The UK EU Relationship: Divorce, separation or reunion? Discussions at the GBF

I’ve been concerned about the singular lack of any real debate on the proposed UK referendum  on Britain’s role in the European Union. Thus, this year’s annual conference of the German British Forum (www.gbf.com) was a real magnet to me. The topic was “The European Single Market and the Future of British Manufacturing”. High level keynote speakers from both Germany and the UK promised some real relevant information.

The event took place in Stationers’ Hall, a stone’s throw from St Pauls. A little gem in itself, there is an article on the Hall with photos available here: http://miltoncontact.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/stationers-hall-brief-visit-to-london.html

The event covered four main sections:

1. Competitiveness challenges in the European automotive sector – German and UK industry strategies
2. The vital place of the single market in the new Europe – Keynote speech by Rt Hon Lord Owen
3. The European economy and the importance of the single market
4. The future of the Euro area – What kind of Europe do we want? What kind will we get?

Looking back on my notes, the insights gained came in a slightly different order.

1. The future of the Euro area

There was one clear message here: The current economic crisis was on the one hand pushing the Eurozone harder towards centralisation and on the other, revealing the stress fractures between and within nations. Indeed, there was a clear fear that under the pressure to survive, the Eurozone was dropping economic elements of “competitiveness” and “subsidiarity” and replacing them with a political “harmonisation”. At one particular point I was reminded of the poem by Baldrick of Blackadder fame: “Doom, Doom! Doom, Doom, Doom…”.

This was of course contrasted with the economic realities in the UK and Germany.

2. Competitive challenges in the European Automotive sector

Speakers from major automotive companies and their 1st and 2nd tier suppliers actually had a more optimistic note now after the harsh recession in the past decade. Transport is one of the major industries in the European single market. The German automotive sector is on the up again and Britain’s suppliers to the industry are also increasing trade. Three aspects were seen as of major importance to the future of the industry:

• Major investment in Research and Development
• Training of highly qualified staff
• The need for a period of political stability and longer term thinking.

Moving on, we considered the broader aspects of the UK’s benefits of being within Europe

3. The European Economy and the importance of the single market

This session began with great humour by our Eurosceptic UK delegate, John Redwood; Joking that where before he was seen as on the far right and now he is being criticised for being too middle of the road.

However the highlight for me was the presentation by Dr Rebecca Harding of Delta Economics. Her talk was full of more real data than I could record. Here are just some of the key points:

• 34% of world trade originates in Europe ($55 trillion).
• Europe predominately exports to itself.
• New accession countries like Poland and the Czech Republic are undergoing dramatic growth
• The economics of scale affect logistics and supply, thus the EU dictates patterns of trade in pharmaceuticals, cars and oil globally.
• The EU uses its union to strengthen its global supply chains . 

The remainder of the session echoed the need for longer term political and economic stability. The proposed UK referendum on Europe and the current negative political agitation were introducing a level of uncertainty.

So what was the solution that would address both concerns of the UK’s Eurosceptic majority and allow businesses and the UK economy to benefit from the European single market?

4. The vital place of the European market in the New Europe. A Solution?

Lord Owen’s speech suggested a practical and welcome solution (see further down). Taking us back through some of the EU’s history, Lord Owen reminded us that the current “In or Out” black and white perspective of the EU was inaccurate. The different nations within the EU had always had a plethora of sometimes conflicting attitudes and required solutions. This was reflected by the different agreements in place; from the Schengen free trade area, the EU Customs Union, the Eurozone to the European Economic Area.

Wikipedia has this excellent graphic illustrating this point by author Wdcf:

Lord Owen recognises that

• All European countries benefit from the single market.
• A number of EU countries are working towards political and economic union, as the Eurozone.
• The UK and some other countries wish to retain control over their own political and economic affairs.

The proposed solution is:

• To use the current framework of existing agreements to strengthen the membership and voice of countries within a restructured European Economic Area, as the single market.
• Whilst allowing the economic and political union of the Eurozone members to continue as one major bloc within the restructured EEA.

This requires strong but constructive negotiation by the UK prior to the proposed referendum.

At the meeting itself, I was initially sceptical of the proposal.  This was primarily because it may be difficult to get the message across to a Eurosceptic electorate. The current public thinking is simplistic in terms of “in or out of the EU referendum”.

Now, I am gradually coming around to the idea.

Conclusion

For the UK business community, it is essential that we give our political leaders a clear message: The UK economy is far better off within a European single market with a UK voice, than out on a limb on our own.

This meeting of the 18th Annual Conference of The German British Forum was a timely event prior to the run up to the future UK referendum on Europe.

Recommended reading: “Europe Restructured” by David Owen- For a more considered view of Lord Owen’s arguments than could be presented here. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00994MZS8

Looking back on Ecobuild 2012

This year’s visit to Ecobuild in March on behalf of Tollé Green Architecture extended to two days due to the size of the exhibition and the interesting talks and seminars. A few personal impressions and images above follow.

The dramatic increase in popularity of Ecobuild 2012 was immediately apparent in the increasing crush on the Light Dockland’s Railway leading to Excel, where the event was taking place. Now the largest “green” exhibition in the world, Ecobuild 2012 filled both the exhibition halls of the venue.

Ecobuild has matured over the years with larger international companies like Balfour Beatty and Schueko featuring as well as the venerable BRE. Renewable systems such as photovoltaics were very well represented. Water management was particularly relevant as the current drought is still extant despite the heavy rainfall. LED energy efficient lighting is also coming of age with larger LEDs offering alternatives to using groups or strips of smaller LEDs behind diffusers.

Energy management in domestic and commercial properties appears to be entering a second generation phase. The obvious choices of double glazing, better roof insulation and cavity wall filling are now well into maturity and acceptance in the UK. The the next big challenge will be the “Hard to treat” properties. The majority comprise solid wall buildings from some of the oldest housing stock, where external or internal insulation is the only solution.

More intelligent energy management both in construction, in day to day use and during the lifetime of the building was another item of future importance. Useful piece of information gained – the average pupil generates 65W energy just by sitting in a classroom!

Green roofing caught my attention for two reasons. First was the rationale for its use. I had originally thought that green roofing provided additional insulation, but apparently wet soil negates the beneficial effect of any additional layers on a roof. The true benefit lies in the provision of replacement or additional green environments or niches that would otherwise have been lost under the footprint of the building. Second was the sophistication of the layering and patterning of subsoil drainage onto which the green roofs were established.

Following on from the Exhibition there are three threads that I have been more aware of:

1. More sophisticated green solutions are available in a mature market
2. Looking out for the impact of the Green Deal over the coming year
3. The increasing use of BIM (Buildings Information Modelling) in building construction and lifetime management.

Tollé Green Architecture is interested in ethical and environmentally responsible UK partners for construction, housing projects and retrofitting. Contact Chris.

Norwich Dentists Study Group discusses telescope attachments

A visit to an active group of East Anglian dentists who meet regularly to ensure their own continued professional development. Member Martin Sulo gave a presentation to Norwich Dentists Study Group, with case studies and a lively member discussion on the uses of telescopic crowns. German dental technician and German crown expert Ulrich Heker attended in support.

Telescopic attachments were originally invented in the late 1800s in the USA but have become known as German or double crowns, due to the expertise developed and routinely applied in the latter country. They are still relatively unknown and underutilised in the UK. One of the reasons being the need for a good partnership between dentist and dental technician.

Telescopic attachments provide dental replacement solutions where implants are contra-indicated. This can not only be due to the patients physical and health situation, the patients preferences and the current economic climate are equally important. Telescopic attachments fall midway between conventional prostheses and implants in cost whilst providing good aesthetics, and functionality. Telescopic attachments are prostheses that attach to a few existing teeth that are capped with a primary crown. The secure attachment is achieved via secondary crowns in the prosthesis.

Dentist Martin Sulo, Botesdale Dental Practice in Diss, had been collaborating with my business colleague, Ulrich Heker, owner manager of the dental technical laboratory Teeth'R'Us from Essen, Germany. Martin gave a seminar on his experience of using telescopic attachments as part of the continuing CPD of fellow members of the Norwich Dentists Study Group. Ulrich came over from Germany to be there and support Martin with any questions relating to the dental technician half of the work. Ulrich is very modest about his English skills, so I tagged along as facilitator if needed. The meeting was held in the impressive Georgian Assembly Rooms in Norwich.

The teamwork worked well. Martin Sulo was a calm and measured presenter, apparently unfazed by questions with which he was peppered during the talk; Ulrich Helker was able to jump in with technical detail. The Norwich Dentists Study Group came across as a relaxed yet highly informed affair. Martin had initially expressed concern that his well illustrated talk would only last half an hour at the most, he needn't have worried. The active questions and discussions of both dental and technical aspects of the case studies and the science behind the use of telescopic attachments, filled two hours that appeared to pass in a flash.

The new aspects that I really picked up from Martin's talk and the discussions were first, the importance of friction. Precise control of friction is required so that on the one had the prosthesis is retained firmly in the mouth whilst still being able to be removed by the patient. The second point was the balance between using precious alloys or non precious alloys. This was a matter that bounced around the discussion as the respective pros and cons in different situations were considered.

Two hours of technical discussion, no matter how interesting, generates a need for liquid refreshment. We gladly accepted the invitation to visit the group's post-meeting pub and spent the remainder of the evening in pleasant company before Ulrich and I took the late night drive back to Cambridge along now empty roads.

The relaxed teamwork between dentist Martin Sulo and dental technician Ulrich Heker was a winning combination and I thoroughly recommend them to other dental groups. If you are based within a couple of hours of Norwich, take a look at the Norwich Dentists Study Group program for the coming year.

Related articles:
http://miltoncontact.blogspot.com/2009/06/getting-our-teeth-into-glasgow.html
http://miltoncontact.blogspot.com/2010/10/women-shrouded-on-chairs-with-rictus.html
http://miltoncontact.blogspot.com/2011/10/entering-new-dental-market-requires.html

EMU and the Netherlands

Professor Klaas Knot, President of De Nederlandsche Bank gave us a calm view of the future of the EMU and the Netherlands' place in Europe in his talk in the OMFIF Golden Series on World Money, 17th February 2012.

Having the meeting in the auspicious environs of the Armourers and Braziers Hall in London, which had survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz in the 20th century, Professor Knot quipped, was surely an auspicious sign for this talk. Perhaps the small cannon facing his back merely reflected the frisson of uncertainty that the Euro-zone is currently experiencing.

The free trade with the rest of Europe is vital to the economy of the Netherlands as over 60% of its exports are to this area. Furthermore, its cautious economic policies have allowed the economy to broadly mirror that of the EUs powerhouse, Germany. The overall interest is therefore in the success of the EMU.

We were reminded that EMU stands for Economic and Monetary Union – a vital point as it is often confused with Europe in a more political sense. Historically, it initially worked very well as countries aiming to join the EMU put in place stricter economic domestic measures that meant a good convergence. The spanner in the works was the financial crisis, after which there was a dramatic divergence between different EU countries in how they responded. National Debt as a proportion of GDP also varied from 80%, the EU average, to over 140% as with Greece.

I was also fascinated to see how economic efficiency in terms of labour costs was an area where Germany had, in the long run, benefiter from the union of the former FRG and East Germany.

The current crisis has prompted governments into taking major actions to counter the situation. However, a more common and consistent approach is essential across the Eurozone, which naturally means greater EU integration. As Professor Knot pointed out, this could only happen with popular acceptance and a greater democratisation of EU institutions. It was also important that the financial measures or future firewalls were also matched by a consistent narrative that was able to tell the positive aspects of the EURO story, because, despite all the current perceived problems, the EURO is still a resounding success story.

We came away with the feeling that, in the Netherlands at least, there is a very strong interest in the stability and maintenance of the Euro-zone. There was also an inclusive approach to trying to keep Greece in the Euro-zone. For the moment, with the last weeks 3 month solution for Greece, it appears that the situation may match Professor Knots inclusive approach.

In a market with speculation rippling through any conversation by groups of two or more, Professor Knot's presentation was a good attempt of pouring oil on the troubled waters.

Previous OMFIF talk attended at Armourers Hall

The International Monetary System is to local crises like the climate is to weather

Practical examples of retrofitting in Verden, Germany

A talk on a practical German example on the benefits and practical ways of retrofitting communal housing stock, as successfully applied in Verden.

This was a talk given at a wider Anglo-German meeting of a group with a common goal of ethical and energy efficiency in construction . Our hosts and organisers were Sandra and Leif Tollé. The talk was followed by a team building exercise at Bredbeck House, an hours drive from the city. My visit took place during the extremely cold period in February 2012, with outside temperatures reaching minus 15 degrees Centigrade.

Verden (Aller) is a small Cathedral city famous for being the site of a major battle (massacre) by Charlemagne, for its long links with mounted regiments and with the British Hannoverian Crown.

The slideshow features Verden and the participants in general,

The Anglo German delegation attended a talk by Olaf Heitkamp of Verden's communal housing company, Kreisbaugesellschaft des Kreises Verden mbH (http://www.kreisbau-verden.de/). It was held in a cosy venue within the Holzmarkt, a historic military stables, renovated and converted into a cultural and shopping centre for the city.

The company has been in existence since 1922, providing housing stock for rent and of which some includes social housing. Currently, they are responsible for 1050 flats in houses. In Germany, properties are sized by the number of rooms, in contrast to the UK where we just count the bedrooms. The flats are described as being mostly three to four rooms in size, with an average of 2 residents per property.

They began retrofitting for energy efficiency in 1989, initially using wall insulation. However, this created problems with mould and so a full package including windows and roofs was included from 2011. Note that the lofts of these houses were 3m high and usable, the houses, like other German properties also have usable cellars.

From 2006 to 2010, the energy savings were already 37%.

Further specific examples were given. Base (or plinth) insulation and external insulation of nine houses with 6 flats each showed dramatic savings in heating oil use, from 104250 L in 2000 to 44000 L in 2010. Another project of six homes with five flats each that were heated using a gas fuelled generator for hot water and electricity reduced the 2010 gas use from 422000 cubic meters to 202800 cubic meters in 2011.

Another key lesson was whether it was better to retrofit or to demolish and rebuild. One project of three houses was costed at EURO 1.3m to retrofit, it was simply more economic to rebuild at the highest current standards, with the residents being offered housing elsewhere.

With the German national government giving subsidies for energy efficiency to the tune of EURO 1bn, the communal housing association is building more properties to an anticipated high standard, “EnEV 2012”.

The talk was extensive, with more examples. The overall tenor was of considerable experience in retrofitting and new-build to the highest energy standards suitable for each site or situation.

For more information and contact with author chris@miltoncontact.com.

For UK examples or Green build and retrofitting, see the following articles:

Miltoncontact: Can German Craftsmen give UK's Heritage a facelift?

Miltoncontact: NRW Green Building Services Companies on a ...

Historic buildings and future-proofing the skills to restore them: DE and GB experts meet in London

Tollé Architects, visiting a great practice in Verden, Germany

Whilst Fritz-Dieter Tollé Architektur reads like a recommendation in German (Tollé looks like the German exclamation for Great!) it does happen to be apt, as I found out on my current visit to meet up with the next generation, Sandra and Leif Tollé on mutual business.

To get to Verden, I left home at five in the morning after the first really disruptive snowfall of 2012. Fortunately, both trains and planes at Stansted were unaffected (Heathrow had cancelled over half its flights the previous day!) and I arrived in a sunny but arctic Hannover (minus 7 to minus 10 degC!), a chill that bit through even the thickest clothing.

The company itself (see http://www.arch-tolle.de/) is located in the cathedral city of Verden an der Aller (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verden_an_der_Aller).

Sandra  Tollé, CEO for the recently opened Duesseldorf branch of the company,
first introduced me to her father, Fritz-Dieter Tollé, on a tour before we had our meeting. He had built up the family owned and run company from scratch 30 years ago into the thriving practice with over 55 employees to date. The company has a broad experience and impressive portfolio in city planning, industrial projects and restoration of historical buildings.

Their current building was created by sympathetically fusing a tobacco factory with a former large stabling block wih a central atrium and stairwell. The spacious interiors over several floors were tastefully decorated in large modern paintings, the occasional architectural model and a lovely display of old survey instruments.

One striking feature was the polite and friendly greetings by any of the staff who passed us by or who we met on the tour, an atmosphere that was borne out by the low staff turnover, with many being longstanding employees.

A constructive business meeting exploring mutual interests and opportunities with Sandra followed before we finished for the day and I explored the city.

Twinned with another historic city, Warwick, Verden has a picturesque pedestrianized and quaintly cobbled city centre, dominated by the romanic (pre-gothic) cathedral at one end and a Rathaus with a lovely 15 bell hourly chime at the other, which plays a familiar German lullaby (Der Mond ist aufgegangen - The moon has risen).

Walking around the city centre, Leif Tollé, Sandra's husband, revealed a deep knowledge of the city history. This included a famous massacre of 4500 heathen Saxons by Charlemagne. It also used to have a wall built right through the middle of the city to separate the secular hoi polloi from the elevated bishopric, resulting in a lucrative toll on churchgoers on Sundays; a situation only alleviated when the town was unified when taken over by the Swedish crown.

I felt quite at home in a city that was situated in an equally flat countryside to the Fens, doubly so when it turned out that there was a long tradition of links to England through the Hanoverians PLUS  a love of horses, reminiscent of Cambridge's neighbouring towns of Newmarket and Huntingdon.

I'm looking forward to another set of interesting meetings here tomorrow.

How to Make Britain a more successful exporter. Part B.

From Wordle-images

This is the second of two articles prompted by Prime Minister David Cameron's LinkedIn request for business input - on how Britain could become more successful at exporting (Part A here)

Part B. Encourage small businesses to partner and provide a more comprehensive service 

A very effective route, especially for SMEs or microbusinesses, is to work in partnership on projects.

If you wish to enter an overseas market with a particular product, look for partners who have products or services that, together with yours, enhance the offer you can provide.

Example 1. Overseas assistance:

I provide assistance for overseas companies wishing to find contacts and markets in the UK. My company's (Milton Contact Ltd) strengths are communication - helping companies adapt their product information, accompanying on visits and acting as a Peer to Peer advisor on their behalf.

I partner with another business (Europartnerships) that has long established contacts abroad and is effective at the project proposal and business generation side in a range of countries. In turn, together we co-opt partners who can help with: client acquisition in the overseas location; Market research; Finding contacts; Arranging appointments for our clients.

By working together, we provide a breadth of service and skills that can tackle larger projects. Being modular also means that we can be as small or large as we wish.

Example 2. Web based English language tutoring site for professionals

I'm currently part of a UK collaboration that includes a web designer and Legal English Language Experts - aiming to launch an internet based language tutoring site for international business people in 2012. 

Examples 3. German businesses coming to UK

My clients are adopting this strategy too - see previous reports:
Entering a new market requires persistence
Historic buildings and future-proofing the skills to restore them: DE and GB experts meet in London

Collaboration between SMEs or microbusinesses - a strong tool to enable a larger, sound business presence internationally.

How to Make Britain a more successful exporter. Part A.

From World Economies Infographics

"How do you think Britain could become more successful at exporting? And if you do export, let’s hear your success stories."

These were the relevant questions posed by the Prime Minister David Cameron on LinkedIn, following last week's joint UK Trade and Industry/Department for Business Innovation and Skills conference on 'Exporting for Growth.

And with good reason, as he went on to explain "We know that exporting is good for the economy. Sixty per cent of the UK’s productivity growth is due to companies who export and those that do are eleven per cent more productive."

The Prime minister expressed an interest in hearing businesses' views and during his speech, he announced a business growth package to help Britain’s small and medium sized enterprises create jobs, export to new markets, secure finance and cut red tape.

Naturally, I thought about the issue and came up with two distinct answers, based on my experience.
A. Making it easier for small businesses to even think about exporting and
B. Encourage small businesses to partner and provide a more comprehensive service.

Point A is expanded further below.
Point B is tackled in "How to Make Britain a more successful exporter. Part B."

A. Making it much easier for small and micro-businesses to even think about exporting.

Here my two recommendations:

1. Mail the following basic information. As a single sheet.
 a) Infographic on the potential markets out there for UK markets to tackle.
 b) Bullet point signposting on entering new markets abroad
c) Basic information on the costs and financial assistance available

2. Follow up with well publicised country/tradeshow visits. 
Actively target companies in chosen sectors, do not wait for them to come to you.

Rationale:


For example, here is information on UKTI support and costs/subsidies that actually took quite a while to compile

• Export Market Research scheme - up to 50% support for agreed costs 
• Export Communication Review £350 subsidy towards £500 cost for first review 
• Overseas Marketing Info Service - from as little as £225 to £2000, depending on your requirements
• Tradeshow Access Program for SMEs - From £1000 to £1800 assistance 
• Free Political and Economic Updates. 

Small business leaders are pressed for time. A short prompt with relevant information is more likely to direct them to find out more.

The next step for those who are prompted by the initial short message: They may then be ready for the UKTI document "Your Export Opportunity - Our insight" (http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti/item/217820.html). It is positive and generally informative.

It is only then that the UKTI website with its wealth of detailed information and services available for the future exporter becomes relevant. By this time the interested party has hopefully the incentive to take valuable business time to dig for more information.

Making it very easy for businesses to make a taster trip to an exhibition abroad would also be of great benefit. There is nothing like physical presence at an event for meeting people and being open to new ideas and opportunities.

I am a UK provider of projects, market research, contacts and appointments for overseas companies entering the UK. There is a real push by countries such as Germany to enter markets in the EU and abroad and I've accompanied four or five delegations on the past year, often comprised of micro- businesses.

Whilst only a small proportion of companies then follow through and persist, it is a numbers game. The more that try, the more that will become active exporters. See how Germany has maintained its growth.

Where are tomorrows markets? See my infographic here based on IMF projections for 2010-2016 http://goo.gl/pBTP9

The Eurozone crisis: It's all about trust

From World Economies Infographics

What is the real issue behind the current crisis in the Eurozone? Trust. Which is why the situation is so unpredictable and rapidly changing.

On average, an EU country has a debt burden that is 80% of its annual GDP (see chart), with all the larger economies being the major culprits.

What distinguishes say Germany from Italy? It is the trust of a country's lenders in the country's ability to pay back the debt if challenged.

As small businesses we know that the trust you have gained from your clients is a hard-won achievement. We also know that that trust can be easily lost.

Unfortunately, there is a multiplicity of different trusts at play in the current European crisis.

For example, because Italy needs such a large bailout, questions begin to arise whether the other Eurozone countries can afford to cover it. France is now working desperately to ensure that it maintains its triple A credit rating.

Then there is the trust by a nation's people in their government's decisions. Current economic measures cause dramatic changes in existing social contracts and real job insecurity. If a tipping point is reached, trust in a government is lost and it becomes untenable - see the escalating protests at home and abroad.

Trust is an emotional issue. Logical arguments take a second place.

Which path the crisis will take - resolution by sudden inspired leadership, total collapse due to national popular revolts or a mess in-between - is unpredictable.

The one certainty is: These trust issues will have a major impact on us all. Prepare for the worst and hope that we will be pleasantly surprised.

The Return of the Saxons

It has been over 1000 years since the granddaughter of King Alfred, Princess Edith, Married Otto I Holy Roman Emperor. Her remains were recently found in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt. Today there was a return visit from Magdeburg to London, by the board supporting external trade for the Local Chamber of Commerce.

I had been invited to give a more light-hearted presentation to the group. This was followed by Lesley Hill, Geraldine Williams of MAMMALcreate www.mammalcreat.co.uk, an innovative marketing led design company.

Whilst we were in London England, the meeting was held in the very Scottish Caledonian Club, with gentleman in kilts, affording a great opportunity to introduce the guests to the complexities of the British Nations.

My presentation covered in brief (also see slideshow above)

• British history and culture
• The British economy Perceptions of Germany
• Some Case studies
• A practical session on Business Introductions
• Staying in touch after first contact
• The market assistance we could provide

Lesley and Geraldine followed with an unusual question and answer session. The aim was for the attendees to define the quality of their communication within the UK market, so that their launches would be targeted to achieve their desired objectives.

The case studies shown picked up the emotional elements that truly reflected the businesses; from a sixth form college, a design company through to a baby and children's safety swimwear provider. This was to the mutual satisfaction of both the company's teams and their customers. The latter associated with the brands and bought into them.

The Saxons successfully mastered the challenges that we put to them!

For us, as the UK participants, this was an interesting and productive afternoon and it also gave us insights into the Magdeburg businesses attending.

For more information about business opportunities by collaborating with companies from the region of Saxony Anhalt, contact:

Suzanne Doerrwand at doerrwand@magdeburg.ihk.de
or call her on +49 391 5693 138.

Lesley Hill of MAMMALcreate can be reached lesley@mammalcreate.co.uk.

Entering a new market requires persistence

Entering a new dental market requires persistence, something that Ulrich Heker of TEETH”R”US has demonstrated – and it is slowly paying dividends, as we found at this year's BDTA exhibition at the NEC.

As a qualified and experienced Dental Technician in with a business based in Germany, his expertise is in attachments and telescopic crowns – intermediate techniques between plain prosthetics and dental implants that are an ideal way for a private practice to expand their portfolio. Yet these methods are still practically unknown in the UK.

I helped Ulrich begin to tackle this gap in local knowledge by publishing educational articles in UK magazines such as The GDP, Dental Tribune and The Technologist over the past year. Articles that have found resonance further afield with requests to translate and reprint as far away as China.

Manning the stand Y06 at the BDTA Exhibition at the NEC this year, we were now visited by a number of dentists with their case notes and casts to catch up on the opportunity to discuss past, present and future work with his lab. Taking a long term view was bearing fruit.

Ulrich had invited me to join the stand to give language support over the three days of the exhibition. I joined a team of five that included Ulrich Heker, fellow dental technician Thomas Loehre, Klaus Viesteg, a dentist based in Northern Ireland and Andrea Heker, who ensured that the stand was provided with all the notes, leaflets and that any appropriate dental models were immediately to hand as we dealt with the flood of visitors.

Thursday started relatively quietly, which allowed the team to mesh, so that by Saturday we were able to work seamlessly; dealing with simple enquiries and then passing on to the relevant expert for the questions arising. It was also lovely to see Marie-Theres Luetje, Handwerkskammer Duesseldorf, when she dropped by, as she had supported Ulrich's planning and preparation for this and previous exhibitions.

Ulrich had taken a lot of time to provide interest at the stand – good visual examples on a banner, a glass case with key models and Thomas demonstrating precision milling - these all attracted dentists and other professionals.

The joker in the pack was an inspired little sculpture, caricaturing a benevolent dentist cleaning the dentures of a knitting old woman seated on a dentist's chair and her cat on her lap. Andrea had found the gem that caught the eye of the passers-by, raised a smile and opened conversations.

Ulrich's repeated visits to Birmingham meant that I, as a Brit, happily gave him the lead to show us the sights. We saw the picturesque canals, found good eateries and marvelled at the Broad Street clubbing scene in the evenings as we relaxed after our busy days.

Have a look at the following links: 

Wonder what dental telescopes and attachments are?
http://www.german-smile.info/combinedcare/combinedcare_02.htm

Interested in the technical publications – downloadable as PDFs?
http://www.german-smile.info/Publishing/publishing.htm

Some quirky pictures showing the effort that others made at the BDTA.
https://picasaweb.google.com/107595387761034666575/PicturesAtAnBDTAExhibition

To Have Vision and Foresight - What you need in the current depression!

From Wordle-images

Another conversation today is with Carl Suffield of Praescio. What the hell does that mean? was my question! "To Have Vision and Foresight!" Was Carl's answer. As someone who has worked in investment and retail banking, Carl definitely needs to know how to apply these in the current economic climate. The real benefit is applying these skills for his clients.

A typical situation is his work for Donovan & Dunne Ltd, a cleaning company. They are looking for improvements in the review of their cash flow and provide simple financial forecasting. The benefits Carl can bring to the company will be the expansion of the most important aspect of any business, their vital current customer base, as well as attracting future clients. They will also be looking to enhance their service level and quality even further.

In these cash strapped times, having a clear immediate overview of your company's finances ensures you keep out of the red. The other advantage is that you can then see which areas to develop further.

It sounds so simple, but sometimes it helps to have someone like Carl Suffield of Praescio to see the broader picture. His clients comment was "It helps me see the elephant instead of the grey!"

Contact Carl Suffield via his LinkedIn Profile http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/carl-suffield/13/422/5a8.

Helping small technology companies export to Germany with Cambridge TEC

From Wordle-images

With the world bemoaning the fact that we are not in a recession any-more but a depression, many would hunker down and sit tight until better time comes - or go under! The other alternative, and a philosophy that I find far more agreeable, is to see this as any challenging situation - a chance for new opportunities.
It is in this spirit that there is a meeting of the two doctors in the pleasant environs of Milton Country Park's Cafe Diem (with free WiFi).

Doctor Who? Well Dr Andrea Lorenz, who has just started her company Cambridge TEC (short for Technology Export Communication). As a linguist (she speaks English, German perfectly, conversationally in Italian, Danish and French) Andrea is originally from Germany and has adopted the UK as her home for the past 12 years, Andrea aims to assist UK technology SMEs in making a market entry into the German speaking world (which includes Austria and Switzerland too).

This is a nice counterpoint to my current activities, which is assisting predominantly German businesses find contacts in the UK, so we had a common base.

Why Germany? Germany is in the centre of Europe, it is the centre for trade fairs and it is the most active and successful economy in the EU, riding out the storm by actively promoting it's links with markets abroad.

Andrea has worked in technology and product innovation, for example with Healthcare, Food Safety, Smart Materials, with companies such as Innovia Technology Ltd., Cambridge IC and Sensotec.

With her own company, Cambridge TEC, she is offering targeted and bespoke service from introductions to on site trade fair support. What does this actually mean? Well a recent example was an excursion to Nuremberg, assisting Cambridge IC at the annual Sensor + Test Trade Fair, one of the biggest trade shows in the sector with around 600 exhibitors in 2011. Tasks included Press Releases, assisting in the stetting up of the stand and then being a proactive representative for the company, helping attract interested parties.

Andrea Lorenz's Cambridge TEC is "Translating aspiration into Achievement" for her clients. Our current conversation is finding many complementaries with Milton Contact.

Bedding in amongst the top 100 innovative German companies

Bernd Mahnke on Right receiving award

What a delightful blast from the past - Bernd Mahnke of CareConcept Mahnke dropped me an e-mail proudly passing on the news that he was recognised as one of the top 100 innovative German companies this year.

I had the privilege of accompanying Bernd around the UK back in 2008 as he was exploring the potential markets here - see article Lincoln Imps and Pressure Beds. CareConcept produces specialist beds for hospitals or long term care, where patients can be bedridden for considerable periods of time. Using a unique system, the beds gently adjust position along their whole length to ensure that pressure sores and points do not arise.

Well done Bernd for the Award!

From international boundaries to broomsticks

From Wordle-images

I talked today with Chris Little, who is a training consultant to the surveying and construction industries. We had wide ranging talks on topics that ranged from vehicle tracking devices to the resolution of international boundary disputes (where's the line on the ground!).

His company is Chris Little Training Services Limited and it provides courses from basic surveying skills to use of GPS and mapping software. But what does this actually mean?

"Most recently, I helped a company in Great Yarmouth use a theodolite and level to ensure the verticality of on- and offshore drilling derricks. For the company this meant significant time savings in both fitting the drilling equipment and the prevention of costly mistakes.

For many companies in the construction and fabrication industries, the biggest cost is often the mistakes made by their staff, as this comes out of bottom line figures.

I have also been involved in high precision industrial measurement, using surveying equipment that is capable of sub-millimetre accuracy. This is relevant for industries such as the repair of rail vehicles, the aligning of industrial gantries and pipe-work fabrication in the nuclear industry.

Some of the most unusual and interesting projects, though not major in themselves, included being involved with the filming of the last Harry Potter film, and position of a flying character (who can be a bit of an ogre) in a present stage play in London!"

With a hectic schedule and the possibility of international engagements, the easiest way to get hold of Chris is at chrislittletraining@hotmail.co.uk or +44 7932 383932

Ion Torrent sequencing technology helps identify German E.coli outbreak as new strain

From Wordle-images

As a former molecular biologist, I take my hat off to BGI-Shenzhen who managed to sequence the DNA of the virulent German E. coli strain within 3 days. The analysis of the the bacterium's DNA sequence suggests that this is a new type of E. coli strain O104 that contains pathogenic genes from two known nasty strains.

It binds to the stomach wall, produces toxins that cause severe diarrhoea, haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) - which results in the destruction of red blood cells - and can affect the central nervous system. In addition, the bacterium contains a whole series of resistances to common antibiotics (described as aminoglycoside, macrolides and beta-lactam antibiotics).

The rapid result was achieved using a new method of DNA sequencing, called Ion Torrent, by Life Sciences.

When I started sequencing, we used radioactivity to detect and score DNA sequences. By the year 2000 this had been replaced by faster, safer methods using different coloured dyes. Ion Torrent does away with any unusual additives, it measures small changes in pH (acidity).

The principle is clever and simple:

• As usual, you begin with your test DNA which has been split into single strands.
• Synthesis of the complementary strand is then primed in a special microwell plate.
• The sample is flushed with a solution containing an enzyme (DNA polymerase) and one of the four DNA building blocks (A, T, C or G).
• If the base can be added to the primed complementary strand, it releases a hydrogen ion. This can be measured and recorded as a small pH change.
• If the base is not added, there is no release of an ion.
• The well is then flushed with a second base and again the change is noted.
• The process is repeated, gradually giving the sequence.

Using existing technology, where lots of different DNA fragments can be sequenced in parallel, the process can proceed very rapidly.

The different sequences for the DNA fragments are then matched like a giant jigsaw string until you have the full sequence of an organism.

Having this molecular information for the German E. coli type will help doctors and agencies come up with better ways to search for the source of the outbreak and also plan for prevention and treatment.

Sources:
http://kbgtestblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/e-coli-strain-previously-unseen-and.html
http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2011/06/02/bgi-sequences-genome-of-the-deadly-e-coli-in-germany-and-reveals-new-super-toxic-strain/
http://www.bio-itworld.com/news/06/02/2011/German-teams-BGI-Life-Technologies-Identify-E-coli-strain.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_semiconductor_sequencing
http://lifetech-it.hosted.jivesoftware.com/videos/1016

Der Pommeraner, German Sausages visit the UK

On the visit of the Pommeranian sausage company, Der Pommeraner, to London and the International Food and Drink Exhibition.

There is an undiscovered country on the Baltic coastline, in the North-East of Germany, it is Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. A green undulating and scenic landscape with coastal resorts and lovely beaches occasionally littered with the amber that the Vikings prized.

An appreciated tourist destination for the Germans ever since the former East German became accessible after the fall of the wall, it is also home to a set of culinary traditions and food related businesses. One of these is “der Pommeraner” (the Pommeranian).

Der Pommeraner is a family run business specialising in that quintessential of German foods, the sausage!
As with any stereotype, it hides a far richer food experience than one might originally expect. It’s like saying that we British have a cheese, and that’s Cheddar, totally ignoring the fact that we have Stilton, Wilstshire, Lancashire, Red Leicester, Wensleydale and many, many more, often from artisan producers at the highest level.

So it is with Der Pommeraner, who provide a range including not only the familiar Frankfurters, but also Bockwurst, Knockwurst, Wiener, Bratwurst and more which, including their flavoured variants, total an impressive 72 products - with of course, five Pommeranian varieties. These are quality, award winning products.

It was my pleasure to accompany Dana and Sandy Reggentin-Hassenstein, responsible for Der Pommeraner’s foray into the international market, as part of a program supported by the German government. Our base was the International Food and Drink Exhibition (IFE) 2011 at Excel, in London.

The objective was to learn about the UK market and find opportunities for Der Pommeraner products in Britain.

The IFE itself gave the opportunity to visit different meat stands and see what was on offer, talk to some of the exhibitors and arrange to meet people. London was also a place to visit external companies and see what the high end retailers were offering and a place to travel from.

One surprise for the visitors was the comparable quality of the average British banger (as sausages are colloquially known), with its lower meat content, coarser texture and oozing fat. An unexpected culinary shock when used to a more quality, finer German product (and also a reason for my preferring the “finest” ranges of  British pork sausages, where there was a guaranteed meat content above 70%).

So what were the potential ways into the UK market for Der Pommeraner? We identified two main issues, 1. Getting people to taste the product to win them over, and 2. Finding the best route to market.

It is no secret that 80 percent of meat products are now sold though the large supermarket chains, with their competitive pricing and centralised purchasing. Butchers and independent delicatessens make up another 15 percent and the remainder is taken up by farm shops and other outlets.

These all have different requirements in terms of approach and, more specifically, presentation to the UK consumer. In retail outlets in particular, there was a big difference in packaging and product presentation, depending on whether it was a supermarket or an independent small retailer.

Despite the grim grey weather, we also managed to visit a range of the high end shops in London, via a few sights on the way. The best display and range of German sausages being on show in – Harrods – where else!

A dash to Southwold also gave an insight to what the independent shop at the end of the retail chain required to make it easier to sell new products, and when.

The high quality pork sausages, in their many variants, do have a potential market in the UK, where 69% of households eat pre-packed, fresh sausages at home!

Dana and Sandy of Der Pommeraner left the UK with one immediate contact interested in further business and a number of leads and new insights to help them target the UK market even more successfully.

To find out more about Der Pommeraner, visit their English website at http://www.der-pommeraner.de/index_e.php. If you are looking for new, quality sausage and meat related products for your business, give Dana a call at Der Pommeraner, +49(0)39998 318-0.

Related articles:
Two German companies visit the IFE
The taste of flowers.


Part of the VHP Lebensmittelwirtschaft 2010
Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
Project Management by Europartnerships Ltd
in cooperation with Milton Contact Ltd (UK)
And Come Across (DE)

Von Blythen, flower liqueurs, syrups and condiments to the UK

From German delegates at the IFE

An unusual lifestyle addition to foods, Edible flowers and flower products by Martina Kabitzsch’s company Von Blythen (old German for from flowers) visited London and the IFE.

“Say it with flowers” takes on a whole new meaning when, in addition to appreciating their visual beauty and scent, you can also taste their delicate and often unusual flavours.

Ever since Martina Kabitzsch stumbled across an old recipe book that showed her how to produce a flower based liqueur, she has researched and expanded the use of flowers in food as part of an enriched lifestyle.

From founding Von Blythen in 2004, she has researched and developed flower based recipes, from liqueurs, syrups to preserves and condiments. Martina also runs courses and is an author in her own right, as a recognised expert in this area.

Von Blythen visited the UK and the International Food and Drink Exhibition (IFE) 2011 at Excel in March and I accompanied Martina to the first two meetings to provide language support if needed.

We did not have to worry as once Martina was in flow, she was able to get her message across with a smile. Our second meeting, at the German Pavillion in the IFE, was a revelation as I also had a chance to taste some of the different samples that she had brought along.

Quite often the flavours were delicate and not immediately apparent, then a subtle lingering taste would emerge, prolonging the flavour sensation of the particular food.

Mark Dodsworth took over the accompaniment for Von Blythen as I concentrated on our other company, Der Pommeraner, and I believe that Martina returned to Germany with a number of interested leads and ideas how to come back in the future.

Martina did leave me a signed copy of her book “Blütenmenüs”(“Flower menus”, currently still in German, but look out for an English edition in the near future).

Being a natural experimenter, I could not resist trying out some of the ideas with some of the edible Spring flowers emerging. Do note that not all flowers are edible, daffodils for example are not! Here are two useful links – edible flowers, flowers and plants to avoid.

Sugaring the small spring violets from the Garden did not really work – then again, I could not detect any scent on them. The big success was from the Magnolia tree in a neighbour’s garden.

Having gained permission to ravish the Magnolia tree of three or four flowers, I followed Martina’s instructions to detach and lightly paint the individual petals with eggwhite and then coat in caster sugar. The petals were left in a warm kitchen to dry for two days. About two thirds of the petals did go sugar crystal hard. Biting into the crisp petal released a perfumed flavour in the mouth.

Eating a single petal was a pleasant and repeatedly surprising experience, two at one go was too much. So over the next day, the stock of crystalised petals diminished one by one.

When our apple tree began to bloom, I thought I would try t make some apple flower syrup. This turned out a delicate shade of clear green and has a very subtle flavour, not of apple, indescribable, but definitely an improvement on a simple sugar syrup on its own.

For more information about flower derived products, Martina Kabitzsch and Von Blythen, visit http://www.manufaktur-von-blythen.de/blythen/index/

Related Articles:
Der Pommeraner
Two German Companies visit the IFE


Part of the VHP Lebensmittelwirtschaft 2010
Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
Project Management by Europartnerships Ltd
in cooperation with Milton Contact Ltd (UK)
And Come Across (DE)

A transforming Bedfordshire manufacturing SME

British manufacturing can thrive when it provides specialist quality products like those of Bedfordshire company Siga Electronics. Its products can be found in equipment under the sea, in the air and even in space.

Gennaro Coppolaro of Polar Communications had invited me to do the on site photography as part of developing Siga's new website. With a broader interest in successful businesses, I was of course also curious about their products.

Siga specialises in producing coils in general and toroidal transformers in particular. Transformers are integral to almost all electrical equipment. Their function is to change one voltage to another, that can be higher or lower. Toroidal transformers, where the components involve wire coils around a doughnut shaped core, are beneficial as they avoid the creation of disruptive electrical fields during their operation.

Siga's strength lies in producing such transformers in sizes ranging from smaller than a matchstick head to tens of centimeters in diameter. They can be wrapped, varnished and waterproofed as well as fulfilling the client's functional specifications.

Whilst I ploughed through the diverse collection of Siga coils and transformers, I was continually surprised to find out where this one or that was going to be used.

The range could vary between hi-tech and lo-tech, such as the juxtaposition of the apparently simple carboard covered coil that was actually destined for a hospital X-ray machine; to the beatiful bowl with a faint circumferential winding that would end up in one of the many foghorns used around oil- and other platforms in distant seas.

Their final destination could also be either at the bottom of one of our oceans in an underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle), flying through the air in a Chinook Helicopter, or in a probe traversing the immense reaches of interplanetary space.

British manufacturing SMEs like Siga Electronics are successful, even in the current harsh economic climate and, as my patient minder Peter reminded me at the end of the photographic day, provide products used in the depths of the oceans to the expanses of space.

Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

Last week was the culmination of considerable planning and logistics, when four green building services companies from Germany came to the UK for the NRW Mission to London, 2011. The trip included one to one business meetings through the European Enterprise Network, seminars, attendance at Ecobuild 2011, site visits and evening networking.

But how is a mission trip like this put together?

Miriam and Marie share a joke

The lynch-pin in this case was the Handelskammer (Trade Association) Duesseldorf, in the form of the highly engaged Marie-Theres Luetje. She was enabling a project by NRW International, who co-ordinate support for export from North Rhine-Westphalia, with the support of Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

The tender for delivery was won by Europartnerships Ltd in the UK, whose director, Mark Dodsworth, has decades of experience with similar projects throughout Europe. He brought in a team of people to facilitate the various stages.

Miriam Palaschinski assisted Marie at the German end, to interest relevant companies in the program. Researchers such as Nick Thomas and Petra Riemenschneider conducted the research and found UK contacts. An administrative team including Nora Aguirre, helped Mark put the final plans in place.

I've worked with Mark as a partner on other projects, this time I was there to be on the ground in the UK as facilitator and interpreter between the German companies and the UK organisations we would meet.

In the Victoria Pub, Bayswater

The one factor that I particularly enjoy, even if it does make for much longer days, is the social networking that is integral to any Europartnerships program. When you visit a foreign country on business, it is easy to only see the insides of hotels and exhibitions. Mark makes sure that the evenings are spent in a relaxed atmosphere, such as the Victoria Pub in Bayswater included, with UK guests.
The success of such a mission would not be possible without the over two centuries or more of accumulated experience by all involved in assisting such missions!

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

1. NRW Green Building Services Companies on a Mission to London & Ecobuild 2011
2. The People Leading the NRW Green Building Services Companies
3. Personal Impressions: EcoBuild
4. Retrofitting Existing Homes in the UK
5. Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

NRW Mission Brochure at http://goo.gl/XbOOF

A project of NRW International.
Supported by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Organised by Marie-Theres Luetje, Handwerkskammer Duesseldorf.
Realised by Mark Dodsworth & team, Europartnerships Ltd.