The project will involve fieldwork using biometric equipment and artificial intelligence to detect brain responses and emotional wellbeing associated with preparing food at home; eating ready meals; dining alone, with others, or while using mobile devices.
An innovative approach to studying everyday life
This newly launched research, expected to deliver results in the first quarter of 2026, will explore a previously unexamined area from a scientific perspective: the behaviours and emotions Spanish people experience around cooking, eating, and mealtime habits at home.
Two studies will be conducted: one led by SEN and URJC, analysing brain responses in different food preparation and consumption scenarios using biometric equipment and artificial intelligence; and another by CIBEROBN, exploring eating patterns and screen use during meals. For IKEA, understanding how people live in their homes is a priority, using both in-house research and collaborations with specialist partners to delve into less explored areas.
“This public-private collaboration project aims to provide scientific evidence on how the home environment and lifestyle habits influence our health. Understanding these dynamics can help us build awareness and improve our wellbeing,” says Dr Fernando Fernández-Aranda, researcher at CIBEROBN.
“For SEN, it is a pleasure to collaborate with CIBEROBN, URJC, and IKEA to explore the important implications of an act as human as cooking and enjoying food, allowing us to analyse the emotional and neuroscientific elements behind it,” adds Jesús Porta-Etessam, President of SEN.
Two complementary studies
The two new studies will run in parallel, aiming to provide a clear picture of people’s habits, behaviours, emotions, and feelings around cooking and dining.
SEN and URJC will conduct fieldwork using biometric equipment and artificial intelligence to detect brain responses and emotional wellbeing linked to cooking at home, eating ready meals, dining alone, with company, or while using mobile devices.
“From the Spanish Society of Neurology and the field of neuroscience, we know that cooking and sharing meals activate brain areas related to reward, empathy, and wellbeing. Analysing how these responses change in digital or solitary settings will help us better understand the impact of today’s lifestyle on brain health,” explains Dr Jesús Porta-Etessam.
“We are more connected than ever, yet increasingly isolated. This pioneering study combines artificial intelligence and biometric technology to explore how cooking and related habits can help us emotionally reconnect in a hyperconnected world,” says Ana Reyes, Professor of Marketing and Market Research at URJC.
In parallel, researchers from CIBEROBN will analyse eating patterns through interviews and surveys.
“We’ll not only examine what foods are consumed and how they are prepared, but also the conditions under which these activities take place—including time, environment, social or family rituals, and how screen use influences them,” says Dr Fernández-Aranda, who highlights “the importance of integrating environmental, social, and cultural factors into the study of eating habits.”
This approach could deepen our understanding of human behaviour and open new research avenues in brain and mental health and lifestyle patterns.
Public–private collaboration to open new scientific questions
The project highlights the importance of collaboration between public and private entities—businesses, scientific societies, universities, and research centres—to achieve outcomes that are meaningful for society.
From the Swedish company’s point of view: “This partnership allows us to apply scientific rigour to the study of everyday life in a field that has been largely unexplored—the intersection between food, social experience, and brain response.”
Results will be shared in the first quarter of 2026, offering what is expected to be an unprecedented snapshot of Spaniards’ habits and emotions around the table.
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations in 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents 87% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on Ingka.com.
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News release from Vestas Mediterranean Madrid, 5 December 2025
Vestas has received a 10 MW order for a wind project from Cementeria Costantinopoli Srl, a leading manufacturer of construction materials, to deliver renewable energy directly to their cement factory in the Basilicata region in Italy.
The wind farm will be located next to the factory and enable Cementeria Costantinopoli to supply energy on-site, covering approximately one-third of its electricity needs with secure, affordable and sustainable power.
The contract includes the supply and installation of three V117-3.45 MW turbines and it includes a 10-year Active Output Management 4000 (AOM 4000) service agreement.
“This project marks a milestone for Vestas in Italy as it is the first of its kind in the country to exclusively power an energy-intensive cement factory with clean wind energy, setting a precedent for industrial decarbonisation in the region. We are proud to deliver the technology solution that will reduce the plant’s environmental footprint and reliance on external power”, says Francesco Amati, General Manager, Vestas Italy.
“For Cementeria, the activation of the first wind farm for self-consumption in Italy, realised with Vestas technology, is not only an energy milestone, but also a tangible demonstration of our deep commitment to environmental sustainability. This strategic investment strengthens our leadership in the decarbonisation of the sector and underscores our commitment to building a productive future with reduced impact,” adds Rabasco Roberto, Chief Sustainability Officer of Cementeria Costantinopoli Srl.
Turbine delivery and commissioning are expected in fourth quarter of 2026. The order also reinforces Vestas’ leadership in the country’s wind energy sector, where it has installed over 6 GW since 1991.
For more information, please contact: Fernando Iwan Glazer Senior Director Strategy, Marketing & Communication Vestas Mediterranean M +34 682 00 34 12 Email: feigl@vestas.com
About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry’s global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service onshore and offshore wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 197 GW of wind turbines in 88 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 159 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas’ more than 37,000 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future.
For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images
We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels:
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Warner Bros Discovery has entered exclusive talks to sell its streaming and Hollywood studio business to Netflix, a move that would dramatically change the established film and TV landscape.
Netflix is in competition with Paramount Skydance and Comcast, which owns assets including Universal Studios and Sky, to buy the owner of the Hollywood studio Warner Bros, HBO and the HBO Max streaming service.
Netflix is offering a $5bn (£3.7bn) breakup fee if the deal fails to gain regulatory approval in the US, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the exclusive talks.
Warner Brothers Discover shares are currently about $24, giving it a market value of about $60bn. Netflix has reportedly offered between $28 and $30 a share, suggesting its bid could be worth between $70bn and $75bn.
Analysts have warned that the deal could spark competition concerns as it would result in the combination of two of the biggest streaming services in the US.
Netflix has given assurances that it will continue to allow the Warner Bros film studio, home to franchises such as Harry Potter and Batman, to continue to have wide cinematic releases.
Prior to the closing of any deal, Warner Bros Discovery will complete a planned spin-off of its cable channels, which include CNN, TBS and TNT.
A deal would result in Netflix becoming the owner of HBO, the maker of hit shows including Succession, The White Lotus, The Sopranos and Game of Thrones, as well as an extensive TV archive that includes classics such as Friends, which is soon to be unavailable on Netflix.
Warner Bros formally put itself up for sale in October after receiving interest from several parties.
Earlier this week, James Cameron, the director of Titanic and the Terminator and Avatar series, warned that a sale to Netflix would cause a “catastrophic loss of long-term value” for the entertainment industry.
Paramount, run by David Ellison and bankrolled by his billionaire father and Oracle founder, Larry, had been seen as the early frontrunner.
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Paramount, which owns assets including Channel 5 in the UK, had also offered a $5bn termination fee if a deal is agreed but fails to get regulatory clearance.
Earlier this week, Paramount argued in a letter to Warner Bros that its bid was most likely to gain regulatory clearance.
Paramount accused Warner Bros of operating an unfair auction process that favoured Netflix. In the letter from litigation counsel the company called the process “tainted”.
Warner Bros, Netflix, Comcast and Paramount declined to comment.
