Info Magazine on Urban Transport in the Digital Age

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french chamber of commerce in great britain  www.frenchchamber.co.uk

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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2014

thalesgroup.com

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In the future, finance will help new growth flourish.

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New income streams should be built on opportunities that have longevity and new solutions prepared for technology that will continue to evolve.

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- info - september / october

Arnaud Bamberger

editorial

President, French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, and Executive Chairman of Cartier

L

a Rentrée always feels like a new start, despite it being three quarters of the way through the year. It is certainly a new start for HE Mrs Sylvie Bermann, who became Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom on 22 August. As the French Chamber in this country, we welcome her and look forward to working with her.

It was also a new start for the French government in late August with the formation of a new cabinet under Prime Minister Manuel Valls after the departure of Arnaud Montebourg and two other ministers.

Most encouraging was the pro-business stance taken by Mr Valls in his speech at the MEDEF Summer University on 27 August, when he said that ‘France needs its businesses… because it is businesses which create value, and generate wealth that must benefit everyone… Businesses contribute to France’s strength and image in the world.

Our major groups, our cutting-edge companies, our brands (Total, L’Oréal, Carrefour, Accor, Alstom, etc.) are known and admired the world over. And French people rightly consider them as part of our heritage. Yes, France needs its businesses. Because when businesses win, it is France that wins.’

In a similar vein, at the recent French Ambassadors’ Conference in Paris, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged Ambassadors to engage with French businesses abroad for the good of France, saying: ‘With the relevant tools, now reformed and coordinated, you must take the initiative, so that our external trade balance is restored as swiftly as possible – the key factor in our competitiveness. This involves you acting on a daily basis with regard to businesses.’

Much of what we do at the Chamber supports that globalisation of French businesses, and most notably within our second semester programme we have the Franco-British Transport Conference on 14 October and the Franco British Business Forum on 28 November, which will involve businesses from both sides of the Channel and beyond.

The theme of Urban Transport has been chosen for this issue of INFO to tie in with the Franco-British Transport Conference, and we are delighted to have the support of the UK Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, both for the conference and in the Focus of this magazine. We also have interviews with Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Commissioner of Transport for London and the Mayor of Strasbourg, Roland Ries, both of whom are speakers at our forthcoming Franco-British Transport Conference, and the Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester, Dr Jon Lamonte among others. Articles examine the present and future of urban mobility, looking at the challenges our cities face and the innovative and technologically advanced ways they are being met, from electric vehicles to driverless trains and smart phone ticketing.

In the meantime, we are celebrating La Rentrée with our customary Dîner on 23 September, at which Fabrice Brégier, President & CEO of Airbus will be speaking. I know many of you will be there as the event has completely sold out! Another date well worth saving is 29 September when we will hear from the renowned HSBC economist Stephen King at the Quarterly Economic Update as he answers the question of whether we are going from gloom to boom. I look forward to seeing you all again on both occasions. I info - september / october -

Contents issue 214 / September - October 2014

16

32

Interview: Patrick McLoughlin MP

5 minutes with...

10 Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive Officer of Eurostar International

News in the City

13 Politics, policies and the pursuit of growth 14 City shorties 15 City Profile: Guillaume Molhant Proost

40

Keolis secures Docklands Light Railway franchise

A tale of two cities: Strasbourg and Manchester

36 Sir Peter Hendy CBE on London’s transport 38 The future of travel in London 39 The Grand Paris transportation project 40 A tale of two cities: Strasbourg and Manchester

43 Trams in the UK, à la française 44 Connecting the dots... between train, tram and bus

45 London has a lot to gain from driverless

News

16 Thales gets trams to Manchester Airport a year early

17 JCDecaux partners with Tech City and launches digital in Newcastle

18 Renault to build Bolloré’s electric Bluecars 19 Veolia integrates Dalkia energy arm 22 School news 24 Interview with Frédéric Mion, President of Sciences Po

SMEs & Startups

26 Briefs 28 Profile: Porsche Design

Focus

32 Interview with Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport

34 Global trends in urban transportation Managing Director: Florence Gomez

trains

46 Electric vehicles and the city of the future 47 Charge of the electric brigade 48 Urban cycling 50 Re-imagining transportation in the digital age 52 Big Data in transportation: who owns what?

53 Real-time personalised journeys: are we there yet?

54 55 56 57

M-ticketing: outsmarting smart cards Innovation in last-mile transport and logistics What future for the car?

All change for next generation transport

Culture

59 The EY Exhibition: ‘Late Turner - Painting Set Free’ at Tate Britain

60 What’s on 62 Book reviews

10

5 minutes with...

Nicolas Petrovic

77

Lunch with the Lord Mayor

Eat, Drink, Stay

63 A word with Chef Jocelyn Herland 64 Le Restaurant de Paul

Bulgari Spa

65 Cheese & Wine Press

News at the Chamber

69 New members 71 Hello/Goodbye 72 Chamber shorties

Events

74 AGM: A good year for the Chamber 76 CEO Breakfast: The new face of L’Oréal 77 Annual Legal Lunch: Woman power in an office ancient and modern

78 Summer Champagne Reception: How many bubbles in a bottle?

79 Tour of the Beefeater Distillery: In high spirits

Forum & Clubs

80 Finance Forum: Challenges and

opportunities in LatAm: Brazil and Mexico

81 HR Forum: Guidance on flexible working in the workplace

82 Forthcoming Forums & Clubs 83 Forthcoming Events

Corporate Communication Executive: Marielle Fraize

Contributors: Sundar Balasubramaniam, Eric Charriaux, Coolin Desai, Tiffany Dovey Fishman, Ben Fletcher, Nick Gill, Alistair Gordon, Etienne Guyot, Grant Klein, Thibault Lavergne, Professor Glen Lyons, Alistair McPhee, Professor David Metz, Christian Wolmar, Piers Wood, Caroline Yarrow

Distribution: French Chamber members, FrancoBritish decision makers, Business Class lounges of Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Air France in London, Paris and Manchester

Graphic Designer: Katherine Millet

Cover artwork: Katherine Millet

Editorial and Publishing Office: French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn London WC1V 7JH Tel: (020) 7092 6600; Fax: (020) 7092 6601 www.frenchchamber.co.uk

Editor-in-Chief: Keri Fuller

Advertising & Sales: Suzanne Lycett Publications Assistant: Katie Chadd Subscription: INFO is published every 2 months Printed by: Headley Brothers Ltd

Š photo credits: VINCI, Crossrail, BBMV and MVB photo libraries

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5 m i n u te s w ith ...

Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive Officer of Eurostar International

Eurostar marks its 20th anniversary in November. What have been its greatest achievements and challenges over the past two decades?

Since its launch in November 1994, Eurostar has transformed travel between the UK and mainland Europe. In addition to providing a seamless, comfortable, city centre to city centre link, it has helped create a stronger relationship between the UK and Europe, bringing together friends, families and businesses. As a result of the success of our service many customers now choose to divide their lives between London and the Continent, commuting on a regular basis between London and Paris or Brussels.

How will the business evolve in its third decade?

This is a very exciting time for our business and our customers as we look to expand. Our key priority is to provide a high quality, memorable service and to persuade more and more travellers to choose high speed rail over the plane.

We are entering a new phase for Eurostar. Over the coming years, our passengers will see the introduction of new trains, new routes and new services. We are ambitious for growth and our sights are set on expanding further afield to new destinations. Building on our core routes, next May we are starting an allyear-round Provence service direct to Lyon, Avignon and Marseille, and from the end of 2016 we will also run from London to Amsterdam direct.

Eurostar is investing millions in its trains. What can customers expect from these improvements?

Our £700 million investment in our fleet will be transformational for our customers. We have bought 10 new trains which are in their final stages of production and are refurbishing our existing trains so that by 2016 we will have a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi-equipped fleet designed by the world renowned Italian design house, Pininfarina.

10 - info - september / october

Deutsche Bahn has said that it would like to run trains to London in the future. How do you view this competition and what difference will it make to Eurostar?

We are operating in an ‘open access’ environment which means that the market is open to any operators who can demonstrate that they have the ability to run services.

I am firmly of the view that competition would be healthy and that it would ultimately grow the market. We have seen this trend in other markets and industries. By having more operators and a greater choice of services, more and more passengers would consider high speed rail as an alternative to the plane and the market would grow overall.

How does Eurostar’s relationship with Eurotunnel work?

We work very closely with Eurotunnel. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s key customer and it is a very important partner for us. Our priority is to provide a smooth, efficient and reliable service for our customers. Having a strong relationship with Eurotunnel is central to providing this level of service.

Your passenger numbers were up by 2% in the first half of 2014, and revenues only grew 0.5%. Are you still feeling the effects of the economic crisis?

The first half of this year was something of a ‘game of two halves’. The first quarter showed strong growth whereas the second quarter was impacted by the convergence of the Easter and May holidays in the UK which saw consumers taking one instead of two trips and a softening in demand for holiday destinations

in northern Europe as a result of the ‘World Cup effect’. This meant that many households delayed or postponed their spending on leisure travel until later in the summer.

Since then we have seen a more benign trading environment with encouraging signs of economic stability in France as well as the UK. These more favourable conditions have helped deliver strong growth in business travel across our markets.

What proportion of your passengers are business travellers compared to tourists? Do you see any emerging trends?

The introduction of our new trains will also be instrumental in achieving our environmental goals.

The new Eurostar e320 trains will be lighter than our existing trains which will make them more efficient to operate and maintain. They will also carry 900 passengers – 150 more than our current trains – which means they will be 17% more efficient per seat than our existing fleet.

As a Franco-British company you have to deal with crosscultural relations on a daily basis. What is your best strategy for working in such an environment?

Whilst our passengers are predominantly leisure Our diversity and blend of cultures is one of our great strengths. We have a distinct personality which our travellers, around 20% of our customers are travelling for business. passengers appreciate and much of that is drawn from During the first half of this year, we have seen the combination of nationalities that the business represents. Equally, our colleagues stronger levels of business often cite the cross-cultural profile travel bookings with the of the business as one of the volume of business passengers Competition wou ld be rising 6% compared to the same rewarding and enjoyable aspects healthy... By hav i ng more period in 2013. As well as the of working for Eurostar. operators and a greater Given the diverse profile of strengthening of the economy choice of ser v ices, more our customers who increasingly reported in the UK in recent and more passengers quarters, Eurostar is now also come from all over the world, it wou ld consider high speed seeing some improvement in is crucial that our colleagues are rai l as an alternative to France with encouraging signs enthusiastic about working with the plane and the market of growth in business travel different cultures and have an on both sides of the Channel. open-minded perspective. wou ld grow overal l The return to more normal In my experience, having colleagues from a range of levels of growth reflects signs different countries and background enriches our dayof greater stability in the eurozone economies.

Interestingly, we are also seeing continuing growth to-day working life and gives our company a very in the volume of international customers. Over the first individual culture. half of the year the number of international passengers Eurostar has long been a Patron member and supporter of rose by 7% compared to the same period in 2013.

Eurostar has ambitious targets to cut carbon emissions.

What are you doing to achieve this?

Since 2007, when we made our original ‘Tread Lightly’ environmental commitments, we have been on a mission to dramatically reduce our carbon emissions and to encourage travellers to switch from short haul flights to high speed rail.

We have a range of actions focused on helping us reach our targets. In addition to recycling waste across our business, and keeping water consumption and waste sent to landfill to an absolute minimum, we are investing in technologies to improve the efficiency and performance of our trains.

the Chamber, and you are a Board Member. What does the French Chamber represent for a company like Eurostar?

We very much value our relationship with the Chamber which has been key to our business for many years.

With a membership that spans leading multinationals, middle-market companies and SMEs, the Chamber provides a valuable platform for us to develop our network and exchange ideas with businesses that are operating in both France and the UK. The combination of seminars, networking and events provides a range of opportunities for building relationships across the Anglo-French business community. I Interview by KF

info - september / october - 11

OUR JOB: LINKING ISSUERS & INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS

TO MAKE GREAT IDEAS

COME TO LIFE

WITH

YOU,

AS

ONE

TEAM

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THIS COMMUNICATION IS FOR PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS ONLY AND IS NOT DIRECTED AT RETAIL CLIENTS. Societe Generale is a French credit institution (bank) and an investment services provider (entitled to perform any banking activity and/or to provide any investment service under MiFID except the operation of Multilateral Trading Facilities) authorised and regulated by the French Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (“ACPR”) (the French Prudential and Resolution Control Authority) and the Autorité des Marchés Financiers («AMF»). This document is issued in the U.K. by the London Branch of Societe Generale, authorized in the U.K. by the Prudential Regulation Authority and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our authorisation and regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request. 2014 Societe Generale Group and its affiliates. © David Despau - FRED & FARID

n e ws i n t h e ci t y

Politics, policies and the pursuit of growth

S

econd quarter GDP figures from the eurozone showing that Germany contracted 0.2%, Italy has slipped into its third recession since 2008 and France flatlined at 0% have raised fears that the eurozone’s recovery has petered out before it even really got going.

While Germany’s fall in François Hollande output has been largely attributed to a mild winter boosting first half growth at the expense of the second, the lack of growth in Italy and particularly France are cause for concern.

France’s problems are seen by economists as being deeply rooted in tight fiscal policies and longunreformed markets. So the ousting of Arnaud Montebourg, the economy minister who opposed government policy aimed at deficit reduction and reform, has been viewed as positive. The Financial Times commented, ‘Mr Montebourg’s departure offers a chance for a more joined-up approach.

[Prime Minister Manuel] Valls is now better placed to implement structural reforms, including cuts in public spending and labour taxes that France needs to boost competitiveness. The appointment of the well-

...the wider question of whether the eu rozone’s tightly constrai ned monetar y pol icy is throttl i ng its own recover y has to be asked regarded Emmanuel Macron as economy minister should also improve the government’s coherence.’

Yet that still leaves France with a tight fiscal policy that is not conducive to growth. With Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank, calling for more growth-friendly fiscal stance for the euro area,

Montebourg’s calls for fiscal relaxation in France don’t seem quite so maverick after all.

The FT puts it another way: ‘It is perfectly reasonable to question whether France – and the eurozone more generally – can recover if current commitment to budgetary contraction Emmanuel Macron is maintained.’

As President Hollande and Prime Minister Valls, accompanied by a reconfigured cabinet, pursue reformist policies to pull France out of its economic rut, the wider question of whether the eurozone’s tightly constrained monetary policy is throttling its own recovery has to be asked. I KF

UK self-employment at all-time high ||| The number of UK workers classed as selfemployed has risen to its highest level since records began, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) with 4.6 million people in the UK now working for themselves. The most common self-employed jobs involve taxi-driving, construction and management consultancy.

The ONS report notes that the rise in total employment since 2008 is largely due to fewer people leaving self-employment and suggests that this is an outcome of the recession. It also points out a marked increase in self-employed over 65 year-olds and highlights the 22% drop in average income. According to the report, Londoners are most likely to be self-employed (17.3%), followed by workers in the south-west (16.6%). In addition, compared to the rest of Europe, the report notes that the UK has had the third largest percentage rise in self-employment since 2009. I KC info -- september september // october october -- 13 13 info

© Service de presse d’Emmanuel Macron

France’s recent political crisis raises questions about whether the eurozone’s monetary policy is fit for growth

© Photo by David Iliff. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

news in the cit y

London named most influential city in the world ||| According to a list recently compiled by the business magazine, Forbes, London is the most influential city in the world. New York came a close second, while Paris ranked third.

Forbes based its rankings on eight factors including foreign investment, corporate headquarters, flight connections, financial services, technology and media power. Although the report notes that the UK is now a ‘second-rate’ power, London’s history and unparalleled

legacy as a global financial capital has helped it claim the top spot. It adds that the UK capital is ultimately ‘the birthplace of the cultural, legal and business practices that define global capitalism’.

The report ranks Paris in third place, but apparently ‘way below London and New York’ due to ‘relative economic stagnation’. It retains its high ranking, however, thanks to its ‘domination of the still sizable French economy’. I KC

Morgan Stanley named best bank for CSR by Euromoney ||| Morgan Stanley has been named Best Bank for Corporate Social Responsibility by Euromoney magazine. The Firm received the award for its significant and far-reaching efforts to integrate social responsibility across its products, services and operations. This award, which was presented for the first time this year, was received by Morgan Stanley at Euromoney’s 2014 Awards for Excellence event in London. ‘Social responsibility is central to the culture at Morgan Stanley,’ said Tom Nides, Vice Chairman at Morgan Stanley. ‘…The honour highlights our Firm’s commitment and dedication to sustainable investing, an effort we see as key to mobilising private capital to address pressing global challenges.’ I KC L to R: Clive Horwood, editor Euromoney; Audrey Choi, Morgan Stanley MD and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable Investing; Richard Hammond, TV presenter

© Société Générale

Société Générale wins three EMEA Finance Treasury Services Awards

Pascal Augé

14 - info - september / october

||| The Global Transaction Banking division at Société Générale (SG GTB) has been awarded ‘Best Treasury Services in Africa’, ‘Best Cash Management Services in EMEA’ and ‘Best Cash Management Services in Europe’ by EMEA Finance Magazine. Through these awards, EMEA Finance acknowledges SG GTB as a lead provider of wide-ranging transactional banking services both in Europe and EMEA. Pascal Augé, Head of Global Transaction & Payment Services, commented: ‘These awards are a very welcome recognition of the commitment demonstrated towards our clients. Through the support of our strong international network and continuous significant investments in new technologies, we strive to offer an exhaustive and integrated range of domestic and international cash management services’. I KC

news in the cit y

Profile

Guillaume Molhant Proost Guillaume Molhant Proost is the Principal of the eponymous GMP Wealth Management, and is also a Counsellor in Economic Diplomacy for the Kingdom of Belgium

B

eing the founder and principal of a financial services company that bears his initials makes Guillaume Molhant Proost an entrepreneur in his own right. It also gives him, as he rightly points out, an invaluable perspective when advising his clients, many of whom are successful entrepreneurs. Indeed Guillaume draws on a lot of his own hands-on experience – as an investment banker, a corporate adviser, a fund manager, a principal of his own company and an investor – to understand his clients’ unique circumstances and identify the most suitable solutions for their financial planning needs.

A graduate from the Solvay Business School (University of Brussels, ULB), Guillaume has always been internationally minded, spending most of his career in the English-speaking world. His first job was with the European Commission in Brussels on the back of a thesis he wrote on the Economic Renewal in the Middle East in the aftermath of the 1993 Washington Peace Agreement. During his time there, Guillaume reviewed and selected projects submitted by promoters applying for EU funding.

Guillaume then moved to London to begin his career in finance with US investment bank Salomon Brothers, initially advising corporations on mergers & acquisitions, and later working in proprietary investment with a focus on merger arbitrage and event-driven strategies.

Following the acquisition of Salomon Brothers by Citibank in 2000, Guillaume joined an investment firm set up by one of his colleagues as Head of Research. Later he was given the opportunity to start an investment fund for a subsidiary of Credit Agricole, based in Paris, and add a new string to his bow – hedge fund manager.

Within two years, his €50 million seed capital had grown to over €250 million.

This track record opened another door for Guillaume. He was approached by a US company, now part of Blackrock, with a mandate to provide capital for investment firm start-ups, which led him to establish GMP Asset Management in London in 2004 with a focus on managing event driven strategies for institutional investors. By 2007 it had raised more than $250 million

built upon $35 million seed capital. ‘It was a repeat of my experience in Paris – a challenging and extremely competitive environment – where our success resulted from our commitment to a rigorous and disciplined investment process,’ says Guillaume.

Nevertheless, when the 2008 crisis hit, it was a wakeup call. While some of its largest competitors were unable to meet investor redemption requests, GMP Asset Management remained liquid and fulfilled its obligations, delivering superior performance relative to most of its competitors by losing no more than 5%. But it was a turning point: ‘We reached a strategic milestone. It made us think about the scope of investment activities and what investors would be interested in pursuing with us,’ Guillaume recounts. ‘It became apparent that our ability to source investment strategies and structure their funding while co-investing alongside our clients represented a compelling offering.’ As a result, GMP’s focus shifted towards setting up bespoke investment vehicles for family offices and high net worth individuals. ‘We started to think about catering to the needs of our clients more comprehensively, but that of course requires a very wide skill set – tax, legal, estate planning, pension, etc – so we decided to partner with a firm that would give us access to all that know-how,’ Guillaume explains. This is how the partnership with St. James’s Place, a FTSE100 company, came about and GMP Wealth Management was born.

Guillaume has a diverse and multinational client base whose profiles include entrepreneurs, trustees, senior executives and wealthy individuals, many of whom are resident but not domiciled in the UK. He places great value on the relationship with his clients: ‘My investment experience, inquisitive mind-set, corporate due diligence experience, frequent interaction with senior executives, and role as economic advisor to the Belgian government in the UK, provide me with a multi-faceted understanding of the investment landscape, which is valued by my clients. I have established relationships based on trust and long term commitment.’

Referring to his Belgian identity which intersects Germanic and Latin cultures, he observes: ‘Belgians are attentive and pragmatic listeners who tend not to act in haste.’ Traits that serve him well. I KF info - september / october - 15

news Compiled by Marielle Fraize

Companies

Š Keolis

Keolis secures Docklands Light Railway franchise

Poplar is one of the 38 stations on the DLR line

||| Keolis, in a 70:30 joint venture with Amey, has secured the franchise to operate and maintain the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London for the next seven years. The franchise agreement established by Docklands Light Railway Ltd gives them responsibility for all train and passenger services across the network, including the maintenance of over 34km of infrastructure,

38 stations, as well as rolling stock. Commencing in December 2014, it will run until 2021 with the possibility of extensions. The DLR is an essential part of London’s internationally recognised public transport network and the new franchise will ensure that it becomes a showcase for automated light rail networks globally. Keolis recently became a Patron member of the Chamber. I www.keolis.com

Thales gets trams to Manchester Airport a year early ||| Thales, in consortium with M-Pact (Laing O’Rourke and VolkerRail) and in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester, has delivered the new 14.5 kilometre Metrolink line to Wythenshawe and Manchester airport more than 12 months ahead of schedule.

Thales has supplied a fully integrated tramway management, control and communication solution that enables all aspects of the tramway to be operated safely and quickly. In addition, Thales as a consortium 16 - info - september / october

member of the principle contractor MPT (M-PACT Thales) has also delivered overhead line, power, communications, passenger information and CCTV with the associated systems integration and provides maintenance of the expanded Metrolink network.

The Metrolink expansion is the largest single public transport investment outside London and the early opening of the new line will bring the network to 92 stops serving nearly 100 kilometres of tramway in Greater Manchester. I www.thalesgroup.com

news

Spie acquires Scotshield Fire & Security ||| Leading mechanical and engineering contractor SPIE has acquired Scotshield Fire and Security, a provider of fire detection, security alarms, access control and closed circuit television systems. The move, which will enable SPIE to develop its expertise in Intelligent Buildings, sees it entering a new market which has natural affiliations with its existing portfolio of services. Renaud Digoin Danzin, Strategy & Development Director of SPIE UK, commented: ‘Globally, there is a growing trend for converged security and business management systems (BMS).

Scotshield’s expertise will allow SPIE UK to further develop its services in the “Smart City” strategic segment, with a particular focus on Security and Energy Management. With this fifth acquisition in three years, we continue to broaden and balance our portfolio of engineering-led services and our client base.’ I www.spieuk.com

||| JCDecaux has entered into a partnership with heart of Newcastle upon Tyne with large-format screens Tech City UK to enable startup companies to access at shopping centres and a Transvision screen and rail the newly digitised Old Street Roundabout. Repositioned digital 6-sheets at Newcastle Central Station. The station as ‘Old Street EC1’, this premium media location owned delivers a footfall of 310,000 commuters every two

by Transport for London (TfL) will comprise four stateweeks, providing a powerful digital channel for brands of-the art digital screens and will go live in October. to access the affluent, highly-connected rail audience Under the agreement with Tech City UK, JCDecaux travelling into the city from London and the Northeast. will run content from selected digital startups in the I www.jcdecaux.co.uk area, promoting the future business leaders of tomorrow.

This development supports TfL’s plans to secure income for investment in London’s transport network as part of a wider commercial strategy. It follows the introduction of pop-up shops at Old Street bringing a variety of new and innovative retailers to the station.

JCDecaux has also recently launched digital screens across retail and rail environments in the Going digital: Old Street Roundabout in East London

Bouygues UK begins expansion of European Space Agency’s UK centre ||| Bouygues UK has begun construction of a new facility to support the nation’s growing space industry, which has an annual turnover of some £9 billion and employs around 30,000 staff in highly skilled roles. The £11 million contract is for the design and build of a new five-storey office and curved conference building that will host the European Space Agency’s UK branch – the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT).

The previously undeveloped 1.5 hectares of land is part of the existing Harwell Oxford Science, Innovation and Business Campus in Didcot, Oxfordshire. Activities supported at the site include R&D for satellite-based telecommunications, climate change analysis and the development of commercial space based products and services. Bouygues UK Regional Director, Cliff Thomas, said: ‘This further development of ECSAT on the Harwell Oxford Science, Innovation and Business Campus underlines its credentials as a leading hub of importance to the UK and European scientific and education community.’ I www.bouygues-uk.com info - september/ october - 17

© JCDecaux UK

JCDecaux partners with Tech City and launches digital in Newcastle

news

Renault to build Bolloré’s electric Bluecars ||| The Bolloré Group has commissioned Renault to take over the construction of Bolloré’s electric Bluecars that up until this point have only ever been manufactured in Italy. These cars, which since 2011 have been used in Paris’s Autolib scheme, will start being assembled

by Renault at their plant in Dieppe from the second half of 2015.

Bolloré, which will be supplying electric cars to London for a car-sharing scheme (see article on page 45), is also setting up a joint Carlos Ghosn (R), Chairman and Chief venture with Renault for car-sharing services, the aim of which will Executive Officer of Renault-Nissan Alliance, and Vincent Bolloré, CEO of Bolloré be to install more electric car-sharing solutions in France and Europe.

The Renault group will hold a 30% interest in the joint venture, while the Bolloré group will own 70%. In addition, the two companies are carrying out a feasibility study for Renault to make a new three-seater electric vehicle using batteries made by Bolloré. I group.renault.com

Accor acquires 13 UK properties ||| HotelInvest, the Accor Group’s hotel owner and investor business, has purchased a portfolio of 13 hotels from Tritax for €89 million (£71 million). The portfolio, which includes 12 ibis and 1 ibis budget, represents 1,194 rooms located across the UK in key regional locations including Coventry, Birmingham, Leicester, Plymouth, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester as well as London (Stratford, Thurrock and Barking).

John Ozinga, COO of HotelInvest The ibis brand is expanding in the UK

said: ‘These transactions demonstrate Accor’s ability to act swiftly in implementing the strategy announced nine months ago. It’s an important step forward in the significant restructuring that we are leading in HotelInvest, fully aligned with our objectives which include creating value by optimising return on capital employed, while strengthening our position as the largest owner of economy and midscale hotels in key European markets.’ I www.accor.com

CPI invests in new digital technology to expand operations ||| CPI UK is expanding its short-run book production operation with the installation of a third Quantum inkjet web press. Martin Collyer, CPI UK Head of Digital, said: ‘Our strategy is to offer publishers the best technology to deliver their books to market, at any run length.’

CPI is also significantly expanding its hardback book manufacturing operation in the latest phase of its £23 million investment programme. The UK’s largest book printer is to increase its trade hardback capacity by 50%.

Andy Watts, General Manager of CPI Books, said: ‘As the UK’s leading book manufacturer, our aim is to support our customers in a changing market. We’re doing this by continuing to invest in the most efficient new technology available, so that we can offer even greater responsiveness and increased security of supply.’ I www.cpibooks.com 18 - info - september / october

Only the best tech: the Quantum inkjet web press

news

Veolia integrates Dalkia energy arm ||| Veolia UK will be fully integrating with its sister company Dalkia plc, which will adopt the Veolia brand name. This move will enable the company to offer its customers a wider range of environmental services in the areas of energy, water, waste and recycling. While the name change reflects the closer integration of the group, the business will continue to help customers develop, construct and operate greener and more economical energy solutions while also incorporating knowledge from other areas of the business.

Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia’s Senior Executive Vice President for UK and Ireland said: ‘Veolia has always been the UK’s leading environmental solutions provider, and bringing our energy arm, Dalkia, fully on board truly cements us as a team. We know this will be only a benefit to our customers now and going forward, as they will be open to a larger range of services helping them be more sustainable into the future.’ I www.veolia.co.uk

Renault Trucks range chosen

by John Beaty Transport ||| Bulk haulage specialists, John Beaty Transport, Penrith, has seen their first Renault Trucks Range T460 mid-lift 6x2 tractors deliver impressive fuel consumption and payload. Supplied by Renault Trucks dealer, Border Trucks, the two Range T460s are the first Euro 6 Renaults in John Beaty’s 30-strong bulk tipper and blower fleet. Renault Truck’s reputation for excellent customer service, fuel consumption and driver satisfaction were the key factors in choosing the new vehicles as additions to their business.

John Beaty Transport’s Managing Director, Stuart Beaty says: ‘I’ve had Renaults before so I thought I’d give the new Euro 6 Range Ts a go. To be honest I was only going to buy one initially but I was so impressed I thought I’d go for two and I haven’t looked back since.’ I www.renault-trucks.co.uk

Rebranded Veolia: energy team members at the CHP (Combined Heat & Power) Technology facility

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John Beaty takes to the road in Renault’s T460

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news

EY appoints record number of equity partners

Financial Times launches global members forum ‘The 125’

||| EY has appointed 68 equity partners to its UK business in the last year, including a record 39 new admissions announced this month and 29 direct entry partners from its competitors and industry, all of which indicates the company’s growth over the past year.

Steve Varley, Chairman and UK & Ireland Managing Partner at EY, commented, ‘I would like to congratulate all our new partners. This is a great achievement for each individual and a vote of confidence in their leadership. We have exciting times ahead of us with big ambitions for our business and are very confident in the UK’s future economic growth. Our new partners have an important role to play in helping EY respond to this growth and providing our people with fantastic career opportunities and experiences.’ I www.ey.com

||| The Financial Times has launched a new global learning forum for senior executives to stimulate fresh thinking about the biggest financial, business, economic and political issues of the day. The 125, an exclusive members-only group named after the FT’s 125th anniversary in 2013, will help prepare the next generation of business leaders.

The 11 founding members are Unilever, ArcelorMittal, BT, Santander, Newton Investment Management, Pearson, Channel 4, Man Group, Clifford Chance, Nissan and McKinsey & Company. Access is invitation only and participants benefit from access to exclusive events and learning forums, a dedicated member website with recommended reading and post-event briefings, and networking opportunities with senior executives and FT experts across a wide range of sectors. I www.ft.com

BDO LLP acquires MorganFranklin’s UK team ||| BDO LLP and MorganFranklin Ltd (UK) have successfully completed a deal whereby MorganFranklin’s team in the UK transfers into BDO Consulting. The team will join the Financial Management & Technology business, significantly enhancing its range of services and sector specialist knowledge.

BDO Consulting provides a range of management consultancy services to public and private sector clients in the UK and internationally. The Financial Management and Technology offering is a key part of the business and sits alongside the consultancy’s other offerings, namely Financial Model Assurance & Infrastructure Advisory, Healthcare & Government Services, Hotel, Leisure & Tourism and International Projects. I www.bdo.co.uk

Handicap International provides support in Gaza ||| As of 12 August, the World Health Organisation reported that 10,193 Palestinians, including more than 3,000 children, have been injured. Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to cope and without proper rehabilitation, many of the injured are at risk of permanent disabilities. Thousands more disabled people have been displaced from their homes and are struggling to get aid.

Present in Gaza since 1996, Handicap International teams are on the ground, delivering vital medical supplies and mobility aids to hospitals. They are also providing post-surgical rehabilitation to injured and disabled people and giving psychological support to people dealing with severe trauma.

To donate to Handicap International’s Gaza emergency appeal please call 0870 774 3737 or visit: www.handicap-international.org.uk/gaza-crisis I info - september/ october - 21

news Schools

Ecole Management Normandie opens campus in Oxford ||| EM Normandie has set up a new campus at the British Study Centres (13-15 Magdalen Street) in the heart of historical Oxford.

The campus, which opens in September 2014, will be home to 80 first-year Masters students. Over the next two years, 120 students, including continuing education participants and international students, from the school’s various courses will study on this campus. Alain Ouvrieu, EM Normandie’s Director of International Development said: ‘Thanks to this campus, students will be able to acquire a genuine international culture and unique in-depth knowledge of areas that have been linked throughout history’.

I www.ecole-management-normandie.fr/home.php

The campus in central Oxford

Grenoble Ecole de Management publishes business education paper

HEC Paris launches new dual degree

||| Grenoble Ecole de Management has recently published a White Paper in English on the School of the Future. The paper looks at the revolution taking place in business education due to market forces and advances in technology and market forces. It demonstrates how, from MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) to Serious Games, the teaching methods of tomorrow are being tested today. Jean-François Fiorina, Associate-Dean at Grenoble Ecole de Management, worked together with corporate leaders, journalists and researchers to share observations and conclusions on how to unite the teaching methods of today with the technological advances of tomorrow. They believe that this challenge is an opportunity to bring teaching back into the heart of business education.

I www.grenoble-em.com

||| The financial crisis has presented business schools with the challenge of finding new ways to ensure that their graduates have the knowledge, skills and values to invent the finance of tomorrow. With this in mind, HEC Paris has just launched the MBA-MIF Dual Degree, which offers a fully integrated 20-month curriculum allowing students to receive the broad business and leadership education of an MBA programme together with training in accounting, finance and statistics from the MSc in International Finance.

HEC Paris marked the launch of this unique programme with an exclusive event in London on 8 September at which HR directors from top banking institutions discussed the shift in the skill set required following recent technological and regulatory innovations in the finance industry. I www.hec.fr

Travelling classes for Groupe INSEEC UK students ||| At the INSEEC UK campus, students are taught using an experiential approach whereby practitioners set real-life tasks. To complement this, travel modules are organised, during which students are asked to find their way around town, completing projects.

Recently, students had the opportunity to explore London and compare UK pharma retail organisations with the French system. Outside of London, students have undertaken educational trips to Oxford and Cambridge, and students of INSEEC’s Bordeaux International Wine Institute will be travelling to Scotland in 2015. ‘Travel-based classes produce curious and confident students with a knowledge of Britain far wider than just London,’ says INSEEC Director Ron Morris. I www.groupeinseec-london.co.uk 22 - info - september / october

news

ESCP Europe Business School appoints new Dean ||| The multi-campus business school ESCP Europe has appointed Dr Frank Bournois as its new Dean.

Dr Bournois, a professor of general management and cross-cultural leadership at Panthéon-Assas Paris 2 University and Director of CIFFOP (Centre Interdisciplinaire de Formation à la Fonction Personnel) takes over the position from Dr Edouard Husson.

Dr Bournois was also a visiting scholar at Princeton University in the USA, Head of the Department of Defence Studies at IHEDN (the French National institute for Defense Studies), and an Affiliate Professor and Scientific Director of the Chair of Corporate Governance at ESCP Europe. He is a member of the Advisory Boards of Institut Montaigne, Cercle Turgot, and Cercle de l’Entreprise. I www.escpeurope.eu

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info - september/ october 23 1819) The World’s First Business School- (est.

Callan School London collaborates with other Chamber members ||| Callan School London, an English language school and Chamber member since 2013, has made the most of the Chamber’s networking events to meet new business partners. At one such event, Callan School London met fellow Chamber member Pearl Linguistics, which led to them translating the school’s website into Italian.

Callan School London will also be working with Chamber member Neoma Business School to host a conference and cocktail event for alumni in October 2014.

At this conference, Callan School London will be launching its Callan for Business classes, which are tailored to meet the needs of high-level executives who are working in a professional English-speaking environment. I www.callanschoollondon.com

Interview with

Frédéric Mion

President of Sciences Po

New Masters in Entrepreneurship at EISTI

Frédéric Mion was appointed President in 2013 following an open competition organised by Sciences Po’s two main governing bodies. A Sciences Po graduate himself, Frédéric also attended Princeton University, the École Normale Supérieure and the École Nationale d’Administration. From 2007-2013, he served as Vice President of Canal +, France’s largest media group, and before that was a partner at Allen & Overy LLP. Prior to his work in the private sector, Frédéric held positions at the Ministry of Education and the Conseil d’État. Highly articulate in English, Frédéric spoke to INFO about the vision for Sciences Po.

||| EISTI is launching a new specialised Master’s programme in Entrepreneurship which is aimed at helping future entrepreneurs succeed in transforming opportunities into business. The action-oriented teaching will give students the opportunity to establish their own business projects. Students will be supervised by experienced business mentors as well as high quality teaching staff with entrepreneurial experience. Enrolment is now open for the first session in January 2015. I www.eisti.fr

You recently published a strategy entitled Sciences Po 2022 ‘Understand the World, Make a Difference’. What is this plan?

2022 is significant because it will be Sciences Po’s 150th anniversary, and there are three main goals we want to achieve in the next eight years: become a global leader in higher education and research, enhance access to the professional world for the effective placement of our graduates, and continue to be a pioneer in social responsibility.

What is Sciences Po’s international standing?

OISE launches new course ||| OISE Edition is a brand new residential English language course, held in the heart of London.

Designed for career-driven students who want to immerse themselves in the language and business culture of the UK, the course is based at OISE’s executive training centre as well as the 5* London Edition Hotel next door, where students receive both coaching and accommodation. I www.oise.com 24 - info - september / october

Since opening up internationally 20 years ago, Sciences Po has achieved some success in ranking among the best institutions in the world that teach social sciences: we partner with more than 450 universities in the world and offer over 30 joint degrees with the most renowned international institutions such as Columbia and London School of Economics (LSE).

The last QS World University ranking placed Sciences Po 13 in political science and international relations.

Heading towards 2022, we plan to consolidate our position, overhauling our college education to make it more competitive and self-sustaining by British and

American standards. To reinforce our international reputation of a higher learning institution, we will increase the size of our permanent faculty – although Sciences Po prides itself on having many practitioners who come to teach. We are also transforming our campus into the first Oxford-type campus in central Paris with the acquisition of some buildings in the vicinity. This will enable us to gather our research teams all in one place, create more working space for students, and for the first time, enable us to have living quarters for students on campus.

couple of years, after which they have closed the gap with students that come in through the traditional route. We want to improve this process and see if it can be reproduced at Masters level by entering into partnerships with certain universities.

Another example of social diversity is the fact that 30% of students at Sciences Po are on scholarships.

These students, who come from less affluent families, receive financial help from the State complemented by help from Sciences Po. It is a high percentage compared to 10% in business and engineering schools, and 20% in the big universities in Paris.

How will you fund this?

We are preparing an ambitious international capital campaign, which will close in 2022 with the 150th anniversary of Sciences Po. Our alumni network in France and abroad, UK included, will be involved.

How do you propose to improve your students’ prospects?

In our last annual study we found that 90% of our graduates are in permanent paid positions 15 months after graduation, which is quite satisfactory compared to the situation in France or abroad. However, to improve upon what we do at present and get the professional fields more involved, we are creating three new professional schools at Masters level: Public Affairs, Urban Affairs and Corporate Governance.

We also want to offer specialised training such as fast-track Masters degrees, and professional PhDs aimed at people who have jobs. Executive education is another area we have not yet fully exploited, although we have been doing it for 40 years at Sciences Po. Where do your international students come from?

We have about 13,000 students from undergraduate to Doctoral level, roughly half of whom have passports other than French. They come from 150 different countries with the largest populations from the US, Germany, China, Italy and the UK. We currently have 300 British students studying at Sciences Po. Apart from French and English we also teach in Italian, Spanish, German, Mandarin and Arabic. We do not make French a prerequisite for joining the school, nor do students have to take their exams in French but, of course, they are encouraged to learn French.

How has Sciences Po been a pioneer in social responsibility?

Sciences Po was the first selective school to create an affirmative action programme. In 2001, we started recruiting students from certain underprivileged areas through a process separate from that open to all high school students. It caused an outcry at the time, but it has proved to be very effective. These students make up about 10% of each college class and are given a bit more support, tutoring and help in the first

How is Sciences Po adapting to the digital revolution?

We are investing in new ways of teaching using digital technologies. We successfully launched our first MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) a few months ago on a French platform and will make them more widely available by placing them on a more internationally recognised platform.

MOOCs, or the private version SPOCs, can also be very effective for executive education. Companies tend to ask us to devise training which includes a digital component so students need not be present all the time. We are currently building a joint programme with Columbia University for transatlantic companies that want to mix employees in the US with those in France within the same programme.

What are Sciences Po’s links with the UK?

We have 30 partnerships with the most prestigious British universities, mostly for student exchanges but also for research and academic joint programmes.

Every year we send 1,500 of our third-year students abroad so we have this network of partner universities to host them and conversely receive the corresponding number of students at Sciences Po. The university to which we are closest is LSE. We currently have three double degrees with LSE at Masters level as well as an exchange of faculties and many jointly funded research programmes. There is talk of creating a dual degree at Bachelor level, which we have already created with University College London, another very strong and valued UK partner.

We also have very strong links with Oxford University with a programme called OxPo that encompasses research projects from both universities in addition to a visiting fellow position, visiting professorships and an exchange programme at doctoral level.

Finally, the Sciences Po Alumni UK Charity Trust has been very active for a few years organising an annual Gala dinner and promoting Sciences Po activities in the UK. The Trust contributes significantly to the funding of fellowships and visiting professorships and plays a crucial role for the outreach of Sciences Po. I Interview by KF info - september/ october - 25

spotlight on s m e s & s ta r t u p s

Briefs

Call for entries to The New Sparks competition 2015

Xoxoxox xoxoxo xoxoxo xoxox Winners of the 2014 New Sparks competition with the British Ambassador to France, Sir Peter Ricketts (far right) in Paris

||| The New Sparks is inviting startups that were created less than five years ago and are based in France and/or the UK to apply for the 2015 edition. The inaugural 2014 competition drew diverse, high quality entries from both French and British-based companies, demonstrating its appeal to startups on both sides of the Channel.

The New Sparks is the UK version of Graines de Boss in France, which has been endorsed by the Minister for Economy, Industrial Recovery and the Digital Economy to devise synergies with the government-led initiative called www.lafrenchtech.com. Its aim is to give young companies and entrepreneurs the opportunity to be mentored by high-profile business leaders and recognised within the business world. Short-listed candidate companies and their mentors present their entries and then the mentors vote for the winners.

Among the mentors for the first competition were main representatives of several Patron members at the Chamber: Elisabeth Markart, Managing Director of Banque Transatlantique, Patrice de Viviès, Chairman of

Total Holdings and Arnaud Vaissié, former President of the Chamber and Co-founder and CEO of International SOS. Florence Gomez, Managing Director of the Chamber, will be a mentor for the scheme this year. I www.thenewsparks.com

The New Sparks 2014 winners • Animaute: a pet sitting services (France based with UK expansion plans) • Blanc Clean: an eco-friendly dry cleaner (London based) • Fretbay: an online B2C removal services platform (France based) • La Petite Bretagne: a new creperie restaurant (London based) • Rentez-vous: a peer-to-peer fashion rental platform (London and Paris based) • Startup Warehouse: a startup incubator (London based)

Restructuring and reprogramming at French Radio London ||| French Radio London has recently been undergoing restructuring. General Managers Elisabeth O’Regan and Françoise Abad, and Director of Sales, Marketing and PR, Eleanor Osborn, will be driving the station into its next vibrant phase, based at new studios, a stone’s throw from Charlotte Street.

FRL is building on recent exclusive interviews with pillars of fashion, business and public life such as JeanPaul Gaultier, Axelle Lemaire and Pierre Hermé. A broader range of talk content and in-depth programmes now include daily local reports and hourly news in French and English.

FRL is also giving a unique voice to the booming London community of French entrepreneurs. The interview series Spotlight features the diverse ventures that the influx of French Londoners are undertaking with tremendous energy. Spotlight uncovers just who makes up this new SME community and how London is nurturing their businesses. I www.frenchradiolondon.com 26 - info - september / october

spotlight on s m e s & s ta r t u p s

Solocal’s Horyzon Media to sell ad space for Deezer

Credit Limits International new partnership

||| Horyzon Media, the display advertising arm of Solocal Group, has secured the exclusive contract to sell display advertising space across Deezer’s desktop, mobile and tablet apps in Europe (excluding France). Adrien Lepage, Global Sales Director at Horyzon Media commented: ‘We’re delighted to have been chosen by Deezer to support its digital advertising strategies across Europe. This popular and widely used platform, combined with our over 10 years’ experience with display, mobile, native, and programmatic advertising, will ensure that brands and agencies maximise their ad spend and reach local audiences which are most relevant to them.’ I www.solocalgroup.com / www.deezer.com

Credit Limits International, which last year won the Outstanding Debt Collection of the Year Award – the first ever given to a small business – has joined forces with Credit Control Solutions, an international and domestic credit control service.

Together, the two companies are now able to deliver integrated solutions to maximise cash flow for fastgrowing SMEs. I www.creditlimitsinternational.com

Ligne Roset works with Marc-Antoine Goulard and Moving Design

Marc-Antoine Goulard at work on the new Togo textile

||| Ligne Roset recently called on Marc-Antoine Goulard, a French born visual artist, to ‘relook’ its famous ‘folded toothpaste’ sofa, the Togo, as a way to mark the design’s 40th anniversary. Created in 1973 by Michel Ducarov, the all-foam Togo instantly became a cult hit, synonymous with sharp design and youthful irreverence.

For the revamp of the Togo, the idea was to create a unique look which integrated Goulard’s vision without changing the classic design of the sofa. To do this, the artist decided to focus on colour. Each sofa is hand painted with special textile inks and paints which create different moods and tones. To celebrate the launch of this new Togo design, Ligne Roset will be hosting an event at the Harrods Store in London on 18 September. For more information visit www.marcantoinegoulard.com Ligne Roset has also been working with visual design company, MovingDesign to create the brand’s latest advertisement. ‘The Ligne Roset Togo Movie’ stars the derrières of several members of the public who contributed to the group’s advertising campaign via Facebook. The playful film comprises a series of mashed-up shots of bottoms of all shapes and sizes, owned by everyone from statues to rock stars. I www.ligne-roset.com

Club Gascon’s Chef Pascal Aussignac rides for charity ||| This autumn, Pascal Aussignac will join some of Britain’s most celebrated chefs and food personalities to cycle over 400 kilometres in just five days across the rough terrain of India. Their aim is to raise £100,000 for Action Against Hunger’s humanitarian programmes.

The challenge forms part of Action Against Hunger’s flagship Love Food Give Food campaign, which, every autumn, encourages food lovers across the UK to take action against child hunger in a bid to raise crucial funds to improve the nutritional wellbeing of children and their families in the long-term.

Commenting on the challenge ahead, Pascal Aussignac said it ‘provides a fantastic opportunity to come together and make a real difference. I haven’t sat on a bike since I was a child and so this challenge really excites me, even more so to do it with so many wonderful people.’ For more information visit www.clubgascon.com/pascal.php I

Chef Pascal Aussignac

info - september/ october - 27

spotlight on s m e s & s ta r t u p s

Profile

Porsche Design It may be surprising to some that such an intrinsically German brand as Porsche Design is a member of the French Chamber, but even more surprising is the fact that its UK Country Manager is a French woman, and the first ever female to hold such a position in the company.

S

ophie Charbonneau cutting-edge techniques and style, as well as leather also presides over goods, cases and handbags, pens, sunglasses – think the UK flagship store in Yoko Ono – and even a Blackberry smart phone, in Knightsbridge, London, stainless steel or 24 carat gold if you are so inclined. which is currently the As far as luxury brands go, Porsche Design is largest in the world. quite discreet, which to some extent aligns with its Sophie’s background design vocabulary, but it is ramping up its visibility is rooted in the luxury by upsizing its stores around the world, doubling sector, having worked their square footage in most cases. London was the for Hermès, Roger first, and a further 22 will be reopening this year from Vivier, and Christian Berlin to New York. ‘We need big spaces to show our Dior. This combined customers what we are doing,’ Sophie explains. She with her experience mentions the opening of the flagship Paris store in setting up and running luxury stores, not to Rue du Faubourg St Honoré, opposite Hermès – an mention the fact that she speaks German fluently, assertive statement of the brand’s positioning in the fitted well with Porsche Design’s strategy to become a world’s fashion and luxury capital. recognisable luxury brand, associated more with the Despite its subtle profile, the brand has a wide luxury world than the automobile. appeal. Men, of course, are drawn by the sports car Nevertheless, by both name and DNA, Porsche association, but they can range from young Middle Design remains synonymous with the sports car. The Eastern men who have just got their first Porsche brand was set up in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander and want the Porsche Blackberry and accessories to Porsche, grandson of the founder and himself the go with it – to middle-aged British car lovers, who designer of the Porsche 911. Professor FA Porsche, as he want the luggage designed to fit perfectly into the was known, designed the world’s first boot. Women are more drawn by ever all-black watch, inspired by the the design: ‘They are not the kind This brand surprised matt black dashboards of racing cars of women who are after the ‘It’ bag, me. There is something which reduce reflection, enhancing but rather know and appreciate the unique and special about high quality, pure lines and lack of the visibility of instrumentation. The it and I like that ‘Chronograph I’ was revolutionary in logos,’ Sophie explains. Her London the watchmaking world, but more store has greatly increased its female than that, it set the brand’s DNA of ‘design in the customer base since the opening. form of function’. As FA Porsche once said: ‘A formally Sophie herself is not the only French connection. coherent product needs no decoration, it should be Porsche Design has recently collaborated with elevated through pure form.’

French pop artist Thierry Noir, who was the first to His Porsche Design Studio, which later relocated illegally paint on the Berlin Wall in 1984, his bright from Stuttgart to Zell am See in Austria, not only and seemingly innocent works symbolising a sole act produced classical men’s accessories such as sunglasses, of defiance. Now his signature hand painted ‘heart pens and watches, but also established a reputation faces’ have been incorporated into a limited edition for product design outside the automotive world – a of Porsche Design’s Twin Bag. It is an unexpected slew of industrial products, household appliances and juxtaposition of streamlined design with freestyle consumer goods have been designed under the ‘Design counter culture, yet it is not out of character for a

by FA Porsche’ brand. This technological approach brand that has always done things a bit differently. to design is still evident across the whole collection, ‘This brand surprised me,’ Sophie says. ‘There is which now includes clothing for both men and women, something unique and special about it and I like distinctive for its use of high performance materials, that.’ I KF 28 - info - september / october

This is what traffic looks like every day.

As a global leader in traffic information, we have unique insight into how the world moves.

II --info 30 info--september september//october october

focus Urban transport in the digital age Our cities are becoming bigger, denser and more complex conurbations, with widely distributed places of home, work and play that have to be linked in the most efficient, ideally seamless and preferably pleasant way in order to function properly socially, economically and environmentally. That is a given.

But cities are unique animals that have evolved over centuries with different fabric, infrastructure, culture and customs. Add to the mix burgeoning populations, politics, climate change and globalisation, and then disrupt it all with new technologies. This is the complexity global cities face as they strive to keep moving and stay competitive. Although every city is different, they have many challenges in common when it comes to urban transportation, not least of which is funding it, and just as many innovative solutions to share and adapt.

Our first Franco-British Transport Conference, which takes place on 14 October, will be looking at these issues and how to address them. It has also been the inspiration of this Focus, and indeed many of the writers in the pages that follow will be speaking at the Conference. The Focus starts by looking at urban mobility in key French and British cities – what it is and what it is aspiring to be. London and Paris are obvious choices for comparison. Both are in the midst of massive rail infrastructure projects to improve connectivity, capacity and intermodality within their greater city spheres, and facilitate urban and economic

regeneration. An interview with the Commissioner of Transport for London, Sir Peter Hendy CBE, reveals that London looks to other world cities, including Paris, for inspiration and tried-and-tested solutions that can be adapted to London’s environment. The smaller but pivotal cities of Strasbourg and Manchester are also juxtaposed – each has the largest tram networks in their respective countries, and although they differ in character and situation, they share the aims of creating the most sustainable, modern and integrated public transport possible. Trams are but one form of mobility in forward-looking cities. Others, such as driverless trains and electric cars are also considered in articles, along with the phenomenon of urban cycling and the evolution of ‘last mile’ delivery within the urban context.

Of course connectivity in transport is not just about the physical movement from one place to another, but also the digital connections that facilitate this.

This is where a revolution in transportation is taking place. From information systems to mobile ticketing, new technologies are having a profound impact on the way we plan, choose and use modes of transport – what Tiffany Dovey Fishman calls in her article a ‘re-imagining’ of transportation in the digital age. We are not quite at the point of clicking our fingers to summon a magic carpet, but ‘magic’ is the word Ben Whitaker of Masabi used to describe a new Bluetooth ticket they are developing. Hold on for the ride! I KF

contents

part one: THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF URBAN MOBILITY

32 Interview: Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of

State for Transport

34 Global trends in urban transportation 36 Sir Peter Hendy CBE on London’s transport 38 The future of travel in London 39 The Grand Paris transportation project 40 A tale of two cities: Strasbourg and Manchester 43 Trams in the UK, à la française

part two: TRANSPORT IN THE DIGITAL AGE

50 Re-imagining transportation in the digital age 52 Big Data in transportation: who owns what?

53 Real-time personalised journeys —are we there yet?

54 M-ticketing: outsmarting smart cards 55 Innovations in last-mile transport and logistics 56 What future for the car?

57 All change for next generation transport

44 Connecting the dots... between train, tram and bus 45 London has a lot to gain from driverless trains 46 Electric vehicles and the city of the future 47 Charge of the electric brigade 48 Urban cycling info - september / october - 31

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Interview: Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport Guest of Honour at the Chamber’s first Franco-British Transport Conference, the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, answers questions on the UK Government’s plans for investing in transport for the future

The government plans to invest more than £70 billion in all forms of transport by 2021. What are the priorities for this investment?

economies that invest in infrastructure and who provide a warm welcome to overseas investors.

The priority is to help British businesses create jobs What is being done to ensure that transport systems in and boost growth by cutting congestion, increasing the UK are greener, cleaner and more sustainable? connectivity and making our economy more CO2 emissions from the transport sector in Britain competitive. The UK’s economy is now recovering are falling – by 10% in the last 8 years alone. But as from the deepest recession in our peacetime history. the latest report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel It is the fastest growing in the G7, unemployment is on climate change shows, we all need to do more. falling and we are on course to half the deficit we That’s why we are taking steps to reduce emissions on inherited. But we didn’t just inherit a financial deficit. our roads by improving the efficiency of engines and We inherited an infrastructure investing £500 million to support deficit too. For decades the UK the development of low emission Ou r i nfrastr uctu re invested less as a proportion vehicles. programme is more of GDP in our essential Through the Local Sustainable ambitious than at any infrastructure than other Transport fund and Local Growth ti me for at least 50 years major countries – including Fund we’re working with Local France. That’s why, as part of Authorities to invest around £1 our long term economic plan, we are making a record billion in projects that include helping people choose investment to help improve and expand Britain’s more sustainable transport options. roads, railways, airports and ports.

But this isn’t just about cutting carbon emissions.

It’s about ensuring that the UK is home to the highHow much private investment does the UK transport tech, clean, green jobs of the future. sector need and how will you go about attracting it and managing the relationships?

Our infrastructure programme is more ambitious than at any time for at least 50 years. There will be over £70 billion of capital investment in transport over the next Parliament. The building and running of Britain’s transport infrastructure has always been based on a partnership between the public and the private sector. I want that to continue over the years ahead.

To help attract private investment we have used the National Infrastructure Plan to set out a firm pipeline of the infrastructure that we will need and what will be required to deliver it. We’re already seeing the benefits of that approach with firms like Hitachi choosing to move the headquarters of their rail business to Britain.

I believe the success stories of the future will be

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In 2012 you visited France to see how high speed rail has transformed places such as Lille. What aspects of French transportation systems would you like to emulate or learn from in the UK?

We can always learn from our partners and I was delighted to have the opportunity to speak to colleagues in France and hear about their experiences. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone whom I met for doing so in such a frank, honest and open way. I’m looking forward to a similar exchange when we meet in October. What was clear to me when I went to Lille is just how high speed rail has been the catalyst for regeneration in the city. You can see a similar thing happening around London King’s Cross; a legacy of industrial decline that’s being transformed into a

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W hat was clear to me when I went to Li l le was just how high speed rai l has been the catalyst for regeneration i n the cit y.

I ’m determi ned to apply what we’ve seen i n Li l le... right across the route of High Speed 2

vibrant and thriving community. I’m determined that we apply what we’ve seen in Lille and learned from High Speed 1 right across the route of High Speed 2.

How will you ensure that HS2 delivers enough growth and value to justify its £16 billion price tag?

We’re going to do three things. First, build it on time.

Second, build it on budget. In Sir David Higgins and Simon Kirby, I am confident we have the leadership team in place to do so. Third, I want the new railway to not just connect city-regions better, but also to provide a focal point for economic activity, underpinned by the strong sense of local character and pride. That’s why last year I commissioned the Local Growth Taskforce to check we have identified all the possible ways in which we can use HS2 to maximise growth. The taskforce produced an excellent report with a number of important recommendations which we are taking forward. But perhaps their most important message was that everyone involved – central Government Departments, local authorities and local business and community leaders – need to work in partnership to achieve our shared ambition for HS2. I’m pleased to say that everyone involved has committed to doing so, and helping to ensure that happens is one of my biggest priorities.

subsidy per passenger mile for rail is actually higher in the North than the South. And I think most people would agree that a major global city like London, with a dense population, huge numbers of commuters and a growing population, is always going to need significant transport investment to keep the city moving. What is true is that thanks to a legacy of under investment in infrastructure, growth in the North of the country has been held back. According to the CBI, under half of firms based in the North of the country are happy with their transport connections. I’m determined to fix that but, unlike some, I don’t see the investment we’re making in transport as a Manichean decision. You can’t help build the economy in the North of the country by making London and the Southeast worse off. What we are doing is investing in road and rail projects to improve connectivity between the great cities in the North. For example, thanks to Network Rail’s investment in the North, we have restored non-stop rail connections between Manchester and Liverpool.

And we’re also going to build High Speed 2, that will increase connectivity in the North and, at the same time, by improving connections between London and our Northern cities will act as a motor for economic growth.

Which is your preferred mode of transport?

Transport infrastructure spending is heavily weighted towards London, prompting accusations that it is detrimental to growth in the North. Do you have any plans to redress this balance?

I’m not sure it is entirely fair to say transport spending is heavily weighted towards London. For example,

My smartphone.

Getting from A to B is all about using the right tool for the job. What we’re seeing now is people using the phone in their pocket to knit different modes of transport together so they can choose what’s right for them. I Interview by KF

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Global trends in urban transportation Grant Klein, Director at PwC’s Government and Public Sector Practice, specialising in Transport, Highlights the issues and aspirations of urban transport in the 21st century

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ransport is a vital element of delivering on cities’ aspirations to continuously improve prosperity and wellbeing. In this context, a city’s success will hinge on how quickly it can adapt to a fast changing and ever more competitive world. For it to achieve this, its transport infrastructure and services will similarly need to rapidly evolve to meet changes

both in demand and in customer expectations.

Consequently, transport planners face the challenges of trying to predict the nature of future service requirements. They are having to do this in the context of four global megatrends – big changes that are disrupting organisations and affecting all aspects of society across the world. These are:

• Rapid urbanisation Over 50% of the world’s population now lives in cities, with 1.5 million people being added to this total every week. Urbanisation of populations has continued to characterise the major urban areas in Britain – up 8% over the last decade. This causes strains on all public services in cities, with transport often the most visible.

• Demographic and social change Another billion people will be added to the world’s population by 2025. At the same time, we’re living longer and having fewer children and as a result, the fastest growing segment of the population will be the over 65s. This presents challenging transport issues, especially for those urban areas which are heavily car reliant and having to provide increased public transport provision.

• Technological breakthroughs Technology has already revolutionised how we plan and pay for our travel – customers’ expectations have gone beyond multi-modal journey planning to online ticketing and real time information on smart phone apps, and the third digital wave of ‘e-dentity’ is just around the corner. This will see buying brands and digital entities emerge, driven by consumers demanding more tailored services based on their implied preferences.

• Climate change At the current rate of consumption, there could be just half a century’s worth of oil and gas supply available. Our dependency on fossil fuels in turn leads to more carbon emissions and a warmer and more volatile climate. And the environmental challenges are magnified in urban areas, where traffic congestion contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

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Passenger expectations are changi ng, with new consu mer behav iou rs bei ng d riven by a mu ltidesti nation economy and an expectation of smart technolog y

M-ticketing on London’s Thames Clippers river bus

Against this backdrop, policy makers, regulators, may also be required to help support new transport investors, operators, and decision makers at local, cityservice business models or new infrastructure. region and national levels must rethink how urban There are clearly challenges in building the most transport can best meet the economic, social and appropriate new infrastructure to provide for a environmental needs of our towns and cities. That demand and customer base that will be quite different process of forward planning once a new road, rail link or station is being conducted in a world has gone from initial feasibility People want convenience of less public funding, fastthrough to ribbon cutting. But changing technology, political and f lex ibi l it y at the best there are really encouraging signs calls for more localism and that city authorities are rising to the possible price joined-up policy making, challenge of providing innovative and predominantly rising solutions, helping in providing passenger expectations for better and lower priced more opportunities for their citizens. services.

It is clear there is an appetite in the most dynamic Passenger expectations are changing, with new cities to take more control of their transport service consumer behaviours being driven by a multiprovision so they can support the city’s wider destination economy and an expectation of smart objectives of economic prosperity and the well-being technology. People want convenience and flexibility of its citizens. Add to that unprecedented changes at the best possible price – and for urban transport in how customers expect to interact with transport this can be even more important than the brand of services and we are clearly going to be in for an the operator. Smart phones or other smart devices are exciting decade of urban transport evolution. I also already the way many travellers find the fastest way from A to B and will soon be commonplace in providing a lower-fare ticket for public transport.

But it is more than just a shift in technology that is changing demands from city travellers. Cycle hire schemes and short-term car-hire companies are altering customers’ expectations of transport services; they no longer have to own a vehicle (or a bike) to be able to enjoy the benefits when they need them. This model could readily be extended to new innovations in certain modes – indeed short-term rental in cities could be the way into the market for electric vehicles and soon driverless cars.

There is a lot that needs to change behind the scenes to keep pace with these possibilities.

Governance will need a refresh as more devolution gives added direct control to cities and city regions.

Ashton Cycle Hub in Greater Manchester And innovative funding and financing arrangements info - september / october - 35

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Sir Peter Hendy CBE on London’s transport A speaker at the Franco-British Transport Conference, Sir Peter Hendy CBE is Commissioner of Transport for London, responsible for taking an integrated view of London’s transport needs from the tube to taxis, rail to roads, cycling and pedestrians, as well as delivering a multi-billion pound investment programme. He tells INFO about the capital’s transport challenges, projects and plans

What are the biggest challenges you face in keeping London moving?

All cities face major infrastructure challenges as they grow and London is no exception. As London grows, so must its public transport network if it is to meet the needs and expectations of its customers and help the city maintain its international competitiveness.

I look with envy at the funding stability that public transport networks in France have so far enjoyed. It is essential we follow that example in the UK. Securing the required investment from limited public funds is one of my biggest challenges. Existing models of funding infrastructure in UK cities are no longer suitable for the challenges we face today. The population of the UK’s largest urban areas is increasing, putting pressure on infrastructure and increasing the demand on transport links between people’s homes and work. Frankly, I believe existing funding arrangements are holding back our cities and will not deliver the scale of infrastructure we need. Cities like London need new powers and responsibilities to enable them to unlock economic growth and job creation.

What improvements need to be made to public transport in London and what do you consider the top priority?

Rail capacity is being enhanced with upgrades to the Tube and London Overground, and we are already radically improving the frequency of our services. Crossrail, the Northern line extension and, in the longer term, Crossrail 2, extensions to the Bakerloo line and outer London rail and tram services, will all help support economic growth. We are also working with the Government on its plans for High Speed Rail – HS1 and HS2 – to ensure the opportunities these new rail links will create are maximised and that transport in London can cope when they are built.

My focus isn’t just on improving public transport, however. Currently 80% of trips take place on our roads and, as London grows, there will be even greater demand 36 - info - september / october

from buses, pedestrians, cyclists, private cars and freight.

With a finite amount of road space, we need to carefully balance the needs of all these road users. One way is to use technology to monitor traffic flows and adjust traffic signals accordingly. We are also exploring the potential of putting some roads in tunnels as cities like Paris have successfully done.

The Thames is one of London’s greatest assets, but its contribution to moving people and goods around the city can be increased. In some places, however, the river can be a barrier and new river crossings are needed, particularly in east London. I am pleased we are making progress in all these areas with a number of projects already planned or under consideration, but it remains one of my priorities.

The Oyster card has a London success story, but smart card systems are expensive to run and have their limits in terms of interoperability and security. Do you have plans for a new generation Oyster that would overcome these constraints?

Since it launched over 10 years ago, Oyster has become the world’s most popular transport smartcard, accounting for around 11 million journeys on London’s public transport network every day.

Despite Oyster’s undoubted success, we have probably held ourselves back as an industry from making faster progress in delivering integrated and interoperable ticketing. We have spent years trying to invent special payment systems designed for transport but I believe contactless payment, based on the established payment system in the banking industry, will challenge that and open up opportunities for much quicker progress in the future.

Contactless payments have operated on the capital’s bus network since December 2012, and now around 65,000 journeys a day are being made using them. Contactless payment will be extended to Tube, rail and tram services in the next few weeks. Customers with a contactless card won’t need to carry Oyster cards in their wallets any more,

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and won’t need to visit a ticket machine to top up.

Ticketing is only part of the answer. Real-time information is also important and we are among the world leaders in the provision of free, open data. Due to the work of app developers, our feeds power literally hundreds of products, extending the reach of our information and saving our customers tens of millions of pounds every year in time saved. We are seeing increasing numbers of transport organisations across the world going the free, open data route and, from our experience, it is absolutely the right path to follow.

In the future, I hope that visitors from Paris and elsewhere will be able to use our services with their contactless cards without having to queue up to buy a ticket – with all the necessary travel information already at their fingertips.

Of the 10 largest underground networks in the world, the Tube is the only one without some form of mobile phone connectivity. Why is this?

While it is technically possible to deploy mobile phone coverage on the deep level tunnels and stations, the unique nature and environment of the Tube has meant that project costs up to now have been prohibitively high. If the telecoms industry can present me with a credible proposal that overcomes both the technical and commercial problems, I would be happy to look at it – provided, of course, our customers want it. Although for the moment the Tube lacks mobile connectivity, WiFi is available at 144 stations and coverage continues to grow.

Are there any examples of innovative urban transport management in other world cities that you would like to implement in London?

London has already learnt the most important lesson from other world cities that to make progress, any city firstly needs a properly funded and integrated strategic transport authority. Until Transport for London was created in 1999/2000, London didn’t have such an organisation. And it showed. While other cities such as New York, Paris and Tokyo – let alone Beijing, Shanghai and other rapidly growing cities in China – invested in infrastructure and transport management systems, we in London were bedevilled by under-investment and inadequate planning.

I’m pleased to say we now have one of the most integrated transport systems in the world and have boosted public transport and cycling to record levels as a result.

As we invest, we are always keen to learn from other cities’ achievements and innovations. Our current upgrade of the London Underground has looked at the best tried and tested technology from across the world and is combining it to create what will be the most advanced deep tube trains in the world – automatically operated, walk-through, higher capacity, air cooled for comfort,

lightweight and energy efficient.

I have been particularly inspired by the French ability to think big and create real transformational change. Cities such as Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Nice and Montpellier have benefitted from visionary public transport investment, integrated with a vision to create a better city and better quality urban life. In Paris too, the ambition is for great expansion of the metro system, creating new orbital routes linking suburbs to each other, to the airports and the city centre. This kind of thinking influenced our recently published Infrastructure Plan for 2050.1 For London’s road network, again, we have been inspired by progress made elsewhere: from the Ciclovia initiative in Bogota (where roads are closed every Sunday to allow cyclists to enjoy the city), to the creation of new space for pedestrians and cyclists by putting roads underground in Boston, Stockholm, Madrid and Paris, and the use of the latest vehicle technology such as driverless cars in Nevada. Every city is different, and what works elsewhere won’t necessarily be right for London.

But I strongly believe by continuing to work together through organisations such as the UITP (the International Association of Public Transport, of which I am currently the President) and C40 (Climate Change Group), we can create better urban transport systems to benefit us all.

What is the most pressing aspect of the London Infrastructure 2050 plan?

London’s population is about to surpass its previous peak of 8.6 million, reached in 1939, and is expected to grow to over 11 million by 2050. Accompanying this will be growth in employment from 4.8 million today to about 6.3 million.

If we want London to continue succeeding as a city and bring economic benefits to the UK, we will need to allow those sectors based in the internationally oriented core of the city to grow. This central area accommodates over 30% of the city’s jobs in only 2% of its land area. Its density allows it to be highly productive and competitive but this depends on access to a vast pool of skills in its catchment area in and around London – which can only be served by rail. We already have an ambitious programme of expenditure on the rail system, but the scale of growth in London is such that even this will not be enough. As well as ensuring we complete the upgrade of the Tube in the 2020s, we will need a second Crossrail route and further investment on the commuter rail system.

I think the lesson for London is the same for every city. Although specific challenges may be different, to support sustainable growth and development, we need to invest in public transport if we want to create liveable cities for all our residents. As our cities grow, so must public transport if they are to function effectively.

I Interview by KF. The full interview can be read on www. thefrancobritishtransportconference2014.co.uk/

1. The London Infrastructure Plan 2050, which was launched by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on 30 July 2014, sets out the capital’s long-term infrastructure needs that will allow the capital to continue to operate efficiently and successfully during a time of unprecedented population growth.

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The future of travel in London Car use is on the wane in London as public transport improves, observes David Metz, Visiting Professor in the Centre for Transport Studies, University College London, formerly Chief Scientist at the Department for Transport and author of the ebook ‘Peak Car: the Future of Travel’. He will be a panellist at the Franco-British Transport Conference ondon, a thriving world city, of road capacity but investment in rail and is making good progress in bus services, has been a substantial shift improving its transport system away from car use. Twenty years ago, 50% of all journeys in London were by car. This has to meet the needs of a growing population. Like many other cities, steadily reduced to 37% currently. On present London’s population declined trends and policies, the share of car trips may over a 50-year period, from the fall to about 30% when the population reaches late 1930s, as people moved out 10 million. This shift away from car use has not to seek better living and working damaged London’s economy, on the contrary. conditions. But in the late 1980s, The economic benefits of agglomeration the tide turned as the attractions – concentrations of people with similar and of city life became apparent – both complementary skills and knowledge – are the economic benefits of people associated with high workplace densities, not working in close proximity and with more dispersed employment accessible the social and cultural advantages of higher population density. by car. Business parks on the edge of cities now London is now back to its previous peak population of 8.6 million seem less attractive for the more innovative and is expected to reach 10 million inhabitants by the early 2030s.

Although the population has steadily increased over the past 25 years, car traffic has not risen, indeed it has fallen a little. This is remarkable since growing numbers of people with higher incomes would normally be expected to result in increased car use. The main explanation for this lack of increase is decisions taken back in the 1970s not to increase London’s road capacity to accommodate the car. Instead, investment has focused on improving public transport— Canary Wharf: well-heeled commuters choose rail over car better bus services and particularly expansion of rail travel. Current sectors of the economy than more central infrastructure investment in Crossrail, together with the Tube Upgrade Programme and Thameslink will increase rail capacity locations. London, with its historic extensive serving central London in the morning peak by around 30% public transport network, has been well placed between 2011 and 2019. to benefit from the growth of agglomerations of business services. High density working Speedy and reliable rail services can attract business and professional people out of their cars for work journeys (in contrast supports an ever-increasing choice of to crowded bus services on congested roads that offer no advantage places to eat, socialise and be entertained, over cars). This is illustrated by the experience of Canary Wharf, which reinforces the attractions of the city, London’s newest business district in Docklands, the former port particularly for the mobile young. Provided area, where 100,000 well-paid people are employed and travel that London continues to invest, it can develop there very largely by rail, with little car traffic to be seen. a world-class transport system well suited to a The consequences of a growing population, no enlargement world city. I 38 - info - september / october

© David Iliff

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The Grand Paris transportation project Etienne Guyot, Préfet and Managing Director of the Paris Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry explains how the grand transportation plan will take shape across the French capital in the next 15 years. He will be a panellist at the Franco-British Transport Conference

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he Grand Paris project is a unique plan of development for a metropolitan area with 12 million inhabitants, which is supported by the French government and local communities, and benefits from political consensus. It is probably the most important public investment in France right now.

Article 1 of the Grand Paris Act of 3 June 2010 says that ‘The Grand Paris is an urban, social and economic project based on the construction of a new public transport network’. This new metro network will go through and encircle the capital, connecting suburbs with the main clusters (Saclay, La Défense, Saint-Denis, la SGP - Grand Paris Express Cité Descartes, etc.).

This new public transport network is the backbone of the main development project for the Grand Paris Region, and its delivery up to 2030 is the responsibility of the public authority ‘Société du Grand Paris’. The €22.6bn (£18bn) cost of the new network will be financed through taxes and public loans from Société du Grand Paris. Its benefits are estimated to be around €67bn. At the same time, the Government and the Ile de France region are working to improve the current transport network – the RER (Réseau Express Régional) and the Paris Metro – bringing the total investment to more than €30bn by 2030.

The new public transport network project includes the construction of lines, works and fixed installations, the acquisition of trains and the construction and development of stations. Four new lines (15, 16, 17 and 18) and the extension of line 14 will add about 200km to the metro network and 69 new stations will be built, connecting the main urban, scientific, technological, economic, cultural and sports hubs in Ile-de-France with the Paris agglomeration, the high-speed rail network and Paris’ airports (Orly, Le Bourget, and Roissy-Charles de

Gaulle). It will work closely with other current or planned projects in Ile-de-France.

With some of the public inquiries completed, work on line 14 has already begun. Construction of line 15 will begin in 2015 for a 2020 opening.

It will allow the creation of 20,000 jobs each year.

The stations along the new network’s route will be more than mere stops on the underground metro, as they will be linked through fast trains (commercial speed 55km), open to the city and help shape the metropolis’ development towards a more connected, sustainable, dense but also more human town. They will be efficient and functional stations, offering everyone easy access to the network in a pleasant environment.

Access to public areas right up to the platforms will be clear, direct and safe. Organised to facilitate exchange, nearly 40 stations on the Grand Paris network will provide interconnections with the Metro, RER and Transilien networks. Changes from one metro line to another will be clear and quick, while access and routes to footpaths, cycle paths and surface networks (tramway and bus) will be natural, safe and as short as possible.

Stations will also be designed to create value, contributing to the appeal of the area and its development.

Spaces will be designed for cultural expression, services and a range of shops, defined according to the local context. New stations will also be compatible with an associated property development, urban housing and mixed activities.

By taking into account the challenges of sustainable development (with less car traffic and urban sprawl), station functionality and urban development, the aims of this new transport network are to improve daily life for the region’s population, increase economic development, attract international investment and reinforce the status of Paris among the leading global cities in the world. I info - september / october - 39

a tale of two cities: focus

Strasbourg...

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trasbourg and Manchester are important cities in their respective countries. Strasbourg is the capital of France’s Alsace region, and official seat of the European Parliament, while Manchester, the world’s first industrialised city, is the centre of the UK’s second most populous urban area, and accounts for 7.5% of the economy outside London and the Southeast. Both cities boast their countries’ largest tram systems, and have demonstrated vision and commitment to providing clean, green, sustainable and innovative transport systems for their populaces. In interviews with the Mayor of Strasbourg, Roland Ries, who is also President of GART (Groupement des Autorités Responsables de Transport) and a speaker at the Franco-British Transport Conference, and the Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester, Dr Jon Lamonte, INFO uncovered some of the similarities and differences in approach to and implementation of transport policies.

and

Manchester

The Grand Plan strasbourg Strasbourg’s Urban Mobility Plan is aimed at limiting car use to ease congestion and reduce pollution. One way has been to avoid increasing road capacity into the city centre and compensate for that by developing a more efficient public transport offer. It sets targets for increasing usage of alternatives to the private car, such as 20% of journeys by bicycle in 2025. Our mobility policy is centred on the tram system which, since its reintroduction in 1994 has considerably changed the way people travel in the city. This is complemented by a series of effective measures, particularly the pedestrianisation of a large part of the Grande Île, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, parking charges and a significant development of cycle lanes. The tram system 40 - info - september / october

has its own reserved space and priority over traffic at junctions, thanks to a detection system coupled with traffic light management. m anchester The Greater Manchester Strategy, put together by our combined authorities, covers all our aspirations up to 2020 including transport. The objectives of our local transport plan have not changed much over the last 20 years: integrated sustainable transport to support economic growth. At Transport for Greater Manchester we work on integrating everything - from cycling, freight, highways management to public transport – in the most sustainable way: mass transit without mass emissions.

key elements of public transport systems strasbourg The tram system was designed to serve the main generators of traffic such as the central railway station, the universities, the central shopping streets and the most densely populated neighbourhoods. To facilitate exchanges with motorists, a park & ride system was set up at the tram line terminuses and main motorway exits. The parking charges are very attractive, as for just €4, it is possible to park for the whole day and to have a return public transport ticket for each person in the car. Since this system was set up, we have improved intermodality by adding car sharing, with pick-up points often located near tram stops and charging points for electric vehicles. manchester We have the bus network, the Metrolink light rail tram

system and the mainline rail network. We operate on a polycentric model: in addition to the City of Manchester, each of the nine local authorities has at least one major town centre with its own networks. Trying to get everything to link up in an integrated way is challenging because we have a deregulated bus market with 30 main operators.

We’ve invested heavily in interchanges to improve movement from one transport mode to another. Park & ride is a very successful initiative to get people to drop their cars off on the outskirts of Greater Manchester and take the tram in. It works particularly well for events like Manchester United or Manchester City football matches. Moreover, to integrate transport further we are encouraging people to travel their first and last mile by bike – by improving key cycle routes and providing secure bike parking at key locations.

smart ticketing strasbourg Strasbourg has recently launched a mobility pass that unites all forms of transport on a single smart card. It includes public transport, access to the ‘Vélhop’ bikesharing system, the carsharing system as well as residents’ parking solutions in the park & ride car parks. The card is identical to the one used for public transport only, but it is configured differently, which has been made possible by making the computer systems of the different companies involved compatible with each other. The product has only been on sale for a few months and for the moment, we do not have a clear idea of the profile of the people who are buying it. manchester ‘get me there’ is our smart card being introduced across all modes of public transport in the Greater Manchester region. Ultimately you will be able to use your contactless

bank card or even your mobile phone. It has just been launched on Metrolink as a pilot before being rolled out in a controlled way to half a million users who also have concessionary passes. Bus will follow in 2015 and rail thereafter. It is simple, flexible, easy to use, much better value and of course will be multi-modal without requiring customers to work out complex fare combinations. The card also gives customers a better journey experience and lots of added functionality. Importantly it complies with the government ITSO (Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation) standard, which means there is the possibility of all the different smart ticketing schemes in the UK being able to talk to each other so that people can move from city to city on the same card. Introducing ‘get me there’ on buses is more challenging because of the many different bus operators, but we are working closely with our partners to roll out the system out to the bus network as soon as possible.

extension of tram networks strasbourg Several extensions are currently being planned and built, but the most emblematic is the extension of one of the lines across to the German town of Kehl. We are going to build a new bridge across the Rhine exclusively for the tram line, pedestrians and cyclists, whilst implementing an ambitious urban development plan known as ‘Deux-Rives’ (two banks), which is intended to make Strasbourg a cross-border city on the banks of the Rhine.

For Strasbourg, European capital and seat of the European Parliament, this is a particularly strong symbol after all the suffering endured in the last century.

m anchester The expansion of Manchester’s Metrolink has become the UK’s largest transport project outside of the capital, and will make it the biggest tram system in the UK. We are putting £1.5 billion into trebling the size of the original network with four new lines – our initial 38km will be closer to 90km when it is finished – 55 new stops, 300 new structures such as bridges, a new tram depot, signalling systems, a new fleet of 120 Bombardier trams and a second crossing in Manchester city centre to facilitate 45 trams an hour. Passenger numbers have increased by 50% since the new lines started to open. We also have plans for a new line to Trafford Park, a major employment area, and the Trafford Centre – a massive northwest retail centre. info - september / october - 41

Other innovations strasbourg We have introduced a car-parking service for residents, as recent surveys have shown that many people who live in the centre of Strasbourg use their cars very occasionally, so a low-cost storage solution outside the city, but accessible by public transport, can be useful and economical. The Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system is another flexible and cheap solution to squeezed budgets.

Offering a level of service equivalent to a tram, it is up to four times cheaper in terms of the investment and 20 to 40% cheaper to run. We also need to improve conditions for cyclists and pedestrians to encourage these healthier modes of travel and limit the use of public transport for short journeys, as this overloads the lines on the central sections which are often already saturated.

m anchester If you want to get more people on buses it is not just about having an easier ticketing system, but also about being able to manage traffic flow which makes the bus a more attractive offer. To do this we have automatic traffic counters across Manchester, are using Bluetooth to help our knowledge of where traffic is, working with bus operators which have GPS satellite navigation on their buses and improving traffic lights at 650 key junctions so that we can alter the timing to speed buses through.

The Department for Transport Sustainable Transport Fund is also funding the development of web and phone apps with real time bus information for travellers.

Green and sustainable policies strasbourg Our urban travel plan has to meet the requirements of the Atmosphere Prevention Plan introduced by the State in each Region. Thus, the entire policy consists of reducing private car use, in favour of less polluting modes on the existing road infrastructure. For the ‘Deux Rives’ development we are reversing the logic by building the tramline first and developing the city around it afterwards. The place of the car is also being reconsidered with fewer roadways, car parking in shared structures and pleasant cycle and pedestrian access, along with more green spaces around residential buildings. This new type of city environment should encourage people to make greater use of alternative modes of transport. m anchester The national target is a 34% cut in emissions by 2020 but

we have a climate change strategy targeting 48% cut in emissions by 2020 and aim to be carbon neutral by 2033.

Transport emissions are one of the main contributors to poor air quality, so we are committed to driving green transport – we will have over 300 hydroelectric buses on the road by next year and have introduced electric buses on our free Metroshuttle city centre bus service. Last year we launched an electric vehicle scheme with 250 charging bays across Greater Manchester. Sustainable technologies are also being used, for example, a wind turbine at Horwich Parkway Station supplies half its needs, and a hydroelectric turbine in the River Roch provides a third of Rochdale Interchange bus station’s power. All 52,000 of our traffic signals are now LEDs. We have been working with Ticket to Kyoto, a European project aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in the public transport sector, to use sustainable alternatives wherever possible.

Financing transport infrastructure strasbourg The 1981 Transport law introduced a ‘Transport Contribution’ tax which is paid by all companies employing more than nine people whose registered office is situated within the area covered by the urban transport network. The income from this tax is paid to the competent authority which has an obligation to use these resources to fund the development of public transport. Paying passengers also contribute to the funding of the public transport system, although on average fares only cover 30 to 40% of running costs.

Finally, depending on the projects and investment requirements, the authority may decide to devote part of its budget to funding projects. manchester Manchester has a unique £1.5 billion Transport Fund made up from a grant from the Department of Transport, 42 - info - september / october

a slice from the government’s Integrated Transport Block, third party contributions and borrowings. This fund is for projects prioritised for their maximum economic benefit, including Metrolink lines, new interchanges, improving rail stations, new road schemes and additional park & ride capacity. In addition, the Great Manchester city region has a £500 million package for major and minor improvements that will be implemented over the next five years. We also bid a lot for competitive funding – for example we got £20 million from the Cycle City Ambition grant and several million from other schemes.

Another source is our Local Sustainable Transport Fund, comprising a government grant and local contributions, which supports projects that help drive Greater Manchester’s low carbon economy, such as the Commuter Cycle Project, aimed at increasing the number of people cycling to work by 300%. We reckon for every pound invested there is £5 of benefit. I Interviews by KF

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Trams in the UK, à la française The tram, or light rail, is entering a new golden age in the UK with more passenger journeys and miles of track than at any other time in the modern era. Alistair Gordon, CEO of Keolis UK considers how France can share its experience and track record. He will be a panellist at the Franco-British Transport Conference

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he advent of the nation’s second high speed rail network (HS2) is focusing the minds of city administrations on light rail’s potential as a means of delivering integrated local transport systems. Many are exploring options for new networks or expanding existing ones as they prepare for the arrival of high speed trains.

Keolis UK is in conversation with a number of senior stakeholders within transport at both national and regional levels about what experience we can share from our international portfolio of light rail networks. The company will soon become the UK leader in providing light rail services, following the recent award of a seven-year franchise for the Docklands Light Railway in London. This will be added to its current operation of Nottingham’s Tramlink.

Many of the lessons we can share come from our track record in France, where we operate 10 of the 25 networks that have been opened there in the past three decades.

In every case, integration with existing or even planned high speed networks has been a major consideration.

We believe that light rail is so popular in France for the same reasons that are evident in the UK cities that have trams too: passengers like it. While people at large are reluctant to give up their cars for the bus, they are much more willing to do so for a tram.

Typically, trams go hand in hand with urban regeneration. Landscaping, the creation of new public realm space and reorganising road networks are all part and parcel of delivering new light rail systems.

Towns and cities can look better while also having the infrastructure and connectivity that can help to attract inward investment.

Bordeaux provides one such example. Since its tram system arrived in 2003 and heralded the beginning of a

major regeneration project, the city now has the largest UNESCO world heritage site and has become the second most popular destination in France.

The city’s light rail network is also an interesting example for UK cities anticipating the arrival of HS2.

The TGV from Paris is set to begin services in 2017, yet Bordeaux’s 47km tram system was developed 20 years in advance.

Bordeaux has successfully integrated previously isolated communities using its tram network, so that it could spread the benefits of its city centre regeneration into its outer areas. Once the TGV does arrive, passengers will be able to make fast and easy connections to other areas within the city region.

An additional 32.5km of track is now being laid in anticipation of the arrival of a new high speed line that will connect the city with Madrid from 2020.

Bordeaux and other French cities with similar stories owe their success to planning. Tram networks are popular because they are so well integrated with other modes of transport and main line rail services. Planners have adopted a mind-set which is akin to thinking like a passenger. This requires an acute attention to detail on everything from passenger trends, timetabling, signage and the physical location of tram stops.

This latter point is important. Experience has shown that 300 metres is too far for passengers to walk between transport connection points. True integration demands that light rail services are as close as possible to main station services. Obviously, planning ahead can help ensure stations are sufficiently future-proofed for the arrival of light or high speed rail.

With HS2 in the UK, time is on our side when it comes to planning and we need to make the most of it to ensure the project is a success. I info - september / october - 43

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Connecting the dots... ...between train, tram and bus While infrastructure development begins to pick up again, well thought-out urban transport is now rising up the agenda for UK cities as Alistair Gordon, CEO at public transport operator Keolis UK, explains

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High speed rail promotes better integration between and within cities: HS1 in southeastern England (left); Intermodality in operation: a bus-tram interchange in Bordeaux (right)

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hen it was in its embryonic stages, much of the initial discussion about HS2 was around reducing journey times and over the last year the argument has now shifted to the issue of added capacity on the rail network. While the capacity issue is important, HS2 also presents a new opportunity to create better integration within and between UK cities.

This is something that needs to be tackled on a regional level. The UK now needs to think beyond the question of what form of transport to invest in, and focus on how new transport infrastructure can work in synergy for the good of towns with passenger journeys encompassing multiple modes of transport.

This was the thinking behind significant investment in redeveloping Nottingham’s train station over the past three years. The city’s modern tram network was leading the way in light rail in the UK and the station’s redevelopment formed part of a strategy to create a transport hub at the heart of the city centre linking trains, trams and buses. In this way the connectivity from train to tram has been made as simple as possible for commuters and tourists.

Travel into London is another great example of how intermodal transport is being unified, where passenger convenience is tackled even before the journey begins.

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When a passenger books a ticket on a train from the northwest to central London, for example, they have the option to buy a ticket for the tube alongside their rail fare into the capital. For those travelling on a daily basis, the Oyster card has been integrated into the ticketing for Southern Rail services to make it easier for commuters using both the rail network and the underground.

Greater thought about how intermodal transport is connected is beginning to set areas apart. Those cities that have invested in bus networks without thinking about rail travel into their city, or vice versa, are now at an impasse where neither form of transport is being used or appreciated to its fullest. Whereas places like London, Nottingham and Manchester where public transport not only focuses on how people travel into town via train, but also their journey beyond by bike, tram or underground are set up well to support a growing population.

The business case for this is that while people can more easily travel between cities, trade between neighbouring regions can happen more easily and quickly. Companies can also tap into talent pools that were previously out of their reach. In the long term, as these hubs of cities work collaboratively, they can more easily attract investment and wider development. I

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London has a lot to gain from driverless trains If London’s iconic Underground system is to keep up with the capital’s growth, it’s going to have to continue to invest in some essential automation technology, says Piers Wood, London Director for Alstom Transport

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uch has been made in the news recently on advances in automated cars, thanks to search engine company Google. Whilst that news sparked some debate, the fact that the cars are soon to be making their way around London’s roads in a pilot scheme has sparked clear controversy.

But whilst the automotive sector is new to the ‘driverless’ phenomenon, similar levels of automation have been running in the rail industry for years – albeit only to a small degree in the UK compared to the rest of the world. Examples include Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and perhaps most relevant to our readers – Paris’ line 14. However, it may surprise some to learn that even London Underground already has a degree of automation installed in the iconic underground network, including more recently the Northern Line, Jubilee and Victoria Line, whilst the Docklands Light Rail system is already fully automated. Plans are also

Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is driverless

in place to install the technology on the Piccadilly Line and the so-called sub-surface railway (i.e. District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City Lines).

The benefits of automation are clear – international examples show improved safety and performance –

London’s tube: more automated but yet to become driverless

and a better all-round passenger experience as a result. Safety of course is a key concern. Automated platform doors (as already installed on the Jubilee Line extension) help to keep passengers away from the tracks, and detection systems at the front of the train can help to identify potential risks. And whilst the importance of a human presence cannot be understated, the technology offers clear advantages.

In Lille, a contractor working above a metro tunnel drilled four inches into the tunnel. The oncoming train detected the drill bit and automatically stopped – something that even the most attentive driver would be hard pressed to do.

Performance is also set to benefit as the Underground becomes more automated. This can be seen on the Northern Line where the line has now been fully installed with an automatic signalling system, allowing more trains to be run at closer intervals and faster speeds. Once the Underground is fully automated, it will be possible to have trains running every single minute during peak hours, and the technology will even create a little more space for passengers, too – the complete train from end to end will be available for passenger usage.

As London Underground undergoes the process of renewing rolling stock over the coming years, there is increasing interest in driverless technology and automation – and the impact that it can have on passenger’s lives.

Given the growing pressure on our capital’s transport infrastructure system, this can only be a good thing for the future – regardless of whether you took an automated car to the station or not. I info - september / october - 45

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Electric vehicles and the city of the future Uptake of electric vehicles is on the rise as their huge benefits become increasingly apparent, writes Ben Fletcher, Product Manager for Zero Emission Vehicles at Renault UK

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n 2013, a total of 2,699 electric vehicles were sold in the UK. By the beginning of August, 3,380 had already been sold in 2014. So, with more and more of these cars on the roads, what are the implications for our cities?

Although the range of a modern electric vehicle means that it isn’t confined to an urban environment, they do have significant benefits in built-up areas.

Offering solutions to key problems such as noise, pollution and poor air quality, as well as a personal mobility solution at a lower cost than traditionally fuelled vehicle, it’s not hard to see why electric vehicle ownership is growing so rapidly.

Air quality will have to be treated as a matter of primary importance. A 2012 World Health Organisation study showed that nearly 90% of people in urban centres are breathing air which breaches their ‘safe’ levels, so with a greater number of people living in a confined space this will become even more critical. Producing no tailpipe emissions, electric vehicles ensure that there is no air pollution at the point of use – directly benefiting the populations of cities and having an immediate impact on public health. Dr Carlos Dora from the World Health

Electric vehicles will become a more common sight in cities

Organisation is quoted as saying ‘we cannot buy clean air in a bottle, but cities can adopt measures that will clean the air and save the lives of people’ – and encouraging usage of electric vehicles is one such measure.

Cities of the future are likely to have the dual challenges of increasing spread allied to a larger number of people in one place, putting more pressure than ever on transport infrastructure. While public transport will and should 46 - info - september / october

Charging points are being installed across cities

take a large proportion of this strain, there will remain a market for personal mobility – whether in private cars or taxis, and again, electric vehicles can help with this. Their ultra-low running costs – a Renault ZOE is less than 2p per mile to drive – open up new ownership possibilities.

Car sharing clubs are not a new phenomenon, but by offering electric vehicles, they can reduce their cost base and open their businesses to more customers.

Such businesses have already started to spring up; whether e-car club (an electric-only car sharing club in London) or the Twizy Way (an on-demand vehicle sharing pilot scheme run by Renault in Paris) this shows that electric vehicles have the potential to drive change in ownership models. This may accelerate the move away from personal ownership and towards shared vehicles and has the ability to bring efficiencies in the number of vehicles on the road – making journeys faster and more efficient.

Infrastructure to support these vehicles is vitally important and the existing network is evolving quickly.

There are already more electric vehicle charging points in London than there are petrol stations, and other cities are in a similar position. New technologies, such as wireless charging, will enable easier infrastructure installation and crucially easier access to make the user experience of the charging points even simpler. Backing up the physical infrastructure, though, it is likely that the information behind the charging points will also be easier to access and use: meaning that bays could be reserved or chosen based on availability, again adding efficiency.

So, the city of the future is likely to be cleaner, quieter, and more efficient thanks – at least in part – to electric vehicles. And with the current take-up of these cars and support infrastructure in place, that future may be much closer than you thought. I

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Charge of the electric brigade The Bolloré Group’s IER company is taking over Source London’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure ahead of introducing a plug-in car-sharing scheme in 2015. INFO spoke to Cédric Bolloré about how it compares with the Autolib’ scheme Bolloré brought to Paris. He will be a panellist at the Franco-British Transport Conference When the Autolib’ electric car sharing scheme launched in Paris, staff were warned that it could be a disaster, but it has gone on to be highly successful. What were the initial misgivings about the concept taking off in Paris?

It had never been said seriously, of course, that it could be a disaster. The Bolloré group had gathered all its technological strengths to make sure that the service would operate successfully from the beginning, and it did. What we didn’t know was how fast it would be adopted by the citizens of the Paris area, because nothing similar existed anywhere in the world. It so happened that the success was almost immediate.

You will be bringing a similar scheme to London in 2015.

Can you explain how it will work?

Basically, the system will work the same way it does in Paris: subscribers will be able to pick up a car at the stations, drive to a station of their choice and leave it for the next driver. It is a pay-as-you-drive system. It will be possible to reserve a car or parking bay by phone, internet or mobile app.

Bolloré will run Source London, the 1,400 existing charging points, which are currently under used, not always reliable and not connected. How do you plan to change this situation?

We are already working with the owners of the charging points, boroughs and private partners, and the manufacturers of the equipment to make sure that they operate properly and that they communicate with our back office. This task will be completed as fast as possible. Simultaneously we will install new charging points in agreement with the Source London partners.

50 Bluecars will hit the London streets by mid 2015, building up to 3,000 in 2018. What is so special about them and their batteries which have been designed and developed in-house?

The Bolloré Group has developed batteries based on Lithium Metal Polymer technology. These high performance batteries are only made with solid components, including the electrolyte. The fact that there is no liquid electrolyte avoids any risk of short circuit due to leakage, in case of accident, or vaporisation of the solvent due to internal overheating or high temperature, and consequently they offer a

higher degree of safety. It is a complete system which begins with the battery and includes the car as well as the highly sophisticated communication system between the back office, the car, the charging point and the clients.

London is a more complex environment than Paris, so what do you envisage to be your main challenges?

We are taking advantage of all the experience accumulated with Autolib’ as well as with our Lyon and Bordeaux car-sharing services to bring updated technology and offer an even better service. Naturally each city is different and we have developed a new charge point adapted to London’s electric car driver needs, whether they own an electric vehicle or subscribe to our car-sharing service.

Do you think Londoners will be receptive to another ‘car club’ and what will set this one apart?

We certainly hope so. Our model is very different from the usual car club model. It is so simple, affordable and convenient that our subscribers really enjoy it.

Furthermore we trust that an increasing number of Londoners care about the protection of the environment and appreciate the fact that our service only offers electric cars which do not produce CO2, microparticles or noise.

How many subscribers will you need for the scheme to be profitable?

Our target in the long run is to attain approximately 100,000 subscribers. This will take several years.

The main criticisms of the Paris scheme are that it has failed to reduce the number of cars on the city’s streets over all, it is unfair competition to taxis and car-hire companies and the cost is too high. Do you anticipate similar issues in London?

In fact, Autolib’ has already reduced the number of cars in Paris. A survey has shown that 17% of Autolib’ subscribers have already abandoned their car and that 70% of Autolib’ users will not buy a car because they can use Autolib’. As far as taxis and car-hire companies go, there was some anxiety at the launch of the service, but neither still consider Autolib’ a threat to their activities.I Interview by KF info - september / october - 47

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Urban cycling Both the French and British governments are keen on increasing the number of cyclists on the roads, especially in towns and cities. transport writer and broadcaster Christian Wolmar explains why, while negotiating some of the bumps in the road. He will be the moderator at the Franco-British Transport Conference

A cycling courier

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ycling pushes all the right buttons. It is good for the environment compared with cars, it is a way of providing exercise for increasingly sedentary populations and it reduces demand for expensive transport infrastructure, such as new roads or public transport networks. Moreover it is relatively cheap to provide for and saves users money.

In both countries, considerable efforts are being made to encourage more people to get on their bikes.

There has been some success, notably in towns which have embraced this agenda enthusiastically, such as Strasbourg or Bristol. However, it is at times an uphill task and despite the obvious benefits, encouraging cycling sometimes comes up against considerable opposition.

At a conference organised by the Franco-British Council in July, speakers from both countries set out the reasons for the difficulties. Pierre Toulouse, who co-ordinates inter-ministerial efforts to boost cycling suggested that France provided too well for the car, making it difficult to induce people to cycle: ‘Our country

is organised around the car. There are lots of good roads, plentiful cheap parking and extensive fiscal support’.

Phillip Darnton, former chairman of the now defunct Cycling England argued that while there have been occasional statements by leading politicians in support of cycling, including the Prime Minister, there had been no follow through. There has been no clear plan about how to bring about a radical change in cycling numbers but rather a collection of uncoordinated initiatives. It was important, too, to separate out leisure and sport cycling from basic utility cycling in towns. Interestingly, it was pointed out that there was no clear French word for such cycling, as le cyclisme tends to refer to the sport, practised widely across l’Hexagone at weekends.

Philippe Crist of the OECD reckoned that it was wrong in both countries to concentrate on the environmental or health benefits of cycling, which are largely invisible to the user. Instead, it is the fact that in the urban context, cycling is reliable, fast and provides cheap door-to-door travel which should be emphasised.

None of the obstacles is insuperable. The key, as Mr Darnton summarised so well, is that there needs to be leadership, strategy, a budget and continuity. All these aspects can be found in countries where cycling has grown and continues to do so such as Denmark and the Netherlands. There, long term strategies, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum and backed by considerable funding, have ensured that cycling plays a central role in all transport policy. Cycling is no longer seen as an added extra or a minority interest that needs to be appeased with a few hundred metres of poor cycle lanes, but rather as an integral part of the transport landscape.

That is what both French and British governments need to aim for to ensure cycling overcomes the resistance of opponents and becomes an accepted and vital part of transportation. I

We are investing an unprecedented £913 million to transform cycling provision over the next 10 years. There is a vast programme of improvements underway, many learnt from cities across the globe. These include enhancing and expanding the Barclays Cycle Superhighway network, introducing segregated cycle lanes and urban ‘Quietway’ routes for more cautious cyclists and transforming areas in outer London boroughs into ‘miniHollands’ by improving local cycling facilities.

Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Commissioner of Transport for London 48 - info - september / october

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Re-imagining transportation in the digital age Tiffany Dovey Fishman, senior manager at Deloitte Services LP and author ‘Digital-age transportation: the future of urban mobility’, heralds a new era in transport. She will be speaking at the Franco-British Transport Conference

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he arrival of the ‘information everywhere’ world has opened new opportunities to make the existing transportation network far more efficient and user friendly. Coupled with new transportation capacity, technological change and the innovations it inspires will transform the way we move about in the 21st century.

Services like real-time ride sharing and car sharing, for instance, are helping urbanites enjoy the flexibility and convenience of car transport without owning a car – and are making the private vehicle a de facto extension of the public transportation system. New apps are allowing commuters to compare the time, cost, convenience, carbon footprint, and health benefits across all modes of public and private transport, broadening their choices and allowing for on-the-fly decisions that take into account real-time conditions.

For their part, car manufacturers are focused on nextgeneration ‘connected vehicles’ that can access, consume, create and share information with other vehicles and surrounding infrastructure in real time – improving traffic flow and safety. And dynamic pricing mechanisms for roads, parking spaces and shared-use assets are helping balance supply and demand.

The result of these innovations – and of the ecosystem of creative players that have been drawn to transportation from information technology companies to ride sharing pioneers to app makers – is that the mobility field will look very different going forward. It will likely be: • Massively networked, with ubiquitous connectivity throughout the system • Dynamically priced, so as to balance supply and demand • User centred, taking into account users’ needs, priorities, and dynamic responses to conditions • Integrated, so that users can move easily from point A to point B, regardless of mode, service provider, or time of day • Reliant on new models of private-public collaboration, which take advantage of the increasingly diverse ecosystem of public, private and non-profit entities that are working to meet the transportation challenges of the 21st century.

By extrapolating from current trends, we have devised in parallel three scenarios that illustrate the future of transportation. These scenarios are not mutually exclusive; indeed, any effective transportation system is likely to contain elements of all three: widely connected 50 - info - september / october

vehicles, or ‘the Internet of cars’; pricing that aligns supply with demand; and the spread of social networking into transportation decision-making.

How these ultimately take shape will depend on the complicated interplay of a range of players – the public sector, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and a host of others – and the ways in which they go about resolving the issues that each ‘scenario’ presents.

Scenario 1: The Internet of cars If you were plucked from 1914 and set down on a city pavement today, you’d know immediately what you saw driving past in the streets. As Chris Borroni-Bird, the director of Advanced Technology, Vehicle Concepts at General Motors notes, ‘The same DNA is in today’s autos that was in the autos of 100 years ago.’ They have four wheels, an engine in front with a passenger compartment behind, an internal combustion engine fuelled by petroleum, mechanical controls that rely on a driver, and drivers who are unconnected to other drivers and the surrounding infrastructure.

Now, Borroni-Bird points out, all this is changing. Power sources are diversifying to include biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen fuel cells. Cars can be controlled electronically, and his company and others are working on the suite of capabilities that would allow cars to drive themselves. As revolutionary as all this may be, though, perhaps the most game-changing possibilities are that cars are about to join the information superhighway.

According to Andreas Mai and Dirk Schlesinger of Cisco Systems, ‘it is no longer enough to sell personal transportation. People want a personalised driving experience that keeps them connected to everything that is important to them: friends, information, music, maps, schedules, and more. Connected cars could do for the automotive industry what smartphones did for the phone industry.’ The Internet of Cars might work like this:

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Scenario 2: Dynamic pricing The world is moving inexorably toward the notion that goods and especially services need not be priced statically.

Airlines and hotels, of course, have been pricing seats and rooms dynamically for years. Electric utilities have been installing smart meters that will, among other things, allow them to respond to changing demand by changing prices. Transportation stands on a similar frontier, made possible by the spread of mobile technology, locationbased services, and ‘contactless’ payment systems. These will ultimately allow for two key values to be embedded in transportation pricing: • Users pay a more direct portion of the actual costs of the services and modes they use • Prices respond to demand to increase the overall efficiency of the transportation system.

The benefits would run throughout the system. As depicted below, drivers and passengers would get clear signals about the cost of a given choice, allowing them to make decisions about their timing, route and mode of travel that take into account both their own needs and the overall system’s. Transportation managers and providers would be able to set prices according to availability, cost, congestion, demand, the desire to attract customers and other considerations. Ideally, the result would be to enhance the efficiency of the entire transportation system, lessening the peaks and valleys for everything from seats on a bus to use of a downtown street to parking in the most popular shopping and entertainment districts.

Scenario 3: Social transport There is a fundamental disconnect at the heart of the current transportation system: It’s a system, yet its parts don’t talk to one another directly. With the advent of networked cars and infrastructure, location awareness and social networks, that may be coming to an end.

The transportation system of the future will be social – built on collaboration among neighbours, communities, governments and traffic managers on everything from traffic planning to signal timing to commute planning.

‘Collaboration’ suggests that transportation can become something more than simply the aggregation of millions of people’s individual decisions about how to get where

they want to go. The day is not far off when their decisions can be informed by other people’s advice, broader systemlevel objectives, real-time travel conditions, crowdsourced information, and even community values. Here’s how social transport might work:

Looking ahead As these three scenarios suggest, we are already seeing aspects of what this new world might look like. Smartphones are expanding their reach in both numbers of users and phone capabilities, thus creating new models for getting people from point A to point B. Social networking is abetting new ways of thinking about organising communities and motivating change. Insights into human behaviour – think gamification – are rewriting how we approach transportation problem solving. And, of course, emerging technologies are changing pretty much every aspect of how we get around. As a field, transportation has become rich with possibility.

There remains a lot of work to do. Standards are nascent for the technology that will underpin our transportation system. Frameworks for public-private partnerships must be established, monitored and adapted as needs change.

The simple notion that people’s transportation needs, rather than vehicle throughput, ought to be at the centre of the system will demand a change in culture throughout public transportation departments. There will undoubtedly be a public role, perhaps a central one, in making it easier for travellers to experience an integrated transportation system. Providing safe and reliable infrastructure with the capacity to handle demand will undoubtedly remain a core government function, even if the models for how to finance and create it change.

Still, what is most exciting about this particular moment is that the opportunities seem unlimited for both the private and public sectors to make human mobility cleaner, safer, more efficient and more enjoyable. Finding our way into this new era may take work, but there’s no question that we have crossed the brink. I info - september / october - 51

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Big Data in transportation: who owns what?

Sundar Balasubramaniam, Director of Global Business Information Management at Capgemini, considers the tricky questions of data ownership being raised as transportation goes digital

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he Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept which refers Consider road transport going through the concepts to a network of devices that are able to connect of driverless cars and connected vehicles. In the case of and transfer data across the Internet. As we become Google’s driverless car, who owns the data? The vehicle more and more reliant on the Internet in both a owner or Google? Even the normal pedestrian is no personal and professional capacity, and as organisations longer a pedestrian; many people now have ‘wearables’ from a multitude of industries seek to gain a better monitoring their key health parameters. Who owns that understanding of consumer and stakeholder behaviour data – the pedestrian or the device manufacturer or the through data analysis, IoT is growing at a staggering rate. monitoring service provider?

Indeed, conservative estimates predict that by 2020 there When customers log on to the Wi-Fi in a train or into will be around 50 billion devices and 1 trillion sensors their loyalty rewards programme on the move, they share sharing an almost unfathomable 32 zettabytes1 of data information about themselves. This data is then used across the Web. to market other products and This trend is significantly services to them. But, if Boingo ... data ownership tends to shifting the dynamics in the is providing Wi-Fi services on a get compl icated depend i ng market as it seems just about Thalys train, who owns the data on the situation and power everyone across the value chain will likely depend on the nature (be it device vendor, infrastructure of the agreement between the dy namics bet ween players provider, service provider and two. In most cases, the agreement i nvolved even the end customer) now will indicate that the data will collects data with the intent be shared. Take Transport for to create additional revenue from it. However, the London (TfL) for instance. Everything Everywhere (EE) ownership of data is still often a grey area from a legal just announced that smart phones using EE as the data and monetisation perspective. Whilst this is a leading provider can now be used to pay for tickets on London’s issue for a range of industries, it is particularly pertinent buses. It uses the Cash on Tap application and is serviced in the transportation sector, where it seems there are

by MasterCard. In this situation, who owns what part of more questions than answers. the data – TfL, EE and MasterCard all have a stake in the data that is collected and how this data will be used may Data generation and ownership in transportation not be entirely transparent to the consumer, until you Data collection is exponentially increasing in all modes see an advertisement popping on your smart phone. TfL of transportation. Manufacturers are placing film sensors also runs the tube service and already has the Oyster card on airplane wings, engines and other critical parts to programme that allows it to track users across different generate tens of terabytes of data per flight. However, modes of transport – both bus and tube. the questions remains, who owns that data? The airline that owns the aircraft, the aircraft manufacturer or the The road ahead company that develops the parts? What if the aircraft Thus, data ownership tends to get complicated depending is leased? on the situation and power dynamics between players Crewless cargo ships, remotely controlled through involved. Increasingly we see data sharing and thirdGPS systems and command centres, are currently being party data brokering emerging as possibilities for data tested. Who owns the data generated from the ship for monetisation to really take off. Similar to Twitter or remote control operations? The ship owner, the cargo Facebook monetising their data by licensing it to other company that leases the craft, the manufacturer or the service providers, the idea of third-party entities emerging remote control service operator? The same goes for rail in the transportation sector to license data and release it networks as trains and tracks frequently have sensors for public consumption is very plausible. Sector specific to collect data to drive failure prediction and asset data brokerages would have a warm welcome! I maintenance.

1. A multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Terabyte = 1 trillion bytes; Zettabyte = 1 sextilion (or 1000 to the power of 7) bytes.

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Real-time personalised journeys: are we there yet?

Having customised multimodal travel information at our fingertips is the ideal, but how do we get there in reality asks Alistair McPhee, Vice President Ground Transportation Systems at Thales UK

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ravel trends are clear. The number of passenger rail journeys on virtually every network is rising.

Road congestion continues to frustrate private and public transport users alike and costs the UK millions every day in lost productivity. In addition, the need for greater airport capacity is a welldebated and high profile issue. Thus, the demand for smarter, more intelligent, sustainable transport systems is more apparent as a result, and the travelling public will need the ability to make more informed travel choices, particularly in times of disruption, based on accurate, reliable information to get them to their destinations... on time and for the lowest cost.

Passenger information exists today in a multitude of places for just about every mode of transport that operates – from printed timetables, to websites, to applications accessible on smartphones and tablets – and there seems little doubt that real-time, personalised journey information received on a personal mobile device is where this is heading. So what is the future?

Interconnected real-time personalised journey information? A single application integrating real-time plane, ferry, bus, coach, train and tram timetables, including driving, walking and cycling options – all of which can transcend multi-operators to provide endto-end travel information paid for and covered by a single fare and ticket? And if that is the future, with the technology available and the phenomenal amount of data out there – why don’t we already have that today?

One answer is that it’s just not that simple.

Technology and data are not the only requirements,

and these are not without challenges themselves.

For example, data might be available, but how accessible/reliable is it?

Personal mobile devices may be widelyused to access journey information, and in some cases for payment too, but they are not for everyone, and although security can be robust with the right protection, cyber threats to these devices remain an issue.

Barely scratching the surface here, already some big issues are on the table, and when you add in the questions ‘what is driving the requirement?’ and ‘where would the money come from?’ it starts to sound far from simple.

Another answer is that we do have it today… but maybe not in its entirety. Multi-modal tickets and integrated payment are a whole different issue – smart ticketing starts to address these – but they are part of the long-term vision nonetheless. However, in terms of passenger information available from a single platform, (note platform not application) the government-funded ‘transport direct’ website is certainly a start, and placed firmly within the UK government’s ‘door-to-door strategy’ earmarked for investment as part of their commitment to improve the quality and availability of travel information, it’s set to see significant improvement.

The key to the future of passenger information and the government’s vision becoming a reality in this area, is the successful collaboration between central and local government, operators, industry, academia and research and of course passengers. We need to share, develop, invest, integrate and collaborate to facilitate greater transport choices and better information for passengers allowing seamless journeys across our transport networks fit for the 21st century. I

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M-ticketing: outsmarting smart cards Masabi is a UK startup that has pioneered mobile ticketing in the UK and the USA. CEO and Co-founder Ben Whitaker spoke to INFO about how it came about and where it is heading

M-tickets are already in use on some UK train lines

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obile ticketing is coming of age – in the next 12 months we are going to see an explosion in the UK rail industry,’ Ben Whitaker asserts. He heads the company that first introduced mobile ticketing with a free pilot project for Chiltern Railways in 2010 and then wrote the interoperable standard so that different transit providers, vendors and hardware manufacturers could interlink. It has been a slow process within the UK’s complex franchise system with its 240 million possible fare combinations, but the Association of Train Operators is now heading its rollout across multiple franchises – all privately funded because it is not only good for passengers but also makes business sense. ‘That’s in stark contrast with smart cards,’ Ben comments. ‘Private entities would never put in a system without government edict and subsidy because smart card deployment is incredibly expensive – you need cumbersome equipment, chipped plastic cards and huge back office capability to essentially run a mini bank,’ he explains. ‘Whereas if you use mobile phones, the infrastructure is already developed by the telecom companies. You don’t have to issue the media or have ticket machines.’

Not having to install ticket machines in all its outlying stations saved Boston’s MBTA (Massachusetts’s Bay Transit Authority) $70 million when they opted instead for Masabi’s JustRide mobile ticketing platform for its commuter rail and ferry services. ‘We were able to put in a system with zero upfront cost, apart from posters,’ Ben says. Normally, upgrading a ticketing system and the infrastructure of a city takes years but, Boston took 54 - info - september / october

seven months from signature to full system roll out, and a subsequent project in San Diego took two weeks from signature to pilot, going into full public revenue use for Comicon when tens of thousands of people want to buy and use tickets within half an hour.

The beauty of mobile or ‘m-ticketing’ is the actual format does not matter – it can evolve with whatever people carry in their pockets, and whatever technology is current. Using flexible cloud-based software, Masabi deploys barcode technology, supports two modes of NFC (Near Field Communication) and is working on a Bluetooth low energy ‘Magic Ticket’ for iPhones that ‘is really going to change things for commuter rail.’ It provides the apps for phones as well as web (so people can print off their own barcoded tickets), software scanning devices, readers for transit gates and buses, as well as back-end analytics and configurations for pricing, payment processing and customer service.

The system also has the advantage of giving operators continuous real time data of where and when people are travelling, and allows them to clamp down on petty abuse. Once a ticket is bought, it can be activated and used offline when needed. Validation requires only an off-theshelf smart phone carried by a conductor or a multimode scanner on a transit gate, which is easily retrofitted. Masabi has worked with a Reading-based company to produce the fastest scanners in the industry. Unlike airport ticket scanners which tend to be slow, these meet the London transit gate target speed of under half a second. And while most smart card systems require 100% infrastructure coverage before first day of operation, m-tickets can start with visual inspection and scanners can be added and scaled up as customer adoption increases.

In the next five to 10 years, Ben predicts that there will be fewer ticket machines and queues will disappear.

Transit infrastructure will be reconfigured: stations, originally sized to service 90% of passengers in rush hour, will downsize ticket-selling space as more people move to self servicing. As the proportions invert, operators will be able to invest in moving more people, and generate more revenue from concessions. Transit systems will also be more integrated – not only across the UK but possibly even across Europe – as mobile devices become the way you organise your travel. Ben won’t make a call on which format will be king, ‘but I can guarantee you it will not be one format alone,’ he says. I KF

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Innovations in last-mile transport and logistics The movement and delivery of goods is a significant part of urban transportation, but clever innovations are being explored and used to good effect, writes Coolin Desai, UK Transport & Logistics Leader at PwC

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great example of how the transport and logistic industry can innovate in order to meet extra demands on city transport and infrastructure was the London 2012 Olympic Games. Practices that had long been employed to service airports or big urban construction projects are now used in upmarket retail areas like Regent Street. Here, the freeholder worked with its tenants in advance of the Games to help them reduce the number of their suppliers, consolidate their deliveries to a single depot, and use one logistics company to go the final miles. Collaboration with stakeholders in an integrated transport strategy was also key to the success and legacy of these innovations.

Although e-commerce has meant fewer car trips to the shops, it has driven deliveries – we predict over 1 billion parcels will be home delivered in the UK in 2018, with returns increasing by 10% a year. This impacts our cities through rising emissions, congestion, safety and usage of scarce parking resources. At the same time, customers shopping online with greater frequency expect seamless service, want more visibility and flexibility of their delivery in real-time and are quick to comment on social media.

So, what innovations are we seeing to deal with these trends? Many logistics businesses are challenging traditional delivery models. Technological advances are allowing for more sophisticated and responsive last-mile logistics, with businesses providing real-time tracking and visibility to consumers and enabling updates to delivery preferences while an order is already in the delivery vehicle, ensuring fewer wasted journeys. Future advances suggest the potential for even greater efficiencies through shared logistics capacity, more seamless integration of store inventory with e-commerce channels, or more predictive abilities based on sophisticated data analytics even before the online purchase has been completed.

Click and collect is booming as customers seek greater convenience in receiving their online purchases. We forecast that UK click and collect (including locker box collection) will grow by 11.7% a year to 119 million parcels in 2018. Partnerships are key with facilities at tube stations, retail stores or dedicated outlets. Some UK businesses with nationwide store networks provide collection points for online-only operators, allowing distributors to dramatically reduce deliveries by consolidating a whole district into a single drop. In a smart combination of consolidation and collaboration, some logistics companies are consolidating deliveries for different retailers into

a single vehicle, minimising the number of journeys.

Supermarkets are opening dedicated convenience depots closer to city centres in order to service their growing number of smaller stores. After-hours deliveries are still hotly debated but we are seeing experimentation with hybrid vehicles and sound reduction technology in order to address pollution and noise issues.

Connected devices and rising urbanisation have enabled new consumption models, with car sharing one example of the phenomenon known as the sharing economy. Another example is a car manufacturer incorporating a parking app into the vehicle, which allows the driver to identify a parking space belonging to a private resident looking to find ancillary revenues from it. Business models are hosted through digital platforms which connect demand and share capacity dynamically in real-time. Transport and logistics utilise this platform in some ways where retailers partner with a technology company to track deliveries across a network of carriers.

But more pertinently, an entrepreneurial technology company currently disrupting the taxi travel space has also stated its interest in applying its model to deliveries.

Other uses being explored in Europe include citizens themselves delivering parcels for a small fee and parking garages being used for warehousing when empty.

Automated vehicles, the internet of things (IoT) and electric technologies could help drive a more efficient city.

Product and shelf sensors could collect data throughout the entire supply chain – from dock to shelf. How long before the automated vehicle and unmanned air vehicles currently being tested actually hit the road or our skies will depend on how regulation, legislation, data and digital platforms and cyber security develop. In future, perhaps drones could help fulfil last-mile logistics and consumerto-consumer deliveries. In the shorter term, autonomous driving technology is being developed and tested for driverless trucks, for longer distance or in specific areas such as mining and it could bring improvements in safety and fuel consumption.

So what can the industry do going forward? Keep on top of the major trends impacting the industry, and an eye on the technology companies playing in this space; think of innovative partnerships; engage with stakeholders; all of this will help the freight transport and logistics industry keep our cities moving as vital engines of economic growth and prosperity. I info - september / october - 55

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What future for the car?

The concept of the car is changing, not only physically but in the way it is perceived and its role within the transport landscape observes Nick Gill, Senior Vice President, Automotive Sector at Capgemini

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hen we try to consider what type of transport or 16% would let technology companies have access to mobility solutions might be available in the future, their personal automotive information. Whether these the automotive sector is perhaps a safe starting point to details will be used to adapt products or services to base our predictions. The industry has been undergoing meet our mobility needs or simply used for marketing some major developments over the last few years, with purposes, it is unclear, but what is clear is just how technology driving some of the most significant changes integral a role data will play in the years to come. As that we’ve seen. With the huge leaps in consumer Audi’s sales chief, Luca de Meo, recently claimed, data technology, connectivity, telematics and the concept of will be the new oil powering the industry. the connected car, the automotive industry is evolving Aside from technology, mobility and the way in extremely quickly. which it is perceived is already shifting significantly and Such is the impact of technology that many within it has been for a long time. Changing consumer habits, the industry believe the sector is going to witness economic pressures, environmental responsibility, more radical changes in the media pressure; they have all had next 10 years than we have seen an influence on mobility and the since the first Model T rolled off traditional models of transport.

T he ‘connected car ’ wi l l the production line in 1908. The For those of us living or working have major i mpl ications announcement in July from the in a big city, we can see how for both the consu mer British business secretary, Vince public transport is changing right and the i ndustr y as it wi l l Cable, that wireless vehicles in front of us – the number of prov ide an u nprecedented will be permitted on Britain’s commuters swapping the bus or level of data roads in 2015, is just a flavour of tube for a bicycle is incredible. what our future mobility might The public perception of cars look like. has seen an equally dramatic shift as the automotive The concept of mobility can be one that is hard to culture is challenged. A car used to be the ultimate define. To many, mobility is about connectivity – getting symbol of freedom and independence but increasingly in your car, train or the tube shouldn’t break up your consumers view ownership as an expense and a burden. commute to work or travelling to your next meeting.

As a result there has been a surge in demand for alternative Travelling shouldn’t be an obstacle that requires you to mobility services; according to our study, around 40% put everything on hold. With this definition in mind, of consumers are willing to use alternative ownership perhaps the most significant step in mobility is the concepts, such as car sharing. This is particularly true introduction of internet and mobile connected vehicles. of those in growth markets. The primary reason for The ‘connected car’ will have major implications using mobility concepts varies considerably by age; for both the consumer and the industry as it will young people value the higher flexibility whereas the provide an unprecedented level of data, which will older generation is attracted to the lower total cost of ultimately shape the future of the automotive sector. ownership.

In the same way retailers currently gather details What’s clear from the study and wider developments around our shopping behaviour, a multitude of is that we are on the cusp of a very important chapter. organisations, from car manufacturers and dealers, Mobility services is a major driver for change across to insurance companies, technology giants and even a breadth of industries and companies should be telecommunication suppliers, will look to collect seriously thinking if they are doing enough to compete valuable data from our cars. for their share of this market. This is particularly true of According to Capgemini’s recent Cars Online study, the ‘Generation Y’ consumers, in growth markets and in now in its 15th edition, 81% of us would be willing to urban areas. With all of these changes, it is imperative share data, however, not to just anyone. Whilst 60% of that we do not lose sight of the customer; we must the 10,571 respondents surveyed across the globe would ensure that their true mobility needs are not forgotten be happy to give data to vehicle manufacturers, just in favour of making profit. I 56 - info - september / october

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All change for next generation transport We are in transition between the motor age and the digital age, and heading for a very different world, observes Glenn Lyons, Professor of Transport and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol

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ear reader, are you global resources from a few clicks of a mouse; where a digital native or you could exchange and modify documents, photos a digital immigrant? and video; where you could buy your groceries without If your journey into leaving your chair or check cinema times and book adulthood predated tickets; where you could see and speak to someone for the Internet, Web and mobile phones, then, as a digital free through a computer screen; where you could share immigrant (a child of the motor age), you will likely thoughts, news and material with a network of friends be experiencing the ongoing change in society very and acquaintances. A quarter of a century ago, getting differently to the digital native reader. Recent insights from A to B in a motor car helped you ‘connect’ with across a number of countries are revealing that digital opportunities at destinations. It would have been pure natives are less inclined towards science fiction to have a device car travel. Affordability may be while on the move called a ‘smart 25 years’ worth of digital a key factor but perhaps more phone’ that could locate you, age change has crept up fundamentally young people direct you, entertain you, connect on us and... is profoundly are no longer part of the love you to others and allow you to affair with the car that shaped work, shop and play. changing social practices their parents’ lives – they are Twenty-five years’ worth of and ultimately the nature of in a world where connectivity digital age change has crept up on our demand for travel and expression of self are taking us all and there can be no doubt different forms and establishing that it is gradually but profoundly different norms. Declines in car use being observed in changing social practices and ultimately the nature of recent years are notably in cities. With urbanisation as a our demand for travel. Imagine where a further 25 years global trend, there seem to be some important dynamics might take us. I believe this will be into city living in of change at work in terms of urban transport. which there is much more flexibility in the time and I believe these dynamics are the result of a collision location of the activities in which we participate and in between the motor age and the digital age. There is which we will have an increasingly rich and seamless currently much hype about driverless cars and a sense of mix of physical and virtual encounter. Transport will inevitability that this will be a transformative technology be a ‘background’ activity. Owning and driving a vehicle for future urban transport. I cannot help feeling will seem a dated concept. There will be much greater this is driven by the digital immigrants and a rather appetite for shared use transport. Our capacity to flexibly technologically deterministic outlook. It is possible make use of our time through digital screens (probably that autonomous vehicles may become a mainstream ones which by then we will wear as augmented reality element of future urban transport. However, I believe glasses) as well as behind windscreens will mean waiting there are much more significant features of digital age for public transport, riding on it and walking from it change to pay attention to as a result of the collision. to final destinations will barely be an inconvenience.

The digital age is changing how people participate in Our cities will increasingly function through the mass society; it is changing where, when and how we access movement of information rather than the movement people, goods, services and opportunities. The World of vehicles. Walking and cycling will thrive as precious Wide Web is 25 years old this year. If you are a digital urban land use is liberated from the car. immigrant, cast your mind back to a world before the We need our digital natives to ensure that the public Web. Verbs such as ‘email’, ‘google’, ‘skype’ and ‘ebay’ and private sector professions responsible for shaping our did not exist in people’s lexicon. You could not sit in cities and the movement within them are joined by new an ‘office’ at home from where you could stay in touch creative minds with an appetite to grasp the opportunity with a network of colleagues across the world and access of change that the digital age is thrusting upon us. I info - september / october - 57

Compiled by Katie Chadd

The EY Exhibition: ‘Late Turner – Painting Set Free’ at Tate Britain of a bountiful and significant period of exceptional energy and vigour, which the artist maintained despite his failing health.

By taking a fresh look at Turner’s late works, the exhibition re-examines his life and art. Challenging the myths, assumptions and interpretations that have grown around his later work, it reveals a painter distinguished just as much by the broad scope of his knowledge and imagination as by his radical and exploratory techniques, processes and use of materials. While bringing renewed energy to the exploration of the social, technological and scientific developments of modern life, in such icons of the machine age as ‘Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway 1844’, Turner remained deeply engaged with the religious, historical or mythological themes that linked him to the cultural traditions of his era.

John Ruskin’s description of Turner as ‘the greatest of the age’ is brilliantly exemplified in the many large-scale oil paintings, drawings, prints and watercolours on display at this exhibition sponsored by the Patron member of the Chamber, EY. I Tate Britain, London / September 2014 – 25 January 2015 / Open daily 10am to 6pm/ Full price £16.50

©The NationalGallery, London

||| This EY Exhibition is the first devoted to the extraordinary work Joseph Mallord William Turner produced between 1835 and his death in 1851. Bringing together spectacular works from the UK and abroad, it celebrates Turner’s astonishing creative development in these later years when he produced many of his finest pictures, but was also controversial and unjustly misunderstood.

Highlights include such important works as ‘Ancient Rome; Agrippina Landing with the Ashes of Germanicus’ and ‘Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino’, rarely reunited since first exhibited together in 1839; ‘The Wreck Buoy 1849’; and magnificent watercolours such as ‘Heidelberg: Sunset c.1840’ and the seldom-seen ‘Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland c.1837’.

The show also includes a group of unusual square pictures, shedding light on Turner’s innovative techniques. Newly identified watercolours of a fire at the Tower of London in 1841 are shown with the spectacular painting ‘Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons 1835’ and the exhibition concludes with Turner’s last exhibited pictures from 1850, depicting the classical lovers Dido and Aeneas. It is a panoramic survey

Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway 1844

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w h at ’ s o n : a s e l e c t i o n o f e x h i b i t i o n s i n l o n d o n a n d b e yo n d

© Arup

m u s eu m of london dockl ands , london

Thomas Heatherwick. Visualisation of the proposed Garden Bridge between the Southbank and Temple

Bridge ||| ‘Bridge’ celebrates the 120th anniversary of London’s iconic Tower Bridge with an exhibition that features rarely seen contemporary and historical artworks, alongside photography, film and maquettes depicting bridges within London’s landscape. From Hungerford to Blackfriars, Westminster to Millennium, Bridge also looks at how London’s bridges allow people to move around and experience the city. In addition it features the

debates and issues confronting London and its bridges today. The bridges of London, according to Sharon Ament, the Director of the Museum of London are among the city’s most compelling iconic designs. Tower Bridge’s unmistakable silhouette is an image synonymous with London; just like the Eiffel Tower screams Paris.’ I Until 2 November / Open daily from 10am to 6pm Free admission

b a r b i c a n a r t g a l l e ry , l o n d o n

Constructing Worlds: Photography and Architecture in the Modern Age ||| Constructing Worlds brings together 18 exceptional photographers from the 1930s to the present day who have changed the way we view architecture and perceive the world around us.

From the first skyscrapers in New York and decaying colonial structures in the Congo, to the glamorous suburban homes of post-war California, and the modern towers of Venezuela, this exhibition goes on a global journey through 20th and 21st century architecture. Featuring over 250 works, it highlights the power of photography to reveal hidden truths in our society. I 25 September – 11 January 2015 Open daily Saturday to Wednesday 10am to 6pm and Thursday to Friday 10am to 9pm / Full price: £12

fre nch in stitute , london

||| FranceInLondon and the French Institute are organising London’s Favourite French Film 2014 Awards night, which takes place at the French Institute on 17 September under the French Ambassador’s patronage. To mark the 10th anniversary of this event FranceInLondon will host a Gala Premiere of Serial (Bad) Weddings (Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu) followed by a short Q&A with actor Christian Clavier and director Philippe de Chauveron. The evening starts with a Champagne reception at 7pm and the Awards and Premiere will be followed by a cheese and wine party. I 17 September, 7pm. Ticket price: £35

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© J. Paul Getty Trust © 2014 DACS

Awards night for London’s Favourite French Film 2014

Lucien Herve, High Court of Justice, Chandigarh, 1955

© Transport Museum @ Transport for London

t r a n s p o rt m u s e u m , lo n d o n

Goodbye Piccadilly: The Role of the London Bus in World War I ||| Goodbye Piccadilly reveals the untold story of London buses; how drivers took the vehicles to the Front to support the war effort, how women advanced in the transport workforce for the first time and the effect on Londoners as total war came to the capital.

The exhibition brings together objects from several collections, including ‘Ole’ Bill’, a 1911 B-type bus on loan from the Imperial War Museum, one of more than 1,000 requisitioned for use on the Western Front. Other highlights include recruitment posters and rarely-seen propaganda posters, and a 1914 female bus conductor’s uniform.

Six animations by University of the Arts Central Saint Martins’ students plus new poetry from SLAMbassadors UK also offer fresh interpretations about the impact of the war. I Until 8 March 2015 / Open Monday to Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm and Friday 11am to 6pm / Full price: £15

Ole Bill bus B43 flanked by standard bearers in the Armistice Day parade 1920

n at i o n a l g a l l e ry , l o n d o n

||| Rembrandt’s later years were turbulent and marked with controversy, but they also produced some of his most deeply moving and strikingly modern works. Far from diminishing as he aged, Rembrandt’s creativity gathered new energy. From the 1650s until his death in 1669, he pursued an artistic style that was expressive and radical. Through famous masterpieces Self Portrait with Two Circles and rare drawings and prints, The c. 1665-9. Oil on canvas

Late Works examines the themes that preoccupied Rembrandt as he grew older: self-scrutiny, experimentation, light, observation of everyday life and even other artists’ works; as well as expressions of intimacy, contemplation, conflict and reconciliation. I 15 October 2014 – 18 January 2015 Open daily 10 am to 6pm Friday 10am to 9pm Full price: £18

h a r e w o o d h o u s e , yo r k s h i r e

In Pursuit of the Exquisite: Royal Sèvres from Versailles to Harewood ||| The delicate objects shown in this exhibition survived the downfall of their original owners, the tumult of the French revolution and the journey from Versailles to Harewood. These exquisite wares from the Sèvres factory, which opened in 1740, were highly sought after and obsessively collected by aristocratic and royal patrons; the ill-fated King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette amassed a considerable collection. After their execution in 1793 their porcelain was sold and the English aristocracy vied with one another to acquire the French royal family’s prized pieces. These precious items have been the mute witnesses of an extraordinarily dramatic history. I Harewood House, Leeds, West Yorkshire 18 April – 2 November / Open daily from 11am to 4pm Full price: £14

By kind permission of the Earl and Countess of Harewood and the Trustees of Harewood House Trust

© English Heritage

Rembrandt: The Late Works

A large square flower vase or ‘cuvette à fleurs à tombeau’, painted with flowers and a scene of three cupids or putti info - september / october - 61

book reviews These books, recently translated into English, were selected by the French Institute

Fortunes of France: The Brethren

by Robert Merle Published by Pushkin Press Translated by T Jefferson Kline Original title: Fortune de France

||| The Perigord of 16th century France is a wild region on the edge of the reaches of royal authority – its steep, forested valleys roamed by bands of brigands and gypsies, its communities divided by conflict between Catholics and converts to the new Protestant faith, the Huguenots.

To this beautiful but dangerous country come two veterans of the French king’s wars, Jean de Siorac and Jean de Sauveterre, the Brethren, as fiercely loyal to the crown as they are to their Huguenot religion.

They make their home in the formidable château of Mespech, and the community they found prospers, but they are far from secure. Religious civil war looms on the horizon, famine and plague stalk the land, and the Brethren must use all their wits to protect those they love from the chaos that threatens to sweep them away. I

Limonov

by Emmanuel Carrère Published by Allen Lane Translated by John Lambert Original title: Limonov

||| The crazed, reckless life of Eduard Limonov is like a novel: compelling, black, wild, bitter, surprising. In this extraordinary work the charismatic novelist, journalist, screenwriter and filmmaker Emmanuel Carrère takes us into the dark heart of a character who, whether drugged on New York streets after taking a beating by a mob boss, getting dragged into grotesque Parisian salons, enlisting in the army or being imprisoned in a labour camp, is sometimes poignant, sometimes repulsive, sometimes a bastard, sometimes even endearing. But who is never, ever mediocre.

From arguably France’s greatest living writer, Limonov is that very rare thing: a great true story. Richly overflowing with both insight and incident, it peels back history to show us society through the astonishing life of one individual. I

Zone Under The Tripoli Sky

by Kamal Ben Hameda Published by Peirene Press Translated by Adriana Hunter Original title: La Compagnie des Tripolitaines

||| Tripoli in the 1960s. A sweltering, segregated society. Hadachinou is a lonely boy. His mother shares secrets with her best friend Jamila while his father prays at the mosque.

Sneaking through the sun drenched streets of Tripoli, the boy listens to the whispered stories of the women.

He turns into an invisible witness to their repressed desires as he becomes aware of his own.

‘This is a fascinating portrait of a closed society. On the surface this quiet vignette of a story could be read as gently nostalgic, but underneath the author reveals the seething tensions of a traditional city coming to terms with our modern world. The book gives us privileged access to a place where men and women live apart and have never learned to respect each other.’ Meike Ziervogel (Peirene Press). I 62 - info - september / october

by Mathias Enard Published by Fitzcarraldo Editions Translated by Charlotte Mandell Original title: Zone

||| Francis Mirkovic, a French Intelligence Services agent for 15 years, is travelling first class on the train from Milan to Rome. Handcuffed to the luggage rack above him is a briefcase containing a wealth of information about the war criminals, terrorists and arms dealers of the Zone – the Mediterranean region, from Barcelona to Beirut, from Algiers to Trieste, which has become his speciality – to sell to the Vatican. Exhausted by alcohol and amphetamines, he revisits the violent history of the Zone and his own participation in that violence, beginning as a mercenary fighting for a farright Croatian militia in the 1990s.

One of the truly original books of the decade, and written as a single, hypnotic, propulsive, physically irresistible sentence, Mathias Enard’s Zone is an Iliad for our time, an extraordinary and panoramic view of violent conflict and its consequences in the 20th century and beyond. I

eat •

A word with Chef Jocelyn Herland of the 3 Michelin-starred alain ducasse at the dorchester You trained to become a Chef at the age of 18. What inspired that decision?

Growing up with my grandmother’s cooking in Auvergne, I decided early on I wanted to work with food, but I had in mind charcuterie rather than being a Chef. I did an intensive one-year apprenticeship (it’s usually three) in a big Paris restaurant, doing 900 covers a day, followed by another apprenticeship in a pastry shop because at that stage I did not feel confident in pastry. I then did a professional diploma for the restaurant business, which required me to be a waiter in a 2 Michelinstarred restaurant. That gave me crucial front of house experience – I understand the stress of dealing directly with guests!

You’ve worked with Alain Ducasse for 16 years: what do you admire most about him as a chef, and as a mentor?

Alain Ducasse may be a world renowned Chef but he is 200% involved in each restaurant and has a very personal approach. He sees things that nobody else sees – tiny details such as the lighting, the way the chair arms feel. He gives his maximum but he also pushes the team to be at the top of the game.

For him three Michelin stars are not the ultimate achievement. He says, ‘We could do without, but it is better with’. He is very curious about everything – each time he visits a city, he will try all kinds of culinary experiences from a small café to a Michelin-starred restaurant, from a market to a shop... And he will want

drink •

stay.

to meet the people who are the souls of these places.

How do you interpret Alain Ducasse’s philosophy and yet maintain your own mark in your menu?

For Alain Ducasse it is all about the produce and respect for it, so it’s my job as Chef to make sure the quality is there, and to put in the twist – you can’t just reproduce recipes without understanding your marketplace.

His vision for this first London restaurant was for a French cuisine with a contemporary touch and we don’t want to be compared to other Alain Ducasse restaurants. We are unique, so it’s also about making that distinction in people’s minds.

How does being a chef in London differ from being one in Paris?

The main difference is the clientele.

In Paris there is a certain niche clientele for 3-star restaurants and prices are double, whereas in London, anyone can dine at one, and guests are more open-minded about trying new things, although they can be fickle and demanding because of the availability of amazing cuisines from all over the world. To me London is all about diversity and enjoying it. The other difference is access to produce – you can’t just stroll down to a local market and buy fresh ingredients, so you have to develop relationships with suppliers.

Where do you source your ingredients?

We use the best produce we can get.

Our fish is local and during the game season, half the meat is from the UK because the game is fantastic. The beef too. Our duck and pigeon come from the Anjou region in France. A farmer in France produces amazing vegetables all year round for us. But I do want to increase the amount of produce we get from the UK. How do you run your kitchen?

I try to be more flexible than Chefs I’ve seen in the past. I’m Chef of the kitchen but I also need to be a team leader for the front of house.

For me front and back are part of the same team and the relationship is really important. Our team is internationally diverse – at least 10 different nationalities – so I insist on everything being in English because that is a common language.

Part of my role is also to share my knowledge and ensure my brigade improves.

What are your favourite ingredients?

I love meat and working with it. I like its complexity and the things you can do with it, but I am inspired by seasonal produce. As a Chef, you wait for something special every season, and use it to give a twist to well-loved recipes. As Mr Ducasse says, you need to work with what Mother Nature is offering you. I KF info - september / october - 63

Le Restaurant de paul In the same Covent Garden shop where PAUL established its first London bakery 10 years ago, a transformation has recently taken place, for behind the bakery and patisserie shop, a new bistro-style restaurant has been created – a world debut for the French family business established in 1889 ||| Opened in mid July, the restaurant occupies two spaces, each with a distinct look. First is classic Parisian chic with 19th century murals, parquet floors and velvetupholstered seating, but pass through French doors and the space beyond is 1950s industrial chic with white-tiled walls, stone floors, factory lamps and a window to the kitchen.

On the wall, a large blownup black-and-white photo of Paul’s first shop in Lille stands as a reminder of where it all started.

Some of PAUL’s cafés do serve food – salads and daily hot dishes – but Le Restaurant de PAUL has much more. Its extensive menu of French bistro classics and regional favourites span breakfast, lunch and dinner, and being in the heart of London’s theatreland it has a Pre-Theatre menu too. The menu was developed in-house with a little nod to its setting, so Petit Dejeuner PAUL is in essence an English cooked breakfast with a French twist of Toulouse sausages and Provençale-herbed tomatoes.

Much of the food provenance is French but high quality

British ingredients such as Scottish sirloin and salmon have been sourced where possible. The Chef, incidentally, is also British!

In addition to platters, salads and soups, mains include hearty French favourites such as Coq au Vin, Confit de Canard aux Olives and Entrecote à la Bordelaise and desserts can be chosen from PAUL’s familiar daily offering of tarts, tartelettes and cakes – including a carrot cake – as well as various Brioche Perdue, Pomme au Four and artisan ‘glaces’. Of course, no French restaurant would be worth its salt without wine, and a small but carefully selected menu offers both classics and discoveries from regional France that complement the rustic dishes.

Prices are affordable, in keeping with the area, and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. On my visit, only two weeks post opening, the restaurant was packed at lunchtime – a good indication that PAUL’s confidence was not misplaced in developing this new venture.

Santé and bon appétit! I KF

the bulgari spa Just named Best Spa in luxury travel network Virtuoso’s annual ‘Best of the Best’ list, and voted Best of British in the Tatler 2014 Spa Awards, this could be the ultimate urban spa experience

||| Bulgari Spa occupies a subterranean cavern, five floors beneath the Bulgari Hotel and Residences in Knightsbridge, which is designed, from façade to furniture, by Antonio Citterio, the renowned Italian architect. It expresses luxury at its least ostentatious – comfortable and understated – so you can feel at home.

Citterio’s philosophy extends to the spa, which, occupying over 2,200m2 on two floors, has an atmosphere of otherworldly serenity, suffused with soft light and aromas. Its ‘jewel’ is a 25 metre lap pool, lined in subtly shimmering emerald green and gold-leaf Bisazza mosaic and fringed with Balinese-style curtained cabanas. At one end, a gold mosaic vitality pool offers a multisensory experience with massaging air and water jets, a waterfall and remineralised water at the perfect temperature. Sauna, steam room, ice fountain and showers form part of the thermal experience that may precede a session in one of the 12 treatment rooms, where the Bulgari Spa’s reputation for innovation comes into its own. Treatments include a range of facials, massages and therapies such as 24k Gold facial acupuncture, Radio Frequency and the crème de la crème Swiss Perfection Cellular facials, one of which uses caviar.

A Delux facial serves up a rejuvenating cocktail of micro air gun injections and LED technology while a two-hour synchronised four-handed massage promises to banish stress and transport you to a state of bliss. Indeed, for the world-weary and city-sapped, this spa certainly offers a form of Nirvana. I KF

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- CHEESE & WINE PRESS -

Chevrotin des Aravis ||| Farming requires know-how while business requires high productivity, but there is a small area in the French Alps between Mont Blanc and Annecy where 22 farmers balance the two.

Chevrotin des Aravis is a unique type of goat’s cheese produced between May and September. It is made solely with the milk of a local breed of goat which has the smallest milk yield – no more than 800 litres per year.

But why put goats in the mountains? Well, back in the 17th century, Alpine farmers introduced a breed of goat that was in many ways similar to the Chamois breed. It was incredibly agile and liked grazing

on green and wet pastures. These goats produced wonderful rich, smooth milk, tender meat and a valuable substance, tallow, used to make candles – nothing was wasted. Therefore, even though the animal was small its

By Cave à Fromage

productivity was high.

Chevrotin des Aravis, which is made far up in the Alps, is slowly matured for four to five weeks during the summer when the weather is warmest. The resulting cheese has delicate flavours, subtle sweet aromas and appeals to lovers of good food. Like the Reblochon cheese, it is small with a pretty pinkish rind and a soft pale centre. Its productivity, in terms of flavours, is impressive and once you have tried it you will want to eat it again. I

by Eric Charriaux E: eric@cheese.biz T: +44 (0)845 108 8222 W: www.la-cave.co.uk

Your wine with a Chevrotin des Aravis

By Wine Story

The Agly Valley in the Languedoc-Roussillon region

||| Chevrotin cheese impresses with its powerful scent; it is just as smelly as an aged Reblochon but with a much stronger taste, similar to Munster cheese from the Alsace region. Given its strength, an aromatic, fruity white wine, such as Alsace Gewurztraminer would be an ideal match.

However, those who are not keen on very aromatic mediumsweet white wines, might prefer to try a powerful Chardonnay from the South of France and, in particular, the old vine Chardonnay from the Catalan region in the Domaine Seguela. It is a mixture of peach and apricot, balanced by an oak wood aged, full-bodied palate which can withstand our exuberant Chevrotin cheese. The producer of this wine, based in the Agly Valley (20 miles East of Perpignan), is better known for his red Côtes du Roussillon.

However, he has done a great job with the first vintage of this dry white wine. For the red wine drinker, I recommend an aromatic Languedoc Minervois-La-Liviniere made from 100% Syrah. I

by Thibault Lavergne E: thibault@winestory.co.uk T: +44 (0)7921 770 691 W: www.winestory.co.uk info - september / october - 65

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News at the Chamber A

s the French Chamber in Great Britain we were the proud recipient of the Communication Award at the French Chambers abroad (CCI France International) Annual Seminar, which took place in Budapest in July. We were selected for this award out of 112 French Chambers in recognition of the quality of our publications, most notably this magazine INFO, which is the only Franco-British business publication in the UK. It is great to have the recognition, and we will rise to the challenge of keeping our standards high!

One of the high points of the year, our Annual General Meeting in June was an occasion for consolidation, reflection and valuable perspective as we looked back at what has been a largely positive and successful year for the Chamber, and forward to the challenges and ambitions ahead. Together with several other high profile events, including a CEO Breakfast with Jean-Jacques Lebel, Chairman of L’Oreal UK & Ireland, the Annual Legal Lunch with Alderman Fiona Woolf, Lord Mayor of the City of London, and the Summer Champagne Reception, it brought to a close an extremely busy first semester.

Over the summer our ranks have swelled with a number of new members to the Chamber, including four Patrons, namely CPI UK, Aviva, Schneider Electric and GIDE Loyrette Nouel (which has upgraded from Active membership); three Corporate and 20 Active members. A warm welcome to all of them!

While August provided a chance to catch breath,

September heralds a packed second semester as all the Forums and Clubs reconvene, and events kick off with the Dîner de la Rentrée headlined by Fabrice Brégier, President and CEO of Airbus – which has been completely sold out. This is followed later in the month by a Quarterly Economic Update given by Stephen King, Global Chief Economist at HSBC Bank.

In the meantime, we are gearing up for the first ever Franco-British Transport Conference on 14 October, for which this issue is but a taster… I KF

Discover the French Chamber Our Chamber is part of a network of

112

French Chambers of Commerce and Industry Abroad – CCI France International – which is chaired by Arnaud Vaissié and has a combined membership base of more than 30,000 companies.

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new members 4 New patron memberS

Aviva Plc | Car, home, life, travel & health insurance Represented by David McMillan, Chairman Global Health Insurance & CEO Europe | www.aviva.com Aviva provides 31.4 million customers with insurance, savings and investment products.

We paid out £27.5 billion in claims and benefits in 2013 and have over £240 billion in assets under management. We operate in 16 countries across Europe, North America and Asia.

Aviva has over 300 years of history, and can trace its heritage back to the late 17th century.

Building on our legacy and strong brand we are committed to creating a bright future for our business, our customers and society as a whole. Our strategy is anchored in serving all our customers’ needs across life, general and health insurance and asset management; driving our customers’ experience through the latest technology; and operating only in markets where we have a competitive advantage.

CPI UK | Printing, books, colour brochures & reports Represented by François Golicheff, Chief Executive | www.cpibooks.com/uk CPI UK is the UK branch of CPI Group, headquartered in Paris. CPI Group is one of the largest printing groups in Europe, created under Louis XIV. It produces 2 million books a day and has 60% market share in the UK, operating from seven factories. CPI specialises in high quality bespoke print, and has invested in the latest conventional and digital press technology bringing benefits in quality, cost and time to market for its clients. Market specialisation includes, but is not exclusive to, reports & accounts, property, cosmetics, fashion and high-end retail.

Schneider Electric | Global specialist in energy management Represented by Stuart Thorogood, CEO UK & Ireland | www.schneider-electric.com Schneider Electric offers integrated energy solutions in over 100 countries across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centres/networks, as well as a broad presence in residential applications. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the company’s 150,000 plus employees achieved sales of €23.6 billion in 2013, through an active commitment to help individuals and organisations ‘make the most of their energy’.

Gide Loyrette Nouel LLP | Law firm | Upgrade Active to Patron Represented by Rupert Reece, Managing Director Partner | www.gide.com Gide Loyrette Nouel (Gide) is a premier international law firm and the first to have originated in France. Founded in Paris in 1920, the firm now operates from 17 offices in 14 countries. It has 600 lawyers, including 96 partners, drawn from 35 different nationalities. Gide London offers expertise in International Dispute Resolution, Tax; and Project Finance, across a range of sectors. In addition, the London office’s Banking & Finance practice is one of the largest specialist finance practices in the UK, bringing together English, US and French capital markets, finance, restructuring and banking lawyers in one integrated platform. info - september / october - 69

new members 3 new corporate members

Berkeley Law Limited | Private wealth law firm Represented by George Merrylees, Solicitor | www.berkeley-law.com Berkeley Law acts for high and ultra-high net worth individuals and families, and for the advisors and institutions who work for them. We have extensive experience in advising French clients on all aspects of relocating to the UK, including tax, the purchase and sale of property, structuring owner-managed businesses, gifting arrangements and asset-holding structures to protect wealth.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius | International law firm Represented by Stephen Walters, Partner | www.morganlewis.com With 25 offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Morgan Lewis provides comprehensive transactional, litigation, labour and employment, regulatory, and intellectual property legal services to clients of all sizes - from global Fortune 100 companies to just-conceived startups - across all major industries.

Russell-Cooke LLP | Law firm, notaries & related services | Upgrade Active to Corporate Represented by Geraldine Fabre, Senior Associate | www.russell-cooke.co.uk Russell-Cooke is a full service law firm based in London. Our international corporate, commercial property and private client teams provide cross cultural legal advice and strategic solutions for French and international groups, owner-managed businesses, charities and governmental bodies in the UK and abroad.

20 new Active members

Ace Orga UK

Effigest UK

Accounting and IT consulting for financial markets Represented by Luc Abitbol, Chartered Accountant www.aceorga.com

Multidisciplinary business consulting for companies Represented by José Duarté, Director www.effigest.eu

Association Rose Rose is a charity; a magazine for women affected by cancer Represented by Françoise Soffray, President www.rosemagazine.fr

Breteuil Estate agency Represented by Arsene Colarossi, Partner www.breteuil.co.uk

Clyde & Co LLP Global law firm with resolute focus on its core sectors Represented by Armel Elaudais, Associate www.clydeco.com

DZM Translate Ltd Legal and business translation services – French to English and English to French Represented by Danaë Hosek-Ugolini, Translator www.dzmtranslate.com

Edwards Wildman Palmer UK LLP Law firm Represented by Sarah Pearce, Partner www.edwardswildman.com

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Fletcher Day LLP Law firm Represented by Elizabeth Simon, Practice Manager www.fletcherday.co.uk

Joseph Ltd International fashion house Represented by Catherine Palmer, Legal & Administrative Director www.joseph-fashion.com

Marlin Apartments London’s largest owner-operator of serviced apartments Represented by Rosemary Ni Nassi, Client Account Manager www.marlinapartments.com

Metro Health & Beauty Ltd Health & beauty care distribution (exclusive Mustela distributor) Represented by Raj Sandhan, Managing Director www.mustela.co.uk

Nature Innovation Innovative snacks just made from nature Represented by Bertrand Corteel, Business Developer www.na-natureaddicts.fr

Pictet & Cie (Europe) SA

Tokema Ltd

Independent wealth and asset manager (London branch) Represented by Emmanuel Rio, Senior Banker www.pictet.com

International business development services (consulting) Represented by Pierre Liguori, Managing Director

Une Graine de Mode SAS Fashion events planner Represented by Marie Michaud, President www.unegrainedemode.com

Pomme de Pain French fast food chain Represented by Sanar Alserdare Director www.pommedepain.fr/en

Université Paris-Dauphine

Porsche Design Luxury brand Represented by Sophie Charbonneau, Country Manager UK www.porsche-design.com

Sofyne Active Technology IT consulting Represented by Stéphane Lusoli, CEO www.sofyne.fr

Higher education institution Represented by Laurent Batsch, President www.dauphine.fr

Weightmans Legal services & notary public Represented by Sophie Philippon-Thomas, Partner www.weightmans.com

For more information (including email, address, phone number etc.), please consult the online directory at www.frenchchamber.co.uk/membership/search-for-members.

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g o o d by e

Arnaud Leclerc was appointed Managing Director of Citroën UK & Ireland on 1 June, taking over from Linda Jackson who has become CEO of the Citroën brand worldwide. Prior to this new role in the UK, Arnaud was responsible for the Citroën brand in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, holding the position of Managing Director of Citroën Scandinavia since July 2011.

Arnaud also held a number of key roles earlier in his career, including Managing Director of Citroën Croatia and Regional Co-ordinator for the Citroën brand in Europe. Arnaud started his career in the motor industry in 1997 and joined PSA Peugeot Citroën in March 2001.

Arnaud will be based at Citroën’s UK Head Office in Coventry. I Arnaud Leclerc

Richard Fostier was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Colas Rail in the UK on 18 August.

Richard has been with Colas Rail since 2007, most recently as President and CEO of Colas Rail in Asia and Business Development Director of Colas Rail Group. Before Colas Rail, Richard held a leading foreign trade role for the French government with particular emphasis on transportation infrastructure.

On joining Colas Rail in the UK, Richard commented: ‘I look forward to working with Board colleagues and the talented and experienced teams across the business to help build on the outstanding work for clients upon which the company’s success is based.’ I Richard Fostier

info - september / october - 71

chamber shorties New speakers confirmed for the Franco-British Transport Conference 2014 The Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport, has confirmed that he will speak at the Franco-British Transport Conference on 14 October.

Richard Brown, the Chamber’s Deputy President and Chairman of the Department for Transport Franchise Advisory Panel will give the welcome address, followed by the new French Ambassador to the UK HE Sylvie Bermann. Other speakers will include Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Commissioner of Transport for London, Tiffany Dovey Fishman, Manager of Deloitte Research, Deloitte Services LP and author of the report ‘Digital-Age Transportation: The Future of Urban Mobility’ and Nicolas Petrovic, CEO of Eurostar International.

The conference will centre around two key debates. The first panel will discuss the financing of urban transport and bringing public and private investors together. Panellists include Etienne Guyot, Managing Director of CCI Paris Ile de France, Professor David Metz, Visiting Professor at the Centre for Transport Studies, University College London, Roland Ries, President of GART (Groupement des Autorités Responsables de Transport) and Trevor Sturmy, Managing Director, Project Finance, HSBC. The second panel will look at the city of the future and innovative solutions for the digital age, and panellists include Cédric Bolloré, Director of Development, Groupe Bolloré, Tiffany Dovey Fishman, Manager at Deloitte Research, Alistair Gordon, CEO of Keolis UK, Professor Marcial Echenique, Professor of Land Use and Transport Studies at the University of Cambridge, Thomas Orsini, Director of Renault Electric Vehicle Business Development and Peter-Frans Pauwels, Founder and Chief Technical Officer of TomTom. Main sponsors of the Conference are Alstom, HSBC, Keolis, TomTom and Renault, while Altran and Bolloré are supporting sponsors. For more information on all the speakers and the programme please visit the dedicated website: www.thefrancobritishtransportconference2014.co.uk or contact Sonia Olsen at solsen@ccfgb.co.uk I

Franco-British Business Awards The Franco-British Business Awards, which are under the high patronage of the French Ambassador to the UK and the British Ambassador to France, were launched in 2000 to celebrate the bilateral trade and economic links between France and the UK. Whether your company has grown significantly or engaged in innovative services, products or campaigns, you could be the winner of one of three awards – SME/Entrepreneur, Innovation or

Large Corporate. The deadline for entries is 10 October.

Shortlisted candidates for each category will be invited to make a presentation before our panel of judges.

The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on 27 November at the May Fair Hotel, London. For more information, please see www.ccfgb.co.uk/events/upcoming-events or contact Elizabeth Hodkinson at ehodkinson@ccfgb.co.uk I

French Chamber receives Communication Award The French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain was the proud recipient of the Communication Award at the French Chambers Abroad (CCI France International) Annual Seminar that took place in Budapest in July 2014. Out of the 112 Chambers, we were selected because of the quality of our publications, most notably our bimonthly magazine INFO, which is the only FrancoBritish business publication in the UK. The jury also recognised our business guide France on the Move!, a practical handbook for British people intending to move to France, and recent Annual Activity Report 2013, which provides an overview of all the Chamber’s services, key facts and figures, as well as the outlook for 2014. The Communication Award is one of three awards given each year by CCI France International, the others being Innovation and Best Contribution. I 72 - info - september / october

chamber shorties The First Franco-British Business Forum The Chamber is organising its very first Franco-British Business Forum (FBBF) on 28 November. Held under the high patronage of the British Ambassador to France and the French Ambassador to the UK, the event will be focused on four sectors of activity: Information and Technology, The Silver Economy: innovation/solutions linked to the ageing population, Creative Industries and

Energy. The FBBF will provide a platform for directors and decision makers from around 100 French and British companies to meet for topical roundtable discussions and tailored BtoB meetings with potential clients, partners or suppliers. For further information, please visit our website: www.fbbf.co.uk I

New perks for long-term desk rentals The Chamber welcomes businesses and professionals wishing to rent a desk in its central London office, be it for an hour, week, month or year. Companies signing up to the Business Centre for a year receive complimentary Chamber Active membership, which includes access to Chamber events and the opportunity to join the SME & Entrepreneurs Club.

The package is all inclusive, with no hidden costs and now also includes unlimited access to our state-of-the art meeting rooms as well as an announcement in the Chamber’s magazine, INFO. For more information, contact the Business Centre at businesscentre@ccfgb.co.uk. I

Naser Nashaat celebrates 20 years at the Chamber Naser Nashaat, dubbed ‘King of Franglais’ as well as Chamber handyman by his colleagues, is one of our longest standing employees. When he is not elegantly combining two languages or fixing things around the office, Naser plays an outstanding role as Head of Finance and Business Support.

Talking to Naser about his time here, he notes that when he began ‘the accountancy department consisted of one accountant, an assistant, an intern and a computer between us. Now we’re a team of eight

and we’ve all got computers, but the antiquated safe remains!’ Naser has seen five Managing Directors come and go, but for 20 years he has been the only Head of Finance. When asked what he particularly enjoys about his work, he says it is ‘very rewarding, especially to help French businesses start up and watch them flourish in the UK’. We want to congratulate Naser, a central figure of Chamber life, on his two decades here and wish him well for the next 20, which he says he ‘can’t wait for!’ I

A decade at the Chamber for Mariam Jatta, Assistant Accountant Known for her ability to remain cool and calm under pressure, Mariam is a highly-valued member of the accountancy department. This summer she celebrated her 10th anniversary at the Chamber. ‘She is committed and very hard working’ says Naser Nashaat, Head of Finance and Business Support. ‘I know that I can count on Mariam.

Her 10 years of work here have resulted in an impressive knowledge of both the Chamber and the clients and everyone enjoys working with her’. We wish Mariam well for the next 10 years! I info - september / october - 73

recent event annual gener al meeting

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2 5 J UNE

A good year for the Chamber The French Chamber reviewed another year, mapped out its plans for 2014 and bade farewell to the outgoing French Ambassador

2

013 was a far better year for the Chamber against the backdrop of an improving UK economy and increasing business confidence, and the Annual General Meeting on 25 June, attended by a record 130 members, provided the opportunity to look at all the components that have contributed to that success.

Arnaud Bamberger, whose presidency was affirmed by a unanimous vote during the evening, opened the meeting by saying how much he had enjoyed being President over the past 12 months, Chamber President Arnaud Bamberger presents a gift to the outgoing during which he had learnt a great deal Ambassador, HE Mr Bernard Emié more about the Chamber, discovering just how much work goes on behind the scenes. He commenting in particular on the Chamber’s role in reminded members that in his acceptance speech at providing French SMEs and entrepreneurs in the UK last year’s AGM he had set out his intention to get the with support, contacts and networks, as well as the Advisory Council more involved in Chamber matters, highly successful joint missions to Leeds and Scotland and related how this had progressed, with an additional with CEOs of blue-chip companies. ‘At this economic meeting and the setting up of a Discover the Chamber turning-point, at a time when our country is deciding to committee, chaired by Ken Ramirez, fully embrace reform and openness, CEO of Renault UK. The purpose of it’s crucial to boost our relations with At this economic this is to show members how they the UK. That’s where the Chamber turning-point, at a time can benefit from and optimise their of Commerce, and the partnership when our country membership through the Chamber’s between the Embassy and the is deciding to fully numerous services and activities, so Chamber, play their full role as bridges embrace reform and that they automatically think of the between the two countries, and as Chamber first for business needs. He promoters of French companies openness, it’s crucial to announced the publication of the this side of the Channel,’ he said. He boost our relations with Annual Activity Report, which details noted that these activities had had the UK. much of the Chamber’s activities and ‘a practical, significant impact on achievements over the year as well as economic relations between France 2014 outlook, thanking new Patron member CPI UK for and Britain’ with French exports to the UK increasing generously printing it for free. Copies were given to all by nearly 16% from 2011 to 2013, achieving a €6.6 billion 140 attendees at the AGM. surplus out of some €50 billion in bilateral trade.

The President then welcomed the French Ambassador After thanking the two successive presidents of the to the UK, HE Mr Bernard Emié, in attendance for the Chamber and the leadership team for the relationship fourth and last time as he was due to to take up the of personal trust he had been able to forge to enable an Ambassadorship of Algeria. Mr Emié reflected on the effective working partnership, he concluded: ‘In short, work that had been accomplished by the partnership thank you for making France win in the UK – and I’m between the Chamber, its member companies and not talking about football!’ Arnaud Bamberger, in turn, the Embassy in the time he had been Ambassador, thanked the Ambassador for his support of the Chamber, 74 - info - september / october

Venue of the AGM, the ReedSmith offices provide a unique perspective on London

which had been greatly appreciated by both members to the Board, namely Olivier Nicolaÿ, President of and staff. On behalf of the Chamber Arnaud Bamberger Chanel UK, Canada and LatAm, Nicolas Petrovic, CEO presented the Ambassador with a gift, joking that it was of Eurostar International, Nicolas Ribollet, Executive lucky that he was from Cartier rather than EDF Energy Director of Mazars Business Advisors, Sir Martin as the Ambassador might have got a nuclear power Sorrell, CEO of WWP Group and Robin Southwell plant in his garden instead!

OBE, President of Airbus Group UK. Managing Director Florence President Arnaud Bamberger and In short, thank you for Gomez gave an overview of the Deputy President Richard Brown were making France win in Chamber’s activities and highlights in also re-elected. the UK – and I’m not 2013, an ‘excellent’ year which saw a In closing, the President thanked talking about football!

15% increase in revenue over 2012, and Peter Alfandary and ReedSmith for the first time turnover had breached the hospitality in providing the venue the £2 million mark. This was followed by presentations with its sweeping views of London for the fifth year by all the chairs of the Forums and Clubs on their running, the Board members, Advisory Councillors and respective achievements over the year and outlook for participants, as well as the team of the Chamber under 2014. Nicolas Ribollet, Treasurer and Director of the the leadership of Florence Gomez for their motivation Board then presented the Financial Report for 2013 and and efforts. The AGM thus concluded, members read the auditor’s report. convened for a cocktail reception and networking while Formal proceedings continued with the re-election keeping an eye on the France-Ecuador World Cup match of Ian Fisher, Brian Gosschalk and Christian Porta as that was screened for the benefit of diehard football Board Directors, and the election of five new members fans and France supporters. I KF

Bertrand Michaud and Olivier Morel at the cocktail reception

The AGM in full swing

info - september / october - 75

recent event c eo b r e a k fa s t

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13 j u n e

The new face of L’Oréal

Breakfast sponsored by

Over breakfast provided by Paul at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Chairman of L’Oréal UK and Ireland, gave a glimpse into the beauty universe that L’Oreal inhabits and how this 105-year-old company is renewing itself for a changing world

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’Oréal has been in the beauty business for over a century, but the ‘new L’Oréal’ that Jean-Jacques Lebel described, is anything but backward looking – adapting to the changing world, more decentralised and digitally connected to consumers. ‘Beauty is a fantastic business,’ he said. ‘Beauty is eternal and cultural. Beauty is also social. People want to look good because it makes them feel better.’

The beauty market is worth £180 billion worldwide, and growing faster than GDP. Fuelling that growth is a number of factors: the gap between developed and developing markets consumption per capita, the reduction of which could double the market in the next 15 years; increased consumption by men; ageing populations as mature women in particular spend more on hair and skin products; travel retail, with the airport market growing at twice the speed of other markets; and innovation.

It is this last factor at which L’Oréal excels. ‘We have one strategy and one conviction, which is that consumers look for innovation and quality,’ Jean-Jacques said. ‘And the quality of our cosmetics is about technology’ – a fact borne out by the 4% of its turnover L’Oréal spends on research, its 4,000 employees working in laboratories and the number of patents it files – 625 in 2013 alone.

The location of its research centres is indicative of the globalisation of L’Oreal. In addition to its French hub and historical US and Japanese centres, it now has new R&D centres in Brazil, India and China, where there are large 76 - info - september / october

consumer masses with different needs. Already these labs have created products that have become worldwide blockbusters. In the context of its strategy to acquire 1 billion new consumers in the next 10-15 years, Jean-Jacques stressed that L’Oréal’s globalisation was distinguished by its ‘respect for differences’. Employing 77,500 across 126 different nationalities, L’Oréal own workforce is global and it has a particular focus on attracting talent, ranking only second to Google as the most attractive employer in a survey of European students.

Continuity is another of the company’s attributes with only five CEOs in the past 100 years, ‘but this does not exclude change,’ Jean-Jacques observed, citing the company’s localisation of research and transformation of its organisation into both selective divisions and eight strategic regions so that decisions are made much closer to the consumer.

The ‘big push’ to digital is bringing its own changes, and now accounts for about 10% of the company’s media spend. Over 600 people and one executive board member are dedicated to digital. Some of L’Oréal’s brands are particularly advanced in digital, notably The Body Shop, Kiehl’s and L’Oréal Paris, which has introduced the first ever virtual makeup tester app called Makeup Genius.

‘Sharing beauty with all’ is L’Oréal’s sustainability commitment. This includes innovating sustainably so that by 2020 all its products have an environmental or social benefit, whether by reducing the environmental impact of its formula and packaging, using sustainable raw materials or green chemistry, or making a positive social impact. It has also pledged to reduce its carbon footprint by 60%, empower consumers to make sustainable consumption choices and ensure its own staff has access to healthcare and social protection around the world. Social outreach is entrenched in the company’s Citizen Day (Week in the UK) when employees engage in community activities, and for 15 years, L’Oréal has been at the forefront of promoting scientific careers for women with its Women in Science programme.

‘Big organisations have to adapt and change if they want to survive,’ Jean-Jacques concluded, ‘and we think with our decentralised research capacity and decision making in terms of marketing, giving power to and having a direct relationship with consumers through digital as well as sharing our values with all, is the way forward.’ I KF

recent event annual legal lunch

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25 june

Woman power in an office ancient and modern Alderman Fiona Woolf CBE, The Lord Mayor of the City of London and a solicitor, was the guest of honour at the second edition of the Chamber’s Annual Legal Lunch, held at the connaught

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ne of the most ancient offices in the land, possibly in the world, is the Lord Mayor of the City of London, and Alderman Fiona Woolf is the 686th person to hold the office since 1189, and only the second woman. During her year as Lord Mayor she gives over 900 speeches and routinely attends 10-12 engagements a day, so the gathering of 70 Chamber members was privileged to have her undivided attention over lunch at the Connaught.

Unusually, rather than give a speech, Olivier Morel, Chair of the Legal Forum and Partner at Cripps, led a question and answer session, allowing the Lord Mayor to explain what she does and how her legal background has stood her in good stead.

Settling the first question on what the difference is between the Mayor of London and the Lord Mayor of London, Fiona Woolf said ‘The big joke this year is that London has two mayors, one goes to the hairdresser and the other one doesn’t!’ More seriously she explained that the role began as a force for good, being the Chief Magistrate in the City of London, and was enlarged over the years to include Admiral of the Port of London, Governor of the Ancient and Modern City schools, as well as its charitable and philanthropic dimensions.

‘In order to sustain the role it had to be useful, modern and relevant, so in its modern form I am essentially an ambassador for the whole of the UK-based services sector, with a particular focus on financial, professional and business services under what you might call the City brand,’ she said. ‘The City of London is just a square mile but it promotes any business anywhere in the country and whoever owns them. That is what the world is about in the UK – it is an international trampoline because we are a small domestic market but have made the rest of the world our market.’ Over the course of her year in office, the Lord Mayor also visits about 30 countries and receives numerous inward visits – two presidents, four prime ministers, two governors of central banks, three finance ministers and 10 ambassadors in two and a half months alone.

Asked about the criticism levelled at the financial services industry, Fiona Woolf acknowledged that the City suffered ‘a severe reputational knock’ but noted that a lot is being done to change the culture and overhaul the regulatory regime. Law is also an integral part of the City brand, and Fiona Woolf sees herself as an ambassador for UK lawyers as well as foreign law firms, making a case for their extraordinary know-how – not just of law, but

Alderman Fiona Woolf answers questions

also different legal systems. ‘Having studied comparative law at the University of Strasbourg it is such a pleasure to work with French lawyers with their rich knowledge of administrative law to come up with new and creative solutions,’ she said.

Within City boundaries only the Sovereign gets precedence over the Lord Mayor, but Fiona Woolf stressed that the role is apolitical. ‘I am an elected council member of the Corporation of London, which is the municipality for the City of London. London has always been a municipality of independent councillors. We don’t need political parties to tell us what to do or think. But there are occasions when the competitiveness of the City or its role as a force for good are threatened so I will do a little gentle lobbying, using what opportunities I can.’

On her objectives for her year as Lord Mayor, Fiona Woolf explained her 686 Plan, which includes fundraising for community-based charities, a Power of Diversity programme, inspired by the fact that she is a female Lord Mayor, but also focusing on ethnic minorities, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender as well as disabled issues, and Tomorrow’s City, which is exploring how the City can continue to be successful.

A final question was how her skills as a lawyer come to bear on her role as Lord Mayor. ‘Being able to master a brief very quickly, analytical skills and being articulate,’ she responded. Our thanks go to the Lord Mayor for devoting a little of her precious time to our Annual Legal Lunch.

Thanks too to Vranken Pommery for the Champagne and Crus Classés de Graves for the wines. I KF info - september / october - 77

recent events s u m m e r c h a m pa g n e r e c e p t i o n

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8 j u ly Sponsored by

Partner

How many bubbles in a bottle?

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Bubbly banter at the Royal Automobile Club

On the terrace

t was Erik van Duijenvoorde, a partner at Accuracy, a leading independent and financial advisory services firm, who posed this perplexing question during his speech at the Chamber’s annual Summer Champagne Reception. The wealth of information he provided about Accuracy, together with his repartee, set the tone for the evening, which was a perfect mix of business and bubbly.

‘We started from scratch but today Accuracy is a truly international firm with offices across Europe as well as in North America and India employing around 250 professional staff,’ Eric said, commenting that Accuracy’s presence in London has been a key factor in its growth since opening its office here in 2010. ‘But,’ he added, ‘We have only scratched the surface of the potential that London offers as a hub for professional services and crossborder situations.’ With the company marking its 10th anniversary in November, he told members to ‘look out for the big party later this year!’

A drop or two of rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the 100 guests who enjoyed their two rounds of canapés and French Pommery Brut Royal NV Champagne on the sweeping terrace of the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall. This ever more popular event was generously sponsored by Accuracy, a leading European actor in financial consultancy services. I KC

r e n d e z - v o u s c h e z t h e r oya l pa r k h o t e l

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7 august

Escaping the hustle and bustle of central London

Courtyard conversations

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ne summery evening in early August around 30 guests, from a wide variety of sectors, gathered at the Royal Park Hotel in London for the seventh Rendezvous Chez. After specially organised tours around the boutique hotel, guests retired to the terrace garden, where they were able to mingle and network in a relaxed atmosphere – a world away from busy London 78 - info - september / october

life. During the event, guests received two vouchers for afternoon tea for two at the Royal Park Hotel and a goodie bag filled with delicious homemade cookies and other treats provided by Penhaligons. By the end of the evening, guests had clearly been enchanted by the surroundings and the company as they were rather reluctant to leave! I KC

pat r o n e v e n t s t o u r o f t h e b e e f e at e r d i s t i l l e ry

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19 j u n e Sponsored by

In high spirits

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he recently refurbished Beefeater Distillery, complete with its new visitor centre, played host to an evening of discovery for around 40 Patron and Corporate members of the Chamber who learned about how the iconic London spirit, Beefeater Gin, is made.

Laurent Lacassagne, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, which owns the distillery and is part of Pernod Ricard, welcomed the guests, who were then invited to take a behind-the-scenes tour of London’s only distillery and participate in a gin-tasting session with Master Distiller, Desmond Payne, the world’s most experienced gin industry expert and the guardian of the Beefeater secret recipe. Guests later took the opportunity to network, indulging in canapés and cocktails, where the conversation (and gin!) flowed.

Although the Beefeater secret recipe was never disclosed, any disappointment was eased with a complementary bottle of the classic Beefeater gin for all. I KC c o m m o n w e a lt h g a m e s o p e n i n g c e r e m o n y

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2 3 / 24 j u ly Sponsored by

Partner

Let the games begin

I

t was on a warm summer’s evening in late July that a select group of Chamber members gathered in Glasgow to herald the start of the UK’s sporting event of summer 2014 – the Commonwealth Games. With thousands of excited spectators descending on Celtic Park, the atmosphere was electric. Centred on a giant screen that flashed iconic images, the entertainment featured guest performances from a range of celebrities including Rod Stewart and Nicola Benedetti, but at its heart was a fundraising campaign led by actor James McAvoy and Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy who exhorted the crowds to ‘make a life-saving difference to millions of children’ within Commonwealth countries by donating via mobile to UNICEF. Over £5 million was raised on the night.

At the arrival of Her Majesty the Queen, the stadium erupted, singing the national anthem with great fervour. In her speech to open the 20th edition of the Games, the Queen spoke about the role of the Games in strengthening ‘the bonds that unite us’ and described the Commonwealth as a ‘modern and vibrant association of nations’. The teams from each competing nation then entered the stadium, led by Scottie dogs. Among them were many small island nations that are rarely heard of and some surprises for the French guests – who knew that Cameroon and Rwanda were part of the Commonwealth? As the night drew to a close our guests came away having learnt a lot more about Caledonian culture and the Commonwealth. This special trip was made possible by Patron member Atos, whose UK & Ireland CEO, Ursula Morgenstern, was there to welcome fellow Patron members, and easyJet, which provided the flights. I KC

info - september / october - 79

forums

&

clubs

recent finance forum

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19 j u n e

Challenges and opportunities in LatAm: focus on Brazil and Mexico A three-pronged approach was taken for this large, complex topic with Eric Striegler of HSBC, giving an economic overview, Carolina Arriagada Peters of London and Partners, focusing on the challenges and opportunities for trade and doing business, and Clive Grethe presenting Atos’ project for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The US-Mexico border

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ric Striegler, Regional Head of Business Development Europe in HSBC London, and formerly Head of Trade and International at HSBC Brazil, touched on the latest economic trends in the regional macroeconomy as well as some of the problems that might hinder business. He observed that falling commodity prices have had a significant impact on the region, and that across most LatAm countries inflation is really high and monetary policy is being tightened to control it, but the trade off of this is that growth is hindered. A high interest rate environment prevails in many countries, and in Brazil, access to long-term funding does not exist locally. While Brazil has the advantage of having a very solid and modern banking system, its currency is not convertible, creating difficulties for trade. One of the greatest challenges for businesses is its very complex tax system, with tax increases and fiscal legislation in perpetual evolution. Other more general challenges in the region are constrained credit and low productivity.

Among the opportunities, Eric identified infrastructure as being ripe for investment, and highlighted that ‘the things that Brazil would like to buy are exactly what the UK and France are willing to sell.’

Carolina Arriagada Peters, Head of EMEA & Latin America, London and Partners, went into more detail about the opportunities and challenges of both Brazil 80 - info - may september / june / october

and Mexico, noting that there is ‘a second wave of investment in Latin America from the UK’.

Brazil as the fifth largest country in the world has a large domestic market and a growing middle class.

However, it is not an easy place to do business with its overwhelming bureaucratic environment, and road and port infrastructure is particularly poor. She echoed Eric’s view of the opportunities, saying ‘Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure You can’t do anything without infrastructure.’

Mexico is the second largest economy in LatAm, after Brazil. Like Brazil, Mexico has a large domestic market and growing middle class, but it is an easier place to do business. Government reforms have made it much more open to trade and foreign investment, particularly in its strategic sectors of renewable energy, oil & gas and infrastructure. An EU-Mexico Free Trade Agreement means EU exports into Mexico are tariff free, and with UK exports still low, there is room for growth.

But Carolina stressed that you cannot do business in the region without understanding the social elements: ‘We say when you invest internationally a third is numbers, a third is market and a third is culture. I can only stress the importance of cultural elements in LatAm.’ Her advice was to show that you are learning the business culture, develop friendly relations, demonstrate a long-term commitment, and find a local partner and/or a very good lawyer. A local network is essential. ‘It has been the forgotten space, but now it is the time of LatAm,’ she concluded.

With his presentation on the Games Management Systems that Atos is designing, delivering and managing for the 2016 Olympic Games, Director of Sales Clive Grethe described how this real business project in Brazil was progressing and talked through some of the main challenges, namely the level of infrastructure and finding the right skills resources. I KF

forums

&

recent hr forum

clubs

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25 june

Guidance on flexible working in the workplace Caroline Yarrow, Employment lawyer at Bircham Dyson Bell, explains the new extension of the right to request flexible working and how businesses should approach it

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ince April 2003, when the right to request number of ways, for example: flexible working was first introduced for parents • Meeting aspirations of core workforce to maintain of children under the age of six (18 if the child was work/life balance; disabled), the flexible working regime has been • Retaining key talent, e.g. after maternity leave; extended at various points including, most recently, • Increasing staff engagement – higher motivation to cover any employee who meets the qualifying and commitment; and conditions regardless of the reason for which they • Increasing scope for a greater talent pool – e.g. wish to work flexibly. It is now possible for any allowing home-working attracts individuals for employee to make a request provided they have 26 whom this style of working works and enables weeks’ service and provided they have not made a (potentially) retention of a diverse workforce. request in the last 12 months.

Home-working, in particular, has a number of The most recent extension, which came into force tangible benefits, such as reducing travelling (which on 30 June 2014, has been the subject of significant is more environmentally friendly), freeing up desk commentary. The jury is still out on whether the space thereby allowing office accommodation to extension will result in vastly increased numbers of be used more efficiently and using information and flexible working requests. One thing, however, is clear communications technologies to good effect.

– statistics show that working in an office full-time is It is essential, however, to ensure that homeno longer necessarily the norm and large numbers of workers remain integrated within the wider workforce staff want to work flexibly. and do not feel isolated and ignored. Using tools such Unlike the old regime, under as Skype as a means of maintaining which the consideration process had remote face to face contract, as well Flexible working always to be completed within prescribed as asking the home-worker to come works best where there time limits, there is now a much into the office for regular meetings more flexible approach for dealing should be carefully considered in is mutual flexibility with requests described in a new this context.

ACAS Code of Practice. Requests Where a request for flexible should now be dealt with within three months working is granted, particularly if it involves some or (including allowing an appeal if appropriate) but this all of the working week being spent off the employer’s can be extended by agreement between the parties. premises, there are a number of issues of which the It is still a right to request and not an automatic employer should be aware, including the need to: right to have the request granted and requests can • conduct a health and safety risk assessment; still be declined for eight specified business reasons • consider whether systems and data are secure (which remain unchanged). Notwithstanding this, the enough to permit off-site working, best way of dealing with flexible working requests is • decide whether staff can use their own devices; to approach them with an open mind with a view • maintain appropriate supervision and performance to granting them wherever possible, perhaps with management and keep the new working some amendments to the original request so that the arrangements under review; arrangements meet the needs of the business and the • measure outputs, set objectives and measure the employee. quality of service/work; Flexible working always works best where there • assess the impact on the rest of team. is mutual flexibility and explaining to the employee Whether or not there will be a large increase in the upfront that there may be times when he/she is asked number of requests, now is still a good opportunity to be flexible too and perhaps increase hours or work to review and refresh existing policies including in a different location to meet fluctuating business policies on flexible working, health and safety, IT demands should form a key part of the discussion and data/documents so that all of the above issues process. can be dealt with pro-actively whenever a request is Flexible working can be good for business in a received. I info - september / october - 81

forums

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clubs

recent hr forum chair

Jennifer Westen takes over as interim Chair of HR Forum

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ose Gledhill is stepping down as Chair of the HR Forum, as she is leaving her role as HR Director at International SOS, so we are pleased to announce that Jennifer Westen, Group Director of Human Resources at International SOS, will chair the next HR Forum on ‘How to foster a culture of innovation’ (see details below).

We wish to warmly thank Rose for the great job she has done as Chair of the HR Forum since 2012. Rose has always been very committed and thanks to her, as well as the enthusiasm of the group members, the HR Forum has been expanding and has become a platform for exchange of expertise and best practice as well as networking in an informal environment.

Jennifer Westen was appointed in June 2011 as the Group Director, Human Resources of International SOS, the world’s leading healthcare, medical and security assistance company. She has responsibility for Human Resources strategic planning and leadership of the company’s 10,000 employees based in over 70 countries. This covers all areas of Human Resources including: talent, workforce planning, HR strategic alignment to the business, global mobility, recruitment and selection, training & development, succession planning, compensation and benefits. Jennifer has more than 20 years of Human Resources experience working in large multi-national organisations, such as CIGNA International, Avon Products International and MasterCard International. She holds an MBA in Human Resources and is currently completing her PhD in Organisation Design. I

f o rt h co m i n g f o ru m s & c lu b s

HR Forum

Chaired by Jennifer Westen, Group Director HR, International SOS When: 24 September, 8.30-10.00 Where: The French Chamber Theme: How to foster a culture of innovation Speakers: Abi Marchant, HR Director, Danone Dairy UK & Danone Waters UK & Ireland and Alexis de Bretteville, Chief Executive Officer, Hudson Open to HR directors and managers

Legal Forum

Chaired by Olivier Morel, Partner and Head of International Corporate Investment, Cripps LLP When: 1 October 9.00-10.30 Where: The French Chamber Theme: Working session By application only

Luxury Club

Chaired by Bertrand Michaud, Managing Director of Hermes GB When: 16 October, 8.45-10.15 Where: The Royal Opera House Theme: ‘The process of creation: how to achieve perfection’ with Wayne McGregor CBE, Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet By invitation only

Climate Change Forum

The Climate Change Forum is chaired by Richard Brown, Chairman, Department for Transport Franchising Advisory Panel, Eurostar.

When: 21 October, 10.00-12.00 Where: The French Chamber Theme: to be confirmed Open to all finance directors and head of environmental sustainability directors and managers

For more information, please contact Frédérique Compain at fcompain@ccfgb.co.uk or +44 0207 092 6638 82 - info - september / october

f o rt h co m i n g e v e n t s

29 Sep

QUARTERLY ECONOMIC UPDATE Speaker: Stephen King, Global Chief Economist, HSBC Bank Plc Where: Médiathèque, French Institute, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2D Cost: £25+VAT per person

08.15 - 10.00

Stephen King is directly responsible for HSBC’s global economic coverage and co-ordinates the research of HSBC economists all over the world. He is a member of the UK Government’s Asia Task Force, and has given written and oral evidence on the economic effects of globalisation and on monetary policy to the House of Commons Treasury Committee and the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. Between 2007 and 2009, he was a member of the European Central Bank Shadow Council. Stephen’s career began at HM Treasury, where he was an economic adviser within the civil service.

Stephen has written on a wide variety of economic topics. His latest book, When the Money Runs Out, was published by Yale University Press in 2013 and was later selected as a ‘book of the year’ by the Financial Times, the Economist and the Times. In 2012, Stephen became a member of the Financial Times ‘A List’, which, in the FT’s words, ‘provides timely, insightful comment.... from globally renowned leaders, policymakers and commentators’. He writes regularly for major newspapers worldwide and has appeared on both television and radio.

Contact Frédérique Compain at fcompain@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6638

29 Sep

18.00 - 20.00

14 Oct

08.30 - 17.00

INDULGENCE AT AUBAINE Where: Aubaine, Mayfair, 31 Dover Street, London W1S 4ND Dress code: Lounge suit In partnership with: Aubaine By invitation only This event is the perfect opportunity for Personal Assistants to network with their professional counterparts in the most elegant of surroundings.

Contact Elizabeth Hodkinson at ehodkinson@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6643

THE FRANCO-BRITISH TRANSPORT CONFERENCE Where: One Great George Street, London SW1P 3AA Dress code: Business attire Main Sponsors: Alstom, HSBC, Keolis, Renault, Tom Tom Supporting Sponsors: Altran, Bolloré In partnership with: The French Embassy to the UK and The Franco-British Council Cost: Members: £120+VAT per person; Non-members: £190+VAT per person The French Chamber is organising, in partnership with the French Embassy in the UK and the FrancoBritish Council, a conference on Transport during which the challenges and business opportunities for the city of tomorrow will be discussed. See page 72 for details of speakers and panellists.

Contact Sonia Olsen at solsen@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6644

Main sponsors

Supporting sponsors

info - september / october - 83

f o rt h co m i n g e v e n t s

29 Oct

19.00 - 21.00

7 Nov

12.00 - 14.30

sAY CHEESE AND WINE Where: La Cave à Fromage Dress code: Business casual Partners: La Cave à Fromage & Wine Story Cost: £25+VAT per person This event provides the opportunity to discover exceptional cheeses, expertly paired with the finest wines, while meeting up to 40 new business contacts from a wide range of industry sectors.

Contact Sonia Olsen at solsen@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6644

ANNUAL FINANCIAL LUNCH Guest speaker: Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive of London Stock Exchange Group Where: The Dorchester, London W1K 1QA Dress code: Business attire Sponsors: Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking Champagne partner: Vranken Pommery Wine partner: Le Conseil des vins du Médoc Cost: £100+VAT per person; £1,140+VAT for a table of 12 Launched in 1997, this annual event brings together French and British senior representatives from the international banking, legal, accountancy, industrial and commercial communities.

Xavier Rolet was appointed to the Board of London Stock Exchange Group in March 2009 and became Chief Executive in May of the same year. From 2000 to 2008 he had been a senior executive at Lehman Brothers and CEO of Lehman in France. Prior to Lehman Brothers, he held senior positions at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson from 1997 to 2000, Credit Suisse First Boston from 1994 to 1996 and Goldman Sachs from 1984 to 1994.

27 Nov

19.00 - 22.30

28 Nov

08.30 - 17.30

Franco-British Business Awards Where: The May Fair Hotel Main sponsors: Eurostar, HSBC, Mazars Partners: Invest in France Agency, UKTI Cost members: £100+VAT per person, £900+VAT for a table of 10 Cost non-members: £120+VAT per person The 15th edition of the Awards that celebrate the bilateral trade and economic links between France and the UK. See page 70 for details.

Contact Elizabeth Hodkinson at ehodkinson@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6643

Franco-British Business Forum Where: The Pullman London St Pancras Main sponsors: DHL, Eurostar, HSBC, Mazars Supporting sponsors: Boulle International, Invest in France Agency, UKTI, Ubifrance Partners: ASMEP-ETI, British Chambers of Commerce, CCE, Enterprise Europe Network, CCI France International Cost: visit www.fbbf.co.uk for package details and to book A platform for directors and decision makers from French and British companies to meet for topical roundtable discussions, tailored BtoB meetings with potential clients and partners. See page 71 for more details.

Contact Sabrina Mimid at smimid@ccfgb.co.uk or 0207 092 6626

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Patron Members of the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain

LOGO Nยบ dossier : 20110049E Date : 31/05/11 Validation DA/DC : Validation Client

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ReNAult ZOe. 100% eleCtRIC. CO2 while driving: 0. MPG: N/A. *Equivalent to 2p per mile based on (i) overnight electricity costs (British Gas Clear & Simple Economy 7 unit rates for a customer paying by direct debit as at 1 April 2014, assuming 7 hours of charging at the night rate and 1 hour on the day rate), and (ii) a range of up to 126 miles per full charge (based on 95% efficiency and 17˝ wheels). 26p per day standing charge applies. Actual consumption and range may vary: Renault ZOE can travel up to 130 miles on a single charge, based on the new European driving Cycle (NEdC). Renault also publish real life ranges of 63 miles (winter) to 94 miles (temperate conditions), reflecting range variations from driving style, road conditions, heating and other external factors. **Price shown is manufacturer’s recommended retail price, and includes delivery to dealer, number plates, 20% VAT, first registration fee and the UK Government’s plug-in car grant (PiCG), and is correct at time of going to press. A mandatory monthly battery hire of £70 is payable on the Renault ZOE, based on 36 months, 7,500 miles per annum excess mileage 30 pence per mile including VAT. Terms and conditions apply. Prices correct at time of going to print.