manufacture

Europe wants to manufacture 20% of the world’s semiconductors by 2030. It has just taken the first step

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43,000 million euros. That is the figure that the European Commission set to achieve something that is currently out of reach: technological sovereignty regarding semiconductors. With the ‘Chips Act‘, Europe seeks to position itself as a power in a semiconductor production segment dominated by Asia with Taiwan at the head. Now, and after years of dreaming, Europe inaugurates the first installation: the FAMES Pilot Line. The objective is not conservative. By 2030, the Old Continent wants produce 20% of integrated circuits of the world. We have an ace up our sleeve called ASMLthe global spearhead in terms of manufacturing of advanced photolithography equipment refers. The Dutch are the ones who produce the machines that buy foundries like TSMC o Intel to manufacture the most advanced chips on the market. But there is a problem: we have the machine that makes the chips, but we don’t have someone to make chips. That is what the project wants to change, and with FAMESthe European Union Chip Law lays the first brick to be more relevant. It’s not going to be easy at all. FAMES, the spearhead of Europe’s Chips Law Unlike a private company, FAMES is something much more European: a collaboration between countries and institutions. It represents a new example of public-private collaboration like the one we are seeing in parallel in the european space race. And the pilot program is located at the CEA-Leti facilities in the French town of Grenoble. With an initiative of 830 million euros contributed by both the European Commission and the participating states, FAMES brings together 11 organizations belonging to eight countries and, after two years of preparation, has presented favorable technical results to begin developing advanced semiconductor technologies. The organizations and countries of the FAMES Consortium FAMES, with 830 million in financing, is the first of the five pilot lines that will be inaugurated under this Chips Law initiative, and the CEA-Leti plant has been expanded with about 2,000 new square meters destined to clean room. It is an extremely clean area isolated from the outside, with strictly controlled temperature and humidity conditions and optimal conditions for manufacturing semiconductors. CEA-Leti already had 12,000 square meters of clean room, so the expansion under the Chips Law is considerable. And the big question: what will they do in this pilot program? Well, something known as Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator, or FD-SOI. This is a manufacturing process in which a thin insulating layer (less than 10 nanometers) is placed under the transistors so that the chips operate at lower voltages. And the goal is to create 10 and 7 nanometer processors. FD-SOI Thus, they consume between 30 and 40% less energy without losing performance, making them more efficient. That efficiency and delivery of energy to the chips is something that everyone is trying to improve, from an Intel that already has its most cutting-edge technologies ready in this sense to a TSMC that is preparing its response by the end of 2026. That Europe is developing its solution now seems demoralizing, but it must be taken into account that, for decades, the technology of the Old Continent has depended on external manufacturing, so advancing this manufacturing process at this time is not bad news. But well, in the end, FAMES represents the first platform in which some advanced technologies for the manufacture of semiconductors will begin to mature and, together with the rest of the pilot lines, the objective is to transfer these advances and knowledge to the industry and, obviously, to a final product. We will see if the 2030 goal is reached, but Europe itself is not very optimistic about the matter. Europe thinks that Europe will fail in its objective At the beginning of last year, we already said that the European Court of Auditors itself believed that the European Chip Law would be a failurepointing out unlikely which would be if they achieved the goal of building 20% ​​of the planet’s semiconductors by 2030. And… they are not misguided. Europe is seeking its technological independence while inviting entities like TSMC to its soil, but the two main technological centers are also moving. The United States is attracting talent to its territory, with TSMC buying more land to open a megafactory and Intel as a banner in the American foundry. China is not standing idly by and, following a Western veto, its semiconductor industry has made unthinkable advances with old ASML machines while companies like SMIC either Huawei develop your own solutions to create advanced chips and be able to shield itself from American technology. And beyond countries, private companies such as Intel itself, TSMC, Samsung, GlobalFoundries or Texas Instruments are also moving, installing new cutting-edge plants both inside and outside the United States, a country that is determined to invest what is necessary to achieve leadership. In the end, getting 20% ​​of the world’s chips is a tremendously ambitious goal and Europe is very far away in this industrybut you have to start somewhere and FAMES represents that first stone on the path of the European semiconductor initiative. Images | Intel (edited), FAMES In Xataka | We already know what the chips that will arrive until 2039 will be like. The machine that will allow them to be manufactured is close

Russia had managed to manufacture drones and missiles despite the sanctions. So selling Zara clothes was a matter of time

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In recent months, a strange wave of western products has begun to reappear in places where, on paper, it is already they shouldn’t exist. Between geopolitical changes, forced business exits and an increasingly opaque market, certain brands have unexpectedly become visible again, fueling rumors, theories about how they are getting there and who is really pulling the strings of their distribution towards Moscow. Now a giant from Spain has (re)appeared: Inditex. A market that does not close completely. After announcing the end of operations in Russia a few days after the invasion of Ukraine, Inditex left behind its second largest market and sold its business in the country. However, more than two years latergarments with official labels from brands such as Zara, Bershka, Oysho, Stradivarius or Massimo Dutti have once again appeared on the shelves of the Russian channel Tvoenow renamed Tvoe n Ko, which boasts a “constantly updated” selection on social networks and presents the collections as almost clandestine finds. The pieces, which match models from previous seasons and carry prices in euros, are now sold in at least 19 stores Russian companies without there being (according to the official version offered) any contractual relationship between the Spanish company and the local distributor. In fact, they occur two months after the executive director of Inditex, Óscar García Maceiras, will declare to the Financial Times that the conditions “were not met” for his return to Russia. The engineering of the Russian gray market. I was counting a few hours ago the FT that the mechanism that allows the reappearance of these garments is based on the system of “parallel imports” established by Moscow to circumvent the massive departures of Western brands. In this scheme operates Disco Club LLCa Russian company that has recorded 18 statements in accordance, citing Inditex as supplier and presenting itself as its “authorized representative”, despite the fact that Inditex flatly denies having granted such permission. The garments come partly from inventories originally destined for various EU countries and partly from Chinese factories, according to labels and documents customs, in a circuit that takes advantage of legal loopholes and the Kremlin’s lack of inhibition to give formal coverage to a trade that would previously have been considered smuggling. The denial. For its part, Tvoe assures that it does not have direct agreements with Inditex and hides behind confidentiality agreements so as not to detail its suppliers, while Disco Club insist in which he only performed a “punctual technical service.” Burkhard Binder, the businessman linked to the founding of the company and based in Dubai, is disassociating himself from current operations. Inditex, known for its tight control of inventory, distribution and franchises, completely reject any link: he claims not to have authorized Disco Club or any Russian entity to act on his behalf and avoids commenting on how his products arrive in the country since he withdrew. Matter of time. we have been counting: the ability of the Russian economy to adapt in the midst of war has shown that international restrictions, no matter how strict, always find cracks. A country that has rebuilt chains complex supply chains to produce drones, precision ammunition or long-range missiles, despite technological embargoes and industrial vetoes, would not have difficulties reopening the door to much more “simpler” products, such as Western fashion clothing. In that context, the reappearance of garments of Zara in Russian stores is not so much surprising as confirming a trend: Moscow has perfected an ecosystem of parallel imports capable of circumventing almost any blockade, from military components even t-shirts and dresses from past seasons, turning the impossible into routine and the forbidden into a merely logistical problem. Russia, a laboratory of consumption in times of sanctions. The appearance of Zara products in Russia despite the exit from the company illustrates the magnitude of the gray market that Moscow has made official since 2022: an ecosystem that allows consumers to access Western brands through private intermediaries and indirect routes, without participation of the original companies. In this context, the reappearance of the Spanish firm in the Russian commercial landscape is not due to a business return, but rather to a state-run mechanism. commercial evasion that turns its garments into parallel import merchandise. If you like, the phenomenon also reveals the extent to which Russia has rebuilt its global consumption through third countries and front companies, and how even the strictest groups in controlling its supply chain cannot prevent its products from reappearing in a market from which they tried to leave definitely. Image | Pexels In Xataka | Ukraine has opened the Russian ballistic missile that has devastated its cities. Your surprise is a condemnation: your main supplier is untouchable In Xataka | Zara has been selling clothes for years. Now he aspires to sell something more difficult: prestige

Huawei has a patent with which to manufacture 2nm chips. The only problem is that it’s just a patent.

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Huawei has just applied for a patent in which a new and unique process of advanced chip production. The patent focuses on improving one of the limitations of the technology of deep ultraviolet photolithography (UVP) to try to compete in this way with the extreme ultraviolet machines (UVE) to which China still unable to access. There are, however, many uncertainties here. The patent. Huawei formally submitted the technical documentation in June 2022 to the Chinese patent office, allowing the invention to be “protected” since then. The detailed content of their study was made public in January 2025, but It is now that it has come to light. The patent is only applied for, not granted or granted. The patent office is examining the application to determine if it meets the requirements. Why is it important. This patent tries to address the limitations of the so-called edge placement error (EPE, Edge Placement Error) in the advanced interconnection process used when manufacturing advanced chips. The method discovered makes it theoretically possible to use “metal spacings” smaller than 21 nm, even when using deep ultraviolet (UVP) technology instead of extreme ultraviolet (UVE), which is the most advanced photolithographic technology today… and to which Chinese manufacturers like Huawei do not have access. If it achieves its objective, the firm could have access, for example, to chips that would theoretically compete even with chips made with 2nm photolithography. Metal spacing? That term (metal pitch in English) refers to the minimum distance that exists between the metal lines that form the interconnections within the integrated circuit or, in this case, the chip. These lines carry power and data signals between the transistors, and that metal spacing is extraordinarily small for advanced nodes. The objective of the patent is precisely to allow the manufacture of these lines with a spacing of less than 21 nm. This gives rise to a possible process that could compete with the 2nm UVE photolithography used, for example, by TSMC. The important word there is “could.” Edge Placement Error (EPE). EPE is the error that occurs when a pattern on a chip is not placed exactly where it was intended by the chip design. The closer that metal spacing is, the smaller the EPE margin must be to prevent the lines from touching and causing a short circuit. At this scale it is incredibly complex to solve this problem, and Huawei’s patent precisely proposes a way to achieve it. Supervitaminizing “old” lithography. What makes this method possible is that UVP photolithography, less powerful and advanced than UVE, can be used to compete with it. This method would allow “jumping” the limits that this process now faces, and which normally had many difficulties in going beyond 21 nm. A double hard mask process of two materials and a special patterning scheme are introduced that theoretically allow us to go below 21 nm. and even 5 nm which are already very complicated to achieve with EUV. In short: China could achieve advanced chips without the need for use the most advanced ASML machinesto which you do not have access. But. Although the technique is apparently striking, there are two big problems here. The first and most important is that this is just a patent and that does not mean that the process can be transferred to reality. The difficulties in doing so are enormous, and that leads us to the second problem: the effectiveness of production would probably be very low and the yield (process success rate) would be greatly affected. That is to say: of all the chips theoretically produced with this technique, only a small part would be valid, which would waste a huge part of the investment. In Xataka | In its race to make advanced chips, China has tried to copy ASML. It’s going wrong

The US has insisted that TSMC manufacture chips in Arizona. The reality: it is a disastrous idea

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TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor maker, has long been pushing for unprecedented expansion outside Taiwan. The initiative includes large projects in the United States, Japan and Germany, but does not respond to market demand, but rather to geopolitical pressure and a chip war that wants to try to “repatriate” this type of process. It’s a terrible idea. Morris Chang knows it’s a mistake. Despite the political urgency, the economic viability of these factories abroad has been questioned by TSMC founder Dr. Morris Chang. He already had the previous experience with the WafertTech factory in the US in 1996, and has qualified Arizona initiative as “a very expensive exercise in futility” Everything one hour away. Chang’s skepticism is based on the belief that TSMC’s operations and profitability are intrinsically dependent on its ecosystem, which is entirely concentrated in Taiwan. The Hsinchu Science Park “cluster” allows hundreds of technology partners to operate within a “one-hour” radius, facilitating problem resolution and providing ultra-fast logistics and unparalleled coordination. TSMC is still 90% Taiwanese. Despite that global expansion, TSMC remains deeply Taiwanese, with more than 90% of its manufacturing capacity and nearly 90% of its employees on the island. That’s where your massive, highly trained and qualified engineering talent base is. That is again a key factor in its competitive advantage, and in fact the company has already warned its employees in the US that they should adhere to the work culture of the Taiwanese company. Arizona produces, but it is more expensive. That attempt to replicate Taiwanese efficiency in Arizona has revealed something important: although TSMC has achieved competitive performance in its first production runs with 4nm photolithography, the cost of the wafers is significantly higher. The local supply of raw materials and equipment remains insufficient, making the factory dependent on Asia and is a bottleneck for the efficiency of the production cycle. Skilled labor shortages and permitting and bureaucracy, which further slow things down, add considerable operational costs. Japan and Germany, next objectives. TSMC has two major expansion projects in Japan (JASM) and Germany (ESMC). These locations will focus on much less advanced photolithographic nodes (28/16 nm) and will focus on meeting the demand of some specialized customers such as Sony for image sensors in Japan or Bosch in Europe. The scale of these investments is less than that of Arizona, which aims to be the world’s largest advanced chip factory… if planned future phases are completed. A double edged sword. TSMC’s expansion has two sides. On the one hand, TSMC consolidates its technological leadership and its strategic role as a “silicon shield” against China. On the other hand, it generates internal anxiety about the possible “leakage” of advanced technology and talent that could weaken national sovereignty in the long term. US pressure even extended to veto the possibility of establishing a TSMC factory in the United Arab Emirates. TSMC does not expand by pleasure, but by pressure. Traditionally, TSMC only builds new factories in response to real demand from its customers. Here the reason has been very different, and geopolitical pressure has forced moves that the company would probably never have made otherwise. Here the different subsidy programs (CHIPS Act in the US, European Chip Law) try to repatriate part of the manufacturing and thus mitigate Asian dependence, but it’s not clear at all that they achieve it. Image | TSMC In Xataka | Japan is rapidly reconquering the chip industry. It has just successfully manufactured its first 2nm transistor

Having China manufacture its cars in Europe seemed like a perfect plan. Until they were filled with Chinese workers

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Manufacture their electric cars in Europe so that they can sell them without tariffs. That was the promise of the European Union to Chinese manufacturers. The objective was to consolidate the electric car industry for Europe in Europe, closing the door to proposals from China at a much more attractive price. And the result is not what was expected. Manufacture in Europe. In October 2024, the European Union confirmed the tariffs to all the companies that bring their electric cars from China. Including European ones. With this measure that applies individually to each company (ensuring that not all have received the same benefits from the Chinese State) it was intended to attract factories to Europe. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? The strategy has gone well. First, because the Chinese State ordered to stop all investments in Europe that were in the negotiation phase, initially turning off the tap. Secondly, because it is not clear that the installed factories are giving great results in terms of employment. From China for Chinese. “There are currently manufacturers in Europe that assemble Chinese cars with Chinese components and Chinese personnel: this happens in Spain and Hungary. This is not right.” The words are from Stéphane Séjourné Vice President of Prosperity and Industrial Strategy of the European Commission, in an interview for the Italian newspaper La Stampa. In it he pointed out Spain and Hungary as the two hot spots. In this second country, BYD is building its first plant in Europe to produce electric cars. In Spain we have the Chery plant in Barcelona and, under construction, the CATL battery plant in Aragon. In all previous cases, criticism has multiplied because they are not impacting the area as expected. The Hungarian case. Séjourné refers to the plant that BYD has planned in Hungary. There, the Chinese company is building a factory that should produce 150,000 cars a year (with potential for 300,000 units) and employ 10,000 workers. However, the European Union is studying if the Chinese giant is receiving covert subsidies to carry it out, paralyzing its construction. In the early phases of the project, BYD has employed about 1,000 workers Chinese which has raised the suspicions of the European Commission as to whether there is really an intention to produce wealth on European soil. some of them They staged protests last summer by claiming that they had been fired just six months after joining despite receiving promises of large salaries upon arrival in Europe. BYD is at the center of controversy because the European Commission suspects that in the future Chinese workers may be the majority at the plant, since they would aspire to lower salaries. The company, yes, He already promised that he would employ local workers to advance vehicle production. The question is whether this first hiring of Chinese personnel responds to the start-up of the factory or the advancement of a way of acting that extends over time. The Spanish case. In Spain, two factories have concentrated China’s interest. The first to arrive was the one from Chery to Barcelona. There, the Chinese company has found that it already had the necessary machinery to remove cars from it since it responds to the occupation of the old Nissan plant. However, the plans are not meeting the expected deadlines. Chery is assembling kits of cars in Barcelona. That is, the car arrives in large pieces to Spain and is finished being assembled here, so the local impact is reduced. In this case we are not talking about employment but we are talking about the fact that the network of suppliers generated is minimal. The European Commission did not like this and, in fact, the electric Omoda 5 has been delayed in Barcelona because the regulators threaten to impose tariffs on them when they understand that the added value is zero. The other point of friction is that of CATL in Aragón. The Chinese battery producer announced an agreement with Stellantis to produce there the components that the automotive giant will use in its small cars. For now, we know that 2,000 Chinese employees will arrive and, again, the shadow of what impact the new factory will have on the local labor market is looming. According to T&Eit is not guaranteed that the CATL plant will guarantee long-term knowledge transfer. More pressures. In addition to the statements by European regulators, other voices have also raised their voices. France is one of the countries that is most under pressure to create a new category of cars to make electric vehicles cheaper. Their proposal is that they meet certain size requirements… but also that production be entirely European. These days, Josep María Recasens, president of Renault Spain, returned to the charge ensuring that “we cannot allow China to come to Europe to make four plates with wheels without added value.” In his statements he asked that Europe force Chinese companies to associate with European ones so that there is a transfer of knowledge as China itself demanded from Europe when its manufacturers began to produce on Asian soil. Photo | Official Lula on Wikimedia and BYD In Xataka | China is manufacturing many more cars than the world wants to buy. And that is a foretaste of serious problems.

Leapmotor confirms that he will manufacture in our country in 2026

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One more. LEAPMOTOR will manufacture its electric cars in Spain, as confirmed by Antonio Filosa, CEO of Stellantis to Automotive News Europe. The news emphasizes the role that Spain is playing among the most affordable electric cars and how our country has a very anticipated type of car in its hands but also sows some doubts. Confirmation. “We have recently announced an industrial collaboration to provide Leapmotor for capacity in one of our Spanish plants to manufacture their cars on its platform. It will begin very soon.” With these words, Philose confirmed Automotive News Europe That, indeed, it will be one of the plants that the automotive giant has in Spain that will produce its electric cars. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than the announcing Stellantis has factories in Madrid, Zaragoza and Vigo but for now it is not clear which is the chosen plant or what cars are the ones that will be assembled. Nor will the process be carried out since the Polish production of the T03 Leapmotor that was being carried out through kits He stopped last April. What and who? As we say, from Stellantis they have not given many more signs beyond that cars will begin to be manufactured next year. Yes we can imagine that, because of the cast that Stellantis has for Spain, Zaragoza has all ballots. From there come the small electric ones of the group such as the Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon. In addition, it will be next to the battery factory that Stellantis will raise with catl. What cars will also be manufactured is also a mystery but everything points again, that they will be the LEAPMOTOR B10 In a first start. This is a 4.52 -meter car with a slightly fair battery if we want is very close to 20,000 euros. It is possible that the LEAPMOTOR B05an even cheaper option that seen what was seen well could be at the border of 25,000 euros before aid. Of course, they are at the moment speculative information taking into account how little we already know. All of the above has to be confirmed. What is Leapmotor? Leapmotor is a Chinese company with highly promising electric cars. The company was partially acquired by Stellantis In a play to put Chinese and cheap electric cars in its portfolio. Stellantis’s experience in China has not been good and has recently decided to dissolve all its collaborations in the country. In return, what he did was put money in this company to have access to its R&D and, in addition, completely control the distribution of the brand outside of China. Leapmotor, on the other hand, won an injection of money but also the open door to export cars without the obligation to mount a entire distribution and after -sales network in other countries. The Stellantis network is the one carried out by that service. How will it be manufactured? It is another of the great unknowns. Until last April, Stellantis has been manufacturing in Poland El T03, the cheapest electric car that Leapmotor had in Spain and that We could try a few months ago. This production was carried out with kits arriving from China but Europe has denied that it serves to skip tariffs on electric cars. The result is that Stellantis has stopped producing this car on Polish soil, since these electric cars became increasing and lost their true attraction: the price. It is expected, therefore, that the company has in mind to produce its cars here (or much of them) if you want to avoid the famous tariffs. It is a case, therefore, similar to omoda. This last company, owned by Chery, wanted to manufacture the OMODA 5 electric in the old Barcelona plant in Nissan. However, before this attitude of Europe has delayed his plans. And, in the background, it plans the shadow that the Chinese government has sent the manufacturers stop their investments if Europe does not yield In this position. Hope. The good part of history is that, without a doubt, it is a new impulse to Spanish factories. Spain is becoming the ideal space to manufacture The most affordable electric cars of the brands that are already settled in our country. Labor and energy costs are lower than in other parts of Europe but, in addition, there is already a labor and industrial structure that allows the assembly lines to be adapted with a lower investment than if it had to create a whole plant from scratch. In addition, electric car sales of between 25,000 and 30,000 euros are expected to continue growing. Manufacturers need to sell this type of cars to fulfill the commitments on emission. The doubts. The most serious doubts come with the hug that the public wants or is willing to give to this type of vehicles. This week we have known that Ford will fire 1,000 employees In Colonia (Germany) because their numbers do not endure the investment made. Of course, in this case we talk that Ford is having difficulty putting cars on the market that, Actually, they are Volkswagen of origin. Although The electric car of 25,000 euros The manufacturers’ salvation table is craving, the truth is that, for the moment, They are vehicles that force certain concessions and discomforts in long trips. And that, for the moment, continues to cause them to be most complicated cars to place that those with the highest price but whose resignations They begin to give completely the same. Photo | Stellantis In Xataka | The industry is heading to sell us the popular electric car: it says it will cost 25,000 euros to make 200 kilometers

Europe has hope placed in the electric car of 25,000 euros and Volkswagen already knows who will manufacture it: Spain

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Volkswagen ID. Polo, Raval Cupra, Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID. Cross. Those are all the cars that Volkwagen has commissioned Spain. The company has commissioned the bulk of its urban vehicles to our country. It will do it with four cars that will be key, for better or worse, in the medium -term company strategy. Confirmation. It will be in Martorell, Barcelona (Volkswagen ID.P Polo and Cupra Raval), and in Landaben, Navarra (Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID.cross) where the Volkswagen group will manufacture its smallest electric. The company has confirmed it at the IAA Mobilitythe Münich hall focused on electric vehicles. It will be its four electric cars that will fly over 25,000 euros. That is to say, The “affordable” offer The group will be manufactured in Spain, a strategy that we already sensed partially but that was about to be confirmed. 25,000 euros electric car hub. The arrival of these four models to our country is, on paper, great news for the company’s workers. Martorell has long been positioned as the central nucleus of the strategy, with A battery plant “by your side”its projection as Component supplier And, now, with the two cars awarded. Landaben takes another very important pinch. The Volkswagen ID. Cross, which is just a concept, will be one of the company’s great assets in the segment. The Volkswagen T-Cross promises to be one of the most important electric/medium term electric. The EPIQ will be the “affordable” option. In addition, in both cases the SUV body fits perfectly into the electric car since it is the body preferred by the public and facilitates to fit greater battery capacity in the car without sacrificing the space. Investment. In your event, Volkswagen has pointed out that a total of 10,000 million euros will be invested. 70% will be in charge of the company that are divided into the electrification of the Barcelona plant (3,000 million euros), Navarra (1,000 million euros) and the 3,000 million euros of the Sagunto plant. The remaining 3,000 million euros correspond, according to the company, with the investments of the auxiliary companies to mount these cars. Key models. Spain has become a key region for the future of the company. Right now, it has four of the models that aspire to generate a qualitative leap in sales within the German group and the plant that will produce the batteries for all of them. The sale of these cars is especially relevant because in 2027 manufacturers have to Place below 93.6 gr/km of CO2 in the average emissions of the cars that have sold. The figure is already hard and needs the sale of large volumes of electricity but it will be Much more in 2030 When that maximum figure is reduced in half. If the political plans are maintained, the cars that occur in Spain should despite substantially in the company’s results accounts Volkswagen is interested in prioritizing the sale of these cars that, by price, should be easier to sell. The risk. The other face of the currency is evident: that cars are not sold. Although manufacturers are obliged to press in this market (due They present obvious inconveniences when they are taken out of the city. Right now, that electric, cheap and “for everything” car or that allows “anywhere” even with space limitations does not exist. That role played by the Seat Ibizato give an example, it is in danger of extinction if the manufacturer does not opt ​​for a substantial electrification of mechanics. Spain, leader. Spain has managed to find its hole in the electric car market. Although has been threatened by brands (and in fact it is made) it will be taken to take some of the cheapest electric to countries with less expensive labor, such as Morocco, Spain has managed to offer itself as an attractive country to produce cars with the lowest profit margin. Volkswagen’s bet is not alone. Stellantis will also produce its smallest models in Spain. Vigo and Zaragoza will be key in the production of smaller cars, the mounts About the Stla Small platform. It is a battle that has earned France or Germany whose operational costs are higher and need to produce higher costs (and less volume) to justify its production. Photo | Volkswagen In Xataka | If the question is if the cars were “cheaper” regarding your salary in 1975 than now, we have made accounts

If we cannot manufacture chips, we will at least control how they are manufactured

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The Dutch company ASML has invested 1.3 billion euros in Mistral AIbecoming your greatest shareholder. Far from being another financial operation, reading is that it is Europe trying to control world semiconductor manufacturing. Without manufacturing a single chip. The current situation. ASML already has the absolute monopoly of the extreme ultraviolet lithography machines (EUV)the only ones capable of manufacturing chips of less than 7 nanometers. Without their teams of 180 million dollars, nor TSMC, nor Samsung, nor can they produce advanced semiconductors. Now he also wants to control the software that optimizes those machines. Why is it important. The processes of photolithography They generate data petabytes. A 1% improvement in production yield can use thousands of millions. If Mistral becomes the standard AI to optimize ASML machines, Europe would control both hardware and “brain” that makes it work. This play resolves the current technological trilema: the United States designs the chips, Asia manufactures them. And Europe? Europe could control the tools and processes that make its manufacture possible. The context. TSMC has already begun to use Nvidia to optimize its plants. China develops its own systems. If ASML does not act, its Asian customers will optimize the machines without their participation, turning their technology into a Commodity. With Mistraleach software update would be a reason to maintain the monopoly. And most valuable: they would have access to the most critical manufacturing data in the world. Yes, but. The operation has its risks. Mistral needs Nvidia chips to train its models (irony: use American technology to control world manufacturing). And China could accelerate its efforts of technological independence if you perceive this alliance as a hostile. In addition, going from language models to specialized industrialized is not a triviality. Mistral will need very specific talent, which today works in Google or TSMC. In perspective. This alliance recognizes an uncomfortable reality: Europe has lost the battle of direct chips manufacturing. But you can win the process control war. It is like not knowing how to cook but owns all ovens and recipes. Once the factories optimize their processes with Mistralchanging another system would be extremely expensive. He is a technical lock disguised as a service. The long -term game. Between 2025 and 2027 we will see the integration of Mistral models into the ASML software. By 2030, Europe could have a duo that controls how all the advanced chips in the world are manufactured. In the end this story does not go on chatbots or on generative. It is about using AI as a Trojan horse to insert European dependence on the most critical process of the digital economy. ASML already showed that You can master an industry by controlling a single key point. Now he wants to control two: the hardware and the software that optimizes it. In Xataka | Le chat from Mistral AI: What is it, how it works and what can this artificial intelligence chat done in Europe do Outstanding image |

When you are openai and you can’t buy enough GPU, the solution is obvious: manufacture yours

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Openai will create its own artificial intelligence chips. It is a crucial decision for the future of your business, but the ally you have chosen to do it: Broadcom. When the river sounds. The runrún has been listening Since the beginning of 2024. Nvidia, owner and lady of the segment of the AI ​​accelerators, was an ally too powerful for OpenAi. The solution was clear: develop its own chips with which to minimize that dependence. Broadcom takes chest. Hock Tan, Broadcom CEO, yesterday told investors that the company had closed an agreement with a mysterious client that would invest 10,000 million dollars in AI chips. Although Broadcom did not reveal the client’s name, sources close to those agreements indicated In Financial Times that this client is none other than OpenAi. Neither Broadcom nor this last company have confirmed the data. Xpus to power. Those chips, to those who referred as Xpus, are a kind of specialized and personalized variant of the NVIDIA or AMD accelerators. We have the perfect example in the TPUS (Tensioner Processor Units) that Google presented almost a decade ago And that has been improving generation after generation (we are already going for the seventh generation, called Ironwood). Broadcom, by the way, has collaborated in the development of these Google chips, so it has overdue experience in that area. Own chips for internal use. According to sources close to this collaboration, Openai aims to use these internal AI chips, and there are no plans to offer them to external clients. That reinforces the theory that Openai wants to create data centers with these own chips to avoid (or at least mitigate) the dependence of Nvidia. Nvidia will have (a lot) competition. Nvidia dominates Iron fist This segment, but has long for the rivals – both in the West as in the East – work to make their monopoly in this sector disappear. Microsoft He has MaiaAmazon His trainiumGoogle its aforementioned TPU and AMD of course Your instinct. To goal It is about it. But Cuda remains the “Moat” of Nvidia. Of course the true key to Nvidia overwhelming success is not so much in its chips and in the fact that its architecture CUDA is de facto standard In this market and all AI systems developers usually base their projects on that platform. It is the “Moat” of Nvidia, that “pit” that allows you to protect its “castle” from the rivals and continue dominating the market. And here there are also attempts to avoid the dependence of the company, and among them Those from China stand out. And TSMC, what? The funny thing is that for months it seemed that The ally that Openai had sought To carry out this project was the most important semiconductor manufacturer in the world, TSMC. Earl this year that collaboration It seemed to go on the right track and several sources pointed out that we would have the first OpenAI GPUS for 2026. It may simply have chosen to have a plan B (TSMC) to avoid its dependence on NVIDIA, but also prepare a C (Broadcom) plan. Image | Qualcomm In Xataka | China’s self -sufficiency test in chips for AI is already here: it has not bought Nvidia or a single H20 GPU in the last quarter

Airtificial will manufacture parts of the first Spanish rocket at its Jerez plant

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Two of the most popular names of the Spanish high -tech industry have joined their paths. Airtificial, whose factory we visited a few years ago for the presentation of The first hyperloop capsulewill manufacture from now on reusable components for the first Spanish rocket, Miura 5 of PLD Space. Jerez composite. From the dream of magnetic levitation in vacuum tubes to the much more tangible reality of access to space. Aerospace & Defense Airtificial has agreed manufacture at its headquarters A series of composite material panels for PLD Space. They are, specifically, shields for the nozzles of the new Treprel-C engines. Critical elements that serve as a structural support, channeling the thrust of the engines to avoid vibrations that deformed the nozzles, and at the same time of thermal insulation, acting as a barrier that protects the rest of the systems of the lock of the heat of combustion. Why anestificial. The new PLD Space provider has 30 years of composite experience, a more light material than the metal that will reduce the weight of the Miura 5. In the space industry, less weight means greater efficiency and more load to orbit with the same fuel. In 2018, Airtificial acquired international fame after the presentation of Quintero One, a 30 -meter capsule made in carbon fiber compound material. It was a Hyperlooptt design, one of the companies that tried to materialize high -speed transportation promoted by Elon Musk. Today Hyperloop is considered One of the great technological failures of the last decade. Although Hyperlooptt continues to try, Virgin Hyperloop One closed, forcing the Spanish Zelleros to make adjustments. Years later, Airtificial has made the leap to the space industry. Miura 5 is not a promise. PLD Space has A detailed plan to become the European rocket factoryand the pieces begin to fit. After the debut flight of Miura 1, the Miura 5 of 34 meters high and five engines in its first stage is taking shape. Although your body is made of aluminum, it uses composed materials in areas such as cofia or the covers of the engines, which will be key For your future reusable version: PLD Space will try to recover the first stage of Miura 5 after the shock, and on this depends on the resistance of the components. The company is immersed in the qualification of the new Treprel-C engines, which will burn bioqueroseno and liquid oxygen. It is the first time they develop Rocket engines with turbobombs in Spain. The confidence in the project is such that there is already a date marked in red on the calendar to see the first Miura 5. The CEO Raúl Torres It is optimistic: “December 15 of this year. That is day D”. Images | Hyperlooptt, PLD Space In Xataka | This is the Spanish rocket Miura 5: Pld Space has presented it in images and hints that version 1.2 can land

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