Europe

Over ten million passengers made the 31 mile journey under the Channel between England and France, resulting in sales of more than €1 billion. This ultimately saw Eurotunnel register a net profit totalling €101 million, up from the €32 million it recorded in 2012.

The company has now set a €500 million earnings target for 2015 when it expects to pay tax on its profits for the first time.

Vale's Clydach Refinery, one of the largest in Europe, has become the first company in the UK and only the second in Europe over in the 25 years since the awards were inaugurated, to be awarded the prize, dubbed the "Nobel Prize of Manufacturing" by Business Week.

Rising sales and an increase in demand from China, seen by the Danish company as being a future core market, contributed towards the toymaker’s profits of 6.12 billion kroner ($1.12 billion).

The world’s second largest toymaker, behind Mattel, has been increasingly looking towards Asian markets as a way to boost future sales. "During the coming years the Lego Group expects to grow moderately ahead of the global toy market that is expected to grow low single digits," said Lego in its annual report.

Europe’s largest aerospace group saw net income rise by 21 percent in 2013 to €3.6 billion, while revenues rose five percent to €59.3 billion.

The past year witnessed the group delivering a record 626 planes, with Airbus expecting to deliver a similar number this year. Included in this will be an increasing number of its A320 jets, with production to expand to 46 planes a month from 42 by 2016.

The world’s second largest mining firm has reported a full year net income of $3.7 billion, reversing a $3 billion loss in 2012. As a result it is increasing its annual payout to shareholders by 15 percent to $1.92 per share.

"These strong results reflect the progress we are making to transform our business and demonstrate how we are fulfilling our commitments to improve performance, strengthen the balance sheet and deliver greater value for shareholders," Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh said in a statement.

Dr Cornelius’ new firm, Nebula Resources, has been awarded three licences in the Irish Sea, where he believes large volumes of offshore shale gas could be extracted. If the firm was to be successful in such a venture it would result in the first such project in the world.

The area covered by the Nebula licences stretches west from Blackpool into Morecambe Bay. Based on existing geological data, Dr Cornelius believes that up to 250 trillion cubic feet of gas may be in place here, while there is also the possibility of finding oil.

Since its formation in 2003, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has grown within the renewable energy, subsea telecoms and oil and gas sectors, expanding from providing personnel for offshore projects to taking on turnkey cable installation contracts. Indeed, OMM’s ability to adapt to ever changing market conditions has allowed it to flourish even in times of economic uncertainty.

Measuring approximately 1,850 kilometres in length and with a width varying between from 370 to 805 kilometres, the Scandinavian Peninsula is one of Europe’s largest. Covering Norway, Sweden and most of northern Finland, the Peninsula we see today has been shaped through history by the impact of various Ice Ages, events that have deepened its river valleys, created the famous fjords of Norway and left only a small percentage of the land arable.