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Month: March 2022

Grimaldi Forum boasts jam-packed spring/summer season

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/03/2022

As restrictions ease all over Europe and the world, the Grimaldi Forum is back with a spring and summer season filled with professional events, festivals and conferences.  

Grimaldi Forum has a line-up of events for practically every field under the prolific Monaco sun this spring and summer ranging from events in areas of health, finance, automotive, art, film and television, and information and communication technologies.

Going on right now until 17th March is the One-to-One Retail E-commerce Monaco conference, a three-day event featuring business and social meetings and where emerging trends are revealed.

Then from 31st March to 2nd April is the Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine World Conference (AMWC), celebrating its 20th year. The AMWC is a must for practitioners of aesthetic and anti-aging medicine with over 12,000 participants from 130 countries attending this hybrid event and sharing the latest in techniques, ideas and knowledge.

Next up is the Monte Carlo Comedy Film Festival. Running from 25th to 30th April, the 19th edition of the festival will screen all festival entrants’ films culminating in an awards ceremony attended by international guests and stars and featuring various shows and exhibits by famous artists. It’s a glittering event in the world of comedy and one sure to tickle the funny bone.

On a more cerebral note, the Datacloud Global Conference is being held on 26th and 27th April, gathering senior executives from the data, edge, cloud, digital infrastructure and AI worlds. Alongside the conference, the 2022 Datacloud Global Awards ceremony will take place on the 25th and will celebrate the newest innovations in the industry.

Sustainable investment management is in the spotlight on 11th and 12th May at IM Power – a series of world-class events featuring noted speakers, exceptional content and unbeatable networking opportunities.

Taking place during the Historic Grand Prix weekend on 14th May, RM Sotheby’s is coming to the Forum for an auction of prestigious and rare cars, from hyper cars to historic. Auto enthusiasts won’t want to miss this event.

The Grimaldi Forum, by Monaco Life

Then on 17th and 19th May, its Ready for IT!, a one to one meeting of digital transition and security pros, showcasing the latest trends and the companies who are putting them out.

Film buffs get ready for the 2nd edition of the Monaco Streaming Film Festival from 31st May to 2nd June. Last year’s inaugural event brought together industry leaders, talent and distributors in a virtual setting, plus offered a selection of incredible films including some premieres. This year, visitors can come for face-to-face meet ups as well as virtual ones for an enhanced experience. Monaco Life is proud to be a media partner for this exciting event, so stay tuned for our exclusive interviews.

One of the Grimaldi Forum’s biggest and most anticipated events, Top Marques, is back and ready to rumble from 8th to 12th June. Billed as the “world’s most exclusive car show” by the New York Times, Top Marques thrills with the latest models of luxury, performance and super cars alongside mythical sports cars from the 1950s to 90s.

More glam from the 17th to 21st of June for the 61st Monte-Carlo Festival of Television. This not-to-be-missed TV event brings together studios, television networks, digital platforms and stars in a five-day event culminating in the Golden Nymph Awards. The event has something for TV lovers of all genres, featuring global premieres, anniversary tributes, behind the scenes panels and signing sessions.

Rounding out the season is artmonte-carlo from 14th to 16th July. The art fair is in its 6th edition and is establishing Monaco as a leading platform for contemporary and modern art and design.

For more information on any of these events, visit the Grimaldi Forum website at www.grimaldiforum.com

This is FLEX, Venturi’s new space rover

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/03/2022

Venturi Astrolab, a strategic partner of Monaco-based Venturi, has created a space vehicle called FLEX, designed for humans to comfortably explore the moon, Mars and beyond.

Venturi has made a name for itself crafting high-performance electric vehicles for Earth, but it’s also set its sights on the celestial.

Venturi Astrolab, based in California US, is applying its know-how to build a vehicle that can withstand the challenges of space. The new space rover, called Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX), is currently being tested in the desert near Death Valley. This fully functional and full-scale prototype has been tested using both crewed and telerobotic operations using a variety of payloads in extreme terrain.

Even more incredible is the fact the vehicle is being designed for prolonged use in space with an eye to a time when people may live full-time on the moon or another planet.

“As we transition from the Apollo era, which was focused on pure exploration, to now, when people will be living for longer periods on the Moon, the equipment needs to change,” said Chris Hadfield, Astrolab Advisory Board Member, in a press -statement. “When we settle somewhere, we don’t just need to get people from one place to another, but we need to move hardware, cargo, life support equipment and more. And it’s all dependent on mobility. It was not only a joy to drive FLEX but also see its size, capability and get an intuitive sense of what this rover can do.”

Photo source: Venturi Astrolab

Until now, rovers of this kind have been designated for specific uses and cost billions to design and build. This approach is clearly not cost-effective nor compatible with NASA’s end goal of supporting a sustained presence on the moon or Mars. The old rovers were one-time wonders.

FLEX, on the other hand, is being designed to go from lander to rover and back using a modular payload interface that supports intermodal transportation.

“For humanity to truly live and operate in a sustainable way off Earth, there needs to exist an efficient and economical transportation network all the way from the launch pad to the ultimate outpost,” said Jaret Matthews, Founder and CEO of Astrolab. “Currently, there is a gap in the last mile and Astrolab exists to fill it.” 

FLEX’s commercial potential comes from its architecture, which gives it the ability to pick up and drop off modular payloads. This can be of use for robotic science, exploration, logistics, construction, resource utilisation, site preparation or virtually any other use that may come into play, as well as transporting two astronauts.

“We’ve designed a mobility platform that is payload agnostic so it can work within an ecosystem of transportation systems, vehicles and tools,” said Matthews. “FLEX achieves a wide range of utility by being able to collect, transport, and deposit any payload that conforms to what will be a standard and open interface.”

In June 2021, Venturi unveiled the world’s first ever zero emission polar exploration vehicle, which went into operation at the Belgian Princess Elisabeth research station in December.

 

 

Photo source: Venturi Astrolab

 

 

 

Colon cancer: second biggest killer in men, third for women

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/03/2022

March is colon cancer awareness month and the Princess Grace Hospital Centre is inviting people over the age of 50 to come in and get tested. It takes only five minutes, it is free, and it could save lives.

There are 43,000 new colorectal cancer cases and 18,000 deaths each year in France, making it the second biggest cancer killer in men and the third biggest for women.

Since 2006, the month of March has been dedicated to raising colon cancer awareness for the prevention and screening of this disease. The prognosis of the patient depends on many factors, primarily what stage the disease has progressed to. Fortunately, it can be prevented thanks to screening for pre-cancerous lesions, which also allows for early therapeutic management when cancer is detected.

The Department of Social Affairs and Health, the Principality’s health professionals, the Princess Grace Hospital Centre (CHPG) and the Monegasque Screening Centre, have joined together in the Blue March campaign to mobilise on several fronts.

They are sending out a blanket letter, asking all men and women between 50 and 80 years of age with Monegasque insurance to be screened. The kit is available at the Monegasque Screening Centre located at the CHPG, from an attending physician, or can be requested from the Office of Occupational Medicine during a periodic medical visit.

Once performed, the test is to be returned to the Monegasque Screening Centre or sent by post free of charge in a pre-identified envelope to the Biology Laboratory of the Princess Grace Hospital.

Results will be sent to attending doctors within a week. If the test is negative, it is recommended that another be taken in two year’s time. If it is positive, the attending physician will be informed directly in order to set up the necessary procedures.

For questions about colon cancer screening, contact the Monegasque Screening Centre on +377 97 98 83 02.

 

 

 

Call out for young musical talent

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/03/2022

The MC Summer Concert is returning after a two year hiatus, and organisers are putting out a call to young artists to be part of the show.  

The MC Summer Concert for Young People had an auspicious start back in July 2019, with more than a thousand young people dancing under the stars. It was set for a reprise the following summer, but Covid had other plans and the event was postponed not only that year, but in the summer of 2021 as well.

Now, the concert is going ahead again on 8th July 2022 at the Espace Léo Ferré. 

This 2nd edition is taking place through an initiative created by the Prince’s government, the Mairie, and the National Council in conjunction with pop music radio station NRJ and Monaco Live Productions and welcomes the young people of the Principality aged 13 to 25 to enjoy a free concert of both international and French artists.

To add icing to the cake, young artists from Monaco are invited to open for the concert.

They will then be sent a file allowing them to submit their piece for consideration.

A few conditions must be met in order to be considered. First and foremost, the applicant must be Monegasque, a resident, a student in the Principality or have a strong link to the Principality and be aged 13 to 26. Artists can perform solo or in groups of up to five people and they must submit a video of less than 10 minutes showing their musical genre and identity.

The video must come with a written proposal introducing the band or artist and describing what a typical set would look like for them on stage, including whether they will perform covers or original material.

The jury, made up of members of the MC Summer Concert Steering Committee and Monaco Live Productions, will then select two of the applicants as well as four “super delegates” from Collège Charles III, the Lycée Albert Ier, the Lycée Technique and FANB.

Talent is invited to send their applications to mcsummerconcert@monaco.mc with a deadline set at 17th April.

 

 

Photo source: Mairie de Monaco, MC Summer Concert Facebook page

 

 

Lethal combination: warming seas and plastics

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/03/2022

The Monaco Scientific Centre has just published a report on the threat associated with plastic waste dumped in the seas and warming ocean temperatures, which they say is creating a witch’s brew of pathogenic bacteria that can cause serious or even fatal illness.

Over 20 million tons of plastic waste is dumped in the world’s waterways each year.

This shocking figure is made worse in light of a recent study by the Monaco Scientific Centre (CSM) entitled ‘An Increase of Seawater Temperature Upregulates the Expression of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Virulence Factors Implicated in Adhesion and Biofilm Formation’, which shows that plastics in increasingly warmer sea environments pose huge threats to human health.

The study found that higher seawater temperatures promote the attachment of pathogenic bacteria to plastics, thus increasing the risk of infection.

The study program conducted on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium responsible for very severe food poisoning, shows “that under the effect of warming seawater, this marine bacterium goes from a state of dormancy to a state of activation,” according to Dr. Dorota Czerucka, Research Director in the ecosystem and immunity team at the CSM. “Under these conditions, the overexpression of virulence factors allows it to produce proteins involved in the formation of the biofilm – its ability to colonise surfaces – and adhesins – attachment molecules, the first step in adhesion to a cell to be infected.”

The study also showed that under the same conditions, Vibrio parahaemolyticus expresses a toxin, hemolysin, that attacks the blood system by targeting red blood cells.

In the ocean, bacteria are mainly associated with plankton, sediment and plastics. The presence of plastic coupled with increased sea temperatures can turn plastics into “ecological niches”, which are likely to spread pathogens or create an infectious focus. This is done either by ingestion of filter feeding organisms, such as a mussel contaminated with microplastics, or by direct contact with seawater.  

The reaction observed in Vibrio parahaemolyticus can also be found in other bacteria, such as Vibrio vulnificus, which is responsible for serious, potentially fatal skin infections.

The study was made possible by the Monaco government, Friends of the Scientific Centre, and Lady Monika Bacardi.

 

 

 

Analysis: Is this Charles Leclerc’s year?

by: Luke Entwistle
15/03/2022

The stars could be aligning for a Charles Leclerc title challenge following promising pre-season tests. The heralding of the new era in F1, however, takes place amidst a troubling political backdrop.

As ever in a motorsport category so defined by innovation, there are large changes coming to Formula 1 this season. That change is most visible in the appearance of the cars themselves with longer front-wing noses, larger wheel rims, slicker aerodynamics and wheel covers giving the new-era car a futuristic design.

These car changes aren’t just superficial, they have been introduced to provide better racing. Drivers should not find it easier to follow in the dirty air, making it easier to keep touch with the car in front, hopefully providing more entertaining wheel-to-wheel racing.

Despite these changes, there is a certain degree of continuity in the build-up to the season, notably the obfuscation and mind-games that drivers and team principals have gradually mastered over the past few years.

The annual “we have a bad car” quote from Lewis Hamilton was trotted out in Bahrain over the weekend, and although this has often been used as mis-direction, that may not be the case this year. “I’m sure everyone can figure it out, we aren’t the quickest,” the Mercedes driver began. “Ferrari looks the quickest, perhaps Red Bull, then us or maybe McLaren.”

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz is, however, wary of taking his rivals’ words at face value. “I think it is a typical Mercedes. They hype up the others, and then when it comes to the race, they blow the competition away. They have done it for five or six years now.”

Although Sainz’s scepticism is well-founded, there is a general consensus that Mercedes are off the pace, whilst Ferrari, who have been focusing on the 2022 rule changes longer than most, seem quick.

On day one and two of Bahrain testing in particular, Ferrari put in consistently quick times. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen topped the timing sheets on the fast day to allude not only to an inter-team battle for the championship, but an intra-team one too. However, the times set must also be caveated by the fact that teams, in order to slip under the radar, often hide their true pace in pre-season tests, and so no definitive conclusions can be drawn.

All of the indications, however, are that in his third season as a Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc may now have the tools to mount a championship challenge. Having been marginally out-performed by his team-mate last season, Sainz will likely provide stiff competition for the much-coveted title.

Verstappen meanwhile will be looking to retain the world championship that he won so controversially in the closing stages of the final race of 2021. The decision taken by then race director Michael Masi to allow only the lapped cars that stood between Verstappen and Hamilton through under a late safety car prompted an off-season review into the incident. Masi has since been replaced as F1’s race director.

Hamilton will of course be looking to launch a title challenge and so will his new team-mate George Russell, who has replaced Valterri Bottas at Mercedes. Over the course of a five-year stint, a challenge for the latter failed to materialise, whilst Russell looked imperiously quick in the car when he stood in for Hamilton when he had Covid.

There have been few other driver changes, although Alfa Romeo’s line-up has completely changed with the arrival of Bottas and Guanyu Zhou replacing the retiring Kimi Raikonnen and Antonio Giovanazzi.

With all drivers confirmed, there would nonetheless be one final surprise. Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, who was billed to line-up for Haas, was relieved of his seat just prior to pre-season and replaced by Kevin Magnussen. The decision was prompted by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Not only is Mazepin a Russian citizen, but his father, Dmitry Mazepin, is a Russian oligarch and owner of the Uralchem chemical company. Mazepin sat down with Vladimir Putin in January to discuss Uralchem and Uralkali’s operations, leaving no recourse for rejection of his close links to the Kremlin.

The unfolding tragedy in Eastern Europe has also precipitated the cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix, not just for this year, but definitively. Whereas Russia has seen their contract cancelled, the Bahraini, Saudi Arabian and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will all go ahead, despite the protests of the Bahraini Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD).

The institute pointed out “a clear double-standard” as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE have all been involved in the conflict in Yemen yet continue to host F1 races.

As one of the greatest competitions in the sporting world prepares for lights out, it will do so under a cloud of moral indignation as the role of sport in the cleansing of a state’s image – aka sportswashing – lingers over Sunday’s curtain-raiser in the Gulf state.

 

 

Photo of Charles Leclerc during the Barcelone F1 testing, source Scuderia Ferrari Press Office