The Míting d’Auto has once again turned Barcelona into the epicenter of the automotive industry, bringing together more than 300 representatives of the sector who witnessed, at the Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower hotel, the great CIAC party that arrives this year to its seventh edition.
The Míting d’Auto became a space to debate the most relevant topics of the CIAC’s new strategic plan 2025-2027. Attendees were invited to be part of this day where the opinion and contribution of all representatives of the sector is crucial for the future of mobility in our country and which was attended by personalities such as the general director of Industry of the Generalitat of Catalunya, Oriol Alcoba, among others.
The president of the CIAC, Sergio Alcaraz, offered the opening speech. Alcaraz highlighted the importance of Catalonia as a hub of innovation, thanks to its high level of talent and creativity. “Catalonia forms a powerful ecosystem with technology centers, universities and companies that collaborate together. It is also a European and global attraction for start-ups.” However, the president of the CIAC wanted to highlight the challenges that the sector faces: “Unstable supply chains, new competitors entering Europe, important investments to achieve digital transformation or the need to incorporate sustainability and circularity factors in “Our processes and products represent the main challenges of the industry. With these challenges very present and the collaboration of all industry agents, we will work to achieve a level of sustainable industrial competitiveness,” concluded Alcaraz.
Gestamp, as sponsor of the event, presented the conclusions of the second axis of the Strategic Plan 2025-2027 of the CIAC ‘Innovation and digitalization’. Mireia Arroyo de la Parte, corporate director of Communication, Marketing and Institutional Relations of the company, He highlighted that “companies, to be competitive, have to be digital. Digitalization has brought great and beneficial changes to the market and to customers. But these changes imply new needs and efforts.”
Awards
He CIAC Award for Best Automotive Company of the Yearthe highest recognition of the awards organized by the Automotive Industry Cluster of Catalonia, has gone this year to Meleghy Automotive Barcelona SAU. David Martín, general director of GEDIA Spain, was in charge of presenting the award. Meleghy Automotive Barcelona SAU was chosen by the jury for its extensive experience and innovation, with a main focus towards the production of structural components and complete body assemblies. Furthermore, this and the coming years will make a quantitative and qualitative leap in new Investments for the VW MEB21 electric platform, reaching €6.5 M in 2024.
This seventh edition of the Míting d’Auto also awarded other companies that stood out in different aspects. Ausil Systems received the award for Best Internationalization Plan from the hands of Ana Salguero, director of Business and Institutional Relations in Catalonia at Mercer Spain. An award backed by the strategy of strengthening their positioning in international markets, through alliances with global companies, which has allowed them to work in other countries alongside their clients. So much so that, this year, they opened their first headquarters in the US.
For his part, Daniel Altimiras, president of EURECAT, delivered the CIAC award for Best Innovation Strategy which, this year, has been for I2CAT, leaders in advanced digital technologies. In recent years, the company has positioned itself prominently in Europe, obtaining 23 Horizon Europe projects (€9.5M) and participating in 71 FP7 and H2020 projects (€17M), 29 of them related to 5G/6G.
Finally, Jose Arreche, plant director of SEAT Martorell, gave the CIAC Award for Best Industrial Productivity, award that was won Farguell Groupa company that has professionalized its team, setting strategic lines aimed at the integration and automation of production processes.
For such a special date, the renowned presenter Renata Zanchi was in charge of leading the attendees through the four strategic axes that the CIAC will develop during the coming years:
1. Axis of Collaboration and Alliances
The conclusions of this axis came from the hand of the Commercial Director of the Port of Barcelona, Lluís París.
The Catalan automotive industry is essential for both the region and the country, driving innovation, growth and competitiveness. Collaborations and alliances are key to its success, allowing us to share resources, access new markets and technologies, and maintain our position as a leader in innovation and competitiveness. In this sense, the CIAC participates by presiding over MOVEM and as a member of ECOMOB, in addition to being part of the Board of Directors of the EACN.
2. Innovation and Digitalization Axis
Innovation and digitalization are transforming the automotive and mobility industry in Catalonia. It is time to leave the past behind and embrace a more innovative and connected future. Therefore, it is a challenge to discover how new technologies are opening opportunities and redefining our processes and products.
3. Sustainability and Circularity Axis
The objective of this axis is to analyze how sustainability has transformed the entire production process of the automotive and mobility industry. Sustainability is essential in the automotive industry and in manufacturing processes to reduce environmental impact, minimize the consumption of natural resources, reduce polluting emissions and promote responsible practices that contribute to preserving the environment and a more sustainable future.
For this third axis, Patricia Reverter, ESG partner KPMG Spain, was in charge of presenting the conclusions. Among the most notable, we find the demand for collaboration at an international level in order to ensure the availability of raw materials, as well as guarantee a necessary powerful recharging infrastructure that requires the effort, not only of the private sector, but of the Administrations. .
4. Prospective and Adaptation Axis
Finally, Marcos Urarte, expert in business strategy and innovation, was in charge of concluding the 4 axes. Urarte provided attendees with the tools and knowledge necessary to face the present and future challenges of the automotive industry, thus ensuring a solid strategy based on foresight and continuous adaptation.
CIAC Live presents the value chain of the automotive industry
This edition of the Míting d’Auto follows in the footsteps of last year with the CIAC Live, a journey through the value chain of the industry and mobility responsible for transporting attendees from the beginning of the manufacture of a vehicle to the completion of the itself, passing through all the rungs of the chain. An effort that was possible thanks to de Arosa, Doga, Draxton, Ebro, Lohmann Tapas, Relats and SEAT.
