Films — Business

A new electric flight school in Sweden is inspiring a future of emission-free aviation. Monocle takes to the sky, tries out the first fully electric plane to be approved for use in Europe and hears how Skellefteå has become a hotbed of green start-ups. Read more in the June issue of the magazine. [Read more in the June issue of the magazine.](https://monocle.com/shop/product/2155569/issue-154/)

Airships, once tipped to be the future of flight, are now largely used as costly billboards that drift across cities or over major sporting events. We travelled to Friedrichshafen in Germany to take a peek inside one of the world's few commercial operations and explore this niche area of aviation. Read more on the story in the [November issue of Monocle magazine](https://monocle.com/shop/product/2049584/issue-148/). 

As the business world prepares to get moving again, here are 10 things that you might have missed about Thailand during the past 12 months. From its sunny disposition to its trade and innovation, quality of life and sustainable development, there’s much to look forward to on your next trip.

Five generations after Giovanni Gaja founded his eponymous winery in the Piedmont town of Barbaresco, the family continues to produce some of Italy’s best vintages. Their uncompromising commitment to quality is helping to maintain one of the world’s finest vintners.

We shine a spotlight on entrepreneurship in Armenia. Yerevan’s boulevards are lined with magnificent Soviet architecture but venture beyond the imperious façades and you’ll find a busy start-up scene and well-funded art centres. Armenia shows how a small nation can benefit from building strong ties to its powerful diaspora.

Long before environmentalism became a popular concern, Henrik Marstrand created Mater, a Danish furniture company that prides itself on timeless pieces with sustainability at the core. Marstrand’s entrepreneurial spirit and faith in the circular economy is changing perceptions of good design.

We land in the capital of Sichuan province in China for a tour of its delights, from spicy hotpot to leafy neighbourhoods.

Portugal’s second city is close to the country’s manufacturing heart and that’s why so many designers have made it their home. We meet some of the bright minds making a mark.

Greece’s second city is defiantly bouncing back from the economic crisis and welcoming an increasingly international crowd. We meet the brave residents who set up shop in the tough times and are now finding success – as well as offering reasons to be hopeful about the country’s future.

We hop aboard the M1 in Madrid to see how the nifty Wolta Rampini offers a helping hand to those who need it most: residents in the steep, historic borough of Lavapies.

Palma has kept its charm for young creatives despite its tourist-trodden streets. We meet the people keeping this city alive.

A trip to Iceland for a masterclass in sustainable living and a whizz around Audi’s electric car plant in Brussels leaves Monocle Films with a positive vision of the future.

The Netherlands is a world leader in the horticulture industry and shows no sign of wilting. We visit a delicately orchestrated flower auction, a grower and a florist to unpack the challenges of this fragrant business.

Producers and retailers of luxury goods are waking up to the power of affluent seniors. We travel to Japan to meet the brands that are wise to the trend.

Loved by their loyal passengers, Zürich’s trams are not only punctual but also contribute to the city’s identity. Hop on board as we introduce you to the fleet that makes the Swiss city tick.

Natives and newcomers to Gunsan in South Korea are creating quirky bars, art spaces and a bright future for this charming outpost.

In the latest episode of our 'Secret to...' series we talk to Jack Pattison, co-founder of Freddie Grubb, about the key elements that go into creating an outstanding bike shop.

This Italian city has a long tradition of typography – and the business still has a story to tell. Letterpress workshop-cum-store Lino’s & Co updates old machines with 3D-printed movable type.

We visit a monthly market in the unassuming Somerset town that’s proving an easy sell to locals, buoying local businesses and luring in punters from miles around.

Monocle Films partners Rosewood Hotels & Resorts to discover the secrets that London has to offer. Charlotte Rey shows us around the vibrant capital, taking us to her top spots and favourite haunts.

As the fitness business pulls in new and inventive players, how can cities encourage their citizens to live healthier lives?

Be it online or on the high street, the retail industry is changing fast. From mall developers to pop-up shop suppliers, we know that bricks-and-mortar help to keep your business vital.

When it comes to moving people effortlessly through and between cities, who is getting it right? And how do we make cities where mobility works for young and old alike?

The property sector is growing and it’s no longer business as usual. Will we see London reinvent flat rentals or Copenhagen up the quality of housing? The property market is ready for a shake-up.

From urban farming to robotics, we take a tour around the Brooklyn Navy Yard to see how this vast shipyard has rebuilt its industry and community once more.

Monocle Films has partnered with A. Lange & Söhne to uncover the mystery of how to create a sublime timepiece that will last for generations. We delve into the world of horology to see exactly how the masters do it.

For the 2017 edition we’re switching the format, pace and pitch. We’ll kick things off on Thursday evening with cocktails and then devote all of Friday to a fast-paced eight hours of discussions, one-on-ones and plenty of Q&A mic time (followed by dinner and some moves on the dance floor). Saturday will feature an architectural running tour and a refreshing dip, followed by a leisurely brunch and gallery tour. [Next stop: Madrid. Buy your ticket for the 2019 edition of the conference](https://conference.monocle.com/).

Indonesia’s bounteous resources make it the perfect place for entrepreneurs to set up camp. We meet four enterprising Jakarta residents, who tell us how they are taking advantage of the opportunities in this chaotic city.

We find out how the world of mobility is changing and what challenges lay ahead for car-sharing, single-pilot planes and slow travel.

Viberg boots have been transformed into a fashion favourite. Monocle Films meets the makers who have redesigned the workwear that has been made in Canada since the 1930s.

Division Street in Portland, Oregon has witnessed a model retail renaissance. Monocle Films meets the shopkeepers on this once sleepy stretch, which is now the centre of the city’s budding new retail scene.

Monocle Films heads to the leafy suburbs of southeast London, where entrepreneurs Peter Milne and Alex Beltran have given up their corporate jobs to set up a charming garden centre.

Monocle Films travels to Barcelona to meet 32-year-old entrepreneur Inés Miró-Sans, who is busy shaking up the hotel industry. We check in to Casa Bonay to find the key to its success. Want to hear more? Join Miró-Sans and a stellar line-up of speakers at the fifth Monocle Quality of Life Conference this June. [Buy your ticket](https://conference.monocle.com/).

Monocle Films meets a world-class ship builder that’s staying afloat despite being adrift in far-flung Tasmania. Incat’s prized vessels have set records for speed but it’s the island’s skilled workers that keep the company on an even keel.

From bus to bike to car, how we get around is changing and evolving in surprising ways. Who are the interesting innovators developing the networks of the future? Monocle Films set up a global mobility audit at the Monocle Quality of Life Conference in Vienna.

Regeneration on a human scale is at the heart of property developer Argent’s vision for London’s King’s Cross. Monocle Films explores the reality of its urban concept.

Australia is a country that knows how to shop and its canny citizens want more than the colourless clicks of an online spree. Melbourne’s Gertrude Street, once overlooked, is now one of the city’s most vibrant high streets and home to a mix of independent shops. Monocle Films meets six retailers who anchor the street.

Australia’s enterprising business community is known for spotting the best opportunities abroad – but Germany’s largest and most dynamic state, Bavaria, isn’t usually their first port of call. Invest in Bavaria set out to change this notion with Bytevaria, a lively panel discussion hosted by Monocle in Sydney. Monocle Films reports.

Just like craft breweries, small local distilleries are reinventing drinks that have fallen out of fashion. Monocle films visits three entrepreneurs who have uncorked the potential of the old spirit in London, Hamburg and the Finnish countryside.

A new generation of wine producers in South Tyrol has shifted the focus from quantity to quality, now successfully concentrating on what makes the tipple from this region so special. We visit Merano Wine Festival to meet the people behind this change in the Italian Alps.

Bavaria is Germany’s largest and most dynamic state, combining industrial might with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Here, we take a tour through the Bundesland’s cities, towns and rural villages and discover a region that offers both quality of life and unparalleled business opportunities.

In this edition of The Entrepreneur series, in partnership with Monocle, we meet with Barcelona-based entrepreneurs who are giving the city a boost: from successful family stalwarts to new upstarts shaking up the status quo.