The Board of Directors of the Spanish Association of Automotive Suppliers, SERNAUTO, has unanimously re-elected María Helena Antolin as president of the Association.
The vice president of Grupo Antolin will continue in office for the next two years, which will will allow continuity to the strategic plan undertaken since it took possession in 2016. "I thank my colleagues for their confidence to continue for two more years at the helm of the Association, valuing the automotive suppliers sector, both inside and outside our borders," he says.
The Board of Directors has valued the momentum and visibility to which Maria Helena Antolin has contributed in recent years, a person with excellent professional experience, important industrial background and international recognition.
For the president of SERNAUTO, "it is an honor to continue promoting the competitiveness of automotive suppliers, a sector that in these years has reached record turnover and export figures, and that both quality employment generates".
In addition, “given the important challenges that lie ahead, the role of Associations such as SERNAUTO is key both to work with the Public Administrations and for the generation of shared spaces for the identification of opportunities and the generation of synergies between companies and entities around type".
“I am proud to have been able to contribute in recent years to the evolution of the Association and to the construction of a path of close relations with all our stakeholders, in line with our mission to represent the interests of the Spanish automotive equipment and components industry , through dialogue with companies in the sector, Public Administrations at national and European level, related institutions and society in general ”. All this has been possible "thanks to the support of an active and committed Board of Directors and a professional management team with high involvement."
This new stage, explained María Helena Antolin, “We will focus all our efforts on boosting the competitiveness of our companies to be able to face the challenges facing the sector with guarantees. Globalization, digitalization of industry, electrification, connectivity or automation of vehicles they are some of the most relevant, which are marking our present and also future ”.
“We must be able to maintain the leadership we have achieved as a country through the joint work between the Administration and the sector, with specific objectives and measures that facilitate the technological and industrial transition of our companies, their technological differentiation and the positioning of the sector in the global market ”.
At the meeting, the Board of Directors of SERNAUTO has also ratified as Vice Presidents Eduardo González (CONTINENTAL), Mercedes Pujol (FICOSA) and Miguel López-Quesada (GESTAMP).
Brief professional review of the president
Degree in International Business & Business Administration at Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida (United States) and Master in Business Administration from Anglia University, Cambridge (United Kingdom) and from the Polytechnic School of Valencia (Spain).
As for her professional experience within Grupo Antolin, she has developed various works related to quality, strategy and excellence, in France, Germany and Italy and is currently Vice President and Director of Marketing, Communication and Institutional Relations of the company .
He also served as manager of the Grupo Antolin – IPV company in Valencia (Spain) and has been Director of Human Resources Development, Strategy Director and Corporate Industrial Director of Grupo Antolin.
In addition, she has held other positions as an independent external director of Iberdrola Renovables and a member of the Iberdrola Corporate Responsibility Committee.
She is currently a director of Iberdrola and president of its Appointments Committee; Minister of Foreign Trade of France section Spain (CCE); as well as a member of the Executive Committee of CEOE.
Meeting ‘Suppliers in motion. Future vision"
On December 13 the Meeting Encue Suppliers in motion took place. Vision of the future ”, organized by SERNAUTO, within the framework of the Climate Summit (COP25) in Madrid.
In the event, held in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, a clear demonstration was given of the contribution of automotive suppliers to more sustainable mobility and the levers that must be activated to successfully address the climatic emergency and the transformation process in which we are immersed.
The Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, closed the meeting, highlighting and thanking the sector's commitment to innovation and sustainability: "You are moving suppliers", with an important commitment to innovation, "more than 1,500 million euros in R & D & I, one of the largest private investors in Spain ”. As he stated, “a good part of this technological innovation has a great impact, not only on passenger safety, but also on a significant reduction in energy costs and energy efficiency. Your contribution to sustainable and intelligent mobility is strategic for the Spanish and European economy. ”
The minister also referred to the role of our country in the manufacture of batteries: “We are European industry and the advances of the mobility of the future will come from the collaboration with our European partners in projects such as the European Battery Alliance where Spain has to have a leading role, because we have the relevant actors in the entire value chain of the automobile industry and, especially, of the component sector ”.
This was highlighted by the general director of SERNAUTO, José Portilla: “We contribute 75% of the value of the vehicle, hence the contribution of the sector to the decarbonization of transport through the development of solutions to make vehicles more efficient, less polluting, safe and connected ”. He took the opportunity to request the support of the Administration to maintain the capacities and competences of this industry and all the quality employment that it generates: it is necessary that “the Ministry of Industry be maintained, that it be reinforced by the incorporation of a Secretary of State of Industry, and get under way within the Automotive Strategic Council, to work together with the administration, social agents and other associations of the sector in those issues that become relevant, such as emissions, support for R & D & I with the creation of a public-private collaboration platform, the increase in tax benefits for innovation in process, talent and training, mobility and a new taxation for the car, more in line with current times, ”he said.
The general secretary of CLEPA (European Association of Automotive Suppliers), Sigrid de Vries, presented the White Paper 'Future as we move', which gives the vision of the sector on the future of transport and industry and urges a joint work between all parties in favor of safer, cleaner, smarter and more accessible mobility, taking advantage of technological leadership in Europe.
“The European automotive supplier industry calls for the establishment of a Digital Single Market for Mobility, to go hand in hand with a European master plan for the industry. Both are essential to achieve the environmental objectives that ‘European Green Deal’ must meet, as well as take advantage of the potential of technology, with the deployment of connected mobility and automated driving. These measures will strengthen European competitiveness, supporting the role of suppliers as an engine of transformation towards sustainable, safe and intelligent mobility, ”concluded Sigrid de Vries.
The meeting also revealed the main conclusions of the report 'The electrification of vehicles: threat or opportunity?', Carried out by SERNAUTO and Roland Berger, which analyzes the situation in Europe and, more specifically in Spain, in regards to electrification, new actors and what we must do to turn it into an opportunity.
As Cristóbal Colón, partner of Roland Berger, explained, there are two fundamental areas of action: to promote the development of the electric vehicle industry through a comprehensive industrial strategic plan and to support the transition of the current combustion engine-based industry favoring adoption of hybrid technologies.
In short, public-private collaboration is essential to emerge reinforced from this situation and maintain the leadership and employment of the Spanish automotive industry.
Next, a round table was held with the presidents of the SERNAUTO Work Commission (Construction Industry, Spare Parts, R&D and Foreign Trade), which discussed the impact that the challenges posed on each of Your areas These were his main conclusions:
- Ricardo Olalla, president of the Construction Industry Commission: the suppliers present in Spain have demonstrated their capacity for innovation and flexibility. If we persist in it and make a strong country project together with the Administrations, this time of change will be a time of opportunity.
- Benito Tesier, chairman of the Parts Commission: We must be consistent with our reality. Environmental protection yes; ecological yes, but maintaining the sustainable reality of our industries, employability and the generation of wealth that has taken so much effort and years to achieve.
- José Esmorís, President of the R + D + I Commission: Investments in the business of the future are based on the profitability of current businesses, hence the importance of making a progressive and orderly transition, based on the principle of technological neutrality.
- Sonia López, President of the Foreign Trade Commission: The lack of homogeneity that exists between countries at the level of demands makes us less competitive in the face of a global market. What is clear is that the Spain Brand is synonymous with commitment to the environment.
The event had the collaboration of IFEMA, whose director of Automotive Salons, David Moneo, presented what will be the next Mobility Car Experience, which will take place in May 2020.