Industry manufacturers are increasingly bullish on Spain’s young and eager-to-learn workforce, leveraging an enthusiastic educational aptitude to pursue a wide variety of technological innovations under favorable post-recession economic conditions.
As the eighth-largest global vehicle producer and second only to Germany as Europe’s top auto-making nation, “Spanish production plants rank among the most technologically advanced in Europe, with 89 robots for each 10,000 workers,” says investor services manager Ana Elena Heras Aznar at ICEX, the Spanish government’s trade advocacy agency. The country’s car sector has “one of the highest investment rates in R&D among all industries, supported by an outstanding network of automotive clusters and 34 technology centers.”
More than 1,000 suppliers are serving 17 sophisticated vehicle assembly plants, according to SERNAUTO, the Spanish Automotive Equipment and Component Manufacturers Association. “In spite of fierce international competition, this large and highly developed industry has been able to defend its position at the head of the pack,” the organization asserts; 82 percent of output is exported to 130 nations across the globe.
“There are several reasons behind the success of the Spanish equipment and component industry: High productivity, modernized factories, significant investment in research & development and a highly qualified workforce, says SERNAUTO, noting that 300,000-plus people are employed in the Spanish auto supply sector.
More than 130 Spanish firms hosted booths at the Automechanika Frankfurt exposition in September. SERNAUTO’s Sonia Lopez says Spain’s suppliers have been “betting on this show since its inception,” promoting a “Brand Spain” campaign of automotive components that are “highly valued worldwide, and it shows, both in the number of exhibiting companies and the volume of visitors to our stand.”
A concentrated array of workforce educational efforts has been a driving force in steering Spain’s level of technological expertise.
“Quality allied with efficiency, skills, ongoing training, differentiation and technological innovation are in the DNA of the component sector,” SERNAUTO reports. “Maintaining extremely high quality standards in each and every phase of vehicle manufacturing, from concept to production, is vital. As suppliers of components that will eventually be fitted in vehicles, this industry plays a key role.”
“Training and innovation are two sides of the same coin which represent the driving force of business,” says Francisco Alvarez Herrera, director of training and development at Gestamp, Spain’s largest producer of car components. The company presents a Master’s Degree in International Industrial Project Management in conjunction with Comillas Pontifical University (ICADE), and it anticipates hiring 70 percent of the most-recent graduating class.
“The combination of theoretical and practical knowledge is the foundation for creating a pool of competitive professionals,” Alvarez Herrera points out.
“For connected manufacturing, we need highly qualified technicians in addition to university graduates,” notes Christoph Kübel, a board of management member at German company Bosch, who also serves as the firm’s director of industrial relations.
“Industry 4.0 calls for Occupational Training 4.0, and that’s exactly what we offer our apprentices,” Kübel says, referring to a Bosch vocational training program that focuses on recruiting students from Spain and Italy. “Our occupational training concept with strong intercultural assistance has proved successful. We remain committed to this initiative, as youth unemployment remains very high, especially in Italy and Spain.”
“Right from the start we give our apprentices more autonomy and project responsibility,” explains Siegfried Czock, Bosch’s head of occupational and continuing professional development. “In multiple practical assignments, they familiarize themselves with manufacturing workflows and engage in cross-functional collaboration with other specialist units. At the end of their training, apprentices are able to shape digital connectivity. And they enhance their communication skills in the process. Both are key capabilities in a connected world.”
Standing with SEAT
The Apprentice School hosted by Spanish automaker SEAT is known as a “training benchmark” throughout Spain.
“We offer a complete, practical classroom, laboratory and workshop program in the school as well as in various areas of the company. The high technical level of the facilities and instructors is a great incentive that makes young talent all over the country eager to be a part of the school,” says SEAT training administrator Laura Carnicero.
“Since 1957, when it first opened, more than 2,600 students have received training at the school. It’s important to highlight that 11 percent of the company’s current executives completed studies at the Apprentice School,” adds Xavier Ros, vice president of human resources. “These figures support the effectiveness of the training strategy promoted by SEAT.”
In July SEAT (Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo), which is owned by Volkswagen, joined forces with startup consultancy Conector to create the SEAT Accelerator by Conector endeavor. Based at SEAT’s facilities in Martorell, Spain, five inaugural promising entrepreneurs will receive support and assistance for their startup initiatives.
“Partnerships like the one we have reached with Conector are aligned with our vision for the future of the company to promote a mobility ecosystem,” says SEAT President Luca de Meo. “The new economy can only be understood by collaborating with partners and integrating platforms. Accelerating startups is going to enable us to exchange knowledge and access the best talent. We are boosting SEAT’s digital transformation.”
“This agreement between SEAT and Conector consolidates our commitment to corporate accelerators and shows that businesses are steadily approaching the digital world,” concurs Carlos Blanco, Conector’s founding partner. “Corporate accelerators are an excellent tool for major companies to accelerate their digital transformation, participate in the startup ecosystem and gain first-hand insight into the new technological solutions for their sector.”
SEAT Accelerator by Conector will be backing projects selected by a committee made up of SEAT managers and Conector partners.
The selected entrepreneurs will spend five months at the SEAT offices in Martorell, “working on their growth and sales strategy and will make progress in aspects requiring improvement with their board of mentors, made up of representatives from Conector and SEAT,” according to according to de Meo and Blanco. “In addition, they will receive assistance from partner companies, continuous training and will join one of the best entrepreneurial ecosystems in the country.”
The program will culminate in a “Demo Day,” described as “an event where the entrepreneurs will present their project to the country’s leading venture capital firms, investors and business angels to secure investment. It will also be an opportunity to identify possible synergies between the startups and SEAT.”
SEAT’s stand on the importance of technological innovations, according to de Meo, is further enhanced by an agreement established earlier this year among SEAT, Samsung and SAP to jointly develop future connected car projects.
“For SEAT, connectivity is a key factor,” de Meo says. “This technological alliance with Samsung and SAP strengthen SEAT’s aim of becoming a reference in the field of connectivity, and above all, of allying with the best partners to implement new mobility ecosystems business.”
“Samsung’s partnership with SEAT and SAP signals our commitment to developing innovative solutions for the next level of the connected car,” says Dr. Injong Rhee, Samsung executive vice president of R&D. “Samsung is focused on bridging the gap between the consumer electronics and automotive industry by bringing the latest cutting-edge mobile technology to the driving experience.”
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