#R&D

The global lockdown due to COVID-19 has had a seismic effect on the economy. Some sectors have been particularly vulnerable, while others, such as streaming platforms and e-commerce which are linked to digitalisation have had a boost. The pandemic has also highlighted the need to maintain a healthy relationship with the environment. This scenario gives a glimpse of which sectors will dominate the economy of the future.

Wind power is stronger in the ocean than on land, hence the development of offshore wind in recent years. Until recently, because they were based on fixed structures, they could not be installed in very deep or complex seabed locations, something that has changed with the advent of floating structures. Wind turbines can now be installed on these platforms, which are anchored to the seabed by means of flexible anchors, chains or steel cables.

According to Nuria Oliver, Data Scientist of the Year for the Big Data Value Association (BDVA) with a PhD from MIT for her work on Artificial Intelligence (AI), one of the main challenges facing society is to find ways to use technology to improve people's lives and to involve women in building the society of the future by encouraging STEM careers.

The decarbonisation of the planet is among the objectives that countries around the world have set for 2050. The production of green hydrogen, a technology based on the transformation of this element through electrolysis, is one of the keys. The IEA estimates that it would make it possible to save the 830 million tonnes of CO2 per year that originate when this gas is produced using fossil fuels.

At Iberdrola group we have begun a pilot project based on using blockchain to guarantee, in real time, that the energy supplied and consumed is 100 % renewable. Using this technology, we have managed to link plants where electricity is produced to specific points of consumption, allowing the source of the energy to be traced. This increases transparency and ultimately encourages the use of renewable energy.

NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) recently confirmed the presence of water on the lunar surface, specifically in the sunlit area. In the following lines, we will discuss the many implications of this finding, both for future space missions and for a future colonisation of Earth's natural satellite.