Business Education: Executive Education

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on May 11^th, 2020

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

Introduction

A wave of investment in new courses and teaching facilities is transforming the executive education market. Business schools have realised that there is a great market opportunity, but they also know that they need to up their game to see off competitive threats from new training providers and large companies taking executive education in house.

Comment

from Andrew Jack, the FT’s global learning editor, on current issues in business education.

Ranking & Methodology

We explore the trends highlighted by the executive education ranking and how different schools fared this year. 

Management Column

FT management editor Andrew Hill explores developments in business leadership.

Professors Column

A management professor from a leading institution shares their theories and research 

Interview

with a former executive education student. Why did they decide to take the course, what did they gain from it and how has it applied to their career?

The 5G Workforce

With up to five generations predicted to be working in one office by 2030, business schools are launching courses to help executives to lead multigenerational workforces. They focus on helping executives to develop a clear understanding of generations’ different expectations - and how to learn from people of different ages. 

Beating Burnout

There is growing awareness of the risk of burnout, with some large companies launching training courses to ensure senior leaders are in good physical and mental health. Business schools have also launched wellness programmes, teaching executives mindfulness techniques to combat stress and raise productivity. 

Digital Skills

One of the fastest growing markets in executive education is the teaching of digital skills. This article looks at some of the new courses being designed by leading business schools and asks which skills are most sought after by employers.

Executive Education-Only Schools

Some business schools in the US and UK have dropped or suspended their MBAs and are focusing on executive education. What does it mean for the brand what are the pros and cons of becoming an exec ed-only school? 

Business Books Reviews: A guide to some of the best of the recent crop of management books.

Technology

One of the FT’s technology team looks at new innovations and what they might mean for the world of work. 

In Real Life: A student's personal career journey and how executive education has done for them. 

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.

FTfm Special Report: Responsible Investing

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on the 11^th May, 2020.

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

Which Sustainable Development Goal-related sectors generated significant returns for investors in 2019 and which stumbled?

Updated guide on the up and coming sustainability metrics for investors. Why is it so difficult to arrive at a single framework and set of metrics that enable responsible investors to compare companies performance

We assess how Asia is playing catchup when it comes to responsible investing

The European Securities and Markets Authority’s chairman told a recent FT event that the supervision of ESG ratings was “far from optimal”. We look at how investor protections might be improved and greenwashing curbed.

Talk of the US adopting some kind of carbon tax is growing louder and the EU plans a carbon border tax: what are the implications for responsible investors if these plans materialise?

Interview with a prominent Norwegian investor as Norway juggles with the contradictions of being a major oil and gas producer and operating a sovereign wealth fund with a responsible investing focus on divesting from hydrocarbons

Is a growing clamour for responsible investing likely to make asset management a more attractive profession for women? We talk to female professionals to find out.

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:

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 

Asia Business Guide

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report in April 20, 2020
We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Asia is a complex fast-changing collection of markets with great opportunity, and many potential pitfalls even for the initiated. How do outsiders - western investors and businesses - get a piece of the action? This special report by FT correspondents and columnists sets out the opportunities and risks, with case studies and expert advice from the region and beyond.

Investment Patterns

Which countries and sectors in Asia are Asian investors putting their money and where have Europeans and others dared to tread. With charts

Asia Tech Disrupters

Asia is home to the most vibrant tech start-up scene in the world. More unicorns (start-ups valued at over $1bn) exist in China, India, Japan, south-east Asia and elsewhere than in any other region of the world. Digital technologies, AI and other recent advances are acting as multipliers, allowing nascent companies build scale and cross borders with speed. What are the opportunities to invest in these companies? What are the potential pitfalls to avoid?

Sustainable Investing

We talk to upcoming Asian business owners and investors who may be keener on sustainable business than previous generations. What are they investing in or what would they like to invest in when they take charge? We explore whether there are new points of sustainable investing in Asia for a younger generation of investors in the west seeking responsible investing opportunities.

Financial Markets

Foreigners have always struggled to get into the Chinese market and this is why the Chinese stock market, the main route in, has grown more slowly than the economy. Is a spate of recent market opening moves enough to significantly improve western investors’ access to local markets?

Southeast Asia

Author Partag Khanna has promoted the idea that South East Asia will take over from China as Asia's engine of growth. How far is this true? What opportunities are created for investors? Or/Plus. Case studies in a couple of the fastest-growing emerging markets. Eg Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam

New Services

We look at the role played by Asia's new digital banks and professional services firms in facilitating foreign investment. 

Fintech

Fintech is developing much faster in Asia than in Europe and the US - what do western investors need to know about this sector. 

Asian States Fund AI Unicorns. 

The transformative power of AI is set to be applied across industries, creating trillions of US dollars in value, according to McKinsey, the consultancy.  What is the role of the state, and what are opportunities for private sector players? 

Real Estate

With Hong Kong in the doldrums because of the political conflict with Beijing, companies investing in the region are looking at Singapore as an alternative hub. This is expected to boost Singapore's role, creating demand for residential, retail and commercial property. What options are there for foreign investors?

Infrastructure 

Asian infrastructure needs over the next two decades will dominate global infrastructure investment. This is especially true for sustainable schemes including in energy and transport. But it is notoriously hard to invest in infrastructure because of its long lead times, regulatory knots and government involvement in projects and long term pricing regimes. Still, there are opportunities for private investors, especially those keen on sustainable options. What ways can be found through this maze?

Electric Vehicles

What does China’s rapid advances on electric vehicles mean for foreign rivals and investors

Japan - Activist Investors  

Have invested in several Japanese companies and in some cases forced corporate changes. How much does this signal a new readiness by Japanese groups to respond to shareholder demands even at the cost of their traditional loyalties to employees and corporate partners? Is this a long-awaited investment opportunity?

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

Judith Lim +65 6671 4079, judith.lim@ft.com

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

or your usual Financial Times representative.

FT TheAmericas’ Fastest-Growing Companies

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report in May 12, 2020
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 but, when dissected by city, the ranking reveals some surprise hotspots. But looking forward, how resilient are these companies likely to be in the face of coronavirus - and could the epidemic even strengthen tech’s position over the next couple of years?

The Leader

A profile of the company reporting the highest revenue growth over 2015-18. 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 is it one of few companies in a position to turn the coronavirus crisis to its favour?

Country Focus: Colombia

In terms of the top 10 cities by number of companies, Colombia’s capital Bogota ranks joint fourth with Chicago, beating Atlanta, Sao Paolo and Los Angeles. What is it about the country’s business climate that has enabled it to deliver the third-highest number of companies to the ranking after the US and Canada?

Argentina Under Pressure 

We look at Argentina and ask whether the country’s start-up scene is being throttled by record inflation and a national debt crisis, or whether the political and economic climate is actually forcing entrepreneurs to think creatively.

Secor Focus: Property in Canada

Real estate has been the driving force of the Canadian economy for a decade but economic forces are now working against it. Meanwhile property listings aggregators have set out to provide an alternative to the monopoly that Canada’s realtors have long held on pricing information in the market and the big commissions that come with it. What effect will these conditions have on property companies on the ranking and beyond?

Sao Paulo

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. 

Milking It

An Australian and a New Zealander started a vertically-integrated dairy producer in Bahia, Brazil, from scratch. Its milk is now in every top supermarket in the country and the dairy business is so productive that each hectare yields three times more milk than it would in New Zealand, one of the world’s most efficient producers.

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: Financial Training

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 15 June, 2020
We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Introduction

The masters in finance is becoming an increasingly popular degree among both students and corporate recruiters, but it needs to adapt to changing times. Applications grew in 2019 year-over-year, while MBA demand fell, according to GMAC. This has encouraged several leading schools to launch master in finance programmes in recent years. We look at what is driving this demand and the challenges ahead for the course.

Rankings, Data, Analysis 

What does this year’s latest FT ranking of masters in finance courses tell us about trends in the market? Plus an explanation of the criteria for a place in the list.

Business School Focus

Profile of one of the schools that has moved up the rankings this year, assessing what it has done to improve its position globally. The piece will look at what good schools in general are doing to adapt to a changing world and changes in demand for masters in finance degrees.

Coronavirus 

What impact will the coronavirus crisis have on financial training and how financial managers are taught at business schools to manage in an extreme crisis.  

Online Education 

Not many masters in finance programmes are currently delivered digitally, but the coronavirus crisis, as well as a greater need for flexibility amid fast changes in finance, is altering this state of affairs rapidly, with more schools launching online masters in finance degrees.

Sustainable Finance 

Over the past year, investors have poured money into stocks and portfolios with an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) focus. Evidence shows they perform well and may even weather global crises such as the coronavirus better than other funds. The challenge, however, is navigating a maze of different metrics and standards for measuring the impact of ESG investments. Given the growing prominence of ESG in the financial sector, how are financial training courses 

approaching this?

Entrepreneurship 

A case study of a business founded by a masters in finance graduate, explaining why they struck out on their own and how their formal education at business school helped them overcome their challenges, even in a crisis like the  coronavirus pandemic..

Added Value

Business schools are bolting on stackable industry certifications like the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) to their masters in finance degrees. The aim is to give their graduates an edge on the job market and a head start on some of the world’s toughest exams. 

Careers

What can graduates do to prepare for the impending changes in the jobs market in the wake of coronavirus and what skills will be in most demand to ensure a career for future? This piece gives an overview of career opportunities available to masters in finance graduates, where jobs are growing and what skills are most in demand. 

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.

Europe's Leading Patent Law Firms

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on June 18^th, 2020

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

How China’s failed attempt in backing of a candidate to lead the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), amid a trade war with the US, has provoked controversy over the replacement of the sitting director-general

The UK has reversed its position and threatened to withdraw from plans to create a European unified patent court. Where does that leave plans for the organisation aimed at simplified the sector across the continent?

The Human Touch

Recent judgments have rejected claims that AI machines can be deemed as inventors of patents. How long can this contested position hold?

Patents and Charities

When companies work with non-profits or foundations on innovations, what rules and policies should apply to who owns that IP?

University Challenge

What are the problems facing educational institutions, which are often the incubators of new ideas in tech, medicine and science, in managing their IP? What happens when companies spin-off from a campus pilot?

Case Study

A profile of how a company employing large numbers of patent attorneys in-house handles its resources

Could do Better

An EU report published in January has highlighted the scale and major causes of losses that result from breaches in IP across the trading bloc

Europe's Leading Patent Law Firms - a ranking by county and broad sectoral expertise

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:

Sarah Mohr on +44 (0)20 7873 3195, sarah.mohr@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.

Japan and Sustainability

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report July 24^th, 2020.

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

Sport and Climate Change

Extreme weather conditions are increasingly threatening sport. Be it football pitches too waterlogged to play, or famous seaside golf courses crashing into the sea. What are the ways in which the 2020 Olympics and sport in general plan to adapt to climate change?

Video

Climate change effect on Olympics: Tokyo has already relocated the Olympic marathon event to rural northern Japan to avoid extreme heat concerns. The outdoor swimming events might be moving too. 

Infrastructure

Big sporting events are increasingly trying to work out how to have more sustainable events. We look at how this thinking has influenced the 2020 Olympics as a variety of sports have made efforts to become more sustainable - and we ask whether they are moving fast enough?

Activism

Activist investors have invested in several Japanese companies and in some cases forced corporate changes. How much does this signal a new readiness by Japanese groups to respond to shareholder demands? Is this a long-awaited investment opportunity. Will this facilitate or hinder some investors’ new emphasis on sustainability and ESG considerations? 

Sustainable Development Goals

We look at ways in which Japanese business has incorporated SDGs into their products and operations

Overview plus case studies from an investor and a manufacturer

Greenwash or Green Reporting?

An op-ed from a leading investor on Japanese progress when it comes to “greening” companies’ reporting and disclosure requirements.

Interview with an Advocate of More Sustainable Business and Finance 

What needs to happen to deepen the ability of Japanese business to create value in a sustainable manner.

Professional Services Firms

We look at the role played by accountants and law firms in Japan in driving or hindering progress towards more sustainable business practices

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

Kazue Hasegawa +81 3 5219 2324, kazue.hasegawa@ft.com

Sunny Ningsun +81 90 3207 7568, sunny.ningsun@ft.com

Tomoko Asanuma +81 3 5219 2323, tomoko.asanuma@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 Start-Ups

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report in

digital on 08^th June 2020 and in print on 11 June 2020.

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

The FT and Sifted, working with the Founders’ Forum, present a special report on Europe’s tech founders and start-ups; the people, the businesses, the landscape. (this list is provisional and may be modified)

The List: Europe’s Top 50 Founders

This list is drawn from Sifted’s existing directory of Europe’s 100 top start-ups, based on the money they have raised, how quickly they have hired and how formative they have been for the start-up ecosystem. 

This includes a lot of the most well-known names in European tech, such as N26, UIPath, Monzo, Revolut, Deliveroo, Glovo, Flixbus, Blablacar and so on. A large proportion of these are valued at more than $1bn, so these are substantial businesses making a difference in Europe’s economy.

From the above list, a panel of judges chooses a key founder for each of the last 15 years. A short profile puts the company and founder in the context of other things going on at the time, for example, a company founded during the financial crisis, or after Brexit, a sustainability-focused company that responded to the climate-crisis etc.  

The List: Top 50 to Follow List

We look at less well-known names: companies that have raised a Series A funding round (ie they have just raised their first serious VC backing) and which are hiring at the fastest rate, using the hiring as a proxy for growth. These are the challenger companies potentially destined to be Europe’s next set of tech unicorns, all with interesting stories behind them.

Introduction: Rise of European start-ups and founders, and what does the future hold

Infographics: Top Investments per sector / country / city since 2000 

Brief Analysis of Numbers

How many founders are female or from a minority background, for example. 

A timeline of the biggest moments in European Tech since 2000 

The EU tech ecosystems of the future: Estonia, Poland, Lisbon etc

Angel investors: Their place in ecosystem; why they matter

Stories informed by what the list and data tell us about the concerns and preoccupations of modern Europe - and how they are changing, with some case studies and profiles:

-         AI start-ups

Artificial intelligence has been a watchword in tech for some time. But what can the latest start-ups in the field tell us about the way AI is being applied — and what are the limits?  How are some start-ups moving beyond machine learning? 

-         Sustainability Start-ups

There are many of them but are any having much of an impact when it comes to tackling climate change

-         Health Tech in areas such as Longevity and Genomics

Are apps and start-ups filling a gap in health service provision.    

-        Europe as Birthplace of Fintech

-        Role of Regulation in opening up some opportunities and closing down others

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 Eyles on +44 (0)20 7873 3613, nick.eyles@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 Start-Ups

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report in

digital on 08^th June 2020 and in print on 11 June 2020.

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

The FT and Sifted, working with the Founders’ Forum, present a special report on Europe’s tech founders and start-ups; the people, the businesses, the landscape. (this list is provisional and may be modified)

The List: Europe’s Top 50 Founders

This list is drawn from Sifted’s existing directory of Europe’s 100 top start-ups, based on the money they have raised, how quickly they have hired and how formative they have been for the start-up ecosystem. 

This includes a lot of the most well-known names in European tech, such as N26, UIPath, Monzo, Revolut, Deliveroo, Glovo, Flixbus, Blablacar and so on. A large proportion of these are valued at more than $1bn, so these are substantial businesses making a difference in Europe’s economy.

From the above list, a panel of judges chooses a key founder for each of the last 15 years. A short profile puts the company and founder in the context of other things going on at the time, for example, a company founded during the financial crisis, or after Brexit, a sustainability-focused company that responded to the climate-crisis etc.  

The List: Top 50 to Follow List

We look at less well-known names: companies that have raised a Series A funding round (ie they have just raised their first serious VC backing) and which are hiring at the fastest rate, using the hiring as a proxy for growth. These are the challenger companies potentially destined to be Europe’s next set of tech unicorns, all with interesting stories behind them.

Introduction: Rise of European start-ups and founders, and what does the future hold

Infographics: Top Investments per sector / country / city since 2000 

Brief Analysis of Numbers

How many founders are female or from a minority background, for example. 

A timeline of the biggest moments in European Tech since 2000 

The EU tech ecosystems of the future: Estonia, Poland, Lisbon etc

Angel investors: Their place in ecosystem; why they matter

Stories informed by what the list and data tell us about the concerns and preoccupations of modern Europe - and how they are changing, with some case studies and profiles:

-         AI start-ups

Artificial intelligence has been a watchword in tech for some time. But what can the latest start-ups in the field tell us about the way AI is being applied — and what are the limits?  How are some start-ups moving beyond machine learning? 

-         Sustainability Start-ups

There are many of them but are any having much of an impact when it comes to tackling climate change

-         Health Tech in areas such as Longevity and Genomics

Are apps and start-ups filling a gap in health service provision.    

-        Europe as Birthplace of Fintech

-        Role of Regulation in opening up some opportunities and closing down others

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 Eyles on +44 (0)20 7873 3613, nick.eyles@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.

•   In terms of relocations of financial services activities
•   What happens to the Brits living in the Grand Duchy
•   Other impacts on Luxembourg

Introduction

Ease of Doing Business

Tech Ecosystem Overview

How Oil Will Transform Ghana’s Economy

Gollywood and the New Economy

How Fibre is Transforming Small Business

Nigeria at 60

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report over October 1st, 2020

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

Intro: We take a look at Nigeria sixty years after independence, as Africa’s biggest crude producer attempts to diversify its economy away from oil production amid a global oil slump, manage a major recession and provide for its growing, largely impoverished population of 200m.

-Economy: With the price of oil hovering right around the cost of producing a barrel in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy is bracing for its second recession in five years with pain likely to ripple throughout the country. The government, which derives over half of its revenues and nearly all of its foreign exchange from crude oil, has already slashed its budget. More belt tightening is likely on the way - but the crisis also provides a clear opportunity for the Buhari administration to enact long-awaited structural reforms.

-Oil & Gas: We explore how the oil price crash is likely to affect IOCs, major projects and domestic players in Nigeria’s most important industries.

-Coronavirus: Medical supplies flown in from China on private planes, isolation centres built on football stadium pitches, mobile PCR testing labs delivered to remote regions. We examine the private sector response to the pandemic, which acted as a backstop to the Nigerian government.

-Interview with a prominent Nigerian businessperson.

-Governors - We speak to two governors - one from the north and one from the south - about the challenges facing their states and the opportunities they see on the horizon. 

-Banking - We assess the likely impact of the oil crash on the Nigerian banking sector, which is heavily exposed to domestic oil companies that account for roughly 30 per cent of banks’ lending.

-Manufacturing: The Buhari administration’s efforts to diversify the economy has had mixed results. The manufacturing sector in particular remains weak - we explore the challenges it faces and whether the need for domestic production revealed by coronavirus pandemic will spur a resurgence.

-Healthcare: Nigeria’s hospital system is notoriously patchy, and the country has one of the lowest per capita rates of healthcare spending in the world. The system has not so far been overwhelmed by the pandemic, but will investments being made now to cope with coronavirus create meaningful change for its future?

-Agriculture: The jewel of the Buhari administration’s economic diversification drive has borne fruit, with domestic food production rising. But the system relies heavily on government subsidies and low-cost loans, particularly from the central bank. We take a look at the Central Bank of Nigeria’s prominent, unorthodox role in the farming sector.

-Tech: Lagos has the hottest tech scene on the continent, with fintech playing a particularly prominent role. But the coronavirus pandemic is expected to dry up VC funding - how are Nigerian founders bracing for a post-Covid world?

-Op-ed from a Nigerian commentator.

Information

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Mumbai as a Financial Centre

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report over May 1st, 2020

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

Mumbai’s Future

Since the liberalisation of India’s economy in 1991, Mumbai has grown into one of the world’s predominant financial centres as global investors seek to take advantage of India’s booming economy. Yet economic growth has slowed, as has private investment, and the pulsating metropolis is creaking with population growth and climatic challenges. Foreign investors still often remain ambivalent about setting up here. Can the city continue to flourish?

Banking

Mumbai is home to India’s banking and shadow banking sector, which has over the past 18 months struggled under the weight of unpaid debts. New lending has slowed, and a number of financial institutions are at risk of collapse. The strain is reverberating through the real economy. Is the worst over, or do deeper issues remain unaddressed?

Regulation

Mumbai’s reputation as an investment hub has been damaged by financial scandals. Such episodes point to governance failings and inadequate oversight. The government has sought to give the Reserve Bank of India more power to oversee the financial system. What is being done?

New Financial Centres

Financial markets have prospered in Mumbai, with exchanges like the BSE and NSE thriving. But other financial centres are emerging in India, such as the purpose built GIFT City some 300 miles north of the city. How attractive are these new hubs to investors and businesses?

Fintech

The rise of payment start-ups and others challenging the dominance of Mumbai-based banks.

Tax Conflicts

The tax authorities an eternal source of trepidation to businesses in India. Some prominent global companies have been embroiled in painful disputes and new tax provisions continue to cause headaches for investors. Yet evasion remains rampant. The government has introduced measures to reduce tax conflicts while boosting revenue collections -- are they working?

Inequality

The capital flowing into the city over the past three decades has led to abundant spending by some, while almost half the population lives in slums. The city is considered one of the world’s most unequal. What challenges does this pose to Mumbai’s future as a global business hub?

Infrastructure

The city’s business reputation is hurt by poor infrastructure. This is being addressed, for example, by plans for a metro system and a high-speed railway, but such projects are beset by delays. What difference will they make?

Life in Mumbai (column)

A local financier or banker - from the city but who has lived in hubs like London or Hong Kong - reflects on its pluses and minuses. Work/ life balance, raising a family, culture and so on.

Interview:  Q and A with a leading Mumbai-based financier.

Interview:  Our correspondent speaks with a senior policy maker

Downtime Mumbai:  A leisure guide to the city for a visiting business person.

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

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Brazil

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on May 14^th, 2020

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

Introduction: Brazil under Bolsonaro

The Brazilian president in the broader Latam and global context.

Reforms - What economic reforms are on the table and why do they matter.

Brazil in the World

Once a leading advocate of multilateralism, Brazilian foreign policy has changed tack and is increasingly focused on bilateral ties with the US, China and India.

Security:  The murder rate is finally decreasing, but at what cost? Do people feel safer?

Profile

Rio is a hotbed of civic activism and social entrepreneurship and the next young and socially-engaged president of Brazil may come from here. The suave and sharp Luciano Huck, a television star in his mid-40s, is sharpening his knives to leap at the challenge of defeating far-right populism in the next presidential election.

Infrastructure

Interview with star infrastructure minister on the ambitious plan for PPP, concessions, privatisations.

Manaus Free Trade Zone

The end may be nigh for Brazil's once vaunted free trade zone in Manaus, Amazonia. The Harley Davidsons are still rolling off the production lines in the forest but critics say the site has become a den of vested interests, which alone is harming the broader Brazilian economy to the tune of half a percentage point.

Mercosur

The future of Mercosur now that its two biggest members are on the far ends of the ideological spectrum.

Brazil’s Credit Revolution

Brazil is on the threshold of a new and unfamiliar world: one of low inflation and low interest rates, with implications reaching into every corner of the economy.

Ethanol

Scene from Ribeirão Preto on the booming ethanol industry that is now being exported to India.

Roundtable

The future of Brazil’s oil and gas industry. Sidebar on Brazil key gas contract with Bolivia

Op -ed - The state of the Brazilian economy

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.

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Investing in Greece

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report over October 14th, 2020

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

Politics

After three international bailouts and a turbulent period of left-wing rule, Greece aims for a sustained recovery under the centre-right prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a US-trained former consultant. His pro-business government is committed to completing further reforms under EU supervision following a solid election win last July over the radical Syriza party. But how will Greece catch up after a “lost decade” that saw output fall by one-quarter and massive emigration by skilled younger workers?

Economy

Business confidence has returned to pre-bailout levels since the Mitsotakis government took office. The economy is set to expand by around 2.5 per cent this year, while the jobless rate is slowly declining. But foreign investment is lagging and Greek banks are struggling to reduce their non-performing loans. Can Greece overcome the challenges left by the crisis and succeed in accelerating growth?

Interview: With a senior politician or business figure   

Privatisation

State-controlled energy companies, from gas-trading to electricity distribution, are being offered for sale, alongside a minority stake in the Athens international airport. Disposals of regional ports and yacht marinas are also underway. This article examines how the centre-right government is rebooting Greece’s privatisation programme with the aim of attracting big-name international investors.

Renewable Energy 

A decision by the Mitsotakis government to shut down Greece’s coal-fired power plants by 2024 has opened the way for rapid growth of renewables. Current solar and wind capacity would have to be tripled to replace electricity output from coal-fired plants. But bureaucratic obstacles and increasing popular opposition to installing giant wind turbines on Aegean islands raise doubts about whether Greece will be able to meet its revised targets for renewable energy production.   

Tourism

Tourism became more important to the economy during Greece’s recession: it now accounts for one-quarter of national output compared with one-fifth before the crisis. But the overwhelming majority of visitors still arrive between May and September. Can the season be extended by promoting niche tourism, such as hiking and wellness retreats, in the spring and autumn months?

Olive oil

It is considered Greece’s signature product, yet much of the country’s high-quality olive oil is sold cheaply and shipped in bulk to Italy or Spain for mixing with local brands. But in some Greek regions, interest in producing bottled olive oil revived during the crisis. This article examines how a new generation of farm-to-delicatessen Greek growers are selling their own brands of premium olive oil in European and US markets  

Education

Under a new policy to modernise the country’s universities, Greece is offering courses in classics and ancient history designed to attract foreign students. Chinese students are already enrolling at Athens university for a four-year undergraduate course taught in English, while US students are expected to sign up for graduate programmes. This piece will consider Greece’s prospects for becoming a global education hub for classical studies.   

Company Profiles

These will be short profiles of companies that flourished during Greece’s recession after deciding to focus on exports.

National Anniversary

Modern Greece marks its 200th birthday in 2021. This article looks ahead to celebrations and a national debate over how an impoverished Ottoman province won independence with the help of European powers, doubled its territory in successive conflicts with Turkey and eventually secured its place in western Europe as a member of NATO and the EU.

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. 

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Risk Management: Property

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report over November 04, 2020

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

Climate Change

Wildfires in Australia and California have exposed the toll climate change is taking on buildings in parts of the world exposed to extreme weather. Real estate markets are suffering and insurers are backing out of fire-prone areas. We look at the growing risks to global real estate markets from extreme weather events linked to climate change, and what the property industry itself should be doing to mitigate damage and reduce its own climate impact. 

Retail Property

Retail real estate is now in a steep slump in both the UK and US: values fell 12 per cent in the UK in 2019 (CBRE) and US malls dropped 11 per cent (Green Street Advisors). Is the decline set to infect European and Asian retail property too -- and how far does the downturn have left to run? Investors have begun buying UK shopping centres again, albeit at heavily discounted prices -- is this a sign of hope or are they catching a falling knife?

Real Estate Debt Funds (US-focused)

As banks retreated from risky real estate lending after the financial crisis, real estate debt funds mushroomed to fill the gap. But while some are run by experienced veterans, industry players say others are taking on excessive risk. What happens when loans turn sour as the property cycle turns? 

Brexit

With the government aiming to finalise the UK's trade arrangements with the EU by the end of this year, what are the potential implications for property markets if the UK experiences a "cliff edge" at year-end -- and how far is the prospect holding back real estate markets in the UK this year? 

Silicon Valley/ High Urban House Prices

Some big tech companies are to fork out vast sums to help address the housing affordability crisis in California they helped create by drawing in highly paid tech workers. Why have the tech giants finally decided this is a concern for them, and what are the risks if steep housing inequality continues?

Interview on Global Fire Safety

The Grenfell Tower disaster three years ago exposed fire safety failures in the UK which building experts say are also a concern in other countries. This prompted the launch of the International Fire Safety Standards (IFSS) Coalition in 2018. Why is the group needed and what are its top priorities? 

Money Laundering

The UK and US are among the advanced economies that have introduced new rules to prevent the flow of dirty cash into real estate, but campaigners say a far tougher approach is needed. With the UK government starting to seize properties and fine estate agents and other professionals who fail to take full anti-money-laundering measures, what more should the industry be doing to ensure it does not fall foul of illicit money flows?

India

Indian cities are studded with unfinished developments after a downturn and funding squeeze put paid to ambitious development projects. What went wrong -- and can a new scheme from the State Bank of India to finance builders and homebuyers unclog the market?

Shared Offices

After WeWork's near-collapse last summer, and the failures or acquisitions of several smaller providers, landlords are looking again at shared office operators and their business models. How risky is the model for property owners, and has its period of growth ended?

Hong Kong

The fortunes of some of Hong Kong’s richest men are built on property, while the territory’s residential prices are among the world’s most expensive. But political tensions and protests in the territory have cut into market values. Is this a buying opportunity -- or is investment in Hong Kong property fraught with risk?

Landmarks

As buildings from the mid to late 20th century become overdue for refurbishment, some are in danger of demolition. What are the neglected (UK or overseas) 20th century landmarks that deserve preservation?

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.

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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.

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