Risk management firm sees growth in CEE region despite stagnant market No one could accuse Lex Geerdes of not taking an interest in Central and Eastern Europe after he took over responsibility for the region for the insurance company Aon Risk Solutions. When he was appointed around a year ago, the Dutch executive undertook a… Keep Reading
Brno company develops applications while Beroun specialists run technical center The Arab world has a long and impressive cinematic history, which, following the traditions of Hollywood and Bollywood, has become known as Jazwood. A new streaming service recently launched in the Middle East will distribute films from all three of these cinematic centers, and a… Keep Reading
Agriculture mogul and politician moves farther into media An aspiring politician, who is also the country’s second-richest man, buying the country’s second-biggest newspaper; Andrej Babiš’s purchase of Mladá fronta Dnes was bound to spark controversy. Babiš has bought the daily’s parent company Mafra from German group Rheinisch-Bergische Verlagsgesellschaft two decades after he founded Agrofert, the… Keep Reading
Streaming service Voddler arrives in Central Europe With many big-name film and TV streaming services already established, among them Netflix and the mighty Amazon, Stockholm-based Voddler is nothing if not brave to dive into this already crowded market. The Swedish company has launched a platform based around two connected services, the first of which, LiveShelf,… Keep Reading
Retroactive tax causes rift between solar investors and the government Solar panels are known around the world for being the best method for harvesting energy from the sun, although in the Czech Republic some see them as having a new use: siphoning off public money. Renewable energy has become extremely costly to the government, which… Keep Reading
Australian institutions look to lure English-language learners The endless sunshine of Sydney’s Manly Beach, the rustic allure of Byron Bay, weekend trips into the countryside – there are few countries with a lifestyle that seems as appealing as that of Australia. Like other English-speaking countries – and, increasingly, like some countries where English is not… Keep Reading
Company under pressure as its problems in the Balkans start to spread On the heels of street protests and denunciations from politicians, ČEZ saw its spiraling crisis in Bulgaria come to a head Feb. 19 when the government there removed the company’s electricity distribution license. The authorities took the license away over alleged breaches of… Keep Reading
Czech firm disappointed, but experts say legal costs are worthwhile investment Budějovický Budvar has indicated it may appeal after suffering a setback in the latest ruling in its century-long legal dispute with an American rival, following a European Union court’s decision that it did not deserve sole rights over the Bud name in the 27-member… Keep Reading
Interpreters on hand for visitors from world’s most populous nation Zlata Chrastinová has no doubt which group of tourists is spending most at the Erpet Bohemia Crystal store she manages near Prague’s Old Town Square. “The Chinese are definitely No. 1,” she says. “This year [compared] with last year we see [their spending] has increased… Keep Reading
Presidential election law leaves holes in the rules of campaign funding As the first-ever direct presidential election in the Czech Republic draws closer, now just two months away, and the list of candidates is whittled down to a handful of names, those still in the race are increasingly competing against each other to court powerful… Keep Reading
