Europe

Maersk Line, the world's biggest container shipper, which accounts for approximately 15 percent of the globe’s total container shipping capacity, reported a $439 million profit for the second quarter of 2013, up from $227m million a year earlier.

The group as a whole, which includes oil drilling and other transport businesses, saw profits fall eleven percent to $856m, smaller than expected.

The move, designed to enhance integration and cohesion by using the name of an already globally recognised brand, will see EADS renamed Airbus Group and have three specific divisions; commercial aircraft, defence and space, and helicopters.

"The renaming simply gathers the entire company under the best brand we have, one that stands for internationalisation, innovation and integration - and also for some two-thirds of our revenues," said EADS chief executive Tom Enders. "It reinforces the message that 'we make things fly'."

Even since a group of families went about setting up a new dredging business in 1910, Royal Boskalis Westminster NV has built itself a commanding reputation for being a leading global maritime services company operating in the fields of dredging, inland infrastructure, towage, salvage and offshore energy.

Grindex was founded in 1940 by two Swedish engineers. Among its earliest products was a rock grinding machine: this established the firm in the mining and construction markets; however when co-founder Börje Kristensson was out selling the grinding machine, he came across a new product on the market, a submersible drainage pump. The problem with submersible pumps in the early 1960s was that they were heavy and could not run dry. Kristensson set about developing a lightweight pump that could run dry, thanks to a patented air valve.

Net income for the three months to June rose by 40 percent from a year ago to $1.2 billion. Much of this figure was derived from Credit Suisse’s investment bank which was buoyed by fee income and strong earnings by its equity market traders. The unit also earned sharply higher commissions by helping clients raise money from the markets through share and bond issues.

IMA stands for Innovative Mineral Analyzers and here is a company that does exactly what its name says. IMA is a technology front-runner in mining on-line analysis, and if that sounds dry, for mining companies concerned to occupy the critical space between metal prices and extraction costs material analysis can well be what decides viability. You can't plan based on what you don't know and IMA gives you the critical information often missing in mining; the value of the ore.

Being the world’s most successful networking company Cisco’s ubiquity is a given and it has been ‘present’ in Malta as throughout Europe and the Mediterranean area for decades through its channel partners. However its physical presence only dates from 2008, when an office was set up under its current manager Ruben Azzopardi, a man with a deep understanding of Cisco’s products and capabilities as a senior executive at one of its principal local customers.

The purchase of the airports and other assets from the Spanish firm Abertis will cost a total of 284 million euros. The move, which does still require the approval of minority shareholders and US regulators, will see ADC & HAS Airports Worldwide add to its portfolio, which includes interests in airports in Costa Rica and Ecuador.

The plans involve various tax breaks, including a proposal to cut the tax on some of the income generated from producing shale gas from 62 percent to 30 percent. The government claims that this would make the UK the most generous regime for shale gas in the world.

The current downstream director will take over the Anglo-Dutch energy giant on 1 January 2014, succeeding Peter Voser who will leave in March 2014 after spending 29 years with the company.

Mr Van Beurden joined the Royal Dutch Shell group of companies in 1983 and had held a number of technical and commercial roles in the upstream and downstream businesses. During his time with the group he has worked in the US, the Netherlands, Malaysia and the UK.