Hello and welcome to the summer 2013 edition of New European Economy. As the world continues its relentless progress toward a future dominated by and organised around technology, this issue examines how technology is changing the way that small companies work. It also focuses on the world’s youngest billionaires, about half of whom got rich quick through technology in the form of such revolutionary trailblazers as Facebook. The other half of the young billionaires, I know you’ll want to know, are heirs to whopping great fortunes. Lucky them.

Hitting the headlines in a big way in recent months has been tax avoidance. The issue has made people sit up and pay attention because of sheer scale of aggressive avoidance being employed by a variety of household corporate names. It’s all completely legal, of course, enabled mainly by governments offering attractively low rates of corporation tax. We take a look at how it all works. On a not so legal note, we also shed light on the steps that G20 governments are taking to eliminate corruption in business. A World Bank report suggests that as much as $1 trillion is paid in bribes every year!

Here at the entirely corruption-free zone that is New European Economy, we like to point you toward good places to do business. Macedonia, for example, a country found at a crossroads of civilizations, is now also an up-and-coming hotspot for foreign direct investment. This is also true of Imatra in the southeastern corner of Finland, a region associated with growing prosperity and opportunities for economic cooperation with neighbour Russia. We also highlight the German state of Lower Saxony and its capital Hanover, a thriving hub of business and trade and former supplier of royalty to the UK.

As usual, we keep you up to date on the best cities in which to hold meetings and conferences. This time, we feature Amsterdam, Hamburg and Madrid, among others. We also identify some of the best MBA schools. Take, for example, Millsaps College, which is located on 100 beautiful acres in the heart of Mississippi’s capital Jackson. Millsaps College’s Else School of Management MBA program has been named a Global Super MBA program by CEO Magazine.

We also outline the numerous benefits of captive insurance. Over 500 years ago, ship owners in London met in Lloyd’s coffee shop to write down their names and the value of their cargos. These were the first documented private agreements to share risks associated with cargo. Now, the captive industry is the new kid on the block, but it is growing rapidly. Another sector that is beginning to gain momentum is biotechnology, which may be finally about to overcome prejudice in Europe.

Finally, it’s not all work and no play at New European Economy towers. We raise a glass to BrewDog, the fastest-growing food and drinks company in the UK, which is gaining momentum via powerful promotion of its craft beers and innovative financing strategies. Ideally, while enjoying a crafty brew, we’d like to kick back and rest our feet on one of FioreQ’s bespoke concrete tables. FioreQ uses this material to design timeless living-room furniture pieces in a range of finishes and colours. Check them out in this issue. That’s all for now, folks.