in their neighbourhood, share news, and petition the local
personal details from credit cards to target local regulators and
government with ideas to improve the neighbourhood. This
prevent them from accessing the service.
provides an opportunity for DECODE to test a more privacy-
In China, we see a trend towards city governments pulling
preserving local social network, with granular controls so
data from third party credit agencies to build ‘social credit
that residents can decide what information they share, or
scores’, which can be used to refuse access to certain services
authenticate themselves anonymously.
like buying a vacation or boarding a train.
DECODE is just a start, but we hope it will lead to practical
If we really want smart cities to benefit people, then city
tools that other cities can deploy, as well as greater awareness
governments need to create more inclusive alternatives for how
of the need for more democratic alternatives for how data is
data is collected and exchanged.
used to deliver public benefit. I
Barcelona is one city leading the way. They have published
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- march / april 2018 - 33
SMART CITIES: A Holistic View Smart cities require collaborative and collective thinking says George Adams, UK Engineering Director, SPIE
T
he numbers are staggering. In 1800, 2 percent of
plug and play solar panel with built-in battery, an LED light and
humanity lived in urban areas. In 2017, 60 percent of
a mobile phone charger can be provided as an autonomous
people do, and the number is rising to more than 66
technology to individual dwellings, and avoid the need for
percent by 2050, according to the UN. In the last 210 years, city
new power infrastructure. Emerging technologies for rural
inhabitants have risen from 20m to roughly 4.6bn.
farmers to control their crop production and distribution more
The expansion of global cities brings many challenges from poverty to richness, from lack of drainage and water to an abundance of shops and commercial centres. It has led
efficiently are becoming more common, as the burden to feed cities becomes an ever more pressing concern.
to the continual drive for technology and efficient solutions
The smart solution
for distributing and producing the resources humanity is
Smart cities are much more about the needs of the future; they
consuming.
have to be in order to cope with challenges of human density,
Technology now offers accessible ways to bring resources
global warming and the degradation of the Earth’s natural
to the poorer sectors of city communities. Solutions such as a
resources. It is about balancing global financial wealth with the
It is about balancing global financial wealth with the environment for the benefit of society, where progress involves moving away from past social constraints
34 - info - march / april 2018
THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
environment for the benefit of society, where progress involves
for humanity. Cities will develop a stronger emphasis on green
moving away from past social constraints.
infrastructure, which will make for liveable spaces, assist in the
By focusing our efforts to achieve sustainable change,
reduction of pollution, the diminishing of crime (yes, research
the Earth can replenish its natural resources. The balance is
even shows that) and progress the new concept of city farms.
about green initiatives being implemented within a sustainable
(These farms can be developed from waste ground, unused
economic structure. The definition of smart cities is not a fixed
tunnels and derelict tower blocks.)
parameter; in fact it never will be, especially as people are consuming more and technology is advancing. Data capture and analytics will continue to grow, enabling better community-based decisions; technological solutions
New technology is evolving and being used for these solutions to become very efficient, such as new full-spectrum lamps, providing a balance of cool and warm light replicating natural solar spectrum.
will allow more and more data to be harvested. An example
Technologies are changing and improving in most areas of
of this is emerging intelligent streetlights, whereby the lamp
city dwelling. The smart bus, with high-density battery packs that
post becomes an intelligent multi-purpose solution to monitor
can be rapidly re-charged at a bus stop, is already being trialled
street pollution, provide street security surveillance, points for
for use. Imagine the removal of the combustion engine from our
electric vehicles, and even lighting for pedestrians - all powered
cities to reduce pollution, which is now a matter of legislation.
by integral high efficiency solar panels. Technical products
The European objective is to ban all combustion engines by 2050 – in the UK and France the target is 2040. Even some of
Cities will develop a stronger emphasis on green infrastructure, which will make for liveable spaces, assist in the reduction of pollution, the diminishing of crime, and progress the new concept of city farms
the big car producers have announced plans to convert to fully electric vehicles in the coming years. This change will encourage enormous opportunities for more integrated transport policies and the technologies to support them. The growth in data collection, and the devices and networks that facilitate this, has already been significant; but the future holds even greater opportunity. Overall, the goal is to develop intelligent cities. We are finding solutions for our cities and buildings that are smart, technological and social, and that cater
are rapidly reducing in cost and increasing in efficiency, but
to the health and wellbeing of sustainable communities. .
fundamentally, by being linked to the city communications
Cities are without doubt at the forefront of humanity’s
network, the data is becoming available to manage traffic flows
development. The challenge however is not just about growth.
better, help to reduce crime and reduce energy consumption.
It is also about the importance of health, ecology, environment,
Research and learning groups focused on cities, such as the
people and greater global fairness. The smart systems and
CIBSE Resilient Cities Group, which SPIE supports, are realising
technologies being developed will have a big role to play in our
that our cities will drive the emergence of sustainable solutions
shared future. I
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Urban Big Data and A period of extraordinarily rapid technological change is transforming our cities and the ways we work, live, and travel, says Marc Reboux, Senior Director, CBRE
J
ust as important as the physical
amenity. Everyone is as happy as they
be neither too “expensive” nor too
changes in our cities, are the
can be, where they are. Real cities are
“cheap” in terms of its overall package.
vastly improved collection and
never like this—not because spatial
Glaeser, Kolko and Saiz express
use of ‘big data.’ The aggregation of
equilibrium does not exist, but because
this idea in an equation. In a city in
digital information collected by sensors,
it changes over time in response to
equilibrium, the availability of high-
internet-enabled devices and the
changing prices, such as a decrease
wage, high-status jobs (known as the
computerisation of administrative and
in the cost of travel, and it takes time
‘productivity premium’) plus the local
business data is improving the standard
for people to move to their new best
effect of quality of life (the ‘amenity
of urban life in many ways. These
location. Cities are always moving
premium’) will be equal to local real
include more efficient transportation
towards a new spatial equilibrium.
estate values or rents (‘rent premium’).
systems, lower energy usage and waste,
There is much evidence showing
among a host of other services and
that people move to high-wage
Implications for real estate
spaces that adapt to users in real time.
cities and, increasingly, toward their
The big data revolution is already
greater availability of amenities. This
affecting our daily lives. Some of the
is the live, work, play phenomenon.
most significant opportunities lie at
Economists sometimes view cities
However, as cities grow, they also get
the municipal level. Urban information
in terms of ‘spatial equilibrium.’
more expensive to live and work in.
technologies can make our cities
Theoretically, a city is in spatial
In equilibrium, living costs—a high
`smart.’ Siemens’ MindSphere, for
equilibrium when no citizen is motivated
proportion of which are housing costs—
instance, is a cloud-based open IoT
to move from one location to another
would exactly balance out the city’s
platform that supports combination
in search of higher wages or greater
wage and amenity offer. The city would
and analysis of data from a wide variety
The economics of city data
36 - info - march / april 2018
THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
real estate markets HIGHER WAGES
JOB AVAILABILITY
BETTER AMENITIES
HIGHER RENT PER SQUARE FOOT
PRODUCTIVITY PREMIUM + AMENITY PREMIUM = RENT PREMIUM
of sources. Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs
smart city technologies reinforce the
is investing in the development of a
dominance of the most successful
the urban system will end up adopting
waterfront community in Toronto,
global metropolises. These cities have
successful and cost-effective smart
Canada on smart city principles, with
the IT know-how, human capital base,
city initiatives, eventually diluting the
a strong emphasis on environmental
and experimental attitude required, and
leaders’ first-mover advantage. And
sustainability and quality of life.
often more progressive leaderships as
smaller-scale interventions are likely
well. As technologies develop, improving
to crop up everywhere, even in the
destruction and the disappearance
quality of life and local productivity,
short term. These programs are more
of non-viable approaches—should
these cities will be better positioned
likely to improve conditions in blighted
leave us with many feasible smart city
to reap the benefits. This means
or relatively deprived neighborhoods,
technologies. We expect innovations
that real estate values in these areas
which would produce gentrification and
that substantially reduce businesses’
will continue to grow—especially in
higher values there. Those who can best
operating and capital costs to be the
metropolitan areas with inelastic supply
understand and anticipate these micro-
first to be widely adopted. Technologies
caused by barriers to new development.
location impacts will profit.
The next phase—creative
with clear immediate benefits to quality
However, the more advanced
In the longer term, all cities across
In addition to a wide range of urban-
of life—however measured—will follow.
technology-oriented emerging countries
level initiatives that affect real estate
Finally, technologies that improve quality
may also leverage these technologies
values, there are also potential big data
of life and the productivity of cities over
to leapfrog others in the provision of
applications that could more directly
the long run will progressively expand
local public services. Many of the most
transform how real estate is appraised,
as the benefits of earlier projects
impressive examples of the application
traded and taxed.
become apparent.
of big data techniques are in Asia—
Data-driven tools
Nevertheless, there are already
China in particular, but also Korea. In
numerous examples of big data
these countries, concerns about privacy
products, existing or in development,
In real estate consultancy and services,
are often secondary to the push for
that can be adapted or applied at the
CBRE has developed a number of data-
broader social and economic progress.
urban level. I
driven tools. The Calibrate platform uses proprietary technology to analyse the digital footprints of millions of mobile phone users—this gives occupiers and landlords access to consumer profiling and spending data to inform locationselection and investment decisions. Portfolio Optimizer combines occupier portfolio data with market benchmark data and forecasts to identify operational efficiencies and support occupiers’ decision-making around leases and occupancy. Sequentra is an industry-leading lease administration software system designed to identify savings and risk-mitigation actions across occupier portfolios. Initially at least, it may be that
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- march / april 2018 - 37
Urban Big Data and Real Estate markets
WHAT IS BIG DATA? The three V’s are a useful way of defining big data: 1. Volume: Big data is large—often measured in petabytes
or more. ’Simply put, big data is too big to sit on your hard drive,’ says Eric Scharnhorst, a data scientist at Redfin. Examples include user-data from Facebook, transport systems’ passenger-flow data, transactions data, etc.
2. Velocity: Big data is often generated continuously, in or near real time. Twitter posts, cell phone location data, and information from weather and air quality sensors are examples. 3. Volume: Big data can comprise any or all types of data—numbers, text, images, video, audio and other kinds of data. Its analysis needs to be flexible enough to deal with any type or mix of types. We would add that big data requires collection and analytical efforts, and must be socially or commercially useful.
BIG DATA AND CITY MANAGEMENT: THE PRESENT Urban big data is comparatively new, so the scope of initiatives pursued in different parts of the world varies widely. Here are some specific big data projects that are underway around the world right now:
City Examples NEW YORK CITY, NY, USA: The Health and Human Services Connect initiative allows clients to walk into different agencies without duplicating paperwork. It allows the city to save costs, provide better
Impact on City & Real Estate Values IMPROVED EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC SERVICES
POTENTIAL FOR LOWER PROPERTY TAXES
REMOVE INEFFICIENT AMENITIES AND SAVE MONEY
AVOID LONG-TERM DECLINE IN VALUES
BETTER TRANSIT FLOW
MAY RAISE VALUES ON CITY PERIPHERY
INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY IN CITY
MAKE CITY MORE ATTRACIVE AND SPUR RESIDENTIAL DEMAND
IMPROVED PUBLIC SERVICES AND SAFETY NET
LONG-TERM POSITIVE IMPACT ON POOR NEIGHBORHOODS
MORE EFFICIENT MUNICIPAL TAXATION
BETTER LOCAL SERVICES
services and even detect fraud. SANTA CLARA, CA, USA: The drought in California prompted Santa Clara to retrofit its municipal irrigation system with sensors to more efficiently manage limited water supplies. The system is expected to save 180 million gallons of water. LONDON, UK: Transport for London (TFL) uses ticketing data to build travel patterns across its rail and bus networks. This information helps in improving the network and assessing the impact of closures and diversions. YINCHUAN, CHINA: Yinchuan is a smart city pilot project in China, with features such as facial recognition on buses, grocery delivery via apps and an online portal connecting doctors with patients. RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: IBM has designed for the city an operations center that integrates data from 30 different agencies. These provide a foundation for valuable public safety services, including an early warning and evacuation system for Rio’s favelas. SPAIN: Spain’s tax agency analyzed data from unmanned drones surveying 4,000 municipalities. It discovered 1.69 million properties paying insufficient taxes on new construction, expansion and pools. The initiative brought in €1.2bn in additional taxes.
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THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
Creating Sustainable SMART CITIES Smart cities need to introduce technological solutions to issue of energy and resources, says Stuart Stock, Chief Information Officer, Veolia UK & Ireland
B
y 2050, it is estimated that 66 percent of the world’s population will live in cities. It’s a daunting thought and one that makes
the debate about ensuring future cities are both smart and sustainable increasingly urgent. At a time when the global population trend is ever upward, we need to ensure cities of the future will have streets that are clean and free of waste, there is enough energy to power our homes and access to clean drinking water. A major change in thinking is needed, but by combining a circular approach based on reusing resources and creating green products and energy with the latest technological developments in waste, energy and water, the carbon impact of
By combining a circular approach based on reusing resources and creating green products and energy with the latest technological developments in waste, energy and water, the carbon impact of urban living can be reduced
urban living can be reduced.
Plastics This switch in mindset is happening already. In mid-2017, when
the water sector. Since 2015 we have helped Scottish Water
we opened Dagenham Plastics, it was pre-‘Blue Planet 2’ and
to extend the capability of Seafield WasteWater Treatment
plastics recycling was yet to penetrate the public consciousness
Works near Edinburgh which at times achieved full energy self-
in such a big way. Capable of recycling all the milk containers
sufficiency in 2017. This has been achieved by boosting the
in London, the facility exemplifies the opportunities to increase
renewable energy derived from a combination of anaerobic
our domestic reprocessing capacity and boost the green
digestion of sludge and biogas fired Combined Heat and Power
economy.
(CHP) plants.
Energy Cities will account for 80 percent of the increase in energy demand by 2030 and whilst substantial
Internet of Things Looking further ahead, new technology in the form of IoT (Internet of Things) is pushing the boundaries
improvements in commercial building energy
of operational performance and efficiency. In
efficiency will help counteract this, it is increasingly
cities the use of smart sensors to collect real-time
apparent that smart cities will need smart heat and
data that could not be accessed before means
power grids.
consumption patterns can now be forecast via
Every year Veolia recovers energy from waste and generates 1.1TWh of electricity – enough to power over 300,000 homes. These energy recovery facilities are
machine learning (e.g waste produced, energy used or even water usage and potential leakage). The beauty of IoT is that you can test and learn fast in
based in cities like Leeds, Birmingham and London, and can be
order to scale. We can now monitor an entire treatment plant
the catalyst for district heating and private wire networks.
and identify equipment that is or isn’t working efficiently. At the
In Southwark, residents’ black bag waste is sorted to remove
other end of the scale sensors that help forecast how quickly
recyclates at the Integrated Waste Management Facility on the
individual bins on commercial or industrial premises fill up will
Old Kent Road, before being taken to the SELCHP (South East
allow collection efficiency to be optimised.
London Combined Heat & Power) facility. As well as generating
While there are more than 8bn devices connected globally
energy for the Grid, the new district heating network powered
today, it is estimated that by 2025, there will be ten times more
by SELCHP is creating hot water for 2,700 properties in local
connected things than people. We are just at the beginning of
housing estates and reducing CO2 emissions by 7,700tpa.
the journey, but taken in conjunction with a transition towards a
Water
circular economy the IoT will have a big role to play in the smart, sustainable cities of the future. I
Major improvements in sustainability are also happening in
info
- march / april 2018 - 39
What buildings can learn Building management systems hold a vast amount of information about their occupants, which can lead to improved wellbeing and efficiency, says Chris Irwin, VP of Sales Europe and Africa, Distech Controls
T
ypically, buildings are equipped
with real time room booking and
integrate control of HVAC, lighting and
with a range of devices that will
dedicated building mobile apps.
sunblinds, so that the user has only one
control heating, ventilation, air
user interface to learn.
conditioning (HVAC), lighting, security,
Wellbeing
energy management and other systems.
Adapting to a new focus on well-being
integrate with the various applications
All of these devices are controlled via
requires a shift in mind-set for building
used for meeting room booking,
a Building Management System (BMS),
operators who have historically been
concierge service, catering, car-pooling,
which traditionally adapts the settings
strongly focussed on operational and
etc. so that all data can be shared on
of each device to suit the environmental
energy cost reduction measures.
only one app. Building developers and
The BMS should seamlessly
There are many factors that
occupiers of large office towers are now
Now the BMS and its connected
collectively make a big difference to
requiring an app for the building, which
devices are becoming smarter. There is
an employee’s attitude towards and
provides all employees direct access to
so much more they can do, all helped by
experience of the office where he or she
a wide range of services in and around
the revolution that is the IoT (Internet of
works. These include the air quality, the
the buildings.
Things).
visual ambience, the lighting levels and
conditions.
Efficiency A smart BMS will also allow users to operate their buildings in a far more effective manner. For example, if building owners have access to real-time data on the occupancy of the office, they can open and close entire floor areas where no presence is detected as well as manage supplementary services such as cleaning and security more effectively. It means facilities managers
HVAC and lighting equipment within a commercial building can account for roughly 60 percent of total energy consumption
can easily check whether a room or floor has been used and adjust cleaning rotas accordingly saving time and money. Similarly, traditional energy efficiency is dwarfed by the potential of the data
quality, the seating quality, the catering
a BMS can collect. Especially since
operation of a building and the actions
facilities, the availability and quality of
HVAC and lighting equipment within
of the occupants within the building:
exercise and showering facilities, and
a commercial building can account
their presence, movement patterns,
the ease of access to the building.
for roughly 60 percent of total energy
A BMS can provide data about the
and typical behaviour. This data can
The BMS can provide a comfortable
consumption. Ensuring the building
provide insights into the actual usage of
working environment by maintaining
services equipment is working at peak
a building and in turn empower users to
an appropriate temperature, humidity
performance can dramatically reduce
make further cost efficiencies.
and air quality. From a well-being
costs and save energy.
Collected data allows building
perspective, the provision of a high
Commercial buildings are becoming
owners and operators to offer occupant
quality, easy to use interface that
smarter and this has major benefits
services and help improve their well-
enables occupants to understand what
for building owners and occupants. It’s
being with personalised comfort.
the current conditions are and how
time we future-proofed all commercial
Furthermore, analytics applications
to adjust them is important, whether
buildings to improve occupancy comfort,
can help optimise space utilisation and
it be wall-mounted or via an app on
ensure operational efficiencies and
improve the building’s cost-effectiveness
their smartphone. The BMS should also
reduce energy consumption. I
40 - info - march / april 2018
THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
The Urban Campus Smart cities must develop in natural and organic ways, and the campus offers just such a model of development, says Michel Mossessian, Creative Director and CEO of Mossessian Architecture
T
he idea of an urban ‘campus’ seems foreign to the often
primarily a medium for conversations around people, life and
illogical and mismatched streets of London. But the
places with a long term sustainable future,’ says Mossessian.
development of once underused industrial wasteland
The tradition of urban campuses in Britain mainly encompasses
in London’s King’s Cross represents a new approach to city
provincial universities in the model of Oxford or Cambridge.
planning in the capital.
Campuses are also a model for the working environments in
There are now more than fifty new buildings on the 67-acre plot, including Google’s new headquarters, and the rumoured
Silicon Valley, whose companies are now occupying offices in King’s Cross.
new Facebook headquarters. The site boasts more than 19,000 flats, plus 26 acres of public space – and crucially a university. According
to
the
architect
Michel
Mossessian, the King’s Cross approach to city planning and building should be central to smart city development. ‘There are two paradigms when it comes to retrofitting cities like London for the future. Either you build up, or you build out,’ says Mossessian, whose firm Mossessian Architecture designed two buildings for the site, including the ‘S2’, the 190,000 sq ft offices of Deepmind, Google’s recent AI acquisition. ‘My priority, when asked to contribute two new buildings, was to develop spaces that
The new development at King's Cross clusters buildings like a campus
both convey a strong sense of their own identity and express
‘The model of the university campus works on many levels, and
a relevance to, and continuum with, the public realm,’ says
it fosters interaction creatively and socially,’ says Mossessian.
Mossessian.
‘Universities are incubators for culture and innovation.’
‘Too often, public space is merely regarded as an absence,’
According to Mossessian, it was a stroke or genius (or possibly
he says. ‘I like to view public space as an entity in itself, and more
luck) that the plans for King’s Cross included a university at the
importantly, as an opportunity for presence.’
heart of the new development – an unusual step in a city where
The campus model
developers are often more attached to their margins than they are to civic or cultural institutions.
While isolated tall buildings are often the norm in London
The pride of place of the new University of the Arts London – and
developments, Mossessian notes the campus model offers
its public square and fountains – signals a departure from the
greater potential to smart cities that need to prioritise health
norm. According to Argent, the company that manages the site,
and wellbeing, as much as infrastructure, service and energy
establishing a university on the site defined a creative and lively
efficiencies.
tone, and was instrumental in attracting Google as tenants.
‘The solution for many of the issues facing cities is to create
Mossessian agrees: ‘It represents a paradigm of happiness
clusters where we can concentrate people in liveable and
and knowledge coming together. It also creates a paradigm for
workable areas,’ says Mossessian. ‘You multiply the uses of the
research and a start-up economy, which can come from the
public space in a natural way.’
concentration of happy people living and learning together in
It is a notion that forms a large part of the architect’s design
these scenarios.’
philosophy, which he describes as ‘architecture that adds value
It seems clear that there is an appetite for new models of city
and benefits society “beyond buildings.”’
planning – we will have to monitor the evolution of King’s Cross
‘Whether large- or small-scale, my view is that architecture is
to see how these new ideas play out. I
The solution for many of the issues facing cities is to create clusters where we can concentrate people in liveable and workable areas info
- march / april 2018 - 41
Finance to support A shift towards a low-carbon economy requires an estimated hundred trillion dollar investment until 2030, says Graham Smith, Director of the Sustainable Finance Unit, HSBC
H
SBC’s vision of the smart city combines technology-lead
to-machine technology (M2M) uses wireless sensors, cloud
infrastructure upgrades and, importantly, a focus on
computing and analytics software to effectively manage
sustainability.
everything in the building, from its lighting, HVAC, and even
While companies, institutions and investors are increasingly
incorporating climate change and other sustainability goals in
toilet paper use. By providing real-time monitoring, buildings can generate building savings by upwards of 15 percent.
decision-making, the financial sector has an important role to
Our new UAE Head Office in Dubai is an example of HSBC’s
play in matching investor appetite and global financing needs,
continued commitment to the principles of sustainability, and
in what is still an immature market.
features are designed to achieve a LEED gold rating. These
Actively
engaging
corporates
to
demonstrate
how
include; a high-performance façade and glazing; solar power for
sustainable finance and investment vehicles could suit their
hot water; AC and lighting controlled by occupancy; fresh air
strategies and developing specific products to meet transition
control by CO2 sensors; bicycle racks, showers and proximity
challenges will reduce the risks inherent in the transition away
to metro to encourage use of alternative transport, and others.
from carbon. The following case studies detail some of our recent activities and insight gathering in key smart city areas.
Smart mobility Smarter mobility is not just about commuter convenience. Transportation is responsible for 23 percent of energy-related CO2 emissions. And, unless policies change, that figure is expected to almost double by 2030. More efficient public transportation solutions – including trains, trams and buses – will not only reduce commute times, they can also cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce air pollution. For too long, urban data streams have been siloed, preventing intelligent transportation solutions from realising their potential. But new innovations are liberating transport data like never before. In New York, for example, the Drive Smart project uses an in-vehicle device to record GPS and vehicle telemetric data, route selection, driver behaviour and other information. In Bogota, the centrepiece of the city’s transportation system is a new Korean smartcard ticketing system that makes mobility so much more seamless and efficient. Thanks to HSBC financing, the system now covers the entire city and includes new passenger information systems.
Smart Energy As the cost of energy storage continues to decrease and the
Smart buildings
need to incorporate renewable energy increases by the day, countries across the globe will funnel funds and resources into
The building and construction sector is responsible for around
the burgeoning market, which is estimated to exceed $250bn
30 percent of global energy consumption, according to the
globally by 2030.
World Green Building Council (WorldGBC). While there are
How much energy is 314 megawatts? Enough to power
500 net zero energy commercial buildings and 2,000 net zero
over 50,000 homes for 12 hours in South Africa, where HSBC
energy housing units worldwide, the WorldGBC estimates that
supported the financing of four photovoltaic power projects.
all new buildings must operate at net zero carbon by 2030 in
This important step toward providing a clean, renewable energy
order to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change
source will also help bring a bit of diversity to the country’s
to ensure the global temperature stays below 2 degrees.
energy supply.
Outfitting ‘smart technology’ in buildings will lead to
Other product-lead innovations include smart lamp posts.
significant reductions in energy use. For instance, machine-
As wireless sensors grow smaller and smaller, their capabilities
42 - info - march / april 2018
THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
sustainable goals will extend to ordinary infrastructure around cities. Lamp posts
population will live in cities, placing significant strain on existing
will be able to monitor activity around them and will turn on
infrastructure and energy use. All told, some say nearly USD57
only when people are passing by, reducing the overall energy
trillion is needed by 2030 to transform city infrastructure so it is
demand.
as intelligent, resilient and sustainable as it can be.
Innovations in building windows are also at the forefront of
Unprecedented cities need unexpected partnerships.
innovation. While solar panels have become less expensive and
Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) allow multiple stakeholders
more efficient over the past few years, they still have trouble
– from local government officials and residents to IT services
generating energy in cities, as buildings are typically too tall
and internet companies – to jointly contribute to infrastructure
and narrow to maximise their potential to gather sunlight
upgrades. They share risk across different parties to unlock
from their roofs. Instead, researchers are creating transparent
opportunity, investment and innovation.
solar windows that will capture the sun’s light while still letting sunshine in.
One example: The Mexico City International Airport is embarking on an ambitious goal to become the world’s LEED Platinum-certified airport and be entirely carbon-neutral.
Smart Technology
When it is completed, the airport will operate with 100 percent
As the Internet of Things—the ever-growing online
renewable energy and reduce water and energy consumption
connection of devices, sensors and machines for example
by 30 and 40 percent, respectively. The new terminal will have
connected fridges that keep track of your food supplies—
the capacity to receive 57 million passengers annually, thus
becomes more prevalent, smart technology will reach more people across the globe. Currently, there are approximately 1.84 IoT connected devices per person. By 2020, it’s estimated that that number could rise to 6.6 devices per person, or higher. As the IoT continues to expand and engulf traditionally unconnected appliances, technology and financial analysts forecast the added economic value of these devices could reach $15tr by the decade’s end. Intelligent
transportation
systems,
which
encompass
everything from traffic management systems to smart signage, will change the way we interact with our surroundings. Today, the GPS smartphone app that directs you to bypass a major accident uses intelligent transportation systems. Tomorrow, these systems will be the tool that allows self-driving cars to dominate the roads. Device-to-device communications opens the door to allowing a new set of smart technology to be achieved. If a light is always turned off just before a specific door is closed, this branch of smart technology will allow the light to remember this action, creating a self-generated behaviour to help reduce
reaching its ambition to be the most important transportation
energy usage.
hub in Latin America.
Smart infrastructure
District, sensors and digital controls are embedded throughout
As the cost of energy storage continues to decrease. Armed
the city’s infrastructure to monitor temperature, energy
with the right infrastructure, different systems within the city
consumption and traffic. It also boasts a waste system that
can communicate, enabling greater efficiency, sustainability and
doesn’t require trucks. A pneumatic tube system sucks up and
convenience. With sensors serving as eyes and ears, a city can
directs rubbish from residential buildings to a central sorting
be transformed into a dynamic organism.
facility, where it is either turned into energy or recycled. I
Another example: In the Songdo International Business
By 2050, an estimated 66 percent of the world’s
info
- march / april 2018 - 43
Keeping up with the Hosting half the world’s population on two percent of the planet’s surface poses a unique set of challenges says Mike Hughes, Regional President, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland
F
uture-proofing today’s cities, in the face of rapid population
cities at this scale require multi-level governance, expert
growth, aging infrastructure and the pace of technological
consultants, technology firms and vendors to make the concept
change has never been more important. Cities make up
a reality.
two percent of the world’s surface but house more than half
Most developed cities considering going ‘smart’ don’t have
of the world’s population and consume 75 per cent of energy
the time or expertise to rebuild from the ground up. They select
resources. By 2030, urban areas are projected to host 60
projects which make parts of their cities more efficient and
percent of people globally. Very soon, one in every three people
connected (such as their water systems, local or regional energy
will live in cities with at least half a million inhabitants, as the
grids or buildings) and work their way up to larger projects over
world’s population is expected to grow by over 1bn people over
time. These precincts or district-scale developments are not
the next thirteen years, reaching 8.6bn in 2030.
city-scale, but they are large enough to form multiple smart city
Is this pace of growth sustainable for urban centres and
domains and become a visible and useful reference point to
megacities like London or Paris? It can be, but only if we make
encourage future investment. Indeed, by working collaboratively
our cities ‘smarter.' Modern technologies and services can
with both public and private sectors, Schneider Electric has
and must help to improve cities’ efficiency, sustainability, and
successfully delivered smart city project applications to more
resilience.
than 250 cities worldwide.
‘EcoStruxure’ The key to our success is our EcoStruxure platform, a digital backbone connecting best-in-class Operations Technology (OT) solutions with the latest in Information Technology (IT). In addition to our operational aims, our projects unlock trapped value and tap into the true potential of the Internet of Things (IoT). Taken literally, the IoT starts with the best ‘things’, like our IoT-enabled best-in-class connected products which include breakers, drives, UPSs, relays, sensors, and more. We believe that devices with embedded intelligence drive better decision-making throughout operations. Our
EcoStruxure
architecture
and
Infrastructure challenges
interoperable technology platform opens up the digital world by
For major cities, going ‘smart’ can be difficult. Aging city
bringing together energy, automation, and software to enhance
infrastructures pose connectivity and network management
a city’s existing legacy systems. It also provides enhanced value
challenges. At the same time, a 24/7 society and a wide array
around a host of challenges for large organisations, including
of IoT-enabled devices and electric vehicles (EV) are fuelling
safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity.
greater energy demand. While cities are tasked with improving
For a Smart City’s infrastructure, mission-critical scenarios
operational efficiencies, they do so with tightening budgets.
can be unpredictable, so control of devices at the edge of the
Critical infrastructure – such as hospitals, airports, schools and
IoT network is a must. This essential capability provides real-time
office buildings – must be reliable, sustainable and efficient
solutions that enable local control at the edge, protecting safety
whilst easily integrating with existing systems.
and uptime. Put simply, edge control is a way to streamline the
The sheer size and complexity of a truly integrated and
flow of data from IoT-connected devices, processing it closer
sustainable smart city, like the Naya Raipur project Schneider
to where it is created, and provide real-time local data analysis.
Electric is helping to build in India, requires a level of funding,
A range of apps, analytics and services such as Resource
expertise, organisation and planning that is hard to find. Smart
Advisor for sustainability management, Facility Advisor for
44 - info - march / april 2018
THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
pace of growth Making our cities ‘smarter’ is possible when we pursue incremental changes, surround ourselves with the best experts and partners, and follow best-practices from across the world building
Wonderware
oldest and largest centre for ophthalmic care, modernise its
integration software, complete the EcoStruxure platform,
performance
and
operation,
and
systems and infrastructure with our EcoStruxure for Healthcare
enabling the connection between many parts of a city’s
solution. By unifying hospital systems under a single platform
operational management technology in real-time.
and through real- time location systems technology, we helped
Cities can and should learn from each other and adopt
the hospital track staff and assets across its facilities. This
solutions that have proven successful elsewhere. For instance,
increased efficiency, reliability, and patient safety, while driving
the UK, with its pioneering renewable energy generation, can
considerable operational cost savings and helping the hospital
emulate the privately developed EUREF Innovation Centre in
meet its sustainability targets.
Berlin, where Schneider Electric has implemented AI-enabled
We see many opportunities for further ‘smart city’
microgrid, smart buildings, and EV charging technologies. The
investment in the UK, fuelled by a new generation of better-
campus has already met Germany’s 2050 climate targets.
trained talent entering the industry. Research centres, like the
Success at a district level can then be used to expand
Stroud and South Gloucester College, which boast state-of-the-
implementation at a wider city level.
art training facilities and an onsite renewables research hub will serve as a catalyst for UK success in low-carbon and renewable
British operations
technologies.
In the UK, Schneider Electric is working on several smart infrastructure
improvement
projects.
One
example
Sustainable power infrastructures, more efficient supply
is
chains and the survival of crucial services depend on smart
the Electricity North West project to install a Distribution
technologies. Making our cities ‘smarter’ is possible when we
Management System (DMS), designed to facilitate advances in
pursue incremental changes, surround ourselves with the best
power systems management and smart-grid automation. This
experts and partners, and follow best-practices from across the
will allow the region to digitally manage grid usage, and to react
world. For Schneider Electric, our smart cities projects embody
to local demand spikes in real-time.
our corporate mission to ensure Life Is On everywhere and for
We recently helped Moorfields Eye Hospital, Britain’s
everyone. I
Source: Schneider Electric, The secret to sustainable success report, 2017
info
- march / april 2018 - 45
Autonomous transport in SMART CITIES Autonomous technology is set to revolutionise the way we travel, says Alistair Gordon, chief executive of transport operator Keolis UK
T
ransport operators are currently faced
with
balancing
the
challenge
rising
of
passenger
numbers with demand for smarter, more accessible travel options. Coupled with the need to provide a seamless customer
experience
and
meet
sustainability targets, many are looking towards digital developments to provide a solution. Autonomous
vehicles
are
being
hailed as the answer. They offer the potential
for
continuous
24-hour
transport, as well as improved safety by almost eliminating the risk of accidents through
human
error
–
[Autonomous vehicles] offer the potential for continuous 24hour transport, as well as improved safety by almost eliminating the risk of accidents through human error
currently
accounting for 90 percent of all road
and, as a result of our partnership, has
to see this technology incorporated
accidents.
been trialled all over the world to great
into public transport. Many operators
success.
are keen to replicate this and we’re
This doesn’t mean automation is compatible with every situation of course
In September 2016, we launched
beginning to see more tech companies
– it must complement, rather than
a year-long trial of the shuttle in Lyon -
demonstrate their own developments.
conflict with existing modes. But when
where Keolis is already responsible for
Mercedes-Benz for example, has begun
incorporated correctly, this technology
running the city’s integrated transport
to
has the potential to create an innovative
network - to operate a continuous
Bus to link the 20km stretch between
and integrated public transport network
service along a popular 1.35km stretch
Amsterdam-Schipol airport and Haarlem
for the future. It can provide a safe,
of designated road. The NAVLY trial,
in North Holland.
sustainable and consistent transport
as it was known, represented the first-
Signs that transport providers are
link to areas of a city which may be
time autonomous technology had been
finding ways to incorporate automation
infrequently served, or for the first and
actively used for public transport in a
into existing networks are extremely
last mile of a passenger’s journey – such
large city. The results were outstanding,
promising. But first, we need legislation
as airport terminals, universities or large
with
the
to catch up with this demand. Currently,
tourist attractions.
100,000-passenger target for the year
only a few countries in the world – France
and with positive feedback from locals
being one – allow autonomous vehicles
and stakeholders alike.
to operate along public roads. Without
Automated shuttles Keolis has always strived to be at the
ridership
far
exceeding
trial
its
semi-automated
Future
legal encouragement, development of
forefront of transport innovation and our
Worldwide roll-out
attitude towards autonomous vehicles is
The success of the NAVLY trial led us
no different – we already operate the
to take it worldwide, with the shuttles
We firmly believe that automation
UK’s only fully-automated network, the
used in cities such as Las Vegas, Paris,
will help create smarter, cleaner, safer,
Docklands Light Railway.
automated transport can only travel so far.
Sydney, Singapore and recently, London.
more integrated cities. As with any
a
In September 2017, Keolis and Navya
radical innovation, a concerted effort will
French
brought the shuttles to London Olympic
be needed from passengers, operators
company specialising in autonomous
Park – the first time the technology had
and local government alike, to help
systems, to help promote the NAVYA
been freely available to the British public,
integrate such a change and this is
ARMA shuttle for use within public
with hundreds using the service to ride
unlikely to happen overnight. But once
transport. Able to reach speeds of 28
around the park over the three-week
made, the opportunities to create a truly
mph and carry up to 15 people, this
period.
modern public transport network that
In
early
partnership
2016, with
we
Navya,
formed a
fully-autonomous, electric vehicle has
The popularity of these trials has
represented a significant leap forward
proven that passengers are excited
46 - info - march / april 2018
will support the cities of the future are endless. I
THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
Data making cities MOVE SMARTER Matteo de Renzi, Managing Director of Gett in the UK explains how ground transportation is undergoing a revolution
T
he last time you hailed a taxi, did you stick your hand out
Taxi sharing
at a passing vehicle? Or did you put your hand in your
Price elasticity and corporate account data are only two ways
pocket, reach for your smartphone and start tapping on
we’re making cities smarter. Taxi sharing is another – and
an app? There has been a seismic shift towards hailing taxis and
has the potential to be truly transformative. The taxi market has traditionally been limited to single passengers or those
other vehicles via apps. London’s famous licensed black cabs
who self-coordinate – families or groups of friends agreeing
– or indeed the Taxis Parisien in Paris – can now be e-hailed via
to share. But we can now pool users into vehicles if they are
apps. My company, Gett, is exactly such a service.
travelling to the same or similar destinations.
On one level, this is nothing more than the electronic
Our Gett Together service does exactly that – running
equivalent of hailing; a
licensed taxis in London and
technological leap forward.
Manchester on fixed routes
What might this have to do
with passengers hopping on
with smart cities?
and off the ‘line’. Other tech companies in the space have
The simple answer is data
attempted dynamic routing - where the route isn’t fixed
Data is at the heart of the
but flexes to the cohort of
smart city revolution. Without
riders’ needs. This didn’t
it, we’re dumb, not smart. But
get traction with drivers or
the moment we move taxis
passengers but it shows how
onto an app we start to see
the industry is beginning to
valuable data. Who takes a
attempt real change with
taxi, and when? Where do the
smart technology.
journeys start and end? Where
This can reduce the
are the traffic hot spots? Where
number of vehicles on
is more supply (the taxis)
the roads – taking existing
needed to meet the demand
resources and improve
(the passengers)?
their utilisation. But this
Every day I see this live
kind of Demand Response
on a dashboard of the city
Transportation (DRT) is only
of London. The data set isn’t
possible with data. Once we
total – I see a view of Gett’s passengers and drivers – but the
have it, we can reduce congestion, tackle pollution, improve
insights are there. For the first time, it allows us to flex the
journey times and cut costs.
service. We adjust fares to reflect supply and demand – for the first time true supply and demand fare flexibility has come to a
Scalability
city’s taxi fares. The traditional taxi meter can’t deliver this. We
The future offers even more – DRT replacing low volume, loss
also flex incentives for both passengers and drivers to ensure
making bus routes or delivering the final miles of a journey
that supply and demand balance.
where it is inefficient to run a 100-seater bus. Hospital
This is all done in the interests of keeping the city flowing
transportation – a huge cost burden for health services around
– taxis are at the heart of a city’s transport network. Data also
the world – is another area where technology and data can
benefits our corporate clients – one of the biggest challenges
deliver.
for corporate travel account managers is employees using
When it comes to ground transportation, cities are getting
apps outside of an account and then expensing the receipt. It
smarter – and it’s thanks to the data that technology provides.
means there is virtually no data available at all. Gett solves that
Data is everything – it tells you what your city needs to know. I
and helps to modernise corporate travel. If you’d like to try Gett, download the app from your app store; use coupon code GettInfo for £5 off your first three rides (new customers only) in 2018.
info
- march / april 2018 - 47
Flexible Working in the SMART OFFICE Majencia, a French leader in office furniture and workplace design, is evolving the physical workplace
W
hat social changes do businesses need to adapt
the number of areas dedicated to well-defined activities. Staff
to? How do you improve the motivation of each
members can choose the space best suited to their task at a
employee? What conditions are required to
given moment, whether they are having a meeting, having a
stimulate innovation? These questions have become vital for
coffee, looking for a quiet place to work, relaxing or making a
any business looking for lasting improvements to performance
phone call.
and productivity. Workplace design must be able to offer solutions for social and technological changes and new work practices, putting
Multi-space also enables different types of work to coexist together in the same office. Another aim of this new type of design is to promote
people back at the heart of it all and helping businesses meet
mobility and interactions. Three out of five employees work on
their strategy.
the move, making it essential to take this method of working
Studies have shown the inextricable link between the
into account. Along with other solutions, multi-space makes it
design of tertiary spaces in the workplace and well-being at
possible to change positions regularly. Employees can switch
work. Although this primarily depends on human relationships,
between standing in conference rooms, sitting or even lying on
other important factors include the workspace being used,
a sofa.
effective acoustic design and the quality of common areas at work. Indeed, 92 percent of employees state that design has an
Design ethos We believe that design adapts to meet the needs of teams –
impact on their well-being, according to the Actineo Barometer
not the other way around. Offices are a living and breathing
index.
environment that must reflect creativity and movement,
Multi-space working
promote collective intelligence, and create synergy between the different talents in the business.
Flexible workspaces offer a new way to structure office
Of course, multi-space working can impose a challenge on
environments and work, while meeting new expectations.
employees who are unprepared for changes in their work. As
We call these new office environments ‘multi-space,’
for any new organisational method, employees need to be
and feel that they best meet the requirements of new
supported through the change in order for the design project
collaborative and smart work practices, while avoiding
to be a success.
some of the inconveniences of open spaces (noise, lack of
To this end, Majencia has developed a programme designed to
workstation privacy, increased stress, etc.). They can also offer
support its clients in understanding organisational and human
a financial benefit, as they reduce the real estate costs for each
challenges. The ‘Mobilité Sociale Connectée’ (Connected
employee.
People's Mobility) programme is based on four themes: Health,
In traditional offices, open office space is limited to benches and meeting/conference areas. Multi-space increases
Freedom, Community and Synergy. We then translate these four themes into design principles. The importance given to each theme varies from one organisation to another. By identifying the most relevant levers, businesses can move towards an optimised performance ecosystem. This programme is combined with an auditing tool that helps Majencia support its clients prior to any design considerations in order to jointly draw up a made-to-measure and sustainable workplace design project in line with the corporate culture and values of the business. The end goal is creating a work environment where quality
©Majencia / Sanofi HQ
of life, wellbeing and performance come together. I
Ninety-two percent of employees state that design has an impact on their well-being 48 - info - march / april 2018
THE R I SE OF THE SMART CIT Y – FOCUS
Making sense of the Smart City requires exploring beyond the ever-changing daily press. INFO presents the best longreads and long-listens, which help shape the conversation
READ Edward Glaeser: Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier (2011) Glaeser, a Harvard professor of economics, has spent several decades investigating the role cities play in fostering human achievement. Glaeser’s contention is that cities spur innovation by facilitating face-to-face interaction, they attract talent and sharpen it through competition, they encourage entrepreneurship, and they allow for social and economic mobility. James S. Russel: The Agile City: Building Well-Being and Wealth in an Era of Climate Change (2011) Russell’s book is a powerful analysis of the development forces and environmental impacts that today affect and control the growth of cities. It offers a great overview of the field and describes well the roles played by many leading thinkers in the world of urban development and environmental design. Anthony M. Townsend: Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia (2013) In Smart Cities, urbanist and technology expert Townsend takes a broad historical look at the forces that have shaped the planning and design of cities and information technologies from the rise of the great industrial cities of the nineteenth century to the present, and looks to the future of the city as it becomes ‘smarter’ than every before. Caspar Herzberg: Smart Cities, Digital Nations: Building Smart Cities in Emerging Countries and Beyond (2017) Herzberg is President of Schneider Electric Middle East and Africa, and has spent the best part of the last decade pioneering digital solutions for cities and countries across China, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Here he explains how ambitious new city plans across the world are moving from the drawing board into reality.
PODCASTS
CityCast: The smart cities podcast from CityVerve In twelve instalments, host Ian Kennedy, who serves as VP for the EMEAR region at Cisco, tackles topical subjects and issues around smart cities. Listen here: http://bit.ly/2HcTReI
TED TALKS
Peter Calthorpe: TedTalk: ‘7 principles for building better cities’ (2017) Calthorpe advocates for community design that is focused on human interaction, and shares seven universal principles for solving sprawl and building smarter, more sustainable cities. Watch here: http://bit.ly/2fPJC6S
CLASSIC READ Jane Jacobs: The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) This 1961 book by Jane Jacobs turned the world of city planning on its head. The author, who possessed no formal training in architecture or city planning, relied on personal observations of her surroundings in Greenwich Village in New York City to supply ammunition for her charges against the mainstream of the architectural profession.
info
- march / april 2018 - 49
It’s all about connections W ho we are
W hat we offer
> The largest foreign Chamber
> The strength of a network
of Commerce in the UK
> The ideal platform to exchange
> 134 years of experience
with decision makers
> 600 members ranging from
> A wealth of information and
SMEs to Blue Chip companies
experience
in all sectors > Half of our members are non French
> Bespoke solutions to develop your business > Access to the right people
www.frenchchamber.co.uk For more information, please contact Justine Kaouane Membership Department e:jkaouane@ccfgb.co.uk t: +44 (0) 207 092 6638
CULTURE – WHAT'S ON A SELECTION OF RECOMMENDED CULTURAL EVENTS
N AT I O N A L GA L L ERY, LO N D O N
In a landmark show at the National Gallery– the first purely Monet exhibition to be staged in London for more than twenty years – there is a unique and surprising opportunity to discover the artist as we have never seen him before. We typically think of Claude Monet as a painter of landscape, of the sea, and in his later years, of gardens – but until now there has never been an exhibition considering his work in terms of architecture. Featuring more than seventy-five paintings by Monet, this innovative exhibition spans his long career from its beginnings in the mid-1860s to the public display of his Venice paintings in 1912. As a daring young artist, he exhibited in the Impressionist shows and displayed canvases of the bridges and buildings of Paris and its suburbs. Much later as an elderly man, he depicted the renowned architecture of Claude Monet, The Grand Canal (Le Grand Canal), 1908. Oil on canvas Venice and London, reflecting them back to us through his exceptional vision. More than a quarter of the paintings in 'The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Monet & Architecture' come from private collections around the world; works little-known and rarely exhibited. I From 9 April to 29 July 2018 / Open daily from 10am to 6pm, until 9pm on Friday / Tickets available from £10
TAT E B RI TA I N, LO N D O N The EY Exhibition: Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy This is the first ever solo Pablo Picasso exhibition at Tate Modern. It will bring you face-to-face with more than 100 paintings, sculptures and drawings, mixed with family photographs and rare glimpses into his personal life. Three of his extraordinary paintings featuring his lover MarieThérèse Walter are shown together for the first time since they were created over a period of just five days in March 1932. The myths around Picasso will be stripped away to reveal the man and the artist in his full complexity and richness. You will see him as never before. I From 8 March until 9 September 2018 / Open daily from 10am to 6pm, until 10pm on Friday and Saturday / Tickets available from £20
© Succession Picasso/DACS London, 2018
© Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Gift of Osgood Hooker 1960.29
The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Monet & Architecture
Pablo Picasso, Le Rêve (The Dream), 1932. Private collection
info
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CULTUR E – WHAT ' S ON
M USEU M O F LO N D O N London Visions: Exaggerated realities for possible futures
© SURE Architecture Limited
The future has never felt closer than it does today and speculation about London’s future is once again at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Where once the visions of tomorrow’s world would involve intergalactic invasions or holidays on Mars, today’s contemporary narratives focus more on a future based on issues we currently face. London Visions depicts fantastical realities seen through the eyes of artists, architects and designers, each expressing their own unique scenarios on tomorrow’s world. They project exaggerated scenarios based on climate change, the future of work, the everyday life, politics and hypothetical cityscapes. Through a series of video installations, architectural narratives and video games, the display visualises deconstructed worlds and abstract models of theoretical scenarios for London. I Until 15 April 2018 / Open daily from 10am to 6pm / Free
Left: Endless City
ROYA L AC A D E MY, LO N D O N
King Charles I amassed one of the most extraordinary art collections of his age, acquiring works by some of the finest artists of the past – Titian, Mantegna, Holbein, Dürer – and commissioning leading contemporary artists such as Van Dyck and Rubens. Yet, following the king’s execution in 1649, his collection was sold off and scattered across Europe. While many works were retrieved by Charles II during the Restoration, others now form the core of museums such as the Louvre and the Prado. Charles I: King and Collector reunites the greatest masterpieces of this magnificent collection for the first time. Celebrating its breadth and grandeur, it includes over 100 works of art, ranging from classical sculptures to Baroque paintings, and from exquisite miniatures to monumental tapestries. I Until 15 April 2018 / Open daily from 10am to 6pm, until 10pm on Friday / Tickets available from £18
© Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018 Exhibition organised in partnership with Royal Collection Trust
Charles I: King and Collector
Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), ), Charles I in Three Positions, 1635–36, Oil on canvas.
VI C TO RI A A N D A L B ERT M USEU M , LO N D O N
© Victoria & Albert Museum
Ocean Liners: Speed and Style review
Normandie in New York (1935-39), Collection French Lines 52 - info - march / april 2018
Re-imagine the golden age of ocean travel with the major new exhibition, Ocean Liners: Speed & Style, sponsored by Viking Cruises. Co-organised by the V&A in London and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, it is the first ever exhibition to explore the design and cultural impact of the ocean liner on an international scale. Ocean Liners: Speed & Style will showcase over 250 objects, including paintings, sculpture, and ship models, alongside objects from shipyards, wall panels, furniture, fashion, textiles, photographs, posters and film. It will display objects never-before-seen in Europe, and reunite objects not seen together since on-board these spectacular vessels, which revolutionised ocean travel from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century. I Until 10 June 2018 / Open daily from 10am to 5.45pm; until 10pm on Friday / Tickets available from £18
THESE BOOKS, RECENTLY PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH, WERE SELECTED BY THE FRENCH INSTITUTE IN THE UK
LULLABY
LIVE BETTER AND LONGER
by Leïla
by Michel
Slimani Published by Faber&Faber Translated by Sam Taylor Original title: Chanson douce
Cymes
Published by Quercus Original title: Vivez
mieux et plus
longtemps
When Myriam, a French-Moroccan lawyer, decides to return
France's favourite and most celebrated doctor gives the most
to work after having children, she and her husband look for
up-to-date and easy-to-follow advice on living a healthier life, for
the perfect caretaker for their two young children. They never
longer, in this huge bestseller that has taken the country by storm.
dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite and devoted
Did you know that pomegranates help reduce dental plaque? That
woman who sings to their children, cleans the family’s chic
fridges are germ factories? That those little everyday movements
apartment in Paris’s upscale tenth arrondissement, stays late
can wreck your back? This French mega-bestseller reveals the
without complaint and is able to host enviable birthday parties.
truth about healthy living, and why it's never too late. I
The couple and nanny become more dependent on each other. But as jealousy, resentment and suspicions increase, Myriam and Paul's idyllic tableau is shattered. I
A WALK THROUGH PARIS by Eric
Hazan Published by Verso Books Translated by David Fernbach Original title: Une traversée de Paris
WOMAN AT SEA by Catherine
Poulain Cape Translated by Adriana Hunter Original title: Le grand Marin Published by Jonathan
Eric Hazan, author of the acclaimed The Invention of Paris, leads
Lili is a runaway. She’s left behind her native France to go in
us by the hand in this walk from Ivry to Saint-Denis, roughly
search of freedom, adventure and life. Her search takes her to
following the meridian that divides Paris into east and west, and
Kodiak, Alaska, home to a ragtag community of fishermen, army
passing such familiar landmarks as the Luxembourg Gardens, the
vets and drifters who man the island’s fishing fleet. Despite her
Pompidou Centre, the Gare du Nord and Montmartre, as well as
tiny frame, faltering English and lack of experience, Lili lands
little-known alleyways and arcades. Filled with historical anecdotes,
a job on board the Rebel, the only woman on the boat. Out
geographical observations and literary references, Hazan’s walk
on the open sea, everything is heightened: colours are more
guides us through an unknown Paris. He shows us how, through
vivid, sounds are louder and the work is harder than anything
planning and modernisation, the city’s revolutionary past has been
she's ever known. The terrifying intensity of the ocean is
erased in order to enforce a reactionary future; but by walking and
addictive to the point of danger. But Lili is not alone: in her
observation, he shows us how we can regain our knowledge of
fellow crewmembers she finds kindred spirits – men living on
the radical past of the city of Robespierre, the Commune, Sartre
the edge, drawn to extremes. Based on Catherine Poulain’s own
and the May ’68 uprising. And by drawing on his own life story,
experiences, and written in taut, muscular prose, Woman at Sea
as surgeon, publisher and social critic, Hazan vividly illustrates a
cuts through the noise of life and straight to the heart of our
radical life lived in the city of revolution. I
innermost longings. I
info
- march / april 2018 - 53
LIFE S T YLE – WINE
THE Wine Story OF GI GONDAS Thibault Lavergne, founder of the distributor Wine Story, explores the rich history of this Rhône Valley wine
O
ne can find the wines of Gigondas in the southern part of the Rhône Valley, 15 kilometres east of the former Roman colonial city of Orange. Yet despite
their Roman and medieval roots, wines of the Gigondas gained popularity in the mid-19th century, thanks to the investment and the dedication of the politician and
natural scientist Eugène Raspail. Having returned from Italy, where he was living in exile for holding republican views, Raspail set to making wine on inherited and acquired land throughout the 1860s, and began to produce excellent results. However an outbreak of phylloxera insects in 1870 all but devastated his crops. Without it, Raspail may have succeeded to put Gigondas in the cellar of every wine connoisseur in his life time.
ROYAL CONNECTIONS The Gigondas we know today – with its deep, subtle and silky tannins – was resurrected in the 1950s by a collective of winemakers under the name Cave de vignerons de Gigondas, becoming the first wine from the region to obtain protected status. This isn’t the wine’s only honour. It has links to the monarchies of both England and Holland, through Catharina-Amalia, heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the King of England William III (1650-1702). Both the Dutch princess and the late English king hold the title of Prince of Orange – the Gigondas bottle traditionally bears the coat of arms of their title. A bit more history: The principality of Orange, which became French in 1713, gave its name to the reigning Protestant Dutch family, the Orange-Nassau. Nearby, the bottle of the famous other local Cru, the Chateauneuf-du-Pape situated in an area owned by the Popes until the French Revolution bear the Papal Mitre.
EU REGULATION Going farther back in time, the land which now produces the Gigondas was once a Dutch enclave on papal land (itself an enclave in the French Kingdom.) As 16th century Europe was enflamed by religious wars, the local trade and agriculture suffered under the conflicts, and the local wine production was at risk. To counter the uncertainty, locals created a rural code for good practice in farming and trading in 1592. These communal statues, which were enforced until the French Revolution, give a unique insight into how the Gigondas evolved into the wine we know today – mainly red, with some rosé. The statue forbade producers and merchants to sell the wine in bulk to foreign buyers (encompassing other French regions) at a lesser cost. Incidentally, the details of the eighty-three rules are so exhaustive that they would put the current Brexit attitude toward EU regulation to shame.
CONTEMPORARY FLAVOURS Today, local producers can export their wines at a good price to the world. One such producer, the domaine de La Roubine so in, produce a blend of 70 percent Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grape varieties on five hectares of certified organic vineyard. Their wine is aromatic and powerful, yet smooth. Its balance is favourable for storage, but still offers a fruity and fresh taste. Gigondas would be ideally paired with local Lamb and venison. I Thibault Lavergne
TO ORDER THE ABOVE-MENTIONED WINES AND OTHERS, CONTACT: E: thibault@winestory.co.uk T: +44 (0)7921 770 691 W: www.winestory.co.uk
54 - info - march / april 2018
PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE FRENCH AND BRITISH IN BUSINESS
“Fascinating bilingual guide... full of shrewd insights into both sides’ codes.” - The Financial Times
£6
Meetings may not start until the most senior person arrives.
Meetings start on time.
A meeting is a debate.
A meeting is a process.
Latecomers enter, shake hands with everyone present, and then sit down. “Non c’est impossible” – often means “start convincing me”. • ••
Latecomers slip in quietly, apologise and sit in the nearest available seat. “No, I’m afraid that it really is impossible” usually means just that. Non-negotiable. •••
AT THE CHAMBER
A
s
annual
Reaching out and connecting to our
Forums and Clubs (see page 67).
activities report for last year,
we
prepare
our
network of French companies and
Looking ahead, we will host a Member to
due out soon, we are pleased to
stakeholders throughout the country in
Member event (see opposite) on 24 April.
announce another successful fiscal year
innovative and inspiring ways is a top
It is a premier networking opportunity
at the Chamber. Despite a challenging
priority. We are excited to inform you
for up to 250 participants with the
and uncertain economic climate, we
that we are now putting the finishing
chance to discover up to twenty-five
achieved a strong set of financial results,
touches
newly-designed
exhibitors – a highlight in the Chamber’s
which were very much supported by
website – more details soon – and have
busy calendar. This will be followed by a
the growing demand for our Business
recently
Support Services. A recent expansion in
informative
on
our
monthly
Business Stories event, featuring talks
The
re-
by two leading entrepreneurs, who will
the department has now increased the
designed format enhances the visibility
reflect on successes and challenges in
visibility and reputation of the service
of all our Patron, Corporate and Active
their careers. The event will be held at
to already attract a wide range of new
members, while continuing to promote
the Microsoft Reactor London on 26
clients.
the great Chamber activities that you
April.
Indeed, demand for all of our services
need to know about.
And of course, not to be missed, is our
remains strong. The continued success
Our Membership Department is as
annual Franco-British Conference on
of our Business Centre – a twenty-desk
busy as ever, with new members joining
16 May. This year the conference will be
rental service now at full occupancy –
the Chamber from a variety of industries
on the theme of Retail, and will feature
is also indicative that French interest
and sectors. One notable development
a day of keynotes and panel discussions
to develop business in Britain remains
is a growing interest from a range of
addressing the key issues confronted
Service
Fintech companies and start-ups, thanks
by retailers in Britain. Organised by
continues to expand with new offers,
to a changing business climate and also
our Events Team with the valued
including CV and LinkedIn workshops
the potential we can see from a referral
sponsorship of HSBC and Econocom,
for job seekers. These one-day sessions
relationship with London & Partners,
we will return to the contemporary
focus on the key ways to find, and
the promotional company for the capital.
Havas LuxHub venue for this exciting
secure, the right job – and introduces
These exciting developments will bolster
potential applicants to the many job
our activity as we continue to grow our
event. We look forward to welcome you there. I SB
roles identified and made available
membership in 2018 – and, in parallel
through our recruitment team each year.
offer new and innovative themes for our
strong.
Our
Recruitment
56 - info - march / april 2018
re-launched
our
newsletter.
NE WS – AT THE CHAMBE R
Chamber welcomes new co - chair of the HR Forum
T
he Chamber is pleased to announce the appointment of Melanie Stancliffe, Employment Partner at Irwin Mitchell, as co-chair of the HR Forum, alongside Pia Dekkers, Human Resources Director at Chanel. Stancliffe replaces Jean-Baptiste Aloy, Executive Director- Employee Research at Ipsos MORI. Melanie, who is Joint Head of the Irwin Mitchell French Group, specialises in providing practical employment advice to businesses, directors, partner/members and employees, particularly to clients in the financial services and technology sectors. She has 18 years’ experience in this area and has expertise in negotiating contracts and settlement agreements. She advises boards on their business structures and throughout reorganisation proceedings. She also assists businesses on making their acquisitions and Melanie Stancliffe sales. Employment Partner, Melanie’s priorities for the HR Forum include aiding fellow members to share their experience and Irwin Mitchell knowledge as they tackle the new challenges of Brexit, AI, employee engagement and the increasing demands on employers. She is thrilled to be working more closely with Pia and the Chamber in the next stage of the Forum’s journey. ‘I am honoured to co-chair the Forum. As a long-term member of the Chamber, I wish to continue the excellent work done already and assist its members going forward,’ she said.
Chamber announces New Advisor y Councillors
T
he Advisory Council consists of up to 66 members – including the Directors of the Board – and hosts three sessions a year with a view to advising the management of the Chamber on strategic decisions. The role of the Advisory Council is to increase the effectiveness of the Chamber by actively participating in and leading its activities as well as recruiting new members.
Robert Carey Strategy and Network Director, easyJet
Jean-François Cécillon Managing Director & Senior Advisor, Waddington Custot Galleries Ltd
All the best for Manon Chauvin!
A
fter six years at the Chamber, Manon Chauvin will be leavening to pursue exciting new opportunities abroad. We wish her every success on her journey! She will be succeeded in her role of Accounts Assistant by Valene de Nardo.
Take part in our Member 2 Member Offers Programme 2018!
MEMBER
MEMBER
OFFER A DISCOUNT TO FELLOW MEMBERS
I
ncentivise your fellow members to utilise your products and services by featuring an exclusive offer or discount on our Member 2 Member Offers site for a full year! Free as well as premium options are available. For further information, please contact Justine Kaouane, jkaouane@ccfgb.co.uk Communication will be launched for these offers at the Member 2 Member Cocktail & Exhibition on 24 April from 18.00-20.30, at Bush House. There are still spaces remaining to exhibit. For further information, please contact Suzanne Lycett, slycett@ccfgb.co.uk
info
- march / april 2018 - 57
NEW SPONSOR OF THE BREXIT FORUM:
ESCP EUROPE BUSINESS SCHOOL The Chamber is pleased to announce that ESCP Europe Business School (London) is now sponsoring the regular meetings of the Chamber’s Brexit Forum. Here INFO speaks to its Dean, Simon Mercado Why is ESCP Europe interested to sponsor a forum on the topic of Brexit? Like any effective business school, we focus on the hottest issues for business and industry. The more international the issue, the more able we are to make positive contribution and to support debate and discussion.
It is absolutely fitting that ESCP Europe, which has had a strong voice on Brexit, associates itself as sponsor and works with the Chamber to advance its work and agenda in this area
Through a little patronage and practical support, we want to help the member organisations of the Chamber - our
European Parliament President, Nicole Fontaine, on a ground-
friends, clients and partners - to deal with Brexit strategically
breaking book assessing the potential for Brexit to open a new
and proactively. Through the forum and its wider activities, the
phase in EU development.
Chamber is providing our sectors and organisations with great insight and reportage on this major development. It is absolutely fitting that ESCP Europe, which has had a
The School also has an outstanding European & International Institute (based in Paris) that acts as a think tank on major international issues including Brexit. Personally, I've
strong voice on Brexit, associates itself as sponsor and works
been lucky enough to write for INFO magazine on the subject
with the Chamber to advance its work and agenda in this area.
and to plug Brexit related commentary into corporate training modules for the likes of Saint-Gobain and our international
What kinds of activities does ESCP Europe undertake in
client group.
respect to Brexit? The School in London has launched a ‘Rethinking Europe’
What does membership in the Chamber mean to ESCP
Series to look at the major developments effecting business
Europe?
and business markets on our continent. Brexit has been
The School is a long-standing member and an active one. We
the natural focus and we have run successful seminars in
enjoy the friendship and expertise of our peers from all sectors
Westminster and on campus in NW London working co-
and the opportunity to stay abreast of the latest developments
operatively with Delville Management Consulting and other
in government, industry and finance. Through its various
parties.
programmes and mechanisms, the Chamber offers us so
Our student societies have been active on the subject and
much of what we need as an engaged and connected business
many of our faculty have offered their views on the subject
school. I
from customs unions to labour law. Our students have been
For coverage of the latest Brexit Forum, please see page 14
at the heart of a unique project too, working with former
in this issue.
58 - info - march / april 2018
NE WS – AT THE CHAMBE R
THE BUSINESS CENTRE: A SPRINGBOARD INTO THE UK Aimed at French start-ups, entrepreneurs and SMEs that are developing their business in the UK, the French Chamber’s 20-desk Business Centre is currently home to 11 companies. Meet Crystal Finance, the wealth and estate advisory firm
Stanislas Steadman, Consultant UK & Ireland, CRYSTAL FINANCE What does Crystal Finance do? Crystal Finance is a French Wealth and Estate Advisor (Cabinet de Conseil en Gestion de Patrimoine Indépendant) that assists and advises their French clients on the architecture of their wealth and estate in general. Ever since its creation in 1992, the Montpellier-based company has focused on advising French people working outside of France, starting with Central Africa and the Middle East. Twenty-five years later, the company has expanded all over the world and now has hubs in five continents with 35,000 clients in 60 different countries; making it the largest French estate advisor for non-residents. The concept of the founders is simple: Help French expatriates with the organisation of their wealth in France, to facilitate a future return to their home country, or to simply invest there. Only after analysing their clients’ estate and identifying their goals (short to long term) can consultants at Crystal Finance advise their client on the allocation of their global wealth (whether it involves investing in Real Estate, in the Financial Markets or in protected interest-linked products). From there, finding the best economically viable product given the country of residence, the applicable law and the client’s personal objectives is where the expertise of Crystal Finance is key. The company’s other particularity is that, despite its substantial size, it remains independent in their advice and choices of product providers, focusing primarily on finding the best solution for their non-resident clients. Why did the company decide to come to the UK? After developing more hubs far from France (Tahiti, Reunion island, the Caribbean, Japan, Hong Kong etc), the company started expanding in European countries. We realised that, despite being closer to France, French nationals still need advice and assistance in understanding the impact of their country of residence on their global estate. And French UK-residents are no exception. Whether it is to prepare for retirement, invest in France, prepare for inheritance, understand the applicable law of their wedding contracts or understand bilateral taxes and agreements, finding the right company and the right person to get advice from is difficult. The French consulate in London estimates between 300,000 and 400,000 French citizens live in London. Many of these people are in need of objective and independent advice on their wealth and estate; especially since the Brexit vote. What would be your top tip for French companies entering the UK market? Understanding the need and the specifics of the UK market is necessary, especially as competition is tough in this particular market. Getting help and information from organisations such as the French Chamber of Commerce in GB can be a good way to succeed in entering the market. People living in London are generally used to a very high level of products and services, and adapting the company’s offer to this demanding community is important to a successful start in the UK market.
The find out more about the Chamber’s Business Centre, please contact Sophie Bosc, Account Manager, sbosc@ccfgb.ac.ukm or 0207 092 6628
info
- march / april 2018 - 59
NEW MEMBERS 3 NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS ALSTOM TRANSPORT UK & IRELAND Alstom Builds Trains, Infrastructure and Signalling Represented by Nick Crossfield, Managing Director UK & Ireland Alstom has been part of the rail industry in the UK for over a century. We provide the widest range of solutions in the market, from high-speed trains, metros and tramways to maintenance, infrastructure and signalling. From Pendolinos on the West Coast Main Line to London tube trains. We recently opened a new technology centre and training academy in Widnes. alstom.com/uk ARKADIN UK Cloud Communications Expert Represented by Alexis Cornu Thenard, Managing Director – Online Business Arkadin provides businesses with online collaboration solutions using audio, web and unified communication tools. arkadin.co.uk EMPEROR DESIGN CONSULTANT Leading Uk Corporate Communications agency Represented by Valentin Ramousse, Account Director Emperor is one of the UK's leading Corporate Communication agencies, with a network of five UK offices, one in Dubai and a presence in Moscow. With over 20 years of experience, our services include Corporate Reporting, Investor Relations Communications, Branding, Digital, Employee Engagement and Sustainability Reporting. www.emperor.works
11 NEW ACTIVE MEMBERS 1001 Remedies – Wellbeing remedies: glamorous experience & active ingredients - www.1001remedies.com Represented by Sofia Belcadi, Co-Founder & CEO Baglioni Hotel London – Luxury, Italian Boutique Hotel in Kensington - www.baglionihotels.com Represented by Valentine Semeria, Sales Manager KellyDeli – European Leader for Fully-Serviced Sushi Bars - www.kellydeli.com Represented by Olivier Mougin, Group Finance Director Les Bougies de Charroux LTD – Handmade Scented Candles - boisetbougies.com Represented by Jean-Paul Corgnet, CEO Lifeline Language Services Ltd – Written Translation, Spoken Interpreting, Media - www.lifelinelanguageservices.co.uk Represented by Lynn Everson, Managing Director OPUS-4 LOGISITICS LTD – Design, Manage and Fit-Out Offices - www.opus-4.com Represented by Nicolas Sablier, Fit-Out Consultant Overseas Business & Development – HR, Educational & Strategic Consultancy Represented by Vincent Martin, President PSG Networks – Voice & Data Solutions for Business - www.psgnetworks.com Represented by Thomas Murphy, Operations Director SMD+ – Consultancy practice for constractors, property developer, architects and technology sectors - www.smdplus.co.uk Represented by Sylvie Milosevic, Founder & Director TWID Design – Brand Designers - www.twid-design.com Represented by Nicolas Benistan, Founder Vanessa Seward – Women's Ready-to-Wear - www.vanessaseward.com Represented by Michelle Urvall-Nyrén, Brand Manager 60 - info - march / april 2018
START-UP & SME CLUB
LEGAL WORKSHOP:
Business Structure and Intellectual Property Legal and IP advice should be prioritised in any business, heard the Start-up & SME Club
T
he latest Start-up & SME Club
informal advice, for
welcomed two guest speakers,
example the London
Jon Snade, Partner, Browne
Open Coffee meet ups.
Jacobson and Andrew Hilton, UK and
For some legal
European Patent Attorney, Haseltine
services, there
Lake LLP, to speak about legal
are free template
issues and support available to small
documents available
businesses and entrepreneurs.
online, including
The session was co-chaired by
founders agreements,
Sébastien Goldenberg, CEO and Co-
advisor agreements,
Founder, TheHouseShop.com, and
IP assignments and
Jeanne Monchovet, Founder and
fundraising term sheets.
Principal Consultant of Olystix.
Two such providers are
The legal overview
seedsummit.org and lawdepot.co.uk. Browne Jacobson’s ‘Grow’
a result of its contours, colours, shapes, materials or its ornamentation. Designs
Jon Snade, Partner at Browne Jacobson,
programme is tailored to helping small
cover a broad range of products, and
outlined some of the key areas where
businesses in the development. They
can be used to protect the appearance
new and small businesses may benefit
offer an advisor, use of client meeting
of a vehicle, the design of packaging,
– or indeed require –legal input and
rooms, and training to potential clients.
the layout of a webpage, or the cut of a
support. They include shareholder
They also offer fixed fees, which can
garment, for example.
agreements and articles of associations,
help small businesses effectively budget
Trademarks are signs used in trade to
official company records (Company
for their legal spend.
identify products. Trademarks serve to
House), and hiring and firing staff. They
distinguish goods and services within
also include customer and supplier
Intellectual Property
contracts, website terms and conditions,
Andrew Hilton, patent attorney at
and can include words, logos, colours
and selling your business or raising
Haseltine Lake, gave an overview of
and sounds.
investment.
intellectual property (IP) and how it
Unregistered rights include: ‘copyright’
can be used to protect innovation and
of material, such as literature, art,
creativity within a business.
music or film; ‘database rights’, such
Snade advised that legal help is important to consider for any business, as it can potentially save costs, decrease
In basic terms, intellectual property
a marketplace to define brand identity,
as the content and structure of
risks and limit distractions from running
can protect technical inventions,
databases; ‘know how,’ such as the
your business.
aesthetic creations and brand identity.
value of technical knowledge and skills;
Intellectual property can be a significant
and ‘trade secrets,’ such as business
many barriers to legal help including
asset to any business, as it provides
practices/ideas that would have value.
being able to prioritising or budget for
exclusive rights to the holder and allows
legal spend, knowing when to call a
you to own the things you create, similar
Hilton advised businesses that are
lawyer, and knowing where to go for
to owning physical property.
interested in protecting their innovation
However small businesses face
help. Many businesses also face strict
to consult a patent attorney as early
time pressures in terms of need legal
IP falls into four main categories:
as possible, to help understand the
advice or assistance.
Patents protect technical innovations
IP process, and the associated time
and the way something works. For
and cost constraints. Moreover, Hilton
considering initial help, businesses
example, patents can protect physical
strongly advised businesses to seek
should consider asking lawyers or law
devices, from jet engines to bottle
protection for their intellectual property
firms if they do free initial consultations,
openers, as well as processes, such
before public disclosure of the product
where issues could be discussed before
as assembly methods and control
or concept, since this can lead to
they require immediate intervention.
strategies.
problems down the line in obtaining
Furthermore there are many other
Designs protect the appearance of a
valid IP. I
forums in which businesses can seek
product, i.e. the way something looks as
Snade advised the Club that when
info
- march / april 2018 - 61
CLIMATE CHANGE & SUSTAINABILITY + BREXIT FORUMS
Brexit and UK Environmental Law In a joint session of the Climate Change & Sustainability and Brexit Forums, members heard about environmental frameworks once the UK leaves the EU
T
he Climate Change and Sustainability Forum organised a
use international, European or national guidelines such as
joint session with the Brexit Forum, welcoming Professor
UNGC, the OECD guidelines, or ISO standards to produce their
Charlotte Burns, Professorial Fellow in Sustainable Growth
statements.
at the University of Sheffield and Martina Macpherson, Partner, SI Partners - President, Network for Sustainable Financial Markets and Visiting Fellow, Henley Business School. The session was co-chaired by Richard Brown CBE, Chairman of the Franchise Advisory Panel for the Department for Transport and former CEO and Chairman of Eurostar, and Jean-Philippe Verdier, Founding Partner, Verdier & Co. Corporate Advisory; and Brexit co-chairs Angela Hepworth, Corporate Policy and Regulation Director, EDF Energy, and Neil Sherlock CBE, Partner, Corporate Affairs, PwC.
Disclosure: challenges and opportunities Martina Macpherson, Partner, at SI Partners - Sustineri, reported that there is an increasing attention on the way companies, policy makers and investors, identify, evaluate and integrate environmental, social and governance factors
The Climate Change Act commits the UK government to an 80 percent reduction in Green house gases by 2050, which will be delivered via a set of 5 year carbon budgets
(ESG) into decision-making. ESG issues have moved from the
Environmental impacts of Brexit
niche to the core and generally speaking, there is a move from
Professor Charlotte Burns of the University of Sheffield reported
voluntary ESG disclosure and reporting towards Governance /
that as the environment is a devolved issue, it therefore raises
Stewardship Codes and mandatory disclosure of extra-financial
questions about relations between the devolved nations.
information around ESG factors and taxonomies.
Scotland has said it will not consent to the EUWB, which points
Sustainability is also becoming integrated into business and investment strategies: more than 90 percent of the
to an imminent constitutional crisis over the relationship between the devolved nations and the UK government.
world’s largest companies report through the Global Reporting
There is also on-going concern that government will water
Initiative (GRI). A total of almost 1,7k financial services firms have
down standards despite Michael Gove’s commitment to a
signed the Principles for Responsible investing, and more than
green Brexit. Key issue here will be the nature of the trade deal
9k companies have signed the UN’s Global Compact (UNGC),
struck with EU and other states. There is also concern about
a normative ESG framework for corporate compliance with
the governance gap: what will replace the role of monitoring
environmental protection, human and labour rights and anti-
and enforcement currently performed by the Commission and
bribery and corruption policies and practices. Meanwhile,
the CJEU.
AUMs in sustainable investment strategies have grown to $23tr
Defra is the second most affected government department
according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (2016).
by Brexit, but it has also seen its number shrink in recent
Historically, the UK has been at the forefront of developing
years. There are moves to recruit more staff but expertise and
and implementing a series of mandatory company governance and reporting (transparency) laws, most notably the UK
resources will be an on-going problem.
Companies Act (2006) which mandates companies listed on the
Implications for Climate Change
stock exchange in the UK to disclose ESG considerations; the
Burns noted that the Climate Change Act commits the UK
UK Bribery Act (2010), and the Modern Slavery Act (2015).
government to an 80 percent reduction in Greenhouse gases
France has tightened its disclosure rules and implemented
by 2050, which will be delivered via a set of 5 year carbon
Article 173 French Energy Transition Law (2016) which mandates
budgets. The process is supported by an independent Climate
climate-change related reporting for companies and investors.
Change Committee (CCC).
Meanwhile, policy makers and regulators in and across the EU
There is already a ‘policy gap’ – meaning insufficient
are stepping up. For example, EU Directive 2014/95 will regulate
measures in place to achieve the goals of fourth and fifth
disclosure of non-financial corporate information and diversity
carbon budgets according to Climate Change Committee and
in EU member states. By next year, this reporting framework
Client Earth. And interviews with key stakeholders have revealed
gives companies to the means to disclose relevant information
concerns that Brexit may further endanger the achievement
in the way they consider most useful and companies may
of goals. I
62 - info - march / april 2018
RETAIL FORUM
The Future of the customer experience The latest Retail Forum heard how behaviour, knowledge, psychology and loyalty are redefining the customer experience
H
osted in the
points.
elegant dining
Unilever
room of Les 110
mustard brand
de Taillevent in
Maille offers its
Marylebone, the
product in the
latest Retail Forum
traditional glass
session welcomed
jar for routine
three speakers:
shoppers, but also
Megan Higgins,
offers a similar
Leader, Customer
product with high
& Retail Analytics,
end packaging
PwC; Catriona
to entice the
Ferris, Consumer
more experiential
Insight Director,
shopper. ‘It’s
Unilever; and
an example of
Gareth Pope,
designing two
General Manager EMEA, Lululemon; on
programmes rewarded spending; new
experiences under one brand – this is
the topic of new customer journeys and
loyalty models should reward spending
the challenge,’ says Ferris.
experiences.
and engage customers. This can
The session was Co-chaired by
Customer experience is also top of
mean access to special ‘bonus’ events,
the agenda at Lululemon, as reported
Alain Harfouche, General Manager,
faster or free delivery, early access to
by its General Manager, Gareth Pope.
L’Occitane, and Catherine Palmer,
products, free samples and tutorials.
Legal & Administrative Director, Joseph.
Understanding the customer
The shopping mission
He outlined three broad categories of customer shopping missions, ranging from a customer with no pre-conceived
‘At Unilever, we look at shopping
plan to purchase to one that is actively
Megan Higgins, PwC, spoke about
missions not at shoppers,’ said Catriona
considering a purchase to one that has
general changes in customer behaviour,
Ferris of Unilever. This means mapping
already decided.
as they are becoming more connected,
customer intentions when entering a
savvier and more experiential.
shop – what are people looking for and
best-in-class service for each of these
what are their priorities.
missions.
Businesses now need to consider how to become more customer-
She provided an example involving
A brand should strive to provide
According to Pope, the next step is
centric in order to meet the new
three food-buying missions: the
to know yourself as a brand. Who are
expectations that these changes
routine low pressure and highly-regular
you here to be? What do you provide to
entail. This involves leveraging big
shopper; the pressurised buyer looking
your customers? And where typically do
data to form ideas of customers and
for something for today; and the
your customers interact with you?
their behaviour irrespective of touch
experiential shopping, who is all about
points. It also means forming holistic
browsing.
insights about customer attitudes,
While these three shoppers are
Pope said that Lululemon also approaches these questions not only in terms of customer experience at
values and engagement. And it involves
converging in one store, they have
retail touch points, but also within
personalising customer experiences
highly different priorities and attitudes
local communities. Their ‘ambassador’
based on these findings.
towards the products that they will
programmes support local athletes and
purchase. Retailers can then cater to
help build real-life social networks in
can innovate is in their customer
each of these markets with different
and around their stores. I
loyalty programmes. Traditional loyalty
product ranges, services or touch
One valuable area where businesses
Businesses now need to consider how to become more customer-centric in order to meet the new expectations info
- march / april 2018 - 63
HR FORUM
Modern Slavery within the Workforce The latest HR Forum heard what companies need to do to comply with the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015
E
nsuring that modern slavery is not taking place in its UK workforce or supply chains is a critical issue for many
Organisations that must comply meet the following criteria: 1. They are a body corporate (or partnership) wherever that
organisations who supply goods or services in the UK, whether
organisation was incorporated (or formed); and 2. They supply
they are based in the UK or overseas. The latest HR Forum
goods or services in the UK; and 3. They have a total annual
welcomed guest speakers Raymond Silverstein, Partner,
turnover of not less than £36m (of the organisation and all
Browne Jacobson LLP, and Samantha Brunton, HR Director
subsidiaries wherever located).
at Christian Dior Couture, to speak on the issue. The session was co-chaired by Pia Dekkers, Human
As there is no template, organisations can choose the layout and specific content of the statement. The government
Resources Director, Chanel and Melanie Stancliffe, Partner –
guidance was revised last year, stating that the statement
Employment, Irwin Mitchell LLP.
should include: the organisation’s structure, business and
The overview
supply chains; its policies on modern slavery; its due diligence process in relation to modern slavery in its business and
Raymond Silverstein of Browne Jacobson presented some
supply chains; the parts of its business and supply chains
basic facts about the forms of modern slavery. It encapsulates
where there is a risk of modern slavery taking place; and the
the crimes of slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour
steps it has taken to manage that risk.
and human trafficking. In 2017, the National Crime Agency reported that there were probably tens of thousands of modern slaves in the
The statement must be approved by the board and signed by a director, and a link to the statement should be in a prominent place on the organisation’s website. I
UK. The number is believed to be much higher by many commentators. Modern slavery is the world’s fastest growing organised crime, with more than 40 million modern slaves worldwide (including 10 million children).
Reporting The Modern Slavery Act 2015 compels some organisations to publish a Modern Slavery Act (MSA) statement for each financial year. The statement must show the steps the organisation has taken during the financial year to prevent modern slavery in its own business and in any of its supply chains.
In 2017, the National Crime Agency reported that there were thought to be tens of thousands of modern slaves in the UK
CAS E ST UDY: CHRISTI A N D I O R Samantha Brunton of Christian Dior reported on their internal processes to create, approve and publish the MSA statement. An important first step was forging links and working priorities between her department (HR) and the finance and legal teams of the organisation. She reflected that she worked more closely with members of legal and finance than with her own colleagues in her team, as these departments are often better placed within organisations to address issues of this kind. The project received initial resistance; there were questions to the extent that a French company needed to comply with British laws. Getting people on board with the project needed to be prioritised, including subsidiaries. Information and codes of conduct were obtained from their operations internationally, and Browne Jacobson supported them in crafting the statement. Additionally, there were clear benefits in sharing documents between the LVMH Group. The finished statement needed approval and signature by directors, who initially wanted changes, and explanation on why it should be published on the corporate website. In all, the project took four months of work.
64 - info - march / april 2018
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND INNOVATION FORUM
The case for Blockchain The latest DT&I Forum heard about the impact of blockchain technologies on businesses
T
he latest Digital Transformation and
and
Innovation Forum welcomed guest
Some large corporates, like J.P. Morgan
speakers Sohail Raja, Head of Execution
and Goldman Sachs, have invested in
Platforms, Société Générale CIB, and
start ups in the area.
Australian
Securities
Exchange.
Joseph Wreford, Strategy Consultant,
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Accenture. The session was co-chaired
has developed a blockchian proof-of-
by Christophe Chazot, Group Head of
concept for trade finance in partnership
Innovation, HSBC, and Lucien Boyer,
with industry, while the London Stock
Chief Marketing Officer, Vivendi.
Exchange Group is testing blockchains for private share companies.
Blockchain primer
Continued
uptake
will
involve
Sohail Raja, Head of Execution Platforms
overcoming
at
establishing governance and regulation,
Société
Générale,
provided
an
introduction to blockchain technology. Put simply, blockchain allows the secure transfer and recording of transactions. Crucially, the technology does not rely on intermediaries or third parties, as traditional financial transactions do –
The benefits of blockchain include increased
efficiencies
in
financial
such
as
while maintain scalability, security and
Blockchain uptake in the financial sector has been incremental, but building in momentum
simplicity, among other issues including countering public perceptions.
Digital Transformation Through Blockchain Joe Wreford, Strategy Consultant at
instead, transactions are confirmed by network consensus.
challenges
introducing new reforms in the financial
Accenture, presented a cross-industry
markets. MiFID II is an extensive piece of
graph
legislation, which updates the Markets
blockchain adoption, like payments,
showing
areas
of
advanced
are
in Financial Instruments Directive, with
direct ecommerce and cross border
encrypted, they are secure and private
the aim to offer greater protection for
money transfers, and areas where
– their immutability ensures that a
investors and inject more transparency
development is focused, like public
permanent record is kept intact and
into all asset classes, including equities
services (census data, refugee tracking,
unchanged. Many watchers of the
and foreign exchange.
e-voting, etc.), customer data, fixed asset
transactions.
As
transactions
technology also see immense potential
This follows the broad trend in many
in the scalability and stability of the
asset classes of ‘electronification’, as
network, as it is distributed and not
they move their activities into digital and
potential
centralised.
networked environments.
financial markets. Wreford’s company
Another
Currently there are two models:
change
affecting
the
makes
a
many
areas,
business
case
including for
the
Banking.
development and testing of blockchain
which is an open network that anybody
This new banking model allows for
solutions in a variety of business and
can access, like the bitcoin model. The
third parties to develop products and
public contexts. In some instances
digital ledger of transactions is shared,
services through APIs (or application
blockchain can offer greater security to
transparent and run by all participants;
programme interface) and other FinTech
supply chains, with companies migrating
and
services.
aspects of the business into a digital
2. A private (permissioned) blockchain,
such as improved service, security and
which is a closed system checking all
compliance as a result of APIs.
and
controlling
access
via
Open
in
financial
Banks
is
Blockchain technology offers great
1. A public (permission-less) blockchain,
details
sector
management and utilities.
anticipate
benefits
space. These
include
smart
contracts
and purchasing orders, and smart
invitation. The private model is the
Banking and blockchain
preferred option of most banks.
Blockchain uptake in the financial sector
anonymity,
has been incremental, but building in
encrypted security. The result can be
Market evolution
trading platforms offering easy access, real
time
trades,
and
momentum. 2016 saw the first advances
the establishment of trust in business
The rise of blockchain technology comes
toward
dealings in unprecedented ways. I
at a time when European regulators are
capital markets, including the NASDAQ
blockchain
adoption
across
info
- march / april 2018 - 65
WOMEN'S BUSINESS CLUB
A question of ETHICS The latest Women’s Business Club heard from an expert in the field of ethics, who spoke about how to implement ethical thinking into businesses and organisations
T
he Women’s Business Club welcomed Dr Susan Liautaud, Vice Chair of Court of Governors and Chair
of the Ethics Policy Committee of the London School
of Economics and Political Science and Founder and Managing Director of Susan Liautaud & Associates as its guest speaker. The session was hosted in the elegant premises of the House of Dior in London’s Mayfair, described by British Vogue as a ‘retail temple,’ featuring sculptures by Tony Cragg and Rado Kirov, a collaboration with artist, Mark Quinn, three private VIP shopping areas, and a dedicated shoe gallery. The session was chaired by Estelle Brachlianoff, President of the French Chamber of Great Britain and Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland at Veolia. Held to Chatham House rules, specific reporting on the conversation was not allowed. Liautaud’s speech featured three of her approaches to the field of ethics. Here, she outlines aspects of her approach to ethics
All organisations can improve their cultures, risk profile, and resilience by reinforcing the preventive ethics mechanisms and attitudes
and some of the ways that business and individuals can think differently about utilising ethics in their strategy,
humanitarian norms.
operations and overall decision-making:
2. Ethics is not about perfection. No organisation or
1. Effective ethical decision-making is about problem-
leadership team can prevent intentional wrong-doing.
solving. It is about making the decisions we will like in
But all organisations can improve their cultures, risk
the short-, medium-, and long-term—the decisions that
profile, and resilience by reinforcing the preventive ethics
define leaders and institutions—irrespective of how much
mechanisms and decision-making and by positioning
we like the outcomes of the decisions. It is pro-business
themselves to respond swiftly, thoroughly, and fairly when
and pro- positive innovation. It is every leader’s and
unwanted behaviour occurs.
organisation’s greatest strategic opportunity in my view,
3. I see too many organisations missing the opportunity
but left unheeded it becomes the greatest risk. And it
to integrate ethics into recruiting and performance
navigates the grey in today’s world, whether how to classify
evaluation—effectively, efficiently and in line with the
sharing economy offerings or how to navigate collapsing
organisation’s values. I
BIO GR APHY: D R. SUSA N L I AU TAU D Liautaud is a leading international expert in ethics known for her solution-focused approach. She is Founder & Managing Director of Susan Liautaud & Associates Limited, a consultancy advising corporate, governmental, non-profit and academic institution leaders on ethics matters. She teaches cutting edge ethics courses at Stanford University called Ethics on the Edge and the Ethics of a Post-Truth World. She serves as Vice Chair of Court of Governors of the London School of Economics and Political Science and as Chair of LSE’s Ethics Policy Committee. Susan has been appointed to the UK Cabinet Office’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA). She also serves on a number of other boards, including Care International global Supervisory Board, Pasteur Institute, past Chair and member of Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres US National Board of Advisors, and others.
66 - info - march / april 2018
FORTHCOMING FORUMS & CLUBS By application only
29 March
08.30 - 10.30
BREXIT FORUM Impact of Brexit on investment decisions: a case study from the automotive industry Guest speakers: Ian Henry, Director, AutoAnalysis and second speaker to be
confirmed Co-chairs: Angela Hepworth, Corporate Policy and Regulation Director, EDF Energy and Neil Sherlock, Partner, Corporate Affairs, PwC
17
START-UP & SME CLUB
Cross-Cultural Challenges: Experiences April and Linguistic Nuances Guest speakers: To be confirmed 08.30 - 10.00 Co-chairs: Sébastien Goldenberg, CEO & Co-Founder, TheHouseShop.com and Jeanne Monchovet, Founder, Olystix
19
DIGITAL TR ANSFORMATION & INNOVATION FORUM
April
Artificial Intelligence: new revenue stream and product services 08.30 - 10.30 Guest speakers: Philippe Lerique, Partner, Talan Consulting UK and Alessandro Recino, Cloud Solution Architect Data & AI, Microsoft Co-chairs: Christophe Chazot, Group Head of Innovation, HSBC and Lucien Boyer, Chief Marketing Officer, Vivendi
20
10
RETAIL FORUM
10
WOMEN’S BUSINESS CLUB
At Les 110 de Taillevent The disposal of old stock Guest speaker: Jamie Crummie, co-founder of 08.30 - 10.00 Too Good To Go Co-chairs: Alain Harfouche, General Manager, L’Occitane, and Catherine Palmer, Legal & Administrative Director, Joseph April
May
12.30 - 14.00
At Chanel’s Flagship Store Chair: Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland, Veolia and President of the French Chamber of Great Britain
All sessions, excluding the Luxury Club, the Retail Forum and the Women's Business Club, take place at the French Chamber. For more information, please contact Ophélie Martinel at omartinel@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6634
FINANCE FORUM
The Financial World: How to Attract & Retain Talent (employees’ skills, performances, training, incentives, 8.30 - 10.00 vision, etc. Guest speaker: Angela Paul, Research Lead, Willis Towers Watson Chair: John Peachey, Chief Financial Officer, Global Markets, HSBC Bank Plc June
info
- march / april 2018 - 67
PAST EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS BREAKFAST WITH… 5 DECEMBER
GUILLAUME CERUTTI The CEO of Christie’s auction house spoke about emerging trends in the global art market at this Patron event
C
hristie’s auction house welcomed a small delegation of Patron members at an exclusive breakfast and guided tour
New markets
Also driving change in the art market is a shift to buyers from
of their current collections.
the Middle East and Asia. Cerutti is overseeing a strategy to
The event was moderated by our Senior Vice President, Peter
‘invest in the global picture,’ on the back of major purchasing
Alfandary, who led a discussion on new trends in digitisation
form new markets. This includes the da Vinci sale, which
and shifting markets to Asia and the Middle East. An audience
reportedly was linked to a little-known Saudi prince, and where
Q&A followed the talk, and then the delegation was invited to
bids came in from ‘all five continents.’
tour current auction sales collections in the Antiquities and Old
Prior to his role in London, Cerutti was as Christie’s president
Masters departments, guided by Christie’s curators.
of Europe, Middle East, Russia and India. His role to invest
Christie’s is enjoying a time of exceptional results. The auction
in these area and others is borne out by the figures. Asia
house has posted profits of £5.1bn last year, a 26 percent
represented 31 percent of global spend, while European and
increase on 2016. Auction sales made up £4.6bn of that total
Middle Eastern clients represented 37 percent.
and represented a 38 percent rise over the same period. This includes a record breaking sale of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’, which sold for $450.3m last November.
Current trends
Private tour
Chamber members were taken to an exhibition of sales of antiquities. Christie’s sales of antiquities offer works of art from across the ancient Mediterranean world, including Greece,
Cerutti underlined the importance of online sales, a steadily
Italy, Egypt and the Near East, dating from the Neolithic period
increasing way that Sotheby’s engages with its customers.
through to 1000 A.D. As market leaders in this field, Christie’s
Sales collections of minor works are increasingly viewed,
biannual auctions in London and New York offer exceptional
bought and sold this way, and the technology that underpins
examples of statuary, jewellery and ceramics, and attract a
these customer touch points will become increasingly
wide range of collectors.
sophisticated, and important to the business model of any
Members were also invited to view a painting by Eugène
successful auction house.
Delacroix for sale in their Old Masters, a department which has
New buyers of art no longer had the profile of the stereotypical
been at the core of Christie’s auctions since James Christie’s
aristocratic family; rather they are now hedge fund managers
first sale in 1766. The category, along with 19th Century and
or tech CEOs who have particular expectations about
Russian art, more than doubled in 2017, with record profits of
technology. Christie’s has invested tens of millions of pounds
more than $700m globally.
in a digital transformation strategy, aimed to attract these new
The Delacroix was a study of his famous ‘Liberty Leading the
art buyers, and with the goal to create value and exceptional
People’ (La Liberté Guidant le people), commemorating the
experience in an online environment.
French revolution, and offered an extraordinary insight into the artist’s process. I
68 - info - march / april 2018
E VE NT S – AT THE CHAMBE R
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION:
A START-UP’S PERSPECTIVE An informative evening in the offices of Theodo, the fast-growing tech company, explored how start ups can successfully collaborate with large corporate in the digital space
I
It’s a buzzword bounced around offices across the globe: digital transformation. A by-product of Theodo’s core
services – website and mobile app development – is a keen insight into how companies can tackle their own transformation in the digital space. Co-founder and CTO Fabrice Bernhard, has overseen digital projects with a host of blue-chip clients, and has recently opened an office of the Paris-based company near East London’s tech corridor. Thirty-five participants gathered in their new offices, where the evening
Above: Peter Alfandary, Senior Vice-President of the Chamber, and Fabrice Bernard, co-Founder and CTO of Theodo
kicked off with Peter Alfandary, Senior Vice-President of the French Chamber, questioning Bernhard on how digital
Bernhard believes that ‘it’s more about
transformation can be defined.
people and communication, than about
‘A lot of people think it is about technology. My opinion is that it’s very
tools and processes.’ Within this context, the question of
Artificial intelligence
And for the future; can we as humans no longer keep up with our technology? Bernhard gives an optimistic view of
much about speed […] New companies
attracting talent is intrinsically linked
AI, which utilises new data rather than
are able to use the internet to go so
with how a company works, as Bernhard
new algorithms, meaning it is ‘not a
much faster than the organisations from
speculates that ‘talent is attracted
new way of thinking, just mathematical
before, who are still working in the real
by new ways of working, and not to
optimisation plus scales we have never
world,’ says Bernhard.’
traditional brands anymore.’
seen before […] The power is data, and
AGILE working
A case study
Commenting on a piece of work they did
will kill us, but the changes that are
structure. In an ‘agile’ way of working,
with a large bank, Bernhard suggested
happening might be challenging’.
decentralised teams can make their own
that it was this agile and flexible attitude,
decisions, with fewer hierarchical layers,
coupled with their specific expertise
provoking perspective on where digital
and therefore processes move more
in mobile apps, which encouraged the
transformation may lead. I
quickly.
bank to choose Theodo to create a
Suzanne Lycett
This also applies to company
Bernhard also extolled the ‘Scrum’
Or, rather, ‘I don’t believe that robots
A diplomatic and thought
secondary type of IT system for new
IT management methodology favoured
projects, while maintaining the legacy IT
by Theodo, which connects small
systems for current projects.
tech teams with business functions to
data is not a sentient thing.’
Security presented a hindrance to
ensure more direct communication
innovation and a delay of 17 months
awnd regular sharing of ideas. With this
to the completion of the project but,
concept, mindsets must change as the
with 2 month dates set by which to
traditional means of committing on the
measure progress and the continuous
creation of set features with a flexible
improvements through collaboration,
date is flipped, whereby the date is set
this visibility on the process meant that
but the features pushed back where
the two companies worked well together
necessary.
to completion.
It’s more about people and communication, than about tools and processes
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E VE NT S – AT THE CHAMBE R
RENDEZ-VOUS CHEZ... PAUL
RENDEZ-VOUS CHEZ… BAGLIONI HOTEL
A Crowning Glory
Mondo Italiano
E
O
scaping the chill of a January evening, French Chamber members and their guests came in force – more than 65 representatives from Active, Corporate and Patron companies – to ring in the new year at our annual Galette des Rois event. Hosted by Paul UK for the fourth consecutive year, and twice in their flagship restaurant in London’s iconic Tower 42, the event featured KY Proco champagne, an assortment of fine wines, and delectable canapés by Paul UK – and of course, the famous Galette, whose sweet perfume of butter and almonds wafted through the room. Kathryn Pretzel-Shiels, Marketing Director for Paul UK and USA, gave a short address, noting the uniqueness of the space and the range of new pastry and bread making course on offer at Paul UK, then conducted a prize draw for a free course. As the guests enjoyed easygoing conversation in an informal atmosphere, a few lucky members found a charm in their Galette – and became the wise kings and queens of the night. I
CORPORATE COCKTAIL AT HOME HOUSE
A home away from home
C
orporate members of the Chamber enjoyed an entertaining evening of conversation and delicious cocktails at the private club Home House. The second instalment of the annual event was hosted in the Georgian townhouse’s opulent rooms, former residence of the Countess of Home and once the site of the Courtauld Institute of Art. In an address to the assembled guests, Managing Director Andrew Robinson spoke about the impressive history of the building and offered private tours of the facility throughout the evening. The event was conceived last year to offer a networking
70 - info - march / april 2018
verlooking the iconic Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, the Baglioni Hotel brought an Italian flare to an otherwise Franco-British event at the ‘Rendez-vous Chez Baglioni Hotel London’ on 7 February. Italian wines complemented delicious Italian themed canapés from the in-house Brunello Bar and Restaurant, the perfect accompaniment to an evening of networking amongst the 30 attendees. The close-knit and warm nature of the team shone through in the brief welcome speech given by Valentine Semeria, Sales Manager, proving that the attractiveness of the hotel lies in its welcoming atmosphere as well as its luxurious facilities. Participants were later treated to a tour of this contemporary boutique hotel to experience these facilities themselves, which demonstrated the chic and glamorous variety of the spacious suites and rooms available, as well as the flexible event and meeting spaces, such as the hidden ‘Clubino’. Fantastic prizes for two lucky winners (vouchers for a signature Italian aperitivo and a night’s stay at the Baglioni Hotel Carlton) as well as a generous discount for all attendees were the cherry on the cake of this memorable evening. I SL
opportunity to corporate members – a dynamic and steadily growing segment of the Chamber’s membership. Stephen Burgin, Deputy President of the Chamber, was on hand to thank the event’s partner, Ladurée, Les Bougis de Charroux and Devialet, in addition to the hospitality of Home House. I
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
20 March
18.30 - 20.30
AMBASSADOR'S BRIEF At the French Residence, 11 Kensington Palace Gardens, London, W8 4QP Host: HE Mr Jean-Pierre Jouyet, French Ambassador to the United Kingdom Theme: The future of the Franco-British relationship in the aftermath of the bilateral summit Open to Patron & Corporate members (main representatives only) as well as the Chamber's Advisory Councillors. By invitation only The French Chamber is pleased to announce the first Ambassador’s Brief of 2018 and the very first edition hosted by HE Mr Jean-Pierre Jouyet, new French Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Come and hear the Ambassador’s insights for the year ahead. For more information, please contact Anne-Claire Lo Bianco at: alobianco@ccfgb.co.uk or on 0207 092 6641
22 March
08.00 - 10.00
BREAKFAST WITH KATHERINE BENNETT OBE At Bulgari Hotel, 171 Knightsbridge, London SW7 1DW Sponsored by PAUL UK £40+VAT per person; £60+VAT Special price for 2 Katherine is a Senior Vice President of Airbus and has been with the company for 13 years. She leads the company’s external engagement and strategy in the UK and reports directly to the Global CEO, Tom Enders. Katherine has held roles in communications and spent several years based at Airbus HQ in Toulouse, France running the global public affairs function.
Katherine’s previous employment was with General Motors UK where she headed up their government affairs function and prior to that worked for Hill and Knowlton Public Relations in London. Katherine was awarded the Order of the British Empire in June 2004 for services to industry and charity. She has served on various boards of public/private enterprises focused on economic development in UK regions including the West of England LEP and has just become Vice President, Aerospace on the Council of ADS (the UK aerospace trade association) and of ASD (European aero association). Do not miss your chance to hear about Airbus’s strategy, and meet with more than 70 representatives from within the FrancoBritish business community. For more information, please contact Wassime Haouari at: whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or on 0207 092 6642
18 April
From 19.30
LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA PATRON EVENT At the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XX Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski - Piano: Leif Ove Andsnes piano Organised exclusively for Patron members & their spouses (Main representative). By invitation only Join us at the London Philharmonic Orchestra to enjoy an evening of Masterpieces from Stravinsky, Debussy & Shostakovich.
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- march / april 2018 - 71
24 April
MEMBER 2 MEMBER COCKTAIL AND EXHIBITION At Bush House (King's College), 30 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG £40+VAT per person; £60+VAT special price for 2
MEMBER
MEMBER
18.00 - 20.30
With networking opportunities for up to 250 participants, and the chance to discover up to 25 exhibitors, this evening exhibition is one of the highlights in the Chamber’s busy calendar. Including prizes to be won, canapés and drinks, and a beautiful view over London from the eighth floor Bush House, there is a reason that this event has been running for 18 consecutive years. Don’t miss the 19 th edition! For more information, please contact Suzanne Lycett at: slycett@ccfgb. co.uk or on 0207 092 6651
Member 2 Member Cockatil and Exhibition 2017
26 April
17.30 - 20.30
BUSINESS STORIES: THE ENTREPRENEUR’S JOURNEY At Microsoft Reactor, 70 Wilson St, London EC2A 2DB Speakers: Alexandre Mars, Founder & CEO, Epic, Bernadine Bröcker, Founder & CEO, Vastari, Sasha Wilkins, Founder of LLG & Co Moderated by: Warwick Hill, CEO-in-Residence, Microsoft Host Partner: Microsoft Reactor £35+VAT per person; £60+VAT special price for 2 Alexandre Mars, Bernadine Bröcker and Sasha Wilkins are set to share their experiences and career trajectory during an inspirational debate at our ‘Business Stories: The Entrepreneur’s Journey’ event. Join us to hear three visionaries tell their stories of success, while also networking and enjoying a cocktail & canapés. For further information, contact Wassime Haouari at whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or on 020 7092 6642
30 April
18.00 - 21.00
SEMINAR WITH BAKER & MCKENZIE At Baker & McKenzie offices, 100 New Bridge St, London EC4V 6JA Speakers: Susan Mann, Data Protection Counsel, Chanel UK Eve-Christie Vermynck, Senior Associate, IT/Commercial, Baker & McKenzie
Baker & McKenzie and the French Chamber are pleased to invite you to join what promises to be a very interesting and topical debate on GDPR & data protection. It will be followed by a cocktail reception where you will have the opportunity to network with new business contacts. For further information, contact Wassime Haouari at whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or on 020 7092 6642
7
June 19.00 - 22.30
DÎNER DES CHEFS WITH MICHEL ROUX JR At Roux at The Landau, Langham Hotel, 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, GB W1B 1JA £120+VAT per person; £1,110+VAT table of 10
Do not miss the opportunity to meet Michel Roux Jr, owner and Chef of the prestigious Roux at the Landau and to be inspired by his creativity and legendary culinary expertise. A special thank you to: Pernod Ricard for offering the champagne and cognac, and to l’Union des Crus Classés de Graves for the wines. For further information, contact Wassime Haouari at whaouari@ccfgb.co.uk or on 020 7092 6642 72 - info - march / april 2018
CL A S SIFIE D ADS
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