The World of Business

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Brexit: Germany Gets Ready Feb 16, 2019

Show notes

Caroline Bayley reports from Hamburg in Germany on how companies there are preparing for Britain's exit from the European Union. The UK is one of the port city's most important trading partners and one thousand firms in the area have business links with Great Britain. So it's not surprising that there's a flurry of activity in Hamburg in the final weeks before the UK's departure. But how do you plan for Brexit and a new trading scenario which has not yet been finalised? We speak to those who are planning ahead, as well as British workers, concerned about their future status as employees in Germany, and many who simply don't know what to do.

Presenter: Caroline Bayley Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton

Picture: St. Pauli-Landungsbrücken, Hamburg, Germany Credit: Getty Creative / iStock / tomch

Hungary’s “Slave” Law Feb 09, 2019

Show notes

Hungarian politicians have been the focus of protest since they passed what many have called a “slave law” last December. This legislation allows companies to ask their workers to do more overtime – and to delay payment for up to three years. But the government says the law gives businesses flexibility and employees the freedom to work more and earn more. Many think that this legislation is intended to deal with Hungary’s chronic labour shortage. With an aging population, hard-line immigration policies and many educated young people looking for work overseas, businesses in Hungary struggle to recruit the people they need. Lucy Ash travels to Hungary to hear about the new law and its implications – and find out how businesses are coping with a dwindling workforce.

Presenter: Lucy Ash Producer: Josephine Casserly

Picture Credit: Laszlo Balogh/Getty Images

Koreans in South Africa Jan 26, 2019

Show notes

The Chinese have long been involved – sometimes controversially - in Africa. But there’s another Asian economic powerhouse that is doing business there. Using South Africa as a springboard, South Koreans are seizing control of some of the key markets on the continent. There are four thousand Koreans living in Johannesburg, creating new businesses and developing established companies. Karen Allen talks to them about some of the challenges they face. Visiting the global electronics giant LG and the car manufacturer Kia, Karen sees how they are growing their businesses. She also hears how the Korean work culture gives them an edge.

Presenter: Karen Allen Producer: Ben Carter

Picture Credit: Getty

Beyond the Barbed Wire - Cyber Security in the UK Jan 17, 2019

Show notes

Since Bletchley Park and the enigma machine, Britain has been at the forefront of what would become cyber security. In GCHQ we have a world leader in threat detection and yet our industry lags far behind both the US and Israel.

Jonty Bloom looks at what we could do to make this Brexit proof industry bigger and finds out why Belfast is at the forefront of the UK’s research and development to keep us safe online.

He looks at Unit 8200 the Israeli Army’s elite cyber security unit which has spun off several successful start up companies because of the unique training system they employ.

Jonty gets to see inside the National Cyber Security Centre which is part of GCHQ’s new open policy as it invites investors to see the third round of it’s start up incubator.

The ‘Catalyst’ campus in Belfast’s newly redeveloped docks sits beside the shipyard that built the Titanic and is now securing silicon chips rather than building ships. It’s buzzing as foreign investment has flowed into to take advantage of its burgeoning cyber security talent pool. A bet placed on the industry a decade ago by Queen’s University has paid off with a pipeline of graduates with the specialist skills needed to protect us online.

Each and every heartbeat is unique to its owner and Jonty meets a company using this to secure our information as well as our cars. Getting the chance to test drive their heart beat steering wheel with some disastrous consequences.

No trip to Belfast would be complete without a trip to the pub and here we meet some of the young talent that’s drawing this attention. We hear how quickly the start-up culture has grown and how this tech cluster has reached a level that is reversing the once chronic brain drain from the region.

Presenter: Jonty Bloom Producer: Jordan Dunbar

Photo Credit: Getty Creative Stock

Potholes - the road to the future Jan 10, 2019

Show notes

Potholes are a national obsession. But there's much more to them than you might think. Ruth Alexander digs deep into their costs for business and society - where fixing two holes in a motorway can cost half a million pounds. But she also finds all kinds of entrepreneurial imagination going into solving the problem. Everything from new data analysis to 3D printing drones may be the answer. Beneath it all lies a fundamental question. Can we learn to value roads, and maintain them as a vital national asset, smoothing the way to big business and social gains? Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Penny Murphy

Home Truths Jan 03, 2019

Show notes

Does the house building industry need to change? Manuela Saragosa meets the disruptors, the companies trying to transform how the vast majority of residential property is built. Across the country new factories are springing up - in a bid to manufacture our homes in much the same way as we do our cars. The risks are huge.

Significant investment is required to get things moving and demand for these new homes has yet to be tested. But the disruptors claim that the house building industry must modernise or die. Productivity is falling and traditional skills are in short supply - something that is likely to get worse as immigration reduces. Other countries, too, already build huge numbers of homes off-site, claiming that this results in quicker and cheaper construction. So, just how many of the hundreds of thousands of homes that we need to build might end up being factory produced?

Presenter: Manuela Saragosa Producer: Rosamund Jones

Picture Credit: BBC

On the Rails Dec 27, 2018

Show notes

It’s been a challenging year on Britain’s railways with timetable chaos, over-running engineering works, cancelled trains and irate passengers, not to mention a private operator handing back control to the government. The transport secretary, Chris Grayling has announced yet another review of the industry. Meanwhile, Labour and many of the public want to see rail re-nationalised. Rail professionals point to the industry’s successes – a doubling in passenger numbers since privatisation, and a current strong safety record. But the government says the rail industry hasn’t kept pace with customer demand. So is there another way? Matthew Gwyther goes to Italy to experience their take on free competition on their high speed lines. He also speaks to rail experts at home – all searching for answers.

Presenter: Matthew Gwyther Producer: Caroline Bayley Editor: Penny Murphy

Picture Credit: BBC

Selling Sleep Dec 20, 2018

Show notes

From innovative mattresses to personal sleep consultants, business is moving in on our nights under the covers. The sector is booming, thanks to a new understanding of the importance of sleep, with annual sales in the billions of pounds. And it’s not only our homes that businesses are targeting. In the workplace, managers are becoming more aware of the sleep needs of their teams and some are even installing pods to allow their employees to have a nap on the job.

David Baker looks at the products and services on offer and finds out how we can separate the science from the snake oil.

Presenter: David Backer Producer: Smita Patel Editor: Penny Murphy

Picture Credit: Getty

The Golden Opportunity Dec 13, 2018

Show notes

Will life sciences lead Britain towards a new economic future? Brexit's causing uncertainty. But as Ruth Alexander discovers, there's a dynamic 'golden triangle' now linking medical and other cutting edge research at Oxford and Cambridge universities with London's political and financial power. The government's putting this at the centre of its vision for a transformed economy. So what's behind all this, and can this sector live up to the ambition?

Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Penny Murphy

The Business of Tutors Dec 06, 2018

Show notes

Caroline Bayley delves into the booming industry of private tutoring.