Business

A major cyber attack on Dutch telecom provider Odido has exposed the personal details of 6.2 million account holders. The company has secured its systems and is advising customers to remain alert for potential phishing attempts and fraudulent calls using the stolen information.

The direct rail link between Eindhoven and Düsseldorf has been delayed by at least four years due to infrastructure issues at Venlo station and a shortage of specialised trains. State Secretary Thierry Aartsen has called the delay a major setback for the Brainport region, as the vital economic connection is now not expected to be fully operational until 2030.

Philips has posted a 2025 profit of 897 million euros, driven by strong growth in the US and its personal health sector. CEO Roy Jakobs credited AI-led innovation for the turnaround, but the company’s new 1.5 billion euro savings plan indicates that further internal reorganisations are expected through 2028.

Former ASML CEO Peter Wennink warns that the current wave of job cuts at major Dutch companies is a sign of deeper changes to come. He suggests that rapid advances in AI and rising costs in essential sectors will force a total rethink of how the national workforce is used.

Picnic founders turned a logistical challenge into a €3.3 billion grocery empire. His talk at TU/e emphasized that while AI is a powerful tool, it is human grit, safety-conscious engineering, and a refusal to "think small" that truly scales a business.

The Van Eerd family has officially acquired full ownership of HEMA after receiving final regulatory approval for the deal. This move provides the iconic retail chain with a stable foundation as it prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary and pursue new growth strategies.

India is seeking new partnerships to lessen its dependence on China for key minerals used in energy, technology, and manufacturing. The country is holding talks with several nations and plans to expand existing agreements on lithium and rare earth metals. Its efforts mirror similar moves made recently by the US, the EU, and Japan.

Philips has returned to profit for the first time in four years, helped by cost savings and steady sales despite higher US import duties. The company is now focusing on further efficiency gains and greater use of AI in both internal processes and medical products. It expects North America to remain its strongest growth market in the coming year.