The Industry 4.0 Congress with Argentina as guest country
On 7 and 8 November, the 5th National Industry 4.0 Congress took place in Valencia with Argentina as the guest country. The congress had 7 parallel rooms, as a space to exchange experiences, challenges and solutions for the transformation of the industry.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, opened the Congress, and held a debate on comparative public policies between Spain and Argentina together with José Ignacio de Mendiguren, Secretary General of Industry and Productive Development of Argentina.
“Without industry there is no nation”, said Mendiguren in one of his speeches. Industry is growing in Argentina, and facilitating the way out of the crisis, although it presents challenges that need to be addressed from a forward-looking perspective. He pointed out that “it is impossible to look to the past for the solution to future problems”. “Argentina and Spain can face this new world together” and “that is what we want to do with you in this new stage of Industry 4.0”.
Along the same lines, the minister pointed out that “industry is one of the sectors that generates the greatest resilience” and stressed the importance of collaboration between public and private agents to overcome challenges and reinvent themselves thanks to technology. She also explained the importance of industrial policy as a key factor in facilitating this transformation.
Lastly, she stressed that in the second half of 2023 Spain will hold the presidency of the European Commission, an opportunity to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, which Mendiguren validated: “Spain is a bridge between the European Union and Latin America”.
The telecoms sector as a trusted partner for industry transformation
In a context of challenges, volatility and profound changes, digitalisation has arrived, “there is no other way to transform“, said Emilio Gayo, President of Telefónica de España. He participated in a CEOs roundtable to promote the digitisation of industry with Accenture, AENOR, NIPPON GASES, Siemens, in a panel moderated by Raül Blanco, Secretary General for Industry and SMEs.
And for this digital transformation he sets out the essential elements: “Infrastructures are the basis and the good news is that Spain has them (4G, 5G, fibre),” said Gayo. Secondly, the enabling technologies: “There are many and the key is selection”. It is about combinations of technologies: the Cloud must be accompanied by connectivity or IOT by Artificial Intelligence or Big Data to get the best out of it. It is necessary to evaluate the problem to be solved in terms of costs, flexibility, to find the best solutions. Thirdly, cybersecurity must be inseparable from digitalisation. To this, training in technology and digital skills is to be added. All these elements formed part of Telefónica’s participation in different roundtables throughout the congress.
The telecommunications sector is a reliable and essential partner for the digital transformation of industry. The sector provides connectivity and also the best technological solutions to drive the digital and green transition; builds strong industrial ecosystems; helps industries seize the industrial data opportunity; and promotes innovation and co-development of cutting-edge technology sectors.
