The Iberdrola Group invests 290 million this year to boost digitisation in all its activities

• Ignacio Galán, Executive Chairman of the Iberdrola Group, stresses that ‘just as we were in our commitment to renewables and the digitisation of networks, Iberdrola wants to continue to be a pioneer in new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) in all its activities’. 

• Experts and executives from companies such as Amazon and Microsoft took part in the conference held by Iberdrola today. 

The Iberdrola Group, of which Iberdrola España forms part, today held the tenth edition of its Digital Summit at the company's campus in San Agustín del Guadalix, Madrid. This year, the company will invest €290 million in digitalisation initiatives aligned with its strategic plan: accelerating renewable energy projects and the development of smart grids, improving operational excellence and customer experience, always with the highest cybersecurity standards. 

During the inauguration, Ignacio Galán, Executive Chairman of the Iberdrola Group, highlighted: 

‘In the same way that we were pioneers decades ago in our commitment to renewable energies, we have also been pioneers in the digitisation of electricity grids and now we are pioneers in the use of artificial intelligence and big data. And now that we’re immersed in an unstoppable process of electrification around the world, we must invest even more in digital infrastructure and support innovation and the adoption of these new technologies to cover more and more energy uses for millions of consumers, always with the highest cybersecurity standards’.

The event, with the theme ‘Leading in Digital’ and attended by more than 2,000 Group employees, addressed the latest trends in digitalisation and their close interrelation with the process of electrification of the energy matrix through renewable energies, smart grids and energy storage.

Cybersecurity and AI, the main themes  

During the day, the main topics addressed were cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and the journey to the cloud, also highlighting the human side of digitalisation. 

The company invited a large group of experts from leading international companies. Professionals from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, BBVA, Ferrovial, Meliá Hotels, the social innovation agency Innuba and the consultancy firm Ideami, as well as Carme Artigas, co-chair of the United Nations Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, attended the event. 

Suzana Curic, country lead for AWS in Iberia, highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence and generative AI in companies. ‘Right now, 36% of companies in Spain are already using this type of technology, and if an adoption rate of 30% per year is maintained – like last year – it could unlock an additional injection of more than €55 billion into the Spanish economy by 2030’, she said.  Curic added that, ‘for this to happen, three critical issues need to be addressed: fostering innovation through public-private collaboration, working with regulators to establish a regulatory framework that helps us make ethical use of this technology; democratising access to AI for all types of organisations and individuals; and helping to reduce the digital divide in digital skills’.

For their part, Microsoft explained how they are driving economic growth and innovation with their investments in infrastructure and data centres. ‘Our vision is to empower digital transformation and sustainability, creating opportunities and jobs in Spain. Innovation in generative AI is another cornerstone of our commitment, integrating it into all our products to offer secure and reliable solutions’, said Carolina Castillo, director of Marketing and Operations at Microsoft Spain.

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