Monaco Cycling Criterium to affect road access in and around Port Hercule this weekend

14/03/2024

Ahead of this Sunday’s Monaco Cycling Criterium, the government has announced a series of road closures and parking restrictions in and around Port Hercule for the duration of the weekend.

The 49th edition of the Monaco Cycling Criterium is set to take place on Sunday 17th March and the layout of the course, which is just over a kilometre in length and encompasses the Route de la Piscine, Avenue J. F. Kenndey and Boulevard Albert I, will require the closure of roads in the Port Hercule area as well as limitations on street parking.

Between 6.30am and 6.30pm on the day of the sporting event, the Quai des États-Unis, Route de la Piscine, Avenue J. F. Kenndey and the Darse Sud will be out of bounds to motorists.

Local residents with vehicles parked between Boulevard Louis II and the Quai des Études will still have access, but a diversion towards the Carrefour du Portier will be put in place during these hours.

From Saturday at 11pm until Sunday at 6.30pm, only the service access on Boulevard Albert I will be open to road users, while two-way traffic will be permitted between the Rocher-Noghès tunnel and the port car park. It should be noted that all traffic will be banned from turning towards Boulevard Albert I from the Quai Antoine I.

Some bus routes will also be affected by the event. The Stade Nautique and Princesse Antoinette pick-ups and drop-offs will be roadside stops while Ligne 1 will be rerouted via Avenue d’Ostende between 6.30am and 6.30pm on the Sunday.

Parking restrictions

During these same hours, parking will be forbidden on the section of the Quai des États-Unis that runs from the restricted access area to the intersection with the Route de la Piscine. Vehicles will also be unable to park on the Route de la Piscine, the Louis Chiron bend, the Jules Soccal wharf, the Darse Sud, Boulevard Albert I and the Quai Antoine I between the Rocher-Noghès tunnel and the Quai Antoine I car park.

For further information, click here.

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Photo source: Union Cycliste de Monaco

Prince Albert celebrates 66th birthday with Princess Charlene, twins and loyal Monegasques at Place du Palais

by: Niki Borisova

14/03/2024

Prince Albert staring at Princess Charlene with their children beside them and a giant birthday cake at the Palace Square

Monaco’s Place du Palais came alive with a vibrant celebration for Prince Albert II’s 66^th birthday on Thursday, marking a day of unity, tradition, and national pride among the Monegasque people.

Place du Palais became the epicentre of celebration for Prince Albert II’s 66^th birthday on the morning of 14^th March, drawing an impressive crowd of long-term residents, visitors, and enthusiastic supporters, all unified in their admiration for the Princely family. The air was filled with chants of “Bravo notre Prince!” as Prince Albert II, alongside Princess Charlene and their twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriela, greeted the crowd of people waving Monaco flags that bore ‘Bon Aniversari!’ – a Monegasque salute to Happy Birthday.

The presence of Princess Stephanie on a Palace balcony, accompanied by her son Louis Ducruet and his wife, Marie Ducruet, alongside Princess Caroline with her children, Pierre and Charlotte Casiraghi, added to the day’s grandeur.

The family’s unity was obvious as they collectively waved from the Palace balcony, before Prince Albert and his family descended to the Palace square to take part in the cutting of a beautifully tiered cake adorned with Monegasque symbols and the heartfelt inscription ‘Bon aniversari munsignu’.

The event was not just about festivity, it embodied a profound expression of national pride and the deep-rooted connection between the Monegasques and their sovereign family. A local resident, unable to contain their pride, told Monaco Life, “It’s days like these that remind us how proud we are of our Prince and the family’s dedication to our country.” The sentiment was echoed by another who had taken time off work to participate in the birthday celebration.

Even those from neighbouring regions, such as a supporter from Menton, felt a sense of familial duty to partake in the event, viewing it as “honouring a family tradition”.

As the Princely family mingled with the crowd, shaking hands and exchanging greetings with well-wishers, the atmosphere was filled with a sense of unity, tradition, and a spirit of national pride. The celebration was a demonstration of the bond between the Monegasques, the residents, and the visitors with their beloved Prince.

Monaco Life was there! See more in our Instagram reel below…

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Photo credits: Monaco Life

Pouce La Vie: Flavien Foundation to host a Tarantino-themed charity event in April

by: Stephanie Horsman

14/03/2024

The team behind the Flavien Foundation, a paediatric cancer research charity based in Monaco, has pulled out the stops for its grand 2024 Pouce La Vie event in April. Here are all the details.

On 23rd April at the Auditorium Rainier III, the Flavien Foundation will be holding one of its biggest – and most popular – events of the year.

This year’s Pouce La Vie, now approaching its sixth edition, is embracing all things Quentin Tarantino with a programme featuring musical scores from his biggest films that were written by greats such as Ennio Morricone, Grammy winner Dave Grusin and Argentinian composer Luis Bacalov.

Tribute band Call Me Winston will be performed these hits live on the night and the 11-member ensemble will be joined on stage by the foundation’s historic sponsor, the renowned pianist, producer and musical director, Yvan Cassar, who has also invited trumpet player Joël Chausse, cellist Julie Sevilla-Fraysse and harmonica player Greg Zlap to be part of the evening’s festivities.

Hosting the musical evening will be Monegasque journalist and film producer Yann-Antony Noghès.

The Flavien Foundation – or Fondation Flavien in French – was founded in 2014 by Denis Maccario in memory of his young son, who tragically lost his fight to cancer.

Pouce La Vie will start at 8pm. Tickets can be found online here.

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Photo credit: Philip Ducap / Fine Art Photography

Monaco Marina Management’s GCC Smart Yachting Days in Dubai a “resounding success”

by: Stephanie Horsman

14/03/2024

With a clear focus on inspiring sustainability and innovation, Monaco Marina Management’s GCC Smart Yachting Days in Dubai last month attracted a strong turnout of key players from across the Gulf and its maritime sectors, who agreed that there was a growing need to “collaborate, communicate and educate at all levels in the region”.

Hosted by the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina on 28th and 29th February, Monaco Marina Management was able to export its view on “smart ideas, smart yachting, smart marinas and smart ownership” to the UAE and involve a much wider audience in its discussions than has been possible at previous events.

It proved the ideal setting from which to explore the latest and greatest advances and ideas coming out of not just the Principality of Monaco, but the world of yachting as a whole.

SUSTAINABILITY, INVESTMENT AND ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT

Sustainability was the buzzword of the event, which placed a strong emphasis on the need to foster responsible practices across the board, from owners and crew to service providers and the ports themselves.

The advantageous involvement of environmental foundations was also presented as a method of helping marinas and their management set and achieve targets for future eco-friendly systems alongside the importance of involving local communities in proactive projects to reduce waste and environmental impacts.

Another key topic was the need to “refocus” investors’ mindsets and convince them of the long-term financial and environmental benefits of investing in smart marinas.

Monaco Marina Management also used the event to unveil the new M3 Smart Marina certification, which has been designed to measure smart and efficient marina operations, with the ultimate goals of reducing and optimising overall sustainability at all levels of the marina, from its initial conception to its construction and real-time operations.

AWARDS CEREMONY

Finally, start-ups Arkhaus, BatteryCheck, Boatmate, JetCycle, Posseidon, Seares and Ship O’Hoi were among those given an opportunity to present their ideas at the event, with a chance of winning a GCC Smart Yachting Days Award.

In the end, Expedition Zero, represented by Andrew Cowen, won the 2024 GCC Smart Yachting Days Yachting prize thanks to the company’s net-zero adventure tourism concepts.

Camille Lopez, representing HY-Plugs, won the GCC Smart Yachting Days Marina Award. Her company is actively involved in the maritime energy transition.

Photo courtesy of Monaco Marina Management

Yes Women gala honouring AIDS activists to welcome Princess Stéphanie

by: Niki Borisova

14/03/2024

The upcoming Yes Women gala in Paris will celebrate the often overlooked achievements of women in the AIDS fight. The event is set to unite a global community of advocates and activists, including Monaco’s Princess Stéphanie, who founded Fights AIDS Monaco in 2004.

The Yes Women gala, an event co-organised by Fight AIDS Monaco and Coalition Plus, is set to take place at the InterContinental Hotel in Paris on 13^th June. The goal of the gathering is to highlight the critical role of women in combating AIDS, a timely focus given that UNAIDS recently reported that 53% of all new HIV infections globally were among women and girls in 2022.

Another key element of the occasion is the honouring of six exceptional women who have made remarkable strides in the battle against AIDS through their support for projects for women living with HIV, their contributions to science and the study of the AIDS disease, and their advocacy for human rights and treatment access.

Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, the founder of Fight AIDS Monaco, is confirmed to be attending the event in person alongside Nicole Savard Dionne, the driving force behind the initiative.

“It struck me that men often receive accolades for their work, but what about the women and their organisations? They are equally deserving of honour,” says Savard Dionne. “I’m deeply thankful to everyone who believed in this vision. Their unwavering conviction has been pivotal in bringing this project to life.”

Champions in the AIDS fight

The six women who will be spotlighted for their efforts at the gala include: Professor Françoise Barré-Sinoussi of France, a Nobel Prize laureate for her role in the discovery of HIV; Professor Hakima Himmich of Morocco, who diagnosed the first case of AIDS in her country and later founded the Association for the Fight against AIDS; Jeanne Gapiya-Niyonzima from Burundi, a renowned human rights activist; Christien Roos of Namibia, the co-founder of Penduka for women’s entrepreneurship; Anushiya Karunanithy from Malaysia, for her work with the Malaysian AIDS Council and transgender rights advocacy; and Valeria Rachinska of Ukraine, who has been key in securing access to HIV treatment during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Of the event, Fight Aids Monaco coordinator Hervé Aeschbach says, “Our aim is originality and diversity, hoping this is just the start.”

The gala is currently seeking sponsors and is offering tickets starting at €1,000, with the funds going to three projects dedicated to fighting for this worthy cause.

For more information about the gala, contact gala@coalitionsplus.org.

Photo credit: Edward Wright

How the PropTech revolution is enhancing design and sustainability in the real estate sector

by: Niki Borisova

14/03/2024

The real estate sector is the latest industry to embrace the potential of Artificial Intelligence, namely through property technology, which, as Monaco Life learned at the recent PropTech conference at the Yacht Club de Monaco, looks set to reshape how designers and architects integrate sustainability into their projects.

The PropTech conference, which was organised by the Monaco Economic Board on 12^th March, brought together key players from the local real estate and architecture fields to showcase the significant impacts that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and PropTech are having on the real estate sector.

As put by Frédéric Genta, the man in charge of Monaco’s Attractiveness and Digital Transition Department, in his opening remarks at the conference, “AI changed the world of PropTech.”

The integration of AI into design and architecture reflects the sector’s dynamic expansion; a record-breaking $74 billion investment was made in PropTech during 2021, according to the PropTech Global Trends Barometer, in a demonstration of the industry’s willingness to embrace advancement and innovation.

Architectural innovation

During the conference, speakers from Foster + Partners, the award-winning international architecture firm founded in 1967 by Sir Norman Foster, shed light on the evolving role of technology and sustainability in their field.

Yorgos Bitsianis, an Associate Partner at Foster + Partners, stressed how sustainability is central to the company’s operations, with tools like carbon calculators enabling smarter, quicker decisions in the design process.

On the topic of digital twins, an innovative technology that generates virtual models of physical buildings for detailed simulation and analysis, Bitsianis noted the revolutionary potential of simulation in design, saying, “The opportunities presented by designing with digital twins are boundless.”

*Advancements in simulation are helping architects to better integrate sustainability into their designs and projects. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Monaco Communications Department*

Meanwhile, comments by Martha Tsigkari, the company’s head of Applied R&D, that “AI will augment our creativity and our capacity to solve problems” underlined the tech-enhanced future of the architecture sector.

Transforming real estate

The panel discussions, which featured Monaco-based startups including Net0, YouStock and Oghji, highlighted the role AI is playing in achieving decarbonisation within the industry.

Sofia Fominova, co-founder of Net0, made a strong case for AI, stating, “AI is the only answer for decarbonisation.”

See more: New player in the sustainability market: Discloser – Monaco Life

In another discussion about PropTech investment, Gregory Dewerpe, Founding and Managing Partner at A/O, the biggest venture capital firm in Europe to focus on the construction industry, enthused on how technology can change real estate for the better.

“Our mission is to fund tech companies that will revolutionise the construction sector,” he said. “Many businesses aim to achieve net zero emissions by deadlines like 2030 or 2050, and technology is key to reaching these goals. Real estate currently lags behind in digital adoption, and we’re determined to lead the change.”

The PropTech conference also provided a platform for the Prince’s Government, in collaboration with ESCP Business School, to unveil the 4th edition of its global PropTech market barometer, which can be found here.

Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Monaco Communications Department

Day: 14 March 2024