Are white collar workers under threat from the new robotic workforce? Manufacturing companies have been replacing production line workers with robots for years, but as the technology becomes more advanced, they are being increasingly used in healthcare, law firms and HR departments. So is the white collar worker under threat? Evan Davis talks to three guests, a roboticist, an Artificial Intelligence consultancy worker and the CEO of a hotel chain who is already using robots in his business. GUES...
Jun 22, 2017•28 min
Corporate theft has played a big part in business history from Porcelain and Tea from China, to the French attempting to get their hands on the blueprint for the Spinning Jenny. In this week's programme Evan Davis and guests discuss more modern copyright infringement and how to protect against it. GUESTS Chris Morgan-Jones, Crime fiction author and Consultant, K2 Intelligence Vicki Salmon, Lawyer and Patent Attorney, IP Asset Partnership, Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attor...
Jun 15, 2017•28 min
What's the future for UK Farming? Evan Davis meets three food producers from across the country to talk about the daily challenges of farming in Britain today. Guests include one of the biggest carrot producers in the country, a Wiltshire Beef farmer and Deputy President of the National Farmers Union and a lowland sheep farmer whose herd shares the land with cadets from the Ministry of Defence in Kent. GUESTS Guy Poskitt, Managing Director, M H Poskitt Ltd Marie Prebble, Lowland Sheep farmer Min...
Jun 08, 2017•24 min
Business and its place in society is a prominent issue at the moment. Zero hours contracts, executive pay, tax avoidance are all issues where opinion has shifted dramatically. Has Shareholder driven capitalism finally gone too far? In a special programme recorded at the Royal Academy of Engineering in front of a live audience, Evan Davis talks to the former BP CEO, Lord John Browne on his thoughts about big business as it relates to society. And asks whether it's now time to trust big business?...
Jun 02, 2017•57 min
Britain's multi-billion pound nuclear dream. EDF is building the country's first new nuclear power station in decades at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. But that's just the start. Two other companies also have dreams of bringing nuclear to sites in Cumbria and on Anglesey. But the financing and logistics of these projects are tough. Power stations cost billions to build and investors won't see returns for more than five years. Critics of the nuclear option argue that renewables - wind and solar pow...
Mar 30, 2017•29 min
Migrant entrepreneurs create one in seven businesses in the UK. This week Evan Davis talks to three entrepreneurs who all arrived from overseas with very little and then went on to create a successful business. GUESTS Tony Kitous, Founder, Comptoir Libanais Razan Alsous, Yorkshire Dama Cheese Surinder Arora, Founder and Chairman, Arora Group.
Mar 23, 2017•42 min
The UK is a world leader in financial services technology, otherwise known as fintech. Presenter Evan Davis asks how Britain has beaten Silicon Valley and what challenges fintech poses to traditional banking? Guests: Antony Jenkins, Founder and Executive Chairman, 10x Future Technologies Ishaan Malhi, Founder, Trussle.com Eileen Burbidge, Co-founder, Passion Capital Producer: Julie Ball.
Mar 16, 2017•28 min
From budget airline seats to insurance, Evan Davis discovers the secrets of pricing.
Mar 09, 2017•28 min
How does a can of Italian tomatoes reach the supermarket shelf and a car manufacturer receives its parts in time? Evan Davis finds out about the hidden transport networks that bring goods from around the world to our high street shops and factory floors. Joining Evan to discuss the business of logistics are: Paul Dyer, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Maggie Simpson, Executive Director of the Rail Freight Group , the representative body for rail freight in the UK Oliver Treneman, Park Development Directo...
Mar 02, 2017•29 min
The UK space industry is growing faster than the wider economy. Its application is broad - from manufacturing satellites, earth observation projects, to advanced research and design for space exploration. The government aims to capitalise on all this activity and wants the UK to have its own space port for commercial flights and satellite missions. The programme will hear from the country's top small satellite manufacturer and from a firm developing a revolutionary hypersonic propulsion engine. ...
Feb 23, 2017•28 min
We spend a third of our life at work so it's inevitable that relationships blossom, whether it's a one night stand at the Christmas party or one that becomes a long term partnership. How do companies handle the issues that can arise from office romance? Evan Davis and his guests discuss the solutions. GUESTS Neil Morrison, Director, Strategy, Culture and Innovation. Penguin Random House Helen Farr, Partner, Employment Law Group, Fox Williams Danielle Harmer, Chief People Officer, Metro Bank....
Feb 16, 2017•28 min
How can people running charities balance doing good, maximising income, while retaining public trust? The sector is undergoing changes in regulation in the wake of scandals involving fundraising and governance. Evan Davis meets the experts. Taking part are: the chairman of the new Fundraising Regulator, Lord Grade of Yarmouth; Jayne Clarke of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Simon Gillespie from the British Heart Foundation.
Feb 09, 2017•28 min
The care home business is heading for a crisis according to Evan Davis's guests in this edition of The Bottom Line. The cost of providing care in this labour-intensive business has increased significantly because of the introduction of the National Living Wage. The fees paid by local authorities on behalf of poorer residents no longer cover the cost of providing accommodation, food and staffing. Care homes make up the shortfall by charging higher fees to privately funded residents. Social care a...
Feb 02, 2017•47 min
Brexit means the UK government will have to negotiate trade agreements with the EU and the rest of the world. Trade deal experts share their tips with presenter Evan Davis. Guests include: Janice Charette, Canadian High Commissioner to the UK Tim Cullen, founder and director of Oxford Programme on Negotiation Producer: Julie Ball.
Jan 27, 2017•28 min
If the word auction conjures up pictures of a man with a gavel in a packed room shouting 'going, going, gone' - think again. These days governments and businesses rely on complicated online auctions to buy and sell. Auctions are also the preferred mechanism for the allocation of radio spectrum licences to mobile phone companies and the selling of mineral rights. Auctions come in a huge variety of forms, and the precise design can have a dramatic effect on the outcomes. Do you know a sealed bid f...
Nov 17, 2016•28 min
The future of the car industry. How car manufacturers are joining forces with "ride hailing" companies like Uber and why the future might be driverless. Evan Davis and guests discuss. Disruptive technology has made seismic changes to several business models: think Apple iTunes and the music industry or Netflix and our television viewing habits. It seems that the car industry might be next. Unlike their predecessors, car manufacturers are joining forces with the technology companies. Google with ...
Nov 11, 2016•28 min
Evan Davis and guests explore the fast moving world of selling to 18-24 year olds. Collectively, that age group has billions to spend. Individually, many are strapped for cash. So how do companies get their attention and their money? The answer seems to be: market your brand using social media. Link up with a celebrity with millions of followers and watch the money roll in. That's the theory. Forget old style television adverts. That age group isn't watching the box - they're on their mobiles. J...
Nov 03, 2016•28 min
Starting a business is often compared to bringing up a baby, and with good reason: it's costly, gives you sleepless nights and requires your attention during every waking moment. But what happens when it is time sell the business you have nurtured? Three successful entrepreneurs talk to Evan Davis about the feelings of relief and regret which can accompany selling off a business. GUESTS Liz Earle, Co-founder of Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare William Kendall, Chairman, Cawston Press Jules Co...
Oct 27, 2016•28 min
Are activist investors good or bad for the firms they target? They hunt down companies they think are underperforming. They buy a stake in the business, then lobby for change. Critics say activists want to make a fast buck and then head for the exit. But you could regard these investors as doing a valuable service - challenging poorly performing company boards and making more profit for shareholders. Top UK names like Rolls Royce and John Menzies have been affected. Explore the world of activist...
Oct 20, 2016•28 min
Why are more top employers offering school leavers a fast track career without the need to go to university? Applicants for the top Degree Apprenticeships need to get good A level grades and pass a rigorous selection process. Their reward is the opportunity to earn a living while they gain a degree and qualify as a professional. Evan Davis discusses the pros and cons of such schemes with a high flying apprentice and two employers who are competing with universities for the brightest and best sch...
Oct 13, 2016•28 min
How do you do business when you can't see into the future? This may be what businesses always have to do, but Brexit has undeniably made the future even harder to discern than usual. When will it happen, what relationship with Europe will follow, and how will the rest of the world react? For now we don't know, but the answers to those questions will affect every business in Britain. So how are companies planning for an uncertain future while at the same time trying to ensure that whichever model...
Oct 06, 2016•28 min
Theresa May has promised a bigger role for the state in business. The previously unfashionable concept of a comprehensive industrial strategy is back on the agenda. There is a new wariness about foreign investment in strategic industries such as electricity generation. Mrs May also wants to see employee representatives on company boards. Presenter Evan Davis discusses "Theresanomics" with a panel of entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. Guests include: Elizabeth Corley, vice-chair of Allianz Glob...
Sep 29, 2016•28 min
The Olympics Games is the biggest sporting event on earth. But the road to a successful Olympics can be more gruelling than a marathon. With less than two weeks to go until the opening ceremony in Rio, Evan Davis and guests discuss the difficulties of managing the money, the politics and the people. GUESTS: Neil Wood MBE, Partner, Deloitte and former CFO of London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) Gerhard Heiberg, International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and President and CE...
Jul 21, 2016•28 min
Is escaping the rat race always a good idea? Many people dream of giving up the day job to start their own business - and we often hear about the success stories. But does everyone have what it takes? Evan Davis and guests compare the dream and the reality. GUESTS: Luke Johnson, Entrepreneur and Founder of Risk Capital Partners Paula Fry, former Director, Fashion Seeker UK Sarah Meredith, Sole Trader, Rock Cakes Deirdre Critchley, former Director, Jammy Cow Producer: Elizabeth Cassin....
Jul 14, 2016•28 min
It's hard to put a value on a human life. When you're well, perhaps you don't think about it. But if you're ill, getting access to the right drugs, whatever the cost, is a priority. But the NHS does not have a bottomless pit of money. And some medicines are judged too expensive to be freely available, so patients miss out on treatments that could save or extend their lives. There are usually two villains of the piece: The drugs companies for charging too much; the NHS for not stumping up the cas...
Jul 07, 2016•28 min
How will the vote to leave the EU affect big and small businesses in the UK? Evan Davis and guests discuss trade deals, tariffs and 'passporting' rights that allow UK-based firms to sell financial products and services from Britain to EU customers. They'll also explore how companies can turn the current economic uncertainty into business opportunities. Guests: Anne Richards, CEO, M & G Investments Juergen Maier, CEO Siemens UK Julia Gash, Founder and CEO, BIDBI Jan Atteslander, EconomieSuiss...
Jun 30, 2016•28 min
Most of us negotiate in some form or other every day - whether it's about who walks the dog, how much screen-time the kids can have or when to visit the in-laws. But too often we treat it like a competitive sport, with only one aim: to win. Which can backfire, especially when you need co-operation later on. It's much the same in business - negotiating to win at all costs is unlikely to result in a long-term, sustainable business relationship. So how to achieve a win-win situation when both sides...
Jun 23, 2016•28 min
The business of film. Evan Davis follows the money trail from script to screen. With the help of a top independent film producer, a film distributor and the head of a top cinema chain, Evan discovers who takes the risks and who makes the money behind the scenes. Guests Alex Hamilton, Managing Director, Entertainment One UK Elizabeth Karlsen, Producer and co-founder, Number9 Films Tim Richards, CEO, Vue International.
Jun 16, 2016•28 min
It is not easy to teach new tricks to the business world's old dogs. The latest fashionable solution for big corporations slowed down by bureaucracy and traditional ways of thinking is to incubate tech start-ups. The idea is that the big corporation benefits from the creativity and "can do" attitude of the start-up. In return the start-up gets funding, professional advice and help navigating the corporate world to reach the top decision makers. The model is known as "corporate acceleration" and ...
Jun 09, 2016•28 min
Asset management - or asset stripping? This week Evan Davis asks when making a profit from running a business becomes simple plundering. In business, things go wrong at the best of times ... mistakes are made, luck turns bad. But sometimes things can also go wrong not because of bad luck, but because someone makes money out of failure. The "profit or plunder" question has been raised by events at BHS. It was struggling, facing intense competition in a tough retail environment. But the owner took...
Jun 02, 2016•28 min
