Business News


Rupi spreads the business message to the world


Globetrotter: Rupi Nandra


By Jessica Brookes


Rupi Nandra has travelled nearly 10,000 miles in three weeks across the globe promoting West Midlands businesses. For the head of international


programmes at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), travels are part of her duties as an business ambassador. She has visited Austria, United


States and Switzerland on Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), World Bank and United Nations- associated visits. The first was EEN’s annual


conference in Vienna, where 28 member states and over 900 delegates discussed business support for SMEs, trade opportunities post-Brexit and opportunities in specific markets, such as Latin America and India. Her next stop was Washington


DC, for training as part of her role as private sector liaison officer for the World Bank. Ms Nandra is part of a network


of over 160 business organisations in more than 100 countries. The


‘My role is to travel to key events and gain insight into the procurement and trade opportunities available for our businesses’


network acts as a link between the World Bank and the private sector. Countries which are recipients of World Bank loans will tender, to identify businesses which are able to deliver development projects. Ms Nandra said: “The liaison role is really crucial, as we bridge the gap between businesses and World Bank-funded projects. The aid- related business opportunities don’t just stop once a business is awarded a tender from a country receiving World Bank loans. Those businesses rely on other businesses in their supply chain, which is where the opportunity for West Midlands’ companies lies. “Connecting businesses to these opportunities through the World Bank, and acting as a voice for the private sector, is key in establishing new business relationships and furthering opportunities for businesses.” On the last leg of her trip, Ms


Nandra visited Geneva to attend a United Nations event based around procurement partners and opportunities as part of her role as head of international programmes She said: “International trade


does indeed involve lots of travel; however my role is to travel to key events and gain insight into the procurement and trade opportunities available for our businesses. “There are a plethora of opportunities out there, however joining up these opportunities can often be difficult due to physical limits and lack of information. “Widening networks, educating


countries about the expertise of West Midlands businesses and enhancing connectivity between delivery partners, whether they be public or private sector, is all important work that brings the international opportunities closer to the West Midlands.”


Growing patients’ trust in AI surgery


Almost a third of patients in the West Midlands would be willing to have major invasive surgery performed by artificial intelligence (AI). The research, conducted by


YouGov for PwC, also found that men are significantly more willing than women – 39 per cent compared to 22 per cent. However, older people - the over 55s - are much more sceptical at just 24 per cent. But despite the AI hype, there is


still work to be done in healthcare to build trust among West Midlands patients in this type of technology, say PwC. One in four people can't see any


benefits of using AI in healthcare. The main concerns expressed by


patients in the region were that AI lacks the “human touch”, and the


human ability to look beyond data when making treatment choices. PwC says this demonstrates the importance UK patients place upon their relationship with medical professionals. However patients noted that the top advantages of using AI in health would be:


• Healthcare would be quicker and easier to access


• AI would be able to access and analyse more information than a human and therefore diagnosis would be much faster and accurate.


• And with the above in mind, that better treatment recommendations would be made


Ali Breadon (pictured),


Government and health industries leader for PwC in the Midlands, said: “If only a proportion of the UK population start to use more services delivered through technology, that could make big savings. This could, in turn, make a serious contribution to addressing the huge financial challenges facing the health system in the UK.”


Vacant properties can be utilised


Vacant homes are the answer


The solution to the housing crisis is to make use of 200,000 unused properties, claim vacant property experts in Birmingham. Ad Hoc Property Management, based in Aston, was founded in the Netherlands in 1990 and has since become the European market leader in vacant property protection. It promotes the


regeneration, management and protection of unused properties, turning them into temporary affordable housing.


‘There are well over a million people who are in need of affordable places to live’


Across the UK, there are


over 200,000 empty and unused homes, and with property prices rising, there are well over a million people who are in need of affordable places to live, say Ad Hoc. Andy Edlington, Ad Hoc’s


business development manager, added: “The solution to the housing crisis is not to build more homes, it’s to provide more affordable housing. By taking the 200,000 unused properties and utilising them as temporary affordable housing, it can give people a chance to efficiently save money to get on the property ladder. “Property guardianship is a


growing trend. It has recently been welcomed by the House of Lords as an effective way to not only protect vacant properties, but to also provide affordable housing.”


For more information about Ad Hoc, visit www.adhocproperty.co.uk or call 01217 738116.


December 2018/January 2019 CHAMBERLINK 19


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