There’s Something About Mobile

The big screen in the stand of Nokia at the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona.
Barcelona celebrates the seventh edition of the Mobile World Congress and it will be the first edition launched in the city since Barcelona was elected as Mobile World Capital last July. The MWC was first launched in Barcelona in 2006 with 51.000 visitors and the figure has been growing since then, so, this year it is expected to beat the record of 60.000 visitors. I’m one of them, working for the Finnish paper Helsingin Sanomat.

Land and Freedom

Javier Ballestreros working at at the occupied Somonte farm in Palma del Rio, Spain

‘Somonte Resiste’ is written with rocks in enormous letters at the main entrance, readable from the air. And I’m pretty sure that Somonte will keep resisting… Spanish Revolution. The Somonte farm has been occupied by members of the Syndicato Andalucia Trabajadores (SAT) since March 4th 2012. These actions represent a platform for the struggle against the commodification and privatization of natural resources: the land belongs to those who cultivate it.

The photographs has been published on Helsinki Sanomat to illustrate a story by Johanna Kippo.

Crisis hits expat Finns

Finns living in Southern Europe feel the European economic crisis in their own day-to-day lives. Johanna Janger-Polaina lives in Barcelona with her husband José Antonio.

A story assigned by the Helsingin Sanomat.

 

 

A 100% electric van

On 23/05/2012, workers of Nissan in Barcelona attend the presentation of new electric van e-NV200.

Nissan will build its new van model at its Barcelona plant, located in the Zona Franca district, next to the city’s port and airport. The new ‘e-NV200’ will be a totally electric vehicle, an evolution of the ‘NV200’, which is already built in the Catalan capital. The new model will bring an investment of €100 million and is expected to create 700 direct and indirect jobs. The ‘e-NV200’ will start to be assembled in 2013, and will be sold worldwide. In the first year, Nissan expects to build 20,000 units from Barcelona.

In the port of Barcelona


Dock workers in the new terminal of the Port

Last week I visited, in assignment of Bloomberg News Photos the TERCAT terminal located in the Port of Barcelona. TERCAT (Terminal Catalunya) is part of HPH, the group is the world’s leading port investor, developer and operator. HPH plans to develop TERCAT into its principal gateway port for Southern Europe. Recently TERCAT holds the concession to build and operate the new container terminal based at Muelle Prat.

I am very grateful to them for giving me the chance to visit and shooting the very new installations.

 

The Cucumber Crisis

The export ban on Spanish produce is crushing the country’s economy, costing its transport and agricultural sector millions.An estimated 3 million kg of fruits and vegetables have rotted since the virus’ outbreak, and produce trucks were turned away as they tried to sell their wares outside Spain.

A story by Johanna Kippo published on The Helsingin Sanomat. In the pict: Manuel Gimenez runs a family enterprise in Almeria, Spain.

 

 

Catalonia’s budget deficit

With an economy the size of Portugal’s, Catalonia accounts for 16 percent of Spain’s population, 19 percent of  gross domestic product and 27 percent  of its exports. With 30.3 billion of debt, however, represents 28 percent of  Spain’s combined regional debt pile. Catalonia is planning to cut public spending  by 10 percent this year. The story by Raphael Minder is published on the International Herald Tribune.