giant

There is a new “technological giant” in the US. The surprise is that it is not from the US, but from Switzerland

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ANDThe Swiss National Bank (SNB), a traditionally conservative institution, has ceased to be. In fact, it has silenced one of the most important technological investors in the world. The firm has accumulated a portfolio of actions of such magnitude that its value is equivalent to almost a fifth of the annual economic production of Switzerland. What happened. According to records From the US stock and values ​​commission (SEC) of the month of June, the SNB has 167,000 million dollars in shares of US companies, distributed in more than 2,300 positions. That makes the entity a first -order investor in Silicon Valley. Love for Big Five. More than 42,000 million of that portfolio are invested in just five technological giants: Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and Nvidia. SNB has A special focus on Applecompany in which it has invested almost 10,000 million dollars, and in Nvidia, where it has invested more than 11,000 million dollars. A gigantic entity. The Swiss National Bank is not a sovereign fund as such: its main mission is not active investment to make the country’s money grow. However, its asset balance, which amounts to 855,000 million dollars, places it in a league comparable to that of large investment vehicles from countries such as Singapore or Qatar. Experts, yes, They point that SNB is an entity that does not seek to influence these companies, and only uses its portfolio as a management tool for its currency. Banks do not do this. The SNB approach – which is not owned by the national government – is really atypical. The Bank of Japan For example, it makes use of mechanisms such as ETFs for its operation, and usually also buy shares from your own country. In Switzerland there are requests that the SNB manages that portfolio actively (as an investment fund) to make more profitability. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank warns that shares can be overvalued. And our Bank of Spain? The Bank of Spain, on the other hand, buys governments bonds to control inflation and interest rates throughout the eurozone. They all differ in their strategy, and clearly that of the SNB resembles an investment company than a traditional banking entity. SNB positions in US companies. Source: Financial Times with sec data. Switzerland is small to snb. But the Swiss bond market is too small for SNB operations, and that causes the entity to invest the foreign currencies that it acquires (mainly dollars and euros). He does it in bonds and, as we have seen, in abroad actions, a strategy that some analysts They call “Foreign quantitative flexibility” and that has led him to invest in those actions of technology companies in the US. The powerful Swiss Franco. The argument that defends that strategy is that of the Swiss Franco strengthconsidered a global shelter currency. Having a strong currency is fantastic, but it is not good that it is too much Strong because it slows exports and can cause deflation: the extrin products become very cheap for the Swiss and make the Swiss companies very difficult to compete. To counteract all this, SNB does the opposite of what investors do. Sells francs – adding the offer – and buy foreign currencies that he does not want to have stops, so he invests them in companies such as Apple or Nvidia. Passive-agreesive strategy. Although SNB philosophy is basically passive and does not exercise its voting rights in those companies, this entity adjusts its positions. The sec data reveals a great increase in their participation in NVIDIA or the creation of a new position in Berkshire Hathaway, and a reduction of assets in Meta and Netflix in the last two years. That, of course, has its risksbut SNB does not seem to go bad at the moment. In Xataka | All against Nvidia: the strongest Chinese companies in Chips and IA have created a historical alliance

Spain is an agricultural giant with mud feet

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To understand the current problem of the Canarian banana only two figures are needed: the first is 0.42 (“The average price that the producer will receive for the most quality fruit (…) per kilo “); the second is 0.75 (” the production costs “of that same kilo of bananas). To understand the full problem, we have to take perspective. Because, if right now the Canarian sector is dying, a couple of months ago we saw the bananas in the peninsula up to seven euros per kilo. What is happening? As Roman Delgado explainedtoday (and with the data of week 36 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) prices “continue to generate losses in the crop, because with them the exploitation costs are not covered.” And yet, this would not have to be as bad as it really is. The Canarian banana, Thanks to the Posei Program of the European Unionhas one of the most refined compensation systems in the country. In principle and in these circumstances, the EU would complete the producers’ accounts with 33 cents. However, the situation is so tense that (in many cases) or with those aids, costs would be covered. And that prices have not been as low as they feared. Above all, because it has entered much less Latin American banana in the peninsula of what was expected. Meteorological problems on the other side of the puddle and logistics problems have produced a relative shortage of peninsular markets. This means that, although (as happened in 2024) everyone expected a price drop – related to the decrease in institutional demand with the arrival of summer, fortunately the collapse has been lower. Map (Via Canarias now) A problem that comes from afar … That is, the banana has saved furniture at the last moment and, even so, they are in free fall. But the key question is why: and the answer is a succession of years between bad and nefarious that have led On the verge of bankruptcy to any of the main cooperatives of the archipelago (which dragged problems from the eruption of the palm). … And that nobody is clear how long it will arrive. Because, remember, 2025 was the good year. That is, everything seems to indicate that as is the case with other traditional Spanish crops (such as the olive tree), the Canary Islands banana is on the edge of death and does not know. For now, it is still alive because the possei is armored until 2027, when the next budget framework of the Union is approved. The problem is that chaining another three bad years waiting for a solution from heaven to “fall very similar to” survive hooked to a machine. ” Even more when The ghost of the European agreement with Mercosur Threat to complicate (even more) the situation. The truth is that Canary Islands, Like the rest of Spanish agricultureneed a background reflection: it has grown thanks to the European “regulatory walls”, but those walls have been cracking for years. It’s time to reflect seriously about what we want to be older. Image | Brando Makes Branding / Diego Catto In Xataka | If the question is what to do with the millions of bananas that Canary Islands throw every year, there are already those who are clear: wine

There is an Italian technology giant that is enriched buying the corpses of Silicon Valley at the price of bargain and then relive them

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Vimeo He has just announced Its acquisition by the Italian conglomerate Bending Spoons, which will pay $ 1,380 million for it. A priori the operation seems totally normal, but it is not at all: it is the last of the acquisitions of a company that has become a unique “technological vulture”. One that, yes, seems to be managing to reimprorate the businesses you acquire. The numbers. Vimeo investors will receive $ 7.85 per share, which represents a price of 91% higher than the average value of the share in the last 60 days. The purchase process will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025 and the payment of these amounts will be made completely in cash. They already tried. As they point out in Bloomberg, Bending Spoon has been raising an acquisition of Vimeo since March 2024. The Italian conglomerate, which he received A financing round That raised its valuation to 2.6 billion dollars, since then sought new acquisitions, and Vimeo was a clear objective. Evolution of the value of Vimeo’s actions in Nasdaq. Source: Google Finance YouTube was too youtube. Vimeo created in 2004, tried to stand out as a Premium video platform, but after several innovation and focus change milestones became a B2B service company for video. During pandemia He added 30 million new membersand that ended up in 2021 to go over. Profitability problems caused personnel cuts, and stock assessment ended up falling drastically. Vimeo has been living a difficult situation for the last years and without getting up. And that is just what blessing spoons has taken advantage of … because it is what it usually does. The Evernote case. What happened with Vimeo happened before with Evernote. The one that in the early last decade It was the notes and productivity app par excellence He ended up falling little by little for oblivion and losing ground in front of competitors such as Notion, Onenote or Obsidian. In November 2022 Evernote It was acquired by Bending Spoons And then what happened happened. After the purchase, layoffs and price uploads of the service. After the acquisition, Bending Spoons He fired most of the original team and transferred the headquarters to Europe. Then a strong price increase was implemented, and the personal plan rose 63% prices while the free version imposed more restrictive limits to use the platform. Source: Bloomberg But also, business resurrection and service. Although many left the platform, Evernote returned to profitability and revenues became 162 million dollars in 2022 to 700 million dollars in 2023. The rhythm of improvements and updates also He has revivedand the company seems to have lived a unique rebirth. Wetransfer, another exampleSimilar some also occurred with Wetransfer, which after being founded in 2009 was positioned as a simple transfer leader of large files. After a failed attempt to go over in 2022, Bending Spoons acquired Wetransfer In July 2024 and applied the same formula as with Evernote: dismissed 75% of the template to try to be more efficient. A few months ago the service suffered a great controversy for using user data To train their AI modelsalthough it ended Reculting. The service was relatively healthy before acquisition, and it seems that the operation is also being successful for the platform and, of course, for Bending Spoans. Diversifying successfully. In Bending Spoons they already applied that same strategy with previous acquisitions such as Filmic – of which He fired his entire template– Or Meetup —which too transferred its headquarters to Europe-. One of its most remarkable success is that of Reminia photo editing platform with AI that the Italian conglomerate acquired in 2021 and that it has managed to become a reference in this market, even surpassing in the most unloaded Apps lists from China to Douyin, its rival of Tiktok. In Xataka | An Italian winery installed solar panels on its vineyards and discovered something unexpected: they improve the quality of wine

Dreame has presented washing machines, refrigerators and even ovens. The vacuum brand wants to become a home giant

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If we look at Dreame’s catalog we will see vacuum cleanerssome Robot cleaninga hair dryer or water dispensers, but above all vacuum cleaners. That has just changed. There is a trend of Chinese brands entering the world of large appliances and in Dreame they seem to have said “hold me the cubata” because They just entered fifteen new home categoriesincluding large appliance. Thus, suddenly. How many appliances have Dreame presented? Yeah Washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, dishwasher, ovens … of everything. Dreame comes with a very ambitious home bet. Let’s see what everything they have presented: Audiovisual DREAME AURA MINI LED 4K TV S100 Dreame opens on audiovisual devices with DREAME AURA MINI LED 4K TV S100, a TV which stands out for the integration of more powerful speakers that, according to Dreame, is like having an integrated sound bar. There are also projectors, specifically three, all laptops. The Triple Laser Portable Projector T3 stands out for being able to become a screen of up to 100 inches with a very short run. They also have the T2 model that has a battery that lasts up to 2 hours and the T1, the most modest of the three. Within this category we also have the X4000 series monitor and the Home Cinema System Pano 5.1.2ch composed of twelve speakers, including sound bar and Subwoofer. Large appliances Tri-Drum Washer washing machine with three drums. PS: I love her. Xiaomi recently presented its range of large appliances And we already seemed ambitious, but Dreame goes even further. In the clothing washing section we have the L9 washing machine and dryer set, the Slimher washing machine, a mini washing machine and the craziest of all: A washer with three separate drums so that we can wash loose garments. DREAME Z-FERE refrigerator They have also presented not one, but two double door refrigerators, the Z-Fresh and Fizz Fresh. The two have A technology that reduces oxygen in the vegetable compartment To last longer. The Fizz Fresh also serves you water with fresh gas. I could not miss a dishwasher, the Z6000 that in addition to washing the dishes, the dry ones. There is even more. Two ovens, the Z6000Pro and Z6000 Steam-Boost, and two Airfryer, the Tasti AF30 and the Tasti DZ30, with double compartment. All ovens and airfryers have steam function so that the food is juicy and at the same time crispy. Air conditioning and others Dreame enters the air conditioning with the X-Wind, an air with a classic format, but with a dark gray design that does not go unnoticed. The most curious model is the Z Wind, a kind of tower that is attached to a corner, both vertically and horizontally. Although they already had some models in their offer, Dreame opens two new air purifiers, one of them with a humidifier function included. We also have a Organic garbage cube that adjusts the temperaturemoisture and avoid bad smells. Finally there is space for Home With home security cameras, smart locks, LED strips and connected bulbs. A blow to the table: here we are I do not remember a deployment of products as large as Dreame has just done in Ifa. We do not know how many of these products will arrive in Spainbut we talk about a brand that It began to be known in 2022 For selling vacuum cleaners in Amazon and suddenly sells dishwasher, ovens, washing machines and even air conditioners. A blow to the table. In addition to expanding their products, they have announced that by the end of the year They will open physical stores In several European cities, among which is Madrid. The truth is that Dreame has made a hole in the Spanish market in a short time and we can already find its products in most large areas. We will see how this bet comes out, but of course they are serious. Images | DREame In Xataka | A Chinese company that you do not know manufactures 35% of all microwaves in the world. Probably yours too

A soda giant assaults coffee by buying the owners of Marcilla and L’Or. Now they go for the Nestlé cake

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There are two worlds when we talk about coffee brands. On the one hand, the numerous toasters and small brands that focus on the Specialty coffee. On the other, a handful of conglomerates huge that copied the shelves of the supermarkets. Nestlé, Starbucks, Lavazza Or Jde Peet’s are some of those giants, but a brand of sodas arrives to take a good bite to the increasing, coffee cake worldwide. As? Buying to one of its main competitors: the holders of Marcilla or L’Or. KDP. They are the acronym of Keurig Dr Pepper, one of the world’s largest beverage companies. This is the result of the fusion in 2018 of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, holders of the 7up or Schweppes brand, among others, and of Keurig Green Mountaina powerful and historical coffee brand that revolutionized the monodosis system in the United States in the 90s both in offices and in homes. They are a giant with a assessment of about 43,000 million euros. The group manages more than 125 brands, but talking about coffee, in the United States they have Keurig coffee makers With own capsules, In the pure Nestlé style with the Nespresso. Well, that megagroup has just launched an operation of 15.7 billion euros to buy one of the largest coffee companies in Europe, the Dutch Jde Peet’s. Jde Peet’s. This is the matrix of emblematic brands such as Marcilla, Saimaza and L’Or in the Café World, but also of Senso or Hornimans, among others. Before the purchase, the company’s valuation was about 13,000 million euros and, Despite all the problems of the coffee sector these last months and price increases, They closed 2024 with a growth of 13.2%, exceeding the forecasts of the 1,250 million euros. Coffee Empire. Although in Europe they remained stable, performance in areas such as Latin America, Russia, the Middle East and Africa was what promoted the company during the last year, translating in an increase of 21%. And, precisely, that is what KDP seeks with the purchase of Jde Peet’s: entering a market that they have not exploited, but in which the brands of the Dutch are well established. To fulfill the strategy, KDP will create two entities when the purchase is closed: Beverage CO and Global Coffee Co. The latter seems like a rebranding of what so far was Jde Peet’s. Objective: Nestlé. This purchase occurs in a context of a Strong up coffee price increase In recent months thanks to a Perfect storm due to factors such as bad crops and shortage problems, as well as a World demand growth Coffee, especially in China. And the group they have in the sight is Nestlé. This giant has its top priority in coffee, Representing About 20,000 million euros in 2024 with brands such as Nescafé, Nespresso, Dolce Taste, Bonka and a strategic alliance with Starbucks to create home products (more capsules). As we read in Reutersanalysts already estimate that this new KDP entity will have a business size similar to Nestlé, both with a 20% share in the global market. Although the purchase is there and there is an agreement between both parties, such an operation should be reviewed carefully, but it is expected to be resolved in the first half of 2026. We will see what happens with its brands, but in a context in which coffee not only crosses problems due to climate change, but Also for tariffsthis fusion between the American and the European makes all the way. In Xataka | How much coffee a day is too coffee: science has investigated it and has its verdict

The great Spanish rail giant had in his hands “the contract of the century.” Until France appeared

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It has been called “the contract of the century.” And it has not been for anything. CAF, the great Spanish rail giant, should be the winner of a huge contract to nurture the Belgian SNCB of trains that circulate on the conventional roads of the country. That is, by “the Belgian Renfe.” A contract that could reach 3,400 million euros. A contract that, now, is in the air after the claims of the French Alstom. “The contract of the century”. This has been called the pre -agreement between the Belgian SNCB and the Spanish CAF, confirmed only a few weeks ago by both companies In a statement in which the following was read: The Board of Directors of NMBS (SNCB-National Society of the Belgian Railways), taking into consideration the resolution of the State Council, has confirmed in this day CAF as preferred bidder of the contract for the development, manufacture and supply of the AM30 trains. In this way, the approval is given to continue the purchase process with the selected company, with the objective of closing the final adjudication of said Framework Agreement. This is a framework agreement with a maximum scope of units for 170,000 places, with an initial base commitment of 1,695 million euros (units for 54,000 places) in case of finally closing the agreement. French resource. This pre -agreement that includes a first operation of almost 1.7 billion euros and that could be folded in the future with the delivery of more trains for renew up to 50% of the fleet From the Belgian transport company, it has been appealed by Alstom, a French company that had also appeared to the contest. Guipuzkoa news He explains that the French company has launched the appeal to try to stop the contract, with the objective that this famous “contract of the century” falls on them, understanding that its offer was better than the Spanish proposal. What do they defend? In the Basque newspaper it is pointed out that Alstom defends its best position because the offer was 107 million euros cheaper than the Spanish proposal and that, in addition, they assured that Belgian labor would be used, which should be an argument of weight when it comes to being the chosen ones. Alstom expected their witch and charlei plants that employ 1,500 people to be decisive when obtaining the contract, they explain in Expansion. The situation is not new. Last April, the Belgium Council suspended the award and forced CNCB to return to the process, noting that the contract had not been awarded with total transparency. Human Rights. After that first closed door, CNCB once again chosen CAF as an ideal company to deliver the trains with which the Belgian fleet will be renewed. In their new report they pointed out that “European regulation prevents considering local presence factors in public procurement,” they explain in Expansion. But, in addition, in the review of the process, the Belgian court asked CAF to demonstrate that its activities meet “With international law and human rights”. Because? Because CAF works on a light subway line in Jerusalem that extends to Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. Yes indeed, In the Basque newspaper They emphasize that the Belgian Mobility and Climate Minister came to remove iron from this matter, highlighting that the country itself maintains diplomatic and economic relations with Israel. A thorny matter. The participation of CAF in the Light Metro of Jerusalem has raised Polvareda and is a stone more than the company has been found when receiving the so -called “contract of the century.” Amnesty International and Other associations In defense of the Palestinian people they demand that CAF leave the Israeli project. The minister on his side. For now, what has been defended by CNCB (and even Belgian minister himself) is that Not only should you look at the initial cost of the project. According to its reports, the Spanish proposal will mean savings with the passage of time to Belgian accounts since CAF trains consume less energy than those of Alstom. Specifically, it is ensured that the Spanish rolling material improves by 4% the technical criteria of the French company, taking into account the sale price of them but also the consumption of the trains provided, the conditions of the purchase contract and the calendar of deliveries to which CAF is compromised. Photo | CAF In Xataka | “Whoever wants to come, to invest”: Ouigo wanted to enter the Madrid-Galicia bird but it already sees it impossible before 2030

Intel is closer than ever to be chopped. A giant is interested in buying its chips factories

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The possibility of intelid for a long time. Two years before get out of this companyPat Gelsinger, the former Director General of Intel, He acknowledged that he saw with good eyes The possibility that the network of integrated circuit factories is somewhat broken down from the company’s matrix. At that time, More than three years agothis was already an interesting option to increase the competitiveness of its chips production plants, and in current circumstances it seems even more advantageous. At the beginning of last April Reuters and The Information assured that the Board of Directors of Intel and TSMC had reached a principle of agreement that was pursuing to constitute a joint company that would be responsible for the management of Intel semiconductor factories. Its plan was that TSMC would have a 20% participation in the new company, so presumably Intel would maintain a majority participation. Finally, this initiative did not come to fruition, but the possibility of splitting the Intel chips factories of the company’s matrix is still on the table. And now it is the Japanese investment group SoftBank who, According to Financial Timesis interested in controlling the Intel Integrated Circuit Production Infrastructure. SoftBank has something very important: the support of the US government As we explain yesterday, SoftBank has injected into Intel 2,000 million dollars, which has consolidated it as the sixth main shareholder of this company. According to Reutersthis Japanese company has promised not to participate in the Board of Directors, and it will not buy integrated circuits produced by this American chip manufacturer. However, SoftBank’s plan does not end here. And is that, According to Financial TimesMasayoshi Son, the general director of this investment group, is interested in Intel chips factories. SoftBank has promised not to participate in the Board of Directors of Intel In fact, again according to this means of communication of British origin but currently in the hands of the Japanese company Nikkei Inc., before formalizing the injection of 2,000 million dollars in Intel, SoftBank communicated to the board of directors of this company its interest in its interest in Buy the full semiconductor production subsidiary. A priori it is reasonable to anticipate that the US government would not see with good eyes that a foreign company is done with the total control of Intel chips factories, but SoftBank is not any company. The most important initiative of how many has launched the Trump administration to protect US leadership in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is The Stargate project. And this plan is led by an American company, Openai, and another Japanese: SoftBank. The company directed by Sam Altman is responsible, in broad strokes, for the development of technology and infrastructure management. And Masayoshi’s company are responsible for financial administration. Stargate will cost no less than 500,000 million dollarsand it is evident that the US government Trust SoftBank. During the next few weeks we will check if the purchase of Intel Prosper Chips factories, but all likelihood the administration will not be an obstacle. Image | Intel More information | Financial Times In Xataka | The next revolution of the chips is approaching. Intel, Samsung, TSMC and AMD already work on glass substrates

The agreement with the US seemed to pave the way to Nvidia in China. Now is the Asian giant who begins to close the door

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The agreement with Washington had allowed Nvidia sell again Your H20 chip In China. It was a door that opened after months of restrictions. Now, the Chinese authorities have begun to close it slowly: According to Financial Timesand Reutersthey have summoned Alibaba, Bytedance, Tencent and other companies to explain why they buy H20 instead of using local processors. The gesture is not symbolic, several of them are rethinking their orders, and the new scrutiny comes while Beijing encourages a prioritize domestic alternatives. Nvidia developed the H20 in direct response to the export limitations that the United States imposed at the end of 2023. For a time it was its star product for Chinese clients, until this year it was again blocked by a new Washington decision. In July 2025, the veto rose after an agreement with the Trump administration for Nvidia would transfer 15% of the income of some advanced chip sales in Chinaaccording to Reuters. That turn reopened the door, but also unleashed criticism in the United States for its supposed impact on China’s capabilities. A historical agreement that now faces resistance Authorities such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Mits, people aware of the situation, and the administration of the cyberspace of China, CAC, according to Reuters, have held meetings with companies such as Alibaba, Bytedance, Tencent and Baidu. They have asked them Why don’t they turn to national alternatives and have expressed their disapproval for the use of H20 in government or security areas. They have also raised doubts about the information that Nvidia asks to send to Washington for review. As a result, several companies have begun to reconsider their orders, according to Financial Times, although Reuters points out that it was not ordered to stop shopping. Concerns are not limited to preference for local chips. The Internet regulator asked NVIDIA to clarify whether H20 could involve risks for Chinese user data, including the possibility of “backdoors.” In this sense, Beijing has expressed concern for functions such as remote shutdown or location tracking. Nvidia, as we have seen before, He denies these capacities and argues that H20 is not a military product or for government infrastructure. According to Financial Times, Huawei, Cambricon and other Chinese manufacturers have increased their presence in the market since the H20 was subject to restrictions. Beijing has reinforced the message of technological self -sufficiency and encourage large platforms to opt for local suppliers. Now, it is no secret that the lack of access to advanced manufacturing equipment, Like the latest generation lithography, it is still an obstacle. Despite this, the demand for national chips grows thanks to political support and the need to reduce external dependence. But not everything plays in favor of the local giant Huawei. Great Chinese technology, such as Tencent, Alibaba or Bytedance, continue to prefer Nvidia GPUs For its greatest performance and, above all, by CUDA, the parallel programming platform of NVIDIA that allows the most of its GPU for artificial intelligence and other complex calculations. Replacing it with alternatives such as Cann implies overcoming technical and compatibility barriers. Li Guojie, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, warns that China needs its own tools that exceed Cuda to achieve self -sufficiency. The great Chinese technology, such as Tencent, Alibaba or Bytedance, continue to prefer Nvidia GPUs. Bernstein, collect ftestimates that the market share of Nvidia in China will go from 66% in 2024 to 55% this year. In parallel, Trump has suggested that he could authorize a Limited version of Blackwell -based processorsthe most advanced of the company. In any case, Nvidia generated 17,000 million dollars in sales in China in its last year13% of its total income. In this environment, each regulatory decision weighs as much as the technological road map itself. What in July was presented as an advance for Nvidia has become an uncertain scenario. Beijing’s pressure, added to the impulse to national manufacturers, redefines the company’s possibilities in a market that was strategic for years. According to the aforementioned means, the outcome will mark not only the future of Nvidia in China, but also the way in which both powers manage artificial intelligence when politics, security and trade intersect. Images | Nvidia In Xataka | China’s first avant -garde lithography machine is not the biggest US problem. They will be the other two that are on their way In Xataka | China is an essential market for Nvidia. Little by little it is becoming something else: a nightmare

Now there are giant comets generating electricity from heaven

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The West Coast of Ireland, as green as steep by the wind, has become the test bench of A novel idea: Replace wind turbines with giant comets. Generate electricity from the sky. Willing to find a Alternative to terrestrial wind turbinesResearchers at the University of Delft chose May County, in Ireland, to test a system called Kitepower. Instead of wind turbines, Kitepower generates electricity by 60 square meter comets that rise to 425 meters from the ground. Why Ireland. To put the invention to the limit. “The wind conditions on the west coast of Ireland allow us to exceed the limits of our system, to make it more robust and reliable,” Andrei Luca explained to RTEChief of Operations of Kitepower. “If it has worked in Ireland, it will probably work around the world.” This is how the May County, to the west of the country, has become the first air -transported energy test site in the world, which those responsible for Kitepower describe as a potential “change of play” in the sector. How it works. With an ingenious “Yoy effect”. The kite, subject to a cable rolled in a drum, ascends by drawing an eight in the sky for 45 seconds. This flight pattern, inspired by a kitesurf candle, maximizes wind traction, generating a force between 2.5 and 4 tons. This force rotates the drum, which in turn is connected to a generator on land, producing electricity that is stored in a battery system. Once the 45 seconds have elapsed, the kite is leveled to minimize wind resistance, which allows the cable to be collected using only a fraction of the energy generated. The cycle is repeated again and again, generating a net renewable energy gain. The system, which combines the KITESURF movements with a GPS guidance system, is capable of producing up to 30 kilowatts of electricity per hour for each kite. What improves wind turbines. According to Kitepower, his comets are twice as efficient that wind turbines when capturing wind energy, because they take advantage The winds of great altitudeinaccessible for conventional wind turbines. But the truly interesting thing is that the whole system fits in a six -meter container, which makes it a portable system that can be deployed anywhere accessible by a truck, without the need for heavy foundations or towers. Islands and remote places. After the tests in Ireland, Kitepower has launched A pilot project in the Netherlands with the construction company Dur Vermeer, where the system is being used to load excavators and electric trucks in an infrastructure project. The objective of the company is to bring technology to remote communities and the islands of the European Union, many of which depend on the importation of diesel, with the cost that that entails. The comets deployed in Ireland have shown that airborne wind energy could be a cheap, clean and renewable alternative. Image | Kitepower In Xataka | A comet for large ships: This is how this company projects to save 20% fuel and emissions on your trips

Spain has a rail giant in the shadows. And just achieved the “contract of the century”

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If you have traveled to Belgium, the SNCB application is likely to have downloaded to move from one city to another. It is about ‘the Renfe‘Belgian and, a few years ago, They announced that they were going to renew 50% of their fleet from here to 2032. The interesting thing is that it is an operation of 3,400 million euros that has not fallen to anyone: it has done so in a Spanish company called CAF. And if you are wondering what diantres is caf, you are in your entire right, but you will surely have mounted on one of its trains. “The contract of the century”. In a release of CNCB, the operator detailed the pre -agreement reached with the Spanish, something that replicated own CAF detailing that the initial commitment of the same will be 1,695 million euros. This includes the development, manufacture and supply of 600 am30 trains (interurban trains with integrated motor and autonomy by battery when operating in un -electrified lines) with a total of 170,000 seats, although the initial commitment is 1,695 million euros for 54,000 places. The proposal of CAF has had to compete with other manufacturers, such as the French Alstom that argued cheapest prices, factories in Belgium and that local industrial promotion. Everything is not closed, since although CNCB has opted for the Spanish, political interests come into play in something like that. There is a debate around the firm and, for example, as we read in Basque chroniclea deputy of the Belgian Party Staf Aerts has discredited to the company, indicated that CAF is collaborating to create a subway line from Jerusalem to the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel ” As we say, it remains to be seen that the agreement is finally closed, but by its magnitude, there is already talk of the “contract of the century” of the railway sector, with obvious consequences In the CAF portfolio. Centenaria. This news, because of its magnitude, has jumped to the first flat of numerous national and European economic newspapers, but the great question we could have is … what is CAF and why it is so important. CAF responds to ‘Constructions and Railroad Assistant‘And it is a company that was born in 1917 in Beasain, Basque Country. It was founded on workshops that already existed since the nineteenth century and from the beginning it was dedicated to the manufacture and rental of wagons, as well as other elements for rail transport. And in this more than a century, it has become one of the larger companies in the country. The Oaris World jump. They were developing their business within our borders, providing Renfe trainsbut in the 90s, they consolidated the international leap by operating more firmly in other countries thanks to the opening of about thirty subsidiaries. In Spain they have, above all, high -speed trains of variable width manufactured next to the ALSTOM itself, as well as electric and diesel trains for regional services and Renfe vicinity. However, much of your order portfolio It is for export. They have manufactured units for cities such as London, Brussels, or Sydney, as well as the Santiago de Chile and Mexico Metro, light trains for US cities such as Boston or the Oaris: High speed trains (up to 350 km/h) that form the backbone of the Norway rail network. And, to meet the needs, they have gone Opening factories all over the world. Why the mystery? In spite of everything, we do not know too much CAF beyond their area of direct influence (where they have the factories and hire employees) it has all the meaning of the world. Before we talked about Talgo, also a historic rail that not only stood out for their trains, but to baptize vehicles with their own name. Go up to Talgo It was synonymous with getting on the train just as asking for a Kleenex is asking for a handkerchief or, in some countries, playing “the play” is playing any game console in general. In the case of CAF, the same did not happen and, although it is an industrial pride in Euskadi and very recognized among experts around the world, its business has remained “in the shadows”. They operate mainly in the B2B sector, which implies work for large operators both public and private and not for the final consumer, and do not baptize their creations such as “CAF”, which keeps them in an unknown position for the general public. However, the last decades have grown, especially abroad, and with contracts such as the one achieved in Belgium and the jump to large media, it is more likely that the name ‘CAF’ sounds more and more. Images | Jordi Verdugo In Xataka | Renfe riding a circus this summer and dwarves grow: tunnels with leaks and more delays of the bird in Malaga

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