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Day: 10 December 2021

Voxan Wattman breaks world-record speeds, again

by: Luke Entwistle
10/12/2021

Voxan’s latest Wattman model was put to the test at the iconic Kennedy Space Center, Florida, breaking 21 new world speed records and officially becoming the fastest under 300kg electric bike in the world.
The tests took place over six days between 18th and 23rd November, and the results were phenomenal as records tumbled in the Sunshine State. The Voxan bike, owned by Monaco-based electric vehicle specialist Venturi, registered a world-record speed of 456km/h (283 M/ph), in the much-coveted category ‘partially streamlined electric motorcycle under 300kg’.
Prior to breaking this record on 22nd November, the bike, driven by Italian rider Max Biaggi, also broke the record for ‘non-streamlined electric motorcycle under 300kg’ with a time of 370 km/h (230 M/ph).
Voxan and the Venturi group, working in tandem, continue to redefine excellence within the field of electric motorcycles. The earlier Voxan model had already set records in the ‘over 300kg’ category in November 2020, but thanks to the Wattman’s new lighter, cutting-edge battery, the constructor could this year set their sights on breaking the ‘under 300kg’ records.
Having achieved the records, Gildo Pastor, President of the Venturi group, expressed a great deal of both national pride, and pride in the project, saying, “These 21 new records are another magnificent achievement for the Venturi group… I am pleased to think that the experience gained from this project will contribute to improving eco-mobility. I share these records with my country, Monaco, which does so much to promote sustainable development.”
Voxan, as forerunners in their field, will be hoping that these latest technological strides will provide the inspiration to continue to propel the industry to become even quicker, safer and greener as the world looks to shift towards more sustainable mobility.
 
 

Finally… an opening date for eco-friendly Ikea

by: Stephanie Horsman
10/12/2021

After years of waiting, Ikea has revealed exactly when the doors of its new superstore in Nice Saint-Isidore will swing open to the public.  

The project has been in the works for what seems like forever, but now there is a firm opening date set.

During a site visit on 9th December, Walter Kadnar, CEO of Ikea France, revealed that 11th May 2022 will mark the opening day of the first Alpes-Maritimes branch of the popular Swedish superstore.

Ikea is said to be hiring no less than 400 staff members and are specifically looking to take on people in the fields of logistics, sales, customer relations, catering, interior design, finance and administration, and human resources.

Kadnar promises the new IKEA will have “special atmospheres” and “special product lines” to attract customers, but the location alone will be a draw. After making the long trek to Toulon in the Var to reach the nearest store, this location on the outskirts of Nice is sure to bring in clientele from Monaco, the Alpes-Maritimes and Italy.

The company chose the eco-district of Saint-Isadore in Nice as the ideal spot. It sits next to the Allianz Riviera Stadium and will be 24,000m2 in size.

Surrounded by housing, offices and shops, the store will stand out from other Ikea shops in France by its blue enamelled glass facade, its roof developed as a fifth facade, 7,000m² of green solar panels and its green spaces.

 

 
 
Illustration by Willmotte et Associés
 
 
 

Two major institutions reveal solar transformations

by: Stephanie Horsman
10/12/2021

The Monaco Scientific Centre and FANB are the latest institutions to become major players in the Principality’s energy transition, installing solar panels on their buildings to cut emissions and generate a portion of their own power.
Monaco’s energy transition programme is moving full steam ahead and it couldn’t be more apparent than in the addition of two local organisations making the leap by installing photovoltaic panels on their edifices.
On 3rd December, the Institute François d’Assise-Nicolas Barré (FANB) announced the installation of 158 solar panels covering 225m2, which are capable of generating over 40.36 MWh of electricity to be used directly by the school.
The panels will cover 26% of the school’s electricity needs and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by roughly four tons of CO2 each year. They are also visually pleasing. Unlike the old school versions, these panels are from the new generation of coloured panels which are also made to look more like the existing roof tiles.

FANB has installed new generation solar panels that blend in with the rooftop, photo by SMBP

This was closely followed by the 6th December inauguration of the Scientific Centre of Monaco’s (CSM) photovoltaic park. The 443 panelled park sits over 987m2. It boasts the largest roof area and production capacity of all public buildings in the Principality. With an annual power estimated at 250MWh, it will provide the CSM with energy self-sufficiency of 25.23% and will promote a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of nearly 20.5 tons of CO2 per year.
Prince Albert II was at the reveal ceremony together with Minister of the Interior and Department Manager of CSM Patrice Cellario, Environment Minister Céline Caron-Dagioni, and Professor Patrick Rampal, President of the Scientific Centre of Monaco.
During the event, Anthony de Sevelinges, Head of the Public Buildings Maintenance Service (SMBP), explained how the solar park functions and made note that, to date, 26 public establishments in Monaco are now equipped with solar installations. Together, these facilities represent 4,968 m² of surface area, capable of producing 1,039 MWh of electricity and reducing CO2 by 85 tons per year.
After the presentation, CSM signed the National Pact for the Energy Transition.
Professor Rampal spoke of the Centre’s involvement in the reduction of greenhouse gases in favour of the preservation of the environment including missions carried out in research laboratories in polar, marine and medical biology.
To close, Professor Rampal asked that all the Centre’s employees follow the National Pact guidelines on a personal basis to optimise the effects.
 
 

Monaco schools in the digital age

by: Stephanie Horsman
10/12/2021

Monaco schools are now benefiting from several ways to stay competitive in today’s world, including primary school computer programming courses and laptops with touchscreen capabilities for older kids.
A study by the Institute for the Future and Dell Computers estimates that an astounding 85% of jobs that will be available in 2030 have not even been created yet.
Such is the digital world we live in now, and as part of Computer Science Week, schools in the Principality are preparing children to face this new world with confidence, thanks to programmes being implemented under the Extended Monaco umbrella.
“The quality of the Monegasque education system is a priority for government action. In the era of the digital revolution, we have a duty to prepare the new generations for the challenges of tomorrow’s world, but also to help them understand new technologies in order to maintain control,” said Christophe Prat, Director General of the Department of the Interior.
The Extended Monaco programme has put into action several concrete plans for the digitisation of schools, such as implementing programming courses from primary school, signing a partnership with the American association code.org, offering learning tools like laptops to teachers and students under the Digital College initiative, and opening the EduLab space at Charles III College in 2019.
Located underneath the Department of Education, Youth and Sport, EduLab offers a 200 m² space where teachers can obtain training from experts in digital technology and experiment with innovative digital tools like virtual reality headsets, the latest laptops, educational robots, and the like.
Under the Digital College plan, 1,200 laptops have been distributed since 2020 with all the software and associated textbooks chosen by educators. The initiative is meant to promote educational creativity and better student learning, as well as ensuring continuity outside the class and enabling children to remain constantly exposed to digital advances.
The pandemic and associated lockdown periods also showed the sense in using technology in daily life, as remote schooling became a necessity. Now that teachers and students are used to the systems, it is possible for students who are ill or otherwise unable to attend school for periods of time to continue learning along with their peers. It also allows parents greater access to homework assignments and progress without the need for constant face-to-face meetings with teachers.
“Children and parents today expect the same services in education as they benefit from in their daily life: consulting online notes, homework or schedule changes, discussing remotely with the teacher, completing online processes … With digital technology, we can respond effectively to the educational needs of students and facilitate the personalisation of learning paths,” says Commissioner General in charge of the Directorate of National Education, Youth and Sports, Isabelle Bonnal.
Training has also been at the heart of this revolution. All high school students receive six hours of digital literacy training each week. The teaching teams are also supported by experts to make the best use of these tools, for the benefit of student success.
Thanks to EduLab, the faculty has access to innovative tools such as virtual reality headsets, touch screens, educational robots or 3D printers. Digital technology also helps foster the involvement of parents, notably through the establishment of dedicated webinars and virtual guides.
“The education system must be in line with the challenges of the world of work of tomorrow. To develop a strong and attractive economy in the coming years, we need trained youth, open to the outside world and familiar with new technologies,” said Frédéric Genta, Interministerial Delegate in charge of Digital Transition.
Admin has also been made easier, as parents now have the option to enrol their children in school online as well as pay for canteen digitally. These procedures are available on the new public service portal MonGuichet.mc.
Students of the Monaco Technical and Hotel Lycée will be equipped with personal computers next year. In 2022, the training for students will also be expanded, with more hours of learning provided, but they will also receive a societal approach to help them better understand their future in a world that has become resolutely digital.
 
 
 
Photo by Michael Alesi, Government Communication Department
 
 
 

Monaco finish Europa group stages undefeated

by: Luke Entwistle
10/12/2021

AS Monaco secured a 1-1 draw against Austrian side Sturm Graz in their final Europa League group game on Thursday. The match, played behind closed-doors, was largely inconsequential with the top spot already secured.
The match itself is unlikely to live long in the memory, not least because there was no one there to experience it, due to recently imposed Coronavirus restrictions in Austria. Behind closed-doors fixtures tend to foster a lack of intensity, and this was only accentuated by the fact that this was essentially a dead rubber: Monaco had already qualified for the knockouts, whilst Sturm Graz were firmly rooted to the bottom of the group.
With the huge fixture against PSG on Sunday coming up, Nico Kovac therefore saw the match as an opportunity to give some second-string youth players a chance to shine, whilst resting some star names.
Disappointingly for Kovac, few took the chance. The inexperienced centre-back pairing of Strahinja Pavolivc and Chrislain Matsima did not inspire confidence, the former harshly conceding a penalty in the opening minutes when the ball was fired at his hand from point-blank range. Jakob Jantscher dispatched the penalty past Radoslaw Majecki, who had a shaky game in goal, with his erratic distribution creating numerous opportunities for the Austrian side.
The lead should have been doubled soon after, Matsima this time at fault. His poor defensive header allowed Manprit Sarkaria the opportunity to volley, unpressured from 10 yards out, but he couldn’t direct his shot on target.
Despite all of the youngsters on the pitch, it was the experienced head of Kevin Volland who dragged Monaco back to parity, as he slotted home after a game of pinball in the Sturm Graz box.
Monaco, however, failed to push on from there, the sheer quantity of changes made to the side clearly impacting their cohesiveness as well as the fluency of their attacking patterns. This was most evident with youngster Wilson Isidor, who reassembled the embodiment of a cul-de-sac, through whom it was impossible to advance up the pitch, the ball often being lost or needing to be recycled back through the phases.
Monaco looked more threatening on the counter-attack in the second-half. The young French striker Isidor had the chance to win the match, but his attempt to round the keeper, who was way outside his box was unsuccessful, and the game remained tied at 1-1.
The game was ultimately a non-event, the most important take-away being that Kovac’s side’s ruthlessness earlier in the competition allowed them to rest players for the all important match against PSG at the weekend, for which this game was merely a prelude.
Post-match Kovac was already looking forward to the fixture, saying:“Regarding the changes, it was planned. We had the plan for both halves to give as much game time and rhythm to the maximum number of players…PSG will have had two days extra rest than us, but that isn’t a problem for us because physically, we are one of the best sides in Europe.”
Monaco head to the Parc des Princes in Paris on Sunday evening, and they will take with them a sizable following, with the away-end of the stadium already sold out.
 
 
 
Photo source: AS Monaco