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☆ How Europe's biggest tech campus is growing out of a Soviet-era sock factory
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementNow, he said, it's changing fast, driven by Lithuania's burgeoning tech startup scene. Tech Zity, an ambitious project a short walk from Cyber City, could help to turbocharge Lithuania's tech scene. Tech Zity is set to become Europe's biggest tech campus. Like Cyber City, Tech Zity is being developed on the site of a Soviet-era factory. Tech Zity, on the site of a Soviet-era sewing factory, is under construction, and it is set to become Europe's biggest tech campus.

Persons: —, Joshua Nelken, Marijus, Vinted, Briedis, that's, Valdas Benkuskas, it's, Kipras Krasauskas, Krasauskas, gesturing Organizations: Service, Vilnius Old Town, Business, Cyber, Nord Security, Nord Security's, Security's, Soviet Union, Vilnius, BI, Tech, Kilo Health Locations: Vilnius Old, Soviet, Lithuania, Vilnius, Silicon Valley, Baltics, Central, Eastern Europe, Lithuanian, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Cyber, Cyber City, European, City, Soviet Union

☆ Barcelona is banning Airbnbs. Other European cities have cracked down already — with some success.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-11 | by ( Eliza Relman | Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Many experts say short-term rentals, including Airbnbs, are part of the problem, restricting local housing supply and driving up prices. We took a look at three European hubs — Lisbon, Florence, and Amsterdam — that have imposed relatively strict regulations on short-term rentals. Cities have been worried about the impact of short-term rentals on housing costs for years. Instead of a blanket ban, Amsterdam caps the number of nights hosts can rent out their homes at 30 a year. In an increasingly tight housing market, the dominance of short-term rentals acts as an "amplifier," he said.

Persons: —, Airbnb, Lisbon's, João Pereira dos Santos, Pereira dos Santos, Gregory W, Fuller, Florence, Florence's, Dario Nardella, Antonello Romano, Romano Organizations: Service, Business, New York, School of Economics, Finance, Queen Mary University of London, University of Groningen, Wall Street, University of Pisa Locations: Barcelona, Barcelona's, Spanish, New York, Tokyo, Vancouver, London, Paris, — Lisbon, Florence, Amsterdam, Lisbon, New York City, EU, Portugal, Netherlands, Venice

☆ Europe is at risk of over-restricting AI and falling behind U.S. and China, Dutch prince says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Prince Constantijn is special envoy to Techleap, a Dutch startup accelerator. Patrick Van Katwijk | Getty ImagesAMSTERDAM — Europe is at risk of falling behind the U.S. and China on artificial intelligence as it focuses on regulating the technology, according to Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands. Prince Constantijn is the third and youngest son of former Dutch Queen Beatrix and the younger brother of reigning Dutch King Willem-Alexander. "We've seen this in the data space [with GDPR], we've seen this now in the platform space, and now with the AI space," Constantijn added. Plus, when it comes to developing applications that use AI, "Europe is definitely going to be competitive," Constantijn noted.

Persons: Prince Constantijn, Patrick Van Katwijk, Constantijn, Dutch Queen Beatrix, Dutch King Willem, Alexander, innovating, hasn't Organizations: Getty, CNBC, Union, EU, U.S, National Academies of Sciences Locations: Techleap, Dutch, AMSTERDAM, Europe, China, Netherlands, Amsterdam, U.S

☆ Fintech has hit a bottom after plunge in valuations and squeeze on funding, execs and VCs say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Executives and investors at the Money20/20 event in Amsterdam last week told CNBC that valuations have corrected from unsustainable highs from the industry's heyday in 2020 and 2021. Iana Dimitrova, CEO of embedded finance startup OpenPayd, told CNBC in an interview at the firm's booth that the market has "recalibrated." "Value is now ascribed to businesses that manage to prove there is a solid use case, solid business model," Dimitrova told CNBC. In 2021, global fintech funding reached an all-time peak of $238.9 billion, according to KPMG. Nanu added that the trend mimics the "craziness" fintech saw in terms of frothy valuations in 2020 and 2021.

Persons: Long, Dimitrova, Horacio Villalobos, Revolut, Prajit Nanu, fintech, Nanu, OpenPayd's Dimitrova, OpenPayd, Crypto, Andrea Pirlo, Fintech execs, they're, James Black, IVP, We've, Black, Charles McManus, Chris Ratcliffe Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, AMSTERDAM, CNBC, RAI, KPMG, Companies, U.S ., ClearBank, Global Summit Locations: Amsterdam, Lisbon, Portugal, fintech, Italian, stablecoins

☆ Goldman-backed Starling says no plans to pursue EU bank license, expansion to come from software
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The company sought to expand abroad by applying for an Irish banking license, which would have given the bank access to the European Union market. AMSTERDAM — Digital bank Starling will not re-apply for a European Union banking license and instead pursue international expansion through its software business, the incoming CEO said, in a diverging approach to overseas growth from some of its rivals. Raman Bhatia outlined the company's international expansion plans on Wednesday, in his first public remarks since his appointment as CEO in March, taking over from founder Anne Boden. Bhatia said that the company has no plans to re-apply for the EU banking license to push into new countries. Instead, international expansion will be driven by Engine, a software platform that Starling sells to other companies, so they can set up their own digital banks.

Persons: Raman Bhatia, Starling, Bhatia, Goldman Sachs, Anne Boden Organizations: OVO Energy Ltd, European Union, AMSTERDAM —, CNBC, Salt Bank, AMP Locations: AMSTERDAM, Thailand, Salt, Romania, Australia

☆ Far-right anti-Islam candidate clinches shock Dutch election win. Here's what comes next
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Dutch voters have gone to the polls today in one of the most tightly contested general elections in recent years. Next stepsForming a coalition in the 150-seat Dutch parliament is typically lengthy and difficult, even where the victor is not a political pariah. There is still no guarantee Wilders will become the new prime minister, even with his Freedom Party (PVV)'s 37 seats. On fiscal policy, Wilders' party has a "clear populist" bent, said Ester Barendregt, chief economist at Rabobank. Certainly one wish of Geert Wilders is to pay less to Europe.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Carl Court, shockwaves, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Sarah de Lange, Pieter Omtzigt's, de Lange, CNBC's, Ester Barendregt, Barendregt, Liza Mügge Organizations: Party for Freedom, Getty, European Union, Freedom Party, Department of Political Science, University of Amsterdam, Party, Rabobank Locations: SCHEVENINGEN, NETHERLANDS, Dutch, Scheveningen , Netherlands, Netherlands, Brussels, Ukraine, policymaking, U.S, China, Europe

☆ Six Ways to Enjoy Your Time in Amsterdam
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Noëlle De Leeuw | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And understandably so — you’re meandering along the canals one minute, mingling with a van Gogh the next. Looking for a little latitude in Amsterdam is far from impossible — it just takes a bit of strategy. Be your own captainThe best way to enjoy Amsterdam is, quite undeniably, from the water. All over the city, there are stations where you can rent small electric boats that suit the size of your group. Motor a little outside the city, to, say, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel — a small town on the Amstel River, about six miles south of Amsterdam — where it’s wonderfully serene.

Persons: you’re Organizations: Amsterdam Locations: Amsterdam, Amsterdam —

☆ A Lebanese Feast at a Traditional Dutch Canal House
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Ellie Pithers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Hospitality comes naturally to the Lebanese Dutch creative strategist Carmen Atiyah de Baets. While her professional background is in fashion, she has an instinct for organizing generous, family-style gatherings that she honed during trips to Beirut with her Lebanese mother. “Lebanon is a place of contrasts,” says Atiyah de Baets, who was raised in the Netherlands and has a degree in Middle Eastern studies from SOAS University of London. - Three Easy Summer Dishes: The French chef Yann Nury elevates classic seasonal recipes with fresh flavor combinations and a few luxurious additions. - A Lebanese Feast in Amsterdam: In a traditional Dutch canal house, a creative strategist organizes a dinner party to introduce a new collection inspired by her mother’s homeland.

Persons: Carmen Atiyah de, ”, Atiyah, Baets, Yann Nury, Atiyah de Baets, Gilles Khoury, Joris ter Meulen Swijtink, Carmen, Carmen Kitchen, Ter, —, John Organizations: SOAS University of London, “, Credit, London’s Locations: Lebanese Dutch, Beirut, “ Lebanon, Netherlands, Ibiza, Long, French, Amsterdam, Lebanon, London’s St

Artificial intelligence algorithms are increasingly being used in financial services — but they come with some serious risks around discrimination. And the problem of amplifying existing biases can be even more severe when it comes to banking and financial services. As for financial services, Manji said a lot of the backend data systems are fragmented in different languages and formats. "Individuals have little knowledge of how AI systems work and that their individual case may, in fact, be the tip of a systems-wide iceberg. Among the top worries industry insiders expressed are misinformation; racial and gender bias embedded in AI algorithms; and "hallucinations" generated by ChatGPT-like tools.

Persons: Nabil Manji, Manji, they've, we're, You've, Banks, Banking's, Rumman Chowdhury, Twitter's, Chowdhury, Angle Bush, Bush, Frost Li, Li, Niklas Guske, Guske, it's, Goldman Sachs, Kim Smouter, Smouter, ethicists Organizations: Photodisc, Getty, Deloitte, CNBC, Microsoft, Google, Black, Artificial Intelligence, Tokyo University, Apple, New York Department of Financial Services, European Network, United Nations Locations: AMSTERDAM, Worldpay, Amsterdam, Chicago, Loup, United

☆ Colorful Stories for Children, With the Darkest History as Backdrop
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Claire Moses | Elizabeth A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM — During World War II, a clutch of whimsical children’s books were published in the Netherlands under a pen name, El Pintor. One book shows children flying on the backs of sparrows. The books did more than entertain children during the grim days of war. Behind the pseudonym El Pintor was a Jewish couple, Galinka Ehrenfest and Jacob Kloot. They did so at great risk, said Linda Horn, who wrote a book published in the Netherlands about Ehrenfest’s life.

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