the you want. what you want when you want it. up to date. extraordinary. you decide what's on. sunday oh lord w. john comes forward. lots of big problems in the world today air pollution slow or no internet access water shortage greed corruption inequality how are we going to fix them what we need a pioneers to develop technologies and strategies to tackle the many challenges we face let's meet some of those pioneers today welcome to made in germany and

starting in italy which is holding a general election this sunday investors will keep a close eye on the outcome at the moment the italian economy is strengthening albeit less than its european neighbors unemployment has fallen slightly to ten point eight percent and the percentage of non-performing loans is also down but twelve point two percent is still some three hundred billion euros a huge burden for italy's banks and that reflects on italy's business scene where it's hard to raise capital still some startup pioneer is a managing to prosper like two entrepreneurs we met in milan. so now i'm entering the store you espouse it all developes b. to be virtual reality simulation software for retailers such as companies based in milan in italy a country he says is not up to speed in all respects you know immediately when

you're talking about food. and design is ok when you're talking about technology. is different response it also says the internet is too slow and the red tape too cumbersome and there are other problems as well. in the world bank's ease of doing business index italy ranks forty six just behind romania. it can also be a challenge to raise capital in italy maybe we don't have these and turpin our ship cards are now and so if you want to do technology maybe you need the great investments and here is how and it's difficult to. raise funding since so maybe counties that are more profitable more of them more easy then. italy's economy is not in great shape the banking sector remains fragile with lots of bad debt on the books. poverty is widespread.

the economy is still smaller than before the two thousand and eight financial crisis though it has been growing slowly for the past three and a half years. melanne is italy's financial and industrial capital and its leading startup. it's where the online wealth manager money farm was set up in twenty eleven it's a so-called robo investment advisor co-founder paolo got vani raised twenty five million euros of venture capital though not all of it in italy our ambition always being to become a european player so. when we started we started nearly but not of course the move to long was in some way for a series of elements or lack of capital for instance. looking for capital to scale the combine it was. was basically the only way of making it it was so u.k.

. loni says doing business in italy is not as tough as it used to be he cites recent changes to the law that make it easier to set up innovative companies and says. milan is at the forefront. milan is becoming more kind of an examples that the rest of you trying to just like move in that direction so. i perceive me. as a more as a leader rather than backed by the overall situation. italy elects a new parliament on march the fourth and the question is what economic policy will the next government adopt. political parties are offering further reforms of various and competing kinds. populist parties a promising to end austerity and boost spending. opinion polls suggest they are in

the lead. us policy to is concerned about the election outcome it's unclear whether current policies will remain in place as an entrepreneur i'm worried about the election because i. need stability and we've the last two governments so we had a lot of new. we. we. changer and now we are again here at the vote tally everything can change every time and so or it's a bit scary. the technology developed by a sposi to want his team of fifteen has made it to market even though conditions for startups may not be optimal. the united states can't have meetings in twenty four hours when i can have a yes or nor in two days and here maybe i take weeks or months or so i see this gap . but i don't feel the stock and here i'm proud to be here. no

matter how the election turns out but challenges for milan and the country remain to continue to strengthen italy's still fragile economy. well here in germany we're still waiting for a binding ruling on diesel emissions in inner cities especially in stuttgart the home of porsche and to diana but its air quality is still great compared to other regions in terms of fine dust pollution around the world asian cities come out on top with average levels of up to two hundred or more micrograms per cubic meter europe's most polluted city measures eighty one far more than stuttgart eighteen micrograms a cubic meter and yet that is enough to cause health problems a something needs to be done in london caught up with some air quality tion e s from scene that's just breathing normally is painful here the air is foul and

burns your eyes. and ears megacity delhi was enveloped in fix smog last november it's a problem many cities face worldwide even if not quite as extreme as this. often with a lot of them of course it often has a lot to do with a geographic location then there's the weather and it depends as well on how people are heating their homes and if you get a calm and stable high pressure system which happens here frequently with no wind blowing and then none of the filth gets blown out of the city you're going to quickly also have laws and that's just the type of problem siemens is trying to tackle at the crystal that center for sustainable urban development in london here the expert air pollution reports for cities across the globe are prepared using data collected by tailor made software. that's already been tested in london.

this tool do not start here. and we can access the data recorded by a london monitoring station. we are looking at having to take action to counteract the threat of exceeding pollution limits. of their frequently unpopular measures and this tool helps city planners to say ok i'm going to have a problem and three to five days. that would mean keeping as many cars as possible out of the city those which do enter are charged a fee which increases in line with the amount of harmful exhaust a vehicle emits the cars are identified using london's road toll system which has been in place for fourteen years right now you pay eleven pounds to enter the city on a week day. just that they come straight off your bank account yes basically straight away and in the future that will at least double and that is that might be even more expensive for diesel vehicles. there are no tolls in german cities something

else asia's got a head start on in one nine hundred seventy five singapore became the first city to levy an entry fee for vehicles today is one of the cleanest cities in asia. on the other hand you have to see that in india or china besides the industrial production which is going on all over the city as traffic also plays a huge role and they won't get their air quality problems sorted out if they don't start taking action on their traffic. and people are increasingly migrating to the cities a global trend siemens highlights in the crystal city's offer jobs culture hospitals it's senseless to keep polluting these increasingly important living spaces with exhaust fumes so which city would alex and ebbing house prefer to live in. here in london and london's got a huge debate going on about air pollution which the new mayor said he can is just

beginning to deal with if i think about it probably move to the countryside. when understandable attitude for an expert in pollution levels in major urban centers. the diesel gate scandal is closely linked to air pollution around the world and to fox the german carmaker that since been struggling to regain credibility and to redefine itself as reliable future oriented and green a tall order which fox fan believes is in good hands with its chief digital officer . i keep hearing about volkswagens desire to reinvent itself and shake off the diesel. i'm introduced to cedric it's car of the future. the first v.w. model that's self driving and digitally network. and this is the man behind.

you on young vert known as j. j. fox talking head hunted him from. your door can i call you j.j. we are in a car but neither of us is driving how's that. as a self driving car that's what cedric stands for the acronym just happens to be a cute name there's no cockpit no steering wheel and no pedals this kora takes us from a to b. also has a steering wheel problems they. don't need one because a self driving system controls the car with a three hundred sixty degree sensors it has lasers radar cameras and ultrasound for a close range. we're working to release it in the next three or four years i'd like to see the first cedric's on the road by twenty twenty one and we also call it mobility as a service it's self driving electric car anyone could use to get from door to door electrician. in

a spirit of herat with you from silicon valley is that something we need a bit more of you know that you need that's really important to think big like a visionary and have the courage to drive progress forward secaucus for answers. j.j. is an engineer. through and through his current passion is network self driving cars . he says progress has been far too slow. he worked for a mercedes and apple in the us before v.w. snapped him up right at the peak of the emissions scandal. the v.w. bosses need him to keep the company abreast of the industry's digital transformation. thinking differently now with the old i'm finding it hard to imagine that being easy at v.w. folks so help me here active in the crease if it includes a middle of the crisis in october twenty fifteen when i chose to join the company i

had this gut feeling that this is where i would be able to make a real difference than even so and that the brands and the company as a whole would now be much more open to the changes that we are facing electronically the switch from combustion engines to electric drive from humans driving that you have self driving cars from ownership to shared mobility mobility is a service. but what about joblessness the safety guys and you know yes the changeover could mean job losses but we'll still need experts just in other areas what we've already achieved with hardware teaming a very high level becoming the best in the world that's what we have to do now with software and with services that's with us it's a win that's off the shelf and so we'll need a lot of new skills and capabilities and people we've never had in the company before or had very few of them will be needed a phone comes about in

a couple have you brought anything with you from silicon valley certain attributes a different way of solving problems. different even a minus think definitely you need to start with a clear vision you have to know what's making you want to stay up working and tinkering away and tell one in the morn. you need a sense of purpose and i don't just mean a purpose and why exactly why you're doing what you're doing and for me the goal is mobility for everyone at the push of a button everyone all over the world is going off in africa the blind the sick elderly people in wheelchairs who have to hold themselves to bus stops and train stations so. it doesn't have to be like that that's a business we could give these people door to door mobility these things are in my d.n.a. and they motivate me and there's more to fear and that's proving the world is in your d.n.a. yeah you can say that. good self driving electric cars really make the world

a better place. b.w. has big plans for the e-card but right now it's still pretty neat. combustion and hybrid engine still dominate the market and with autonomous driving there are still some unanswered questions who's responsible if there's an accident for example. you on your board embodies volkswagen's vision to be so much more than a car maker. speaking of visions the sea has always inspired humans to dream of great things in particular ruling the waves beach seafaring nation or us engineers who use the tides to generate power but that's easier said than done while hydro kinetic energy is a potentially valuable resource it takes advanced technology to harness

a scottish under german company and join forces to attempt it. it's winter and icy cold out on the water here in the west of scotland david started scott as inspecting the rotor blades at this new float. title energy power station is being tested here he's checking the output. studdard scott has been working on the project for two years. the arms on which the turbines are mounted can be easily raised with this platform we can swing a turbine up out of the water we can inspect it we can see if the blades are damaged the turbine needs cleaning we can run tests on it and it's completely necessary we can change our whole writer. this is new cutting edge technology a floating tidal energy platform. the currents in the bay here are powerful mines weft just what's needed to get those rotors spinning. is

only this i think a year earlier standard scott and news now from the german company involved in the project came to see if this would be a suitable spot for a trial or if you're in a minute when we were together investigating which would be a good demonstration side we found this place here which is a deal too in terms of flow in terms of accessibility also for the for the marine operations but also for the operation of the platform later on so this is a very that's. the currents are driven by tidal forces every day huge volumes of water rushing out to sea from the lock and then back again. but it's going to need it's nonna asked local fisherman about the currents in the area and where they think the best spot for the turbines might be. because there are other sites on the scottish coast where currents are powerful but not many of them are this accessible

. is just the the flow of the tide coming through such a. channel it builds up so it builds up the stairway and. when it's running in. lucy or tommy and well you know it's what speed. record speed possibly up to twenty the twenty two dogs as far as i know all. the small board. fishing boat of course the. difficulty going against the tide. the project office overlooks the bay planning a hydro kinetic power plant like this and getting it up and running even for a trial phase can't be done remotely because of the love boat which drives all of the floating platform is incurred with steel cables to the seabed of the power such

a plant generates could be fed into the electricity grid on land they could also be used off grid to power about three hundred households in this project the scottish company sustainable marine energy built the platform german firm shuttle hydro made the turbines and rotors subtle specializes in marine propulsion systems including water jets like this. and. this old paddle steamer has been fitted out with just such jets it's in service on the rhine river here in germany. that regularly passes by shuttle headquarters. suttle was founded in one thousand nine hundred twenty one and has been developing and manufacturing marine propulsion and steering systems ever since it employs some thirteen hundred people worldwide. the shuttle hydro unit which near as long a runs can build on the group's proprietary propeller technologies. this

new unit at the company develop systems to harvest hydro kinetic energy a valuable renewable source. here they were testing a generator for the project in scotland to see. it's robust enough to function in the icy water for long periods of time. this is a unique opportunity for me personally and for the entire team we're almost all engineers so it's a joy to have the opportunity to develop a new product. but in addition we're helping to create a new market it's like it was with wind energy twenty five years ago. that can can all potential customers have arrived first they're shown to local sites such as done stuff which council. then it's time to set off to inspect the platform. and david start scott are

pitching the technology. their companies want to install platforms in other parts of the globe. these men are from china. to rome ring go is from the united states he had silhouetted global a renewable energy project developer. because we recognize that hydro kinetic is the next best thing to producing electricity specially in developing countries. fossil fuels are not the best option because to fully utilize the overkill of all resources the rivers that are there all this technology is a perfect fit for what we need in africa to meet the electricity demand the developers say the platform could replace diesel generators and many off grid

locations like remote areas of southeast asia the one in connell has already been sold and will soon be shipped off to the philippines. if you followed to the berlin film festival last week you might have noticed lots of women among the prior. about time my colleague has you know goobers met a female german film producer to chat about the role of women in the industry. we're just waiting for a hero to come and rescue us no we are the heroes and the bad guys we stick up for ourselves and not the rest out we are here to save the world or even the whole galaxy. the film industry was shaken to its core in twenty seventeen women expose the widespread sexual harassment behind the camera a culture of abuse if you hate your company assets come back. on camera we were

becoming super heroes in films like wonder woman or star wars was that just a coincidence i don't think so and that's true as much for real life as it is on screen. why do. she want. to work last year for him. to feel. how can we strike a balance between the sexes on the big screen. definitely need more strong screen roles for women like the ones we've been seeing in t.v. series take the good wife the killing or the mantis those are really special great women characters that's not quite as evident in cinema even internationally. twenty

seventeen was a very good year with films like the shape of water or three billboards outside missouri with frances mcdormand those are powerful female roles but we need more of them and more strong women behind the camera too and that i'm a female that if women get more leading roles in films what will that change from picture because it has a major social impact women would get more respect in society and be treated differently than you already see it in t.v. series women get respect as top attorneys and top police detectives. so you belief films can change or influence reality. yes by depicting women who aren't just wives who might work but not in a serious way. can show us powerful women who can do practically anything off on women who might not want children to focus on their career instead i mean kind of. i know. this discussion has been long in the making

a few people in the us probably started thinking about it looking for stories with strong women. for example steven spielberg's the post with a terrific meryl streep in the lead and have to. say we're starting to look for stories with strong women stories that were different. and i also have a nation out and buys a. book finally caught us you can relay an os to the evil we will save the world we really can i'm maybe even better and it's good for the guys in the cinema sitting next to us they don't have to be heroes anymore they just can sit back and relax and maybe even cry but. i haven't seen a john i put it best when i don't need another hero thanks for. the

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among the asking nominees these europeans have the best chances. in the game. sydney based documentary feature faces places and movie guide french filmmaker and i'm inside downing street artist jay i. expect scott crossbred things have a shot spinning you know just off to government. to figure out a series of euro books. double. on freedom and whole. world i come from the region is rich in history. so poor education. this makes it specially difficult for independent journalists i see many of the young promising journalists who are now making names

for themselves all over the. song along the way song might follow. with continue. the experience or freedom in a sense is life experience. you'll pay a visit or call come back from the. mining industry for the one i work and the number to. learn german with w. anytime anyplace. whether with jo jo and her friends. colleagues discuss it in the belief that mr spitz has some sort of sick joke goes on. with spread all over the world. online and interactive. german to go.

learn german for three w. . keeps the both of them speaking the same. it's all about the stones and so. it's all about george chance to discover the world from different perspectives. join us in being sponsored by distinctive instagram or hers at g.w. story topics each week on instagram.

this is due to the news coming to you live from berlin a temporary truce for a second day in syria monitored groups say there were clashes before the russian ordered cease fire which saw syrian forces advance into the rebel held on cable. but still no sign of civilians using a designated humanitarian corridor to leave also coming up the e.u. stop briggs if they go see that today on the beaches of draft treaty that's likely to trigger new arguments with britain and time is running up the u.k. is set to leave the.