Biotechnology

The jury of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine has selected Katalin Karikó, Robert Langer and Drew Weissman for their contributions to messenger RNA therapeutics and the technology that enables our own cells to produce proteins for the prevention and treatment of disease. The first clinical application of their work was the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.

Nothing escapes from the whirlwind of digitization, not even a sector as traditional as the winemaking industry. The number of startups dedicated to improving the way this centuries-old alcoholic beverage is produced, marketed and enjoyed keeps growing. In this article we take a look at some of the most-talked about companies.

When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, he couldn’t publish everything he wanted. The supply of text was limited, censorship prevented him from publishing certain things, there were few authors around and demand for reading materials was low. In the 21st Century, the situation is very different. It’s worth exploring these differences, recalling the process that Marshall McLuhan called the Gutenberg Galaxy.

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman is convinced that technological advances will be accompanied by greater progress and well-being, but he is also calling for policies and structural reforms that are capable of mitigating the costs of the transition to the new digital society. Supporting research and education, promoting competition and transparency in the markets and developing new employment policies and social protection systems were among the recommendations Francisco González shared at an event organized by El Periódico de Catalunya and BBVA in Barcelona.

Year 2049. Three decades have passed since Richard Deckard began hunting down and retiring Nexus 6 models. The Wallace Corporation has built an empire on the ruins of Tyrell Corp, designing a new generation of replicants, more obliging and integrated in society.  Through the implementation of memories, the new models have an emotional foundation that makes them more stable than their predecessors, much more similar to humans.

We know there are planets of a size similar to the Earth and at a distance from their sun that make them inhabitable. It´s also possible that there are vestiges of life on Mars, in the ice-covered oceans covered of Europa - a satellite of Jupiter - or on Enceladus, one of the moons of Saturn. Sending spaceships manned by robots to study the solar system, recreating the conditions of life on Mars inside a mine, or trying to reproduce a living organism in a laboratory – as Dan Brown relates in his latest bestseller – are some of the scientific experiments that are now being performed to solve the enigma of the origin of life.

In a conversation with journalist Gloria Lomana at the Forbes Summit, BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman offered his view of the transformation being provoked by the digital revolution. According to Francisco González, this fourth industrial revolution is going to change the world and offer opportunities to everyone.

Climate change is one of the greatest problems facing humanity. Abrupt temperature changes, famine, disease and floods are all evidence that changes in the climate are not a myth. The consequences could get worse if we do not manage to reduce the greenhouse effect, as Matthew Liao warns in his book The Next Step: Exponential Life. It can be downloaded at no charge  on BBVA’s website for the OpenMind project.

Under 30, entrepreneurs and digital. This are the common traits that define the young Europeans chosen by Forbes magazine in its '30 Under 30' list. A mobile navigation aide for the visually impaired, a meal kit delivery platform, a t-shirt that allows users to peek inside the human body, a nightlife finder in London... Many tech-related projects that deserve special attention.  Here we take a look at a few of them.

There are currently 197 unicorn companies in the world, with 24 new additions so far this year. Fintech, smart building, cybersecurity, messaging… the new arrivals come from a wide range of sectors. Among the veterans, Uber is leading the way with a valuation of $68 billion.

BBVA has created the Global Patent Office (GPO), whose objective is to identify, during the Group's transformation process, the areas of innovative activity, in order to coordinate the efforts to protect BBVA’s intellectual property.

Myths, legends and stories of biblical and fictional characters: magical elixirs and fountains with curative properties. Eternal youth has been, from the origin of humanity, a desire that has obsessed man and one of the principal challenges of the medical community. Fantasies aside, gerontologist Aubrey de Grey is researching how to lengthen the life of people so that within a couple of decades, we may be able to decide whether or not we want to grow old.

BBVA has announced the first finalists for its 2017 Open Talent competitions - starting off with the key issue of identity.

Technology is redefining how we bank – from mobile apps to online account management – we increasingly use digital means to make our money and data work harder for us.

BBVA Global Executive Chairman Francisco González presented 'The Next Step: Exponential Life', the ninth book in the annual collection BBVA publishes as part of its OpenMind initiative. On this occasion, 20 international experts reflected on the immense opportunities so-called “exponential technologies” offer humanity, but also the associated risks and unknowns.

Microscopic like a bacterium or soft like a jellyfish, the robots of the future will no longer be stiff emotionless metal monsters. This new generation of machines, biodegradable and capable of interacting with the human body, will help us conquer planets, repair the environment, or cure illnesses.

Francisco González, Group Executive Chairman of BBVA, presented the book The Next Step: Exponential Life in an event held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,  This work collects the insights of twenty of the world’s most authoritative voices in a number of fields, analyzing the tremendous opportunities – and the risks and uncertainties – that the so-called “exponential technologies” will bring to humanity

The latest news reports say that this could be the year of voice assistance for everyday objects, including smartphones. For several years now, smartphones have practically become an extension of the body and they are in the spotlight at the most important phone fair in the world – the Mobile World Congress being held this week in Barcelona.

A recent White House report analyzes the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and other exponential technologies on the labor market. Doomsayers estimate that the U.S. will lose more than three million jobs from IA, but optimists recall that the phenomenon will create millions of new jobs.

Respected Spanish scientist Juan Ignacio Cirac believes that quantum computing could be a reality in 10 year's time. A super machine capable of performing calculations at breakneck speeds that will open uncharted territories in matters such as encryption.

Apple, Google, Microsoft are Samsung are just one of the most obvious names that spring to mind when speaking about innovation. However, other companies are proving that innovation is not the exclusive hunting ground of the big guns of the digital economy.

People interact with computers and electronic devices as a matter of course, but perceptual intelligence wants to go beyond that. The aim is for machines to perceive what human beings do around them, helping people make decisions or anticipating their needs.

2016 have brought a quantum leap for society in the adoption of new technologies. Slowly but surely biometrics, virtual reality, domotics and cryptocurrencies are making inroads in consumers' daily activities, and many of the advances predicted in "Back to the future" are now a reality. What's in store in 2017?

BBVA sent a contingent to the heart of New York City’s Financial District earlier this month for the invitation-only Blockchain Opportunity Summit, where executives from various industries explored how distributed ledgers, smart contracts and blockchain can drive the next generation of commerce.

People are also asking machines for real-time communication and customization to build loyalty to a company or brand.

Technology is transforming the food industry. Scanners to determine food composition and menu creation using smartphone data are two of the trends that are taking off.

Biometric data come to the payments industry and guarantee greater security in digital commerce.

Apollo 11 was a milestone for solving complex problems. Hence the name moonshots: projects that propose radical ideas for tackling major problems by using futuristic technology. Their capacity for innovation has just started.

The number of customers who communicate with banks via digital channels goes up every day. Digital transformation is the goal and main challenge faced by large companies; it affects all enterprise areas.

The pieces of software that mimic human behavior, and which laid the foundation for today’s bots, are turning 70. At present, bots are poised to become one of the hottest trends in the innovation landscape. Here, you can learn about their history and how they are being currently implemented.