Galán calls for faster electrification and greater investment in networks to strengthen Europe’s industrial leadership

Iberdrola’s Executive Chairman, Ignacio Galán, took part in the plenary meeting of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) held in Gothenburg, Sweden, which featured contributions from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During the meeting, Ignacio Galán highlighted electrification as a key driver of industrial growth and an essential part of building a more resilient, competitive, sustainable and efficient energy system. He stressed the importance of expanding clean energy and strengthening energy infrastructure, particularly electricity grids and interconnections.

He also welcomed recent progress in European Union energy policy and called for greater investment in grids and simpler administrative procedures to help accelerate electrification. In addition, he underlined the importance of stability and predictability in attracting investment.

The summit focused on the impact of the current energy environment and the evolution of the EU’s competitiveness agenda. The plenary session also included discussions on the role of artificial intelligence in accelerating industrial transformation.

Just one month ago, Iberdrola hosted a preparatory ERT meeting at its headquarters in Bilbao, where senior executives and advisers worked on the agenda for the plenary session in Sweden.

Founded in 1983 and based in Brussels, the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) is a business forum that brings together around 60 chairmen and chief executive officers from major European companies committed to sustainable growth, job creation and strengthening Europe’s role globally. Together, these companies generate around €3 trillion in annual revenue, employ more than 6 million people worldwide and invest approximately €120 billion in R&D&I each year.