The world is connected like never before and with growing personal networks of online devices at their fingertips, consumers in Europe are among those driving digital evolution. Our report, written in association with Retail Week, reveals the nuances and divergences in connected consumers’ behaviour and perceptions across Europe If your business interacts with connected consumers in any way, be it in retail, digital health, transport and logistics or emerging innovations, you will appreciate that these differences create great opportunities. Through research...

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In order to give a substantial boost to the Italian eco-system, the Italian government has introduced a new category of enterprises, the so called “innovative small and medium-sized enterprises”, extending to them most of the provisions already available to innovative startups. Definition of small and medium-sized enterprises In accordance with the relevant recommendation given by the European Commission  (“EC Recommendation”), the definition of small and medium-sized enterprises is strictly related to the company’s staff headcount, as well as its...

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According to Natalie Kostelni's article for the Philadelphia Business Journal, software company Vertex, Inc. has signed an 11-year lease for 168,000 square feet at 2301 Renaissance Boulevard in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The company will vacate its current space at Old Cassatt Road in Berwyn, Pennsylvania next summer. The property is a five-building campus that secures the $18.89 million Cassford Corporate Park loan. Kostelni reports that Vertex has been at the Cassford Corporate Park since 1987 and sold the property...

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On Friday 11 November 2016, the Luxembourg Government revealed the preliminary legal and regulatory framework for space resources utilisation activities in Luxembourg. The bill of law consists of two main components dealing respectively with the ownership of space resources and the authorisation regime for the exploration and use of such resources. In summary, the proposed bill of law contains the following provisions: • Space resources are capable of being appropriated in accordance with international law (article 1) by analogy with the rules...

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Maureen Kline is Vice President, Public Affairs and Sustainability for Pirelli Tire North America, responsible for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. She chairs the board of the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada and sits on the advisory board of the Corporate Responsibility Association, where she co-chairs a Thought Leadership Council on Brand and Reputation Management. Previously she managed Pirelli’s global public affairs, and before that, international communications from the company’s headquarters in Milan, Italy. Prior to her public affairs...

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StartupNano opens its doors to entrepreneurs around the world working with nanotechnology based solutions. From the North of Portugal, startups have access to support to go from idea to global markets, to unique laboratories and expertise in nanotechnology, and to incubation in a unique international infrastructure for nanotechnology built by Portugal and Spain governments. Besides access to a specialized nanotech network of mentors and experts, startups have access to awards and up to €100k direct investment. The deadline for submission...

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With the election of Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States, there is much speculation about what our nation, and the world, can expect in terms of public policy orientation from a Trump-led administration. As a candidate, Mr. Trump ran as a Washington-outsider bent on upsetting the establishment status quo and whose campaign promises centered around undoing many pieces of President Obama's agenda. While cutting through the rhetoric of a presidential campaign can often be difficult, the clearest...

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FX Implications of the Trump VictoryThe FX market reaction to the Trump victory was just as most had predicted – for a few hours. But by the end of Wednesday the USD weakness that had been seen initially against the majors had evaporated and the USD finished the day higher across the board. It does seem that market predictions that Trump would undermine confidence in the USD and the US economy have been off the mark. Not only is...

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Wednesday's Activity: Trepp’s Takeaways from the Presidential Election Results Excerpt on CMBS We see the Donald Trump victory last night as a possible net positive for the CMBS market on several fronts. First, there is certainly the possibility of a loosening of risk retention rules. This could potentially help boost CMBS issuance in the future, compared to what a CMBS world with risk retention might look like. In addition, the removal of the higher borrower costs that come with risk retention structures would make...

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We’re heading into the holiday season – a time when people reflect on the past year and what they want to do better in the coming year. You also might hear some advice – welcome or otherwise – from family members as you gather together. If I can be so bold, the Vision Impact Institute (VII) has some advice to share, too – advice backed up by research. A recent report titled Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision...

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