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One in Five European Companies Are Facing Strong Pressure to Transform to Stay Viable

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BCG Tracks More Than 2,000 Public European Companies, Identifying the Share Showing Signs of Operational Challenges and Financial Instability

BOSTON, June 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Running a business in Europe over the past few years has been no easy task. Amid challenging economic conditions, insolvency filings among European companies have risen by 11 percentage points since 2022.

Currently, about one in 5 European companies (21%) face strong pressure to transform because of weak operational performance or financial instability—an increase of 7 percentage points over 2023. For some European companies, the pressure is even stronger: roughly one in 15 (7%) have passed the need for a transformation and must now consider severe measures to restructure both their operations and their balance sheet.

These are among the findings of the BCG Transform and Special Situations (TSS) Index 2024 from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled “Why One in Five European Companies Needs to Transform.” The Index, which is being released today, examined the operational performance and financial stability of more than 2,000 public companies, with a focus on Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

“This is a wake-up call for business leaders in Europe,” says Jochen Schönfelder, the leader of BCG’s Transform practice in Central and Eastern Europe and a coauthor of the article. “Companies that are under extreme pressure cannot afford to wait for macroeconomic tailwinds to improve. Many will need to proactively transform or restructure to remain viable.”

AI Reveals Transformation and Restructuring Topics Are Gaining Momentum

BCG also utilized AI to examine companies’ narratives and surveyed more than 200 senior executives to determine their priorities for the year ahead. The AI-based sentiment analysis found that the frequency of transformation references in company statements and public filings jumped by 24 percentage points from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024. Mentions of restructuring increased by 16 percentage points for the same period.

The Most Impacted Countries and Sectors

Clear warning signs have appeared on the horizon for companies in certain countries. In the Nordics, roughly one in four companies (27%) face transformation pressure. In Germany and Austria, the number jumps to one in three (33%)—significantly above the European average.

Among sectors, the three facing the greatest pressure to change are real estate; technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT); and retail:

Real estate. This sector is showing the greatest need to change, given high interest rates, significant impairment risk, and high amounts of debt, with nearly 52% of companies facing pressure to transform—a rate that is more than two times higher than any other sector BCG analyzed. Sixteen percent of companies in this sector face restructuring pressure.Technology, media, and telecommunications. With inflationary pressures leading both households and enterprise customers to scale back their TMT budgets, 17% of companies in this sector are under pressure to transform and 20% are under pressure to restructure.Retail. As consumer confidence remains low, and retailers struggle to justify large networks of physical stores amid the continued shift to e-commerce, 20% of retail companies face transformation pressure and 17% face restructuring pressure.

“Knowing that you need to transform is only the first step,” says Renaud Montupet, a BCG managing director, a coauthor of the article, and the leader of the Special Situations unit for BCG’s Transform practice in Europe. “By taking proactive measures, companies can dramatically change their trajectory. In that way, they still control their destiny.”

Download the publication here:
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/why-one-in-five-european-companies-needs-to-transform

Media Contact:
Eric Gregoire
+1 617 850 3783
gregoire.eric@bcg.com

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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BASX Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New State-of-the-Art Weld Shop

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REDMOND, Ore., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BASX (“BASX” or the “Company”), a leader in the manufacturing of high-efficiency data center cooling solutions, cleanroom systems, and custom HVAC systems, is proud to announce the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly completed 36,000-square-foot weld shop. The Redmond Chamber of Commerce performed the ribbon cutting on September 18th, 2024, at BASX headquarters.

The weld shop will create significant job opportunities in the Central Oregon region, with the capacity to fill an additional 30 welding positions. Positions range from entry-level to experienced roles, with professional opportunities in various growing departments within the Company.

“This new facility is a major investment not just in our company, but in the future of Central Oregon,” said Dave Benson, AAON VP and BASX President. “We can now deliver even higher levels of quality and efficiency while providing more job opportunities for the community. We’re proud to support local manufacturing growth and look forward to seeing the impact this expansion will have on both BASX and the region.”

The new shop marks a major expansion in the Company’s production capabilities, introducing state-of-the-art welding technology within a climate-controlled environment. Equipped with advanced air filtration systems, including an AAON make-up air unit and multiple air scrubbers, the shop ensures exceptional air quality for its workers. The space also features two 5-ton overhead cranes and six ½-ton cantilever jib cranes, allowing for efficient movement of materials across the facility.

A key highlight of the facility is its cutting-edge tube laser, capable of precision cutting and profiling round and square tubes, as well as C-channel and I-beam profiles up to 27 feet in length. Additionally, a 75-foot-long dual-zone robotic welding cell is scheduled to be installed and operational in early 2025, enabling the welding of large subassemblies up to 10 tons.

The shop’s innovative capabilities will support the Company’s growth and solidify its position for ongoing expansion. In addition to the 30 new welding jobs, BASX is actively hiring across various departments to support its continued success. To learn more about available positions and apply, visit the BASX careers page at www.basxsolutions.com/careers.

About BASX
Founded in 2014 in Central Oregon, BASX is an industry leader in the manufacturing of high-efficiency data center cooling solutions, cleanroom systems, custom HVAC systems, and modular solutions. Acquired by AAON in 2021, BASX continues to focus on quality, innovation, and state-of-the-art technology. The Company is proud to display the Made-in-America emblem on all its products. For more information, please visit www.basx.com.

Contact Information
Christina Lattanzio
Marketing Manager
(918) 508-9272
Email: Marketing@basx.com

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SOURCE AAON

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NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Crewmates Return

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko, will depart from the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft, and return to Earth.

Dyson, Chub, and Kononenko will undock from the orbiting laboratory’s Prichal module at 4:37 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 23, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 8 a.m. (5 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.

NASA’s live coverage of return and related activities will stream on NASA+ and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

A change of command ceremony also will stream on NASA platforms at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22. Kononenko will hand over station command to NASA astronaut Suni Williams for Expedition 72, which begins at the time of undocking.

Spanning 184 days in space, Dyson’s mission includes covering 2,944 orbits of the Earth and a journey of 78 million miles. The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft launched March 23, and arrived at the station March 25, with Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya were aboard the station for 12 days before returning home with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara on April 6.

Kononenko and Chub, who launched with O’Hara to the station on the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft last September, will return after 374 days in space and a trip of 158.6 million miles, spanning 5,984 orbits.

Dyson spent her fourth spaceflight aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, and departs with Kononenko, completing his fifth flight into space and accruing an all-time record 1,111 days in orbit, and Chub, who completed his first spaceflight.

After returning to Earth, the three crew members will fly on a helicopter from the landing site to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Dyson will board a NASA plane and return to Houston, while Kononenko and Chub will depart for a training base in Star City, Russia.

NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Sunday, Sept. 22
10:15 a.m. – Expedition 71/72 change of command ceremony begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

Monday, Sept. 23
12:45 a.m. – Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

1:05 a.m. – Hatch closing

4 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

4:37 a.m. – Undocking

6:45 a.m. – Coverage begins for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

7:05 a.m. – Deorbit burn

8 a.m. – Landing

For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge, and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of Artemis in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

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SOURCE NASA

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Global claims guidance leader EvolutionIQ joins as CALI’s inaugural Life Partner

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NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — US-based EvolutionIQ, a global leader in claims guidance technology, has signed on as the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI)’s first Life Partner as part of its corporate partner program.

The CALI Partner Program is designed to foster collaboration and create a connected ecosystem of industry experts.

CALI Life Partners share the industry’s mission to make life insurance accessible, understandable and trusted. They are companies that support Australian life insurers to help Australians and their families have peace of mind about their future so they can live in the most healthy, confident and secure way.

“We are pleased to welcome EvolutionIQ as CALI’s inaugural Life Partner. The CALI Partner Program plays an important role in connecting our members to the latest innovators, like EvolutionIQ, that can move their businesses forward,” said CALI CEO Christine Cupitt.

“We want to work closely with each of our partners to strengthen and support the life insurance industry to deliver better customer experiences for millions of Australians on their best and worst days.”

Headquartered in New York, EvolutionIQ has expanded significantly since 2019. Its clients include major insurance carriers such as Sun Life, Reliance Matrix and Principal Financial. Their AI-powered software makes insurance claims processes more personalised, fair and cost-effective so that more people can recover faster and return to work.

“We are committed to supporting the Australian life insurance ecosystem and being a CALI Life Partner enables us to specialise our products to meet the dynamic needs of the Australian markets,” said EvolutionIQ’s Co-CEO, Mike Saltzman.

“Our partnership with CALI means we can contribute to and shape customer experiences in Australia, and ultimately help more people return to health and a livelihood sooner.”

About EvolutionIQ
EvolutionIQ pioneered Claims Guidance in 2019. Its explainable AI guides insurance claims professionals to their highest potential impact claims, improving the claimant experience and delivering better claim outcomes to claimants, carriers and their customers. EvolutionIQ serves the group disability, individual disability and workers’ compensation markets worldwide. EvolutionIQ’s AI native products have been adopted by 70% of the top 15 U.S. disability carriers and a growing list of workers’ compensation carriers. The New York-based company employs 185 staff across the United States, Europe and Australia. For more information, visit evolutioniq.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

About CALI
We support Australians to make informed choices about their future and help them live in a healthy, confident and secure way over their lifetime.

Our members’ products and services give people peace of mind when making important decisions and provide a financial safety net during life’s biggest challenges.

We advocate for national policy settings that expand Australians’ access to the life insurance protection that suits them when they need it most.

CALI represents all life insurers and reinsurers in Australia. The Australian life insurance industry is today a $26.4billion industry, employing thousands of Australians and paying billions of dollars of benefits each year.

To view CALI’s corporate partners visit www.cali.org.au/about-us/#our-partners

For more information, visit www.cali.org.au

Media Contact
Jason Kapler
Vice President of Marketing
EvolutionIQ
(917) 740-5608
Press@evolutioniq.com

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/global-claims-guidance-leader-evolutioniq-joins-as-calis-inaugural-life-partner-302253427.html

SOURCE EvolutionIQ

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