How Hong Kong is planning to become Asia’s answer to Silicon Valley November 12, 2014 Hong Kong has long been a magnet for those seeking business success, and this week the former UK colony is making its case to be Asia’s technology hub of choice. A year on from the inaugural StartmeupHK Venture Forum, Hong Kong will once again welcome hundreds of international founders, investors and policymakers to make [...]
Bank’s inflation report to give clues on rates – London Week November 9, 2014 MARKET attention this week will focus on the Bank of England’s Inflation Report, due for release on Wednesday, and the latest set of macroeconomic projections contained within it. The figures will help investors and analysts to determine just how far market expectations for the first hike in the interest rate have been pushed back. The [...]
French workers least satisfied with their quality of life of work November 6, 2014 There is little cheer in France these days, with a disappointing economy and uncertain politics. Adding further to France's woes a new study claims French workers are the least satisfied of six major European countries. The study was published by the French observatory for the quality of life in the workplace, Actineo. The Dutch workers [...]
Cognicity Challenge: Canary Wharf Group’s £300,000 smart city startup fund October 21, 2014 Canary Wharf Group yesterday launched a startup accelerator programme to find six so-called smart city technologies – that drive cost savings using technology in fields such as transport and construction – to be piloted across its estate. The Cognicity Challenge will be spread over six sectors: integrated transportation, connected home, virtual design, construction, integrated resource [...]
Business hub London creates property boom September 25, 2014 PROPERTY FIRM of the year As London prices continue to rise, defying fears that the bubble is about to burst, property companies have seen a period of huge growth. Our shortlist, which was very tough to choose, includes companies such as the Berkeley Group and Workspace, which have seen their profits soar in the past [...]
Regus steps up expansion but shares take a hit August 26, 2014 REGUS boss Mark Dixon sought to ease concerns after the company announced yesterday it had brought forward its expansion plans, saying the benefits would far outweigh costs to the business in the short term. The workspace provider, which runs around 2,000 centres across the world, said it expected to open at least 450 new sites [...]
Workspace to revamp factory August 11, 2014 SMALL business landlord Workspace yesterday won planning permission to turn a former HMV gramophone factory in Hayes into a new business centre as it bets on the launch of CrossRail boosting demand for office space in the area. Workspace and its joint venture partner Polar Properties plan to revamp Enterprise House to create 38,000 square [...]
Shoreditch Tech City stars fight to keep area “weird” July 28, 2014 London’s hipsterite tech community in Shoreditch has got a beef with developers. Led by former deputy CEO of Tech City, Ben Southworth, a campaign group has started under the strapline “Keep Tech City Weird” has put a petition together to try and maintain Shoreditch’s charm and stop developers from building flashy luxury apartments instead of [...]
Britain’s digital skills crisis is jeopardising our competitiveness July 24, 2014 The digital skills agenda has become a hot topic in Britain. But if we thought adding computer science to the national curriculum would be a silver bullet solution to the UK’s chronic digital skills shortages, we were wrong. A report out this week from the Digital Skills Taskforce confirms just how much still needs to be done [...]
No size fits all: Getting the best out of introverts July 23, 2014 Shyer staff have different needs, so cut down on background noise. There’s a problem with using stereotypes like “introvert” and “extrovert” to inform office policy. Setting aside whether or not these broad terms actually apply to all staff, how many other employee caricatures should be actively catered for? Do alpha males and females require [...]