Business Daily

Earlier this year, on International Women's Day, the Irish electorate was asked to vote in two referendums on changing Ireland's constitution regarding family and care. One of those questions was whether they wished to remove a reference to the role of women in the home, which some view as being out-of-step with modern Irish society. A lot has changed since the constitution was written in 1937. Ir...

More of us are searching for cheaper and efficient ways to power and heat our homes. As energy prices remain high, what about taking matters into your own hands and putting solar panels on your roof, or putting a small wind turbine in your garden? Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey(Image: A wind turbine on a roof of a house in Amsterdam. Credit: Getty Images) MARKET DATA & FULL FINANCIAL RE...

It’s estimated that 90% of traded goods travel over the oceans. But for the seafarers who make that happen, it’s not always an easy process. Thousands of incidents of corruption within the industry have been reported to the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network, who in this episode, tell Ruth Alexander what they’re doing to help the problem. Seafarers can often be put in an impossible position, and one...

As India enters election season, we look at the crucial female vote. For decades, the number of women turning out to vote in India has been low, but that’s changed in the last decade. Now, political parties are deliberately targeting policies at women, to try and win over this key group. We hear from a group of women about their priorities in the 2024 general election - for the workplace, in busin...

We depend on online reviews for everything from hotel and restaurant bookings, to what products to buy, and as we hear in this programme, medical and cosmetic procedures. If a customer feels unhappy with a service they've paid for, they might want to leave a bad review. But what happens if the company they're complaining about doesn't like it? In the UK, a cosmetic surgery company, Signature Clini...

Brenda Romero's breakthrough game Wizardry is legendary, and she’s made and contributed to more than 50 titles since. Now, with her own company in Ireland, what does she think is the key to a great game? And in a vulnerable time for the industry, what does she think its future holds?(Picture: Brenda Romero. Credit: John Press photos)Presenter: Steffan Powell Producer: Izzy Greenfield MARKET DATA &...

There are an estimated 200 million gamers on the African continent. The industry is growing fast, and generating millions of dollars for gaming companies. However, there's a problem - many gamers in Africa don't have access to the credit and debit cards needed for in app purchases. We meet the fintech companies who think they've got a solution. Produced and presented by Mo Allie(Image: A woman gam...

The music composed for video games has come a long way. Once limited to simple tunes generated by early synthesizer chips, it now encompasses complex musical works composed for full orchestra. Video game music is now also considered a key access point to orchestral music among young people, and concert venues around the world are seeing new and diverse audiences attend live performances of gaming...

Tens of thousands of people in the video game industry have lost their jobs in the past year. The industry itself is valued around 200 billion dollars - one of the biggest in the world. And last year saw some of the biggest releases so far. So with so much success, why are there so many struggles? We speak to two workers who recently lost their jobs in the industry, and hear about the effect it’s...

The Dutch swimmer won gold in Beijing, having been diagnosed with cancer seven years earlier. We hear why he decided to stop competing, and instead turn his attention to charity fundraising - setting up his own foundation and raising millions for cancer research through long-distance swimming endurance events. And how he ensures that the money raised is correctly managed. Produced and presented by...

Kidnapping is endemic in nearly all parts of Nigeria, as shown by the recent high profile mass abduction and release of nearly 300 schoolchildren. And for young Nigerians who are taking part in the national youth service programme - NYSC - they are particularly vulnerable as they travel to their postings along the country's long rural roads. Service is mandatory if you want to use your degree - bu...

Smell is a powerful sense that can evoke memories and spark emotional connections. And it's increasingly big business. In this programme, we lift the lid on the multi-billion dollar fragrance industry; finding out how scent can influence customer behaviour, build teams, and even help to sell houses. We hear from a perfume-maker who crowdsources some of the world's most expensive fragrance ingredie...

We're in Iceland, where, in attempt to fight climate change, huge machines are being used to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. And then locking it away deep underground, turning it into stone. The business behind the technology believes this is a crucial step in reducing the amount of CO2 in the air. But how economical, and impactful, is this carbon capture? Presented and produced by Adri...

We explore the fashion trend that involves minimal labels and logos. Loved by celebrities and social media influencers, what is it about the quiet luxury trend that is so appealing – particularly in countries like China? And can you follow the 'stealth wealth' trend on a low budget?(Picture: Woman standing in luxury hotel suite looking at view with curtains blowing in wind. Credit: Getty Images)Pr...

Founded in 1901, the International Labour Organisation works with governments of over 180 countries, to help promote internationally recognised labour rights. In all of its 105 year-history, Gilbert F. Houngbo is the first African to be in charge of the UN agency. In this programme, the ILO leader talks to Rahul Tandon about what he's doing to try to tackle some of the biggest global challenges th...

The Pentland Firth is the strait that lies between the far north of mainland Scotland and the Orkney Islands. It's a wild area with some of the fastest tides in the world, where the power of the sea is being harnessed by tidal turbines sitting on the sea bed. But this type of green energy is still very expensive to generate - so what is the future of tidal and wave power? We explore some of the gr...

Padel is a fast-growing sport, attracting investment from celebrities and major brands. What is it about the game that makes it so attractive? We hear from professional players of the sport, and head to Sweden, where the Padel boom, and subsequent bust, might hold some lessons for other countries.(Image: Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo plays Padel during an event in Singapore, 2023. C...

Up to 40% of food in Africa and India is wasted because of a lack of what's called "the cold chain" - the infrastructure keeping food chilled and fresh, from farm to fork. Many small-scale farmers have no access to any kind of refrigeration, meaning they're losing income and wasting food that could otherwise be sold. Devina Gupta meets the entrepreneur who is building pay-as-you-go solar powered c...

The past few years have been marked by two economic trends that have affected pretty much everyone on the planet. The first is the cost of living crisis that followed the Covid pandemic and was made worse by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That saw prices in the shops soar - in many countries they rose by their fastest pace for four decades. The attempt to stamp out this inflation is the second of t...

Lawyer Leigh Steinberg had no big dream to become a sports agent. He was a huge sports fan, but the job was not something he was aspiring to – more something that he stumbled across. Today, he's built up a career representing more than 300 professional athletes across a range of disciplines: from big money-making sports like football and basketball, to Olympic gymnastics; building sporting careers...

An alcohol shop for diplomats has opened in Saudi Arabia. It’s a significant move in a country that has banned alcohol for over 70 years. Some believe in order to transform the tourism economy it is a sign of things to come. In the meantime, Riyadh has become known for making some of the best non-alcohol cocktails in the world. Is this a small policy change, or does it signal a wider relaxation of...

The Chinese-owned online store has exploded in popularity in the past year, shipping to customers in 49 countries around the world. And its advertising has taken centre stage at one of the world’s most watched events: the Super Bowl. So why is Temu so cheap? And how can it afford to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising to take on its rivals? We hear from experts, politicians and sh...

The government of Uruguay has launched ambitious plans to make hydrogen and green fuels. The country generates far more of its electricity from renewables than most countries - Uruguay produces more than 90% of its electricity from sustainable resources, like wind. And that, the government says, puts it in a good position to start producing green hydrogen. Proponents of green hydrogen production i...

Andy Yen is founder and CEO of tech company Proton, best known for its encrypted email service Proton Mail. He was born in Taiwan, studied in California, then moved to Switzerland to work at CERN as a particle physicist. He then set up Proton from Geneva. Dougal Shaw talks to the entrepreneur about growing up in the shadow of China, personal privacy in an age when we live our lives online, and his...

Spotify and Soundcloud started out as small, music tech startups in Stockholm, and now, several other companies that blend music production and innovation are choosing to set up shop in the Swedish capital. In this edition of Business Daily, we meet some of these new businesses, to see why Stockholm holds such appeal. And we try to find out whether music tech is a profitable sector with a long-ter...