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Brussels Workshop Explores Challenges and Opportunities in the 4th Industrial Revolution
On July 12, the CEIBS Insights 2019 Europe Forum series made its latest stop in Brussels for a special roundtable workshop on the theme of The 4th Industrial Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges for Europe and China. The event, co-hosted by European economic think tank Bruegel, brought together nearly 100 representatives from CEIBS, the European Commission, the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union, and the EFMD, among others, for discussions exploring how China and Europe can balance policy and market forces to achieve sustainable technological innovation, how SMEs in both regions can leverage opportunities to expand into overseas markets, and how both sides can work together to improve bilateral cooperation.
Charge d’Affaires ad interim for the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union Wang Hongjian, a representative of the Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Ms. Elzbieta Bienkowskaand European Commission Deputy Director-General for Implementation, Impact & Sustainable Investment Strategies Mr. Patrick Child delivered keynote speeches at the event.
As CEIBS President and Professor of Management Li Mingjun noted in his welcome address, 2019 is a critical year for the Europe 2020 Strategy, and technological innovation is now crucial for sustaining Europe’s economic growth. As Chinafurther opens its doors to the outside world, he added, EU countries will discover new opportunities to take innovative technology from the lab to the market. “We look forward to establishing a foundation for communication with this forum,” Prof. Li said. “And to building a lasting and stable platform for the integration of innovation resources between China and the EU.”
Bruegel Director Dr. Guntram B. Wolff also welcomed participants to the event with a speech in which he noted the need to reflect together on current opportunities and challenges. He further added that the topic of the forum is important because “[it stands at] the intersection of new digital technologies, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, on the one hand, and industrial processes, on the other hand, and manufacturing processes. This interlinkage is at the core of the business model certainly of several economies in the EU, but also as the core of significant parts of the Chinese economy.”
Charge d’Affaires ad interim for the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union Wang Hongjian then offered a keynote speech on Innovation Cooperation Offers New Highlights in China-Europe Cooperation. In his speech, Mr. Wang emphasised that China and the EU should be more open and inclusive in their cooperation on innovation, should further align their innovation policies to achieve mutual benefits and should work to make long-term strategic plans. “Looking ahead, China and the EU are faced with shared challenges which will reshape the future of humankind, such as climate change, the new technology revolution, resources and environment challenges,” he stated. “China and the EU, as two major players, are duty-bound to join forces with a mind-set of reform and innovation, and to make a greater contribution to world peace, development and prosperity.”
CEIBS Distinguished Professor, Former World Trade Organisation Director-General and Notre Europe Honorary President Pascal Lamy continued with the next keynote speech of the event, in which he discussed the topic of Sino-EU Cooperation Under the New International Economic Order. In his speech, Prof. Lamy emphasised the point that, despite current challenges and uncertainties, there remains ample space for China and the EU to work together in areas of research and innovation. “We have a series of areas where we are already [involved in a lot of] cooperation, [including] food, agriculture, biotech, the environment and health,” he said. “So there are many reasons to move forward and enhance or foster and increase cooperation – many of them domestic and many global. This is how we should look at this picture.”
Bruegel Deputy Director Dr. Maria Demertzis moderated the first session of the day on the topic of Research and Innovation: Competition or Cooperation in the EU-China Context? Shanghai Institutes for International Studies President Chen Dongxiao, CEIBS Vice President and Dean Ding Yuan, and Bruegel Senior Fellow Prof. Reinhilde Veugelers participated in the panel discussion, in which they took an in-depth look at how “co-opetition” (or co-operative competition) in the development of new technologies is acting as a driving force for the 4th Industrial Revolution and how complementary priorities and strategies represent bright prospects for EU-China cooperation.
Following the luncheon, EFMD CEO and Director General Eric Cornuel traced the history of CEIBS to Brussels as “the Heart of Europe” and reviewed some of its world-renowned achievements in academic innovation over the past 25 years. “There is no doubt that innovation is a catalyst for growth built on the foundation of creative drive, co-operation and openness,” Prof. Cornuel said, adding later that, “China and Europe more than ever should get closer and create a favourable environment for innovation, growth and mutual understanding. No doubt CEIBS is an instrument of this co-operation.”
CEIBS Associate Dean (Research) and Professor of Economics and Finance Xu Bin then delivered a keynote speech on China’s Innovation Potential and Its Global Implication. In his speech, Prof. Xu noted that China’s investment in innovation has led to situation in which “it is inevitable that advanced countries will have direct competition with China.” At the same time, he said that the country’s development has resulted in increased demand for services imported to China and that companies seeking to maintain a competitive advantage “should make more effort to specialise in variety, in quality, and in brand.”
CEIBS Board of Directors Co-chairman and EFMD Honorary Chairman Dr. Gerard Van Schaik moderated the second session of the day, in which he invited participants to join a discussion on the theme of Industrial Approaches in Innovation Cooperation Between China and EU. Panellists featured China-EU Association President Luigi Gambardella; WINNER Technology Co., Inc. President and CEO Mr. Zhang Hongjun (CEIBS EMBA 2013); and DFKI Robotics Innovation Center Bremen Director Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Frank Kirchner. During the course of the discussion, participants shared their views on key drivers, incentives and best practices for innovation, and offered suggestions on how China and the EU can work both independently and collaboratively to foster innovation in the future.
Today’s event was co-organised by CEIBS and Bruegel, with support from the EU-China Business Association, the EFMD, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies and the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union, as is part of the CEIBS Insights 2019 Europe Forum series. The Europe Forum Series coincides with the on-going CEIBS 25th Anniversary Celebration and will wrap up in October with events in both Paris and London. For more details about these and other upcoming CEIBS events, please visit our events page here.
SOURCE China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
LONDON, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The US continues to dominate, with 11 cities on the Top 50 Cities for Millionaires list in the latest World’s Wealthiest Cities Report 2025 ranking, led by New York in 1st place with 384,500 high-net-worth individuals (including 818 resident centi-millionaires and 66 billionaires). According to the 4th edition of the annual report published by Henley & Partners and New World Wealth, the Bay Area (San Francisco and Silicon Valley), in 2nd place with 342,400 resident millionaires, is now home to more billionaires (82) than the Big Apple and continues to thrive as the epicenter of technological wealth creation, enjoying exceptional millionaire growth of 98% over the past decade.
Of the Top 50 cities, only Shenzhen (in 28th place, with 142% millionaire growth, and now home to 50,800 millionaires), Hangzhou (35th, with 108% growth and 32,200 millionaires), and Dubai (18th with 102%) grew faster than the Bay Area between 2014 and 2024. Dubai (now boasting 81,200 resident millionaires) also takes the prize for the biggest climber in the Top 50 over the past year, moving from 21st to 18th place. Seoul is the biggest faller, dropping to 24th place from 19th last year.
Tokyo solidifies its position in 3rd place with 292,300 millionaires, followed by Singapore in 4th place with 242,400 resident millionaires.
London and Moscow are the biggest losers
Los Angeles (220,600 millionaires, including 516 centis and 45 billionaires) has now overtaken London to claim the 5th spot, pushing the UK capital out of the Top 5 to 6th place with just 215,700 millionaires (including 352 centi-millionaires and 33 billionaires). London and Moscow (which ranks 40th, with 30,000 millionaires, including 178 centis and 23 billionaires) are the only two cities in the Top 50 that have recorded negative growth over the past decade, with their millionaire populations declining by -12% and -25%, respectively.
Paris (160,100 millionaires) clings onto 7th place, while Hong Kong (154,900 millionaires), now in 8th position, usurps Sydney (152,900 millionaires), pushing it down into 9th place. Chicago (127,100) leapfrogs over both Beijing (which drops two places from 10th to 12th, now with 114,300 millionaires) and Shanghai (down three places from 11th to 14th with 110,500 millionaires) to claim a place in the Top 10 for the first time. Lisbon (50th with 22,200 millionaires) makes its debut on the Top 50 list, with Auckland dropping off.
Fastest growing wealth hubs over the past decade
Besides Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Dubai, other cities on the World’s Fastest Growing Wealth Hubs list which have more than doubled their resident millionaire populations over the past 10 years, include US cities Scottsdale (125% growth) and West Palm Beach (+112%) and the “Silicon Valley of India“, Bengaluru (+120%). Three other American cities — Miami (+94%) whose residents enjoy Florida’s low state taxes, the US capital Washington DC (+92%), and Austin (+90%), dubbed “Silicon Hills” — have also seen notably high growth between 2014 and 2024, as have Polish capital Warsaw (+83% in resident millionaires), Emirati capital Abu Dhabi (+80%), and Riyadh (+65%), the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
Centi city hotspots over the next decade
Looking beyond the established wealth centers, the report also benchmarks wealth in over 100 Centi-Millionaire Hotspots worldwide, with a special spotlight on cities with high growth potential over the next decade (2025 to 2035) to reveal the emerging new geography of super-wealth.
Dubai (currently home to 237 centis) and Abu Dhabi (75 resident centis) lead the pack, with both Emirati cities projected to see their centi-millionaire populations more than double over the next 10 years. Explosive 100%+ growth is also forecast for Delhi (125 centi-millionaires) and Bengaluru (43) in India, and Warsaw (32 centis) and Athens (42 centis) in Europe
Smaller cities providing targeted investment migration pathways, including St. Julian’s and Sliema in Malta (40 centis), Lugano in Switzerland (40 centis), and Latvia’s Riga & Jūrmala (11 centis), are all forecast to see 100%+ growth rates in their centi-millionaire populations by 2035. And while no African or Central American cities make it into the Top 50, George Town and Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands (currently home to 40 centis), San José & Santa Ana (17 centis) in Costa Rica, St. George’s Parish (25 centis) and Hamilton Parish (22 centis) in Bermuda, Monterrey (10) in Mexico, Panama City (21 centis), South Africa’s Cape Town (34 centis), Morocco’s Marrakesh (14 centis), and Kenya’s Nairobi (10 centis) are all forecast to see +100% growth in their super-wealthy communities before 2035.
Monaco, where the average wealth exceeds USD 20 million, tops the World’s Most Expensive Cities list, with prime 100 to 200 m2 apartment prices regularly exceeding USD 38,800 per m2.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-worlds-wealthiest-cities-in-2025-302419932.html
Fintech PR
Adrian Kreter Acquires the company Annanow, Fueling a New Phase of Growth for Swiss-Based Omnichannel Technology Leader
ZURICH, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Swiss-based technology company Annanow is excited to announce the strategic investment by entrepreneur Adrian Kreter who fully acquired the company in December, 2024. This major milestone signals a new phase of innovation for the company as it continues to redefine omnichannel solutions across Europe.
Founded in 2017, Annanow has been solving the challenges of retailers navigating the complexity of modern ecommerce. They achieve this by building smart solutions across all touchpoints from customer acquisition to web shop to logistics and post-purchase engagement. With cutting-edge technology Annanow has developed a leading platform that unifies physical retail and digital channels fully integrated into everyday operations and logistics. Annanow’s unifed commerce solutions are trusted by more than 50 clients and 100 ecosystem partners – from grocery chains and luxury brands to pharmaceutical companies.
“Our mission has always been to simplify the complexity of modern commerce without the need for large scale-up IT projects,” said Benjamin Opel, CEO of Annanow. “The acquisition arrived at a pivotal time in our evolution, and with Adrian Kreter’s continuned investment in the company, it enables us to deliver on a new strategic vision. We are uniquely positioned to scale our impact and are very excited about reaching new verticals and markets.”
Cost-predictability and operational efficiency are central to Annanow’s model eliminating the need for heavy upfront investment. This enables retailers to scale flexibly with confidence and sustainably by leveraging an asset-light infrastructure. In addition, monthly-based fees minimise overheads. All whilst safeguarding that the retailer maintains full control over their brand and customer relationships.
Adrian Kreter expressed his confidence in the team and business model “In my portfolio of companies, Annanow stands out in a space that’s becoming increasingly critical for retailers. The energy and commitment to delivering ecommerce solutions with technology is innovative. I’m excited to support Benjamin and the team as they advance Annanow’s strategic vision.”
With extensive experience in retail, logistics, IT, and fintech, the Annanow team brings a multidisciplinary perspective to every client engagement. The outlook for Annanow is assured and remains focused on delivering measurable value through technology, operational excellence, and a customer-first mindset.
Media Contact:
Benjamin Opel
CEO
Annanow AG
Email: benjamin.opel@annanow.com
Phone: +41 79 878 31 71
Website: www.annanow.com
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2658965/Annanow.jpg
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/adrian-kreter-acquires-the-company-annanow-fueling-a-new-phase-of-growth-for-swiss-based-omnichannel-technology-leader-302423103.html
Fintech PR
Colt DCS boosts German expansion by 117MW, acquiring land and securing power supply contracts for new sites in Frankfurt and Berlin
LONDON, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS), a leading global provider of hyperscale and large enterprise data centre solutions, has announced plans to develop four new data centres in Germany.
The four facilities will consist of Frankfurt 4 & 5 and Berlin 1 & 2. The two Frankfurt data centres will be built on an 18-acre site and provide a combined 63MW, while the Berlin data centres will be constructed on a 9.5-acre site and provide a total 54MW of IT capacity. Colt DCS is targeting first phase RFS (ready for service) at Frankfurt 4 and Berlin 1 by the end of 2028, with renewable power contracts already secured. The new data centres will add 117MW to Colt DCS’ capacity in Germany, bringing its total in-country capacity to 176MW.
The acquisitions in Frankfurt and Berlin, reinforce Colt DCS’ commitment to digital infrastructure in Germany, and represents a €2 billion investment in its economy.
The move strengthens Colt DCS’ position in the Frankfurt market, which continues to be one of Europe’s leading data centre hubs. Berlin has emerged as a secondary market, driven by Germany’s digital transformation and increasing demand for cloud and AI services.
The new facilities will be designed to Colt DCS’ Global Reference Design (GRD) which can cater for both traditional cloud and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, powering racks up to 130kW. To accommodate this, the design flexibly supports cooling by traditional air, direct liquid-to-chip and hybrid approaches.
Each data centre will also be constructed in line with Environmental and Sustainability policies using several low embodied carbon principles. This includes the installation of low Global Warming Potential (GWP) cooling chillers, reducing water waste for cooling, and building the structure with minimal steel and concrete usage.
Waste heat from all sites will be reused by the local councils for district heating. A fifth of the site areas will be reserved as green space, and the building roofs will feature a mixture of photovoltaic solar panels and planted vegetation.
Gert-Uwe Mende, Lord Mayor of Wiesbaden, said: “Wiesbaden is an attractive business location, and artificial intelligence is an absolutely future-oriented topic. I am therefore very pleased that Colt DCS has chosen the Landeshauptstadt (capital of the state of Hessen) as the site for its new data centre”.
Niclas Sanfridsson, CEO of Colt DCS, said: “The continued growth in digital services has created strong demand for hyperscale data centres in Germany. Our acquisitions in Frankfurt and Berlin are a testament to our commitment to Europe’s largest economy. We are proud to contribute to the growth of the local community and remain a trusted partner for our customers worldwide. These new sites will not only enhance our capacity to serve the increasing needs of cloud and AI workloads but also reinforce our dedication to sustainability and innovation in the data centre industry.”
About Colt DCS
We design, build and operate data centres for global hyperscalers and large enterprises.
Our global portfolio includes 13 operational data centres, with an additional 9 in development across 11 cities in the UK, Europe, and the APAC region.
We enable our customers to effectively plan for the growth of their business while also providing them with peace of mind. We provide secure, resilient, well-connected infrastructure with planned future capacity growth potential. We have over 25 years of experience in the data centre industry, delivering on our vision of being the most trusted and customer-centric data centre operator in the market.
We put the environment at the heart of everything we do by recognising this as a fundamental responsibility towards our planet. That’s why we’re taking ownership to reduce our environmental impact globally and make sustainability a key strategic driver. As part of our sustainability planning, Colt DCS has set comprehensive near-and long-term Science Based Targets to cut our emissions in line with the SBTi’s latest Net Zero Standard.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/colt-dcs-boosts-german-expansion-by-117mw-acquiring-land-and-securing-power-supply-contracts-for-new-sites-in-frankfurt-and-berlin-302421954.html
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