Author: Business Enquirer
Tucked away in the quiet Rua Ricardo Severo 21 in Porto, Palacete Severo is a refined boutique hotel that artfully blends heritage architecture with contemporary luxury. Originally the early-20th-century home of architect Ricardo Severo, the palacete has been meticulously restored to reveal its original details—ornate ceilings, stained glass and vintage woodwork—while incorporating modern comfort. Why You Should Consider Staying Room Highlights & Experience Guests can expect rooms that echo the home-like charm of a historic townhouse: elegant wood panelling, large windows, marble finishes and minimal-design furnishings tailored to reflect the original architecture. One interior design brief described the goal as:…
In today’s world, supply-chain decisions are no longer just about cost and availability — they are central to corporate purpose, environmental impact and social justice. The Co-op Group, one of the UK’s largest consumer co-operatives, is showing how procurement can evolve from a transactional function into a strategic enabler for sustainability. Buying Power Meets Purpose With over 2,300 food stores, 800 funeral homes, and a wholesale network supplying around 6,000 other outlets, the Co-op Group’s scale is significant. Under the leadership of Chief Procurement Officer Imran Rasul, the organisation is harnessing that scale to drive new initiatives across energy, seafood…
As the pressure mounts on packaging to evolve, one company is stepping firmly into the spotlight. Pack2Earth has been shortlisted in the Renewable Materials category of the Sustainability Awards 2025 for its low-CO₂, home-compostable biomaterials made from plants and minerals. Their vision? To swap out fossil plastics with materials that break down naturally—and without leaving microplastics behind. From Trail Run to Material Innovation The origin of Pack2Earth is as personal as it is purposeful. Co-founders (both outdoor-enthusiasts) watched snack wrappers accumulate on the trails they ran. That seed of frustration sparked a question: What if packaging could literally disappear when…
Gold is on a tear. As prices surge to all-time highs, the precious metal is delivering unexpected windfalls for a handful of emerging markets, transforming not only investor sentiment but national economic outlooks. A Surge That Hits Across Borders Emerging-market nations are benefiting in two main ways: as gold producers and as sizeable reserve-holders of the metal. Countries like South Africa, Ghana and Uzbekistan are seeing their economies, currencies and markets buoyed by the boom. In South Africa, home to some of the world’s richest gold mines, miners are posting their best year in two decades. Meanwhile, Ghana — Africa’s…
In a significant move for the energy-storage and battery sector, Lyten has completed the acquisition of Northvolt’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) manufacturing facility in Gdańsk, Poland, marking a major step in its European manufacturing footprint. Strategic Importance of the Gdańsk Facility The plant, previously called Northvolt Dwa, spans approximately 25,000 m² (around 270,000 ft²) and was designed with an initial manufacturing capacity of 6 GWh per annum, with potential expansion up to 12 GWh. With this acquisition, Lyten gains not just production capacity, but key intellectual property, product lines and the ability to serve European and global markets with…
The UK government has unveiled a flagship workforce initiative designed to help workers in the oil & gas sector transition into the burgeoning clean-energy industry. With up to £18 million earmarked specifically for retraining, the scheme targets workers whose jobs may disappear as fossil-fuel production falls. The Rationale: Transitioning an Industry—and a Workforce Ministers estimate that over 40,000 jobs of the current 115,000 in UK oil & gas could vanish by the early 2030s. Recognising the risk this poses to both regional economies and the national energy transition, the plan seeks to leverage the many transferable skills of these workers—mechanics,…
The United Kingdom’s plans to reinvigorate its economy through construction and infrastructure are facing a setback — the latest figures reveal significantly fewer planning applications, signaling a potential drag on growth and housing supply. Slowing Approval Rates Spark Alarm Recent data shows a marked drop in planning application volumes, particularly for major housing and construction projects. In one quarter alone, approvals for new homes plunged to their lowest level in over a decade. Analysts describe the trend as a “flashing red warning light” for the government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes by 2029. Several factors stand out: Why…
At a recent summit hosted by the World Bank in Washington D.C., key industry voices sounded the alarm: Africa’s heavy aviation taxes are suppressing job creation and contributing to youth unrest and migration across the continent. The message was delivered by Esayas Woldemariam Hailu, CEO of pan-African carrier ASKY Airlines, who urged African governments to rethink levies on air travel to unlock economic opportunity. Taxing Flight Out of Reach Hailu drew attention to a striking disparity: aviation fuel in Africa costs around 30% more than in Europe, while ticket taxes often double those seen in Western jurisdictions. He explained that for many…
In early 2025, the European Commission put forward a sweeping “Omnibus Simplification Package” — a legislative effort to streamline and recalibrate Europe’s sustainability and ESG regulation landscape. This isn’t a minor tweak. If adopted, the changes could reshape who reports, what they report, and how seriously the rules are enforced. Below, we unpack the draft’s key changes, what’s driving them, and how companies should prepare. What’s Being Changed — Core Proposals 1. Narrower Scope & Higher ThresholdsA major shift is proposed in which companies must cross higher thresholds to fall under reporting obligations. Under the draft: This change is designed…
When disaster strikes — whether a hurricane, flood, wildfire, or public health crisis — the difference between response and chaos often comes down to procurement agility. Recognising this, state and local governments across the U.S. are rethinking procurement practices: modernizing tools, diversifying sourcing, and embedding foresight into purchasing systems. Why Procurement Must Evolve Traditional procurement models tend to rely on lengthy bid cycles, tight vendor panels, and rigid approval chains — adequate during calm, but brittle under stress. As climate events, pandemics, supply chain disruptions, and budget shocks intensify, agencies are increasingly vulnerable to delays, shortages, and cascading failures. One…