EME Outlook - Issue 35 by Outlook Publishing

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BOG’ART GROUP

Issue 35

MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL

Finding the closest way to the cure

Romania’s integrated building company

How Wind River software continues to lead the way in today’s hyperconnected and autonomous era

Arnauld Blondet, Chief Innovation Officer, MEA, at Orange, on the tech giant’s approach to R&D

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WELCOME

Talking Technology

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Tom Wadlow tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Jonathan Dyble jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com PRODUCTION Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

One of the world’s most highly anticipated

Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

technology events, Mobile World Congress in

Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com

Barcelona was postponed due to the outbreak of

BUSINESS Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTOR Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Alistair Bailey alistair.bailey@outlookpublishing.com David Knott david.knott@outlookpublishing.com Matthew Selby matthew.selby@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION

COVID-19, commonly know as the coronavirus. Initially determined to proceed with its marquee exhibition, the GSMA made the decision to cancel this year’s instalment after some of the largest exhibitors decided to opt out of attending, citing concerns that a global gathering could catalyse a serious outbreak from Spain. For us, the unfortunate cancellation has been a big disappointment. However, this issue is still packed with technology-focussed interviews, some of which salvaged from meetings we had planned for Barcelona. Our cover story comes from global software player Wind River, whose VP of Product Michel Genard explains the concept of the intelligent edge, and how the company has been ensuring that can’t-fail systems remain operational for almost four decades. “Our technology plays an essential role from the device edge to the infrastructure edge, where you are going to have small footprint cloud deployment near the infrastructure – making sure all of those critical elements work,” he tells us. Before our conversation with Genard you will find three exclusive interviews, the first being a conversation with Arnauld Blondet, Chief Innovation Officer, MEA, at Orange. Here, he tells us what innovation means to him and how Orange approaches it through Labs and Fab units. Apostolos Malatras, Network and Information Security Expert for the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, and Serge Palaric, Vice President Alliances in EMEA at

Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com

NVIDIA, are also featured.

Administrative Assistant: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com

Beyond the world of technology, we continue to dive into the busy

Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT EME Outlook East Wing, Ground Floor, 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom. Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 Email: tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com www.emeoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/emeoutlook Follow us on Twitter: @eme_outlook

construction sectors in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, showcasing the likes of Romania’s Bog’Art Group, Poland’s Medusa Group and Schüco Middle East, among many others. MediGuide International, Medicover Romania, Akureyri Hospital and Novomed Centres all provide exclusive healthcare industry insight, while this busy edition rounds off with focusses on the region’s energy and supply chain industries, the latter in the form of a case study profile on the Finnish Port of Turku. Enjoy the issue! Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing EME Outlook issue 35 | 3

CONTENTS

172

10 REGULARS

6 NEWS

EVENT FOCUS

Around Europe and the Middle East in seven stories

168 Smart Data Summit

8 EXPERT EYE

170 Future Datacentres and Cloud Infrastructure Summit

Cybersecurity at the 2022 FIFA World in Qatar

BUSINESS INSIGHT

10 Technology

The Innovation Equation How Orange approaches innovation in the EMEA region

12 Cybersecurity

Making Sense of Cyber In conversation with the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity

16 Artificial Intelligence AI in the Spotlight

A Q&A with Serge Palaric, Vice President Alliances, OEMs & Embedded Europe, NVIDIA

14 4 | EME Outlook issue 35

Back for a seventh edition

The Middle East’s only datacentre and cloud conference

172 GulfHost 2020 The complete hospitality equipment sourcing expo

174 THE FINAL WORD What will be the biggest challenge facing your industry this year?

EME OUTLOOK MAGAZINE

F E AT U R E S

18 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

HEALTHCARE

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

Improving Outcomes with Alternate Opinions

TECHNOLOGY

20 Wind River

The Critical Enabler at the Intelligent Edge

102 MediGuide International Finding the closest way to the cure

114 Medicover Romania Medical Marvel

Strengthening the backbone of connectivity at the intelligent edge

Making meaningful heady in healthcare

30 Voxility

High-class Healthcare

Accountable IaaS at the Edge Infrastructure as a Service in the biggest internet hubs in the world

36 Yonder

Removing the Software Burden Helping clients to focus on their customers

42 Relined Fiber Network

Seeing the Light with Dark Fibre Maximising the potential of existing fibre network infrastructure

CONSTRUCTION

46 Bog’Art Group

Integrated Ingenuity Romania’s integrated building company

62 Schüco Middle East Façades for the Future

In harmony with nature and technology

72 SIBCA

For the Betterment of Buildings The UAE’s leading systems integrator

80 Epstein Architecture & Engineering SRL Transforming Landscapes

Impacting Romania’s urban environment

118 Akureyri Hospital

A centre for specialised services

128 Novomed Centres Better Beats Bigger

Specialising in traditionally underserved areas of healthcare

ENERGY & UTILITIES

134 Tabreed

Clean Cooling Enhancing sustainability in the built environment

142 Energy Industries Council (EIC) Elevating Energy

Switching the UK on to dynamic opportunities

OIL & GAS

150 AFGlobal Corporation The OEM for O&G

Finding original answers to client problems

156 Cyrus Group of Companies

Empowered by Innovation A dedication to innovation, employee development and sustainable thinking

86 Medusa Group

SUPPLY CHAIN

Designed to Inspire

162 Port of Turku

Shaping the skyline of post-modern Poland and beyond

Finland’s Gateway to the World The lifeblood of 186,000 people

128 156

92 PACE

Upping the Architectural Tempo Characterised by creativity and adaptability

98 Cyprus Property Gallery Building for Cyprus

Shaping the skyline through landmark projects

EME Outlook issue 35 | 5

NEWS Around Europe & the Middle East in seven stories… C O M M U N I C AT I O N

Moscow releases monthly 5G business digest

S U S TA I N A B L E B U I L D I N G

HONEYWELL LAUNCHES NEW GREEN BUILDING PRODUCT H O NE YWELL, A company renowned for its smart solutions, has announced a new offering to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings. Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization is a cloud-based, closed-loop machine learning solution that continuously studies a building’s energy consumption patterns and automatically adjusts to optimal energy saving settings without compromising on comfort. During a pilot project at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University

(HBMSU) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization demonstrated 10 percent energy savings. “By employing the latest selflearning algorithms coupled with autonomous control, we can help building portfolio owners finetune their energy expenditures to drive efficiencies and create more sustainable practices for our customers,” said David Trice, Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell Connected Buildings.

TH E MOS COW Department of Information Technology (DIT) has collaborated with ICT Moscow to launch the first business monthly digest solely dedicate to 5G. “5G for Business” is devoted to 5G wireless technology in different fields and sectors, and related business opportunities within the city. The first issue is dedicated to how 5G can be used in immersive technologies such as AR and 360° video. “At the Moscow Department of Information Technology, it is important that we keep the business community updated on developments in communication technology, as its rapid development is raising many questions,” said Eduard Lysenko, Minister of the Government of Moscow and head of the city’s Department of Information Technology (DIT).

T E L E C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

in 2006, the GSMA has convened this industry-leading expo, bringing together industry professionals, governments, policy makers and operators M OBI L E I N D U ST RY association across the broader ecosystem. GSMA recently announced the cancelAn official press release stated: “The lation of MWC Barcelona 2020, which global concern regarding the coronawas due to take place at the end of virus outbreak, travel concern and othFebruary, due to the health threat of er circumstances, make it impossible the coronavirus. for the GSMA to hold the event. The Since the inaugural event of the host city parties respect and underMobile World Congress in Barcelona stand this decision.”

GSMA cancels MWC Barcelona 2020

6 | EME Outlook issue 35

R E N E WA B L E E N E R G Y

OIL & GAS

Belgium plans worldleading hydrogen project

GAZPROM NEFT’S 2019 NET PROFIT EXCEEDS $5.92 BILLION

T H E PO RT of Ostend in Belgium, DEME Concessions and PMV have partnered to build a green hydrogen plant by 2025. The plant will be built in Ostend’s port area and will use wind power not absorbed by Belgium’s electricity grid to fuel a hydrogen-producing electrolyser – the first commercial project of its type. Hydrogen, which is produced by electrolysis, can be used to power vehicles, run industrial plants and generate electricity. Its only by-product is water vapour. A 50 MW demo electrolyser is due

R U SS I A N O I L producer Gazprom Neft revealed it turned over $37 billion in 2019. Net profit attributable to Gazprom Neft PJSC shareholders grew by 6.2 percent year-on-year to $5.92 billion. The company’s hydrocarbon production increased by 3.5 percent year-on-year, reaching 96.1 million tonnes of oil, as a result of increased production at the Novoportovskoye and VostochnoMessoyakhskoye fields. Gazprom Neft also continued to proactively develop its resource base throughout 2019 and expanded its portfolio with the launch of “oil-rim” and achimov deposits at Gazprom PJSC fields.

to be completed in 2022, before a full-scale plant is ramped up in 2025. The final stage of the project will aim to reduce CO2 levels from between 500,000 to a million tonnes per year.

FINANCE

Dubai forms KYC Blockchain Consortium with local banks DUBAI’S DEPARTMEN T for Economic Development (DED) has partnered with local banks including Emirates NBD, HSBC and RAKBANK to form a consortium for sharing KYC data between financial institutions and licensing authorities in the UAE. The KYC Blockchain Consortium will facilitate faster and more secure exchange of digital data and documents using blockchain technology.

“Our strategic alliance with banks to launch the first KYC blockchain platform in the UAE is an important step towards continuing to attract investors to this market,” said Ali Ibrahim, Deputy Director General of DED. “Blockchain is a breakthrough of particular importance for us; we see in it tremendous potential to streamline services and operations, saving time, money, and resources for everyone involved – individuals, companies, or governments,” added Wesam Lootah, the CEO of Smart Dubai Government Establishment.

CONSTRUCTION

UAE COMPLETES $520 MILLION HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT CO N STR U C TI O N I S complete on Mohamed bin Zayed City, a $520 million housing project located in the Al Hail area of Fujairah. The project occupies 2.2 square kilometres and features 1,100 residential villas. It also includes 20 public parks, three power stations and 19 subsidiary power stations, and a sewage system station. The next stage of construction will see mosques, schools and commercial stores being built. The project was overseen by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

EME Outlook issue 35 | 7

EXPERT EYE

Cybersecurity at the Qatar 2022 World Cup: the threat and response

xpectations run high during international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup. Every team is under intense pressure to perform in front of a global audience. But this pressure is nothing next to that felt by the host nation which, for four weeks, will have the eyes of the world on its stadia and wider infrastructure. In addition to delivering a fair and enjoyable competition, the host must ensure the safety of fans, players and staff. And in today’s digital age, where large groups of people are connected to the world via smartphones, tablets and laptops, there are endless opportunities for determined cyber attackers to wreak havoc, destabilise or even bring disgrace to the beautiful game. With so many people descending on one country from all over the globe, the World Cup itself is at risk from a wealth of potential threats. What’s more, the location of the next World Cup – Qatar – brings with it a number of additional political and industrial factors to consider. Cybersecurity at such a prestigious event must be considered as much a priority as physical security.

Why cybersecurity must be taken as seriously as physical security at the next FIFA World Cup, to be held in Qatar in 2022

Huge attack surface

criminals will carry out personal attacks on visiting football fans via their digital devices. By using techniques such as phishing and social engineering, they will attempt to steal personal or financial information which can either be used again to carry out subsequent attacks or sold on the black market for a profit. Unsecured open Wi-Fi connections can be “spoofed”, tricking users into connecting to them using their

Qatar is expecting in the region of 1.5 million visitors to arrive in the country for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Numbers of this size represent a huge attack surface, however, and – given the relatively high costs of travelling to, staying in, and generally making the most of what the country has to offer – attackers are likely to see these visitors as high value targets. It’s highly likely, therefore, that 8 | EME Outlook issue 35

Written by: Rob Fitzsimons, Field Application Engineer at Telesoft Technologies

ABOUT THE EXPERT Rob Fitzsimons gained a strong background in operational and cyber threat intelligence analysis within the British Military. He now works as a Field Application Engineer at Telesoft Technologies, bringing his wealth of experience with him.

personal details. Alternatively, clicking on malicious links in fraudulent World Cup-related promotional emails can send fans to specially created websites where, once again, they may unknowingly hand their personal information over to criminals. Events on the scale of the World Cup are also subject to more disruptive attacks, focussed more on destabilising the event itself as opposed to impacting individual targets. Its importance as an oil and gas producer, as well as ongoing political tensions with its neighbours – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE – means Qatar could be vulnerable to state attacks, carried out for political reasons to destabilise or embarrass the country’s ruling regime. Overwhelming significant parts of the country’s internet with a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, for example, could prove hugely awkward at a time when most of the world is watching.

Intelligence and insight Qatar is taking cybersecurity very seriously. Although the next FIFA World Cup is still three years away, measures are already being put in place to protect visitors and national infrastructure against cyberattacks. In March, the country’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy hosted a summit of cybersecurity experts from around the globe with a view to exploring the range of cyber threats faced by large sporting events. This builds on the Ministry of Transport and Communications’ launch, a month earlier, of the National Information Security Standards Framework, aimed

at standardising the cybersecurity capabilities of software, systems and services provided by international suppliers. Underpinning all of this is Interpol’s Project Stadia, a 10-year initiative aimed at enhancing policing and security for the 2022 World Cup. The project brings together insights and intelligence from experts on everything from the internet of things and industrial control systems, to national cybersecurity capabilities, cybersecurity risk management, and cybersecurity operations for venues. According to Falah Al Dosari, Senior Project Manager at Project Stadia, “better understanding the global threat environment and its implications is vital for nations hosting future major events”. Indeed, a continuous flow of realtime threat intelligence in advance

“FORTUNATELY, QATAR IS AHEAD OF THE GAME. THE WEALTH OF INTELLIGENCE, INSIGHT AND EXPERTISE THE COUNTRY IS TAPPING INTO WILL GO A LONG WAY IN ENSURING SECURITY AT THE 2022 WORLD CUP IS NO MATCH FOR CYBERCRIMINALS” of and throughout the tournament will provide a greater understanding of the potential threats, and enable security professionals to better defend against them. Recognising where vulnerabilities lie, and addressing these accordingly, will allow better protection of mobile networks, and

help protect against targeted attacks. This way, unsuspecting users are less likely to be caught out by hackers intent on stealing their personal information. And, by monitoring and controlling the flow of information across these networks, it’s possible to reduce the likelihood of more widescale attacks. An event the size and scale of a World Cup represents rich pickings for the criminally inclined, with millions of visitors seen as millions of potential victims. It is the responsibility of the host nation to ensure the safety and security of its guests – both physically and digitally. Fortunately, Qatar is ahead of the game. The wealth of intelligence, insight and expertise the country is tapping into will go a long way in ensuring security at the 2022 World Cup is no match for cybercriminals. EME Outlook issue 35 | 9

ORANGE

THE INNOVATION EQUATION

Innovation for me is simple – it is about answering a customer’s need. There is no point in innovating for the sake of technology. We must approach innovation without losing focus on what the end impact will be, and this may never have a clear endpoint.” Asking Arnauld Blondet for his definition of innovation, I was not expecting to receive such a precise, clear and unerringly simple answer. Speaking as Chief Innovation Officer for the MEA region at multinational tech giant Orange, Blondet – who I was scheduled to meet at Mobile World Congress before COVID-19 brought about its postponement – quickly backed up his response with a reference to when he first landed the job back in 2008. “One of the first things we launched 12 years ago was mobile money, and we are by no means finished in this space. We have launched apps, new 10 | EME Outlook issue 35

Arnauld Blondet, Chief Innovation Officer for the MEA region at Orange, explains that the customer should lie at the heart of innovation strategies Writer: Jonathan Dyble

digital B2B services and customer experience innovations – all very different things, but what underlines all of them is the focus on customer needs.” For Blondet and Orange, innovation is all about challenging ideas and presenting them to the customer from the outset. This can (and does) involve making errors, but centres around a desire to think big and willingness to start small, seeking feedback every step of the way, right up until the product or service is live and impacting the end consumer or client. Indeed, it is this end result, and seeing the ideas bear fruit, that motivates the Chief Innovation Officer on a daily basis. “Orange is a fantastic company to be with,” Blondet continues. “Within my role in particular, I find our work in Africa especially fascinating and rewarding. The scope of what we do is very wide – we are in 18 countries on

TECHNOLOGY “WE APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES WITH GOOD IDEAS, AND THAT WE CANNOT BE FAST ENOUGH AND REACTIVE ENOUGH IF WE DO EVERYTHING ALONE. THIS MEANS THAT WORKING WITHIN AN ECOSYSTEM OF PARTNERS IS REALLY IMPORTANT” the continent, and each country has its unique characteristics. Every day we engage in different conversations. “We are creating solutions which impact people in their everyday life. Digitisation, especially of aspects of life such as finance with mobile money, is making a big difference. What inspires me the most is seeing customers who tell me that our services are working for them.” Interestingly, Blondet’s background is not a strictly technological one. Formally educated in marketing and law, he has been with Orange since the millennium, starting out as a Sales Director in the company’s distribution business before moving into a marketing function in 2006. Although many might assume that a Chief Innovation Officer at a bluechip tech firm would carry a heavily tech-oriented upbringing, it is clearly no coincidence that Orange’s approach to innovation is so client driven. “I’m not a technology-only person,” Blondet adds. “For me, technology is a means of finding solutions, and my focus is on finding solutions no matter what the difficulty, very much with a customer-oriented focus.” A sizable chunk of this work occurs through the Orange Labs network. A multinational and multicultural ecosystem, it is present on four continents and ideally placed to detect changes in local usage and catch innovative new technologies at source. “Today, for example, I am speaking to you from Paris where we have a lab, and we also have teams in the UK, other regions of France, Jordan, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Egypt in the EMEA region,” Blondet says.

“These teams are staffed by technical experts from the countries and markets near to where they serve, so we are always close to the customer. We can talk about innovation in terms of the number of patents, which stands at around 7,000, but for me it is about much more than that. It is about the impact of the innovation which generates the patent. “Another of our focusses is what we call open innovation. We appreciate that we are not the only ones with good ideas, and that we cannot be fast enough and reactive enough if we do everything alone. This means that working within an ecosystem of partners is really important.” This brings the Chief Innovation Officer onto Orange Fab, a platform connecting startups to corporations for strategic investment and partnership opportunities. Rather than invest directly into such companies (which is the remit of Orange Digital Ventures), Orange Fab provides access to global enterprises, events, expertise, a business trip to Paris, on-demand office space and much more. The organisation has successful collaborations in Cameroon, France, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Poland, Romania, Spain and Senegal, to name but a few. “Our aim is to be in all of our African markets,” adds Blondet. “The ultimate ambition is to develop these startups into co-businesses for our customers, and that starts with selecting the right company to partner with. “For instance, do they answer a problem for our customers? Once on board, we give them what we call food and beverage to accelerate their devel-

SANZA Had we been meeting with Blondet in the Orange booth at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Chief Innovation Officer would have been demonstrating to us the transformative power of Sanza, an affordable smartphone designed for the African market. It is developed in partnership with Kai OS Technologies and Transsion, and combines the simplicity of a feature phone with the applicative universe of a smartphone at an accessible price. Customers will be able to use popular applications such as WhatsApp with voicemail exchange in all languages, YouTube, Facebook and the Google Assistant to drive the phone with voice, as well as the Orange, Orange Money and Orange and Me services.

opment over a typical period of around six to nine months. We have local teams dedicated to Orange Fab, teams which will only continue to grow in terms of their impact on the local market and our ability to serve them.” EME Outlook issue 35 | 11

ENISA

hy do we go to work? A simple question at face value, yet one that is particularly thought provoking in today’s world due to the diverse array of possible responses. Employment is no longer just a necessity or a means to an end. For many, the purpose of work has evolved, expanded and mutated into a whole lot more. Be it personal progression, the development of human relationships, mental stimulation or the pursuit of success (however that may be perceived), careers provide a major source of satisfaction for billions of people around the world. I ask Apostolos Malatras why he got involved in cybersecurity to see how he feels about his employment. “For me, it’s a lively, vibrant, dynamic field where you see things happening every day,” he responds. “It’s always changing and there’s a visible, tangible impact in the work that you do. Cybersecurity helps to protect people, build trust, build resilience, systems and products. “It’s a profession with real influence and real usefulness.” For Malatras, the love of work stems from a drive to make a difference, this pursuit seeing him become a Network and Information Security Expert at the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). In this role, he helps support improvements in the digital landscape through positive contributions in the sphere of security. “It is a landscape that is fluid, always changing,” Malatras states. “In the past five to 10 years alone, we have seen the advent of many new technologies such as the internet of things and artificial intelligence, which have created much looser lines between the cyber world and the physical world. “There were far fewer ways of accessing the internet 10 years ago. But today, advancements in 12 | EME Outlook issue 35

For ENISA, the success of cybersecurity in fast-moving, technologically driven markets is highly dependent upon collaboration. Apostolos Malatras, Network and Information Security Expert, takes a look at the current landscape Writer: Jonathan Dyble

Apolostolos Malatras devices such as smartphones and infrastructure with 3G, 4G and now 5G mean people’s entire lives have become connected, resulting in the rapid expansion of the global digital ecosystem. “With this has come an increase in the complexity and scalability of cybersecurity, and there are threats in areas we’d never even thought about before.”

CASE STUDY: AUTOMOTIVE SECURITY The automotive industry is one such area that has obtained a new wave of security-centric consciousness. In the past, vehicles were purely physical assets, but owing to an influx of innovations, spanning everything from infotainment connectivity to

remote software updates, they have become highly connected devices faced with potential exposure to hackers and intruders. “A car is no longer just a car. A car is now the internet of things on wheels,” explains Malatras. “Today’s vehicles come with hundreds of millions of lines of code, yet when ENISA first engaged with the sector in 2017 we identified a distinct lack of maturity from a security mindset. Why? Because 20 years ago, people would never even think that a car would need or could need protecting in a digital sense.” Three years on, and this mindset has shifted, not least because of the efforts of ENISA through the release of its Good Practices for Security of Smart Cars in November 2019. And that shift has been necessary. Technologically savvy automakers have already successfully developed and implemented Level 2 automated driving on our roads with assisted steering, braking and acceleration support, and it won’t be too long before Level 4 or 5 cars capable of driving themselves take to the road. “These even more advanced vehicles will probably be one of the first applications of artificial intelligence that we will see in terms of decisions being made completely autonomously by algorithms,” Malatras explains. “Of course, given the ability of cars to cause road accidents and harm there are ethical concerns about how they will work. But as long as the appropriate attention, consideration, measures and integration are paid to security, there is every reason to trust that even fully autonomous vehicles will be secure upon rollout. “It’s like any other technology. How do I know that my mobile phone charger will charge my phone without an issue? If it’s been designed properly and tested rigorously, it will work as intended.”

CYBERSECURITY

MAKING

SENSE OF CYBER EME Outlook issue 35 | 13

ENISA COLLABORATION IS CRITICAL Talk of the future turns attention to ENISAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own role in the cybersecurity ecosystem, the organisation assisting its development in multiple ways. In the public sector it supports the implementation of legislation via the Network and Information Security (NIS) directive, part of the EU Cybersecurity Strategy. Here, critical sectors are identified and security roadmaps created in line with industry progress.

ENISA THREAT LANDSCAPE The ENISA Threat Landscape provides an overview of threats, together with current and emerging trends. It is based on publicly available data and provides an independent view on observed threats, threat agents and threat trends. Hundreds of reports from the security industry, networks of excellence, standardisation bodies and other independent institutes have been analysed. Below are the top 15 threats outlined in the latest report: 1. Malware. 2. Web-based attacks. 3. Web application attacks. 4. Denial of service. 5. Botnets. 6. Phishing. 7. Spam. 8. Ransomware. 9. Insider threat. 10. Physical manipulation/ damage/theft/loss. 11. Exploit kits. 12. Data breaches. 13. Identity theft. 14. Information leakage. 15. Cyber espionage.

14 | EME Outlook issue 35

CYBERSECURITY

And in the private sector, the organisation plays a similarly important role. ENISA Threat Landscape and Good Practices for Security of Smart Cars are just two of numerous reports it has published – studies built on engagement with industry stakeholders, creating a collaborative ecosystem comprising all entities. “We pull together manufacturers, tier one and tier two suppliers, cloud providers, telecommunications specialists, and other entities that have a role to play in the connectivity ecosystem,” Malatras comments. “In doing so we’re able to provide the platform from which any common basis of understanding may be formulated looking at what security needs to look like, automotive or otherwise. “It creates stakeholder alignment in the view of what needs to be done moving forward.” Indeed, maintaining an advisory

This report defines good practices for security of smart cars, namely connected and (semi-) autonomous vehicles, providing added-value features in order to enhance car users’ experience and improve car safety.

role in this evolving landscape is not without its challenges. Yet ENISA will continue to take a proactive approach, ensuring it moves in sync with the markets that it assists in order to stay ahead of the curve. “When we work on a specific project, it is important that we leverage the knowhow and expertise in each sector and gain an understanding from them as to why they are making certain decisions,” the Network and Information Security Expert states. “In doing so, we gain foresight into potential developments and can analyse any associated security risks. “To bring it back to the automotive, it’s not just about the vehicle anymore. It’s about how the vehicle interacts with connectivity, with smart cities, with infrastructure. In other industries and sectors the same message resonates – that we ultimately need to start looking at cybersecurity together from a broader perspective.” EME Outlook issue 35 | 15

NVIDIA

AI IN THE SPOTLIGHT

raphic Processing Units, or GPUs, have been a gamechanger in the world of computing. Driving advances in gaming and graphics, they have also become a key part of modern supercomputers and sparked something of an AI boom. NVIDIA is the company behind the GPU, coining the term in 1999 with the release of the GeForce 256. Since then, the American organisation has gone on to create what it calls the brain of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can perceive and understand the world. Serge Palaric is NVIDIA’s Vice President Alliances, OEMs & Embedded Europe. A company veteran of more than 15 years, his role is to ensure that the firm’s network of partners and customers are up to speed with the latest announcements, empowering them with the tools they need to utilise its technologies and supporting them with end customer projects. “My team and I work closely with our partners, from a range of different industries, to build up an ecosystem that can help companies solve whatever problem they may have with computing and AI solutions,” he elaborates. Following the unfortunate postponement of Mobile World Congress, Palaric took time out to answer our questions from afar. 16 | EME Outlook issue 35

EME Outlook (EMEO): Why did you decide to pursue a career in the tech sector? Have you always had a passion for technology? Serge Palaric (SP): Technology has always fascinated me. It’s because of my passion for innovation that I pursued a career in this sector. I strongly believe that you will only succeed in your career if you are passionate about it – without this drive, you cannot lead or be disruptive. The technology sector is extremely fast moving, and a new trend or technology crops up all the time. I really enjoy being part of this movement and having the opportunity to introduce new solutions to the market, power change, and solve complex problems within the wider ecosystem.

Serge Palaric, Vice President Alliances, OEMs & Embedded Europe at NVIDIA, answers our questions on all things artificial intelligence in 2020 Writer: Tom Wadlow

EMEO: How would you sum up your journey with NVIDIA, and what is it about the company that makes it great to work for? SP: No two days at NVIDIA are the same and I think that is why it is still an exciting place to work, even after 15 years. Even though NVIDIA was founded 27 years ago, it still operates very much like a startup. We work at the speed of light and we’re always focussed on developing leading solutions to solve the world’s greatest challenges.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE “WE WORK AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT AND WE’RE ALWAYS FOCUSSED ON DEVELOPING LEADING SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE THE WORLD’S GREATEST CHALLENGES” Every day I wake up and think ‘what problem can NVIDIA help solve today?’ Then I set out to make sure that the OEMs and alliances we work with have all the tools they need to take our technologies and start solving these challenges. EMEO: I understand one of your specialist areas is AI. What are the key technologies, solutions or trends that are driving AI adoption at present? SP: AI is powering change across every industry. We’re seeing great adoption of AI for driving innovation across industries including automotive, financial services, retail, manufacturing and edge computing. Healthcare is one of the key areas where we’re seeing a spike in AI adoption. For medical professionals, it can change the way they work, enable more accurate diagnoses, and improve efficiency. For patients, healthcare innovations lessen suffering, improve care and save lives. Bringing a drug to market takes, on average, 13 years and $2.6 billion. The rate of success for a drug going through clinical trials is only 12 percent. AI is showing the potential to be a faster, more efficient way to find and develop new drugs. For example, MELLODDY – a new drug-discovery consortium – aims to give pharmaceutical partners the ability to leverage the world’s largest collaborative drug compound dataset for AI training, without sacrificing data privacy. Radiation therapy for cancer patients is a complex workflow that includes modelling the patient, contouring the target and organs at risk, simulating the treatment, planning and delivering the treatment.

One of the most time-consuming tasks in this process is protecting the healthy organs at risk that surround a patient’s tumour and need to be spared from excessive radiation dose. Traditionally, radiation oncologists contour the tumour target volume and organs at risk, deciding how much radiation should be used to treat tumours without damaging neighbouring normal tissue. To help oncologists develop radiation treatment plans faster, one of our customers, Siemens Healthineers, is using an NVIDIA GPUbased supercomputing infrastructure to develop AI software that enables precision radiation therapy. EMEO: Do you believe the full power or potential of AI is yet to be exploited? What challenges need to be overcome in order to do so? SP: We’re just getting started with AI, but to enable us to use it to its full potential there are a number of challenges that must be overcome. Getting hold of enough good quality data for training algorithms can be difficult. Approaches such as federated learning, which makes it possible for AI algorithms to gain experience from data located at different sites without

sharing it directly, are already helping us overcome this issue. Finding and retaining fully qualified staff also remains a challenge. But programmes, including NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute, are making a difference here by providing online and in person hands-on training in AI and accelerated computing. EMEO: How has the data centre market evolved over the past year or two? Are we still experiencing an exponential growth in the demand for data services? SP: The data centre market is continuing to grow, both on premise and in the cloud. As more and more data is being generated, we’re seeing a growing number of solid AI use cases emerging across different industries and verticals. We’re focussing on providing platforms that support these use cases and verticals, as well as supporting every kind of setup – whether on premise or in the cloud. EMEO: Will we get to a point where there is too much data to be stored efficiently and securely? SP: No – for AI algorithms, the more data there is to train with, the better. We need to embrace new approaches to managing data and unlocking information that may be hidden within it. Of course, a top priority for a data storage solution is to ensure that it is completely secure.

EME Outlook issue 35 | 17

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world. EME OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries in Europe and the Middle East regions. With content compiled by our experienced editorial team, complemented by an in-house design and production team ensuring delivery to the highest standards, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from the length and breadth of Europe and the Middle East. Reaching a combined audience of more than 395,000 people, EME Outlook covers a full range of industrial sectors: agriculture, construction, energy & utilities, finance, food & drink, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & resources, oil & gas, retail, shipping & logistics, technology and travel & tourism. In joining the leading industry heavyweights already enjoying the exposure we can provide, you can benefit from FREE coverage across both digital and print platforms, a FREE marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to grow your business. To get involved, please contact Outlook Publishing’s Managing Director, Ben Weaver, who can provide further details on how to feature your company, for FREE, in one of our upcoming editions.

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TECHNOLOGY

THE CRITICAL ENABLER AT THE INTELLIGENT EDGE

Issue 35

MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL Finding the closest way to the cure

Romania’s integrated building company

How Wind River software continues to lead the way in today’s hyperconnected and autonomous era

Marketi ng Oppo

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, powered by Wind River technology, successfully landed on Mars at approximately 8:35 p.m. PT, January 3, 2004

2 | EME Outlook issue 35

I like to think I anticipated the advancement of connectivity and digital transformation several decades ago – it would make me a visionary! “But the fact of the matter is that when I started in the industry, connectivity was very simple and slow. I did envisage back then that speed and complexity would increase exponentially, but what I didn’t see coming was wireless becoming mainstream, the ability to connect with very little hardware, and the critical role the edge would play.” Visionary or not, Michel Genard is better placed than most to discuss the hyperconnected era that we live

Wind River software has been ensuring can’t-fail systems remain operational for almost four decades, the company leading the way at the intelligent edge in a hyperconnected and autonomous era Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki in today. Last year surpassed the 20 billion mark in terms of the number of devices connected to the internet, with estimates suggesting that figure will rise to an extraordinary 300 billion

by as soon as 2030. In monetary terms, the opportunity is also gargantuan. For instance, the global digital transformation market was valued at almost $262 billion in 2018 and is expected to breach $1 trillion by 2026, growing at an average rate of some 18 percent a year. Within the vast world of connectivity, a fundamental and exponentially growing category is edge computing. In 2017, the global value of this specialist market was measured at $1.73 billion, a figure which is forecast to rise to more than $28 billion by 2027, growing at an average rate of some 35 percent a year.

STRENGTHENING THE BACKBONE OF CONNECTIVITY AT THE INTELLIGENT EDGE

EME Outlook issue 35 | 3

Arnauld Blondet, Chief Innovation Officer, EMEA at Orange, on the tech giant’s approach to R&D

www.emeoutlookmag.com/get-involved

WIND RIVER

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (JPL) Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, powered by Wind River technology, successfully landed on Mars at approximately 8:35 p.m. PT, January 3, 2004

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TECHNOLOGY

THE CRITICAL ENABLER AT THE INTELLIGENT EDGE

EME Outlook issue 35 | 21

WIND RIVER Genard is VP of Product for Wind River, a US-based global leader in delivering software for connected systems at the intelligent edge – an organisation which has been fully immersed in the above picture for the best part of 40 years. “I started as an engineer and am an engineer by design,” he recalls. “What inspired me then was the desire to design and create. I am from a generation where electronics and software were starting to become mainstream, when the combination of hardware and software enabled you to do so many new things. “What fascinated me in joining Wind River was discovering the almost invisible software that is critical to the functioning of systems which cannot fail.” This, in short, is what positions Wind River so strongly in today’s ever-evolving connected world. The company’s vast portfolio of software solutions is accelerating the digital transformation of critical infrastructure systems found across a tremendous variety of verticals, renowned for meeting the strictest standards in safety, security, performance and reliability.

Michel Genard, VP of Product for Wind River 22 | EME Outlook issue 35

And while the nature and scale of connectivity has drastically changed over 40 years and led the firm to continually adapt and evolve, Wind River’s basic premise remains the same – to ensure customers’ mission critical devices and systems work. “What makes Wind River unique is our relevance and opportunity at the intelligent edge,” says Genard, who set up the organisation’s first European office in the 1980s. “This means our technology plays an essential role from the device edge to the infrastructure edge, where you are going to have small footprint cloud deployment near the infrastructure – making sure all of those critical elements work.”

BRINGING 5G TO THE EDGE The 5G dynamic is, for Genard, something of a perfect storm for the company. Arguably the single greatest technology buzzword or trend of at least the last two years, 5G is beginning to transform the way we live, work and interact on a meaningful scale. In 2016 the global 5G infrastructure market was worth a little over half a billion dollars – by 2025 that figure is projected to reach almost $23 billion. A gamechanger here, according to Genard, is network slicing. “5G is not just another G, i.e. a super boosted bandwidth version of 3G and 4G,” he explains. “It was always going to be fast. Rather, the intriguing thing about 5G is the topology of the network, and the slicing of the 5G network that will allow portions of the network to be used for specific use cases. “You can aggregate and divide different parts of the network and this creates a massive opportunity to really exploit the advantages of IoT, autonomous technology and a great many other things that may previously have been difficult to scale. “5G is going to make all of this possible at a more affordable, accessible price, and Wind River can bring the reliability required to successfully scale 5G networks.”

Airbiquity® Airbiquity® and Wind River® are collaborating to integrate key technologies for the development of an end-to-end software lifecycle management solution for connected and autonomous vehicles, spanning vehicle to cloud. The solution enables secure and intelligent over-the-air (OTA) software updates and data management. Proper and proactive management of software over the course of a vehicle’s lifecycle is becoming increasingly important to enhance performance, maintain value, and address safety and security threats. Using OTA, automotive OEMs can securely transmit diagnostic and operational data and efficiently deploy software updates to mitigate recall expenses and enable new vehicle features. Together, Wind River and Airbiquity provide the automotive industry an open and flexible OTA solution combining market-leading software technology components to create a comprehensive, interoperable, pre-validated OTA solution backed by the expertise of two industry-leading software technology companies. • Wind River is contributing Edge Sync, a highly modular OTA update and software lifecycle management solution • Airbiquity is contributing OTAmatic®, a cloud-based OTA service including OTA orchestration, campaign management, software and data management, and Uptane-based security framework capabilities An integrated solution combining Wind River Edge Sync and Airbiquity OTAmatic also has applicability to multiple nonautomotive IoT sectors, such as medical, industrial, aerospace, military, and telecommunications.

www.airbiquity.com

Intelligent Connectivity Is In Our DNA

Since the beginning of connected car Airbiquity has thrived at the increasingly trafficked intersection of automotive devices, software technology, and the cloud. For more than 20 years we’ve enabled automotive grade programs and ecosystems of innovative hardware and software to be integrated and managed—at scale. That’s why over 40 million vehicles from leading automakers around the world have been built with Airbiquity software and cloud-based service delivery capability. Turn to Airbiquity to make your connected car program vision a reality.

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© Airbiquity 2020. Airbiquity® and OTAmatic® are trademarks of Airbiquity Inc. All other products and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Specifications are subject to change without notice. © Airbiquity 2020. Airbiquity® and OTAmatic® are trademarks of Airbiquity Inc. All other products and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

WIND RIVER

AN INTRODUCTION TO WIND RIVER Wind River is a global leader in delivering software for the intelligent edge. The company is helping the world’s technology leaders power generation after generation of the safest, most secure devices in the world. The company’s software is accelerating the evolution from automated to autonomous and leading the 5G revolution across a diverse range of use cases – from collaborative robots to commercial and military drones, connected cars to the connected factory floor – as well as the intelligent communication networks that support these applications. Manufacturers, governments, system integrators and other enterprises are all part of Wind River’s customer base, which covers, among others, the following verticals: AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE: Airbus Group, BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell AUTOMOTIVE: BMW, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Johnson Controls, Valeo Group INDUSTRIAL: ABB, KUKA, Mitsubishi, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Toshiba MEDICAL: GE Healthcare, Olympus, Stryker, Varian NETWORKING: ARRIS, Avaya, Ciena, Ericsson, Tellabs

Teledyne e2v Due to the nature of Teledyne e2v’s computer intensive high reliability microprocessor solutions, of Teledyne e2v’s customers and markets, the cooperation with WindRiver is natural and brings a significant value to our mutual aerospace, space and military customers. During the mid 2010’s, Teledyne e2v introduced a very compact common computer platform solution, integrating a PowerArchitecture® or ARM® quad core microprocessor with 4GB of DDR4 RAM. This product line up, Qormino®, brings both an easiness of integration for system designers, and multiple SWaP benefits (size, weight and power). In particular, Teledyne e2v, WindRiver and CoreAVI have written a joint technical brief highlighting how they help designers to face system mission computer challenges. A joint article highlighting our strong collaboration on BAE Systems’ mission computer was also published in 2019. To manufacture this complex common computer platform product, Teledyne e2v draws on 35 successful years delivering generations of high reliability microprocessors to worldwide avionics, space and defence customers including Airbus, Boeing, NASA, ESA. Those microprocessors always include the following: • Extended temperature range: -55 to 125 degrees Celcius. • Qualifications of both lead-free (RoHS) and leaded (SnPb) solder ball product variants. • Long term supply/lifetime extension (15+ years). • Product warranty for high reliability domains. Teledyne e2v is certified aerospace certification as per AS / EN / JIS Q 9100 (Grenoble, France). For more details, please refer to TBD.

www.teledyne-e2v.com

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NOTHING FLIES WITHOUT TELEDYNE e2v’S HIGH RELIABILITY MICROPROCESSORS Teledyne e2v High Reliability Microprocessor division is serving all worldwide Aerospace, Space & Defense customers since more than 35 years. Our records of accomplishment include working with renowned customers such as Airbus, Boeing and more generally most of the worldwide Avionics systems manufacturers, as well as key players in the Military and Defense industry. We are working as well with major Space customers, and have close cooperation with CNES, ESA & NASA. The key success factors of Teledyne e2v’s High Reliability Microprocessors are: 1. Access to the same tests programs, test equipments & methodology than original manufacturer 2. Reliable characterization & qualification of Microprocessors in High Reliability domains (-55/125C), offering both RoHS & Lead ball finishing variants 3. Obsolescence management (15 years and beyond) after product End Of Life Teledyne e2v’s Hi Rel qualification: www. teledyne-e2v.com/content/uploads/2019/11/ Teledyne-e2v-Hi-Reliability-DifferentiatorsTech-Brief-V4.pdf

of kunits of those microprocessors in Aerospace & Defense market, per year. Product Portfolio: www.teledyne-e2v.com/ products/semiconductors/processors/ High Reliability Microprocessor Power Consumption reduction Beyond this very comprehensive portfolio capable to serve a wide range of projects, customers, and timelines, Teledyne e2v has also developed a methodology to reduce the power consumption on customers’ applications. Our Aerospace & Defense customers are indeed facing more and more power budget constraints, often linked with Safety Critical requirements. Many parts of Avionics systems may be specifically designed to meet stringent requirements and withstand tough environments and extreme temperature conditions. But this comes in parallel of embedding always more processing capabilities, for one of the following reasons: • Ability for the system to be future proof, i.e. still capable to work with the same expected behavior in 1, 5 or 10 years, • Have extra margin for greedy applications, i.e. avoid a system freeze when newer applications are introduced, • In addition, for marketing purposes…bigger is always better! Teledyne e2v presents all the steps followed to reduce by 45% the power consumption of a Power Architecture based T1042 Microprocessor, on the customer application. Power Optimization Technical Brief : www. teledyne-e2v.com/content/uploads/2019/10/ Power-consumption-White-Paper.pdf Qormino® : Very compact High Reliability Common Computer Platforms

Teledyne e2v High Reliability Microprocessors Portfolio Teledyne e2v’s portfolio includes several technologies, from older 1990’s Freescale (formerly Motorola, now NXP) PowerQUICC® architectures built around one or more PowerPC cores and the Communications Processor Module (QUICC Engine) specialized in such tasks such as I/O, communications, ATM, security acceleration, networking and USB. PowerQUICC architecture is still widely used in Avionics systems, and Teledyne e2v is also fully supporting evolutionary technologies, such as 2000’s based QorIQ® Power Architecture®, as well as the 2010’s QorIQ ARM® based Layerscape® ones. Teledyne e2v has been introducing more than 45 different High Reliability microprocessor products during the last 20 years, and is delivering tens to hundreds

In the mid 2010’s, Teledyne e2v has introduced a dedicated family of very compact Processing & Memory modules, Qormino®, aiming at providing both an easiness of integration and SWaP benefits (Size, Weight and Power).

scratch. This leads to a reduced development time, and enables Systems Mission Computer project teams to meet challenging project timescales and provide capable hardware to customers sooner. Qormino offers: • High performance packed into a small substrate. • Reduced system design time, improved timeto-market. • 15+ years availability for obsolescence management.

Qormino Development plarform is available for evaluation and development in both PowerArchitecture and ARM versions, and Teledyne e2v can propose custom solutions based on other QorIQ architectures of DDR4 densities. Design evidences can also be available on request for Safety Critical system designs, targeting DO-254 / DAL (Design Assurance Level) certifications. A specific version of QLS1046-4GB is radiation tolerant and qualified for Space applications. Partnership with WindRiver Due to the nature of Teledyne e2v products, customers and markets, the cooperation with WindRiver is natural and brings a significant value to our mutual Aerospace, Space & Military customers. For demonstrations and business development activities, Teledyne e2v is showcasing the available references working in a complete ecosystem of partners. On the technical side, a VxWorks 7 BSP (Board Support Package) is available for customer evaluations and development. Teledyne e2v, WindRiver and CoreAVI are proposing a Technical Brief related to how they help designers to face System Mission Computer challenges: www.teledyne-e2v.com/ content/uploads/2019/03/Mission-Computerchallenges-Tech-Brief.pdf

Qormino is a unique opportunity to combine a high performance processing platform, with DDR4 memory, without the risks associated with designing a high-speed memory interface from

We have also published in 2019 a joint article highlighting our strong collaboration on BAE Systems’ mission computer: www.teledynee 2 v. c o m / n e w s / t e l e d y n e - e 2 v - p r o v i d e s processing-solutions/

WIND RIVER

Percepio Percepio is a Swedish software specialist with a rare combination of competences—embedded systems, IoT, cloud and software visualisation. This has resulted in a world-class solution for visual trace diagnostics, Percepio Tracealyzer, used by over 500 companies worldwide, including prominent Wind River customers such as ABB and SAAB. Tracealyzer gives application developers a new level of actionable insights beyond traditional debugging tools, ensuring faster development and better products. Percepio has been a Wind River partner since 2013. Percepio Tracealyzer supports Wind River Linux and VxWorks.

Indeed, the company is already taking extra steps to make this happen. In November 2019, for example, it announced a collaboration with Dell EMC as a key hardware partner for distributed edge solutions. This will see the parties pre-integrate their technologies into a reference distributed cloud solution, which can cost-effectively deliver carrier grade performance, massive scalability, and rapid service instantiation to service providers as their foundation for 5G networks. The resultant solution is a new combined software and hardware platform that integrates Dell EMC’s PowerEdge server hardware with the Wind River Cloud Platform, a Kubernetes-based software offering for managing edge cloud infrastructure. Optimised for the network edge, Cloud Platform addresses the complex challenges of deploying and managing a physically distributed, cloud native infrastructure. 26 | EME Outlook issue 35

For Genard, developments such as this will enable enterprises to better tap into the potential of IoT, another of technology’s major buzzwords and trends which has dominated discussions in recent years. “I think it is fair to argue that IoT hasn’t yet come to fruition or been fully capitalised on,” he adds. “The connectivity topology and infrastructure dynamic are what have been missing, but now we can offer the scalability and affordability needed.”

STAYING SAFE AND SECURE Equally critical is safety and security, as the explosion of connected devices is opening up a world of opportunity for cybercriminals looking to exploit network vulnerabilities. From day one Wind River has been ensuring its customers’ devices and systems are not only doing the right job, but doing it securely, Genard observing how the security

Percepio DevAlert is a groundbreaking cloud service for developers of operational technology (OT) software systems with connectivity. DevAlert provides direct awareness and visual trace diagnostics whenever a software issue is detected in deployment or during system testing. This enables a DevOps feedback loop for rapid corrections and continuous improvement via over-the-air software updates. The inclusion of visual trace diagnostics via Percepio Tracealyzer speeds up analysis and resolution, reducing software maintenance costs. According to research, embedded software applications typically contain three to five missed bugs per 1,000 lines of code at the initial release. Bugs that elude testing typically won’t show up directly for all users but will manifest over time. Thus, the faster an update can be provided, the fewer customers will be affected. DevAlert minimises reaction time, which translates into higher product quality and more satisfied customers over the lifetime of the product.

www.percepio.com

Empower your Software Development with Visual Trace Diagnostics

Photo by Peter Liander. © Saab AB

In the Lab – Tracealyzer speeds up development for faster time-to-market In the Field – DevAlert enables rapid updates and continuous improvement

WWW.PERCEPIO.COM

WIND RIVER

POWER OF THE ECOSYSTEM Wind River relies on a network of around 200 partners to serve its customers, with some 200 individual firms combining to form what is known as its partner ecosystem. The company has a dedicated team responsible for managing these partnerships and identifying new opportunities, a vital component of Wind River’s ability to develop its offering and remain relevant in the numerous verticals it serves. The partnership model is a tiered system which varies in its levels of requirements depending on the traction the partner wishes to obtain from Wind River. Genard adds: “Every collaboration or potential collaboration starts with us considering two vital questions. First, what is the use case, what problem does it solve for the customer and is it something we need? It must be actionable and something we don’t have, otherwise there is little purpose. “And second, what vertical industry does it cover? Customers will expect us to do our homework, and so the work our partnership team does in identifying partners is absolutely critical.”

conundrum has become ever more complex over his time in the industry. “Back when a device was simply its own thing in a box, security was a far simpler equation and risks were pretty low,” he says. “Today there are so many devices connected by private and public infrastructure like Wi-Fi, and increasingly now 5G, so the security question changes entirely. “You almost need to operate with the mindset that someone, somewhere will somehow be able to gain access to the device and get into the backend system, no matter how secure you think you are. We must therefore protect and prepare for any scenario to ensure that the consequences of any hack are minimised.” This leads into the thinking behind Wind River’s recent acquisition of Star Lab, an American cybersecurity software company based in Washington DC. The move, announced in January 2020, broadens the comprehensive Wind River software portfolio with a system protection and anti-tamper toolset for Linux, a secure open source-based hypervisor, and a secure boot solution. Star Lab has pedigree in the cybersecurity field, its solutions able to tackle the most challenging situations across critical infrastructure, including proactive protection of systems during sophisticated and targeted attacks that breach traditional defensive mechanisms.

LOOKING AHEAD While acquisitions represent a quick and effective way of boosting expertise and knowledge within companies, Genard is also all too aware of the need for Wind River to continue building up its in-house pool of talent at the same time. To date, the firm employs 1,200 people around the world, including interns, as part of a concerted effort to futureproof the organisation through

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“A DECADE AGO, MOST CUSTOMERS WOULD HAVE A VERY CLEAR IDEA WHAT HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE BOX THEY WANTED THEIR DEVICE TO COME FROM. THESE DAYS THEY DON’T KNOW – THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THE MARKET IS GOING TO REQUIRE” finding, attracting and developing the industry’s brightest prospects. “We need to regularly bring in new talent,” the VP of Product adds. “To do this, we must make sure we have the right brand and communicate ourselves in a way that is appealing – our culture, how we look after staff, activities we run, career development prospects, employee benefits.

TECHNOLOGY

ACCES

I/O Product, Inc.

Founded in 1987 in San Diego, CA, ACCES (Acquisition Control Communication Engineering/Systems) supplies an extensive range of data acquisition (DAQ) products and solutions. These products include; analog input, analog output, digital, serial communication, and isolated I/O boards and solutions. ACCES also offers complete systems, integration services and enclosures with a quick turn around on custom projects, including software.

Our products are designed for use with: • PC/104 • PCI • PCI Express • Pico-ITXe • Pico-I/O • ETX • EBX • EPIC • USB • USB/104 • USB/PICO • Ethernet • ISA • distributed, wireless I/O, and computeron-module (COM) form factors

“It is also important to consider that this is a learning curve for us too – the process works two ways, and new talent brings ideas to us that we may not have considered before.” This is crucial if Wind River is to embrace and manage growing complexity and continue to deliver positive end results to customers. “As an industry, I believe what we will see more of is the customer

ACCES I/O Products, Inc. 10623 Roselle Street San Diego, CA 92121-1506 Phone: 858-550-9559 Toll Free: 800-326-1649 Fax: 858-550-7322 E-Mail: General: contactus@accesio.com Orders / Quotes: quote@accesio.com Customer Service: tech@accesio.com

demanding us to cut through the complexity and extract the final outcome,” Genard continues, looking ahead to the future in his concluding comments. “A decade ago, most customers would have a very clear idea what hardware and software box they wanted their device to come from. These days they don’t know – they don’t know what the market is going to require. What we must do is present

something which can adapt, a flexible intelligent edge infrastructure which is sound as usage scales and evolves. “If there is one thing we want to be, it is the company that accelerates the delivery of innovative products that enable the digital transformation of our customers in a data-driven, AI-first world. The last 40 or so years have seen us build a huge customer base across the world, which has given us a tremendous opportunity to make a significant impact on this front. “At the end of the day, we are an enabler. If our customers are successful, then we in turn are successful.”

WIND RIVER Tel: +1-510-748-4100 inquiries@windriver.com www.windriver.com

EME Outlook issue 35 | 29

VOXILITY

he information age shows no signs of slowing down. We are producing and consuming data at a rate that continues to exponentially rise. Today we talk about the world’s collective data usage in the realm of zettabytes, or a trillion gigabytes – a volume of data generation which was passed in 2016. The ability to store, analyse and leverage information has created unprecedented opportunities for internet companies and their customers to thrive in the hyper-connected era. For instance, the worldwide infrastructure as a service (IaaS) market grew by more than 31 percent in 2018 to $32.4 billion according to Gartner, which cites the ability to scale as

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Maria Sirbu, VP of Business Development fundamental to capturing market share in a crowded industry. The so-called top five – AWS, Microsoft, Alibaba, Google and IBM – accounted for almost 77 percent of IaaS business in 2018, with further consolidation expected to be confirmed for 2019.

But it would be wrong to suggest that the conversation is simply being steered by the big players. Rather, momentum towards total cloud solutions is actually starting to wane, with enterprises increasingly finding that a cloud-only approach to IaaS is not the silver bullet they were looking for. Enter Voxility, an IaaS provider which is disrupting the direction of cloud adoption by offering a fundamentally alternative offering, a blend between the automation of the cloud and on-premise infrastructure which leverages the power of prestigious partnerships with blue chip companies in the world’s most connected locations.

TECHNOLOGY

Accountable

IaaS at the Edge By leveraging partnerships with best-in-class tech companies in the most connected hubs in the world, Voxility is offering a reliable and transparent answer to the so-called cloud versus on-premise question Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki “There is a misconception that the cloud infrastructure as a service market is just a battle among giants like AWS, Google and Microsoft Azure, and it is something I feel very passionately about,” says Maria Sirbu, Voxility’s Vice President of Business Development. “As these tech giants have gone

mainstream, they’re revealing the limitations on their public cloud services. Today, there’s growing pressure on enterprises to be transparent about their data in terms of who manages it, and where and how it is hosted. Because of this, IT managers want more security and control over their

infrastructure, and are increasingly experiencing that cloud giants cannot offer them this.” Sirbu’s observations are backed up, fittingly, by more data. She cites a report commissioned by Fortinet that found almost three quarters of enterprises have moved apps to the public EME Outlook issue 35 | 31

VOXILITY cloud, and then for a variety of reasons and circumstances, decided to move it back into their on-premise or private cloud infrastructure. “You ask whether I find the IaaS space an exciting one to be in at the moment, and my answer is a resounding yes!” Sirbu says. “I could not be prouder of the position we have moved Voxility to, which is the result of continuously acknowledging the influence of datacentres and bare metal within the whole cloud era.”

THE VOXILITY WAY So, what position has the company moved itself into in this dynamic, fast-moving market? In short, Voxility markets itself as an infrastructure and a service provider in the biggest internet hubs in the world, which translates into layman’s terms as renting premium dedicated infrastructure, internet access, premium support

BRIEF BACKGROUND Voxility was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in London, with offices in San Francisco, Frankfurt and Bucharest. Today, it is the first choice of companies around the world looking for custom built infrastructure solutions and tailored support, due to its massive bandwidth capacity, competitive pricing, sprawling product portfolio and network features. Voxility’s capabilities cover five major categories – datacentres, hardware, network, security and support – and are built on collaborations with some of the world’s most reputed datacentre and telco companies.

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and value-added security options in more than 20 carrier hotels worldwide. “It is an easy OPEX-based IaaS model where physical hardware in physical locations can be rented, just like how other tools or a flexible office space is rented in other industries,” Sirbu explains. “We bundle this with internet access, value-added security options and global hubs to provide a comprehensive, dedicated solution that competes with the cloud-based IaaS offered by cloud giants. “We believe we have created a perfect blend able to meet real companies’ needs no matter what phase of their journey they are in. We can deliver a huge amount of infrastructure in days with no setup fees, full console access and up to 12 times cheaper than major cloud providers, charged by the hour.” Price, however, is not how the company chooses to differentiate itself. Instead, Sirbu likens Voxility to a group of top-end restaurants with à la carte menus, the firm only selling high quality options across all of its five categories. For example, its dedicated servers segment functions exclusively in partnership with HPE and its variety of hardware models, while internet access is provisioned through collaborations with more than 1,500 border gateway protocol (BGP) internet operators to enable quality provision at a regional level. In terms of value-added services, Voxility has built and deployed its own cloud DDoS mitigation service which is now serving customers from 75 countries, while colocation services are provisioned in partnership with datacentre heavyweights. Added to this, the company has its own staff in each of its 20-plus locations – what Sirbu calls an extension of customers’ own hands – to ensure its service standards are delivered at all times without a reliance on third parties.

IMMOFINANZ IMMOFINANZ is one of the largest commercial real estate groups in Europe. The core business of the company is the management and development of retail and office properties in selected countries in Western and Eastern Europe: Austria, Romania, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The property portfolio had a carrying amount of €4.5 billion and covered more than 210 properties as of mid-2019. IMMOFINANZ placed its first investment in Romania in 2004. Ever since that time the company strengthened its position as one of the leading commercial real estate players in Romania based on its strategy of focussing on its office and retail portfolio and the development of its brands - myhive for offices, VIVO! for shopping centres and STOP SHOP for retail parks. With a book value of €769.3 million that represents 15.2 percent of the company’s total portfolio, Romania is one of the company’s core markets. The standing investment portfolio of €645.9 million splits into nine office buildings (10.4 percent of the total standing office portfolio) and five retail properties (20.6 percent of thte total standing retail portfolio). By continuously updating to the market needs and trends, IMMOFINANZ Romania is not only a valuable player on the market, but also a trendsetter, taking into account the modern and unique myhive concept on the local market. With this concept, IMMOFINANZ is a pioneer in the Romanian market while the feedback from the tenants is very good, this being reflected in the high occupancy rate of all myhive buildings in Romania.

www.immofinanz.com

VOXILITY

AT THE EDGE The VP of Business Development calls it an old school model of serving the internet with secure infrastructure for any cloud environment. “And what else does this mean?” she asks. “Crucially, it makes us accountable to our customers. We’re able to answer a variety of questions such as where is my data located, who touches my hardware, how is my data stored, and can I access my own infrastructure 24-seven? “This is a real differentiator as the same cannot be said about cloudbased IaaS, which provides no details about exact storage and location.” In terms of locations, Voxility is wholly transparent, the company’s so-called ‘restaurants’ being located in 20 of the best-connected parts of the world to ensure their à la carte menus contain the best ingredients. Indeed, location has become an increasingly important part of the IaaS conversation. “Fortunately for the common data consumer we have reached a level where talking about flexibility or scalability is obsolete,” Sirbu continues. “It was on-trend for a network to promote itself as flexible and scalable five 34 | EME Outlook issue 35

years ago. Now, everything happens at the edge. “This is a distributed computing paradigm, which brings connectivity and data storage closer to the location where it is needed to improve response times and save bandwidth.” With distributed datacentres in Europe and North America, Voxility has placed itself at the most vibrant network edges around the world, the firm coming a long way since Sirbu joined in 2011 when it worked from just four locations. The latest addition to the list is Madrid. Excluding Russia and Turkey, Spain ranks as the fifth largest internet consuming country in Europe, making

it a natural move given Voxility is already serving customers in the top four (Germany, UK, France and Italy). “Our main focus with our PoP in Interxion, Madrid, is to get on board with local Spanish players, networks which we otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach because of their regional-only presence,” Sirbu explains. “But we also have the attention of global players who want to add Spain as a node to their operations, and now they are deploying global private networks with us.”

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP As with the company’s other locations, the venture into Spain will utilise its

TECHNOLOGY relationships with world-renowned datacentre and telco companies, the ingredients which make up the Voxility menu and differentiate it in terms of quality and reliability. HPE, DELL, Equinix, Digital Realty, TeliaSonera, Comcast, NTT, CenturyLink and Orange are just some of the reputed names the firm collaborates with, the move away from joining a race to the bottom in terms of price an example of some bold decisions the company has taken over time. “We have been able to generate significant growth over the years mainly due to the quality of these companies’ services and the brand awareness that comes with it,” she adds.

“WE ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD A LEGACY AROUND IAAS AT THE EDGE, AND TOGETHER WITH OUR VALUEADDED SERVICES LIKE DDOS PROTECTION, I AM EXCITED ABOUT WHAT LIES AHEAD”

“We are the talking about the world’s largest carrier hotels, and they know what they are doing. Any network on the planet wants to co-locate and get access to their ecosystems of clouds and networks. However, this does not come cheap, so we have always sold services for their quality and not for their price, and looking back this has been one of the best decisions we have ever made business wise. “One thing is for sure. You have a certain peace of mind when working with these providers – you can easily sleep at night knowing their quality becomes your quality.”

Sirbu also reveals that most of the company’s partnerships are somewhere between six and nine years in existence, long-term synergies that have shaped the Voxility of today and will no doubt serve to power its expansion plans in the future. And it is here where the conversation draws to a close, the VP of Business Development upbeat about the firm’s progress towards its latest target. “Our CEO mandated us in 2018 to make Voxility available at the edge in 50 large markets, and I expect us to be there in the next three to five years,” she says. “We are nearly halfway there as another four locations are expected to come online imminently. “We are continuing to build a legacy around IaaS at the Edge, and together with our value-added services like DDoS protection, I am excited about what lies ahead.”

VOXILITY Tel: +44 20 3355 1458 pr@voxility.com www.voxility.com

EME Outlook issue 35 | 35

YONDER

Removing the Software Burden Yonder is helping its clients to focus on their customers by removing the burden of software development, its agile, teambased approach enabling it to innovate at speed and empower employees Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki 36 | EME Outlook issue 35

As a child, I was fascinated by mathematics and pursued this passion ever since I was 10 years old. I entered all the possible competitions at a national level and when I had to decide on my future, I knew it should relate to science and technical education. “It was back in 1999, after seven years of IT education, when I decided to join an IT company in Cluj, the city that I loved so much during university. At the

time, I was looking for a company with a healthy culture, with good values in place and with respect for everyone. In fact, I was looking for a company that matches my personal beliefs.” Three days later, Cristian Inceu joined Yonder. His friends from university followed a year later, colleagues who now help to run the company with Inceu serving as one of the firm’s Managing Directors.

TECHNOLOGY

“We are still in Yonder and still having fun,” he quips. “It is difficult to say if Yonder shaped us or if we shaped Yonder, because it’s difficult to spot the difference.” The firm was in its relative infancy when Inceu arrived. The MD helped to build on the growth generated since being founded in 1993, a time which he described as a sweet spot for Romania’s technology industry thanks to a high demand for IT professionals

in western European markets. Indeed, the country’s reputation for excellence in science, mathematics and technical education stands it in good stead today, its culture defined by a clear focus on innovation and results, a positive attitude and commanding language skills.

THE YONDER WAY These attributes can be firmly applied to Yonder.

The organisation markets itself as a developer of software for the most prominent software companies, this unburdening process allowing clients the freedom to fully focus on market and customer demand. Such clients are typically vertical market software (VMS) companies which have industry specific solutions, such as software for health, public sector, supply chain and other sectors. Some of the common challenges EME Outlook issue 35 | 37

YONDER Yonder helps to remove the practice within TSS and burden from include modernCSI,” Inceu continues. “This ising legacy systems, looking means we have access to a after technical knowledge, vast library of knowledge optimising digital processes which gives us an advanand exploring new technolotage over our competition. gies and architectures. Many of the TSS compa“We work with our clients nies are our clients, and in a partnership,” Inceu says. since we have joined CSI, “It all starts with understandwe have spread our wings ing the business goals of our Cristian Inceu, pictured to include CSI companies customers. We combine our across the globe. above, is one of experience in developing “But we also have Yonder’s Managing customer-driven solutions non-group companies Directors based on an agile approach as our clients as well as to our clients’ domain some financial institutions knowledge. and enterprises. Our knowledge, “In the end, it is about helping them pragmatic approach, focus on the to achieve their objectives through end results combined with Yonder meaningful solutions.” professionals is what sets us apart in Being part of Total Specific Solutions our playing field.” (TSS), one of Europe’s leading VMS The firm’s approach to business companies and owned by Torontois also characterised by an agile listed Constellation Software Inc. (CSI), culture and structure. While the MD is also a major point of difference. explains that the company works as “Knowledge sharing is a best one Yonder, its work is carried out by

ABOUT YONDER

Chiriţă Chiriţă and associates is the first law firm in Transylvania according to its revenue and clients and second largest according to its active lawyers (25 at this point). The company has granted permanent legal assistance to multinational corporations for almost 10 years. We have a broad experience in corporate law and litigation both in the private and public sector. We also specialized in EU law and litigation and have represented both public and private institutions in procedures before the European Court of Justice. The private law and litigation is led by three partners: Oana Chiriţă, Raluca Colcieri and Anamaria Bota.

www.charita-law.com

deliver additional services to end users. These products are built from the ground up and may integrate with existing products. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT: Supporting the development of existing client products.

Yonder is part of Total Specific Solutions (TSS), Europe’s largest vertical market software company. It has offices in Cluj, Iasi and the Netherlands, and offers services in the following categories: MODERNISATIONS: Solutions range from a complete rewrite of the current system to fit modern technology and architecture to creating a modern front end to satisfy user needs. NEW INITIATIVES: As clients’ needs, the market and legislation change continuously, creating new addons or additional products to the core solution is a way to

38 | EME Outlook issue 35

DEVOPS: Providing added value to software products, no matter the development stage or the technologies in which they have been written. This helps clients with challenges such as software development productivity, product stability, availability, security and performance, time to market, and cost-effectiveness. CONSULTANCY: Clients and prospects may have a need for additional services that are not always considered when thinking of software development. Yonder provides a software audit of the product to get a full insight of the state, code, complexity, and future options. This also includes a testing audit or strategy for a software product, creating the right agile environment and communication tooling for a software development collaboration, and reviewing the UI/UX status of the product.

TECHNOLOGY

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never walk alone

Chirita si asociatii law firm Cluj Napoca, Romania / office@chirita-law.com / www.chirita-law.com

EME Outlook issue 35 | 39

YONDER

SUPPLIER FOCUS As well as praising his own dedicated cohort of employees, Inceu also acknowledges the important role of external partners and suppliers to the ongoing success of Yonder. “We value our partners and they come in many different types,” he says. “We have always embraced the latest technology trends and partnerships are key to this. “We also regard universities as partners. Romania is a hotbed for software specialists, so we try to offer guest speakers at lectures and offer interesting internships for students in many different areas. Plus, we are looking into partnerships with companies that offer additional non-competitive services to ours so that we can give our clients a well-rounded offering.”

40 | EME Outlook issue 35

a series of small, flexible teams. The result is a flat structure of empowered business units, groups which are known individually by the senior management who also build relationships with individual colleagues and clients.

REMAINING RELEVANT Each year customers are also invited to participate in the Yonder Hackathon in a bid to explore new ideas, remain fresh and build relationships. While not to be compared with the likes of a Google Hackathon in terms of cutting-edge, flashy technology, Inceu explains how Yonder’s versions (which can also be arranged privately with individual clients) have a more pragmatic edge to them. “In our digital world, you cannot sit still as a software company,” he says. “You continuously need to look at optimisations and enhancements to keep your customer base happy and attract new customers. We discuss the

market needs with our clients, what are their competitors doing, and the new technologies that could deliver value to their solution. “Our hackathons are based on pragmatic innovation, so the outcome should have the possibility to deliver commercial results for the customers. The objective is to come up with a prototype that they can take back to their company and show to their clients, and many of the past initiatives have been developed into products over time.” As well as providing impetus for customers, these events are also an opportunity for Yonder’s employees to explore ideas, part of an open and trustworthy culture where staff and their input are valued. In order to attract the best talent in the industry, Yonder invests significant efforts in creating an attractive value proposition centred around building relationships, career growth, mentorship, fair recognition and numerous

TECHNOLOGY

Leadership team

benefits and wellbeing events. This all helps create a cycle of continuous learning, with training and development occurring on many levels, from team attendance at industry events and ‘techboard’ gatherings for knowledge exchange to various courses covering management, best practices and soft skills.

FUTURE FOCUSSED The pool of technology talent available in Romania is a large one, and a big part of the reason why Inceu is fervently optimistic about the future of both the country’s tech sector and Yonder. For instance, every year around 5,000 IT engineers graduate from Romanian centres of excellence in the likes of Cluj, Bucharest and Iasi. Yonder

therefore works closely with universities and student bodies, offering full-year internship opportunities to those seeking real-world experience in the sector. This active hub of learning makes for a promising next chapter in Yonder’s development, although Inceu is equally aware that the coming years will not be without their challenges. One area which the MD highlights as an issue for the wider industry is a shortage in experienced IT security professionals, a reality which could prove problematic as ransomware attacks evolve in terms of sophistication and volume. However, this also creates opportunities for the advancement of solutions such as robotic process automation, programmes which can help

organisations improve their overall efficiency and free up human capital to focus on data security. For Yonder, keeping an eye on the security dynamic will be an important factor in its continued growth story, a journey which Inceu is determined to continue through 2020 and beyond. Looking ahead to the future, the MD concludes: “We have created a global presence over the years with clients in Europe, North America and Australia. Our goal is to expand our foothold in those regions. It makes for interesting engagements working with different cultures, and also makes Yonder an interesting company to work for in Romania. “We aim to cover more of the verticals and to bring our expertise and new technologies into our clients’ landscape so they will remain competitive in their fields. We also aim to further extend our consultancy services and provide our expertise, best practices and benchmarks to customers to make them more efficient and future-ready.”

YONDER Tel: (The Netherlands): +31 85 273 3218 info@tss-yonder.com www.tss-yonder.com

EME Outlook issue 35 | 41

RELINED FIBER NETWORK

Seeing the Light with Dark Fibre By making the most of existing fibre network infrastructure, Relined Fiber Network is delivering cost-effective, scalable and secure connectivity with near unlimited bandwidth to organisations across Northwestern Europe Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

42 | EME Outlook issue 35

TECHNOLOGY

he Netherlands and Germany are waking up to the potential of fibre optic connectivity. Last year the number of Dutch fibre connections passed the three million mark, while the German government announced €12 billion in funding to turbocharge its nationwide rollout of fibre to homes and businesses. But while investment in laying down new infrastructure and building new networks is welcomed, a looming question remains about how to make the most of such infrastructure once it has been laid – in other words, utilising as much of the installed capacity as possible. Back in 2003, Jan Willem Tom was asking himself the exact same question. The answer? Dark fibre. “Dark fibre is the basic platform for a private, future-oriented network,” he explains. “Because fibre optic networks are widespread in the Netherlands and Germany, you do not have to construct your own network from scratch. “In many cases, an existing network can be used and only the last mile to the location needs to be excavated. Based on the equipment you have chosen, you can construct a private network that meets all your requirements using existing fibre optic infrastructure.” This is the basic premise from which Tom formed what is now known as Relined Fiber Network. Some 17 years on, he still serves as the organisation’s Managing Director and is determined to continue its mission of putting unused fibre optic capacity onto the market, especially his home market in the Netherlands and now Germany. Indeed, today Relined stands as an internationally renowned player in the dark fibre realm for two key reasons. First, because the company leverages the capacity of already-laid networks without having to make large investments, it can offer cost-effective, reliable solutions across a wide territory.

“This leads into the second reason why we are uniquely positioned,” adds Tom. “We are the only company to have a nationwide network at our disposal in both the Netherlands and Germany, and we are increasingly able to access the international market. “We can reach pretty much any location. The biggest internet nodes in Europe – Amsterdam and Frankfurt – are connected to our network, including the major data centres.

Jan Willem Tom, Managing Director “Relined Fiber Network delivers your fibre optic connection from A to B in the form of stable, reliable dark fibres belonging to public and/or private networks. Together with our preferred suppliers, we have more than 30,000 kilometres of high-grade fibre optic infrastructure. This means nationwide, fine-meshed dark fibre networks.”

EXPANDING ACCESS The major beneficiaries of this are large enterprises that require stable, reliable and secure connections which are easily scalable. Typical Relined customers include data centres, network suppliers, ISPs, hosting companies and system integrators, as well as organisations in

the wholesale, healthcare and public sectors, all of which are served with transparency and professionalism – two key pillars of the firm’s approach to business. The last few years in particular have seen more clients use Relined’s expertise in Germany. In 2017, a dedicated division (Relined GmbH) was formed to focus on service delivery in what Tom believes is a market full of potential. “The required fibre optics are in place, but the networks were built by different and often unrelated regional and local operators,” he adds. “Consequently, the fibre optic landscape in Germany is fragmented and the networks are not optimally used. “Relined sees opportunities here and aims to link these networks together and make them available to the market, supplying a one-stop shop connection from A to B.” In 2018, the company signed a milestone partnership agreement with large fibre network operator NGN. Tom goes on to explain how the relationship is very much a symbiotic one, with Relined able to use its expertise to market NGN’s network to new customers and manage new contracts, while also helping the parties to connect with smaller regional networks at the same time. Beyond Germany, the firm is also delivering dark fibre connections to Denmark via a subsea cable from the Netherlands, a move which opens up access to the rest of Northern Europe and the UK.

POWERED BY PARTNERSHIP The breakthrough with NGN in particular highlights the critical nature of collaboration to Relined’s ongoing success story. From the contractors who perform the last-mile groundwork to install connections to customers’ premises to the network providers whose infrastructure is leveraged, the ultimate potential of dark fibre can only be EME Outlook issue 35 | 43

RELINED FIBER NETWORK realised by several parties working closely together. “Relined has the core competences it needs in house and contracts everything else out to partners,” says Tom. “For example, in the Netherlands we work with contractors such as Van de Beek Kabels & Leidingen, Strukton, AV-Fiber and E&R. “Adinf provides us with invaluable services in relation to relocations, including support of the civil works. In addition, they handle the permits in Amsterdam, allowing us to guarantee to our customers a short delivery time of one to three weeks between data centres.”

Another highly successful collaboration began in 2017 when Relined expanded its reach by 4,000 kilometres of fibre network thanks to a partnership with BT, activity which has also seen the number of connected Dutch data centres grow from 70 to more than 100, granting access to many business locations. And for the MD, expansion through partnership lies at the heart of his growth plans moving forwards. “We constantly look for other partnerships to improve our network,” Tom continues. “We’re looking to identify any gaps in our network coverage and see which networks are located in the

DARK FIBRE – THE BASICS Dark fibre is a literal definition of what it is – a lightless fibre optic connection. Without the activating equipment that is needed to send and receive data, the fibre optic cable remains dark. This innovative cable offers attractive opportunities for companies and organisations, the advantages of dark fibre grouped into four major categories: NEAR UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH: This results in fast transmission of data and optimal connectivity for the user, while they only pay for the fibre optic connection and the equipment. SCALABILITY: If customers want to assign extra bandwidth to a service or add extra services to the network, they can do so in a very short space of time, without the need to buy any additional bandwidth. FULL CONTROL: Scalability is possible because of the level of control held by the customer over their network, and as an organisation they are not dependent on a third party’s partners in any way. Not only do they retain full control over management and maintenance the network, they also control project costs. ENCRYPTION/SECURITY: Organisations – particularly institutions in the healthcare, public and financial sectors – are increasingly required to demonstrate that they are in control and that they handle personal data and other confidential information responsibly. Dark fibre has its own light-generation equipment, meaning customers have greater control over a connection’s security and can add layers of encryption. Dark fibre also offers enhanced cloud and backup capabilities. Relined operates with ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certification, meaning it fulfils the highest standards in the areas of quality and information security.

44 | EME Outlook issue 35

areas where market demand is high – then we’ll see whether there’s scope for collaboration with the parties involved. “This could be done by marketing the network as a proprietary network or by leasing network capacity to meet customer demand. The choice depends greatly on demand for a particular region. The advantage of viewing it as a proprietary network is that as a company we invest in its promotion, pursue optimal leasing arrangements and manage the customer relationships.” But such growth will not arrive without challenges. The Managing Director names several trends which Relined will have to negotiate, including a squeezed labour market and shortage of skills available to contractor partners, a fibre penetration rate of just four percent in Germany (versus 50 FTTH in the Netherlands), and the general acceleration of a digital society which is increasingly characterised by giant organisations which struggle to remain agile. However, these challenges can be addressed and are outweighed by opportunities. For instance, Germany’s low fibre penetration rate opens up a massive opportunity to grow fibre uptake in the country, a shift which Relined could play a significant role in driving. Likewise, the fact we are living in an increasingly digital society is in itself creating openings for new business, even in the area of 5G.

TECHNOLOGY

Esbjerg

Kiel Rostock Lübeck Hamburg Eemshaven Leeuwarden

Schwerin

Wilhelmshaven

Groningen Oldenburg Nieuweschans

Den Helder

Bremen

Emmen

Alkmaar Zandvoort

Zwolle Enschede

Amersfoort

Amsterdam

Arnhem

Eindhoven Venlo

Leipzig

Kassel Erfurt

Köln Aachen

Cottbus Dessau

Halle

Dortmund Düsseldorf

Mönchengladbach Sollingen Eijsden

Magdeburg

Münster

Duisburg

Krefeld

Zandvliet

Berlin

Potsdam

Osnabrück Braunschweig

Utrecht

Rotterdam

Vlissingen

Wolfsburg

Hannover

Apeldoorn Den Haag

Dresden

Jena Gera

Chemnitz

Bonn Zwickau Fulda

Koblenz Frankfurt

Managing the NL Relined network!

Coburg

Mainz Oﬀenbach

Bitburg

Darmstadt

Trier

Kaiserslautern

Würzburg

Providing customized support!

Nürnberg

Mannheim Heidelberg

Saarbrücken

Regensburg Karlsruhe Ingolstadt

Pforzheim Stuttgart

Landshut Augsburg Ulm

Freiburg

Deggendorf Passau

www.adinfbv.nl

München

International network

“Although our network is more suited to backbone connections to the data centres, 5G still requires a finemeshed fibre optic network providing national cover,” Tom explains. “Fibre optic networks are essential for the processing of the data flows coming from 5G. Every bit and byte sent, anywhere in the world, eventually ends up in physical, underground fibre optic cables. “Alongside the laying of fibre optic cables for households, the creation of core and backbone networks is at least as critical. These core networks promote mutual connectivity between the networks, internet exchanges and facilitate data centres. “It is therefore important that all fibre optics providers cooperate – after all, the networks have to be linked up together to allow a complete 5G network to be created. If we want to get the most out of 5G, we will have to make sure that fibre optics reach into every last corner.”

with Tom also focussing on positioning Relined as a single organisation operating across borders, a process which will require close collaboration between employees in different countries. “Every provider who lays a network has unused capacity,” he says, drawing the conversation to a close. “Our aim is to make this capacity available. Why go digging in the ground when there’s already so much great capacity down there? And why are networks being laid for just one purpose when – through good cooperation – these can also be made available to third parties?” And as the MD has already highlighted, partnerships will be critical to this being realised, his ambition for 2020 and beyond being to build on existing and establish new cooperative relationships with network providers. Consolidating and growing customer bases in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark should follow,

RELINED FIBER NETWORK info@relined.eu www. relined.eu

EME Outlook issue 35 | 45

BOGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ART GROUP

INTEGRATED INGENUITY Spanning the entire chain of building services, Bogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Art has become reputed for its landmark projects, complex and innovative technical solutions and is the largest local construction company with fully integrated building services in Romania Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

46 | EME Outlook issue 35

CONSTRUCTION

EME Outlook issue 35 | 47

Take Advantage of the Experience

where everything is smart, safe and delivered on time. Key Numbers + 2.000.000 Sqm MEP built + 300.000 IoT Devices Monitored + 100/Day Maintenance Operations + 10 Years IoT Experience

www.globalworth.com

26 Frunzei Street, Bucharest, Romania E-mail: office@global-technical.com Phone: +40 314 250 711; +40 314 250 712 www.global-technical.com

END TO END BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES

SECURITY SERVICES

IOT SOLUTIONS

OPERATIONS CENTER

BOG’ART GROUP

omania is home to a thriving construction sector. According to statistics from GlobalData, the country’s current construction project pipeline – including all megaprojects valued at $25 million or more – is in excess of $100 billion. It’s a substantial figure being backed up on all fronts. In April 2019, the European Commission (EC) approved investment worth $2.3 billion under the EU Cohesion Policy to develop infrastructure in Romania, focussing on various projects across transport, energy, healthcare, education, water, housing, communication and welfare development. Meanwhile, the EC’s own research also shows a buoyant private sector. In 2016, more than 89,000 enterprises and 600,000 people were shown to be engaged in Romania’s construction industry, representing respective increases of 7.6 percent and 2.9 percent since 2010. The result of this upturn? The sector today accounts for approximately 10 percent of national GDP, and with the nation renowned as one of Europe’s fastest growing economies, it is drawing in some of the boldest, brightest minds who are powering some truly inspirational companies. Enter Bog’Art Group – Romania’s largest construction company. Founded in 1991, the family-owned enterprise has come to typify the growing prosperity spreading across the local urban landscape. “We like to think of ourselves as a completely integrated local construction company in the true sense of the meaning,” explains Bogdan Doicescu, President of the Board at Bog’Art Group. “We’re the only company that can do everything from A to Z in terms of getting a building up and operating it. Our group of companies manage everything from land acquisition to design and permitting to many components of the construction process itself, as well as project monitoring and 50 | EME Outlook issue 35

property management throughout a building’s lifecycle.”

SEAMLESS SOLUTIONS

Bogdan Doicescu

THE BOG’ART BREAKDOWN

YEARS OF ACTIVITY MORE THAN

600 2.5

PROJECTS COMPLETED

MILLION SQUARE METRES DELIVERED

€200 2,000 7

MILLION ANNUAL TURNOVER

EMPLOYEES

DIVISIONS: BOG’ART ALUSYSTEM CONS CONSTRUCT BOG’ART STEEL BOG’ART BUILDING MANAGEMENT TONI TRADING BOG’ART RESIDENTIAL

Indeed, the sizeable remit of the Bog’Art brand is undeniably impressive. A company in the group such as Alusystem is the dominant player in terms of façade solutions in Romania, while Bog’Art Steel is famed as the second largest local steel producer, delivering roughly 5,000 tonnes of metal every month, for example. At the centre of this growing ecosystem, however, is its original construction division which accounts for about 80 percent of the group’s entire revenue. “Bog’Art is very much the engine that makes all the other cogs turn,” Doicescu affirms. “We have six other auxiliary service divisions that are each fully fledged companies in their own right, but they also work alongside and serve the construction company which is undeniably our core business. “By having a group of companies that integrate all of the aspects that go into the building process, we have found that once clients come to us, we’re better able meet all their demands seamlessly owing to the mix of synergies that our group provides. Everything is tied in to create a onestop shop.” It is this position as an all-encompassing supplier of building services that sets Bog’Art apart. By managing projects from early stages of land acquisition to many years of operation after construction, the organisation consistently delivers client savings, technical improvements and efficiency enhancements by filling in the gaps and lags that can appear between the vast multitude of different associated processes. “We’ve successfully incorporated all of the lessons that we have learned across the entire spectrum and seen where short-term, attractive solutions can end up costing more money than they otherwise should in the long

stablished in 2007, Global Technical Systems is the base company and flagship enterprise of the Global Technical Group.

Specialised in end to end building technology, we are built around a core of engineers, designers, technical consultants and project management professionals that share a common vision and actively contribute ideas. We have managed to differentiate from the traditional Romanian contractor model, which allowed us to get involved in some of the most ambitious projects developed in Bucharest from their outset. This professional setting allowed us to perform right away at highest level: we did our part in the development of biggest hub of corporate office buildings (class A+ BREEM and LEAD certified) in Bucharest, acting as a consultant, designer and contractor for electrical works, security systems, IT&C and structured cabling networks, building management and energy efficiency systems, energy back-up and data centre dedicated (tier standard) turnkey solutions. Simultaneously weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been involved among other recognisable commercial projects in a technology campus including a 1,500 square metre datacentre for which we functioned as MEP integrator. We had the privilege to be involved in projects developed by pivotal investor Global Worth and other major contributors to landmark projects in the Romanian market like Willbrook, Vastint and Skanska â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in relation with the latter, we are proud to announce our current involvement in a large scale fit out for Microsoft. Our fresh, open-minded approach to technological trends and innovations has allowed us to steadily build our portfolio. We take pride in our involvement in project implementation for multinational companies like HP, Intel, EASD (Airbus), Honeywell,

Nestle, DELL, Fitbit, GE, Ernst & Young, ERSTE Group and Deutsche Bank, among others, and have also gained valuable experience in delivering large-scale retail projects for big names of the industry and some key developers like NEPI Rockcastle. Sustainability is another key area of focus for us. As the trends for energy efficient and green building evolved, so were we by developing the building management and automation department into a division called Global Technical Controls, specialised exclusively in control and management of energy efficient MEP technologies for commercial and industrial buildings. At this moment we are fully prepared to meet market demands related to the new EU regulations and highest international standards regarding smart and energy efficient buildings, and already working on the solutions of tomorrow. Among the companies of the group, we have an excellent synergy with Global Intelligence, the software developer for IoT solutions supported by AI research and a unique enterprise platform for multisite technology management called CAVI SMART MONITORING. The future of Global Technical Systems looks more promising than ever before. Our 2020-2021 pipeline of foreseen projects include major projects located in Romania and CEE. We will approach these as a turnkey MEP contractor covering a plethora of new special projects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; systems upgrades, corporate fit outs, smart building and energy efficiency technological implementations, an expansion of our MEP specialised maintenance portfolio and opening of several new accounts both in commercial and industrial fields.

www.global-technical.com

BOG’ART GROUP

term,” Doicescu states. “Identifying these gaps, adding value in between and smoothing out the entire building process is where our brand stands out.”

A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE Underpinning this array of specialisms and proficiencies is the Bog’Art Group workforce. A 2,000-strong employee base, the company has been a pioneer in manpower recruitment from Asia in order to secure its high volume of works. At the management level, the average employee tenure is an impressive 14 years, where each and every individual is recognised as crucial to the success of the business, from the executive management team down to the on-site engineers. 52 | EME Outlook issue 35

AWARD-WINNING AMBITION Bog’Art Group has won a host of different awards over the years. Some of its recent prizes are outlined as follows: • Won Best Constructor for seventh consecutive year at the Construction & Investment Journal Awards 2019. • Acknowledged by EuropaProperty at the South Eastern Europe Real Estate Awards 2018 in the Professional Service Provider category. • Won Best of the Best Constructor of the Year at CIJ Hall of Fame Awards 2018 for a second consecutive year. • Secured Forbes Best Office Buildings award, named as most active constructor for 2018 and 2019. • Awarded Construction Firm of the Year at See Real Estate Awards 2017. • Yearly local awards for quality of buildings delivered and sustainability certifications for each project

INTELLIGENT BUILDING Systems

LOW VOLTAGE CONTRACTOR DESIGN. INSTALLATION. MAINTENANCE AVITECH is a leading and innovative low voltage contractor and systems integrator focused on providing automation, electrical engineering, fire safety, IT & Communication infrastructure, security solutions. The company proposes a complete range of services that includes design, provision, installation, commissioning, maintenance. AVITECH collaborates with renowned technology partners worldwide: Assa Abloy, Axis Communications, Automatic Systems, Bosch, Cisco, Fujitsu, Honeywell, Kaba, Legrand, NEC, Schrack, UTC.

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BOG’ART GROUP

Globarworth Campus - 142,000 square metres

“Everyone in the Bog’Art family is empowered to contribute in their own way through an ownership mentality transmitted by the values of a family business, as well as having a corporate governance standard on par with large corporates that come with the scale of the business.” “At the helm of our activity, we put a lot of faith and trust in our project managers – the closest interface with the client and individuals directly responsible for successfully delivering the project,” Doicescu comments. “Our business model is project based, which makes the organisation flat in the sense that the project managers are fully equipped with all the knowhow, having numerous projects under their belt by the time they begin making key decisions. As a result, we’ve developed a very tight chain of command straight to the executives, which allows for an expedient and accommodating flow of work.” 2019 was a record-breaking 12 54 | EME Outlook issue 35

Timpuri Noi Phase 1B - 40,000 square metres

months for the organisation. A number of its divisions more than doubled their revenues year on year, the group now totalling about €200 million in annual turnover. These astronomical figures in mind, it may come as no surprise that many of Bog’Art’s competitors are

revered international stalwarts. Yet the aforementioned, detail-orientated ownership mentality ensures it stays grounded. “We’re very much a client-friendly interface and not a faceless organisation with high bureaucracy and no real decision makers,” declares Doicescu.

Fire Protection Solutions

FIRE DETECTION AND EXTINGUISHING DESIGN. INSTALLATION. MAINTENANCE DEFLAMMO Fire Protection SRL - member of AVITECH Group, is a

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company specialized in the provision of complete and reliable fire detection, voice alarm, smoke extraction and fire extinguishing solutions. The company offers design, installation and maintenance services that meet the highest standards of fire protection. DEFLAMMO collaborates with renowned technology partners worldwide such as Bosch, DSPA.nl, Grundfos, Honeywell, InnoVfoam, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler, Schrack, Viking, Wagner, Wilo.

. Voice alarm and evac . Smoke extraction . Water extinguishing . Foam extinguishing . Aerosol extinguishing . Gas extinguishing

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Pipera Blvd. 1B 077190 - Voluntari

BOG’ART GROUP “You can reach the President or the CEO of the company every day – we are there. Members of the executive team are very often on-site, and everyone can see and feel their involvement. “That comes from taking a lot of pride in what we do – the end result is that everyone feels they are part of every building built by Bog’Art. “We find a lot of our staff love what they do and carry our values forward in the best light; it’s our greatest benchmark in terms of corporate culture.”

INVIGORATING THE LOCAL LANDSCAPE Indeed, a glance at the group’s impressive portfolio provides visible proof of its perpetual pride. The past year alone has seen the delivery of numerous flagship projects to the Romanian market, including the 70,600 square metre Expo Business Park – an office complex comprising three buildings and an underground parking area situated in northwest Bucharest. Featuring low water and energy consumption solutions, high efficiency LED lighting, low impact façade materials, an intelligent ventilation system, and a fully automated intelligent

building management system, the compound has been rated BREEAM Excellent as well as being an iconic feat of local urban architecture. “Bridge Phase 3, Timpuri Noi Square Phase 1B, GlobalWorth Campus and Renault Bucharest Connected are likewise all particular highlights completed recently,” Doicescu states. “These are all big office schemes delivered for longstanding clients and are the type of developments that our brand is best known for: premium, spotless, class-A office buildings.” Much like Bog’Art Group’s capabilities, however, the firm’s portfolio is likewise continually diversifying. In the retail space, the company last year delivered Bucharest’s second IKEA – a 67,000 square metre shopping centre. In contrast to the IKEA project, Doicescu also highlights an institutional project delivered in 2019 in the form of the prestigious Kuwait embassy building. “This was a very small project for us in terms of size, at just 4,000 square metres, but it was a gem of building with so many intrinsic details and finishes that made it really stand out,” he reveals. “It was a demonstration of the compact quality that we can deliver

STRIDING TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY Bog’Art Group’s approach to sustainable construction and creating healthier, more productive environments is built on best practices that emphasise longevity, affordability and a minimised environmental impact. Its philosophies in this sphere are based on four guiding principles – efficiency, utility, durability and contract – that are met through: • The usage of recycled materials; • Minimising the generation of construction waste; • Minimising toxic emissions in order to reduce its carbon footprint; • The management and optimisation of water and energy consumption in order to minimise operating costs for project owners. Adhering to these throughout each and every project, Bog’Art Group consistently receives BREEAM and LEED certifications, creating structures that are environmentally responsible and efficient.

56 | EME Outlook issue 35

Kuma Romania We are proudly presenting KUMA, a leading manufacturer and exporter of high-quality bathroom concepts (washbasins, countertops), with production facilities in both Denmark and Romania. We have over 40 years of experience in the industry, upholding the quality of our products, which is also attested by the ISO 9001:2015-UKAS certification. KUMA and our partners come with a solid expertise in the composite industry, managing a lean production facility. Our knowhow in marketing and sales are especially tailored for projects and we constantly strive to bring a wealth of knowledge to this market by satisfying the ever-expanding requirements of our customers. KUMA ROMANIA works alongside Bog’Art Group in developments for office buildings/hotels/schools and together we promote the innovative line of KUMA public washbasins made from composite materials. Our range of products is vast and perfectly fits diverse bathroom concepts or architectural visions: from futuristic, to classical. Our models combine creativity and functional design, without compromising the high quality of each product. The KUMA technology means continuous casting between basin and countertops, which brings advantages to installing, maintenance and design. Our washbasin collections have CE certifications in compliance with EN14688-2015 and for each group of materials we provide DOP - declaration of performance; we are currently supplying the top international brands in Europe and exporting our products to more than 30 countries. When it comes to new products KUMA is forward thinking and constantly seeks to innovate in order to anticipate future trends. We are looking at new legislations and regulations, along with trends and fashions around the world to ensure that our product range meets our customers’ evolving needs and desires. www.kumaromania.ro | www.kuma.dk

KUMA CUSTOM-MADE washbasin concepts for contemporary public bathrooms KUMA washbasins are available in a wide range of basin shapes, with single or multiple basins (double, triple and even up to 9-10 basins) continuously cast in custom-made countertops - dimensions up to 420cm length cast from one piece.

KUMA U shape washbasin with long SQUARE 100 and 160 basins / GLOBALWORTH CAMPUS office building – Bucharest

KUMA washbasin with multiple SQUARE 70 basins / THE BRIDGE – FORTE PARTNERS office building – Bucharest

BOG’ART GROUP

Renault Bucharest offices against the backdrop of a year that was characterised by more sizeable works.” As talk turns to the future, Doicescu is also able to reveal that this versatility in project type and ability to adapt to the market will further be put to the test through 2020, with Bog’Art having taken on major works for two of Romania’s leading airports in Bucharest and Brasov. These institutional projects, combined with new office developments that the group will continue to deliver for its longstanding clients, will ensure it is able to build upon the successes of 2019 in the next 12 months. “This year we will be focusing on being more selective in terms of the volume of works we take on, while internally enhancing our organisational procedures. The lessons learned from a high volume of works given the market constraints and challenges will require some rethinking of our strategy for the future,” Doicescu explains. “We’ve got a really exciting mixture of projects in the pipeline to diversify our exposure by client and project type, but we’ll also be using the 58 | EME Outlook issue 35

coming months to pace ourselves and re-establish sound working methods that ensure our performance withstands after such a huge year.”

INTUITIVE INNOVATION Technology is set to play a key role in this consolidation strategy, Bog’Art continually ensuring it strides ahead of the curve by not only investing in the latest process upgrades, but also developing its own tailored in-house solutions. In regard to the latter, it has developed an expansive platform that ensures critical on-site issues are highlighted to executive management in the form of condensed reports that are consolidated upwards from minor issues to major risks at the project and company level – a policy that reiterates the company’s emphasis on employee empowerment throughout the chain of command. “Internally, maintaining dialogue, sharing lessons learned and the transfer of career-long collective knowhow, combined with effective reporting from project managers, allows

decision makers at the head of the company to identify and mitigate risks before they become issues,” states Doicescu. “This is a key driver of our pro-active management approach.” Prefabrication is another technical area that the company has been relying on extensively, looking to simplify on-site construction processes with innovative construction methods and materials that help to reduce manpower reliance and compress construction times. Likewise, this is a field where Bog’Art works extremely closely with its suppliers and partners – relationships that Doicescu himself describes highly creative and collaborative. “We always involve our supply chain in decisions relating to technological change,” he affirms. “For example, if there’s a design revision that we want to implement in order to save costs, time or efficiency of work, then we need the full support of our teams in order to understand whether it can be done. They have the experience and the knowhow to determine what can be optimised.

CONSTRUCTION

since 1991

Aurel Vlaicu Street, no. 87, Iasi, Romania phone: +40.232.230.637, e-mail: office@das.ro, www.das.ro

EME Outlook issue 35 | 59

BOG’ART GROUP

BRENNEKA The Brenneka teams from Romania and France are at your disposal for installation works in the projects you develop: • HVAC • FIRE EXTINCTION UNITS • EXTERIOR NETWORKS • SANITARY INSTALLATIONS • ELECTRICAL AND • AUTOMATION

BRENNEKA - ROMANIA T +4 031 4313095 E office@brenneka.com www.brenneka.ro

Expo Business Park is one of many high-end office-based projects

BRENNEKA - FRANCE T +33 63 52 70 847 E brennekasas@brenneka.com www.brenneka.com

“We have to pitch to the market and find that solution, exhaustively and completely. You only get to build once, and we make sure to get all of the resources at hand involved. To achieve that, we work closely with our professional service providers and suppliers, maintaining longstanding relationships with open and constructive dialogue.”

risk than just providing a service, but it comes with the reward of owning your project from start to finish. By putting together the right partners and right resources we’ll be able to not only withstand the challenges of years ahead but thrive in the face of them. “Am I optimistic? I would say cautiously. The coming months are going to be a time to re-evaluate and rethink to make sure that we continue to provide the best of the best. That said, I’m confident in our ability as a company who takes projects from A to Z while leaving a meaningful footprint, and we’re certainly here to stay.”

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM Keeping an eye on innovations while continually championing supplier- and staff-led cooperation and pursuing a number of promising project opportunities, 2020 is already shaping up to be yet another bright year for Bog’Art. Continually revising its position, methods and procedures and further instating its role as an extensively diversified, integrated construction player will only help to maintain its already revered market position, deemed critical to ensuring that 2019 wasn’t just a one-off year in terms of revenues. “The goal is to maintain this level in the long term,” Doicescu expresses, providing an overriding outlook as our conversation comes to a close. “With persistent confidence in the 60 | EME Outlook issue 35

Bog’Art Centre market in the long run, we want to push our investments in real estate development by presenting our own in-house projects to partners. “We’ve actively invested in securing an ample development pipeline for the coming years and are seeking partnerships in this space. There’s more

BOG’ART GROUP Tel: +40 (0)21 310 45 52 office@bogart.ro www.bogart.ro

CONSTRUCTION

Civil and Industrial Installations

BRENNEKA company wishes to bring quality and professionalism, starting from the idea that work in installations in accomplished by working as a team, the final quality of the works made being influenced by the quality of materials, technologies applied and, least but not last, by the qualification of the staff. The company’s mission is to offer products and services in installations, ready to meet the clients’ necessities and demands. The professionalism and enthusiasm of a profesional team, differences us, BRENNEKA, through being client-orientated, quality and promptness. Benefiting from the experience accumulated along numerous works, the technical staff of BRENNEKA, wants to offer a complete package of services.

BRENNEKA - ROMANIA T +4 031 4313095 E office@brenneka.com W www.brenneka.ro

HVAC FIRE EXTINCTION UNITS ELECTRICAL AND AUTOMATION

EXTERIOR NETWORKS METAL SYSTEMS SANITARY INSTALLATIONS

BRENNEKA - FRANCE T +33 63 52 70 847 E brennekasas@brenneka.com W www.brenneka.com

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s award-winning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

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EME Outlook issue 35 | 61

SCHÜCO MIDDLE EAST

Façades for the Future Schüco Middle East epitomises its parent company’s standing as a leading supplier of façades and curtain walls, transforming urban environments with sustainable, high quality solutions Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

t is often said that first impressions count for a lot – according to the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 55 percent of initial judgements are made by what we first see. In the world of architecture, therefore, appearance is everything. Within the most crowded cities, it is the buildings cloaked in distinctive, complex, elegant architectural exteriors that catch the eye for miles around. The striking geometrics of the Shard in London, spiral of the One World Trade Center in New York, and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Towers are all prime examples of this artistic side to construction.

Rixos Palm, Dubai 62 | EME Outlook issue 35

CONSTRUCTION

EME Outlook issue 35 | 63

SCHÜCO MIDDLE EAST Alongside the ability of façades and exteriors to mould perceptions with aesthetics, however, modern-day systems can offer an array of other benefits to buildings. Indeed, they are now crucial to the sustainability and functionality of many structures,

SCHÜCO INTERNATIONAL KG Schüco Middle East is a subsidiary of the Schüco International KG – a brand with expansive reach and global expertise. Together with its worldwide network of partners, architects, specifiers and investors, Schüco creates sustainable building envelopes that focus on people and their needs in harmony with nature and technology. Schüco’s metal and PVC-U window, door and façade solutions meet the highest requirements in terms of design, comfort and security. At the same time, the company reduces carbon dioxide emissions through energy efficiency, thereby conserving natural resources. It delivers tailored products for newbuilds and renovations, designed to meet individual user needs in all climate zones. Everyone involved is supported with a comprehensive range of services at every stage of the construction process. 1951: Year founded 84: Countries present in €1.670 BILLION: Group turnover (2018) 5,400: Employees worldwide 12,000: Partners worldwide

64 | EME Outlook issue 35

managing light transmittance, enhancing energy efficiency and optimising acoustics. “A thermally broken façade wouldn’t have even been considered in Dubai 15 years ago,” explains Alastair Common. “But now, buildings can’t do without them – they’re a standard of modern regulations, the requirements and demands for which are always rising.” Common himself is one individual all too familiar with the growing capabilities of facades, curtain walls, windows, doors and everything in between. For the past nine years he has been working for Schüco, one of the world’s most prolific architectural aluminium systems companies. “Honestly, I ended up where I am today through complete chance,” he explains. “I was studying Civil Engineering at Glasgow University when I received an offer to play rugby professionally in Edinburgh, which I duly accepted. I played there for one year before moving out to Italy, signing for Benetton Treviso full time for three years. “After that I joined a second division club on the premise that they would find me a part time job as I wanted to begin looking at my career after rugby. To cut a long story short, the President of the club knew the HR Director at Permasteelisa – one of the biggest façade construction companies globally.” Something of a twist of fate, it seems that this critical redirection was meant to be. Today, Common has been standing as the Technical Director of Schüco Middle East for over nine years, a company that he is truly proud to work for. “One of the really great things about Schüco is the fact that you’re working on many different projects at once,” he comments. “We cover everything from doors to windows to skylights and curtain walls, and actually achieving and delivering highly specialised requirements across such a spectrum is easier said than

AVIGIRI Rubber Established in 2012, Avigiri is a manufacturer of international quality EPDM Gasket Extrusions. The management of Avigiri has over 35 years of international experience in the rubber industry and we have experienced tremendous growth due to our stringent quality checks during the production process. We follow a strict Quality Management System as per ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016. Our experienced production team follows gasket manufacturing specifications as per DIN 7863 and ASTM C-864. Avigiri is equipped with an In-House Tool and Die Facility, Compounding Facility, and Quality Laboratory to ensure all customer specific requirements are met. Our continuous vulcanization lines are capable of extruding through either microwavecuring or through liquid curing medium (LCM) – where complex dimensions can be achieved. Our facility enables us to manufacture a wide range of gaskets such as: single shore and dual shore gaskets, metal inserted gaskets, perforated / pre-cut / notched / punched gaskets, co-extruded colour coded and corded gaskets, sponge, silicon-compatible, fire rated, and peroxide cured gaskets. Our qualified design team works closely with client requirements and we are capable of suggesting gasket designs / alternatives / modifications to optimise the performance of the gasket in the Façade System. Manufacturing in South India, we are primely situated with access to multiple ports which allows for extremely quick dispatch and sailing times to any major ports worldwide. Ensuring 100 percent customer satisfaction, we coordinate with clients to ensure maximum space utilisation in the container and suggest optimum packing standards to ensure that shipping costs are kept to a minimum.

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SCHÜCO MIDDLE EAST

Gulf Rubber Industries LLC Gulf Rubber Industries LLC is a pioneer in manufacturing of silicone and EPDM rubber extrusion profiles. We are the only manufacturer of co extrusion and TPE profiles, in the Middle East. Our quality management system is in accordance with the international standard, regulations and directives. GRI is a proud winner of Shaikh Khalifa Excellence Award. We constantly improve our technical expertise in order to continually optimise operational processes. Customer trust is our prime focus to achieve strong business in our field. Our service performance exceeds customer expectations. As a part of the ongoing commitment to excellence, Gulf Rubber Industries is committed to provide the highest quality across all the company’s business areas. As a vision to be an industry leader we share the technical aspects with our customer to achieve positive results of the curtain wall or façade systems.

Marina Gate, Dubai done. You have to be highly knowledgeable in each category. “It is a sector that offers a fantastic challenge on a daily basis; to see projects that start out as just pretty pictures on pieces of paper or a computer screen turn into a reality is an amazing feeling.”

INSPIRING URBAN LANDMARKS With Schüco operating in 84 countries around the world, the company’s Middle East operation offers just a snapshot of the Group’s overall capabilities. Yet some of the most renowned developments showcasing its products have been delivered in this region. This brings us back to Etihad Towers. A project consisting of five glass monoliths, Schüco’s UCC (unitised customised construction) 65 SG façade system was used to complete each tower’s fully glazed curtain walling, the project using 141,000 square metres of glass in total. 66 | EME Outlook issue 35

Completed in 2012, these buildings now collectively stand as one of Abu Dhabi’s leading urban landmarks. “There’s a scene in Fast and Furious 7 where cars jump between two skyscrapers… that was filmed at Etihad Towers,” Common reveals. Asked about Schüco Middle East’s upcoming projects, the Technical Director is also able to point to two different albeit similarly impressive ongoing developments that its façade systems are contributing to. The first of these is Katara Towers in Qatar – a highly complex, mammoth build shaped like vertically standing “swords”, representing part of Qatar’s coat of arms, for which the company is creating a bespoke unitised curtain wall using cutting-edge, custom-designed panels. “Katara Towers is a project that we’re extremely excited about,” Common expresses. “In a year and a half or two years’ time, it’s a project that everyone will recognise globally,

There are a few key safety parameters to be considered while selecting the right type of rubber profiles. We make sure that our EPDM or silicone profiles should be compatible with silicone sealant while bonding glass with aluminium. This needs to be checked by the sealant manufacturer (as per ASTM C-1087). The selection criteria of rubber profiles depend upon the function it is to be used for - static or dynamic. For dynamic purpose, the physical properties such as tensile strength, elongation @ break, compression set ratio should be with higher specification (ASTM C-864). If the purpose is static, the physical properties can be on the lower side(DIN 7863).

www.grigulf.com

CONSTRUCTION

• EPDM Profiles • Silicone Profiles • Rigid PVC Profiles • Silicone compatible EPDM • EPDM Sponge • Dense Neoprene, SBR,TPV, TPO profiles • Dual Durometer profiles • Fire Retardant EPDM Profiles • Molded Corners • Vulcanized Frames • Setting Blocks • Self Adhesive Profiles • Custom Color Matching

National Industries Park Dubai, U.A.E Tel +971 4 8856171 Email info@grigulf.com Sheikh Khalifa www.grigulf.com Excellence Award

Blue Water, Dubai

SCHÜCO MIDDLE EAST

Gulf Glass Industries – GGi Why is GGi still the market leader after nearly 30 years? People. This is why. Why does GGi have one of highest employee retention rates? Ongoing personal and professional development. This is why. Why is GGi known as The Gulf Glass Institute? Passion for sharing knowledge and expertise. This is why. More than just glass, machines and buildings. More than just quality, leadtimes and pricing. People. Knowledge. Collaboration. GGi. This is why.

www.gulfglass.com

on par with the Burj-Al Arab in terms of both beauty and complexity.” Coupling Katara Towers is a downtown Dubai development named Forte D1 D2. Common continues: “We completed some mock-up testing and achieved racing stripe modifications for the Forte D1 D2 façade system, which now shows some incredibly high-performance values for air tightness and water tightness. “It’s a more technical project, not as glossy as Katara, but from the perspective of high-end engineering it has been extremely satisfying.”

PLACING FAITH IN RELATIONSHIPS

Damac Tower, Dubai

While these projects ultimately speak for themselves in terms of the Middle East division’s hugely impressive capabilities, the enterprise’s high standards extend far beyond pristine products. Customer service is another area in

CONSTRUCTION

GULF GLASS INDUSTRIES CO. LLC. +971 6 513 4999 www.gulfglass.com which the company takes huge pride. Recognising that its clientele may not have the same understanding and in-depth knowledge of its systems, customer support is deemed to be of equal importance to the supply of the systems themselves. “The unwavering assistance that we provide is something that helps to set us apart,” Common states. “We don’t just offer technical support for the solutions we provide, but also help in the factory, on-site, and during inspections and testing.” Another key differentiator? Ethics. Common explains: “We’ll always play straight down the line. If we can commit to a project then we’ll commit to it, and if we can’t then we won’t. We won’t just say yes to something to please the client if we’re unable to deliver what they’re asking within the desired budget and timeframes. “We’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we will always be

upfront if there’s an issue, a problem, a concern, and I think a lot of people appreciate that. They know they’re dealing with an honest company.” Customers are not the only beneficiary of Schüco Middle East’s transparent values either. Likewise, the organisation holds its relationships with suppliers, partners and employees in similarly high regard, focussed on maintaining longstanding, fruitful collaborations wherever possible. “Without our partners and suppliers, we would be nothing, it’s as simple as that,” Common affirms, first pointing to the former of these crucial parties. “Their importance can never be understated; ultimately we’re only as good as them. “Likewise, in the Middle East, we’re still a relatively young company – only 13 years old – but a surprising number of people have been working here with us throughout that entire lifecycle. “I’ve been here nine years and

the Managing Director Ammar Alul has been here for nine years as well, because Schüco is a company that puts faith in its people. Staff turnover is extremely low, and our per capita turnover is the highest in the world outside Europe. We’re efficient and we don’t micromanage. Everyone has their job to do and they are trusted to do it.”

BUILDING ON BOLD AMBITION Indeed, this trust-centric modus operandi is particularly important right now given the company’s current growth trajectory. In the past 12 months, Schüco Middle East’s locations have expanded from six to 11 while its staffing base has risen 29 percent. Meanwhile, October 2018 saw Schüco International KG buy out Gibca Group’s 51 percent share, as planned, to become a wholly owned subsidiary within Schüco International KG. As a result, the remainder of 2020 EME Outlook issue 35 | 69

SCHÜCO MIDDLE EAST

An example of a sliding door system which allows maximum exposure to outdoor views

is set to be a milestone year for the enterprise as it gears up to move from its current HQ in Sharjah to a brandnew co-located 1,200-square-metre head office and warehouse in Dubai, slated for the third quarter. “Logistically, operationally, this is going to be a challenge,” Common muses. “We have to continue to do business on a daily basis, so striking the balance between the move and hitting our targets will be important.” In tandem, there are other trends that the company has to continue to stay abreast of to ensure it maintains 70 | EME Outlook issue 35

its position as a leading façade specialist in the Middle East, one such category being the pace at which industry innovation is advancing. “Everything is becoming more digital,” the Technical Director adds, pointing to two of the group’s in-house software platforms as evidence of its technological proactivity. “We have SchüCAL, which is the calculation software we use for quotation and order processing for planning across window, door, façade and conservatory systems. These units are then transferred to SchüCAM through

an interface, where detailed workshop drawings can be automatically generated – a powerful metal fabrication tool for detailed design.” Most important in the eyes of the Technical Director, however, is the regulatory environment in which the company operates. Here, he ends our conversation by advocating that governments across the region should be constantly re-evaluating and updating building requirements to ensure that key structures endure, thereby offering a plethora of sustainable benefits to

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clients for decades to come. “If you look at Dubai, the legal requirements for a façade in terms of its U-value is 1.9,” he begins. “A few years ago, that was not the case, and maybe in a few years it will be 1.8 or 1.7. Likewise, the authorities in Kuwait are looking to raise U-value requirements to 1.6. “The performance of thermally broken façades is improving, and that is no bad thing. It guarantees these systems will deliver better performance which means cooling systems don’t need to be as powerful, and over

a period of 20, 30 or 40 years that delivers big bucks in terms of savings. “For us here at Schüco Middle East, it is an exciting challenge. The benefit of being part of a global group is that we don’t just have one model – the BMW 3 Series, if you will. We have the 4 Series, the 5 Series, the 6 Series, and so on. “We’re readily able to accommodate more stringent requirements when needed and hope the regulations will improve in the coming years for the betterment of the entire urban environment, but that change has to come

from the government. The cheapest products are often used on projects, which is less efficient in the long term. “Altering the regulations, however, can tackle this problem at source.”

SCHÜCO MIDDLE EAST Tel: +971 6 5336659 www.schueco.com/web2/ae

EME Outlook issue 35 | 71

SIBCA

For the

Betterment of Buildings

SIBCA is the UAE’s leading systems integrator, optimising and enhancing buildings across the emirates and wider region with its evolving technologies and expanding technical team of engineers Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

t’s easy to view buildings as static assets. Most of us will be able to think of an office or apartment block that we’ve passed day by day, year by year that seemingly stays the same. The truth is somewhat different, however. Granted, the vast majority of structures are fixed in place throughout their entire life cycle, but beyond what is seen at face value, buildings are surprisingly fluid. Rows of terraced houses that were built hundreds of years ago, originally designed to accommodate families, have often since been repurposed for other functions – as modern apartments or offices, for example. Likewise, many new interior design solutions and heating, lighting, plumbing, drainage, communications, insulation and glazing technologies have been incorporated and/or adapted over time to enhance performance. Looking at a city like Dubai, it’s easy to see how architectural exteriors are reaching new levels of complexity all the time. Yet beneath this, the nuts and bolts of buildings have been advancing 72 | EME Outlook issue 34

SIBCA is a leading provider of fire, life safety and ICT solutions in the UAE and Bahrain. Its mission is to deliver world class, cost effective solutions through long term strategic partnerships. Its vision is to make every building safe, efficient and connected.

at a similarly progressive rate, owed to the emphasis on innovation from industry specialists like SIBCA. “SIBCA is involved in systems integration related to safety, security, building automation, energy conservation… I could go on,” states Ibrahim Lari, the organisation’s CEO. “The critical and sensitive nature of these systems makes this sub-sector so exciting. The continuous development in technology makes the design and commissioning of systems an interesting, evolving challenge, but we ensure our engineers are always ahead of the curve in order to provide state-of-the-art solutions to customers.” Founded in 1977, SIBCA has become a particularly active player in the building solutions space. Through its five business divisions and wide network of international partners, the company offers the consultancy services, products, technologies and support required to improve the performance and safety of buildings while minimising lifecycle costs.

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Simplex ES Net IP-based Life Safety Network High speed, high capacity TCP/ IP based, 100 Mbps network supports up to 7 network loops and 687 nodes Multiple topology support Wide range of supported configurations means greater design installation flexibility

Faster, easier system upgrades A single ES Net node can upload software updates to all 99 nodes on a network loop in just a few minutes increasing system availability and technician productivity

Advanced diagnostics Faster, easier pinpointing of performance and connection issues improves reliability and uptime Easy migration ES Net and Simplex 4120 networks may be integrated using a TrueSite Workstation making it easy and cost effective to upgrade to ES Net

Better Fault Tolerance and Resilience ES Net detects degraded and non-replicated paths between nodes and automatically reconfigures communication to help deliver uninterrupted network communications and operation

www.simplex-fire.com

SIBCA “We believe it is the quality of our products and services and proven ability to deliver projects on time and within budget across the UAE and Bahrain that makes us different,” Lari adds.

PROJECT PERFECTION Indeed, the CEO’s comments are backed up by a substantial and growing portfolio of proven works delivered for some of the region’s most iconic buildings and enterprises. The 190,000-square-metre Dubai Hills Mall housing 750 retail outlets is one such example. Here, SIBCA is providing a fire alarm with integrated voice evacuation and central battery emergency lighting system, due for handover in Q2 2020. The company was also contracted by Cleveland Clinic, a multi-speciality hospital with 500 beds located in Abu Dhabi, to implement another fire alarm and integrated voice evacuation system. One of the most complex systems

of its kind in the UAE, it comprises over 35,000 devices connected to 36 nodes, having been completed in 2014 with SIBCA upholding its continual maintenance. Further, it has provided a number of critical services and solutions to ADNOC, the UAE’s globally renowned state-owned oil company, on a range of projects. “We are really proud of all our undertakings,” states Jaleel K M, SIBCA’s COO, entering the

conversation. “Past works include five-star hotels, datacentres, large shopping malls, oil and gas facilities, multi-speciality hospitals, recreational facilities, educational institutions, international pavilions and more.” Owing to the reputation that the company has garnered from its quality, timely delivery across the aforementioned, its current pipeline looks equally impressive, comprising upcoming works on Deira Mall and Meydan Mall in Dubai Address Hotel

MEET THE TEAM IBRAHIM LARI, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Graduating with a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Georgia Tech, Lari initially gained employment at ADNOC’s Ruwais Refinery between 1987 and 1997. He then moved to Borouge to become Vice President of IT and Automation until 2002 and served Dolphin Energy in the same capacity for three years after that. In 2005 Lari founded Injazat Data Systems, serving as its CEO until 2018, when he decided to take over his family company SIBCA as its Chairman and CEO. MAHER OUSTA, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Having started his career in the US as a financial analyst after completing his studies at Western Michigan University, Ousta moved to the UAE in 2011 to join an IT company in Dubai. Three years later, he then secured a job at Injazat Data Systems as a Finance and Accounting Director, before moving to SIBCA in 2017 to become the organisation’s Chief Financial Officer. JALEEL K M, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Jaleel joined SIBCA in 1989 after 11 years in the academic space in India. Bringing a strong technical background to the company, he was able to help win the trust of leading consultants and contractors as SIBCA became a preferred systems integrator. He then took a long break from the firm to serve the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai (2001-2005) and Qatar Petroleum (2005-2015) before returning to help develop SIBCA’s business in the Northern Emirates. He has been serving as its Chief Operating Officer since the beginning of 2019.

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n 1894, a young engineer working for a Gardner, Massachusetts furniture manufacturer turned his energy towards finding a better way to record the time and attendance of his companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employees. E.G. Watkinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hard work and ingenuity led to the invention of the Simplex time clock, the first accurate and easy to use time recording system â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and to the creation of the Simplex Time Recorder Company. Simplex Time Recorder operated under the private ownership of the Watkins family for over a century, expanding into the fire alarm and building systems business in the 1950s. In December of 2000, Simplex became part of Tyco International, a global leader in the fire protection and security solutions industries. Today, Simplex is one of the most trusted brands in the fire protection industry and customers around the world rely on Simplex systems to help keep their people and their property safe every day.

A Simplex solution begins with system planning, secondary design, on-site installation instruction to system debug, pre-sales and after-sales services tailored to applications in multiple verticals. Delivering state-of-the-art life safety solutions, the Simplex solution has always been providing easy migration paths to future technologies. Simplex systems are designed to be backward / forward compatible to ensure a longer operational life as well as providing greater efficiency and investment protection for our customers. In the Middle East, the Simplex brand is sold through an authorized and fully trained distribution network, and within the UAE, it has been exclusively with SIBCA Electronics. Since 1995, the Simplex brand has become synonymous with SIBCA Electronics seeing year-on-year growth, to become one of the leading brands across the region. The Simplex brand can be found on some of the most iconic and prestigious projects throughout the United Arab Emirates, thanks to SIBCA Electronics.

For more information on Simplex, visit www.simplex-fire.com

SIBCA in Fujairah and Anantara Resort in Ras Al Khaimah, for example. These future prospects are not the sole source of excitement at SIBCA for 2020, however. Investing in new techniques and capabilities is a major part of the organisation’s remit. Therefore, it has also expanded its service portfolio of late to include firefighting solutions and a number of brand-new technological solutions. SIBCA’s Chief Financial Officer Maher Ousta is on hand to provide insight: “Traditionally we were only involved in electrical, electronic and communication systems. However, with the market demanding a single solutions provider for lifelong building safety systems, we recently inaugurated our firefighting division to

provide customers with the convenience of dealing with a single systems integrator. “On the technological front, SIBCA is also moving into the internet of things domain, which will complement our existing data network infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions.”

A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH Crucial to the success of these ventures is SIBCA’s highly trusted, highly efficient supply chain. Internally, the company’s robust logistics department ensures a seamless flow of goods between SIBCA, its suppliers and then its customers in the form of technical solutions. Yet the suppliers themselves are likewise part of the backbone of SIBCA’s success. “We are proud to have had

“GIVEN OUR PERFORMANCE IN THE PAST HALF-DECADE, WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST”

internationally reputed suppliers supporting us for many years – for as long as a quarter century in some cases,” Ousta reveals. “We form partnerships rather than transactional relationships. Our partners not only provide us with goods, but they also provide us with services, training, advice and trade credit. The strong bond between us and them has created a win-win dynamic.” Talk of SIBCA’s critical pillars then turns attention to the group’s ever-growing team of 1,100 qualified engineers and technicians in the UAE. A sizeable workforce, the company continues to nurture and develop its staff via numerous training, education and employee empowerment practices that are reviewed on an annual basis. “A training calendar is published at the beginning of the year,” Jaleel affirms. “Engineers are evaluated by their line managers, who nominate select individuals for advanced level training with the intention of maintaining our core team of technical

CONSTRUCTION

experts across a diversified range of specialisms.” And beyond training, employee satisfaction is consistently enhanced in other ways. High performing staff are rewarded via an appraisal system, with exceptional contributions recognised by CEO Lari himself. Of late, these recognitions have been abundant, owed to the major strides that SIBCA has been taking and will continue to take as it moves through the coming year. It will be a busy 12 months ahead. Alongside bolstering its newly added

firefighting portfolio, the company plans to expand its footprint into new markets (its Indian office set to become operational in Q2 2020) and increase its revenues derived from the services sector. Indeed, looking towards these varied ambitions, Lari ends our conversation on a positive note. “Given our performance in the past half-decade, we are optimistic about the direction of the construction industry in the Middle East,” he affirms. “It’s a sector that fluctuates by nature, but we feel our expansion and

diversification plans should stand us in good stead to continually capitalise on new opportunities and make greater headway moving forward.”

SIBCA Tel: +971 2 4978600 info@sibca.com www.sibca.com

EME Outlook issue 34 | 79

EPSTEIN ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SRL

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Transforming Landscapes Driven by a desire to positively impact the urban environment in Romania, Epstein Architecture & Engineering SRL’s best-in-class technologies, talent and capabilities are helping it to meet this mission Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

Our industry is extremely rewarding. How many professionals in other sectors can point at a brand-new building and say, “I helped build that”? “Whether it’s a shopping mall, office, road, home, or school, the things you build matter to the people in your community. They are structures that will be there, in many cases, for generations to come – something you can be proud of, a tangible legacy.” A career in architecture and design was always on the cards for Geo Bitca. The son of two Romanian designers, he naturally opted to follow in his family’s footsteps, graduating with a civil engineering degree from Bucharest Construction Technical University before enrolling onto a four-year long master’s programme at Beijing Tsinghua University. 17 years on, he today stands as the Managing Director of Epstein Architecture & Engineering SRL – the Romanian division of a global enterprise that’s truly helping to transform urban landscapes. “Epstein is a company which provides high quality professional architectural design, engineering and

Geo Bitca, Managing Director of Epstein Architecture & Engineering SRL, has always been interested in architecture

construction services,” Bitca affirms. “Our main focus is to identify clients and project opportunities where there is a need for long term value in buildings, quality, sustainability, and meeting technically challenging demands. “What sets us apart? First, our integrated service offering covering all design specialities. “Second is our ability to offer tailored AEC and design and build services on specific projects, ensuring the coordination and quality of projects by reducing risk and cost through an optimised design, procurement and execution route that modifies the traditional working sequence. “And third is our multidisciplinary team which ensures a single point of responsibility for clients and a maximum consistency of performance whose sole purpose is to optimise quality, time schedules and execution costs.”

SHOWCASING TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE This harmonious trio of elements have combined to see Epstein deliver some critically important turnkey projects for acclaimed clients across Romania, the MD pointing to the likes of Lufkin EME Outlook issue 35 | 81

EPSTEIN ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SRL Industries (General Electric), Cameron International (Schlumberger) and PPD Romania. And its current pipeline looks similarly exciting. “We are working on a very exciting project outside of Bucharest named Silk District – a mixed-use, 400,000-square-metre development located in Iasi featuring multiple functions including apartments, offices, hotel, conference venues,” Bitca explains. “Each of these areas are intelligently integrated into a coherent build, providing an improved lifestyle to the community. It is a modern, exciting

WHY DID EPSTEIN EXPAND INTO ROMANIA IN 2005? Geo Bitca, Managing Director: “Epstein’s history began in Chicago in 1921. For almost 100 years, we have been providing specialised services in architecture, interior design, engineering and construction to clients in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. “This particular expansion came as a natural response to market opportunities and the demands of international clients looking to work on more complex projects. We saw the role that we could play in addressing the need for long term value in buildings, quality, sustainability and meeting technically challenging demands. “Epstein already had an office in Warsaw, which had been in operation for over 35 years and, mirroring the case in Poland, our bet on the Romanian market was a winner.”

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and iconic development which provides a template for the city of the future and sets the standard for subsequent mixed-use developments which will grow organically in Iasi.” Projects are not the only area in which Epstein excels, however. The company is one of few firms in Romania leveraging the latest building information modelling (BIM) technologies, its staff experienced in using Autodesk’s Revit program for digital 3D modelling. “Revit allows for easy changes to the model that are immediately reflected in all 2D plans and documents,” the MD explains. “It further allows for the 3D coordination of utility systems, process equipment, structural elements, lighting and other systems to avoid interferences and conflicts, often only discovered later in the construction phase of the project.” Likewise, the company has a number of internal management systems, its combination of custom and off-theshelf tools available to project team members and field-base site managers at all times through a bespoke network server system. “One of the most effective tools that we utilise is the Newforma Project Information Management system,” Bitca adds. “It allows us to effectively communicate, store and retrieve critical project information.”

RELIANT ON RELATIONSHIPS In tandem with these substantial investments into new technologies has come a major focus on the simultaneous improvement of Epstein’s talent base. Comprising a mix of architects, specialised design engineers, project managers, cost engineers and SSM specialists, its workforce is deemed to be one of its most crucial assets and the company strives to offer staff a work environment in which they can deliver exceptional work, acknowledging dependence upon them to succeed.

DeRom Total S.R.L The DRT group can proudly look back on more than 20 years of successful building history in the area of industrial, commercial and residential construction. Throughout the whole time it was particularly important to adhere to our basic values of openness, trust and integrity and to apply them in our daily dealings with business partners and customers. This is also our philosophy of receiving orders in a fair competition, and in case to execute the construction contract in a fair and open cooperation when the order is placed. All this, and especially the customer trust, which is placed in us by the frequent awarding of follow-up orders, is the reason for the progressive success of our company. In addition to using trusted subcontractors and suppliers, we are increasingly focusing on executing as many different subcontractor works as possible with companies in our group. With our experienced staff, our planning department and the intensive preparation of works, we can guarantee you maximum control over the quality of our work, as well as respecting the deadlines and costs. Our general contractor DeRom Total is your reliable partner for turnkey construction. If you are looking for a specialist company for subcontractor works, you can also find it in our group of companies. Here is a brief summary of our specialised companies: Systembau SPS - steel constructions, roof and facade constructions and many more; Nipter Construct - HVAC, sewerage construction and many more; Tiefbau System - earthworks, road and sewerage construction, concrete works and many more; Alusteel Fatade - glass facade and window construction.

www.drt.ro

EPSTEIN ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SRL Through this, it has created an employee-employer relationship based on trust and mutual benefit. “One of the biggest challenges today’s employers face is attracting and retaining talent,” Bitca states. “The old strategy of offering a better wage can only take you so far. In our industry, people are attracted not only to a company’s policies and culture but also by the portfolio of projects they will be working on, and currently ours is very appealing. “We encourage collaboration. Every member of the team gets equal opportunities for communicating and participating, they learn from each other and develop their skills, and share talents to leverage the best solution for every issue. As a result, productivity and efficiency are enhanced.” The contributions of Epstein’s suppliers and partners are seen to be similarly crucial – many of these

Silk District

relationships still going strong since the inauguration of its Romanian operations 15 years ago. Listening to the architecture and engineering specialist’s needs, these contractors play a major role in ensuring that Epstein meets the criteria, expectations, budgets and deadlines promised to its own clientele. Bitca affirms: “The expertise of the key partners and suppliers you select for your projects represents your assurance about the expected results when there is a very specific process or issue involved. The sub-contractors we work with are specialised in their area and we employ them to perform a specific task that requires special tools, expertise or knowledge. “Construction is also all about collaboration and relationships. Projects involve many people working together towards a common goal, and their

ability to do so makes or breaks the final result.”

INSPIRED TO IMPROVE Given the contributions of these gifted partners and employees, combined with Epstein’s technological excellence and an impressive pipeline, the Romanian division stands in good stead to take greater strides moving forward. Leveraging Epstein’s global capabilities, it is currently exploring new opportunities in sectors such as aviation and education alongside an expanding presence in segments such as industrial, office, hotel and residential. And the climate in which these are presenting themselves is also buoyant. “Romania still features one of the best potential growth rates in Europe,” Bitca explains. “Major structural reforms in areas like workforce mobility or education could unlock significant growth

CONSTRUCTION

The Bridge, Bukarest

Silk District down the road with fairly little effort. “More and more Romanians living abroad have a high interest in returning home and Romania’s major regional cities are in the fast-track development lane. Meanwhile, looking at the political environment, the country has the chance to promote major structural reforms after the 2020 elections, ranging from enhancing the public health and education systems to big progress in major infrastructure projects.” €600 million in deals related to office projects that could close soon, office tenancy vacancies nearing 12-13 percent in Bucharest, and roughly 700,000 square metres of new office projects announced for the next

couple of years (equating to around a quarter of current modern office stock) are further trends cited by the Managing Director, who is able to express distinct optimism, circling back to his love for construction, as our conversation comes to a close. “Sitting at a desk nine to five every day sounds a little bit tedious – for us, every day is different and brings different challenges. You may have heard that one before, and that’s because it’s true. “When you are on-site, the job constantly changes as work progresses, meaning that you will need to adapt quickly to the tasks required. And at the same time, there’s a real sense of

satisfaction to be had. “The construction of a new office building makes a change to the environment both physically and economically. Knowing that you are making an active difference and impacting the local economy positively is certainly rewarding and this passion will continue to drive us forward.”

EPSTEIN ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SRL office@epsteinglobal.com.ro www.epsteinglobal.com

EME Outlook issue 35 | 85

MEDUSA GROUP

Nobu Hotel

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CONSTRUCTION

Designed to

Inspire T

Medusa Group is looking to impart its unique character on developments all over the world - starting from it’s hometown Bytom, through Warsaw, London UK, Jamaica, New York in the US and Dhaka in India

RENDERING BY MEDUSA GROUP

Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

he rebuilding of Warsaw following the Second World War is a story of extraordinary heroism. Destroyed almost in its entirety by a combination of deliberate German sabotage and brutal, prolonged Soviet bombardment, the Polish capital was resurrected in the decades that followed 1945. Major landmarks such as the Market Square, the Barbican, churches, and the grand houses along Nowy Swiat were remade with remarkable accuracy, while altogether new constructs continue to add to the city’s strands of identity and culture. For instance, hotels often provide an insight into a city’s history and traditions, and in Warsaw this is no different. “The city has rebuilt its traditions thanks to places like Hotel Rialto,” comments Łukasz Zagała, Co-Owner of local architecture firm Medusa Group. “Its history draws from the best Polish architectural values – each of the rooms has been individually designed and furnished with art deco antiques. “Today, Warsaw is already a different city than in the time of Rialto splendour. The openness and multiculturalism of the city can now be seen on every corner.” Rialto was opened in 2003, its wooden and brass interior reflecting the roaring 1920s, and is set for a modern makeover – a makeover which Medusa Group has helped inspire through the design of a new hotel for global luxury lifestyle group Nobu Hotels. EME Outlook issue 35 | 87

MEDUSA GROUP Set to open this year, the Nobu Hotel Warsaw lies in the heart of the historic city on Wilcza Street, occupying a new building and the existing Rialto site. “Designed in our studio, this is a story about 21st century Warsaw, a city that is open, modern and diverse,” adds Zagała. “The impressive shape was created by dividing seven storeys in relation to each other based on the ‘V’ line. In this way, a rounded corner block of massdyed architectural concrete balconies are planted with greenery, which forms a vertical garden in the centre of an urbanised city. “The interiors are economical in form and operate with simple materials like concrete, wood, stone, glass. They were designed in a ‘japonizing’ style referring to the heart of the hotel – the Nobu Restaurant – designed jointly with Studio PCH from California.”

AN INTRODUCTION TO MEDUSA GROUP Medusa Group is an interdisciplinary design studio established in 1997 in Silesia, Poland, by Przemo Łukasik and Łukasz Zagała. Over the past 20 years, its team of young architects has significantly expanded their scope of activity, gaining specialised experience and becoming one of the most recognisable project brands in Poland and abroad. Medusa is located in two cities in Poland, Warsaw and Bytom, and is also active as Medusa London Limited in the UK. To date, the company has won over 20 competitions and has been awarded over 30 prizes, as well as three nominations to the prestigious Mies van der Rohe award. The practice is involved in urban and architectural projects, from masterplans for new or refurbished developments and skyscrapers to huge office parks and residential projects.

REVITALISING URBAN SPACES

According to Zagała, what makes Medusa Group stand out is its ability to develop designs which correspond closely with their immediate environment and fall within budget. Close cooperation with a mixture of different artists gives Medusa its unique character.

Lukasz Zagala

Przemo Lukasik

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PHOTO BY JACEK POREMBA

PHOTO BY MILOSZ JAKSIK

Since 2007, Medusa Group has designed and delivered over half a million square metres of space, with an increasing amount of work now coming outside of Poland in the likes of France, the UK and the USA.

Warsaw is Nobu’s 18th hotel and 40th restaurant, this latest five-star addition being the brand’s first in Poland. It is one of several landmark developments designed by Medusa in Warsaw, another important project cited by the Co-Owner being the design of the interiors of the impressive Koszyki Hall. A bustling, renovated market hall for trendy restaurants and boutiques, street food and cultural events, Koszyki won Medusa numerous awards and recognitions following its completion in 2016. These include first prize in the category ‘Export Work of Silesian Architects’ at the Architecture of the Year of Silesian Voivodeship for 2017, first prize in the “Polityka Architectural Award 2016” and the Grand Prix of the “Architectural Award of the President of the Capital City Warsaw”. “It was important for us to give an additional focus to its character – not as much through contrasts but breaking intuitive patterns,” adds Zagała.

Tequm Tequm has been working with Medusa Group for about 10 years. We have designed and built more than 15 office buildings. This is always very interesting and highly collaborative. Examples of our common projects are: CU Office (Wrocław, Jaworska Street), Wadowicka 3 (Kraków, Wadowicka Street), and DOT Office (office complex at Kraków, Czerwone Maki Street). The Medusa Group team is very experienced and creative – working with them always brings outstanding design.

www.tequm.pl

“During this process, we made a conscious effort to reflect the context of a market hall, as defined by 19th century architecture, in a slightly different way. “In those spaces where authentic elements from the past were missing, such as sections of floor tiling, we tried to find the right replacements with simple materials – in this case, concrete. Industrial-grade floors together with prefabricated elements serve as the background for stall frames, made of rolled steel painted black.” The market hall is also flanked by three neighbouring office buildings which Medusa also helped to transform. “We used the same approach for the office spaces,” Zagała continues. “The simple message conveyed via the architectural design itself encouraged us to apply a wide range of stylisations. “The common spaces in the office buildings like entrance and lift areas, as well as corridors on successive levels, have been designed with the

RENDERINGS BY MEDUSA GROUP

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Nobu Hotel Warsaw lies in the heart of the historic city on Wilcza Street, occupying a new building and the existing Rialto site

EME Outlook issue 35 | 89

MEDUSA GROUP

.KTW PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOMASZ ZAKRZEWSKI

KTW office building complex

Radio Symphony Orchestra and International Congress Centre. “We wanted to emphasise the stage of change in which Katowice found itself, how the strengths associated with the development of new technologies, the potential of companies and people working here affect the modern image of the city,” adds Zagała. “The building was therefore designed to be simple and cool, and not pretending to be anything, while at the same not missing a certain energy and dynamism.” Educational spaces are also important elements of the built environment, and once more Zagała points to a project completed in the Polish capital which showcases the firm’s creative credentials.

‘basket’ theme in mind. The expanded metal sheets used in the hall spaces, which are copper-gold in colour, have been developed to resemble a wicker basket.” Passageways of the halls have been developed into spaces which are inspired by street art, with some of the public spaces conceived as potential art exhibition venues. In Katowice, where Medusa was set up in 1997 by Zagała and business partner Przemo Łukasik, the company continues to work on the landmark .KTW office building complex. Certified as BREEAM Excellent, the first tower was completed in 2018 with the second tower currently under construction, the buildings seamlessly fitting into the surrounding skyline which features the likes of the Silesian Museum, Polish National 90 | EME Outlook issue 35

HOW CRITICAL ARE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARTNERS TO YOUR SUCCESS? ŁUKASZ ZAGAŁA: “Our professional relationships with some partners date to the 1990s and are very much formed on the basis of friendship, a respect and trust that continues to this day. “These are values we believe we share with our colleagues and partners, contractors and technology providers. The success of Medusa Group is not simply the story of myself and Przemo Łukasik, but of all of our employees and partners. “After more than 20 years I can say with satisfaction that the same values define our characters and cement the foundations of our studio and relationships with all entities with whom we are pleased to cooperate. Medusa Group currently cooperates with renowned engineering offices by taking an active part in the investment process. “I think it was this philosophy that has helped us succeed in dozens of competitions, receive numerous awards, and achieve nomination three times for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe plebiscite.”

AKADEMEIA HIGH SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JULIUSZ AND JĘDRZEJ SOKOŁOWSCY

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Akademeia High School Handed over in 2017, the building at Akademeia High School is LEED Platinum certified and was shortlisted in the Best Public Service Architecture category at the European Property Awards 2019-2020, the project also picking up the Architectural Prize of the Mayor of Warsaw for the best public building. “This was a huge success,” Zagała states. “Changes in the public education system in Poland have not kept up with modern changes in the lives and activities of young people. The entry of millennials into the high school system has led to a reformulation of our approach to education and a review of the principle of shaping school buildings. “Everyone works in a system of oval tables, the teachers do not have a teacher’s room, and they remain permanently part of a compact, educational ecosystem. This was the basis of the overall idea of creating a completely different, lifestyle-led atmosphere, encouraging students and teachers to stay in school after classes. “At Akademeia, a huge feature is the centre of the schoolyard – this is a universal element, a meeting place that inspires students and teachers.”

FURTHER AFIELD While Akademeia is very much a hub that will inspire future generations of Polish talent across a multitude of specialisms in years to come, Medusa Group’s future looks increasingly international as well as local. Following the opening of the company’s Warsaw office a year earlier, a new division was created in 2017 to handle UK projects, an example being the Empire House office building in the Whitechapel area of London. Meanwhile, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Medusa is designing a school building and science and technology campus, with other notable international projects also occurring in London, Jamaica and New York City. This bustling portfolio leaves Zagała optimistic about his firm’s prospects, the Co-Owner also pointing towards

the importance of keeping up with trends in the technological arena as well as changing material contexts in which buildings need to be designed. He concludes: “As designers, we are not trendsetters. We don’t create trends, but we follow them closely and the circumstances that context generates. “We are constantly looking for new means of expression, and that excites me greatly.”

MEDUSA GROUP Tel: +48 32 720 30 77 office@medusagroup.pl www.medusagroup.pl

EME Outlook issue 35 | 91

PACE

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CONSTRUCTION

Upping the Architectural Tempo Powered by industry best practices and proven by an array of esteemed projects, Pace continues to quicken its strides with architectural, engineering and planning excellence across the GCC and beyond Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

EME Outlook issue 35 | 93

PACE

he Olympic Games once looked quite different. Today the infamous quadrennial event is a modern spectacle that captures the attention of more than three billion people around the world as the top athletes from 205 countries compete to become the best in their respective field. But it has not always just been about sport. During the first four decades of the modern Olympic Games (beginning 1896), art was considered to be an essential part of the competition, with 151 medals having been awarded for music, painting, sculpture, literature and, perhaps most surprisingly, architecture. Why? Well, much like sport, these crafts require the perfect combination

INSIDE PACE Operating out of its headquarters in Kuwait, and regional offices in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Pace is a leading multidisciplinary consultancy firm providing a range of architecture, engineering and planning services. The firm has established presence in not only the GCC but also Eastern Europe, North Africa and Southeast Asia, providing project management and construction management to deliver funded projects by collaborating with local entities.

of talent and dedication, the outcome of which can be similarly awe-inspiring. Take the latter category of architecture, for example. The Sydney Opera House, Eiffel Tower and Pyramids of Giza are world-renowned tourist attractions largely because they are architectural feats. And indeed, it’s hard to forget those first amazing childhood encounters with such structures: driving over a major bridge for the first time or staring up at a skyscraper. For Ahmed Soliman, these moments were more than just amazing – they inspired a passion. “I’ve been interested in construction for as long as I can remember,” he states. “As a child I was fascinated with large buildings and bridges to the point that I used to build them out of ice cream sticks. “Pursuing my interest, I opted to study Construction Engineering at the American University in Cairo and graduated in 1993. After that I got a job with ExxonMobil Middle East, starting as a projects engineer on the downstream side and continued on to become a regional projects manager. “Unfortunately, I was only working on oil and gas projects with no architectural flavour to them, and by then I had become particularly interested in sustainable design, and the construction of iconic buildings. So I joined Pace in Kuwait in January 2005.” Leaving after two years to undertake a stint at Kuwait Gulf Oil Company to manage large building projects, Soliman then returned to Pace to lead the project management office before becoming Director of Operations in March 2015 – the same role that he is still employed in today.

Ahmed Soliman, Director of Operations

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So why go back to Pace? For Soliman, the decision was a no brainer, not least because of the company’s reputation as an innovative presence within the global

Khabari Bringing Life to Light Khabari brings to life state-of-the-art lighting concepts for projects across the GCC. Established in 2005, with offices based in Kuwait and Dubai, our designers and engineers help deliver project-specific lighting, design and installation solutions. Our services extend to media, façade, commercial, hospitality, governmental, residential and landscape projects. Giving you unbeatable end-toend service, we strive to manage all aspects of our clients’ lighting projects. From design and supply, to complete supervision of installations, we are committed to delivering excellence in engineering services, design innovation and lighting solutions.

khabari.net

construction market. “Pace has always been at the forefront of developing innovative project delivery methods under which complex and iconic structures have been completed,” he comments. A quick glance at the past year provides the evidence. The company has been undergoing a digital transformation designed in line with the Royal Institute of British Architects’ ‘Plan of Work’, a process guideline geared towards assisting architectural companies in delivering high quality developments. To this end, it has been upgrading and overhauling its design tools and software, implementing a digitally integrated delivery process in accordance with BIM level 2 targets. “Digital transformation and its many intelligent platforms are merging together to form an evolving ecosystem,” Soliman explains. “This is increasingly empowering globally dispersed experts to collaborate and

CONSTRUCTION

Bringing Life to Light khabari.net khabari@khabari.net / uae@khabari.net + 971 438 27 785 / +965 22495372

Jahra Medical City

Jahra Road and Jamal Abdul Nasser Street development projects

Jahra and Farwaniya Court Complex

New Palace of Justice in Kuwait

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PACE develop great designs and construction methodologies, offering the ability to visualise the end product and ascertain its cost and constructability with higher certainty. “The industry is changing, and we want to maintain our status as a first mover. Without question, our focus on progressive design quality and excellence is what sets us apart from our peers.” Indeed, you only have to look at Pace’s projects to understand how this forward-thinking approach pays dividends. Travel back to 1992 and you will find the company leveraging state-of-theart technologies in the development of the Arab Organisations headquarters building, tapping into the Ministry of Planning mainframe computer which enabled it to successfully deliver what was the largest all-glass supported curtain wall in the world. And similarly monumental

The Avenues Mall Phase IV

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achievements have come thick and fast in the decades since. The Jahra and Farwaniya Court Complexes, completed in 2016-17 and costing $263 million each, house the largest automated car parking facility anywhere in the world (approved by the Guinness World Records). Meanwhile, the firm was a critical player in the development of Jahra Medical City – a 1,200-bed tertiary medical complex that cost $1.2 billion to complete. “We’re also proud of the Jahra Road and Jamal Abdul Nasser street development projects, which in 2017 were the largest viaducts in the world,” Soliman adds. “These were built in a heavily dense area over a 10-year period, costing $1.9 billion. The design and construction was done in symbiotic collaboration with Louis Berger which was hosted at our Kuwait offices, and delivered under challenging circumstances

regarding traffic management, diversion of yet to be detected utilities and services, and road alignment passing adjacent to royal housing estates.” This latter project also won the International Road Federation (IRF) Global Achievement Award for Programme Management in 2018 – a first global infrastructure award for the country of Kuwait.

COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION Important and impressive as its role has been in delivering an array of esteemed developments extending far beyond the aforementioned, Pace can’t take all the credit for its successes over the years. And it doesn’t, Soliman taking the opportunity to pay tribute to the efforts of its loyal, industry-leading workforce, iterating that the company seeks to recognise and empower their contributions at every given opportunity.

CONSTRUCTION

Arab Organisations HQ “‘People First’ is a cornerstone of our vision and operating model,” he reveals. “This is manifested in the great diversity of our employee base, comprising a multitude of backgrounds, experiences and skills with 37 nationalities and 42 languages.” So how does this ethos play out in practice? Simply, the firm ensures staff at all levels are engaged on a day to day basis, both in regard to project activities and corporate transformation programmes. “Our philosophy is based on an adaptation of a meritocracy approach where major initiatives and internal projects are accelerated through wide and deep engagement of all staff at all levels,” Soliman states. “Decisions are based on the merits of the ideas put forward and the believability and track record of the originator, no matter where they are in the company hierarchy. “It serves to encourage staff to contribute, excel, and come forward with

creative ideas at all levels.” Staff are not the only facilitator of Pace’s continued strides, however. Coordination with specialist contractors and suppliers is likewise deemed critical during the design stages, these parties helping to validate drawings and specifications used in any final tender documents. “We also find that continuous engagement with the manufacturing and specialist subcontractors’ market ensures Pace can better identify and adopt the most efficient construction methods and design details within its practices,” Soliman adds. “Vice versa, it equally ensures manufacturers and subcontractors are aware of ongoing advances in design and ever-increasing high-performance building requirements.”

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM Having found great success in its innovative, collaborative attitudes to date, the company’s ethos will not waver

moving forward. In fact, in the eyes of the Director of Operations, these same principles will be more important than ever before. “We anticipate a challenging market in 2020, with less public sector direct spending and more emphasis on public-private partnership projects that will include private sector engagement within public service developments,” he affirms. “This will change the operating and delivery landscape, and the challenge for both us and our peers will be to adapt.” Indeed, adapt is exactly what Pace plans to do. Local Kuwait government legislation is increasingly favouring sustainable and green building design, recent laws now requiring 10 percent of government building power demand to be generated from on-site renewable energy sources, for example. Meanwhile, client demands continue to heighten, seeking competitive offerings that deliver projects faster, cheaper and more efficiently. “Both of these trends will require consultants and contractors in our industry to devise more innovative processes for every stage of the development, from procurement to delivery, and work more together more closely than ever before,” Soliman comments, offering his overriding outlook as our conversation comes to a close. “For us, both continually exceeding expectation in the face of these growing trends, as well as expanding further into operating markets outside of Kuwait such as KSA and Bahrain will ensure that 2020 is a busy, challenging and exciting year.”

PACE Tel: +965 2266 9600 communications@pace-me.com www.pace-me.com

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CYPRUS PROPERTY GALLERY

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CONSTRUCTION

Building for

CYPRUS Cyprus Property Gallery has grown into one of the island’s most prominent development groups, its landmark projects continuing to shape the skyline of the coastal city Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

imassol – nestled in Akrotiri Bay on the southern Cyprus coast, it is the country’s second-largest city behind the capital Nicosia, serving as the nation’s chief port and tourist centre. Once a humble market town between the ancient settlements of Amathus and Curium, the end of the Byzantine Empire signalled the beginning of the area’s rise, its port serving as a major gateway for Cypriots to trade with the world. Limassol remains a key economic driver, part of a national economy which is continuing to grow steadily despite an expected deceleration for 2020 versus the previous two years which saw GDP expand by 4.1 percent in 2018 and 3.4 percent in 2019. A lively real estate sector is usually a good indicator of economic health, and in Cyprus this is no different. For example, in the first half of 2019, governmental authorities issued more than 2,000 building permits, a rise of 6.4 percent on H1 in 2018. Combined, the 2,000-plus permits equated to €1.2 billion, with H1 2019 also showing a 38.4 percent increase in the number of building units being constructed. This year is set to continue along a similar growth path. In the retail sector, 2020 will see several new shopping destinations, the Neo Plaza in Nicosia

and the Metropolis Centre in Larnaca between them adding 450,000 square metres. In the realm of office construction, by the end of 2020 some 260,000 square metres of new space will be completed and ready for occupation.

BRINGING LUXURY TO LIMASSOL Back in Limassol, Cyprus Property Gallery represents a neat reflection of the wider industry’s growth story to date.

Since 2008, it has received 33 famous awards for its developments across the city, the company now one of the largest developers of upper-middle and luxury properties in the area, and currently engaged in more than 45 projects here and further afield. “Our developments, both residential and commercial, are renowned for their uniqueness and innovation, and we believe that this plays a major role in the success of our company,” Property Gallery states in a recent Q&A discussion. “As always, we pride ourselves on carefully selecting projects that are ambitious, contemporary, and eye-catching, but also boast superior quality and design. This has helped us garner many international and European awards over the years, and we aim to add even more to our collection going forward.” The company’s flagship project at this moment in time is the Dream Tower complex. Featuring 71 one to four-bedroom apartments, as well as duplex penthouse and Sky Garden apartments, Dream Tower residences aim to combine premium aesthetics with elevated

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CYPRUS PROPERTY GALLERY comfort and high functionality. Homeowners and tenants will enjoy premium amenities and exclusive resident-only areas and facilities. Once finished, the development will offer a 24-hour concierge service as well as security, restaurants, residentonly areas and a five-star hotel, operated by HKCY Hotels. And interest in the scheme is already starting to gather momentum – pre-sales are currently in progress, with one in five apartments already sold to prospective buyers. Another landmark Limassol project is the Nereus Tower, an ultra-modern mixed-use tower with panoramic sea views set on the city’s beachfront. The ground floor will be occupied by leading-edge retail space, with open plan offices spanning the first and second storeys, and two whole

What makes Cyprus an attractive investment? CLIMATE: warm all year round. COSTING OF LIVING: one of the lowest of all developed EU countries. LOW CRIME RATES: listed among the safest countries in the world. EDUCATION: excellent spread of private and public provision. HEALTHCARE: public and private hospitals in all major cities. HISTORY AND CULTURE: unique sites, museums and churches in every region. CUISINE: a melting pot of local and international food and drink. NATURAL BEAUTY: from mountains and woods to botanical gardens and beaches. INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT: Stability and security, as well as sound taxation and succession planning

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floor apartments gracing the third and fourth levels of the building. It is also extremely well-located in terms of amenities – 30 metres from the beach, 20 metres from shopping facilities, one kilometre from the local school and around half a kilometre from the nearest bank. Such has been the pedigree of the design, Nereus Tower won the Best Office Architecture Cyprus accolade at the European Property Awards. The project is also plugging a gap in terms of demand for office space. Although the opening figures suggest 2020 will see a sizeable amount of new space being created, more will be needed. The newest project of the company is the Signature Residences. This luxury high-rise comprises retail and office space on the ground and mezzanine floors, and 12 floors of residences, including a penthouse, all overlooking the azure blue waters of the Mediterranean. It sits next to the mail office of Property Gallery. Its location across from the famed Blue Flag sandy beach of Dasoudi means that the golden coastline is never more than a few steps away. The property is ideally situated in a bustling hotspot that is perfect for both shops and offices looking to be in the middle of the action, as well as for residents who wish to fully indulge in all the perks of island living, with a host of amenities at their fingertips. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments vary in size, allowing prospective clients an abundance of options to choose from. The tower itself is the epitome of contemporary style and modern elegance, featuring a façade of curved lines in sparkling white accented by wood and gray flourishes. Generous balconies and large, floor-to-ceiling windows flank each of the residences, allowing an abundance of natural light to stream through, and offering residents panoramic views of the horizon from the comfort and privacy of their own home.

CONSTRUCTION

All apartments are fitted with top quality finishes, including marble floors in the kitchen and living areas and parquet floors in the bedrooms, ample lighting throughout, and highend wardrobes and bathroom fixtures. Property Gallery sees investment in this area of real estate as a means to avoid what the industry terms a bubble, or oversupply of new builds. “The aim is to create a product that is easily sustainable in the market, and not oversaturate it,” it states. “For example, we are currently experiencing a shortage in commercial and retail real estate, while demand is at an all-time high. “There is a lack of suitable office space which meets the standards of high-calibre companies. The good news is that market segments are catching up, and we are entering a new expansion phase wherein new business complexes and facilities, such as Property Gallery’s Nereus Tower, are now being developed.”

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM Looking ahead, Cyprus Property Gallery’s strategy revolves around solidifying its position as a leading residential developer in Limassol and other popular areas of Cyprus, and securing adequate financing to meet the company’s ambitions for growth. It will do this in five major ways, the first strand of the strategy focussing on land acquisition in advantageous locations such as Limassol, Pissouri and Platres. Second, and equally critical, is a determination to maintain high standards of project execution, building on the esteemed reputation it has worked towards – innovation, the company says, will be key to this. The third element involves selling properties predominantly through company offices in other countries and an international agent network, these third parties (amounting to 1,150 agents currently) seen as crucial in expanding Property Gallery’s reach

around the world. The final two focal points are geographical in nature. Limassol will remain very much front and centre of the group’s growth plans, the city still in a phase of growth both in terms of commercial and tourist related developments, a trend which the company will continue to contribute towards. Meanwhile, Cyprus Property Gallery is monitoring markets outside of Limassol, and should appropriate opportunities arise, the firm will consider broadening its horizons across the island to deepen its role as a truly nationwide developer.

CYPRUS PROPERTY GALLERY Tel: +357 25 322112 request@cypruspropertygallery.com www. cypruspropertygallery.com

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MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL

Paul Vermeulen, CEO

MediGuide is removing the geographical limitations of healthcare, its global network of partners and employees helping to bring on-demand diagnoses to patients in 152 countries around the world Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Callam Waller 102 | EME Outlook issue 35

Improving Outcomes with Alternate Opinions

HEALTHCARE

I was always intrigued by the idea of people living longer and longer. In every year since 1983 – the year I entered the insurance industry – the average life expectancy of an individual living in our part of the world has extended by about three months. “People are living longer, but the question is are they living healthier? When I started in the health insurance sector, it was a known fact that around 80 percent of the medical expenses spent on one person would come in the last 12-18 months of their life. If you lived until 78, fourth fifths of your medical expenditure would occur between 76.5 and end of life.

“What we don’t know, however, is that if we now live until 85, does this same 80 percent come between 83.5 and 85, or are we still suffering from conditions at the age of 76.5 and now have treatments sophisticated enough to treat those conditions and continue living?” Paul Vermeulen, CEO of MediGuide International, is well aware of the challenging landscape facing health insurance companies. Much like its fellow subsectors, health insurance has always been evidence-based, where a statistical analysis of what has gone before is used to predict what will happen now and into the future. However, owing to the

ongoing and rapid advances being made in medicine and its associated technologies, such a model is becoming increasingly hard to manage. “In order to keep up with every single new innovation, medical practitioners would have to dedicate 36 hours to studying every day,” Vermeulen explains. “Of course, not only are there not 36 hours in a day, but doctors spend almost all of their time seeing patients. “No single physician is able to comprehend the vast transformation we’re currently seeing in healthcare, and insurance companies are in the same boat, squeezed into a similarly difficult position where they have EME Outlook issue 35 | 103

MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL

MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL OPERATING IN

COUNTRIES SERVICING

152 10 95% COUNTRIES

MILLION TOTAL MEMBERSHIP

CASES RESULTING IN ALTERED TREATMENT PROTOCOL

14%

CASES RESULTING IN SURGERY AVOIDANCE

CASES RESULTING IN A DIFFERENT DIAGNOSIS

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to predict outcomes that are often unpredictable. “Each new drug might be 10 times more effective and expensive than current market alternatives. Yet insurance firms can only set their premiums based on what they know.” MediGuide International is one organisation helping to navigate this testing environment. A leading global health services firm, it proactively serves the trio of parties involved in this evolving healthcare dynamic – the insurance companies, the hospitals and the patients – by finding the closest way to the cure through alternative insights, treatment protocol advice and medical second opinions. Its remote services remove the traditional geographic limitations of medicine, providing patients with quick access to critical information on a range of treatment options available across the globe on a 24-seven basis. Indeed, its offering has become a

hugely important part of the global healthcare ecosystem. The Chief Exec affirms: “In 95 percent of cases where we offered patients a medical second opinion last year, there was a change in the treatment protocol. In 14 percent of cases surgery was avoided, and four percent of the time the diagnosis actually changed.”

POWERED BY EMPLOYEES AND PARTNERS So how is MediGuide International able to offer such valuable services around the world and around the clock? A multitude of factors combine to uphold this customer-centric approach, Vermeulen first pointing to the dedicated team of clinical practitioners ensuring it is able to cater to an array of countries and time zones. “Our nurses deal with patients all around the world at any time of day,” he affirms. “They don’t work all day every day, of course, but you’d

onstant innovation is our path to being a worldwide leading company providing travellers assistance for more than 48 years. We are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year, with 74 offices spread around the world, 1,300 collaborators and medical suppliers in more than 190 countries.

We strive to always improve our services and products, taking into account to prioritise the human factor above all: How to make the traveling experience a more pleasant one? From there on, we work to provide excellent technological tools, with greater functionalities.

We are in constant evolution thanks to a profound digital transformation led by a human team eager to break paradigms to guarantee solutions according to travellers’ new needs through our providers in the communities where we operate.

An example of this is our APP, always updated to include the latest innovation in customer experience. This APP includes TELEMED, a remote medical assistance service, that allows you to have a video call with a physician or pediatrician any time no matter where ever you are. It also provides LOOP, a platform of augmented reality to maximise travellers’ experience worldwide.

We manage the world’s largest global network of highly qualified providers who are ready to solve a wide range of problems, from the simplest to the most complex ones. Our clients only need one contact, either by telephone, our website, or through our own mobile app to get in touch with us and get the solution they need. Technology plays a crucial role in the travellers’ assistance industry since nowadays, traveling experience is mostly a digital experience. We are allies when the traveller is already in motion, and it is our goal to provide them with complete digital assistance. Therefore, we regard technology as one of our company’s competitive advantages. IT is a key ally to achieve our strategic goals and to position us as leaders in the market.

Our spirit as an organisation is to be one step ahead, creating the future, as opposed to adapting to it. It is not only knowing what it is that consumers want, but understanding what they might wish. Innovation is not only technological, it is also about people and opportunities.

Pioneers in assisting travellers since 1972. Anytime, anywhere and for any reason.

MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL

SERVICE EXCELLENCE MediGuide’s portfolio comprises four key service offerings. These include: MEDICAL SECOND OPINION MediGuide’s medical second opinions provide an alternate evaluation of a patient’s condition that occurs remotely, with a specialist team of expert multi-disciplinary physicians at world-leading medical centres helping to offer insight into different treatment options within 10 days. LIFELINK Covers all costs of travelling to world-leading medical centres on the MediGuide network so that patients can receive retreatment, regardless of location. This includes business class flights, accommodation for the patient and one companion and other related costs covered up to the value of $1 million. NAVIGATOR An alternate package to LifeLink, Navigator ensures the patient’s route from treatment to optimal healthcare outcome is as hassle-free as possible, using MediGuide’s cost containment and re-pricing strategies that can help to save considerable treatment costs, which can be substantial if treatment is financed with personal funds. MEDIORBIS A third package, MediOrbis offers on-demand telemedicine services, allowing patients to receive expert advice remotely from this same network of world-leading practitioners.

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be surprised to hear the number of instances where our people wake up at 3:00am in the US to take a call with one of our members when its 3:00pm in China. “They work relentlessly, tirelessly and without fail in order to assist our members. I’m continuously blown away and humbled by their efforts, and our customers are incredibly thankful for all the work that they do.” MediGuide’s net promoter score (NPS) provides the best evidence. Across all communications and interactions with customers last year, the company received positive feedback in 99.13 percent of cases – a figure almost unheard of in the industry. “Our NPS score was in the 97th percentile in 2018, and at that time I thought we can only go down from here, right?” Vermeulen adds. “But amazingly, despite having doubled the number of cases that we took on year over year, our customer satisfaction rating actually went up.”

MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL

Insmart Insmart is a leading Third-Party Administrator (TPA) in Vietnam, specialising in providing healthcare claims administration service for the insurance industry, managing and ensuring individuals and corporate alike are accorded with a seamless health experience and timely claims reimbursement. Our key areas of expertise are: • Third party administrator (TPA) or healthcare claims administrator • Corporate employee health benefits administrator (EBA) • Health and wellness administrator (HWA) • Chronic disease management programme (CDMP) As MediGuide’s exclusive distributor and TPA for one of its core MSO product in Vietnam, Insmart’s vision is to ensure MSO is available to all and empower the insured with the knowledge of disease and treatment protocol available to provide them with a peace of mind. To find more detail of our services, please contact via: +84-2873-089990 (117) or info@insmart.com.vn

“WHEN IT’S URGENT AND WHEN IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT, OFTEN UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN RELY ON THESE PARTNERS, FOR WHICH WE ARE TREMENDOUSLY GRATEFUL” Aside from this esteemed workforce, other partners are also helping to uphold MediGuide’s handsome reputation. Organisations such as Assist Card in Latin America and Greater China and Coris in Europe are a crucial part of the MediGuide backbone, placing their unwavering trust in the company as it expands into new regions, despite it often taking some time for its value proposition to establish major presence. Likewise, the company also works directly with world-leading healthcare centres and medical professionals across the globe, such as the Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, that support its on-demand MediOrbis service. 110 | EME Outlook issue 35

“The relationships we have with these parties are extremely important,” Vermeulen iterates. “To give you an example, I was at a family gathering on December 23, and received a phone call from someone explaining that their colleague urgently needed brain surgery. They asked us for a medical second opinion, and within six hours we were able to provide them with one thanks to the help of our partner MediOrbis and a leading neurosurgeon from the Cleveland Clinic in the US. “When it’s urgent and when it’s really important, often under difficult circumstances, we know that we can rely on these partners, for which we are tremendously grateful.”

FMI At FMI, (a division of Bidvest Life Ltd), we believe in listening to real South African’s stories to continually innovate and improve our products in order to meet our customers’ individual needs. We understand that when faced with a devastating injury or illness, our customers want peace of mind that their diagnosis is correct and that they’re getting the best possible treatment available. You can’t put a price on that. That’s why we partnered with MediGuide International to offer Medical Second Opinions (MSOs) to all our FMI individual policyholders, at no additional cost.

www.fmi.co.za

HEALTHCARE

Claim Administration Medical Second Opinion Health Screening Administration Genomic Screening Tele-Health Chronic Disease Management Medical Concierge To find more detail of our services: T+84-2873-089990 (117) E info@insmart.com.vn

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MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL BRIDGING THE GAP MediGuide’s stature is not only testament to the admirable efforts of its suppliers, partners and employees. Likewise, the company’s own strategic emphasis helps to play a part in maintaining its leading position at the forefront of the global healthcare market. Right now, this approach comprises an extensive, ongoing digital transformation. Here, the company has been investing heavily in streamlining and digitalising its services, thereby bolstering its customer service offering by introducing an app and opening up new channels of communication.

It has been collaborating with Medicus AI, for example – an enterprise interpreting and translating medical reports and health data into easy-to-understand insights – in order to overcome the barriers that it faces by working as a global healthcare firm. “Let’s assume that tomorrow we have to set up a programme in Serbia for one of our insurance clients, and that programme includes telemedicine,” Vermeulen muses. “They’ll have immediate access to doctors overseas, which would create some complexities owing to language barriers. “We cannot expect that everybody in Serbia speaks English, so we have to

“WE HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE OPTIONS. IN SOME MARKETS THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS, OR A WAITING LIST. IF YOU WANT TO SEE A SPECIALIST IT CAN TAKE SIX WEEKS IN URGENT CASES, AND OTHERWISE MONTHS”

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Paramount Health The brain child of Dr Nayan Shah, Paramount Health Group started its journey in 1996 and today is one of the leading third party administrators (TPA) in India and a recognised managed care service provider in the global market. With its focus on quality customer service and expertise in claims management, Paramount operates in 165+ locations in India, touching more than 52 million lives. Our vision is to connect the healthcare ecosystem and its key players with technology, quality, innovation and effective medical management across the globe.

Dr Nayan Shah

www.paramount.healthcare

HEALTHCARE

Welcome to the world of Paramount. This is where the essence of commitment, quality, and integrity blend together to offer world-class health services across the globe. Established in the year 1996, Paramount began by unfolding its Third Party Administration (TPA) services at a time when the concept of TPA itself was in a nascent stage. With the breadth and depth of experience, it has focused on resolving some of the most sensitive & complex healthcare problems. Maintaining highest standards of reliability and excellence have long been the hallmarks of its services.

Our array of Healthcare Services • Cross border healthcare-Inbound and Outbound with 24x7x365 • Business Process Outsourcing of medical claims • Medical Second Opinion • Parahome Care - Provision of Healthcare Services at Home • IT software integration and development - Enhancement and Improvisations on the Digitized Health Space • Medical Value (Travel For Non Insured) • Servicing of Self Funded groups • Management Consultancy services • Medicine Supply Services • Wellness Services and Concierge Services

With extensive competence in clinical care, healthcare technology, and a global resource base, Paramount has been consistently delivering bestin-class solutions at an unrivaled cost advantage to clients from several domains. Wide array of services offered includes beneficiary enrollment, claim settlement, cashless hospitalization services, call center solutions, medical underwriting, and overseas support. As globalization is rapidly shaping up the world, Paramount has expanded horizons to offer affordable quality care services to clients ranging from insurance companies, corporates, government organizations, and selffunded groups. Having proved its competence in the world of medical insurance, it is now making inroads into various other healthcare services, such as cross border healthcare services, disease management programme, elder care programme, medical recruitment services, claims investigation, pre-insurance health checks, medical underwriting, corporate health portfolio management services, KPO & BPO solutions, school health programme, and value added health packages to name a few. Headquartered in India, with presence in 27 states and 165 locations along with a robust base of medical professionals, Paramount is servicing healthcare needs of clients around the world. Over the years, it has carved a niche for itself with its superior services. The quality of venturing into pioneering services has enabled it to successfully service 52 million lives till date.

401-402, Sumer Plaza, Marol Maroshi Road, Marol, Andheri (East), Mumbai 400 059, India Tel +91 22 40004219/216 | Fax +91 22 4000 4280 | Whatsapp No +91 7718806681 | Email travelhealth@paramount.healthcare

ensure simultaneous translations are provided. This is where Medicus AI is helping us.” Another barrier stems from legalities. Doctors in the US can’t order a prescription in Serbia because of legal limitations and because the names, recommended dosages and contents of drugs are going to vary across borders. Therefore, MediGuide has established a network of local partners around the world, ensuring it is able to uphold its services effectively across hundreds of different countries. “Usually when people come to us seeking help they aren’t suffering from the flu,” the Chief Exec comments. “They usually come with life threatening situations, orthopaedics, fertility issues – a lot of different things, but it’s always serious. “We have to give people options. In some markets there is a shortage of doctors, or a waiting list. If you want to

see a specialist it can take six weeks in urgent cases, and otherwise months. So, we are trying to provide solutions for those in real need and are doing this with the help of our partners by expanding our digital gateway.” Ultimately, through taking these strides, the company will be better placed to continue to help bridge the broadening gaps in healthcare, this latter topic forming the basis of Vermeulen’s conclusion as he ends our conversation with an optimistic yet realistic perspective. “Look at a country like the UK. It spends roughly 10 to 11 percent of total GDP on healthcare, and has a GDP per capita of roughly £30,000,” he explains. “Now take a look at Poland – their GDP per capita is roughly half of the UK’s, and the government’s margins only allow it to spend around seven or eight percent of total GDP on healthcare. “You can see how the health gap in

different markets is growing, but we’re trying to offer those who have the capacity to buy an insurance policy in markets like Poland to overcome such situations by enabling access to Western European medicine at an affordable insurance premium rate. “The unfortunate reality is that there are many people who can’t afford this – it’s something that’s sadly unavoidable. But we will always try to help where we can and improve the healthcare situations of those people who come to us in serious or life-threatening situations all over the world.”

MEDIGUIDE INTERNATIONAL Tel: +1 (302) 425 5912 info@mediguide.com www.mediguide.com

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MEDICOVER ROMANIA

Medical

Marvel

Medicover is leading the charge when it comes to the advancement of healthcare in Romania, its progressive emphasis on technologies and talent helping to make an integral impact Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki Healthcare in our country is slowly but surely following the international trend of digitalisation. “10 years ago, very few patients searched online for a refferal or a prescription and even fewer scheduled their medical appointments online. The most important medical decisions were made based on word of mouth or doctor recommendations. “Now, patients have all the information at their fingertips. People are permanently connected, using technology, the internet and digital apps to make their lives easier, and we must adapt to these needs and fulfill expectations. Ultimately, technology can help us to live healthier and longer.” For Radu Gorduza, Romania’s healthcare industry is headed in an exciting albeit challenging direction. A growing emphasis on everevolving technologies has drastically improved access to healthcare and medical information, Romanians now living almost a decade longer on average than they were in 2000. Indeed, Medicover Romania, headed up by Gorduza as its General Manager, is one entity that has been critical in enabling these signficant strides. Operating 36 private health clinics and three general hospitals – one in 114 | EME Outlook issue 35

“Our doctors treat patients with empathy, and we focus on correct diagnostics. Our practitioners are not burdened by commercial targets, meaning patients receive the exact services that they need.”

TAPPING INTO TECHNOLOGY

Radu Gorduza joined Medicover Romania as its General Manager on November 18, 2019. Prior to this, Radu managed operations of other important healthcare players and represented GE Healthcare in Romania. Bucharest and two within Romania – it forms a core part of a major international health services provider, investing in people, equipment and technology with the objective of improving Romanians’ quality of life. “What do we do differently? We listen to the patient’s needs and understand them, respecting their dignity,” Gorduza explains.

So, how is Medicover Romania excelling in the digital space? The answer to this is multi-faceted, the GM first pointing to two recently launched services in the form of e-Reception and Medicover Express. The former, launched last year, is a self check-in, check-out service allowing patients to authenticate themselves in a mere fraction of the time while avoiding crowded receptions and reducing waiting times. And the latter is a service also built to simplify access to medical services, working with a pre-programmed call centre appointment platform to give patients access to a range of medical services within 24 hours of booking. “Medicover Express is an ideal solution for patients who want quick consultations for mild conditions such as respiratory viruses or advice on acute conditions with minor complications such as lower urinary tract infections, chronic diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes, prolonging

HEALTHCARE

One of Medicover’s Bucharest-based clinics

prescriptions for corneal diseases, interpreting analyses or obtaining health certificates,” Gorduza explains. “By digitally completing basic data regarding medical history and symptomatology, the patient automatically transmits information to the doctor, benefiting from a faster diagnosis and treatment.” Another important investment the company has completed of late is the development of its SAM robot. Capable of automatically managing the medical group’s contracts and benefits, it can register new subscribers, change existing benefits in a subscription plan, add dependents or conclude contracts.

“This is part of our customer experience strategy, as the automation will reduce the processing time while registering zero errors,” states Gorduza, before pointing to the company’s active presence in supporting and sponsoring Romania’s technology startup ecosystem. “We work with Innovation Labs – the pre-accelerator programme for technical startups that organises hackathons and mentoring initiatives for young people passionate about technology and digital innovation. “This includes proudly supporting the vertical health and lifestyle segment, where young enthusiasts explore ideas with the potential of

helping to streamline and optimise processes in the medical industry.”

BETTERING HEALTHCARE IN BUCHAREST Beyond technologies, the company is also ramping up investments in other areas, expanding its footprint and improving its offering when it comes to treatment. Last year, Medicover’s The Bridge Clinic, a multidisciplinary state-ofthe-art facility with a high capacity for accommodation and improved patient flows, and its Endometriosis Centre found within Medicover Hospital were both opened in Bucharest. EME Outlook issue 35 | 115

MEDICOVER ROMANIA “The Endometriosis Centre comprises a team of specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology, laparoscopic surgery, imaging, pathological anatomy, gastroenterology, and urology,” the GM states, speaking of the latter. “Endometriosis is an increasingly common condition among women that can create anatomical changes that affect fertility, but diagnosis and treatment is difficult. Overcoming this requires close collaboration between physicians with different specialisations, and our multidisciplinary centre will further our abilities in both diagnosis and treatment.” Beyond the aforementioned, Medicover Romania has also developed a €200,000 state-of-the-art Laser Centre, used to treat several types of dermatological, non-invasive, painless and recovering treatments, and established The Centre of Diagnosis and Treatment of Incipient Pregnancy – both similarly impactful institutions in their own right. Indeed, these progressive steps have been crucial in enabling the organisation to continually grow both in stature and expertise. Yet it doesn’t take sole credit, Gorduza pointing to the role of its

supportive suppliers and partners. He affirms: “Considering the nature of the business we are a part of, its dynamics and the patches that cross the threshold of clinics and hospitals, the partners we work with play an important role in our continuous development. “Given the crisis at the moment in the medical market, due to the pandemic created by COVID-19, we’re grateful for the providers we work and the way in which they are helping us with all the resources they have.”

POWERED BY PEOPLE AND PURPOSE Medicover’s own people are deemed similarly crucial to the success of its overall operation. Owing to this recognition, the company runs a leadership and cultural transformation programme to help its staff learn and grow via tailored training and development solutions in areas such as people management, business management and customer experience. “We do believe that as human beings we are built with inner motivation,” Gorduza states. “Therefore, we actively ensure Medicover is a space for people to activate and fuel their

Medicover is a highly collaborative enterprise, engaging with its people, partners and customers frequently 116 | EME Outlook issue 35

discretionary efforts, providing a sense of purpose to their working lives.” Doctors are provided with accredited courses through which they can heighten their professional excellence. Nurses, meanwhile, are provided with an in-house long-term training programme with relevant curricula and continuously adopted content for its School of Nurses. This culture of empowerment also extends to external parties, owing to a plethora of corporate social responsibility initiatives undertaken by Medicover Romania. “The Medicover Association is dedicated to supporting underprivileged children that need our help,” affirms the GM. “Activities consist of volunteering events through which Medicover and Synevo (our diagnostics services business line) employees are involved, as well as the InCerc Program for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and civilisation diseases in Ploiesti and Cluj-Napoca. The company also participates in the 24-hour Black Sea Autism run, helping to raise funds for the development of a therapeutic beach to help children with autism and persons with disabilities in Romania.

One of the company’s Medicover Express stations

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Medicover Romania makes the most of both leading edge technologies and a talented team – a combination that is proving fruitful across all endeavours

“This is a unique initiative in Eastern Europe,” Gorduza comments. “The latest competition gathered over 1,200 participants in 60 teams, and the total distance travelled in 24 hours exceeded 45,000 kilometres.”

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM For the General Manager, broadening the impact of Medicover across Romania, both via its offering and CSR activities, will garner a vast amount of the organisation’s attention for the coming years.

Likewise, it will further look to remain agile in face the technological progress, integrating new techniques and capabilities wherever possible as part of an emphasis on continual improvement and digital transformation, building upon recent successes in the process. “For Medicover, 2020 is a year of change,” Gorduza affirms. “We must consolidate our acquisitions from the past two years and adapt to new conditions in what is an increasingly competitive market. With growing populations, rising life

expectancies and greater patient demands, the pressures on healthcare are heightening by the day.” That said, the GM is still able to express his optimism for the future. Huge progress has been made in Romanian healthcare since the turn of the millennium, and there’s little to suggest that this trajectory will falter moving forward. “I am positive about access to public and private healthcare,” Gorduza states. “Statistics from the last 15 years show us that more and more people are using our services, and we do not have any reason to think that will change.”

MEDICOVER ROMANIA Tel: +40 (0) 21 310 15 99 office@medicover.ro www.medicover.ro

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AKUREYRI HOSPITAL

High-Class

Healthcare Akureyri Hospital continues to strive for excellence in healthcare services in Iceland, innovating, optimising and expanding in the face of many health-related challenges. Bjarni Jรณnasson, its CEO, lays bare the current landscape Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Callam Waller

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or Iceland, the phrase good things come in small packages springs to mind. From the heroic efforts of its national football team reaching the quarter finals of Euro 2016 and the fabled thunderclap of its 30,000 travelling fans (equating to eight percent of Iceland’s entire population), to an otherworldly landscape filled with glaciers and geysers, this seemingly outlandish state continues to impress in so many ways. Take a look at its healthcare system, for example. Ranked the third best in the world according to the Bloomberg 2019 Healthiest Country Index, Icelandic men can expect to live longer than those of any other European country – a fact that’s all the more admirable when you consider it is the most sparsely populated country on the continent. It does, however, beg the question: How has Iceland managed to establish such medical prowess? The answer? By mirroring a crucial characteristic embodied by its football team – it is successfully maximising its potential. “Although Iceland is a small country, there is generally a good level of access to services,” explains Bjarni Jónasson. “The country is divided into seven healthcare regions, and in each of these there is a large healthcare institution. On top of that, two major speciality hospitals cater to the needs of the whole country – Landspítali (The National University Hospital of Iceland) located in the capital area, and Akureyri Hospital in the north.” Jónasson himself heads up the latter of these two facilities. An individual with extensive background in industrial business development and consultancy, he now stands as the facility’s Chief Executive Officer. “Why did I make the jump across to healthcare? For me, it’s a particularly interesting sector,” he says. EME Outlook issue 35 | 119

Við þökkum Sjúkrahúsinu á Akureyri fyrir 30 ára farsælt samstarf Lyra, þjónustu- og söluaðili rannsókna- og efnagreiningatækja og á rekstrarvörum til efnagreininga.

lyra.is

AKUREYRI HOSPITAL “Healthcare is a critical cornerstone of any community – when families move into a new house or area, schools and hospitals are often at the top of any list of priorities. “But healthcare is more than that. It’s a challenging and gratifying sector to be in; one that makes it easy to wake up and go to work in the morning. You don’t have to question your motivation because you know you’re helping to provide a truly meaningful service.”

STRIDING AHEAD OF THE CURVE Indeed, the impact of these services is immense. Right now, Akureyri Hospital’s catchment, spanning the north and eastern parts of Iceland, is home to roughly 45,000 people for which the facility provides both general and advanced services. In addition, it acts as the primary reserve hospital for Landspítali in times of health-related crises.

AKUREYRI HOSPITAL – THE BASICS Akureyri Hospital is one of two speciality hospitals in Iceland, harbouring major responsibility as a teaching hospital and medical research organisation. It focuses on cooperating with healthcare institutions in rural areas, and participates in the development of Icelandic healthcare and fixed wing flight ambulance centre. Its service divisions include general outpatient, pharmacy, medical imaging, paediatrics, geriatrics, rehabilitation, psychiatrics, internal medicine, emergency medicine, research, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery and disinfection, anaesthesiology and intensive care. GOALS: To provide exemplary services, continually shorten waiting times and achieve the highest levels of patient satisfaction. VALUES: Safety, community, progress.

With this role comes major responsibility, a calling that Jónasson and his team are meeting through a variety of initiatives. “In the last five years we’ve placed a major focus on quality and safety and have made great strides in this area,” he affirms. “In 2015, for example, we became the only hospital or healthcare institution in Iceland to have received accreditation from DNV GL, an organisation providing international clinical excellence certifications. “Meanwhile, we’ve also been accredited with ISO 9001 relating to our quality management system, ISO 27001 for our IT security management system, and have just received certification for our equal pay management system.” Research is another area in which Akureyri Hospital continues to excel, having developed an open forum with the University of Akureyri’s Institute of Health Science Research to facilitate collaboration and dialogue between the employees of both organisations. And it is likewise investing heavily in transformative technologies, currently undertaking a series of projects in relation to e-health, telehealth, the automation of treatment processes and incorporating a host of other digital techniques. “We recognise that the information revolution is having a great effect, not only in providing us with better equipment, processes, diagnostics and treatment capabilities, but equally changing the face of our communications,” the Chief Exec comments. “We’re in the era of the new healthcare consumer – people not only demand but expect to get the information they need online or via social media, and we have to keep up with that.”

A LEADING LIGHT OF LEARNING Advanced research and technologies are undeniably transforming application and consumption at all levels – a trend that’s only expected to accelerate 122 | EME Outlook issue 35

Sölu- og þjónustuaðili rannsókna- og efnagreiningatækja í 30 ár

Lyra, Hádegismóum 4, 110 Reykjavík, sími: 5627778, lyra@lyra.is, lyra.is

AKUREYRI HOSPITAL year by year. Yet, with the benefits have come a multitude of challenges. “The ongoing evolution of healthcare has meant that people are now living longer, happier lives, despite developing more chronic illnesses, simply because the treatments and medications that are now available allow them to do so,” Jónasson states. “That’s of course fantastic. But a major challenge that we are facing because of this is the growing population – it’s placing a heightened strain on our healthcare systems.” So how is Iceland able to rise above these pressures? Primarily, through an

SUPPLIER SPLENDOUR Deemed crucial to the successful operation of Akureyri Hospital is the organisation’s expansive network of partners and suppliers, each delivering critical products and services which are fundamental cogs in the institution’s overall ecosystem. “Our partners and suppliers are hugely important to our success,” Jónasson affirms. “We’re reliant on them in so many ways, from the pharmaceutical wholesalers to equipment suppliers and those providing us with implants for joint replacements. Beyond that, we likewise wouldn’t be able to operate in the way that we do if it were not for our utilities suppliers who ensure we have running water and electricity, or software partners who empower our IT infrastructure. “Running a hospital is highly complex operation, but these organisations help us to do so seamlessly.”

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emphasis on education, proactively looking to counteract said challenges by stemming skill shortages at source. The CEO explains: “Since the founding of the University of Iceland in 1911, the training and educating of medical students has been a major focus locally. Education and training of other healthcare professions has also followed suit. “We see hundreds of Icelandic healthcare professionals graduating here every year, across a breadth of specialisms. And aside from that, many Icelandic students will study abroad in the UK, the US or the Scandinavian countries which has helped to create a dynamic local environment.” Indeed, Akureyri’s own efforts are crucial in nurturing this national culture of learning. The Hospital’s Department of Education and Science offers vocational training to university students and upper secondary students, and it pursues numerous grassroots efforts

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HEALTHCARE

SAFE MEDICINE MANUFACTURING (CLOSE TO THE PATIENT) Read more on ramboll.com/lifescience

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SKURÐSTOFUR

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EME Outlook issue 35 | 125

AKUREYRI HOSPITAL

Iceland is home to a formidable pool of medical experts whose expertise are highly sought after

aimed at inspiring school children to consider a career in healthcare. Additionally, it has also been collaborating with other institutions in Sweden, Scotland and Norway, partnerships that have served to provide mutual insights into successful methods that can assist in expanding the knowledge pool. Speaking with Jónasson, it is evident that upskilling is not the only motivation behind these efforts, however. For the CEO, the empowerment of people 126 | EME Outlook issue 35

is likewise something close to his own and Akureyri’s heart. “We try to constantly recognise the contributions that our staff make and provide them with new opportunities to learn at every stage of their career,” he reveals. “We want to give our people a purpose – a reason to continue to come here and deliver these amazing services on a daily basis. “We’re proud to say that our annual turnover rate is less than 10 percent. And that’s testament to the great work

of our HR department, providing our employees with great opportunities to enrol on countless development programmes.”

A BRIGHT FUTURE This modus operandi won’t waver moving forward, Akureyri Hospital’s emphasis on staffing set to be a longterm strategy. Yet it is not the only way in which the organisation will be hoping to progress, the CEO able to point to a plethora of other efforts that

HEALTHCARE

are heating up on its expanding radar. It is unavoidable that the hospital will have to operate within the confines of fixed budgets year by year, a fact that is forcing it to innovate, invest in lean methodologies and enhance its operational efficiency on all fronts as the demands for its services continue to grow exponentially. Such will hugely complement the aforementioned employee-centric efforts – a combination set to ensure the continued development,

improvement and expansion of its ever-growing service offering, Jónasson himself highlighting outpatient services as a current major focus. “I am optimistic,” he affirms as our conversation comes to a close. “I think we’ve been heading in the right direction. Last year, the Ministry of Health here in Iceland issued a new policy for health services until 2030, laying out the main topics and objectives for the next decade which are worth analysing.

“It’s quite a promising policy, and we’re hopeful that we’ll see it being funded in the coming years. I believe it gives great room for a bright future.”

AKUREYRI HOSPITAL Tel: +354 463 0100 sak@sak.is www.sak.is

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NOVOMED CENTERS Today there is an overabundance of medical centres and hospitals in the GCC region, especially in the likes of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. It feels like there are almost more doctors than there are other people in Dubai!” Spending on healthcare in the Gulf region is rising rapidly. According to a 2018 report by Alpen Capital, expenditure on medical services is set to rise to a massive $104.6 billion in 2022, a marked increase on the estimated $76.1 billion spent in 2017. In the UAE, the GCC’s most mature market, health spends among its citizens and medical tourists reached $13.7 billion in 2018 and is set to rise to $18.3 billion by 2023. The opening observation comes from Dr Mazen Sawaf, Founder, CEO & Chairman of UAE-based Novomed Centers.

BETTER Beats Bigger Through its network of hospitals and clinics in the UAE, Novomed Centers is providing treatment with honesty and integrity at its heart, the company specialising in traditionally underserved areas of healthcare Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Callam Waller Dr Max

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Commonly known as Dr Max, he saw how congested the market was and decided to focus on the country’s underserved areas of healthcare, launching in 2017 having spent three years in the United States setting up the business in Beverley Hills. “I love being in Dubai and the UAE,” he adds. “It is a great country and place to work and I have been here for 20 years, so setting up a local company was always on my mind. Novo means new in Latin, and the reason I called the business Novomed is because we are putting new ideas and new technologies into healthcare.”

HEALTHCARE

EXTENDING THE BOUNDARIES OF HEALTHCARE One of the critical points made by Dr Max is that many of Novomed’s services are not covered by the established insurance system of healthcare in the UAE. For example, the Novomed Integrative Medicine clinic is staffed by physicians specializing in naturopathic and functional medicine, acting in a similar way to how a general practitioner would work in the UK, treating the underlying causes of disease, rather than the symptoms. “By this I mean they don’t simply

look at one area of your health,” says Dr Max. “Underpinning this is evidenced-based practices that work, grounded in encouraging healthy living and movement. “Sitting down is like the new smoking of today – people spend hours on end looking at their computers or smartphones. We look at a whole host of things, from emotional wellness to the microbiomes in your gut which are crucial to your digestion and immune system.” Emotional wellness, as highlighted by the Founder, is another underserved area of healthcare and one that

cannot easily be covered by insurance policies. Here the company, through its Novomed Psychiatry and Neurology (Novomind) unit, runs a dedicated programme out of its branches in Dubai. It is based on the most up to date research from both conventional and natural medicine, creating an integrative approach to long-term physical, mental and emotional health. “There is a worldwide shortage of professional mental health workers and doctors,” Dr Max explains. “At the same time, more and more people are suffering with emotional wellbeing

NOVOMED CENTERS – wars, increasing divorce rates which impact children, and the addiction to social media are all exacerbating the problem. “Social media is particularly problematic, as it is creating an environment where some young people can only communicate comfortably through text. “All these conflicts can at least be partially resolved by access to mental health professionals. Again, this is not necessarily covered by insurance, but investing in these services can lead to a far greater saving both emotionally and financially if it avoids divorce or family lawyer bills.” Feeling comfortable discussing these issues is vital to Novomed’s offering here, its specialised practice staffed by bilingual naturopathic physicians who can create personalised plans based on the individual’s needs. This emphasis on individualistic treatment also applies by definition to stem cell therapy, an area of medicine

Specialists of Mental Health department

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FURTHER SPECIALISMS ALLERGY AND ASTHMA CLINIC: A dedicated facility in Dubai for testing and treating all kinds of allergies, from food and pets to pollen and mould. Dr Max comments: “One out of every three or four adults and children have allergies, and we live in a country where there is lots of construction and humidity, and not everybody cleans air ducts and air conditioning units properly. Looking at the before and after cleaning of some of these systems is actually quite scary, and they can be a breeding ground for mould and allergens.” MEN’S HEALTH CLINIC: Focusing on specific male health issues relating to conditions such as prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction, Novomed’s Men’s Health Clinic is designed to encourage men to approach and deal with what can be sensitive health problems. AESTHETICA: This part of Novomed’s business focusses on a number of treatments, including cosmetic surgery, laser treatments, Botox and fillers, hair transplants, non-surgical nose reshaping, mesotherapy and more. As with all Novomed services, central to its offering here is honest, factbased advice provided by doctors. A comprehensive list of Novomed services and specialties can be found at: www.novomed.com/specialties

HEALTHCARE

Novomed Al Ain

NOVOMED CENTERS THE BASICS Novomed Centers arrived in the UAE in 2017 following its establishment in the USA by Dr Mazen Sawaf, better known as Dr Max. It operates a range of clinics, hospitals and home care services for patients using the latest technology and techniques. Its services are complemented by advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities, including genetic testing, radiology and an elite surgical hospital, stem cell solutions and a sleep lab. Novomed branches can be found in Dubai Marina Plaza, Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah 1, Dubai Health Care City, Al Ain, Al Bateen (Abu Dhabi) and Al Muroor St (Abu Dhabi). MISSION: To provide the highest quality service and honest advice.

which particularly excites Dr Max, one which he believes will come to define the future of healthcare, especially as populations grow older. Indeed, the ability to prevent potentially harmful surgery and deal with injuries early could be a game-changer if embraced as it is in countries such as China, where Dr Max believes progress is at least 10 years ahead of Europe and the USA.

“This is not at the experimental stage anymore and in my opinion will be a big part of the future of medicine,” he says. “Rather than wait for surgery, when the injury is fresh or detected early, we can take a little bit of fat from anywhere in your body under local anesthesia, process it and re-inject it into the injured area. “The stem cell sends signals for the rest of your body to send stem cells to

that affected area, thereby accelerating the healing process. There is an amazing future awaiting us with this and it will help people maintain a pain-free life in their older years, crucial given that life expectancy continues to rise. “Stem cell therapy must be performed in institutions that strictly follow the mandate of health regulations: no advertising – patients should be told that while the treatment is safe, results are not guaranteed. Long term outcome data must be shared with the regulators.”

BUILT ON HONESTY Indeed, Dr Max is a big advocate of encouraging citizens to store stem cells for when they need them most, as the cost of the process pales in comparison to the life-enhancing impact such treatment could have further down the line. But he is all too aware that nobody can have such decisions pressured onto them, his Novomed brand built on the integrity and honesty of its specialists who put their patients’ interests first. EME Outlook issue 35 | 131

NOVOMED CENTERS

“IN MY VIEW SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL – WE HAVE 500 EMPLOYEES AND 85 DOCTORS, AND I KNOW JUST ABOUT ALL THE NAMES OF OUR PEOPLE” This is made possible by the company’s relatively small setup, its hospitals and clinics operating on a scale which means the doctors are not under pressure to deliver appointments and treatments on a mass scale in order to pay the bills. “I don’t do big hospitals,” Dr Max states. “In my view small is beautiful – we have 500 employees and 85 doctors, and I know just about all the 132 | EME Outlook issue 35

names of our people. The trick is not to let yourself grow too large to the point where quality drops and management becomes difficult. Better beats bigger.” Novomed’s hospital in Dubai is surgical, in that it does not admit emergencies, a feature which also enables a thorough home care service to complement its offering. “We don’t want to keep the patient in the hospital for long after their

treatment, as this can cause frustration for them and also creates inefficiencies for us,” Dr Max continues. “We make sure patients are settled at home with their families and provide appropriate medication if required, such as pain numbing medicines for things like knee or hip replacements. Pain control doesn’t necessarily need to be carried out in the hospital, so if we can help patients at home, we do.”

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“The trick is not to let yourself grow too large to the point where quality drops and management becomes difficult. Better beats bigger” This will also apply to patients at Novomed’s new hospital in Abu Dhabi, currently under construction and scheduled to open towards the end of 2020. Beyond the Emirates, Dr Max has his eyes firmly set on extending the company’s reach to Saudi Arabia, his concluding remarks focusing on the new opportunity that lies ahead. “We have identified opportunities

in the underserved areas here, and the simple fact there are 20 million Saudis and one million Emiratis makes this a bigger market for us to explore and make a difference,” he reveals. “The government in KSA is catching up with the UAE in providing better, more accessible healthcare services, driven by the private sector and legislation to make insurance mandatory. We are in the middle of buying land as

we speak, so it’s very much a case of watch this space.”

NOVOMED CENTERS www.novomed.com

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TABREED

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ENERGY & UTILITIES

Clean Cooling

apid urban migration, a warm regional climate and high-density infrastructure developments may seem like three relatively separate, unconnected observations at face value. Population patterns continue to shift towards urban environments, temperatures in the Middle East are constantly warm versus other parts of

Tabreed is showing how district cooling represents a vital cog in the sustainable built environment, its 80-plus plants in the GCC helping to eliminate millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

the world, and regional governments are investing in large-scale infrastructure to futureproof their economies. But there is a common denominator â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they are all factors contributing to a surge in demand for sustainable district cooling. Globally, by 2021 the market is set to be worth more than $9.5 billion, more than double what it was valued in 2016 ($4.6 billion).

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TABREED In the GCC region, this presents a tremendous opportunity for leading district cooling specialist Tabreed to make a massive difference to the developmental landscape in a sustainable way. “With the rapid changes in climate, efficiency is becoming key for effective climate action,” comments Souad Jamal Al Serkal, Tabreed’s VP of Strategic Communications. “We are in charge of the future of our planet and responsible for preserving it for future generations. “The cooling industry has changed from what it used to be, in light of urban expansion and the major developments in the construction sector, especially in the GCC, and the continuing gradual rise in

temperatures globally. “The sector has had to adapt and evolve in response to these challenges and now plays a major role in developing cities and communities – it has become an ideal solution to achieve sustainability goals. And by some estimates, up to 40 percent of upcoming developments within the GCC are ideally suited for district cooling, representing a colossal opportunity for both Tabreed and the entire industry.” Al Serkal and the company are determined to place district cooling at the forefront of the sustainable urban development agenda, and it is clear to see why. For example, it is up to 50 percent more efficient than conventional cooling methods, a figure rising to 70

percent during peak times of activity like factory working hours, busy traffic periods at airports and when high density residential towers are most heavily occupied. And Tabreed is playing a protagonist’s role. Over the past year, it has helped save 2.06 billion kilowatt hours across the GCC, which is enough energy to power 117,500 homes in the UAE. In carbon terms, this prevented the release of 1.23 million metric tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, the equivalent of taking 268,000 vehicles off the road.

STEERING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

These already impactful numbers are only set to increase as Tabreed takes on new projects. “We have established a number of new partnerships with global players in the industry,” adds Al Serkal. “Working towards a more Tabreed began life in 1998 as a single district cooling plant in Abu Dhabi. energy-efficient future for Sharjah Today, the company owns and operates 80 plants in the GCC region, and delivering the first district cooling including 67 in the UAE, three in Saudi Arabia, five in Oman, and one in solutions for the Emirate, we joined Bahrain, among others. In terms of capacity, this translates into 1.18 million forces with Bee’ah, the Middle East’s refrigeration tonnes being delivered to major residential, commercial, leading sustainability pioneer.” government and private projects. In Masdar City (Abu Dhabi), Tabreed has signed a long-term agreement to The past two decades have seen Tabreed build a solid reputation in the acquire the futuristic development’s region thanks to its focus on operational excellence and determination district cooling plants as it bids to hit to become a partner of choice for organisations looking to benefit from its energy efficiency targets. environmentally friendly district cooling solutions. A world-renowned green city, Recently, the firm launched Tabreed Energy Services, a new entity Masdar is a flagbearer for urban providing customers with an integrated set of consultancy, operations sustainability and also home and maintenance services to help them optimise the energy efficiency to some of Abu Dhabi’s most of their buildings and developments. iconic and efficient buildings, including the UAE Space Moving forwards, the company (now headquartered in Masdar Agency headquarters, City) has a three-pronged growth strategy. MAF Masdar City The first element is growing existing business in existing Center, IRENA HQ and geographies through its own operations and joint ventures/ Siemens’ regional partnerships. The second element involves a focus on head office. delivering operational excellence through reliability, Once expanded, efficiency and safety. Finally, the firm is focussed on the district cooling expanding outside its current GCC market. plants will provide cooling solutions VISION: To be the leading cooling provider by utilising across more than sustainable, reliable and cost-efficient energy solutions. 2.7 million square Souad Jamal Al Serkal metres, operating with

THE TALE OF TABREED

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Dubai Plant on Shk. Zayed Road Interior

TABREED a capacity of 69,000 refrigeration tonnes (RT). “We will also integrate our state-ofthe-art AI module control system,” Al Serkal says. “This will adjust the plant’s operating parameters more efficiently and economically to the specific cooling requirements, thus further reducing carbon emissions across the city and beyond. “In addition to the plant, we will acquire the use of two deep geothermal wells located in Masdar City that are a part of a major research and development collaboration initiative, where we can leverage our sector expertise and innovative approach to create unique, reliable and sustainable cooling solutions through geothermal technology.” In Bahrain, water from the sea is being utilised to create a district cooling system that is even more sustainable. “The seawater system is comprised of a 1.5-kilometre intake line from the

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Manama Lagoon area, a 1.4-kilometre outfall line to Bahrain Bay, a 14-kilometre closed loop chilled water distribution system, and an integrated central supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor and optimise performance,” explains Al Serkal. “The closed loop distribution system will enable multiple interconnected district cooling plants to serve a connected load of 185,000 RT. Currently, the plant serves several major projects including World Trade Centre Tower, Reef Island, the Moda Mall complex and Avenues Mall.” One of the other sites being served is Bahrain Financial Harbour, 380,000 square metres of prime residential, commercial, retail, leisure and entertainment real estate.

BUILDING TRUST By continuing to execute on landmark projects across the GCC, Tabreed is not only proving that district cooling

Orient Energy Systems Orient Energy Systems (OES) is one of the leading multinational engineering companies in Pakistan, UAE, Oman and Bahrain, distributing internationally recognised power generation and industrial solutions. We keep a firm foothold in power generation with an installed base of 3,000-plus MW and more than 3,500 satisfied customers from various sectors, and partner with the world’s leading technology suppliers. OES began operations in 1996 and grew exponentially – today Orient has over 2,000 employees stationed at strategic locations in their assigned territories. OES is a one-window solution provider for various industrial needs, including project management, cost-effective operational services, complete preventive, predictive, corrective and situational maintenances with in depth knowledge, expertise and quality commitments.

ENERGY & UTILITIES

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EME Outlook issue 35 | 139

TABREED

AN EMPOWERING ENTERPRISE A key tenet of Tabreed’s success to date has been its ability to foster and mould creativity, talent and skills within different aspects of its operations. The company has developed a culture whereby employees are challenged to grow and learn, backed up by training courses to enhance technical and non-technical skills. Al Serkal herself has been a major beneficiary of this forward-thinking ethos, the VP of Strategic Communications identifying staff development as a defining factor which makes Tabreed a great organisation to be a part of. “Tabreed is also committed to empowering women in line with the government’s decision to establish a UAE Gender Balance Council,” she adds. “This oversees the implementation of best practices and processes to ensure women play a leading role in the development of the UAE, and this is an important factor for me as an Emirati woman in this industry. “Being part of a large but agile team further allows me to learn and grow. Today, Tabreed has over 800 employees in the UAE spread across our head office in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi and our network of plants.”

works, but that it is a reliable partner for such developments. It is here that Al Serkal also praises the critical role of its business partners and suppliers, companies which are fundamental to the successful delivery of its own work, with many long-term relationships being built since Tabreed was founded more than 20 years ago. “Our relationships with our partners and suppliers are a key cornerstone of our ability to provide a reliable, cost effective and efficient service,” she says. “They are chosen because of their excellence and expertise as well as adherence to our high standards of quality and professionalism. “Tabreed’s reputation as the leading supplier of district cooling in the region has been underpinned by the trust that our partners place in us to deliver innovative cooling solutions, laying a platform for them to achieve

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Masdar facility

“THE FUTURE OF DISTRICT COOLING IS SECURE AND SAFE BECAUSE OF THE GAINS IT HAS MADE OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES” their energy efficiency targets.” Such collaborations will no doubt prove vital in the company’s ongoing efforts to expand its influence across the GCC, Al Serkal also highlighting ambitions to grow outside of the region. In India, for example, Tabreed has embarked on a 30-year concession agreement to build, own and operate the country’s district cooling systems. With India being a subcontinental superpower, this represents a hugely significant foothold for the company in what is expected to become a prime district cooling market. This exciting activity, coupled with the traction being gained closer to home as governments embrace sustainable development, leaves Al Serkal optimistic about a bright, clean future.

Citing Tabreed’s strategy for human resources, research, innovation and business development, as well as the aforementioned plans for growth in new and existing markets, she outlines a bold next chapter for the organisation in her concluding comments. Al Serkal says: “As we broaden our horizons, venturing into exploring geothermal technologies for district cooling and leveraging our existing network to continue growing our portfolio, we are confident in our prospects for 2020 and beyond. As a publicly traded UAE company, being a major player in the district cooling industry on a global stage raises the profile and competitiveness of the UAE. “The future of district cooling is secure and safe because of the gains

it has made over the last few decades, with end users experiencing an improved, efficient and more reliable cooling service which has helped to improve their quality of life. “District cooling is now being incorporated into national infrastructure strategies, policies, and the development of smart cities within the GCC and around the world as a key component to reducing energy consumption. Tabreed is proud to be a crucial part of a major shift in the attitudes towards energy inefficiencies in the cooling sector, and is prepared for future challenges.”

TABREED Tel: +971 (0) 2 2020 400 info@tabreed.ae www.tabreed.ae

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ENERGY INDUSTRIES COUNCIL (EIC)

Stuart Broadley, CEO

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Elevating

Energy Powered by data, purpose and a portfolio of 130 annual events, EIC is helping to keep the UK switched on to new, dynamic, energy-centric global opportunities Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Ben Weaver

our alarm clock goes off the in the morning. You turn it off before reaching for the light switch, getting out of bed and heading to the kitchen, greeted by a series of warm radiators. Maybe you rummage in the fridge, boil the kettle or use the toaster to make some breakfast, and put the TV on while eating it, before wandering to the bathroom to use an electric toothbrush. You wash away the toothpaste and leave the house, climb in your car, turn on the engine and drive off to work. It’s easy to take energy for granted – we’re all guilty of doing it on a daily basis. Yet without electricity and fuel, our lives would be profoundly different. In 2014, humans produced and used 155,481 terawatt hours (the equivalent of 5.60 × 1020 joules) from all sources of energy, a number that has continued to rise year by year. To break it down, we would need to burn 24 billion tonnes of coal in order to provide that much power. The numbers are truly monumental, unfathomable even. And at the centre of all of this is one of the world’s most lucrative, fascinating industries, comprising everything from oil and

gas and renewables to nuclear and electrical power, among numerous other sub-sectors and verticals. Enter Energy Industries Council (EIC). A leading not-for-profit energy trade association, it is a crucial player in this mammoth ecosystem, providing dedicated services to over 700 energy supply chain member companies, helping them to understand, identify and pursue relevant global business opportunities spanning each of the aforementioned categories. “The energy industry is hugely dynamic, which means our role is constantly changing,” explains Stuart Broadley, EIC’s CEO. “We encompass the whole spectrum, from long established oil and gas entities to promising renewable technology startups and everything in between. That provides us with really unique insight across the entire industry – we’re able to gain a sound understanding of trends and topics because of our privileged position, and try to act as something of a mirror, reflecting back our learnings in order to help businesses and policymakers make better, faster decisions.” EME Outlook issue 35 | 143

ENERGY INDUSTRIES COUNCIL (EIC)

INSIDE EIC Energy Industries Council is a flagship not-for-profit UK energy trade association 77 years in the making – an interesting history which Broadley is able to recount. “EIC was set up in 1943 by 13 British energy supply companies looking to get into the oil sector,” he states. “Back then, oil was considered to be a fast-growing market, but it had not yet reached the UK where power generation and steam were still considered king. “It was, however, starting to boom in the Middle East, and EIC became the vehicle for helping those 13 businesses to diversify into the oil market and establish effective trade links between the Middle East and the UK.” Principally, this purpose has not changed in more than three quarters of a century, the trade association still helping UK energy organisations to effectively diversify their offerings and better export their products and services around the world. Today, 80 percent of its income is derived through membership fees and the other 20 percent through profits from the 130 events that it holds every year around the world, with offices based in Houston, Rio, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur as well as the UK. “Our membership base consists of 700 energy-related companies, predominantly but not exclusively from the UK,” Broadley adds. “Those companies join us as members as they want to grow their businesses, and we have the tools and expertise to help them do that.”

Stuart Broadley, CEO

A PASSIONATE BELIEF Broadley himself is one of few individuals that has a range of expertise across the variety of industry verticals that EIC covers. By his own admission he somewhat fell into the sector in his mid-twenties, despite having no particular affinity for 144 | EME Outlook issue 35

energy at that time: “I was at a point in my career where I was learning a lot but not earning a lot. It’s why I got involved in energy in all honesty – I had already had four children and it paid well.” Undeniably, however, this opening turned out to be something of a twist

of fate, Broadley having become a leading figure across multiple factions of the energy industry in what has proven itself to be an illustrious career ever since. “My diverse background is a big reason why I love my current position,” he affirms. “EIC is truly a multi-sector organisation. Upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas, decommissioning and a multitude of power generation specialisms including renewable and nuclear all fall under its remit. “Working here is not just a static process of providing the same services to the same companies faced with the same challenges. We are the only entity helping UK energy companies to find a way to grow both domestically and internationally, no matter what niche they specialise in. It’s active, fluid and genuinely exciting.” Indeed, EIC’s position as a catch-all entity within the UK energy industry is just one of numerous characteristics that set it apart from other trade associations, not-for-profits and business development institutions that may be seen to be delivering the same services to the untrained eye. The organisation is also uniquely export focused, for example. “It might sound strange that this is one of our differentiators,” Broadley muses. “I myself found it interesting that we were the only trade association with this outlook when I came on board. I thought why wouldn’t everybody do that? There’s only five percent of the world’s energy production and generation market in northwest Europe, and less than two percent in the UK, so why would you not want to be encouraging companies to export? “The truth is that exports are perceived as being the toughest strategy for growth in the eyes of energy companies. Exports are perceived as taking too long and being too risky, and these businesses too often choose instead to invest in existing home markets, innovating for existing

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EME Outlook issue 35 | 145

ENERGY INDUSTRIES COUNCIL (EIC)

customers, in order to try to generate typically lower returns than with new export markets, but in months, not years. “It is our passionate belief, however, that once companies have established themselves in the UK, they need to take advantage of the global market to fully maximise their potential.”

DRIVING FORWARD WITH DATA This begs the question – how does the organisation go about achieving its goals? How does it help to expand and diversify the capabilities of UK energy organisations in order to broaden their horizons both domestically and overseas? An ultimately complex question, its answer can be summarised into two 146 | EME Outlook issue 35

broad categories. “First is our focus on data,” the Chief Exec declares. “It’s a relatively new focus, but one that’s moved us from being purely a business support establishment to an insights-driven organisation, able to provide critical information to customers on any market or sector.” Here, Broadley is referring to EIC’s three key market intelligence tools – DataStream, AssetMap and SupplyMap. The former is a leading project tracking database, containing information on energy projects from the inception stage all the way through to completion. Updated daily by expert analysts in London, Kuala Lumpur, Houston, Rio de Janeiro and Dubai, it

holds data on over 8,700 active and future CAPEX projects in all energy sectors around the world. AssetMap, meanwhile, is an operations and maintenance database mapping all major facilities across all energy sectors in the UK, Norway, Brazil, and Gulf of Mexico, ASEAN and GCC states. Likewise, it is a fully interactive tool, updated with daily information about existing facilities and key contracts that enables EIC members to find out who to do business with and contact them. Thirdly, SupplyMap, the Council’s latest offering, is a verified map of more than 3,500 UK energy sector supply chain companies, able to provide unparalleled insight into the UK’s capabilities and useful in conducting

ENERGY & UTILITIES

market analysis and research. “There’s a lot of data here to help industry stakeholders: which customers to target, in which country and which sector, and whether their demands will fit in with the existing offerings of our members,” the CEO adds. “These tools give critical information designed to inspire a much higher chance of short- and long-term success.”

EVENTS WITH RELEVANCE EIC’s growing nous for data has also helped to enhance its second crucial offering. Alongside its market intelligence apparatus, it hosts 130 industry leading events all around the world on an annual basis, its data insights being

used to create informed agendas that satisfy the interests of its members. “We have four flagship events within this portfolio,” Broadley reveals. “The first is the EIC National Awards Dinner, a high-profile conference in London celebrating the successes of UK energy companies. Up until four years ago it was less about the awards and more about networking, but we’ve changed that, and now look to really understand and showcase the inspiring stories of businesses that are doing great things in spite of the tough markets that they face.” Instead of firms simply applying for

awards within the eight available categories, an in-depth interview process now takes place, led by the Council, that facilitates a better understanding of each company’s narrative and progress. In introducing this, EIC has also been able to develop an impressive series of industry insight reports named Survive and Thrive, that highlights the most popular growth strategies used by companies in tough markets, enhanced with a broader analysis of common pain points and trends that are revealed by these discussions. EME Outlook issue 35 | 147

ENERGY INDUSTRIES COUNCIL (EIC) “This leads me on to our second flagship event, Energy Exports Conference, which is a direct outcome of Survive and Thrive,” Broadley explains. “Our realisation that export-led growth was a particularly unpopular growth strategy came from compiling these reports. It was a shock to the government, to us and to other authorities including Oil & Gas UK, Oil & Gas Authority and the Department of International Trade. “We collectively set out to see if anything tangible could be done to kickstart a greater focus on exports and came up with the idea of launching a brand new, collaborative event that EIC was selected to spearhead as the organising partner.” Launched last year, the inaugural conference held in Aberdeen welcomed eight inward delegations including ARAMCO, ADNOC and PETRONAS, 350 British supply chain companies and 1,000 attendees over the course of two days. This year’s edition will look to

build on that success, targeting an increased 20 inward delegations that are expected to present $500 billion worth of project opportunities. “We’ve also been running UK national pavilions at all major energy conferences globally, aligned with the UK government, for more than 20 years,” Broadley adds, eluding to the third of the organisation’s flagships. “These entail eight to 10 exhibitions annually, including one at ADIPEC where in November we had close to 130 UK companies represented across the show, making the UK the third largest country present in terms of representation. “Meanwhile, the UK is indeed the largest country represented at the US equivalent – Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston.” Fourthly, EIC runs a series of events named Connect. A calendar of 12 conferences focused on key energy markets globally, they are formulated from government-to-government relations

that links a country’s energy ministry to each event and help to ensure full commitment from all the key stakeholders in each region. “We regularly host what embassies describe as the largest ever UK inward delegations when we run these Connect events,” the Chief Exec adds. “At the moment, we’re able to bring around 75 British entities to each of the participating countries every year through Connect, with our Indonesia, Mexico and Abu Dhabi editions all having been successfully completed in the past six weeks.”

MAXIMISING THE OPPORTUNITY Speaking with Broadley, it is clear that EIC takes great pride in enabling innovation, collaboration and progression for the betterment of the energy industry, both in the UK and internationally. In the past four years alone, the association’s data-based capabilities and events portfolio have been bolstered substantially. Yet the Council is not done here, the CEO instating that his teams will continually strive to deliver enhanced products and services to its member network and help to provide the solid foundations from which emerging trends may flourish. “The focus for us right now is on the topic of energy transition,” he reveals. “Let me explain… following the 2014 oil crash, 2015 and 2016 saw an average 30 percent reduction in project and supply chain costs as

“WE REGULARLY HOST WHAT EMBASSIES DESCRIBE AS THE LARGEST EVER UK INWARD DELEGATIONS WHEN WE RUN THESE CONNECT EVENTS” 148 | EME Outlook issue 35

ENERGY & UTILITIES

industry players looked to consolidate their operations. It was actually a very effective two-year period, but it wasn’t sustainable – at some point companies needed to start growing again. “This came in 2017, when attentions turned to investing in much needed cycles of growth. At that time it looked like it would be from decommissioning, but the more stable oil price and high decommissioning costs delayed expected decommissioning activity, so failed to provide the growth needed by the service sector. 2018 was then the year of data and digital transformation, but again there wasn’t exactly a wave of growth as uptake with new technologies was gradual and risk averse rather than bold and overriding. “So here we are in 2020, now in the era of energy transition which may well be the opportunity that everyone’s been waiting for from a supply chain point of view.” Indeed, the subject cannot be ignored. Operators are having to take energy transition seriously owed to growing activism related to the climate emergency, and a desire for diversification away from fossil fuels such as coal and crude oil which currently comprise an alarming portion of global output. For EIC, however, the primary concern is to ensure that this new phase does not follow in the same unsuccessful footsteps as decommissioning and industry digitalisation.

“I DO BELIEVE THAT WE’RE NOW IN A MINI INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AS A RESULT OF DECARBONISATION, AND THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WILL BE CRUCIAL” “We’ve got to be careful that in two years’ time we’re not looking back and once again saying nothing really happened because it was too hard, too risky, or uneconomical for operators,” Broadley comments. “We’re looking at what energy transition is; what it could be; what technologies and solutions are out there; what policies, legislation and funding models the government may choose as the most effective way of ensuring it happens at the right time, and in the right way.” Why? Well, in the eyes of the CEO, it’s about more than just preventing any further delay in energy transition. It’s equally about positioning the UK as a leader in the development of energy transition policy and technology, creating local, exportable capabilities for the future. “I do believe that we’re now in a mini industrial revolution as a result of decarbonisation, and the next five

years will be crucial, not only in the way of action and investment but also in regard to making the right decisions,” he states. “Right now, the UK government is moving in the right direction. Glasgow will be hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this year, and has pledged a carbon net zero goal for 2050 – a sign that it’s serious about showing global leadership in decarbonisation. “But we need to move beyond that; to go inside the energy industry and invest so British companies have the support they need to develop new technologies in demanding fields such as a hydrogen, CCUS, offshore wind, energy storage and nuclear small modular reactors. “Each of these will be carefully looked at, and I believe that if at least two of those are invested in heavily and the UK chooses to become world leaders in the technology development, then we’ll be set for a very exciting decade ahead.”

ENERGY INDUSTRIES COUNCIL (EIC) Tel: +44 (0)20 7091 8600 info@the-eic.com www.the-eic.com

EME Outlook issue 35 | 149

AFGLOBAL

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OIL & GAS

AFGlobal has been supplying major oil and gas players with technology, services and manufacturing capabilities for several decades, with 2020 earmarked as a new chapter for the company Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: David Knott With over 13 years in the oil and gas industry, I was asked to join AFGlobal (AFG) in 2019 and, having collaborated with them on previous projects, I knew they were not only a good company to work with, but also a company that was going places. “I was very eager to bring my contacts and wealth of knowledge of the industry here. We have room to grow in the industry, and 2020 will be a new chapter for us.” Mark Lamyman is in no doubt about the future prospects of AFGlobal. Joining the American oil and gas OEM as International Business Development Manager, he is determined to build on what has been a vibrant year for the firm, the UK office where he is based registering a number of landmark achievements. The most impressive? Being told by a British oil and gas giant that AFGlobal was its best supplier of 2019, a feat which Lamyman puts down to the company’s agile, forward-thinking approach that he believes will result in repeat performance this year. “We find original answers to client problems,” he says, drawing on his previous experience dealing with AFGlobal as a customer.

“We can engineer most things for any client needs, as we are an independent company with large engineering knowhow, which also helps us to set new standards and deliver superior value to clients and employees while creating positive change for the industry. “This I feel sets us apart from other companies within the sector, and we will keep pushing for more success in new regions with my 2020 business development strategy. From previous experience AFGlobal is incredibly flexible with the client – if you need a face-to-face meeting, we will be there, if the client needs us to design something that has not been done or proven before, we can do it.”

AFG IN ACTION A glance at the current roster of projects proves Lamyman’s point. For example, the UK office is driving a development with the potential to change the industry and how subsea pipes are connected. Situated offshore in Southeast Asia, the joint venture involves a partnership with Aberdeen-based Cortez Subsea to produce an innovative solution for a Malaysian client. EME Outlook issue 35 | 151

AFGLOBAL The product in question is a subsea stinger deployed diverless connection (SDDC) system, the major benefit being the removal of diver operations resulting in a safer operation that costs 20 percent less than conventional methods. It uses the tried and tested AFGlobal Retlock subsea clamp, which has been in service for over 25 years with a proven track record of accomplishment throughout the Gulf of Mexico, UK North Sea and Norwegian sectors. Back home in Houston, the company announced in September 2019 the signing of a lease agreement with Drill-Quip to assume responsibility

Houston-based AFGlobal provides technology, products, and services with fully integrated manufacturing capabilities to clients around the world, predominantly serving the oil and gas industry, along with general industrial, aerospace and power generation sectors. The firm employs around 1,000 people across 20 sites worldwide and is particularly well-known for its Retlock clamps and Taper-Lok flange products, the latter being used in heat exchangers for more than 40 years. PURPOSE: “We use our forward thinking and innovative, agile approach to find original answers to client problems. We aim to set new standards and deliver superior value to our clients, employees and shareholders while creating positive change for the industry.” CORE VALUES: Safety, ethical behaviour, operational excellence, ingenuity, accountability.

152 | EME Outlook issue 35

for its local forging operations, a deal which could see AFG acquire the assets if desired. “AFGlobal also has other major projects ongoing throughout the world,” Lamyman adds. “In 2019, Petrobras awarded us approval for our Active Control Device (ACD) for use on their wells in Brazil. This approval follows rigorous testing reviews at our Advanced Technology Centre in Houston. “Awards and approvals just keep coming our way but, with that said, it is all about the efforts our staff put into their work to accomplish this.” Indeed, Lamyman describes his colleagues in the UK office as some of the best people he has ever worked with, AFG priding itself on staff development and training. “Certainly, in the UK offices, we hold sales, engineering and project meetings and presentations with all our staff,” he continues. “This gives vital information to our employees on what the market is doing, who our target market is, what projects we are bidding on, and more.

Destec Engineering Ltd Making and maintaining the right connection Destec Engineering Ltd specialises in the design and manufacture of highpressure containment and on-site machining products for clients within the oil, chemical, petrochemical, power generation, steel, and marine industries. Since 1969, it has been committed to offering only the highest quality portable machine tools, and now offers a versatile range that can undertake most machine shop operations on-site. Boasting a fully equipped machine workshop with a wide selection of CNC lathes, vertical boring and milling machines, Destec Engineering also features a highly experienced in-house design team. This team offers supporting calculations and stress analysis for products, using AutoCad, Inventor, Cosmos M finite element analysis and many other in-house developed computer programmes. Indeed, they are actively engaged in the design and development of products, including building and operating test rigs. As well as its extensive range of products and design services, Destec Engineering also offers other associated on-site services, including bolt tensioning, on-line leak sealing, polymer coating and repairs, and welding. This worldwide service operates throughout all industries, using multi-disciplinary and trained technicians. If you would like information on Destec Engineering’s full range of products and services, head to the website or get in touch using the contact details below.

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AFGLOBAL “All staff, from administration to shop floor, are involved so they know what is going on within the company. They are also all given training on the industry that we work in to give them that extra knowledge of who our customers are and where our products are used.” Crucially, all employees are trained in HSE practices, AFGlobal’s uncompromising approach to safety resulting in the UK’s seven-man offshore team carrying out over 12,000 hours of work without any incidents.

FUTUREPROOFING As well as people, AFGlobal continues to invest heavily in technology, commitments which will serve to safeguard the company’s future and enable it to better serve clients. Last year saw AFG invest in modern manufacturing systems for the UK facility in order to remain competitive, vital in the eyes of Lamyman if the firm is to continue winning business in what is now a fast-moving global oil and gas industry. “We have a very good range of products for the industries we supply,

MARK LAMYMAN: “Procurement is at the heart of our organisation and developing strong relationships with our key partners is crucial to keeping a competitive edge in our industry. “Our procurement team work on a category basis with our suppliers to forge solid relationships, which allows us to build a robust partnership-based supply chain that offers expedient, quality products that are cost effective for our business and end users.”

154 | EME Outlook issue 35

but without new products and technology we would eventually be left behind,” he explains. “This is one reason we are engineering new products. Sometimes you don’t always see straightaway what is missing and what is needed in the industry, but by listening to the client you will soon find out and come up with ideas. “If they have had leaking issues from a competitor’s product then we can assist with this and if we do not have the product to fix the issue, then we can come up with a design and the technology to get the problem solved.” Sustaining this commitment to innovation is central to AFG’s 2020 ambitions, the company also looking to improve its environmental footprint and gain ISO 14001 certification by July.

On the business development front, Lamyman highlights several promising avenues of activity for the year ahead. “We hope to sign agent agreements for Qatar, UAE and Singapore to give us a wider reach,” he says. “I am in talks with potential agents in all areas and should have it secured by May. We will be visiting these regions throughout the year to give the agents the full AFG support to get the results we need and to get the Taper-Lok product into new regions.” Developing a new range of TaperLok solutions is also high on the priority list. By the middle of 2020, Lamyman aims to have the designs approved for subsea and petrochemical applications, something he sees as critical to keeping ahead in the oil and gas arena.

OIL & GAS

Ultimately, it is his mission to get the product in front of as many oil majors as possible. “It’s an interesting one because it has been around since the 1960s, and companies are either using it all the time or have never used it,” Lamyman adds. “We have had some recent success with Reliance Industries in India with this, as they had leaking issues on a

heat exchanger and we convinced them to try the Taper-Lok seals. There have been no leaking problems since and they are gradually changing out all heat exchanger seals to our system.” As the new 2020 chapter unfolds, AFG and Lamyman hope and expect Reliance to be one of many clients added to their portfolio of satisfied clients.

AFGLOBAL Tel: +44 (0)151 343 1810 proposals@afglobalcorp.com www.afglobalcorp.com

EME Outlook issue 35 | 155

CYRUS GROUP OF COMPANIES

Empowered by

INNOVATION Through its dedication to innovation, employee development and sustainable thinking, Cyrus Group of Companies continues to serve a multitude of regional industries with the future in mind Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: David Knott

amily businesses are the bedrock of local, national and regional economies around the world. According to a 2019 study by Family Capital, the world’s 750 largest family-owned enterprises alone employ around 30 million people and generate incomes of more than $9 trillion. Key to the success of such businesses is bridging what Deloitte calls the chasm between long- and short-term priorities, a major challenge facing generations of families as

156 | EME Outlook issue 35

Rana Hajirasouli, CYRUS Group’s Chief Operations Officer

control passes down which can have an adverse impact on forward-thinking attitudes and approaches to innovation. Indeed, Deloitte in its Global Family Business Survey 2019 went as far to say: “Some family businesses are inclined to be risk-averse and unwilling to innovate, even when they have the resources to do so, due to concerns about the possibility of a negative outcome and a reduction in the family’s wealth.”

OIL & GAS

EME Outlook issue 35 | 157

CYRUS GROUP OF COMPANIES

THE FOUR CYRUS DIVISIONS CYRUS INFRASTRUCTURE: Provides products for roads, airports and other general construction projects, as well as technical support services. CYRUS OIL & GAS: Incorporates downstream trading activities in petroleum products (bulk fuel supply) and the upstream supply of mineral products and drilling chemicals. CYRUS LOGISTICS: Established in 1998 to meet the internal and external transportation requirements for GCC, Africa and CIS countries. Experienced in handling different types of cargoes, operating a fleet of bitumen carriers, oil tankers and conducting ship management for the group and other clients. RANSA COMMODITIES: A vertically integrated commodity supply chain management company with offices and investments across five continents. Set up in 2013. For a detailed overview of CYRUS’s businesses, visit: www.cyrusgroup.com

The CYRUS Group of Companies, it is safe to suggest, has negotiated this dynamic to a remarkable degree of success. Starting out as a family enterprise importing bulk commodities in 1977, the UAE-based firm has evolved into a multinational and multicultural organisation, innovating and incorporating value added manufacturing capabilities to serve infrastructure markets in the Middle East, India and Africa.

RAISING THE BAR Today it operates a number of companies brought together under four major divisions – CYRUS Infrastructure, CYRUS Oil & Gas, CYRUS Logistics and RANSA Commodities. A common thread uniting them all? An unrelenting desire to surpass industry benchmarks through an open adoption of innovation. “Our practices in cutting-edge technology enable us to attain the highest international standards,” explains Rana Hajirasouli, CYRUS Group’s Chief Operations Officer. “We have a strong focus on developing quality products that are a benchmark in the industry, as well as integrated management systems that demonstrate quality business practices accredited under ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 certification for quality, safety, health and environmental

management systems. Similarly, we were recognised by the Foundation for Excellence in Business Practice.” The best example of innovation in action at CYRUS surrounds the manufacturing of polymer modified bitumen (PMB), a high-performance enhancement of traditional bitumen used in pavement construction for roads and airports. CYRUS, through its CyTech division (part of CYRUS Infrastructure), has been at the forefront of introducing these polymer technologies to the Middle East asphalt market. “Innovating through leading-edge technology gives CyTech a competitive edge, but more importantly delivers on the needs of clients who seek higher performing, longer life pavements for their roads and airports to help build a more sustainable transport network,” Hajirasouli adds. CyTech and its in-house team of engineering experts have enabled the company to be involved in several regional landmark projects, including major expressway developments ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. There are almost too many examples in the GCC for Hajirasouli to list, the likes of Abu Dhabi International Airport and Yas Island F1 circuit also cited, as well as Dubai Autodrome, military airfields for NATO, the Muscat Coast Highway and Dubai Palm. In Kuwait, CyTech entered a joint venture with a local Kuwaiti engineering and construction partner, investing in a new polymer bitumen blending plant, bulk PMB storage tanks and full R&D laboratory capability as the parties seek to deliver higher standards to the country’s roadbuilding. This has also involved the sponsorship and delivery of a number of “Raising the Bar” technical presentations at industry events.

HAPPY AND EMPOWERED Such investments in facilities and equipment are commonplace across 158 | EME Outlook issue 35

OIL & GAS

Paving the way to the future with uncompromising quality Innovation, Quality and Performance delivered

CONTACT: Address: P.O Box 20437 Ajman Free zone Gate 2 Fax: 7408794 | Tel: 971- 6 7407121 www.cyrusgroup.com

all of CYRUS’s divisions, another aspect uniting the group being its dedication to employee development and wellness. “This is of paramount importance to us,” says Hajirasouli. “We are proud that we have several staff members which have exceeded 18-plus years in the company. There are micro and macro level features to ensuring our colleagues are happy and choose to have long careers with us. “For example, we do not compromise on our administrative and HR policies that address equal opportunity, a safe working environment and access to management, resolve interdepartmental issues, and ensure democratic employee recognition. But we also allow for exceptions on a case-by-case basis and offer support around our policies to ensure that our employees are heard and supported when necessary.” Another policy helping to build a

CYRUS attending an industry event in Kuwait harmonious relationship between divisions and departments is CYRUS’s buddy mentorship programme, a system which promotes knowledge exchange and collaboration between what can be isolated business units.

This is all built around a culture of trust, autonomy and appreciation. “We believe that long careers begin and end with trust, and we never micromanage our staff and believe that they are trustworthy and diligent, EME Outlook issue 35 | 159

CYRUS GROUP OF COMPANIES

allowing them to be accountable and work autonomously in their fields,” the COO says. “Our staff are all high-performing and dedicated personnel, and we keep a close eye to ensure appreciation towards their hard work through recognition, awards, bonuses, promotions, positive feedback and never breaking our promises to them. This is our recipe for high employee-retention.” Hajirasouli also points to several examples of employees joining in one discipline and switching to another, the company supporting their desires to reskill and pursue an alternative career path through the organisation. “We also do not believe in restricting 160 | EME Outlook issue 35

employees to their daily jobs,” she continues. “They have opportunities to join committees, boards and create volunteering opportunities to add to their portfolio of skillsets. “This can also cover financial skills, public speaking and team leading, providing fertile ground that will help them advance core competencies and keep up to date with industry standards.”

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Such industry standards are increasingly emphasising the significance of sustainability, another threat that runs through the entire CYRUS organisation. From responsible sourcing and fulfilling green building regulations to

recycling and environmentally friendly product innovations, the group is heavily engaged with the sustainable agenda. For instance, in 2015 CYRUS signed up to the Together for Sustainability (TfS) initiative, a scheme founded by six of Europe’s leading international chemical companies to enhance their sustainable sourcing practices. Two other examples highlighted by Hajirasouli are recycling and the development of special bitumen binders for warm-mix asphalt. In the recycling realm, CYRUS has the expertise to reuse what would otherwise be waste tyre rubber and plastic into its advanced bitumen binders enabling longer life asphalt roads,

OIL & GAS

the COO outlining how the group is well-positioned to provide sustainable waste management solutions in a bid to reduce damage to our natural environments. Likewise, promoting warm-mix asphalt will help to reduce the environmental footprint of construction activity. Typically, production of asphalt requires temperatures of 160-170 degrees Celsius, a figure which CYRUS can reduce by 20 to 25 degrees. The solution has been trialled by UAE municipalities and could be an important part of Expo 2020 discussions on green construction technologies. “On a slightly different note, we have created an initiative called Last Life Dubai where we collect packaging

materials such as wooden pallets, drums, and pails which are used to recycle and make chairs, pet beds and creative display items,” Hajirasouli adds. “This is a major contributor in reducing waste in our organisation. It has become almost a full-time job, and we have encouraged competitors to follow suit in corporate responsibility measures that can reduce their waste from packaging materials from raw materials and finished products.” Responsible, forward-thinking initiatives such as this leave the COO optimistic about sustainable development by CYRUS and the wider industries which it serves. Looking ahead to the future,

Hajirasouli points to the need for the group to maintain its embracement of innovation across all business units and functions, activity which will only futureproof it against upcoming challenges and changes in the market. And given its track record and journey since starting small in 1977, the next chapter looks equally bright.

CYRUS GROUP OF COMPANIES Tel: +971 6 740 7121 www.cyrusgroup.com

EME Outlook issue 35 | 161

PORT OF TURKU

Finland’s Gateway to the World Port of Turku is an important source of vitality for the Finnish economy, acting as an epicentre for national tourism and trade by serving more than three million people every year Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Alistair Bailey

aritime activities have always been tremendously important to Northwestern Europe. From the Vikings (800-1066 AD) leveraging their unrivalled naval architecture in consolidating commercial shipping routes between the Baltic Sea and the Caspian Sea, to the Hanseatic League – an alliance of roughly 160 European trading settlements that controlled some 60,000 tonnes of shipping by the end of the 15th century – waterborne trade has been a staple of the region for well over a millennia. Of course, the rise of road and air freight have enabled diversification in global trading activities, but the upper continent’s coastal geographies have ensured that the sea is still critically important even today. Take a look at Finland, for example. Approximately 90 percent of its imports and 80 percent of its exports are currently carried by ships, its key national maritime hubs and shipping routes acting as the vital organs and 162 | EME Outlook issue 35

arteries of the country. Within this context, Port of Turku is a vital chamber in Finland’s heart. With activities dating back to 1154 AD, this once humble trading town is now the home of 186,000 people. “Port of Turku is the bridgehead between Finland and Scandinavia,” explains Erik Söderholm, the port’s Managing Director. “Why? Because it takes 10 hours to travel between Turku and Stockholm via sea – the perfect amount of resting time for lorry drivers. “There’s a shipping line from Helsinki as well but this takes 15 hours, which is okay for tourists and cruising, but too long for lorry drivers with these extra five hours equating to a substantial opportunity cost. As a result, over 100,000 trucks travel from Turku to Stockholm on boats every year.”

INVESTING IN EFFICIENCY Indeed, Söderholm himself is one individual who has witnessed the undeniable socioeconomic importance of the

SUPPLY CHAIN

Erik Sรถderholm, Managing Director, Port of Turku

PORT OF TURKU port endure throughout his lifetime. Having contributed to the European supply chain for the past 35 years, working in sea, air and road freight and warehousing across Sweden, Poland and his home country, he has interestingly gone full circle since first starting out. “My first job was actually a work placement at Port of Turku that I secured back in 1980 during my university studies,” he muses. “I’ve been in this business from the outset – it probably stems from my father as he followed a similar path, but it has always been interesting to me. Logistics is very international, and it has taken me around the world.”

PORT OF TURKU IN FIGURES

9,000 DAILY PASSENGERS

2.5

MILLION TONNES OF CARGO HANDLED ANNUALLY

235,000 SQUARE METRES OF WAREHOUSING SPACE

100,000 TRUCKS MOVING BETWEEN TURKU AND STOCKHOLM ANNUALLY

10,000 EMPLOYEES IN TURKU’S LOGISTICS INDUSTRY

164 | EME Outlook issue 35

Now acting as the port’s MD, Söderholm is overseeing what can only be described as a transformational period in its lengthy history. While the concept of moving goods from A to B via the sea has not changed much in hundreds, even thousands of years, ports and shipping lines are able to operate more efficiently and effectively today than ever before. For Turku, embodying this progression at every stage is crucial, doing so through a multitude of strategic investments. “The biggest focus for us right now is the design and build of a new stateof-the-art ferry terminal,” Söderholm affirms. “Currently we serve Viking and Tallink Silja, two shipping lines which have their own separate terminals in Turku. The idea, however, is to create one flagship facility that they will both use featuring a brand-new loading area and renewed railhead connections. “In addition, we’re investing in cutting-edge technologies. We’re working on our outer mooring at the quay sides which soon won’t require any lashings, and looking to implement 5G Wifi and SecurePax – a security system that’s essentially a copy and paste of those used in airports, where everything will be scanned.” By the MD’s own estimations this plethora of projects will cost in the region of €150-200 million euros to complete, a substantial figure, yet one that reflects the importance of Port of Turku to the Finnish economy.

AN EYE TO THE FUTURE Coupling this progressive investment strategy is an equally forward-thinking approach to employment. Speaking of the Port’s dedicated workforce, Söderholm is quick to iterate his appreciation for those that have honed their craft and knowledge of the organisation’s operations over many years, pointing to them as critical pillars of its overall success.

At the same time, however, the MD outlines the importance of attracting new talent to the team. He states: “The world is changing, and as our environment moves our ideas and capabilities need to advance accordingly. “I’m 58. I didn’t come from university two years ago, and we need to strike the balance between those proven, reliable, experienced staff and those who can bring in a fresh outlook from different technical backgrounds. That requires getting young people excited about working for our company – something we’re looking to do constantly.” Coupled with its focus on state-ofthe-art technologies, social responsibility in the form of environmental excellence is a way in which the company is striving to achieve this. Since 2006, the port has been imposing charges on ships coming into the port in relation to their carbon footprint as an incentive to try and get

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EME Outlook issue 35 | 165

PORT OF TURKU

166 | EME Outlook issue 35

SUPPLY CHAIN

more clean vessels in Finnish waters. Meanwhile, more recently it has taken further steps to consolidate its position as a spearhead of environmental policy. “We took a decision in 2018 to dispose of our dredging masses on land, no longer dumping them back in the sea,” Söderholm reveals. “The cost is greater, up to 10 times more expensive in fact, but we have made this commitment for the betterment of the environment. “Likewise, we now direct the sewage from the vessels that call into the port directly into Turku’s municipal systems, ensuring that this waste isn’t projected into the oceans. These things are important to us.” Indeed, taking continual strides in this space and finalising planning for

the first phase of the ferry terminal project will be key objectives for Port of Turku moving forward. In regard to the latter, Port of Turku has been working closely with Viking Line, Tallink Silja Line, city planners and its suppliers, anticipating that all parties will come to a satisfactory conclusion for what this new construct will look like in the summer of 2020, its completion earmarked for 2025/26. It has a number of alternate ambitions in the long term, however, eyeing new markets further afield. “Currently three million passengers pass through our port every year, but we would of course like to see more traffic coming and going from Port of Turku,” the MD explains. “We recently signed an agreement with the Port of Gdynia in alignment with

this, pledging our support for any new shipping company that would like to create new traffic within our ports. “We already have lines between the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Scandinavia, but the volumes from Eastern Europe and the hinterland countries like Czech Republic and Hungary are growing fast. Certainly, we will keep our eye on this booming region among others moving forward.”

PORT OF TURKU Tel: +358 2 2674 111 turkuport@portofturku.fi www.portofturku.fi

EME Outlook issue 35 | 167

EVENTS

Smart Data Summit March 23-24 | Dubai, UAE | www.smartdatadubai.com

Back for a seventh edition FO L LOWING THE success of its last few editions, the seventh edition Smart Data Summit will be held on March 23-24, 2020 at Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa. The programme agenda focusses on the theme driving customer insights and business performance through advanced analytics and artificial intelligence. The 2020 conference will host over 400 senior data analytics, business intelligence, data science and marketing professionals representing diverse industries based across the GCC region. Featuring over 20 sessions, including five panel discussions, the two-day event offers a number of learning and knowledge-sharing opportunities. The two-day event agenda will cover topics on augmented analytics, boosting business opportunities by using real-time analytics, the evolving roles of Chief Data Officers and Chief 168 | EME Outlook issue 35

Analytics Officers, structuring data lakes to attain return on investment, powering up the new-age retail industry with big data analytics, the impact of big data analytics in ecommerce, and amplifying the power of predictive analytics, amongst many others.

• Rami Zahran, Group Chief Marketing Officer, Saudi German Hospitals

Confirmed speakers:

• Bahaa’ Awartany, SVP & Head of Business Analytics & Decision Support - Personal Banking Group, First Abu Dhabi Bank

• Nick Hough-Robbins, Chief Data Officer, Royal Dutch Shell - United Kingdom • Serdar Gürbüz, SVP | Digital Innovation and Analytics Solutions, Turkish Airlines – Turkey • Bartosz Peitruzka, Chief Data Officer & Head of Analytics, HSBC • Richard Wingfield, Chief Data Officer, Al Futtaim Group • Vittorio Barraja, Chief Data Officer, The Carlyle Group • Youmna Borghol, Chief Data Officer, Choueiri Group

• Pablo Durante, Chief Marketing Officer, Awok • Richard C. van der Wath, SVP Head of AI & Advanced Analytics, Emirates NBD

• Theodore Khoury, Head of Analytics, Amazon Across two days, more than 50 senior international and regional industry experts participating as speakers and panelists will share business transformation case studies and insight on the trends witnessed in the big data analytics industry and how to overcome challenges to achieve business results. Follow the Summit on social media with the hashtag #SMDATA.

EVENTS

Future Datacentres and Cloud Infrastructure Summit April 1-2 | Dubai, UAE | www.futuredatacentre.com

The Middle East’s only datacentre and cloud conference TH E F UTURE Datacentres and Cloud Infrastructure Summit, organised by Expotrade Middle East, is back for its second edition on April 1-2, 2020 at Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa. The conference will feature stimulating keynote sessions, case study presentations and panel discussions by an array of international and regional industry experts participating as speakers and panelists. The inaugural edition of the conference was a success with over 200 senior IT heads in attendance and the 2020 edition will convene over 300 senior IT decision makers and practitioners from across the GCC region. With digital transformation driving the future, the two-day programme agenda will cover over 15 topics in170 | EME Outlook issue 35

cluding five panel discussions. Experts will share thoughts on topics such as hybrid cloud strategy, hyperscale datacentres, developing a sustainable IT infrastructure, datacentre cooling technologies, and ensuring cybersecurity in datacentre and cloud, among others. The panel discussion on IT Infrastructure in the age of datacentre and cloud will witness six CIOs engage in a discussion on the need to integrate modern technologies to support the evolving infrastructure in today’s times and the importance of ensuring safety and security of data while migrating to cloud. Younis Othman of Dubai Customs, Eng. Eman Mohamed Al Khayyal of Sharjah Electricity and Water Author-

ity, Ronald D’sa of OSN and Unilever’s Waheed Malik along with other CIOs will drive the discussion. Speakers on the agenda include senior IT decision makers from Ministry of Health & Prevention, Electronic Government Authority, RAK, Ministry of Energy and Industry, Abu Dhabi City Municipality, Expo 2020 Dubai, Ankabut, Emirates National Schools, UAE Exchange, Noor Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Mashreq Bank, and more. Follow the Summit on social media with the hashtag #FDCCIS.

EVENTS

GulfHost 2020 April 6-8 | Dubai, UAE | www.gulfhost.ae

The complete hospitality equipment sourcing expo GUL F H OST IS back to facilitate business as the complete hospitality equipment sourcing Expo for the Middle East and Africa. As the main trading platform in the region connecting more than 3,000 brands showcasing 8,000 products of foodservice technology, kitchen solutions and innovative systems with the biggest hospitality buyers in one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The UAE hospitality market is expected to reach $7.6 billion, growing at a five-year CAGR of 8.5 percent between 2017 and 2022. With Expo 2020 Dubai approaching quickly, hotels and restaurants need to be ready to welcome, feed 172 | EME Outlook issue 35

and entertain millions of local and international visitors while keeping up with emerging technologies, rising guest expectations, and the latest sustainable equipment hence GulfHost 2020 is a must hospitality and foodservice professionals cannot afford to miss. The event will introduce new learning opportunity platforms and collaborative workshops aimed at tackling pressing issues facing the hospitality landscape along with a conference that covers topics including the new trends and innovation advancements in the food market. In addition, there will be several interactive experiences and

networking sessions dedicated to chefs and industry leaders. Occurring alongside this is the Gourmet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Speciality Food Festival, which brings together the Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading chefs, restauranteurs, hoteliers, retailers and foodservice providers to celebrate artisan and gourmet, speciality beverages, organic and fresh food services. This year, Gourmet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Speciality Food Festival will welcome more than 160 premium food exhibitors showcasing over 1,200 brands, drawing buyers with a superior taste for the finer, the exotic, the premium and the extraordinary, to the global centre for international hospitality trade.

An event of

6-8 April 2020 Dubai World Trade Centre

A touch of exclusivity Organized by

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Visit the leading hospitality equipment and gourmet food sourcing events in Middle East, Africa and Asia

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THE FINAL WORD

What will be the biggest challenge facing your industry this year?

To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

Souad Jamal AlSerkal VP - Strategic Communications, Tabreed “The constant challenge for all industries with the global climate challenge we face, is how we continue to push ourselves to innovate, explore and become more efficient in everything we do. It is a challenge that Tabreed is well positioned to take on because of the technological and human expertise and market confidence we have built up. A common criticism of district cooling is the lack of water efficiency across the water-based cooling systems and processes we employ. Tabreed is currently leading the efforts to plug this gap, recognising the water shortages and scarcity issues present within the Middle East, through using seawater or treated sewage effluent instead of potable water as is the case at our Bahrain plant.”

Łukasz Zagała Co-owner, Medusa Group “As designers, we are not trend-setters. We don’t create trends, but we follow them closely following the circumstances that context generates. There is also a material context, which today is particularly important in the sense of ecology, and this is undoubtedly one of today’s dominant trends or challenges in architecture. “The context of work has changed quite significantly in recent years. Let’s pay attention to the offices. These are no longer typical open spaces, but common workspaces where the architect provokes people to meet. Offices 174 | EME Outlook issue 35

are increasingly places representing an exchange of views, making work more human, creative and innovative. All this consequently translates into value for the company.”

Rana Hajirasouli COO, Cyrus Group of Companies “Over the last few years we have seen higher price sensitivities from our clients, coupled with excess capacity and tighter budgetary control on projects. We will have to revisit and reinforce our value proposition through innovation and value engineering. “We are predicting that liquidity in the market will prove challenging in relation to receiving timely payments, which is not a new issue, but each year it becomes more critical. IMO 2020 regulations will lead to higher costs with the introduction of clean transport fuel (low sulphur) regulations, and this will increase shipping costs and could affect bitumen output at some refineries as production processes change and result in bitumen shortfalls. “The viral outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has already

had an economic impact globally, particularly on oil-exporting states, and may affect expenditure on construction and road projects in the coming months. In saying so, we are always optimistic, and the best protocol amidst the public health uncertainty is to follow our consumer confidence signals and leverage our own company’s data in calibrating insights to protect our clients from disruption.”

Cristian Inceu, Managing Director Managing Director, Yonder “Ransomware will continue to rise. In 2020, ransomware attacks will become even more targetted and sophisticated. Organisations that store a lot of personal data — such as those in the healthcare, finance, and government sectors — will be chief targets. To mitigate this threat, companies will have to implement measures to ensure fast detection of ransomware attacks and enable prompt recovery.” Are you a CEO/Director with a story to tell? Contact EME Outlook now!

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