Investing in Catalonia: bricks, bolts and highways

La recent notícia sobre la deslocalització de diverses empreses multinacionals catalanes cap a altres països ha obert un fort debat sobre l'habilitat per competir i sobre on es troben el nostre avantatge competitiu i el nostre potencial futur. Factors històrics i culturals generen dificultats per invertir a Catalunya i Espanya en termes de seguretat legal, nivells educatius—especialment en ciència— i estructura comercial, en què hi ha alts nivells de proteccionisme a causa de les societats de cartera i el clientelisme polític dels bancs. Una mala infraestructura de telecomunicacions és l'exemple més obvi d'aquests defectes i un factor desmotivador perquè les empreses tecnològiques hi inverteixin.The recently announced departure of several multinational companies from Catalonia has opened a frank debate about our ability to compete and where our competitive advantages and future potential might lie. Historical and cultural factors make Catalonia and Spain difficult markets to invest in, in terms of legal security, educational levels – especially in science – and commercial structure, in which a high level of protectionism is in place because of banks’ industrial holdings and political clientelism. Poor telecommunications infrastructure is the most obvious example of these failings and a strong disincentive for technology companies to invest here

Investing in Catalonia : Bricks, Bolts and Highways

The recently announced departure of several multinational companies from Catalonia has opened a frank debate about our ability to compete and where our competitive advantages and future potential might lie. Historical and cultural factors make Catalonia and Spain difficult markets to invest in, in terms of legal security, educational levels, especially in science, and commercial structure, in which a high level of protectionism is in place because of banksindustrial holdings and political clientelism. Poor telecommunications infrastructure is the most obvious example of these failings, and a strong disincentive for technology companies to invest here. A rentier mindset is prevalent rather than a pro-active, risk-taking approach

Investing in Catalonia: bricks, bolts and highways

La recent notícia sobre la deslocalització de diverses empreses multinacionals catalanes cap a altres països ha obert un fort debat sobre l'habilitat per competir i sobre on es troben el nostre avantatge competitiu i el nostre potencial futur. Factors històrics i culturals generen dificultats per invertir a Catalunya i Espanya en termes de seguretat legal, nivells educatiusespecialment en ciència i estructura comercial, en què hi ha alts nivells de proteccionisme a causa de les societats de cartera i el clientelisme polític dels bancs. Una mala infraestructura de telecomunicacions és l'exemple més obvi d'aquests defectes i un factor desmotivador perquè les empreses tecnològiques hi inverteixin.The recently announced departure of several multinational companies from Catalonia has opened a frank debate about our ability to compete and where our competitive advantages and future potential might lie. Historical and cultural factors make Catalonia and Spain difficult markets to invest in, in terms of legal security, educational levels especially in science and commercial structure, in which a high level of protectionism is in place because of banks industrial holdings and political clientelism. Poor telecommunications infrastructure is the most obvious example of these failings and a strong disincentive for technology companies to invest here

Platinoid minerals in the gold reefs of the witwatersrand basin

From a study of twenty six platinoid mineral concentrates from different gold mines around the Witwatersrand sedimentary basin, seven alloys of osmium and iridium, two alloys of platinum and iron, and five arsenide, sulpharsenide or sulphide, minerals of the platinum group elements were identified and are described. The minerals include osmium, iridosmium, rutheniridosmium, osmiridium, ruthenosmiridium, iridium, rhodiridium, ferroplatinum, rhodoferroplatinum, sperrylite, laurite, one arsenide of osmium and iridium, one complex sulpharsenide of osmium, iridium and ruthenium, and a rhodium sulphide mineral. Where possible, optical properties and quantitative values for chemical composition, reflectivity, microhardness and structure are given for each mineral. The intergrowth textures and shapes exhibited by the platinoid particles are described and discussed. From a grain count study under the electron microprobe of six, selected platinoid mineral concentrates, the distributions in mineralogy and grain size of the particles from different parts of the Witwatersrand basin were determined and are compared. Only minor variations could be detected in both mineralogy and size of the particles across the basin. Four platinoid "mineral grains were found in situ within the reef and these are described and illustrated. Photomicrographs showing a wide variety of grain shapes, intergrowth textures and compositions are provided as an appendix, to supplement the descriptions and discussion in the text of the thesis