Business Planet heads to the Danish city of Aarhus to see why one coffee company has made green and digital transformation a top priority in its bid to improve productivity.
BKI Food is Denmark’s biggest coffee producer. The firm’s plant near Aarhus roasts and packs coffee from all over the world.
Family-owned since 1960, BKI knows innovation is a matter of corporate survival. It s the reason why it has helped pioneer what it says is the most environmentally friendly coffee bag on the market today.
“We are the first coffee company to produce a metal-free, 100% recyclable foil. We have reduced the carbon footprint [by] 25% and the plastic [by] 15%. That makes environmental sense and that makes sense in a business way,” explains BKI s Factory Manager Ib Hauberg.
Business Planet looks at how one German firm s hydrogen technology could bridge the gap in the quest for clean energy.
For decades hydrogen has been touted as a fuel of the future. But despite its huge potential to decarbonise the economy, the element has never really lived up to its enormous promise.
German firm Hydrogenious, however, reckons hydrogen s day in the sun has finally arrived. The company says its tech can safely store, handle and transport hydrogen at low cost. That is important for so-called green hydrogen - hydrogen made without fossil fuels - as it provides the means to link renewable energy production sites, like wind farms and solar power plants, to areas where the hydrogen is most needed.
Intellectual property (IP) can sometimes be difficult to identify as it may often be linked to something intangible. That s why IP is defined as creations of the mind covering anything from literary and artistic works, to designs, symbols, names and images.
Protecting your company s IP, however, is an essential, yet often overlooked task. While companies that do protect their IP are estimated to earn around 30 percent higher revenues, less than 10 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do anything to safeguard their intangible assets.
Jim Stoopman helps run the China IP SME Helpdesk. Business Planet spoke to him to find out more about how the free service helps companies protect their assets.
Business Planet looks at how one startup is confidently breaking into the Chinese market after it received the right advice on how to protect its product.
Dutch firm InMotionVR has developed what it says is a completely new way to treat muscular pain. Combining video games and virtual reality (VR), the firm says its technology helps physiotherapists to retrain and exercise a patient’s muscles in a fun and interactive way.
InMotionVR knows the value of its intellectual property (IP). It’s already taken steps to protect its IP rights in Europe. But the company also wants to expand into China. For that, it got in touch with an EU funded service called the China IP SME Helpdesk.