FTfm: Real Assets

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report in three Bursts - 

15 & 29 March, and 12 April

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

1. ESG, Real Assets and Private Investment Funds

1. Farmland Investing 

1. Can the New US President Joe Biden Deliver an Often Promised but not Realised Infrastructure Investment Programme?

1. How Asset Owners can Make the Hotel Industry More Sustainable After the Pandemic

1. Prospects and Possibilities of Tech in Real Estate Investment

1. ESG and Infrastructure/ ESG and Infrastructure in Asia

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Tom Da Costa on +44 (0)20 7873 4569, tom.dacosta@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Risk Management: Financial Institutions

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Special Report on 15 April 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

1. Banks under pressure to stop lending to fossil fuel companies 

1. Upholding claims from small businesses for business interruption cover in the pandemic, the UK supreme court overturned a long standing legal principle that worked in favour of insurance companies. We look at the consequences which extend far beyond the question of business interruption insurance for coronavirus. 

1. How to manage rising insurance costs for business 

 A global look

1. How hedge funds mitigate risk given the growing army of retail investors and their coordinated actions in orchestrating painful short squeezes, in some cases operating via social media platforms 

1. We look at the risks relating to Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicles dealmaking in the recent Spac boom.

1. Reputational risk by association with disgraced individuals in the financial sector - oped

1. How to manage risks stemming from quantitative easing which is driving up asset prices to dizzying levels

1. Boards’ role in managing risk in the financial sector

The good, the bad and the ugly

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Ben Tobin +44 (0) 20 7775 6615, ben.tobin@ft.com

Erin Alley +1 312 415 2750, erin.alley@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

‌FT‌ ‌Asia-Pacific‌‌ High-Growth Companies ‌ ‌The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on 15 April 2021.

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

The‌ ‌List‌ ‌

An‌ ‌introduction‌ ‌to‌ ‌our‌ ‌second‌ ‌ranking‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌region’s‌ ‌high-growth‌ ‌companies.‌ ‌The‌ ‌tech‌ ‌sector‌ ‌continues‌ ‌to‌ ‌dominate‌ ‌and‌ ‌fast-growing‌ ‌platforms‌ ‌are‌ ‌popping‌ ‌up‌ ‌in‌ ‌all‌ ‌corners‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Asia-Pacific.‌ ‌Technology‌ ‌and‌ ‌ecommerce‌ ‌dominate‌ ‌the‌ ‌top‌ ‌10,‌ ‌with‌ ‌Southeast‌ ‌Asia‌ ‌performing‌ ‌strongly.‌ 

‌‌The‌ ‌Leader‌ ‌

A‌ ‌profile‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌company‌ ‌reporting‌ ‌the‌ ‌highest‌ ‌revenue‌ ‌growth‌ ‌over‌ ‌2016-19.‌ ‌Is‌ ‌it‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌vanguard‌ ‌of‌ ‌an‌ ‌emerging‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌trend?‌ ‌And‌ ‌how‌ ‌has‌ ‌its‌ ‌business‌ ‌fared‌ ‌amid‌ ‌the‌ ‌pandemic?‌ ‌ ‌

Country‌ ‌Focus‌ ‌ ‌

We‌ ‌look‌ ‌at‌ ‌Taiwan’s‌ ‌contribution‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌ranking‌ ‌and‌ ‌explore‌ ‌how‌ ‌its‌ ‌business‌ ‌ecosystem‌ ‌renders‌ ‌it‌ ‌fertile‌ ‌ground‌ ‌for‌ ‌fast-growing‌ ‌companies.‌ ‌The‌ ‌company‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌highest‌ ‌2019‌ ‌revenues‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌500‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌list‌ ‌is‌ ‌Taiwanese.‌ ‌What‌ ‌advantages‌ ‌does‌ ‌Taiwan‌ ‌have‌ ‌over‌ ‌regional‌ ‌rivals?‌ ‌ ‌

Retail‌ ‌Investor‌ ‌Frenzy‌ ‌ ‌

The‌ ‌Gamestop‌ ‌saga‌ ‌earlier‌ ‌this‌ ‌year‌ ‌was‌ ‌not‌ ‌confined‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌US‌ ‌retail‌ ‌investor‌ ‌scene.‌ ‌Many‌ ‌brokerages‌ ‌in‌ ‌Asia‌ ‌saw‌ ‌their‌ ‌share‌ ‌prices‌ ‌surge‌ ‌as‌ ‌investors‌ ‌tried‌ ‌to‌ ‌jump‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌stock-trading‌ ‌bandwagon.‌ ‌How‌ ‌big‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌retail‌ ‌investment‌ ‌market‌ ‌in‌ ‌SE‌ ‌Asia‌ ‌and‌ ‌has‌ ‌the‌ ‌recent‌ ‌activity‌ ‌created‌ ‌a‌ ‌perfect‌ ‌storm‌ ‌for‌ ‌platforms‌ ‌looking‌ ‌to‌ ‌expand‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌region?‌ ‌

Opinion:‌ ‌Japan‌ ‌and‌ ‌Innovation‌ ‌

Unsurprisingly,‌ ‌technology‌ ‌dominates‌ ‌the‌ ‌ranking‌ ‌this‌ ‌year,‌ ‌with‌ ‌nearly‌ ‌25‌ ‌per‌ ‌cent‌ ‌of‌ ‌companies‌ ‌hailing‌ ‌from‌ ‌this‌ ‌sector.‌ ‌However,‌ ‌among‌ ‌Japan's‌ ‌117‌ ‌companies‌ ‌featured‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌ranking,‌ ‌just‌ ‌22‌ ‌(18.8‌ ‌per‌ ‌cent)‌ ‌are‌ ‌tech‌ ‌businesses.‌ ‌Does‌ ‌Japan‌ ‌have‌ ‌an‌ ‌innovation‌ ‌problem?‌ ‌

Reaching‌ ‌the‌ ‌Unbanked‌ ‌

Millions‌ ‌of‌ ‌people‌ ‌in‌ ‌India‌ ‌have‌ ‌limited‌ ‌or‌ ‌no‌ ‌access‌ ‌to‌ ‌financial‌ ‌services‌ ‌and‌ ‌many‌ ‌non-bank‌ ‌financial‌ ‌companies‌ ‌are‌ ‌trying‌ ‌to‌ ‌tap‌ ‌into‌ ‌this‌ ‌market.‌ ‌We‌ ‌look‌ ‌at‌ ‌one‌ ‌such‌ ‌provider,‌ ‌which‌ ‌targets‌ ‌the‌ ‌unbanked‌ ‌and‌ ‌what‌ ‌it‌ ‌describes‌ ‌as‌ ‌‘underprivileged‌ ‌women‌ ‌entrepreneurs‌ ‌belonging‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌economically‌ ‌and‌ ‌socially‌ ‌deprived‌ ‌sections‌ ‌of‌ ‌society’.‌ ‌

The‌ ‌Ranking‌ ‌

A‌ ‌detailed‌ ‌list‌ ‌of‌ ‌all‌ ‌companies‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌the‌ ‌cut,‌ ‌with‌ ‌an‌ ‌online‌ ‌interactive‌ ‌and‌ ‌sortable‌ ‌version.‌ ‌ ‌

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Hiroko Hoshino +81 3 5219 2345, hiroko.hoshino@ft.com

Paul Hutt + 65 8298 1482, paul.hutt@ft.com

Judith Lim +65 8298 1483, judith.lim@ft.com

Olivia Hu + 86 21 6375 9222 ext. 121, olivia.hu@ftchinese.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

The Future of Energy

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report in 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Gas in a Rapidly Greening World

Natural gas has tried to carve out a niche as one of the cleanest fossil fuels, with the industry pitching it as a bridge between hydrocarbons and coal and a cleaner, renewable future. But with billions of dollars still being invested in large-scale gas developments, pipelines and LNG facilities does the industry risk being overtaken by the pace of change as investors increasingly question its green credentials.

Greening Middle Income Countries 

How are middle income countries adapting to meet the fast growing energy needs of their populations with a desire to use cleaner sources of fuel to meet their commitments under the Paris deal. Case study of Vietnam's investments in wind and solar.

Carbon Capture and Storage

CCS has long promised to be a key technology for reducing emissions, but has a chequered history of success. With increased government backing and large oil company's like ExxonMobil now putting more weight behind CCS, is it going to finally prove its utility in the 2020s? 

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is seen as key for decarbonising hard-to-reach areas of the economy, such as steel manufacturing and potentially heavy duty transportation. It is widely supported by energy majors. But while it has won large-scale backing from the EU the initial projects are expected to focusing on creating 'green' hydrogen that will primarily go towards replacing fossil-fuel sourced hydrogen in existing processes like oil refining. Does hydrogen have a wider future?

Saudi Arabia of Wind

The UK government has said it can become 'the Saudi Arabia of wind' given it has more offshore wind farms than any other country in the world. But can it create a national supply chain that creates in-country economic benefits that go beyond reducing emissions?

The Grids of the Future

If the world sees a large-scale switch over to electric vehicles in the coming decades electricity demand is expected to soar. But what will the grid of the future look like as countries look to balance rising demand, a growing reliance on intermittent renewables, and growing opportunities for cross-border trading?

Batteries 

Australia has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources but has emerged in recent years at the forefront of large-scale battery projects designed to help smooth out the intermittency of renewables energy sources like wind and solar. But is the 'lucky country' now a test case for a battery-powered future? 

America Returns to the Fold

With the US rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement under the Biden administration hopes are high that the US's economic and technological prowess will help accelerate the energy transition. But arguably the biggest difference with Europe is the US still lacks a carbon price, despite widespread support from large oil and gas companies. Can the US get serious about going green before it's prepared to price carbon? 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Tom Eaton on +44 (0)20 7873 3680, tom.eaton@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Investing in Chile

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on 26 April 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Introduction

Chile’s fame as one of the most stable democracies in Latin America suffered a shock when a wave of violent protests against inequality broke out late last year, throwing President Sebastián Piñera’s business-friendly reform programme off course. The coronavirus crisis, which has hit Chile especially hard,  has been a second shock, as it has been to the region and the majority of countries worldwide. How will Chile recover its envied position as a role model for other emerging markets, and how can it  escape the middle-income trap to become Latin America’s first truly developed nation?

Building the New Chile

What are the policy implications for Chile in a post-coronavirus world? How can Chile address the demands of protesters and adjust to the changed global circumstances in the wake of Covid-19? Both the pandemic and last year’s mass demonstrations have forced the government to set a new course for the economy. How will one of Latin America’s most prosperous economies proceed in reinventing itself and in a fairer way?

Interview with President/ Finance Minister 

 A New Constitution

One of the central demands of last year’s protests was a new constitution, since many see the existing text drawn up during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet as illegitimate. A referendum over whether or not to rewrite the constitution, which was postponed because of the pandemic until October, is opening up one of the most consequential debates in Chile’s recent history. Amid fears that a new constitution could kill the proverbial goose that laid the golden eggs, this article looks at how a new constitution could change Chile.

Investment

Chile has traditionally been regarded as a safe investment destination, but coronavirus has meant that many companies have struggled to survive. Some, however, especially in Chile’s promising tech sector, have thrived. Who are the Chilean tech winners from the pandemic and can Chile produce some unicorns as Brazil has done? Also, FDI trends are positive and have surpassed 2019 inflows for the latest numbers available thru May 2020.

Mining

Will the ructions in the global economy caused by coronavirus accelerate or delay the world’s leading copper producer’s efforts to reduce its reliance on the red metal, which has been the lynchpin of its economy for decades, accounting for almost half of its exports? How will Chile’s burgeoning lithium sector, which controls some of the world’s largest and highest-quality proven reserves, be affected?

Case study of coronavirus impact on one of Chile’s most high-profile businesses

Renewable Energy

The new world order makes Chile’s efforts to develop its renewable energy sector all the more relevant. Until recently a major energy importer, over the last few years a renewable energy revolution in Chile has greatly reduced its reliance on imports. What challenges does Chile face to becoming energy self-sufficient, and how feasible is its goal to produce all energy from renewable sources by 2040?

Tourism

A more than 2,600-mile-long strip of land wedged between the spine of the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, Chile is a country that is blessed with some of the most striking and diverse landscapes in the continent – from the Atacama desert in the north, to the lakes, forests and glaciers of its Patagonian south. But with Covid-19 changing attitudes to international travel, how will Chile adapt to the new circumstances?

Mapuche Lives Matter

Long before the social unrest that erupted last year, when the Mapuche flag was a prominent symbol in demonstrations around the country, Chile’s indigenous population in Patagonia has been demanding greater autonomy and recognition of their rights. This piece examines the historical grievances of the Mapuches, the chances of their resolution, and the threats to social stability.

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Gonzalo Rio +54 11 9 5497 6679, grio@themediagroup.com.ar

Robert Grange +44 (0)20 7873 4418, robert.grange@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Illicit Goods & Services

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on 28 April 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

People Trafficking from Asia to the West

Our southeast Asia correspondent reports on the criminal networks that smuggle people to western markets. The problem was highlighted in horrific fashion in October 2019 with the discovery of 39 Vietnamese migrants in the back of a refrigerated lorry in Essex.

The War on Drugs Under the Biden Presidency

As marijuana is legalised, generating increasingly attractive tax revenues for local governments, how will the new administration tackle the threat to Americans from fentanyl and methamphetamines, which are massive moneyspinners for crime cartels in neighbouring Mexico. 

Column by Misha Glenny

The trade in illicit goods and services is moving into cyber space, where the risk for organised crime is considerably lower and profits potentially much higher. This trend is complicated by the fact that cyber criminal groups move fluidly between state-backed hacks and those designed to make money. Drugs are a particularly interesting hybrid because traditional routes of production and global distribution coexist alongside large amounts of retail distribution that have gone online.

Wildlife Poaching

Our east Africa correspondent investigates how it works and whether the pandemic has changed anything by damping the appeal of wet markets in China where the coronavirus originated.  The combination of habit and species destruction in South America, South East Asia and Africa is accelerating both the climate crisis and the risk of further viral and bacterial epidemics. 

Country/ Pandemic Case Study

Lessons from South Africa’s ban on alcohol and tobacco

London’s Battle Against Money Laundering

Will the UK’s exit from the EU make London more or less of a refuge for dirty money.

Mafia and Trade Route:  Our Rome correspondent reports on changing trade routes.  

Fake Pharma in the Wake of the Pandemic - Spotlight on India

At a Glance

A detailed graphic shows how several types of illicit markets and organised crime have grown in recent years

How Streaming Pirates are Threatening Sports Leagues’ Revenue

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Nick Phillips on +44 (0)20 7873 4216, nick.phillips@ft.com

Caitlin O’Sullivan +44 (0)20 7873 3743, caitlin.osullivan@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FT: The Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report in print and digital on  29 April 2021 (Early List Publication: 13 April 2021)

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

The List

An introduction to the inaugural ranking of the region’s high-growth companies. The top 10 includes businesses from a diverse range of sectors but, as with other global regions, the tech sector dominates the overall list. Furthermore, nearly nine in 10 companies hail from the US or Canada. Looking forward, how resilient are these companies likely to be in the face of coronavirus - and has the epidemic actually strengthened tech’s position?

The Leader

A profile of the company reporting the highest revenue growth over 2016-19. Can it keep up the high compound annual growth rate? Does it have the competitive barrier to entry to turn that revenue into profit? And has it managed to turn the coronavirus crisis to its favour

Country Focus: Uruguay

The small South American country punches above its weight when it comes to tech and Uruguay has a thriving startup scene. We take a look at the handful of tech companies to make this year’s ranking and ask what factors have provided the country with an edge to help it compete with bigger regional rivals.

Brazil and Cybersecurity 

Brazil presents about 30 companies on this year’s ranking, which include Sao Paulo-based cyber security firms. We profile one such company to explore its route to strong revenue growth, the scale of the market it operates in and the wider business climate in the city. 

Texas

State capital Austin has scraped into the list of top 10 cities by number of companies on the ranking, followed closely by the Texan city of Houston. Unlike many other locales on the list, these cities are not dominated by tech and their ranked companies hail from a range of sectors. This piece explores what it is about the business ecosystem in Texas that has enabled such a diverse group of companies to thrive. 

Opinion: Latin American Economy

The FT’s Latin America editor gives an overview of the region’s constituent nations’ economies, looking at how they’ve each fared amid the pandemic, and outlines the economic outlook for the region. 

The Ranking

A detailed list of all 500 companies to make the cut - the online version is interactive. 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries.

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Rene Perez +1 201 286 7927, rene.perez@ft.com 

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content. 

Business Education: Executive Education

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 10 May, 2021

We are likely to include the following articles (please note that this list is provisional):

Introduction

The coronavirus pandemic has hit executive education hard. The winners have been those who reacted quickly to lockdown measures by offering courses relevant to a time of crisis that could be delivered digitally, and the market is changing as a result. 

A directory of executive education providers offering open-enrolment and custom courses, including numbers of programmes, teaching formats, fees, topics and more.

Chief Learning Officer Survey

A piece exploring the results of an FT survey of CLOs, including graphics, exploring views on topics including training budgets, formats, themes and future demand. 

Coping with Covid

What courses have schools offered in the past year to help clients cope with the pandemic, from agility and leading teams remotely to supporting wellbeing? 

How I did it

An in-depth interview with a former executive education participant about their experience, what they learnt and how it has applied to their career.    

Stakeholder Capitalism

Executives are under mounting pressure to take more responsibility for addressing social and economic problems, with stronger corporate leadership required to tackle inequalities and environmental challenges. What training are  providers offering, and what can executives expect to gain? 

Competition

The intensifying rivalry between business schools and the emergence and adaptation of non-school providers including consultants and digital resources. 

Digitisation

Executive education has traditionally been one of the less digitised areas of business education, with most income derived from in-person courses. The pandemic has disrupted the emodel, forcing investments in technology. What have business schools learnt — and is this just a blip or the start of a fundamental shift?  

Funding and Support

How and to what extent are companies paying for and supporting staff to attend programmes, and how is this evolving during the pandemic?

Comment

A column by global learning editor Andrew Jack looking at developments in business education and our coverage

Management Column

Andrew Hill, the FT’s management editor, explores current thinking around leadership.  

Professor’s Column

A business School professor shares thoughts and research on challenges facing business today.

Student Views - Participants share tips from their time on executive education programmes.   

Technology Column

A member of the FT’s tech team explores developments that will affect business and our working lives. 

In Real Life

A student - or former participant - on an executive education programme gives a personal account of the experience and what they learnt, in their own words.

Editorial information:

Special Reports are written by FT staff journalists and a small number of selected freelance writers. They will be specialists in the field and already have regular contacts to update them. It is therefore difficult for an unsolicited submission to be so compelling that it forces its way on to a writer’s agenda. However, it does happen occasionally. We ask that all submissions be sent to ftreports@ft.com, from where they are forwarded to the appropriate writer.

Please also note that due to the volume of material received, it is not always possible to acknowledge or reply to every submission.

■ Recently published Surveys and FT Reports, as well as a list of forthcoming FT Reports and their synopses can be downloaded by going to www.ft.com/special-reports and clicking on the link to the Reports library.

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

■ Back issues of printed Survey and FT Reports can be obtained from: Historic Newspapers, Signature Online Limited, No 1 waterside Station Road, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 4US; Tel. no: 0870 165 1470; Fax no: 01582 469 248; or email: info@back-issue-newspapers.co.uk

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Supplements and Special Reports.

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

 Gemma Taylor +44 (0)20 7873 3698, gemma.taylor@ft.com

Rachel Spence +44 (0)20 7873 3290, rachel.spence@ft.com

Jackie King +1 917 551 5113, jackie.king@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FTfm Special Report: ETF’s

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 10 May 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

The Battle of the ESG Indices

There is a proliferation of indices that rank companies according to environmental, social and governance performance, but they often have very different constituents and weightings. We examine which indices are dominant at the moment, in terms of investment in ETFs tracking them, which are the fastest growing and consider which are the ‘greenest’. 

Prospect of Inflation and Fixed Income

Fixed income ETFs outperformed last year attracting more investment in the US than their equity counterparts and surviving a crucial test of their resilience during the market meltdown precipitated by the pandemic. But what is the outlook for them should we finally see a return to inflation?

ARK

Ark ETFs were the standout success story of 2020 but have been testing investors’ nerves since the beginning of the year. Is this the long awaited rotation out of growth stocks and into value shares? And even if it is not, how can Ark handle its growth.

Silver ETFs 

The price of silver hit at 8-year high in February after amateur traders on the internet forum Reddit suggested that buying the metal would put a “squeeze” on banks. Silver ETFs saw a spike in inflows as prices rose but the interest from the Reddit bandits withered rapidly - what is the outlook for silver ETFs? And could the Reddit rebels target other metals ETFs?

Active ETFs

The rise of the new category of active non-transparent ETFs has sparked a number of applications from US mutual fund providers to convert their products into ETFs. Is this likely to continue and will the new products finally get the go-ahead in Europe?

China vs US

Trump’s order to ban US investors from holding stakes in Chinese companies with connections to the military caused shock waves for the ETF industry because many of the companies are included in indices tracked by the funds. Have the ETFs which owned them offloaded the investments? What has been the effect on returns?

Op-Ed suggestions

Cathie Wood from Ark, Margrethe Vestager on the concentration of power in the most powerful indexers? Retail investors have no one to fear…. But themselves… Someone to comment on the growing power of retail investors?

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Chris Holt chris.holt@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Brazil: Sustainable Business

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 11th May 2021

We are likely to include the following articles (please note that this list is provisional):

Brazil - Banking

How Brazil's banking and investment industry is promoting ESG investment, including the development of the country's first ESG funds. Includes a look at what metrics the country is using to measure ESG and how they compare with international standards, as well as what local exchanges are requiring in the way of disclosure.

Brazil - Interview

Interview with Brazil's agriculture minister about her $163bn plan for a green investment revolution in Brazilian agriculture and her promotion of sustainability. How is she tackling the more difficult soya and beef sectors? How concerned is she about exports to the EU falling foul of environmental worries?.

Brazil - Biologicals

We examine agri-startups that are using microorganisms to kill pests, disrupting a chemical industry worth $12bn per year

Brazil - Water

Many of Brazil’s municipalities, including SP, face critical issues with water security driven by environmental change and the exploitation of the Cerrado. How can cities ensure water security?

Brazil - Vegetarians

How Brazilian food producers are responding to the surge in vegetarianism. The number of vegetarians in Brazil has doubled in the past six years amid growing concerns over meat consumption

Brazil - Energy: We profile companies that are championing “clean” energy

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Supplements and Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Alessandre Siano +55(11) 992 912 814, alessandre.siano@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Investing in Canada

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on 12 May 2020

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional)

The main purpose of this report is to assess Canada’s attractions and risks for investors.

Political Backdrop -

Interview with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland

Interview with Justin Trudeau’s deputy and finance minister, Chtrstia Freeland, on Canada’s attractions and risks for investors. How deep is the country’s commitment to openness, multilateralism, and a clean economy. We assess its political stability, social safety net and cohesion; healthcare/education provision in the wake of the pandemic

The Canadian Economy/ FDI in Numbers

Canada’s economy will grow by 3.5 per cent this year on the back of high consumer spending and the end of lockdowns. Yet the fallout from Covid has hit Canada’s fiscal balance and employment. With small businesses suffering, can Canada support them to adopt new technologies, retrain the workforce and promote a green recovery?

Manufacturing/ Clean Tech

A profile of carbon capture projects in a country renown for its polluting tar sands. It’s actually contentious within the green community, because once the carbon is captured it can be re-used — some environmentalists don’t like that idea because it keeps us dependent on fossil fuels. 

Agribusiness

Canadian farmers have seen their incomes squeezed by bad weather, the US-China trade war, China’s decision to block Canadian imports, the threat of climate change and rising costs. How can they recover?

Oil and Gas

With oil and gas in peril following Biden’s cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, Canada is hoping to become a global leader in the production, export and use of clean hydrogen.

Highs and Lows of Cannabis

Cannabis producers saw their fortunes – and stock prices – plummet in 2019 and struggled to forecast any profits. But Canadian cannabis companies are roaring back. What has fuelled this growth?

Canada Property

Observers have been warning about a bursting property bubble in Canada for years, but the market is still hot, with the average Toronto home topping $1m for the first time. Is a correction on the horizon and how will the government react?

US vs Canada Talent War

Immigration policies are likely to change following the election of US President Joe Biden, piling pressure on Canadian efforts to attract overseas talent. How will Canada react?

Science/ Healthcare During the Pandemic

Covid and falling oil prices are pushing traditional investors and VCs towards healthtech. Which companies are poised to benefit and what does this mean for Canada's healthcare?

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Don Janocha M +1 917 513 5925, don.janocha@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Exchanges, Trading and Clearing: The New Landscape 

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report in two ‘bursts’, on 13 May and 1 June  2021

We plan to include the following features, some of which may be in multi-media formats  (please note that formats are not yet decided and the list is provisional):

What has Amsterdam “won” from London? 

With a higher value of shares now traded on Euronext Amsterdam than in London, the Dutch city appears an early winner from Brexit. Amsterdam has also picked up activity in swaps and sovereign debt markets that would typically have taken place in London before Brexit. But what has the city really gained? Some believe a lot of the share trading could return to London and even if it doesn't, London will be able to carve out its own trading niche. 

The Transatlantic Swaps Swap 

Interest-rate swaps trading has crossed the Altnatic to the US, in the wake of the UK and EU failing to reach a “mutual equivalence” agreement on cross-border regulation of derivatives post Brexit. US-based platforms known as swap execution facilities have been the main beneficiaries. But what does a more fragmented market - and UK-EU political wrangling - mean for prices and liquidity?   

London Pins its Comeback on a Listings Revolution

A shake up of the listings regime for London’s stock market is intended to make it more competitive with centres such as New York, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. But will dual class shares, smaller publicly owned “free-floats” and welcoming Special Purpose Acquisition Companies change the trading dynamic at all? 

Can Exchanges Become Wider Technology Providers?

Exchanges have long had the potential to offer their technologies for the trading of more than just financial instruments. Nasdaq’s tie up with betting firm Football Index  highlighted its push to provide a service to groups outside financial services. But the ill-fated deal suggests some technology sharing arrangements may be more suitable than others 

Data: Putting a Value on an Exchange’s Greatest Asset  

London Stock Exchange shareholders rate data so highly that they granted its boss a near tripling of his pay to £6.9m last year. They had reason to: David Schwimmer’s takeover of financial data provider Refinitiv led to a surge in LSE’s share price. This data deal was meant to help the LSE compete with financial information provider Bloomberg, and cash in on demand for computer-driven trading, But LSE’s share price falls suggest the data growth story is not so simple to exploit.

Regulators Dial up their Scrutiny of Exchange Outages 

In March, the European Securities and Markets Authority reported concerns over trading venues’ reliance on third-party data and software providers following several major technical outages that took place globally in 2020. Deutsche Börse, Euronext, and Nasdaq’s ASX Trade system all suffered failures and a Tokyo malfunction led to the resignation of the exchange’s chief executive in December. What must they now do to satisfy customers and watchdogs? 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of FT Project Publishing. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Mackenzie Kyle: 917-551-5052, mackenzie.kyle@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FTfm Asia funds

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 17 May 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Asian Economies Post-Pandemic: The Fund Investment Backdrop 

The Covid-19 pandemic has erased years of progress in poverty reduction in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the UN. It estimates that an additional 89m people in the region “could have been pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020” because of the effect of the pandemic on economic growth and educational activities. But what measures are being taken by governments in the Asia-Pacific to strengthen the economic response to coronavirus, have fiscal and monetary support measures proved sufficient, and how well are vaccination programmes progressing? The FT assesses whether there is room for more to be done, and which measures can be taken to reverse the economic decline.

Does Net Zero = Net Gains from China?

President Xi Jinping has pledged that greenhouse gas emissions will peak by 2030 and reach net zero by 2060 in a “green revolution” across China. So what investment opportunities could open up for fund managers from changes to energy production, and the creation of low-carbon industries, vehicles, transportation, buildings and technologies? 

China as a haven for fixed income investors 

Ashmore, one of the biggest emerging-market fund managers with almost $100 billion under management, has become the latest investor to make the argument for including Chinese bonds in strategic portfolios. In early April, Ashmore highlighted China’s strong performance in the first quarter, compared with losses across other fixed-income markets.Recently, JPMorgan Asset Management and Brandywine Global Investment Management have also backed Chinese debt and suggested the country can be a viable haven.But invesirs have heard this all before - so does recovery from he pandemic make it more realistic now? 

The Green Bond Growth Industry 

Green bonds - the debt securities being issued to fund billions of dollars worth of environmental projects, such as investments in renewable energy - have been launched and promoted across Europe. But how is the market developing in the Asia-pacific region? Which governments have issued green bonds, and what kinds of corporates are also active in the market? We look at how idemand from fund managers is evolving, and what could be barriers to faster growth.

Women at the Top of Asian Fund Management 

Growing numbers of women occupy portfolio management roles in Asia: China, Taiwan and South Korea have seen a notable increase in senior women investors over the past few years with female fund managers representation significantly higher than the global average But this is not true across all Asia-Pacific markets with female fund manager representation remaining extremely low in Japan and India. So the FT examines the factors driving the improvement in female fund manager representation in some parts of Asia and the remaining barriers to women portfolio managers in other countries.

Private Equity Funds’ Asia Successes

More global private equity firms are raising dedicated Asia funds. And investors can see the long-term success they have been having in the tech sector: private equity funds have been capitalising on strong demand to exit investments they have held in some cases for more than a decade. The list of Asian technology companies looking to sell shares in the coming months “is unmatched”, according to Goldman Sach. So we look at the prospects for investors coming new to the funds: the latest fundraising trends, notable deals, and the outlook for returns.  

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

James Lees +852 5969 1574, james.lees@ft.com

Chris Holt,  +44 (0)7415136450, chris.holt@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FTfm Special Report: Responsible Investing

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report in 24 May 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Green Taxonomy 

The experience so far. We talk to financial institutions about their early experience of the new EU rules requiring disclosure of ESG information. Critics  have accused the initiative, aimed at combating greenwash, of imposing green tape on a complex reality that does not lend itself to a one-size-fits-all approach.

Purpose 

How do you formulate and enact corporate purpose? We review best practice developed by investors and academics.

Opinion 

How boards can minimise scarring from the pandemic and create value for a company’s longer-term viability.

Interview with a US regulator on what scope the Biden administration sees for cooperation with the EU, the UK, which is hosting the November Cop-26 talks in Glasgow, and China, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, to facilitate companies’ progress to net zero emissions.

What information do boards need to perform when it comes to purpose-driven business that meets the needs not just of shareholders but other stakeholders including employees and society. 

As younger generations move up through the workforce, some leaders are paying close attention to how young people think, and to understand their goals and aspirations. If sustainability and purpose are big concerns for young people, how can employers harness this? 

ESG in Asia 

Does it matter less than in the west? We examine the case study of an Asian company  that recently raised a lot of money in an IPO on Wall Street in spite of a series of worker deaths.

What role have vaccine bonds played in supporting the Covid-19 vaccination requirements of poorer countries, and what lessons have we learned about such instruments for the next pandemic.

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Chris Holt chris.holt@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Europe’s Climate Leaders

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on 27 May 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

For the first time, the Financial Times and Statista, the German data provider, are producing a list of Europe-based companies that have achieved the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions intensity.  The ranking will highlight businesses across Europe whose greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) intensity — that is, GHG emissions relative to revenue — fell the most between 2014 and 2019. The list will be part of a special report appearing in a print edition of the Financial Times, as well as online at ft.com. 

This special report will feature the following articles illuminating corporate best and worst practice in the fight against climate change and will include sectoral and geographical coverage of some of the companies on the list. (this list is provisional).

State of Climate Disclosure in Accounts: The FT/Statista ranking in context

Auditors

How deep a role will they play in monitoring standards and disclosure as the world slowly inches towards a common set of metrics enabling investors and other stakeholders to compare companies across the glbe and sectors?

Building Reliable Carbon Markets - What will it take? 

How to support next generation technology that will be required to achieve net zero

Net Zero Plans 

1500 companies have one: We look at what the best in class look like.

Interview(s) with a leading regulator and investor

The Joe Biden Effect

Will the US climate pivot back to international cooperation under the auspices of the Paris accord bolster the efforts of climate-focused European companies and multinationals with operations in Europe?

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Nick Phillips on +44 (0)20 7873 4216, nick.phillips@ft.com

Caitlin O’Sullivan +44 (0)20 7873 3743, caitlin.osullivan@ft.com

Robert Grange +44 (0)20 7873 4418, robert.grange@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Investing in African Infrastructure

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 01 June 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Introduction 

The formal start this year of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, which joins 54 countries in a single trading block, highlights the urgent need to upgrade the continent’s infrastructure. Connectivity among countries will be key, but so will reliable sources of power generation if hopes for a revival of the continent’s manufacturing base are to be realised. 

A recent McKinsey report conservatively estimates that Africa needs to double its annual spend on road, rail, ports and power plants to $150bn. But the continent - which before the pandemic boasted six of the world’s fastest-growing economies - has not stood still. There has been a huge amount of construction matched by strong institutional appetite for bankable projects, even if too many projects fail at the planning stage. Some infrastructure is built and financed by Chinese as well as Turkish, Brazilian and other investors, while Mozambique is attracting tens of billions of dollars of FDI into its offshore gas fields. 

But African governments and businesses, too, are funding their own needs. Ethiopia is close to completing the 6.5 gigawatt Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a project that will make Ethiopia energy-independent and have huge diplomatic and economic repercussions. In Nigeria, Aliko Dangote is building a $12bn refinery which, though delayed, could eventually transform the country’s petrochemical base. Morocco has ambitious plans for its Tanger-Med Industrial zone and port located just 90 miles from the European mainland. And the continent is wiring up, building the telecoms, internet and financial connectivity capability that is spawning a new ecosystem of online entrepreneurs.  

Financing infrastructure

The role of Development Finance Institutions, development banks, private equity and impact investors in funding the infrastructure Africa needs is changing. Institutions such as the Africa Finance Corporation and Afreximbank are pushing new ways to de-risk loans and attract private capital. The appetite for sustainable investment is changing the nature of the projects that get financed with a greater emphasis on renewable energy and investments with an ESG component. The recapitalised and renamed US International Development Finance Corporation, with an express remit to kickstart private-sector investment on the continent, is another potential force for change. This piece will look at finance of infrastructure projects in west Africa. 

China in Africa

Perhaps the biggest catalyst for the development of infrastructure over the past 15 years has been China. Its investments in road, rail, ports, airports and power plants have been both transformative and controversial. The FT will examine the impact of Chinese-built infrastructure on development - and, in some cases at least, on growing debt piles. 

Focus on Djibouti

The country is forecast to grow at a 10 percent clip this year, in large part thanks to almost non-stop development of its ports and railways. A sort of “Panama of Africa'' strategically located in the Gulf of Aden, the country is already home to a string of naval bases from the US, China, France and others. All the activity is turning the historical Port of Djibouti into an international business district and a conduit for growing imports and exports to and from landlocked Ethiopia, the regional powerhouse. 

Wiring Africa Up

Africa’s internet capacity is rapidly expanding and new data centres are constantly opening up. Google is laying a subsea internet cable from Lisbon to Cape Town and Facebook wants to circumnavigate the continent within a few years. By then, the number of mobile subscribers should have risen by 200m to 615m, providing another jolt to the forces that are pushing businesses online and knitting the continent together in new ways. This piece will examine the investments and the changes to the business environment that are likely to result. 

Case Study: Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines is emerging as the most resilient carrier in Africa and one of the most successful globally. While most airlines in Africa, including the troubled South African Airways, have been grounded because of the Covid-19 pandemic, or are sinking in debt and struggling to remain airborne, like Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines has pursued an aggressive strategy to keep flying by converting its planes to carry cargo to deliver goods, including medical equipment and Covid-19 vaccines. With a brand-new passenger and cargo terminal in Addis Ababa, the airline has positioned itself as Africa’s top passenger carrier linking Asia, Europe and the Americas via the Addis hub to virtually every country in Africa. 

Power and Electrification

About half of Africans still lack access to electricity, while many businesses cannot rely on electricity providers to provide them steady and reasonably priced energy. Even South Africa, the continent’s most sophisticated economy, has had to contend with rolling blackouts, inconveniencing customers and raising the cost of doing business. Still, things are happening around the continent; the Grand Ethiopoian Renaissance Dam will transform the energy picture in east Africa and huge solar and wind farms are going up from Morocco to Cape Verde. Across Africa, electrification rates are slowly inching up. This article will examine how changes to technology, finance and regulations are slowly making a dent in Africa’s chronic energy shortage and ask what more needs to be done to close the gap. 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Mark Carwardine: +44 (0)20 7873 4880, mark.carwardine@ft.com

Larry Kenney: +44 (0)20 7873 4835, larry.kenney@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Exchanges, Trading and Clearing: The New Landscape 

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report in two ‘bursts’, on 13 May and 1 June  2021

We plan to include the following features, some of which may be in multi-media formats  (please note that formats are not yet decided and the list is provisional):

What has Amsterdam “won” from London? 

With a higher value of shares now traded on Euronext Amsterdam than in London, the Dutch city appears an early winner from Brexit. Amsterdam has also picked up activity in swaps and sovereign debt markets that would typically have taken place in London before Brexit. But what has the city really gained? Some believe a lot of the share trading could return to London and even if it doesn't, London will be able to carve out its own trading niche. 

The Transatlantic Swaps Swap 

Interest-rate swaps trading has crossed the Altnatic to the US, in the wake of the UK and EU failing to reach a “mutual equivalence” agreement on cross-border regulation of derivatives post Brexit. US-based platforms known as swap execution facilities have been the main beneficiaries. But what does a more fragmented market - and UK-EU political wrangling - mean for prices and liquidity?   

London Pins its Comeback on a Listings Revolution

A shake up of the listings regime for London’s stock market is intended to make it more competitive with centres such as New York, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. But will dual class shares, smaller publicly owned “free-floats” and welcoming Special Purpose Acquisition Companies change the trading dynamic at all? 

Can Exchanges Become Wider Technology Providers?

Exchanges have long had the potential to offer their technologies for the trading of more than just financial instruments. Nasdaq’s tie up with betting firm Football Index  highlighted its push to provide a service to groups outside financial services. But the ill-fated deal suggests some technology sharing arrangements may be more suitable than others 

Data: Putting a Value on an Exchange’s Greatest Asset  

London Stock Exchange shareholders rate data so highly that they granted its boss a near tripling of his pay to £6.9m last year. They had reason to: David Schwimmer’s takeover of financial data provider Refinitiv led to a surge in LSE’s share price. This data deal was meant to help the LSE compete with financial information provider Bloomberg, and cash in on demand for computer-driven trading, But LSE’s share price falls suggest the data growth story is not so simple to exploit.

Regulators Dial up their Scrutiny of Exchange Outages 

In March, the European Securities and Markets Authority reported concerns over trading venues’ reliance on third-party data and software providers following several major technical outages that took place globally in 2020. Deutsche Börse, Euronext, and Nasdaq’s ASX Trade system all suffered failures and a Tokyo malfunction led to the resignation of the exchange’s chief executive in December. What must they now do to satisfy customers and watchdogs? 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of FT Project Publishing. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Mackenzie Kyle: 917-551-5052, mackenzie.kyle@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Remaking Europe

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report in 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Governments across Europe are pledging to ‘build back better’ and focus their economic recovery efforts on the following areas:

digitalisation, ecological transition, research and training, and health.

The FT’s European and sectoral correspondents examine best practice, opportunities and risks offered by tech on the road ahead, as a pan-EU recovery fund offers the bloc’s more indebted and less prosperous countries the chance of a once-in-a generation transformation.

The following articles will combine case studies, policymaker interviews and expert comment and analysis.

The Challenge

We compare and contrast how different countries in Europe are positioned to build back better, against a global backdrop where most advanced economies are trying to do the same

How far is the regulatory environment positioned to achieve a low-carbon economy, and what is missing 

Research and Training

How to equip the new generation with the skills required for the new economy

Oped on ethical guidelines and regulation for new technologies

Big interview with a policymaker

How has healthcare changed in the pandemic - 

For better or worse - thanks to tech?

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

 Stephanie Collier on 07787 501 471, stephanie.collier@ft.com

Kate Childs-Carlile on 07980 532 947, kate.childscarlile@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Women at the Start

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on 09 March 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Education to Work

Planning ahead: if you are graduating soon or have just graduated, what should you be doing to secure work experience, courses, and schemes that might lead to job opportunities?

Personal Productivity

How to be organised, effective - and useful to colleagues: in challenging times, self-organisation is more important than ever. 

Metal Health

Resilience and flexibility: there will be knockbacks, and pressure to change your plans/ ambitions. How to stay positive.

The Question of the Year

Women of colour: fine words were spoken last year about opening doors to under-represented groups. How to look for employers, mentors and sponsors with meaningful schemes / initiatives.

Industry Focus

You want a career in the creative industries? How to find employment in an industry that is short of money.

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is often touted as an alternative to employment; how to use setting up your own enterprise as a route to employment. 

Case Studies

What I wish I’d known: veterans of starting out in previous crises?

Money

How to manage money when you are on short-term contracts? How to negotiate for more money.

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

 Gemma Taylor +44 (0)20 7873 3698, gemma.taylor@ft.com

Rachel Spence +44 (0)20 7873 3290, rachel.spence@ft.com

Jackie King +1 917 551 5113, jackie.king@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

The World 2021

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on 18 August 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Planning for a Post— Pandemic World

What are the chances of the world getting back to normal - and how soon it will happen. How deep is the economic scarring likely to be? Will travel resume, or will we be living in a world of closed borders and quarantines throughout the year? And what permanent political and economic changes is the pandemic likely to have brought about?

Global Health

We assess what has worked globally on vaccines, disease suppression, track-and-trace. Is the only way out of this pandemic global suppression - and is the world capable of the coordinated efforts required. What is the right role for the WHO?

Climate Change

A big year culminating with Cop-26 in Glasgow. What is likely to happen?

The Biden Challenge

What are the priorities of the new administration? Can it restore stability to the US and restore American leadership beyond its borders?

Growing US-Chinese Rivalry

How much of a change is there likely to be under the new US President Joe Biden. How do the Chinese see the relationship with a new administration? Will the two countries reach a trade deal? Is there a risk of a military clash over Taiwan or in the South China Sea?

Frothy Markets

How long can the weird combination of a global pandemic and a deep recession coincide with markets going ever higher? Is there a risk of inflation returning?

Big Tech Under Pressure

Have the Big Tech companies crossed a Rubicon with Twitter’s ban on former president Donald Trump? Are they going to be made to take responsibility for their content? And what about the growing pressures on data privacy, taxation — and even the threat of break-up?

Europe post Brexit

The EU came through Brexit well and got some things right in the pandemic - including the launch of a big recovery fund. But the European commission is now being roundly criticised over the rollout of vaccines across the EU. And political instability looks a threat in Italy - and even France.

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Charlotte Morgan +44 (0) 20 7775 6822, charlotte.morgan@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Sustainable Development Goals/ Global Goals

for manufacturing/ energy

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report in 2021

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

The FT plans a series of special reports to assess progress towards achieving the UN sustainable development goals by a looming deadline of 2030.

FT correspondents around the world will examine the extent to which countries and businesses have advanced towards the core goals of the 17 SDGs.  

Since they were agreed by the world five years ago. This stock-taking comes at a key turning point for boardrooms as they face growing demands from investors and stakeholders to pursue purpose beyond making a profit.

One group of reports will focus on best practice in Energy,  Mobility and Manufacturing sectors to progress towards SDGs, both new developments from big business and start-ups. The goals that  are most relevant to these industries are:

1. Climate change mitigation
2. Affordable and clean energy
3. Responsible consumption 
4. Sustainable cities and communities
5. Health and wellbeing
6. Partnerships for the goals
7. Industry, innovation

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Nick Phillips on +44 (0)20 7873 4216, nick.phillips@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

Technology: Latin America

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on May 01^st, 2020

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Introduction

Latam tech is coming of age. After a slow start, the arrival last year of major investors such as Japan's Softbank and Chinese players such as Tencent have brought a flood of new money. Investment in 2019 totalled around $5bn and the number of venture capital firms active in the region is growing fast. 

Interview with leading tech fund investor in the region

Tech for Good

While Brazil is not likely to create a new social network or score a moonshot, there is a great deal of space for technology to improve people's lives in a country with huge social needs, whether in terms of tech-enabled education programmes to improve literacy, healthcare programmes to lower the cost of care or group buying to reduce the price of basic goods. 

Incumbents Play Catch-up

Brazil's old guard companies embrace tech. Some of the country's biggest companies - banks Itaú and Bradesco and beverage giant Ambev - are offering "fast tracks" to start-ups to supply innovations. The companies know they can't attract the talent that start-ups do, so their thinking is this "fast track" is a way to obtain cutting edge tech. 

Mexico Tech

Why does Mexico, Latin America's second biggest economy, not have a single unicorn? Part of the answer relates to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his tech problem. López Obrador's vision for the economy is one fired by fossil fuels and powered by state-led development. Tech is not a word often heard in the government's vocabulary. 

Colombia Tech

Despite President Duque's enthusiastic rhetoric promoting what he likes to call the "Orange Economy", tech companies in Colombia have had mixed fortunes. Uber's experience is a sobering lesson: following a battle over regulation, Uber exited the country earlier this month amid acrimony. 

Medellin

Better known as the hometown of one of the world's most notorious drug traffickers, Colombia's second city is re-inventing itself as a tech hub. Chosen as the only city in Latin America to host one of the Centres for the 4th Industrial Revolution, Medellin is now working on cutting-edge blockchain and AI projects. 

Montevideo

Tiny Uruguay has become an unlikely software star. Supportive government policies, a well-educated population, low costs and good internet access mean the country of 3.5m now exports software to more than 52 nations. 

Buenos Aires

Argentina has been the premier origin of Latin America's unicorns, with retailing giants such as Mercado Libre (Latam's Amazon). But will the new Peronist government promote the knowledge economy or will their protectionist and statist bent undermine all that? 

Chile

A look at Start-up Chile, a public start-up accelerator created by the Chilean Government for high-potential entrepreneurs. Today, Start-Up Chile is the leading accelerator in Latin America and among the top 10 globally. 

Company Profiles

Brazil Fintech

Known for its high costs and bureaucracy Brazil’s economy remains dominated by five big, traditional banks. The flipside is that this is making it an increasingly attractive target for agile technology start-ups.

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page.

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports.

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries.

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

John Moncure +1 917 551 5036, john.moncure@ft.com

Brazil

Alessandre Siano +55 11 992 912 814, alessandre.siano@ft.com

Argentina, Chile, Uruguay & Paraguay

Gonzalo Rio +54 9 11 5497 6679, gonzalo.rio@ft.com or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content