A supermarket chain is expanding and selling more than ever in the Mercadona fiefdom: Masymas

Mercadona dominates the sector of food in Spain, but this control is especially robust in the Valencian Community, where splits its roots the company directed by Juan Roig. There the chain monopolizes more than 30% of the entire business, above the average share it has in the country as a whole. Although with such data it would be logical to think that the rest of the competitors have little room to expand their sales in that fiefdom, a family chain has insisted on prove the opposite. Its name: Masymas Supermarkets. Despite the competition from Mercadona, the chain, with stores spread throughout the Valencian Community and Murcia, is achieving increase your turnover. One figure: 440.3 million. 2025 has not been a bad year for the Masymas supermarkets managed by Juan Fornés SA. At least according to the figures presented by the company itself, which just revealed which in 2025 reached a turnover of 440.3 million euros (sales with VAT). Although other key indicators are missing (such as the result), at first it seems like good data on two counts: it means 4.3% more than the previous year and consolidates the increase in income that the chain has been registering for years. According to your balancein 2021 it had a turnover of 321.2 million, a figure that rose to 360.6 million in 2022 and has continued to grow since then. In five years the increase has been 22%. A percentage: 3%. It is not the only positive indicator left by the chain directed by Fornés. Your sales grew by 3% in volume and the company boasts of having invested 15 million between renovations and the opening of two new points of sale, one in Dénia (Alicante) and another in Las Torres de Cotillas (Murcia). Its loyalty program has also reached 227,000 homes. Regarding its sales network, the chain manages 115 super distributed throughout the Valencian Community and the Region of Murcia, 45 of them under the Masymas basic brand. This year it plans to open two more establishments in Calpe and Sueca. In total, the company has a staff of 2,763 people200 more than in 2020. Why is it important? Beyond the interest that these data may have for the chain’s clients, Masymas’ balance sheet leaves an interesting reading for the sector: the super regionals continue to find holes to expand. Even in a scenario as complex as the great fiefdom of Mercadona. Although Juan Roig’s company leads the sector in market share at a national level, this dominance is especially intense in Alicante, Castellón, Valencia, Murcia and Albacete. A recent study from Worldpanel by Numerator shows that its footprint there reaches 33.6%, above the 27% share nationally. The complete “photo”. Masymas has not revealed its market share, but the analysis from Worldpanel by Numerator suggests that he doesn’t have it easy. In the Levant as a whole, the second best positioned chain is Consum (16.8%), followed by Carrefour (7.9%), Lidl (5.2%) and Family Cash (2.9%). In any case, these percentages must be handled carefully: Worldpanel studies a broader area than Masymas covers, focusing on the Valencian and Murcian coasts. When studying the case of Masymas, another characteristic that the company itself reports must be taken into account. on your website: The brand actually belongs to a company owned by four different companies. One focuses on Asturias and León. Another in Alicante and Valencia. A stubborn one in Córdoba and Jaén. And the fourth, Juan Fornés SA, in Castellón, Valencia, Alicante and Murcia. It was the latter that has disclosed your 2025 billing data. The push of the regional. The case of Masymas connects with a larger phenomenon that goes beyond the Levant: the push of regional supermarket chains. Although in recent years Mercadona has achieved dominate the sector (both in value share and percentage of buyers) and that they are forced to compete with multinationals the size of Grupo Carrefour, Lidl, Aldi or Alcampo, regional companies are holding their own. Worldpanel by Numerator estimates that after growing 0.4 percentage points (pp), its share reached 18.5% in 2025. The data shows “symptoms of deceleration”, as the consulting firm points out, but it is still significant. In fact Masymas is not the only one that is growing. The Galician Froiz has also done it and months ago The Country revealed that Consum, based in Valencia, aims in the same address. How is it possible? This resilience is partly explained by its territorial penetration, customer loyalty, the sale of local products and direct treatment. While Mercadona wants to bet Because of the fish already cut and packaged in trays, in many regional supermarkets it is still possible to find a stall with fresh goods and a fishmonger with whom to deal in person. The same happens with fruit, vegetables, meat or sausages, which for some analysts They turn super regional stores into successors to neighborhood stores. White label and cooked food. There is another important detail in Masymas’ strategy. The chain boasts so much of its “own brands”focused on food, home, cosmetics and pet care, as well as its “Kitchen Section”, which it has implemented in thirty stores. The signature promotes it as a space with prepared dishes, such as chicken, rice, lasagna or noodles. Both bets are very similar to the strategy that Mercadona has deployed in recent years, although the two chains are still very far apart in billing. Masymas has gone from 440 million euros in 2025, but the signing of Roig has touched the 39.8 billion. And that in Spain, without its Portugal stores. Images | Masymas Supermarkets 1 and 2 In Xataka | Years ago we feared that an “apocalypse” would sweep through shopping centers. In Spain, exactly the opposite is happening.

Carrefour is selling off (almost 50%) this 65-inch QLED TV with Dolby Vision & Atmos

Despite being a couple of years old, this TV Hisense 65E79NQE It remains a very interesting purchase option for those looking for a QLED television without spending a fortune. Now, at Carrefour, it is extremely discounted and is now available for 329 euros. Furthermore, if you want to pay it in installments, you can do so in 10 installments of 32.90 euros with the Carrefour Pass card. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A good, pretty and very cheap TV The Hisense 65E79NQ is a television that attracts attention at first glance not only for its price, but also for its technical specifications. It offers us a screen 65 inch QLED with Direct LED backlighting and 4K resolution. Additionally, it is compatible with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HDR10+. Its audio system is not something in which it stands out, since it has standard 20 W speakers (it will always be good for you to connect a sound bar to enhance this section) and they offer surround audio Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X. The operating system under which it works is VIDAA (own brand) and has a Screen Sharing function and is a TV compatible with Apple AirPlay 2so you can send it content directly from your iPhone or iPad. In terms of connectivity, it is a model that comes with WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet LAN port, three HDMI 2.0 ports, two USB-A ports, optical digital audio output and 3.5 mm headphone jack. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for the Hisense 65E79NQE smart TV today ✅ THE BEST Quantum Dot Technology (QLED): The colors are vibrant and much more accurate than a conventional LED. It supports almost everything: Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG. Connectivity: For the price it has, it is a TV with a wide connectivity section, which allows you to use dongles and other types of peripherals. ❌ THE WORST Oh, the operating system… Although it is now faster, VIDAA has a more limited catalog of apps than Google TV or Samsung. You might miss some very specific apps, although the main ones (YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+) are doing well. Maximum brightness content… In extremely bright rooms (with direct sun), reflections can be a bit annoying, as they do not reach the brightness levels of high-end MiniLED or OLED models. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for a large TV to watch series or movies with good color quality without having to spend the almost 1,000 euros that other traditional brands cost. At this price (329 euros), is a master purchase. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You are a contrast purist or if you hate using a TV Box, VIDAA may not be your favorite operating system. Some sound bars that may interest you for this TV ULTIMEA 2.1 Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG S40T – Smart Sound Bar, 300W, 2.1 Channels The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Webedia and Hisense In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 140 euros

While Artemis II searches for a way to return to the Moon, there are those who have already become millionaires selling lunar plots

There are sellers so skilled that they are capable of selling the Moon to anyone. It is not in a figurative sense. As NASA works to put astronauts back on the lunar surface with Artemis IIAmerican Dennis Hope has been building a fortune for more than forty years by putting a price on each hectare of the satellite and sending property titles by mail. And the most striking thing is that no one has stopped him from doing so. Hope came into this business in 1980, when she was going through a divorce and had her account in the red after more than a year of unemployment. As he related in an interview with Vice magazine, he thought he could make some money if he had some property, he looked out the window and it occurred to him that there would be a lot available on the Moon. What came next was not just a hunch: it was a million-dollar operation based on a very particular reading of international law. The legal vacuum that made it possible. His first step was to go to the library and look for the Outer Space Treaty 1967. What he found was a door ajar: the article 2 of that treaty establishes that the Moon and other celestial bodies are not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, use or occupation, or by any other means. The treaty placed limits on the appropriation of lunar territories to countries, but did not say anything explicit about the ownership of individuals. Hope submitted a formal claim of ownership over the Moon, the other eight planets and their moons to the United Nations, explaining his intention to parcel out those spaces and sell the properties to private buyers. In his letter he added that if they had any legal problem, they should let him know. Nobody answered him. So Hope interpreted this administrative silence as an absence of legal opposition, and from there he started his business. According to counted your son to ABCsix million people have already purchased land outside of Earth. An intergalactic business with luxury clientele. Since then, Hope has sold plots not only of the Moon, but also of Mars, Venus and Mercury. In an interview to the BBCHope claimed that he sold an average of 1,500 properties a day and explained that the way to choose the lots was by closing his eyes and pointing with his index finger at a point on the lunar map. “It’s not very scientific, but it’s fun,” he told the British media. It is estimated that he has earned about 12 million dollars with this business, which he claims is the only one he has had since 1995. Among his clients are former US presidents such as Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, Hollywood stars and greats. hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott. The space race reopens the debate. What for decades seemed like a picturesque anecdote has returned to the debate table in light of the reactivation of space programs to the moon. Artemis II has become the first manned mission to leave Earth’s orbit since the Apollo program in 1972, and its objective is to prepare the ground for future missions to the lunar south pole and even Mars. The Outer Space Treaty prohibits the appropriation of territories on the Moon or other planets, but does not explicitly prohibit extracting their resources, which has generated a legal gray area that was revealed in the 2023 ratification of this treaty, which also covers Hope’s real estate business. For Kai-Uwe Schrogl, president of the International Space Law Institute, the situation is clear: “There are no legal loopholes. There are only willfully erroneous interpretations of the treaty,” declared to D.W.. Is the Moon for everyone? As and as he explained Juan Manuel de Faramiñán, emeritus professor at the University of Jaén and co-director of the AstroÁndalus Chair of aerospace and astronomical studies at National Geographicin 2020 NASA issued the Artemis Agreementsa document in which the US establishes a set of practical principles to guide cooperation in space exploration between nations. “It must be considered that the signatory States of the Artemis Agreements are not signatories of the Moon Agreement. I must say, and it is a personal opinion, that the Artemis Agreements have become a shortcut to avoid the idea of ​​the common heritage of humanity and open the spigot so that both States and companies can access the resources of the Moon in accordance with their own interests,” stated Faramiñán. Old treaties for a new space race. The current legal framework on the ownership of the Moon was born in the middle of the Cold War and was designed for a world of two superpowers. Today there are large private companies with the capacity to reach the Moon without support from the States, new state interests and the discovery of natural resources. like water ice detected on the lunar surface, which could be key for long-duration missions. He Moon Treaty of 1979which attempted to regulate the exploitation of these resources by establishing that they would be the common heritage of humanity, was never ratified by any of the current great space powers. The result is a system of rules designed for another century, with loopholes that have allowed an individual to sell lunar hectares for decades without legal consequences. Xataka | The “hidden” side of the Moon has been a mystery for decades: China already has a chemical map to shed light Image | POTPexels (Nicholas Thomas)

The most buoyant market right now is selling streaming and satellite images of US movements to Iran.

In recent years, the number of active satellites in orbit has exceeded 7,500many of them dedicated to observing the Earth with a precision that allows us to distinguish objects just a few meters away. At the same time, millions of position signals from aircraft and ships were broadcast every minute openly throughout the planet. Never before has there been so much accessible information about what is happening, in almost real time, anywhere on the planet. A new war market in real time. The war in Iran has opened a unexpected showcaseor where each military movement becomes almost immediate content, packaged and disseminated as if it were a live event by an international artist. Chinese technology companies have detected that opportunity and have begun to offer detailed analysis on US bases, deployments and operations using open data combined with artificial intelligence. What previously required state intelligence resources is now presented as an accessible, visual and viral product, capable of circulating both on social networks and specialized platforms. The result is a kind military streaming where the movements of a superpower are transformed into information merchandise. Fusion between open data and AI. I counted this week the Washington Post that the core of this phenomenon is in the combination of public sources (such as satellite images, flight trackers or maritime data) with algorithms capable of processing them on a large scale. Here are companies that we had already talked about before like MizarVisionwhich use these resources to reconstruct entire deployments, identify aircraft types or follow naval group routes in near real time. Although much of the data already existed, the difference now is in speedautomation and the ability to cross-reference information on a massive scale, turning simple scattered signals into coherent military narratives. This drastically reduces the distance between the public and the strategic. Intelligence as a commercial product. The real turn is not only in technology, but in the business model that surrounds her. These companies do not operate like traditional intelligence agencies, but rather as suppliers that sell visibility on military operations, promoting their capabilities with real examples of active conflicts. Signatures as Jing’an Technology They have even gone so far as to publish alleged records of communications or mission reconstructionsreinforcing the idea that they can “see everything.” Thus, war ceases to be just a geopolitical scenario and becomes a source of income based on the exploitation of raw information transformed into digestible intelligence. Money flows in only one direction. Behind this apparent democratization of intelligence there is a very specific economic flow that mainly benefits the Chinese technological ecosystem. They remembered in the post that many of these companies have grown under the umbrella of the integration strategy Beijing civil-militaryreceiving funding and indirect support to develop dual capabilities. Every report sold, every analysis disseminated and every platform used rstrengthens that industrial fabricfeeding a circuit where data (often generated by Western infrastructures) ends up generating value within China. In practice, monitoring the movements of the United States not only exposes its operations, but also helps finance the technological development of a strategic competitor. A diffuse but growing threat. Although US authorities doubt that these companies can penetrate truly sensitive systems, the problem lies not so much in absolute precision as in the trend that they can represent. The ability to map movements, detect patterns and anticipate deployments is already a advantage in scenarios crisis, even if the data is not perfect. Furthermore, this model offers China an additional advantage: it can benefit from the information without officially getting involvedusing private companies as intermediaries. The consequence is something of a new type of battlefield, one where open, processed and commercialized information becomes a strategic weapon in itself. Image | MizarVision In Xataka | The US is redrawing the map of its bases in Europe. And none of the countries that have said “no to war” appear In Xataka | Of all the paradoxes of the war in the Middle East, few imagined this ending: with a “half-way” deal between the US and Iran

First the PS5 rises in price by 100 euros and now the lack of chips forces Sony to stop selling SD and CFexpress cards in Japan

Buying a computer, a mobile phone or a console is much more expensive today than it was a couple of years ago and the voracious appetite of data centers is to blame for this component crisis: RAM has become more expensivemore of the same for NAND storage (and therefore, of SSDs) and already threatens even to the batteries. And consumer electronics manufacturers are making moves to avoid swallowing the price rise resulting from this imbalance between supply and demand. If we talk about gaming, a couple of days ago Sony threw a bucket of cold water on those who expected its latest console to drop in price over time because it has been the opposite: The PS5 will go up 100 euros in April. But it is not Sony’s only drastic measure: in Japan have announced that stop selling storage cards. When you see your neighbor’s beard cut… NAND memory chip shortage is wreaking havoc If you have tried to buy a memory card in recent months, you will have already realized that prices have gone up a lot for that common little device that we use for photography, gaming or the Raspberry Pi (which also its price has skyrocketed due to the component crisis). Well, Sony has gone one step further and has indefinitely suspended the acceptance of orders for almost all of its line of CFexpress Type A, Type B and SD cardswhether for authorized distributors or those who buy from the Sony Store. The brief Sony Japan statement is blunt: “Due to the global shortage of semiconductors (memory) and other factors, it is expected that supply will not be meet the demand for CFexpress and SD memory cards in the near future. Therefore, we have decided to temporarily suspend the receipt of orders from our authorized dealers and customers in the Sony store from March 27, 2026. As for the resumption of accepting orders, we will study it based on the supply situation and will announce it separately on the product information page.” It is no longer just the temporary suspension, it is that there is no return date and the reality is that the medium-term future looks bleak: it does not seem that this shortage of components will be resolved in the coming months. In fact, the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran It is bringing other consequences beyond the rise in fuel prices: helium shortageessential in cooling operations in chip manufacturing It is true that this statement is restricted only to Japanbut the shortage is not exclusive to the Asian country: a quick search for SD in the Sony Store in Spain It returns just four models, one moderately affordable 64GB and then three others of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB that cost around 300 euros. One of the most affected models are the TOUGH cards used in professional photography and the entry-level SD cards. What you can buy today on the Sony website About a month ago the CEO of Phison, one of the major suppliers of controllers for SSDs and memory cards, he already warned: If the situation does not improve, this shortage may end the closure of consumer electronics companies completely in 2026. In Xataka | Not content with bursting demand and prices for RAM, AI is already targeting another victim: batteries In Xataka | The current generation of consoles was supposed to be “weak” and the games were expensive. Well: nothing has stopped the PS5 Cover | Xataka

OpenAI promised them they would be happy selling hype and memes. Until reality hits

The news of the weekend is Sora’s closure. What was once the platform of the hype Regarding video creation, he says goodbye, leaving agreements behind millionaires with giants like DisneyOpenAI’s promise to be one of the big players in text to video, and doubts about the company’s strategy. The bet on hype. For some time now, OpenAI’s strategy has been to create hype, be the protagonist in the conversation, and wait for the user to assimilate its proposal. The problem? It is a strategy that worked in its initial phases, when OpenAI played practically alone. We saw it with Sora: the launch was the most talked about on networks, television and practically all media. Months after its launch, there was no way to use the app without VPN outside the United States (and in a very controlled way through its app in countries such as Canada, Japan, Korea or Vietnam) and was still in the experimental phase. The closure. Sora hasn’t lasted even two years. It was born in February 2024 and says goodbye in March 2026. What was born as the reference model for video creation remained a half-baked experiment, while Chinese giants or Google itself with their models I see They advanced and landed their models on the plane that really matters: the one that allows the average user to access it. The competition tightens. OpenAI promised them happiness two years ago, when ChatGPT had hardly any rivals and companies like Anthropic were in their early product stages. But photography has changed in just a few months: Claude is becoming, with almost daily iterations, the most complete chatbot (it is already much more than that). Gemini has been starting to eat his toast for a year. China is absolutely unleashed launching spectacular video models like Seedance 2.0. AI solutions are no longer promises and hype: they are rapid and controlled launches, integrated into platforms that any average user can access. If you don’t integrate, you don’t win. Seedance 2.0 has not even been running for three months and already It is beginning to be integrated into editing programs such as CapCut. AIs like KlingAI have been integrated into gigantic platforms like HighsfieldAI for months. Releases that materialize a few days after seeing the light, and that lay tangible foundations for the state of AI in text to video. OpenAI assumed that a minority of professionals would be willing to pay for the more expensive versions of GPT to access Sora. The reality: the competition is managing to create much superior mass-use tools, and OpenAI cannot afford tools like Sora. The money is on the other side. Sam Altman need to redefine the strategy. For the moment, he wants double the company’s workforcecenter everything in one superapp that reduces catalog and he has his eyes on Spud. This is the name given internally to the next great AI model they are preparing, one aimed at making OpenAI finally a profitable company. After years without a fixed direction, and with its rivals eating its toast, OpenAI faces its most complex stage: one in which selling hype is not enough. In Xataka | Sora’s closure is a sign: OpenAI takes a step back in the AI ​​race to completely recalibrate

Carrefour is selling off OLED, QLED and QNED TVs with good discounts and gift coupons for future purchases

If you are thinking of renewing the old TV in your home for the next World Cup or because you want a newer model with better technologies, Carrefour It makes it easy for you with this promotion that it has on its website. Now, you can get discounted TVs from the companies Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL with which he also gives you a coupon up to 20% for future purchases. This promotion will be valid until next March 23. LG OLED55B56LA by 799 euros: 55-inch OLED and with a gift coupon of 159.80 euros. TCL 55P71K by 379 euros: 55-inch QLED and with a gift coupon for 56.85 euros. Samsung TQ65Q7F5AU by 579 euros: 65-inch QLED with a gift coupon of 86.85 euros. Hisense 65E7Q PRO by 499 euros: 65-inch QLED with 74.85 euros as a gift. LG 86QNED80A6A by 1,199 euros: 86-inch QNED with a gift coupon for 179.85 euros. LG OLED55B56LA – TV 55″, OLED 4K The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG OLED55B56LA Is it possible to buy an OLED TV for less than 800 euros? Now yes in this Carrefour campaign. Specifically, this LG OLED55B56LA is available with a discount of 500 euros, remaining available for 799 euros. Plus, you get a 20% coupon (159.80 euros) for future purchases. This TV from LG has a 55 inch OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which makes it a good option for gaming. It is compatible with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and comes with several gaming technologies such as AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. LG OLED55B56LA – TV 55″, OLED 4K The price could vary. We earn commission from these links TCL 55P71K If you are looking for a cheaper option, this TCL TV is a good option now at Carrefour. Its previous price was 499 euros, although it is now reduced to 379 euros. Plus you get a 56.85 euro coupon (15%) for future purchases. This television mounts a panel QLED 55 inches with 4K UHD resolution. It supports Dolby Vision & Atmos and supports VESA mount mounting. Works under the operating system Google TV and has multiple connectivity options. TCL 55P71K 55″ (139.7 cm), QLED, 4K UHD TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung TQ65Q7F5AU Do you want a slightly larger TV so you can set up your own home theater? This one from Samsung is a good option now at Carrefour. It is reduced to 579 euros and, furthermore, you get a gift coupon of 86.85 euros to spend at the hypermarket. Belonging to the Q7F family from the Korean firm, this TV has a panel 65 inch QLED with 4K Ultra HD resolution. It is compatible with HDR10+ and includes Filmmaker Mode. The operating system under which it works is Tizen and, in addition, it is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart QLED TV 65″ (165.1 cm) Samsung TQ65Q7F5AU with AI, 4K UHD The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Hisense 65E7Q PRO Another smart TV that you can get at a very good price now at Carrefour, with a 350 euro discount, is this one from the Hisense firm. Its current price is 499 euros and, furthermore, you get a gift coupon of 74.85 euros. This television from the Hisense firm mounts a 65 inch QLED panel with 4K resolution. It has 144 Hz refresh rate and incorporates gaming technologies and Game Mode. It is compatible with Dolby Vision IQ & Atmos and works under the VIDAA operating system. Hisense 65E7Q Pro – QLED Smart TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The last of the television models that we have found on sale at Carrefour is suitable for large living rooms, since it is a 86 inch pants. Its price has gone from 1,499 euros to 1,199 euros now. In addition, you get a coupon for 179.85 euros as a gift for future purchases. This TV from LG mounts a QNED panel and works with webOS operating system. It offers 4K UHD resolution and is compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa and Apple AirPlay. It offers multi-screen mode and also comes with multiple connectivity options. LG 86QNED80A6A – TV 86″, 4K QNED EVO, Smart TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Webedia, Samsung, TCL, Hisense and LG In Xataka | Best home theater projectors. Which one to buy and five recommended models from 299 to 18,000 euros In Xataka | Mega-guide to set up a home theater: projector, screen, sound system and more

Nobody wants to take up weapons, but they are making money selling them

Europe has accelerated your spending in defense up to levels that had not been seen since the end of the Cold War, driven by conflicts on its borders and a growing strategic uncertainty. The reflection has been a global arms market that is experiencing one of its more expansive cycles in decades, with long-term contracts and industrial chains that work at full capacity. In this context of rearmament and international repositioning, some countries face to a reality that goes beyond the numbers. For example, Spain. An industry that shoots record numbers. They counted this week in Spanish that, at the end of 2024 (last year for which official data is available), the Spanish defense industry touched 7,000 million of euros in exports, 10.6% more than the previous year, consolidating a model in which almost 70% of the sector’s sales depend on the foreign market. Three large companies (Airbus, Indra and Navantia) concentrate more than 70% of international business, and if Rheinmetall Expal and ITP Aero are added, five companies account for more than 80% of exports. According to the Ministry of Defense, the bulk comes from international programs such as the A400M or the Eurofighter, with the aeronautical subsector representing almost two-thirds of the total, while conventional weapons and missiles are growing strongly. Spain maintains ninth place in the world as an exporter, with 3% of the global marketand although it has lost positions compared to competitors such as Italy or Israel, its absolute numbers continue to increase. Ukraine as a showcase and accelerator. The war in Ukraine has been a catalyst. Since 2022, Spain has authorized more than 910 million euros in sales of defense material to kyiv, with a special weight of ammunition and projectiles, including more than 130,000 155 mm. Added to this are battle tanks, armored vehicles, missiles and direct donations that include everything from Harpoon systems to medicalized armored vehicles. Only in 2023 exports to Ukraine represented more than 150 millionand in the first half of 2024 they exceeded 130 million, increasing the relative weight of kyiv within the export group. In other words, Spain not only participates politically in the European effort, but has become a relevant supplier in a high-intensity conflict that consumes ammunition at an industrial rate. The paradox of the empty uniform. It we count this week. While the factories work at full capacity and the international contracts multiply, the interest of the Spanish population in joining the Armed Forces does not live his best moment. The social distance from the military profession, demographic aging and competition in the civilian labor market contrast with the strength of the defense industrial complex. Those 7 billion of euros summarize an uncomfortable reality in Spain: because there may be a lack of hands to take up weapons, but they are making money selling them to the rest of the planet. The country participates in fighters, produces radars, large-caliber ammunition or naval systems for third parties, while the internal debate revolves around vocations, working conditions and professional attractiveness. A model with recruitment on the other hand. The analysis of Defense in Spain indicates that the strength of the sector does not rest on the size of the national army, but rather on its integration into consortia Europeans and global supply chains. Ukraine, India, Saudi Arabia, France, the United States and Germany are among the main destinations for Spanish material, which shows a geographic diversification that cushions any internal fluctuation. The industry acts as a technological engine and generator of qualified employment, but also as an actor fully inserted in a global market that is experiencing a rebound sustained by conflicts and geopolitical tensions. Between industrial power and social debate. Spain thus finds itself facing a strategic duality. On the one hand, it consolidates its role as a relevant actor in world trade of weapons and strengthens its position in key international programs. On the other hand, face a domestic debate about the link between society and defense that is not resolved with accounting balances. The paradox is no small thing: a country that escalates million-dollar contracts abroad while dealing with the need to make more attractive the uniform at home. And in this tension between global market and national commitment is drawn one of the quietest dilemmas of Spanish defense policy. Image | Seko Photography In Xataka | Europe has asked its military experts how to become independent from the US for the next war. The answer is déjà vu: the F-35 In Xataka | Spain’s main problem is not weapons, fighters or drones: it is the number of hands it lacks to use them

Telefónica is already selling its minicenters to compete in the era of real time

For years they have told us that the future of artificial intelligence lies inincreasingly larger data centersmore powerful and more demanding in energy consumption. And it’s true that computing muscle matters. But there is an equally determining factor that is talked about much less: distance. In the era of real time, it’s not just how much you process that matters, but where you do it. Every millisecond that data takes to travel can disrupt the ability to react instantly. This nuance, apparently technical, is beginning to become a strategic issue for Spanish companies. Telefónica’s bet. The company has activated the commercialization of its edge computing services for B2B clients in five Spanish cities, Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao and A Coruña, as part of a broader deployment that includes 17 nodes in this initial phase. This means that companies and administrations can now hire these processing and storage capacities close to the point where the data is generated. Closer data. Edge computing involves processing information where it is generated, rather than constantly sending it to distant data centers. As Microsoft explainsis about moving computing and storage capacity to peripheral network locations, such as factories, stores, offices or distributed infrastructures. In practice, local devices and servers analyze and filter data on site and only send what is relevant to central systems. The goal is to reduce latency, alleviate network traffic and enable real-time responses, complementing rather than replacing traditional cloud. The deployment. Telefónica’s Edge Plan plans to reach 17 nodes in this first phase throughout this year. According to the company, 12 infrastructures are already deployed: to the five with active B2B services, other nodes are added in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid, Terrassa and Mérida. This same year, the incorporation of Zaragoza, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gijón, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Santiago de Compostela is planned. Many of these facilities are located in old copper plants converted into Edge centers, adapted to availability and security requirements. Basic and Smart. Telefónica does not sell “edge” in the abstract, but rather two concrete ways of using it. The first is Basic Edge, a stable layer that brings computing capacity closer to the territory and focuses on data control and compliance with national, regional or local regulatory frameworks. Each node acts as an availability zone, allowing applications to be deployed with additional guarantees of continuity and resilience. The second is Smart Edge, which introduces dynamism: selection of the most appropriate node at all times, creation of instances on demand and operation with FTTH or 5G SA connectivity depending on the scenario. Beyond physical infrastructure. Telefónica integrates computing capacity with GPUs into its portfolio for artificial intelligence loads, available as a service and deployed in Edge nodes. This allows companies and institutions to run high-performance models without purchasing their own hardware and maintaining processing within the defined regional environment. The company also mentions the incorporation of RAG agents and capabilities to adapt models to specific contexts. Overall, the strategy seeks to bring AI closer to data under criteria of sovereignty and regulatory compliance. When the millisecond rules. An example helps to dimension the scope of this architecture. Telefónica developed with CAF a pilot that combines Edge and 5G Stand Alone for the railway sector, providing artificial vision solutions that process data close to the asset instead of depending on centralized infrastructure. According to the company, this approach avoids installing processing nodes in each car and keeps responsiveness at levels compatible with real-time operations. Images | Xataka with Gemini 3 Pro In Xataka | We had suspicions, but Sam Altman has confirmed it: AI is just an excuse to fire

He is selling you the same pick-up with three names and three different prices

Chengdu is a city located in central China. It is not in the usual spotlight as Beijing, Shanghai or Chongqing usually claim, but we are talking about the capital of Sichuan, a value rewarded with its almost 21 million inhabitants accounted for in the metropolitan area. They count in Reuters that just a walk through the outskirts of the city offers an illuminating image of the state of the Chinese automobile market. In a wheel that spins at a devilish pace, the Chinese automotive industry is a hamster that runs at frenetic speed to reach a horizon that resists it, always just as close. Always the same distance. They explain in the news agency that dealerships on the outskirts of the city exhibit Audi cars with discounts of between 50 and 60%. Prices that can only be understood when you know that the company that makes them available to the public buys them wholesale, in enormous volumes, and then resells them at a much lower price than the official starting price. And, despite this, he takes advantage of them. It is one of the images that an automobile industry leaves us with a clear overproduction of models. The circadian rhythms of the Chinese automobile industry have long been raising some signs of concern about its health. The launch of new models and technologies in a brand like BYD and its continuous price reductions they make their own cars obsolete released just one or two years ago. The discontinuity of the Xiaomi SU7 before completing two years of his first deliveries is a good example of this. With this context, manufacturers have launched to sell cars outside their borders. In fact, the State itself has had to get firm with registrations outside of China to prevent these sales from giving a bad image of what is manufactured in the country. But these exports also have to fight with manufacturers that have been selling their cars outside their borders for years. And to guarantee sales, China has found a very simple solution in countries like Mexico: sell the same product repeatedly at different prices. Same car, different prices The story is brought to us by our colleagues Motorpasión Mexico but the melody is familiar to us. They explain that Changan has put the Changan Huntera pick-up that is already an old acquaintance on the market. And that same vehicle had already been sold in the country under the same name almost six years ago. That was the first step to finding the same bodywork with different names repeatedly. Taking advantage of its joint venture with PSA (before the French company became part of Stellantis), Mexico received the Peugeot Landtrek, which was also sold in other parts of the world but which, in reality, was a car that had hardly received any changes. The product allowed Peugeot to try to enter a new market, that of work vehicles, but it had little impact. The alternative would arrive with Stellantis leading the project. Thus, they took this same car, planted the RAM seal, a brand that is associated with the pick-up world, and re-launched the same car with another name and a more attractive price. The car was sold as the RAM 1200, with a cosmetic facelift but the same product under the body. And that same car is the one Now Changan puts it back on the market under the name Hunter. Second time it has done so and fourth time that the model arrives at Mexican dealerships, on the first and last occasion under the name Changan and, later, with Peugeot and RAM on the front. The strategy has allowed these companies to sell a car over six years with prices ranging from just over 300,000 Mexican pesos (just under 15,000 euros) to more than double that. The car, however, has always been essentially the same. In this case, we are not talking exactly about what automotive groups like Stellantis itself or Volkswagen do by putting a car on the street with the same platform and sharing elements. In this case, the volume of launches always propose a new car that is increasing in the market, here we are talking about reusing exactly the same car. In Spain we have the case of Santana. The brand will sell a product that is actually Chinese and originates in Dongfeng. This time it is not that it brings a car brought from China and it adapts to the European market, as the Chery Group is doing with Omoda and Jaecoo, renewing some components of cars they sell in Latin America to raise the perception of quality. The same thing that is happening with Ebro. The case of the Dongfeng pick-up is different because its latest evolution is almost minimal compared to the latest Nissan Navara, a vehicle that was developed on a base… born in 2005. Yes, after 20 years we will see a car with a Spanish emblem which has its embryo and sustenance in a product conceived more than two decades ago despite having been aesthetically renewed. These types of movements are simpler the simpler the product is, too. That is why it is no coincidence that this same thing is happening in the motorcycle market. They explain in Motorpassion Motorcycle that the same case of Santana and the same case of Mexico and its pick-ups is what they are encountering with the Jedi K750 Pro. “Italian design, Chinese manufacturing and various logos: the K750 changes its name depending on the country, but not the motorcycle,” they summarize in the middle. And given the market situation, with China involved in overproduction that seems increasingly problematic, it would not be surprising if this way of acting is repeated. China has a good arsenal of models to export and there are many markets eager to receive cars at a more affordable price than what we are used to. Spain is a good example that, for China, there is life beyond its borders. And … Read more

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

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

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

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