One third of SMEs didn’t get the full financing they had planned for during 2013, and 15% saw access to finance as a significant problem for their companies. Europe’s companies believe that bank financing conditions worsened during 2013, with respect to interest rates, collateral and required guarantees. Despite this sorry tale, 85% of all loans […]
Finland’s Picodeon Gets Precious With Thinner Materials
Finnish coating technology specialist Picodeon Ltd has developed its ColdAb ultra-short pulsed laser deposition technology (US PLD) for use in the application of gold and platinum thin films, enabling thinner films and the reduction of precious metal costs. Precious metals like gold and platinum are finding more and more industrial applications in memory storage, energy […]
The Mother of All Budgets. Budget Committee Approves MFF…
The Mother of All Budgets is inching towards the maternity suite. Parliament’s Budgets Committee has approved the EU’s long-term budget (Multi-annual Financial Framework – MFF) for 2014-2020 and the deal struck in this week’s negotiations on the budget for 2014, the first year under the new MFF. Parliament’s final votes on these budgets are scheduled […]
German Growth ‘Normalisation’… Whatever That Might Look Like
Back to normal. After a strong second quarter, the German economy has returned to its potential growth rate in the third quarter. According to the first estimate of the German statistical office, the economy grew by 0.3% QoQ, from 0.7% QoQ in 2Q. On the year, German GDP is up by 1.1%, from 0.9% in […]
EU Industrial Production Down On The Month, Up On The Year
In September 2013 compared with August 2013, seasonally adjusted industrial production1 fell by 0.5% in the euro area2 (EA17) and by 0.2% in the EU282, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In August3 industrial production increased by 1.0% and 0.6% respectively. In September 2013 compared with September 20124, industrial production rose by 1.1% in the euro area and […]
Carbon Neutral Copenhagen – ‘European Green Capital 2014’
With an eye to the New Year, Cummins Power Generation is preparing for Copenhagen’s green leadership. John Dorman, Power Systems Director, EMER, Cummins Power Generation, reports on Copenhagen’s ambitious carbon neutral plan as it prepares to lead as ‘European Green Capital 2014’. Earlier this year, Copenhagen was designated European Green Capital 2104. The European Green Capital […]
TTIP Negotiations. Round Two. Seconds Out.
Negotiators meet for the second round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks. The EU and U.S. EU negotiators met in Brussels yesterday for the first day in a second round of talks to foster progress in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The beginning of the week will be devoted to discussions on investment […]
Dismal Jobs Figures Compound EU Woes, Lagging USA
The Euro Area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.2% in September 2013, stable compared with August. The EU28 unemployment rate was 11.0%, also stable compared with August. In both zones, rates have risen compared with September 2012, when they were 11.6% and 10.6% respectively. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In September 2013, 26.872 […]
The ECB Preview, Going In Circles
Last week’s data has given rise to renewed speculation about further ECB action. Headline inflation below 1% and unemployment above 12% have fueled market speculation that the ECB could cut rates at this week’s meeting. In our view, this speculation is premature for two main reasons: (1) the ECB simply does not have a reputation […]
Locatel Launches Hotel Mobile Innovations
Complementing its fixed-mobile convergent solutions which enable hotel guests to switch from viewing content from their hotel TV screen to their own mobile device and back – Locatel has released a new suite of mobile solutions and applications for hotels. The new mobility suite from Locatel includes mobile apps that hotels can brand and build […]