ABB and IBM (NYSE: IBM) yesterday announced a strategic collaboration that brings together ABB's industry leading digital offering, ABB Ability™, with IBM Watson Internet of Things cognitive capabilities to unlock new value for customers in utilities, industry, transport and infrastructure.

The current KOF Index of Globalization reflects the extent of economic, social and political globalization in 2014. According to the KOF Globalization Index, the degree of globalization was higher in 2014 than in the preceding year, and the rise was the most significant since 2007.

The largest increase was measured in the economic globalization dimension. Political globalization also progressed, while social globalization, the third dimension of the Index, stagnated. Pursuant to the KOF Index of Globalization, the Netherlands are still the most globalized country in the world, followed by Ireland and Belgium. Switzerland is in 5th place.

Skeleton Technologies, Europe’s leading ultracapacitor manufacturer, today announced the opening of a new production line in Saxony, Germany. The new facility is the largest in Europe and will enable the business to greatly enhance its production capacity. The expansion is expected to support over 50 new jobs at the facility by 2019 and is the result of a 6.2 million Euro investment by Skeleton Technologies, supported by federal and state funds from the program for the promotion of the joint task to improve the regional economic structure (GRW).

Volvo's global drive with electrified buses continues to deliver results. All told Volvo Buses has sold 3000 hybrids, electric hybrids and electric buses to customers in 22 countries in Europe, South America, Asia and Australia.

Following the introduction of Volvo Buses' first hybrid buses in 2010, sales have increased steadily at the same time as the product range has undergone continuous development and expansion. Today Volvo offers comprehensive system solutions for electrified public transport with hybrid buses, electric hybrids, and all-electric buses. The hybrid models are available in conventional 12-metre configuration, as articulated models, and as double-deckers.

To address increasing software complexity in devices such as autonomous vehicles and industrial control systems, this approach allows for the isolation of safety-critical functions from those that require less stringent control. In addition, it enables the consolidation of applications onto fewer electronic control units (ECUs) to both manage complexity and reduce cost.

New link across over 1,800 km will be capable of bringing electricity to more than 80 million people.

ABB has teamed up with India’s national electricity grid operator Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) in a mega project worth over $640 million for ABB to deliver a transmission link that will have the capacity to bring reliable electricity to more than 80 million people. The Raigarh-Pugalur 800 kilovolt (kV) ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) system will connect Raigarh in Central India to Pugalur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced that it will introduce Skype for Business, Microsoft’s leading collaborative productivity app, to its new 90 Series cars. Volvo Cars is the first carmaker to launch such an in-car productivity tool.

“We’ve all been there. Sitting in the car trying to join a conference call. You either fumble with or drop your phone while trying to connect or you forget the long pin code to join. It’s not the best way to start an important call in the car. On top of all that your attention is not where it should be – on the road. With the addition of Skype for Business all that goes away,” said Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz Vice President Consumer Connectivity Services at Volvo Car Group.

„Comparing our results with previous successful year, we have a lot o learn about,“ summarizes Uptime CTO Raimo Seero, what happened at Robotex 2016. „Our supported teams had not reached to top first three places (the best place was 6th), but nevertheless we have a very good feeling,“ is Raimo fulfilled. „We got some very good lessons.“

Defence and security company Saab has received an order for RBS 70 simulators from the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Deliveries will take place during 2018.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces have been an RBS 70 customer since 2004. In order to further strengthen their air defence capability, an order for simulators has been placed with Saab. Included in the contract are simulators, training services and spare parts. Saab will work together with the Lithuanian-based Baltic Institute of Advanced Technology (BPTI) on the integration of customised 3D-maps into the RBS 70 simulators, so as to visualise real operational environments for their armed forces.