Endeavour Magazine August 2019

AUGUST 2019

www.endeavourmagazine.com

Roadtrip

BUDGET MOTORBIKE CHALLENGE

LAURION MINERAL EXPLORATION Eyes On The Prize

HYSTER-YALE Success By The Truck-Load

FAKEEH HEALTHCARE COMPASSIONATE CARE UK CAN USA EUR SA ZAR

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HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS Managing Editor Alice Instone-Brewer editor@littlegatepublishing.com Managing Director Alex Hilling-Smith alexsmith@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Manager Emlyn Freeman emlynfreeman@littlegatepublishing.com Head of Editorial Research Paul Bradley paulbradley@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher James Lapping james@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher Alex Hayes alexhayes@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher Dennis Morales dennismorales@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher David Kimberley david@littlegatepublishing.com Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com CEO Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com For enquiries or subscriptions contact info@littlegatepublishing.com +44 1603 296 100 ENDEAVOUR MAGAZINE is published

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EDITOR’S NOTE

A

s many of you are bound to have seen, industry and business are strange and uncertain topics right now in the UK, where we are based here at Endeavour. The country’s future seems unclear indeed, with a new Prime Minister taking leadership following Theresa May’s resignation. It now seems as though the new PM, Boris Johnson, intends to reach a Brexit decision by October 31st this year. Whether or not this will come to pass is unclear, but the pound sterling has suffered a dramatic drop as ‘No-Deal’ Brexit fears have risen. Where will the UK stand in terms of travel, immigration and trade? Countless residents, businesses and foreign investors are still in suspense as they wait for an affirmative answer, and meanwhile large companies continue to make solid or hypothetical plans to withdraw from the island.

In happier news, we’ve had the pleasure this month of speaking with many government bodies who are dedicated to the betterment of not only their industry of focus, but their country and economy as a whole.

These included the Land Transport Authority, an essential body in Singapore that looks after the public transport and access routes that keep the bustling metropolis moving so smoothly; the Tanzanian Ports Authority, which governs ports essential not only for Tanzania but its many land-locked neighbours, and the Aqaba Development Corporation, which is juggling the complex task of utilising Jordan’s petite coastline for everything a country could wish of their coast, from tourism to transport and heavy industry.

We also spoke with some companies who are working on unbelievable breakthroughs for their industry; in particular, Fakeeh Care, a shining example of success and innovation that has achieved multiple feats for the medical industry in Saudi Arabia, and who may now be close to launching an app that could – no exaggeration - change the way we experience medical care. Also in the medical field, in our Amazing World series, we spoke about Ed Pennington-Ridge, a British inventor who has created a new design for prosthetic legs that can be easily and affordably made in third world workshops. For these stories and many others, take a look inside this month’s magazine!

Alice Instone-Brewer

Endeavour Magazine | 3

CONTENTS

FEATURES

13

Eyes On The Prize Laurion Mineral Exploration

19

Compassionate Care Fakeeh Healthcare

31

Ship-Shape PLIPDECO Ltd

Success By The Truck-Load 37 Hyster-Yale

49

Small But Perfectly Formed Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC)

More Than Skin Deep 57 Farmec

73

A Deeper Understanding European Spallation Source

Across The Board 79 DART

85

Liquid Oil Guyana Oil

93

Well-Placed Investors Trust

99

Inclusive Banking Alizz Islamic Bank

Keeping Singapore Moving 107 Land Transport & Authority

(LTA) Singapore

The Six-Legged Dog 113 Eni

Laurion Mineral Exploration 4 | Endeavour Magazine

119

Overseeing It All Tanzania Ports Authority

Aqaba Development Corporation

ARTICLES

Business Headlines

6 Africa 7 Americas 8 Asia 10 Europe 11 Middle East

Amazing World

26 Axolotls: Forever Young 44 Cities That Mean Business 90 Affordable Prostheses For The Developing World Automotives 62 Budget motorbike challenge 104 DS 3 Crossback La Premiere

PLIPDECO Endeavour Magazine | 5

BUSINESS HEADLINES AFRICA South African court awards miners $353 million settlement A Johannesburg High Court approved a 5 billion-rand ($353 million) class action settlement between gold mining companies and law firms representing thousands of miners who contracted the fatal lung diseases silicosis and tuberculosis.

The settlement follows a long legal battle by miners to win compensation for illnesses they say they contracted over decades because of negligence in health and safety.

The gold producers agreed in May last year to the settlement but it needed to be approved by the Johannesburg High Court before being implemented.

The class action suit was launched in 2012 on behalf of miners suffering from silicosis, an incurable disease caused by inhaling silica dust from gold-bearing rocks.

The companies involved are Harmony Gold, Gold Fields, African Rainbow Minerals ARIJ.J, Sibanye-Stillwater SGLJ.J, AngloGold Ashanti and Anglo American South Africa.

Ghana suffering from overfishing Overfishing has devastated the seabed in Ghana’s sea territory, a sector that the United Nations estimates 2 million people, or 10% of the total population of this small country in West Africa, depend on.

The number of fish caught off Ghana has decreased by almost half in fifteen years, from 420,000 tonnes in 1999 to 202,000 tonnes in 2014.

Responsibly for the over-fishing is shared between factory boats, often operated by Chinese companies that scour the seabed, devastating the environmental practices of tens of thousands of small-scale fishers trying to offset losses.

In a report released in June,the Ghanaian NGO Hen Mpoano and the Environmental Justice Foundation estimate that around 100,000 tons of fish were sold in 2017, significantly reducing employment opportunities for Ghanaians.

This practice would cost the country’s economy about $ 50 million a year.

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Tanzanian maize and flour to help Kenya shortages Tanzania will sell Kenya one million tons of maize and flour within a year to help curb a food shortage.

Officials from Tanzania and Kenya met to discuss the details, overseen by the cereals board of Tanzania. The first consignment of about 20,000 tons will be sold next month.

Prices had been agreed but are not yet public.

The deal follows a meeting between Tanzanian President John Magufuli and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta in Dar es Salaam last month. The shortages follow a drought in parts of Kenya that hit the production of maize.

Fitch downgrades South Africa’s credit rating Ratings agency Fitch downgraded the outlook for South Africa’s sub-investment credit rating, citing fiscal pressures including increased support for struggling state firms such as the power utility Eskom. South Africa’s public finances are under huge strain as economic growth has proved weaker than expected, while a handful of state companies have needed large government cash injections.

The government this week proposed giving Eskom 59 billion rand ($4.1 billion) of additional financial support over the next two years, on top of an already-promised bailout of 230 billion rand spread over the next decade Fitch now rates South Africa’s debt at ‘BB+’, a notch below investment grade, with a negative outlook. The firm said it forecast the consolidated general government deficit would widen to 6.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the current fiscal year, from 4.2% last year.

AMERICAS More than 600,000 people sign up to raid Area 51 Over 600,000 people have signed up to an event to “storm Area 51” – the top-secret US military base in the Nevada desert – in a quest to “see them aliens”.

The event, titled “Storm Area 51, they can’t stop all of us”, invites attendees to congregate en mass before entering the base together.

The event, organised on Facebook, appears to be a tongue in cheek invitation, rather than the first signs of a radical civil disobedience movement. This is made clear by the reference to the highly-classified military base as the “Area 51 Alien Centre tourist attraction”.

The perimeter of the base is constantly patrolled by armed security guards and CCTV and motion-sensor cameras are also in use.

Signs around the base advise that “deadly force” is authorised against trespassers.

“If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Let’s see them aliens,” the invitation says. The event is scheduled for 20 September.

Capital One data breach – details of 106 million people stolen The personal details of about 106 million individuals across the US and Canada were stolen in a hack targeting financial services firm Capital One, the company has revealed.

The alleged hacker, Paige Thompson, was arrested after reportedly boasting about the breach online. Capital One said the data included names, addresses and phone numbers of people who applied for its products, but the hacker did not gain access to credit card account numbers, it said.

The data breach is believed to be one of the largest in banking history. Amongst the 106 million people affected, Capital One added that about 140,000 social security numbers and 80,000 linked bank account numbers were compromised in the US. Paige Thompson faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 (£204,713) fine.

Puerto Rico governor resigns after mass protests Senate fails to block Saudi arms sale Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló has The US Senate has failed in its latest bid to announced his resignation after days of mass block the controversial sale of $8.1bn (£6.5bn) street protests in the US territory. worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Mr Rosselló said he would continue working The Trump administration announced in until 2 August to allow an orderly transition.

May that it was proceeding with the sale of the He has been at the centre of a group text weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab message scandal that has already led two top Emirates. Trump issued a national emergency officials to resign. declaration in order to push through the sale.

The leaked messages revealed sexist, profane He suggested that barring it could prolong the and homophobic comments. conflict in Yemen and that “without precisionThe chat, which contained 880 pages of guided munitions, more - not fewer - civilians exchanges between the governor and 11 male are likely to become casualties”. allies, was leaked on 13 July and led to days of Public information on Saudi Arabia’s military protests outside the governor’s mansion in San spending is limited, but it is estimated to be the Juan. Hundreds of thousands of people took world’s largest importer of weapons and the to the streets. biggest military spender in the Middle East.

Mr Rosselló’s announcement triggered It is also the largest customer of US celebrations throughout the capital San Juan. arms exports. According to the Stockholm Mr Rosselló will be replaced by the US International Peace Research Institute, around Caribbean island territory’s Justice Secretary, 22% of all US weapons exports went to Saudi Wanda Vázquez.

Arabia between 2014-18 - up from just 4.9% Ms Vázquez was next in line under the between 2009-13. constitution because the secretary of state, Critics fear the weapons may be used on who would have succeeded the governor, also civilians in the Yemen conflict. resigned as part of the texting scandal.

Endeavour Magazine | 7

ASIA The head of India’s biggest coffee chain has gone missing The chairman of Coffee Day Enterprises, the company that owns the Café Coffee Day chain, has been reported missing.

Siddhartha founded Coffee Day in 1993, and opened the first Café Coffee Day in the southern Indian city of Bangalore three years later. The company has since grown into India’s biggest coffee chain, with over 1,700 outlets across 245 Indian cities as of last year.

Starbucks, in comparison, currently has 146 outlets in India.

Siddhartha owns 33% of Coffee Day Enterprises, according to a stock exchange filing last month, while his wife and familyowned entities hold another 21%.

Coffee Day also has retail outlets in Austria, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Malaysia and Nepal, and exports coffee to several markets including North America, Europe and the Middle East.

Chinese court jails veteran human rights activist for 12 years A Chinese court has jailed a veteran human rights activist known for running a website that tracks abuse accusations and helps victims of a 2008 earthquake in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

The activist’s name is Huang Qi and he has been sentenced to 12 years.

The province’s Mianyang Intermediate People’s Court handed down a sentence after it “determined that Huang Qi is guilty of deliberately leaking state secrets” and was “guilty of illegally providing the secrets outside of China,” it said in a statement.

Huang, who is in his mid-fifties, was also stripped of his political rights for four years.

He has been in detention since 2016, to the growing concern of rights groups and the United Nations.

On his website www.64tianwang.com, Huang had tried to help those who wanted to find justice in cases such as forced evictions.

Since 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has led a campaign in which hundreds of rights lawyers and activists have been detained and others jailed.

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China says Hong Kong ‘will pay’ if protests continue China’s central government warned in an extremely rare public statement that all of Hong Kong “will pay” if millions continue to protest, while reiterating Beijing’s support for the city’s leaders in handling the chaos.

“The central government firmly supports chief executive Carrie Lam and her office to administrate in accordance with the law, and the Hong Kong police to justly execute the law,” said Yang Guang, a spokesperson with the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, which reports directly to China’s cabinet.

“If the turbulence continues, the whole of Hong Kong society will pay the cost.”

Mr Yang urged residents not to support protesters, whom he condemned for engaging in violence.

He did not address what demonstrators and rights group have called excessive police brutality in response to weeks of peaceful rallies - one of the reasons demonstrators’ anger has grown.

18 killed as Pakistan army plane crashes into residential area Eighteen people were killed when a small military plane crashed into a residential area in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi. The crash happened around 2am.

The plane crashed into a poor village near an upscale neighbourhood in the garrison city that is home to the army’s headquarters, creating a fireball that lit up the night sky and terrified residents.

“We have taken 18 dead bodies to hospital... that included 13 civilians and five crew members,” said local rescue spokesman Farooq Butt, adding that a further 12 people had been injured in the accident near the capital Islamabad.

“All the bodies are badly burned, so DNA tests are required for identification,” he added.

Prime Minister Imran Khan offered his condolences to the affected families and wished a “quick recovery for the injured”, according to a tweet by the Pakistani government.

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EUROPE Radioactive leak that crossed Europe came from Russia, study confirms The source of a mysterious radioactive leak that swept Europe in 2017 has been traced to a nuclear processing plant in the southern Ural Mountains in Russia, a new study confirms.

Scientists analysed more than 1,300 data points all over the world to find the source of the enormous leak, which released 100 times more radiation in Europe than 2011’s Fukushima disaster. The source – which is believed to be the Russian Mayak facility – was not a reactor accident but an incident in a nuclear reprocessing plant, researchers found.

Russia has always denied the facility was the source and no official statement has been released in response to this latest research.

The leak was first noticed in October 2017 by Italian scientists who saw a spike of radioactive ruthenium-106.

Boris Johnson elected new Tory leader and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will become Britain’s next prime minister after beating Jeremy Hunt in the Conservative party leadership race. The former mayor of London won 66% of the votes – 92,153 to Hunt’s 46,656. The turnout was 87.4% among 159,320 party members. In his speech, Johnson said that even some of his own supporters may “wonder quite what they have done”.

He went on to say, “Today, at this pivotal moment in our history, we again have to reconcile two noble sets of instincts – between the deep desire for friendship and free trade and mutual support and security and defense between Britain and our European partners; and the simultaneous desire, equally heartfelt, for democratic self-government in this country.”

Finally, Johnson claimed he would “get Brexit done by 31 October” with a “new spirit of can-do”.

Drug-resistant superbug spreading in Europe’s hospitals Superbugs resistant to emergency antibiotics are spreading in hospitals, a Europewide study shows. Klebsiella pneumoniae can live completely within the intestines without 10 | Endeavour Magazine

causing problems for healthy people. However, when the body is unwell, it can infect the lungs to cause pneumonia, and the blood, cuts in the skin and the lining of the brain to cause meningitis.

Some strains are developing resistance to antibiotics. Drugs called carbapenems are used when an infection cannot be treated with anything else. Klebsiella pneumoniae has proven resistant to this drug, and fears have been raised that more could also grow immune.

Boris Johnson to ‘hold out the hand’ for new Brexit deal Boris Johnson has pledged to “hold out the hand” and “go the extra thousand miles” to strike a new Brexit deal.

During a visit to Scotland, the prime minister said the existing withdrawal agreement negotiated with European leaders was “dead” and had “got to go”.

However, he said there was “every chance we can get a deal”.

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said Mr Johnson had set the UK on an “almost inevitable path to a no-deal Brexit”.

Preparations for leaving the European Union without a withdrawal deal are being ramped up, with Mr Johnson saying the UK must leave the EU by 31 October.

Two committees have been set up as the UK government intensifies preparations for a possible no-deal exit, including a “daily operations committee” of senior ministers.

Meanwhile, the pound has sunk to a 28-month low against the dollar, apparently due to concerns about Brexit.

MIDDLE EAST Iranians say US sanctions are blocking life-saving medicine With Iran’s economy falling from “maximum pressure” American sanctions, prices of imported medicines have soared as the national currency tumbled about 70 percent against the dollar. Even medicines manufactured in Iran are tougher to come by for ordinary Iranians, their cost out of reach for many.

Iran’s health system can’t keep up and many are blaming President Trump’s punitive campaign for the staggering prices and shortages. The sanctions have hurt ordinary Iranians, sending prices for everything from staples and consumer goods to housing skyward. The Iranian rial has plunged from 32,000 to $1 at the time of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers to about 120,000 rials to the dollar, greatly affecting prices of imported medicines.

1,000 Syrians arrested in Turkey Turkish government announced a crackdown on unregistered migrants in the city, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of Syrians.

Since July 12, Turkish authorities have arrested at least 6,000 unregistered migrants in Istanbul, including 1,000 Syrians, according to Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

Around one million Syrians live in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, though only 547,479 are registered in the metropolis. Of the remaining Syrians, around 350,000 are registered with temporary protection in other cities within Turkey, and roughly 100,000 are unregistered, according to figures from the Migrant Solidarity Association.

Libya: Attack on field hospital near Tripoli kills five doctors An air attack by forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar near the Libyan capital killed five doctors, according to the UN-recognised Government of National Accord. “The field hospital located on the airport road was hit by an air raid,” said health ministry spokesperson Lamine al-Hashemi.

“Five doctors were killed and seven other people, including rescuers, wounded”. The

attack was, according to al-Hashemi, carried out by “a Haftar warplane”.

The general, whose Libyan National Army enjoys the backing of France, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, launched an offensive in early April to seize control of Tripoli.

Pro-GNA forces weathered the initial onslaught and since then fighting has remained deadlocked on the outskirts of the capital, with both sides resorting to air attacks in recent days.

Moroccan king pardons thousands, including ‘Hirak’ protesters A royal pardon received by 4,764 detainees as the king announced the launch of new committee to tackle social inequalities.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI marked 20 years on the throne by pardoning thousands of prisoners, including some from the “Hirak” protest movement that rocked the country in 2016. On the eve of the royal anniversary, an official statement announced that 4,764 people were pardoned, including some arrested during the months of protests in the long-marginalised northern Rif region.

The al-Hirak al-Shaabi, or “Popular Movement”, was sparked by the death of a fisherman but soon spiraled into demands for more development and action against corruption and unemployment. More than 400 protesters are thought to have been arrested and tried in connection with the demonstrations, but no official figures are available. About 250 were previously pardoned.

Another 2,477 prisoners had their sentences reduced while 31 detainees had their death penalty sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

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EYES ON THE PRIZE Laurion Mineral Exploration chevron-square-right www.laurion.org phone-square 001 705 788 9186

With a unique ‘one project, one focus’ approach to gold mining, Laurion Mineral Exploration is offering stakeholders significant returns on their investments, while unearthing overlooked potential in Ontario, Canada.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

T

hey say that all that glitters isn’t gold, but in the case of Laurion Mineral Exploration (Laurion), a mere shimmer is enough to inspire in-depth exploration of undervalued mining assets, resulting in impressive gold deposit yields.

Describing itself as a “small-cap, mid-stage junior exploration and development company”, Laurion is wholly focussed on its fully-owned location named the Ishkoday Gold Polymetallic Project. Found in Ontario, North-East of Thunder Bay, this flagship mining spot offers up 47 square kilometres of potential.

Choosing to focus resources on one location at a time, Ishkoday follows on from the incredible success enjoyed elsewhere: “Laurion’s Ishkoday Gold Polymetallic Project is expanding on the legacy of its highgrade past-producing Quebec Sturgeon River Gold Mine with its database of geophysics, soil geochem, channel sampling and 40,729m of drill results. Laurion is developing an open-pit model by proving the existence of near surface bulk mineralization in gold-silver and gold-zinc rich polymetallic component which extend over a 3 km x 1 km area (a collective total strike length of 9,000m).”

Endeavour Magazine | 13

LAURION MINERAL EXPLORATION

Having proven out its methodology and sampling accuracy, Laurion is well placed to act upon positive initial findings, which is something that has attracted stakeholders in their droves, but the company hasn’t always enjoyed large-scale success. Little less than 20 years ago, Laurion was in serious need of a topto-toe company restructuring, not to mention a great deal of assistance to navigate it out of legal and financial hot water, all of which was tackled as soon as Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin came on board as CEO: “In 2003, I was appointed CEO of LAURION at a Dissident Shareholder Meeting. This appointment came with the directive to restructure the corporation and clean it of debt and legal issues. I have been CEO of the Corporation for 16 years.”

Previously a ship without a suitable captain, Cynthia’s effective leadership, she acknowledges, is contingent on astute observation and a desire to continually adapt:

14 | Endeavour Magazine

“People management is one of the biggest challenges and evolving skills. Generational differences mean adjusting management styles. I am always learning and am tough on myself and others when it comes to repeated behaviours and situations. I recognise that my corporation revolves and evolves through my capacity as CEO to define and communicate the corporate trajectory, to recognize and draw out the best characteristics of each of my team.”

A rollercoaster industry Speaking about the volatile nature of the industry, it quickly becomes clear just how vital it is for any burgeoning company to retain a certain level of fluidity when it comes to standard practices. With the last decade proving to be tumultuous, it is only those operations that have been able to identify changing needs and adapt quickly that have survived. Cynthia notes that those which have embraced transformative practices have been fortunate enough to prosper and show signs of growth, but these are few and far between: “The buzz words for 2019 in redefining the mining industry are ‘innovation’, ‘artificial intelligence’, ‘disruption’ and ‘empowerment’.

This includes innovative ways to bring digital to life; the empowerment of a broad-based socioeconomic charter to improve the way we work.

I believe that prospects for the anticipated run in the next precious and base metal cycle will be driven by macro-economic factors.”

Stepping into a competitive sector and actively seeking to drive change, through wilful avoidance of standard practices, takes a huge amount of courage and confidence, but Cynthia prefers to stray from the pack and make a definite mark. She confirms this when discussing what makes Laurion stand out from its nearest competitors.

Stating clearly that she is not one to think like everybody else and shuns notions of ‘group think tanks’, Cynthia cites the expert knowledge of her team as being a crucial factor in the continued success of the company.

Understanding both the macro market and the

EYES ON THE PRIZE

Endeavour Magazine | 15

LAURION MINERAL EXPLORATION

mineral sector down to the smallest minutiae allows for funding to always be found and with short mining cycles being projected for the Ishkoday project, stakeholders have not been hard to find and nor have keen workers.

Cynthia hopes, however, to seriously adapt the way that working relationships are developed: “Having to navigate cyclical cycles makes it very difficult to deliver consistency to employees. Junior exploration companies thus keep our overheads down by retaining expertise from the private sector. These are the relationships we develop and maintain. Having said that, I look forward to growing Laurion to retaining a key workforce and feel the most important business asset will be embracing new ways of unearthing talent and diversity from a largely-untapped female population and ways to employ, create opportunities and work with Indigenous communities.”

For many, the news that previously overlooked contingents of the workforce

were going to be given the requisite support to flourish would be excitement enough, but Laurion has plenty more to come in the not too distant future.

Full speed ahead With funding successfully sourced from a specialist investor group, Laurion’s growth cycles in the mineral exploration world can begin in earnest. With plans to complete six trenches, to validate projected yield numbers of up to 10 million ounces of gold, the team is set be extremely busy and while it could be all too easy to get carried away with the ‘ifs and buts’, Cynthia is remaining steadfastly rational: “The ensuing 10 years could bring promises of a continuation of rapid change in the mining industry against a backdrop of declining ore body grades, decreasing availability of tier one mineral assets, a looming skills shortage and a continued focus on shareholder returns and activism.”

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16 | Endeavour Magazine

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EYES ON THE PRIZE

By shirking the expected operating procedures and choosing to focus solely on the Ishkoday project, Laurion is in the minority of mining companies that isn’t trying to run before it can walk. The fact that stakeholders can reasonably expect to be swimming in profitable returns in the near future is proof incarnate that Cynthia’s innovative approach is worth its weight in gold.

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COMPASSIONATE CARE Fakeeh Healthcare chevron-square-right www.fakeeh.care phone-square 00966 1 2665 5000

In an age of streamlined technology, some sectors are still struggling to keep up with the slick pace that the latest developments have enabled. One of those is the healthcare sector.

Yet, Fakeeh Care, a private healthcare company in Saudi Arabia, is leading the way, not only on unlocking the digital possibilities within the sector, but through innumerable other firsts across its industry. We spoke with Sanjay Shah, Executive Vice President and Chairman of Kameda Arabia, to learn more about the many areas in which Fakeeh is paving the way.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

“

Our mission is about transforming people’s lives through clinical excellence, compassionate care and health education,” Sanjay tells us. Fakeeh Care began with the Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, founded in 1978 by the late Dr. Soliman Fakeeh with an aim to carry out healthcare that was driven by innovation and compassion. Since then, Fakeeh Care has expanded, and is now a vast operation that brings a truly impressive standard to healthcare and medical services within Saudi Arabia’s private sector. The organisation has kept Dr. Fakeeh’s innovative aspirations alive, its history a series of incredible ‘firsts’: in 1984, it achieved the first IVF fertilization in the Kingdom, as well as the delivery of the first IVF baby; in 1985, it became the first private hospital in the Kingdom to perform a kidney transplant; in 1990, it was the first hospital to carry out a heart transplant in the western region. The list continues. In 1994, the DSFH virology lab isolated the first reported case of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever and was able to alert the World Health Organisation. This was repeated in 1996 for a new flavivirus.

If this impressive history wasn’t enough to set Fakeeh Care apart within the medical industry, there are also its many departments Endeavour Magazine | 19

FAKEEH HEALTHCARE

and facilities, which are not only innovative, but luxurious in the amount of care they attentively offer to Fakeeh’s patients. “What we’ve tried to develop is what we feel is in the best interest of the patients – an integrated platform of healthcare provision.” This integrated system combines primary, secondary, home and tertiary care, offering everything from checkups to hospitalisation to additional health input such as stunning gym facilities.

Stunning isn’t an exaggeration: in 2018, Fakeeh opened the Olympia gym, aptly named because the facilities tower above their breathtaking surroundings as if you’re atop the mountain of the gods. The gym is built in a striking tower right beside the Red Sea, with incredible views over the water no matter where you are exercising. Some classes are even held on the helipad on the roof!

The company launched gyms as a part of its wellness concept in 2009, but in 2018, it moved its main facilities to this iconic location. “We

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felt that the environment of looking out on the Red Sea and being calm would help with the wellness concept; you are already releasing the right chemicals in your body to raise your happiness when you begin your workout.”

A more niche but extremely crucial facility of Fakeeh’s was launched in 2006 – a centre where the company provides support for physical and mental disabilities, including learning disabilities. “I feel very passionately about it. There was a sort of taboo within the community; kids used to get sent abroad in very quiet circumstances and forgotten about, so we’re really raising the profile. I think it’s changing, and looking at special needs in a holistic manner makes such a difference to the provision of care and the support we can provide.”

Another change in mentality that Fakeeh is trying to introduce and encourage is the concept of family medicine and primary medical care within the Kingdom. “What we’re trying

COMPASSIONATE CARE

to achieve is sustainability of care, provided through family care practitioners who refer patients to a tertiary site when needed, and then, when the continuity of the care is required, they return to the community and continue to be seen by their family practitioners.” Whilst this is a common concept in many countries, it is not the case in Saudi Arabia. “Currently, if you have a problem, you just walk into a hospital – there are long queues in ER. We’re trying to be pioneering in this family medicine concept, to ensure that there’s the right quality of care provided at the right time.”

Sanjay was born in Zanzibar and raised in Kenya, but his family moved to the United Kingdom when he was in school, and this is where he continued his studies. After a period in banking, he began his career in medicine in a private London facility called The London Clinic. He is therefore well acquainted with this proposed method of delivering care, which is the standard in the UK, and is eager to see the

Serco works with Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital to design and deliver bespoke and high quality patient facing services across Jeddah.

Serco will implement new technology and service methodologies, not widely used in the Kingdom, to improve service efficiency and quality. This is a great opportunity for both Fakeeh and Serco to enhance patient experience to the people of Jeddah.

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advantages it offers catch on in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s still in the early stages in terms of pushing that message through, but it’s going to be heavily promoted. We already have a primary care facility, which came into fruition last year, and as of earlier this year, we have one of the largest ambulatory facilities in Jeddah. This facility has four modules; an emergency care module, a diabetes one-stop shop, a dialysis unit and a wellness unit. It’s a large polyclinic as well, with the best radiology on offer.”

Fakeeh has another primary care centre opening soon, and also manages centres owned by other companies. Through these, it has introduced programs such as immunisation drives, regular MOT checkups and disease management – “for example, if you have diabetes, you can come in for a program of sustained care.”

Encouraging this shift in mentality is in keeping with the Saudi Arabian government’s 2030 Vision, which also wants to see a higher

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proportion of people being seen in primary care setups. “It will take time – when you’re changing the habits of people across a region, it inevitably takes time. However, we’re confident that we’re embedded into that process.” Fakeeh is also attempting to encourage the change by engaging with insurance companies and encouraging them to incentivise this kind of healthcare input amongst their customers.

Another model that Fakeeh has brought to the Kingdom is that of an academic care model. Counties with teaching hospitals often have statistically better outcomes for their patients, and Fakeeh has implemented this within its own hospitals. “In 2003, we started the Fakeeh College of Medical Sciences – this is about developing our own nurses and our medical lab staff, and we now offer medicine and PharmD programmes. We also have one of the biggest residency programs in the Kingdom, with amazing results.” As well as its successful residencies, Fakeeh’s academic healthcare delivery model is unique to the country: “It’s a special place for the future superstars of the medical profession.”

Fakeeh has housed so many firsts and is pushing so many transformative initiatives that one could easily fill an entire magazine exploring it all. However, even in the face of everything we’ve touched upon, it is their imminent development on the technology front that Sanjay was the most eager to share with us, and he had good reason.

Hospitals around the world suffer from issues in their administration; despite aims to digitise, paper records, systems errors and a lack of streamlined data still cause delays, doubled efforts and countless unnecessary costs for hospitals. Fakeeh Care’s administration and record keeping, on the other hand, is fully digital.

Not only that, its system is streamlined, easy to use and extremely effective. Even better, it is about to move to the next level.

“We have a platform that I chair – a hospital information system called Yasasii. Just recently, we won the HIMSS 6, which is one of the highest ambulatory care accreditations, and ours is the only one to have received that accreditation in

FAKEEH HEALTHCARE

the MENA region.” As it currently exists, Yasasii allows Fakeeh Care staff to access a patient’s full data history, which, as Sanjay explained, helps “clinicians, nurses and support staff in making decisions in the time of care in order to save lives, improve medication and improve error rates. Ou vision within that is to try to embed the patients with that tool.”

In order to do this, Fakeeh Care has developed an app; this app will be a game changer for both patients and Fakeeh staff.

In fact, its potential uses are almost endless.

Offering patients “complete connectivity with the hospital”, app users would be able to access their test results and book appointments with the ease of a banking app, instead of waiting to hear from the hospital and battling with a long administration process. Sanjay named banking apps as the goal; “They have such rich functionality, you don’t need to actually visit a bank or go online on a PC. That same concept, we will introduce in our healthcare provision.

It’s a very powerful apparatus for us to develop.”

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Applying the revolutionary abilities of a banking app to healthcare would be empowering for both patients and medical staff, would greatly improve a patient’s experience and would achieve incredible feats in terms of time-saving and accuracy. Not only would patients be able to access their medical data and book, cancel and reschedule appointments with ease, but they could select their doctor and send information ahead to that member of staff, including notes of any concerns that they wish to discuss, as well as any special requirements they have. Sanjay said they could even use the app within the room, to alter conditions such as lighting and temperature, and could review the service they received afterwards.

Meanwhile, doctors would not only have the full medical history that Yasasii already provides, thus greatly reducing issues of incorrect prescription, but they could easily request and receive information on the patient if they have come from another institution.

COMPASSIONATE CARE

“We’d also potentially be able to do follow-up consultations; instead of needing to be present, they could live chat on the app.” Through live chat, messaging and the exchanging of test results, this ability to do follow-up consultations remotely would greatly speed up hospital efficiency, as well as make it far easier for a patient to fit the consultation into their day.

The list of uses seems as though it could go on forever – Sanjay even mentioned the possibility of connecting with a patient who is arriving from a long distance as soon as their plane lands, thus allowing the hospital to arrange for them to be picked up from the airport. As for navigating the hospital itself, the app could show patients exactly where they need to go and guide them there, so they don’t have to attempt to understand the confusing hospital signs. Essentially, once the foundation is in place, the only limit to the app’s functionality is imagination. “I’m very passionate about bringing this to the potential of the Kingdom; it really is something quite stunning.”

This unprecedented achievement was possible for Fakeeh Care through a combination of hard work, creativity, and the fact that it had already developed such a steady and functional base. “We’re in a superior position where we already have a unified source of data for patients; Yasasii catches all the diagnostic, radiology and lab results, reports from the physician and nurses… it captures absolutely everything, and does the billing as well. It wouldn’t be too difficult for us to take it one step further: the potential is quite immense.”

Fakeeh Care introduced Yasasii within its own hospital and merged it with an ERP product called Oracle, and they also offer it to other hospitals within the Kingdom. It hopes to eventually offer the system to not only hospitals, but governments. As for its new app, it hopes that its abilities will improve patients’ experiences so much so, and offer them so many capabilities, that they choose a loyalty to Fakeeh’s hospitals. Why not, when it’s where you get the best service? “We see the app as a real tool for integrating and embedding patients within our community.”

Fakeeh has called the app YAR which has an Arabic and Indian meaning. The Hindi meaning is ‘My friend’, and the Arabic meaning is ‘My love’. Although Fakeeh is developing the app in-house, it is doing some of the work at its offshore R&D department in Southern India, hence opting for the clever double-meaning.

(Yasasii, too, was partially developed in India, and partially in Japan).

Of course, the number of functions that Sanjay has discussed will not all be introduced at once, and due to the level of functionality desired, everything has to be perfect. A multifunctional administration tool like this could be luxurious if it’s done right, but a disaster if anything goes wrong. The company has and will test intensively at every stage, but excitingly, it looks forward to launching the core app next month. It will then continue to develop the app over the coming months (and years, no doubt), but from what we’ve heard, it seems as though there’s no limit to the benefits it could provide.

Perhaps one day, this system and others like Endeavour Magazine | 25

AMAZING WORLD

AXOLOTLS: FOREVER YOUNG

by James Lapping ithin the lakes of Xochimilco, on under the murky depths of the water as this the outskirts of Mexico City, lives a “water monster”. truly mind-blowing creature - the The inspiration for this myth may be that the axolotl. These wondrous little amphibians have axolotl possesses a seemingly god-like ability. particular unique abilities that make them stand Their capability for regeneration has been a out from the crowd in the animal kingdom. Oh, cause for much attention amongst scientific and they’re also super cute! researchers, healers, and pet owners alike.

The axolotl are also known as the “Mexican They can regenerate limbs, jaws, spines, tails, walking fish”, even though they aren’t actually skin, and even their brains. This is an unlimited fish. However, unlike their close relatives, ability – but I certainly wouldn’t advise buying the salamander, they do spend their lives one as a pet just to try it out, that’s very cruel. permanently under water. They have been the Alongside the regeneration that they possess subject of fascination throughout history, and in themselves, scientists are even able to use from the beginning they have been steeped in cells from one axolotl to create regeneration on legend. The Aztec gods were said to willingly another. For example, if you took cells from a sacrifice themselves in order to yield in battle, green axolotls leg, you could plant these onto but there was one god, Xolotl, who didn’t a white axolotl and it would begin to grow a want to prematurely end his life. In order to green leg. It would certainly be an ethically avoid this dreadful fate, he shape-shifted questionable practice now, but in the late ‘60s, numerous times until he took the form of the scientists even planted a second head onto axolotl. Once the other Aztec gods discovered the back of one axolotl, and it managed to live this, Xolotl’s punishment was to forever live like this for a few months. This is why these

W

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animals are so widely used within the research community; it is believed that these creatures could hold the key to humans possessing these abilities too. This could be beneficial for amputees, burn victims, and allow humans to grow back organs. The axolotl is also 1000 times more resistant to cancer than any other animal, so it is understandable why extensive research is done with them.

What also defines the axolotl as unique is the neoteny. This means that the axolotl doesn’t go through metamorphosis into adulthood and keeps all of its juvenile features, such as their dorsal fins and gills. Other salamanders grow out of their dorsal fins, and when they move onto land in adulthood, they lose their gills.

This is what makes them look especially cute and what makes them such a popular aquatic pet - just look at that smile!

It is very disheartening to hear that these adorable animals are on the brink of extinction in the wild. In 1998 there were 6000 per square kilometre in the lakes and canals of the Xochimilco region, but as of 2014 there were just 36 per square kilometre. It is believed that at this rate, the axolotl will be extinct in the wild by 2025, unless action is taken. This drastic decline in recent years has been caused by numerous factors, including pollution from chemical contamination, introduction of non-native species such as fish including the tilapia and mojarra, and also the consumption of roasted axolotl (considered a delicacy in Mexico). There is a strong correlation between the rise in population of Mexico City and the decline in population of axolotl. Even as far back as the 1860s, one of the two lakes that the axolotl was exclusively home to was drained by land speculators and used to build on for the expansion of Mexico City.

However, not all hope is lost. Various conservation efforts are being set in place to revive the wild population by releasing captive axolotl back into the wild. It is not only research centres and zoos that are offering their aid - nuns are too! The Sisters of the Monastery of the Dominican Order, located close to Lake Patzcuaro, are assisting these efforts by 28 | Endeavour Magazine

repopulating the “achoques” in the wild, a very close relative to the axolotl. They have been familiar with the animal for a long time, as they believe the achoque holds restorative powers, and they make a syrup from the animal that is used to help lung ailments such as coughs, asthma, and too much phlegm. Their affinity to the salamander has made them experts, and they are believed to be the first religious community to be involved with amphibian conservation. They are exceptionally good at breeding healthy salamanders – unlike in standard laboratories where there is a big problem with inbreeding.

All animals play a vital role on the earth, and axolotls and achoques are essential to the biodiversity of their local habits. They also play a vital role in Mexican culture. Since the Aztec god Xolotl transformed into the salamander, the creatures have been mythologised and their iconic status reverberates within the local and national community. The axolotl can regenerate its own limbs, but it cannot solely regenerate its wild population – and that is where we can all help.

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SHIP-SHAPE PLIPDECO Ltd chevron-square-right www.plipdeco.com phone-square 001 868 636 2201

Like every industrial cog in Trinidad and Tobago, Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation Limited plays a crucial role on the islands, however PLIPDECO is taking the lead in port management and industrial real estate management.

Written by Amy Buxton

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he history of the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation Limited (PLIPDECO) is a long and fascinating one, filled with momentous milestones and determination. Its story began in 1966 when, after years of campaigning by local businessmen for an industrial port development to be considered, light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and the green light was given to bring this ambitious proposal to life. From here, PLIPDECO was born.

Suddenly, all the government-funded research paid off and it was acknowledged that not only was a commercial port development the way forward, but that an insightful and trustworthy team needed to be put in place to oversee and manage it. Naturally, key figures from the Chamber that had lobbied long and hard for the brave foray into port development were selected to take charge and the company has never looked back, thanks to the shrewd business sense and focused interest of those innovative men.

We should stop and take a moment here to reveal just how much of a step forward the inauguration of PLIPDECO was, as when the company came into being on September 16th 1966, there wasn’t a port to develop, let Endeavour Magazine | 31

PLIPDECO LTD

alone an industrial estate to manage and make hugely profitable. These notions were totally new and, as such, a lot of persuasion in the form of transparent financial justification was required, especially when you consider what had to be sacrificed to make way for this brand-new version of Trinidad and Tobago.

With sugar production being a longstanding and well-understood industry in the region, choosing to usurp that, in favour of something totally untested, was a real risk.

“There was a well-established, if marginal, sugar land, except near the coast, where the cane gave way to scrub and then a band of mangrove swamp along the shoreline.

It was here that Trinidad and Tobago’s most ambitious industrialisation was to take shape.

“Sugar, the commodity of the old economy, gave way to the high technology of the new: cane to wire rods. Point Lisas was Trinidad and

Tobago’s way of making a break with the past and turning its natural resources into steady revenue.”

You start to get a real sense of just how persuasive the early incarnation the PLIPDECO proposal must have been, don’t you? But thank goodness it was. Imagine a world where Trinidad and Tobago still relied solely on sugar production? It doesn’t bear thinking about, considering the substantial impact of the port as a key employer, and a major source of income and prosperity.

So, with a port in place and an industrial estate created, what exactly are the dayto-day duties that PLIPDECO fulfills? It’s an interesting question, given the fact that without the company itself, there would be nothing for it to actually do. It’s a corporate game of chicken and egg, but the fruits of the organisation’s labour are clear to see.

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“PLIPDECO’s two core activities are industrial real estate management and port management and operations, including cargo handling services. PLIPDECO is the owner and landlord of the 860-hectare Point Lisas Industrial Estate, located on the west coast of central Trinidad.

The estate houses more than 103 tenants, comprising a mix of world-class methanol, ammonia and urea plants, three steel plants, a power plant and smaller light manufacturing and service companies.”

This is not a task for the weak-hearted, as not only are there real estate management services to be tackled; a tricky task on its own, but with large industries using the port to move their products as well, to say that a firm hand is needed on the tiller would be a drastic understatement.

“Port Point Lisas, the second major port in Trinidad and Tobago, consists of six general cargo and container berths. The facility handles

• Flour Mills • Grain Terminal • Nutrina Division • Process Division • Nutrina Chicken Certified Halal • Feed Division • Hatchery Division The Grain Terminal is located within the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, Couva, Central Trinidad.

This is the first privately owned grain terminal, not only in Trinidad, but in the region and today remains the largest single terminal owned by a private enterprise.

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PLIPDECO LTD

a variety of cargo including containerised break bulk, lumber, paper, consumables dry bulk and steel.”

A public company, with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago owning a 51% share and the remaining 49% being held by private shareholders, PLIPDECO has a responsibility to maintain the standard to which they have always worked, which so many other operations could only dream of achieving. It’s because of the stringent attention to detail, industry knowledge and business savvy that permeates the organisation as a whole that these standards are in place and, we suspect, a contributing factor which led to its award of the Caribbean Shipping Association’s Port of The Year Award, which it won for three successive years.

So far, PLIPDECO’s history and successes read like a fairy tale, but don’t forget that it wasn’t plain sailing at the start. Convincing the

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government that funding should be released for a new port, as well as an industrial estate complex, was no small feat and taking charge of a totally new venture can’t have been easy, but PLIPDECO embraced this challenge with a confidence far beyond the company’s years, and with a strict mandate of values in place.

“Our mission is to develop, market and operate port, logistics and industrial estate infrastructure for optimal economic growth, alongside our vision of becoming a global leader in port and estate management by consistently providing superior, innovative service. We will act with honesty, without compromising the truth and be personally accountable for the highest standards of behaviour and we will convert knowledge and ideas to new approaches that will revolutionise the way we work.”

There’s a lot of revolutionary, innovative and brave language permeating the history and current operations of PLIPDECO, but we see why. It IS a visionary and forward-thinking organisation that, led by local business moguls, made good on a promise to create prosperity for Trinidad and Tobago. What’s more; with the industrial complex attracting profitable businesses that are vital for the future technologies market, we suspect that PLIPDECO is going to have a lot to deal with in the coming years.

We look forward to checking back, to see what new innovations they’ve put in place to make sure that they are always on the crest of yet another successful wave.

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SUCCESS BY THE TRUCK-LOAD Hyster-Yale chevron-square-right www.hyster-yale.com phone-square 001 440 449 9600

A leading name in the design, production and servicing of lift trucks, Hyster-Yale is enjoying a significant global presence thanks to intuitive management and a sterling reputation, built over 80 years.

Written by Amy Buxton

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sk anybody in Ohio who the go-to provider of lift trucks and associated equipment is and they’ll reply HysterYale, without pausing for breath. What’s even more impressive is that with brand recognition throughout the world, it’s not just Ohio that holds the company in such high regard.

A meeting of minds The bringing together of two significant and innovative companies, to form one homogenous whole was an inspired move and brought instant heritage and brand awareness to Hyster-Yale. Renowned and respected in their own rights, both of the individual companies had spent years developing proprietary equipment, but when they came together, magic happened: “Yale was responsible for introducing the industry’s first battery-powered, lowlift platform truck, the first fluid coupling transmission and the first hypoid drive axle.

Hyster Company’s MONOTROL® pedal for speed and direction control was revolutionary when patented and introduced to the industry in 1959 and is still in production today. Today at Hyster-Yale that spirit of innovation is alive and well as we work to bring new and better Endeavour Magazine | 37

HYSTER-YALE

technologies to market. This includes the use of hydrogen fuel cell technology and a new generation of electric counterbalance trucks.”

Officially, it was back in 1989 when Hyster and Yale first came together, when both companies were bought by NACCO Industries. With both giants in one portfolio, the possibilities for market domination were instantly apparent, resulting in NACCO Materials Handling Group (NMHG) being formed. Charged with integrating and managing the two companies as one, NMHG quickly set out expansion plans, with new production facilities opened in Italy, in a bid to roll out a range of lift trucks in Europe. This would prove to be just the start of an incredible period of growth.

endeavours became apparent when, in 2004, every NMHG facility was awarded with ISO 9001:2000 quality accreditation. New premises and products followed soon after: “As warehousing and distribution hubs grew worldwide, the Hyster® and Yale® brands introduced the sophisticated VNA (very narrow aisle) truck, featuring a unique quad mast design. Investment programmes continued, focused on product-line development, quality and efficiency in supply chain and optimisation of NMHG’s worldwide manufacturing capacity.”

Finally, in 2016, NMHG officially changed its name to Hyster-Yale Group, changing the landscape of the lift truck industry forever.

Reaching out to the world Following the integration of two companies into one interest, endless cycles of harmonisation, streamlining and improvement were embarked upon. The fruits of these

Ushering in a new era Speaking with Gijo George, Industry Business Unit Director at Hyster-Yale, is an enlightening experience and sheds more light on just how far the company has come, as well as the

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HYSTER-YALE

obstacles it has deftly scaled in a bid to remain as successful as ever.

Having been in his current position for one year, George has brought with him a wealth of supply chain and procurement expertise, not to mention significant leadership skills that were born out of an understanding of what makes professionals work hard: “…each individual defines their own picture of what success is for them, but one thing we all desire is satisfaction. Satisfaction is achieved when we feel like we have positively contributed towards an accomplishment; small or large. Properly defining those milestone accomplishments, charting out the journey of responsibilities and tasks and communicating the progress as we go along is critical to effectively lead a team. And when done with integrity, that creates inspiration.”

He goes on to explain that he prefers to hire personalities, as “skills can be taught”, which goes a long way to explaining the incredible

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levels of growth that Hyster-Yale has been enjoying over the past 12 months.

The industry itself has been strong, alongside the wider economy, with HysterYale riding the wave and using competition as a motivating factor to keep pushing harder.

Acquiring a reputation as being an industry leader is a double-edged sword, bringing success but also pressure to stay on top.

George explained what sets the company apart from its nearest rivals and helps to maintain its impressive presence: “Hyster-Yale’s R&D and engineering prowess, along with it’s global footprint and vast exposure to different markets and applications brings a wealth of feedback and input to helping us develop the best solutions for the markets we serve. Coupled with the world-wide manufacturing capabilities and the fact that we are one of the few full-line product OEMs; helps us to better manage our operations and enhance our product offerings

SUCCESS BY THE TRUCK-LOAD

through the synergies of design and use case data.”

Add in top drawer customer service, marketing skills and a deep appreciation of the almost 8,000-strong workforce that maintains the reputation of the company and you have a fully rounded picture of just why Hyster-Yale is so respected and its products so sought after.

As well as offering significant investment into the skills of its workforce, resulting in personal growth and internal promotions, the forging of external relationships is given significant focus: “Without HYG’s strong relationships and partnerships, we would not be leading the industry as we are today! HYG is blessed to have these types of relationship from all sides – customers, suppliers and collaboration partners. It is certainly worth noting that the biggest and most crucial partnership is that which we have through our independent dealers which make our product available to the markets we serve and support.”

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Light Weighting • Fabrication Efficiency • Exposed Applications • Inventory Management Endeavour Magazine | 41

HYSTER-YALE

Looking ahead Hyster-Yale has it all to play for. With industry-leading lift truck products, customer service standards like no other and a highly motivated and respected workforce in place, the next few years can’t fail to bring exciting new developments. Two of the most intriguing upcoming releases include a partnership with Honeywell to bring voice-enabled material handling solutions to market and a collaboration with JBT to make dual-mode automated robotic lift trucks a reality.

By remaining at the forefront of technological developments, Hyster-Yale is all but guaranteeing itself unlimited success, as well as increased productivity and subsequent heightened performance for clients, which is always a driving factor. George concluded by revealing that this customer-first approach is always in his mind: “We should reveal our focus on emerging technologies (non-truck solutions; but

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technology that unleashes greater potential and productivity of the truck fleet) as well. This is a differentiating factor that enables HysterYale to be more of an advisor to our customer base, to ensure that they evaluate the available alternatives prior to making their critical investments.”

Hyster-Yale has set itself phenomenally high standards and expectations but there’s no sign of it falling short of the mark. In fact, buoyed by its commercially sought-after lift trucks and innovative management team, the company looks set to only ever reach new heights of success.

AMAZING WORLD

CITIES THAT MEAN BUSINESS

by David Kimberley The world is a busy place and is only set to consider as a business hub. However, despite get busier in the coming years. While many offering popular beaches and a famous of us are restricted to working in an office nightlife scene, it also hosts a number of South environment every day, there are those lucky America’s largest corporations. The Centro few who get to jet off to other countries on neighbourhood is the financial heart of the city business trips, be it to events or to meet with and stands out as a premier location for the new potential clients. There are many cities media, communications and higher education that welcome numerous overseas business industries. Rio’s economy is robust and highly travellers every year, however the following diversified, providing high-end employment in are deemed to be the most popular of these manufacturing, finance, trade and a variety of destinations, and for very good reason. service sectors.

When it comes to business trips, Chicago Returning to North America, Phoenix is a is the most popular destination on the planet. rising star in the business world, offering a Not only is the city home to many high-end number of conferences each year and having companies, it also has a well-established a strong technology industry that is growing media industry as well as the Chicago exponentially. When mixed with the constant Mercantile Exchange. When not hosting sun, rich art scene and breathtaking hikes, business meetings, Chicago is a vibrant tourist Phoenix is fast becoming one of the most destination, with world-class architecture, a popular business destinations. With a rich and thriving arts scene and some of the most well- expansive business climate, the city is a leader known sports teams. in the areas of renewable energy, biomedicine, Watched over by Christ the Redeemer, manufacturing, aerospace and aviation.

Rio de Janeiro is perhaps not a city many 44 | Endeavour Magazine

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Singapore is the business hub of Asia. Not only does it have the best business growth environment on the planet, it is also home to an array of cutting-edge industries, conferences and wondrous architecture, including the magnificent and unique Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which has to be seen to be believed.

As a strategic location for many international companies, Singapore is ranked as the easiest place in the world to do business. With a sound financial system and stable political environment, there are opportunities for companies to expand their operations to the city in order to gain a better foothold in the Asia region. It is common too for global corporations to have their headquarters in Singapore due to the benefits like attractive tax rates, funding availability, talent, advanced infrastructure and even a low crime rate.

For a business destination steeped in jawdropping historic structures, Mexico City is leading the way. From Aztec ruins to colonial architecture, the rich yet tempestuous history of the city is clear to see amongst the modern business world that now exists. A global leader in consumer products and pharmaceuticals, Mexico City is an intriguing location to visit on business. With Sante Fe as a major business district consisting mainly of impressive highrise buildings surrounding the largest shopping mall in Latin America, it also includes three university campuses. The Toluca-Mexico City commuter rail is due to open in 2020, improving mobility and development within this important district.

As Europe’s aviation hub, Frankfurt has now become one of the largest financial centres too. With nearly all of the world’s top banks having a presence in the city, it is one of the most cosmopolitan locations, boasting over 200 nationalities. This makes it the perfect place for business to be conducted. Frankfurt has achieved an envious level of dynamism, stability and resilience against crises due to the diversity, covering industries such as IT, telecommunications, biotechnology and life sciences.

However, the epicentre of the European business world has to be Brussels. Hosting 46 | Endeavour Magazine

the European Union Parliament gives the city significant political clout, meaning that many of the globe’s top multinationals are based there. Brussels welcomes visitors from all over the world, who come to network in Europe’s business hotspot before enjoying Belgium’s leisure scene. Brussels has developed a service economy with 88% of all jobs being in that respective sector. The growth of the services sector has been due to its status and expertise in banking, chocolate, beer and pharmaceutical research.

For those looking for an undeniably unique destination for their business needs, Australia’s Gold Coast is a traveller’s paradise. Stretching across 35 miles of beautiful sandy coastline, this is one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.

With a laid-back and relaxing vibe, there is a highly competitive business drive within the city that covers a number of industries, including Australia’s blossoming work in film. With the city’s Office of Innovation and Economy driving business and investment programs to establish the Gold Coast as Australia’s fastest growing business scene, it is estimated that the population will have hit the heady heights of one million by 2050.

The world is home to so many fantastic business destinations and those mentioned are but a drop in the ocean. Consider the growing hubs in US cities like Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Denver and Las Vegas, or the welcoming towers of Canada’s business gem, Toronto. Perhaps the exotic allure of Cancun might entice you to visit on a work trip, to experience one of the many conferences now taking place in the Mexican holiday destination. Alternatively, the historic Istanbul might suit your business needs as a city straddling both Europe and Asia.

Next time you travel overseas on a work trip, make sure you take in the wonders outside the office walls. You never know what you might find.

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SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) chevron-square-right www.adc.jo phone-square 00962 3 2039100 In an almost land-locked country, any piece of coastline is extremely important. We spoke with Mohammad Al-Sakran, Executive Director for Transport and Logistics for the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), who have been tasked with building and maintaining Joran’s ports. In an area like Aqaba, this is no simple mission.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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ormed and mandated to develop Aqaba in 2004, ADC is an entity owned by Jordan’s government, and it carries the responsibility ofa vast task.As the company broke down for us, it has been instructed to develop the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) “through building new or expanding existing infrastructure and the required superstructure, creating business enablers for ASEZ, and managing or operating its key facilities. This will be achieved through maximizing the attraction of private sector developers and operators.

ADC also has the responsibility to implement the ASEZ Master Plan in a manner that ensures integrated development and transforms Aqaba into a leading business and leisure hub on the Red Sea.” This sounds like quite a feat already, but there’s a twist. Located right at the base of the country, Aqaba holds Jordan’s only coastline, and it’s a very small strip: 27 km out of the 96,000 km² nation. This small slither of coastline must not only support the demands from Jordan’s tourism industry and the population who live in the area, but must also supply the country with the ports it needs for travel and trade, without either demand hindering the other.

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AQABA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (ADC)

“ADC was formed to develop the ASEZ as a whole, but first and foremost, it is the ports that have been its focus. “The most important thing for Aqaba is its ports community,” Mohammad was quick to highlight when we spoke. “All of us know how important ports are for any country.”

Mohammed joined ADC in 2005, soon after it was founded, and in those 14 years, the company has successfully developed a number of ports of different capacities along the coastline, including a state of the art container terminal, an industrial terminal, phosphate terminal and an LNG terminal.

The city’s original port has also been moved; originally, it was located within the city, but ADC relocated it to the south. “This is a challenge faced by cities all over the world,” Mohammad explained. “When you build a port, people start living around it, bringing along their families and businesses. But sometimes, cities can’t control everything, and it becomes a problem area producing pollution within the city. Despite

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Jordon’s financial limitations, in addition to many other limitations, we managed to move the port to its new location in the south coast to evacuate the original area for new real estate development and other investments. Now, we have a new environmentally friendly port-side terminal that is out of the city.”

The amount of work that has been carried out and remains to be developed in Aqaba and the ASEZ is extensive, and this carries an extensive cost. “In Jordan, we don’t have the financial capabilities to develop all of these projects in a five-six year span.” To tackle this cost, Mohammad explained, ADC adopted the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to fund its transport and logistics projects. The first challenge in doing this was convincing local potential partners to have faith in the model, as it wasn’t commonly used within Jordan. Whilst the premise was unfamiliar to many, though, it became much easier to promote once ADC had a success it could use as a demonstration; the Aqaba Container Terminal was, as Mohammad put it, a “wild success”, developed in a PPP arrangement with one of the most established container terminals operator in the world APM Terminals.

Another approach ADC has taken is offering collaborative incentives, including no income tax on (exports, In transit, re-sale) goods in logistics facilities; 50% reduction on export and re-export containers from ASEZ; 50% reduction on sues canal fees, and up to 40% reduction on cargo in transit.

The initial port terminals may be in place, but that is not the end of the task for ADC – not by a long shot. “I don’t think we will reach an endpoint, because it is an ongoing and evolving business.” Currently, the company is in the process of upgrading many of its resources, such as upgrading the security and safety measures at the LNG terminal and oil terminal, as well as replacing ships and port systems with more environmentally friendly alternatives.

As technology continues to develop, so must ADC continually update its facilities to make sure they are providing the best that they can for Jordan, whilst remaining as safe and environmentally friendly as they can.

AQABA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (ADC)

Security, cleanliness and sustainability are important factors for any energy facility, but for ADC, they are even more essential.

“As you know, in Jordan, we don’t have the luxury of having different coasts or seasides Aqaba is the only one we have.” Therefore, as well as catering to Jordan’s industrial needs, Aqaba must also remain an attractive tourism destination; in particular, Aqaba is known for coral diving, so its coral must be protected.

On top of this, Aqaba’s residents must also be taken into account: “Aqaba is not a Greenfields area – it is a vibrant, lively city.”

These factors are not the only ones the company is juggling. ADC is not only responsible for the ports in Aqaba – it is responsible for transportation and logistics as whole industries, and that includes the logistics yards that exist behind the ports. The loading and unloading of cargo and the transportation of such is an operation too large to contain in the ports themselves, and then there is the issue

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of the trucks. Aqaba’s tourism-filled seaside living is highly pedestrianised, and a multitude of heavy logistics vehicles regularly driving through would quickly ruin this atmosphere.

So, a truck yard system was developed, which keeps the heavy vehicles away from the city, giving them sufficient room to operate whilst preserving the attractive nature of Aqaba. This solution also controls and moderates the truck movements to Aqaba ports, which had a major impact on solving congestion at the gates of the ports.

Another large project in ADC’s current portfolio is the city’s airport, King Hussein International Airport. Developing this airport into a transit hub, the company has now secured Ryanair, EasyJet and several other regular airlines, thus evolving Aqaba’s and Jordan’s multi-platform transportation system.

To further improve this, ADC is also working on the railway, looking to connect the north-south corridor of Aqaba to areas throughout Jordan.

SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED

On this front, too, Mohammad feels that ADC’s work will never be over; there will always be an area that needs further development, upgrading and improving, for the increasing benefit of both this essential transportation hub and, as a result, Jordan as a whole.

“It is a huge responsibility, a huge portfolio, and this is only my department. If you look at the company as a whole, we have other departments that cater for real estate, industrial real estate, and our Empowerment Project.”

The Empowerment Project in a not-for-profit operation that looks to improve the quality of life in Aqaba by providing facilities such as schools with international standards, so that no matter where in the world they came from, kids will benefit from the international education system applied. This has both improved the lifestyle of families in Aqaba and encouraged overseas companies to move with their families to the city. “Overall, it is a huge portfolio for the company, but the biggest focus from my point

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Endeavour Magazine | 53

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AQABA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (ADC)

of view is transportation and logistics which is considered one of the main development mandates for ADC.” Mohammed joined ADC almost 15 years ago, in a wave of recruitment that took on many young Jordanians. “It has not been what I expected when I started, that’s for sure! I did not expect to be in this position.” When he started, the company’s CEO sought to bring in young locals and empower them, which meant Mohammed was working amongst a peer group that rose up with him. “I and my colleagues were lucky to be the same age, we were like a family, and we were always challenging each other, competing to do better and deliver the best. ADC created this work atmosphere by giving us the opportunity to work in major projects, under so much pressure, with passion to work, and power to develop the city.” This empowerment of their staff saw a generation of employees rise up to be department heads who are now shaping the future of their home, with no thought to leaving the company.

54 | Endeavour Magazine

After so much time in this business, having worked his way up the ranks and now holding such a position of responsibility, we asked Mohammed what advice he had for others facing a vast development project. “The key word is planning. Through our journey developing all of this, it was very important that we had the master plan. Have plans before you start implementing, and adhere the master plan. This was the most important and excellent lesson learned. Everything was considered and taken care of, and as a result we can now witness how everything works together in harmony and complements each other.”

ADC’s work may never be done, but it sounds like its team never want it to be.

Aqaba will continue to evolve, creating evernew opportunities for companies to become partners in its growth, offering an avenue in to working in one of the most secure and peaceful countries in its area of the Middle East, and an opportunity to hitch a ride of a rising star.

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MORE THAN SKIN DEEP Farmec chevron-square-right www.gerovital.eu Envelope-Square export@farmec.ro

A benchmark by which all Romanian entrepreneurial businesses are measured, Farmec is a multifaceted beauty empire with a picture-perfect heritage dating back more than 120 years.

Written by Amy Buxton

B

eauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but success can be readily recognised by everyone, and Farmec, a Romanian beauty company, has the glow of an operation that is not only hugely profitable, but also one that shows no signs of slowing down.

Beauty is big business, especially in recent years with so many online make-up gurus seeking to tantalise audiences with the possibility of perfect skin and enviable hair, but back when Farmec was founded, there was nothing like the demand for beauty products that there is today. Back then, it was a risk to jump into a relatively unproven industry, but now, given the global reach of the operation, it’s clear that the founder was onto something special long before the masses. “Beginning more than 120 years ago, FARMEC now has recognition both in Romania and the wider world, with its products being exported to countries in Europe, Asia and North America.

The modern history of the company began in 1967, when FARMEC became the first producer of Gerovital H3 creams and emulsions, thanks to Prof. Dr. Ana Aslan. The initial products were marketed to women aged 40, as this is when the skin showed the first signs of ageing. Today, FARMEC produces over 400 Endeavour Magazine | 57

FARMEC

cosmetics, covering a wide range of uses and all age segments.”

From humble beginnings with effective antiageing products to enormous product diversity, Farmec has come a long way, especially now that Mircea Turdean has taken the reins as CEO: “I started my career at Farmec in 1994 and my professional development progressed along with the company’s evolution. In 2010, after 16 years of experience within the company, I took the lead from my father, Liviu Turdean and become a member of Farmec’s Board of Directors. In 2011, I was elected president and since then, I’ve held also the position of Farmec’s CEO.” Clearly deeply committed to the company, it makes perfect sense for Mircea to lead it into a new era, given his background as a chemical engineer. In a rare show of modernday company loyalty, he has worked his way through various vital roles, to gain a thorough and indisputable knowledge of the organisation

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from the ground up. This also allowed him to fully digest every operational methodology in place, whilst looking for key performance areas to improve. The result has been a steady, observable growth every year and a cementing of Farmec into the beauty industry list of greats, thanks to diversification and development: “We’ve entered new strategic market segments: luxury cosmetics and make-up, the development of the network of Farmec and Gerovital brand stores and the launch of the franchise for Gerovital stores and many more.”

Committed to beauty Where does Farmec get its passion and drive from? The answer is simple; the management professionals that have sought to grow their careers with this constantly evolving enterprise.

The company is something of a corporate family, welcoming everyone to have their say and use their voice, while also being proactive in encouraging a work/life balance. Through

MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

open communication and engagement with new ideas, Farmec has neatly sidestepped the potential pitfall of stagnation to become the toast of Romania. Nothing is off limits, as the latest ranges prove: “Farmec established an investment program of over €2million, aimed at modernising the company’s laboratories and production lines.

Due to investments in the last couple of years, Farmec’s first line on the luxury cosmetics segment was launched and Gerovital Beauty, the first make-up line. 2019 is also a great year for Farmec because of the première of a new range for men, Gerovital Men and the modernisation of the Gerovital Plant range.”

With multiple physical locations throughout Romania and a significant international footprint as well, thanks to tailored product portfolios for different regions and cultures, there is no getting away from the fact that Farmec is giving great business face, but is the industry itself buoyant? The answer is yes.

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FARMEC

Despite recurring periods of global fiscal turbulence, the beauty industry has remained steadfastly profitable, particularly for those companies with products that can demonstrate proven results. The fiercely competitive nature of the sector means that Farmec has to consistently review, update and improve existing products while also devising new ones, but Mircea sees this as a good thing.

He believes that the unrelenting pressure from other international brands drives qualitative growth within Farmec, allowing consumers to get the products they crave, but at fair prices. It is important to Mircea and his team to set the company apart from the countless others, not merely keep up with them: “Farmec has a history in the local market of nearly 130 years, and during this time we have maintained our top position in the local cosmetics industry, due to our determination to be always one step ahead and to steer the direction it is going in. The constant care

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for our consumers, the need to surprise them with top-quality products, to bring in Romania international innovations, but suitable to their needs and the fact that we invest in creating the best products is what sets us apart.”

Moreover, remaining funded by 100% Romanian sources has allowed Farmec to retain the intrinsic sense of national pride that is so central to the whole operation, but that’s not to say that external investment opportunities are off the cards.

An exciting future The future for Farmec is all about growth and more specifically, franchising: “For many companies like Farmec, the franchise represents a strategy of quick expansion, but, for us, it means the ideal occasion to lay the foundations of a strong entrepreneurial culture together with our franchisees, by encouraging them to start a Romanian business. We’ll start the franchising of brand stores to external collaborators soon too, while continuing to research new markets.”

This franchising endeavour, coupled with continued expansion and development of the product portfolio, as well as improved logistics, means that Farmec is not only here to stay, it is here to grow. With a dynamic, passionate and knowledgeable leader like Mircea at the helm, it’s going to be fascinating to revisit the Farmec of the future, just to confirm that it met his demanding expectations: “We want to maintain our leadership position as the biggest and most relevant local producer of cosmetics and to positively challenge the market to discover new products that meet consumers’ needs.” If any company can, it’s Farmec.

AUTOMOTIVES

BUDGET MOTORBIKE CHALLENGE

M

ost summers, I will ride a motorbike through Europe with a few mates on a short break. We leave our partners behind and head off into the sunset, quite literally. Past trips have been used to review gear and new bikes; however, this year’s remit was slightly different: we would still have some gear to review, but I was tasked to find and ride a bike of around £1,000 to see if it’s possible to make the same trip on a budget bike. Our destination was Colmar, North-Eastern France, in the heart of the Alsace. It is situated between the magnificent Vosges mountains - wine growing slopes and open plains that offer a vast palette of varied landscapes and fabulous local wines for the avid motorcyclists.

I loved the idea of the budget bike challenge and was keen to begin my search. I had a long list of bikes I wanted to look for, but after trawling through the papers, websites and selling pages I struggled to find anything of interest – well, nothing, to be honest. My list went out of the window and I desperately looked for anything that might work, as the bikes I saw would have 62 | Endeavour Magazine

struggled to get me home, let alone be capable of a 2,000-plus miles round trip. There was so much high-priced rubbish for sale that I began to think that this challenge was a step too far, until I got a call from a local garage with whom I had put the feelers out. They had a tradein with an MOT which they thought I might want to see. Thankfully the garage was only 15 minutes down the road, so it was well worth a look, and at this stage, I didn’t really care what the bike was.

As it turned out, it was a 1995 Yamaha FJ1200, which is a big 1200cc 4-cylinder 125bhp sports tourer. In its day, it was capable of 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, its first gear wouldn’t run out of steam until after 75mph and it had a top speed 160; this could be perfect. I first saw the bike sitting dirty, rejected and uncared for in a corner of the garage. I took it out for a ride, and it felt ok, if a bit slow and plodding with a tendency not to go around corners, but I put this down to its age and that I am used to the performance of a modern bike.

MOTOAIRBAG VEST (MAB V2.0C) https://thegadgethead. com/index.php/vehicles/ motoairbag-v2.0c https://www.motoairbag. com/shop-1 RRP Euro 699.00

An air vest is an airbag system that the rider wears over their jacket, this feels a bit like a buoyancy vest, and in the case of an accident will inflate to protect you. I never ride without wearing an air vest, as it has become as second nature to me as wearing a car seatbelt. My mate came off his bike recently and without his air vest, he would have been badly hurt; as it was, he had a few bruises.

The model I was testing this year was the new Motoairbag v2.0 vest, which is their latest version and is a vast improvement over other air vest models I have reviewed. It’s the perfect length over the body and doesn’t rub on the seat. Some vests ride up and push up against the bottom of your helmet, restricting head movement, but not this one. It is obvious to see the vast R&D that has gone into this vest, as Motoair have used the best materials and it is super comfortable. There is a lanyard you attach to the bike, to alert the vest if you come off your ride, which I really like, as it is simple and no nonsense. I have used other types of vests that employ motion sensors instead, but these rely on battery power and my worry is that if it runs out of charge it becomes useless.

For now, I will stick to the tried and tested mechanical motion of a lanyard to ensure that it will always work.

On impact, the vest will inflate both the front and rear in 80 milliseconds, giving enormous protection to your whole torso. Thank goodness I had an incident-free break, so there was no need for the vest to deploy, so when I got back, I hooked the lanyard to a post and ran as hard as I could, and with a bang the vest inflated. I was amazed at how much cover to my body the vest gave. I genuinely wouldn’t ride without a vest now. I know they are expensive, but they are money well spent - just remember how much you have spent on your leathers and helmet for protection. Get one!

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SHARK EVO ONE 2 https://thegadgethead.com/ vehicles/shark-evo-one-2helmet www.nevis.uk.com RRP £349.99

It had a short MOT and it was rideable, so I handed over a bartered £800 and brought it home.

I am ok with tools, but over the last ten years I haven’t done much spannering, as the new bikes I ride never need much doing to them.

However, I was confident that I could fettle with the FJ to get her ready in the four months I had before the MOT and the trip started.

The first free weekend I had, I armed myself with a big cup of coffee and opened my garage door to see what I had gotten myself into. The initial signs were good, as the bike had oil in the engine and not on the floor, brake pads on the discs and not too many rounded nuts and bolts. Looking at the MOT history online, the bike had only covered a few hundred miles over the last five years; although this kept the mileage down, it can cause its own problems, such as deterioration and seizing - a bike likes to be used. I soon found my first problem, as the rear brake calliper was locked on and the wheel couldn’t move without a huge effort.

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The Shark Evo One 2 module helmet was provided for the trip and because I got on so well with it, it is now my regular riding helmet too.

It looks good, is practical and comfortable and seems to mould to my head better each time I wear it. The drop-down sun visor is great and the flip-over chin bar was a godsend when the temperature rose. It’s little things like buying petrol when a module helmet wins; we had several ‘jobsworth’ petrol attendants who insisted that the helmet was removed so they could see our faces, and the Evo is great, as flipping up the chin bar generally satisfied them. I still don’t understand why they need to see my face for buying £20 worth of petrol - if I was going to steal it, why would I queue to pay?

CARDO SYSTEMS PACKTALK BOLD

RICHA AND FURYGAN JEANS https://thegadgethead.com/index.php/ vehicles/furygan-jean-01 https://thegadgethead.com/index.php/ vehicles/richa-motorcycle-clothing-range www.nevis.uk.com Furygan RRP £130.00 Richa Jeans RRP £179.99 We also were given a pair of Richa and a pair of Furygan jeans to test on the trip. Both brands are miles ahead of any other armoured jeans that I have worn. They are comfortable, look great and offer proper protection. I would say that the Furygan jeans come up on the smaller size, but the Furygans knee pads can be adjusted in height to suit, whereas the Richa have additional hip padding. I would suggest trying them on to see which one fits your shape better and which size you need.

www.pama.com/cardo RRP £559.00 PACKTALK Bold duo Single units available with RRP £314.99 A motorbike intercom has changed the way I enjoy a ride. It’s brilliant to chat with your mates, as you can warn them of oncoming dangers or even let them know when the coast is clear to overtake.

You can talk about the sights as you ride, changing a solitary pursuit into group enjoyment. The miles went by quickly as I listened to music, audio books and chatted on the intercom. Cardo PackTalk Bold is one of the best motorbike intercom systems available, is easy to fit onto any helmet, and is easy to operate with a gloved hand or by voice command.

Two of us were also using the upgraded JBL helmet speakers, which are incredibly clear and impressive.

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I took the brake calliper off and found that the brake pistons were grimed up and seized solid. I looked into the cost of a calliper rebuild kit, but this worked out to be more expensive than buying a good used calliper off eBay, so I went for this easier eBay option. Unknown to me, I had lucked in on a bike that has a huge following, with many second-hand parts readily available. Once the used calliper arrived, I fitted it, bled the brake line and took the bike for a spin. By removing the drag from the back wheel, the FJ felt like a new bike with blistering acceleration, pulled like a freight train throughout the whole rev range and was happy to go around corners.

When you take on an older bike like this, you need to be prepared to try and do some of the work yourself, unless of course you have very deep pockets, because the cost of garage labour will soon add up and often will break these projects. I did lots of jobs on her to make sure she was trip ready, and at one point my wife accused me of having an affair as I spent so many hours in the garage! But 66 | Endeavour Magazine

without knowing any history of this bike, I had to assume that everything needed checking.

To make the FJ road worthy was fun and became a hobby for me that I found cathartic and rewarding. I would never have guessed that I would have gained so much enjoyment from doing it. This was a big part of motorcycling that I had been missing out on by riding new bikes.

The MOT day came and the bike flew through it. I was delighted.

After numerous trips through Europe, I have developed what I feel is the best way to pack up my gear and get out of the UK. I squeeze my gear into a waterproof canoe, bag bungee strapped to the seat, and also have a tank bag.

That way, I can avoid using panniers, as there are bound to be roadworks somewhere with delays, which are a problem with wide panniers, but a narrow bike can filter through quickly and easily. We headed off at 7.30pm, almost riding into the sunset, to catch our overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland. It only took us a couple of hours to get there and strap the bikes onto the ferry.

ULTIMATEEAR thegadgethead.com/index. php/vehicles/ultimate-ear www.ultimateear.com RRP ÂŁ180.00

I prefer to use earbuds under my helmet to deaden the wind noise and protect my eardrums.

The link above is a review of the Ultimateear ear plugs and why I use them. For this trip, I wanted to marry earbuds up to still use my PackTalk intercom, so Ultimateear provided me with a pair of bespoke earplugs with speakers called Soundears. These are the best motorcycle earbuds I have ever used; as they are bespoke and moulded to your ear canal there is no pressure in your ear, and I could wear them all day without the slightest discomfort. The earplug jack fits straight into the Packtalk and offers quieter wind and road noise and clear intercom and music - they are nothing short of brilliant.

TUCANO AERO TOUCH GLOVES https://thegadgethead.com/index.php/ vehicles/tucano-urbano-collection www.tucanourbano.com/en/ RRP ÂŁ34.99 The Tucano gloves are very lightweight, meshed summer gloves that allowed me to operate my touch screen GPS and phone.

These are ideal summer gloves, as the mesh allows the wind to cool your hands. These lightweight gloves have reinforced knuckle protection, as if you get a stone flicked up from an oncoming car at 60 mph and you are travelling at 60 mph, the stone makes impact at 120 mph and could break a knuckle. The Aero gloves are supple and comfortable.

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TCX BAJA BOOTS https://thegadgethead.com/ vehicles/tcx-baja-boots www.nevis.uk.com RRP £259.99 My mate has been testing these TCX Baja boots for several months now and he says they are the most comfortable motorcycle boots he has ever worn, and they’re the only ones he wears now. He has ridden in these throughout winter and now summer and loves them.

We had a cabin where we dumped our stuff, and we headed up to the bar area to have the first holiday drink. It is a great feeling to go to bed in the UK and wake up in Holland. We skipped breakfast, as that would be on the road at our first petrol stop. On bikes, you tend to have to stop between 150 and 200 miles to refuel, so it is a good chance to grab a drink and stretch. The helmet intercoms we brought with us to test paid dividends within the few metres after leaving the port, as one of us had to stop to remove a fly from his eye. Without the intercom, we may have not noticed and might have ridden off without him. We were literally just out of passport control and we could have already been a man down without the PackTalks.

The first day took over 500 miles to get to our destination in Colmar, France. My mates said it was a ball-breaker of a ride, but it wasn’t for me, as I was on a gel seat which was like an armchair: it’s a Bagster seat and new, it would have cost over £300, but I picked mine up second hand for just £50 - another bargain for the old FJ! I had also bolted a couple of old foot pegs to the forward crash frame so I could stretch my legs out, cruiser style.

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TUCANO URBANO NETWORK 2G https://thegadgethead.com/index.php/ vehicles/tucano-urbano-collection www.tucanourbano.com/en/

RICHA KRAZY HORSE BOOTS https://thegadgethead.com/vehicles/richamotorcycle-clothing-range www.nevis.uk.com RRP £79.99 I was in Richa Crazy Horse boots, which look like trainers but have motorbike protection qualities. I love these, as they look great with jeans and are very comfortable. We did a lot of walking around World War 1 sites and museums and they feel just like trainers. I was really surprised how waterproof these were in the downpour; I even had dry socks.

RRP £114.99 Riding in the heat in heavy protective bike gear can be soul destroying as you slowly melt away, but I won’t ride without the correct gear.

The Richa Krazy horse trainers, Richa Jeans and this Tucano Network 2G Jacket were perfect.

The jacket has mesh panels on the arms, chest and back with armour in the elbows. The mesh allows the air to whoosh over you too cool you down, and I found with the Motoairbag vest loosely fitted, the air would still circulate well.

I really like this type of jacket, and Tucano do make a good quality product.

TUCANO URBANO TUTA NANO PLUS RAIN SUIT https://thegadgethead.com/index.php/ vehicles/tucano-urbano-collection www.tucanourbano.com/en/ RRP £79.99 This is one piece of the kit I didn’t want to test – however, on the 11-hour ride back to the Hook of Holland we rode into rain, and I mean three hours of heavy, unrelenting rain.

We pulled over at some services and I popped on the Tucano rain suit, which was big and easily went over my riding clothes. The long zips and Velcro made it easy to secure down and I was surprised by how well it worked through the downpour. This suit can be carried all times as it comes in a tiny drawstring bag.

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The trip was a riot and we were blessed with wonderful weather, great food, local wines and laughs aplenty.

Riding through Holland, France, Germany and Switzerland’s beautiful countryside on my old FJ was perfect and she didn’t miss a beat. I didn’t ride her sedately or indeed any differently than I would a modern bike, and she did everything I asked of her. In lots of situations she was better than the new bikes on the trip.

‘Fudge’, as she became known, was the most comfortable by far, she was fast when needed, relaxed at low speed and handled very well particularly in the tight, twisty mountain passes.

The only noticeable difference between the 70 | Endeavour Magazine

new and old bike was the fuel consumption: the modern bikes were about 17 euro to fill the tank and the same distance would cost me 23 euros.

The challenge set was to see if it is possible for a budget bike to do a long European tour, and in my experience with Fudge the answer is most definitely yes. If you add in the satisfaction I took working on her, I would have to say this was one of the most enjoyable trips I have had so far. Fully comprehensive insurance on her is just £65 per annum, so she’s not going anywhere and now has a prized place in my garage - I am smitten with the old girl.

BLAZE WEAR HEAT BELT www.blazewear.com/ heated-back-wrap www.blazewear.com RRP £69.00

Generally, on a long trip, one of us will suffer with aches or pains - perhaps it’s one of the joys of getting older.

We were asked to test the Blazewear heat belt, which applies pressure and heat to ease your back. This was perfectly timed, as one of the guys had a kidney stone passing through him.

He had named it Solomon as it was born on a Monday, but it hadn’t passed on the day of us leaving on the big trip, so we were all a little concerned, as there have been occasions when he has been in a lot of pain with it. He used the heat belt a couple of times after longer rides when Solomon was playing up and it worked well to reduce his discomfort. It was the day after our return that Solomon made his arrival.

TUCANO URBANO COOL FRESH SEAT COVER https://thegadgethead.com/index.php/ vehicles/tucano-urbano-collection www.tucanourbano.com/en/ RRP £30.99 I was also supplied with a Tucano seat cover, which further added to my comfort. This model is full length, to cover both rider and passenger or single units. I liked that I could put it on and off easily to change the pressure on my seat bones, or to raise me up a little to alter the angle of my legs. It is also nice when the sun is beating down and you get on the bike, as the mesh makes for a much cooler seat.

Alternatively, it will allow rain to soak through and you will get on a less wet seat.

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© ESS/Team HLA

A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING European Spallation Source chevron-square-right www.europeanspallationsource.se phone-square 0046 46 888 30 00

Hidden in southern Sweden is the European Spallation Source, a research facility that promises to contribute to a more intrinsic understanding of everything, from fundamental physics through to new breakthroughs in every scientific discipline.

Written by Amy Buxton

S

omething exciting is happening in Sweden and though it’s not fully operational yet, the European Spallation Source (ESS) is gearing up to offer unique opportunities to progress scientific research, while complementing existing leading neutron sources. The team behind the initiative has set it in motion due to an understanding of how important continued scientific discovery is, “Advanced research requires advanced tools.

Improved visualisation techniques enable researchers to observe our world and universe better. From the very large to the very small, when science moves forward, it is often due to breakthrough improvements in the tools available for scientific experiments.”

Considering that every facet of the scientific world can and will benefit from a cutting-edge neutron source and its corresponding tooling, the viability and critical nature of the ESS project should not be underestimated.

Understanding the science In layman’s terms, the ESS project can be likened to a futuristic microscope, allowing the user to study all manner of different matter and materials, allowing for a greater understanding of everything that everyday life is comprised of.

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EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE

From synthetic materials through to the tiniest molecules, everything can be studied, thanks to the vastness of the project, “The European Spallation Source is one of the largest science and technology infrastructure projects being built today. The facility design and construction include the most powerful linear proton accelerator ever built, a fivetonne, helium-cooled tungsten target wheel, 22 state-of-the-art neutron instruments, a suite of laboratories, and a supercomputing data management and software development centre. In the context of its history and future as a scientific organisation, however, it is more than the sum of its parts. It is a brand-new Big Science organisation, built from the ground up.”

Having clearly identified the need for such a facility more than two decades ago, breaking ground in Lund, Sweden, in 2014, was something of a milestone and marked a significant step forward in the pursuit of European scientific progress, as well as increased educational opportunities. With between two and three thousand guest researchers being anticipated to take advantage of the facilities on offer at ESS, every year, it is expected that many of them will be based at universities throughout Europe.

Given that the scientists of the future will be relying on ESS offering access to the most cutting-edge technology, instrumentation and data analysis software, there is a lot of pressure to move the project along, on schedule, “The construction of the facility began in the summer of 2014, and the planning for the ESS user programme is ongoing. Scientists and engineers from more than 100 partner laboratories are working on updating and optimising the advanced technical design of the ESS facility, and at the same time are exploring how to maximise its research potential.”

With initial operations having begun this year, projected timeframes are being kept to, which means that instrument commissioning should follow in 2022, with the user programme being initiated in 2023. Standing at 58% complete, the project is moving along at an impressive 74 | Endeavour Magazine

pace, but it’s what it promises to offer that is most impressive.

A mission to kick start change “Our vision is to build and operate the world’s most powerful neutron source, enabling scientific breakthroughs in research related to materials, energy, health and the environment, and addressing some of the most important societal challenges of our time.”

This might sound like a lofty mantle to live up to, but the team as ESS will take it all in their stride, thanks to the support infrastructure that underpins it. Having become a European Research Infrastructure Consortium in 2015, the founding member countries that have banded together to make the facility a reality offer a wealth of combined resources, both fiscal and intellectual. Independent advisory committees are also in place, to maintain objectivity when assessing standards being complied with.

Combined, these elements all but guarantee exemplar operation and the fulfilment of every proposed benefit of the facility itself, but some people might ask why another neutron source location was needed, “Most existing sources are based on nuclear reactors, an approach that has reached its maximum capability and cannot be developed further. It is time for a new approach to neutron science in Europe. ESS will provide up to 100 times brighter neutron beams than currently available at existing facilities. In simple terms, the difference between current neutron sources and ESS is something like the difference between taking a picture in the glow of a candle or using a torch.”

Striking a blow for science Having recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the decision to go ahead with the ESS facility in Lund, the future is on everybody’s mind. Having made history by deciding to build Sweden’s first internationally recognised ‘big science’ installation, 13 European member states have now banded together to embrace greater scientific discoveries, with

© ESS

EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE

Sweden and Denmark working together as the host countries. Europe-wide support has been donated in a variety of ways, with Spain’s technological investment being the latest significant move forward, “An elemental accelerator component, the MEBT (medium energy beam transport), was recently delivered to ESS in Lund, following a journey from Spain. This key technical system is an important Spanish in-kind contribution that has been designed, manufactured and delivered by ESS’s in-kind partner, ESS Bilbao.”

The acquisition of such instrumentation not only offers a glimpse into the future of the facility, but also reaffirms just how committed all of the member states involved are to the development of increasingly complex tooling.

To think that it’s all in the name of future discoveries and understanding is exceptionally exciting, even to those that haven’t carved their careers within the scientific sector.

To move forward, we need to know how we got to where we are and ESS offers the facilities to explore the science of life, down to molecular level. This could be the most significant development to happen to science in decades and the world is looking on in anticipation.

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ACROSS THE BOARD DART chevron-square-right www.dart.ky phone-square+1 345 640 3500

With properties and subsidiary companies spanning real estate, hospitality, retail, entertainment, finance and biotech, Dart is a wide-ranging and eclectic company with a focused purpose – to contribute to and improve the economy and quality of life in the Cayman Islands.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

O

riginally from Michigan, USA, Ken Dart was and is an innovative investor and entrepreneur, and it was this entrepreneurial spirit that took him to the Cayman Islands. He moved to Grand Cayman in the early 1990s, and opened a small office with a grand total of three employees there in 1993. That small investment office turned out to be the seed that grew a global enterprise; to date, the Dart group of companies has invested over $1.5 billion into the Cayman Islands and its employee size has risen from three to 800.

Today, the Dart group is known as a bestin-class real estate developer, although the company’s various investments and subsidiaries cover many industrial areas. As the company explains in its own words, “Our primary area of activity in the Cayman Islands is real estate investment, development and management. Different subsidiaries within the group are responsible for design and construction, asset management and business operations. Other major subsidiaries are involved in retail, hospitality, entertainment and biotech.” These operations are coordinated from Dart Enterprises, Dart’s investment holding company for all of Dart’s Caymanbased entities, and provider of services for the Endeavour Magazine | 79

DART

group such as finance, human resources, IT, legal and corporate services, marketing and PR, and internal audit and risk management.

Whilst its operations focus around the Cayman Islands, however, Dart also has investments in Europe, the US and the Caribbean.

Why did the Michigan-born Dart choose the Cayman Islands as the hub for his businesses?

The area had appeal both in terms of lifestyle and financial opportunity; as a British Overseas Territory, the Islands are politically stable, have tax neutrality, offer access to world class professional services and use a legal system based on English Common Law. On top of all of these reasons, the territory is close to the U.S. and, physically, the area is beautiful, with crisp, stunning blue and white beaches drawing in a thriving tourism trade for Dart to cater to, as well as proving a rewarding home for the entrepreneur himself.

So, how has Dart impacted the development of Cayman and this thriving, tourism-led

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economy? Aside from Dart Enterprises, the group also holds Decco/Dart Development, the Caribbean’s leading real estate development and construction management company, and a local leader in sustainable building practices. Decco works closely with Dart Real Estate and, together, they have developed over $1.3 billion in mixed-use, commercial, residential, educational and hospitality projects throughout the Cayman Islands.

Whilst these companies construct, Active Capital provides marketing, project management and accounting for a large portfolio of businesses, and Dart Management provides investment services for a selection of the group’s companies. Finally, the company owns multiple properties in the hospitality and entertainment industries, many of which are located at Camana Bay, a stunning business and retail development spearheaded by Dart. Some of Dart’s retail and entertainment properties on the island include the Cayman Islands Yacht

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DART

Club, the North Sound Gold Club and the Camana Bay Cinema, as well as locations for companies such as Swarovski, Pandora and the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.

Through all of these businesses, Dart aims to continually contribute to the Cayman Island’s economy and to further stimulate its development. As Ken Dart said himself, “I believe business activities based upon Dart Values, Culture and Philosophy will create employment, provide exciting career opportunities and serve as catalysts for economic growth in the communities where the businesses are located.

The resulting improvement in our standard of living will provide better opportunities for us and others to lead more productive and fulfilling lives.” Building upon that, the company has stated,” regarding its mission: “We are committed to sustainable economic growth and community development in the Cayman Islands. Our purpose is to invest in people, business and communities,

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enhancing the quality of life and creating meaningful opportunities for productive and fulfilling lives.” In keeping with these aims, the group of companies also contributes to the community through various charitable avenues, through which $6 million has been given back to the community over the past five years.

Two foci of this outreach work are education and youth development. The company contributes to STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) educational programmes, as well as providing Work-X work experience placements and funding numerous other educational initiatives such as the Minds Inspired Math Challenge, MI ACADEMY Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Summer Camp, the SeaPerch Challenge, mentoring sessions and career fairs. On top of these, the company also offers scholarship funds to select high schools and undergraduate students every year.

Looking outwards to their wider involvement in the community, Dart also offers grants to nonprofit organizations working in education and youth development, and also environmental work. The company awards up to 15 grants a year for CI$10,000 – CI$50,000 each. It is also more directly involved in an initiative called Growing Communities, a public-private partnership with the Cayman Islands Government that sets up and maintains parks throughout Cayman.

To date, the initiative has established a park in each of Grand Cayman’s five districts. Whilst the government owns and manages these parks, Dart maintains their landscaping. It does similar work for pre-existing parks through Growing Communities, too, working with local committees to restore parks that have fallen into disrepair and disuse.

This commitment to outdoor spaces has of course been complimented by Dart’s own push towards greener operations. As the company states, “Sustainability is intrinsic to our development approach, business practices and technological innovations. An early advocate for recycling in Cayman, we collect and reuse glass by crushing it to produce the aggregate used to pave our sidewalks. Also

ACROSS THE BOARD

championing the move towards alternative energy sources, we have installed solar panels on Dart properties across the island and are one of the largest producers of solar energy in Cayman.” Most of Dart’s properties have also received LEED certification for sustainable design and construction.

Dart truly is prolific; from extremely humble beginnings, its presence is now found through the Cayman Islands, literally shaping its cities and parkland, and contributing to the country’s economy and ongoing success in a significant way. Ken Dart had a vision, and he pursued it, probably to lengths that he didn’t even dream of when he first set out. Now, Dart’s influence should only continue to spread, applying its founder’s values as it goes to make sure that good business and good practices travel hand in hand.

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LIQUID OIL Guyana Oil chevron-square-right http://guyoil.gy phone-square (592)225-1595-8

You’d need to have been living under a rock to not notice that the oil industry has hit turbulent times recently, but there is a small contingent of flagship operations keeping the flag flying. Endeavour Magazine spoke to one such company, Guyana Oil, to find out the secret to their continued success.

Written by Amy Buxton

H

eralding itself to be a “provider of petroleum products at competitive prices”, Guyana Oil is the antithesis of a company determined to succeed, even in the face of industry upheaval. To that end, it boasts an impressive number of outlets, a generous staff contingent and a distribution network that is, to say the least, impressive. You might ask what the secret is to such commercial progress and the answer is simple: a demonstrable track record for growth and development, spanning a number of decades.

Incorporated on June 16th 1976, Guyana Oil is wholly owned by the Government of Guyana and meticulously run and managed by a board of experienced, committed directors.

By taking control of a, then, fledgling operation and securing total ownership, the economy of Guyana was bolstered and enveloped with a sense of security and purpose and a further benefit was a sense of national pride that staff, distributors and consumers can all contribute to. After all, why shop around, when you have a premium product on your own doorstep?

The leading supplier of petroleum products to the motoring population of the country, Guyana Oil has secured itself 42 outlets (dealer fueling stations), which stretch the entire Endeavour Magazine | 85

GUYANA OIL

breadth and width of the country and with a bulk fuel terminal in each county, offering gasoline as well as quality Castrol lubricants, the trucking really never stops. This could be where the story ends, but a successful fuel company supporting the needs of local drivers is only the tip of the iceberg.

Consistently seeking to exceed expectations and branch out into new arenas of relevant interest, Guyana Oil also has a subsidiary; GUYOIL Aviation Services Inc. As the name suggests, this is a high-pressure market sector to burst into, but the company has done so with a natural grace an aplomb, becoming the supplier of choice for both Timehri and Ogle airports, fueling not only domestic airlines, but demanding international set-ups as well.

With a full-to-bursting portfolio of successful interests, Guyana Oil is making riding the wave of the turbulent international oil industry look easy and it seems to be the case that maintaining

local focus and roots is the key to stability. With the head office located in Georgetown, the 400-strong workforce is comprised exclusively for Guyanese professionals and as a profitable public company, year in, year out, billions of dollars have been invested back into the local economy, something which is of the utmost importance to the team of directors.

Speaking about the importance of local community and rising to the responsibility of being a national operation, Guyana Oil revealed that: “Guyana oil contributes in a positive manner to national development by paying its dividend and taxes to the government, which greatly assists in the building of new roads, schools and public infrastructure. Guyana oil attaches great significance to its corporate duty to the public by making regular and generous donations to charitable causes, sports, education and social activities.

“The Guyana Oil Company is ever-conscious of the preservation of a green environment and

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GUYANA OIL

operates under strict national regulations that are maintained by a highly-trained workforce.

“We are honoured to have been serving the Guyanese public over the past 40 years.”

These are not just pretty words, coming from a company that is deep in an industry that is seen as being particularly un-green however. There is a genuine and real affinity to make a contribution to a better, greener and safer future, especially at a grass roots level.

With this in mind, stringent health and safety procedure have been put in place, with every team member being given mandatory, in depth training as to how a perilous industry can be far less dangerous to work in.

Even more impressive, is the appointment of a female Health and Safety Officer, as it shows a commitment to not only colleague welfare, but also equal opportunities and workplace diversification, which is, sadly, still somewhat of a rarity in the oil industry. Add to this a fantastic working relationship with relevant government

agencies and you have a real recipe for conscientious, safe working practices.

“It is a privilege for us to be working closely with the Guyana Fire Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards as this allows us to have a well-trained and efficient workforce. Very soon Guyana Oil will be the first local company to be ISO 14001-Certified in the Environment Management Services Standard. It is imperative that companies manage their environment, especially an oil company; therefore GUYOIL is leading into the right direction.”

But it’s not just staff that are being considered when safety and comfort is assessed. In a forward-thinking and innovative move, Guyana Oil consistently thinks about the end user – the consumer. “Safety of our customers is absolutely vital. Our pump attendants are trained to ensure that our customers adhere to the safety regulations, including no smoking, not using cell phones close to the pumps,

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It can’t come as a surprise that any company that has signed a declaration promising to act as a steward to the environment, wherever possible, is always thinking about the future, possible risks and mass well-being, but when you attribute these thought processes to an oil company, you can’t deny that it is all the more impressive. Far from the embodiment of a stereotypical fuel operation, Guyana Oil seeks to be different at every turn by ensuring a stable local economy, safe workers, protected consumers and above all else, quality products that will have said consumers always coming back for more. A national company you can put your faith in might be worth its weight in gold, but in the case of Guyana Oil, it is black gold and we can’t wait to see what the future will bring for this ever-evolving and conscientious company.

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AMAZING WORLD

by Alice Instone-Brewer

AFFORDABLE PROSTHESES FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD

L

osing a limb is life-altering enough, without the loss also carrying an impossible price tag. In the developing world, amputations are frequently required as a result of accident, illness and armed conflict, but access to efficient and effective modern prostheses is often financially out of reach. UK inventor Ed Pennington-Ridge has created a new design of prosthesis that aims to answer this need.

A flexible and high-tech design made out of simple and cheap materials, Ed’s invention is intended to be something that can be made in any developing country workshop, but offer the movability of something 30 times the price.

The BBC spoke with Ed about his invention in June; in the interview they released, the prostheses’ creator stressed the importance of his design being something affordable, long-lasting and achievable in the developing countries he designed them for: 90 | Endeavour Magazine

“It’s got to be easy to produce at the right price. It has to be something that can be mended easily, and something where the materials will last for a long time in storage or in very high temperatures.” Ed is confident that the design he has developed will meet these criteria, and would be possible to produce in any typical workshop in a developing country or area.

Ed’s prostheses cost under £100 - a sharp contrast to the thousands that some can cost.

However, being affordable and possible to produce is only half the battle, if the technology doesn’t provide enough mobility – Ed’s design may be simple, but with a springy material forming the base of the foot, and a mobile ankle joint, it provides much more ease of movement than current affordable alternatives.

In 2018, the design was trialled by patients in Tanzania, and is still being provided to

IRT also points out that there are hundreds of thousands of refugees and young people living with amputations in the developing world, many of whom have lost their limbs due to armed conflict. One statistic the charity quotes is that around 30,000 Syrians are estimated to have lost limbs from the war in their country.

A Western-made prosthetic can cost up to USD$3000, and cheaper alternatives are limited in what they can offer. Even worse, affording a prosthetic isn’t the full story – prostheses need patients in need in the country, in part via the to be replaced over five years or so, due to wear International Refugee Trust (IRT). Reporting and tear and changes in the body. For children, on this trial, Longini Mtalo, the Principal of this is more like once a year. This makes the the Tanzania Training Centre for Orthopaedic need for a locally -made, affordable option all Technologists (TATCOT) told the BBC about one the more crucial. of his clients - a Maasai cattle handler who said In response to this, IRT has partnered with that the foot gave him much more freedom of Ed to help support the development of his movement when travelling with his cattle over prostheses. As the charity states in its statement difficult terrains. about the partnership: “The combination of Providing this ability to keep active was simplicity of design, availability of raw materials, an essential goal for Ed – not only is this the and ability to manufacture in situ, promises ideal for any working prostheses, but he felt transformational outcomes for the world’s it was particularly essential given that the poorest amputees, many of whom are refugees.” demographic requiring amputations in these With the IRT’s support, Ed’s invention has countries is largely active young men. As he begun reaching those who need it, although told the BBC, “These are young soldiers. These Ed is still working on his design to continue to are young guys getting knocked off mopeds. improve its efficiency. Further tests shall carry When you fit them with a prothesis, they out in Tanzania as these adjustments are made, want to go back to high activity lifestyles.” so Ed can provide the best product possible, and There is also the need to travel and work, in the meantime, through IRT, these prostheses especially in cases such as the Maasai man that have already begun to restore mobility and Mtalo mentioned. change lives, without an unobtainable cost.

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WELL-PLACED Investors Trust chevron-square-right www.investors-trust.com

Established in 2002 as an international insurance group, Investors Trust has increased both its services and its global reach, with clients using their products to invest in over 100 markets around the world. Always an international entity, the company still has multiple offices that cover a number of countries, so that its widespread client base has offices in a range of time zones to reach out to.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

A

fter beginning life in insurance, Investors Trust went on to become a leader in the industry by focusing on, in its words, “flexible solutions, enhanced opportunities, advanced technologies and a world-class customer support.” One of the advantages to its many global offices is that they allow the company to have a more handson, culturally aware involvement with the markets and business practices in a number of continents and cultures. This allows the company’s international clients to work with people best equipped to help them navigate the world of investing.

‘Investors Trust’ is a global brand, behind which is the ITA Group of companies.

Through this group, Investors Trust achieves its broad global footprint via a combination of companies and subsidiaries. The parent company, ITA International Holdings, is based out of the Cayman Islands and rated A- by AM Best. Alongside this operate ITA Asia Limited, a Labuan-licensed company based in Malaysia, and ITA International Insurer, a Puerto Rico based and licensed company. Complimenting these, Investors Trust also has service points or corporate support locations in Dubai, the USA, Hong Kong and Uruguay.

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INVESTORS TRUST Starting with the smaller operations, ITA’s U.S.A. location is a corporate support office, created to help the group with administrative needs. The office is situated in Miami, known as the “Wall Street of the South” and a financial capital for Latin Americans, with more than 3,000 domestic and international financial companies in Miami-Dade County. This office was founded at the same time as Investors Trust itself, in 2002. Its other (relatively speaking) smaller-scale operations were established much later, all in the form of service points from which to create a corporate presence for ITA in these countries and cultures. In 2008, it opened a service point in Hong Kong and another in Uruguay, and in 2014, added to these with one in Dubai.

Hong Kong was chosen because it is the financial capital in Asia Pacific, making it an ideal location in which to establish oneself and from which to develop business within the region. It is also regarded as one of the areas with the greatest financial freedom in

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the world,and ranks highly in terms of global banking operations (11th). However, it was its gateway into Asia that had the greatest appeal.

Uruguay stood out to Investors Trust because it has one of the highest literacy rates in Latin America, and benefits from protection under the Free Zone Act, which makes it extremely attractive in terms of international business.

ITA’s Uruguay office is in Montevideo, which has a strong location in terms of accessibility within the region.

Established six years later, when international attitudes and unrest had settled regarding the region, ITA finally got its foot in the door of the Middle East with its Dubai location, which is situated within the Dubai International Finance Centre. This finance centre is one of the faster growing in the world, within a vibrant and profitable part of the Middle East. Even more advantageous, Dubai is not only a way to access the Middle East,but is also a location from which to reach Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

INVESTORS TRUST

Each of these service points open up a world of possibility both for ITA and for those investing through them. However, it is its three main locations where most of the action happens, in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia and Puerto Rico.

The Cayman Islands is an attractive location to investors, as we also discuss in our article on Dart this month. An Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, the islands’ government has issued a series of laws that make it a highly profitable location for foreign and offshore operations, including exemption from taxation in the Cayman Islands other than stamp duty and import duties. On top of this, the country itself is stable to work in: it is peaceful, has a steady government, reliable infrastructure and, unsurprisingly, a strong economy. It has a thriving tourism industry, and is also the world’s sixth largest international banking centre, and one of the top ten international financial centres in the world. Over 40 of the world’s top

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50 banks hold a license within the country, and the total banks in the area represent over 45 countries.

This appeal for investors and businesses made it a logical place for Investors Trust to base one of its insurance companies, both for its own sake and to work with the many potential clients looking to the area.

In Labuan, Malaysia, ITA runs another of its insurance companies, ITA Asia Limited.

The company is situated within the Labuan International Business Financial Centre, which is well positioned as a hub for companies within the Southeast Asia region as a whole.

Similar to the Cayman Islands or the financial centre in Uruguay, this development has laws in place that make it appealing to work within, following English Common Law and a simple tax structure. It was established in 1990 with an aim to draw in more financial business from abroad. In 2012, ITA also set up an office in Kuala Lumpur, to establish a presence on

WELL-PLACED

Malaysia’s other island and better unify their operations there.

Lastly, ITA has its insurance company in Puerto Rico, the Latin American US territory that has many appealing factors for investors and businesses, even though it has suffered as a country since it was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. However, conducting business in US dollars, having a well-regulated free market and unrestrictive laws regarding the use of funds abroad, it is a highly beneficial place to do business. It also offers many tax incentives to international insurers and holding companies.

ITA’s base of operations is broad, and the services it offers are just as varied, despite the company’s expert area of focus. ITA specializes in mediumto long-term unit-linked investment products, but within this category, it offers a wide range of options, all of which are able to be tailored to suit their clients’ needs.

As the company says itself, “Investors Trust offers a variety of lump-sum products tailored

to meet all risk profiles. Ranging from capital protected fixed income portfolios to alternative investments, you will find an Investors Trust product that fits your needs.”

“We understand that each investor is different. Whether you want to prepare for your retirement, ensure your children’s future, or save for their education, Investors Trust offers a wide range of investment products with a tax effective structure that can be personalized to meet your financial goals.”

This flexibility with its clients and its wide reach across the globe makes Investors Trust an excellent business to turn to for investment advice, support and products. Its firm financial standing, its insight into many essential markets around the world and its ability to work closely with every customer makes it a reliable choice to turn to, and when it comes to the gamble of investments and insurance, reliability is exactly the thing to seek.

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INCLUSIVE BANKING Alizz Islamic Bank chevron-square-right www.alizzislamic.com phone-square 00968 9747 6643

The first modern Islamic bank was established in Egypt in 1963, but the traditions of Sharia’hcompliant banking date back as far as Islam itself.

The 1970s saw the Islamic Banking sector set down official roots and flourish in size following the Yom Kippur War and 1973 oil crisis, it enjoyed a vast boom in the ‘80s, and has continued to grow at a steady rate ever since.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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n 2012, the Sultanate of Oman finally made it possible for such banks to operate as independent entities within the country; we spoke with Venkatesh Kallur, Chief Risk Officer at one such bank - Alizz Islamic Bank.

In 2012, a Royal Decree in the Sultanate of Oman amended the country’s banking laws to allow for Islamic, Sharia’h-compliant banking at licensed banks. This change to the law allowed existing banks to set up specialised Islamic branches, and also for entirely dedicated Islamic Banks to be established. Alizz Islamic Bank was one such entity that emerged thanks to this change in the law; founded in November 2012 and launched in September 2013, the bank’s operations are wholly Sharia’h compliant. We spoke with Venkatesh Kallur, the bank’s Chief Risk Officer, who broke down what Alizz offers for us in more detail: “Alizz Islamic Bank provides retail and corporate finance along with treasury, investment & project financing through its head office and branch network, online and on mobile devices. Alizz Islamic Bank is here to deliver exceptional and sustainable results to our stakeholders by providing superior Sharia’h compliant financial solutions. We are headquartered in the Central Business District Endeavour Magazine | 99

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Area in Ruwi and conduct our banking business within the Sultanate of Oman. We plan to decentralize every local Alizz Islamic Bank branch, satisfying all our customers’ financial needs and helping them succeed financially.”

When the bank was launched, the total paid up capital was 100 million Omani Rials.

40% of this was raised by public investors during the Initial Public Offering (IPO), whilst 60% was contributed by the bank’s promoters.

This foundation allowed Alizz to begin on a strong footing – important, when the state of the banking industry in Oman comes with its challenges. As Venkatesh explained: “The macroeconomic environment is challenging, where the typical issues of liquidity and capital adequacy do exist. However, the government is taking active steps to boost the economy and raising capital from the international money market. The Government is focussing on diversifying the economy through a special thrust on petrochemical, manufacturing, tourism, healthcare and education. The banking industry is equally aligned to the above national strategy, and there is considerable competition through established players in the local market.”

Since its inception, Alizz Islamic Bank has aimed to become the leader of Oman’s Islamic banking sector. Its current aim, on its path to pursuing this status, is to grow the business into a Billion Omani Rials (Approx. USD 2.6 Billion) balance sheet in the near future. Its strategies for achieving this have included diversifying its investment portfolio into sectors such as healthcare, education, tourism and manufacturing, as well as taking a heavier focus into oil and gas. The bank has also invested in developing its own operations through increased automation to speed up customer service, and new digital banking services covering phone services, online services and apps.

“Looking to the future,” Venkatesh told us, “I personally believe that information technology, information security and digital banking – be it on mobile phones, computers or tablets – needs to be considered.”

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Before coming to Alizz, Venkatesh had over 35 years of banking experience across three continents, in six countries and in multiple languages. “From North American financial institutions like American Express and the Bank of Montreal, I have moved to the world of Islamic banking in Saudi Arabia.” Over the course of the next two years, Venkatesh worked first at Alinma Bank and Bank AlZajira, and then moved to Alizz Islamic Bank in August 2017, bringing his firm a wealth of experience in banking with him.

At Alizz, Venkatesh serves as the bank’s Chief Risk Officer (CRO). During his time in the banking sector, Venkatesh has seen the nature of the industry transformed by the rise of digital banking: “I had the privilege of watching the advent of online and mobile banking revolutionise financial exchange on a global scale, but at the same time, I have borne witness to the proliferation of new challenges and digital risks.”

“The introduction of new technologies to any sector results in a shift in the culture of the organisation, but I believe Alizz is more than equipped to manage change,” he expressed with confidence. However, as well as a cultural shift to the speed and manner of its operations, Alizz has also had to take the shift of adjusting to the new risks and security demands that come with digital banking. As the bank’s CRO, Venkatesh was able to break down the areas of focus and concern that arise when a bank goes digital: “Banks are rethinking what constitutes operational resiliency.

Beyond core competencies (business continuity and disaster recovery), data quality and processflow mapping need enhancing. In managing cyber risks across the three lines of defence, quantification and reporting are a challenge.

Managing critical vendors more effectively also supports operational and cyber-resiliency.”

By the “three lines of defence”, Venkatesh is referring to a risk management model that the bank employs. The three lines of defence themselves in this model are operational management, risk management, and internal

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audit. “Operationalisation of the three-line defence model is necessary to improve the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of risk management. Talent shortages are expected in advance, we run predictive behavioural analytics, risk models etc, and standardisation and automation are accelerating, even if broader technology deployments are delayed.”

Of course, digitalisation is not just a frontier where risk must be fielded – it is also an incredible tool in helping to perform risk management as a whole. Venkatesh expressed his desire to lead a digital transformation of risk management in Alizz: “Risk functions must change in terms of how they monitor risk profiles and enable innovation, and become smarter, faster and more cost-effective.” These increased efficiencies would help to manage risks more cost effectively, including nonfinancial risks, which is another area in which Venkatesh wishes to improve, both at Alizz and in the industry in general: “Though conduct risk

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frameworks are in place, there is a long way to go to prove effectiveness and improve costefficiency. As risk appetite frameworks evolve, common challenges remain (e.g., expressing appetite for all risk types, cascading appetite to business units). Quantifying non-financial risks (e.g., reputational, strategic and cyber risks) remains difficult.” However, it is cybersecurity and the broader playing field that digitisation allows that remains his priority: “Broader geopolitical, social and environmental concerns are looming larger, as regulatory fragmentation continues and competition intensifies. Fintechs and major technology companies seek traction in profitable parts of financial services, while banks’ strategic options to deliver 11% to 15% ROE narrow. Cybersecurity is now clearly the top risk for Boards and CROs.” As well as looking after its assets and security, Alizz takes care of its staff. This effort is proven by its attrition rates, which are the lowest in the Omani banking industry. The bank offers its 300

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staff regular training, both classroom, CBT and on-the-job, and prioritises internal promotions where it can. The company not only looks after its staff with this official support, however – it also takes care of them in the day-to-day support of managerial communication and encouragement. Venkatesh is a firm believer in the importance of this, and makes sure to take his staff’s talents, involvement and feelings into account, when he manages his department: “I strongly believe in influential leadership instead of authoritative leadership. Working within an influential leadership model, committed employees will give up discretionary time to solve problems, serve customers, and think creatively. On the other hand, people working under authoritative leadership will work to achieve compliance, doing only what needs to be done to get by.”

“As a leader, I always help people understand how their contributions fit into the broader vision and inspire the team to achieve the

Testhouse, the global testing and Quality Assurance leader, designed, built and streamlined the QA function/ framework for Alizz Islamic Bank in their digital transformation journey.

With close to two decades of deep expertise in banking and financial services domain, Testhouse is testing and assuring the top 20 middle east banks in digital banking, core banking, Islamic banking, channels, cards & payments, insurance, GRC and many other services.

greater good of the organisation. Inspiration is not mandated, dictated or driven by authority - it is achieved by enlisting others, touching the hearts of employees whilst engaging their brains.”

Clearly, Alizz’s approaches are working – both in its approach to its operations and its staff. The bank and its employees have received multiple accolades in recent years: in 2017, the company won the Best Islamic Banking Brand award at the Global Brand Awards, after having only been in operation for four years. In 2018, its Assistant General Manager, received the Head of Strategy and CSR, Aisha Al-Kharusi, received the Middle East Woman Leader Award, and in 2019, its CEO, Salaam Said Al Shaksy, won Top CEO 2019 at the Islamic Banks at the Top CEO Conference and Awards. Finally, in keeping with Venkatesh’s current desire to focus on this area, the company received the ‘Excellence in Digital Banking’ award at the New Age Banking Summit.

With this strong, award-winning leadership and a carefully monitored and protected approach to risk, success is inevitable, and as Venkatesh believes strongly, success breeds success: “Success is addictive. Once we make the team taste success, that in itself motivates the staff to go beyond their means and give what it takes to complete the job with the utmost quality and timeliness.”

It is no wonder, then, that Alizz Islamic Bank is receiving the recognition that it does. Even though it is a young bank in an equally young sector of banking (one that has only existed since the Royal Decree made it possible in 2012), it has quickly risen to the top names in its field, and should continue to rise as its expansion into the potential offered by digitalisation continues, and as Venkatesh continues to push its operations towards excellence and guards them against pitfalls.

For more information please visit www.testhouse.net

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AUTOMOTIVES

DS 3 CROSSBACK LA PREMIERE RRP: £33,950

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he DS brand is part of Citroën, which started using the DS name on some of its more premium models in 2009. In 2012, the company launched DS as its own brand in China, and in 2014 did the same thing in Europe.

The name harks back to the classic 1955 Citroën DS 19, a car that embodied French avant-garde motoring. Further DS-badged Citroëns followed through the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, and today are considered design icons. It’s that heritage that inspired today’s DS automobiles.

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that this is a distinctive car from all angles; the stunning front has a large grille and ingeniously designed head lights, with a series of small LED lamps that turn on and off when sensing other cars, meaning you can drive in high beam and there will be no dazzle to oncoming traffic.

Meanwhile, side shark fin pillars, great alloys and, of course, the huge twin exhaust pipes at the rear end make this design striking in all 360 degrees.

The design uses a diamond motif that continues on the inside of the vehicle. The cabin is a lovely place to sit, as it has plenty of space – there is ample head room in this car, and plenty of leg space in both the front and rear. It is also a quiet place to sit, with an acoustic windscreen to deaden sound and a 15-speaker stereo to rock out to. The unusual dashboard layout continues the diamond

theme. Its touch-sensitive buttons do take a little while to get used to, but are faultless once you have adjusted. They don’t press in or click and are more akin to the feel of a smart phone.

Concerning your options with this car, Citroën is offering the usual deep quality paint in an enormous range of colour combinations.

The interior options are all very plush as well; ours had a brown leatherette which looked superb. In terms of the engine, there are three petrol options: three cylinders 100, 130 and 155 bhp, as well as a 100 bhp diesel if that takes your fancy. Apparently, there will soon also be a fully electric option with a 2,000-mile range and 134 bhp. This is due to be released this year – however, the price is not yet confirmed.

Most importantly this is a lovely car to drive with great feedback. You can clock up big miles very easily and comfortably. However, we test lots of cars for Endeavour Magazine to keep you up to date, and although I loved this car, it didn’t like me. A stone smashed the windscreen, another car scratched it in a carpark, and I picked up a parking ticket when getting a curry. It was just one of those weeks, so don’t let my misfortune put you off from trying this very impressive little number out for size. DS continue to impress me with their vision and ability to create new and fresh cars, and the new DS3 Crossback is no exception.

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KEEPING SINGAPORE MOVING Land Transport & Authority (LTA) Singapore chevron-square-right www.lta.gov.sg phone-square +65 62255 582 Singapore is world-famous thanks to its bustling business and stunning architecture, but as well as that, it is the brilliance with which its layout has been designed. The island country is unique in that it is fully urbanised, which raised challenges in its construction, such as how to make sure the city was pleasant to live in rather than overwhelming.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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his challenge was carefully addressed in its design; it was planned and constructed with the aim to arrange the city in a series of self-contained neighbourhoods, so that it is rarely necessary to travel far across the island for amenities. This connected series of units makes sure that Singapore feels warm and community-led, with residents knowing their neighbours and feeling situated within their local areas, instead of lost amongst a vast and unfeeling metropolis. The design also greatly reduces traffic, and as a result, public transport is the leading method of travel across the country.

Responsible for managing this necessity is Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport.

LTA is responsible for all land-based transport within the city, including the planning, design, building and maintaining of all infrastructure and systems. The body’s aim is to not only maintain efficient transportation around the city, but to make its transportation as green and inclusive as possible. “We leverage technology to strengthen our rail and bus infrastructure and provide exciting options for future land transport, complemented by convenient options to walk and cycle.”

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The LTA is constantly busy developing, maintaining, expanding and updating Singapore’s many transport systems. We looked at the organisation’s current slate of projects, both ongoing and set for the near future, and there was a multitude. Firstly, it has a number of projects seeking to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to travel from town to town. For example, the 21.5km North-South Expressway has been redesigned to support this greener travel, with cycling trunk routes that link up to Singapore’s wider cycling path networks, and also continuous bus lanes. Once completed, it will be the first of Singapore’s integrated transport corridors to feature these.

Construction for the project began in 2017, and work is expected to conclude in 2026.

Then, there are numerous projects focused on the country’s rail system, both above ground and subterranean. These subterranean rail works are particularly challenging to achieve, as we have highlighted before when speaking with companies who specialise in this below-ground construction within Singapore; it is such an densely urbanised area that those working below ground must be careful not to interfere with pipes, electrics or the foundation of other buildings, and must leave the earth

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around it structurally sound. Perhaps the most challenging of its pending rail projects is Singapore’s Cross Island Line (CRL), a 50km line that will link major hubs throughout Singapore such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region. The Cross Island Line will be fully subterranean (LTA’s longest underground line, in fact) and will be the country’s eighth MRT line. LTA described the project thus: “When fully completed, it will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, western, and north-eastern corridors. The projected daily ridership of the entire CRL is more than 600,000 in the initial years, increasing to over one million in the longer term.”

The lengthy build has been broken down into three phases, with the first phase expected to begin in 2020 and be completed by 2029.

This first phase will be 29 kilometres long, with 12 stations, and will benefit over 100,000 households, as well as reaching public spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

“The CRL will be an important part of our MRT network, providing a faster commute between the east and the west. It will connect all of our existing radial MRT lines with close to half of the CRL stations being interchange stations. Besides relieving the load on several of the existing MRT lines, the CRL will also provide commuters with many more travel routes to get to their destinations, bring about greater comfort to commuters and shorten journey times.”

Another line expansion is planned for the Jurong Region Line (JRL), which will add 24 stations to the existing rail network. Like the CRL, the new line will open in three stages, the first opening in 2026, with the latter two opening over the following two years. This expansion will add to the number of destinations the rail network can reach, and will also improve its efficiency by providing an alternate route to many areas that were already accessible, therefore allowing commuters to pick the faster and more efficient route for them, and spreading out the demand on each line.

LAND TRANSPORT & AUTHORITY (LTA) SINGAPORE

A key achievement for speed and efficiency will also be achieved with the Circle Line 6, a final project to complete the circuit on Singapore’s Circle Line. Truly a loop, the line will become an extremely easy method of travel for commuters moving between key areas of Singapore, such as the Pasir Panjang, Kent Ridge and key employment areas. “Expanding our rail network to areas such as the southern edge of Singapore’s existing Central Area, CCL6 will support direct east-west travel.” The 4km missing piece to the Circle Line is set for completion in 2015, and will bring the line’s station total up to 33, including 12 interchange stations with other MRT lines.

These are just a few examples of multiple such projects, but perhaps the most interesting of all is LTA’s work on a rail line that will travel beyond Singapore; the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR). This project is a collaborative effort between the governments of Malaysia and Singapore, aiming to create a seamless and easy way to travel between the two capital

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cities, from Kuala Lumpur’s Bandar Malaysia station and Singapore’s Jurong East. This sort of link would be a huge boon to both business and personal travel.

To complete this construction project, the LTA has formed a subsidiary called SG HSR Pte. Ltd. The subsidiary is wholly owned by LTA but will coordinate between the two countries, working alongside Malaysia’s MyHSR Corp.

Construction on this project was suspended by the Malaysian government in September 2018, and is set to continue again in May 2020.

Once complete, it is predicted that the line will reduce the travel time between the capitals of these two countries to 90 minutes.

Transport systems are the veins of a country, carrying the life force of its residents. The better the network, the more efficient and easier the flow, and the cleaner the impact, the healthier a city is, and LTA are tireless in preserving and ever-improving the health of one of the world’s smoothest and most efficient urban spaces.

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THE SIX-LEGGED DOG Eni chevron-square-right www.eni.com

Italian company Eni is a well-known name in the global oil and gas industry, making serious waves wherever it operates. To get to know this company better, we focused in on Eni Africa, to explore an area of operations that accounts for half of Eni’s total production.

Written by Amy Buxton

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efore we get to the specifics of the African branch of Eni, it would be prudent to get a feel for the company as a whole, to lend some context to what is happening on the continent. Let’s start with a look at the guiding principles of the operation, in its own words: “We are an energy company. We are working to build a future where everyone can access energy resources efficiently and sustainably.

Our work is based on passion and innovation, on our unique strengths and skills, on the quality of our people and in recognising that diversity across all aspects of our operations and organisation is something to be cherished. We believe in the value of long-term partnerships with the countries and communities where we operate.”

Given that Eni is an Italian company, it was only natural that there would be some artistry involved, but who knew that oil and gas could sound so poetic? Well, with a presence in 71 countries and a staffing contingent of 33,000-strong, there’s a little room for lyricism, but let’s find out what makes the African branch of Eni so special.

Eni likes to add a little humour to things and describes how the “six-legged dog first left its paw prints in the Egyptian desert in 1954.” The Endeavour Magazine | 113

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quote, of course, refers to the charming multilimbed logo of Eni and while it made its first tentative steps into Egypt a long time ago, today, the African arm of Eni accounts for more than half of the total crude oil and natural gas collected by the entire company. Yes, all 71 countries. This staggering fact alone has ensured that Eni is now the primary producer in Africa.

While impressive production rates are great, Eni is not about to sit back and wait for new opportunities or simple good fortune to step in, which is why a growth initiative is being put into practice and not simply for the benefit of Eni’s bottom line, as Claudio Descalzi revealed: “Energy and diversification are the key elements for Africa’s long-term development.

Lack of access to energy in Africa entrenches poverty and encourages migration, depriving countries of some of their best people. The private sector can make a huge contribution

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to the use of resources for local development through investment, skills and technology.”

We challenge you to recall the last time you heard of an energy company seeking to develop its offerings, purely for the good of the community, but that’s exactly what the Eni ‘Africa for Africa’ model is all about: “We want to develop Africa’s resources for the benefit of the continent and have invested in domestic capital to promote local development from the very start. The key to this is access to energy, which leads to development and stability, allowing Africa to fully harness its growth potential. Almost twothirds of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population lives without electricity and in unsafe environmental conditions. We were the first energy company to produce gas not only for export, but also local consumption.”

Far from simply seeking to strip Africa of the resources that make it so promising, Eni wants to locate them and distribute them fairly, for the

THE SIX-LEGGED DOG

good of everybody; we don’t know about you, but that sounds refreshing to us. Moreover, as part of the same initiative, there is an inherent commitment to improving the future: “We want to replace 50 per cent of the traditional biomass used in the continent – wood and coal – with renewable energy and gas.

We’re creating a low-carbon future based on an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable model.”

Oil and gas production are, in terms of the logistics, fairly standard, but the way local communities benefit from the activities and the relationships garnered between producers and residents is what sets certain companies apart. For Eni, this is definitely the case, as it has carefully developed and maintained a relationship with Africa over the last 60 years and includes certain surprising elements such as art exhibits. This really ties into Claudio’s vision:

Medserv has been providing Logistics and associated services to ENI in North Africa for over 40 years.

These services have predominantly been provided from our supply base in Malta and support by the Medserv Libyan Branch. Medserv would like to congratulate ENINA on its progressive strategy in providing sustainable business and we would welcome being part of this continuous success story that is ENINA.

www.medservenergy.com

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“We need to create a North-South corridor between Europe and Africa – a channel not only for energy, but also partnership, social development and stability.”

Eni, in this global vision, will act as the conduit for more than just oil and gas, bringing about opportunities and development initiatives as well. The company already recognises that by having a presence in countries that are less industrial than most, it can provide amazing routes into a more progressive future.

Eni discusses the theory of ‘Local Content’ for development: “By Local Content we mean the added value that Eni brings to the socio-economic context of the host country through the participation of local people and businesses in Eni’s industrial activities, the transfer of skills and knowledge and the reinforcement of communities’ skills assets.”

In short, Eni is looking to give back to Africa and its people. Yes, the continent has been

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generous in terms of oil and gas produced, all of which has lifted Eni into a prominent position within the energy sector, but the relationship is entirely reciprocal. As Eni continues to grow and succeed, so too do the local people who are given jobs, and who then feed into the economy. It’s a truly cyclical and supportive relationship and that seems to be the secret to Eni’s success, given that this model is replicated on every continent!

As Eni implies, energy is life and everyone has the right to a safe, happy and comfortable existence. While the oil and gas keep flowing in Africa, so too will the socio-economic growth and the potential for great change. That’s the kind of debt that’s hard to repay, but all Eni is asking for is to keep working together. Now that really is the future of big business.

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OVERSEEING IT ALL Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) chevron-square-right www.ports.go.tz phone-square 0800-110032/47

As you can guess from the name, the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) handles all things port-related in Tanzania, but its influence actually goes far further than that. We took a closer look to see just how far its reach stretches.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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PA is a government-owned body in Tanzania that regulates and licenses port and marine services and facilities, manages vessel traffic and ensures port safety and security. As we’ve said time and again, ports are essential to any country, a key to travel and trade with the wider world. The ports managed by TPA are even more essential than this, serving not only Tanzania, but its landlocked neighbours, including Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.

Established in 2004, TPA oversees a complex system of mainland, sea and inland waterways, aka lake ports. According to a statement issued

by Director General Deusdedit C.V Kakoko, “Currently, the Authority performs the role of both a Landlord and Operator over the ports, with the main objective of promoting effective management and operations of sea and inland waterways; provision of services in relation to loading and unloading of cargo and passenger services; developing, promoting and managing port infrastructure and superstructure, and maintaining port safety and security.”

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complimented by smaller sea ports Kilwa, Lindi, Mafia, Nyamisati, Kisiju, Bagamoyo, and Pangani. Then, there are the country’s lake ports: Mwanza Noth and South Ports, Nansio, Kemondo Bay, Bukoba and Musoma on Lake Victoria; Kigoma and Kasanga on Lake Tanganyika and Itungi Port, Kiwira, Manda Liuli and Mbamba Bay on Lake Nyasa.

Striving for excellence, TPA hopes to bring world-class logistics and maritime services to Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. It’s important to remember that its performance does not only impact its own country, but its many neighbours who also make use of these ports. It must also cater to vessels coming from overseas, to encourage and facilitate ongoing trade. Therefore, TPA’s many aims include the desire to construct more harbours and more navigational beacons, which it would not only erect but go on to maintain, in order to ease the use of its ports and waterways.

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Kakoko broke down more of TPA’s planned expansions in his public statement: “TPA is currently embarking on big projects in port expansion and development. The upgrading and developing of Dar es Salaam Port through Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DMGP) will allow us to increase water depth to 14.5m, widening of entrance channel and construction of new specialized motor vehicle berth (ro-ro). A further investment is being made to construct a new general cargo berth at Port of Mtwara with the quay length of 300m with 13m water depth. These investments will further increase the Port’s capacity to handle more cargo by the end of 2020.”

As well as developing, constructing and maintaining Tanzania’s many ports, TPA must, of course, oversee their daily operations. The foremost issue that a port must respond to the need for smooth and efficient harbour services; these involve not only the mooring and unmooring of ships, but making sure that

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all movement in and out between arriving and departing vessels happens smoothly, that every vessel is clearly guided to the correct berth, and that the necessary resources are then available to them whilst they are in dock.

“The safety of your ship as it enters any of our ports is one of our top priorities. We offer a number of services to all vessels that enter our ports including pilotage, tugging and mooring, to ensure that your vessel is safely docked and allowing you to safely conduct your business at our ports.”

Port services also include the handling of various forms of cargo. “We are well equipped with an array of machinery and equipment to handle a wide range of cargo. Our teams of highly trained professionals in various fields work around the clock to ensure that cargo entering and exiting our ports is in pristine condition and on time.” TPA break cargo down into three types: dry bulk, break bulk and bulk liquid. Dry bulk cargo refers to any unpacked,

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homogenous product, such as grain, rice or coal.

This type of cargo is easy to drop or pour into containers, down shoots etc. Meanwhile, break bulk refers to any cargo that must be loaded individually, whether this be individual items or containers. This includes products such as vehicles, vehicle parts and agri-products, but despite the name, also refers to hardy products such as iron, steel and other metals. Lastly, as is apparent from the name, bulk liquid refers to any and all liquid cargo, including LNGs and other hazardous products.

This brings us to another essential but less obvious aspect of TPA’s responsibilities – emergency response. When one hears ‘safety and security’ in regards to a port or similar industrial undertaking, one’s mind might go straight to security personnel and surveillance etc., and this is all a requirement too, but on top of that, TPA must be ready to respond to accidental threats such as fire or medical emergency. Both sides are important, and therefore, TPA’s security and fire teams are both available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to any emergency at the port and neighboring areas. It may seem surprising that TPA has its own fire brigade, but given the amount of fuel alone, never mind other flammable cargo, that travels around a port, it is an important resource to have. As the TPA describes, “The fully functional and wellequipped fire brigade consists of experienced firemen and rescue professionals, armed with top-of-the-line equipment and vehicles to tackle anything from fires and explosions to chemical and biological hazards. The brigade does periodical drills to ensure the staff, visitors and other port users are well prepared for any emergency response. The drills are used to benchmark response time and further used to train the emergency responders, staff and port users in order to maintain a constant state of readiness and awareness. The brigade also participates in firefighting efforts outside port areas in collaboration with respective local authorities.”

Amongst TPA’s other emergency responders is their medical response team, who are trained to handle any medical emergencies around the 122 | Endeavour Magazine

port areas. This training includes the ability to respond to both physical and mental issues that port users may have. The teams work with a chief medical officer, and have a dedicated health center on site that’s fully equipped with staff, a clinic and facilities capable of support life-saving surgery. On the other side of the spectrum, there is even a gym to allow staff to keep fit and healthy.

TPA’s work is never done; as well as overseeing the many operations and the hectic ins and outs that make up the life of busy ports, TPA must continually look forwards. As Deusdedit says about their future ambitions, “TPA is determined to forge ahead, focusing on contributing to the Industrial growth policy spearheaded by the government under the President Hon. Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli. Our long-term plan is to see growth of the containers business, general cargoes and oil and gas business, with emphasis on the Hoima-Tanga Port pipeline crude oil business.”

This impact TPA can have on the growth of not only the transport and logistics sectors, but the businesses they support, is significant to remember; the Tanzania Ports Authority has a hand in more than just ports, and its works impact far further afield than just Tanzania.

This strategic position and heavy responsibility make TPA an intriguing organisation to keep an eye on in the future.

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