factory

The Catl battery factory in Aragon promised to generate thousands of work. At the moment, 2,000 Chinese will be left

by

1,847 Chinese workers. That is the estimated figure that, according to The Aragon newspaperwill arrive in Figueruelas to lift the battery production plant for electric cars that Catl and Stellantis signed months ago. Then it was sold that some 3,000 jobs would be created but, for the moment, almost 2,000 employees will come from the Asian country. The data. The first time that the subject was discussed Chain ser Last May. Then it was pointed out that Catl would arrive in Figueruelas (Aragon) with more than 2,200 workers from China who will raise the new battery factory for Stellantis “, in the words of Mayor Luis Bertol. The figure, as we see, has clarified until it closes in the aforementioned 1,847 workers. The town faces a challenge, since those almost 2,000 workers would fold the current census of inhabitants that In 2024 it was estimated at 1,240 neighbors. Obviously, the vast majority of factory workers that Stellantis has in the municipality live in nearby towns and, above all, in near Zaragoza since they are currently accounted for about 5,000 regular employees in the property of the car manufacturer. A promise. The new factory that Catl and Stellantis will raise in Figueruelas will be The largest battery producer of electric cars from our country, even ahead of Volkswagen’s in Sagunto. Then it was announced that it arrived with an investment of 4.1 billion euros under the arm. But it was also promised that it would create 3,000 direct jobs. The figure leaves the declaration of general interest (say) approved by the Government of Aragon to open the doors to the express processing of the aid, as collected in December 2024 in The Spanish. “The noise is in the media”. Since the news was known, the coming and going of the numbers on Chinese workers has raised some dust. It is not clear why CATL needs to bring almost 2,000 Chinese workers to raise their factory. Nor if that work could have been left in the close environment or if knowledge is missing for it. Similarly, it has also been put on the table how Figueruelas will face its population. Bertol pointed to The Aragon newspaper that “noise is more in the media than among our neighbors.” Explain that the idea is to start prefabricated housing near the factory facilities. And he shields that there was already a similar situation in the 80s when General Motors lifted the Opel plant (which now belongs to Stellantis) in the town. Is it legal? According to The Aragon newspaperChinese workers who will arrive in Figueruelas will not be only operators that aim to lift the factory. Intermediate controls are expected and, of course, high -ranking controls. To do this, Catl will apply the framework of the Unity Law of large companies and strategic groups (Law 14/2013) Born to promote the arrival of these macroprojects after the 2008 crisis. This law is included, for example, the streamlining of residence permits for highly qualified workers. Is Chinese labor needed? “At the start you need people who, getting out of the plane, know what to do in that factory later.” Thus defends Bertol, mayor of Figueruelas, the arrival of these workers in the city. “You don’t have to get your hands to the head for this matter, it is a logical and normal process,” he explains to The Aragon newspaper. “Catl brings battery technology, which is also the best in the world market, and brings its machines and ways of working.” Without these workers it would not be the factory in motion although, yes, it is not said how long they are expected to maintain their work in the Aragonese town or if formations will be established to local workers. Other cases. Although striking, the case of Figueruelas is not exceptional either. Catl’s landing in Germany was similarwith investments that came from the hand of Chinese workers who could train local workers but, above all, they did Full performance What was lifting. Byd has worked similarly on his arrival in Hungary. And it is something that works in the two West-Oriente directions. Following the tariff war that the United States opened with all the countries of the world, the debate of Why Apple did not make its iPhone in the United States. Beyond costs, there was a simple reason: there is a lack of people formed. Photo | Stellantis and Catl In Xataka | Nissan pointed to the electric car as a future plan. It will fire 9,000 employees and prove Toyota

IBM closed its factory in Valencia 30 years ago. Now he has returned with AI and technology talent formation under his arm

by

Thirty years after close your historic factory of electronic circuits in La Pobla de Vallbona, IBM has announced his return to Valencia with a renewed and strategic commitment. The technological multinational has created a “Digital Sales” center in the Innovation Incubator The terminal hubin the Navy of Valencia. The new IBM initiative in the city of Turia is raised as an “erasmus” for the acceleration of the New technological talent of the company in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Although the space allows to house 250 employees, the company will begin this new stage with the creation of one hundred new direct jobs for the implementation of an international training program for young professionals of the technological firm. The number of employees will increase in the future, but IBM has not advanced any concrete figure. The new IBM stage in Valencia IBM has decided to return to Valencia with a completely different vision from that of three decades ago. If its presence was linked to the manufacture of hardware, now the company is committed to advanced services and commercial management of technological solutions Based on artificial intelligencestorage, cloud services and automation. As its name affects, the new “Digital Sales” center will focus on promoting the skills of its employees of the Departments of Commercial Relations and Sales, integrating into the area of ​​influence of The Terminal Hub. Horacio Morell, president of IBM Spain, has indicated the importance of returning in an enclave full of incubators and innovation nurseries, consolidating the city as A pole of attraction For him International Technological Talent. “From these facilities, we will connect talent, technology and ecosystem to help companies accelerate the adoption of avant -garde solutions in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity and automation,” Morell stood out in the presentation of the project. An international “erasmus” of technological talent The great novelty of this center is its approach to the Talent formation and acceleration international. IBM has launched a program that selects young professionals in their countries of origin and Transfer to Valencia for a year of training Intensive in new technologies. During this period, participants not only receive theoretical training, but also actively work with real clients, acquiring practical experience and key commercial skills. According to Gabrielle Crisman, director of the center, “the objective is to train the new IBM sales executives that will offer customer and agile experiences promoted by technology.” “After that period, most will return to places of origin to develop their work,” Morell said. The mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, highlighted the importance of this program for Youth employment: “Young people need to find quality work and projects like this help us to achieve this goal,” collected The Spanish. In addition, the company has remarked that the center represents “an opportunity to newly titled young peopleprofessionals with experience in technology and digital sales experts who wish to develop their career in a global company, without leaving Valencia. “ IBM has bet again on Valencia for this strategic project for several reasons. Among the most outstanding factors are excellent living conditions and climate of the city as an incentive for the participants in the training program. On the other hand, from IBM the institutional support of the City Council stands out, the Chamber of Commerceuniversities and other business organizations. “The election of Valencia, by IBM, shows that Valencia has established itself as the technological hub par excellence in Europe,” declared to the The economist Mayor María José Catalá. In Xataka | IBM fired 8,000 workers to replace them with AI. What I did not expect was to hire many others … for the AI Image | The Terminal Hub, IBM

TSMC wants to build a chip factory in United Arab Emirates. Or convinces the US or your plan will fail

by

TSMC is evaluating the possibility of building an integrated avant -garde circuit manufacturing plant in United Arab Emirates. This Taiwanese company, The biggest chips manufacturer on the planethe has embarked on An ambitious expansion plan of its manufacturing infrastructure Beyond Taiwan’s borders to protect yourself from a possible armed conflict between China and its place of origin. It is currently building new semiconductor production plants in USA, Germany, Japan and Taiwanand this possible factory of Arab Emirates would contribute to cement its avant -garde plants network beyond the borders of the island from which it proceeds. However, the conversations that TSMC and the Emirati government are presumably holding They started many months agoin September 2024. TSMC and Arab Emirates win. It is not clear that the US also does At the end of September The Wall Street Journal and Reuterstwo media that have a proven credibility, revealed that several executives of TSMC and Samsung had moved to Arab Emirates to negotiate the possibility of building several manufacturing plants of integrated avant -garde circuits in this country of the Middle East. According to these two sources, the Emirati government is willing to take over the financing of these plants. And it is because Like Saudi ArabiaArab Emirates needs to diversify its economy in forecasting The very likely loss of relevance in the medium term of oil. And technology at the current situation It’s a safe bet. In addition, the growth potential of the semiconductor industry is overwhelming. We just need to look at the hardware market for artificial intelligence (AI) to observe it. In 2031 the Chips Market for IA will invoice more than 263,000 million dollars According to The AMR consultant (Allied Market Research) In 2031 the chips market for AI applications will have a turnover volume of More than 263,000 million dollars. It is a real barbarity, especially if we are in mind that in 2021 its business amounted to just over 11,000 million dollars. It is evident that at the current TSMC situation and Arab Emirates win. However, this project will not come to fruition if this Taiwanese company does not obtain the US approval. A good part of Photolithography teams and wafering processing that TSMC uses in its factories uses American origin technologies. And some of its production processes also They turn to patents held by the US. This agency is what gives the power to the government led by Donald Trump to support or prohibit the construction of one or several manufacturing plants of avant -garde chips not only in Arab Emirates, but also in any other country. Currently the relationship sustained by US administrations and Emirates is good, but this last nation also has a narrow link with China and Iran. If in the future the geopolitical situation causes Arab Emirates if it will move away from the US and approach these last two countries, the presence of one or more factories of avant -garde semiconductors that would not be under the control of the United States would represent a security problem for this last nation. The US government has allowed Nvidia to sell its GPU to its Emirati customers, and also that OpenAi is installed in this eastern country, but right now it seems unlikely that this TSMC project supports. Image | TSMC More information | Bloomberg In Xataka | Saudi Arabia is on the blacklist in the United States with China. You have a plan to get out of it and buy NVIDIA GPU

Elon Musk turned an abandoned US factory into the most powerful supercomputer in the world. Nobody thought of the neighbors

by

It would be said that Elon Musk has created A perfect circle Around what until recently it was an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Memphis. There has installed Colossusthe most monstrous supercomputer on the planet to boost AI to new limits and that it defines the future of cars (of Tesla). In order for the combo, it is complete to the richest type in the world, everything is in turn fed by the megabaterías of Tesla. A Win Win For Musk’s framework, although with a problem: the neighbors. A colossus … toxic. The story brought it This week the CNN. In the summer of 2024 Musk transformed an old abandoned factory in southwest Memphis into what he himself proclaimed as “the most powerful supercomputer on the planet.” The project, promoted by its artificial intelligence company XAIpromised to turn the city into a New Technological Mecca (The so -called “Delta Digital”) with Quality jobs and dozens of millions in taxes. However, for Botxtown residents, a mostly black and impoverished community that has lived with decades with Industrial pollutionXai’s arrival has meant a déjà vu environmental: A new source of pollution settled without clear permits, with an apparent contempt for public health. A computer that consumes. To feed “Colossus”, XAI installed 35 gas turbines capable of generating Up to 420 megawattsreleasing toxic gases Nitrogen oxidesultrafine and formaldehyde particles. The problem? Who did Without licenses of air required, welcomed to a legal exemption for temporary machinery, which according to experts does not correspond to it. The area already houses 17 polluting facilities, and various studies indicate that the risk of cancer in the area quadrupple acceptable levels For the EPA. Memphis also has the higher rates of children’s hospitalizations by asthma in all Tennessee. Realities. While the mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, celebrated the transformative potential of the project and anticipated more technological investment, local leaders such as state representative Justin Pearson They have denounced have been excluded from the process. The lack of transparency adds to an obvious regulatory collapse: an installation with the power of an electric plant operating without permits in the middle of a residential neighborhood. To this we must add the most recent thermal snapshots (image below) that indicate that at least 33 of the turbines They were operational in April. Following the controversy, XAI finally requested permission for 15 of them and withdrew 12, but, as CNN counteddamage to trust is made. Promises Project defenders say that “leading standards in emissions” will be achieved, but residents see the employer repeat: Employment promises well paid that do not specify (because the reality is that the data centers use very few), while the environmental load falls on those who have less resources to defend themselves. Plus: The story of Botxtown It is not new. Already in 2021, its inhabitants achieved stop a pipeline that would cross their lands, and in 2023 they closed A sterilization plant that emitted ethylene oxide. For them, therefore, XAI is simply the last chapter of a long struggle for the right … to breathe. Innovation or regression. It is the last of the legs to be treated with the controversy. XAI installation reflects a broader national dilemma than We have counted before on the rise of artificial intelligence and its real cost. Amid the enthusiasm for turning the United States into the “Global Capital of AI” (according to New EPA Guidelines Under the government of Donald Trump), the expansion of data centers Devoradors of energy advances without a serious evaluation of its environmental implicationsespecially in vulnerable communities. The unconditional support of the Executive to Musk, one of Trump’s closest advisors, coincided with the Weakening of environmental policiesthe elimination of ecological justice programs and a rhetoric that prioritizes economic efficiency over human health. The first “stone.” The contradiction seems clear: IA is promoted as the future, but it is fed with fossil technologies of the past, generating private benefits while the risks and damage are socialized. “If innovation chains you to fossil fuels, that’s not progress,” Keshaun Pearson remembereddirector of Memphis Community Against Pollution. Thus, residents fear that what happens in Memphis is just a general essay of what could soon be replicated in similar neighborhoods throughout the country. A tireless struggle. He counted An NBC report That in Botxtown, indignation coexists with fatigue. Many, such as Sarah Gladney (respiratory and resident patient to a few km from the installation), feel they live in a perpetual battle. The possibility of a second meginstalization of XAI, already projected in the city, only increases the sensation of siege. “It seems that we are always at war,” He underlined. A paradox, since while local officials speak of economic transformation, neighbors simply speak of survival. In the background, the collision between the promises of peak technology and the old reality of systemic pollution raises an uncomfortable question: Who pays the price of this digital revolution? In the southwest Memphis, the answer seems sadly clear. Image | Southwings for the Southern Environmental Law Center In Xataka | Musk has created the perfect circle: Tesla’s megabers feed the AI ​​that will define their next cars In Xataka | Some researchers have disassembled the batteries of Tesla and Byd. You know which one yields better and is much cheaper

Byd set out to win the electric car race. And then a TSMC factory went on sale

by

Build your dreams. That is the message after the acronym for Byd (“Build Your Dreams”, in English), the electric car manufacturer that is becoming absolute leader of the market. Only in 2024 he distributed 4.27 million electric cars and plug -in hybrids, 2.5 times more than Tesla (1.7 million). Its market domain is currently imperial. It is remarkable that unlike other electric car manufacturers, ByD is responsible for manufacturing practically all the critical components of those vehicles. Not only batteries, but electric motors, chassis and, attention, semiconductors used in such vehicles. It does it through semiconductor byd, which As Nomad Semi points out It is one of its most important divisions after its subsidiary Findreams Battery, in charge of manufacturing the batteries. The company was founded in 1995 by Wang Chuanfu and initially focused on the development of rechargeable batteries. In 2003 he already sold more than anyone in that sector, and that was when it was introduced into the car industry when buying the Xi’an qinchhuan Automobile Company. But before something unique happened. When TSMC decided to sell one of its factories Just a year earlier, in 2002, a semiconductor Byd, a division was created Fables “Chips said, but delegated her manufacture in other companies (Foundries) – destined to develop integrated circuits for protects their batteries and thus avoid overheating or overloads. In 2004 TSMC made the decision to close Fab 1its first manufacturing plant, and in 2005 it ended up selling all the equipment and were used for a fable of six -inch silicon wafers (popular in the 1990s, but already somewhat obsolete) of the manufacturer semiconductor symptoms. This company licensed TSMC patents and also had engineers who had previously worked for that firm. Things did not just go well and Ningo Sinomos went through economic difficulties. Byd took the opportunity and bought this company for 29 million dollars. The company founded by Wang was already involved in the development of electric cars and made a remarkable leap here: to be able to develop its own chips, it went from being a company without its own production (Fables) to an IDM (integrated device manufacturer) that I had control of all phases of the development of its chips, from design to production. Chips everywhere Since then, Byd’s activity accelerated and expanded its product catalog. Thus, they developed chips to manage the management of the electricity supply (IGBTS, MOSFETS, DIODES, Integrated Current Circuits), but also microcontrollers (MCU), sensors (temperature, pressure, position, current) and optolectronic chips (photodetector, octoacopladores, etc.). Source: Nomad Semi Among them, The most outstanding are IGBTS (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor). These are specially important components for current investment systems, acting as electronic switches that help in the process of passing continuous current that batteries provide to the alternating current needed by electric motors. Byd Semiconductor began to develop its first IGBT chips in 2005, and since then it has been creating new and better versions. Its most recent IGBT 6.0 chips were launched in 2022 and are almost as good as the most advanced competitors such as Infineon. That has allowed Byd to become the most important IGBT provider for Chinese manufacturers. Their advances with the aforementioned IGBTS are an important example of the growth of the division: Semiconductor ByD already has various subsidiaries and factories that produce 8 and 12 inches wafers, much more modern and that have allowed to create increasingly advanced chips. New developments for autonomous driving and supervoid load In fact, in November 2024 They announced A collaboration with TSMC and Mediatek for the development of two new chips. One of them, For its autonomous driving systems/driving assistance, is the future substitute for those used so far in their vehicles (Nvidia Orin and Horizon Robotics J6E), and offers a Autonomous Level 3. Interior of the Byd Atto 2 The second is the Byd9000, a chip with 4 Nm photolithography based on the MediaTak Dimensity 9000 and is oriented to advanced infotainment systems. But there are more examples, and one of them is in the developments Silicon carbide -based that for years are increasingly important in electric cars. Byd has been working with this type of material for some time and in fact in March 2025 he presented his super and platform, a system that provides Superápida load in electric vehicles allowing loads of 100 kWh batteries in just 6 minutes. This achievement occurred thanks to the development of specialized chips of 1,500V by the semiconductor byd, which for the first time can apply them in the automotive industry. These chips are capable of managing a greater voltage, and in front of traditional electric vehicles that use 400 and 800 volts systems allow to reduce energy losses and make possible faster loads. Good news for byd, bad for the rest He Silent boom of semiconductor ByD as a supplier of this type of chips can generate a trend among other car manufacturers, which so far have delegated that part of the business in specialized companies such as Infineon, NXP, ONSEMI, Texas Instrumental or Renesas. All of them dominate the semiconductor market for the automotive industry, but things could change. Especially since electric cars use many more components of this type than combustion motor cars, and that makes the vertical integration through which Byd (almost everything in their cars they manufacture it) is especially interesting for manufacturers. Nomad Semi analysts believe that NXP, ONSEMI and INFINON are the ones at risk They are for that trend. According to their data, the car industry represents half of its sales, but also the income in China are especially important for the aforementioned and renesses. Are we therefore facing a new semiconductor giant? Of course, not in the broad sense of the word: Semiconductor ByD focuses completely on the chips and components destined for its vehicles, but of course that frantic growth of Byd growth in the electric car industry can put very difficult things to its rivals in this sector. Image | Byd | Wikimedia In Xataka … Read more

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

by

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

The Xiaomi Su7 factory in China has become a tourist attraction. And there are those who pay a money to see it

by

He Xiaomi Su7 It appeared on December 28, 2023. It was not a joke, much less. Months later we saw an even more capable version, the Su7 ultraand almost for the anniversary, Xiaomi presented the SUV model: the Xiaomi Yu7. In less than three years, Xiaomi got his ambitious electric car will pass from the design table to the streetsand has achieved it thanks to a good strategy and a futuristic factory that is so successful that has become a tourist phenomenon. So much that in China they are reluctant in tickets at higher prices than those who would be paid to enter Disneyland. Success. The Xiaomi Su7 is to study it. It seemed crazy, but in less than a year, Xiaomi managed to sell 200,000 units and estimated to sell 300,000 this 2025. However, They had to update their forecasts because the new forecasts pointed more at 350,000 units. Its car division already represents 10% of the company’s income and hopes to start selling them outside China Facing 2027. The factory. There is a huge investment behind to start something like that in such a short time, and much of the ‘guilt’ is the factory. It is estimated that a car occurs every 76 seconds, or 40 cars per hour, within the Xiaomi EV Factory of Yizhuang, and that is thanks to a very high degree of automation: 91%, according to estimates. The plant has 700 robots performing processes of creating molds, assembly of parts, welding, paint and different quality verification processes that are responsible for guaranteeing the good condition of welding by points, of rivets and adhesives. Using tools with artificial intelligence and scanners, the correct installation of critical pieces and components such as batteries is controlled, as well as the structural integrity of the pieces. There are humans. Beyond the manufacturing plant, there is a circuit of 2.5 kilometers in which vehicles undergo tests, but also different stations to ensure the performance of parts such as brakes, address or damping. And yes, there is human supervision (about 100 people), but in the end it is a highly automated process, such as the one we see in brand factories like Tesla. Visits. Something very positive for the brand is that it has managed to generate a strong feeling of community among its users due to the huge product ecosystem (especially in China). And that visits to the plant are organized is an ideal opportunity for brand fans, to technology or automotive to take a look at the manufacturing process. It is a strategy to strengthen their relationship with consumers, also a promotion tool, so that visitors see all those automatisms in action. There are exclusive products, visitors can take something in the plant’s dining room and the visit is divided into two parts: 40 minutes where the plant is presented, technology, SU7 design and talk about that automated production. 20 minutes Finals in which the production line is explored to see all the robots in action. In addition, as they point out from Ithomethere is only one session on working days and five on weekends and holidays, so the opportunity is further limited. Apart from the robotic arms, there is an army of “electric corabos” robots Resale. Now, it is a factory, not a museum, so the visits are very controlled. It is done in groups of 20 people and thousands of people have signed up. It has become a highly demanded destination that is not only managing to compete against traditional options, but has promoted a resale market of tickets with madness prices. As they point from Motorpasionthis resale leads to a black market in which prices reach 2,000 yuan, which would become about 280 euros. That per person and for an experience of, as we say, one hour. You can always wait for an entrance to touch you, but it is already a process that compare With that you touch the lottery because there are tens of thousands of applications and, as we see, the visits are very small. And second hand. It is clear that there are those who see commercial opportunities anywhere, but the tickets for the Xiaomi EV Factory is not with the only thing that is played in the market. Although SU7 production is high, it seems that it is not enough to meet demand, so there is a generous waiting list. And there are those who are selling them as soon as they receive them. Units with just 10 or 20 kilometers are sold by about 15,000 euros above of the sale price. It is something that we have already seen other times (As in 2022 with Tesla) And it is a way of who has many, eager to skip your waiting tail (and have the money), can do it. The truth is that the Xiaomi EV Factory looks impressive, but we can only see it in videos like the one we leave on these lines. At least until Xiaomi is encouraged to remove their cars outside the Chinese borders and open plants through Europe, something that Other Chinese manufacturers are doing. Images | Xiaomi In Xataka | Family and friends keep asking me if “it is worth buying a Chinese car.” This is my answer

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

by

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

Your factory will grow to make more cars

by

The world automobile industry, and especially the European He is not at his best. They move in a scenario in which a crisis have converged Electrification derivedthe pressure of the Asian manufacturers and the imposition of Tariff policies who have staggered All strategies commercial However, in the midst of all that chaos, a European brand looks at the future with optimism and closes one of its best years in sales and benefits, making public His intention to expand his production: Rolls-Royce and his personalized cars division. Make unique rolls-royce The British luxury car manufacturer announced an investment of 300 million pound High customization level in their finishes by its richest customers. The brand is part of the BMW Group and, just as other luxury cars manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, have highlighted or bugattithe personalization market of its cars has triggered the profit margins, while they have encouraged sales. According to the Rolls-Royce Sales Report, the manufacturer sold 5.712 units in 2024: the third highest annual sales registered, although in reality it represents a 5% drop with respect to 2023. However, taking into account the Sales fall context generalized throughout the sector, staying in those figures selling luxury cars is a milestone. As Chris Brownridge, executive director of Rolls-Royce, recognized in An interview for CNBCmuch of that success is due to the complex customizations that demand Your ultra -up clients. “We have customers in every corner of the world and this increase in demand for more complex orders by our clients is something that we must satisfy. Therefore, Goodwood investment is something that demonstrates the health of the organization, but also demonstrates The trust we have in our growth plans, “said Rolls-Royce manager. As its person in charge indicates, “what we intend – and we will – is to manufacture more special commissions and more extraordinary cars”, so the intention of this expansion is not to manufacture more cars, but to give greater coverage to the exclusive customization orders of the Bespoke programs and Coachbuild with which the final price of the car can double. Rolls-Royce customization office in Seoul The Roll-Royce plan is not limited to providing more space and resources to the workshops that carry out these customizations, but also plan Expand the number of private offices In which customers, prior exclusive invitation, can customize their vehicles to the slightest details. It would be the equivalent of going to a tailor to make you a custom car. Exclusive cars: the lifeguards of European luxury brands Personalization in Rolls-Royce only limits the budget of its customers. The British brand has come to develop An exclusive painting For one of his customizations called Lunaflair, in which they have spent a year and will only look A Rolls-Royce unit. Brands like Ferrari, stood out in Your report of benefits of the third quarter of 2024 the Consolidated personalization growth in it Atelier Ferraridivision that the brand has created to respond to the exclusive requests of its customers. Alessio Soligo, head of sales for southern Europe in Lamborghini, said that “each customer wants their custom suit. Above all, for supercar, customers want to have the possibility of customizing their car and Lamborghini offers them a wide range of possibilities to achieve it. “ Tim Bravo, director of communication of the brand, assured that 90% of the cars that come out of His factoring of Sant’agata Bolognese He does it with some type of customization and an average increase in its price of 20%. In Xataka | The most luxurious customization of Tesla Cybertruck was not sold as expected: $ 60,000 in gold at the balance price Image | Rolls-Royce

The price of energy that its chips factory is using in Ireland

by

The tuning of an advanced semiconductor factory equipped with machines with avant -garde lithography It costs up to 30,000 million euros. This is precisely what will cost the plant that Intel will build in Magdeburg (Germany) If the project finally goes ahead. And, as we tell you at the beginning of last November, this company has decided delay the start of construction of this factory until 2029 or 2030. Initially the works were going to start during the first half of 2023, but The negotiation of subsidies forced to delay this date until the summer of 2024. However, Finally Intel and the German government agreed as a construction start date May 2025. Anyway, the four or five years of lag planned by this company are a consequence of the delicate situation in The one that is intel. The cost of energy is crucial to preserve the competitiveness of a factory The center of the conversation on this occasion is not occupied by the Magdeburg plant, although we stay in Europe; It is monitored by the factory that Intel has in Leixlip (Ireland). These facilities began producing integrated avant -garde circuits In the Intel 4 node In September 2023, and they are also manufacturing semiconductors in the Intel 3 node. This plant is equipped with equipment of extreme ultraviolet lithography (UVE) produced by the Dutch company ASML, and has a fundamental role in Intel infrastructure to serve its European clients. Intel is paying for electricity in Ireland that in the US or Israel As we have seen in the first lines of this article, the cost derived from the tuning of a last niche plant is very high, but, in addition, Intel has just stumbled with a problem in his Leixlip factory: The price of electricity in Ireland. According to this US company, this cost amounts to 15 cents per kilovatio houra figure that is approximately double high as in the US or Israel, which are the venues of some of its most advanced semiconductor production plants. As we can intuit, the price of electricity paid a chip factory has a direct impact on the final cost of the integrated circuits it produces. And, therefore, also in its competitiveness. Intel has rushed to ensure that the future of the Leixlip plant is assured due to the very important role he plays in his infrastructure, but in Rte They argue that he is negotiating with the Irish government to find a way to reduce the cost of electricity that he is currently paying. Presumably it is likely that the State finally assume a part of the cost of energy. Image | Intel More information | Rte In Xataka | The US does not press only Nvidia and Asml against China. Prepare more restrictions for TSMC, Intel and Samsung

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.