People & Profit

Finding space... in space! We speak to General Michel Friedling, founder of Look Up Space, the French startup that's developing a solution to better navigate Earth's increasingly cluttered lower orbit.

As France hosts hundreds of thousands of rugby fans from around the world for the 2023 World Cup, we take a deep-dive into the business that surrounds the game with Herbert Mensah, president of Rugby Africa who joins us from Accra in Ghana, as well as Christina Philippou, a principal lecturer at the University of Portsmouth with a particular research interest in sports finance.

As carmakers transition away from the internal combustion engine towards electric vehicles, we take a look at how the switch is reshaping global supply chains, trade route and geopolitics. We talk to Henry Sanderson, author of "Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green". He is also the Executive Editor at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

This week we're at the 2023 annual MEDEF meeting, where the largest employers' federation in France gets leaders of the country's business community together to discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead – one of them being the transition to a green economy. A world leader when it comes to waste treatment and solutions is French group Veolia. Its CEO Estelle Brachlianoff told FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin about the solutions that waste can provide when it comes to energy.

In a post-Covid era where music lovers have less disposable income and organisers face higher costs, we discuss what music festivals can do to survive. We're joined by John Rostron, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals in the UK.

As football clubs form their teams for next season, more and more of them are turning to a digital marketplace to see which players they could sign on. Charles Pellegrin talks to Frederik Broholt, commercial vice president of TransferRoom. Also, we take a look at the historic deal that reduces Ecuador’s debt burden and guarantees better protection of the Galapagos ecosystem.

As the aviation industry gathers at the Paris Air Show, aircraft manufacturers are cautiously optimistic. Demand for international travel is growing, although inflation and supply chain issues still dampen the mood. In this special edition of People & Profit from Le Bourget, FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin talks to Boeing's senior VP Brendan Nelson about the industry's rebound.

Global tech leaders and industry giants have descended on the French capital for the seventh edition of VivaTech, Europe's largest trade fair for new technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking centre stage this year. French President Emmanuel Macron announced €500 million ($543 million) in new funding to "create champions" in AI and praised projects targeting French speakers, as concern grows about Silicon Valley firms fuelling English-language domination of AI systems.

In the wake of an energy crisis triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine, the world has become a lot more energy efficient, according to a new study. Are we seeing a permanent, global shift in energy transition? Yuka Royer speaks with Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency.

South Africa's economy is at risk of going off the grid as recurring power cuts wreak havoc on the country's businesses and households. Alongside this energy crisis, the nation's central bank is sounding the alarm over potential threats to financial stability. These concerns stem from capital outflows and the possibility of sanctions due to South Africa's stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Joining us from Johannesburg is Azar Jammine, the Director and Chief Economist of Econometrix (Pty) Ltd, the leading independent economic research consultancy in the country.