Given that we are dealing with the essential support that enables the competitiveness of companies, and that this industry itself should be one of the driving forces for winning the future, AMETIC advocates for a Europe that revitalizes its technological power in the face of the US and Asia.

The Telecommunications and Digital Economy Meeting, organized by AMETIC and held at the Menéndez Pelayo International University in Santander, is the most important event on the sector's calendar in Spain. The Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria, will inaugurate the

Encuentro, along with José Manuel de Riva, president of AMETIC, will be supported by several Secretaries of State whose presence confirms the Government's commitment to our hypersector and highlights the transversality of technologies for increasing the competitiveness of our economy as well as for improving public services and the management of the Administration itself.

The closing ceremony will be presided over by the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Information Society, Víctor Calvo-Sotelo. Throughout the four days of the Meeting, the following key figures will be in attendance: the Secretary of State for Employment, Engracia Hidalgo; the Secretary of State for Culture, José María Lassalle; the Undersecretary for Economy and Competitiveness, Miguel Temboury; the Secretary General for Industry and SMEs, Begoña Cristeto; the President of the CNMC (National Markets and Competition Commission), José María Marín Quemada; the Director General of Digital Europe, John Higgins; the Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, José Manuel Leceta; MEP Pilar del Castillo; and other prominent figures who have confirmed their participation. The Mayor of Santander, Íñigo de la Serna, will also be present, and further significant representation currently being finalized will be announced shortly.

For their part, and as is customary, the top executives of the most important companies in the sector will analyze the current situation and reveal the key elements of their business strategy for the 2014-2015 academic year, with a special focus on what is happening in Europe, how they perceive the situation from their respective companies, and what recommendations they can make to develop the Digital Economy in our local area.

This 28th Meeting aims to bring attendees closer to the reality of the technological world through the reflections and opinions of the top representatives of the main companies in the sector, making the Menéndez Pelayo International University an essential meeting place for the top executives of the technological universe.

This year's event will continue the momentum established last year, aiming to bring together representatives from Spain's leading industries, both national and multinational, to share their perspectives on Europe's industrial future. Similarly, the event will once again recognize and award companies that best exemplify digital transformation through the adoption of Spanish technologies, allowing them to demonstrate the transformative impact of not only adopting these technologies but also truly embracing the digital world.

The focus on Europe

One new feature of the event is the increased number of roundtables to discuss the situation in Europe, proposing ways to regenerate our industry, which after years of leadership is suffering a worrying stagnation. This situation must be reversed in the pursuit of wealth for Europeans, value creation, job creation, and a much more sustainable and environmentally friendly economy.

“For our Association,” says José Manuel de Riva, president of AMETIC, “there is absolutely no doubt that the Digital Economy defines the objective we must pursue. Our technologies are currently the best and most effective tool for economic growth, as they allow individuals and companies in any sector to do more and better things, increasing competitiveness and becoming a key element for economic regeneration and for increasing the social well-being of our country.”