THE RIGHT KIND OF AUTOMATION
ABB is leading the international evolution toward more sustainable transportation models.
BIOGRAPHY
Marc Gómez Ferret is an industrial engineer from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and holds an Executive MBA from EADA (School of Senior Management and Administration). He joined ABB in 1995 as a service engineer in the area of automation. Since 2001, he has developed various leadership positions in the Spanish part of the business line, including motors, power electronics, and robotics. In 2010, he was appointed local manager of the robotics and motion business of ABB in Spain, and in 2013 he was appointed regional manager of the same business for the Mediterranean region. In 2015, he became global manager of solar business within ABB Group, and in 2018 he became CEO & Country Managing Director of ABB in Spain.
How has the company evolved since its founding?
The presence of ABB in Spain well reflects how the industry has evolved. ABB began its activity in Spain more than 100 years ago, with technologies that helped in the development of electrification. Since then, we have also accompanied industries that as large consumers of energy also needed these technologies, albeit having automated different processes to make them more efficient. We are currently undergoing two major revolutions that affect these two areas: the energy revolution and the fourth industrial revolution. At ABB, we are still pioneers in responding with our technologies to the challenges that both revolutions bring in utilities, production, infrastructure, and transport. In transportation, although ABB does not manufacture vehicles, its technologies are behind most of the means by which we move or transport goods, and we are leading the international evolution toward more sustainable transportation models. We are the world leader in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, in addition to the railway sector, with technologies for both railway infrastructures and rolling stock (equipment for trains). We are also pioneers in ultra-fast charging technology for electric buses and are currently leading in developing technologies for autonomous vessel navigation. Another segment in which we are at the forefront in Spain are automation technologies, such as home automation equipment like our brand Niessen, which started working more than 100 years ago, in 1914, in Rentería, and whose factory is in Oiartzun. We are also pioneers in solar energy in Spain, collaborating in the first developments of the Plataforma Solar de Almería in the 80s, and now remotely managing the automation technologies of more than 400MW of solar thermal plants in Spain. Nowadays, we are still leaders in solar energy and large-scale PV solar plants, where we deliver the complete electric balance of plant, as well as the systems needed to integrate this energy to the grid in a reliable and efficient way.
How can your products increase companies' productivity?
Trends such as automation or the increase in the adoption of industrial robotics are based on a greater demand for flexibility, agility, and productivity of production processes to be more competitive and maintaining the same or better levels of quality and safety. An example of this greater productivity and efficiency that we talk about can be found in how we manage energy consumption within industries. For example, being aware that 60% of energy in industry is consumed by electric motors, we can make decisions about what type of motors to install in production processes and how to accompany them with systems such as drives, which can achieve savings up to 40% of energy consumption in certain infrastructures or processes. This not only benefits the owners of these industries, improving their cost competitiveness, but also has great environmental benefits, reducing the amount of emissions. ABB is also one of the few companies in the world whose portfolio and technical and market expertise close the circle of productivity and efficiency, from collecting and analyzing data to implementing solutions with the best equipment.
What role does innovation and R&D have for ABB?
We have been innovating for more than 130 years, so it is part of our DNA. Nowadays, we are aware that the innovation paradigm has dramatically changed, and no one in this age can successfully innovate on their own in the industrial world. Therefore, we have started relevant partnerships with companies such as IBM, HPE, and Microsoft.
THE RIGHT KIND OF AUTOMATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
María Jesús Fernández, Executive Director, Invest in Spain (ICEX)
ICEX does far more than let investors know who the key players are on the supply and demand side; it also helps them get over logistical hurdles in addition to identifying the most important clusters and opportunities.
read articleInterview
Carlos Grau, CEO, Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation (MWCAPITAL)
MWCapital Barcelona wants to become the most dynamic and impactful event regarding technology and transformation. But it also wants to help create and innovate mobile technology that improves people's lives.
read articleB2B
Cybersecurity
Even with the internet becoming an accepted part of our lives, cybersecurity is still a relatively new actor in today's cyber world. To help keep data safe, it will be imperative to create and harmonize already existing cybersecurity regulation regionally, nationally, and transnationally.
read articleForum
Technology consultancy
As technology has increasingly disrupted all sectors in the economy, businesses must quickly adapt in order to stay competitive. Key to transformation are these B2B companies that are helping companies in all sectors to stay ahead of the crowd, technologically speaking.
read articleB2B
Terminals
As times change, so must ports. While the Mediterranean Corridor will provide a way for Barcelona to prove its worth on the sea, port operators and logistics teams must upgrade facilities quickly to stay ahead of increasing e-commerce demand, along with import and export cargo flows.
read articleForum
Logistics
From transportation of medicines to drones delivering parcels to high mountaintops, logistics in the past 20 years has changed drastically. Spain's strategic geographical location, competitive costs, and use of cutting-edge technology has allowed companies to keep up with the times.
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