Throughout the year, progress has been made in the technological renewal of international delegations, pushing forward the change in workstations to match those already implemented in Spain the previous year. Investments were made in dozens of computer systems to ensure the efficiency of EFE‘s production systems worldwide. Connectivity improvements were also prioritized in all offices and delegations, promoting new internet service contracts and deploying advanced security solutions for the most important delegations.
In mid-2023, a Technological Investment Plan was approved, supported by our shareholder (SEPI). This plan will provide a new boost to the ecosystem of technological solutions and systems that EFE has been implementing year after year.
One of the main initiatives within the Investment Plan focuses on Security and Protection Initiatives for Production, Business, and Management. EFE has been deploying resources and adopting measures to prevent security issues for years. In this context, EFE aims to formalize and consolidate its commitment to cybersecurity by adhering to the National Security Scheme. In the last months of 2023, efforts were made to define the requirements for this certification, which will be developed over the coming years.
Another group of initiatives within the plan focuses on Research, Development, and Innovation in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies for Production, Business, and Management. Despite the potential boost from the Investment Plan in this area, EFE has used these technologies in various solutions for years. For example, in 2023, a proprietary solution for transcribing audio and video was developed to facilitate the production of information from these sources. The massive use of this tool in the first months after its launch confirmed the success of the concept and its implementation.
Regarding Generative Artificial Intelligence, opportunities offered by these technologies to assist in journalistic editing and content commercialization were explored throughout 2023. The architecture for integrating our systems with various options for exploiting Generative AI was designed and implemented. As an initial example, a working group was created to identify and implement the most exciting editing aids to leverage these technologies’ capabilities.
In July 2023, EFE, in collaboration with the Indra group, launched a mobile application to reinforce journalists’ safety in Colombia and prevent risky situations. The app, Diámetro, was conceived at a hackathon held a year earlier at the Gabo Festival. EFE gathered five teams of young programmers and journalists to create its structure and respond to the problematic situation of the press in Colombia. After ten months of development with the winning team, the project was publicly presented at the venue where it was born, Latin America’s most crucial journalism festival.
In 2023, EFE continued celebrating its half-century presence in Central America with various events and exhibitions in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras, reaffirming EFE as the leading international agency in that American region.
To improve EFE‘s image in Brazil and regain presence in a strategic market in America, the South American Business Directorate and the Brazil delegation decided to launch the I Latin American Green Economy Forum (FLEV), a high-profile meeting to reinforce the EFE brand, foster contacts, and build trust.
Held on October 19 at the Teatro Vivo (Telefónica) in Sao Paulo, this forum aims to become a reference event where government leaders, academics, civil society representatives, and businesspeople debate and propose innovative solutions to contribute to a more sustainable future for the region and the planet.
Since January 2023, EFE has joined the Google Showcase initiative, a project by the tech giant to disseminate high-quality journalistic information with news selected by the media. EFE publishes seven daily panels on Showcase, featuring content from efe.com and the thematic portals EFE Salud, EFE Verde, Efeminista, and EFE Verifica.
In 2023, the traditional EFE Channel was rebranded as 24HORAS EFE, providing minute-by-minute information on world events with stable 24-hour programming.
The channel is configured as an audiovisual narrative with thematic sections alternating with video news segments. The channel, which also provides continuous audio, offers a dynamic and comprehensive view of current events.
Additionally, each news item includes a QR code that viewers can scan with their mobile phones to access the full story on an EFE web page, which remains accessible for 48 hours. This feature facilitates complete access and understanding of the information in each case.
The European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) is a global network of leading news agencies that collaborate at the highest executive level in the new media business. MINDS International, the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN), the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) are some of the leading associations and organizations to which EFE belongs and with which it maintains a close relationship.
EFE proactively and regularly attends their meetings, sharing and exchanging viewpoints and presenting projects among its members.
In 2023, EFE participated in various assemblies and forums of these agencies and companies in the sector:
