Europe

China controls the solar energy supply chain. Europe wants to change it with a huge factory in Asturias

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If you had ever thought about how form a solar panel Your process is not easy. This puzzle that passes from a Fine wafer to photovoltaic He has all his framework. Asturias will begin to manufacture this small piece, which is essential for its operation. The heart of a panel. A Catalan company, Sunwafebacked by Innoenergy, are in the process of building the first large bullion factory and wafer for photovoltaic solar panels in Spain. To do this, he has obtained an aid of 199 million euros from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, aimed at supporting this installation in Gijón, As Efe has had access. The company has obtained both public and private financing to develop this project. In fact, he has received one of the largest subsidies in the State in Asturias, within the framework of the government’s renewal call, which allocated 297.3 million euros to key projects in renewable energy, According to the trade. The first piece of puzzle. In this puzzle that is the process of manufacturing the solar panel, the plant will focus on silicon purification, its foundry to form ingots, and the subsequent cut of these bullion in thin wafers. All this and then send it to other plants with which the photovoltaic will form. As for the objective of the initiative, Sunwafe seeks to produce 2.5 billion wafers per year by 2030, which will allow you According to the voice of Asturias. The most standardized material. Solar cells They have experienced A radical transformation in recent years. In all this time, the element that dominates the sector remains silicon, since they are The standard in industries. Along the same lines, there are A boom with Perovskitas panelsbut silicon tandem cells are still the most promising for its generalized use. Zero dependencies. Today, China is the undisputed leader of solar energy export, how demonstrates an Ember study. However, this new factory raises a change in the photovoltaic value chain, reducing the dependence of this supplier and others for Spain and, in turn, the European Union, the European Union, According to RTPA. At the moment, the European Union Continue depending In much of China for the manufacture of their renewable energies, but projects like this can open a new path. An impulse for Spain. Although the country managed to close last year with a fee of Total renewable generation of 63.9%the production of materials has not yet settled after the rise of Chinese production. In this way, this new factory will become the third EU factory that will produce silicon wafers, how They have reported in New Spain. This opening in Gijón is a good example of the shy reindustrialization that institutions are looking for. Image | Peellden and Pexels Xataka | While the Portuguese enjoyed sun eclipse, their electrical system had a really bad time

One of the most decisive campaigns of Christianity in Europe had a lost piece. It has been solved by a picture of the 16th century

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For centuries, the camp of Carlos v In the German city of Lauingen it was little more than a scene embodied in a team of the 16th century. Painted by Matthias Gerungshowed in detail the surrender of the city during the War in the Danube campaign. We knew that something important had happened there, but we had not found archaeological evidence that confirmed it and the painting could have been a free artistic interpretation. Until five tombs and a boot buckle caused the painting to become an radiography of the past. Danube campaign. In 1531, Protestant princes joined in the Esmalcalda League To fight the Catholicism that made its way in Europe Thanks to figures such as Carlos V. As usually happens, a religious war began, in this case to defend Protestantism against Catholicism in a war that consisted of bell battles when one of the two forces was considered superior, but also in strategic movements games when they felt at a disadvantage. The League had a huge army, but Carlos V managed to gather experienced soldiers and, above all, a lot of artillery. After a series of attacks and constant harassment, added to the fact that there were league troops that were not too close, it resulted in Carlos V to take control of southern Germany in 1546. He did not mark the end of the war, which would arrive a year later, but it was an important turning point. The picture. The Emperor’s main camp during the campaign was located in Lauingen, a town that surrendered in 1546 and inspired by the artist Matthias Gerung to paint in 1551 his ‘Heerlager Karls V. Bei Lauingen’, or ‘The Camp of Carlos V in Lauingen’. It is a historical piece, there is no doubt about that, but if you have not seen it so far it is understandable because paintings of this style there are many. Or not so many? Gerung embodied many details in the work that allow us to get an idea of ​​how the tents were used, as well as the weapons, armor and clothing. It was so rich that there were tiny details, as ornaments in the clothes or broches very well defined. Was it an artistic license or, was it hyperrealistic? Well, rather … the second. Coincides! The painting represents the moment in which the Lauingen Council surrenders to the emperor and is the heritage of that city. To be such an important place, no human or material remains had been found in the area, something strange that could suggest that Gerung … well, a license had been taken. However, in 2024 the situation took a turn when a group of archaeologists from Bayerisches Landesamt Für Denkmalpflege found five tombs of imperial soldiers in a place extremely similar to that represented in the painting. That changed everything. Apart from the remains, it is not that a lot of objects appear, simply some coins and the closure of a hook -shaped boot. “What has to do with the painting?” You will be wondering, because much: that closure coincides perfectly with some that can be seen in Gerung’s painting. The detail of the picture is surprising, everything must be said Coins. In a new one releasethe researchers of the BLFP They claim that the five deceased found were young men who had structural changes in the legs of the legs due, surely, to a large overload fruit of the long marches of the army. But objects are the true protagonists because, normally, in the tombs of this era there are neither coins or footwear remains. And, beyond that the closure of the boot coincides with the one that was represented in the painting, the really key is the dating of the currencies, which by their inscriptions aim to be from the 16th century. And all this represent the first clear dating sample of this era in the area. Eureka! “The antiquity of the coins suggests that burial Deputy Director of the Archaeological Conservation Department of Susabia de BLFP. The next steps of the archaeologists is to continue analyzing the remains found, but the most curious thing about this story is the painter’s excellent documentation to perform his work, since either he was in the place and stayed with all the details or was magnificently advised by someone who was in the camp. And it is, according to the coincidence found by archaeologists, an almost photographic representation of the camp that was touchstone in European history. Images | BLFD In Xataka | In 1061 two Galicians signed a legal agreement. More and more historians believe that it is really a gay wedding

In Europe the rearme quotes up and cars. And a Basque Components factory wants to take advantage of it

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When Europe announced the need of a “rearme”hardly someone could have guessed the sector that has seen in the proposal a formula to put the leg: the engine. First it was Germany Through the Almighty Rheinmetall, the largest defense contractor in the nation. Things are so quite well that it has set the car industry and its factories to continue producing armament without rest. Even Volkswagen is in the equation. Now the turn of Spain has reached. Industrial conversion. I told it This week five days. Before the structural stagnation of the European automobile sector, several Spanish component companies have begun to look towards the defense industry as a path of diversification (and survival). The first of these stops takes us to the Basque Country, where Teknia (Basque manufacturer of car components) has been one of the first actors to openly manifest Your interest in manufacturing pieces For military applications, in a context where, as we said, Europe is in full Rearme process motivated by Russian threat and Strategic distancing of the United States. The company argues that, while the automotive has been excluded from the group of strategic sectors in Europe, defense and aerospace They have received that recognitionwhich, added to the regulatory hardening and the fall in the demand for vehicles, forces to explore new opportunities for Keep facilities alive industrialists From the civil vehicle to the military. The newspaper explained something we already said weeks ago. The transition from the automotive sector to the military is, in many cases, technically and logistically viable. The reasoning is clear: the armies also use vehicles, and many of the technologies of forming, stamping or injection applicable in the automotive They can easily adapt to the production of military units, whether trucks, armored or mobile logistics systems. This logic is backed by cases such as Ivecocompany with two floors in Spain, which already has a division dedicated exclusively to the defense business. For the Spanish Government, the use of its large ecosystem of suppliers of automotive components appears as a Fast and efficient route to climb your productive capacity in military. Germany as an epicenter. And here we return to the beginning of everything. As we explain In mid -March, in Germany this industrial reconversion process is in a more advanced stage. Rheinmetall, one of the main European arms groups, has expressed interest in The plant that Volkswagen It has in Osnabrück, affected by a drastic restructuring. In 2024, the automobile group announced the Elimination of 35,000 jobs and one Reduction of its capacity Annual production in Germany, which will go from 734,000 vehicles to a substantially lower figure by 2030. Rheinmetalll in full. This setback in the German industry coincides with the stock market of Rheinmetall, whose actions are They have revalued 122.2% So far this year, promoted by the urgency of European rearmament before The Russian threat and Berlin’s commitment to increase your investment In defense. The paradox is revealing: the industrial wound of the heart from Europe could cater thanks to Geopolitical fear already one New arms race. Employment, production and integration. It is another leg that explains the movement. The defense industry not only represents an alternative of economic sustainability for automotive companies (now in Spain), but also offers a Multiplier effect in terms of employment and technological development. Explained in five days that an eloquent example is that of CMBDA European Onsorciospecialized in missile systems, which has significantly increased its workforce: it hired 2,600 people in 2024, reaching The 19,000 employeesand plans to add another 2,500 hiring in the current exercise. Despite its presence in many of the great European economies, MBDA still does not have plants in Spain, although its CEO seems to have made it clear that this could change, which underlines the country’s appeal in the new industrial map of the European defense. Structural transformation. Thus, what is at stake is not a simple business diversification, but something more similar to a structural transformation that could alter the nature of the European industry. The conversion of plants, the reuse of existing technical capacities and the reorientation of human resources could allow the countries of the European Union not only to strengthen their strategic autonomy in defense, but also keep alive industrial structures otherwise, they would run the risk of deteriorating with the decline of traditional automotive. No doubt, this evolution is not exempt from challenges, but offers a pragmatic response to the slowdown of a sector in crisis and the urgency of a continental reload. From the car to artillery. It is still an industrial paradigm. What in another context could have been a without exit crisis, it is currently emerging as a window of opportunity. At a time when European security is again in the Political agenda centereven with unusual ads collection for 72 hoursand when the economic model based on the private car It seems to lose pushthe reconversion of the automotive sector Towards defense It appears as a realistic, productive and politically viable solution. They said it in The five -day report Through the implicit words of the sector: it does not matter if the machinery manufactures a chassis for a sedan or a structure for a armored. Here the essential thing is that it continues to work. Thus, from the ashes of the engine, a new industry can flourish, although this time at the service of European sovereignty. Image | Tekniagroup, Rheinmetall Defense In Xataka | The “rearme” of Europe has begun in a Volkswagen factory in Germany: instead of cars they will produce tanks In Xataka | Europe before its time of truth: we have entered the era of “rearme” and the EU has a plan not to be behind

Europe needs an alternative to Starlink and Spain has just invests 14 million in its first piece: Sateliot

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The gigantic Starlink satellite constellation has left Europe at strategic disadvantageas the Ukraine War demonstrated since its inception. In the new geopolitical context of Rearme, and while the European space industry seeks to become independent from the United States, Spain has decided to take care of one of its key assets in the low terrestrial orbit. The news. The Spanish government has approved A strategic investment of 13.85 million euros in Sateliot, The Catalan 5G satellite company for the Internet of Things. The investment will leave the European funds Next Tech (of the recovery plan, transformation and resilience), managed by the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT). Although the State I already participated in Sateliot Through the Public Company Sepides (with 4.69% of the capital), this investment 10 times greater reinforces the position of Spain prior to the development of IRIS2, the future European Starlink. What is Sateliot. Founded in 2018 by Jaume Sanpera (CEO) and Marco Guadalupi (CTO), Sateliot operates a constellation nanosatellites which offer 5G connectivity for the Internet of things from the low terrestrial orbit. These cubesats operate 600 km altitude and can connect any IoT device compatible with the standard “Rela 17” NTN. Sateliot is not a broadband service such as Starlink, but points to a thousand millionaire business: eliminating areas without cellular coverage for agriculture (irrigation devices, fertilizers), livestock (animal geolocation), logistics (trucks and ships), industrial infrastructure and renewable energy. Small satellites, huge expectations. Sateliot has launched six small cubesat satellites in orbits of about 600 km altitude, but projects to expand its constellation 250 satellites in 2026 to offer almost global coverage. The company has signed commercial contracts with companies such as Telefónica or Amazon Web Services, with which it plans to invoice 270 million euros a year. His forecast is reach income of one billion euros Annual for 2030. Integrated with terrestrial networks. Satelliot technology takes advantage of the 5G standard so that the IoT devices of its customers can connect directly to the satellites without specific equipment. Your customers or those of the operatorsbecause technology is integrated directly into land networks so that devices have continuous connectivity in remote or rural areas without stable terrestrial coverage. In this way, farmers can optimize the use of water and fertilizers to reduce costs. and industries such as logistics will be able to have a real -time monitoring of containers and goods. The way to Iris2. Sateliot acts as Precursor and strategic complement of the future IRIS2 European system, planned for 2030 with a public and private investment of 10,000 million euros. Iris2 is the European response Starlink, a constellation of satellites in different orbits that will initially offer sovereign communications for the Member States and their NATO partners, and will be expanded with commercial services or agglutinating other existing ones, such as Oneweb of the French Eutelsat. The Spanish Hispasat is another of the companies that leads the effort. A compartmentalized Starlink. Sateliot and Oneweb are somehow pieces of the future European Starlink, but cannot compete on the Starlink is far from what the European industry can offer right now. While Sateliot as Oneweb deployed their satellites (hiring Falcon 9 rockets, among others), Spacex has built in just over a year its first direct-to-cell constellation with LTE connectivity for all types of customers. The system He began to deploy In January 2024 and It is already working in the United States In beta phase, integrated with T-Mobile. Europe is aware of this resource difference, and is putting its eggs in many baskets. Part of the Strategy 2040 of ESA It is to support the development of these constellations and achieve autonomy in access to space with new commercial rockets that aspire to be reuse. Image | Sateliot In Xataka | Spacex has launched 8,000 Starlink satellites in five years, but they are not enough. And we are beginning to understand why

A huge blue spiral appeared in the sky of Europe at 9 at night. It was the wake of a spacex rocket

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It is hard to believe, but the last night were not aliens either. If you were looking at the sky at 20:55, European central time, you could see a bright blue spiral illuminating the night. It was a Spacex rocket. A strange show. In United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland either Ukraine. From The clean skies of Sierra Nevadain Granada. Virtually all of Europe has managed to capture the spiral light that crossed the sky last night. They soon appeared photos on social networks. People asked what that strange phenomenon was. It is not a usual show, although it has already been seen in Hawaii, Alaska either Iceland. A Falcon 9 of Spacex. Neither a missile, nor a satellite, nor a galaxy about to swallow us. Nor a UFO. The object had a name and surname because it was a Falcon 9 rocket of Spacex by recentrating in the earth’s atmosphere. He had taken off from Cabo Cañaveral, east of the United States, two hours before. The Spy Nrol-69 satellite of the American National Recognition Office (NRO) had put in orbit. And he was returning to the earth to disintegrate in the atmosphere in a controlled way. What caused the spiral. Before a controlled reentry, the 13.8 -meter length rocket rotates to get rid of the fuel that is still in its deposits; A process called passivity. The low temperatures instantly froze the propellants released by the rocket, which added to the turn movement and the position of the sun caused the light show over Europe. The turn is what made it look like a spiral, and the sunlight was what illuminated the frozen wake. Nothing to do with the incident of Poland. In February, the second stage of a Falcon 9 rented without control over Europe. Several pieces of the rocket fell into populated areas of Poland, without causing damage (except the dismissal of the president of the Polish Space Agencyfor its management of the incident). In this case, and as is usually the case, the second stage of Falcon 9 successfully turned on its engine to fall controlled in the atmosphere, far from populated areas. They were the light conditions and the flight profile that made its wake visible in the European night sky, without further consequences than the scare of some European spectators. Images | Jay in Kyiv, High Calar Observatory In Xataka | Elon Musk has revealed the plan after Starship explosions: v3 earlier than expected, but with half a capacity

Oppo rearma in Europe based on AI, quality and durability to try to conquer a saturated market

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In recent years, Oppo has gone through a Restructuring stage in its global strategy. While in 2022 and 2023 the company had to leave several European markets due to different Legal disputes with Nokialittle by little he is returning with a renewed strategy to consolidate your presence in a market that over the years is increasingly competitive. Currently Oppo is the Fifth brand that sells more devices in China And, together with OnePlus, it is part of the conglomerate BBK Electronicsthat also controls brands as live and realme. Its expansion in Europe Not only does it seek to recover the land lost so farbut also position yourself solidly in the competitive segment of the mid -range with devices as interesting as the new OPPO RENE13 SERIES. As is We already did in 2023we have had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Billy Zhang, vice president of OPPPO and currently responsible for the brand outside China in addition to Neil Monger, director of OPPO product marketing for Europe, to understand how the company’s strategy is evolving and what role the new Oppo renov13 play throughout this process. OPPO’s strategy to continue growing in Europe Regarding what are Oppo’s intentions in our territory, Billy Zhang explained that the brand No specific market share objectives are set or income in Europe. “Our approach is to understand the market well and offer high quality products and services. The results will be a consequence of how good we can meet demand,” he said. The Oppo Reno13 is the great bet of the mid -range brand Currently, Oppo has made its presence in Europe one of the most important in the sector and is that, as in China, it is also the Fifth brand that sells more devices in the European market. During 2024 He managed to register a Growth of 13% and reach a total of 4.1 million devices soldso its dimensions are increasingly important within our territory. One of the keys to its strategy is being the investment in retail. The company has announced an investment of 500% in the coming years to strengthen its presence both in its own e-commerce and in marketplaces and Amazon seeking not only to improve distribution, but also to offer a more accessible purchase experience and close to the European consumer while reinforcing its presence in the largest possible number of means. “Our approach is to understand the market well and offer high quality products and services. The results will be a consequence of how good we can meet demand.” In addition, something that caught our attention is that Zhang said that “a product always has to meet the user’s needs as he expects”, but “he cannot sacrifice the profit margin just to enter a price war.” At this point, Oppo clearly seeks unmark the strategy of other Chinese brands They seek to offer as much as possible. Of phones folding to artificial intelligence, what has changed in OPPO? The smartphones market changes rapidly, there is no doubt about that. In 2022, Zhang said that “perhaps in five years we are very important in the global folding phone market. Maybe number one.” However, the panorama has changed since, although Oppo continues to bet on folding With models such as OPPO FIND N3now the artificial intelligence It is the central axis of its strategy because the market claims. According to Neil Monger, The AI ​​is among the three functions most demanded by userstogether with the camera and design, so they have had to adapt their strategy towards that direction. Monger says that his approach is to “optimize and make accessible the functions of the AI ​​that already exist to offer a durable and quality experience” and, obviously, that has made its Partnership With Google it is essential today. Oppo’s AI has become one of its basic pillars In addition, I also wanted to ask about the possible additional cost when using the service that could come in the future, and the answer was very clear: Oppo does not plan to monetize the functions of AI on its devicesalthough it does not rule out exploring business models around them. “As technology progresses, costs will be reduced and we will find the best time to evaluate new options.” According to Neil Mongger, the AI ​​is among the three functions most demanded by users, together with the camera and design Does this mean that the company will set aside other projects to give AI ABSOLUTE? It is evident that no. Folding models are still very present within the company’s catalog and even mid -range devices are also being very reinforced to get a greater presence in the market, so everything seems to be much more focused on meet your customers than anything else. What a difference from the reinde13 from the rest of the devices from their competition During this interview there was something that surprised me a lot and that, among the aspects most valued by European consumers when buying a phone, we met the Durability of devices. Oppo has responded to this demand improving the materials and the construction of the reindeer13, again, with the clear intention of listening to what your community and the market in general. The brand claims to have introduced “Aerospace grade aluminum frames, increasing flexion resistance by 20% and water resistance by 36%”, so that on that side it seems that we can be calm. In fact, During the presentation itself We were able to verify that the reinde13 equip specific camera modes for use equipment under waterso they have really taken it seriously. Another key point is software support. While marks like Google, Samsung and even honor They already offer up to seven years of updates in their high ranges, Oppo has extended its five -year support in the Reno13ensuring that devices will keep at least 80% of their original performance capacity during that period. The doubt that assaults us now both in Oppo and in many other brands is whether … Read more

1,300 flights affected by the closure of the largest airport in Europe

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“A fire in an electrical substation that supplies the airport.” It is the reason, as reported by the heatow airport authorities themselves On its website and in the official accounts of social networks as x. From the airport they recommend not to go to their facilities and get in touch with the airlines if you wanted to take a flight today to find a solution to it. Heidi Alexander, Minister of Transportation, has also asked travelers who do not go to the facilities: “I am receiving updates about the situation in development at Heathrow Airport. I am grateful for emergency services that are responding to the fire, and National Grid for working to restore energy from the airport and households. He urges passengers who do not travel to the airport and contact their airline” The airport is the largest in Europe. The last 2024 closed the year with a traveler record. In total it is estimated that they went through its facilities 83.9 million people. A figure far higher than that registered in 2019, the best year until then with 80.9 million travelers. According to BBCit is estimated that 1,351 flights can be canceled throughout the day. The consequences will be extended inside and outside our continent and has a special impact on our country. New York, Dubai, Doha and Los Angeles are the main journeys at the London airport. Dublin sneaks like the fourth city that has the most transfer with Heatrow and the sixth city and the second European is Madrid. From AENA They have already reported that 54 flights with origin or destination within our country will be affected today. Journeys that are distributed throughout the following cities: Madrid: 29 flights Barcelona: 19 flights Malaga: 2 flights South Tenerife: 2 flights Valencia: 2 flights The fire that affects the airport has had no implications exclusively in its facilities. According to BBC16,300 homes have also run out of electricity and 150 people have had to be evacuated. At the moment, the cuasas of the fire are unknown. All connections affected by the Heatrow Fire. Source: Flightradar24 A logistics challenge Sean Dilley, a journalist specialized in transport of the British media, points out that the fire has created a logistics challenge that will be extended throughout the world. Air traffic is calculated to the millimeter to always keep in mind how many flights are in the air and the capacity on land. Close the largest airport in Europe It forces the network to assume that challenge. He explains that Gatwick (also in London) will absorb the greatest amount of flights that can but that its capacity is almost at the limit. The same goes for Stansted and Luton. At the moment, in The Guardian They report that Stansted has not received requests to accept flights to Heatrow. A spokesman for it has indicated that: “London Stansted is currently operating normally, we have the capacity for a small number of deviations, but so far we have not received any request.” Another option that is being valued, according to Dilley, is to divert flights to Manchester and relocate passengers by train. And to distribute long -distance flights on the network, make them terrric in Schipol (Amsterdam) or Frankfurt that are also among the largest airports on the continent. In The Guardian They also focus on the problem of Fuel supply which can be generated in airports that accept the detour of some of the trips with original destination in Heatow. And to current delays and cancellations, we must add those that can be generated in the next few days until all flights have been made. Although the airport opened normally tomorrow, Saturday, March 22, the delays are expected to accumulate. Photo | Heatow Airport In Xataka | The failure that has demonstrated the fragility of airports around the world: Crowdstrike and a dramatic day in the middle of summer

Something is changing in Europe if the country that has been neutral will also check it: Switzerland

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In the world, Ironiza A few months ago the European geopolitics expert Ulrike Franke, there are few certainties. One is death. Another taxes. And the third, almost at the same level as the previous two, is the military neutrality of Switzerland. Your own government presume that it is “one of the foundations” of its foreign policy, a status recognized internationally since 1815 and that in practice prevents it from taking advantage of armed conflicts or joining military alliances, no matter how much powerful (and above all lucrative) Let it be your arms industry. In an increasingly complicated world, marked by the three years of war in Ukraine, the approach of the US and Russia and relationships more and more tense Between Brussels and Washington, this status of neutrality seems to soften. What happened? That although Swiss neutrality is part of the country’s DNA, it is recognized worldwide and has overwhelming support in Helvetic society (91% in 2024), Something is changing in the Alpina nation. It comes with a quick turn by Google to find items that They wonder For the future that Switzerland has if he maintains his equidistance, they talk about “Relanding” either “questioning” of neutrality or even report how Bern It has been involved in projects of Military Cariz. It is not so much The president of the country was pronounced on the issue, Viola Amherd. “It should be reviewed”. The clearest evidence was left by the Swiss federal council in August, when he published A series of “recommendations” in terms of security prepared by an expert commission. Among them there is a centered on the neutral role of Switzerland that generated a special interest. The reason? Your firmness. “The neutrality policy should be reviewed, focus more on its security function and apply with more flexibility,” starts The chapter. They are just that, recommendations embodied in a report, but it is revealing. “The majority of the commission recommends to better align neutrality policy with the United Nations Charter and take into account the distinction between aggressor and victim,” The document aboundswhich also advocates to review the federal law of 96 in the matter of defense and the approach to the Atlantic Alliance and the 27 community states. “Cooperation with NATO and EU must continue to deepen with a view to achieving a common defense capacity and be a real cooperation.” The importance of context. The recommendations are understood much better in context light, one that has evolved clearly since it was disclosed The reportin August 2024. The first key is the Ukraine War. After his beginning Bern He decided to join To European sanctions to Russia Bajo The argument that supporting purely economic punishments does not imply positioning itself in an armed conflict. That reasoning did not prevent, however, a few months later, in August 2022, Moscow stop considering To Switzerland a neutral country and even rejected a Berna offer to mediate in the war. Geopolitics … and market. There are other keys, such as the fact that Switzerland was incorporated into the United Nations In 2002 (with everything that implies), but among them there is an especially interesting. Switzerland may be a neutral country, but has companies that export hundreds of millions of euros in war material. And while in 2022 that business reached A record levelthe following year the flow He collapsed partly by the neutral status of the country, which Block re -export of weapons and ammunition manufactured in Switzerland to countries at war, such as Ukraine. “Raise the ban”. In Your report August is also dedicated to the arms policy in which it is advocated to “strengthen and adapt better to threats” the Swiss industry. “The majority wishes to lift the prohibition of re -export to the countries mentioned in Annex 2 of the ordinance of February 25, 1998 on war material,” the document collects. In said annex A twenty and a half of countries are cited from different regions, including Germany or Spain, which in 2023 assured that Bern “blocked” the re -export of military material to Ukraine to reinforce his defense. And Trump arrived. That was the context a few months ago. Since November one more factor is added: Donald Trump, than from his Arrival at the White House He has revolutionized international politics, especially in Europe. In the two scarce months that the Republican has been in office, he has threatened take out to the US from NATO, he has complained that the alliance “Take advantage” from Washington and has implied that Europe will not be able to count forever or unconditionally with the “Defensive umbrella” United States. Has that climate influenced in Bern? Financial Times (FT) published a few days ago An extensive analysis in which he argued that the new scenario is pushing Switzerland to establish closer defense ties. At stake also enters a new name, Martin Pfistera colonel who in a matter of days will become the new Swiss defense minister and has already been favorable to greater cooperation in defense with NATO and the EU. “Absolutely necessary”. As collect the newspaper British, Pfister has publicly assured that he sees “absolutely necessary” cooperation and joint training with NATO. And that even though Switzerland, precisely because of its historic neutral status, is not part of the Atlantic Alliance. Beyond his words, the Alpine country has made several interesting movements over the last months without altering its neutral status: He has decided to join to an EU project to facilitate military mobility, He has signed a statement to be part of the European sky shield initiative (ESSI) and the government even It has been proposed Relax the restrictions for the export of weapons. “I have never seen a scenario that reflects the situation we are in,” Jean-Marc Rickli commentsfrom the Geneva Security Policy Center to FT. “In transatlantic relations there have been ups and downs, but the possible detachment of the US with Europe, in addition to aligning with Russia … has generated a shock in Europe, including Switzerland.” … Read more

Hesai was an unknown Chinese giant in Europe. His alliance with Mercedes is about to change everything

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When we talk about large car manufacturers we can fall into the error of thinking about a vehicle as a whole that Renault, BMW, Citroën or any of the Chinese brands that intend to take a place in Europe. But nothing is further from reality. A car is the sum of many small parts. Specific parts of a combustion engine, braking systems, suspensions, seats … Many of those parts, so evident, are not manufactured or produced by large vehicle manufacturers. Bosch, Recaro or Brembo will sound, for example. In fact, Chinese manufacturers who are arriving in Europe or point to it, like Xiaomi, have not hesitated to associate (and show off this) with great more than recognized suppliers in the car market. In their presentations, Byd or Xiaomi have highlighted the role played by companies such as The aforementioned Brembo in the components that ride in their cars. It serves to gain credibility to the most skeptical. But when talking about another type of technology it is Europe that looks at China. Byd, for example, get great prices in its vehicles because It bases its production on verticalitymanufacturing their own batteries but also their own semiconductors or heat pumps. Among that “other type of technology” we can put Hesai. The Chinese company is the largest laser sensor producer. And now he has reached an agreement with Mercedes. From China to your Mercedes As vehicles have gained acting, they have also been growing in complexity. Although Tesla has made it clear that he wants to base all his autonomous driving functions or, as little, for driving in the use of software, at the moment it is still clear that cars armed with laser sensors and other radars are still safer and more effective. To achieve the best result, Mercedes has reached an agreement with Hesai, which triggers its possibilities to grow economically and reach new agreements with other companies explain in South China Morning Post. And it is that Hesai will supply radars lidar to the German company to map with better accuracy what their cars are around. In Reuters They explain that the decision has been weighed for months by the German company but, finally, costs have been imposed on any other value. Keep in mind that the sensors supplied by Hesai may not be used in Mercedes cars that are sold in the United States from 2029 if the intentions of Prohibit the sale of every car with Chinese pieces in the country. The use of Lidar sensors It is especially delicate in vehicles for several reasons. This component is always in operation, mapping everything around. It emits beams of light that bounce in an object and are received again by the vehicle. Next to the GPS positioning and the speed at which they advance, they create a three -dimensional map that takes advantage of thousands or millions of calculations per second. This has several implications that should be remembered. The use of this type of sensor allows a car to map with maximum exactly what it has around, something that they want to limit from the United States and China in the LUCK OF COLD WAR that both countries are freeing. In the United States they intend to Prohibit the sale of every car that uses Chinese software. In China, cars that want to use driving aid functions or Autonomous drivingwhich force the land to map, have to receive the approval of the government. A good that passes, evidently, to associate with a Chinese manufacturer. But, in addition, Lidar sensors are very expensive. The savings obtained in his commission to Hesai would have inclined the balance in favor of the Chinese company by Mercedes, they explain in Reuters. And it is that a vehicle can offer Semi -automated driving systems Without the use of these pieces but it is shown that, for the moment, The use of Lidar makes the difference. Although it may be more unknown in Europe, Hesai Group is a giant that is already present in 37% of vehicles that are assembled in the world, according to South China Morning Post. The company provides this type of giant sensors such as the Geely group (owner of Volvo or Polestar) and Li Auto, one of the great Chinese startups of recent years and employs more than 1,000 people, according to Electrek. But just as it happens to Chinese automotive themselves, Hesai is trying to open up to the rest of the world. With the local market already covered, they need to continue opening new trade agreements and that of Mercedes can be just the first, according to South China Morning Post. In the middle they point out that this agreement opens the door to multiply the current economic performance of the company by 14 times. Despite being present in almost four out of 10 vehicles that are sold worldwide (Only in February They already supplied pieces to 20 different brands and 120 models), the company gave brief benefits last year (14 million yuan, about 1.8 million euros in 2024) and He came out of losses of more than 241 million yuan (30.5 million euros) of the previous year. However, by 2025 they already expect net benefits of between 200 and 350 million yuan (between 25 and 44 million euros) achieved thanks to a scale production that supplies their products to about 15 million vehicles. That scale economy has allowed it Five years ago Each of them cost thousands of dollars. In view of a calculated expansion, the company, indicate in CNEVPOST Study to open its first floor to produce Lidar sensors outside China this year. Although it is not specified what places could be chosen, they do notice that they hope that the production of start in 2026. Photo | Hesai In Xataka | That Byd gives his autonomous driving is the first step: the real business will be to see a Madrid-Osasuna in the car

The most “walkable” cities in the world, gathered on a map with an overwhelming winner: Europe

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Little by little, Europe has been expelling the car. It’s something that goes beyond low emissions areas: It’s almost cultural. The cities of the continent were designed tailored to the pedestrians in which the cobbled streets and the squares were usual and, although they have given way to the roads, that pedestrianization is coming back. And show that pedestrian power is this map elaborated by Visual Capitalist in which we see the 20 most passable cities in the world on foot. Spoiler: The 20 are European. The map. The data to prepare the map have been extracted from the study ‘A universal frame for inclusive cities of 15 minutes‘and the graph of The Economist And it allows us to visualize the average time that someone living in a city of 500,000 inhabitants or more has to walk to reach some basic service. These services or comforts include places such as schools, restaurants, stores or hospitals and, although cities must be scored to choose an order, the truth is that the average time is very, very similar among them. Average time. Thus, of the 20 most pedestrian or more passable cities on foot in the world, the first would be Milan (with an ideal center to walk, everything is said) and the last one would be Oslo. Of course, as we can see in the table that we leave below, the difference between them is not a nonsense: Milan 6 minutes and 24 seconds Copenhagen 6 minutes and 36 seconds Turin 7 minutes and 6 seconds Dublin 7 minutes and 24 seconds Lyon 7 minutes and 24 seconds Munich 7 minutes and 30 seconds Paris 8 minutes Marseilles 8 minutes and 6 seconds Genoa 8 minutes and 6 seconds Edinburgh 8 minutes and 12 seconds Berlin 8 minutes and 12 seconds Vienna 8 minutes and 18 seconds St. Petersburg 8 minutes and 18 seconds Bilbao 8 minutes and 24 seconds Bordeaux 8 minutes and 30 seconds MINSK 8 minutes and 36 seconds Stuttgart 9 minutes and 6 seconds Lille 9 minutes and 6 seconds Barcelona 9 minutes and 12 seconds Oslo 9 minutes and 30 seconds Characteristics. The European advantage over other countries and the characteristics that make cities more friendly to pedestrians are diverse. On the one hand, these big cities usually have historical centers that have been pedestrianizing or that were already. There are many examples, but cities like Amsterdam or Paris, among many others, They have gained ground to the car In recent years with more pedestrian areas of both the center and the school streets. Another important factor is that many of them were founded before the arrival of the car, so they were designed to reach everywhere. That is why there is a greater proximity to essential services and there is a green infrastructure such as squares, gardens and parks that are also inciting, in addition, to walk. On the other hand, public transport is also very developed, reducing the dependence of the private car. Advantages. There are many, but we can encompass them in one: health. Walking more and taking less the car implies that air quality improves because there is less pollution. Noise is also reduced, although these two factors are something that the electric car has potential to change. Having a more active lifestyle, it has positive consequences on health and the cardiovascular system and is something that promotes community life. Projects. All this has led to the fact that, as we say, Europe is friendly with the pedestrian, there are cities that are rethinking their urban model. In Spain, there are cities like Logroño that They have gained space to the car. Pontevedra is Another curious casewith 80,000 vehicles in the center in the late 90s only 7,000 in 2018. The idea is to have “15 minutes cities”And, although in Spain we already live in them, there are projects for large cities to be even more friendly. An example is the Supermanzanas of Barcelonahe XPANDE project of Burgos to convert 23,000 square meters into pedestrian areas, the regeneration of Bilbao, Valencia either Sevilleamong other large and small throughout the territory. Out of Europe? And, in fact, it is something that has been encouraged at European level. He WALKING PANEUROPE PLANor European Walking Plan, was an initiative to promote that pedestrian mobility throughout Europe, driven by common policies and focused on improving health. Outside Europe, then … there is everything. To find the first most passable city on the list, you would have to go down to 28th place, where Kyoto is. And, within the top 50, there are other cities that are not European such as Taipei, Katmandú, Taichung or Tokyo, all in the lowest part of the list. USA, Cochista region. On the other side of the end is North America. The United States and Canada are countries that have developed cities in a completely opposite way to European: prioritizing the use of the private car. The first on the list is Vancouver in 53 position and it is something that will be difficult to change despite the projects individuals of each city. The reason is that it is something cultural due to the urban design of its large cities, where suburban areas are They expanded big before and after Second World War and where the highways They won the ground to the neighborhoods very quickly, destroying communities and that model of “cities of 15 minutes”. Cities like Houston or Los Angeles They could not sustain themselves without the car, in fact. In the end, it is curious as, at least in Europe, the cities of the future seem to look at the past to recover a healthier and closest urban model. In Xataka | High speed lanes for pedestrians, the solution for all those who hate the slow sidewalks

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