GMV discusses Europe’s role in space at “Wake Up, Spain!” event

The economic forum known as “Wake Up, Spain!” was held in Madrid from April 13th to 17th, organized by the El Español newspaper. This was the 6th edition of the event, which took place this year under the theme of “Growth, cohesion, and uncertainty”. The forum put a spotlight on the current geopolitical context for Europe, with the theme of “Wake Up, Europe!” also incorporated into the event.

The opening address was given by Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and the rest of the program featured five full days of presentations, roundtable discussions, and conversations with Spanish business executives and representatives from various industries, along with Spanish and international political leaders.

The CEO of GMV, Jesús B. Serrano, represented his company during one of the strategic conversations that took place on April 15th, where he explained key aspects of the roles that Spain and Europe are now playing in industries such as space and defense. He emphasized the importance of applying technology in all operational areas, and he said that for this reason, technology firms need to continue to attract talent, pursue innovation, and take on new challenges.

He also put a special focus on space, especially infrastructure elements developed by Europe such as the Galileo global navigation satellite system (GNSS). He said that Europe now possesses some of “the best space infrastructure in the world”, thanks to cohesive collaborations between the European Union and its Member States and integration of their respective needs, interests, skills, and technologies. He also pointed out that this infrastructure has numerous applications in areas such as defense, security, and commerce, while also being used in many aspects of our everyday lives.

Jesús B. Serrano concluded his remarks with a call to increase competitiveness, which is a key factor for Europe’s space industry and its positioning, and he stressed the importance of all countries working together to increase European autonomy.