"Interview with Glen Hodgson"

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Read our CEO's interview with AL Circle on the global aluminium industry. We discuss trade, tariffs, sanctions and the future of work.

AL Circle is an integrated virtual ecosystem bringing the entire global aluminium value chain under one roof through news, business, and event platforms. With a 40+ years of sectoral knowledge, a global presence in 196 countries and 14 million hits monthly, AL Circle is the one-stop-shop for the entire value chain. 

Read the full interview at the link below:

https://www.alcircle.com/interview/detail/113693/i-foresee-huge-growth-for-the-platform-economy-open-talent-and-freelancing-as-more-companies-organisations-and-individuals-demand-freedom-flexibility?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=interview-02042025

Our CEO argues that aluminium imports should be removed from the EU sanctions package on account of the negative and unproportionate impact that the ban has on European industry, SMEs and consumers across the EU. Emotions are running high but European Union members should not cut off their nose to spite their face in the desperate search for a silver bullet in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Read the full article at: https://www.brusselsreport.eu/2025/03/27/searching-for-a-silver-bullet/

The Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok once said “don’t waste your time looking back. You’re not going that way.” The words of the former king of Sweden and Denmark should resonate as a timely reminder for the European Commission and EU leaders as they wean themselves off their addiction to Russian gas.

Read the full article at: https://www.neglobal.eu/weaning-europe-off-its-russian-gas-addiction/

The quote – often attributed to Deng Xiaoping – runs that when you open a window you let in fresh air, but you also let in flies. The same sentiment is currently being applied to the rapidly expanding HR outsourcing sector which is founded based on individual and corporate desires for more flexibility while having a third-party take care of administration and compliance. While digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) are bringing huge benefits to companies, organisations and individuals around the globe – and labour markets are evolving as a result – critics harbour concerns around the growing sector.

Read the full article at: https://www.neglobal.eu/a-code-of-conduct-for-the-hr-outsourcing-sector/ 

While audiences across the emerging Europe region and beyond are currently more familiar with pop stars and artists of Kosovo origin, such as Rita Ora and Dua Lipa, the rising stars of the Kosovo fashion industry are poised to make their mark.

This article therefore discusses the Fostering Employment and Growth Opportunities (FEGO) project - financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and implemented by Swisscontact in Kosovo - that was launched in Kosovo. 

It also covers the breadth and depth of the fashion ecosystem in Kosovo as exemplified by the companies and designers that have been chosen to benefit from the FEGO project. These include YKLLA, S//SPRINT, BRONTE, Labentiné and Merita Harxhi Koci (MHK).

Read the full article at:

https://emerging-europe.com/analysis/the-fashion-eagle-rises-in-kosovo/

In light of the US election result and President Trump’s inauguration, our CEO writes about the approach that the EU should take, particularly in terms of not undermining transatlantic trade in goods and services. He also also highlights the need for the EU to claim the positive initiative – as well as the moral high ground – by taking a stance against punitive trade tariffs.

Link to the article: https://www.brusselsreport.eu/2025/01/09/the-transatlantic-relationship-should-not-descend-into-a-trade-war/