You enter a supermarket. First, you head to the candy aisle. On the shelves, there are bags of M&M's, the mythical chocolate pearls coated in colors; Snickers bars, made with peanuts and caramel; Twix, with crunchy cookies; Mars, fluffier and sweeter, and Maltesers, chocolate-covered balls. Now you turn towards the pet product area. The route continues with Pedigree cans for dogs and Whiskas for cats, bags of Catsan litter, and Royal Canin kibble. And when you're about to pay, next to the checkout, rows of little boxes of Orbit gum still catch your eye.At first glance, it might seem like a random assortment of brands you can find at the supermarket, but they all share the same owner. They are owned by Mars, one of the largest family-owned companies in the world: in 2024, it had a turnover of approximately 47 billion euros, according to its annual sustainability report. The figure coexists with another striking piece of data: Forbes placed the Mars family's fortune at around 117 billion dollars in 2024, just behind the Waltons, the heirs of Walmart, among the richest dynasties in the United States. But who are the Mars family and how did they found this empire?The origin: a Washington kitchen

The story begins in 1911 in a kitchen in Tacoma, Washington state. It was there that young Frank C. Mars began to manufacture and sell wholesale butter cream candies. As a child, his mother had taught him to hand-dip chocolates, and little by little, he had been perfecting the technique. The project, however, didn't last long, as local competition and difficulties in increasing production ended up stifling it.The leap came a few years later. In 1920, Frank C. Mars moved to Minneapolis and launched a new candy business, the Mar-O-Bar Company. There he began experimenting with more resistant chocolate bars and fillings, designed to better withstand transport and reach more customers. The first attempt, the Mar-O-Bar, did not quite work out: it was too delicate a product and did not withstand travel well. However, that failure made him realize that to grow, he didn't need a product that was simply good: it also had to be easy to manufacture, package, and distribute.In 1923 he stumbled upon what he was looking for: the Milky Way. The idea arose after a conversation between Frank and his son Forrest. It occurred to them to convert the taste of a malted milk shake, very popular in the United States at the time, into a chocolate bar that could be eaten with one's hands. The result was an immediate success. That bar not only boosted sales, but also changed the scale of the business. Mars went from being a candy maker with few aspirations to a company capable of hiring salespeople, expanding production, and starting to think about expanding.From Snickers to M&M's

The expansion gained momentum in the late twenties. In 1929, Mars moved to Chicago, a better-connected city with greater logistical capacity, and opened a production plant there. That same year, Forrest E. Mars, Frank's only son, officially joined the family business. Shortly after, in 1930, the company launched Snickers, which would eventually become one of its great global icons. In 1932, Forrest moved to the United Kingdom, from where he boosted the group's international expansion and consolidated the idea that would shape Mars' culture for decades: growing the company by thinking not only about the product but also about the relationship with employees, suppliers, and consumers.The new great leap arrived with M&M’s. In 1940, Forrest E. Mars returned to the United States and founded M&M Limited in New Jersey. A year later, the first M&M’s were produced for the U.S. Army, conceived as a sweet that was easy to transport and more resistant than conventional chocolate. In 1945, after World War II, the brand reached the general public. From then on, Mars was no longer just a bar company: it added new candy brands, entered the pet food business with products like Chappie, Whiskas, or Pedigree, and opened the door to other categories, such as rice. Today, Mars remains in the hands of the founding family.

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A pacifier has been left half-hidden among the crib sheets. On top of the chest of drawers, a baby bottle rests. A little further on, in a corner of the room, the brightly colored wheeled walker, which the baby will soon use to take its first steps, is parked. You have to look closely, but everything has the same logo: that of the Chicco brand. Behind these mythical white letters on a blue background, with the red dot above the i, there is not only a brand of baby products, but also an Italian giant in childcare and children's consumption. It is called Artsana, it was founded in 1946 in the Italian city of Como and today it groups brands such as Chicco, Boppy, Neo Baby, Prénatal, Toys Center or Bimbo Store. In 2024, the group had a turnover of nearly 600 million euros, not including the Prénatal area.

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You grab your phone and open TikTok. An influencer points a yogurt at the camera and says it looks healthy, but it's actually an industry trick. A content creator claims intermittent fasting has changed their life. Another thirty-second video makes gluten the big enemy to defeat. You've just watched them, you close the app, sit down at your computer, and open an artificial intelligence tool to prepare a personalized diet for you. We've never received so many messages about what to eat, what to avoid, and how to do it. But, amidst this avalanche of information, distinguishing scientific evidence from digital noise has become an increasingly complex task.This situation is not anecdotal. An analysis by Dublin City University and MyFitnessPal of over 67,000 TikTok videos concluded that only 2.1% of nutrition content adhered to public health and nutrition guidelines. It is in this context that undergraduate and postgraduate nutrition training is being advocated for, mainly within healthcare professions. If the foundation for practice is a degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, master's degrees allow for deeper exploration into increasingly complex areas, such as personalized nutrition, sports nutrition, public health, or food and planetary health. In Catalonia, public universities offer various possibilities in these fields.The challenge of myths and screens

In the consultations of dietitians-nutritionists, the impact of social networks and AI has been detected for some time. “I perceive a society with more nutritional information, but also more confusion, where patients tend to react in a polarized way: either they adopt extreme diets, or they are blocked from any change”, summarizes Mar Gassó, dietitian-nutritionist at the BCN Diabetes & Endocrine Institute (IBADE). As she explains, in recent years these habits have even “rradicalized”, and there are people who restrict food groups or are less afraid of miracle diets. 

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Strengthen the connection between disciplines, bring students closer to clinical practice from day one, and articulate health training in the same environment. These are the objectives of UIC Barcelona with UIC BCN Health, the umbrella under which it groups seven disciplines in the biosanitary field. These are Bioengineering, Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, Dentistry, and Physiotherapy.This ecosystem unfolds on the Sant Cugat campus, integrated into the General University Hospital of Catalonia. There, health studies coexist with three own university clinics, a reference hospital network, and the Advanced Simulation Integral Centre, a space of more than 1,000 square meters that allows students to carry out simulated practices in a real clinical environment from the beginning of their training.More practical experience

The university argues that this model seeks to combine academic learning with guided and safe practical experience, always with the accompaniment of active professionals. Furthermore, UIC BCN Health also concentrates research laboratories in Biomedicine and Bioengineering, gyms for Physiotherapy and healthcare facilities such as the University Dental Clinic, the Support psychology and psychiatry clinic, and Cuides UIC Barcelona, focused on the care of advanced diseases and palliative care.The rector of the university, Alfonso Méndiz, maintains that UIC BCN Health is a “differentiating, clear and solid” proposal built on “almost thirty years of experience” and on an academic offering integrated into its own ecosystem. UIC Barcelona is also approaching its 30th anniversary and twenty years of Medical studies.Three new master's degrees in health

UIC Barcelona's commitment to strengthening its health ecosystem is also reflected in the expansion of its postgraduate offering. For the next academic year, the university will incorporate three new master's degrees linked to this field, with different profiles and approaches but with the same objective: to delve into increasingly specialized areas connected with the new needs of the healthcare sector.  The first of the new programs is the university master's degree in Respiratory and Cardiac Physiotherapy, aimed at both active professionals and researchers. According to the university, the program aims to respond to the growing demand for highly qualified physiotherapists in the comprehensive management of adult, pediatric, and critically ill patients, and emphasizes intervention in situations of great respiratory and cardiac complexity.  The new offer also incorporates the Master's degree in International Continuing Education in Bioethics and Healthcare Professionalism. In this case, the proposal is aimed at healthcare professionals and graduates who carry out their activity in care, research, or training environments. The program seeks to reinforce reflection and preparation on ethical and professional issues within clinical and clinical training contexts.  The third launch is the Master's degree in Bioinformatics & AI for Healthcare, driven by Biomedical Sciences and taught entirely in English. The university presents it as a unique program because it combines bioinformatics and artificial intelligence applied to health in a single proposal, two areas that increasingly weigh more in biomedical research and in the transformation of healthcare services.  

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When a supermarket receives fresh fruit first thing in the morning, a factory avoids halting production due to a lack of components, or a hospital has the necessary materials at the right moment, behind it all there is often invisible but decisive work: logistics. In recent years, this field has ceased to be a secondary component to become a key element of the global economy and a profession with ever-increasing strategic weight within companies.In Catalonia, this shift has been accompanied by a growing offer of master's degrees and postgraduate courses linked to logistics and the supply chain. This is the case, for example, of the master's degree in Supply Chain Management and Technology at La Salle URL; the online master's degree in Logistics Management at the UOC; the master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Technology and Sustainability at UPF-BSM; the master's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain and Maritime Business at TecnoCampus, or programs such as the master's degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management that the UAB promotes within an international consortium, among others. This long list of degrees reflects the extent to which the sector has ceased to be a peripheral specialization to consolidate itself as its own training field, increasingly connected with technology, sustainability, and global business management.An increasingly complete profile

“Before the pandemic, logistics was a more invisible area in the company, almost always in the background”, Concha Gaudó, director of the master’s degree in Supply Chain Management and Technology at La Salle Campus Barcelona, points out to ARA. As she explains, the disruptions of recent years, from covid to geopolitical uncertainty, have placed the supply chain “at the center of strategic decisions for many organizations”, and this has also transformed the type of professionals that are in demand.

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University of Barcelona (UB)

Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)

Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC)

Open University of Catalonia (UOC)

International University of Catalonia (UIC)

University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC)

Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)

Blanquerna - Ramon Llull University (Blanquerna-URL)

Expand the offering with new courses related to business, technology, engineering, and international law. IQS incorporates the Master's in Accounting, Data Analytics, and ESG Reporting, focused on advanced accounting, data analysis, and sustainability reporting. La Salle adds programs in Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence for Business Management, and Acoustics, Audio, and Vibrations. Esade, for its part, incorporates the university master's degree in International Business Law, designed for legal specialization in global business environments.

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Update without having to take a full master's degree. Redirect your professional career without starting from scratch. Certify a specific competence and be able to include it in your curriculum. These are some of the particularities offered by university micro-credentials, a brief, flexible, and labor market-oriented training formula that is gaining ground in Catalonia and that universities are beginning to integrate into their offerings. According to the search engine for training offered with public funds from the microcreds.cat Plan, there are currently 468 micro-credentials offered in Catalonia, with proposals ranging from artificial intelligence, programming, or web development to the fields of health, architecture, or project management.“Micro-credentials offer the opportunity to certify more specifically the competencies demanded by the labor market”, explain Dr. Marcelo Maina, director of the master's degree in Education and ICT - e-learning at the UOC, and Dr. Lourdes Guàrdia, vice-dean of the Studies of Psychology and Educational Sciences. According to them, this formula responds to a growing need: to be able to update knowledge and skills quickly, flexibly, and compatibly with work or other daily responsibilities.A brief, focused, and cumulative format

But what exactly are university micro-credentials? Broadly speaking, they are short-term training programs, delivered and certified by universities, that allow for the accreditation of specific skills. They are designed for adults, whether they already have a higher education qualification or not, and aim to facilitate access to more flexible, specialized training connected to the real needs of the productive and social fabric.The duration ranges between 25 and 375 hours, with official academic recognition of up to 15 ECTS credits. Unlike other longer programs, they do not necessarily start from a closed itinerary, but rather allow for the acquisition of specific knowledge in very concrete areas. "They aim to certify the learning outcomes of short-term learning experiences, presenting the knowledge, skills, and competencies that have been developed," explain Maina and Guàrdia. Furthermore, they are accumulable: students can add micro-credentials over time and thus build a training path adapted to their professional needs. Another key element is digital certification. The acquired competencies are accredited in a secure, verifiable, and transferable format within the European sphere.

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A worker looks at the salary of their last payslip and wonders how they can move up to a higher category. A recent graduate chains together their first jobs and looks for a specialization that will open new doors for them. A professional with years of experience notices that their sector has changed and that they need to update themselves. The reasons for studying a master's degree are not always the same, but they often share a common underlying idea: to improve their professional position in an increasingly demanding job market.Data indicates that choosing to pursue a master's degree can be a key way to achieve this. Currently, 93.5% of master's degree holders are employed, according to the study The employment of master's graduates from Catalan universities, prepared by the Agency for the Quality of the University System of Catalonia (AQU Catalunya). Furthermore, more than six out of ten perform functions specifically related to the master's degree studied, and a significant portion of those who were already working before taking the course assure that they have improved their professional category, salary, or type of contract.The weight of these studies within the Catalan university system is also relevant. This academic year, Catalan universities are offering 702 master's degrees, involving around 50,000 students, a figure that positions this training as a central piece of university specialization and lifelong learning. 'We want a university system that is a lever for progress and a social elevator, capable of offering opportunities to everyone so that no talent is left behind for economic reasons,' defended the Minister of Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat, at the inauguration of the academic year, which is now drawing to a close.Looking ahead to the 2026-27 academic year, the Department of Research and Universities is working on around eighty new projects encompassing degrees, master's programs, and doctoral programs, many still in the authorization process. As of now, at least 16 university master's programs have already been authorized. The planning is particularly focused on strategic and emerging sectors, such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, ICT, health, engineering, or film arts. The Department also plans to update several existing degrees and master's programs to adapt their content to new professional demands.Master's degrees: a source of progress and opportunities

One of the clearest pieces of data is the professional improvement declared by people who were already working before taking the master's degree. According to AQU Catalunya, 65.6% have improved their professional category and 64.6% have a higher salary than before obtaining the degree. There is also an impact on working conditions: 52.1% have improved their type of contract and 45.2% have improved their dedication or working hours. This does not mean that the master's degree automatically guarantees a promotion, but the data does show a clear relationship between specializing and progressing professionally.However, for this path of progress to be truly effective, price is also a determining factor. Along these lines, the Department has equalized the cost of all public qualifying degrees and master's degrees with the lowest price and has applied a new reduction of 30% for the rest of non-qualifying master's degrees.Jobs more linked to training

Another argument in favor of master's degrees is the alignment between studies and work. According to the AQU Catalunya report, 64% of graduates perform specific functions related to the master's they have completed. The percentage rises to 86% if functions related to their previous university degree are also included. In other words: in most cases, the master's degree is not just a credential disconnected from daily professional life, but rather has a direct translation into the tasks that are ultimately assumed.This adaptation is especially relevant at a time when many people are not only looking for a job, but also for a job that is more aligned with their profile, interests, and professional expectations. In fact, the same study shows that overall job satisfaction among master's graduates is rated as notable, with an average score of 8 out of 10. The key, however, is not to take any master's degree, but to choose training aligned with the professional moment, the sector, and the skills demanded by the labor market.

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Wholemeal and high-fiber biscuits. Also with chocolate or caramel touches. Some gluten-free, lactose-free, and salt-free. Round, square, or even dragon-shaped. In Catalonia, Gullón biscuits are a classic on supermarket shelves. Their green logo appears stamped on boxes of dozens of different formats, each aimed at a specific consumer. With over 130 years of history, it is a historic company in the Spanish biscuit sector, but also a European giant: in 2024 it had a turnover of 690 million euros, directly employs over 2,100 people, and is present in 125 countries.

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Some boys leave the newsstand with a few envelopes in their hands. They sit on a bench, tear them open carefully, and take out a handful of new trading cards. In front of them is the album, still full of empty spaces to complete. For more than half a century, scenes like this have been repeated in schoolyards, dining rooms, and squares all over the world. Behind it all is Panini, the Italian company that managed to turn simple pieces of adhesive paper into a great machine of desire, nostalgia, and consumption. Today, sixty-five years after its founding in Modena in 1961, the company continues to be a giant in the world of collecting: it invoices around 1.6 billion euros every year, sells its products in 150 countries, and employs 1,200 people.

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The blueprint dates from November 15, 1904. Drawn with great precision, it shows an elongated handle, a toothed piece, a few small screws, and a thin, sharp metal blade. It is the patent for the shaving machine invented by King C. Gillette, an American entrepreneur who understood the commercial potential of disposable products before many others.

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It appears in superhero movies like X-Men or Batman begins, in musicals like Hairspray and in iconic films like The Godfather, Pulp Fiction or Apocalypse Now. Even, if you look closely, it can be seen in the animated film WALL·E. In more than 2,000 productions, there is someone who takes it out of their pocket, opens it and releases the flame. It's a Zippo, the reusable and wind-resistant metal lighter that over the years has become one of the most recognizable icons of North American pop culture. But it's also a big business: headquartered in Pennsylvania, it has nearly a thousand employees, produces about 14 million lighters each year, and has annual revenues of nearly 400 million dollars.The company was born in 1932 and, since then, has already sold more than 650 million lighters. But how did such a small object become a true American symbol? How did it make a place for itself in Hollywood and in pockets around the world? The first spark

The story of all this begins in Bradford, a small town in Pennsylvania, in the early thirties. The businessman George G. Blaisdell lived there. One day he came across a scene that changed his life: a friend of his was struggling with a bulky, uncomfortable, and impractical lighter. The device had an obvious virtue: thanks to its protective chimney, the flame resisted the wind well. But it also had flaws: it had to be opened with two hands, it broke easily, and it had a rather rudimentary appearance.Blaisdell immediately saw that there was a business idea there. At the end of 1932, he redesigned that lighter and transformed it into a more elegant, robust, and easy-to-use object. He added a rectangular casing, a hinged lid, and a mechanism that allowed it to be opened with one hand, but he kept the system that protected the flame from the wind. The first Zippo was born. The new lighter began to be sold in 1933 for $1.95, accompanied by a promise that made it famous: the brand assured the customer that, if it didn't work, they would repair it for free. The impetus of the war

The definitive boost, however, did not reach the shop windows, but the front line. With the entry of the United States into World War II, in 1941, Zippo stopped manufacturing lighters for the civilian market and dedicated all production to the North American army. In those years, the company replaced brass with steel and began manufacturing the black-finished models that are collector's items today.The war did the rest. Millions of American soldiers took the Zippo to the battlefield and turned it, almost unintentionally, into an emblem of the United States. The lighter was small, robust, worked in adverse conditions, and moreover, had a recognizable appearance. For many soldiers, it was not just a useful object, but also a personal, almost intimate, item that accompanied them in the midst of chaos.When the war ended, in 1945, Zippo returned to the civilian market, but it was no longer just any brand. It had ceased to be a simple lighter to become an object loaded with narrative. From then on, the company knew how to exploit this aura with intelligence: it kept the original mechanism almost intact, reinforced the idea of durability with the forever guarantee, and began to invest in advertising and in getting it featured in movies.From Bradford to Hollywood

After the post-war period, Zippo turned the prestige gained on the front into a big business. During the fifties and sixties, the lighter became popular as an advertising medium, the company refined some details without touching its essence, and the brand began to make a place for itself in popular culture, from concerts to cinema and television. Meanwhile, the company remained in family hands even after the founder, George G. Blaisdell, died in 1978, and it continued to expand the business: in the nineties, it bought W.R. Case & Sons and inaugurated its own museum in Bradford. In the 21st century, it legally protected the shape of its lighter, diversified products, and in 2010 acquired Ronson, a historic competitor.

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It's the 1970s. In a Barcelona apartment, the bathtub is full of bubbles. Nearby, the octagonal, burgundy container of Moussel ice. On the sink, next to the mirror, rests a bottle of cologne: S3. At that time, these two products were staples in Catalan bathrooms. In fact, their television commercials were constantly playing: images of freshness, one jingle Sticky and a final phrase that an entire generation still remembers: "A Legrain product, Paris."

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It's the 1920s, in Barcelona. You've left home to buy milk: you enter the store, wait behind the counter, ask for six liters, and the clerk pours it for you in glass bottles. However, on the other side of the Atlantic, the ritual has already changed. In the United States, customers no longer ask for anything: they simply take it. The products are on the shelves, packaged, ready to go. In cities like New York, a completely new way of understanding food sales is taking root. Packaging, until then secondary, has become the center of everything. It's key to guaranteeing hygiene, facilitating transport, and extending the shelf life of products.

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Sustainability has become an increasingly sought-after skill in the job market. This is according to a study conducted by the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) in collaboration with PIMEC, which reveals how, in recent years, the demand for professionals in Catalonia linked to green professions has steadily increased. According to the report, based on 1.7 million job postings published between 2018 and 2023, green occupations have increased by 17% and now represent 7.5% of total job vacancies.

]]> "I chose to study lifeguarding and first aid because I like sports and, at the same time, I like helping people," explains one student in this training program. "I chose fencing because I've practiced it since I was 11 and I've always seen it as a possible career path," adds another student. "Being a football coach is my dream," says a student who has opted for professional training in this sport. These are the voices of young men and women who, in recent years, have chosen to focus their education and careers on the world of sports. But what exactly are sports education programs in Catalonia, and how do they work?

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Finishing high school and wanting to continue studying at university without having to leave home, combining work with a degree, or returning to the classroom after a few years to advance professionally. These are some of the most common situations among students who value online learning as an alternative for continuing their education. In Catalonia, there are around thirty degrees that can be completed entirely online. Most are part of the catalog of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), with options ranging from fields such as economics and communication to computer science, psychology, and social sciences.

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Vocational training continues to gain popularity among students in Catalonia. Last September, the allocation of places reached a record high: 81,479 students secured a place in a vocational training program. In total, more than 96,000 people participated in the pre-registration process, a figure that confirms the sustained growth of these studies in recent years. This milestone "places Catalonia at the forefront of Spanish autonomous communities with the strongest presence in vocational education," highlighted the Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Esther Niubó, at the beginning of the academic year.

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Many high school seniors have been anxiously eyeing the calendar for weeks. The end of the school year is approaching, and with it, one of the most important decisions of their academic career: choosing what to study next. The same is true for many vocational students, who are considering whether to continue their studies, specialize, or enter the job market directly.

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In a classroom at the Catalonia College of Music (ESMUC), a student tunes her violin before class begins. Meanwhile, at the Catalonia College of Dramatic Art (ESAD), a group of students rehearses a scene. A few meters away, young dancers from the Catalonia College of Dance (CSD) practice a choreography in front of a mirror. At the Catalonia College of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ESCRBCC), there's also activity: students examine an old painting with a magnifying glass before working on it. At the Catalonia College of Design and Fine Arts (ESDAPC), creativity flows everywhere.

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