Cerebral peer who envisaged a looser kind of Europe

There are growing numbers of female entrepreneurs, but their companies tend to be smaller

Featuring groundbreaking initiatives by PwC, Veolia, GSK, M&S and NFU Mutual

Academics say political leadership is weak at a time of rapid influx

The ‘greening’ of buildings is becoming a commercial as well as an ethical imperative

London basement start-up is a hit with small businesses

International trade winner flies the flag and makes the case for backing onshore

An energy-efficient Costa ‘pod’ and smart guest rooms are among the contenders

Adjusting job descriptions has helped a pottery company keep mature workforce

Concern that visa changes will undermine a lucrative business

Start-up without premises offers happiness coach and lots of technology

At Work with the FT

Brian Groom came back to the region after 40 years. How did he find the reality behind the stereotypes?

Staff may rarely comply to standard models of risk and compliance

Teaching staff are discovering new ways to put their message across

Silicon Valley’s main advantage lies in support for scale-ups

Independent distilleries are growing faster than the overall market

Buoyed by a rise in tourism and increase in sales, producers are thriving and creating jobs

Plan carefully to avoid psychological strain of end to working life

Lasting companies preserve core values while stimulating innovation

Fat fingers, fraud and sometimes fists are common factors in corporate disaster

Synergy Health’s Richard Steeves on his company’s takeover. Plus winners in full