FMO CEO Michael Jongeneel reports that rising gas prices and the conflict in the Middle East are driving up food prices and impacting the bank's financed partners more than previous trade wars. However, these challenges are also prioritizing the climate transition on the global agenda.
Students at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam are launching diverse startups, including sustainable sorbet and specialized insoles, as part of their Entrepreneurship minor. The program focuses on practical business development, requiring students to actively engage with local industries to bring their ideas to market.
Components manufactured in Haarlem, including solar panel springs and shuttle connectors, were part of NASA's recent Artemis II mission around the moon. Local manufacturers expressed pride in contributing vital technology to the international space exploration effort.
Brasserie Beeckestijn in Velsen-Zuid has been named the third-best wedding venue in North Holland. Owners Susanne and Michel received the honor after ten years of service, just before their planned relocation to France in July to start a new business.
Frank Valk, the 55-year-old owner of The ReadShop in Beverwijk, is seeking a successor to take over his bookstore. Valk has put the business up for sale to pursue a new career path, though the shop is expected to remain at its current location on Breestraat.
Jan-Kees Emmer argues that the D66 party must lead a policy shift in the Netherlands to prioritize human needs over political deadlock. He highlights the contrast between the ongoing political theater in The Hague regarding asylum laws and the more significant societal impact of the overloaded power grid in Utrecht.