Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of delivering a presentation on exponential technologies at the beautiful C-Mine site in Belgian Limburg. This place was once synonymous with coal mining. After the discovery of coal in the Limburg Kempen in 1901, several industrial groups applied for mining concessions, and eight were granted. On March 31, 1988, the coal mine closed perman ...

Since the launch of the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’, Formula 1 has seen a tremendous increase in viewership of around 30%. And with the recent acquisition from Liberty Media of the pinnacle of motorsport, this viewership is only set to increase. The rise in attention to the sport comes with a certain pressure on its sustainability. Formula 1 therefore launched a ‘Net Zero ...

In this Long Read, we turn our attention to the bond class that can actually protect investors from inflation: inflation-indexed bonds (IIB). As the name implies, inflation-indexed bonds are linked to inflation. But how exactly do they function? Unlike conventional bonds, which give investors a fixed coupon and a repayment of principal at maturity, inflation-indexed bonds will ...

Renewable offshore energy technologies are an important focus point for the ambitious energy and climate targets set by the EU for 2030 and 2050. Offshore wind is leading the charge, but as we look further down the sea, the traditional bottom-fixed design become less feasible. But where there are challenges, there is innovation: Floating turbines, coined as floating wind, can b ...

In the ever-evolving landscape of global economics and geopolitics, the concept of US-China decoupling emerges as a multifaceted phenomenon. It's a narrative painted with both challenges and opportunities for emerging markets. As we delve into this intricate tale, we find that amidst the tensions, there's a nuanced perspective to consider. Picture a vibrant night in Hangzhou, ...

This week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) organized the world's inaugural conference on Critical Minerals and Clean Energy. Among the attendees were notable figures, including representatives from the Swiss mining giant Glencore and the Canadian Minister for Natural Resources. An unexpected participant at the conference was the Belgian Minister of Energy, given that crit ...

Each country works towards the climate transition with a set of assets, like Oman’s high potential for renewable energy or Belgium’s strong expertise in wind energy, and its own specific bottlenecks. One particularly interesting bottleneck Belgium faces is a relative shortage of space. Our country is small and densely populated, and ineffective spatial planning has let to ribbo ...

Addressing climate change has become an urgent global priority. As the global maritime shipping industry is transporting an impressive 11 billion tons of merchandise annually with the help of nearly 100,000 commercial vessels, this makes it not only a vital component of the global supply chain (scope 3 emissions), but also a vital component in addressing climate change. Today, ...

The Handshake of Trust: Streamlining Client Onboarding in a Regulatory Landscape Client onboarding is one of the most important stages in the client lifecycle for Econopolis. It represents the initial point of contact between our wealth management service providers and prospective clients. First impressions can significantly influence the rest of the client relationship, makin ...

Recent developments in the wind energy sector have raised questions about the competitiveness of offshore wind power, with industry giants like Siemens Gamesa and Orsted Energy facing challenges, and the UK's largest offshore wind tender drawing no participants. In this blog post, we delve into the evolving landscape of offshore wind energy by analyzing the Levelised Cost of El ...