On Thursday, Elering and the Finnish state-owned Baltic Connector OY signed an agreement with Allseas to install the biggest section of the offshore pipeline for the Balticconnector Estonian-Finnish gas connection.

Balticconnector’s offshore construction project will start this summer with seabed preparations to install the pipeline. According to the schedule, the actual submarine pipeline will be laid in summer 2019. The work will be finished by autumn of next year, after which preparations for the utilisation of the pipeline will begin.

European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre Estonia (ESA BIC Estonia) had three new start-ups join the incubation program focusing on ground-based application of space technologies.

ESA BIC Estonia, opened end of last year, held a successful second round with six applicants. In March 22nd, an official evaluation board was held with representatives form ESA and ESA BIC Estonia’s consortia partners, choosing three start-ups to join ESA BIC Estonia.

The positive outlook for world trade has continued to improve. The DHL Global Trade Barometer increased to 66 points in March from 64 points in January when the newly created index was initially published. With an index value clearly above 50, the DHL Global Trade Barometer continues to signal solid positive growth for global trade within the next three months. Furthermore, the increase indicates that growth is gaining momentum.

Finnish smartphone producer Bittium (based in Oulu) presented Bittium Tough Mobile, secure LTE smartphone, and innovative Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX extension at the British APCO exhibition for authorities in Coventry, United Kingdom, on March 20 – 21. The new Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX extension gives Bittium Tough Mobile a new user interface and functionalities that are very useful in demanding Public Safety use. In addition, Bittium showcased Bittium SafeMove Analytics, which is a monitoring and reporting tool for collecting information on the performance of devices used on the field and thus enhance the efficiency of the authorities.

Europe can close its innovation gap with other parts of the world by establishing better conditions for innovation. This means enacting flexible legislation and codes of conduct that give start-ups more freedom to create, says the EPP Group’s Michał Boni. The EU can also encourage innovation by supporting 5G Internet technology, financing for start-ups, and by supporting more education.

Skeleton Technologies, the European leader in the production of ultracapacitors, and Transiidikeskus, one of the leading container terminals in the Baltic Region with an annual capacity of 600 000 TEU, unveil a Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) crane equipped with a graphene ultracapacitors powered kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) reducing the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 34%.

The Muuga Crane KERS solution in Estonia recuperates energy while the crane is lowering the cargo and re-uses the same energy for lifting.

For years, cars have no longer just been a machine to transport us from one place to another; they have become an extension of our mobile phones. Getting real-time traffic information, inquiring about the weather forecast or opening the garage door from behind the wheel is now all possible thanks to connected cars. With the Mobile World Congress just around the corner, SEAT Digital Officer Fabian Simmer explains how these technologies help us in our everyday lives and gives us some insights into future trends:

The KOF Business Situation Indicator rose further in January, continuing on its upward trajectory after a brief pause last autumn. The companies that took part in the KOF survey are confident regarding business development over the next six months. All in all, Swiss companies are getting off to a strong start in 2018.

"No longer available" – for collectors of rare classic cars, the unavailability of spare parts can quickly lead to problems. In the worst case scenario, the car may even be forced out of action. Porsche Classic, the division of Porsche dedicated to classic vehicles, has come up with a solution to this problem: namely, producing extremely rare parts that are only needed in small quantities using 3D printers. All parts that are produced using the 3D printing process meet the requirements in terms of absolute fidelity to the original specifications – both from a technical and a visual perspective.

At the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, every millisecond counts. Timekeeping technology has evolved since the early days of Olympics. 2018 is no exception. OMEGA has been the Official Timekeeper of the Games on 27 occasions since 1932. At PyeongChang, OMEGA will once again take on the role of the official timekeeper. 

Through incredible sensor systems, the brand will now provide continuous mea­surements from start to finish of events, meaning that athletes can gain an imme­diate understanding of where they gained or lost time, or where they won or lost points.From the live speed of a single alpine skier - to the formations of an entire ice hockey team – the information provided will add a brand new dimension to every performance.