Ignacio Galán calls for the acceleration of electrification to boost Europe’s competitiveness at the largest annual forum of European chambers of commerce

Iberdrola’s Executive Chairman, Ignacio Galán, took part in the Eurochambres Congress 2026, the leading gathering of European chambers of commerce, held in Valencia, where he advocated electrification as a strategic priority to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, energy independence and energy security.

This annual congress brought together, amongst others, former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta; Spain’s Minister of Finance, Arcadi España; the President of Eurochambres, Vladimír Dlouhý; and the President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, José Luis Bonet.

In this context, Galán emphasised the need to move towards a new energy model for Europe that would enable it to tackle the vulnerability arising from its dependence on oil and gas imports.

During his speech, Iberdrola’s Executive Chairman pointed out that electrification is the main driver for this transformation, as it relies on domestic energy resources and more efficient technologies for transport, building heating and cooling, and industrial processes. Investments linked to this new model will help to sustain employment and strengthen the European electrification value chain, comprising major manufacturers and thousands of small and medium-sized supplier companies.

He also reviewed the main initiatives promoted by the European Commission to accelerate investment in electrical networks, storage and generation, as well as other measures aimed at making electrification a reality in Europe.

Finally, Galán highlighted the work of the chambers of commerce in helping the business sector to grow, innovate, access new markets and adapt to the geopolitical, regulatory and technological changes facing Europe.

Eurochambres, founded in 1958, represents more than 20 million businesses through a network of 1,700 regional and local chambers; over 93 per cent of its member companies are small and medium-sized enterprises and, collectively, they employ more than 120 million people.