Spain and Portugal commit to collaborate to become a benchmark in sustainable mobility

The Chairman of Repsol, Antonio Brufau, the Portuguese Secretary of State for Urban Mobility, Jorge Delgado, and the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, were in charge of inaugurating the “Iberian Conference on sustainable mobility: challenges and opportunities for the decarbonization of mobility” which took place today in Lisbon.

In this speech, Antonio Brufau deeply reflected on the critical aspects of the energy transition and its impact on the economy and employment in the Iberian Peninsula, in addition to pointing out that “decarbonizing does not only mean electrifying”.

The Portuguese Secretary of State for Urban Mobility, Jorge Delgado, pointed out that "the right to mobility is now, more than ever, a fundamental right. Only then will we have greater territorial cohesion, more social inclusion and greater equal opportunities for all.

The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, pointed out that “the energy transition, with decarbonization at its core, is the greatest challenge of our lives”.

The representatives of the automotive industry in Spain and Portugal have claimed its strategic role for the economy, competitiveness and employment in both countries.

This event explored the relevance of the collaboration between the companies and institutions of Spain and Portugal in order to become an international benchmark in sustainable mobility.

The conference forms part of Open Room, the Repsol Foundation's digital space for promoting rigorous debate on the challenges of the energy transition.

The Repsol Foundation, together with the Portuguese Business Confederation (CIP), Hispano-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce (CHP), and the Portuguese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCILE) promoted the "Iberian Conference on sustainable mobility: challenges and opportunities for the decarbonization of mobility". The Conference was held in Lisbon and analyzed all the keys to moving towards sustainable and smart mobility in Spain and Portugal.

The inauguration of the event featured the participation of the Portuguese Secretary of State for Urban Mobility, Jorge Delgado, the Chairman of Repsol, Antonio Brufau, the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, and the Chairman of the CIP (Portuguese Business Confederation), António Saraiva.

The Chairman of Repsol highlighted the opportunity to drive the transformation of mobility to make it more efficient and more innovative. In other words, using proven, known, and efficient technologies while committing to cutting-edge technology development to improve the services and quality of life of citizens by helping to reduce emissions and optimize their resources.

The Secretary of State pointed out that “mobility has reached a second technological turning point and the need for a disruptive leap in the way we move and transport both people and goods is evident. The mobility of the future will be environmentally friendly, shared, connected, and autonomous".

According to the Mayor of Lisbon, “there are three fundamental challenges: the economic challenge, which must ensure that growth is compatible with emission reduction. Growth must be compatible with the fight against climate change and Europe has already proven that it is possible, since it has grown parallel to its efforts for reducing emissions. The technological one, which through science will have to solve the issue of production costs, and the social one, because people need to be made aware of the need for this change".

The Chairman of the CIP pointed out “the primary role of the viability and safety of the automotive industry in its transformation towards sustainable mobility in the future".

The round table on innovation and digitalization for mobility brought together the President of Lisbon's Municipal Mobility and Parking Company (EMEL), Luis Filipe Marques; the Executive Managin Director for Mobility Planning and Infrastructures of the Madrid City Council, Lola Ortiz; the Secretary-General of the Portuguese National Association of Two Wheel Industries (ABIMOTA), Gil Nadais; the Head of the Intelligent Systems Unit of the University Institute of Automotive Investigation (INSIA) of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Felipe Jiménez; the representative of Alba Innovación (Petronor), Aitor Arzuaga, and the representative of the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC), José Carlos Caldeira.

The speakers agreed on the rigorous work being carried out by the Public Administration, the energy sector, the transportation industry and science to continue advancing in the development of technologies and services for the decarbonization of mobility, primarily through digitalization and energy efficiency and new fuels.

In this block, it became clear that the mobility of the future requires a unique vision, driving technological neutrality and the coordinated action of all agents together with society to achieve the decarbonization objectives in the context of a fair and inclusive energy transition that leaves no one behind.

Subsequently, the President of the Automotive Manufacturers Association (AFIA), José Couto; the Secretary-General of the Portuguese Automobile Association (ACAP), Helder Pedro; the General Manager of the Spanish National Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (ANFAC), José López-Tafall; the Executive Managing Director of the Spanish Association of Automotive Suppliers (SERNAUTO), José Portilla, and the Executive Vice-President of FACONAUTO, Marta Blázquez, participated in the second round table, which focused on the challenges and opportunities of the automotive sector in the decarbonization of transportation in the Iberian Peninsula.

They all highlighted the strength of the automotive industry in Spain and Portugal and the road ahead to become a benchmark in the new mobility of the future: decarbonized, sustainable, digitalized, and autonomous. A process that requires commitment, work and innovation throughout the value chain. The participants highlighted that it is a challenge that is being addressed through technology and that requires promoting legislation that it requires it possible to preserve competitiveness and employment in the automotive sector.

Lastly, the Chairmen of the Hispanoh-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, António Calçada de Sá, and the Annual General Meeting of the Portuguese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Francisco Dezcallar, stressed the relevance of the collaboration between Spain and Portugal to work jointly on new solutions. Solutions that will convert both countries into benchmarks in future mobility. They both stand out for their automotive sector strength and the commitment of their companies and institutions to the energy transition.

The conference forms part of Open Room, the Repsol Foundation's digital space focused on promoting rigorous debate on the keys to the energy transition. The full video of the event will be available free of charge upon registration at openroom.fundacionrepsol.com.