The Minister of Economy and Finance, Carlos Fernández Carriedo, assured this afternoon in Valladolid that the greatest strength of the automotive sector in Castile and León is its ability to adapt to changes.
Fernández Carriedo, who made these statements before attending the gala ceremony of the 1st Automotive and Mobility Awards of the Automotive and Mobility Cluster of Castilla y León (Facyl), highlighted the importance of these awards in a leading community in the sector. the nationwide automotive industry, on which 35,000 jobs depend.
In addition, the consultant also emphasized that the community has the most important group of auxiliary companies in the sector, which includes a total of 150 companies, as well as technology centers, but emphasized that “if something has distinguished us and made us great, it was “the adaptation to Changes and challenges.”
In this sense, he explained that the challenge that now arises is that of sustainable mobility and he expressed his conviction that the Community sector will once again face a challenge that involves, in addition to structural changes, addressing current problems such as: There is a lack of components or rising energy prices.
For his part, the president of Facyl, Félix Cano, highlighted the leadership role of the cluster and the community in the automotive sector, recalling that between 20 and 25 percent of all vehicles produced come from the factories in Castilla y León. They are made in Spain. In addition, he also highlighted the strength of the auxiliary companies, which supply 75 percent of the materials and components used in the community’s factories.
In the mobility category, the prize went to “NightSight Assit”, led by Grupo Antolin and the University of Valladolid. This involves developing a lighting system that is able to optimize the diameter of the driver’s pupil and thus prevent the negative effects of poor lighting conditions.
The Mapfre research and development center in Ávila (Cesvimap), in turn, won the award in the sustainability category for “Second Life”, a project that consists of offering a second life cycle to electric vehicle components and their materials, while Iveco won the award for digital transformation was awarded for its mechanism that replaces human inspection as the main tool for aesthetic and functional quality control of artificial vision vehicles.
In addition, The E-Miles Company won the award in the Start-up category for its solutions to the needs arising from the establishment of zero-emission zones in urban centers. The company has developed a 100% electric vehicle that is small and adaptable to transport and parcel companies.
Career path
In addition to these awards, the Professional Career Award was also presented, which went to the President of Ingotes Especiales, Vicente Garrido Capa, for his career as a professional and entrepreneur. The jury recognized his example as a reference, commitment, perseverance and commitment to a field that has always been part of his life project and that of his family.
In addition, the International Reference Award went to the President of Iveco Spain, Ángel Rodríguez Lagunilla, in recognition of his professional career at international level in his company, as well as maintaining the company’s connection with Castilla y León and Valladolid.