For the final programme of the series, John Murphy returns to a selection of businesses that have come through this far. A fabric and haberdashery shop, a fruit farmer and a micro-pub. What’s their story of survival, what did they change and what of the future? The potential difficulties and pitfalls, are not over. Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Phoebe Keane Series editor: Penny Murphy

The pandemic and the resulting recession have led to widespread calls to recognise that we now have a once in a generation opportunity to re-think how we put the economy back together again. Research shows we can help our economy flourish again by prioritising spending on environmentally friendly initiatives. From electric bikes, to eco-friendly cement, to a new type of plastic that could heat our homes, fill our mattresses and cushion our running trainers, Adam Shaw meets the businesses that could benefit from this type of recovery plan and could help us build back better. Presenter: Adam Shaw Producer: Phoebe Keane

As Brexit talks between the European Union and the UK got under way earlier this year, before anyone was using the word “pandemic”, Caroline Bayley began following two companies which both export to Britain– one in France, one in Germany – to see how they were planning for trade with the UK outside of the EU. One is a vineyard and wine business in Bordeaux and the other makes components for kitchen furniture and cabinets in Germany. Both were knocked sideways by the coronavirus but have still had to prepare for future business with the UK with or without a trade deal. Presenter/Producer: Caroline Bayley

Politicians keep promising more trees – seen as good for the environment and for fighting climate change. Trees are also big business sustaining vital rural jobs. So will lots of new planting keep everyone happy? Chris Bowlby explores forestry’s future in one of its key locations – Northumberland. He visits the huge forest at Kielder, and a rural factory turning thousands of logs into essential materials for millions of British homes. But there are problems too – a thicket of bureaucracy surrounding planting, and questions about what sort of trees really do bring environmental gain. Presenter: Chris Bowlby Producer: John Murphy

Robots and Artificial Intelligence have been moving into our workplaces for years. But is now the time that they will become fully established and take over some jobs entirely? Is the march of the robots going to get louder now that everything seems to be changing ? David Baker investigates. Presenter: David Baker Producer: Sandra Kanthal Credit: Getty Creative / iStock / PhonlamaiPhoto

Sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests around the world that followed the death of George Floyd, companies are wading into the conversation on racial inequality. With a focus on diversity in business, there was also interest and investment in a lot of companies run by black people in the UK. Tobi Oredein, founder of media company Black Ballad, asks businesses including a home-ware maker, an interior design firm and a global bank if this is all a trend or if there will be substantial and long-term change. Presenter: Tobi Oredein Producer: Darin Graham Credit: Getty/Ariel Skelley

The UK fitness industry employs twenty thousand people and is worth an estimated £5 billion to the economy. But - like most other industries - it shut down overnight in March. Some teachers and trainers made swift decisions to move online. Some businesses closed permanently. Will people want to return to busy gyms, even with the new protocols? Tanya Beckett dons her leotard to discover what shape the exercise industry is in. Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton Credit: Getty

The coronavirus pandemic and the associated global economic lockdown have had a dramatic impact on businesses across the UK, perhaps none more so than on the aviation industry and airports like Gatwick, usually the UK's second busiest. The consequences, though, go far beyond the confines of the airport. Tens of thousands of jobs in the wider economy and in nearby towns, like Crawley, are under threat. One report has suggested that, because of its dependence on Gatwick, Crawley could be the worst affected urban centre in the UK. John Murphy speaks to a range of businesses in Crawley during this extraordinary period, to see if and how they can survive. Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Darin Graham

As the UK emerges from the coronavirus lockdown, millions of employees are still furloughed – either fully or part-time – with most of their salaries paid by the government. But how many of them really have jobs to go back to? Already companies including British Airways, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar Landrover and Centrica, to name just a few, have announced thousands of job losses and no-one knows what the true picture will look like by the autumn, as government support is removed. There are dire warnings that the labour market could be as bad or even worse than the 1980s. Jonty Bloom asks whose jobs are most at risk from the economic damage wreaked by Covid 19 and what help is needed. Presenter: Jonty Bloom Producer: Caroline Bayley Picture credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The oil price has crashed - for a while some producers were even paying customers to take it away. It's like no oil shock the industry has ever seen before. Lesley Curwen sets out to discover what difference cheap oil will make to our lives. Which jobs are at risk? Will there be a knock-on effect on our household finances - utility bills and pensions for example? And as lockdowns slowly start to ease, could it change how much we rely on oil for good? Presenter: Lesley Curwen Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton Picture Credit: Colin McPherson/Corbis via Getty Images)

2020 hasn't been good for British business - certainly not since Covid-19 showed up. The global pandemic and the lockdown imposed to try to fight it have affected individual livelihoods and those of many companies. John Murphy talks to some business owners from different sectors of the economy - a family-run pub, a fruit farm, a fabric and haberdashery shop and a multinational - to see what changes they've experienced and how they have had to adapt during the crisis. They explain what they think the future will hold and, indeed, whether they will survive. Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Lizzy McNeill Photo by: Victoria Connolly, MacCulloch and Wallis Ltd

With the highest Covid19 death toll in the world, and 26 million Americans claiming unemployment insurance, the US economy has taken a massive hit. But how quickly can it bounce back? Will America’s economy will be strong enough to pull its weight in the global economy? Economist Jim O’Neill explores the current scale of the problem and asks how resilient are US businesses and the country’s economy. In Business hears how Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer has devised A Roadmap to Responsibly Re-opening America, which seeks to balance the health priorities with the pressure to open up the economy again. The story of a small bakery in Brooklyn, which has had to lay off its workers, is illustrative of the damage that has been inflicted on businesses across America. Has the fiscal response from the authorities been sufficient to protect businesses so that they can recover once lockdowns end? Is American manufacturing sufficiently flexible to pivot and adapt to the changing circumstances of the Covid health crisis? And will one of the longer term consequences of the crisis be a re-thinking of the character of American capitalism? The answers to these questions will shed light on whether American will still be able to play its traditional crucial role in the global economy. Presenter: Jim O'Neill Producer: Philip Reevel Picture Credit: Getty

In the 14th century the world was devastated by plague, known as 'The Black Death', in the 20th century a deadly form of influenza struck infecting around a quarter of the world's population. Since then HIV, Ebola and more have stricken nations. With each epidemic and pandemic comes a huge human cost but each also carry an economic cost. In this programme John Murphy visits pandemics past to see what history can teach us about economic cost and recovery. Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Lizzy McNeill Picture: An American street cleaner during the influenza epidemic in 1918 Credit: Getty

Since the Covid-19 ‘lockdown’ began, vast numbers of people have been toiling away at home for the first time: converting living rooms and bedrooms into makeshift office space, wrangling with technology, and juggling family life with working hours. How are we doing? Caroline Bayley explores the delights and challenges of "WFH". Produced by Beth Sagar Fenton.

Honey bees, cow dung and mulch - the company in Zimbabwe that is protecting the forests in order to offset carbon emissions. As Charlotte Ashton wrestles with ‘flight shame’, she wants to find out where her money goes if she chooses to offset her flight. She lives in Zimbabwe, but is from the UK and doesn’t have the money or time to spend three weeks at sea, sailing home to visit relatives. She focuses on a company based in Zimbabwe that runs one of the largest projects of its kind in the world and discovers how carbon credits work. Carbon Green Africa’s project focuses on protecting existing forests, rather than planting new trees and her journey takes her to some surprising places. In a programme recorded last November, Charlotte finds that preventing deforestation not only helps her offset her carbon emissions, but helps give people in a remote part of Zimbabwe new jobs and access to international markets. Guests: Charles Ndondo and Rory Muil, Carbon Green Africa Christian Dannecker, South Pole Presenter: Charlotte Ashton Producer: Phoebe Keane

Ruth Alexander examines whether the complex global web of supply chains can hold up under the enormous pressure of the coronavirus pandemic. Looking further into the future, she and Jonty Bloom ask whether this global shock has shown that the days of the speedy delivery of a huge choice of cheap goods from all over the world is over. Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Caroline Bayley and Lizzy McNeill

Indonesia’s capital Jakarta is sinking, and struggling with traffic and pollution. The government’s solution? To build a new capital on the island of Borneo instead, better known for its jungles and orangutans. How will this work? Former BBC Indonesia correspondent Rebecca Henschke travels to the proposed new capital site and meets families, environmental campaigners, and local indigenous people to find out how they feel about being included in the proposed new capital territory. Can the indigenous villagers carry on getting their medical remedies from the forest? Will an orangutan sanctuary survive? And do nearby businesses welcome or fear the future competition? Rebecca also meets the family of an 11-year old girl who drowned in a disused mine pond that should have been cleaned up, but wasn’t, due to widespread impunity for mining companies. Will the government honour its promises about protecting the environment this time? Will the new capital really be a “forest city”, as the Minister of National Development Planning insists? Presenter: Rebecca Henschke Producer: Arlene Gregorius Photo: Borneo. Credit: BBC

Fashion is a hugely polluting industry and is under enormous pressure to become more sustainable. From the way cotton is grown, to the use of synthetic materials and the conditions in factories where our clothes are made - these are all challenges facing the sector. In this programme Patrick Grant, the British menswear designer, factory owner and judge on the Great British Sewing Bee, asks how the fashion industry should respond and what we, as consumers, should be doing too. Presenter: Patrick Grant Producer: Caroline Bayley Picture Credit: BBC

Hydrogen is a volatile gas with an image problem, but hydrogen evangelists think this could be the ‘magic molecule’ which will solve the world’s air pollution and cut carbon emissions dramatically. Manuela Saragosa presents the final part of this special series on energy from Italy, where hydrogen has been pumped into the existing gas network. Could a hydrogen boat replace the diesel belching cruise liners and ships along the canals of Venice? Presenter: Manuela Saragosa Producer: Nina Robinson Photo Credit: Nina Robinson/BBC

Jaguar Land Rover, Cadbury, Weetabix are but some of the many British brands now owned by foreign corporations. The UK has one of the highest rates of company takeovers by new overseas owners. Sometimes these deals rescue a struggling business and save jobs. And sometimes they provide welcome investment for fast growth. But is there also the risk of Britain suffering a permanent loss of technology and know-how, or even a threat to national security, such as when the company targeted for takeover is in the defence industry? And what about the emotional side of takeovers? Research suggests they can be a huge burden for executives, and staff may be reluctant to cooperate with previous competitors, jeopardising the sales targets of the new owners. Ruth Alexander asks if the UK is selling its family silver, and whether this matters in a globalised world. Is Britain for sale, or inviting investment? Or has Britain already been sold, with 54% of shareholdings of UK public companies now foreign-owned? She talks to current and former CEOs and to academics, to find out why so many British companies are being bought, what this says about the UK,, and what impact it has on jobs and the future of the economy. Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Arlene Gregorius Picture Credit: Getty

Australia is stubbornly sticking to providing much of its power through coal. While many countries around the world are eschewing fossil fuels, (because of their environmental impact), the Australian government continues to give the all-clear to new coal mines, including one called the Carmichael mine. It’s being constructed by the Indian company, Adani. Much of the coal it produces will be exported to Asia. The mine was an issue in the country’s 2019 general election, and has been the site of many protests. Heidi Pett has visited the area in Queensland where the mine is being built – speaking to locals who’re on both sides of the heated debate about Australia and its continuing reliance on coal. Presenter: Heidi Pett Producer: Phoebe Keane Picture Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Gettty Images

Every day people dig into sadza, a maize based meal, but there’s a problem. Zimbabwe’s getting much drier and maize can’t cope. Crop failures have partly contributed to food shortages this year leading to more than 7 million people needing food aid. The economic crisis has made the situation more serious and things will only get worse as the climate heats up. How can Zimbabwe feed itself? It turns out grains like millet and sorghum could hold the key. Unlike maize, these small grains are indigenous to the region. For In Business, Charlotte Ashton meets the remarkable business people fighting to put them back on Zimbabwean plates. From convincing smallholder farmers that traditional crops are the way forward, to advertising the health benefits of small grains to busy parents, this is a campaign for hearts and minds as much as full bellies. Presenter: Charlotte Ashton Producer: Phoebe Keane Picture Credit: BBC

Germany has long been considered a leader in renewable energy – a model even for others to follow with its subsidies for wind and solar. Householders were encouraged to put solar panels on their rooves as early as two decades ago. But its so-called “Energiewende” or “energy transition” from fossil fuels to renewables is facing challenges and the country still relies on coal for 30 per cent of electricity generation. That will be phased out within the next eighteen years and nuclear energy will end too by 2022, leading to fears within industry about adequate energy capacity. Meanwhile the German government has admitted that it won’t meet its climate emissions targets for 2020. Caroline Bayley has been to the industrial Ruhr region to an enormous open cast mine, as well as to Steinfurt, a rural area where they’re pushing community renewable energy schemes and to the former coal town of Bottrop which is undergoing its own energy transition. Presenter/Producer: Caroline Bayley Picture Credit: BBC

Whatever happens in British politics, Britain's reputation has changed. What does this mean for its global business image? Chris Bowlby discovers what's ahead for Brand Britain.

More than seventy percent of households in Rwanda cook over wooden and charcoal fires. This means women often sit for hours every day in smoky conditions which can damage their health, increasing the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease, strokes and lung cancer. These traditional cooking methods are also the cause of widespread deforestation. The Rwandan government is aiming to halve the number of people using these cooking fuels in the next six years. They're investing in infrastructure and offering tax incentives to try and support businesses to entice customers to other products which could give them a cleaner and safer way to cook. In other countries who’ve made this move though, changing from traditional stoves to modern clean cooking took the best part of a century - can that really be achieved here in just six years? Producer/Presenter: Kate Lamble Picture: Lady cooking meal in pan over an open fire in Rwanda Credit: Wayne Hutchinson/Farm Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

"Beethoven's arms were bigger than the piano" says concert pianist Stephen Hough at his Steinway. "I sense him pushing at every moment - as if he's in a cage saying 'Let me out'". To mark the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth in 2020, Clemmie Burton-Hill looks, not at Beethoven the composer, but at a little-known aspect of the composer's life, Beethoven the entrepreneur. In the company of some of the foremost Beethoven proponents - pianist Stephen Hough, violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter and Daniel Hope and jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, Clemmie investigates how Beethoven pushed and cajoled music publishers, music printers and piano makers to turn convention on its head and create a music "industry". Could he even have invented the gig economy?! Presenter: Clemmie Burton-Hill Producer: Adele Armstrong Picture Credit: REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Since 2001 the UK has lost a quarter of its pubs. They've shut their doors for good. High taxes, high prices, supermarket competition, even the smoking ban have all been blamed. But there are new types of pub, the micropub, and community-owned pubs, which are bucking the trend. While larger, traditional establishments have been under pressure, these have flourished. So why have they been able to succeed where others have not? For In Business, John Murphy visits his local boozer - and others - to see what these new pubs have to offer. Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Ruth Alexander Picture: Micropub Credit: BBC

As Britain’s sources of electricity change, along with significant changes in demand, how will the lights stay on? The major power blackout that hit the UK in early August – the worst in more than a decade – was an indication of how increasingly complicated our electricity grid is becoming. Hundreds of thousands of people, as well as major transport hubs, were affected as electricity supplies were cut to restore balance to the system and prevent an even greater blackout. The National Grid, which is the energy system operator, said two generators, including a major wind-farm, tripped out after lightning struck a high-voltage transmission line. The episode raised many questions about how stable the UK’s electricity supply system is. What is clear is that the traditional coal-fired generators, which used to supply much of the UK’s electricity, are being rapidly phased out. Now many more - and varied - generators supply the grid, including small and huge wind-farms, solar farms, nuclear power stations, gas-fired plants, hydro-electric turbines and other sources. This makes the management of the system more tricky. Then there’s the demand side. Electricity demand is growing, not least with the prospect of electrical cars becoming commonplace. Without building the right infrastructure, with the right storage, and without the correct planning, the electricity grid will not be able to cope. David Baker speaks to the National Grid, to major electricity suppliers, and to smaller, community-based generators, asking how the system is changing and what needs to be done to make sure it remains reliable, affordable and sustainable, so that the future is not one of widespread blackouts. Presenter: David Baker Producer: John Murphy Picture: National Grid's Electricity Control Centre

Iceland has taken radical measures to reduce its gender pay gap. These aren't just about equalising pay when men and women do the same job but when they do different jobs of equal value. That's proved to be quite a sticking point in many countries around the world; ensuring that the jobs routinely occupied by women are paid as well as those that men do. Lesley Curwen meets the people tasked with comparing a production line worker with an office administrator, an HR professional with an accountant and a camera operator with a social media marketeer. What has the financial and cultural impact been on companies that have had to adjust their pay rates and what do their employees think about the process? Is the Iceland model one that other countries could follow? Presenter: Lesley Curwen Producer: Rosamund Jones Picture Credit: Getty Creative

The irradiated lands around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor were large, prosperous, and lively collective farms until the reactor exploded in 1986. Seventy percent of the toxic radiation fell in Belarus – a small, agrarian country in which most people lived on the land. Hundreds of villages were evacuated, but much of the population has since returned. A generation later Global Business visits the Belarussian contamination zone and its hinterland to see how the local economy and way of life has adapted to a world turned upside down. We meet the beekeepers developing a honey farm in the depopulated part of the zone, visit an unexpected herd of horses and hear about the innovations in arable farming designed to resist radioactive toxins. Produced and presented by Monica Whitlock Image: Horses in Belarus Radio-Ecological Zone Credit: Ilya Kuzniatsou

A victim of the “resource curse”, Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, in spite of being rich in natural resources. Rubber is one of the country’s biggest exports but few Liberians have benefitted from this multimillion dollar business. In this Global Business, Josephine Casserly meets a retired Californian policeman, James Cooper, who has returned to his grandfather’s farm, determined to revolutionise Liberia’s rubber industry. But in a country with a struggling economy and endemic corruption, can he succeed? Produced by Lucy Ash

Why have politicians gone from cosying up to businesses, to turning a deaf ear to their concerns? Jeremy Schwartz – a CEO himself – finds that the love affair was starting to become toxic long before Brexit, and asks whether it’s really such a bad thing if governments no longer care what business leaders think. Contributors include: Andrea Leadsom – Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Frances O’Grady – General Secretary, TUC Iain Anderson - Executive Chairman, Cicero Giles Wilkes – Former Special Adviser to the Prime Minister Helen Dickinson – Chief Executive, British Retail Consortium Andy Street – Mayor of the West Midlands, former CEO of John Lewis Partnership Joe Owen – Institute for Government Paul Walsh – Chairman, Compass Group Presenter: Jeremy Schwartz Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton Picture: Getty

Flying, for many of us, is now routine. For a few of us it is a weekly, maybe even daily, event. At the same time global protests, concerned with the pressing danger of climate change and the need to reduce CO2 emissions, are gaining attention and causing alarm. So, will we ever get to a point where we can indulge our flying habit and our keep our conscience clear? Katie Prescott talks to the flight refuseniks and assesses the impact they are having. Is the long term solution to change minds or can technological advances provide a fix? Electric cars are here; small planes are already powered the same way. How long until sizeable passenger jets follow? At a number of airports around the world, planes can fill up with bio-fuels. But the take up is extremely modest. While the oil price stays low, what's the incentive for airlines to go green? Presenter: Katie Prescott Producer: Rosamund Jones Picture: Newark International Airport Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Online retail spending has increased more than four fold in the last ten years - it now accounts for almost one in five pounds we spend shopping. But whilst times are tough for our high streets, e-retailing is far from a licence to print money. With widespread discounting and a growing cost of delivery and returns, margins are being squeezed and many are finding it a struggle to survive. In this programme, Adam Shaw investigates how the economics of e-commerce work, what the move to predominantly online will mean for many retailers and what our shopping environment may look like in 10 years time. Presenter: Adam Shaw Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Penny Murphy Image: A woman packing a box to post Credit: Getty Images

India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing fashion markets and is expected to touch $60 billion by 2022, which will make it the sixth largest in the world. This is due to its rapidly growing middle class and tech savvy consumers, who are buying online, as well as from a plethora of shopping malls which have mushroomed in the country’s bigger cities. International brands are trying to step in and take a share of this demand – some 300 of them are planning to open stores in India within the next two years. The BBC’s Nina Robinson talks to e-commerce brands, retailers, fashion entrepreneurs and influencers. The programme also features the Usha sewing project which is helping to train hundreds of thousands of rural women in sewing skills. Producer/presenter: Nina Robinson Image: Woman from the Usha sewing project at a sewing machine Credit: Nina Robinson/BBC

Twenty million Brits give their time for free each year. From the National Trust to the hospice coffee morning, the Samaritans to the local football club, huge parts of our world rely on volunteers. But how easy is it to manage a workforce who can walk out at a moment's notice? How can you ensure people perform well - or even turn up - without the "carrot and stick" of pay and disciplinary procedures? Presenter Claire Bolderson knows both sides of this: she volunteers at a food bank, but also chairs the governors at her local school. With the help of an RNLI lifeboat crew, a bustling community centre, and a whole roomful of professional volunteer managers, she discovers just how to get the best out of volunteers - and how much managers of paid staff have to learn from them. Contributors include: Tim Ody - Station Manager, RNLI Teddington Pam Bardouille - Volunteer Co-Ordinator, The Dalgarno Trust Jarina Choudhury - Volunteering Development Consultant, NCVO Emma Knights - Chief Executive, National Governance Association Dr Jenna Ward - University of Leicester Presenter: Claire Bolderson Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton Picture: BBC

Strawberries at Christmas? No problem! And as cheap as ever? Yes, of course! Many of us have become used to buying whatever fruit and vegetables we want, whenever we want, no matter the season. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are available in supermarkets all year round. Until recently that was not the case. So what does it take for this to happen and what’s the cost? John Murphy peels back the layers of the berry industry, which has grown massively in recent years. Despite increasing production costs, prices have remained stable. Can that continue? Politics, economics and the environment could have a bruising impact on producers and on the price and availability of the fresh fruit we eat. Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Sally Abrahams Picture Credit: BBC

Chinese technology company, Huawei, is the world’s biggest supplier of network telecoms equipment, and with a research budget of up to $20 billion, its ambition is to be even bigger still. However, it’s also one of the most controversial businesses of our time. The United States and others have banned its involvement in their critical infrastructure, fearing that Beijing might use the company to spy, steal trade secrets, or even wage cyber warfare. Huawei insists that its networks are as secure as anyone else’s, and says that its technology is literally years ahead of competitors, so countries who reject it risk falling behind. As the world prepares for a technological revolution through 5th Generation mobile communications, the BBC has gained rare access to Huawei’s founder and Chairman, Ren Zhengfei, to explore his company’s origins, its rise to global pre-eminence, and what makes it tick. And, to ask if the current security questions threaten its continued growth. Presenter: Karishma Vaswani Producer: Michael Gallagher Picture: Customers entering a Huawei Technologies Co. store in Beijing, China Credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Climate-change scientists have warned that the clock is ticking, environmental campaigners are blocking the streets, but until now the world of business has kept itself out of the fray. That is changing. From multi-billion dollar investors, to leaders of international companies, to banking bosses, the call is going out for business to take more responsibility for the way the world runs, and the way businesses run themselves. And it’s not just their environmental impact that’s coming under scrutiny. Inequality, their supply chains and the way they treat their workforce are becoming as much a part of companies’ bottom line as simple profit. Welcome to the Impact Economy. David Baker meets new business champions who want to overturn the old ways of doing things and put commerce at the centre of guaranteeing a future world that is good for everyone. But will it work or is it just a flash in the pan? Presenter: David Baker Producer: John Murphy Picture Credit: Getty

One thing Germany does well, you might assume, is infrastructure and transport. Think again. For Global Business on the BBC World Service, Chris Bowlby’s had a rare behind the scenes tour of Berlin’s new airport. It’s billions over budget, already seven years late in opening, and is still being rebuilt before a single plane’s landed. So what’s gone so wrong in a place supposed to be the capital of efficient engineering? And is the Berlin airport fiasco a warning for infrastructure builders everywhere? Presenter: Chris Bowlby Producer: Jim Frank Picture Credit: Getty

The last eighteen months have seen a global public backlash against plastic. Everyone talks about the huge impact that Sir David Attenborough and the BBC's Blue Planet series has had in raising public awareness about the damage that 8 million tonnes of plastic which enter the ocean every year is having on sea life. It was one of the triggers for consumers, governments and companies to decide that action needed to be taken. But what does it mean for businesses which depend on plastic as a core raw material or for the packaging and retail industries, both deeply reliant on plastic? Caroline Bayley talks to companies about the opportunities and challenges presented by the plastic backlash. Presenter: Caroline Bayley Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton Picture Credit: BBC

Guyana, a country of just 750,000 people wedged between Venezuela and Suriname on the north-east coast of South America, has never had an oil industry. But a series of recent discoveries in its waters has revealed billions of barrels of oil beneath the ocean, potentially one of the world’s biggest reserves. Next year, the oil is due to start flowing and the impact on business is already being felt. A shoreside oil service industry has popped up; workers who previously struggled to get by are finding stable employment; and cafes and hotels are overflowing with foreign customers. But encounters with the Venezuelan Navy, huge environmental risks, and legal challenges mean this is a business that is far from straightforward. Presenter/Producer: Simon Maybin Photo: A trainee at the Totaltec Academy in Georgetown prepares for work in the new oil sector Credit: BBC

The face-to-face interview can be life-changing. But it comes with risks attached, of bias on the part of the interviewer, or nerves on the part of the candidate. Lesley Curwen looks at the fast-changing process of getting hired in companies, big and small. Large companies are increasingly using recruitment tools including artificial intelligence to weed out the weakest candidates, in order to find the right candidate for the right job. But there is resistance in some quarters from some small employers who believe in the old ways of sifting through CVs by hand to produce a short-list. So can the traditional face-to-face interview survive longterm? Presenter: Lesley Curwen Producer: Smita Patel Picture credit: Getty Creative Stock

Can the United Arab Emirates grow its own food? The Desert kingdoms today import 90% of their own food, at great cost. And each year consumption increases by 12%. This raises issues of food security, price and environmental damage – flying in fruit from California is not environmentally sustainable. This is a region with little soil and few water resources. On average it rains just five days a year. So why is agriculture now considered one of the most exciting growth areas in the UAE? Farmers here depend on desalinated water from the Arabian Sea – costly to both the farmer and, once again, to the environment. But new agricultural technologies are being developed. Starting at a small scale, can such businesses really be built up? Or are they vanity projects reliant simply on oil wealth? Georgia Tolley examines if the Emiratis can make their desert bloom and ensure their business of food production grows. Presenter: Georgia Tolley Producer: John Murphy Picture Credit: BBC

The relationship between landlord and tenant is an important, often unseen, dynamic that most of us don’t give much thought to. And yet, it's reshaping high streets up and down the country. High rents are blamed for the collapse of so many retailers - they appear unsustainable yet they are the vehicle through which much of our pension wealth is invested. In this programme, Ruth Alexander looks at different models of ownership: from the big financial institutional investors through to the original aristocratic landowner and asks how - in the turmoil created by the rapidly changing retail environment - these landlords are facing up to a new reality. Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Alex Lewis

Its top stars can earn millions of dollars a year, without breaking into a sweat. They train for hours a day and have legions of fans, who fill stadiums to watch them. But these aren't normal sports stars. They're part of one of the fastest growing industries - known as Esports. And, as John Murphy discovers, the distinction between real physical sport and this online, virtual version is narrowing, as major companies and some of the world's most famous football clubs are signing up the top Esports players to play in major competitions. A number of video games, including Fifa, Dota2, Call of Duty and League of Legends, have their own international leagues and world championships. The global audience is now estimated at more than 200 million, and growing. Annual revenues from Esports, currently around 650 million dollars for events, continue to rise. Billions more are generated through video games sales. In the UK the video games sector, from which Esports have sprung, is now worth more than video (films) and music combined. There's even talk of Esports becoming an Olympic sport. So will dexterous Esporters become the new athletic champions, or is this a business that will play itself out? Who is making the money and how? And why are top soccer clubs clamouring for some of the virtual action? Presenter: John Murphy Producer: Lizzy McNeill Image Credit: BBC

Much has been made of the death of the high street, but some places are staging a comeback. The government has announced this Spring a £1.6bn Stronger Towns Fund to help less well-off areas. Six hundred million pounds of that will be shared out to towns which can come up with credible plans to help their high street adapt to the rapidly changing retail environment. So what does it take to turn a town around? In this programme, Ruth Alexander visits two towns in Cheshire - Northwich and Altrincham - which have tried two quite different approaches to see what works, and what doesn’t. Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Elisabeth Mahy

As the global economy slows and the search for new areas of growth becomes more intense, many countries are looking beyond their coastline to the vast, untapped potential of the sea. The “Ocean Economy” is now attracting attention from governments, businesses and investors, not only in traditional industries like fishing and shipbuilding but also in new areas like biotech and robotics. Integration is the watchword and one country, Portugal, is now taking this seriously enough that its government has even established a Ministry of the Sea. For this edition of Global Business Tanya Beckett visits first Lisbon, where the ships they built half a millennium ago sent explorers across the Atlantic and round the Cape to bring home riches from South America, Africa and India; and then Leixoes, an Atlantic Ocean port where a cluster of technology enterprises combines with the local fishing industry and an ocean cruiser terminal in the embodiment of the integrated model that represents the Ocean Economy today. Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Tim Mansel Picture Credit: BBC

There’s more money spent on innovation today than ever before. Yet the process by which we come up with ideas is still poorly understood. If only we had a better grasp of how great ideas are generated, we would have the key to unlock huge new waves of innovation and productivity. Adam Shaw looks at the growing study of innovation to uncover its secrets and looks at what companies and individuals are doing to make them more innovative than ever before. Presenter: Adam Shaw Producer: Smita Patel Editor: Penny Murphy Picture Credit: Getty Images

Five years after Uruguay became the first country to allow the sale of recreational marijuana, what does a legal cannabis industry look like? When the small South American nation of Uruguay made it legal to grow and buy marijuana for fun, an entire industry had to start from scratch. For producers, regulators, investors, and consumers, it was a blank canvas. Now, as Canada and more and more US states follow in Uruguay’s pioneering footsteps, what can others learn from Uruguay’s approach? And as even more US states and other countries legalise the medical use of marijuana, can Uruguay, which also legalised growth for medical use, benefit from being at the vanguard of a new - and potentially huge - global industry. Presenter/Producer: Simon Maybin Picture Credit: BBC

Caroline Bayley reports from Hamburg in Germany on how companies there are preparing for Britain's exit from the European Union. The UK is one of the port city's most important trading partners and one thousand firms in the area have business links with Great Britain. So it's not surprising that there's a flurry of activity in Hamburg in the final weeks before the UK's departure. But how do you plan for Brexit and a new trading scenario which has not yet been finalised? We speak to those who are planning ahead, as well as British workers, concerned about their future status as employees in Germany, and many who simply don't know what to do. Presenter: Caroline Bayley Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton Picture: St. Pauli-Landungsbrücken, Hamburg, Germany Credit: Getty Creative / iStock / tomch

Hungarian politicians have been the focus of protest since they passed what many have called a “slave law” last December. This legislation allows companies to ask their workers to do more overtime – and to delay payment for up to three years. But the government says the law gives businesses flexibility and employees the freedom to work more and earn more. Many think that this legislation is intended to deal with Hungary’s chronic labour shortage. With an aging population, hard-line immigration policies and many educated young people looking for work overseas, businesses in Hungary struggle to recruit the people they need. Lucy Ash travels to Hungary to hear about the new law and its implications – and find out how businesses are coping with a dwindling workforce. Presenter: Lucy Ash Producer: Josephine Casserly Picture Credit: Laszlo Balogh/Getty Images

The Chinese have long been involved – sometimes controversially - in Africa. But there’s another Asian economic powerhouse that is doing business there. Using South Africa as a springboard, South Koreans are seizing control of some of the key markets on the continent. There are four thousand Koreans living in Johannesburg, creating new businesses and developing established companies. Karen Allen talks to them about some of the challenges they face. Visiting the global electronics giant LG and the car manufacturer Kia, Karen sees how they are growing their businesses. She also hears how the Korean work culture gives them an edge. Presenter: Karen Allen Producer: Ben Carter Picture Credit: Getty

Since Bletchley Park and the enigma machine, Britain has been at the forefront of what would become cyber security. In GCHQ we have a world leader in threat detection and yet our industry lags far behind both the US and Israel. Jonty Bloom looks at what we could do to make this Brexit proof industry bigger and finds out why Belfast is at the forefront of the UK’s research and development to keep us safe online. He looks at Unit 8200 the Israeli Army’s elite cyber security unit which has spun off several successful start up companies because of the unique training system they employ. Jonty gets to see inside the National Cyber Security Centre which is part of GCHQ’s new open policy as it invites investors to see the third round of it’s start up incubator. The ‘Catalyst’ campus in Belfast’s newly redeveloped docks sits beside the shipyard that built the Titanic and is now securing silicon chips rather than building ships. It’s buzzing as foreign investment has flowed into to take advantage of its burgeoning cyber security talent pool. A bet placed on the industry a decade ago by Queen’s University has paid off with a pipeline of graduates with the specialist skills needed to protect us online. Each and every heartbeat is unique to its owner and Jonty meets a company using this to secure our information as well as our cars. Getting the chance to test drive their heart beat steering wheel with some disastrous consequences. No trip to Belfast would be complete without a trip to the pub and here we meet some of the young talent that’s drawing this attention. We hear how quickly the start-up culture has grown and how this tech cluster has reached a level that is reversing the once chronic brain drain from the region. Presenter: Jonty Bloom Producer: Jordan Dunbar Photo Credit: Getty Creative Stock

Potholes are a national obsession. But there's much more to them than you might think. Ruth Alexander digs deep into their costs for business and society - where fixing two holes in a motorway can cost half a million pounds. But she also finds all kinds of entrepreneurial imagination going into solving the problem. Everything from new data analysis to 3D printing drones may be the answer. Beneath it all lies a fundamental question. Can we learn to value roads, and maintain them as a vital national asset, smoothing the way to big business and social gains? Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Penny Murphy

Does the house building industry need to change? Manuela Saragosa meets the disruptors, the companies trying to transform how the vast majority of residential property is built. Across the country new factories are springing up - in a bid to manufacture our homes in much the same way as we do our cars. The risks are huge. Significant investment is required to get things moving and demand for these new homes has yet to be tested. But the disruptors claim that the house building industry must modernise or die. Productivity is falling and traditional skills are in short supply - something that is likely to get worse as immigration reduces. Other countries, too, already build huge numbers of homes off-site, claiming that this results in quicker and cheaper construction. So, just how many of the hundreds of thousands of homes that we need to build might end up being factory produced? Presenter: Manuela Saragosa Producer: Rosamund Jones Picture Credit: BBC

It’s been a challenging year on Britain’s railways with timetable chaos, over-running engineering works, cancelled trains and irate passengers, not to mention a private operator handing back control to the government. The transport secretary, Chris Grayling has announced yet another review of the industry. Meanwhile, Labour and many of the public want to see rail re-nationalised. Rail professionals point to the industry’s successes – a doubling in passenger numbers since privatisation, and a current strong safety record. But the government says the rail industry hasn’t kept pace with customer demand. So is there another way? Matthew Gwyther goes to Italy to experience their take on free competition on their high speed lines. He also speaks to rail experts at home – all searching for answers. Presenter: Matthew Gwyther Producer: Caroline Bayley Editor: Penny Murphy Picture Credit: BBC

From innovative mattresses to personal sleep consultants, business is moving in on our nights under the covers. The sector is booming, thanks to a new understanding of the importance of sleep, with annual sales in the billions of pounds. And it’s not only our homes that businesses are targeting. In the workplace, managers are becoming more aware of the sleep needs of their teams and some are even installing pods to allow their employees to have a nap on the job. David Baker looks at the products and services on offer and finds out how we can separate the science from the snake oil. Presenter: David Backer Producer: Smita Patel Editor: Penny Murphy Picture Credit: Getty

Will life sciences lead Britain towards a new economic future? Brexit's causing uncertainty. But as Ruth Alexander discovers, there's a dynamic 'golden triangle' now linking medical and other cutting edge research at Oxford and Cambridge universities with London's political and financial power. The government's putting this at the centre of its vision for a transformed economy. So what's behind all this, and can this sector live up to the ambition? Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Penny Murphy

Caroline Bayley delves into the booming industry of private tutoring.

Can 'freeports' spark a post-Brexit manufacturing boom?

Aleks Krotoski explores new ways that we are watching and listening to content.

How much influence does China have on Hong Kong’s media?

With the media in the United States facing a period of unprecedented challenge - technologically, editorially and politically, Chris Bowlby travels to New York to assess the impact of the huge changes sweeping the industry. Some traditional print titles such as The New York Times are enjoying a "Trump Bump," with its digital offer attracting record subscriptions but how sustainable is this? With billions now using social media to access information and news, how can journalism compete and counter the increasing power and reach of the tech companies? And amid a highly partisan media landscape what does increasing polarisation mean for the profession and for US political culture? Reporter: Chris Bowlby Producer: Jim Frank Picture credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/GettyImages

Tunisia has seen huge changes in its media industry in the seven years since its revolution and move to democracy. Before 2011, the country’s TV and radio were tightly controlled by the regime of President Ben Ali, one of the most restrictive in the Arab world. Now the media has opened up to a whole range of new players and there is significant freedom of speech, leading many to hold Tunisia up as the Arab Spring’s success story. But while people are able to say what they want in public, this doesn’t necessarily translate into a free and fair media. There are still concerns the state TV broadcaster is influenced by government and doesn’t reflect the real issues affecting Tunisians. Private TV and radio is increasingly finding its way into the hands of big business and politicians, and the media regulator is struggling to rein in those who break the rules. On top of this, there is concern that the security services haven’t quite shaken off their old ways, and are still trying to prevent journalists doing their work. In the first of a four part series on the media around the world, Marie Keyworth is in Tunisia to explore what has happened to Tunisia’s new found TV and radio freedom after its revolution. Presenter: Marie Keyworth Producer: John Murphy Picture Credit: BBC

Across Serbia, age-old traditions passed down through the generations are dying out. Those hit the hardest are people living in the rural areas who rely on skills like weaving, wood-cutting and pottery to make an income. Realising the potential, the Serbian state is now turning its attention to these micro-enterprises to bolster its economy, offering tax relief and other benefits to artisans. Nicola Kelly speaks to craftsmen and young entrepreneurs about the challenges they face and finds out how they plan to revive their crafts. Reporter: Nicola Kelly Producer: Marie Keyworth Picture Credit: BBC

Can the fashion for high-end coffee save Colombia’s struggling farmers? It’s not been easy growing coffee in recent decades in Colombia, where rural life has been dominated by the conflict between guerrillas, paramilitaries and drug traffickers. Now, two years on from the historic peace deal here, how is business benefiting? And with global market prices not even covering growers’ costs, could the trend for coffee with a story come to growers’ rescue? Presenter: Simon Maybin Producer: Karenina Velandia Picture credit: Getty

Will artificial intelligence change how we shop and decide which retailers succeed? Senior retail executive, Jeremy Schwartz, meets chat bots, robots and the humans behind them, to find out. He explores the impact that the AI revolution may have on jobs - not just the number of them but their nature too. As algorithms take over certain tasks, he asks how humans - and the companies that employ them - will need to respond. And he looks at the growing digital divide between retailers and asks what role AI is playing in the struggle for survival on our high streets. Producer : Rosamund Jones.

As international trade tensions escalate, the US state of Wisconsin is a fascinating place to discover the consequences. Specialist producers like Wisconsin's ginseng growers are directly affected by the new trade war between the US and China. Traditional cheese makers meanwhile see all this as the latest round in an endless battle for freer trade in global food. And in the south of the state, a new kind of manufacturing economy is taking shape with a vast new investment by the Taiwanese tech manufacturer Foxconn. Jonty Bloom travels around the state to gain rich insights into where today's trade wars could eventually lead. Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Penny Murphy Picture: Wisconsin Cheese during Haven House 2007 Oscar Suite Credit: Getty Images

Do you own a sex toy? And if so, would you admit it to your friends? Increasingly, the answer to both questions is yes. Once a seedy mail-order product advertised in the back pages of porn magazines, sex toys today are marketed as a fun way for couples to enhance their relationships. And in the process, the global sales of these objects of arousal have grown exponentially into the billions of dollars. Laurence Knight explores how this came about, speaking to industry pioneers such as Sam Roddick, Doc Johnson and LoveHoney. And he travels to China, where many of them are manufactured. Produced and presented by Laurence Knight. Picture credit: Shutterstock

Young Taiwanese entrepreneurs working in a start-up hub are offered attractive sweeteners. But this isn’t in California or even Taipei, it’s on the outskirts of Shanghai. The People’s Republic of China is setting its sights on Taiwan’s youth by encouraging them to relocate to the ‘mainland’. Wages in Taiwan have stagnated as its economic growth has failed to keep pace with that of China, prompting thousands of people to leave the island and head to the mega cities of the People’s Republic for better jobs and access to greater opportunities. In February the Chinese government unveiled a package of measures to attract Taiwanese young people and businesses to the mainland, with tax breaks, subsidies, research grants and access to government contracts. Taiwan’s current pro-independence government is worried about a potential ‘brain drain’ and there are fears that Beijing, which views Taiwan as a rebel province is using its vast economic clout in a soft power offensive to promote and enhance social and commercial integration between its young peoples. Caroline Bayley travels to Shanghai and Taipei to meet young Taiwanese and asks whether Taiwan’s younger generation can be lured in this way by China and whether Taiwan can do anything to stem the exodus. Presenter/Producer: Caroline Bayley Image: Chinese flags in central Shanghai Credit: BBC

Life expectancy is going up, pensions are declining. Meanwhile the official retirement age has been abolished, while the age at which you can draw your state pension is rising. As a result, more and more of us will have to work until our 70s, or even our 80s. So, asks David Baker, is this the end of retirement? That may not be as bad as it sounds. For In Business, David meets people who could live a quiet, retired life, but choose not to. One founded a bikini company in her 70s, others sell vintage goods, or left organisations to set up on their own. For them, the very word "retirement" is negative, they love what they do, and wouldn't want to give it up. Experts say that most of us will need to work into old age. Professor Lynda Gratton tells David that the previous life pattern of education-work-retirement will have to yield to a multi-phase one of different careers, broken up by breaks, even late-life gap years, and re-skilling. Why retire at 60 if you could live to 100? The government, too, wants a million more over-50s in the workplace by 2022 - but not all employers are playing ball. Without the prospect of older staff leaving at a fixed retirement age, bosses are making them redundant instead, including by ugly means, and before they can draw a pension. Some companies though do value older people's skills and experience, and even take them on as apprentices. Until more organisations do this, however, it may be up to us to take matters into our own hands and prepare for a long working life. Producer: Arlene Gregorius Credit: Getty Creative Stock

Online banking has grown massively, and some new banks don't bother with a branch network at all. But as Ruth Sunderland discovers, some in the banking business still think high street branches and personal service have a bright future. So how far will this financial revolution go? Talking to leading players in the business, Ruth hears how those who want to manage our money are full of new ideas, but facing huge uncertainty about what banking will become. Producer: Chris Bowlby Picture Credit: Shutterstock

Thousands of new consumer products are launched every year, and most end in failure. These flops are rarely discussed, and quickly forgotten. The Museum of Failure in Sweden is taking a different approach, showcasing some of the world's most flawed products and services. Ruth Alexander talks to curator Samuel West, and some of the product designers, about what we can learn from commercial mistakes. Producer: John Murphy Image: The 1957 Ford Edsel parked outside the Museum of Failure in Helsingborg, Sweden Credit: BBC

Once known as a hugely successful " Asian Tiger" economy built on hi-tech manufacturing, Taiwan's recent economic growth has been relatively sluggish, wages have stagnated and young people are leaving for better paid jobs in China and elsewhere. So what does the self-ruled island need to do to start roaring again? Caroline Bayley reports from Taipei. Producer and Presenter: Caroline Bayley Image: Taiwan Credit: BBC

Can tech entrepreneurs revitalise Southern Italy’s failing economy? Manuela Saragosa visits Naples – which has seen a huge exodus of its talented young people – to explore if a change of direction might be possible. She meets Neapolitans starting up high-tech businesses against the odds and explores why, rather surprisingly, in recent years the city has attracted significant foreign investment from big tech firms. What has been the city’s appeal? She also asks what the business reasons are for building a company in Naples rather than elsewhere. Can the benefits outweigh all the myriad problems? Producer: Rosamund Jones

In just a couple of years, the fifth generation mobile network will be available. Like previous generations, 5G will offer consumers greater speed and capability when they use their smartphones and tablets. Advocates argue it is more than just the next step in that evolution. Lightning fast speed, greater bandwidth and more reliability have the potential to transform entire industries: from how a surgeon operates on us and the products we use are made, to how we are transported to and from work and home. In this programme, Keith Moore wades through the hype to see how this next step in mobile technology could be used in the real world. He visits London and Brighton in the UK and Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden and meets businesses both large and small who are already preparing for our 5G future. Producers: Keith Moore and Smita Patel Image: Shutterstock

As K-pop and K-drama go global, what are the secrets of their success? The Korean Wave - South Korea’s pop culture exports of music and TV dramas - has already swept across much of Asia, including the giant markets of China and Japan, bringing billions of dollars into the country’s economy every year. Now, with boy band BTS topping the US album charts, and hit dramas reaching streaming services around the world, the wave appears to be growing into a tsunami. How did this medium-sized Asian nation end up as the global entertainment industry’s biggest overachievers? Producer: John Murphy Presenter: Simon Maybin

When you throw away rubbish, it can create an environmental problem – or a business opportunity. Your old newspapers, tin cans and plastic bottles are someone else’s valuable harvest. Just like gold, steel, sugar or coffee, rubbish is traded all over the world as a commodity. If it can be recycled, it’s worth money. Until recently, countries vied to recycle the waste of others. But now one of the main players - China - says it doesn’t want foreign rubbish anymore. That has sent this multi-billion dollar industry into turmoil and is forcing it to invent new solutions. Ruth Alexander reports. Producer: Tony Bonsignore

What do digital nomads mean for the world of work? A new army of digital nomads is wandering the world. Equipped with a laptop and willing to work anywhere that has Wi-Fi and a low cost of living, they are changing the way millions think about the world of work. But how do firms and Governments adapt to a fast moving, ever changing highly skilled and paid workforce that doesn’t even recognise borders? And do digital nomads represent the future of work or a threat to taxation systems and therefore the nation state? From Portugal to New Zealand via Cornwall, Jonty Bloom goes far and wide looking for answers. Presenter: Jonty Bloom Producer: Estelle Doyle Researcher: Darin Graham

Sexual harassment at work has become “normalised” according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. A recent UK survey by polling company ComRes found that half of women and a fifth of men have experienced it during their careers. From unwanted comments and jokes to inappropriate touching, actions that go beyond office banter seem to have become the norm for many in the workplace. As MPs and shareholders start to look at the issue more closely - business reporter Katie Prescott explores how companies are dealing with the growing number of sexual harassment revelations, and how they can prevent it happening in the first place. Producer: Charlotte McDonald

Ohio is one of the worst hit US states for opioid addiction rates and deaths. Huge numbers of people have dropped out of the workforce and employers say they struggle to recruit the people they need. If automation increases as a result, will unemployment, despair and addiction get even worse? And is drug testing workers part of the solution or part of the problem? Claire Bolderson asks why the opioid epidemic has taken such a hold here and visits companies hoping to develop new medical solutions to treat pain and manage addition. For them, the opioid crisis might just be a very profitable business opportunity. Producer: Rosamund Jones

Ireland’s economy is hugely interlinked with its next-door neighbour, the UK, in everything from energy to transport to finance. Can those links be kept after the UK leaves the EU, or will Irish business have to change direction? Ruth Alexander travels to Ireland to find out how businesses large and small are preparing for Brexit, and what challenges - and opportunities - they see. Producer: Chris Bowlby

The WTO has facilitated global trade since the 1990s but is now under threat. Ever since he was elected, US President Donald Trump has been critical of the World Trade Organisation, which he has described as a “catastrophe”. Also known as the WTO, the organisation was set up to facilitate global trade and act as a referee in trade disputes. Its ultimate objective is to avoid the sort of trade war that can lead to a real war. But as the United States and China threaten each other with new tariffs, fears of a trade war are back with the WTO’s own relevance under question. This comes at a crucial time for the United Kingdom, which after Brexit may have to fall back on the rules and regulations of the WTO. So could the world survive without the WTO as President Trump suggests? What does the organisation actually do? And how big of a threat is it under? Jonty Bloom goes looking for answers in its long corridors in Geneva. (Image: WTO Banner, Credit: Getty Images/Fabrice Coffrini)

What happens if you give every adult in a village $22 a month, no strings attached, for 12 years? In rural Kenya, researchers are trying to find out. They're conducting the world's largest study of 'universal basic income' - giving 'free money' to nearly 200 villages, to see whether this could kick-start development and bring people out of poverty. The BBC's Africa correspondent Anne Soy visits western Kenya to meet some of the people involved in this giant economic experiment, and to find out what they make of this unexpected windfall in their lives. How will people spend the money? Will they try to start businesses, or stay in education longer? Or will people stop working, now they have a guaranteed income? What impact will this have on the villages? The BBC intends to return to the same village over the course of the study, to continue to monitor and assess the impact of this 'basic income', and to see what difference it makes to peoples' lives, the choices they make, and the dreams they hold. Presenter: Anne Soy Producer: Becky Lipscombe Photo: Fish Business Credit: BBC

The vast Minsk Tractor Works in Belarus was famed all over the Soviet Union. And it's still making tractors. Raging capitalism in the 1990s closed down hundreds of state-owned factories. But Belarus kept open this complex providing not only work but cradle to grave care for tens of thousands of Belarusians. Clinics, nurseries and holiday camps formed an industrial megapolis within a city. Despite its huge workforce, original buildings and old technology, the Minsk factory is finding new markets world-wide as well maintaining social provision for its workers. But how is this behemoth coping with the challenges of the 21st century and the changing economic landscape of modern Belarus? We go inside the factory to meet the workers and contrast their world with that of Belarus's newest industries - state of the art IT and video gaming companies. Presenter: Lucy Ash Producer: Monica Whitlock Photo: Workers at Minsk Tractor Works Credit: BBC/Monica Whitlock

By 2050 the world needs to produce 70% more food and we need to do so using fewer resources and with less damage to the environment. Peter Morgan travels to Skjervoy in Norway to find out how technologically sophisticated fish farming businesses are increasing the availability and lowering the price of the fish we consume and he hears about the environmental issues that pose a serious challenge to the sector's growth. He also discovers how fish farming is providing employment for people in remote coastal communities -from the Norwegian coastline to Grimsby in the North East of England. For centuries Grimsby was a thriving fishing town, but the 'Cod Wars' of the 1970s coupled with EU fishing quotas decimated the livelihoods of many of its inhabitants. In recent years, though, the town has created a multi-billion pound seafood processing industry that is - ironically - fuelled by huge amounts of fish imported from Scandinavian countries. Peter talks to people working in the industry in Grimsby and asks whether the locally based National Aquaculture Centre can help Britain replicate Norway's success in fish farming. Presenter: Peter Morgan Producer: Ben Carter Photo: Peter Morgan and aquaculture worker Jan Børre Johansen visiting a fish farm in a Norwegian fjord off the island of Skjervoy Credit: BBC

A small German city with a population of under a million has big ambitions. It wants to beat Paris to the top spot of financial centre of Europe. But can the city of Frankfurt attract the international bankers and their support work force when the UK leaves the European Union next year? Several international banks have already confirmed that staff will be moving to Frankfurt. Office space is secured and the international schools say banks are block booking places for pupils. But what will this mean for Frankfurt and its own residents who face soaring rents and property prices? And given a choice would the financial community really choose a regional German city over the French capital? Caroline Bayley heads to Frankfurt to find out… Photo: Euro-Monument in Frankfurt Credit: BBC

Why Spain’s sparkling fizz, Cava, is seeking to re-invent itself. If you think of sparkling wine what probably comes to mind is popping corks and Champagne. But what about Cava from Spain? In terms of exports Cava is as big as Champagne, and it is made in the same expensive, time-consuming way. Yet its image in recent years has suffered and it’s now generally thought of as a cheap, less popular alternative to the likes of Prosecco. Most Cava comes from Catalonia, that region in Spain which has been beset by political problems and calls for independence. For Global Business, John Murphy explores how Cava has become mixed up in Catalonia’s troubled politics, how it is trying to boost its image and how it’s seeking to re-establish itself as a very special bottle of fizz. Producer: Estelle Doyle Photo: Desgorging bottles Credit: Marçal Font / Recaredo

Many fees and charges in the investment industry - which, among other things, manages vast pension fund wealth - have been hidden for decades. Lesley Curwen meets the transparency "detectives" intent on bringing reform to a sector that has long shunned it. She asks why the investment industry has been so slow to embrace change and explores the barriers that might still lie ahead. How much money has been unnecessarily spent and how might more transparency alter the shape and structure of the industry? She also hears the stories of the pioneers who are spearheading this new approach. How difficult has the process been for them? Producer: Rosamund Jones

Why can you phone in sick with flu but not with depression? Mental health is a big deal in the workplace at the moment. Following recent celebrity and Royal disclosures about their own mental health issues, it's become a hot topic. But away from the glare of publicity what's actually going on - what are employers actually doing? In this edition of In Business David Baker asks how far companies should go in managing their employee's mental health. With technology and an on-call culture increasingly blurring the lines between our work and home, what are the boundaries between issues at the office and those which should remain part of our private lives? Producer: Jim Frank Credit: DragonImages

Second-hand fashion is big business in Tanzania. Every year, it imports millions of dollars-worth of used clothes from richer nations and many ordinary Tanzanians have come to rely on these - known locally as 'mitumba' - as a reliable source of affordable outfits. Now the Tanzanian government want to phase-out these imports, which they say are killing the local textiles industry. But if they do, they risk losing a lucrative trade-aid deal that allows them to export to the United States duty free. BBC Africa's Sammy Awami investigates the 'mitumba' business and asks local textiles producers if they are ready to clothe this rapidly-growing nation. Producer: Helen Grady Photo: Esther Kolale and fellow tailoring students at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre in Dar es Salaam Credit: BBC

In September Ryanair was headline news and in crisis, having had to cancel many thousands of flights at very short notice. By offering extremely low fares to flyers, the company has become one of the world's biggest and most profitable airlines. Matthew Gwyther traces Ryanair's history and explores how its business model differs from its competitors. Has Ryanair suffered reputational damage since September or will its passengers stick with the company no matter what? And has a change of direction now been forced on Ryanair? Producer: Rosamund Jones Photo: A Ryanair plane lands at Dublin Airport Credit: PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images

There is a motoring revolution underway: the fast accelerating switch from petrol and diesel cars, to electric vehicles. In Norway, almost 40% of new car purchases are now fully electric or hybrids. Other countries are starting to catch up, and are setting ambitious targets. Britain wants to ban the sale of all petrol and diesel cars by 2040. Motor manufacturers are investing vast sums in new electric models. Those who don't, risk being left behind. And yet, as Peter Morgan reports, obstacles remain. Many drivers feel "range anxiety", the fear that the car battery will run out before they can recharge. And electric cars are not cheap to buy. But costs are coming down fast, batteries will soon last for hundreds of miles, and charge-points are being installed in more and more places. So much so, that there's a new land grab going on for market share. Start-ups are getting in on the act, and even big oil companies like Shell are branching into this business. Nevertheless, where will all the extra electricity come from? Will there be standardisation of the charging infrastructure, so drivers don't end up frustrated at a charge-point where their plug doesn't fit? And while electric cars don't emit toxic fumes like nitrogen oxides, how much difference do they actually make to particulates in the air? Producer: Arlene Gregorius Photo: Go Ultra Low Electric Vehicle Credit: Miles Willis / Stringer

President Vladimir Putin has gifted Moscow with a new park – a free public space right next to the Kremlin. Designed by the US architects behind New York’s High Line, Zarydaye Park is a bold step in city branding, aiming to demonstrate that Moscow is open to the world and to innovation. But does it break new ground for large-scale development projects in 21st century Russia? For Global Business, Lucy Ash explores some of the prizes and pitfalls of this notoriously bumpy terrain. Contributors include: Boris Bernaskoni, architect, Bernaskoni Bureau Galina Gordushina, Head of Engineering, Mosinzhproekt Sergei Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow Michal Murawski, anthropologist, Queen Mary University Anton Pominov, Director, Transparency International Russia Charles Renfro, architect, Diller Scofidio + Renfro Saskia Sassen, sociologist, Columbia University Producer: Dorothy Feaver Photo: Zaryadye Park Credit: Iwan Baan

If you're the Chancellor of the Exchequer, worrying about where the next financial crisis might come from, what keeps you awake at night? Jonty Bloom hears about the potential problems which might induce insomnia; including car loans, High Frequency Trading and the threat of Cyber attack. Producer: Phoebe Keane

Oil and gas are the backbone of Russia’s economy and swings in energy prices can push the country from boom to bust. 80 per cent of the country's exports are directly related to hydro-carbons. So how successfully is Russia diversifying into new areas? As Caroline Bayley discovers, government money is supporting hi-tech start-ups and counter sanctions imposed by the government on food imports from the US and EU are helping the food sector. However, doing business in Russia is far from straightforward. Producer: Kate Lamble

Why are so many US workers forced into job contracts that make it hard for them to leave? Employers routinely ask new recruits to agree to "non-compete" clauses when they start work. This means they might be unable to work for a competitor company, or to set up on their own. Is this a good way to protect intellectual property or an unnecessary infringement of workers' rights? Claire Bolderson goes to Massachusetts to explore the personal and economic impact of the legislation and asks if reform might, finally, be a possibility. Producer: Rosamund Jones Photo: Claire Bolderson in Boston, Massachusetts Credit: BBC

Can entrepreneurs at Sofia Tech Park kick-start one of the EU's poorest countries? Ruth Alexander meets the tiny companies growing fast at Sofia Tech Park, Bulgaria's first technology business centre. Start-up culture is a new phenomenon in the former communist state, which has an unfortunate reputation for corruption; but does it now have what it takes to spark an entrepreneurial revolution? Producer: John Murphy Photo credit: Walltopia

Uganda has taken in more than a million South Sudanese refugees. Many have lost almost everything. So how do they get back on their feet? For some of them the answer is to set up a small business. But doing that in a refugee settlement, when you have no capital and many of your customers have no money, is no easy task. Yet markets are sprouting up across the refugee settlements of northern Uganda. There are stalls selling eggs, vegetables, mobile phone cards, jeans; and there are even hairdressers and photocopying services in small shacks, where both the refugees and the local Ugandan population can trade. So how have these places come to existence? How have they grown out of what very recently was untamed African bush land? As John Murphy discovers, it’s a story of entrepreneurship, sacrifice, taking a gamble and simple necessity. Produced and presented by John Murphy Photo: 22 year old Aida who sells avocados, onions and bananas, to make money to pay for further education and training. Credit: BBC

With food waste a huge global problem, can business find new, profitable solutions? Tanya Beckett delves into pizza bins, visits larvae breeders and talks to everyone from bankers to hummus-makers as she investigates why this fast-changing business scene. How can new technology help tackle the problem? And are wasteful food consumers ready for radical change? Producer: Chris Bowlby; Editor: Penny Murphy

From the film Wall Street, to the play Enron, finance workers and bankers tend to be portrayed negatively in works of fiction. Andrew Dickson traces the history of these depictions, asking if they're fair - and if more positive portrayals would enhance the reputation of the City He speaks to playwrights, a bond trader turned thriller writer, a film historian and a veteran of the banking industry. Producer: Penny Murphy.

What red lines need to be crossed before companies retreat from foreign markets? As political turmoil engulfs Turkey, total economic collapse threatens in Venezuela and other global threats emerge, In Business explores the point at which businesses decide that enough is enough. Does it depend on the size of the investment and do companies in different sectors play by different rules? And what reputational risk might companies suffer if they get that calculation wrong? Presenter, Matthew Gwyther, talks to business people who have stayed and those who have left. Did they see the red line clearly or would they make a different call second time around? Producer: Rosamund Jones.

Twenty five years after Britain opened its first privately run prison, Matthew Gwyther explores whether private jails in the UK have delivered on the promise of a cost effective, safe, and reliable service. And he looks to the US, the pioneer of the private prison system. Does incarcerating people for profit work? Or does it lead the sector to cut corners, sacrificing safety and security in the pursuit of profit? Producer: Sarah Shebbeare (Photo: A prison guard walks through a cell area at HMP Berwyn. Credit: Getty Images)

From sick man of Europe to world's richest exporter - how did Germany do it? At the turn of the century, Germany's economy was weak and its unemployment high. Fast forward to today and the country has overtaken China as the world's richest exporter. To find out how, Caroline Bayley travels to rural South Germany, home to many so called "hidden champions", little-known world market leading companies. But she also hears how for all its economic success, Germany has yet to come up with the next Google. Though plans are afoot to catch up with Silicon Valley. Producer: Estelle Doyle (Photo: Historical cars are displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, southern Germany Credit: Getty Images)

What role can the community play in rejuvenating their local economy? Globalisation often results in a big geographical divide between where profits are made and where they are spent. Anu Anand visits two communities trying to reverse that trend and keep investment, jobs and profits close to hand. In Frome, in Somerset, she meets local property developers who are keeping rents low and chain stores at bay in a bid to allow local independent retailers to thrive. And in rural Lancashire she spends time with villagers building their own broadband network and investing in local energy projects. What impact might these initiatives have long-term and could other communities follow suit? Producer: Rosamund Jones.

Many British fishermen rejoiced after the UK vote to leave the European Union. They hoped it would mean fewer EU boats fishing in UK waters. Business reporter and sailor Lesley Curwen visits ports and harbours at both ends of Britain to talk to fishermen about their hopes and fears, and hears from a group of European fishermen who argue a hard Brexit would destroy thousands of their jobs. Producer: Smita Patel (Image: Newlyn fish market, Cornwall. Credit: BBC)

Tower blocks are under intense scrutiny. So what's the best way to run them? Matthew Gwyther visits Manchester and discovers this is not just about architecture. These blocks are also complex communities of people. So what's the future now for this key sector in our housing and commerce? Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Penny Murphy.

Why do so many economic and business forecasts fail to correctly map the future? Adam Shaw asks why so many recessions take us by surprise and why the failure of certain forecasts should be a cause of celebration, not despair. He examines the role of complexity and groupthink and how technological advance can scupper the best laid forecasts. Do we, as consumers, invest too much faith in forecasts? And is there anything forecasters can do to ensure their pronouncements are more reliable? Producer: Rosamund Jones (Image: Adam Shaw at a pool table. Credit: BBC)

Nina Robinson looks at how India’s digital payments industry is mushrooming after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation ‘shock doctrine’ tactic to rid the country of 500 and 1,000 rupee bills last November. It had an unimaginably huge impact on India’s digital payment and banking systems. The sector now has to cope with an enormous increase in digital payments using your mobile phone. People are making e-payments for goods using these ‘e-wallets’. New digital payment points have sprung up everywhere and now even small vendors and hawkers are using them. Global Business examines whether a cashless economy in India could really work to bring untold future economic benefits. (Image: An Indian vendor who now accepts e-payments. Credit: BBC)

For decades the UK has not produced enough engineers. What's been going wrong? Is education at fault or does engineering have an intractable image problem? Engineering is a very male world. If that changes, might its recruitment problem disappear? Ruth Sunderland visits businesses with innovative schemes aimed at reversing the trend, and meets students, teachers and industry leaders. Who will be the engineers of the future? Producer: Rosamund Jones (Image: Ruth Sunderland. Credit: Mark Richards).

McDonalds has long dominated the burger market and continues to do so in the UK. But the US owned, giant fast food chain is in the midst of a make-over. Posher burger chains are springing up everywhere and McDonalds is now offering table service and new-look restaurants. Matthew Gwyther, Editor of Management Today, asks how and why McDonalds feels the need to present a new image to its customers and whether it will work in today's health conscious society. Producer: Caroline Bayley.

We spend hours in meetings at work so what can we do to love them more? Tanya Beckett looks at the art of the meeting and asks how can we make them more productive & enjoyable. How do you deal with the person who never stops talking, or someone who spends an entire hour on their smartphone? Tanya learns how to prepare for successful meetings and discovers that how they're run tells us a lot about the culture of an organisation, and even a country. Produced by Smita Patel.

The Kremlin has been flexing economic and political muscles on the world stage but the Russian economy is struggling to keep up. Plunging oil prices, U.S. and European sanctions over Ukraine and military operations in Syria have all taken their toll. People across the country are feeling the pinch but rural areas are the hardest hit – much of the countryside is empty and dying. Almost 36,000 villages, or one in four, have 10 residents or fewer. Another 20,000 are abandoned, according to the latest census. Young people left long ago for cities and towns – the collective farms which once would have employed them disappeared along with the USSR. It’s a bleak picture but some young businessmen and women are trying to revive Russia’s dying villages with a mixture of traditional craftsmanship, social enterprise and shrewd marketing. In the impoverished Pskov Region, Kirill Vasilev employs 15 villagers to make Valenki –felt boots made from dried sheep’s wool, the footwear of peasants and tsars for centuries. Traditionally, valenki come in brown, black, gray and white, but Vasilev produces versions in a variety of bright colours which he sells in a fashionable part of his native St Petersburg. Now he has plans to expand to London and New York. He is inspired by the world-famous UGG boots and Crocs, which also had their origins in ethnic footwear for Australian and Dutch farmers. Will he succeed and what difference could it make to the village of Dolostsy on the Belarusian border? Lucy Ash visits Kirill Vasilev at his Valenki workshop, meets his employees and finds out more about the challenges facing small businesses in Russia. Produced and presented by Lucy Ash (Image: Pile of Valenki - felt boots made from dried sheep's wool. Photo credit: Viktoria Zhgel)

How have private businesses fared in Greece since the crisis began? The economy has shrunk by nearly a third and unemployment has soared. So what have companies had to do to survive? And have any managed to actually thrive? Louise Cooper meets hopeful entrepreneurs, embattled importers, and a few small companies going underground in a bid to avoid rising costs and disappearing demand. Can Greece ever return to growth? Producer: Rosamund Jones.

The number of women in prison globally is rapidly increasing. The Institute for Criminal Policy Research has calculated that between 2000 and 2015, the female prison population around the world grew by 50%, compared with an 18% rise in male prisoners over the same period. Re-offending rates are high, and overcoming the stigma of a prison sentence makes finding a job extremely tough. But can entrepreneurship break the cycle? Caroline Bayley speaks to six former women prisoners across three continents. They were convicted under different circumstances and of different crimes – but they're united in their passion for business, enterprise and self-employment which has allowed them to turn their lives around on the outside. Producer: Alex Burton (Photo: Woman in prison holding bars. Credit: Pikul Noorod/Shutterstock)

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with the European Union. It voted to stay in the EU in last year’s referendum. Tens of thousands cross between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland every day to work. Matthew Gwyther, the editor of Management Today, travels across Northern Ireland to find out how businesses – large and small – are preparing for life outside the EU and what the potential impact is for the vitally important agriculture industry. (Image: Traffic crossing the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Credit: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

Productivity, or the lack of it, is one of the great puzzles of the British economy at the moment. Productivity is not about how hard we work, but how much value we get for each hour of graft. And the French seem to be better at that than the British. Jonty Bloom explores how workers in France can put in shorter hours and take longer holidays and yet still have productivity levels close to those seen in Germany and the United States. And he asks whether high productivity always makes for a better economy. Producer: Ruth Alexander.

Why are Mexicans working abroad sending more money back home? Last year total remittance payments for Mexico reached a record of nearly $27bn – most of that came from Mexicans working in the United States. But it’s a sensitive time with President Trump determined to clamp down on illegal immigrants and build a wall along the US-Mexican border. Caroline Bayley asks how significant those payments are to relatives back home and the Mexican economy as a whole. (Image: Mexican farmer and his wife. Copyright: BBC)

Denmark is on course to generate 50% of its electricity from wind power in the next three years. The move towards clean energy and self sufficiency stands in stark contrast to the situation the country found itself in after the 1973 oil crisis when street lighting was reduced and people were told not to drive on Sundays. Keith Moore visits the Scandinavian country and discovers how public support and political will has created an industry that not only makes environmental sense but business sense too. (Image: Wind turbines, Credit: Keith Moore)

Since its inception, the National Health Service has always relied on doctors and nurses who have been trained overseas. How does it plan for the workforce it requires? In the second of two programmes exploring today's health service, doctor-turned-journalist Smitha Mundasad, asks why the NHS is currently facing a recruitment crisis on so many fronts. She'll ask what impact Brexit could have. Can pharmacists, physician associates and other health workers do some of the work doctors do, and so reduce staff shortages? And will the NHS start training more of its own workforce? Presenter: Smitha Mundasad Producer: Rosamund Jones. (Image: NHS surgical team who come from around the European Union. Credit: Junaid Masood)

The NHS is facing a sustained squeeze. An ageing population, the rising cost of new treatments and increasing patient demand on the one hand, and the impact of continued austerity on the other. What can it do? One answer might lie in improving productivity. In the first of two programmes on the NHS, Louise Cooper explores its productivity puzzle. What does increased productivity look like in the health service? She meets clinicians, across the country, who are trying to do more for less. Can their efforts be replicated across the NHS? And, if so, will it ever be enough? Presenter: Louise Cooper Producer: Rosamund Jones.

How is Mexico preparing for the presidency of Donald Trump? During the election campaign Mr Trump promised to tear up trade agreements with Mexico, build a border wall and send back millions of illegal Mexican immigrants. Caroline Bayley travels to Mexico to find out how the country feels about the US's new president and what impact his policies might have on Mexico. Producer: Anna Meisel. (Image: A woman hits a piñata of Donald Trump during a protest in Mexico City, on October 12, 2016. Credit: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images)

Work on HS2 is finally due to start next year. And those whose housing will be affected have dominated the headlines. But what will it mean for business? For some it seems a huge opportunity if high speed rail kick starts much broader regeneration. Other businesses face major challenges during construction, or fear they'll lose out when the new railway changes the way people work. And what does it all tell us about how the UK copes with major infrastructure? Maryam Moshiri visits Sheffield and north London to test business opinion. Producer: Chris Bowlby.

Who pays for the arts, who should pay for the arts? In the UK, there is controversy about corporate sponsorship of arts organisations - particularly oil companies. In the US, there is a very different approach and state funding is much lower. Andrew Dickson examines the funding models and speaks to BP as well as a number of leading arts organisations. Producer, Penny Murphy (Image: Burlington House, the Piccadilly site for the Royal Academy of Arts. Credit: Fraser Mar).

What will Brexit mean for the future of British farms? The EU has been subsidising agriculture - via the Common Agricultural Policy - for decades, and there is a tariff-free market for produce. Jonty Bloom looks at the challenges that lie ahead. Producer, Ruth Alexander.

Last year, the UK became the first place where spending on digital ads exceeded that spent on all other forms of advertising combined. In this new world, what are ad agencies doing to square up to the challenges they face? Management Today's Matthew Gwyther presents. The producer is Nina Robinson. (Image: A visitor looks at old posters advertising various chocolate products at the Belgian Chocolate Village museum. Credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

Why are Italy's banks in crisis and what's the impact on business? The country's banks have huge numbers of non-performing loans, the result of nearly a decade of recession. The economy has shrunk by nearly 10% in that time. Some small banks have already failed, others may follow. What has it been like to do business through these very lean times? Are banks continuing to lend? And what solutions might there be for one of Europe's biggest players? Ruth Sunderland visits small businesses, the backbone of the Italian economy, and asks what is required to strengthen the banking system. Producer : Rosamund Jones.

Estonia is one of the smallest countries in Europe, with only 1.3 million citizens. But it is hoping to become much bigger – by attracting what it calls e-residents. A scheme was started two years ago to give citizens of any nation the opportunity to set up Estonian bank accounts and businesses – and to develop a digital identity which can be managed from anywhere. Ruth Alexander examines how it works, and who benefits.

When it comes to business, much of the focus in Sweden is on its successful tech start-ups. But its traditional industries are still a cornerstone of the economy. Global Business' Keith Moore takes a look at Sweden's forestry industry by following the journey of a tree, from the forest, to the sawmills and through to the shops many of us visit across the world. (Photo: Felled trees in a forest)

How has London's French community fared since Brexit? Caroline Bayley explores why so many entrepreneurs have chosen to start businesses on this side of the channel. And what is the capital's attraction for so many of France's young people? After the vote to leave the EU, the response of many French ex-pats was deep shock. Three months on, are French people and companies re-assessing their future in the UK? And will London be as open for business as it has been in the past? Producer: Rosamund Jones.

Brexit, a global slump in oil prices, and political uncertainty around a second independence referendum; these have combined to place the Scottish business community in uncharted waters. Additionally, Scotland has longer term historical structural issues, particularly when it comes to successfully starting and growing new ventures. It is widely recognised that the Scottish economy needs to grow faster and be less dependent on both fossil fuels and inward investment. For this edition of 'In Business', the BBC's Scotland Business Editor Douglas Fraser explores what is being done to support and encourage entrepreneurship. Producer: Dave Howard.

The business of making babies is booming, both in the UK and globally, as recent research suggests the world’s fertility industry is set to be worth an estimated 15 billion pounds by the year 2020. One in six couples in the world are thought to experience fertility problems. There's a huge range of treatments available – from egg donation and specialist ‘add ons’ to improve the odds, to egg freezing and surrogacy, not to mention an increasing market for gay and lesbian couples. In Britain, the NHS restricts and rations access to IVF, and sperm donation is heavily regulated. However in Denmark, a multi-million dollar sperm bank is supplying some 80 countries under a very different framework. Pharmacies at the supermarket chain ASDA have been selling IVF drugs at cost price, and tech giants Google and Facebook will pay the costs of freezing the eggs of female employees to be used at a later date. Will ethical and moral issues surrounding the baby making business, hinder the growth of the fertility industry? Or will it continue unhindered, making money for private healthcare providers, individuals and tech start-ups? What does the future hold not just for those making money, but also for those IVF conceived babies and their parents? Presenter: Matthew Gwyther Producer: Nina Robinson

Peter Day takes a close look at the progress of 3D printing in manufacturing 5 years on from the first programme he made about this new way of making things. Back then there was much hype and excitement about its potential to revolutionise traditional manufacturing. From aircraft parts to cartilage in knees, Peter discovers 3D printing's current range and uses and asks whether it's really lived up to its early promise. Producer: Caroline Bayley

According to Sheryl Sandberg – Chief Operating Office of Facebook and one of the most powerful people in the world - the most important career choice you’ll make as a woman is who you choose to be your life partner. Whilst men tend to assume they can have it all – a great career AND a great family - women don’t. And she puts that down to the uneven division of labour in the home. She claims in households where both parents work full time, women do twice the amount of house work and three times the amount of childcare. She says that she and her late husband were '50/50' and that has played a huge part in her success. How many of us can claim the same? The numbers of working mothers in the UK are at record levels with 70% of women with dependent children now part of the workforce. But those who work still earn less overall and enjoy lower status than their male counterparts, especially after having children. Evidence also shows that those who do forge the most successful careers are largely child-free. So how easy is it to have a successful career if you are female and also a mother? Peter Day asks a range of women how they have done it, about the compromises they have they made and what have they learnt that they can pass on to future generations. Presenter: Peter Day Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Penny Murphy (Image: Mark and Brenda Trenowden. Credit: BBC)

A new technology is emerging which could change the world as significantly as mobile phones or the Internet. That technology is Virtual Reality. Up to now it’s mainly been used for fun - but things are changing. Adam Shaw investigates how VR could change our lives and revolutionise the world of business. Enabling us to be in two places at once and, for example, replacing the need for many painkillers and helping cure psychological problems. Producer: Smita Patel

Companies don't often like to admit it, but we know the spies are out there, attempting to infiltrate almost every sector of industry, eager to winkle out the most valuable corporate secrets. And they sometimes succeed, passing on the information to rivals whether at home or abroad. So what can be done to pursue the perpetrators and protect business from this growing threat? In this episode of In Business Peter Day learns the lessons from businesses that have fallen victim to corporate espionage and he hears that most companies' Achilles' heels lie in the least expected places. Producer Lucy Hooker

Trinitas Mhango is one of a new generation of young, would-be entrepreneurs in Malawi. She has a dream of making it big in business and she has a great idea - to mass produce and sell sanitary pads in one of the poorest countries in Africa, where millions of girls and women cannot afford proper sanitary management. The market research she has done shows it is a potentially huge market and Malawi desperately needs people like her to succeed and help grow its near bottom of the GDP league economy. There is just one big problem - she has not got the money to set up on her own. Malawi’s banks won’t lend her the cash she needs and even if they would, with interest rates at a staggering 40% she would never make it. But now Trinitas has a great opportunity to get the backing she needs to kick-start her business. She is going into competition at Pitch Night, where the best and brightest young entrepreneurs in the country pitch their ideas hoping to win the hearts, minds and financial support of some of the Malawi’s Business “Dragons” who can back or sack their ideas. It is a huge opportunity, potentially a life-changing evening. But can she do it? What will she say to win the Dragons over? Can she stay cool, calm and collected in front of a large and fiercely critical audience? Or, will it all be too much for young Trinitas? Will her dreams of a life as a successful entrepreneur end at Pitch Night? (Photo: (L) Trinitas Mhango)

Job losses have plagued Teesside for decades and the area still has a stubbornly high unemployment rate. Ruth Sunderland grew up in Middlesbrough where her father worked as an engineer. In 1987 the company, where he'd been employed since he was a teenager, collapsed and he never worked again. Believing there was no future for her in her home town, she left to forge a career in London. Following more recent job losses in the steel industry, Ruth returns to her roots. Will entrepreneurial start-ups provide young Teessiders with prospects that, 30 years ago, she could not see? And what does the post-steel, post-Brexit future look like from Teesside? Producer: Rosamund Jones

Chattanooga has been re-inventing itself for decades. In the late 1960s Walter Cronkite referred to the city as "the dirtiest in America." Since then heavy industry has declined and, to take its place, civic leaders have been on a mission to bring high-tech innovation and enterprise to Chattanooga. In 2010 the city became the first in America to enjoy gig speed internet following an investment of a couple of hundred million dollars from its publically-owned electricity company, EPB. What economic and psychological benefits have super-fast internet brought to this mid-sized city in Tennessee? Has the investment in speed paid off? Presenter: Peter Day Producer: Rosamund Jones.

Malawi, in Sub-Saharan Africa, is one of the world’s poorest countries with its GDP nearly at the bottom of the global league table. Successive governments have been riddled with corruption scandals, state-run services are in disarray and Malawi’s population is booming. It hit 17.6m this year, which the Finance Minister described as "scary" and is set to more than double over the next two decades. If Malawi is struggling to feed its people now - how bad could things be in the future? It’s a ticking time bomb of poverty and starvation. Malawi desperately needs economic growth yet despite hundreds of millions of dollars of donor money which has poured into the country for decades the overall the impact on the ground has been disappointing - poverty levels remain stubbornly high, education standards and job opportunities pitifully low. But there is a rare piece of good news from Malawi: a new alliance between the private sector, a group of smallholder farmers and one of the country’s biggest international donors - the European Union, is helping to run a sustainable sugar cane business and turn lives around. Could this new partnership with the private sector finally unlock Malawi’s potential for growth? Reporter: Charlotte Ashton Producer: Jim Frank

Amid concern about the future of the Port Talbot steel works - and fear for the jobs of workers there - Peter Day looks at the history of the industry in Britain. When was the heyday of British steel, and what went wrong? Peter visits Port Talbot and also delves into the archives to hear stories from a time when manufacturing dominated the British economy. Presenter: Peter Day Producer: Caroline Bayley.

Imagine you run a company and it's failing. What do you do? Matthew Gwyther speaks to leaders who've turned around businesses in difficulties and finds out how they did it, what inspired them and what lessons they can pass on. Produced by Nina Robinson.

Can a computer programme choose the right applicant for a job? Online assessments, scanning programmes, computer algorithms and the number crunching of social network data are all now part of the tool kit of the recruitment industry. As Peter Day discovers, to get through to an actual interview, you often have to impress a computer algorithm first. Traditionally a subjective process, Peter looks at this huge change in the way people are selected for jobs and asks whether technology can achieve the recruiters' aim of eliminating bias from hiring. Producer Caroline Bayley.

Marijuana is now legal in some US states and a fast-growing industry has emerged, especially in Colorado which was the first state to embrace the drug. But according to federal law marijuana is still illegal. This means that many companies can't get banking services, advertise their wares or pay tax in the way that other companies do. So how do they survive and thrive? And in what direction is the US moving? Will marijuana soon become a legal drug, like alcohol, across the US? Or will law-makers decide that Colorado's big marijuana experiment has gone too far? And what is it like to run a company in one of the world's riskiest business sectors? Presenter : Peter Day Producer : Rosamund Jones.

As part of the festivities for the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, Global Business asks how the Bard has had an impact on the corporate world. As well as being a profitable part of the British economy, particularly for the tourist sector in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s plays have been exported to almost every country there is. In Neuss, Germany, a replica of the Globe has stood since 1991. In Bollywood, Shakespeare’s stories have been retold since the dawn of Indian cinema, and become major money-spinners courtesy of movies such as Omkara (Othello) and Haider (Hamlet). In corporate America, his plays have been seized upon by executive training teams. And in China, Shakespeare’s works are being marketed to a new generation of domestic consumers, eager for a taste of historical culture. Author and critic Andrew Dickson goes on a globe-trotting journey to find out how the Bard is still very much in business – and discovers one of the most successful and flexible cultural brands there is. Produced by Nina Robinson. (Image: An ice cream van with a picture of William Shakespeare on in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

A Unicorn is a mythical animal. But it's also the name now given to private start-up companies, mainly in the tech or internet sector which are valued at a billion dollars or more. They're extremely fast-growing and are often keener to increase customers rather than make profits at this stage. They rely on private investors to fund their growth and those investors give the companies their valuations. Through interviews with European unicorns including Blah, Blah Car, a ride-sharing service and Hello Fresh which delivers measured fresh ingredients and recipes to your door, Caroline Bayley asks how "real" the tech unicorns are and whether the billion dollar plus valuations are fuelling another tech bubble which could be in danger of bursting. Producer Anna Meisel.

The Panama papers reveal tax evasion is a huge international problem. But how can governments clean things up? One way might be by opening things up. In the UK, it is a criminal offence to reveal someone else's tax affairs, but in some countries you can easily discover how much anyone earns and how much they pay in tax, from the prime minister and the richest business leader to the poorest pensioner. It can have a profound effect on business practice and wider society, as business correspondent Jonty Bloom discovers, travelling to Norway. Producer: Ruth Alexander With special thanks to Bill Lomas, Leek Town Crier.

Why is there so much dissatisfaction about how economics is taught at universities? Since the financial crash, many students have been in revolt in the UK and overseas, determined to change the content of their courses. They are not alone. Employers and some economists share many of their concerns. Peter Day explores why the subject has changed over a generation and why that might matter. Producer: Rosamund Jones

If you come from a country with few internet users and even fewer smartphone owners, why would you set up an internet shopping business? “I wanted to buy a present for my then girlfriend,” says Vichet In, who is the founder and CEO of one of Cambodia’s first and most successful forays into e-commerce. In 2013 only around 6% of Cambodians used the internet. But there’s been a rapid rise in internet usage and in smartphone ownership. Which is good news for Vichet and his siblings, who have become involved in his business. John Murphy is in Phnom Penh, where he has a tour of Vichet’s showroom, to get an insight into the setting up of his company, Little Fashion. He hears the secrets of Little Fashion’s success and plans for expansion - just as long as the company can satisfy its demanding Cambodian customers.

Over a million migrants have arrived in Germany in the past year. But could this inflow of new potential employees form the basis of a new German workforce? The population of Europe’s largest economy is currently shrinking meaning in some industries there is a growing shortage of workers. Paul Henley investigates whether the new arrivals could be the answer to Germany’s future economic problems? But he also hears from those who believe the new migrants don’t have the right skills to work in a modern high-tech economy.

Peter Day chairs a discussion about the current low price of oil. He and his guests explore the reasons for the volatility in energy markets and examine the implications for the global economy. Producer Caroline Bayley

Norway isn't a member of the European Union, but does business with the EU. Is it a model for other countries? Jonty Bloom speaks to people working in a range of businesses - including Norway's vital fishing industry - and asks about the advantages and disadvantages of the arrangement. Produced by Ruth Alexander

In the Autumn of 2015 the German city of Munich found itself at the centre of Europe's refugee crisis. Everyday thousands of refugees arrived in the city seeking sanctuary. But what has been the effect on Munich's business community? Paul Henley has been to the city to speak to those companies benefiting from the huge numbers of new arrivals. Paul hears from an air dome company that in three years is expecting it's turnover to have quadrupled, and a translation company who has had take on an extra eight hundred translators to deal with the new demand. So have the migrants been good for German business?

A global industry is facing a staffing crisis, with tens of thousands of new recruits needed across Europe and the United States - yet many people would never consider the job, or even believe it's a job they could do. Why? Because it's truck-driving - an industry with an image problem, where the work is still very much seen as men-only. Could the solution to this staffing crisis lie in attracting more women to get behind the wheel? Caroline Bayley hits the road with some of the female drivers already heading up and down roads of the UK. She speaks to Pakistan's first and only female truck driver, and asks why aren't there more of them? Producer Nina Robinson

As the day when sanctions against Iran are lifted draws closer Global Business looks at the business prospects there for those inside, and outside, the country. Presenter, Caroline Bayley talks to Iranian entrepreneurs keen to see Western investment in their country and European companies eager to do business there. They discuss the needs of the country and the potential challenges investors will face when Iran once again, joins the global economy.

Peter Day explores the rise of craft beer and how the big breweries are fighting back by buying up the competition Producer: Rosamund Jones.

The revelation that Volkswagen cheated emissions tests is the latest in a line of scandals that have dented the public's faith in business since 2008's financial crisis. It was seen as a betrayal of trust. But just what is trust and how important is it in business? And, once it has been lost, can it ever be won back? The editor of Management Today, Matthew Gwyther, interviews Rupert Stadler, the chairman of Audi - which is part of the VW group. He also speaks to the chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, Charlie Mayfield, and former chief of Severn Trent Water and Jaguar, Sir John Egan. The former EMEA head of public relations firm Edelman, Robert Phillips, explores PR's influence on trust and Nobel Prize winning economist and author Professor Robert Shiller gives his thoughts. Amid all the negativity about business, Rachel Botsman - who is an expert on the collaborative economy - offers some hope. Producer: Keith Moore

The white collar worker has become a central figure in TV series and comic books in Japan. Ruth Alexander travels to Tokyo to explore the rise of the middle manager as cult hero, speaking to best-seller novelists, manga artists and TV directors about why the workplace makes such good drama. She finds out what the fictional exploits of the 'salaryman’ tell us about doing business in Japan, and hears about the emergence of a new character getting attention in popular culture - the salarywoman. Presented and Produced by Ruth Alexander.

Peter Day visits the Chinese city which makes most of the world's Christmas decorations

The former Barclays CEO, Antony Jenkins, talks to Kamal Ahmed

The executive personal assistant is a job that requires utmost discretion and an inbuilt ability to know what the boss needs before they need it. In an age where many administrative tasks are being delegated to computers, the human touch of the skilled executive assistant is gaining value in the corporate suite. Sathnam Sanghera finds out how the role of the Man Men secretary has evolved into the contemporary assistant and discovers how indispensable these modern day multitaskers are to the success of a CEO and their company.

Cremona in northern Italy is the original home of the Stradivarius violin and now - several centuries later - master craftsmen are still producing hand-made violins and exporting around the world. But how can such a niche industry survive in the modern world of mass production?

Peter Day asks whether companies really should still be built to last in today's hi-tech internet world. What are the characteristics of those that stand the test of time? Many do learn to change or even re-invent themselves while others, such as Woolworths, have disappeared altogether. In interviews with business leaders and entrepreneurs he discusses whether longevity still matters. Producer: Caroline Bayley

In some villages in rural China they're replacing the sounds of chickens and farm life with something very 21st century. In the village of Qing Yan Liu, four hours south of Shanghai, they've created a world of bubble wrap and sticky tape. The people here have embraced going online to become an internet shopping hub. In the eyes of the Chinese Premier this could be the future of rural China. He hopes that more and more places will copy what has happened in “China’s Number One E-Commerce village”. He wants to avoid what is happening in many other villages where all the young people have left in search of work and the place is gradually abandoned. Peter Day visits three countryside villages to hear how online shopping is transforming life in rural China. Producer: Charlotte Pritchard.

China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Many Chinese dream of seeing blue skies and white clouds but rarely do because of the smog. Often the daily routine is to wake up and check the pollution levels to decide if it is safe for children to play outside, or if a filter mask should be worn for protection. Ahead of December’s UN Climate Change summit, Peter Day reports on the Chinese ambitions to make China ‘go green’. Many people say the Chinese aren’t given enough credit for their efforts and argue the West will be shocked when it realises the extent of their actions. But can that ambition become reality? Peter Day reports from Beijing and beyond and asks when will the Chinese be able to breathe more easily?

Peter Day continues his reports from the drought stricken central valley of California. This week he visits two family farms. Both grow fruit and nut crops. Both reflect the central role of migration and water in Californian history. They were founded by incomers; one from Japan, the other Mexico. But that is where the similarities end. These farms are separated by heartless geology. One has access to good quality groundwater, the other does not. Producer : Rosamund Jones

California has some of the world's most productive agricultural land. It puts fruit and vegetables on America's tables and exports huge amount of produce too; nearly all of the almonds we consume come from there. But the state is also enduring a severe drought, now into its fourth year. Farm land is being fallowed, farm workers are losing their jobs and thousands of wells are drying up. Some farmers believe that this year is the tipping point. If rain does not fall in the winter, they'll be unable to farm next year. But others have had some of their best years during these testing times. Peter Day explores what happens when water becomes the most valuable commodity there is. Producer: Rosamund Jones

For more than 150 years, Steinway and Sons have been building handmade pianos to please the ear of the most discerning musicians. Their sound fills concert halls around the world. Why? Is it simply because they're the best; the best marketed or is there another reason? Peter Day visits one of Steinway's two factories, in Astoria New York, to find out what gives this instrument its prized status in the concert world and ask if this once family owned firm can keep its place on the world stage. Producer: Sandra Kanthal

It would take an elephant balanced on the tip of a pencil to break through a sheet of graphene the thickness cling film. That's the description those promoting this new wonder material like to use to illustrate the strength of graphene. The atomic material was isolated by two scientists at Manchester University in 2004. Now, just over a decade and one Nobel prize later, Peter Day visits the newly opened the National Graphene Institute. Its aim is to bring business and science together, to develop potential future uses for graphene. Will this strategy succeed where Britain’s past attempts to spin out scientific discoveries have not? Producer: Sandra Kanthal

Who's your boss? Peter Day explores how three different companies, in three different countries, do business without managers. Who hires and fires? And how do you get a pay rise? He asks how these radical organisations emerged, and whether other companies may follow their lead. Producer: Rosamund Jones

Opera is an expensive art form. It receives millions of pounds of public money. Can that be justified? Peter Day gets a range of operatic experiences - from top opera companies, to pub performers and a country house summer festival. The first opera was performed 400 years ago in Italy; how does the future look? Producer: Penny Murphy

As the race to develop driverless cars hots up around the world, the UK is determined not to be left in the slow lane. Government money is being invested to help test vehicles and 'pods' over the next three years. It's not just the robotic technology which is being developed- building the trust of the public in vehicles which eventually won't need drivers behind the wheel is crucial There's still a long way to go, and Peter Day talks to those involved in this brave new world of transport.

Remarkable start-up stories of entrepreneurs from Saudi Arabia, Israel and New Zealand.

What exactly is economics? Science or art? An explanation of our society based on observable, demonstrable law or is it an attempt to systematise the unknowable: the mysteries of the human mind? Peter Day puts these questions to the economist and bestselling author of Nudge, Professor Richard Thaler, one of the founding fathers of behavioural economics. This relatively new branch of the dismal science tries to shed light on the way people make choices in their everyday lives and why subtle changes in the way options are framed can make big differences in how we behave.

As Dame Ellen MacArthur circumnavigated the globe she got first-hand knowledge of the finite nature of the world’s resources. When she retired from sailing she created a foundation to promote the concept of a 'Circular Economy' - where resources are re-used and waste reduced to zero. Many companies around the world - including some of the biggest, like Unilever - are responding to her ideas. Peter Day talks to the record-breaking sailor, to Unilever, and to the creators of an innovative urban farm in New Jersey about why these concepts are so important and how businesses can take them on board. Producer: Sandra Kanthal

Mohed Altrad was born in the Syrian desert, an orphan and in poverty. He does not know how old he is. He is now a French billionaire and he has just been chosen as Ernst and Young World Entrepreneur of the Year. In this week's Global Business he tells Peter Day about his extraordinary story and the international company he's created over the past 30 years.

An International Labour Organization report ranked Colombia second globally for the percentage of women in middle and senior management positions. Peter Day investigates why Colombian women have managed to advance in business and whether the figures are a true reflection of life for women in a country known for its machismo culture.

Over the past decade the Colombian city of Medellin has changed its reputation from murder capital to model of innovation. Peter Day investigates how the city’s transformation led by its public institutions might have lessons for other cities struggling with violence and poverty.

Medellin used to be one of the most dangerous cites on earth; with a reputation for kidnapping and murder, as well as a thriving drugs trade. Now Colombia's second city has become a top global tourist destination. Peter Day reports on a remarkable transformation.

New York City has its own Silicon Alley and Manhattan is fast becoming a hub for high tech start ups. Peter Day talks to the entrepreneurs trying to make it in the Big Apple by taking advantage of the brain power no longer locked up in banks and the advances faster and smarter computers can offer.

One of the most famous computer systems in the world is called Watson, developed by IBM. It's best known in for beating two human contestants to win the American game show, Jeopardy. Watson may now be leading a revolution in 'machine learning'. Peter Day reports from New York City, fast becoming a high tech rival of Silicon Valley, to find out how smart our machines are becoming and whether we should be worried about the impact Artificial Intelligence will have our lives.

Immigration is one of the key issues of the General Election campaign. Peter Day asks businesses, big and small, what they think about immigration. How dependent is Britain on workers from other countries in Europe, and beyond? What impact have tighter visa restrictions for migrants from outside Europe had on British business?

As Dame Ellen MacArthur circumnavigated the globe she got first-hand knowledge of the finite nature of the world's resources. When she retired from sailing she created a foundation to promote the concept of a 'Circular Economy' - where resources are re-used and waste reduced to zero. Many companies around the world - including some of the biggest, like Unilever - are responding to her ideas. Peter Day talks to the record-breaking sailor, to Unilever, and to the creators of an innovative urban farm in New Jersey about why these concepts are so important and how businesses can take them on board.

Businesses in Argentina say they suffer from too much red tape, rampant inflation and import restrictions. Middle class Buenos Aires residents say the cost of everyday goods in supermarkets makes life difficult. Peter Day hears from business leaders with innovative solutions and a former government minister tells him how he is saddened by the country’s current economic plight.

The Information Technology department used to be a mysterious backroom operation, but has become the vital component of a successful company. With relentless technical developments businesses are facing a constant risk of their computer systems being past their sell by date. Peter Day explores how companies are wrestling with the increasing demands of keeping their I.T fit for purpose.

Business commentator and social philosopher Charles Handy speaks to Peter Day about his new book, The Second Curve, and asks if we should all plan on reinventing ourselves in later life to take advantage of new trends, innovations and ideas that will affect the future world of work

The growing freelance and micro-business economy is explored by Peter Day. Why are so many people setting up on their own and will it be a decision they'll come to regret?

Innovation is hard work, says the British-born author and entrepreneur Kevin Ashton. He was a pioneer of what is now called the Internet of Things, adding communications ability to millions of objects through his insightful work with sensors.

Peter Day talks to Gary Hamel, one of the best known management gurus in the world.

Ttip: Peter Day asks how the world's biggest trade deal, currently being negotiated between the US and the EU, may effect business, employment, the environment and democracy.

Peter Day talks with the record breaking yachtswoman, Ellen MacArthur, and Unilever CEO, Paul Polman, about their work promoting the circular economy – where resources are reused and waste reduced to zero and asks how businesses can put these ideas into practice.

Peter Day explores the future of money and payments and asks how "cashless" we may become.

Peter Day meets the vloggers who start off making videos in their bedroom and end up being courted by big brands. Can these new relationships disrupt the old ways of marketing?

New ways of doing business are making people think hard about how companies function. Peter Day hears how these alternative economies work, and what they might do.

Up in the air stuck in a metal tube for hours, can flying ever be a nice experience? Peter Day meets a clutch of British based experts trying to improve the way the world flies.

Random acts of kindness can help businesses grow in surprising ways. Peter Day talks with one woman who tells how the generosity of others made all the difference to her company.

Britain's cathedrals have defined the landscape for centuries but what's their role today? Peter Day hears about the business of running some of the country's most famous places.

Up in the air stuck in a metal tube for hours, can flying ever be a nice experience? Peter Day meets a clutch of British-based experts trying to improve the way the world flies.

On last week’s Global Business from the Drucker Forum we heard grim predictions for the future from management experts. This week we hear some younger, more optimistic voices.

Peter Day asks leading experts at the Drucker Forum how we can get out of the mess caused by the 2008 financial crisis and whether Capitalism is at breaking point.

Peter Day talks to companies affected by economic sanctions imposed against Russia, and by retaliatory sanctions imposed by Russia, and asks how they cope.

As Peter Day has been discovering, business people have much to learn from philosophers – whose insights could even boost a company’s profits.

Peter Day talks to the Professor Robert Cialdini, an expert in the scientific study of persuasion, about how little actions can make big differences in the way we live, work and shop.

They’re worth a staggering $5 trillion – and growing fast. Should we worry about the power of Sovereign Wealth Funds? Peter Day investigates

Insights from two home-grown marketing companies into a country emerging after decades of isolation

Peter Day meets the local entrepreneurs of the new Myanmar and discovers their priorities and pitfalls of doing business in an emerging economy

Peter Day travels to Myanmar, formally known as Burma, to find out how the country is trying to emerge from its undeveloped past into the modern interconnected world.

Peter Day ask Scottish entrepreneurs whether the referendum debate has changed the business landscape, in the run-up to the vote.

The internet creates the possibility of total recall forever for many of life's most significant moments. Peter Day talks to people building businesses around this new idea.

Peter Day visits Cremona in northern Italy to see how a centuries old centre of violin making can survive in a fast changing musical world.

Peter Days goes to Silicon Valley to discover the innovations that are promising to transform healthcare. Can the technology companies really help us live longer, healthier lives?

Can Silicon Valley's enormous success as the global centre of innovation continue indefinitely? Peter Day explores the Valley's past and present to find out about its future.

Peter Day reports on how the influence of UK motor racing is now reaching out into other businesses and our everyday lives inspired by the dramatic expertise of the pit-stop.

In the first in a three-part series about and from Silicon Valley, Peter Day talks to Steve Blank about a career path that has spanned several decades in the Valley.

Peter Day talks to business people who are being inspired by the great philosophers and finds out what company leaders can learn from their ideas and theories.

Peter Day talks with two authors, the business guru Lynda Gratton and the innovation expert Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, about the benefits innovation can have for the company and for society and how to best let ideas flourish and grow.

Peter Day talks to Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank about the key issues facing the continent, which has some of the world’s fastest growing economies.

Peter Day hears from some of the leaders of tomorrow at the 44th St Gallen Symposium.

Modern living generates increasing amounts of packaging to wrap up the things we buy. That generates widespread criticism of an industry. Peter Day investigates.

Peter Day talks to Raghuram Rajan, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India

Modern living generates increasing amounts of packaging to wrap up the things we buy. That generates widespread criticism of an industry. Peter Day invetigates.

Rachel Botsman is a guru on the sharing economy. She coined the phrase ‘collaborative consumption’ and is the author of the influential book ‘What’s Mine is Yours’. In Global Business this week, Peter Day talks with Rachel about this movement: how it puts twentieth century consumerism in a whole different light, its economic implications for this century and the stumbling blocks along the way.

Manufacturers were banned by law from fixing retail prices 50 years ago, ushering in a revolution in British retailing. So what do prices mean now? Peter Day finds out.

Sharing your neighbour's car, tools and clothes: the sharing economy. But existing regulations and laws are set up for hotels and car hire companies, and that is causing problems.

What are businesses doing to reinvent the battery?

South Korea has gone through a huge transformation in the last sixty years. But as Peter Day reports it may be time for this driven country to change direction. Producer: Charlotte Pritchard

Amidst mergers, ebooks, and self-publishing the book business is in the throes of upheaval. From the London Book Fair Peter Day asks: Can books survive, and if so, how?

Peter Day looks at some of the big challenges facing cities around the world through the eyes of the people who tackle these problems for a living: engineers.

Cremona in northern Italy is the home of the Stradivarius violin and 280 years after the death of the venerated violin maker, Antonio Stradivari , the long tradition continues today. In some 150 workshops around the city dedicated craftspeople make several thousand violins a year and they sell at high prices. Peter Day asks what the role is today of this kind of handwork in the age of mass production.

Peter Day reports from Britain's former steel capital, Sheffield, on what it takes for a manufacturing firm to survive and prosper in an intensely globalising world.

Peter Day reports from the Veneto region of Italy, where family owned businesses reach out to the rest of the world despite the economic turmoil at home.

John Howkins – Peter Day talks with John Howkins, an expert on the creative economy about how knowledge based industries are changing the way we live and work around the world.

South Korea has rapidly become one of the most advanced internet connected nations in the world, with the fastest connections. It is now thinking hard about a high technology future, investing in 5G or fifth generation mobile technology and robotics. Peter Day hears of their ambitious plans, and meets robots who might one day be caring for us all.

Sixty years ago post war South Korea was one of the poorest nations on earth. Now it's one of the richest, and also one of the hardest working. Korean products are known all over the world. But --as Peter Day reports-- it may be time for this driven country to change direction.

Peter Day travels to Cork in Ireland to find out what life is really like in a country just recently realised from the constraints of an EU bailout.

The small spa town of Malvern is rapidly becoming a hub of science and innovation in the 21st century fight against cyber crime. Peter Day visits the historic town to find out why.

Peter Day asks how serious an option manufacturing in the UK is for the British fashion industry as retailers demand ever faster response times and costs rise abroad.

Peter Day investigates how much the music industry has changed in the past decade and asks how businesses, and musicians, have had to adapt as a result.

Peter Day talks with three experts in their fields about the trends that will be affecting our lives in 2014.

Pantomime time means weeks of lots of bums on seats for hardpressed theatres across the country. Peter Day goes behind the scenes in Nottingham.

Peter Day asks why office design has lagged behind the digital revolution and whether the days of the regular commute are finally drawing to a close.

Employers are now ultra sensitive to discrimination at work, but what does that mean for people with disabilities and the people they work with? Peter Day finds out.

Stories of business struggle and success – Peter Day interviews four country winners at the World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Monte Carlo.

The rich people of Newcastle live 11 more healthy years than the poor. Peter Day spends time at Newcastle University where they are trying to work out how to bridge this gap.

Peter Day learns more about global trends affecting one of the world's most precious resources: water.

Peter Day hears from Joe Pine about how his theory of mass customisation has developed and why many business still have to learn about what their customers really want.

Huawei, Shang Xia and Xiaomi may not be names you have heard of but they are examples of brands at the heart of key changes in the Chinese economy. Peter Day reports from China.

Zhang Ruimin transformed Haier from failing fridge manufacturer to one of the largest white goods companies in the world. He tells Peter Day how.

The music from Chairman Mao’s era and the sound of posh coffee being brewed are two very different ways to start the day in China. Peter Day explores two contrasting enclaves.

Peter Day argues that since he first presented In Business 25 years ago, the internet has led to a revolution that replaces mass production for mass markets with customised trading.

Peter Day talks to the author and economist Mariana Mazzucato who argues that the state has a huge part to play in bringing new goods and services to market.

The Chinese government plans to have 200 million graduates by 2020. But cracks in the plan are being shown by the class of 2013. Peter Day asks why these graduates can't find jobs.

In Peter Day's 25 years of presenting this programme, he has seen a succession of booms and busts, and heard from people who seem to know how to survive in business. He's been back to revisit a few of them, to find out what lessons they have learnt.

Techies are talking about the coming Internet of Things: 50 billion interconnected objects, from cars to coffee machines. Peter Day asks what it means and how it may happen.

Zambia has the potential to serve as a trade hub at the crossroads of southern Africa, but for now some truck drivers have to wait days to cross the border. How is the Zambian government hoping to change this? Peter Day reports.

Peter Day investigates the business use of what some call, with a shiver, drones. Could an unmanned aerial vehicle be delivering your pizza in the not too distant future?

Zambia is poised on the brink of success – so what key problems are holding the African nation back? Peter Day reports.

How come soft drinks can often be found in some of the most remote places in the world, but vital medicines are in short supply? Peter Day reports on a life-saving project.

Peter Day finds out about the concept of 'design thinking' and how designers are moving out of the lab and into the real world in some very unusual ways.

Peter Day explores the relationship between Commerce and Art in the seaside town of Margate. Will Turner Contemporary help to revive the town?

Peter Day talks to Scottish businessman, Sir Ian Wood, who tells us his fascinating story of transforming the family firm from a fishing company to a global energy services group.

A recent US Supreme Court ruling found that companies cannot patent things found in nature. Peter Day asks what this means for the biotech business.

Peter Day reports from Aberdeen where Britain's energy revolution began under the North Sea almost 40 years ago. Investment is up but production is down - so what's the future?

The Kenyan government has big plans to boost the country’s technology sector. Peter Day asks if they are feasible – and if will they deliver the growth the government wants.

Peter Day visits Nairobi’s high-tech incubators and talks to the innovators building on the success of the mobile money system M-Pesa.

The annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards brings together innovative talent from around the world. Peter Day talks to three of this year's winners to hear their start up stories.

Peter Day talks with economist and author Paul Ormerod about what is wrong with economics. Has keeping things too simple lead the world to the financial mess we are stuck in today?

Peter Day explores the new trend of Design Thinking to find out why it is becoming more important to the way organisations both public and private function.

Peter Day visits the Design of the Year Awards in London and finds how modern design is infiltrating many aspects of the way we live and work.

Peter Day attends the 43 annual St Gallen Symposium - a student organised gathering of business and political leaders - to hear about this year's theme: courage.

Peter Day hears from the pioneers of the rapidly-advancing world of digital manufacturing

The internet is fast becoming as important to firms as electricity or running water. Peter Day meets some of the broadband haves and have-nots in the business world.

Experts worry that Germany's economy is running out of steam. Where is German innovation, they ask and why do so few Germany universities rank among the world leaders?

Manufacturing is evolving for the 21st century. Peter Day hears from some pioneers in the field of digital fabrication about how it applies to the way we think about making things.

Peter Day asks a panel of experts how we ensure there is enough food to feed an expected world population of nine billion by 2050.

Millions of young people want to work but do not know where to find it. A clutch of them tell their stories to Peter Day, and a panel of experts.

Peter Day reports on controversial plans to dig for polyhalite - a type of potash that can be made into valuable fertiliser - underneath the North York Moors National Park.

Peter Day presents a debate about disrupting big finance at the annual Skoll World Forum.

Peter Day examines the rivalry between two Boston business schools - Harvard and MIT.

From next year a government-backed scheme will try to help ill people get back to work as quickly as possible. Peter Day finds out what's behind the changes, and why they matter.

The UK economy is in a quandry: employment is rising but the productivity of its workforce is not. Behind the numbers, Peter Day tries to explain this puzzle and why it matters.

Peter Day talks with the authors of the book Race Against the Machine and finds out what the rise of the robots is going to mean to all of our lives.

Peter Day talks to Anand Mahindra, the CEO of Indian group of companies Mahindra&Mahindra, about how M&M's story mirrors that of modern India, and how he led it to success.

India is attempting to give each citizen get an individual identity. It’s the world’s largest technological project. Peter Day investigates.

The Indian economy, once one of the world’s fastest growing, is stalling. This week’s Global Business examines the implications for the world’s largest democracy.

Japan is the fastest ageing country in the world. As Peter Day reports, this is putting a big strain on the country’s finances. Will the Japanese have to work long into old age?

As baby boomers turn 65, many countries are growing old. As Peter Day reports, this means big changes for the economy, healthcare, and our way of life.

Peter Day talks with the prominent investment manager Jeremy Grantham about managing progress in a world of finite resources.

Peter Day takes a walk through one street in Red Hook Brooklyn to find out how the community is recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy.

Peter Day talks about business strategy with the former head of Proctor and Gamble, AG Lafley, and Dean of the Rotman School of Management, Roger Martin.

Peter Day travels to the British Midlands, the country's manufacturing heartland, to find out how businesses are coping with the New Normal, an economy with no growth.

Russia's giant energy company Gazprom has the biggest reserves of natural gas in the world, and much of the country's new-found prosperity has depended on its exports to Europe. But now global gas prices are tumbling as new supplies come on stream, and the EU has launched a top level investigation of the company's grip on European energy. Peter Day examines Gazprom's future in an uncertain world. Producer: Caroline Bayley Editor: Jeremy Skeet

Leave college, start a business. That is the idea behind a high-powered new project called Entrepreneur First, taking 30 new graduates through the hazardous first stages of launching their own companies. Peter Day charts the progress of some of them … from initial idea to plausible proposition, and beyond. Producer: Caroline Bayley Editor: Jeremy Skeet

After years of promise, voice recognition is at last becoming a significant method of using computers and accessing the Internet. Why now, and what difference does it make ? Peter Day talks to the companies at the forefront of developments in the field (including Massachusetts-based Nuance, one of the largest makers of voice recognition technology), and asks whether our relationship with machines will change once we have the ability to talk to them. Producer: Neil Koenig Editor: Jeremy Skeet

Peter Day talks to three experts from the field of trends, technology and leadership to find out what we will be hearing about in 2013.

Random acts of kindness can help businesses grow in surprising ways. Peter Day talks with one woman who explains how the generosity of others has made all the difference to her company. Henrietta Lovell, the Rare Tea Lady, started her firm just before becoming seriously ill. Through the kindness of strangers she has managed to return to health and run a prosperous company. She is now a great advocate for spreading the idea that kind gestures are an important force in the way we conduct our personal and professional lives. Producer: Sandra Kanthal Editor: Jeremy Skeet

Random acts of kindness can help businesses grow in surprising ways. Peter Day talks with one woman who explains how the generosity of others has made all the difference to her company. Henrietta Lovell, the Rare Tea Lady, started her firm just before becoming seriously ill. Through the kindness of strangers she has managed to return to health and run a prosperous company. She is now a great advocate for spreading the idea that kind gestures are an important force in the way we conduct our personal and professional lives. Producer: Sandra Kanthal Editor: Jeremy Skeet

Britain's venerable Cooperative movement is 168 years old, and now it is poised to turn itself into a major force in banking. But what is the Co-op's appeal to 21st century consumers? Peter Day reports. Producer: Lesley McAlpine Editor: Jeremy Skeet

Big problems loom over the pharmaceutical industry which influences so many people's lives. Giant corporations are beset by scandal and their pipelines of new treatments are running dry. Peter Day looks at the future of the industry through the eyes of two Swiss pharma companies, one very big and one of them tiny. Both are linked by their quest for a treatment for Alzheimers. Producer: Sandra Kanthal Editor: Jeremy Skeet