#71 Supply Chain Untangled ep.4 | Barbara Chevalier

In this episode, hosts Adrien and Thierry sit down with Mathias Lentz, the dynamic CEO of Brasserie Nationale, Luxembourg's foremost privately-owned brewery.

Mathias opens up about his personal journey, emphasising the pivotal role of external experience before joining the family business. He then delves into the brewery's history, highlighting its remarkable resilience and growth in the face of challenges from global conglomerates. The conversation focuses on a balance between the brewery's tradition and modern market demands.

The episode highlights sustainability initiatives in brewing and their implementation at Brasserie Nationale. It also underscores the significance of preserving the essence of a family-run business in today's fiercely competitive world, all while contemplating the brewery's future prospects.

Diversity and culture come to the forefront as Mathias discusses how Luxembourg's unique cultural blend influences beer production. The episode also explores shifting beer consumption patterns and the industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Closing the interview, Mathias shares his visionary perspective on shaping Luxembourg's future, emphasising adaptability and openness as key drivers of progress.

Ready to explore the brewing business with Mathias? Listen to the full episode now.

This episode is kindly supported by the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.

Adrien welcomes Antoine Welter, co-founder and CEO of Circu Li-ion. A driven impact entrepreneur at heart, Antoine walks Adrien through the whole process that led him to quit his consulting job to found the Luxembourg-based battery upcycling start-up with his co-founder and CTO, Xavier Kohll. During the conversation, Antoine brings up the highly debated myth of urban mining, which consists of re-using raw materials from waste, and argues that this is something humanity can achieve as demonstrated by his own venture.

They then dive into the difference between running a software business which has dominated trends over the past decade versus addressing real economy issues via the hardware route such as Circu Li-ion's. For Antoine, hardware solutions address crucial environmental issues, making them essential in the transition to a sustainable and circular economy.

Adrien enquires about the expectations that his investors have given the nature of the business, and how they get benchmarked in terms of profitability metrics.

Another important aspect of the business model lies in Circu Li-ion's ability to collect data from partners and customers to improve their machine as a service offering. Utilising AI and machine learning is crucial for efficiently recognizing and handling a wide range of battery types, contributing to resource efficiency. Here, the Luxembourg supercomputer, Meluxina, comes into play to enable this.

Finally, they talk about the challenges the Luxembourg economy faces, knowing that it has moved away from the industrial policy templates in favour of the services-based economy.

In this second part of our discussion, Thierry and Adrian host Pierre Reuter and George V. John in an engaging discussion spotlighting Luxembourg's pivotal role in the ever-evolving space industry. Delving into the European Commission's drive for regulatory harmonization, they explore the complexities of crafting EU space law to accommodate diverse activities while emphasizing sustainability imperatives.

Comparing space authorization processes between the US and Europe reveals insights into jurisdictional maturity and regulatory quality. The dialogue extends to the impacts of recent banking sector disruptions on space investments, shedding light on challenges faced by startups amidst shifting financial landscapes.

Looking ahead, the conversation anticipates a dynamic legal landscape over the next five years, underscoring the necessity of stable regulations amidst increasing competition. Emphasizing Luxembourg's significance, the speakers express optimism for ongoing sectoral growth and adaptation.

This detailed conversation delves into the complex realm of space law and regulations, advocating for customized approaches to different aspects of the industry. Covering topics such as the practical effects of regulatory harmonization, the economic incentives driving sustainability efforts, and the critical importance of streamlined authorization processes, the discussion highlights the interconnected nature of financial stability and innovation in space exploration.

Tune in now to gain insights from industry experts and explore the opportunities in the evolving space sector.

In this episode, Adrien welcomes Antoine Clasen, CEO of Bernard-Massard, Luxembourg's premier wine producer. Antoine walks Adrien through the century-old history behind this renowned sparkling wine (known as crémant in Luxembourg) maker and how it emerged throughout the years after being completely destroyed during WW2. 

Known for its iconic yellow label and red foils, Bernard-Massard has carved itself a niche market outside the dominant world-renowned Champagne space thanks to intense marketing and its relentless obsession with quality. Antoine shares a myriad of anecdotes that illustrate how marketing ingenuity has allowed them to dominate key geographies over time.

With national elections coming up later this year, they dive into the delicate topic related to politics and their approach on preserving a certain level of industrial activity within the Luxembourg borders. Indeed, as listeners know from previous episodes, a fair amount of industrial players have raised their concerns about the lack of long-term vision exhibited by government and local officials alike.

Finally, Adrien enquires about the values and principles needed to run a family business like his over many generations, and what mindset is required to maintain tight control and governance over time.

Ready to uncover the secrets behind Bernard-Massard's success with Antoine? Listen to the full episode now.

In this episode, Adrien welcomes Daniel Klemetz, CEO of Greenworlder, a purpose-driven startup at the forefront of sustainability innovation. Embark on a journey to uncover Greenworlder's core mission: to nurture a dynamic online ecosystem that brings together climate enthusiasts and businesses, united in their dedication to combating climate change.

Daniel highlights the importance of addressing climate change through community action and social media platforms. Greenwalder seeks to facilitate discussions and provide practical guidance for individuals looking to lead more sustainable lives. The platform distinguishes itself from traditional social media by promoting transparency, authentic engagement, and a focus on sustainability initiatives.

Klemetz sheds light on Greenworlder's growth trajectory, strategic initiatives – including expansion plans across European markets – and the business model behind its success, spanning from corporate partnerships to premium user offerings.

Join the conversation as Klemetz addresses the challenges and opportunities facing startups in Luxembourg, advocating for regulatory reforms to support entrepreneurship. Gain a deeper understanding of Greenworlder's commitment to driving positive environmental impact and shaping a sustainable future for all.

Adrien and Thierry welcome Dominic Grieve, former UK conservative member of parliament and attorney general under Prime Minister David Cameron. A vivid Remainer and friend of Luxembourg, Dominic walks them through his background and what led him to choose a political path back in the 70s alongside a very successful legal career as a barrister (lawyer). Showing a lot of affinity towards the grand duchy, Dominic draws a lot of parallels and comparisons when looking at the United Kingdom. However he deeply regrets Britain's decision to leave the European Union and recalls the key moments in UK politics that led the country to leave the EU during the 2016 Brexit referendum. 
Finally, they wonder what Dominic would do to bring the UK back on track if he was given a 10-year time horizon.

For anyone looking for unique and rare insights into the behind of scenes of UK politics and all its intricacies, this is the right place for you! We welcome any feedback on this one-hour long conversation - send us an email at info@luxunplugged.com or contact us on our LinkedIn page.

In this episode, Thierry hosts a conversation with Pierre Reuter and George John from Hogan Lovels as they explore Luxembourg's growing space industry. They discuss Hogan Lovels' essential role in guiding clients through the legal aspects of space activities. With teamwork between their Luxembourg and Washington D.C. offices, Hogan Lovels provides exceptional expertise in navigating intricate regulatory landscapes across different areas.

The discussion explores Luxembourg's pivotal role in the space industry, supported by strong government backing and initiatives to attract talent and investment. The conversation highlights the importance of staying updated on regulatory changes and the challenges companies encounter in managing evolving space regulations worldwide.

Additionally, the conversation unpacks the advantages of partnering with Hogan Lovels, particularly in Luxembourg, where companies can leverage regulatory, financial, and tax benefits to excel in the space sector. It also examines the critical aspect of talent acquisition, emphasizing the government's efforts to promote workforce retention.

Moreover, the dialogue underscores the strategic factors that companies must carefully weigh when selecting a jurisdiction for their space ventures, stressing the need for a comprehensive analysis to seize opportunities and effectively manage risks in the dynamic global space industry.

Listen to the full episode to discover the dynamic landscape of the space industry with Luxembourg's rising prominence.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Adrien welcomes Yuriko Backes, Minister of Finance in Luxembourg. A fine reader of history, Minister Backes walks Adrien through the lessons that she has learned from living in Japan which in turn nurtured this passion of hers to embark on an international relations career. They discuss the key challenges that she has faced since taking on her role in early 2022, especially in the context of conflict in Europe and the global inflation problem that the world is grappling with. Finally, Adrien reflects upon the importance of this year's election and what it means for Minister Backes and the incumbent government.

Thierry welcomes Barbara Chevalier, CEO at CFL multimodal. In this podcast recording Thierry and Barbara discuss the company's business model, Luxembourg's role as a logistics hub, and the positive impact of rail freight solutions on sustainability, highlighting CFL multimodal's integrated and sustainable approach to multimodal transportation across Europe. Barbara also highlights the commitment of the company on innovation and safety and the investment CFL made in state of the art technology to support their ever growing customer base. 

Adrien welcomes Florian Feltes, co-founder and CEO at Zortify. A staunch academic at heart with deep problem-solving skills, Florian walks Adrien through the process that led him to adopt natural language processing (NLP) as a way to rationalise the decision-making process. At a time when AI is slowly but surely becoming an ubiquitous component of our ways of going about our lives - think of ChatGPT - this highly complementary tool developed by Zortify allows decision-makers to obtain an unbiased view of someone they are looking to hire or invest in. Indeed, Florian highlights a few key examples to illustrate the use cases of this AI-driven process (e.g. aligning employees with a corporate culture through surveys, venture capitalists screening founders who have got the potential to create a unicorn, etc.).
Finally, they discuss the chief reasons why Zortify is leveraging Luxembourg as a hub to source talent and expand their customer reach further afield.