Chapter 261: Cooperation For Mutual Benefit
Carlo’s plan to hold the tram exhibition was quite successful, which can be seen from the grand scene on the day of the exhibition and the front-page news in newspapers from various countries the next day.
The tram not only attracted the attention of European public and newspaper and media, but also attracted the attention of European capitalists and governments of various countries.
Before the exhibition had even ended, the German Government had already contacted the Spanish Government, hoping to obtain Spain’s tram technology through the exchange of technical data, just like the previous electricity technology.
Although the Siemens Company in Germany is the inventor of the tram, judging from the tram technology displayed by Spain at present, Spain has already surpassed Germany in this aspect.
Actually, it’s not surprising when you think about it. Spain is at a leading level in high-power generators and electric motors, so trams equipped with high-power electric motors will definitely lead German trams in speed and passenger and cargo capacity.
Electricity technology is after all a brand new field. Germany respects Spain’s achievements in this brand new field and is more eager to synchronize such achievements with Spain through technology exchange rather than conducting slow research on its own.
From top to bottom in Germany, they all saw the potential brought by electricity technology. They would not remain indifferent to this brand new technology.
Without exaggeration, at this time, Germany should be the country in the whole of Europe, apart from Spain, that values electricity technology the most. Germany’s emphasis on electricity technology far exceeds that of Britain and France, which is also the reason why they can ultimately achieve great success in the Second Industrial Revolution.
The Spanish Government naturally accepted the German Government’s request for renewed cooperation.
Even if Spain does not disclose the current tram technology, Germany will inevitably master related technology of similar level within the next few years.
It is better to exchange for some technology and funds from Germany or even other European countries while such technology is still valuable, which can also boost the development of Spain’s electricity technology.
If it is kept secret and not disclosed, great powers at the level of Britain, France, and Germany will also research similar technology within the next few years.
After all, the current tram technology is not very advanced, and Spain cannot yet blockade other countries.
Like the previous electricity technology, governments of various countries are quite interested in tram technology.
After the German Government, the United Kingdom and France also successively expressed their requests to introduce tram technology, followed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy.
Carlo welcomes the cooperation requests from various countries immensely. Whether it is the exchange of technical data or direct purchase with funds, Spain is the ultimate beneficiary.
While the Spanish Government discusses specific cooperation details with governments of various countries, it also released the idea of cooperating with capital to establish tram transportation systems in major cities.
Cooperating with governments of various countries is just the first step; cooperating with capital from various countries can accelerate the construction of Spain’s trams.
In an era without subways and buses, trams are the best mode of transport for city residents. The trams in Madrid and Barcelona can completely connect to the industrial zones in the outskirts, which can also promote economic exchange between the urban area and the industrial zone.
Workers in the industrial zone can go to the urban area for consumption and rest in their leisure time. Isn’t this the best way to promote economic growth?
At this time, trams completely play the role of subways in big cities of posterity. Although their carrying capacity is much smaller than subways, in Spain, a country without megacities, the carrying capacity of trams is already sufficient, and their role will naturally be quite significant.
Because the news of trams has already made the front-page headlines in newspapers of various countries, when Spain released the news of wanting to cooperate with capital to build trams, it immediately attracted the attention of domestic and foreign capital.
In addition to the government and capital, the electric company will also participate in the construction of trams. This also led these capitals to contact Gramme’s electric company immediately, all wanting to reach relevant cooperation with the Spanish Government at the first time.
Although Carlo’s plan is to popularize trams comprehensively in cities with a Spanish population exceeding 100,000, this cannot be completed in a short time.
The primary task at present is still to build tram transportation systems in Madrid and Barcelona. Only these two cities with a large number of power stations are qualified to build tram systems.
If trams can link the connection between the urban areas and industrial zones of the two cities, the improvement for the two cities will be enormous.
Of course, in addition to the economic improvement, the enhancement of popular support also needs to be considered a priority.
Unlike the higher-cost electric lamp lighting, the tram transportation system is aimed at all residents of Madrid and Barcelona.
This also means that the riding cost of trams will definitely not be too high, at least within the range that the public can afford.
Imagine, when the city has quite convenient and cheap public transportation, won’t the public involuntarily thank the government’s efforts?
The answer is definitely yes. While thanking the government, the public will naturally also thank Carlo, the ruler of the country.
Building trams can not only promote Spain’s economic development but also effectively enhance Spain’s popular support. Why wouldn’t Carlo do it?
Although it only requires establishing tram transportation systems in the two cities of Madrid and Barcelona, due to the considerable scale of both cities, the funds required are still very large.
According to the joint planning of the Spanish Government and the two municipal governments, Madrid will build at least six tram tracks, with four tram tracks within Madrid city, which is also Madrid’s core urban area.
One of the remaining two tracks directly connects to the industrial zone in the Madrid outskirts, where most factories and other enterprises around Madrid are located.
The remaining tram track is responsible for connecting the University City, Royal Academy of Sciences, and large experimental zone in Madrid. This tram is specially prepared for university students and scientific researchers.
Carlo has also seen Madrid’s tram track planning, which overall can still meet Madrid’s demand for public transportation.
As for the public not on the track lines, they can only make do by walking a certain distance before taking the tram.
After the tram tracks are built, the operating company of trams will arrange the number of trams according to specific needs.
Tracks with higher passenger volume will dispatch more trams, and vice versa. Although trams are urban public transportation, the money that should be earned must still be earned.
Only by letting these capitals earn the money they should earn will they be satisfied and willing to invest in the next phase of Spain’s urban construction.
If the first cooperation fails, these capitals will not be so optimistic about investing in Spain’s construction in the future.
In the case where Spain lacks domestic capital, cooperating with these foreign capitals is still very necessary. National construction cannot be done single-handedly; appropriately introducing foreign capital is only beneficial and not harmful to Spain’s development.
Compared to Madrid, which needs to build six tram tracks, Barcelona has only four tram tracks.
Three of them are tram tracks in the Barcelona urban area, and one longer tram track will connect to the industrial zone in the outskirts of Barcelona.
The main reason why Barcelona has two fewer tram tracks than Madrid is that Barcelona does not have such a dense University City, and as it is not Spain’s capital, the government’s support will be somewhat less.
However, Barcelona’s tram track connecting the industrial zone is longer and will pass through and encircle most of the Barcelona industrial zone.
If Madrid has the most tram tracks in number, then Barcelona has the longest tram track mileage. After all, it is Spain’s largest industrial zone, and it deserves the attention it gets.
In order to build and operate trams in the two cities, Spain will establish the Madrid Tram Company and the Barcelona Tram Company.
The Madrid Tram Company has a total investment exceeding 62 million pesetas: the Spanish Government invests 10 million pesetas, the Spanish Royal Family invests 5 million pesetas, Madrid City Hall invests 7 million pesetas, the Spanish National Electricity Company contributes technology equivalent to 15 million pesetas, and the remaining 25 million pesetas investment will be open for tender, inviting domestic and foreign capital to join.
The Barcelona Tram Company investment exceeds 75 million pesetas: the Spanish Government similarly invests 10 million pesetas, the royal family still 5 million pesetas, Barcelona City Hall invests 10 million pesetas, and the electric company also contributes technology for 15 million pesetas.
The remaining 35 million pesetas investment also needs to be filled by domestic and foreign capital, which is also to reduce government fiscal expenditure.
The total investment in the tram tracks of the two cities reaches 137 million pesetas, which is no small investment.
The investment that capital can intervene in reaches 60 million pesetas, already close to half of the total investment.
If relying solely on the Spanish Government’s own efforts, although the 60 million pesetas could be raised, it would obviously affect construction in other areas.
The Spanish Government’s total fiscal revenue last year was only 5 million pesetas, with a fiscal surplus of a mere 7 million pesetas.
For the Spanish Government, every sum of money must be calculated carefully to take into account the development of all aspects, rather than focusing only on one or a few.
After all, the Spanish Government still has many foreign debts to repay, and savings must be made where necessary.
As long as the tram construction succeeds and turns profitable, the initial cooperation between the Spanish Government and foreign capital can end on a good note.
In this way, in the future when cooperation with these foreign capitals is needed, they will have no qualms, and the capital force that Spain can mobilize will be even stronger.
Although the royal family’s direct investment in the tram technology of the two cities combined is only 10 million pesetas, the shares actually controlled by the royal family are more than that.
The majority of shares in the Spanish National Electricity Company are controlled by the royal family, and the electric company has obtained an investment share equivalent to 30 million pesetas through technology contribution.
In other words, the royal family’s direct or indirect investment in tram construction reaches 40 million pesetas, accounting for about one-third of the total investment.
Plus the investments from the Spanish Government and the two municipal governments, it can ensure that the Spanish official side has sufficient right to speak in trams.
This is also why Carlo is confident in introducing foreign capital: as long as Spain’s total investment takes the lion’s share, there is no need to worry that foreign capital will gain the right to speak in return.
To encourage scientific research in Spain, Carlo even plans to establish related awards to commend and reward these scientific researchers.
Such awards are of course not the Nobel Prize of posterity, but encouragement medals related to scientific research.
Since the purpose is only to encourage scientific innovation, the selection of awards will not be too stringent. As long as one has ideas in scientific innovation and has achieved certain results in the corresponding research, they can apply to the award’s review committee to obtain the award.
Of course, awards are awards, and the selection will definitely not be too simple, to avoid the award becoming commonplace and ultimately not valued.
According to Carlo’s plan, awards like scientific innovation award and technology contribution award will only be selected once a year, with the total winners of all awards not exceeding ten individuals or teams.
Since the purpose is to encourage scientific innovation, the rewards are not just simple funds, but also include free trial use of research venues, exemption of water and electricity bills for research, and help in other aspects.
If needed, winners can also apply for tax exemption on research projects, reducing the research and development funds required for research projects through tax exemptions.
Especially for those private research teams, whether it is the wages income of researchers or other expenditures, taxes basically need to be paid.
If this part of taxes can be reduced or exempted, it will save a large sum of funds for such private research groups.
And across the whole of Europe, what private research groups lack most is research and development funds. The effect of doing so is also very obvious: it allows these small-scale research groups to have more funds, ensuring that the research funds in their hands are used effectively.
Such awards are small-scale, and the difficulty of obtaining them is overall not great. Moreover, the selection will only be conducted domestically in Spain, after all, Carlo’s purpose is to encourage scientific and technological innovation within Spain, not worldwide scientific and technological innovation.
Of course, where there are small awards, there are big awards.
The big awards will definitely be similar to the Nobel Prize of posterity, with quite strict application conditions and very rigorous reviews.
If the previous small awards can only obtain fund rewards and certain supportive policies, then the official big award winners will get much more.
In addition to more funds and more powerful supportive policies, big award winners will even be granted nobility titles, ascending to the aristocracy of Spain in one step.
Of course, the big awards will not only face scientific researchers but will be open to experts in multiple fields, selecting the most capable and contributory scientists across all of Spain, even all of Europe, and the whole world.
The purpose of the small awards is to encourage Spain’s scientific and technological innovation; the purpose of the big awards is to attract top scientists and related research talents to Spain.
Spain’s rewards for big award winners are quite generous, and the purpose of this reward is precisely to attract these people to stay in Spain.
Of course, if the award winner is Spanish, that’s even better. In any case, whether Spanish or not, award winners will receive quite generous funds, supportive policies, and a series of other rewards.
But to obtain the reward of a Spanish nobility title, one must join Spanish nationality. It is believed that the attractiveness of noble titles is sufficient; becoming a Spanish noble through scientific research may well be a powerful means to attract foreign scientists.
