London airport expansion: Gatwick confronts Heathrow over £6bn “black hole” in funding for third runway October 15, 2015 Gatwick has called on Heathrow to explain how it intends to fill a £6bn “black hole” in funding for its third runway. The airport said its rival had not factored in the costs of nearby road and rail improvements associated with the expansion, and that this had resulted in a large gap in financing. Read [...]
UK bioscience sector secured a record £1.2bn investment last year, but scientists warn cuts will hold Britain back October 15, 2015 Britain's biosciences sector netted a record amount of investment last year, according to research by the BioIndustry Association (BIA) and professional services firm EY. Over the 12 month period, it secured £1.2bn in public equity and venture capital funding – more than double the £498m it raised in 2013, and the highest level since the [...]
Record number of people doing apprenticeships in the UK October 14, 2015 An unprecedented number of people are now doing apprenticeships in the UK, according to the department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Bis). Provisional figures for 2014/2015 show that more than 872,000 people were employed by government-funded apprenticeship schemes over the 12 month period, up from 851,000 the year before. Five years ago the number of [...]
German drugs giant Merck launches makeover to differentiate from US competitor October 14, 2015 German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA is re-branding itself in order to stand out against competitors. By re-designing its logo and altering its business structure, it hopes to have a greater claim over the “Merck” brand. Everywhere outside the North America, where US company Merck & Co has dominance over the Merck name, it is ditching [...]
Airbus designs next-generation Concorde 2 that can fly from London to New York in an hour October 14, 2015 Airbus has won a patent to design the next-generation “Concorde 2”, capable of flying from London to New York in an hour The “hypersonic” plane, which has the ability to travel at 4.5 times the speed of sound, would be fuelled by a system of ramjets, turbojets and a rocket motor. Read more: Airbus files patent [...]
Al Noor and Mediclinic merge to form London-listed healthcare giant October 14, 2015 Private healthcare companies Al Noor and Mediclinic today announced their plan to merge and list on the London Stock Exchange. Mediclinic, which is currently listed in Johannesburg, will own a majority stake worth between 84 and 93 per cent, while Abu-Dhabi-based Al Noor Hospitals is offering its investors a special dividend of £3.28 per share, [...]
Iran comes closer to opening economy as parliament approves nuclear deal October 13, 2015 Iran has moved a step closer to opening up its economy for business, after its parliament passed a bill approving a nuclear deal with six world powers this morning. The deal, which requires Iran to curb its uranium enrichment programme in return for an easing of economic sanctions, was passed with 161 votes in favour, [...]
German investor sentiment hit by VW scandal and declining emerging markets October 13, 2015 German investor confidence plunged in October, as the VW emissions scandal and slow growth in emerging markets took their toll. Thank tank ZEW put its monthly measure of economic sentiment at 1.9 – a fall of 10.2 points from 12.1 in September, and the lowest level it has reached since this time last year. The [...]
Volkswagen cuts annual investment by €1bn to counter emissions scandal losses October 13, 2015 Volkswagen its slashing annual investment by €1bn in order to counter losses it will suffer as a result of its emissions scandal. In a statement this morning, the German car maker said it was changing its strategy for diesel cars, saying they “will be equipped with exhaust emissions systems that use the best environmental technology”. Read [...]
London’s pharma sector gets a boost as Shield and Faron announce plans to float in the capital October 12, 2015 The Chinese market turmoil has not destroyed confidence in the UK's pharmaceutical sector, as two companies today announced plans to float in the capital. Newcastle-based Shield Therapeutics and Finnish Faron Pharmaceuticals are both planning to launch their IPOs on the London Stock Exchange in the near future, although neither confirmed definite dates. Read [...]
