Business Daily

A new type of solar cell has been developed and has made it to market.Perovskites have been called a 'magic material' that many believe will be the new, efficient way to convert the sun's energy to electricity.Now the material is being used on commercial roof panels for the first time, we look at the opportunities of the new tech, its flaws, and when it might be available to households.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Rick Kelsey(Picture: Illustration of a modern perovskite high performance solar cell module for high efficient photon recycling. Credit: Getty Images)

The small country has big ambitions to become a tech and innovation hub. It has a reliable source of renewable energy, thanks to the Itaipu Dam - a huge hydroelectric dam on the Paraguay-Brazil border.We hear from government ministers and business leaders about how they believe they can make it happen - and the benefits it could bring, particularly to young people in Paraguay.Produced and presented by Jane Chambers(Image: The Itaipu Dam - a hydroelectric dam on the Paraguay-Brazi border. Credit: Getty Images)

In the final episode of our series, we've gather together a panel of experts who all have an interest in critical mineral mining.Demand for minerals like cobalt, lithium and copper is growing rapidly, as countries turn to green energy solutions. These minerals are used in EV batteries and wind turbines. So what does the future hold? How do countries approach China's dominance in both mining and processing, and what about the environmental and ethical concerns? Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Lexy O'Connor(Photo: Off-shore wind turbines in Denmark, located on Middelgrunden a few kilometres outside Copenhagen. Credit: Getty Images)

Rising demand for critical minerals to fuel the green energy transition means an expansion of mining around the world. New mines are opening, existing mines are being scaled up. In the fourth programme in our series, we find out about the impact of mineral mining on the planet and for those people both working in the mines and living nearby.We head to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where there are claims that child labour is being used in so called ‘artisanal' mines and there is little scrutiny of the supply chain. Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Lexy O'Connor(Image: Artisanal miners carry sacks of ore at a mine near Kolwezi in 2022. Credit: Getty Images)

China's headstart in market dominance is significant, and its grip on critical mineral supply chains remains tight. The question now is whether other governments can move fast enough — and smart enough — to build something more secure, more sustainable, and less dependent. We head to La Rochelle in western France for a rare look inside one of the world's biggest rare earth processing plants, and find out what it reveals about Europe's efforts to build a supply chain of its own.Presenter: Jonathan Josephs Producer: Matt Lines(Image: A rare earth processing plant in La Rochelle, France, owned by chemicals giant Solvay)

The country dominates the global processing of critical minerals - materials essential to clean energy, defence, and modern manufacturing. In the second part of our series on the global race to secure these resources, we explore how China built its control over the supply chain, from strategic state investment to partnerships abroad.We also head to Indonesia, where Chinese firms are leading the charge in nickel processing. Has one country gained too much power over the world's green transition?Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Lexy O'Connor(Image: Labourers work at the site of a rare earth metals mine at Nancheng county, Jiangxi province in 2010. Credit: Getty Images)

They're essential to the green transition, modern tech, and defence systems—and global demand is soaring. In the first part of our series on critical minerals, we ask what they are, where they're found and why they matter?As countries scramble to secure supplies, we explore the rising geopolitical tensions shaping this fast-growing industry—including the Oval Office standoff between Presidents Trump and Zelensky over a landmark minerals deal.Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Lexy O'Connor(Image: Hands holding rock samples of critical minerals)

It's been 10 years since Ireland made history by becoming the first country to legalise same-sex marriage through a public vote. While other countries had legalised it, it was the first time a referendum had been held. We hear from wedding planners, photographers and venues about how things have changed for them since the 2015 referendum. As the overall number of marriages in Ireland decreases, the number of same-sex marriages is still increasing. We hear from same-sex couples who are now seen as prospective clients for this sector.Produced and presented by Leanna Byrne(Image: Alan Hatton and Darren Lawlor)

Six months on, we head back to the Spanish city to hear from residents and businesses.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Ashish Sharma(Image: Floodwaters on the streets of Valencia, Spain, in October 2024. Homes, businesses, and public spaces were severely affected. Credit: Getty Images)

We're in Colombia where workers have been been shot at, threatened with violence and seen their work colleagues killed – all because of union membership or association. Why is this happening, what's being done about it, and what drives people to still sign up for trade union membership? If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Gideon Long (Image: Striking truck drivers in September 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

Nuclear power is back in favour, as more countries across the world consider ways to cut carbon emissions to combat climate change. Countries like China and Japan are planning to build more reactors, but should nations in Africa invest in renewable sources of generating electricity, like solar panels, wind turbines and geo-thermal power, instead of nuclear? We examine how energy generated from nuclear fission has huge advance costs which would mean African governments finding loans from willing investors, but that might cede more economic influence to China or Russia. We also hear how Amazon, Google and Microsoft are investing in nuclear power, using smaller modular reactors to run data storage centres in the United States, as demand for electricity is expected to surge when artificial intelligence is running at full capacity. Could the developing technology of SMRs prove useful in Africa?If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Russell Padmore(Picture: The Koeberg nuclear power station, Cape Town, South Africa. Credit: Getty Images)

Dozens of new nuclear power projects are planned across the world, amid efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels. But why build more reactors when renewable sources of generating electricity, like wind and solar might be cheaper?We explore why countries are turning - or returning - to nuclear fission, notably Japan, which dealt with a meltdown at its Fukushima plant in 2011. And we look at how Germany's decision to close all of its reactors has caused problems for the country's economy. We also learn how Amazon, Google and Microsoft are investing in nuclear power, with plans to use smaller modular reactors to run data storage centres in the United States, as demand for electricity is expected to surge when artificial intelligence is running at full capacity.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Russell Padmore(Pictures: A photo taken on November 6, 2024, shows the construction site of Units 7 and 8 of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang, China. Credit: Getty Images)

As Portugal heads into its third general election in four years, immigration is proving to be a key issue. The famously welcoming country is facing a backlash from residents who are experiencing rising living costs and a lack of housing. Now the country is tightening its immigration rules – so what could the economic impact be?If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Antonio Fernandes(Image: A Portuguese flag flying over the capital, Lisbon. Credit: Getty Images)

From extra bags to choosing a seat, airline passengers are faced with an array of extras, for a fee. And stricter limits for luggage in particular have turned 'compatible' suitcases and bags into big business. From bag manufacturers, racing to design the next travel bag innovation, to the travel influencers building audiences by sharing money-saving packing hacks. But what do passengers think about it all? Presenter: Sam GruetProducer: Megan Lawton(Image: A woman packing a suitcase. Credit: Getty Images)

The value of the US dollar has fallen in recent months. Currencies rise and fall all the time, but since US President Donald Trump announced a raft of tariffs in early April, the drops have been sharp and dramatic. The greenback, as the US dollar is known, has been the world's main reserve currency since the end of World War Two. But is this changing? Produced and presented by Ijeoma Ndukwe(Image: A hand holding US dollars. Credit: Getty Images)

The US president is flying in to Saudi Arabia for a high profile visit to the region. It's his first official foreign trip in office - apart from a brief visit to Rome. For Saudi Arabia, Trump's visit is about strengthening ties with their longest-standing Western ally - a relationship that grew strained during the Biden years.For President Trump, it is about landing investment deals that can be framed as a win for his economic agenda. So can both sides get what they want?Produced and presented by Sameer Hashmi(Image: President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pictured in 2019. Credit: Getty Images)

We're in the French winemaking region of Burgundy which last year sold 400 million dollars of wine to the United States. The US is the region's biggest export market, but could import tariffs put paid to that? On the other side of the Atlantic, you might think the winemakers of Oregon and California would be cracking open something special to celebrate. How is the prospect of American tariffs on European wine going down with the US competition? Presented and produced by John Laurenson(Picture: Vineyard worker, Élodie Bonet, in Burgundy, France.)

We're in Galicia, in Northern Spain, at the HQ of the global retailer Zara. It's a rare glimpse behind the scenes of how they create the clothes for a brand that's one of the most successful stories in fast fashion.But is Zara starting to lose its shine after posting slower sales growth at the start of this year? Mainstream rivals are trying to catch up and newer, online brands are disrupting the market. Presenter: Emma Simpson Producer: Danielle Codd(Picture: Inside one of the company's stores in South Korea. Credit: Inditex)

Mobile businesses - or businesses on four wheels - are growing in number. Seen as an affordable and flexible way to set up a venture, more of them are popping up all around the world and in all sorts of industries. We head to rural France, pioneer territory for van-trepreneurs where now, food trucks, mobile pet grooming services and even mobile cinemas are thriving. And we hear from guests in India and Kenya about how the trend has become global.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by John Laurenson(Picture: Alisson Zalazar in front of her beauty van in France.)

With tariffs of up to 145% on US imports from China, we take a look at how its playing out in the country. China's leaders are downplaying the potential impact of the trade war - we speak to Chinese exporters and economists to find out what's really happening and whether the country's economy is as resilient as senior officials are saying. The impact is already being felt in factories - so will the US or China blink first?Presenter: Will Bain Producer: Josh Martin(Image: Employees work on a production line of caps that will be exported to the US at a factory in Suqian, in eastern China's Jiangsu province on 7 April 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

Millions of people in the country are struggling to find affordable homes. We'll be looking at why rental costs have been rising so sharply. We hear from some of those affected, and find out why they have been taking to the streets to air their grievances. Plus – what are the solutions? Produced and presented by Guy Hedgecoe(Image: A woman is holding a placard saying "not for sale" in Spanish, as she takes part in a nationwide demonstration in favour of decent housing. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Málaga to protest against the housing crisis caused by rising rental prices, job insecurity, and mass tourism. Credit: Getty Images)

Raising a child is expensive - and in the US, families can pay more than their monthly rent to cover childcare and enable them to get back to work.We find out why costs in the US are so high compared to the rest of the world.We hear from parents who are struggling to make ends meet, and speak to providers who say they're operating in a difficult environment. Produced and presented by Monica Miller(Image: Children running through a daycare centre in the US. Credit: Getty Images)

Judy Faulkner started Epic in 1979 from a basement, with $70,000 in start-up money and two part-time assistants. Now, the company has grown to become a global provider of healthcare technology - with more than half of the US population's medical information stored on its platform. Judy shares how she built the company from the ground up, her insights on industry challenges, and the future of electronic medical records. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood(Image: Judy Faulkner speaking at the Forbes Health Care Summit in 2023. Credit: Getty Images)

Nearly a decade has passed since the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the Farc, the largest left-wing guerrilla group in Latin America. Thousands of Farc fighters came out of their jungle and mountain hideouts, handed in their weapons, and returned to civilian life. The state has helped them reintegrate into the workforce, find jobs, and start businesses, so how has that process gone? We talk to former members of the Farc who spent years in the guerrilla organisation and in jail, who are now doing jobs like beekeeping and selling beer. How have they found the transition? And we hear from a woman whose mother was kidnapped by the Farc, and who questions why the state is spending so much time and money on former members of a group that committed terrible atrocities. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Gideon Long(Picture: View of bottles of craft beer made by former Farc rebels. Credit: Getty Images)

What gift did you open for your birthday this year? Were you gifted any toys? Lots of adults were.In fact, figures suggest that adults buying toys for themselves is keeping the toy market alive, driving nearly a third of global sales. But what's behind shift? In this episode we meet the makers, the sellers and the buyers. Produced by: Megan Lawton Presented by: Sam Gruet(Image: A man playing with cars. Credit: Getty Images)

For thousands of years people have traded spices across continents, sharing recipes and wealth. But what could happen to the modern spice industry if costly barriers to free trade are imposed? As US President Donald Trump reaches 100 days in office, it is arguably his “reciprocal tariffs” that have caused the most upheaval in the US and global economies. We speak to three people working in the North American spice import and processing sector to see how it's impacting them. Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Hannah Bewley(Image: Imported spices and seasoning at Phuoc Loc Tho Super Oriental Market in Florida. Credit: Getty Images)

Even before there was talk of a trade war between the US and EU, Europe was on the economic backfoot. But it wasn't always the case. In 2008, the EU was the world's biggest economy - today, the US economy is $9.5 trillion bigger than the EUs. So what has happened?Presented and produced by Rob Young(Image: An employee fixes the seat to a Volkswagen AG Tiguan on the production line at the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company said in March 2025 that profits had fallen amid high costs and Chinese competition. Credit: Getty Images)

From filming 'day-in-the-life' videos, to capturing casual conversations in the office, some employees are no longer just working behind the scenes. They're stepping into the spotlight as the creative forces behind their company's social media content. More businesses are moving away from paying for traditional social media influencers to market their brands, to asking their own staff to do it. Meet the 'workfluencers'.This type of in-house marketing might serve as a useful recruitment tool, or help to humanise corporations while boosting engagement, but it carries risks for a business. And how honest can employees be in what they post? Should they be paid extra to do this sort of work? If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Deborah Weitzmann(Picture: Employees filming content for social media. Credit: Joe & the Juice)

Why are egg prices in the US so high? The price of a dozen eggs has risen dramatically this year, and in some stores, consumers face prices approaching the 10 dollar mark – five times the long-term average. Meanwhile, breakfasts are booming for US hospitality but restaurants are also raising their prices.In a country where the average citizen eats 280 eggs annually, is there an end in sight to the high cost of buying this household staple? Or is it time to look for an egg alternative?If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Matt Lines(Picture: Empty egg shelves and a sign limiting purchases to one carton per customer are seen at a grocery store in New York, United States on 16 April, 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

We're in Chile, where it's grape harvesting time and vineyard workers are busy cleaning their barrels to make way for new batches.The South American country has more than a thousand different varieties of grapes, but it's proving hard to reach a new generation of wine drinkers.It's not just young people drinking less. Around the world wine production is in decline. This is often due climate change causing extreme droughts which affects harvests.How do wine-producing countries like Chile respond - and keep the industry thriving?Presented and produced by Jane Chambers(Image: Friends having fun and relaxing together drinking red wine during a rooftop party in New York East Village. New York is one of the key markets for new-style Chilean wine. Credit: Getty Images)

Consumer goods as well as fuel and cocoa are all crossing Ghana's northern border illegally, and in large volumes. It's costing the government billions of dollars in lost revenues. Ed Butler looks at perhaps the biggest illegal trade - gold - Ghana's number one cash export. But even as the informal economy, unmonitored and untaxed, continues to grow, some are asking: isn't there also a specific economic solution to the problem? In the second of two programmes, based at the northern Ghanaian border with Burkina Faso, he finds out what some are suggesting could be done to change the criminals' incentives. Produced and presented by Ed Butler(Image: Illegal gold mining in northern Ghana)

Consumer goods, fuel, gold and cocoa are all crossing the border illegally - it's costing the government billions of dollars - so can it be stopped? Ed Butler travels to the northern Ghanaian border with Burkina Faso, and hears from cocoa smugglers who are operating in the region. Produced and presented by Ed Butler (Image: A livestock market in northern Ghana. Traders, including those pictured, told the BBC they believe some of the livestock is contraband)

Argentina, a country often associated with economic turbulence, is emerging as a frontrunner in agricultural biotechnology and home to a third of Latin America's start-ups. From shrimp shells to super crops, we explore how a blend of scientific talent, venture capital and cutting-edge research is starting to transform farming - one of the country's most important sectors. While Argentina is becoming a global player in this area, can this boom be sustained amid economic and political challenges in the country?If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Natalio Cosoy(Picture: Engineer Mario Nejamkin, and Claudia Casalongue, cofounder and scientific lead at agri-tech start-up Unibaio, standing in a potato field in Argentina. Credit: BBC)

The small country of Armenia in the South Caucasus has long been positioning itself as an emerging technology hub. Hundreds of tech start-ups with strong ties to the US market through the Armenian diaspora are now based there. From 2020 to 2022, investments in small Armenian tech companies reached $48 million. The industry has been partly fuelled by the arrival of hundreds of Russian IT specialists following the invasion of Ukraine.We hear how the government wants the IT sector to develop the economy, talk to tech start-up founders, and find out how tech education for children is being prioritised.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: Staff in the offices of Doctor Yan, a health care assistant app in Armenia. Credit: BBC)Presented and produced by Rayhan Demytrie

In India's villages, innovation is being born from necessity. From a fridge made of clay, to silk fashioned from lotus stems, to smart devices helping blind farmers manage their land, we meet the country's grassroots innovators.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Devina Gupta(Picture: A lotus flower. Credit: BBC)

We're in Helsinki where Europe's biggest campus for startup companies is being built. What role could it play as Finland strives to create the continent's most supportive environment for new businesses? We'll look at some of the challenges the country's facing as it competes for global investment and tech talent. And hear from Sweden - does it see Finland taking its start-up crown anytime soon?If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Maddy Savage(Picture: Turkish entrepreneur Lalin Keyvan, who's founded a startup in Finland. Credit: BBC)

Thousands of businesses have 'spun-out' from universities - so is this an opportunity for further growth? The model has seen great success in the US, leading to booming commercial ventures such as Dropbox, iRobot, and Boston Dynamics. And now the UK government has plans for further investment in spin-outs from Oxford and Cambridge. But what evidence exists that this approach can be as effective in other parts of the world? And as global economies strive for growth, will there be competition for talent and investment?If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Sam Fenwick(Image: Oxford University in the UK)

From noticing a gap in the market, to launching a start-up with her husband, CEO Julia Hartz tells us how she's built Eventbrite to become one of the biggest event ticketing platforms in the world, distributing 272 million tickets to more than 1.7 million global events in 2024. The online site enables users to buy tickets to all kinds of community gatherings; with almost one-million creators publishing get-togethers like, cooking classes, yoga sessions and cold-water plunging. Julia shares how the company has dealt with challenging economic climates, the scourge of surge pricing, and how it's adapting to new ways of bringing the world together offline. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Ed Butler Producer: Amber Mehmood(Picture: Julia Hartz. Credit: Getty Images)

Colombia has emerged as the world's second-biggest exporter of cut flowers, and the largest supplier to the United States. Local growers suffered a scare this year when US president Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs of 50% on imports from Colombia. The dispute was quickly resolved but, even so, the threat of tariffs remains. And the sector faces other challenges, particularly around sustainability. We visit a flower farm in Colombia and go to Bogota airport to see how the country exports this most delicate and perishable of goods. We also talk to an academic who says the industry is changing rapidly, with an emphasis on growing flowers locally rather than flying them around the world. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Gideon Long(Picture: A female employee handling roses at a flower farm, Flores de los Andes, near Bogotá, Colombia. Credit: BBC)

A shortage of workers is leading some retailers to forgo hiring altogether. The number of unmanned, or staff-less stores in South Korea has grown rapidly in recent years - from ice cream shops to bustling cafes and bars.We explore how these unmanned stores operate and if they can offer a solution to the country's demographic problems. Is this the answer for business to keep things running when there aren't enough people to work? Producer/presenter: David Cann(Image: An unmanned bar in Seoul, South Korea)

The country is facing a labour shortage following decades of low birth rate and depopulation.By the year 2032, it's estimated South Korea will need more than 890,000 additional workers to maintain the country's long term economic growth goal of 2%.But with 95% of the country's population identifying as ethnically Korean, the public opinion on immigration is mixed.In the second of our three-part series looking at South Korea's low birth rate and population decline, we ask if the immigration can fill the gap in labour, and what the challenges are.Produced and presented by David Cann.(Image: A worker from the Philippines holding a baby in South Korea. Credit: Getty Images)

South Korea has grappled with an unprecedented decline in birth rate over the past nine years.However the latest figures show a slight rise in the number of babies born. Although the number remains low, the news is being welcomed with cautious optimism. The increase follows years of pro-parent policies and heavy investment by the government and businesses.In the first of our three-part series looking at South Korea's low birth rate and population decline, we look into the efforts it took to achieve this turnaround, and find out how the number got so low in the first place.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by David Cann(Image: A mum and child in South Korea. Credit: Getty Images)