Artificial Intelligence will change the productive model of Spain


The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Pedro Duque, has stood out during the inauguration of the II Meeting of Artificial Intelligence #AIlikeIT organized by AMETIC, the employers of the Spanish digital sector, that the Artificial Intelligence is a technological revolution to which Spain has to join, "since it is one of the disciplines that will contribute the most to changing the Spanish production model". Duque has indicated that the impulse of the Artificial Intelligence is a priority for the Government and, therefore, it is considered as a strategic action within the plans of the Executive with a specific call. "The IA will help us to make Spain more resilient to possible swings in the world economy," he underlined.

However, Duque has highlighted the importance of the national strategy on Artificial Intelligence being aligned with European programs. Likewise, Duque highlighted the potential that Spain has to be a reference in this area, and has made reference to several disciplines, such as medicine, where Artificial Intelligence is going to play a relevant role. Therefore, we must work to enhance any economic activity that can be driven and favored by the AI. However, the minister added that one can not lose sight of the ethics of its use and the quality of the jobs created.

Duque has also highlighted the need to encourage private investment in R & D. In this way, he pointed out that the Administration has to actively collaborate with universities and companies.

For his part, the president of AMETIC, Pedro Mier, has said that the employers want to be present in this revolution by actively contributing, since "Artificial Intelligence is the great lever of transformation for the reindustrialization of new businesses and opens a wide range of possibilities that will allow increasing productivity and competitiveness ". To do this, Mier said that we must work together with the Executive to make Spain and Europe a benchmark in terms of AI: "AMETIC works every day to be a point of union, meeting and support for the digital industry is strengthened and take advantage of the opportunities that artificial intelligence offers. "

The president of AMETIC, referring to the opportunities offered by the AI, has focused on the risks derived from its misuse. He agreed with the minister that the top-level issues that should surround the IA are ethics, sustainability and the quality of employment that is going to be created. "From AMETIC, we support and promote the good use of technology for the benefit of society."

To highlight the creation of quality employment resulting from digitalization, Mier has referred to a study presented by one of the partners of Digital Europe, where AMETIC is a member, on the "real impact that digitalization will have on the productive sectors". Against the belief that technology will end employment, the report reveals that, for every post destroyed, 3.7 new jobs will be created. With this objective, the president of AMETIC has commented that the employer's association is in talks with the Government to elaborate a similar study in Spain, since "it is very important to send solid and positive messages to society".

The coordinator of digital economy for Spain in the European Commission, Anna Armengol Torío, spoke of 'European plans for an EU world reference in Artificial Intelligence '. In this sense, he commented that the AI ​​will play a crucial role in solving the social challenges of the future. "The European Commission supports that the AI ​​is a vector of growth of the European economy and, therefore, a key part of the strategy of Europe." He has underlined the importance of investing in AI solutions for small and medium enterprises, but also in the training of people. "All Europe needs specialists from the ICT sector, especially in the area of ​​AI," he said. Armengol has also made reference to the ethical component that the AI ​​must have and concluded by emphasizing that it is necessary to "invest more and better in AI".

Applications of Artificial Intelligence

The II Meeting of Artificial Intelligence has also had the participation of the managing director and Head of Applied Intelligence at Accenture Spain, Portugal and Israel, Isabel Fernández, with the paper 'IA, but is it happening ?; the director of innovation and data of the Center for Telecommunications and Information Technology (CCTI) of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Lluis Anaya, on 'The Intelligent, Autonomous and Autonomous Public Administration; and the country manager of Google Cloud Spain, Isaac Hernández, who has spoken about 'Technological state. Solutions and disruptors IA '. Through their exhibitions, experts have highlighted the presence and application of Artificial Intelligence in everyday life and in various fields.

Also, the day has shown the developing of Artificial Intelligence for the industrial sector from practical cases. For the CEO of Tinámica, Enrique Serrano, to speak of IA is to refer to automation and decision making. In this sense, AI contributes to increase the optimization of production processes. In addition, the director of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence of GMV Secure E-solutions José Carlos Baquero, has presented 'Digital Twin and Artificial Intelligence: a perfect binomial for Industry 4.0'; the Deputy Director and Scientific Technological Director of Vicomtech, Jorge Posada, spoke of 'Computer Vision and Augmented Reality: Examples of IA application in Industry'; and the director of Technological Architecture and Digital Transformation of Repsol, Enrique Fernández Puertas, has focused on the 'Poliolefinas Analytical Optimization'.

Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence: challenges, opportunities, ethics and transparency

Enrique Legarda, director at Deloitte, within the scope of IT Advisory, has moderated the debate table 'Ethics, talent and values ​​necessary for the transformation of organizations', with the participation of the Director of Marketing of Esri Spain, Pedro Torres, who has presented 'GeoSpatial Cloud: Practical applications of AI with geographic data'; the expert in Analytics and Partner of Deloitte, Macarena Estévez, who has talked about 'Improving the quality of life and longevity'; and the manager (FB AI Applied Research), of Facebook, Darío García, who has focused on 'Best practices on Ethics, AI and Privacy'.

The president of the Commission of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data of AMETIC and managing director of Accenture, Pedro Pérez, and Francisco Hortigüela, general director of AMETIC, have closed the event, thanking all the participants for their presence and support on this day.



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OnGranada brings together companies and knowledge centers for the establishment of the Commission of Science Industries


The Industry of Science is incorporated as one of the priorities of the OnGranada Tech City cluster. Strengthening a sector dedicated to the conception, design, construction and maintenance of scientific facilities and instruments is essential to ensure the advancement of the ICT and BioTIC business fabric, as well as to turn innovation into one of the economic pillars of Andalusia. The first step that the regional cluster has taken has been the creation of a new Work Commission focused on the Science Industry, which It already counts with the participation of key companies in the sector and with important entities such as Ineustar (the Spanish Association of Science Industry), the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia or the Medina Foundation.

The new Science Industries Commission – which joins the working groups of Labor Relations, Entrepreneurship, eHealth, Marketing and Communication, Cybersecurity, Smart City and Blockchain – will be chaired by Rafael Rodríguez Gómez, technical director of the company from Granada Seven Solutions, a reference for the sector.

The first mission of the Science Industries Commission will be the realization of a mapping or catalog that identifies both companies that develop their work in this field, especially those related to nuclear fusion, high-energy physics, physics. particles, astrophysics or health, as well as public or private entities that have an impact on the sector. The working group will also study the capabilities of these companies with the ultimate goal of identifying collaborative projects linked to large national and international scientific facilities.

In addition to relevant companies in the sector such as Seven Solutions, Tecnalia Research and Innovation or Xtrem Biotech, representatives of Ineustar, of the Idea Agency, of the association Abytes, of the Diputación de Granada, the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, the Medina Foundation and the University of Granada.



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CASER celebrates a day in CEA to promote business cybersecurity in the face of Technology 4.0


CASER held today in the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Andalusia a day on the threats in the digital world, cyber threats to companies and how to address the management of these risks, in order to generate greater confidence in business activity to deal with situations criticism in the future and boost cybersecurity in the context of Technology 4.0.

The day has counted in his opening with the participation of the President of CEA, Javier González de Lara; the Secretary General of Andalusian business organization, Luis Fernández-Palacios, and the Territorial Director in Andalusia of CASER, José Manuel García-Olmo.

In his speech González de Lara said that cybersecurity has become "an indispensable tool for companies, whose cost is a very profitable investment in the face of the damages that can be caused by attacks by hackers that have little to do with the of a few years ago and that, unambiguously, today they are identified even with great states and the warlike conflicts of today ".

In this regard the President of CEA explained that "our way of communicating, relating, working and buying has been transformed with the digitalization and application of Technology 4.0, to change our habits and behaviors." So no process today is conceived without intensive use of technologies whose evolution is dizzying: "virtual reality or artificial intelligence are present in our lives to extremes hardly imaginable a few years ago."

Finally, the President of CEA highlighted the need to act to "facilitate the establishment of the necessary technical, legal and organizational conditions so that society can take advantage of the digital reality and be properly prepared for its negative effects".

For companies to be more prepared for these dangers, those attending the conference have had the opportunity to know the necessary tools to ensure their safety, with the intervention of two specialists in the field: Manuel Huerta de la Morena, Cybersecurity expert and managing partner of LazaRus



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Spain aims to be a reference in Europe in terms of cybersecurity


AMETIC, the employer of the digital industry in Spain, has organized an informative day on the new European regulation "Cybersecurity Act", which from June will regulate the implementation of a common European framework for the certification of ICT products and services " cybersecurity ", which promote cybersecurity of online services and consumer devices.

This European regulation not only seeks to increase the confidence of users in relation to the use of connected devices, but also to strengthen the European cybersecurity industry and the European Single Market, positioning it as a reference worldwide, in line with other markets such as the United States or China. The European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), which through this regulation will be named as the new European Agency for Cybersecurity, will coordinate and harmonize policies at European level, and will support Member States in the implementation of national plans and strategies in the fight against threats and cybersecurity attacks.

Antonio Cimorra, Director of Information Technologies and Digital Agenda of AMETIC, has highlighted during the opening of the day the advances that the digital transformation has introduced in society, as well as the importance of ensuring cybersecurity. He also commented on the measures that, from AMETIC, and particularly from the Cybersecurity Commission where important suppliers of this technology meet, are being developed in this field. Cimorra also highlighted the association's support for the new European initiative.

Later, Ignacio Pina, Technical Director of the National Accreditation Entity (ENAC), explained that, "although the regulation will not be mandatory at the beginning, as far as certification is concerned, the market itself is likely to regulate the need or not of it". Pina added that "certification in itself does not generate security, but rather seeks to build trust among consumers". In this regard, he commented that "the transition between current national certification schemes in force and the new common European framework will be gradual". On the other hand, he stressed that "the role of the industry in defining the certification schemes that derive from this regulation, is essential for them to be aligned with market needs."

Implications of "Cybersecurity Act"

Next, the round table has taken place How does the Cybersecurity Act impact on companies in the digital sector? moderated by David González, president of the Cybersecurity Commission of AMETIC and Head of Sales Europe and North Africa of G & D. The participants, Mariano J. Benito, CISO de GMV; Jesús Mª Alonso, Head of Consulting Spain of ATOS; Ainhoa ​​Inza, CEO of TCAB, and Miguel Bañón, CEO of EPOCHE & ESPRI, where they discussed the implications of the regulation for the activity of companies in the digital sector, and the following steps to address this new scenario.

In general, the participants commented that it is a very positive initiative since, despite being a voluntary regulation for the time being, it is expected that its impact on the market will increase the number of certified secure ICT products in an important way. They also highlighted that, for Spain, it is an opportunity for consolidation at the European level in terms of cybersecurity, taking advantage of the fact that the Spanish certification ecosystem is among the best valued in Europe.

On the other hand, it has been highlighted that, since there is no sanctioning framework within the regulation, it is important for companies to detect the benefit of certification, such as the impact on the consumer in terms of trust. They have also commented that the objective of this initiative is that consumers "get used" to verify that those ICT products or services that they buy or consume, carry the seal of safety certification.

Finally, the presence of the expert representative of the National Cryptological Center (CCN), an entity that currently coordinates the work of certification in cybersecurity at the national level. CCN has coincided in the great opportunity that "Cybersecurity Act" supposes for the European and Spanish cybersecurity industry when it comes to positioning Europe in line with other markets.



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CEOE, CEIB, CEAJE and ANDI del Futuro participate in the Spain-Colombia Encounter on Youth and Entrepreneurship


The permanent secretary of CEIB and general director of CEOE International, Narciso Casado; the vice president of the Spanish Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs (CEAJE), Antonio Magraner; the representative of the Ibero-American Federation of Young Entrepreneurs (FIJE), Víctor Ábalos; the president of ANDI del Futuro, Juan Duarte; and the ambassador of Spain in Colombia, Pablo Gómez de Olea, participated yesterday at the Spain-Colombia Business Meeting: "Youth and Entrepreneurship: a commitment to Development". The permanent secretary of CEIB also participated in the presentation of the Latin Impact Summit 2019 on ODS and the 2030 Agenda for Ibero-America, which will be held in December this year at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Bogotá is the first stop of the roadshow that Casado carries out these days in Colombia, El Salvador and Chile until June 6.

Business Meeting

The Spain-Colombia Business Encounter focused on the importance of youth entrepreneurship as the axis of development and as an instrument of social inclusion and intergenerational cohesion. The event served to visualize the experience of social, economic and cultural undertakings of the young people of the Spanish companies attending and spoke of various business issues that can offer a new perspective to entrepreneurs, political leaders and experts participating in the event.

During his speech, the permanent secretary of CEIB, Narciso Casado, stressed that the Council of Ibero-American Entrepreneurs was born in 2015 and emerged as an initiative supported by the OIE, in order to highlight the competitive factors common to entrepreneurs. Ibero-American countries and contribute to the better economic and social development of the countries of the region. Casado emphasized that, through entrepreneurship, the exchange of knowledge and business opportunities, Latin American economies can be developed in a more sustainable way, improving the quality of life.

The director of CEOE International pointed out that young entrepreneurs, through youth entrepreneurship, are the central axis of economic development, contributing to the generation of employment, and promoting a better economic distribution. He also stressed the strategic relevance of the youth entrepreneurship sector from the social point of view, as it constitutes a bridge of ideal access to the labor market and social inclusion of young people, as well as an important element in the development of social and sustainable enterprises. .

Casado highlighted on behalf of CEIB, CEOE and CEAJE, with the aim of improving the current legislative framework and the so-called entrepreneur ecosystem, various initiatives to defend the main demands of young entrepreneurs before public actors. In this sense, he spoke of the need to reduce bureaucratic obstacles and tax pressure; improve access to financing; integrate in the tax system a deduction for investment in capital of newly created business projects; simplify the contracting systems, by means of a rationalization in the system of bonuses and reductions in contracts; and reinforce the entrepreneurial culture. "The culture of entrepreneurship, of creating companies and being entrepreneurs is not fully integrated into our societies. Ibero-America has to change its discourse, its message and open spaces to new approaches, new ideas and decisively support the culture of entrepreneurship, "he said.

Retention of talent

The permanent secretary of CEIB stressed that it is essential to train and educate our young people, instilling values ​​and business vocation in the early stages of learning, losing the fear of failure. In this regard, Casado indicated that another important chapter is digital entrepreneurship using education, innovation and specific fiscal policies. To improve these issues, he said, one must address and correct one of the main problems of the Ibero-American region: the retention of talent, since 40% of young people want to emigrate to other countries.

Therefore, "this implies the implementation of business training programs, which should be accompanied by measures with policies of acceptance and retention of talent by governments," explained Casado. No less important, he added, is that one of the most important links should be business organizations, with criteria such as unity, responsibility and representativeness. In fact, he indicated that from the business organizations work closely with young entrepreneurs through their representative organizations, in the case of Spain, the Ajes.

Commission for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship

Among the specific policies of support for youth entrepreneurship carried out by CEOE, Casado highlighted the creation of the Commission for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship, whose action is based on highlighting and highlighting the role of business as a driver of economic growth and progress sustained social It also aims to promote respect and knowledge among companies and business values ​​among young people; strengthen communication channels with public administrations; and contribute to the better knowledge and understanding of intrapreneurship, fostering innovation and creativity within companies.

Casado also mentioned the close collaboration that CEOE has with CEAJE and the boost that has been given to all associative initiatives at the international level, in the case of Europe and Latin America, through CEIB and participation in Ibero-American summits; and in Asia and the MENA-OECD countries, through the working group "OECD-MENA Business Advisory Board".

Finally, the CEOE of CEOE International made CEIB's support available to attendees, through the exchange of information on the business ecosystems available to them and the active and direct participation in the business spaces of Ibero-American summits. Heads of State and Government. He also mentioned the upcoming celebration of the Ibero-American Forum of the Mipyme, which will be held on the 2nd and 3rd of July in Buenos Aires.

Latino Impact Summit 2019

Narciso Casado and Antonio Magraner also participated in the presentation of the Latin Impact Alliance, an event that will be held on December 3 at the UN headquarters in New York. The Latino Impact Summit is one of the few events in Spanish held at the United Nations, bringing together leaders from all sectors to propose solutions for the region. Its main objective will be to discuss the challenges and opportunities of economic growth in Latin America.

During the Summit, the invited leaders will meet at work tables to promote projects in the region and will participate in discussion panels, where they will address issues of education, tourism, gender equity and entrepreneurship. Each year the Summit selects a country to highlight its impact actions promoting the sustainable development and growth of the region. The country selected for 2019 will be Colombia.

El Salvador and Chile

After the events held in Colombia, the director of CEOE International travels to El Salvador, along with a delegation of representatives of the construction sector, headed by the president of CNC (National Confederation of Construction), Juan Lazcano. In the Salvadoran capital, he will hold meetings with representatives of official institutions and business organizations and will attend on Saturday, September 1, the solemn session of inauguration of the President-elect of the Republic, Nayib Bukele.

On June 4 and 5, Casado will participate in Santiago de Chile in the "International Meeting: the participation of the private sector in international cooperation for development", in which the Ibero-American General Secretary, Rebeca Grynspan, will also speak. During his visit to Chile, the permanent secretary of CEIB will also hold a meeting with representatives of the Confederation of Production and Commerce (CPC).



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The chemical sector is positioned as one of the safest in the industry as a whole in the delivery of its 2018 Safety Awards

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Today has taken place the ceremony of delivery of FEIQUE 2018 Safety Awards in Madrid, with which the Business Federation of the Spanish Chemical Industry (Feique) has recognized, for the seventh consecutive year, the results obtained by the companies in the sector to work accidents during the past year.

The person in charge of delivering the awards was Javier Pinilla, director of the National Institute of Safety and Health at Work (INSST), along with the general director of Feique, Juan Antonio Labat.

For his part, Carmelo Urieta, president of the Feique Security Commission, presented during the event the Occupational Accident Report of the Chemical Sector 2018, which includes the classification of accidents with sick leave that took place last year. in companies, as well as the statistical indexes of the companies associated with Feique in the field of Occupational Health and Safety. The data collected in the report shows that the chemical industry, and particularly the companies that are part of Feique, are notably safer than other productive sectors.

Comparing the data of the chemical sector with the rest of economic activities, according to the State Observatory of Work Conditions (INSST), in 2018 the Accident Incidence Index of the chemical sector, which represents the number of accidents occurred for every thousand people exposed, in 2018 it was almost eight times less than that registered by the industry as a whole, and even three times lower than that experienced by the Services sector, which means that in the companies of Feique there is an accident for every 230,000 hours worked.

Thus, the Report reflects the very high levels of security with which the companies in the sector affiliated with Feique operate, which, for the most part, apply the international Responsible Care program for the continuous improvement of Safety, environmental protection and Corporate Social Responsibility.

With the data of the report, companies can prepare their accident prevention plans, taking into account the factors that can determine a potential incident and implement improvements for the different jobs, demonstrating the firm commitment of the companies of the Chemical Industry with Prevention of occupational hazards. The objective of the companies is to reach the quota of "zero accidents", a priority area of ​​their business policy, which makes the chemical one of the safest sectors in Spain, according to official figures.

AWARDED

SPECIAL SECURITY FEIQUE 2018 Award to those companies of the chemical industry of more than 300 own workers who during the year have obtained a "zero" Frequency Index, that is to say, there have been no accidents with sick leave.
• ARCHROMA IBÉRICA
• CEPSA QUÍMICA
• CLARIANT
• DOW IBÉRICA
• SOLVAY
SAFETY PLUS FEIQUE 2018 Award to those production centers of the chemical industry of more than 300 own workers who during the year have obtained a "zero" Frequency Index, that is to say, no accidents have been registered with loss.
• HENKEL IBÉRICA
• REPSOL QUÍMICA – C.I. Tarragona
SAFETY FEIQUE 2018 Award to those companies or production centers of the chemical industry of more than 50 own workers that during the year have obtained a "zero" General Frequency Index, that is to say, no accidents have been registered with loss and without loss.
• ARCHROMA IBÉRICA – Castellbisbal
• CHEMICAL ARKEMA
• BASF CONSTRUCTION CHEMICAL SPAIN – Mejorada del Campo
• BIRLA CARBON SPAIN
• CARBUROS METÁLICOS – Tarragona
• COVESTRO- Factory Barcelona
• DOW IBÉRICA
• ERCROS – Aranjuez
• ERCROS – Cerdanyola
• ERCROS – Flix
• EVONIK SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
• EVONIK SILQUIMICA
• JUSTESA IMAGEN
• KEM ONE HERNANI
• MAXAM EUROPE
• MESSER IBERIAN GASES
• OXIMESA, DIVISIÓN HOMECARE GRUPO NIPPON GASES
• REPSOL QUÍMICA – C.I. Tarragona
• SOLVAY
• THOR SPECIALTIES



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Spain has a 42.2% young population with higher education in 2018

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That is why the European Union decided to set educational goals to be achieved in the year 2020. One of them was to ensure that at least 40% of the population between 30 and 34 years of age had an education equivalent to tertiary education. According to the data that Eurostat has just published for 2018, the EU-28 has already managed to surpass the 40% target by reaching an average of 40.7% last year.

The two most advanced countries – both above 57% – are Lithuania and Cyprus, followed at a short distance by Ireland and Luxembourg. Sweden registers 52%, while the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom are around 49%. France reaches 46.2%, Greece 44.3% and Finland 44.2%.

In Spain, the young population with tertiary education continues to increase year after year. In 2018 we have reached 42.4% and everything seems to indicate that our country could reach 44% in 2020, which is the objective set for Spain by the EU.

Below the average are, among others, Germany, Portugal and Italy. Next to them are six countries of recent accession, closing the Romania classification with 24.6%.



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World Competitiveness Ranking 2019: Spain improves business competitiveness

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The edition of the "World Competitiveness Ranking" of 2019 places Spain in the 36th position of a total of 63 economies according to its competitiveness. This relative position positions us below half of the ranking of the countries analyzed and requires that our economic policy takes as a priority the improvement of competitiveness.

The report highlights that business efficiency is the aspect that is improving the competitiveness of the Spanish economy in the last year. On the contrary, efficiency in the public sector is the indicator that has deteriorated the most in this year, according to this ranking.

From a structural and long-term perspective, the most negative considerations about Spain in the report refer to the labor market, which places it in 47 out of 63 countries, and to fiscal policy, ranked 45 out of 63 countries.

On the contrary, the most attractive factors of the Spanish economy are the availability of reliable infrastructures and the high level of training of skilled labor. The current dynamism of the economy and the open and positive attitudes of citizens are also considered favorable.

The results of this report highlight some of the main structural weaknesses of the Spanish economy that affect its competitiveness and limit its growth in the medium and long term. The report is very useful to identify the main challenges for the competitiveness of the Spanish economy and to undertake pending structural reforms.



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Francisco Vidal, Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2019

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Francisco Vidal, president of Grupo Autovidal, has been elected winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2019, an award granted by the Confederation of Business Associations of the Balearic Islands (CAEB). "This award is a distinction to business excellence and recognition of the figure of the entrepreneur and the performance of their work at the service of society," Carmen Planas, president of CAEB, has stood out.

The president of the Autovidal Group will receive the award during the Entrepreneur Gala, an event that will be held on June 14 at Castell de Bellver, before more than 500 guests and in the presence of the first authorities and prominent representatives of the Balearic society.

The event, which is sponsored by Bankia, has already confirmed the presence of the president of the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CEPYME), which CAEB represents in the Balearic Islands, as well as prominent representatives of the Spanish Confederation of Organizations Businesses (CEOE), and the employers of Catalonia, Comunitat Valenciana, Murcia and A Coruña, among others. The president of the Spanish Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs (CEAJE) will also attend.

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award, recognizes business excellence, Considering mainly its valuation criteria, its business activity and trajectory, personal and patrimonial involvement, differentiation and positioning in the market, internationalization, creation of employment, growth potential and ethical and responsible management.

This is the fourth edition of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which, in previous editions, went to Antonio Fontanet, president of the Fontanet Group (2016); Rafael Moyá, president of Moyá Saus (2017), and Gabriel Sampol, president of Grupo Sampol (2018).

Francisco Vidal, president of the Autovidal Group

Francisco Vidal Oliver was born on July 12, 1947 in Palma. He studied at the Montesión de Palma school and after finishing high school he began his career in the automotive sector first in Paris, in a Peugeot workshop, and later in London, in a Volkswagen workshop. At the age of 21, he joined as a workshop manager at Garaje Vidal, a business founded by his grandfather Francisco Vidal Roca, and which at that time was already managed by his father Andrés Vidal Marroig. From that moment, Francisco Vidal was permanently linked to the automotive sector, reaching commercial management in 1971.

Throughout these years, Autovidal has experienced strong growth and is currently the official dealer of the brands Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Mitsubishi, Kia, Honda and since 2014 of the FCA group, made up of the Fiat, Jeep, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, professional Fiat, Lancia, Dodge, Chrysler, Maserati, Volvo and Maxus, which was the last brand incorporated into the Group in 2019, thus strengthening over the years and placing Autovidal as one of the leading and reference groups within the Balearic automotive market.

Francisco Vidal has been responsible for the consolidation and expansion of Grupo Autovidal and the generational relief process that led this company, founded in 1921, to project its future with the management of the fourth generation of the family and the incorporation of the fifth.

In the field of business association, Francisco Vidal has been president of the Association of Dealers, president of the Business Association of Automotive Distributors of the Balearic Islands (Aseda) and from the first moments was actively linked to the Board of the Association of Industrial of Mallorca (Asima).



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VIII Business Forum on Innovation and Sustainability

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The president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi; the undersecretary of the United Nations and executive director of UNITAR, Nikhil Seth; the Ibero-American General Secretary, Rebeca Grynspan; the Secretary of State for Commerce, Xiana Méndez; and the president of the Board of Directors of the Regional Center of the Private Sector in support of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, Felipe Molina, today opened the 8th Business Forum on Innovation and Sustainability, held at the CEOE headquarters. They analyzed both elements within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, as a dialogue platform for decision-making, mainly in the Ibero-American region and, in the case of Spain, as partners in a sustainable Europe on the 2030 horizon.

The Forum was divided into two panels: "The 2030 Agenda as a tool for innovation and business decision-making" and "Sustainable Innovation: The great challenge for Ibero-American companies", during which the Presidents and CEOs and important Spanish companies and Ibero-Americans, economists and presidents of financial institutions analyzed sustainability and innovation, as key factors to make the 2030 Agenda, not a challenge, but a business opportunity. In addition, a dialogue was held on the rule of law and security for investment, which involved the member of the European Parliament, José Ignacio Salafranca and the president of the Ibero-American Business Foundation (FIE), Josep Piqué, and who moderated the advisory Governance in UNDP, Maria Eugenia Boza.

Private sector

The president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, stressed that both business organizations and companies play a crucial role in an increasingly competitive environment, in which societies must be sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms. He also pointed out that the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs are "our guide in this path and a transversal reference in the incorporation of these in the business strategy of the companies and in new models of corporate governance". We must accept sustainability as an opportunity, he said, and therefore, we must innovate in new business models.

Garamendi explained that to contribute to the SDGs, it must be thought that innovation is not only technological but also social and that it must be inclusive and generate global sustainable growth. In this regard, he stressed that it is crucial that value chains are sustainable and, therefore, an indisputable factor in this area, he added, are public-private partnerships so that the projects of companies can be successfully developed. He also stressed that innovation will be key in the new budgetary period of the EU and the SDGs will be aligned transversally in this context.

The President of the Board of Directors of the Regional Private Sector Center in support of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, Felipe Molina, emphasized that the Regional Center recognizes the importance of the private sector in the contribution of the 2030 Agenda, serving as platform that links strategic actors in a permanent dialogue.

Molina recommended several key elements to achieve the SDGs, which consist of turning efforts into programs that generate value and are aligned with the business strategy and purpose; work in the generation of trust with the communities and local authorities where it operates, from a healthy business perspective and recognizing the role and responsibility of each stakeholder; and develop corporate governance structures, capable of adapting and prospectively analyzing global trends, in such a way that entrepreneurs can interact in new economic, social and market contexts.

Sustainability and innovation

The Secretary of State for Commerce, Xiana Méndez, stressed that sustainability must be considered as a competitiveness tool, applicable in any field, from those normally considered as traditional – agri-food, textiles and clothing – to sectors of a technical or technological nature directly linked to The sustainability.

As for innovation, "from the State Secretariat of Commerce we are focused on promoting the innovation-internationalization binomial, by supporting sectors of high technological and scientific content," he said.

Secretary General Iberoamericana, Rebeca Grynspan, highlighted the commitment of the Ibero-American company with the 2030 Agenda. In fact, she mentioned the future celebration of the Ibero-American Summit in Andorra at the end of 2020, which has as its theme "Innovation for development sustainable". In this regard, he said that the Ibero-American community really took on the commitment to sustainable development at the last summit held in Guatemala in November 2018, attended by more than 500 businessmen.

Grynspan stressed that the 2030 Agenda recognizes the private sector as the co-responsible for sustainable development, since it depends largely on the well-being of companies. The Ibero-American General Secretary considered that greater social inclusion is required in the workplace and stressed that "to produce sustainably, we must produce better", which implies greater innovation and sustainability. He spoke of universalizing access to basic services, such as water, infrastructure, mobility or digital connectivity; promote a more inclusive and quality education; encourage more transparent institutions; and promote public-private partnerships.

Implementation Agenda 2030

Undersecretary of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNITAR, Nikhil Seth, reported that although there has been improvement in some areas related to the SDGs and are being incorporated into the national policies of many countries, there is still a long way to go. Seth explained that more attention must be paid to the most vulnerable people, spending more intelligently, strengthening institutions, creating stronger local administrations, and better developing scientific technology and innovation, focusing on digitization.

In addition, the Undersecretary of the United Nations explained that companies are part of the 2030 Agenda and have a strong impact on society. "They are vital for social inclusion and to promote education, to develop new technologies that reduce gas and waste emissions and to provide financing, among other factors," he said. In this regard, he assured that business leaders influence great actions and change mentalities, so the time has come to work together to achieve the implementation of the SDGs worldwide.

I Dialogue of Presidents

Prior to the Innovation Forum held today in the CEOE, UN Undersecretary and Executive Director of UNITAR, Nikhil Seth; the president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, and the general secretary Iberoamericana, Rebeca Grynspan, inaugurated yesterday the Dialogue of Presidents in the headquarters of SEGIB, to deal with issues such as Corporate Governance, sustainability and global corporate contribution, the 2030 Agenda as an opportunity of positioning for companies and "Leadership in day to day. Game Strategy ". The permanent secretary of CEIB, Narciso Casado, also participated in the conference; the executive director of the Regional Private Sector Center in support of the United Nations SDGs (CR / SP); Diana Chávez, the head of Economy and Business of SEGIB, Pablo Adrián Hardy, and a small number of presidents of companies with operations in Ibero-America.

The Dialogue of Presidents is a space created by the Regional Center to facilitate a platform of interaction between position holders and presidents of companies with operations in Latin America to share experiences and address global trends that impact the private sector, with special attention to innovation and sustainability.



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