Major fire Apr 16, 2024 By André Weikard Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

A fire has engulfed large parts of the Copenhagen landmark. The government district has to be partially evacuated.

It’s been almost five years to the day since Notre-Dame in Paris burned down, and the historic stock exchange in Copenhagen is suffering the same fate. On the morning of April 16th, one of Copenhagen’s most famous sights burns. The spire of the building, which is one of the oldest in the Danish capital, collapses.

Half of the historic stock exchange caught in flames

The local fire department reports that the fire engulfed around half of the 400-year-old building over the course of the morning. The roof partially collapsed. By midday, the fire was not yet under control despite the efforts of around 120 firefighters and 60 additional helpers from the ranks of the Danish armed forces.

Artworks are saved from the building

Danish media reports that people are saving historical paintings from the burning building. The former stock exchange served Copenhagen as an exhibition space for an extensive art collection. The streets around the scene have now been cordoned off by police.

Denmark’s Defense Minister: “Our Notre Dame moment”

Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also refers to the fifth anniversary of the Notre-Dame disaster in Paris in a post on X. He writes: “So sad. An iconic building that means a lot to all of us. Our own Notre Dame moment.” King Frederik also expressed his dismay: “An important part of our architectural heritage was and is still in flames.”

Innovations Apr 16, 2024 By Dominik Hochwarth Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

Whether by plane, train or car: a lot will change for consumers from May. We have summarized it for you.

Everything is new in May? Not entirely, but some changes are coming. Flight tickets could become more expensive. In the future, drivers will be able to fill up with pure biofuel and the railway will discontinue one of its apps. Here is an overview of the upcoming changes:

Higher airline ticket taxes

From May 1st, air travelers will have to expect increased costs. The ticket tax increases by more than 20% depending on the flight distance. The new tax rates vary between €15.53 and €70.83 per ticket.

Biodiesel available from waste materials

Drivers will soon have the opportunity to fill up with diesel, which is produced entirely from waste materials such as used frying grease. This option was previously only available as an admixture to conventional diesel. The corresponding new regulation is expected to take effect from May, a specific date is still pending.

More transparency when buying a new car

From May 1st, buyers of new cars will receive more comprehensive information on consumption and emissions values ​​directly from the dealer. The CO₂-Color scale that classifies cars from A (green) to G (red) is adjusted and no longer takes the weight of the vehicle into account. In addition, the expected CO₂-Costs for the next ten years are stated.

Changes to the DB route agent app

Deutsche Bahn will discontinue its DB Route Agent app on May 2nd. This app was previously used to inform passengers about current disruptions. The functionality is integrated into the DB Navigator app.

digitalization Apr 16, 2024 By Martin Ciupek Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

To date, there are different standards for modeling digital twins. Two important description languages ​​are now to be brought together under the umbrella of the W3C standardization organization.

Digital twins are becoming increasingly important for companies. Whether planning production concepts, buildings or medical operations: current data from various sources helps you make decisions more quickly and reliably. However, the Internet of Things (IoT) landscape has so far been fragmented and there are different description languages. However, because companies usually use solutions from different providers, this leads to a high level of integration effort.

Together with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Siemens and Microsoft now want to merge the “Digital Twin Definition Language” (DTDL) with the “Thing Description Standard” of the international standards organization W3C. Convergence is intended to enable easier system integration and interoperability.

The goal is seamless communication for digital twins

As virtual replicas of physical objects, processes or systems that mirror their real-world counterparts in a digital environment, digital twins enable companies to monitor, predict and optimize their asset performance. This increases efficiency while reducing costs. The standardization of Digital Twin languages ​​is therefore crucial for interoperability to ensure seamless communication and integration between different Digital Twin systems and platforms.

Siemens already supports the W3C’s emerging Thing Description Standard for future products in the areas of building management, energy distribution and smart grids. Customers should now benefit greatly from the expansion of this interoperability strategy to Microsoft Azure, which has so far relied on the “Digital Twin Definition Language”.

Thomas Kiessling, Chief Technology Officer at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, said: “We see the convergence of two very similar Digital Twin languages, such as DTDL and W3C Thing Description, as an essential step that enables our customers to understand the physical world in a way that is not tied to specific IoT platforms.” Through the strategic partnership, Siemens underlines its commitment to promoting both collaboration and openness.

E-mobility modules Apr 15, 2024 Reading time: approx. 1 minute

The internationally operating automotive supplier Mahle, based in Stuttgart, has won two important orders for thermal management modules. The total volume of the two projects amounts to almost €1.5 billion, according to a press release from the group.

One of the orders comes from loud Mahle from a renowned global vehicle manufacturer and represents the largest single order in the history of the technology group. The second significant order comes from an up-and-coming and innovative car manufacturer from Asia.

What are thermal management modules?

Thermal management modules control the temperature of the battery, vehicle interior, drive train and power electronics. This means they can increase the range of electric vehicles by up to 20% and significantly shorten charging times, it goes on to say.

One of the modules is particularly highly integrated because it connects the refrigerant circuit with the coolant circuits. This ensures that the battery, drive train and vehicle interior are supplied with sufficient heat in winter and optimally cooled in summer.

Market for thermal management modules is growing

“By being able to look at thermal systems in vehicles as a whole, we can develop innovative, tailor-made concepts for our customers,” emphasizes Jumana Al-Sibai, member of the group management and responsible for the thermal management business area.

The market for these technologies is growing significantly due to e-mobility. Based on a global market volume of around €35 ​​billion for thermal management products in 2021, Mahle expects it to reach over €50 billion by 2030. The group wants to participate disproportionately in this growth.

Return to the classic operating concept? Apr 15, 2024 By Peter Kellerhoff Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

The safety organization Euro NCAP is planning a measure that aims to return to classic controls. Car manufacturers could lose a star.

Many functions in modern cars can only be controlled via the central display. Tesla has even eliminated the turn signal lever in some models.

The security organization NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) – known among others for its crash tests and the associated award of up to five stars – considers the associated distraction to be questionable for road safety and threatens to deduct stars. It calls on car manufacturers to reintroduce switches and buttons for some functions from 2026.

The days when drivers could still operate their vehicles blind are long gone. Many functions for which there were previously levers, switches and buttons have ended up in menus and submenus in the central display. And in the past, NCAP crash tests alone were enough to alert consumers to possible vehicle safety deficiencies.

Looking at the display distracts you from driving

Today the topic of traffic safety is defined more broadly, and the operating concepts are also now being put to the test. While the use of a smartphone with a completely comparable operating concept has been banned since August 2001, no car manufacturer has apparently been concerned about the distraction caused by nested menu levels and sometimes tiny touch fields. A two-second glance at the display in the center console while driving on the highway at 130 km/h can quickly mean flying blind for 70 m.

Now there are signs of a turnaround and it should particularly please those drivers who have always been at odds with “the rolling computer”. Although the Euro NCAP, as an association of transport ministries, car clubs and insurance companies, cannot dictate anything to the automotive industry, it still has ways and means to initiate a rethink. If the operating concept of a model proves to be too distracting, the manufacturer could be deducted a star point.