Business News

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“the Company” or “Virgin Galactic”) have announced the start of commercial spaceline operations. The first commercial spaceflight, ‘Galactic 01’, is planned to fly between June 27 – June 30, 2023. The second commercial spaceflight, ‘Galactic 02,’ will follow in early August 2023, with monthly spaceflights expected thereafter. 

Virgin Galactic’s team and vehicles are ready to fly the Company’s first customers to space, having successfully completed the Unity 25 spaceflight and subsequent routine analysis and vehicle inspections.

Proposals to deliver much-needed family housing have taken a step forward today after a variation to planning permission was granted for new homes at the Perry Barr Residential Scheme (PBRS).

As a result of the decision taken back in 2020 to progress directly to the legacy use of the first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme, the project team were able to reflect upon the most suitable way forward for the site plots where work had not yet commenced. Under the plans approved today by the council’s Planning Committee, the site’s three plots that were always earmarked for family housing will now be delivered in a way which will provide a more diverse range of homes for people.

AutoFlight, the global electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) pioneer, is thrilled to unveil the interior design of its world-record holding Prosperity I eVTOL. Designed by legendary automotive industry designer Frank Stephenson, known for his iconic works with brands such as Ferrari, Maserati, McLaren, and MINI, Prosperity I represents a fusion of style, science, and sustainable urban mobility. The full-scale aircraft type will be showcased at the highly anticipated Le Bourget Paris Air Show (19-25 June 2023).

ALDI's Bathgate Distribution Facility has successfully resolved a seagull infestation on its rooftop by implementing the AVIX Autonomic Laser Bird Deterrent.

The cutting-edge laser bird deterrent system, designed and manufactured by Bird Control Group, has provided a highly effective and innovative solution to ALDI's persistent challenge. The facility's rooftop, housing 4,000 solar panels, had been plagued by seagulls nesting and fouling, resulting in various issues. Contractors refused to carry out essential work on the panels, and the dropping of items by the gulls caused significant damage.

Halo Solutions, the award-winning British tech company behind the world’s most intelligent crowd safety, incident and threat management  platform Halo (v5), is to make its tech software available free-of-charge to tens of thousands of small businesses, pubs, live music venues and entertainment spaces that are to be affected by the government’s new counterterrorism (protection of premises) legislation, which will be committed to law this year.  

COP28 President-Delegate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, met with heads of delegations and key negotiating groups including those from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the Bonn UN Climate Change Conference, being held in the run up to COP28, emphasizing the need to engage and listen to all voices in the climate change discussion ─ especially those of the Global South. The conference, taking place in Bonn, 5-15 June, is hosting discussions on more than 50 agenda items.

Comac Medical (Comac or the Company) announced today that funds advised by EdgeCap Partners (EdgeCap) acquired a majority equity interest in the Company. Comac's founder and CEO, Dr. Milen Vrabevski, as well as other shareholders, retain a significant minority stake and will continue in their current roles as executive managers, thereby providing continuity to all its clients and partners. 

Business owners from Ethnic Minority backgrounds are still having to “smash through barriers” to access the networks and capital to help them succeed, a leading entrepreneur has warned. Speaking ahead of her keynote speech at next week’s Birmingham Black Business Show (BBBS) Daniella Genas, says shifting your mindset can help overcome any challenge.

Ms Genas, a business coach and the founder of Be the Boss, said: “The sad fact is that there are still far too many negative stereotypes about black owned businesses from inside and outside of the community. 

The subscription period of the rights issue in Anoto Group AB (publ) (“Anoto” or the “Company”) ended on 2 June 2023. The subscription ratio in the rights issue amounted to 69.3 percent. Guarantee undertakings corresponding to 15,740,288 shares, approximately 30.7 percent of the shares in the rights issue, will thus be utilized. Through the rights issue Anoto will receive approximately SEK 20.5 million before the deduction of transaction costs.

Jan Luyken Amsterdam is a 62-bedroom boutique townhouse hotel in the heart of Amsterdam that has relaunched following a multi-million-pound refurbishment. Jan Luyken invites guests to enjoy the townhouse and its spaces as if they were their own, with everything they need included.

The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) has announced a new partnership with the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE). The partnership provides scope for the CISI and BSE to work together to enhance and promote professional standards in Botswana’s financial services sector by offering the CISI’s International Introduction to Securities & Investment qualification.

BSE will adopt the CISI’s International Introduction to Securities & Investment qualification as one of the core certifications for the Botswana capital market. This allows practitioners to obtain a globally portable professional benchmark.

Over 100 businesses have now committed to taking steps to cut their emissions and help the West Midlands become net zero by 2041.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens, The National Lottery, Severn Trent Water, and Black Country-based manufacturer AVACE are among the latest cohort to sign the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Net Zero Business Pledge, joining some of the highest profile employers across the region.

Former Leeds Rhinos and England Rugby League legend Jamie Jones-Buchanan has been confirmed as the latest sporting giant on the speaker list of the DIB Business of Sport conference which takes place on Thursday 7th September 2023 at Lancashire County Cricket Clubs Emirates Stadium.

Jones-Buchanan will be in conversation with SEDULO GROUP founder Paul Cheetham, who leads the business advisory firms ‘Be the Standard’ programme for business leaders. Jamie played his entire career with Leeds, winning seven Super League Grand Finals, three World Club challenges, three League Leaders Shields and one Challenge Cup Final with the club. He played for England and Great Britain at international level.

Analysis has revealed that a tax relief introduced to help people get onto the property ladder has resulted in 25,000 extra sales to first-time buyers. First Time Buyers’ Relief (FTBR) increases the threshold at which first time buyers pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and was introduced in November 2017.

Over a third (37%) of workers have admitted to taking steps to ‘prepare to look for another job’.

Career Cushioning – the process of being proactive about your career prospects to ‘soften the blow’ should anything go wrong with your current job – is a phenomenon that recruitment firm Robert Walters believes has grown in prominence as the UK continues to hover around the recessionary danger zone.

According to a poll of 2,000 white-collar workers, the leading reasons causing workers to ‘career cushion’ is a lack of job security from their company (72%), turbulent economic conditions (55%), internal changes within their business (45%), and low job satisfaction (33%).

New research has revealed the UK industries that have had the biggest increase in wages, with Mining and Quarrying coming out on top.

The study by UK Trading platform CMC Markets analysed the latest release from the Office for National Statistics, featuring results from their Wages and Salaries Survey since January 2000.