The IQS Business Foundation brings together companies and industry with Jordi Hereu at its Annual Meeting

On 11 July, the IQS Business Foundation held its Annual Meeting, a key event for the business and academic network connected to IQS. The event featured the noteworthy participation of the Spanish Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu Boher, who presented the lecture entitled “Reindustrialization and industrial transformation in Spain. Advancing towards strategic autonomy.”

The gathering was chaired by Jeroni Farnós Marsal, who began his term as the new Chair of the IQS Business Foundation with this event, which was inaugurated by Dr Salvador Borrós, Director of IQS, who welcomed the attendees and highlighted the importance of the meeting as a space for dialogue and reflection on the present and future challenges of the industrial sector.

During his speech, Dr Borrós presented the latest institutional developments, highlighting the continuous growth of IQS, which currently has about 2,800 students between bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate students. According to forecasts, this figure could reach 3,400 students by 2030. “We educate individuals to serve others, with a curriculum based on excellence and comprehensive preparation,” he stated.

Among the most noteworthy current projects at IQS, he announced the new Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Mathematics, offered jointly with La Salle-URL, which will serve as a connecting axis between the two schools and their various educational programmes. He also highlighted the most significant recent investments, such as the full remodelling of the Pilot Plant, which will become a hub for innovation in environment and Industry 5.0, and two new initiatives at the IQS School of Management: a Virtual Reality Laboratory and an Aporophobia Observatory, the latter featuring support from the “la Caixa” Foundation.

In his speech, Jordi Hereu called for an industrial paradigm shift. “The world has changed. The paradigm of globalization, in which there was indifference in terms of where things were produced, has ended,” he said, supporting a new approach focused on the strategic autonomy of Spain and Europe.

According to Hereu, reindustrialization needs to be a vast economic engine, with the aim of making industry account for 20% of national GDP. “Betting on industry means committing to a better economy: better salaries, more innovation, greater export capacity, and greater social quality,” he stressed.

Among the tools that the government is promoting, he highlighted the PERTE (Strategic Projects for Economic Transformation and Recovery), the PERTE VEC focused on electric vehicles with examples such as the Volkswagen gigafactory in Sagunto, and the Decarbonization PERTE, which accompanies sectors in their energy transitions. “We cannot accept decarbonization due to deindustrialization,” he said, arguing that the green transition should strengthen the country’s industrial base.

He also announced the new Law on Industry and Strategic Autonomy, which will replace the 1992 law and adapt to new global value chains and current geopolitical challenges. Within this context, he said that increasing the defence budget will translate into a “great industrial return” for Spain.

The event also represented the setting of an emotional homage to Josep Arcas, who has stepped away from chairing the IQS Business Foundation after 17 years of service. Jeroni Farnós thanked him for his “commitment and the magnificent relationships built over all these years.” Dr Borrós added that “Mr Arcas’s example, considering his association with an institution that is not his alma mater, are a profound testament to him.”

In addition, welcome certificates were handed out to the companies that have joined the Foundation over the past year: Cromology, to Sergi Domínguez, CEO, Managing Director, and IQS Alumnus; Inibsa Laboratories, to Laura Guimerà, Director of Human Resources; Paniker, to Francisco Pérez, Owner; and Fragrance Science, to Lana Prots, Director of Human Resources.