H.M. the King with the President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and members and collaborating members of the plenary.
Madrid, 05/12/2024.- His Majesty the King presided over the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the constitution of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, with a remembrance for all the "regions affected by the DANA" and congratulated the companies for their solidarity and work, as well as their "unity in the face of adversity".
The King declared himself "a witness to the effort and the growth and impact that transcends the national level" of the Chamber of Spain and the network of chambers. Regarding the Spanish Chamber of Commerce throughout its ten years of existence, the King highlighted its contribution in "areas" that were previously "strategic and today are essential due to the changes and challenges facing the business market", such as green and digital transformation, as well as internationalisation: "Spain has come out faster and stronger the more focused it has been abroad". During the closing speech of the event, the monarch also praised the work of the president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, José Luis Bonet; their dedication and constant search for agreement and dialogue.
Felipe VI also underlined the "scope and permeability that explains the success of the chambers", and concluded by stressing that the "unity and diversity transmitted by the chambers will be fundamental in the future".
For his part, the president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, José Luis Bonet, especially thanked the King for his "accompaniment, impulse and encouragement to the Spanish Chamber of Commerce", and stressed the role played by the institution together with the network of chambers, "throughout these ten years, at the service of the general interest; of the improvement of the competitiveness of companies, particularly SMEs and their institutional defense, and of the cohesion and territorial structuring of Spain". José Luis Bonet recalled "the more than five million internationalisation actions carried out, the digitalisation of 700,000 small and medium-sized enterprises; the training of 300,000 people, and the promotion of 240,000 entrepreneurs", and stressed that "there is still much to be done". The president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce has also made a special mention to convey the solidarity of the network of chambers with the companies and citizens affected by the DANA.
In his speech, José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman of Telefónica, spoke about the future and stressed that "Spain is in a privileged position to participate in the awakening of Europe. Europe has fallen asleep, we have fallen asleep as a region in recent years. The technological framework is advancing much faster than our ability to adapt to it. Europe has to wake up through objectives where we can imagine where we want to have Europe in 5 or 10 years' time. If we want it to be a competitive region that champions technological sectors and that champions innovation, the rules that have brought us here do not work. Spain has the duty, the obligation and the right to participate in these new rules of the game".
During the event, a round table was held on the role of chambers of commerce as accelerators of change and transformation of the productive fabric, and in which José Vicente Morata, president of the Valencia Chamber of Commerce and third vice-president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, referred to the impact of the DANA, thanking the solidarity and help of the network of cameras. The president of the Chamber of Commerce of Valencia has pointed out some of the figures that reflect the magnitude of the impact, and has stressed the need to establish "non-refundable aid" to recover the productive fabric: "we need the support of the Government of Spain, the Valencian Government and all companies".
The Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla, pointed out that "the success of the internationalisation of the Spanish economy is a team effort. It is a success for companies, for entrepreneurs, who have dared to launch themselves into third markets, and it is also a success for the institutions, which, with the available resources, provide you with services and support". The Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence also highlighted the work of the network of chambers and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, for María González Veracruz, "collaborating with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce has allowed us to achieve the territorial success of the digitalisation of SMEs. First with the Acelera pyme advisory offices and then with the investment in the Kit Digital and Kit Consulting programs. Together we are contributing to the digital transformation of our companies."
Jorge Villarroya, president of the Zaragoza Chamber of Commerce, explained that "the chambers of commerce have made a titanic effort to continue being a benchmark for companies" and are "a relevant actor, a necessary transmission belt between public administrations and companies". For the president of the Chamber of Zaragoza, the oldest of the entire network of chambers, he pointed out that the chambers "know the needs of companies" and "we know their concerns, we are listening to their demands. We know the pulse of their activity. We have adapted our actions to the real needs of companies, especially in contexts of uncertainty."
The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, at the closing ceremony stressed the "fundamental role of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the chamber network, through collaboration with the Government and the rest of the administrations, to support the business sector, promoting innovation, internationalisation and the competitiveness of companies, especially in the case of SMEs". He also announced that, "after many months of work and dialogue with the business sectors and social agents", the Council of Ministers plans to approve the draft Law on Industry and Strategic Autonomy in the coming weeks.