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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)
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DAZN ADVANCES GLOBAL EXPANSION WITH ACQUISITION OF FOXTEL, A LEADING AUSTRALIAN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA GROUP
- Milestone deal for DAZN’s position as the global home of sport.
- This acquisition establishes DAZN’s sports platform in Australia, one of the world’s most attractive sports markets.
- Foxtel Group will leverage DAZN’s global reach, industry-leading technology and extensive content portfolio to further enhance the viewing experience for Australian sports fans.
LONDON, NEW YORK, and SYDNEY, Dec. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — DAZN, a world-leading sports entertainment platform, has today announced an agreement to acquire Foxtel Group (‘Foxtel’) from its majority shareholder News Corp and minority shareholder Telstra at an enterprise value of US$2.2 billion, subject to regulatory approval.
The acquisition establishes DAZN as a leader in sports entertainment in Australia – a highly attractive sports market – while also expanding DAZN’s global footprint and enhancing the group’s standing as the global home of sport. The addition of Foxtel to DAZN brings the Group’s pro-forma revenues towards US$6 billion and provides the additional content, expertise, and expansion opportunities to accelerate DAZN’s growth trajectory.
Foxtel is one of Australia’s leading media companies, with 4.7 million subscribers, who will benefit from DAZN’s extensive portfolio of sports content, platform technology, and global reach.
From its beginnings as Australia’s original pay-TV innovator, Foxtel has evolved to become a digital and streaming leader in sports and entertainment and the proposed transaction positions Foxtel for continued expansion as a digital-first, streaming-focused business. Foxtel will maintain its local character, led by the CEO, Patrick Delany, and his world-class management team.
DAZN, a sports streaming platform with a truly global reach, is committed to growing the global audience for domestic Australian sports across the 200 territories in which it is available.
Under the terms of the transaction, News Corp and Telstra will become minority shareholders in DAZN, enabling them to retain an interest in Foxtel.
Shay Segev, Chief Executive Officer of DAZN, said: “Australians watch more sport than any other country in the world, which makes this deal an incredibly exciting opportunity for DAZN to enter a key market, marking another step in our long-term strategy to become the global home of sport. Foxtel is a successful business that has undergone a remarkable digital transformation in recent years, and we are confident that our global reach and relentless pursuit of innovation will continue to drive the business forward and ensure long-term success.
“We are committed to supporting and investing in Foxtel’s television and streaming services, across both sports and entertainment, using our world-leading technology to further enhance the viewing experience for customers. We are also committed to using our global reach to export Australia’s most popular sports to new markets around the world, and we will continue to promote women’s and under-represented sports.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with Patrick Delany and his team, as well as News Corp and Telstra as shareholders in DAZN, to realise our ambitious vision for the future of sport entertainment.”
Siobhan McKenna, the Chairman of Foxtel, said the agreement with DAZN was international recognition of the transformation of Foxtel from an incumbent pay TV operator to a sports and entertainment digital and streaming leader. “Over the last seven years the Foxtel team, with the strong support of News, have achieved an extraordinary turnaround in an intensely competitive environment.”
Foxtel Group CEO, Patrick Delany, said: “Today’s announcement is a natural evolution for the Foxtel Group, having reinvented the company over the past five years as Australia’s most dynamic technology-led streaming company.
“Kayo and Foxtel provide Australian sports fans with access to the best Australian and international sport and shows, including AFL, NRL and Cricket with 4.7 million subscribers.
“We are excited by DAZN’s commitment to the Australian market. They are experts in the sports media business and can play a significant role in supporting Foxtel as the business grows its streaming capabilities, bringing a bigger and better service to customers across entertainment, news and sport. They are a perfect match for us as we look toward this next era of growth.
“We have been grateful for the support of News Corp while we reimagined the future of Foxtel. In 2019, when we merged Foxtel and Fox Sports we had many people questioning our future.
“After launching Kayo later in 2019 and BINGE in 2020, today we are the largest Australian-based streamer of sport and entertainment, we have stabilised our Foxtel base and launched Hubbl to help consumers find all the streamed content they love all in one place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support and encouragement of News Corp.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
About DAZN
As a world-leading sports entertainment platform, DAZN streams over 90,000 live events annually and is available in more than 200 markets worldwide.
DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL internationally. The platform features the biggest sports and leagues from around the world – Bundesliga, Serie A, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Formula 1, NBA, Moto GP, and many more including the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
DAZN is transforming the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, play, buy, and connect. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.
DAZN partners with leading pay-TV operators, ISPs and Telcos worldwide to maximise sports exposure to a broad audience. Its partners include Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Sky, Movistar, Telenet, Vodafone, and many more.
DAZN is a global, privately-owned company, founded in 2016, with more than 3,000 employees. The Group generated $3.2bn in revenue in 2023, having grown its annual revenues by over 50% on average from 2020 to 2023, through diverse revenue streams comprising subscriptions, advertising, sponsorship, and transactional. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com.
About Foxtel
The Foxtel Group is one of Australia’s leading media companies with 4.7 million subscribers. Its businesses include subscription television, streaming, sports production and advertising. The Foxtel Group is owned 65% by News Corp and 35% by Telstra.
The Foxtel Group’s diversified business includes Fox Sports, Australia’s leading sports production company, famous for live sports and shows with the best commentators and personalities. It is also the home of local and global entertainment content and continues to be the partner of choice for the widest range of sports and international content providers based on established, long-term relationships, growing streaming audiences, and position as the largest Australian-based subscription television company.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dazn-advances-global-expansion-with-acquisition-of-foxtel-a-leading-australian-sports-and-entertainment-media-group-302337997.html
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President Emmerson Mnangagwa met this week with Zambia’s former Vice President and Special Envoy Enoch Kavindele to discuss SADC’s candidate for the AfDB
President Mnangagwa, who is SADC Chairperson, reaffirmed his own country’s and SADC’s enthusiastic support for Zambian candidate Sam Maimbo
LUSAKA, Zambia, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Special Envoy Kavindele released the following statement following the meeting:
“I am elated to witness the growing success and momentum of Sam Maimbo’s candidacy to become the next President of the African Development Bank. I am filled with gratitude to our friends across both SADC and COMESA for their continued support and good wishes.
Sam has garnered such wide consensus due to his being uniquely qualified to deliver the transformative change and empowerment our continent needs. Sam’s 30 years in development work is defined by driving outcomes, improving processes, and investing in people. The AfDB needs a hands-on leader who is laser focused on delivering results and who is unafraid of making tough decisions in order to best serve our continent. Sam is that leader. Sam has the track record and experience to drastically enhance the pace, scale, and impact of the Bank’s work in service of the people and governments of Africa.
Our region has a proud history of supporting fellow Southern Africans. For example, we all recall Lusaka’s role in hosting the African National Congress’ headquarters during the dark days of Apartheid oppression.
It therefore gives me no pleasure to observe my South African brothers, who have themselves leant on Zambia’s steadfast friendship over many decades, fail to rally behind both SADC and COMESA’s chosen candidate for the AfDB. Africa’s urgent economic development challenges demand transformational leadership at the AfDB, it is all of our responsibility to put forward the best candidate for the job. This is not the time or place for a government to act with narrow self-interest, we all must act in the continent’s and AfDB’s best interest.
I thank Sam Maimbo for his lifelong service to our entire continent, and I am eager to witness his enormous impact as President of the AfDB.”
LONDON, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Heimdal Security shares a practical holiday cybersecurity checklist, offering expert insights to help businesses safeguard against cyber threats this festive season.
With reduced staffing, remote work setups, and a surge in online shopping creating heightened vulnerabilities, this guide offers actionable tips to enhance business security.
Going beyond basic advice, the checklist also highlights the most common holiday scams and features videos showcasing real-life examples of Christmas-themed cyber scams and effective prevention strategies.
Key Tips to Protect Businesses This Holiday Season:
- Strengthen endpoints: Ensure devices are updated with antivirus and endpoint protection software; consider Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and application whitelisting.
- Prepare for phishing spikes: Train staff to identify suspicious emails, enforce robust email filters, and establish protocols for reporting unusual activity.
- Secure remote access: Mandate VPN usage, monitor unusual logins, and deactivate inactive accounts temporarily.
- Segment and shield networks: Isolate sensitive areas, deploy DNS security and advanced firewalls, and maintain full visibility over network traffic.
- Apply timely patches: Regularly update all systems and test patches in a controlled environment to minimize disruptions.
- Mitigate supply chain risks: Assess vendors thoroughly and limit their access to essential systems.
- Have a response plan ready: Tailor incident protocols for the holidays, create an on-call rotation for the IT team, and enable rapid action against suspicious activity.
“ Cybercriminals thrive on holiday distractions, but with proactive measures like phishing training, secure endpoints, and network segmentation, businesses can stay ahead of potential threats,” said Alex Panait, System Administrator at Heimdal Security.
Common Holiday Scams That Businesses Should Watch For:
Cybercriminals often tailor their tactics to exploit the festive season. The most common scams include:
- Spear phishing: Emails disguised as holiday bonuses or event invitations that steal credentials or spread malware.
- Malicious holiday E-Cards: Festive greetings that contain links deploying ransomware or spyware.
- Fake E-Commerce sites: Fraudulent websites offering discounts to steal payment information.
- Insider threats: Distracted or disgruntled employees mishandling or exploiting sensitive data.
- Corporate travel scams: Fake booking platforms targeting business travelers.
- Business email compromise (BEC): Fraudulent requests for urgent wire transfers during year-end financial rushes.
For more, read the full article here or watch the video on YouTube to see how these threats unfold and learn actionable prevention strategies.
About Heimdal:
Established in Copenhagen in 2014, Heimdal® empowers CISOs, security teams, and IT administrators to improve their security operations, reduce alert fatigue, and implement proactive measures through a unified command and control platform.
Heimdal’s award-winning cybersecurity solutions span the entire IT estate, addressing challenges from endpoint to network levels, including vulnerability management, privileged access, Zero Trust implementation, and ransomware prevention.
For further press information:
Madalina Popovici
Media Relations Manager
[email protected]
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/stay-cyber-safe-this-holiday-season-heimdals-checklist-for-business-security-302337465.html
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President Emmerson Mnangagwa met this week with Zambia’s former Vice President and Special Envoy Enoch Kavindele to discuss SADC’s candidate for the AfDB