People dont just fly kites for fun. At a test site near Munich, engineers recently launched an electricity-generating, box-style kite fitted with small, wind-catching rotors. The contraption, tethered to the ground by a hefty cable, flew repeatedly in a predetermined figure of eight its rotors spinning in the wind. The wind speed is a couple of times higher than that a conventional wind turbine would see, says Maximilian Isensee, chief executive of Kitekraft, explaining how the very movement of the kite itself boosts power generation. Thats why we can get away with much smaller rotors. The figure of eight…

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It seems barely a day goes by without a new report of artificial intelligence replacing jobs. On Thursday, BT added the latest bad news, when the UK telecoms giant announced plans to replace 10,000staff with AI. Across Europe, predictions on automations effect on jobsvary wildly, but all agree that major changes are inevitable. With the impact already being felt, the need for government action is becoming urgent. Here are five interventions they can take. 1. Retraining the workforce The concept of a job for life, was disappearing even before AIs relentless march into the workplace. Increasingly, were becoming accustomed to…

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After a two-year wait, the UK has finally announced its semiconductor support plan, aiming to grow the domestic sector, increase its competitiveness, and reduce the risk of supply chain disruptions. But while industry players welcomed the strategy, they also criticised its level of support. Under the new scheme, the government will invest up to 1 (1.15) billion in the next decade, with an initial 200 million to be deployed in the next couple of years. This amount, however, is dwarfed by similar initiatives in the West. The US has pledged $52bn in subsidies to boost its domestic semiconductor industry, while…

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German mobility startup FlixBus is best known for its fleet of big green buses that whisk passengers around mainland Europe at affordable prices akin to Greyhound in the US. But there is also a rail-bound version of FlixBus dubbed, you guessed it, FlixTrain. The service began operations in 2018, following the opening of German rail lines to private competition five years earlier. By mid-2022, the company serviced over 70 stations along many of Germanys main rail routes. Flix also recently expanded its train network to Sweden. Now, FlixTrain has its sights set on expanding into the Netherlands. This week,…

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Rolls-Royce has completed the first tests of its UltraFan demonstrator aircraft engine at its facility in Derby,UK. The tests were conducted using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) primarily from waste-based feedstock, but the company is also exploring options for hybrid-electric and hydrogen-powered options. The UltraFan demonstrator is a game changer. In the making for nearly a decade, UltraFan has been designed to showcase technologies that can deliver greater fuel efficiency for both existing and future aircraft engines, in turn, lowering their emissions and increasing sustainability. Specifically, UltraFans technology is slated to offer a 25% fuel efficiency improvement compared to the…

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