Secretary of State for Defense
María Amparo Valcarce
Amparo Valcarce has a long career in the Spanish government. Prior to her current position as Secretary of State for Defense, she served as Undersecretary of Defense and Director General of Military Recruitment and Training. Prior to that, between 2004 and 2009, she served as Secretary of State for Social Services, Families, and Disability, where she promoted the current Dependency Law, a milestone of enormous significance for Spanish society. She subsequently served as government delegate in Madrid, which is almost like leading a not-so-small army.
Born in Fabero in the Bierzo region, she holds a degree in Geography and History from the University of Oviedo and has combined her dedication to politics with education.
While at the Secretary of State for Defense, she has been known for her unwavering support for the defense industry and, in particular, for innovation, a hallmark of this sector. Through the various policies implemented by his Secretariat, both through the Directorates-General and the autonomous agencies under his authority, programs have been launched that will define the future of the sector for decades.
Furthermore, his constant support for industry in its activities abroad has also been a defining characteristic of his administration. He has had to manage the challenge of the war in Ukraine and the industrial response, which has allowed our country to play a leading role. More importantly, he has been tasked with managing the largest modernization budget in the history of the Ministry of Defense, which undoubtedly requires a great effort of discrimination and analysis to take advantage of this flow of resources, resulting in the growth of national capabilities and a stronger positioning of our industry abroad.
Pedro Fuster, Indra
Talking about INDRA is undoubtedly synonymous with Technological Innovation. With an annual investment in R&D+i sustained between 5 and 9% of its sales, it has dedicated more than €1.6 billion to this area in the last six years and more than €4.1 billion during the 21st century. It ranks sixth in this parameter in the Spanish global ranking. But beyond the figures, INDRA stands out for its projects, being a national, European, and sometimes global leader in Defense and Security, Transportation, and Air Traffic systems.
In each of these three areas, we can find spectacular examples of the technological innovation provided by Indra throughout its more than thirty years of existence. Its Air Traffic Control Automation System, its Advanced Controller positioning equipment, and its InNOVA Control Tower systems have introduced technological innovations that have positioned this Spanish company as one of the leaders in this highly competitive market. Likewise, today we have a national champion with its own technology in cutting-edge radar systems, maritime surveillance systems, etc.
Based on this ongoing technological innovation, Indra leads Spain’s participation in the European Defense Fund and will coordinate Spain’s participation in the next phase of development of Europe’s largest defense program, the Future European Combat Air System.
Nicolás de Abajo, ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal has an extensive network of R&D centers spread across different countries in Europe, North America, and South America. They employ nearly 1,700 people of more than 35 different nationalities. In 2023, the Company will spend nearly €300 million on research and development, ensuring innovative solutions that allow ArcelorMittal to maintain its global leadership position in sustainable steel production. Spain is home to one of ArcelorMittal’s 12 R&D centers worldwide, known as ArcelorMittal Global R&D Spain.
ArcelorMittal is continuously leading a transformation of the steel industry toward zero CO2 emissions. Through its Sustainable Innovation (SI) tool, the global R&D team now analyzes each new research program in its development pipeline to determine whether it will contribute to a more sustainable way of life. If not, it simply does not progress.
In the digital field, their IoT, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence programs stand out. These are fields in which they have been continuously innovating for nearly 20 years.
Their R&D programs are continually developing new products, processes, and solutions that are generating disruptions in the steel industry and impacting all their customers. But they have gone further. Within their Open Innovation program, we want to highlight their spin-off in Spain called The Next Pangea. An intangible asset factory that is generating disruptive solutions in industries such as aircraft maintenance, smart structures, and bacteria detection systems in food and facilities.
Beatriz Crisóstomo, IBERDROLA
With more than 170 years of history, the Iberdrola Group is not only a global energy leader, but also the leading wind energy producer, leader in renewable energy production in Spain, one of the largest electricity companies, and the world’s leading private utility in terms of investment in Innovation and Development, having allocated more than €360 million in 2022. These resources have been primarily allocated to projects related to renewable energy, smart grids, digital transformation, green hydrogen, and the development of tailored solutions for its customers. Highlights include:
The development of solutions such as smart grids, through the Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub in Bilbao, which continues to incorporate digitalization and artificial intelligence systems into transmission and distribution infrastructure with the aim of further increasing the security and quality of supply.
Its commitment to the development of green hydrogen with the largest plant for industrial use on our continent, located in Puertollano.
The drive given to offshore wind energy in recent years, with assets already operating and under advanced construction in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
Its PERSEO investment program, with more than €125 million in innovation through its startup portfolio and 25 annual pilot projects, has already incorporated Automa, Fuvex, Switch Fleet, and xmartsense into the optimization of processes and activities developed by Iberdrola’s businesses.
Iberdrola’s goal of decarbonization with a focus on innovation and sustainability has led it to remain at the international forefront of energy transition and carbon emissions reduction. These initiatives reflect its commitment to sustainability and its leading role in the energy transition toward a cleaner and more efficient future.
Luis Furnells,
Executive President of Grupo Oesía
Luis Furnells is a computer scientist, holds a PADE degree from IESE, and a diploma in the National Defense Course from CESEDEN.
An expert in data technology management, he has extensive experience in the financial sector, accumulating more than 35 years of senior management experience at large companies such as Telefónica, La Caixa, Servired, Banco Natwest-March, and Caja Postal.
In 2014, he took on the challenge of transforming and driving forward the technology company he currently chairs, Grupo Oesía, with expertise in all industries, particularly defense, security, aeronautics, and space. Ten years later, his achievements attest to his successful management. His career has always been linked to the innovation he has incorporated into the various positions he has held throughout his professional life.
Currently, the Oesía Group has a significant presence in programs such as Eurofighter, the European Future Combat Air System, and various naval and military vehicle programs. It is a key player in the Spanish defense industry. It also incorporates innovative solutions into markets such as Fintech, finance, industry, and public administration, positioning the group as a national and international benchmark.
The group he leads naturally shares his values: a company committed to the country’s strategic sovereignty, to talent and development in engineering, to innovation, sustainability, reliable results, and ethical and efficient management.
Luis Furnells has been awarded the Civil Merit Medal with Silver Distinction by the Civil Guard and is an adopted son of Valdepeñas, Ciudad Real, where Tecnobit is located.
Ray Piselli, Lockheed Martin
In 1994, the Spanish Navy made one of the most momentous decisions in its modern history: selecting the AN/SPY-1D radar from the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin, which equipped the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, for the F-100 program. There was, of course, an operational reason: the system fully met the needs of our Navy more than any other on the market, and the US Navy has also been our main and historic naval partner for the last hundred years.
But behind or ahead of it lay something much more important: bringing a technological leap forward for both the Navy and Bazán, especially in the systems area, and for Indra. This program laid the foundations for a collaboration that has now spanned thirty years and is undoubtedly one of the most successful in our history.
The learning that enabled the technology transfer associated with the F-100 program led to the development of SCOMBA. Twenty years ago, the Navy and Lockheed Martin were working on what they now call the Common Working Environment, an interoperable combat system between ships and other platforms. It also enabled the development of extensive radar capabilities at Indra and the creation of an expert and dedicated sustainment capability for the Navy’s frigates.
Not many years later, this alliance proved successful with the sale of five F-310 frigates to Norway and the Hobarth destroyers to Australia, built at a local shipyard. This was followed by the S-80, in which Spain took on the role of lead system developer but with extensive technical support from Lockheed Martin to develop a unique product.
This alliance had important ramifications, such as the US Coast Guard’s Deepwater program, which enabled the sale of 18 HC-144A aircraft to the Lockheed Martin-led consortium for the program. With the acquisition of Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin has also entered the helicopter industry.
Lockheed Martin undoubtedly represents the best use of the globalization of innovation through dozens of industrial alliances and technology transfer programs implemented on five continents.
