According to Gdansk.pl, the tech superpower – best known for its microprocessors, found in many computers and smartphones – is planning a new building to house a 5 story, 800 sq. m. extension to the company’s research and development centre.
Intel’s Gdansk R&D facility is already its largest in the European Union and houses some of the company’s cutting-edge projects in fields like machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data security.
The new facility, named IGK6, is expected to feature state of the art computer and sound labs, and could help develop technologies for autonomous vehicles and voice-controlled digital assistants. The building is also set to include a restaurant, gym, and even a spa for employees.
The project is set for completion in mid-2023.
Ministers in the UK have said they expect the country will meet Coronavirus vaccination targets.
More than four million people in the UK have now received their first dose of a vaccine and the jab is now being extended to new age groups in some parts of the country.
Stadiums, racecourses, and even churches have been converted into mass-vaccination centres in recent days – in the 800-year old Salisbury Cathedral, medical staff administered vaccines to the sound of organ music.
It’s a welcome bit of good news for the UK, which has been hit hard by mutated strains of the virus and has been seeing record infections and deaths.
In the US, President Donald Trump is spending his last full day in office, with President-elect Joe Biden set to take over at midday tomorrow.
In a break with a centuries-old tradition, Mr Trump will not be attending his successor’s swearing-in ceremony tomorrow – the out-going president still disputes the results of the presidential election. Instead, reports by the Guardian say Mr Trump plans to his private home at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Mr Biden, meanwhile, is set to be inaugurated tomorrow at noon – that’s 6 PM European time. Security concerns surround tomorrow’s ceremony, with some 25,000 National Guard troops deployed to deter possible violence from Trump-supporting extremists.
In Poland, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has called on pandemic-stricken businesses to respect sanitary restrictions after some chose to reopen this week despite a government ban.
Hotels, restaurants, and ski lifts are among the rebelling businesses – their owners say they are facing bankruptcy if they have to stay closed any longer.
Many firms have been devastated by government-imposed restrictions which were due to end this week but have now been extended until the 31st of January.
The government says the measures are necessary to prevent a potentially devastating third wave of the virus, as has been seen in other countries.
In related news, police in Gdansk intervened this weekend after receiving reports of a wedding taking place – a violation of coronavirus restrictions.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found not a wedding, but a pop-up kitchenware market. The event, attended by about 25 people, was shut down and police say organisers will be taken to court.
Temperatures set to warm up over the coming days though, with a thaw likely on the way from tomorrow.
The forecast today is for temperatures to gradually warm but remain below freezing well into the evening. A strong chance of some snow showers across the city throughout the day, possibly turning into rain overnight.
Radio Gdansk News / Thomas Holdstock
