The president of KPMG Spain, Juanjo Cano, has underlined that the defense industry represents a great opportunity for the country and that it is essential to boost it through concentration processes that allow the configuration of authentic European 'players'. As he pointed out, "This will lead to a much more powerful industry".
These statements were made this Tuesday at the 41st Cercle d'Economia Meeting, which takes place from Monday to Wednesday at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, during a round table where he shared the stage with the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, and the director of Veolia Spain, Daniel Tugues.
Cano has highlighted that Spain has important competitive advantages in the energy sector and in its telecommunications infrastructure. However, he has warned that relevant challenges persist, such as the productivity deficit, the small average size of companies, and the need to increase investment and innovation in R&D. In this context, he stressed: "We largely need Europe to be able to combat this reality".
He recalled that the analysis of the situation is already reflected in documents such as the Draghi and Letta reports, and lamented that the great pending challenge is the implementation of their recommendations, something that, in his opinion, requires execution "with leadership and governance" at the European level.
Technology, talent, and the education system
In relation to talent management in organizations, Cano has pointed out that the emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence introduces a new element of uncertainty about the configuration of the labor market. This phenomenon is combined with a context of an aging population, demographic tensions, and absenteeism levels that concern companies: "All this swarm of things requires setting a strategy and an action around talent".
Therefore, he insisted that the education system must strengthen collaboration with the business community to reduce that 'gap' between training and real needs, and to orient skills towards the profiles that will be in demand in the coming years. He warned that "many jobs will disappear because there will be tasks that are not necessary, but many others will appear," which requires anticipating the requalification of professionals.
Europe, competitiveness, and public policies
Interrogated about the future of Europe, Cano has called for joint action to break down internal market barriers and simplify bureaucracy and regulation "because it is a barrier to growth and development." In his opinion, it is essential to accelerate the effective implementation of policies aimed at strengthening both European and Spanish competitiveness.
Talent and immigration
In the section dedicated to talent, Cano emphasized that technological transformation, added to demographic changes and an aging population, forces an intensification of the link between the educational system and the specific demands of companies in order not to lose competitiveness.
Likewise, he stressed the relevance of orderly immigration to help meet specific labor market needs and pointed out that factors such as absenteeism also have a significant effect on the productivity and competitiveness of the economy.