Óscar López defends digital transformation as an opportunity to reindustrialise Spain: "The time for cybersecurity is now"

The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, during the opening of the ASLAN Congress

The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, has stressed that digital transformation represents a "huge opportunity to reindustrialise Spain and Europe", based on the need for Europe to gain strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty, reducing its dependence on the outside world.

This is what he said at the opening of the 32nd edition of the ASLAN Congress, organised by the national technology industry association, which brings together 198 manufacturers and suppliers specialising in digital innovation and cybersecurity. The congress represents the major event in Spain for the digital sector and, over the next three days, more than 7,500 professionals are expected to attend and more than 500 digital solutions in cybersecurity, data management with Artificial Intelligence and for the digital workplace, among others, will be presented.

Óscar López has advanced forthcoming investments promoted by the Government in cybersecurity. "It is time for cybersecurity," he said, recalling that Spain is one of the countries that suffers the most cyberattacks. "Companies that invest in cybersecurity will receive aid and support from this Government," he said.

The minister used his speech to present the capacity of the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT), a fund of funds with 16 billion euros that is already promoting investments in strategic sectors for our country, as is the case of the project for the construction in Malaga of a leading centre of the company IMEC for research and manufacture of semiconductors or investments in Spanish companies like Wooptix, which manufactures equipment for semiconductor metrology, key in the manufacture of chips; Sensia, which develops solutions based on infrared technology or Multiverse Computing, which has developed a tool that compresses Artificial Intelligence language models, with an energy saving of 50%.

"Our country used to be late to the industrial revolutions, but the government is now taking advantage of European recovery funds for the double green and digital transition. Today everyone knows that Spain has clean and cheap energy and the best connectivity in the world, with 100% of households having broadband access, 95% via fibre optic and the rest via satellite," he said. "There are resources, there is a clear roadmap, there are capacities, trained people, and a great business and entrepreneurial fabric" for Spain to be at the forefront of the technological revolution, he concluded.

Non official translation