The Bottom Line

Evan Davis hosts the business conversation show.

The next generation of mobile technology - 5G - will be rolled out from 2019. It will enable faster streaming on our mobile phones and tablets and speed up the 'internet of things', allowing thousands of computers to 'talk' to each other. The fifth generation mobile network also has applications that could be used in public safety and healthcare. But will the UK build the infrastructure - installing more fibre and small communications masts - to benefit from this new technology? Joining Evan Davis for the debate will be:Derek McManus, Chief Operating Officer at Telefonica UK, which owns O2. Professor Dimitra Simeonidu, Director of the Smart Lab at Bristol University and Kyle Brown, Head of Technology at Samsung Electronics.

As children few of us have had experience of running a business. But this week we'll be hearing from four teenage entrepreneurs who have been honing their business skills in one case, since the age of 6. Evan Davis hears their stories.GUESTSKate and Annie Madden, Co-founders, FenuHealthHenry Patterson, Founder and Director, Not Before Tea Rebecca Patterson, Not Before TeaAkshay Ruparelia, Founder and CEO, Doorsteps.co.uk.

Radio 4’s Bottom Line and Briefing Room will combine in a special hour-long programme examining the economic and political future of the EU once Britain has left. Evan Davis meets Jean-Claude Trichet – former president of the European Central Bank – and is joined by a panel of business leaders from across the EU. David Aaronovitch will look at the politics of the EU and its future direction. France’s President Macron has outlined a vision of a profoundly transformed and more unified EU. But do all the EU’s members support such a vision? And what might a more integrated bloc on its doorstep mean for Britain? Producers: Tim Mansel, Serena Tarling and Lesley McAlpine

The tech giant Apple has just spent five billion dollars building a campus in California's Silicon Valley. It's not alone in its architectural ambitions. The new Facebook HQ in London features trees, grass and plants. So what does a corporate headquarters tell us about a business? Is it an opportunity for a company to show off its wealth and attract the best talent or is it folly? Evan Davis and guests explore what the latest trends in corporate architecture reveal about our business leaders.Guests: Ken Shuttlewoth, founder of Make Architects Helen Berresford, head of interior design at Sheppard Robson Architects and Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum.

What is strategy and why do businesses need it? What distinguishes a good strategy from a bad one or a non-strategy? Not to be confused with goals or a company's ambition, strategy is a word that is often mis-used and misapplied. But in reality it can make the difference between success and failure - especially if it's adaptable to changes in the market. Evan Davis looks at where companies have got strategy right and where it's gone badly wrong.GUESTS:Michael Jacobides - Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at The London Business School.Jacqueline de Rojas, President of Tech UKAnn Cairns, President of International Markets, MasterCard.

Are 'ethical' businesses all they're cracked up to be? Evan Davis and guests discuss the newest type of certification in ethical business, the B Corp, and ask if it'll catch on. GUESTSKatie Hill, Executive Director, B Lab UKWendy Chapple, Associate Professor in Management and member of the Responsible and Sustainable Business Lab, Nottingham Business SchoolJean-Cristophe Laugee, Vice-President, Nature and Cycle Sustainability, Danone.

What has happened to Margaret Thatcher's dream of creating a nation of shareholders? Over the last decade there's been a big increase in the amount of foreign ownership. ONS figures show foreign investors now own over fifty per cent of shares listed on the stock exchange. Evan Davis and guests discuss why this has happened and whether it matters. GUESTSJohn Dawson, Founding Partner, StateraGillian Karran-Cumberlege, Founder, Fidelio PartnersGervais Williams, Fund Manager, Miton Group.

Evan Davis and guests discuss why some restaurant chains thrive and others fail. Why are so many chains closing down branches now? GUESTSPaul Campbell, Founder, Hill Capital Partners LLPAngela Hartnett, Chef and Owner of Murano, Café Murano and Merchants' TavernSarah Willingham, Entrepreneur and Investor.

Evan Davis and guests discuss the relationship between three important pillars of modern society: science, business and the consumer. Is the public right to be suspicious of business and the science it's selling? Why do some us fear GM foods, nanotechnology, AI and gene editing? GUESTSJackie Hunter, Chief Executive, Benevolent BioJustin King, Vice-Chairman and Head of Portfolio Businesses, Terra FirmaKriti Sharma, Vice-President of Artificial Intelligence, Sage.

Civil engineers would argue they are the unsung heroes of the railways, roads and bridges we all take for granted. But building major infrastructure projects is a complicated business. So how do you go about putting up a bridge? Are you limited by engineering or economics? Evan Davis tries to find the answer from three civil engineers. GUESTSMike Glover, Arup FellowLouise Hardy, Civil Engineer, Non-Executive Director Sirius Minerals and Ebbsfleet Development CorporationKaty Toms, Senior Engineer, WSP Engineering Consultancy.

In the final programme of the current series Evan Davis will be talking to Sir Terry Leahy, former Tesco CEO, in front of an invited audience at Sir Terry's old school, St. Edward's College, Liverpool.

Are you being served? Where do you shop - online, a department store or one of the large shopping centres around the country? Evan Davis looks at the competitive business of running a mixed retail outlet, or department store, and asks can they survive?GUESTSTony Brown, CEO, Beales Department StoresStacey Cartwright, CEO, Harvey Nichols,David Fischel, CEO, INTU Shopping Centres.

What makes the UK an attractive place for foreign companies to invest in? Britain has tended to enjoy high levels of inward investment thanks to its open economy. How might this change when the UK leaves the EU? Evan Davis and guests explore the topic. Joining Evan Davis are: Ian Robertson, Global Head of BMW sales and marketing Vera Wei, Chief Executive of Sloan Education David Landsman, Executive Director of Tata Limited.

In the UK we spend £4.5 billion a year on domestic pets. Where does the money go? Evan Davis and guests discuss the business of keeping pets. GUESTS Lynne Hill, Chief Executive of Linnaeus Group of veterinary practices Dean Richmond, Managing Director of retailing chain, Pets Corner Ashley Gray, Managing Director of Vetsure Pet Insurance.

This week the programme looks at the business of agents. What exactly do they do and are they adding value to their clients' careers? Evan Davis discusses their role with three agents from the worlds of show business, football and books. GUESTSProfessor Jonathan Shalit, Chairman, InterTalent Rights GroupAnna Davis, Literary Agent. Founder and Creator of Curtis Brown Creative Writing course. Curtis Brown GroupJames Featherstone, Founder and Owner, OmniSports Producer: Julie Ball.

What is the business case for having a diverse workforce? Evan Davis and guests debate whether a mix of talents in the workplace leads to better companies and translates into more profits. Joining the programme: Ruby McGregor-Smith, former Chief Executive of MITIE, and author of a government commissioned review: Race in the Workplace. Jane Farrell, group Chief Executive of Equality Works Scott Page, author of The Diversity Bonus.

What's behind the recent collapse of airlines such as Monarch, Alitalia and Air Berlin? Is it a case of supply outstripping demand or is there a larger crisis looming? Will Ryanair's cancellation of thousands of flights do the company permanent damage? What's really happening to Europe's airline industry? Evan Davis and guests discuss.GUESTSJohn Strickland, Aviation consultantPeter Duffy, Chief Commercial Officer, EasyJetAndRoger Flynn, Chairman, Loveholidays.com.

Is battery technology the key to decarbonising energy and reinventing transport? If so, can the current technology, Lithium-Ion batteries, evolve quickly enough to meet growing demand. If capacity is the problem, is Lithium-ion the answer and what are the alternatives? Can we expect to fly in battery powered aeroplanes in the near future? Join Evan Davis and his guests as they discuss the future of the power of batteries.GUESTSHuw Hampson-Jones, CEO Oxis EnergyCyrille Brisson, Vice-President, Eaton Chris Morrison, Head of Peaking Plant, Centrica.

There's no business like show business. Evans Davis and guests explore the success story that is UK theatre. From splashy musicals, and classic revivals to cutting edge new dramas the sector makes more than a billion pounds in ticket sales a year. But there's trouble on the horizon. Public subsidies for theatres are being cut back. Can corporate giving and donations from philanthropists continue to plug the shortfall? GuestsBrenna Hobson, National Theatre of Scotland Kate Varah, the Old Vic, London Rachel Tackley, Chichester Festival Theatre.