☝️ Repeated quarantine will not withstand

☝️ Favorable loans, but not available

☝️ Another step towards gender equality

☝️ Gamers as a separate target audience

☝️ Furniture from processed grain

Everything that happened last week in Ukraine and the world and that is relevant to the furniture maker, read in our digest:

1. 42% of respondents from small and micro businesses said they were not ready to resume strict quarantine. This is evidenced by a rapid survey of the European Business Association (EBA). And 29% of entrepreneurs say they are ready to worsen the situation, the other 29% doubt their reaction to the development of such a scenario.

“In the event of a second wave of coronavirus and, consequently, the state’s tightening of quarantine, most small businesses will have to close their business or reduce its scale, as well as seek help from the state,” the EBA said.

 

2. And the EBA, according to the survey, found that almost every fourth entrepreneur was denied participation in the program “Affordable Loans 5-7-9%”, such was 27%. Only 11% of respondents managed to get a loan, and 10% are still waiting for a decision on their application.

Another 25% only plan to apply for the program, 16% do not plan due to non-compliance with the criteria, and 11% – due to lack of interest.

At the same time, 89% of entrepreneurs applied to a state bank and only 11% – to commercial ones. Among the loans issued, small amounts predominate. In particular, 50% of private individuals managed to get up to UAH 500,000. loan, 20% – from UAH 500,000. up to one million, 17% – from one million to three and another 13% received a loan in excess of three million hryvnias.

 

3. The Government adopted a resolution on the accession of our country to the International Coalition for Equal Remuneration, which was based on the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in 2017.

According to international estimates, the Ukrainian state meets 7 of the 11 criteria for joining the Coalition. At the same time, this is an important step for the country, as it has set a course for European integration. There is now a need to consolidate the efforts of various structures aimed at closing the pay gap between women and men.

 

4. The world’s largest retail chain for the sale of home goods – the concern “IKEA” is engaged in the creation of affordable gaming furniture.

“About a quarter of the world’s population (2.5 billion) are gamers. But the needs of game fans have not yet been taken into account. In connection with the rapid growth of the gaming market around the world, we want to understand how interior items can improve the gaming process and life around it, “- said in a statement” IKEA “. To work on player furniture, IKEA has teamed up with Republic of Gamers, Asus’ gaming brand. Armchairs, tables and about 30 other products will be developed by joint efforts. The furniture will be created by the IKEA product development center in Shanghai. In October next year, affordable furniture for gamers will go on sale.

5. The design brand “Mater” presented at the Danish design festival “3 Days of Design” a stool Mask Stool, made from processed grain of the brewery “Carlsberg”. The technology was developed jointly with the Danish Institute of Technology and the University of Copenhagen: fiber-based materials are mixed with plastic waste. Grain residues from the Carlsberg beer production process (Danish) are used to create a seat: the moist fiber-based mass is dried and then combined with a plastic waste granulate to create a composite that serves as a material for furniture.