Spain's Defense Champion Indra Bets on Becoming a Tank Maker
The chairman of Spain's largest defense firm has a plan for the country to become a key player in Europe's arms industry: build tanks.
It's an unusual bet for Indra Sistemas SA, a company best known as a supplier of sensors, radars and other electronic systems for airplanes, boats and armed vehicles. But Chairman Angel Escribano, who's held the position since January, says it's the way to go.
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Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
#BACKBLUE OCEAN FINANCE COMMITMENT SURGES BEYOND USD$3 TRILLION IN ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT
• #BackBlue ensures the Ocean has seat at table in finance and insurance decisions • New financial joiners to Commitment include BNP Paribas, Eurazeo, Mirova MONACO, MONACO, June 9, 2025 / / -- The #BackBlue Ocean Finance Commitment now covers a cumulative value of USD$3.45 trillion of assets under management as three new corporates endorse this call, this World Ocean Day. BNP Paribas, Eurazeo and Mirova are the latest financial institutions to join the Commitment which ensures a regenerating and sustainable ocean has a seat at the table in finance and insurance decisions. They join existing endorsers including Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, AXA, WTW and Palladium. The announcement comes today during the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco, a Special Event of the Third United Nations Ocean Conference which starts tomorrow in Nice, France. The #BackBlue Ocean Finance Commitment is a joint initiative of The Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance and the World Economic Forum's Ocean Action Agenda and is also supported by the UN Race to Resilience, the IUCN and UNEP FI, to drive investment into coastal and ocean natural capital. The Ocean plays a vital role in combating climate change and is home to over 80 per cent of all life on Earth. It is the planet's largest carbon sink and has absorbed over 90 per cent of the heat from our carbon emissions. It feeds and provides livelihoods to billions. Those supporting #BackBlue commit to taking specific actions including: • Setting robust net zero commitments; • Driving financial system policy change that is nature positive with a particular focus on the Ocean; • Accelerating the transition towards a healthy and sustainable ocean; • Joining the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance and/or the Sustainable Finance Community at the World Economic Forum. Karen Sack, Executive Director, ORRAA, said: 'This announcement in Monaco reinforces how connected our Ocean is to decisions made from beachfront to boardroom. Welcoming BNP Paribas, Eurazeo and Mirova to #BackBlue shows a growing, diverse global group of financial institutions coming together to secure a healthy, resilient ocean for people, nature and economies alike. But, as always, there is always much more that can be done, and we encourage others to follow suit in Backing Blue.' Alfredo Giron, Head of the World Economic Forum's Ocean Action Agenda and Friends of Ocean Action, said: 'We are delighted to welcome these three new private sector actors to #BackBlue. By joining #BackBlue, these organisations are helping to drive the urgent shift toward a regenerative and sustainable blue economy, essential for a healthy Ocean.' Supporting #BackBlue will help the delivery of: • The UN Race to Resilience's goals of building the resilience of four billion people from groups and communities who are vulnerable to climate risks by 2030; • The World Economic Forum's Ocean Action Agenda to catalyse public-private partnerships to accelerate ambitious solutions for a regenerative and sustainable ocean economy, and; • ORRAA's objective of securing USD$500m of investment into coastal and ocean natural capital by 2030, to mitigate risk and build the resilience of 250 million people in communities vulnerable to climate change in the Global South. The #BackBlue brochure can be found online here. Nicholas Moore Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance [email protected] Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Motor Trend
2 hours ago
- Motor Trend
2025 Audi SQ6 E-Tron First Test: Incredibly Quick, But Otherwise … ?
Pros It's how quick?! Home-charging port on both sides Quickly adds range at fast chargers Cons Slow-acting charge port doors Not as fun as the competition Needs more exterior and interior colors What a breath of fresh air. Where the BMW iX's extroverted design leans too hard into the future and the blobby Mercedes EQE lacks premium proportions, the 2025 Audi SQ6 slices the competition right down the middle. Here's a conventionally handsome electric luxury SUV with 509 hp to transform every green light into an adventure. The road to success should be easy for this Audi, right? Right ? Why We Tested an SQ6 After starting its EV game strong with what became known as the Q8 E-Tron, Audi faltered with the smaller, more affordable Q4. The latter electric SUV didn't initially meet our expectations of how an Audi should feel, and a gaping hole formed between the two. Now, after some delays, the 2025 Audi Q6 and more powerful SQ6 are here, striking at the heart of the market—a comfortably sized five-seat SUV more luxurious than the Q4 but less pricey than the Q8 E-Tron, more or less the electric equivalent to the brand's popular Q5. Instead of a base Q6 RWD's 322 hp or a dual-motor AWD model's 456 hp, the SQ6's dual-motor AWD setup manages 509 hp with launch control. In terms of horsepower bragging rights, the smaller Q4 doesn't come close. SQ6 Tested: A Polestar-Sized Issue The standard Q6 does , however. In our testing, a Q6 AWD sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, a full 0.3 second quicker than Audi's own estimate. The SQ6 follows suit, beating Audi's 4.1-second estimate; in our testing, the SUV hit 60 in just 3.7 seconds. Just a few years ago, that kind of explosive performance would have been reserved for RS models like the RS3 and RS6. One of the SQ6's best features is how that acceleration feels in the real world. In any drive mode, slam that accelerator pedal to the floor, and as the nose of the SUV lifts, you're off. The near-instant rush of acceleration people associate with electric cars is easier to feel here than in the Polestar 3, another similarly priced electric luxury SUV with sporty intentions, and especially compared to the regular Q6 E-Tron. And that electric Polestar is about as quick as the Audi, with a MotorTrend -tested 0–60-mph time of 3.8 to 4.1 seconds depending on model. If your driving thrills mostly happen in a straight line, the SQ6 is a great option. It's when the road starts to curve that we start daydreaming about the Polestar 3. On the figure-eight course, our racetrack-in-a-bottle test, the Audi turned in a respectable performance of 24.7 seconds at 0.80 g (average), to the Polestar 3 AWD's 24.4–24.6 seconds at 0.81–0.82 g (average, from two 3s). But setting the objective numbers aside, the Polestar simply feels more fun and lighter on its feet, which is interesting because it's about 250 pounds heavier than the Audi. As our test crew noted, the SQ6's chassis is composed if you take it down a few notches. But drive it at a faster pace, and the SUV just doesn't feel as fun—it's competent, not captivating. On the road, the SQ6's adaptive air suspension strikes a good balance between comfort and a sporty feel. Just like the SUV's styling itself, ride quality is good enough that you could live with it for years to come. That's true up to the moment you hear the hollow thrumming sound coming from the tires on the highway. There's a partial fix for that, though: Turn up the volume on the Bang & Olufsen sound system, which has a 3D sound feature and headrest speakers. The acoustic front door glass on the top SQ6 trim pairs well with the excellent sound system and adaptive cruise control to make stop-and-go traffic more tolerable. Range and Charge Testing: Hey, Not Bad We know the SQ6 isn't the sportiest or most spacious electric SUV around, and, well, it's also lacking any claims to class-leading range. A 275-mile EPA-rated range is fine, however, and in our Road-Trip Range test—which simulates how you might drive on the highway—the Audi managed 266 miles, nearly matching its claim. Getting that close to the EPA figure is impressive, as is what happens when the Audi is fast-charged. The 2025 SQ6 added back 160 miles of range after 15 minutes in our testing, which will make public charging stops quicker and more convenient. Few vehicles we've run through these tests have added that many miles in 15 minutes. As a bonus, the SUV is capable of 400 kW of recuperative braking—meaning it can pile electrons back into the battery quite rapidly when using the motors to slow itself down, stretching your around-town range. What About Tesla? What about Tesla? With the spacious Model Y SUV, Tesla has produced one of the most popular vehicles on the planet. And the newest model's updates promise improvements at a lower price than the Audi, Polestar, or BMW. What Tesla can no longer provide is a positive status boost you can count on, like most other luxury brands. We're not just talking about the CEO's unpredictable antics but also the sales troubles faced by one of its halo vehicles, the Cybertruck. So if any of the above—or the Model Y's ubiquity— bothers you, it's time to consider other brands. It's Fine. But Is It Fiiine ? We like the 2025 Audi SQ6 a lot; we just don't have much love for it. The design is conventionally handsome but may look too much like the smaller Q4 at a glance. The range is decent in the real world, but that's also true of the competition. We like the real, pull-out door handles and the cargo area's convenient netted cubbies, but what are we talking about here, a RAV4 or a luxury SUV? The SQ6 delivers fantastic acceleration for quick thrills pretty much anywhere. We understand why Audi buyers will be drawn to it, as it's very, very Audi-like, but the BMW's interior feels richer, and the Polestar is more fun to drive. That leaves the Audi right down the middle. We understand the SQ6's appeal, and it is quicker than a run-of-the-mill Q6, but that model more or less delivers the same verve—even without an S badge.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
A European Perspective: Why Digital Sovereignty Concerns Us All
Prof. Dr. Dennis-Kenji Kipker is a cyber security expert and works as Scientific Director of the getty There are countless definitions of what constitutes digital sovereignty: Some define it politically, and others define it technically. Then, there are legal and sociocultural attempts to define it. And that makes sense, because digitalization affects all areas of life, society and the economy. That is why this article will not attempt to define the entire possible spectrum of digital sovereignty, because that would be boring. Instead, my aim is to identify specific reasons for the lack of digital sovereignty to date and consider how we can work together to find a way out of this dilemma. Here are just two examples of a lack of digital sovereignty: When President Donald Trump announced that he will make changes to the transatlantic data protection agreement between the EU and the United States—and we in the European Union had to consider what consequences this could have for our economy—I do not believe that is digital sovereignty. Or, when Vice President JD Vance stated in February 2025 that the European Union is digitally overregulated—and the EU Commission then considered reducing European data protection by reforming the GDPR—I do not believe that is digital sovereignty, either. To me, sovereignty therefore means being able to decide freely whether and how to digitize—so that the greatest possible added value can be achieved for everyone, regardless of foreign interference. And digital sovereignty is not just an abstract end in itself: It helps companies in the EU use the best possible IT products at an efficient business price. On the other hand, U.S. companies also benefit from EU digital sovereignty. In a free, sovereign market, it is also easier for startups and scale-ups abroad to build a business case in the EU. Unfortunately, we in the EU are still too far away from this ideal, at least at present. But why is this the case? It's a long story, because a lack of digital sovereignty didn't happen overnight or in just a few years. No, to answer this question, you have to go back almost 30 years in the history of European technology development. The best example of this for Germany is the mobile phone market. Immediately after the start of the cell phone boom in the 1990s, the country began to rely on outsourcing IT development. This ultimately resulted in the closure of Siemens Mobile, a formerly big-name mobile developer in the country. As a result, while companies were initially able to rely on suppliers from abroad, decades later, they became dependent on these same suppliers. And the consequences of this can be felt by everyone today: the European smartphone market has long since ceased to be dominated by European manufacturers, as was the case with cell phones just a few decades ago. This worked well for many years because the credo of the European digital economy and others was always that globalization is the way forward. In the last decade in particular, a lot has been digitized and networked with the expansion of mobile 5G connections, and more and more computing capacities have been outsourced to the global cloud without hesitation. However, the global turnaround that began with Covid-19 in 2020 and that has since continued with political unrest and tension have made this difficult. The insight is clear: While we trusted in digital globalization all those years ago, it is now a question of digital trust. Digitalization without trust is no longer sustainable in these times. Regionalization instead of globalization has therefore become the credo of our decade—and this also includes regaining the digital sovereignty we gave up. But that is, of course, easier said than done. We've had decades to lose our digital sovereignty, but we have been confronted with the global turnaround at such a rapid pace that it will be extremely difficult for us to establish digital sovereignty from now on. But this is where the circle must close. Digital sovereignty affects us all, and therefore, everyone can make a contribution. It's not just about us as the European Union investing more in the development of our own digital economy by supporting startups and scale-ups with targeted funding. It's even more important to get young people interested in training in STEM subjects. And ultimately, it's about how we as states, as individual companies and as individual consumers purchase IT. In this very concrete business context, in order to achieve digital sovereignty and technological resilience, it is first necessary to carry out a risk analysis. What technology do I use? In which areas do I most use it? To what extent are my processes dependent on it, and from which manufacturers does it come from? On the other hand, U.S. manufacturers, for example, should also ask themselves these questions, as the increasing regulatory requirements for cybersecurity as part of digital sovereignty also offer new business opportunities. Where EU-compliant products are offered, European companies can also integrate them more easily into their IT infrastructure. Because of this, ideally, digital sovereignty is a win-win situation for everyone. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
