Zelensky vows to boost Ukrainian arms production
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to further expand his country's arms industry to defend against Russia's full-scale invasion.
Russia must feel that all its misdeeds against Ukraine will be answered, Zelensky said in his evening video message on Tuesday.
He said the main elements needed were attack drones, interceptors, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Ukraine must produce everything, he emphasized.
Hundreds of companies in the country are already working for the arms sector, Zelensky noted.
He said the government is also preparing investment agreements with European partners to relocate further military production to Ukraine, with a focus on unmanned and long-range weapons.
In December, Zelensky announced the mass production of Palianytsia jet-powered drones. Another missile drone called Peklo, with a range of 700 kilometres, is also said to have already been tested in combat.
However, Ukraine remains far inferior to Russia in terms of long-range weapons.
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CNN
27 minutes ago
- CNN
Designing the Serpentine Pavillion is an architect's dream job. Meet the woman behind this year's building
Even on a grey, drizzly morning in London, entering this year's Serpentine Pavilion — the 25th architectural structure to be erected in Kensington Gardens — will bathe you in a warm glow. Packed in between curved wooden beams, translucent honeyed yellow square panels filter the weak sunlight into a more inviting summer afternoon hue. 'I try to work with light,' architect Marina Tabassum told CNN ahead of Friday's public opening. 'On a sunny day, it's glowing. But even when it's not sunny you get to see a softer effect of the light coming through.' Since 2000, the chance to design a public space in the center of London is awarded by the Serpentine Gallery each year to an architect who hasn't built in Britain before. 'London as a global city has a very international exchange with music, fashion and art,' said gallery co-director Hans Ulrich Obrist, who has been working on the project every summer since 2006, in a video call. 'It's an interesting paradox. The UK has produced so many architects who radiate internationally… But has not historically welcomed foreign architects to build (here.).' Tabassum, who founded her own architectural firm in Bangladesh in 2005, is more used to building temporary structures for climate refugees in India than manicured European public spaces. In 2023, she designed flood-proof, flat-pack homes for those living in Bangladesh's river deltas — where heavy riverbank erosion has resulted in entire towns lost to water. The tall, free-standing treehouses were designed to be folded and moved elsewhere by their inhabitants who, because of the area's vulnerability to climate change, live a transitory lifestyle. Impermanence, therefore, is a key part of Tabassum's architectural DNA. 'When I started studying architecture, (my university) was always referencing (architect) Louis Kahn's (Capitol Complex in Dhaka),' she said, referring to National Parliament Building. 'It has a presence which gives you the sense that architecture is here to stay, that it can last for maybe hundreds of years… Once we started working more in the coasts of Bangladesh, in the places where land constantly moves, that's when we realized that architecture doesn't have to be static.' While this might be her first building project in the UK, as well as outside of Bangladesh , according to Tabassum, her familiarity with constructing for the present, rather than forever, is what made the project less daunting. 'The pavilion seemed almost similar (to my previous work),' reflected Tabassum, who has traveled to London several times to see the past structures in person. 'It has a different shape and form, but it actually holds similar values.' Titled 'A Capsule in Time,' Tabassum's pod-shaped shelter is made entirely of wood . In its center stands a semi-mature gingko tree — a rare climate resistant species of flora that can withstand temperatures ranging between -30 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The tree's symbolic defiance is 'the heart and soul of the entire space,' said Tabassum, and will remain in the gardens after the structure is disassembled. The first Serpentine Pavilion was designed by Zaha Hadid — the celebrated Iraqi-British architect and artist who, at the time, had never built in the country, even after three decades of living in the UK. The marquee was intended to be a one-night shelter for a fundraising dinner organized by the gallery, but the unique shape and atmosphere of Hadid's work struck one attendee in particular: former member of parliament and then secretary of state for culture, media and sport, Lord Chris Smith. 'There was a lot of excitement around it,' said Obrist. Smith was able to receive the correct planning permission that enabled the single-use tent to stand for three months. 'Everyone was very surprised by the idea that the pavilion could stay a bit longer,' Obrist added. In the 25 years since then, the Serpentine has platformed celebrated 'starchitects' like Rem Koolhaas to Frank Gehry, as well as giving lesser-known names their big UK break. 'The pavilion in our architectural world is something quite exciting,' said Tabassum, noting that 'for a long time, we (architects) look forward to who will be making it and what will be the design.' For some, it's a gateway to international acclaim and opportunity. Two former pavilion designers have gone on to win Pritzker Prizes — including Liu Jiakun, who took home the honor this year — while others, such as Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, have been awarded RIBA Royal Gold Medals. Many go on to secure prestigious new projects restoring or reimagining global landmarks. 'Initially the pavilion scheme was very much focused on well-known architects who had long careers,' said Obrist. 'It's really exciting now that we can also work with more emerging voices.' While it may seem reductive to draw a straight line from the Serpentine's summertime structures to illustrious, award-winning architectural careers, the pavilion offers up-and-coming talent a powerful springboard to the global stage. At least that is the opinion of Diébédo Francis Kéré, the other pavilion designer that went onto win the Pritzker Prize (and was the first Black architect to receive the honor). The Burkinabé-German designer was celebrated for the geometric, cobalt blue pavilion that he erected in 2017. 'When I was called to do it, I didn't believe it was me,' Kéré said over the phone from Berlin. 'I was not that established when I did the Serpentine pavilion. Yes, I was established with the work that was (built) in Africa, but being recognized internationally — it was because of the Serpentine.' Last year Frida Escobedo, who was the youngest architect to design the pavilion in 2018, was commissioned to help renovate two major institutions — the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Her new wing at the Met, set to open in 2030, will be the first designed by a woman in the museum's 154-year history. Similarly, Lina Ghotmeh, the Lebanese-born, France-based architect behind the 2023 canteen-style pavilion named 'Á Table,' is currently working on revamping the British Museum in London. 'It was a lovely experience,' she told CNN of her Serpentine project from her studio in Paris. '(The pavilion) attracts so many people from different disciplines. Sometimes architecture tends to be an enclosed profession,' said Ghotmeh. 'I think it's really a great way to get architecture closer to the public.' According to Obrist, it's London's running community who are the most appreciative of the space. The sloping, circular ramp of Olafur Eliasson and Kjetil Thorsen's 2007 pavilion (which was compared at the time to a giant spinning top) was 'a jogger's favourite ramp,' said Obrist. 'Gehry was great for stretching,' he added of the 2008 timber theater — whose haphazard wooden roof always appeared on the brink of collapse. After its four-month run, the pavilion is dismantled and carefully stored away — though hopefully not for long. 'The pavilions always find a second life somewhere,' said Obrist, who adds that they are only ever sold for the price of the material and what it costs to build. Chilean architect Smiljan Radić's 2014 futuristic shell-like structure now lives in the English countryside at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, nestled in the gallery's wildflower meadow; while Japanese designer Sou Fujimoto's mesmeric shimmering matrix from 2013 is permanently installed outside the National Art Gallery in Tirana, Albania. Gehry's crumbling wooden creation resides in a vineyard in Aix-en-Provence, and Kéré's work was bought by the Ilham Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Once every pavilion is reinstated — and at least four are privately owned by collectors — Obrist hopes to one day design a map marking their forever homes for tourists and travelers . 'Maybe when (people) are in a different city they can go and visit them, which would be fun.' Tabassum has already begun considering the retirement plan for 'A Capsule in Time.' Her main desire is not so different from that of the many Brits who will be visiting the building this summer: 'I really hope it goes to a place where there is nice sun and a sunny atmosphere,' she told CNN, 'so that it gives you that glowing feeling once you're inside that space.'
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine can make way more weapons than the country can buy. Industry figures say there's a simple fix to unlocking its potential.
Ukraine's industry is growing rapidly amid Russia's invasion, and Ukraine is relying less on allies. But the industry says it has far more capacity that's unused as Ukraine can't spend that much. Industry leaders say there's a simple way that Ukraine's potential can be reached. Ukraine's defense industry says it is prepared to produce much more weaponry than it is currently making. The problem is that the Ukrainian government can't afford the multi-billion-dollar price tag for production. But it says there's a straightforward solution. Ukraine's defense industry has boomed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with manufacturers ranging from huge outfits to small companies based in people's garages. These companies are crucial, especially at times when Western support is uncertain. The host of defense companies that have sprung up over the last three years of war has allowed Ukraine to innovate quickly and make weaponry that is well suited to the country's specific fight, and their insights into the demands of modern war have many Western companies keen to collaborate and learn from them. Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin shared earlier this year that "the capabilities of the Ukrainian defense industry have grown 35 times over the three years of the invasion," up from $1 billion in 2022 to $35 billion now. Industry bodies, each representing around 100 Ukrainian defense companies, told Business Insider that the country's industry is ready to make far more weaponry if someone can fund it, and said it would be a win-win for allies. Serhiy Goncharov, the CEO of the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries, which represents around 100 Ukrainian companies, told BI that Ukrainian producers' capacity is more than three times as large as their purchasing power from current budgets. He said Ukrainian defense companies get contracts worth around $11.5 billion, but they have the capacity to make as much as $45 billion in weapons. "We are ready to increase our production. We have the capacity to increase our production," Goncharov said. But for now, "we still work in the limit of the budget of Ukraine." Government officials have shared similar observations. For instance, Oleksandr Kamyshin, then Ukraine's minister of strategic industries, said in April 2024 that Ukraine's defense production capacity was three times as much as its defense budget. Ihor Fedirko, the CEO of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, a body that represents more than 100 companies, told BI "there are huge spare manufacturing capacities." Ukraine's defense companies typically rely on money from the government buying their goods for the military. Units also buy some weaponry and items themselves, but that practice doesn't add up to the same scale or offer businesses the same confidence. Ukraine's government only has so much money, particularly during wartime. Ukrainian industry figures outlined a simple solution, one that is already underway on a smaller scale. It's a new way of supporting Ukraine that was launched by Denmark last year. The model, nicknamed the "Danish model," buys weapons for Ukraine directly from Ukrainian developers instead of purchasing them from European or US companies or taking them from other countries' stockpiles. Goncharov described actions similar to the Danish model as the "simplest" way partner nations can help Ukraine's industry and the one that gives the "fastest result on the battlefield." He said this approach allows Ukraine to increase its production by giving manufacturers financial assurances and confidence. Multiple countries have joined this model, and some others, like Germany, say they are working on their own version of it. The Danish model ensures weapons reach Ukrainian soldiers faster and typically for less money. It also means the weaponry Ukrainian forces need most is prioritized. Goncharov said it helps Ukrainians get "exactly what they need on the battlefield." Through this approach, even if a partner country has limited stockpiles or a limited defense production capacity, it can still "purchase the artillery for Ukraine from Ukraine." Around $550 million worth of weapons procurements were finalized last year and boosted the production of key weapons like the Bohdana self-propelled howitzer. Goncharov said Ukraine's industry has a list of weapons it is ready to increase the production of if it gets money through this type of model. That list includes artillery and armored vehicles. Fedirko said the Danish model is "the largest hope for the private sector." Other options include using frozen Russian assets and joint manufacturing opportunities with foreign companies. Goncharov said he has discussed the Danish model and other options for producing more Ukrainian weaponry with members of the European Commission. Another model he proposed is financing production in Ukraine that depends on a substantial amount of European components. He said many Ukrainian companies import some components from elsewhere in Europe, like some metals and vehicle chassis. He described this as "more complex" and more medium-term than the Danish model, but it's one solution that also benefits European industry, which is ramping up. Europe is watching the war in Ukraine closely, with many countries massively boosting their defense spending and warning that Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent. Countries are hesitant to drain their stockpiles, and new defense orders are creating backlogs in industry, limiting its capacity to produce weapons for others. Many European countries are studying Ukraine's defense industry and its speed, but it's a work in progress. Goncharov said many of Ukraine's international partners are not expanding their defense production fast enough, so Ukraine's industry "has no other options only to grow, to cover our demand." He said working with Ukraine is advantageous for other countries attempting to improve their defenses. They can learn from Ukrainian companies with the advantage of being in direct contact with soldiers and units, allowing them to stay up to date with what is needed against Russia and test their products. "We unfortunately face this situation when we have war on our territory, and it's not our choice, but it is what it is." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Europe's biggest VCs are going to war over adopting China's 996 ‘always on' culture: ‘Don't listen to a jumped-up finance bro in a hoodie'
A war is brewing in Europe's startup community over three numbers that would have mass implications for tech workers, and perhaps beyond: 996. Stoked by an ongoing debate about Europe's competitiveness with other territories, leaders of some of the region's biggest VCs have waded into a battle startups should be working in order to compete with U.S. and Chinese tech firms. Harry Stebbings, founder of the 20VC fund, ignited the latest debate last weekend when he said Silicon Valley had 'turned up the intensity,' and European founders needed to take notice. '7 days a week is the required velocity to win right now. There is no room for slip up,' Stebbings said on LinkedIn. 'You aren't competing against random company in Germany etc but the best in the world.' His fellow venture capitalist, Index Ventures partner Martin Mignot, followed up in a lengthy post raising the idea of tech startups needing to work long, intense hours now more than ever. The fast-moving world of AI left no time for complacency, Mignot argued, in addition to the emergence of global competition and the need to maximize productivity among workers in a scarce talent pool. In his post, Mignot cited a 2018 Financial Times editorial by Michael Moritz, the Welsh billionaire chairperson of Sequoia Capital, who suggested Silicon Valley entrepreneurs adopt the then-little-known 996 model. It's where employees work from nine to nine, six days a week, adding up to a 72-hour work week, or double the average weekly working hours in the EU. Mignot credited Moritz with introducing the 996 model to a Western audience. A representative for Index Partners didn't respond to a request for comment. Stebbings' and Mignot's remarks caught the attention of both Amelia Miller, co-founder of Ivee, and Suranga Chandratillake, a general partner at Balderton Capital. 'Burnout [is] one of the top 3 reasons early-stage ventures fail. It is literally a bad reason to invest,' said Ivee's Miller on LinkedIn. Balderton's Chandratillake shared Miller's sentiment, and leveled his criticism at the messengers calling for a 996 culture: 'All the versions of this post I've read are from VCs who've never built a technology company themselves. I remember such 'advice' well when I was a founder. If you're a CEO, don't listen to a jumped-up finance bro in a hoodie who has never done your job telling you how to do it!' Chandratillake tells Fortune he felt compelled to wade into a public argument on the train home from work after reading what he thought were new versions of a 'dangerous' conversation on expected working hours. The former startup founder has seen the negative effects of that 'always on' mentality from some founders he has watched knowingly or unknowingly adopt the 996 model. Those founders tend to 'fail in a slightly depressing, sinking out of significance kind of way,' he said. 'You get addicted to this thing of, 'I'm just gonna make these incremental improvements in my company.' And you're growing a little bit every day, you're building a little bit every day, but you completely miss some big strategic shift that's going on around you, and as a result, you just don't make the right pivot.' The 'always on' narrative is compelling because it's an easy explanation for complex problems, Chandratillake believes. 'I always say Californians are great at telling stories, right? There's a reason why Hollywood is in LA,' said Chandratillake. 'If a thing takes 10 or 20 years to build, there's just no way you can sprint for that long without stopping.' Through Balderton, Chandratillake has been an investor in cutting-edge wellness programs for the founders of its portfolio companies, using methods practised by astronauts and athletes to ensure recovery and prevent burnout. While he advocates for more awareness of physical and mental health among founders, Chandratillake doesn't go as far as to support the idea of work-life balance. He admits he would frequently pull all-nighters at critical moments, like around funding rounds and quarterly deadlines, while building the startup Blinkx, which he eventually took public. 'You have to be smart about having moments to balance yourself, not because you're trying to create this wonderful work-life balance existence, but because you know that in a couple of weeks time, there's going to be a crunch.' The argument surrounding work culture in Europe isn't new, as opposing voices seek to support or dismiss the idea that a cross-Atlantic divergence in productivity growth is a result of differing work ethic. The sparse number of European tech companies populating the Fortune 500, or the list of the world's most valuable companies, has been used as a prime example of the fallout of this perceived shortfall. Last year, Nicolai Tangen, the CEO of Norway's $1.8 trillion wealth fund, Norges Bank Investment Management, claimed Americans work harder than Europeans owing to a higher 'general level of ambition.' Speaking on Stebbings' 20VC podcast last year, Monzo co-founder and serial entrepreneur, Tom Blomfield, took a more nuanced approach, singling out the U.K., where he felt the concept of the 'American Dream' was 'antithetical to British culture.' Chandratillake said he doesn't subscribe to the idea that Europe is being left behind, and envisions at least three European companies—Spotify, ASML, and Arm—he thinks can hit a $1 trillion+ valuation in the future. 'We might be behind from a timing point of view, but I don't think we're behind from a sort of effort or energy point of view right now.' As for whether he thinks a four-day week will be the norm in the future, Chandratillake was the bearer of bad news. 'Humans have a way of just making themselves more work. So I think the nature of the work will shift. I think the ways in which you can do it may be more flexible. 'But every 100 years or so, it seems like someone suggests that we're going to all work less, and unfortunately, they turn out to be wrong.' This story was originally featured on
