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Month: February 2024

Basketball: AS Monaco hold off Nanterre’s late surge to win a narrow victory in Paris

by: Niki Borisova
29/02/2024

In a closely contested match at the Paris La Défense Arena, AS Monaco withstood a formidable comeback from Nanterre 92 to claim an 80-86 win, with Mike James delivering a standout performance.

The high stakes Betclic Elite league fixture, which took place on 28th February, attracted a record crowd of over 15,000.

In a game of fluctuating momentum, AS Monaco, led by Mike James’ career-high 31 points, initially dominated, but saw their 18-point lead diminish as Nanterre rallied in the final quarter before a home crowd.

Nanterre, led by Justin Bibbins, managed to narrow the gap to a single possession. Yet, guided by coach Sasa Obradovic and powered by Mike James’ key plays in the final moments, AS Monaco held off the surge to take the important victory.

Reflecting on the match, James said, “Nanterre has one of the teams with the most quality in our league. It’s obviously a challenge to manage all these competitions, the important thing is to keep up the pace and stay healthy.”

The Monegasque side will now be looking ahead to their next away game, this time in the Euroleague, against FC Barcelona on Friday 1st March.

 

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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basketball

Monaco’s bobsleigh pilot Boris Vain secures best world championship result in two decades

by: Cassandra Tanti
29/02/2024

Monaco’s bobsleigh pilot, Boris Vain, has marked a historic achievement at the 2024 BMW IBSF World Championships, clinching the best World Championship result for bobsleigh sport in over 20 years for Monaco. Alongside push athlete Antoine Riou, Vain secured seventh place in the two-man bobsleigh event, captivating enthusiasts worldwide with their stellar performance.

The last time Monaco saw such success was in 2004 when Patrice Servelle and Sébastien Gattuso finished fourth at the two-man Bobsleigh World Championships held in Königssee, Germany.

Boris Vain, known for his remarkable athleticism and determination, previously made waves as the push athlete for Rudi Rinaldi, leading Monaco to its best Olympic result. At the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, the Monegasques clinched a remarkable sixth place, showcasing Monaco’s prowess on the international bobsleigh stage.

Bobsleigh holds a significant place in Monaco’s sporting history, with Prince Albert II of Monaco contributing to its legacy. Under the name Albert Grimaldi, Prince Albert participated in five Winter Olympic Games from 1988 to 2002, representing Monaco as a bobsleigh pilot in Calgary (Canada), Albertville (France), Lillehammer (Norway), Nagano (Japan), and Salt Lake City (USA). Prince Albert also had the honor of carrying his nation’s flag in the 1988, 1994, and 2002 Olympic Games, cementing Monaco’s presence in the global bobsleigh arena.

Looking ahead, pilot Boris Vain is poised to continue making waves in the bobsleigh world as he gears up to compete in the four-man bobsleigh event at the BMW ISBF World Championships in Winterberg, scheduled for 2nd to 3rd March.

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Photo: Boris Vain (left) and Antoine Riou (right), source IBSF

Apple sends specialist mapping cars to Monaco

by: Elsa Carpenter
28/02/2024

On Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th February, a fleet of Apple Maps vehicles will be touring around the Principality as they collect up-to-date street-level imagery of Monaco for the tech company’s mapping service.

“Smile, you’re on camera!” reads a post published on the Monaco Government’s social media channels during the first day of filming. 

In all, it will take two full days for the Apple-branded vehicles to make a complete tour of the Principality, capturing street-level images of Monaco’s many streets, boulevards and avenues with their 360° onboard cameras as they go. You might even see some portable devices being used in pedestrian zones of the Principality.  

Cars fitted with specialist cameras will be touring the streets while portable devices will be employed in pedestrian areas. Photo credit: Stéphane Danna / Monaco Communications Department

The images will later be compiled and uploaded to Apple’s Maps service – called Plans in French – which is the default map system of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS.

The images will not only be of a higher quality to the current versions, but they will also enhance the reliability of the maps by integrating all of the new building projects that have been launched or completed since Apple’s last mapping visit to the Principality. 

Residents and visitors to Monaco who end up on film need not worry about their identities being revealed through the images, however, as Apple promises that all visible faces and vehicle registration plates will be blurred in the final product.  

Further information about Apple’s image collection project can be found here.

 

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Photo credit: Stéphane Danna / Monaco Communications Department

Monaco to host Speed Mentoring event for girls on International Women’s Rights Day

by: Niki Borisova
28/02/2024

As part of Monaco’s plans for International Women’s Rights Day on 8th March, a ‘Speed Mentoring’ event aimed at empowering young women and girls through direct engagement with successful female entrepreneurs is to be held at the Espace Léo Ferré. 

Organised within the context of the PowHer event on International Women’s Rights Day, the mentoring event for girls aged 11 to 25 will be taking place from 3pm to 5pm.

The event is being orchestrated by SheCanHeCan and the Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises de Monaco association with the support of the Principality’s Committee for Women’s Rights.

The ultimate aim of this part of the PowHer initiative aims to connect young girls and women with female industry leaders through direct contact, as well as highlight women’s achievements and facilitate gender equality discussions.

See more: Monaco to mark International Women’s Rights Day with innovative ‘PowHer’ event

More than 30 female entrepreneurs from various sectors are set to contribute to the event, providing participants with a unique opportunity to explore different career paths, gain insight into the working world and learn about women’s roles in leadership through the one-on-one mentoring sessions.

High-profile guests will include the likes of: Laurence Garino, Chief of Staff of the Minister of State; Christine Pasquier-Ciulla, a member of the National Council; and Benoîte Rousseau de Sevelinges, Director of the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace. The full list of the participating women can be found here.

The event is free, with no requirement for pre-registration.

Through this and similar initiatives, Monaco continues its mission to foster an environment that supports gender equality and empowers future generations. The full programme for the PowHer event can be found here.

 

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Photo source: Windows, Unsplash

Monaco’s Anne Eastwood expands ambassadorial reach to Malta and San Marino

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/02/2024

Since leaving her post as High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Freedoms and Mediation in 2022, Anne Eastwood’s career path has evolved into one of international diplomacy. 

Already Ambassador of Monaco to Italy and Slovenia, the 48-year-old now adds both Malta and San Marino to her list of postings with some of the Principality’s closest and most important allies.  

Eastwood first presented her Letters of Credence to President of Malta George Vella at the the Palazz tal Granmastru in Valletta on 30th January.  

During a private audience, Eastwood and President Vella discussed the cordial relationship between Monaco and Malta. The two countries maintain many of the same values and interests, notably the shared beliefs in bringing about progress and actively taking part in international forums, particularly those on environmental matters.  

Anne Eastwood with Malta President George Vella. Photo source: Monaco Government

A lunch followed at the President’s residence, the Sant’Anton Palace, where Ambassador Eastwood also had the chance to meet with Malta’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Ian Borg. According to the Monaco Government, the pair discussed “avenues of cooperation” in sectors such as yachting, tourism and artificial intelligence, as well as weightier matters involving the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.  

The following day, Eastwood met with the President of the House of Representatives, Angelo Ferrugia, before visiting the headquarters of Epic, Malta’s top mobile telephone and communications company that has been a subsidiary of Monaco Telecom since 2020. 

Then on 9th February, Eastwood headed to Monaco’s fellow microstate of San Marino to meet with Rossana Michelotti, the Honorary Consul of Monaco to San Marino, and present her Letters of Credence to Filippo Tamagnini and Gaetano Troina, the Captains Regents of the Republic of San Marino. 

Anne Eastwood is pictured alongside San Marino officials. Photo source: Monaco Government

In a ceremony held at the Palazzo Publicco, the new Monegasque representative was welcomed by seven counterparts also taking their places as non-resident Ambassadors.  

The day prior, Eastwood met with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Luca Beccari, before a meeting with members of the San Marino Chamber of Commerce. There, the group spoke of the historical ties between the two nations, as well as the similar sizes and populations of both countries and their shared views on potential future agreements with the European Union.  

Eastwood notably congratulated Director of the San Marino Financial Intelligence Agency Nicola Muccioli on his election as Chairperson of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL).  

Read related:

Moneyval compliance: Parliament approves new law on trusts

 

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Main photo source: Karl Paul Baldacchino, Unsplash

In conversation with young entrepreneur Ben Strautmann

by: Celina Lafuente de Lavotha
28/02/2024

With e-business entrepreneurship on an upswing, Monaco Life speaks with Ben Strautmann about creating his digital enterprise BSS Monaco.

Starting an internet-based business is one of the most prolific and rapid-developing offshoots of entrepreneurship nowadays. Digital and information technology are some of the leading tools for business, so digital entrepreneurship is seen as readily accessible to all. For those skilled in digital and information technology, it becomes the perfect podium for them to create and capitalise on present opportunities.

The 25-year-old German native, born in Luxembourg, has been residing in Monaco for the last 17 years. He is a graduate of Business Management at King’s College London and worked abroad for a few years, notably in E-Commerce at L’Oréal.

“During this time, I gained substantial knowledge and developed expertise in promoting products online, leveraging digital marketing tools and strategies to enhance brand visibility and sales,” Strautmann tells Monaco Life.

While living abroad, Strautmann was exposed to vibrant tech scenes.

“I was incredibly inspired by the many innovative solutions emerging in all kinds of industries,” he says. “My time in London and New York particularly motivated me to contribute to the technological evolution of the Principality, so I decided to establish BSS here, leveraging my education, experiences and insights gained overseas.”

It helps that he is multilingual, with an ability to conduct business in French, English and German, skills perfectly adapted to serving the international business community in the Principality and helping companies extend their reach beyond domestic boundaries.

Maximising the positives of lockdown

During the Covid lockdown, people were compelled to interact mostly through screens. The silver lining was that many young people turned to video content creation, freelancing, blogging, online teaching, making and selling music, translating and many other types of digital technology.

Strautmann belongs to Generation Z (1997-2012), the first social generation to have grown up with access to the Internet and portable digital technology from a young age. No doubt thanks to this, he has been able to find an innovative way to use his skills productively.

“After the pandemic, I returned to Monaco, where I founded my own company providing digital solutions, from web development and digital design to digital marketing strategies. I had built my first website for a client at 15,” he reveals. “I suppose I have always been tech-savvy and curious; as a result, the people in my life have tended to come to me for Internet help. So, I guess the idea came very naturally. I aim to help local businesses thrive in the digital age, adapting to the ever-changing landscape and meeting the growing demands of a tech-savvy clientele. It’s a fulfilling journey that blends innovation, problem-solving and a deep connection to my roots.”

So how does a digital-savvy Gen-Z prefer to market his business?

“Most clients contact me based on referrals from previous projects. Because I work so closely with my clients, I think it goes by word of mouth. I also like to advertise online through social media and search engines, which gives me a good online/offline balance,” he tells Monaco Life.

Staying up to date with tech trends

In this line of business, it is important to stay up to date with current technology trends, and Strautmann reveals that he does this by tuning in to his favourite podcasts, like Hard Fork, A16Z, and TechCrunch Daily Crunch.

“They’re invaluable for insights and updates,” says Strautmann. “I also actively engage with various tech communities on social media and devote time to reading blog posts and articles, which helps me stay informed and inspired. As mentioned earlier, travelling to different cities has been a great source of inspiration to me, seeing how daily life and community-building are innovative and facilitated (or not!) by technology.”

The young entrepreneur says he is proud to also be an official partner of Extended Monaco, a role that allows him to contribute to Monaco’s digital development as a whole.

“I am very proud to carry out the shared goal of driving Monaco’s digital evolution, developing digital proficiency within local businesses and promoting a digital-friendly economic environment,” he shares.

So, what does he envision in five years’ time for himself and his company?

“I would refrain from being too set in my vision for the coming years. Still, as the tech landscape evolves, I hope to continue providing services at the current height and utilising the latest available advancement. I expect myself and my business to keep learning and evolving, which I find very exciting.”

 

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Main photo of Ben Strautmann provided