
Baku Energy Week 2025 showcases Azerbaijan's energy diplomacy, renewables and regional influence
Baku Energy Week, a key event in the global energy calendar, attracts over 2,000 delegates and 240 companies annually. Now in its 30th year, it highlights Azerbaijan's commitment to installing 6.5 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, representing over 35% of its energy grid.
The event also underscores Azerbaijan's strategic role in energy diplomacy, with pipelines linking the Caspian Sea to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor.
Discussions focus on balancing energy security, green transition, and geopolitical cooperation, reflecting Azerbaijan's evolving energy ambitions and partnerships with global players like Germany and Masdar.
Renault's share prices had dropped by 6.9% by early afternoon in Paris, while Kering was traded 9.6% higher, as Luca de Meo, the Italian CEO of Renault Group, suddenly resigned from his post on Sunday.
According to media reports, he will join the struggling Gucci-owner Kering as the global Luxury group's new CEO.
French carmaker Renault announced the departure of its CEO on Sunday evening, saying that Luca de Meo will stay on until 15 July 2025 and that the process to appoint a new Chief Executive Officer has already begun.
The Italian CEO has been in office for five years and saw Renault's share price nearly double under his watch as he oversaw a post-pandemic turnaround at Renault.
'For 5 years, Luca de Meo worked to put Renault Group back where it belongs. Under his leadership, our company has found a healthy base, it now has a magnificent range of products and has returned to growth,' said Chairman of the Board of Directors Jean-Dominique Senard.
Even though Kering has yet to confirm the appointment, hiring Luca de Meo fits the firm's efforts to transform the debt-laden luxury conglomerate.
The French fashion house, which owns brands including Gucci and Saint Laurent, has been struggling for years. The company has recently posted worse-than-expected results for the first quarter of the year. Sales of its flagship brand, Gucci, fell by 25%.
Kering has lost nearly 80% of its share price since 2021.
The 58-year-old Italian executive is going to be appointed as the CEO of Kering within the next few days, Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources.
Kering's current CEO and President, François-Henri Pinault, appears to have decided to separate the two roles, with him retaining the latter, in an attempt to reorganise the struggling brand.
Kering has not responded immediately to Euronews' request for comment.
As for the next CEO of the Renault Group, several names are circulating, including Denis Le Vot, Dacia's CEO and Maxime Picat, director at rival Stellantis. Renault have yet to confirm any names.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Local France
an hour ago
- Local France
France shuts Israeli weapons booths at Paris Air Show
The decision added drama to the major aerospace industry event, which was already under the shadow of last week's deadly crash of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Black walls were installed around the stands of five Israeli defence firms at the trade fair in Le Bourget, an airfield on the outskirts of Paris. The booths displayed "offensive weapons" that could be used in Gaza - in violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, a French government source told AFP. Advertisement The companies - Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics - make drones and guided bombs and missiles. An Israeli exhibitor wrote a message in yellow chalk on one of the walls, saying the hidden defence systems "are protecting the state of Israel these days. The French government, in the name of discrimination is trying to hide them from you!" French Prime Minister François Bayrou defended the decision during a Monday press conference at the air show. "The French government's position was very simple: no offensive weapons at the arms exposition," he said. "Defensive weapons were perfectly acceptable," he added. Bayrou cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza as the rationale behind the ban. "Given the situation in Gaza... which is extremely serious from a humanitarian and security point of view, France was keen to make it clear that offensive weapons should not be present at this exposition," Bayrou said. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was shocked by the "outrageous" closure of the pavilions and said the situation should be "immediately corrected". "Israeli companies have signed contracts with the organisers... it's like creating an Israeli ghetto," he said on French television channel LCI. The Israeli defence ministry said in a statement that the "outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations". Advertisement "The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition - weapons that compete with French industries," it said. "This is particularly striking given Israeli technologies' impressive and precise performance in Iran." Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on Friday, killing top commanders and scientists, prompting Tehran to hit back with a barrage of missiles. The presence of Israeli firms at Le Bourget, though smaller than in the past, was already a source of tension before the start of the Paris Air Show, because of the conflict in Gaza. A French court last week rejected a bid by NGOs to ban Israeli companies from Le Bourget over concerns about "international crimes". Advertisement Local lawmakers from the Seine-Saint-Denis department hosting the event were absent during Bayrou's visit to the opening of the air show in protest over the Israeli presence. "Never has the world been so disrupted and destabilised," Bayrou said earlier at a roundtable event, urging nations to tackle challenges "together, not against each other". The row over Israel cast a shadow over a trade fair that is usually dominated by displays of the aerospace industry's latest flying wonders, and big orders for plane makers Airbus and Boeing. Airbus announced an order of 30 single-aisle A320neo jets and 10 A350F freighters by Saudi aircraft leasing firm AviLease. The European manufacturer also said Riyadh Air was buying 25 long-range, wide-body A350-1000 jets. But Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg last week cancelled plans to attend the biennial event, to focus on the investigation of the Air India crash. "Our focus is on supporting our customers, rather than announcing orders at this air show," a Boeing spokeswoman told AFP on Monday. The London-bound Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing 241 passengers and crew and another 38 on the ground. One passenger survived.


Fashion Network
an hour ago
- Fashion Network
Casio launches its first automatic timepieces
Casio, the iconic Japanese brand founded in Tokyo in 1946 and renowned for its innovation across watches, calculators, cameras, musical instruments, and projectors, is entering a new chapter with the launch of its first automatic timepieces. The debut features five interpretations of the 'EFK-100' model, introduced under the brand's Edifice collection. 'There's no denying that automatic movements are attracting growing interest among Italian consumers—especially among traditional adult buyers, but increasingly among younger audiences as well,' said Alessandro Trucillo, head of the watch division at Casio Italy, in an interview with 'That shift is largely thanks to social media creators who've made this type of watch more accessible and engaging. Two out of every ten watches sold in Italy are Casio, so we already have a strong fan base. But we asked ourselves—why should those loyal customers have to turn to other brands when they decide to buy an automatic? That question drove the creation of this new collection and marks our entry into an entirely new segment.' The 'EFK-100' collection includes five unisex automatic models—true to Casio's inclusive identity. Two of them, the EFK-100CD and EFK-100XPB, feature forged carbon dials, created by blending carbon fiber with resin and compressing it under high temperature and pressure. The result is a one-of-a-kind surface texture for each watch. The lead models are built with solid stainless steel cases and bracelets, scratch-resistant sapphire glass, and water resistance up to 10 bar. The automatic movement offers a power reserve of approximately 41 hours and is housed in a screw-down transparent case back that reveals the mechanism inside. A deployant clasp completes the construction. 'The collection is made up of four plus one models, because the EFK-100XPB—with its all-black aesthetic and forged carbon case and dial paired with an ultra-soft urethane strap—will be distributed in limited quantities,' Trucillo added. 'Our aim is to widely distribute the stainless steel models, while keeping the more niche XPB model exclusive. Priced at €449 (compared to €279 for the others), we believe it speaks to a more passionate group of fans—those who specifically want a strap over a bracelet.' Rounding out the 'EFK-100' range are three automatic models in blue, green, and white. These dials recreate the visual texture of forged carbon using a refined electroforming technique. 'Casio has never been retail-focused—we've always leaned toward wholesale distribution,' Trucillo continued. 'We don't believe in restrictive, exclusive retailing. Our goal is for customers to be able to find our watches easily, even years after launch.' Nonetheless, Casio does operate a mono-brand store in Milan. Globally, there are around 20 flagship stores: two in France (including one in Paris' Marais district), one in Germany, one in the UK, one in SoHo, New York, five or six in Japan, and several others across Asia in cities like Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai. 'We're considering opening new mono-brand stores in Madrid and Hamburg,' added Giuseppe Brauner, president of Casio Italy—the first Italian to hold the role, following a series of Japanese presidents, including Minoru Takahashi, Kato Tomoo, and Yusuke Suzuki. 'The idea is to keep working through traditional retail—chains or independents—and treat our mono-brand stores as true flagships. For that reason, we only sell Casio's watch lines in these spaces. Offering calculators or musical instruments would dilute our message and confuse customers.' 'We've been planning this automatic timepiece project for several years,' Brauner continued. He began his watch industry career at Lorenz in 1995, where he also worked with Casio watches. 'Entering this category meant learning to manage an entirely different type of product. That involved setting up a new service network, rethinking quality control, and identifying reliable suppliers for both materials and movements. Even using carbon for the cases and dials was completely new for us—it required dedicated research and testing.' Casio Italy recorded revenue of €33.4 million in fiscal year 2024, up 11.9% from 2023. At the global level, the group reported revenue of €1.57 billion (¥261.76 billion), down 2.6% year-on-year. 'Europe has become increasingly important for us in recent years—it's now performing better than many other regions,' noted Brauner. 'Italy, France, Germany, and Spain are leading the way. As a regional bloc, Europe is now our top market, though Japan remains the leader as a single country.' The full 'EFK-100' collection will be available for purchase starting August 1, 2025, through a selection of authorized Casio Edifice retailers, on Casio's official e-shop, and at the G-Shock store in Milan.


Fashion Network
an hour ago
- Fashion Network
Vivatech: Innovations to remember from the 2025 edition
The Parisian innovation event Viva Technology has changed significantly since its launch in 2016. Robots, drones, and vehicles, once omnipresent, have gradually faded away, as have metaverses. This has paved the way for personalization solutions, soft mobility, and sustainable approaches, which provides an overview of. At the center of the show were the pavilions of French giants LVMH and L'Oréal Paris. The former, which presented its awards on Thursday, June 12, showcased its Machine Zero tool for detecting impurities in cashmere, as well as the Reflex Logistic augmented reality business management tool used by Dior. The Rigsters product digitization tool, developed by OKCC, was also on display, along with its bottle-decorating robotic arm. On the Bulgari side, the Dev4side product authentication tool was featured, alongside a virtual pinball machine and a Sephora vending machine. The L'Oréal pavilion was no less busy, where visitors could try a variety of services, such as the Noli personality diagnosis tool launched a year ago, a Hyperlook Studio providing make-up advice, La Roche-Posay 's dermatological suggestion device, and Lancôme 's "nano-surfacer". Beauty Genius enabled visitors to experiment with the creation of personalized campaigns using artificial intelligence (via AI from Adobe, Omi, or Google). However, Cosmo International was the most intriguing, with its process for capturing the real scent of flowers without the use of chemicals, as explained by Valentino 's Private Talk fragrance over the past year. Not far away, at the Meta stand (notably, Facebook and Instagram), the ambitions of metaverses invading both private and professional life have fizzled out. Yet, crowds kept flocking to try the camera glasses developed with Ray-Ban. There was another pair of eyeglasses that drew attention on the Elcyo stand. With a crystallized lens that analyze gaze trajectory, these glasses adjust sharpness in real-time. Engo offered augmented-reality eyewear for sports activities. Linné Paysage presented Bionocta, a light devoid of harmful blue waves, which won a gold medal at the Concours Lépine, created by the artistic directors of the Texworld trade shows. On the sound front, Skyted offered a headset that enables listeners to understand you almost in a whisper, even amidst a hubbub. Enough to interest major retailers. Likewise, the virtual showcase concept from AWS, courtesy of Amazon, allowed customers to virtually try on a look through projection on a glass screen. France's Holoprods offered screens that create the illusion of a hologram projected into the air, which can be interacted with. Fashion and beauty In clothing, Ashirase offered a directional guidance system integrated into shoes, operating through vibration, particularly designed for the visually impaired. In the same vein, Vibra's haptic feedback screens facilitate interaction with software. Even more intriguing was the Sensora headset, which measures in real-time the emotional impact of a product, campaign, or experience (visitors were offered macaroons, as an example). The Vrai tool can detect counterfeit goods, as demonstrated with two Lacoste polo shirts (one of which is fake). Optikan analyzes material structures, from wool to cardboard and wood. Still on materials, VivaTech was an opportunity to discover EFpolymer, a 100% organic, biodegradable polymer with superabsorbent properties. The same goes for United silk, whose process extends silk's applications to food and cosmetics packaging, and even medical tools. Italy's Damo presented its certification tool for the fashion industry. While Metown showcased its 3D product scanning tool, GenAI continued to broaden the possibilities of 3D printing. In beauty, Nocibé showcased its luminous brands and facial and skull helmets, while Evelab Insight explained its facial analysis device used by Shiseido, Body Shop, and Estée Lauder. Transport and logistics In logistics, Pony's sailing transport solutions were on display, while GBMS specialized in container security analysis. Appload acts as an intermediary between companies and shippers. Okular Logistics focused on heavy-duty corporate moves, while Optioryx optimized warehoused flows. DPD (La Poste) presented its rolling robot for deliveries, as well as a tricycle dedicated to fresh produce. Soft mobility was indeed present at every corner of the show. Besides Newt's futuristic autonomous minibus, bike carriers from Pelican, South Africa's Mellowvans, and Maillon Mobility were on offer. The Strasbourg-based company Karbikes provided a variation of this type of vehicle, while the ultra-low consumption U Live car garners attention.