Trump and Davos15Friends #2

Skating over Total Oil (Davos#7) and their Myanmar war crimes woes, to detail more of the #DavosTrump15Friends form article #1, a DFID fair last week in Birmingham - UK, not Alabama - highlighted MAG's excellent landmine clearance work from Laos and Cambodia - surely relevant in clearing the minefields of Egypt and Libya and Tunisia from WW2 by EU and USA, especially UK and Germany and Italy.

That regardless of the spur of a Morocco World Cup in 2026, or Desertec, and Neom activity to the North African and Arabian economies.

Prince MBS this week visiting USA after UK to detail his excellent Vision 2030 activity.

2018 is already for example the Year of Engineering with the Proud Sappers of the Royal Engineers active beyond Kent in reconstructing Sudan and placing it on the road to peace and prosperity.

Even the reconstruction of Libya is already overdue (Europe's Mediterranean shores in flames and thousands of drowned refugees a sorry indictment of 2017 as the Year of the Royal Navy and NATO all at sea).

The flattening of Iraq and Afghanistan suggests no Reconstruction Strategy at all even for Syria and Yemen once everything has been bombed to pieces.

The fragile peace in Sudan and Somalia highlighting the need for increased transport and trade to concrete in peace and prosperity across the Sahel.

UK's Johnny Appleseed strategy begun by Environment Minister Michael Gove wisely heeding Green Leader Caroloine Lucas MP's advice, with the new Northern Forest of milions of trees an essential windbreak to hedge against Climate Change and desertification and evaporation of topsoil. Another Dustbowl whether in USA or Africa fills no cereal bowls or empty bellies whether with Nestle (Davos#2) snacks and food supplements or not.

POTUS Trump might well from his Swiss Summit rework the POTUS Coolidge phrase that what's good for the Davos15 is good for USA - and UK. A Trump Tower or two surely ideal for NEOM too.

Along with the MeijiKent adjuncts: Panasonic plasma screens for example already feature in many an NHL or baseball game. And with my Sincerity Advertising hat on, the technology a kick-start to the media industry -megagroups such as Martin Sorrell's WPP faltering - in wafer-thin billboards as London Underground and rail stations are upgraded.

But Ramsgate this week glittering under a film of snow, as well as the star quality of Valerie Leon, former Bond girl (count 'em not one but two Bond movies) and Carry On glamourpuss.

The opening of the Ramsgate Film and Television Festival now a regular feature of the Cannes of Kent. Ramsgate host to Oscar-winning stars such as Brenda Blethyn and Timothy Spall and the EKFOS - East Kent Film Office and Studio - development.

All fitting for Kent as the home of Ian Fleming's James Bond - the Royal St Georges course at Sandwich for example the basis of the Goldfinger golf match, and the host of the 2020 Masters. Montego Bay in Jamaica and Goldeneye a home for 007 too if you insist.

A Munro Doctrine (another British flm icon, Caroline not James Monroe) a UK strategic interest in developing film and television productions with the UK film consulates of Los Angeles and San Diego. The latter a key feature in the comic conventions that now showcase many new movie and television and computer game ideas beyond just another Marvel blockbuster.

Chief Constable Pughsley of Kent Police is possibly reviewing the possibility of Bobby Bear merchandise from Lincolnshire Police - a road safety cartoon? But balking at making a Thai or Kent orchid, or a Hello Kitty handkerchief, as part of the official Kent Police uniform. Maybe just some Isaan silk socks to ward off his bunions. And his ususal dab of Johnson and Johnson talcum powder.

Isaan silk surely must be a feature of stores from Macys to Selfridges and designers such as Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney. Even Adidas sports shirts. The Palmer Harding new shirting brand already showcasing in Thailand Fashion week.

Volvo (Davos#4)perhaps not so keen on a Toshiba microwave in its next car but Khun Kobkarn, Toshiba Thailand CEO (rice cookers surely a key part of any UK kitchen these days along with the kettle and microwave?) active on sports science work and electronic wearables.

The latter relevant for a car dashboard interface with Volvo for road safety warnings on sleepy drivers and buckling up? And sports science foods a key facet of Nestle's healthy eating brands. While new Tourism Minister Khun Weerasak emphasising upcycling hopefully not just recycling but a Cycling Festival given Nestle (Davos#2) Vittel Tour de France sponsorship.

And Nestle no doubt keen on Volvo drivers having a break for a Kitkat, or other snacks while Siemens (Davos#1) tech recharges their car. Their new East Yorkshire factory should be humming with innovative new STEM tech for cars and rail and wind turbines.

As well as Virginia and the Carolinas.

UK and USA tourism with India a boost for all three nations. And the Commonwealth an ideal format for UK and India to help boost Brand USA tourist numbers - Hyderabad for example.

While Deloitte (Davos#8) and HSBC (Davos#9) wouldn't want to be cooped up in a back room slaving over a hot Excel spreadsheet or business plan, and no doubt keen to focus on strategic sponsorships too.

Anheuser-Busch (Davos#10) busy ramping up its Diageo-style Drinkaware work along with its Prohibition zero alcohol Budweiser (or is that Budvar?) beer clamouring for space on supermarket shelves. It's amusement parks business long divested but Busch Gardens and Seaworld water parks across USA similar to the Paramount theme park project in Kent - with Dreamland in Margate a key facet of the Munro Doctrine for London and Kent film and television.

The Paramount project minutes from the M25 around London and Bluewater Europe's largest shopping mall - even an hour or two from EuroDisney in Paris - is drifting more than it should. Perhaps Warner Bros and a Harry Potter focus and the House of Mouse is more relevant for UK with Anheuser-Busch guidance.

The Budweiser/Budvar issue a Jarndyce and Jarndyce legal case worthy of Kent's Charles Dickens as well as rhe One Essex Court fraud of Glick QC etc.

While SAP (Davos#11) working with ABB (Davos#5) - even Microsoft and Amazon - given the failings of the Crapita NHS database (Siri, why has it taken so many years for just 70M NHS records to be developed, and the UK DNA rollout delayed?) and cyber security needs could overhaul many of the UK's Big IT projects.

Smartmeters for example for all 25M UK homes are another project dragging along for over a decade that should be rocket-propelled on skis with some Davos Trump effort by the likes of SAP.

The apres-ski glow of the Winter Olympics surely an opportunity for Nokia (Davos#13 below) and increased UK-Finland activity.

As would the Arsenal of Democracy a key UK strategic focus in Sports Diplomacy through the power of football (soccer if you must). The World Series of Baseball may stretch all the way from Yankee stadium to Yonkers, but Great British Football is the only global sport.

The Coca Cola of sports if you will.

Although cricket fans from India to Jamaica and Australia to Bahamas might disagree.

Surely American sports need more of an effort in UK and Europe too? Why shouldn't ice hockey or basketball capitalise on their already strong showing in UK and Europe?

But how foolish if UK dropped the ball on reinforcing Great British Football as a strategic industry - in ASEAN for example. The Premier League teams - spearheaded by Arsenal with its sterling work on womens football and community projects - and National Football Museum in Manchester for all the league teams, as crucial as Shakespeare or James Bond in promoting British culture.

Bayer (Davos#12), with its aspirin heritage, must be ripe not just for a slot in the Johnson and Johnson Resilience Box (tense, nervous headache at being snowed in?) but also AMR research that will render every drug useless.

All 130 UK universities are in need of a strategic focus on killers such as AMR and Cancer and Diabetes and Dementia, as well as plugging into every USA university given UK and USA universities make up almost all the main global research projects.

So, why not a Bayer School of AMR Research in every UK and USA university? The HSBC (Davos#9) and Deloitte (Davos#8) number-crunchers aren't immune to AMR and could surely print up some innovation funds and write-downs with the Royal Mint?

And East Kent has gained a shot in the arm this week with its first new Medical School through the combined efforts of both Canterbury universities and all three NHS hospitals. A medical cluster waiting to be jolted into life with Pfizer/Discovery park research, training and manufacturing.

Pfizer the first Kent Big Apple USA adjunct to the Davos15?

The UK moving ahead on its 100 year ageing strategy - centenarians quadrupling in the last 30 years and a 65% increase in the last decade and over 500k over 90's - relevant for Bayer too. While Leprosy and Rabies and TB along with NTD, in contrast to the detailed research of EU Rare Diseases, simply require a manufacturing boost rather than research.

Those empty Detroit or Birmingham factories retooled for vaccines with ABB (Davos#5) and SAP (Davos#11) know-how before dementia wipes away their knowledge? And with learnings from Nestle's new triple-zero factories in Brazil?

Nokia (Davos#13) a giant of the European telecoms market must be all the more relevant for Volvo and Statoil (oops, Equinor - Davos#6) driverless cars in Scandinavia and beyond.

Surely an ideal ScandiLink with East Kent given Vattenfall (the Swedish state electricity company) work on UK's largest windfarm.

While Discovery Park Science Park ensuring BT, the UK state telecoms firm, and GPO post office, the NTT of UK, are busy in making East Kent one of the most digitally connected regions in UK.

Perfect for wifi and telecoms projects as per Nokia's excellent Smart City work with Chattanooga already a 10Gig City - IT rather than music in that instance.

And surely a template for more than one UK Smart City?

Tom Dodd the quietly capable new UK Ambassador to Finland is no doubt helping dig Putin's Russia out of the snowdrift of the horrific series of UK assassinations, and bringing the Finland station online with UK-Nokia work.

With Nokia comprising 4% of Finnish GDP, 21% of exports and 70% of the Helsinki Stock Exchange, POTUS Trump might want to translate Coolidge's phrase into Finnish that what's good for Nokia is good for Finland.

Finland might well be best-placed, just over the water from Deputy Mayor Putin's St Petersburg, to fulfil its usual role and begin to bridge the gap between Russia and the West.

And surely Finland would also want to diversity beyond its reliance on Nokia (and Ikea and Carlsberg?). Kone elevators (already in Trump Tower?) and Suunto sports watches (Adidas sponsorships and the next Winter Olympics with UK as a Sporting Superpower?) ideal for expanded Scandinavian growth?

(To be continued: TrumpDavos#3)

Time for Change
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