The world economy may remain in the doldrums, but not every economy is stagnant. With growth of nearly five per cent last year, Israel is one of the globe's most economically vibrant nations. So why is Israel doing so well when nearly everywhere else is struggling?

Balfour Beatty's Peter Zinkin is not a fan of the word "construction" - at least not when referring to the company he has worked in for more than three decades.

The planning and development director prefers to use the term "global infrastructure business." He explains: "We are not just a construction company.

As the threat of cyber attacks grow, IT security booms. The sector has seen exponential growth over recent years and according to International Data Corporation (IDC), global spending on IT security could reach $38 billion by 2014.

Stephen Marks last appeared in the JC in 1961. He was a schoolboy tennis champion who could barely afford to join his local tennis club.

Not many businessmen can claim to have attended a conference with Margaret Thatcher and spoken alongside US Republican Condoleezza Rice and Lord Stern, the influential climate-change expert. Metal expert Robert Voss can.

Mr Voss is the founder and managing director of metal traders, Voss International.

'We want to be world class," says Errol Damelin, talking about his high-profile start-up, Wonga. "And I don't mean bigger than Barclays. I mean like Facebook, Amazon and Apple."

Fantasy? Well, the smart-talking South African entrepreneur is certainly making a strong case.

Who would have thought it? Lego could be the key to improving global economies.

According to Israeli entrepreneur Amir Asor, the popular children's building brick is integral to training the next generation of engineers, who will in turn play an increasingly important role in solving some of the world's financial difficulties. So convinced is Mr Asor that he has set up a business based on it.

It is every venture capitalist's dream: invest in a young company and watch it grow on an unprecedented scale in a short space of time. And that is exactly what leading VC firm Greylock has managed to do - again and again.

It counts US-based Facebook, LinkedIn and Groupon among its successful investments.