Companies in Castilla-La Mancha implement new efficiency and sustainability processes to meet demands of digital consumers

At a seminar organised in partnership with the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, various experts tackled how new technologies are changing manufacturing processes in order to meet the demands of new customers: digital consumers.

In this fourth industrial revolution, trends point to renewables and sustainable mobility, as well as technology that makes things cheaper and reduces risks.

Earlier today, the Councillor for Economic Affairs, Business and Employment of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Patricia Franco, and the General Manager of the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, Martí Solà, officially opened the seminar entitled Energy- and environment-related aspects of industry 4.0, at the Toledo Conference Centre. During the event, attended by some 100 professionals, various experts analysed the changes being applied by companies to both manufacturing and management to obtain efficiency and products that better suit customer preferences.

The General Manager of the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, Martí Solà, said that “industry is changing with the incorporation of new technologies into manufacturing processes.” This change, which incorporates the Internet of Things and a new digital consumer profile, “is a revolution affecting all companies, including those in Castilla-La Mancha, regardless of sector and is a train that, sooner or later, everyone will need to catch”.

In turn, the Director of the Higher Technical School of Engineering (Spanish acronym: ICAI) at Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Mariano Ventosa, stressed that we are “facing a paradigm shift” that he already sees as “the fourth industrial revolution”. “The counter is being reset to zero for everyone, we are facing a digital consumer and new processes that, besides lowering costs and risks, will lead to increased revenue,” he said. These processes will therefore lead to a far-reaching change in the way we do business and employ people, as well as in training.

Fourth industrial revolution

The Deputy Director of Technological Development at Gas Natural Fenosa, Jesús Chapado, stressed that the fourth industrial revolution is accompanied by new trends, such as the circular economy, decarbonisation and sustainable mobility. “At Gas Natural Fenosa, we have adapted to these changes via our Customer Experience project, in which the customer stands at the epicentre of our operations; and that means new customer service channels alongside a commitment to renewables, sustainable mobility, natural gas for our roads, trains and ships, and to implementing smart processes in the control of all our processes, thereby increasing quality of service in real time and maintaining fluid contact with customers,” he said.

The Global Operations Director of Ingeteam Power Technology, Adriano García, presented the changes stemming from new technologies in the renewables sector. Under the premise that various renewable technologies (unsubsidised) are already more competitive than fossil fuels or nuclear power, and that there will be no clearly dominant renewable energy but rather many of them will have their own niche, he argued that “the commitment to renewable generation is clear in many countries and companies, and there is no way back now.”

The Innovation Director at Pernod Ricard España, Carmen del Río, discussed the situation in the food and drink sector.  “Pernod Ricard España is focused on technological innovation to guarantee the sustainability of production in Spain and exports to over 60 countries by reducing production times, energy consumption, collaborating with local labour and universities. This has positioned the Manzanares production centre as a benchmark in operational excellence among 101 plants owned by the group,” he said.

New technologies

Finally, the Managing Director of Cojali, Venancio Alberca, discussed the situation in the electronics sector. At Cojali, he explained, the company has switched to a new philosophy by implementing such new technologies as artificial vision, collaborative robotics, big data, predictive maintenance and the Internet of Things, as well as a re-imaging of the company vision towards the customer, which now seeks distinctiveness and brand image. Furthermore, he underlined the importance of telematic software that enables remote multi-brand diagnosis for a complete analysis of vehicle conditions. “This new tool allows us to reduce CO2 emissions, improve comfort and reduce stress, as well as accidents and the risk and severity of accidents,” he explained.

The event was officially closed by the Director General for Enterprise, Competitiveness and Internationalisation, Francisco Javier Rosell, and the General Manager of the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation, Martí Solà.

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