he UBI Index, based in Stockholm, Sweden, released its Global Top 25 ranking of University Business Incubators with a US-based incubator at the top of the list. Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, based at Rice University in Houston, Texas, took the number one spot thanks to exceptional overall performance, especially high job creation and creating value for clients. UBI studied 150 business incubators in 22 countries, measuring the participants on an assessment framework that included over 50 performance indicators.

issan officially opened a satellite design studio in Rio de Janeiro. Located at the company’s Brazil headquarters, Nissan Design America Rio (NDA-R) will research materials and styling for future automotive designs. “Rio has a wonderful combination of vibrancy and diversity that represents the Brazilian culture and people, with each region being unique in its own way,” said Taro Ueda, vice president of Nissan Design America. “This is an ideal location to establish a design studio.”

onstruction of the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA), a 16-year infrastructure project, is moving full steam ahead. The new 43-mile (70-km.) railway link will cross the Alps with minimal gradients and wide curves, providing quicker, more efficient freight rail through the mountains. Two base tunnels are being carved under the Gotthard and Ceneri mountain ranges. By the end of July, 20 miles (32 km.) had been excavated from the Ceneri tunnel. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is scheduled to become operational at the end of 2016 and will provide high-speed rail for passengers. The Ceneri Base Tunnel is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.

onstruction of Istanbul’s third airport began this summer. The new facility will be located on the coast of the Black Sea, 20 miles (32 km.) outside the city. When complete the airport will be one of the world’s largest in terms of passenger capacity and size. Terminal 1 will be the world’s largest airport terminal under one roof, with a gross floor area close to 10,764,000 sq. ft. (1 million sq. m.). The project is being developed in four phases; Phase 1 expects to open in 2018 with the ability to serve 90 million passengers per year. When the project reaches completion the airport will handle 150 million passengers.

ajaj Auto Ltd, India's largest exporter of motorcycles and three-wheelers, is investing more than $19 million in a plant in Taka, Bangladesh. The company plans to hire 450 workers. Initially the plant will produce four models of motorcycles: Platina 100, Discover 100, Discover 125 and Pulsar 150. Bajaj expects the facility to begin production in June 2015.