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Month: March 2023

Monaco Economic Board explores new Blue Economy-led collaborations with Mauritius

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/03/2023
meb mauritius

A common interest in building the Blue Economy led discussions at a recent meeting between the Monaco Economic Board and a delegation from Mauritius. 

Mauritius, a small island nation about 2,000 kilometres off the coast of Africa, is notable for its beauty as a tourist destination, but it is also becoming known for embracing the Blue Economy.  

This feature, amongst others, was of great interest to the Monaco Economic Board (MEB) who met on 21st March with representatives from the Mauritian Economic Development Board. The meeting was also made in partnership with the Republic of Mauritius’s Embassy in France.  

The two sides had much to learn from each other, with the Mauritians, for their part, getting to know the Monegasque business ecosystem, and the Monegasques discovering the potential of Mauritius.  

BUILDING A BLUE ECONOMIC BASE 

The island’s economy has traditionally leaned on agriculture, exports and tourism, but since the 1980s, the government has worked to diversify beyond its dependence on these limited industries. Today, Mauritius is looking to the sea to build another pillar in its economic foundation.  

The country’s Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping aims to expand the sector, doubling the current blue GDP to 20% in the coming years, whilst promoting environmentalism.  

Its stable government has allowed Mauritius to expand into not just blue economic endeavours, which are being handled with sustainability in mind, but also into sectors such as finance, real estate, industry, and new technologies. It is classed as a “high income” country by the World Bank, the highest ranking.  

INFORMAL SETTING 

The day was punctuated by informal meetings where those in the know shared their experiences.  

Patrick Lecoy, CEO and founder of EAD, a member entity of the MEB that specialises in support for international business development, spoke of the quality of its Mauritian partners and the many opportunities offered, in particular to its access to conquer new markets in South and East Africa. On the other side, David Martial, a Mauritian entrepreneur, presented about his successful experience of working with Monaco. 

Toward the end of the day, the delegates also met with Michel Gramaglia, Honorary Consul of Mauritius in Monaco, and the leaders of the Club of Monegasque Entrepreneurs in Africa along with Justin Highman, Deputy Director General of the MEB. They used the opportunity to discuss future actions to strengthen the economic ties between the two countries. 

 

 

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Photo source: MEB

New parenting series with Dr. Regine Muradian: Why allowing your child to fail is important to their development

by: Dr. Regine Muradian
28/03/2023

Parents don’t want to see their kids fail, so they often tend to step in and rescue them. But failure is important for how children grow, learn and improve.

Every time a child fails, be it a test or even a friendship, it is an opportunity for learning. As a parent, we are here to help them grow through questions, not lecturing. When we tend to lecture, they will detach and not comprehend your message as a parent, as good as it might be. Telling children: “It will be ok, don’t worry about it” invalidates their emotions and feelings. Instead, you can ask questions regarding the issue, such as “What happened here?”, “How did this occur?”, and “What did you learn from this experience?”. This is how growth takes place through these conversations.

Some tips to encourage positive behaviors in your child

Praising: One way to encourage effort and improvement is to provide praise. Praise can be shown by paying attention to the little things they do, such as waking up on time, listening to something you said the first time you asked, taking their dishes to the sink, or getting along nicely with their sibling(s). There are so many opportunities for praise. Studies show that students who receive praise and positive feedback are not only more motivated to succeed but also believe that they can succeed. If, for example, you notice your child studied very hard on a test and still failed, don’t tell them to try harder next time because they will begin to doubt their abilities.

Practice self-compassion and listening to their needs:  Helping your child to realise their failure and to validate that failure is part of human nature and will happen. This helps you as a parent to process with your child what will work next time to improve the situation.

Effective ways to create change in your child’s behavior

Creating change starts with us parents, as we are their primary role models. If you are feeling frustrated, those feelings of frustration are projected onto your child. When children’s negative behavior escalates, they are usually trying to gain attention. Remember that negative attention is better than no attention at all for children.

As a parent, it is important to detach, and it is vital that you refrain from showing any frustrated mood levels. This is of course easier said than done. As a parent, you can practice mindfulness skills such as reminding yourself not to engage when they are angry or upset, and revisiting the conversation when they are feeling a little better.  The goal is to get your child on your team and establish a positive relationship.

 

Dr. Regine Muradian grew up in Monaco and is a licensed clinical psychologist, children’s author, speaker, consultant and mental health advocate. She has been featured in HuffPost, Architectural Digest, Nike, CNBC, and Access Hollywood. If you have a topic that you would like Dr. Regine to address, email editor@monacolife.net. 

 

Photo source: Unsplash

Athletics: Monaco runner Sonny Folcheri completes Six World Marathon Majors

by: Luke Entwistle
28/03/2023

Sonny Folcheri has beaten his own record in the Japan marathon to become Monaco’s quickest marathon runner of all time, whilst also completing the prestigious Six Marathon Majors. 

Earlier this month, Monégasque runner Folcheri registered a time of 2h 45s on the streets of the Japanese capital. The performance, which he has described as the “peak of my running life,” in Monaco Matin sees him break the previous Monaco marathon record, which he himself set. Folcheri set his previous record in Sevilla in 2019.

Folcheri completes Six Marathon Majors

In completing the Tokyo Marathon, the 15th of his career, Folcheri also became part of the intimate Six Star Finishers circle, which includes runners that have crossed the finish line at the New York, Berlin, London, Boston, Chicago and Tokyo marathons. Around 8,000 runners worldwide have completed the feat.

“Completing the Six Marathon Challenge is what matters the most to me ahead of the time,” Folcheri told Monaco Life.  “It is the act of completing the six marathon majors that matters the most for me, ahead of having run 2h 44m, or another time, or having completed a particular marathon. It was really about finishing the sixth biggest marathon in the world. That for me was the motor that kept me training for many years,” he continued.

Folcheri will next be in action at the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Switzerland on 11th June.

 

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Photo RR

A will to work in Monaco: The Principality’s private sector is booming

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2023
monaco private sector

According to a first-of-its-kind report from statistical agency IMSEE, some 55,000 private sector workers clocked up 97.5 million working hours last year.  

Over the years, statistics on the private sector in Monaco have been presented together with the total working population of the Principality. Now, IMSEE, the official statistical agency of Monaco, has put out a report on just this segment and it has revealed some interesting discoveries.  

CHARACTERISTICS 

There are a total of 55,472 active employees in Monaco’s private sector, a full 2,324 more than in 2022, equating to a 4.4% rise. The average age of these workers was 42.4. 61% of private sector workers are male and 39% are female. 

The numbers comprise an astounding 140 different nationalities. As is often the case in these studies, the French were far and away the highest proportion, equalling 62% of the private sector workforce in Monaco. This was followed by Italians, who represent 15%, and Portuguese workers at 7%. Monegasques comprise 2% or 1,005 people.  

A full 80% of workers live in the Alpes-Maritimes, 11% live in the Principality and the remaining 9% in Italy.  

These employees are hard workers, clocking up 97.5 million working hours in 2022, up eight million on the previous year.  

BIGGEST SECTORS 

Scientific and technical activities employed the majority of these private sector workers, with just under a quarter from these fields of expertise. Accommodation and food service came in second, employing 14% of workers, followed by construction and “other” service activities, which include domestic staff, at 11%. 

As for employers, there are 6,357 recorded businesses. 2,447 of these are employers of domestic staff. 

 

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Photo by Monaco Life

Drought: Recycling wastewater to become a reality on the French Riviera

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2023
wastewater antibes nice cannes

With a dangerous drought looming, authorities in Nice, Antibes and Cannes are looking at ways to recycle wastewater in an effort to preserve natural resources.

The Côte d’Azur could be in real trouble and a report put out in early March by the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières leaves little doubt about the dire situation.

Groundwater levels as of 1st March showed reserves have not been restocked during the winter and spring, with 80% of them at below normal levels. Less than half were in this situation at the same time last year. The report went further to state that almost 45% of groundwater reserves have reached the worrying stage of “low” or “very low”.  

In response, the cities of Nice, Antibes and Cannes are making proactive moves to lessen the worst effects of the drought gripping the region by embarking on projects to reuse grey water for tasks like street cleaning and keeping public parks green. The efforts will also aim to take the strain off vital drinking water supplies. 

Cities will also stop the habit of dumping wastewater into the sea, thus squandering this valuable resource.

Antibes to save 70,000m3 of water a year with new plant 

In Antibes alone every year, nine million cubic metres of grey water is discharged into the Mediterranean. As of 20th March, work has begun at its Véolia wastewater treatment plant to create a second distribution network in the city replete with filtration machines to tackle the problem. The goal is to reuse nearly 70,000m3 of water each year.  

Meanwhile Cannes struggles against red tape 

Cannes has been trying to get a system that could recycle 18 million cubic metres a year running since 2019, but has come up against red tape.  

“The administrative delays and procedures imposed by the State have unfortunately considerably delayed our steps to set up this system even though it would have been more than necessary last summer, since we experienced a period of intense drought,” said David Lisnard, President of the Cannes Lérins Agglomeration and Mayor of Cannes. “This is difficult to accept and I repeat that the climate emergency is very real and we cannot afford to wait years to react.”  

Despite this, the city council has imposed some measures to cut water usage and protect the city’s water supply while waiting for the proposed plants to be operational.  

Nice hopes to accelerate deployment of a new recycling system 

In Nice, Mayor Christian Estrosi requested permission in 2022 for the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis to be able to accelerate the deployment of a water recycling system. As soon as it is approved, works will start.  

The Metropolis is also requesting authorisation to use mobile tank trucks to water some of its urban public spaces.  

Christophe Béchu, Minister for France’s Ecological Transition, admired the steps being taken, saying earlier this month, “I look at the mayor of Nice and the mayor of Cannes, who both have ideas for immediate applications. If tomorrow the decrees pass, to clean the roads between Cannes and Antibes or to water the green spaces, these are simple things, but they would avoid using drinking water.” 

Israel an inspiration as an innovator   

President of the PACA region Renaud Muselier has also been looking at innovative ways to save water, including making a trip to Israel to visit sites already active. The Israelis are pioneers in this field, and much could be learned as France currently has one of the worst records in Europe for treating wastewater. It recycles less than 1%.

During the Salon de l’Agriculture towards the start of this year, Muselier announced the launch of a regional experiment for the reuse of treated wastewater. This water would be used for agricultural irrigation or industrial cooling. Whilst nothing is set in stone yet, investment and plans are expected to be made in 2024.  

Without these steps, and probably even with them, drinking water supplies will be limited, and thus rationing could occur as early as late spring.  

The region is in for a rough ride and even with significant rainfall, there will be a deficit that can’t be replenished overnight.  

  

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Photo source: Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis

 

Monte-Carlo Women of the Year: Bucking systems and blazing trails

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2023
women of monte-carlo

The Monte-Carlo Women of the Year’s 11th edition paid tribute to three women working in technological and digital fields. The Princely couple were on hand to congratulate them on their achievements. 

The Hermitage Hotel was the scene for the 11th edition of the Monte-Carlo Women of the Year awards, which celebrated three exceptional women for their work successes and their actions over the past 12 months.  

Journalist Cinzia Sgambati-Colman hosted the evening, and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were there as part of the event.  

This year’s winners include a virtual reality platform designer, a biomedical engineer and an organiser of a competition spotlighting women in tech.  

AND THE WINNERS ARE… 

Aged only 21, Monaco resident Manila Di Giovanni calls herself a “techno-entrepreneur” with the lofty ambition of changing the world. She plans to do this via her multiplayer virtual reality platform called DWorld, which gives users access to Monaco’s twin in the metaverse.  

The idea is to reimagine the Principality, and other cities, in the future. DWorld gives users a “What if?” perspective, with functions that include considering how construction projects could affect the landscape for better or worse.  If Manila has her way, she will be pointing people to a tomorrow where cities are building greener and smarter in an alternate universe that will, hopefully, translate into reality.  

Zimi Sawacha has an impressive background as a mechanical engineer, a doctor of Biomedical Engineering and a professor at the University of Padua.  

She has developed a patent that can predict and prevent risks of injuries using video and a plantar pressure system combined with AI software she created herself. This ground-breaking technology can be used by elite and professional athletes to stop injuries from occurring in the lower parts of the body or, if the injury has already occurred, help them get back in top shape as soon as possible.

The system can also help diabetics and those with post-stroke foot pathologies to monitor changes in their leg muscles. 

Since 2015, Leanne Robers has been building a start-up competition aimed at women in technology. Called She Loves Tech, this idea, hatched in her native Singapore, has grown to be the biggest start-up event for women in tech and is now held in 60 countries around the world.  

Frustrated because, as she said in an interview with Tatler Asia, “people don’t always take women in the tech world seriously,” she decided to take the proverbial bull by the horns and create a platform for women to shine.  

Over 8,000 early-stage vanguard projects have been launched by the competition, and more than $250 million has been raised to support them. Additionally, a new fund created in collaboration with Microsoft has been launched to help women in Asia get their projects off the ground.  

 

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Photo source: Femmes de l’Année Prix Monte Carlo