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Saudi Arabia hosts Monaco Economic Board with hopes of establishing new business partnerships

by: Stephanie Horsman
03/02/2023
monaco economic board

Future business partnerships and opportunities were top of the agenda for the Monaco Economic Board as it headed to Saudi Arabi, at the express invitation of the kingdom, for the Diriyah Formula E-Prix.  

When something is right, it’s right, and in the case of business, this has never been truer than in the case of Monaco and Saudi Arabia.  

The Principality, via the Prince Albert II Foundation and the Monaco Economic Board, were recently invited to a three-day welcome event in Saudi Arabia where entities such as the Federation of the Chambers of Commerce of Saudi Arabia, the Chamber of Commerce of Riyadh and investment organisation Invest Saudi were on hand to discuss the myriad possibilities of doing business between the two nations.  

Of great interest to the Saudis were Monaco’s significant investments abroad in the fields of technology, innovation, mobility, energy and sustainability, citing MonacoTech as a potential breeding ground for future collective endeavours.  

As part of the welcome, representatives were invited to the Formula E-Prix that took place on 28th January in Diriyah and had a chance to see first-hand the “quality of the companies” in the Gulf and specifically in Saudi Arabia.   

 

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Photo source: Monaco Economic Board

 

Photos: Nice to plant vast urban forest in Promenade du Paillon

by: Elsa Carpenter
03/02/2023
promenade du paillon nice

The Promenade du Paillon is growing, with thousands of native species trees to be planted and vast public gardens set to adorn the heart of Nice by 2025.  

For more than a decade, the Coulée Verte, a series of public spaces and exotic gardens that trace the ancient riverbed of the Paillon River, has provided entertainment, relief from city life and – not to be underestimated – shade to the residents of Nice. Now, Stage Two of the project has begun.  

By the end of 2025, the attraction is set to grow by an additional 20 hectares of greenery and wellbeing. Starting where the current park ends at the Traverse de la Bourgada and continuing a linear kilometre to the Traverse Monnet and Parvis de l’Europe in the Riquier neighbourhood, where the river heads underground, this second phase of urban regeneration will transform the cityscape and undoubtably improve city life for the populace.  

1,500 Mediterranean trees and shrubs, specifically picked due to their drought-resistance and suitability to the Niçois climate, are to be planted in a series of gardens as well as a bamboo forest. The MAMAC is to receive exterior updates to the tune of €20 million, and the areas around the Promenade du Paillon will benefit too, thanks to renovated and enlarged pavements for pedestrians, bi-directional cycle lanes, additional bus stops and, of course, trees to line their streets.

Click on the images below to enlarge…

Promenade du Paillon: more than just a beauty project

But this isn’t just a beautification project. The new spaces, designed by the teams of renowned architects and designers João Luís Carrilho da Graça and Alexandre Chemetoff, will absord an estimated 1.74 tonnes of CO2 and an extra one tonne of other atmospheric pollutants per year as well as six to eight decibels of urban noise pollution. Poor air quality and high air pollution are believed to kill around 40,000 in France every year.  

In order to make way for the new €75 million development, a series of landmarks must be demolished. The Théâtre National de Nice has already gone and next up is the Acropolis congress and exhibition space, a mountain of concrete and steel that will cost upwards of €10 million to bring down. This work was scheduled to begin in January, but intervention from the city’s legal tribunal has put a pause a temporary hold on any action for now.  

Click on the images below to enlarge…

 

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Photos from Ville de Nice

The Grace O’Malley tall ship is heading to Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
02/02/2023
Prince Albert II with a painting of the Grace O’Malley tall ship

In March, the Grace O’Malley tall ship will go back into service as the ‘Island of Ireland’s Youth Development’ tall ship, connecting youth with each other, the ocean and adventure.

The Atlantic Youth trust, a charitable organisation, purchased the Grace O’Malley in 2022. Last September, the organisation held a fundraising gala dinner at the Yacht Club de Monaco, with H.S.H. Prince Albert II, a supporter of the initiative, as guest of honour.

An ambitious Island of Ireland project, the Grace O’Malley takes the place of the Asgard II and Northern Ireland’s Lord Rank, both youth training ships, now out of service.

“This 40-year-old ship, originally called the Lady Helen and based out of New Zealand, is now being repurposed and restored and is currently at Harland and Wolff in Belfast, the builders of the RMS Titanic,” Robert Lee Mulcahy, Chief Fundraiser in Monaco for Atlantic, tells Monaco Life. “I think it is really timely, after the pandemic, to focus on sustainable initiatives for youth.”

In 2023, the Grace O’Malley (named after the famous Irish female pirate) will be ready to welcome 40 young people at a time, aged between 15 and 22, male and female, to engage in 10-day-long voyages at sea.

“Those taking part are asked to leave their mobile phones on shore. It’s about getting back to conventional communication, making new friends onboard and learning new skills,” reveals Lee Mulcahy.

The Grace O’Malley will travel to Monaco during its service, to welcome youth who register to take part in the development programme.

In keeping with the no technology policy onboard, Atlantic has teamed up with the Princess Grace Irish Library for Monaco based voyages, and participants will be able to pre-book reading material from the library online.

Strengthening Ireland-Monaco ties

The link between Monaco and Ireland is well documented: Princess Grace’s grandfather John Peter Kelly was originally from Newport, Mayo, in the West of Ireland.

But lesser known is the fact that Princess Charlene’s paternal family has centuries of history in Ireland. Her ancestors participated in the founding of Trinity College Dublin.

Two freizes were unveiled by Prince Albert, one in the Old Library, during a visit in 2021, after donating €1 million to the library restoration fund.

Robert Lee Mulcahy, who says he is “a long-time supporter of Monaco and its ethos”, hopes to develop more initiatives that further connect the cultures of Monaco and Ireland.

“I see it as a two-way street, as a marriage between the two locations,” says Lee Mulcahy, who is also a supporter of Cap Moderne and is currently planning a fundraising event in Ireland for the final renovations of Villa E-1027, the first architectural creation by Irish architect and furniture designer Eileen Gray, situated in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

A painting of the 164-foot masted schooner by Irish artist Mick O’Dea, commissioned by Lee Mulcahy, was presented to Prince Albert and is displayed in his office at the Yacht Club de Monaco, on permanent loan.

“Atlantic is delighted with the support from Monaco in its effort to raise vital funds to contribute to the ship’s operations, including funding for many of those youth who are welcomed on board,” adds Robert Lee Mulcahy.

Limited editions of the painting are now available as part of the fundraising initiative.

For details and to support the 2023 Atlantic Gala Dinner, email: Info@Mondrian.ie

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Photo: Prince Albert II of Monaco with Robert Lee Mulcahy and a painting of the Grace O’Malley tall ship, by Artist Mick O’Dea Prha.

Monaco et Suisse Investment Forum: an exclusive networking event

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/02/2023

Hand-picked guests from Monaco and Switzerland’s top management institutions and family offices are being invited to take part in an exclusive event aimed at solidifying business connections as well as forging new ones.  

The upcoming Monaco et Suisse Investment Forum, due to be held on 17th March at the Yacht Club de Monaco, will feature 25 specifically chosen companies and exhibitors, giving an invitation-only crowd of the “who’s who” in the Swiss and Monaco business and finance scenes the chance to meet and mingle in a setting conducive to making lasting connections.  

With a more interactive take on the format and a guest list of invitees that will top out at just over 250, this second edition will be a more intimate event than last year’s conference.   

On the day, guests will get straight down to business with a 9am reception and coffee followed by an opening speech. From 10am to 6.30pm, the day will be filled out with panels talks, seminars and networking sessions designed to give the assembled crowd the best chances to connect.  

Though officially a one-day meet-up, there will also be a welcome aperitif-cocktail party on 16th March at an as yet undisclosed location. 

The Monaco et Suisse Investment Forum is headed up by representatives from both countries, with Monaco’s Raffaello Cairoli as its director and Switzerland’s Paolo Caspani as co-organiser.  

The full programme will be revealed the week before the event, but for more information in the meantime, please click here.

 

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Photo source: mcinvestmentforum.com

 

 

Swiss duo win Historic Monte-Carlo Rally in 1970 Lancia

by: Luke Entwistle
02/02/2023

Swiss duo Claudio Enz and Cristina Seeberger won the 25th edition of the Historic Monte-Carlo Rally on Wednesday in an iconic 1970 Lancia Fulvia.

Motorsport fans were transported back in time over the course of an enthralling few days of racing. 1970s Lancia cars dominated the grid this year, with the vintage machines tackling some difficult conditions across Europe before even reaching Monaco. As is tradition, the iconic rally cars from bygone eras made their way from across Europe from places like London, Oslo, Bad Homburg and Reims.

Amidst a sea of Lancia Fulvia’s, the red and black model driven by Enz and co-piloted by Seeberger stood out, leading from the front on the crowd-lined, twisty and treacherous mountain roads of Southern France. The Swiss duo’s consistent pace allowed them to cross the finish line at the Col de Turini and take the victory.

It is the fourth time that a Lancia has won the event after victories in 2002, 2005 and 2018; each time it has been the Fulvia that has taken the victory as it did in the 1972 World Rally Championship.

Participating for the sixth time in the Historic Monte-Carlo Rally, Enz and Seeberger were delighted to secure the victory and stand atop the podium in Casino Square on Wednesday.

“We didn’t expect such a result, so we’re very happy. I had a perfect car, a brilliant co-driver, we did what was necessary and everything ended well,” said Enz.

The event marks the end of a fortnight of enthralling rallying in Monaco’s surrounding regions. Along with Sebastien Ogier’s victory in the Monte-Carlo Rally in late January, another chapter in the Principality’s rich motorsporting history has been written.

 

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Photo by Automobile Club de Monaco

Call for young inventors to take part in Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/02/2023
monaco ocean protection challenge

Registration is now open for the 2023 Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, a competition created to give young inventive minds the chance to present innovative ways to protect, and possibly even save, the world’s oceans.  

Being a coastal nation, Monaco has always had ties to the seas, and modern leaders of the country have striven to raise awareness on their related issues. One of the many ways the Principality seeks to be part of the solution to the world’s ocean woes is through action as well as campaigns that get people thinking about what can be done. The Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, a collaborative project between the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, the International University of Monaco, the Monaco Impact Association and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, is one such event.  

This year marks the sixth edition of the Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, and the fourth year since it has gone from being a local event to an international competition, bringing together university students and young professionals from around the world to find creative ways to solve the multi-pronged crises facing the oceans.   

To enter in the Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, teams must be registered by 24th March, handing in an executive summary along with a Power Point presentation on the proposed project. Judges will then select a group of semi-finalists to present a business plan and a one-minute video explaining the project by 2nd May. The judges will chose finalists by 11th May, before going on to decide the winners in June.   

To date, over 200 participants have taken part, with winners including: Watch Your Anchor, an app that allows captains to know where they can anchor without harming sea beds; Hy-Plug, an initiative to develop hydrogen charging stations in ports; and Wype, a company that eliminates the need for environmentally-unfriendly wet-wipes on boats with a gel alternative.  

  

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Photo source: Hiroko Yoshii for Unsplash