I WAS AT FIRST incredulous when I saw that the excellent 2015 Strategic Top 100 Global Infrastructure Report found room for only two European projects . Why is Europe so poorly represented ?

The report said : “ It is essential to bring the energy of politics productively into the strategic infrastructure equation . Politics and the demands of politicians , the incentive structure of politics , the filtered aspirations of citizens , is both the driving force of infrastructure , and the biggest problem . How do we make the influence of politicians on infrastructure decisions more constructive , strategic , and productive ?” EU governments need to ask themselves this question ; the MENA region is in better health with around 19 projects in the top 100 . Meanwhile this issue concerns itself with much smaller projects . In 2014 , € 201 million of early-stage , growth and working capital funding was provided to European SMEs and start-ups , not by the banks but by alternative finance platforms . We examine these lifesavers for entrepreneurs in some detail .

Scott Peltin ’ s article on workforce issues stresses the importance of keeping executives fit and happy , while peak performance is exemplified by ten of the outstanding CEOs of the Middle East . Finally , we feature a choice selection of businesses from infrastructure stalwarts Travis Perkins and Schneider Electric to the delicious Heidi Chocolate .

Editor john . o ’ hanlon @ wdmgroup . com

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