Last modification: 07/02/09
 -  Anti-trust - globalisation - industry
 
Beyond Business
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Produced by Ali Laïdi and presented by Markus Karlsson, our bi-monthly magazine Beyond Business looks at the effects of hyper-competition in the globalised economy.

  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    EU split in battle over biofuel tariffs
    Biofuel producers in the European Union have cried foul after a Swedish company succeeded in dodging a European tax on imported ethanol. We examine the consequences for the continent's fledgling biofuel industry.
  • MOROCCO
    Chinese goods flood Casablanca souk
    With China's low-cost manufacturers flooding Morocco's markets, makers of such traditional goods as oriental slippers are feeling the heat. Yet, in Casablanca's souks, local producers say poor quality will thwart Chinese competition.
  • FOOD
    Everybody wants a slice of halal food business
    The halal food business accounts for three billion euros in sales in France and more than 150 billion dollars throughout the world. Big companies want to be part of that growing market, but in France there is no law to regulate production.
    (3) comments
  • HOSTELRY
    Luxury lodging under pressure in Paris
    Between now and 2012, four new luxury hotels are due to open their doors in Paris. Yet, with the French capital's already crowded luxury sector feeling the pinch of the global economic crisis, the industry is bracing for a bloodbath.

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  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    Varsity struggle
    International universities are fighting a fierce battle to be classified amongst the world's top establishments ranked by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Underfunded and lagging behind, French universities are struggling to keep up.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    The humanitarian business
    In recent years, a growing number of corporate giants have invested in private humanitarian funds such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or the Clinton Global Initiative. But is mixing business and aid really a good thing?
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    Industry: secret research
    France has 71 competitiveness clusters where companies, research centres and training organisations work together on innovative projects. FRANCE 24 Reporters went to Vegepolys, a cluster specialised in plants in central France.
  • FRANCE
    Angolan arms claims dog French flour miller
    Shareholders of the third largest producer of flour in France, the Grand Mills of Strasbourg, are concerned over a new partner with alleged links to arms trafficking in Angola.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    Africa's water, at what price?
    Most of the world's one billion people who still don't have access to clean and safe drinking water live in Africa. Yet, specialists say this is not only due to a lack of resources.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    New tune for music industry
    In less than a decade, the digital revolution has changed the face of the music industry forever. The birth of '360°' companies lead to a new way of conceiving and consuming music. Beyond Business investigates this new trend.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    The price of knowledge
    Having the right information at the right time has always been crucial for businesses. Thanks to new intelligence software, it is now possible to sort through the mass of information available on the internet. But these online tools have their price.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    NGOs and business - dangerous liaisons?
    Are NGOs becoming an obstacle for business? Some companies have paired up with charities, while others know fraught relations. Amnesty International, for instance, has blamed the maker of Taser stun guns for the death of over 200 people.
  • OLYMPICS - BEIJING 2008
    Pricey TV rights for golden Olympics
    Broadcast rights for the Olympics have multiplied by 17 since 1980, and only the biggest channels are able to compete, to the benefit of the IOC. (Report: C. Giraud, W. Bracciano, S. Rousseau).
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    Poor countries in the grip of 'vulture funds'
    Poor countries' debts can be profitable to what some call 'vulture funds'. These funds buy national debts and then hit the country with high interest rates. A portrait of one of these funds, Kensington.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    BMW goes to war against Chinese carmaker
    While authorities in Beijing promise to crack down on counterfeiting, Germany's premium carmaker BMW is suing China's Shuanghuan for cloning one of its models and selling it at a lower price.
    (1) comment
  • INFORMATION – HANDLING
    EADS vs BOEING: Tanker row turns bitter
    It has become one of the epic business battles of the decade: the fight for a multi-billion dollar contract to supply the US Air Force with air refueling airplanes. How did the spread of disinformation become part of EADS and Boeing's game-plans?
  • EURO - DOLLAR
    The end of the dollar's reign?
    For half a century, the greenback has dominated the world's financial system, serving as the currency of choice for governments seeking a safe haven to store their money reserves. But are those days now numbered? (P.Alexandre/ S.Le Belzic/ C.Giraud)
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    Does military support benefit business?
    While acquiring its independence in 1977, Djibouti has enjoyed French military protection ever since. Yet, France has failed to profit from strong economic growth in the East African country, unlike nearby Saudi Arabia.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    Islamic finance booming amid downturn
    While the global financial sector braces for a severe crisis, Islamic banking is flourishing, having experienced double-digit growth in recent years. But what exactly does it mean to handle banking activities according to Islamic law?
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    The race for clean technologies
    As environmental concern grows across the world, the energy sector is experiencing what some predict will be a transformation of the scale of the Digital revolution of the early nineties.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    Spotlight on Google in online library boom
    A new trend of publishing books online has put Google under the spotlight. Competitors claim the web giant is playing dirty to keep its spot at the top of the online library industry, while some even say Google is invading Europe's cultural heritage.
  • MILITARY - AVIATION
    Rafale: conquering the skies?
    France has long been a big player in the military hardware sector. But with competition extending from the United States to Europe, its latest fighter jet, the Rafale, has failed to set the world alight.
  • LOGISTICS - RFID
    The race for digital tracking standards
    RFID — or radio-frequency identification — lies at the heart of the global race to develop a world standard in tagging and tracking products on their journey from the factory to the consumer.
  • GENETIC REVOLUTION
    Losing ground in the genetic revolution
    Genetically modified crops: danger, menace or opportunity? Politicians, researchers and GM industrials are discussing GM crops in France.
  • WINE INDUSTRY
    French wine industry in the red
    The French share of global wine sales has been in the red for years, as France has seen a steady erosion of its dominant market position.
  • SPORT BUSINESS
    The shady business of football
    Fixed games, durty money, corruption... Is football drifting into mafia business?
  • DATA
    Data under scrutiny
    Since 9/11, European airlines and banks share information on their customers with US. Some say that the US is using this data in an economic war against Europe.
  • WORLD ECONOMY
    Are Arab economies on the march?
    Arab companies seem to have problems as none of them are among the world top 100.
  • AGRICULTURE
    Brazil: the new agricultural force
    Brazil has emerged as the new great agricultural power. The country has gained market shares as a producer of cotton, sugar, soy, and tobacco. And it's not about to stop - currently Brazil uses only eight per cent of its land for agriculture.
  • BEYOND BUSINESS
    The vulture funds
    These funds are accused of making money by buying the debt of poor nations cheaply.
  • Bio-Piracy
    About bio-Piracy
    Developing nations are accuse multinational companies from the North of using plants without paying anything in return.
  • CINEMA
    A weapon of economic warfare ?
    The big screen has become a very efficient tool for strategic influence, with some countries undergoing US pressure to open up their markets to more American movies.
  • Cybercriminality
    The dangers of cybercriminality
    Cybercriminality is increasing as it's becoming more lucrative. The FBI estimates that American companies alone lose more than 70 billion
  • COUNTERFEIT
    When forgers open supermarkets
    Every year, luxury labels such as Dior, Louis Vuitton and Lacoste, say they lose billions of euros in sales to counterfeiters, a figure they maintain is on the increase. Here are some facts about this black market phenomenon.
  • France
    French economic values
    Where do French economic values fit in on the global level? The French are striving to sell their view on economic intelligence to the world.

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