The Next Five

The premium alcohol industry is about more than just indulgence. It’s a category that is garnering greater attention from consumers, investors and collectors. Increased disposable incomes, celebrity culture and social media has created new avenues for brand recognition and sales. Partnerships with other luxury brands also bring cross pollination appeal and is an area top spirit brands are looking to take more advantage of. Investing in premium alcohol is also an area of growth. Brand, age and rarity set the standard for big prices. The whisky category has seen records consistently broken in the last few years as wealthy individuals battle for the best bottles. In November 2023, a single bottle of The Macallan 1926 Valerio Adami, one of only 40 bottles originally released, sold for a new record price of £2.18 million at Sotheby's in London.But there are some headwinds in both the primary and secondary markets that brands and consumers need to weather.In this episode of The Next Five we speak with Duncan McFadzean, Managing Director at Noble & Co, who discusses the growth and challenges of the primary market and how brands can buck the economic downturn. Jaume Ferras, Creative Director at The Macallan, shows how luxury brands are working together to increase share of pocket. Jonny Fowle, Global Head of Whisky at Sotheby’s, conveys the highs and lows of investing in the secondary market and calls for the joys of consumption as well as investing in fine bottles. Sources: FT Resources, Forbes, Matter of Form, Mordor Intelligence, Whisky Advocate, Spirit FilledThis content is paid for by advertisers and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times’ Commercial Department Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Individual creativity and idea construction sets us apart within our own societies, it is a deeply desirable trait, and can give you power and wealth. ‘Gosh, what a great idea!’, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ are often thought and heard. Cue Artificial intelligence, AI can enhance and enable our creativity- giving thousands of creative solutions to our input ideas. Less a brainstorm and more a cosmic tsunami of creation, all in a matter of seconds. It does this without its own personal agenda and selfish desire to have the idea that brings with it the potential for expression, power and wealth. But is it creative? Or, like in many industry applications, is AI a tool that makes us more creative. In this episode of The Next Five, we hear from Doug Eck, Senior Research Director at the Google DeepMind working on generative media, who discusses how we amplify our own human ideas with technology and that AI brings an inflection point where new art forms could develop with its help. Youtube content creator Dani Verdari, discusses the use of AI in her own content creation, the benefits of having this technology at her fingertips and how it can help others become artists and creators. She also discusses some of the issues around copyright of works that arise. Neil Maiden, Professor of Digital Creativity at the Bayes Business School, City University of London and Director of the Center for Creativity Enabled by AI, looks at how we embed creative thinking in professional practices and how AI can be used to solve problems more effectively.Sources: FT Resources, Harvard Business Review, Goldman Sachs, American Museum of Natural History, Science Daily, Lesley University, Forbes, Accenture. This content is paid for by Google and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times’ Commercial Department Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Prevention is better than cure” is a fundamental principle of modern healthcare. In this episode of the Next Five, in paid partnership with GSK, we look at health care prevention in ageing societies, with a particular focus on vaccine uptake. Ever since 1796, when Dr. Edward Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy against smallpox with a vaccine containing the milder strain cowpox, vaccination has become a part of the preventative medicine armoury. Vaccines have lowered the impact of many diseases, and benefits go beyond the health of the individual by reducing the cost and burden placed on healthcare systems and society. The COVID-19 pandemic placed a fresh spotlight on vaccines, highlighting the need but also, in some instances, the ambivalence towards them. By 2030, the number of people aged 60 and over will have increased by more than a third to 1.4 billion people. Even with the lessons learnt from the pandemic, low adult immunisation uptake remains a global problem that needs urgent solutions.In this episode I speak with Kate Hashey, Director of Communications and Government Affairs at GSK, who leads their adult immunisation work and discusses the role vaccinations play in the healthy ageing of our societies and how we must bolster action in the future to embed adult immunisation as the standard of care . Murray Aitken, Executive Director of the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, highlights hyperlocal data showing trends in adult immunisation globally. David Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer at the International Longevity Centre in the UK, offers insight into how we can live longer, healthier lives and where the UK sits compared to other countries on preventative healthcare spending and solutions.Sources: FT Resources, European Commission, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, British Medical Association, OECD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.This content is produced in partnership with the Financial Times’ Commercial Department Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Business travel is rebounding post-pandemic, with a focus on sustainability and cost efficiency. AI is revolutionizing the industry by streamlining processes and providing transparency for travelers. Experts discuss the importance of trust in AI platforms and the role of technology in promoting sustainable travel practices.

Explore the role of AI in cybersecurity, including enhancing online safety and analyzing malware. Discover the risks of AI, such as creating fake content and offensive AI attacks. Learn about securing AI models and addressing the skills shortage in AI for cybersecurity professionals. Dive into the future of AI in cybersecurity and building trust in AI systems.

Exploring the role of AI in workplace productivity. Guests discuss the economic challenges and opportunities for growth. Highlighting the need for AI adoption and digital skills to take advantage of innovation. Balancing regulation and innovation in AI adoption. Key success factors for the EU to thrive in AI technology.

The podcast explores the alarming loss of bird species in Europe and the role of AI in promoting sustainable farming and protecting bee populations. It discusses innovative AI solutions for resource management and agriculture, as well as the challenges and potential solutions for sustainable AI implementation. The episode also delves into addressing urbanization challenges with AI tools for smarter urban planning.

AI in healthcare offers life-changing benefits and raises concerns. It rapidly processes data, saves money and aids in diagnoses. The importance of regulation and trust in AI models is highlighted. Experts discuss AI in diagnosing lung cancer and the potential of partnerships. The progress and accuracy of AI in healthcare is addressed. Safeguards and regulations for mitigating risks and ensuring safety are discussed. The chapter emphasizes the need for transparency and regulation in AI models in healthcare.

Oceans cover 71% of the planet’s surface and are a life support system making up 97% of the world’s water and 95% of all space made available for life. Oceans are a key climate regulator, sequestering a third of all carbon emitted by human activity a year, controlling the weather and mediating temperature. With this alone, their importance to our existence is paramount. But oceans also support an entire economy, a ‘blue economy’. Alas, rising sea levels and temperatures due to climate change, overfishing, man made pollution and other mismanagement is affecting the blue economy and those that rely on it. Furthermore, oceans can provide us with a revolution in power generation. They offer a natural and low carbon alternative to fossil fuels and are the world’s largest untapped source of renewable energy. In this episode of the Next Five we explore the oceans as a blue economy, a climate regulator, and a power generator all while reflecting on the importance of ocean preservation. Céline Cousteau, a documentary filmmaker, public speaker, author and socio-environmental advocate highlights the importance of the oceans to all life on earth and how we need more marine protected areas and laws to preserve our seas as well as sharing examples of successful marine preservation projects.Karine Measson, Head of Water Management at the European Investment Bank, who is responsible for ocean activities at the EIB talks about the importance of a sustainable blue economy,and how to overcome the challenges including access to fundable projects and international cooperation. Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade, CEO, EDP and EDP Renewables discusses the growth in demand for ocean based renewable energy and that both the capital and technology is there to help meet climate goals if short term challenges can be overcome. Our Sources for the show: FT Resources, United Nations, WWF, World Meteorological Organisation, OECD, European Commission. This content is paid for by advertisers and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times’ Commercial Department Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever since the emergence of sundials and water clocks in Egypt around 1500 BC, humans have been fascinated by timepieces. Over the centuries, portable clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches gave people the chance to carry time around with them. Many of these became status symbols – the luxury of portable time afforded to only the few. And now, with the advent of wearable tech over the past decade, what is on our wrist has come to tell us much more than simply the time. Whether it's Swiss watches or wearable tech, the status of watches is evolving. In our productivity-obsessed world, our lives are driven by accurate timekeeping – and now we have multiple devices, reminders and calendars to keep us on track. So how is our relationship with time evolving now that it is commoditised, and what role will watches play in a digitally dominated future? In this episode of The Next Five podcast we explore the future of watches, timekeeping in a digital world, and the psychology behind our fascination with time. François-Henry Bennahmias, CEO of Audemars Piguet, talks about the current watch market, the strength of luxury Swiss watchmaking vs wearable tech, and how mechanical timepieces maintain their status in a digital world. Andreas Zimmer, Head of Product for Huawei Europe, offers insights into the wearable watch world and the role that the tech-led wristwatch play in modern life. Dr Ruth Ogden, Associate Professor of Experimental Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, discusses how we, as humans, have developed a relationship with time, and how the products we use affect what we do with it.Our Sources for the show: FT Resources, Forbes, EY, Bloomberg, Insider Intelligence, Morgan Stanley, pyments.com, appleinsder.com. This content is paid for by advertisers and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times’ Commercial Department. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.