industry

Good news for China, not so much for the western technology industry

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) has established a measure that will affect cobalt exports. No more cobalt? The market regulation and control authority of strategic mineral substances (Arecoms) has announced that cobalt exports will be detained for at least four months. According to He explained Its president, Patrick Luabya, the decision seeks to control the supply of cobalt in an international market that is facing an overproduction of metal. The importance of cobalt. There is a common metal that both electric vehicles and mobile devices and other technologies share: cobalt. In this century, I know has promoted its demand. However, the production of cobalt in the RDC, which represents around 70% of the world supply, has fallen together with the lithium. This has caused other cobalt producers, such as Russia and Australia, to win more prominence. The reason for the oversupply has been the increase in production by From the Chinese company CMOCsince he has doubled his extraction in two large mines in the country. This situation has had an impact on supply and demand, causing a price drop. In fact, according to Fastmarkets data, cobalt reference prices They have dropped out of 10 dollars per pounda level that had not been seen in more than 20 years. The current impact on the global market. Despite this fall, the markets have entered into tension with the measure taken by RDC. But they have been able to breathe calm because the suspension of exports have not meant an immediate change in the price of cobalt. However, market experts consider that, in the short term, this action could generate a market stiffnesssince cobalt stocks will accumulate in the RDC instead of going to Chinese deposits, as is often the case. China. Although the suspension of exports has not yet affected prices, this can benefit the Asian country. Chinese companies, which They already control A significant part of the offer and cobalt production may be strengthened from this crisis. In fact, China It has access to other cobalt sources Like Australia, Russia and Indonesia. Particularly the latter has great cobalt reservations and has experienced significant growth in its production. In addition, the Congo decision has reinforced China’s domain, while the West faces greater difficulties in ensuring essential materials for technological and energy sectors. In this way, the Asian country has taken a dominance position in front “The war of tariffs” against Donald Trump. It should be added that the latter You will need many materials That has China. The western technology industry. The measure has directly affected the technological sector of Europe and the United States, since they depend on the cobalt to make batteries of electric vehicles and electronic devices. However, the Democratic Republic of the Congo seeks to redefine its role in the global market And he has asked Europe and the United States for help through an agreement. In this approach, the African country has established an agreement by which they offer strategic minerals in exchange for support for the stability and development of the country. This proposition starts from the RDC is facing internal tensions. In particular, the east of the Congo is being the scene of armed conflictssome with alleged relationship with Rwandawhich has intensified the violence in rubber and bukavu, both border cities with Rwanda are known for their mines rich in different elements. With this proposal, the RDC expects to attract Western investment and reduce its dependence on China in the mining sector. It remains to be seen if the United States and Europe will accept the agreement, which would allow them to ensure more stable access to these strategic resources. Copper. It should be noted that the cobalt is mainly extracted as an byproduct of copper in the Congo. The suspension of cobalt exports It will not affect Production or copper exports, another key mineral that Congo also produces in large quantities. This means that, although the export of cobalt is limited, copper exports will follow its normal course, without important changes. The suspension of exports will continue for three more months and will be revalued. During this period we will have to be attentive to future actions of the West and as China will redraw the energy map. Image | The International Institute for Environment and Development (IED) Xataka | The cobalt is what triggers the price of batteries. Japan has just found a much cheaper alternative

Problems between US and Taiwan governments begin. And the chips industry is at the center of everything

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The government led by Donald Trump is determined to do everything necessary for the US to recover leadership in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. At the moment In Asia they are manufactured 90% of memory chips, 75% of microprocessors and 80% of silicon wafers. However, the most outstanding country in this continent in this sector is Taiwan, with a production of 90% of high integration chips and 41% of microprocessors. The US administration is already taking the necessary measures to promote US companies to buy integrated circuits manufactured in the US. The tariffs you are approving They largely pursue this objective, and, despite the alignment in the geopolitical field that support the US and Taiwan, the manufacturers of Taiwanese chips are not at all safe from the tariffs. In fact, Donald Trump made a statement at the end of January which he exposes his intentions with total: “In the very close future we will impose tariffs on foreign production of computer chips, semiconductors and pharmaceutical products to return the manufacture of these essential goods to the US (…) went to Taiwan; now we want them to return. We do not want to give them billions of dollars in the ridiculous driver program. They already have billions of dollars. incentive will be that they do not want to pay a tax of 25, 50, or even 100%”, The current US president declared. The Taiwan government is putting limits to TSMC The express mention to Taiwan that the US president has made is a very clear allusion to TSMC. On this Asian island there are other semiconductor manufacturers, such as UMC, but its relevance in the chip market is much lower than that of the company currently leading CC Wei. TSMC dominates the integrated circuit market with A quota of approximately 60%so your leadership in the chip manufacturing industry is indisputable. Anyway, the step forward that the US administration is not going to take TSMC by surprise. This company has been outlining its strategy for more than four years to extend its semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure Beyond Taiwan’s borders. And he is doing it for two reasons. On the one hand it is an effective way to protect your business if at any time it is triggered A war conflict between China and Taiwanand their plants on the island were useless. TSMC is preparing an offer to control the integrated circuit manufacturing plants of Intel But, in addition, TSMC is significantly developing its infrastructure in the US. His plan is that their new Arizona factories not only serve to protect their business from a possible conflict between China and Taiwan; They also protect it from US tariffs. This is not all. Although there has not yet an official confirmation of this information, according to The Wall Street Journal TSMC is preparing an offer to Control manufacturing plants Intel integrated circuits. It prosper or not, at the current situation this strategic decision makes sense. And it has it because it would allow TSMC to definitely consolidate its semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure in the US, as well as be present in countries where it now does not have production plants. However, The Taiwan government does not see this possibility with good eyes. Its economy depends deeply on its chip industry in general, and TSMC in particular, so the US ambition to recover its leadership in this sector directly enters into conflict directly with Taiwan’s survival as it is currently. Kuo Jyh-Huei, Taiwan Economy Minister, has warned TSMC in a resounding way: “No one can shake the foundations of the Taiwan semiconductor industry. We must have confidence in TSMC, and the government will fully support the ‘sacred mountain’ that protects the country (…) so that TSMC expands its global presence and establishes a joint company in any location, definitely needs the government’s permission.” It is evident that the possibility that TSMC acquires such a solid production infrastructure outside Taiwan is detrimental to weight That has this island in the sector that feeds it. Right now we cannot assume that TSMC will control Intel plants, but we can be safe: 2025 will be a very exciting year in regard to the development of the integrated circuit industry. More information | Reuters In Xataka | What’s behind the chips megafabrica that TSMC and Samsung plan to build in Arab Emirates

Japan’s only hope to dominate the chips industry is an unknown: Rapidus

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The Taiwanese company TSMC and South Korean Samsung are the two semiconductor manufacturers that have the most advanced integration technologies in production. In fact, both manufacture Integrated 3 Nm circuits Since 2022. However, for many months The performance by wafer They obtained was very improvable, which transformed their nodes of 3 Nm into a bottleneck that perceptibly increased the cost of these chips. Three years later the 3 Nm nodes of these two companies are much finer. His performance by wafer has increased perceptibly and presumably is already exceeding 70% established by the semiconductor industry as a reference. Currently these two companies are in a relatively comfortable position, but there is a company that seems to be prepared to disturb them. To them already intel. His name is Rapidus corporation, he is Japanese and plans to manufacture 2 Nm semiconductors with an unpublished technology and unbeatable mate performance. Rapidus is the spearhead of Japan In 1988 NEC, Toshiba, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, Matsushita and other Japanese companies hoarded nothing less than 50% of the chips industry. However, today none of these companies is positioned among the leaders of a sector dominated with iron fist by Taiwanese, American, Dutch, South Korean and German companies. Whatever the government of Japan is determined to recover its ancient glory. The administration led by Shigeru ishiba claims the preeminent position he had in the semiconductor industry three decades ago. Its economy is at stake. But it has a plan. And it is already underway. In fact, he began to display his strategy to reinforce his integrated circuit industry more than two years ago, so the first results begin to see the light. Japan is currently investing more money in its integrated circuits sector than the US, Germany, France or the United Kingdom Japan is currently investing more money in its sector of integrated circuits than the US, Germany, France or the United Kingdom. Not in terms of net value, but its effort is greater if we weigh the investment of these countries on their gross domestic product (GDP). The US dedicates 0.21% of its GDP to its semiconductor industry, and Germany 0.41%. France, according to Nikkei Asia0.2%, and, finally, the United Kingdom 0.04%. The difference is very significant and puts on the table the effort that Japan is making with 0.71% of its GDP. As expected, Japanese companies have a leading role in the reconstruction plan of the Japanese chips industry. Tokyo Electron, Canon and Nikon are the main designers and manufacturers of integrated circuit production equipment. AND JSR Corporation leads the production of photorestoning materials. Curiously, it is necessary to pour these fluids on silicon wafers with the purpose of preparing them for the transfer of the geometric pattern that delimits the distribution of transistors, connections and other elements that make up an integrated circuit. The surprising thing is that, in reality, none of the companies I just mentioned is the best trick of Japan to catapult the competitiveness of its semiconductor industry. Not even JSR, which, as we have just seen, leads the manufacture of photorers. The company that is intended for compete from you to you With TSMC, Intel or Samsung in the chip production market is Rapidus corporation. In fact, it has been expressly created to replace Japan at the forefront of integrated circuits. This company’s website explains the background that has triggered its constitution and its purposes in The following six “commandments”: The importance of semiconductors has increased, and, at the same time, the growing concern for the decline of the chips industry in Japan has done so. The role of semiconductors in economic security has become an urgent matter. Many integrated circuit factories are located in Taiwan and Continental China. Given the increase in the use of semiconductors in cars and artificial intelligence, as well as the added value of the chips in the devices that will arrive during the next decade, it is necessary to guarantee manufacturing in Japan. After the summit between Japan and the US, both countries are developing next -generation semiconductors. It is necessary to establish 3D LSI technology (Large Scale Integration o large -scale integration) next -generation and Nanosheet Gaa (Gate-alall-around) in collaboration with the US and Europe, as well as build a cooperation framework with the manufacturers of materials and equipment in Japan and abroad. Our purpose is to establish an integrated circuit factory of 2 Nm avant -garde in Japan. The first four precepts recognize to what extent Japan has lost the relevance that had decades ago in the chips industry and support the need for rebuild a sector which currently has a strategic role. And the last two slogans outline the objective of Rapidus in the short and medium term, which goes through competing in The incipient market of 2 nm semiconductors in which this year TSMC, Intel and Samsung will enter. Rapidus is making a circuit manufacturing plant integrated in northern Japan in which it plans to produce 2 Nm chips Rapidus is a very young company. It was founded on August 10, 2022 by the Japanese government with an initial capital of 7,346 million yen (just under 46 million euros) contributed by, and here comes the interesting, Sony, Toyota, Nec, Softbank, Kioxia, dense , Nippon Telegraph and MUFG Bank. The initial capital invested in the constitution of this company is not very bulky, but there is no doubt that the companies that participate in it have an indisputable relevance in the sectors of technology, automotive and telecommunications. Rapidus is currently putting a circuit manufacturing plant integrated in northern Japan, in the city of Chitose (Hokkaido), in which it plans to produce semiconductors of 2 Nm. According to Nikkei Asia The first prototypes of these chips They will be ready in April 2025but large -scale manufacturing will not arrive at best until 2027. So far there is nothing really surprising because presumably at that time TSMC, Samsung and Intel will already be manufacturing integrated circuits with comparable lithographs. Rapidus’s competitiveness … Read more

In its pulse with the US, China has restricted key minerals for the Tech industry. Japan fears an impact globally

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The commercial war between United States and China It is developing with export controls. While Washington restricts the sending of advanced semiconductors and other avant -garde technologies, Beijing responds by limiting access to strategic resources. However, Japan has not hesitated to warn that the repercussions of this confrontation can go beyond these two powers. Financial Times points out That both the Japanese government and the companies in the country are alarmed by the recent measures of the Asian giant, which could mark the beginning of a “declaration of economic war against the rest of the world.” Japan, the greatest global consumer of Germanio, Graphite and Gallic, continues to receive these critical minerals, but fears that China further limits its supply. The dilemma of re -export controls China wants to prevent Gallium, whose supply to control 98%, drive military applications in the United States. And not only is he trying to do it directly with the export controls, but also indirectly with the Re -export controlswhich seek to limit the sending of products that contain this element, but the rules of the game are not clear at this time. The Chinese Gallic is in pieces made in Japan and imported by Tesla, as well as in Broadcom optical communication components and semiconductors used in Apple devices. However, Japanese suppliers that make up the supply chain of these US companies claim to ignore the gallium limit that they can incorporate into their products. So, as they warn, China could decide overnight that an excess of gallium is being sent to the United States and demand that a export license to continue supplying. The dynamics of licenses is well known: the United States has also used them To restrict the export of Nvidia graphics chips to Chinaand the problem is that, in most cases, they are never granted. In a globalized world, the decisions of key countries resonate beyond its borders. A change in the export policies of China or the United States can reconfigure access to essential resources, affect global prices and alter the economy of some nations. What seems like an isolated dispute can have direct effects on global markets, even making themselves feel in consumers. Images | Lio voo | Ln In Xataka | China’s veto to export minerals to the US had a small print and affects a key element of Ukraine defense: drones

If the alcohol industry no longer had enough problems, it has now encountered one more: Ozempic

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The drugs of the family of the GLP-1 hormone (peptide similar to type 1 glucagon) as Ozempic or Zepbound have meant a revolution in the world pharmaceutical market. The success of these medications aimed at the treatment of diabetes has to do with its slimming effect but the ramifications of this phenomenon go further. New tests. One of these ramifications has to do with alcohol consumption: a new study He has found evidence That the semaglutida, the active compound used by drugs such as Ozempic or Wegovy, can also help in the treatment of alcohol addiction. Chronicle of a social phenomenon. Ozempic began to gain popularity about two years ago when it began to be used not to keep glycemic levels under control in people with type II diabetes, but as a treatment to lose weight both in people with diabetes and in those who only wanted to lose weight. In parallel, several clinical trials endorsed this effect and the regulatory organisms approved the use of the drug for this second use. This success led to the appearance of other side effects associated with this compound, some of them positive. It was then that some laboratories got to work to test these effects. Among them An apparent reduction in alcohol consumption among those who were under this treatment. How does it work? The GLP-1 hormone performs several functions in our body, one of them being indicating that we have satiated our appetite. That is why the drugs that function as their analogues in our body generate the same feeling of satiety, which in turn implies that we will eat less and therefore lose weight. But soon some users began to realize that this not only affected food, but also the alcohol they consumed. Although the mechanism is not entirely clear, it is possible to intuit that it is the same mechanisms that enter into operation. There is another factor to take into account, and among the Side effects From ozempic drugs we can find stomach symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. This can also lead to alcoholic beverages less appealing, as well as other foods. 48 participants. The study was conducted through a randomized rehearsal with placebo. That is to say, It was distributed randomly to the 48 participants in two groups: one was treated with semaglutida and another with a placebo. They contrasted that the effects of treatment were greater than those of a simple placebo, that is, the participants drank less alcohol. While the number of days in which the participants drank these were not reduced in less volume. “These data suggest the potential of the semaglutida and drugs similar to covering an existing need for treatment for alcohol use disorder,” explained in a press release Klara Klein, member of the study responsible for the study. “Broader studies (…) are necessary to fully understand security and efficacy in people with (this) disorder, but these initial results are promising.” The team presented the details of the essay In an article In the magazine Jama Psychiatry. The analyzes continue. The reduced sample size in this study suggests that there is still a lot of work to be done. If we want to better understand Ozempic’s potential to fight addictions and similar disorders will need experiments with greater samples and studies that allow us to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms, as well as the potential risks of this use. All this while other teams investigate other potential risks and benefits of this drug family. An example of the potential benefits still to explore is In cardiac healthcontext in which we have begun to see some potential benefits but that, as in the case of excessive alcohol consumption, we must still explore more thoroughly. In Xataka | In Tinder there is a trend that is gaining weight between generation Z: quotes without a single drop of alcohol Image | Andreas m / Chemist4u

If the industry wants to survive, you must bet on the new IPS

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There is no one who understands fans: before State of play With which PlayStation started the 2025 ads, the most consistent rumor about what we would see was that we would have the first images of a hypothetical remake/remaster of ‘God of War’, a long -awaited project because it is impossible to access the classic games of The franchise on current platforms. Or maybe something of ‘Resident Evil 9’. In short, nobody talked about “I hope they announce that game that no one has heard and that will change my life.” The public wants franchises, sequelae, remakes. Fritanga It goes with the admission ticket. We like more or less, this industry is built on reformulation. It has all the meaning, given its characteristics, based on the evolution of technology: every year we live a generational change in hardware that allows us not only to enjoy new games, but to recover the old dresses with new clothes. The remakes and REBOOTS They are the order of the day: What is PlayStation 5 but a PlayStation 4 reboot with improvements? Why didn’t we live with the games? The death of the average series. We already talked about medium -sized budget games for ‘Space Marine 2’a game that completely perspires the spirit of those releases that have always been in the industry and were paralyzed around the generation of PS4 when the budgets began to shoot. From that moment, the games were divided into AAA (or at most, AA Strong) or in products developed from Independence. There are still a variety of budgets, of course, but a puncture in sales can defend a study without too much effort, so you have to choose to minimize risks and go to the always common denominator. The culture of the franchise. It is not only in video games where we are seeing it. In times when culture “consumes” and video games, movies and series are “content”, it is not strange that we reach such linguance scenarios as the 2024 box office, where The ten most successful films were sequelae or remakes. Something like that happens with video games: people do not want new ideas, because for eighty euros they prefer a title from which you know what to expect and have few surprises, yes, but a few guaranteed satisfactions. A state of play play. The first State of PlayStation Play for 2025 was, of course, full of sequelae, remakes and reboots: dlcs of ‘Stellar Blade’ and ‘Lies of p‘, remake from ‘Days Gone’, ‘Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater’, New ‘Onimusha’, ‘Monster Hunter’, ‘Five Days At Freeddy’ and ‘Borderlands’, among many others. And yes, we launched here You live to a new ‘shinobi’but we will agree that we cannot talk about being an overexploited franchise, in addition to a Brawler 2D is a completely niche product, and the ‘Shinobi’ brand is an excuse. You can’t say the same of a new ‘Sonic Racing’. The best, the unknown. As I say, it is perfectly understandable that PlayStation again announced this type of products, and even that the public is disappointed when a remake of a game of three generations is not announced. But what is indisputable to me is that the chicha of the event was in the games that presented new IPS: the Roguelite Very personal ‘Saros’, the explosive futuristic blockbuster’ Mindseye ‘, the insane mixture of’ doom ‘and’ cyberpunk 2077 ” metal eden ‘, the amazing design of giant grotesquerías in’ Tides of Annihilation ‘, the visual exquisiteness of’ Dreams of Another ‘, Cuquismo Stop Motion From ‘The Midnight Walk’, the still enigmatic apocalypse of ‘Hell is us’ … Everything for everyone. Of course, among these releases there will be good, bad and regular games, but without discussion, all the images that made me think “we will have to try it” belonged to new IPS. The daring, innovation and thrust were there, demonstrating that it is not that the living industry mired in a crisis of ideas, but that the vices of it themselves are those that put the sticks on the wheels so that they do not leave the grocerying games of Originality and innovation. There is the future we have to point to. Header | PlayStation In Xataka | ‘Rollerdrome’ is one of the best 2022 games. You can’t buy it anymore

Art of Vengeance ‘has convinced me that the new Ninja fashion is the best recent resurrection in the industry

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We are not going to fool ourselves: I have a weakness for the ‘Shinobi’ saga. The first installment came to obsess me in the times of the recreational, and its relatively quiet rhythm and its clear and easy mechanics to dominate them became one of the few arcades that I managed to end in its day, not without a considerable investment of time and money . Since then, ‘Shinobi’ has been one of my untouchable absolute video games of the eighties. The best thing was yet to come. And that we still had to see the best incarnations of ‘Shinobi’. After taste practically all the domestic ports of the recreational (special kudos for the crazy version of Master System), I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the magnificent ‘Shinobi’ for Mega Drive: ‘Shinobi II’ and ‘Shadow Dancer’. Absolute 2D wonders that multiplied the possibilities of the original recreational. Ninja avalanche. I was never too interested in the lazy 3D adventures of the ‘Shinobi’ franchise in PlayStation 2 or portable, but his spirit I think they picked up and amplified the ‘Ninja Gaiden’ in 3D, especially the first two, under the direction of Tomonobu Itagaki: Brutal and ruthless, of the most difficult and satisfactory games in history. Laugh from the ‘souls’. I have always been excited about the original trilogy of NES, a kind of accelerated and insane version of the ‘Shinobi’ themselves, and even the original arcade ‘Shadow Warriors’, but in my diet ninja the thing has always worked like this: in 2D,’ Shinobi ‘; In 3D, ‘Ninja Gaiden’. And between them, Cannon’s films. The return of the Ninja. The point is that, riding the nostalgic fever that ravages the entertainment industry, both franchises have allowed themselves to return with new versions and sequelae that we can enjoy in the coming months. On the one hand, we have a new sequel to the main saga of Ninja Gaiden, A fourth installment (Perhaps the project that interests the least, despite the fact that the participation of Plantinum Games always attracts attention); ‘Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound‘, on the other hand, it is a 2D and pixelated reformulation at the hands of the’ Blasphemous’ team, and which seems to guarantee a deep and demanding game; And finally, ‘Ninja Gaiden II Black‘, a total and already available remake of the original 360 game and demonstrates why we continue to contemplate it as a masterpiece. The art of revenge. But it is that ‘Shinobi’ also returns with ‘SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance‘, And as’ Ragebound ‘, with a team of bells expert in retro mechanics behind: Lizardcube, responsible for the superb and recent’Streets of Rage 4‘. It will arrive in August and in addition to a mechanic that pays tribute to the 16 -bit originals, we have an absolutely magnificent graphic finish, which honors not only the first games, but also the anime and the European comic. Ninjas for a resurrection. Here you are not going to see us launch alive to the eternal cyclical returns of the industry and their retail constant of success franchises. But ‘Shinobi’ and ‘Ninja Gaiden’ seem to me differently: a taste is seen in these new versions that goes beyond the exploitation of nostalgic corpses. In addition, neither of the two franchises has abandoned certain principles (demanding, violent and visually very polished games), which gives them at least the benefit of the doubt: until now, after all, they have not disappointed us. Header | SEGA In Xataka | You do not need Windows to play ‘doom’: someone has managed to work on the bios of a PC

I almost ended the industry and its customers

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As we will see below, the world of wine has been marked by fraud since ancient times. In fact, In ancient Rome, lead was used to sweeten winesand some historians believe that Its consumption could have contributed to Beethoven’s deafness. However, few scandals, or possibly none, such as the one in the 1980s in Austria. It almost takes the industry and its customers ahead. Check for the entire industry. In 1985, the Austrian wine industry faced one of the greatest scandals in its history when it was discovered that Several producers were adulterating their wines with diethylene glycola component of the antifreeze, to make them sweeter and attractive to the German market. For years, the consumers of Germany, the main buyer of the Austrian wines, had preferred sweet white wines, which led the Austrian vinictors to Find ways to meet demandeven when the crops did not produce grapes with the desired amount of sugar. The magical “component”. He Detaglicol Not only gave a sweeter taste and a dense body to wine, but It was also relatively cheap, costing just $ 5 per 1,000 liters of wine treated. In fact and for a while, the trick went unnoticed and even cheated experts in the sector. Moreover, in 1984 A wine contaminated with the substance even received a gold medal at an international fair in Yugoslaviawhich reflected how effective the method was to improve the perception of the adulterated product. Fraud came to light when several German laboratories, by analyzing samples of imported wines, They detected dangerous levels of diethylene glycol in bottles from Austria. Some contained amounts high enough to cause renal and brain damage to consumers. When the scandal became public, the consequences were immediate and devastating. Industry collapse. The reaction was relentless. Millions of liters of Austrian wine were removed from stores worldwideand countries like the United States recommended to their citizens completely avoid the wines of the nation until investigations will be completed. In Germany, more than 350 brands of Austrian wines were prohibitedwhich seriously affected the economy of the alpine country. The situation was such that the industry entered an unprecedented crisis. Exports collapsed at 90% And the countries that previously bought large amounts of Austrian wine began to look for alternatives in France, Italy and Spain. Tiring wine unpublished. More than 27 million liters of wine were destroyed with unusual methods: In Germany, contaminated wines were used as a refrigerant in cement factories, and in Austria, during a particularly cold winter, they were used to defrost roads. While, The authorities arrested more than 30 peopleincluding the chemist Otto Nadrasky, indicated as the main responsible for adulterationthe man who provided the toxic formula to the producers. Had the New York Times in a report of the time That some of those involved were sentenced to prison, and one of the accused winemakers ended up taking his life after receiving his sentence. The rescue of the industry. The scandal also had serious political repercussions in Austria. The opposition demanded the resignation of the Minister of Agriculture, Gunter Haiden, accusing him of having reacted with months of delay. The government of Chancellor Fred Sinowatz was forced to implement the strictest regulations from Europe for wine production, with thorough controls and more severe sanctions to avoid future adulterations. However, those who ended worse unemployed were honest winemakers, for whom the damage was catastrophic. In villages like Rust, where much of the economy depended on wine and tourism, Many producers were on the verge of bankruptcy. Although some faithful customers continued to support certain local producers, the distrust of the general public in the Austrian wines took years to disappear. Paradigm change. Despite the devastation, the scandal also forced Austria to completely reformulate its wine industry. The producers progressively abandoned their emphasis on sweet wines and focused on the elaboration of high quality dry white wines, such as the Grüner Veltlinerthat over time became a world reference. Historians remember that He took a decade for the reputation of Austrian wines to begin to recoverthe same that today is recognized for its fresh, balanced and high quality wines. Be that as it may, the scandal is still remembered as one of the most shocking fraud in the history of wine, an example of how the search for rapid benefits can put the credibility and viability of an entire industry at risk. That said, it has not been the only one, much less. Fraud and wine. I explained it a long time ago The Spectator. Next to the case of Austria, the sector will always remember that of Rudy Kurniawan, who in 2012 was arrested by the FBI after discovering that he had a false wine factory at his home in California. Kurniawan mixed wines from different origins to recreate legendary labels such as Mouton Rothschild of 1945, managing to deceive collectors and high level auctions. And cases like Kurniawan are just the tip of the iceberg. Throughout history, unscrupulous producers have resorted to adultere to improve or falsify wines. We already said it at the beginning, From ancient Rome to todaypractice has continued with more or less dangerous fraud. For example, In the twentieth century in Italy, methanol was addedwhich caused multiple deaths. Even France. Fraud has also been common in prestigious regions. In France, before The implementation of the so -called APPLOTION CONTRÓLEE In the 30s, merchants diluted renowned wines with cheap wines, black currency juice and even beef blood to improve their color and structure. This led to conflicts in regions like champagnewhere in 1911 the wine growers rebelled with The motto “champagne or death”demanding the protection of its denomination. And beyond commercial fraud, collection wines have also been an attractive target for counterfeiters. Hardy RodenTock’s casea German collector who in the 80s and 90s sold bottles allegedly belonging to Thomas Jefferson, is one of the most famous. A fact: in an auction, One of its bottles reached $ 156,000until a billionaire buyer, Bill Koch, hired an FBI exagent … Read more

The world pharmaceutical industry has been sunk in its “Deepseek moment”: China is devouring it

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This summer we estee that, for the first time in history, China beat Europe as a new medication developer. It was not a stroke of luck: the pharmacist is one of the most complex sectors in the world and China has been determined to compete in it at the highest level. A decision that is paying off. So much that, today, the question is not whether China will stand up to the US. The question is whether the western pharmaceutical industry is facing its own “moment Deepseek“: The appearance of a more agile competitor, cheaper and (at least on paper) equally good. A small panoramic. Historically, Europe was always the great world pharmaceutical superpower. However, in the decade that goes between 1995 and 2005, the situation changed: the US made a very strong biomedical commitment and managed to advance the old continent. That has not changed in the last 20 years. In fact, according to the latest edition of the ‘The Pharmaceutical Industry in figures‘(The 2023), they say that the 90 new molecules, 28 were American compared to 17 of European origin. The surprise was another: that China had managed to put 25 on the table. And although that, alone it changes (almost) everything; There was something else. In autumn, summit therapeutics announced that its drug He had surpassed Keytruda, a well -known Merck immunotherapy against lung cancer that moves more than 30,000 million a year. To get an idea of ​​the bombing: only that news catapulted Summit to the top positions of world biotechnology (with a stock market capitalization of billions) even though … it has no approved drug. As David Wainer explained“China’s rise in biotechnology has been managing for years, but now it is impossible to ignore it.” In 2020, less than 5% of the large pharmaceutical transactions worth 50 million dollars or more were related to China. “In 2024, that figure had increased to almost 30%,” According to the journalist. Why does this happen? Although everything has some speculative air, experts agree that There are some key factors behind Of all this: Lower costs: both for the ease of access to highly qualified labor and low cost and access to thousands of people for optimized clinical trials. Minimum bureaucracy and less security obstacles that accelerate the market arrival process. And what consequences can it generate? That may be what most matches all this with What happened to Deep Seek: That the uncertainty about what may be doing in China, makes investors think much more if it is profitable to finance new projects. What is the point of spending hundreds of millions on something they can do in China for a dozen (And what, in fact, are surely doing even if we don’t know it)? And Europe? While innovation seems to go to China, Europe is still changed. Successes like Novo Nordisk and Ozempiceven invisible that we are losing a career that we should not lose (it is more, that we have been losing it for years). Josep Borrellformer high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has passed years saying that “When the pandemic arrived we realized that in Europe there was not a single gram of paracetamol.” That was something that did not worry anyone because Europe had always thought it was a problem of productive outsourcing. Now we are discovering that, along the way, we were outsourcing much more than that. Image | Mika Baumeister | Deepseek + Philipp Katzenberger In Xataka | Ozempic is sweeping. So much that it is a problem for supermarkets and sugary drinks

China lives a cherry fever and Chile has become supermarket. It is a danger to the Chilean industry

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The culinary tastes and customs of some countries may seem peculiar. It is not necessary to go very far: a few years ago The #Swedengate occurred for the controversy that, in Sweden, Guests did not feed. It is a more Nordic custom that clashes with the Mediterranean. If we go the other tip of the world, in China, we find that They have predilection for one stinky fruit that put even in pizza. But they also like cherries. Much, very much, so much that they buy them from Mansalva to a country that has become its great supplier and with which they have opened up to a commercial route exclusively for that. And that country is Chile. Grapes Cherries at the end of the year. Each country has its customs and rites associated with certain festivities. The twelve end of the year grapes are the perfect example. While in Spain fresh and green grapes are used, traditionally, in Portugal And some Latin American countries are also twelve, but raisins. In China, tradition is not so much to eat, but to give away, being the fruit predicts the cherry. The reason is that cherries are seen as a symbol not only of good luck to face the new year, but also of renewal. Its red color is associated with fortune, joy and is common as a gift and element of great importance in family celebrations. Globalization. Cherries in China not only symbolize good luck, but also family union. It is not something new, but its cultural impact has been modified in recent years due to a single reason: globalization. In the past, the consumption and gift of cherries was associated with some quality that, therefore, was exclusive. Almost like a luxury article for families. And it was so because in China, although cherries are grown, at this time of year production is limited due to climatic conditions. That’s where Chile, where it is summer, entered the equation, supply The Chinese market with its cherries. Fever. Because of this, its consumption shot. In 2016, Chile exported around 40,000 tons of cherries to China. In 2023, it increased to more than 370,000 tons. For the last season, it is estimated that the figure will be close to 660,000 tons. Chile is flooding the Chinese market and that has allowed this exclusive article to become something more common and that everyone who wants to access. Impact on Chile. Of course, to the Chilean market, this has come as a ring to the finger. Cherry is one of its main products, representing almost 40% of the fruit production value in the country, and it is estimated that this demand from China has caused that more than 90% of exports to that market are cherries. Cherry Express. You had to find new ways to export cherries to China to cover two needs: increase the number and that they would reach the Asian giant faster. Not only to expedite everything, but for the fruit to remain fresh. The road? The “Cherry Express”, a commercial route Inaugurated at the beginning of 2024 focused on improving the communication of the Chilean ports of San Antonio and Valparaíso with that of Tianjing In China. It is a port very close to Beijing, an epicenter of cherry consumption, and with this route the times are shortened and the processes are expedited, which also allows you to lower the price of cherries in the destination market. Besides, I know They incorporated to the route ships a series of technological innovations to monitor all the parameters of the refrigerated containers and guarantee the optimal state of the fruit. Concern for prices. This flood of cherries has a negative appearance that producers are seeing these last months: overproduction and overexport. Seeing China’s taste for cherries, Chilean farmers have focused precisely on their cultivation. It is estimated that production has increased by 40% for the last harvest, but in China they are not sold as many as those exported, the price collapses. It is something that is already worrying To Chilean producers because estimate is that the price of cherries in the last season is between 30% and 60% lower. Not only is there on the price, but a demand that has been reduced Due to the state of the Chinese economy, which can reduce the consumption of non -essential products. Chilean reaction. This situation is making the Latin American country wonder about the long -term sustainability of the industry, so much that there are strategies and the ones it promotes Prochilepointing to the diversification of markets and the improvement of competitiveness with an objective in mind: that the industry does not depend on prices for a single product. Images | Prochile In Xataka | China has been building a megapuerto in Peru for eight years. It has just been released to revolutionize South America

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