Innovation and knowledge, crucial for competitiveness and growth

On 13 May GMV’s President Mónica Martínez took part in the specialist forum "Foro España Innova” (Spanish Innovation Forum), a breakfast seminar organized by Nueva Economía Fórum. The platforms of Nueva Economía Fórum, Spain’s leading debating organization, feature well-known figures from the worlds of politics, economics, business, society and journalism.

Its forums bring together heads of state and government, representatives from European institutions, social agents, key economic stakeholders, opinion formers, civil society figures and the media.

Mónica Martínez was presented by Reinhard Silberberg, Ambassador of the German Federal Republic in Spain, who hailed Mónica Martínez’s scientific career and also her role at the helm of GMV. He stressed GMV’s track record of ongoing growth and ceaseless innovation and diversification, “making it one of Spain’s top technology firms and an international leader in many fields of activity.”

During her speech Mónica called for the creation of “social awareness of the importance of research for any country’s competitiveness and sustainable growth.” Europe’s future, she argued, “depends on the proper harnessing of technological advantages and the maintenance and promotion of our budding talent as well as the career development of our highly skilled and motivated professionals”. She also claimed that “the race to become competitive in this world is a race for innovation and knowledge.”

Developing this idea, Mónica spelled out the need of “forging closer links between the worlds of science and business, encouraging communication and interaction to bring out areas of interest to both.” Identification of these areas “will help to develop cutting-edge projects with short- and medium-term applications while also spurring research and therefore improving our pool of knowledge.”

By 2012, she pointed out, “Spain’s aerospace industry was already formed by over 20 firms employing 3300 people and turning over more than 730 million euros.”

In her speech Mónica also ran through GMV’s most groundbreaking space projects, which have made it world number one in the development of ground control systems for satellite operators, plus other projects currently underway in the transport, telemedicine or cybersecurity sectors.

To wind up, Mónica called for greater coordination between the various government authorities and levels. “During the upcoming Ministerial Conference at the end of this year,” she concluded, “Spain has an unmissable chance to reclaim its rightful place in the great human adventure that is space exploration, a place more in keeping with Spain’s importance within the European Union and more in keeping too with the great potential of Spain’s space-science and -technology.”