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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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Linker Vision Announces ESG Agent to Help Cities Plan More Sustainable Urban Environments

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October 19, 2026

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BERLIN, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Linker Vision announced a new ESG AI agent designed to help urban planners evaluate sustainability initiatives and make more informed decisions. By combining environmental predictions with AI reasoning, the agent assesses urban heat and shade coverage to guide tree planting and greenery management, supporting cities’ climate adaptation goals. 

Turning sustainability goals into practical decisions

Linker Vision is working with MVRDV, the Dutch architecture and urban design firm, to explore how AI can help cities assess potential interventions before making changes in the real world. MVRDV contributed scientific data, shaped the evaluation criteria the agent uses to assess planning options, and tested the ESG agent during development.

An initial application focuses on urban forests. Linker Vision is collaborating with MVRDV on a digital twin that supports predictions of urban heat island effects and shade coverage. In the pilot, the agent identifies heat hotspots, selects suitable tree species and simulates the results, projecting that shade coverage could rise from 15.7% to more than 50% within 15 years.

Building on this pilot, the approach allows a shared digital twin to support multiple planning needs, including climate adaptation and disaster resilience. Urban forest planning is available today, and going forward, the city digital twin is designed to serve as a common foundation that government agencies can build on for additional applications, such as analyzing pedestrian flows and preparing venues for major sporting events.

How it works

The workflow combines a digital twin built using 3D Gaussian Splatting with NVIDIA accelerated computing and AI technologies. NVIDIA Omniverse libraries and OpenUSD have been implemented to unify city, tree and environmental data into a single scene, while NVIDIA Nemotron reasoning models let users run planting scenarios and optimize shade through natural language. NVIDIA Metropolis Blueprint for video search and summarization (VSS) and Cosmos open world foundation model help interpret video and understand real-world conditions.

In practice, a planner asks the agent where new trees would best reduce street-level heat. The agent tests planting options and simulates shade and temperature over a 15-year timespan in minutes, and planners review the recommended plan before an urban heat hotspot project moves forward.

Designing for future generations

“Every decision about a city shapes how future generations will live,” said Paul Shieh, founder and CEO of Linker Vision. “By connecting real-world understanding with simulation and AI reasoning, we want to help cities explore what is possible and make better choices for people and the planet.”

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/linker-vision-announces-esg-agent-to-help-cities-plan-more-sustainable-urban-environments-302911111.html

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Global Startup EXPO and Nippon Startup Awards 2026: METI Showcases Japan’s Deep-tech Results

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October 19, 2026

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– GSE2026 Connects Global Venture Capitalists with Japanese Startups; Nippon Startup Awards 2026 Honors Startups Turning Innovation into Industry –

TOKYO, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — From September to October 2026, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (hereinafter “METI”) held the Global Startup EXPO 2026 (hereinafter “GSE2026”) and the Nippon Startup Awards 2026, highlighting the strength and growth of Japan’s startup ecosystem. GSE2026 brought together top-tier investors, visionary startups, corporations, and key ecosystem participants from Japan and around the globe. Separately, the Nippon Startup Awards 2026 recognized remarkable innovations demonstrating Japan’s growing capacity to transform breakthrough deep-tech into real-world industrial solutions.

Expo and Awards Logos:
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M109206/202610137787/_prw_PI1fl_JPI1sgRq.png 

Global Startup EXPO 2026 Recap

In Session: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M109206/202610137787/_prw_PI2fl_AyG90Gzn.png 

Held in Osaka from October 5 to 7, GSE2026 welcomed more than 10,000 visitors and featured over 50 conference sessions. The event served as a premier global hub, generating vital business matchmaking sessions and creating unparalleled opportunities for global investors and Japanese startups to explore strategic investments and collaborations. A major highlight of the event was the participation of prominent industry figures, including Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android. Their presence underscored the increasing global interest in Japan’s dynamic tech ecosystem. Building upon this remarkable success, METI is pleased to announce that the Global Startup EXPO is planned to be held again next year.

Nippon Startup Awards 2026 Overview

Group Photo: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M109206/202610137787/_prw_PI3fl_MNvb1svB.jpg 

In a separate initiative, the 2026 Nippon Startup Awards celebrated exceptional entrepreneurial achievements, recognizing 10 outstanding companies for their innovation and impact. This press release proudly highlights two exceptional winners whose pioneering technologies are actively addressing major industrial and societal challenges both in Japan and internationally.

– Mujin (Prime Minister’s Award): Mujin was recognized for becoming the first company to globally commercialize complex motion-planning technology, an ambitious feat considered practically impossible for 50 years. By successfully developing its proprietary MujinMI technology, the company enables the automation of complex logistics and manufacturing operations. This advancement offers a highly effective solution to pressing global labor shortages.

– Regional Fish (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award): Regional Fish was recognized for its pioneering use of genome-editing technology in aquaculture. Through its innovative approach, the company has shortened aquatic breeding cycles from approximately 30 years to just two or three years. This advancement contributes significantly to sustainable solutions for global food challenges and the revitalization of regional fisheries.

Further Information

To explore comprehensive insights from the recent global summit, please access the following link:
https://global-startup-expo.com/en/?utm_source=prwire&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=20260914&utm_content=en_url＿

For the full list of recognized companies, please visit: https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2026/09/20260925002.html 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-startup-expo-and-nippon-startup-awards-2026-meti-showcases-japans-deep-tech-results-302912264.html

SOURCE Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

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PingPong continues international growth, expands into Iberia through strategic partnership with Getnet

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October 19, 2026

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LONDON and MADRID, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PingPong , the intelligent payments infrastructure for global growth, today announces a strategic partnership with Getnet, the leading AI-payments company, part of Santander Group, to expand access to its financial infrastructure across Iberia.

The collaboration brings together two established payments businesses to deliver a stronger payment capability in the region and a simple, streamlined solution for global businesses looking to expand operations in Iberia.

Aaron Xu, General Manager, Europe and Americas at PingPong , said: “Iberia is one of Europe’s most valuable commerce markets, and the 750,000+ businesses in our network want to operate there on payment infrastructure they already trust. Our move into Iberia is the latest step in an ongoing global expansion, driven by rising customer demand and sustained investment in our international growth.”

Fabrice Mendez, Global Head of Partnerships at Getnet , said: “This partnership represents another important milestone in Getnet’s strategy to expand our open-market business across Europe while strengthening the connections between Iberia and one of the world’s fastest-growing commerce ecosystems. By combining PingPong’s strong presence across Asia with Getnet’s leadership in Europe and Latin America, we are creating new opportunities for international merchants to grow with a seamless and trusted payment experience.”

About PingPong

Founded in 2015, PingPong is a global cross-border B2B payments platform supporting over 750,000 businesses across more than 200 countries. The company annually processes over $300bn and holds 80+ financial licences worldwide. PingPong operates from 44 offices across 18 countries.

For more information, visit www.pingpongx.com.

About Santander Getnet

In 2025, Getnet processed over €238 billion across 10.5 billion transactions, serving 1.2 million clients. The company ranks as the largest acquirer in Latin America by purchase volume, and among the top 10 globally. Getnet operates across Brazil (as an e-commerce leader), Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, and Portugal.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pingpong-continues-international-growth-expands-into-iberia-through-strategic-partnership-with-getnet-302911506.html

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