The president of AVIA affirms that the future of the CV lies in intelligent and sustainable mobility and in collaboration and cooperation between agents.
Nearly 50 companies took part in the exhibition of products and services at Feria Valencia, with 21 technological capacities presented.
Valencia, 14 October 2021 – “The future of the Valencian Community is smart and sustainable mobility or we will have no future. And it is a future of collaboration and cooperation”. This is how categorical the president of AVIA, Mónica Alegre, was at the opening of the 1st Smart Mobility Valencia Event, organised by Mobility Innovation Valencia.
The president of the Valencian Community Automotive Cluster, accompanied by the Regional Minister for Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Work, Rafael Climent, along with the president of Feria Valencia, Enrique Soto, opened this event which welcomed around 50 companies and more than 20 speakers who presented their technological capabilities throughout the day.
In her speech, Mónica Alegre outlined the objectives of Mobility Innovation Valencia and the objectives pursued by the organisation of an event like Smart Mobility Valencia.
Alegre confirmed that the MIV “Aims to help automotive companies in their transformation towards the new challenges posed by mobility, with the diversification and integration of new subsectors”, and that in order to carry out this transformation, the MIV has “the technological and innovative fabric that we already enjoy in the Valencian Community, thanks to REDIT and the Universities”. And also with “Companies related to different technologies and of course all those emerging companies and start-ups that provide solutions and innovations to this disruptive change”.
Mónica Alegre, who thanked the support received from the Regional Ministry for Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Work and the Valencian Innovation Agency, insisted that the first Smart Mobility Valencia Event aims to position the Valencian Community as a benchmark region in mobility throughout Europe, thanks to the entire innovative, technological and productive ecosystem. “I want to stress the commitment of the IVM and therefore of this meeting to being a European hub of mobility, which is based on the potential we have, on the capabilities already demonstrated and tested in the technological and research plan and with possibilities to attract investment, industries and projects from Europe”.
Visit to the fair
After the event’s opening ceremony, the president of AVIA, together with the head of Sustainable Economy and the president of the exhibition centre, visited the 50 stands.
Smart Mobility Valencia also allowed companies, institutions, start-ups and technology centres to present up to 21 ideas for technological capabilities focused on smart and sustainable mobility. A publicly-available catalogue has been published (available on the Mobility Innovation Valencia website) including the ideas presented and those that could not be presented at the event due to space or time restraints.
Within the framework of this meeting, which was attended by around 350 people related to mobility, a roundtable was also held, with the participation of the coordinator of IMAUT, in REDIT, Vicente Rocatí, the manager of AVIA, Elena Lluch, the mobility sponsor of Startup Valencia, Javier Alcalá and the deputy councillor of Climate Emergency and Energy Transition, Alejando Ramón. The roundtable addressed the future of mobility in the Valencian Community.
In this forum, the manager of AVIA, Elena Lluch, emphasised that “The future of the mobility sector in the Valencian Community, and the survival of the industrial sector, are at stake now”. For the AVIA manager, “For survival there is only one way out and that is innovation”. “It is precisely so that companies can innovate that Mobility Innovation Valencia has been developed, which is a collaborative and open ecosystem”.
The head of the Valencian Community Automotive Cluster insisted that the new mobility paradigm is attracting new players to join AVIA. “It is important for the entire mobility ecosystem to work together with the aim of ensuring that in 2030, when combustion vehicles can no longer be manufactured, the Valencian Community will be well positioned.
Furthermore, Lluch insisted that both Mobility Innovation Valencia and the Smart Mobility event aim “To attract the interest of European investment in our region and for the region to be the recipient of projects that maintain employment and wealth”. For her part, the head of Mobility Innovation Valencia, Jackie Sánchez-Molero, acknowledged that this first event “Has exceeded our expectations and confirms the ability of all the agents of the innovative and technological ecosystem to work in a cohesive manner”. Among the data she provided, Sánchez-Molero highlighted that more than 300 people had registered and that “There is a significant representation from the automotive companies, followed by start-ups and technology companies”. To complete the offering, the head of the MIV highlighted the presence of the public administrations “Without which no mobility project can be developed and of the technological institutes and universities that have shown all their innovative skill and given their support to the business arena to execute technology transfer”.
Institutional support:
The Smart Mobility Valencia event has the support of the Regional Ministry for Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Work, as well as the support of the Valencian Innovation Agency. It has also obtained funding through the project co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operational Programme for the Valencian Community 2014-2020, with file number INNTA1/2021/2.
Smart Mobility Valencia, organised by Mobility Innovation Valencia and the Valencian Community Automotive, has the support of Feria Valencia, the Valencian Innovation Agency and the Generalitat Valenciana. REDIT, Innotransfer and Missions València 2030 are also collaborating.
For its part, Startup Valencia is an active partner by promoting this event among its companies with the aim of incorporating the most entrepreneurial ecosystem into Smart Mobility Valencia.
Mobility Innovation VLC
Mobility Innovation Valencia is a strategic project whose objective is to turn the Valencian Community into a hub for innovation in smart and sustainable mobility, through the coordination of capacities and support for companies to promote mobility initiatives.
The MIV has been supported by the Generalitat Valenciana, through the Regional Ministry for Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Work.