Helsinki Airport has been voted the best airport in Northern Europe in 2013.

The World Airport Awards are based on surveys conducted by international travel research group Skytrax, who polled 12.1 million passengers over a nine-month period. In the category covering the whole Europe Helsinki Airport was ranked sixth and worldwide fifteenth.

Helsinki Airport is the leading Northern European transit airport connecting Europe and Asia. In 2012 the airport served 14.9 million passengers, of which 31 per cent were transfer passengers.

Helsinki Airport has been nominated the best in Northern Europe in 2010 and in previous Skytrax surveys recognition has also been given to Best Airport Security Processing and Baggage Delivery. A total of 39 services and products -- including check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration -- were examined at 395 airports across the world.

Singapore’s Changi Airport was crowned the Best Airport in the world in 2013.

The EU SME Centre will be presenting a European Pavilion at the Clean Energy Expo China (CEEC) in Beijing on 3-5 July.

The European Pavilion provides a portal for European companies to the world’s largest energy market. European business will have the opportunity to increase their visibility, network with counterparts and benefit from additional useful services.

The European Pavilion also offers special budget packages to enterprises with limited financial resources. CEEC is the only cross-sector Trade Fair and Conference in China showcasing the entire clean energy portfolio. More than 20,000 trade visitors and 800 delegates are expected to attend.

Information and registration form

The US pharmaceutical company Lilly has announced that its plant in Alcobendas (Madrid) will take over the production which hitherto was carried out at its factory in Giessen, Germany.

Thus, the facility at Alcobendas, from which medicinal products worth about EUR 1,870 million are exported to 113 countries, will not only maintain, but also increase its current levels of production and employment with additional investment, reports the company.

The plant will also be diversifying its activity by adding technology for injectables, as it takes over the packaging of parenteral products that currently takes place in Giessen.

According to the president of Lilly Spain, Javier Ellena, the company’s decision to choose Spain ahead of other options to take over the production from Giessen “is due to the excellent results obtained at the Alcobendas plant” as well as the support of the Minister of Health, Ana Mato.

EUROCHAMBRES is co-organising for the second time the Global India Business Meeting taking place in Belfast (UK) on 23-25 June to debate a wide range of issues related to the Indian economy.

Poul V. Jensen, Director of the European Business Technology Centre will participate in a dialogue on planting the seeds of low carbon growth.

Register now with EUROCHAMBRES or EBTC and get 50% discount on the standard fee!

Global India Business Meeting programme

Stonesoft is a leading innovator in next-generation network firewall products.

McAfee has announced a definitive agreement to initiate a conditional tender offer for the acquisition of the Finnish company Stonesoft Oyj for an aggregate equity value of approximately USD 389 million in cash. Stonesoft is a leading innovator in next-generation network firewall products.

Based in Helsinki, Finland, Stonesoft is trusted by more than 6,500 customers across the globe. Gartner positioned the company as “visionary” in the 2013 Network Security Firewall Magic Quadrant. “With the pending addition of Stonesoft’s products and services, McAfee is making a significant investment in next-generation firewall technology. These solutions anticipate emerging customer needs in a continually evolving threat landscape,” said Michael DeCesare, McAfee President.

Fastest growing market segment

According to McAfee, next-generation firewalls solve critical customer needs and represent one of the fastest growing market segments in network security.

Stonesoft’s product portfolio of firewalls, evasion prevention systems, and SSL VPN solutions addresses businesses of all sizes. Through the pending acquisition of Stonesoft, McAfee expects to extend its leadership position in network security.

“We plan to integrate Stonesoft’s offerings with other McAfee products to realize the power of McAfee’s Security Connected strategy. Stonesoft products will benefit from the collective expertise of more than 7,200 McAfee employees,” says DeCesare. “Leveraging McAfee’s cloud-based Global Threat Intelligence service will provide our combined customers with unparalleled security.”

Source - McAfee is a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation.

The staff at the Ford factory in Almussafes has ratified in a referendum the new collective bargaining agreement reached a few weeks ago by companies and unions.

This means that up to 2,000 new jobs could be created, thanks to the workload that production of the Kuga and Connect models will generate. Up to 985 of these jobs will be relief contracts following retirements. All new employees will be joining at a new wage scale which is lower than that of current employees.

The new agreement also includes a wage freeze for 2014, which over time will recover as a result of the planned CPI-based increments in the coming years.

Additionally, all temporary jobs will be transformed into permanent positions, ensuring the continuity of the partial early retirement programme and a reduction of the night work bonus in the third shift.

Negotiations for the implementation of the new collective bargaining agreement have been in motion since last December.

Huge pressure is building on CEOs of GAP and H&M to take the lead in cleaning up Bangladesh’s clothing “death shops” with 780,000 people backing Avaaz’s campaign this week urging them to sign a new enforceable fire and building safety agreement for Bangladesh.

This comes as it was confirmed that over 1000 people died in the Rana Plaza disaster and a further 8 people died in a separate clothing factory fire in Dhaka last night.

The major fashion companies who get their clothes made in Bangladesh are now in discussions about new, binding industry-wide building safety standards to replace the patchwork of self-regulated plans that the recent tragedies have shown to be totally inadequate. Industry negotiations with workers on this agreement are due to end on Wednesday 15th May.

Alex Wilks, Campaign Director for Avaaz said:

“These factories aren’t sweatshops, they’re deathshops. Hundreds of women have been crushed to death making our clothes. Now 780,000 people around the world are calling on the CEOs of H&M and GAP to sign the pact to stop more Bangladesh fashion disasters.”

Avaaz’s campaign is being delivered by hard hitting ads calling on the two companies’ CEOs, Karl-Johan Persson and Glenn Murphy, to take personal responsibility for the decision to sign the safety plan. Yesterday, however, the ads were refused by leading Swedish paper Dagens Industri and the industry magazine Women’s Wear Daily. Avaaz is approaching other publications to run similar ads in the coming days.

Avaaz is targeting H&M because they buy clothes from 200 factories in Bangladesh, and GAP source from 50 factories there. Bangladesh is the second biggest garment maker in the world with four million workers. Many of them face chronically unsafe conditions - with blocked or non-existent fire exits and shaky foundations -- on barely subsistence wages.

Two major clothing companies have signed the robust safety agreement, including PVH -- the owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger -- but GAP and H&M have yet to state their positions.

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THE AVAAZ MOVEMENT: 21,478,356 members worldwide

Franchise deal with Finnish company Restel will create a nationwide network of Burger King restaurants.

Burger King, the world’s second largest fast food chain, is entering the Finnish market through a master franchise agreement with the Finnish hotel and restaurant chain Restel. Restel is planning to establish a nationwide network of Burger King restaurants in busy stations, shopping centres, event arenas and other good business locations. The first restaurant will open in Helsinki at the end of this year.

“We believe in the appeal of the Burger King brand. We are bringing a new alternative to the Finnish market which will also serve tourists in addition to the domestic consumers,” says Leena Turunen, Vice President of Restel’s Restaurant Division. “There is enough demand in the Finnish fast food market, which is the fastest growing market segment in the sector.”

Mutual benefits

According to Restel, Burger King’s menu in Finland will be similar to its other restaurants but the companies are also looking at possibilities to utilise local produce. “We will offer a wide range of alternatives at a reasonable price,” says Turunen.

Restel operates 49 hotels and 240 restaurants in Finland. “The agreement with Burger King will bring Restel international restaurant and concept know-how. We believe that Burger King will be a major part of our restaurant business in the future,” says Turunen. Restel is currently recruiting a chain manager and employees for Burger King.

Founded in 1954, Burger King has more than 13,000 branches across 88 countries.

Source: Restel

The President of the Government of Extremadura, José Antonio Monago, presented 'Invest in Extremadura', a project that seeks to promote the attraction of investments and contribute to economic and social development of the region.

In the presentation, which took place under the Innovation and Growth Forum “Spain-Israel. We go forward together”, hold in Cáceres, attended by the President of the Government of Extremadura, José Antonio Monago; the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Energy, José Manuel Soria and the Secretary of State for Trade, Jaime García Legaz.

José Antonio Monago, announced that this tool, made available to investors, will provide a quality service and will offer all the resources Extremadura has in order to make their projects be successful in the region. It is, as Monago noted, another "instrument to serve growth, innovation and development" in the region.

Similarly, the regional president said that "it is very important to attract investment to the region" and referred to the constitution of a new production model that the regional Government is fostering.  This new production model, as he indicated, implies a deep change of mentality.

STRENGTHS OF EXTREMADURA

The regional president stressed the "geostrategic position" of Extremadura in the Iberian Peninsula and explained that it is one of the strengths Extremadura has to attract investment. Extremadura is between Madrid, Seville and Lisbon, has direct access to the most important ports of the peninsula and is a cross-border region. Moreover, as Monago noted, Extremadura soil has high performance and "highly competitive labour costs, which is one of the key factors to attract investment".

Similarly, the president explained that Extremadura is the only Spanish region that can grant investment aids to large companies during in the period 2014-2020, "investing in Extremadura will be very profitable business".

Likewise, the head of the regional government, recalled the initiatives launched by his executive to promote business start-up in the region. So, include the Comprehensive Action Plan for Employment, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, the Enterprise Activation Points (EAPs), the simplification of bureaucracy procedures, the agreements adopted for new financing tools and the enterprise internationalization strategies.

In the field of training, it should be noted the effort done by the Government of Extremadura so to have a qualified and prepared workforce ready to embrace investments projects. In this sense, Monago expressed the importance of the University of Extremadura, "which is training excellent professionals who can develop at max in the region, not only in projects that are already a reality, but for those who have to come".

In addition, and explained by Monago, the regional government has made available to businessmen and entrepreneurs different services, such as those in the PCTEX, the Center for Excellence in Innovation EOI, the new building of the Order-Valdesequera, the European Business and Innovation and Business Bioincubator the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery 'Jesus Uson' of Caceres. The president said these are the "credentials" of a region that sees the "big picture". "This is the genetic heritage of a region that we want to recover," he added.

In this sense, the regional president highlighted the ability the region to learn, as it got stated in the Innovation and Growth Forum held in Cáceres, in collaboration with the Embassy of Israel. Monago stressed that Extremadura has "all the potential in the world" and wants to "launch it" to benefit other communities and to generate employment in the region.

INVEST IN EXTREMADURA

The Project 'Invest in Extremadura' aims to increase the competitiveness and the profitability of the foreign companies that decide to settle in the region. Thus, the Government of Extremadura has worked to put at the disposal to these companies, and projects, eight resources which will bring them value.

These resources are: Strategic Location, Region to Invest, a place to live, Innovation and talent, Resources for Entrepreneurs, Financial Support, the investor support office and our success stories.

With this initiative, we offer to investors a comprehensive system of financial support with various tools and services for their projects.

New company will be responsible for 41 Saab Authorized Repairers in Finland.

State-owned Swedish company Saab Automobile Parts AB has established a subsidiary in Finland. The new company is called Swedish Distribution Services Finland Ab and the country director is Sauli Naski. The company will be responsible for 41 Saab Authorized Repairers.

“Through these establishments we want to first and foremost, together with our network of authorized workshops, ensure that the Saab owners in Finland have good access to Saab Genuine spare parts and professional aftersales service,” says Lennart Stahl, CEO of Saab Automobile Parts AB.

Base for diversifying the business

According to Stahl, by establishing subsidiaries Saab Automobile Parts is creating the structural conditions to develop and diversify its business with new business ideas and concepts. “The Scandinavian market, where Saab naturally has had a strong presence and where the network of Saab Authorized Repairers remains strong, will play an important role,” he says.

Saab Automobile Parts has been owned by the Swedish state since December 2012.

Sources: Saab Automobile Parts AB

New program consists of about 10 funds that will invest in about 100 startup and growth companies.

Finland is turning to venture capital financing as a way to kick-start its economy out of a recession without jeopardizing its AAA rating, according to an article published by Bloomberg on 5 April. Finland is currently the only euro member to enjoy a stable AAA rating at Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

The goal of the new venture capital program is to attract investment worth EUR 1 billion into startup and growth companies without adding to the country’s budget deficit. According to Finland’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the program consists of about 10 funds that will invest in about 100 companies, helping to create about 6,000 jobs over five years.

Most profits go to investors

According to Bloomberg’s article, investors who buy into the venture will take the lion’s share of potential profits. Losses and about 4 percent to 6 percent of the profit will be split equally by the state and private equity in the startup funds. Additional profits will go to private investors.

The state will reallocate 20 million euros each year of existing funds through Tekes, the financing agency for technology and innovation, into startup funds. About 30 million euros will be channeled annually through Suomen Teollisuussijoitus Oy into funds that help companies in a more advanced stage.

Investors will benefit as the government’s involvement will boost the funds’ size and potential profits for funding growth companies, according to Petri Peltonen, head of the enterprise and innovation department at the ministry. “Private capital will drive the actual funding choices to allow their business hunch to pick the target companies that gain financing,” he said.

Source – Bloomberg

This Manpower forward-looking survey asked employers in 42 countries and territories about their hiring activities the 2nd Quarter 2013.

One of the most trusted indices for employment – Download PDF

BMW has signed an agreement with the Estonian-founded tech company NOW! Innovations, a new strategic partner for providing mobile payment and billing solutions.

BMW plans to extend the scope of its mobile parking service beyond parking garages to include on-street parking as well. The service, ParkNow, allows users to reserve and pay for their parking place in advance.

"The integration of on-street parking is a major step in creating a one-stop parking experience," Joachim Hauser, Director of BMW Mobility Services, said in the press release.

NOW! Innovations is a global provider of mobile payment and billing solutions operating on three continents and in eight countries.

The company has developed a flexible and easy-to-use billing and payment platform for parking services.

Texas #1 - California Last in Rankings

On April 17, SBE Council published the "Business Tax Index 2013: Best to Worst State Tax Systems for Entrepreneurship and Small Business."

The Index ranks the 50 states according to the costs of their tax systems for starting and growing a small business.

SBE Council's "Business Tax Index 2013" pulls together 21 different tax measures, and combines those into one tax score that allows the 50 states to be compared and ranked. Among the taxes included are income, capital gains, property, death/inheritance, unemployment, and various consumption-based taxes, including state gas and diesel levies. The report was authored by SBE Council Chief Economist Raymond Keating.

According to the "Business Tax Index 2013," the 10 best state tax systems are: 1) Texas, 2) South Dakota, 3) Nevada, 4) Wyoming, 5) Washington, 6) Florida, 7) Alabama, 8) Colorado, 9) Ohio, and 10) Alaska.

The 10 worst state tax systems are: 41) Connecticut, 42) Oregon, 43) Minnesota, 44) New York, 45) Maine, 46) Vermont, 47) Iowa, 48) New Jersey, 49) Hawaii, and 50) California.

To view the online interactive map with state highlights – Business Tax Index 2013

The Norwegian company, Erimsa, part of the Chinese multinational Blue Star, has made an investment of EUR €2.2 million in the municipality of Bóveda de Río Almar (Salamanca).

The aim of this project is to produce 100,000 tons of quartz, and up to an additional 200,000 tons of aggregates for the construction industry.

The plant is located in the district of Peñaranda de Bracamonte and will create more than 50 direct jobs. It will also enable the annual production of 100,000 tons of quartz and up to 200,000 tons of aggregates for sustainable construction projects.

The new site will be operational from 1 April, and will increase the annual production of quartz by 65% compared to the facilities the company has worked in since 1996.

The company, which operates in Castilla y León and Galicia, employs more than 235 workers directly, and will be exporting the entire amount of metallurgical quartz it processes.