The European Business Review March/April 2020

The rapid outbreak of the coronavirus presents an unprecedented crisis that the world is grappling with. It is causing tragedy to hundreds of thousands of people and family. It is also creating severe disruptions to businesses and the global economy. In The European Business Review, we always know that the future holds daunting challenges for the human race, and being prepared with a futuristic insight is the key to overcome the current and future crisis. In the front cover of this issue, Ulrich Betz, VP Innovation of Merck, shares with us how Merck has, back in 2018, already predicted the crucial need for “Pandemic Preparedness” - the search for new science and technologies to fight the threat of newly emerging viral diseases with pandemic potential. Furthermore, he discusses the ambitious initiatives…

The future holds daunting challenges for the human race, and some good news wouldn’t come amiss. Here, Ulrich Betz gives us some uplifting background on ambitious initiatives around science and technology aimed at addressing those challenges. And, as he explains, the issues of tomorrow are not only technological, but also have a strong moral dimension. When Merck’s CEO Stefan Oschmann announced the roll-out of the Merck Future Insight Prize1 on July 17th 2018 at the legendary Curious2018 – Future Insight Conference in Darmstadt, Germany2 (Curious2018 – Future Insights in Science and Technology (Springer, ISBN978-3-030-16060-9)) on the occasion of the company’s 350th anniversary, nobody was yet talking about, even knew about, SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that would, 17 months later, break out in China and send shockwaves around the globe. Yet the…

Ulrich A.K. Betz, Vice President of Innovation Merck, is responsible for innovation management and strategic academic collaborations at Merck. He is an accomplished R&D manager with >20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry, including positions in the President's Office Merck Biopharma and positions reporting directly to the Heads of Research and Development at Bayer and Merck. In his current role for example he designed and implemented the Merck Innovation Cup, the Curious-Future Insight Conference, the Merck Future Insight Prize, the Darmstadt Science Declaration, the idea competition innospire and the BioMed X Outcubator. Prior to joining Merck in 2005, he worked 7 years for Bayer AG in various scientific and managerial positions in Pharma Research. Ulrich received his PhD in functional genomics and immunology from the University of Cologne and…

We live in turbulent times, and business leaders need to draw on a range of different skills as they plan their strategies, look for innovation, strive for sustainability and cope with digitalisation. Against this background, business educators are working hard to arm executives with the training they need in order to deal robustly with the issues. Warwick Business School (WBS) has an impressive suite of executive diplomas that aim to do just that. Director of Executive Education Tim Wray fills us in. Q Hello, Tim! Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to talk to us. Could we begin with a few words about your work day? What does a normal day look like for you? A It may be somewhat clichéd to say it, but no two days…

Time will tell whether history will record the Zeitgeist of our times as one of isolationism or internationalism. But one thing is certain: in today’s world, business leaders need to be comfortable collaborating across borders and cultures. Here, Professor Hervé Remaud, director of KEDGE Global Executive MBA of the KEDGE Business School outlines how the truly global ambiance of the school and its international partnerships makes an ideal training ground for executives. Q Good day, Professor Hervé Remaud! We are delighted to speak with you today. First, we would like to congratulate KEDGE Business School and the KEDGE Global Executive MBA on being globally recognised as one of the best business schools and top executive MBA programmes. How do you feel about these recognitions? A I would be lying if I said…

Professor Hervé Remaud is the director of KEDGE Global Executive MBA and a Senior Professor of Marketing at KEDGE Business School. Following 5 years spent at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute of the University of South Australia, he took over the direction of KEDGE Wine and Spirits MBA in 2010. Herve obtained his Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Agricultural Economics and Management from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier. He is the author of some 50 articles that are published in academic, professional journals and conferences. His area of research focuses more specifically on agrifood and wine marketing, brand perception and brand performance measure.…