Engineering as the engine of recovery

Ageinco-Naos arquitectura

We have suffered the attack of the coronavirus, we all know the tragic results that it has produced and that unfortunately will continue to produce, but now we must think about the day after; To win a war we have to anticipate the attacks of the enemy, therefore we must analyze, think, plan and act to recover what has been lost and try to turn around the difficult situation in which we are immersed. We must identify the weak points in the system that have caused us great human and economic losses, and thus prevent future weaknesses from causing so much damage.

The successful way out of the crisis is to reconvert the production system, reindustrialize and seek new objectives. Spain is a country that in some sectors is a world leader, we are a tourist power of recognized prestige, we have an agriculture with a centuries-old tradition and very high-quality products, internationally successful infrastructure companies with emblematic projects, but if we want our young people to and children have salaries comparable to the main European countries, we also have to bet on the tertiary sector and knowledge, for activities with cutting-edge technology, of great added value, which are levers of recovery, that is, for engineering, consulting and advanced services.

Spain also has engineering and consulting companies with a quality equal to or greater than the European benchmarks, although not sufficiently valued within our borders, and with a clear comparative grievance with economies in our environment, at the same level of knowledge.
On the other hand, it is vital to bet on research and development of new products, services and systems. In Spain we have very good researchers, but the transfer to the market of their practical results is very expensive, since in the last link of this transmission mechanism, we believe that, the engineering function should have more participation. As occurs in countries of reference in the scientific field, mainly the United States, where the majority of research development is channeled mainly through the private sector, which incorporates professionals from all disciplines, including engineers.

Therefore, we think that we are facing a historic opportunity, to employ engineering in Spain as a motor for recovery from the crisis, optimizing investments, responding to transcendental challenges such as climate change and ecological transition, food security and health and digitization in industries and citizens; with innovative and disruptive technologies that allow us to continue competing with the most advanced countries, and which means for the business fabric and its professionals, together with society as a whole, a boost in their levels of well-being under the path of the Sustainable Development Goals .

Finally, we propose that the resources of the European Union be used, as a key mechanism, to materialize this recovery.

In Valencia, Barcelona, ​​Zaragoza, Bilbao, Vigo, Valladolid, Badajoz and Seville, on May 25, 2020.

  • Vicente Candela Canales, President of AVINCO
  • Josep Túnica Buira, President of ASINCA
  • Victorino Zorraquino Lozano, President of ASINCAR
  • Tomás Iriondo Astigarraga, CEO of GAIA
  • Daniel Prieto Renda, President of AGEINCO
  • Roberto García García, President of ACALINCO
  • Juan Merino Sánchez, President of ASINCEX
  • Ignacio Sánchez de Mora Andrés, President of ASICA
  • AVINCO is the Valencian Association of Consulting Engineers
  • ASINCA Catalan Association of Engineering and Architecture
  • ASINCAR is the Aragonese Association of Consultants in Engineering and Organization
  • GAIA is the Association of Knowledge Industries and Applied Technology of the Basque Country
  • AGEINCO is the Galician Association of Engineering, Consulting and Technological Services Companies
  • ACALINCO is the Castilian-Leonese Association of Engineering Companies, Consultants and Serv. Tecnol.
  • ASINCEX is the Extremadura Engineering and Consulting Association
  • ASICA is the Business Association of Consulting Engineers of Andalusia