Allow me Ladies and Gentlemen the pleasure and honor of giving you the warmest welcome to Spain, and to the beautiful and dynamic catalan city and Capital, Barcelona. I shall do so as well, briefly in our own languages, spanish and catalan.
El Mobile World Congress que nos convoca nuevamente en Barcelona me permite darles −a muchos de ustedes que vienen de lejos− la bienvenida más afectuosa a España, un país con una firme presencia en el mapa de la economía digital que ha apostado por ser punto de encuentro de representantes gubernamentales de todo el mundo, de operadores móviles y de proveedores de la Industria.
Ens acull avui l'estimada i dinàmica capital de Catalunya, ciutat que des de fa més de dos anys és la Mobile Word Capital. Aquest fet omple d´orgull a les Administracions implicades- l'Ajuntament de Barcelona, el Generalitat de Catalunya i el Ministeri d'Indústria, Energia i Turisme-, i és també una bona prova dels excel•lents resultats de la millor col•laboració institucional.
Spain is the world leader in smartphone use, and has been the European country boasting the highest growth in mobile internet use over the past two years. Our connectivity, how we relate to each other, and our productivity are now very closely tied to our mobile phones and their apps. Millions of people use the internet to look up information, to shop, work, or keep in touch, and a multitude of companies are already changing the face −and also the guts− of traditional industries thanks to the digital economy.
"...España desempeña un papel importante y estratégico. Nuestro país está apostando claramente por las tecnologías de la información y comunicación (TIC) y, por ello, el mercado de este sector ha experimentado en España uno de los mayores crecimientos en Europa durante la última década..."
We should take advantage of the opportunities and benefits that these new technologies offer to society as a whole; and that’s why you are here, that’s why you want and also may need to be here. Better information results in better access to more competitive and innovative markets. And thanks to the services that this industry provides for us, many businesses have enhanced their competitiveness.>
In this regard, I would like to highlight that Spain is a major player with a key strategic role. Our country is solidly backing information and communication technologies (ICT)—that’s why, in Spain, this industry has seen one of Europe’s highest growth rates over the past decade.
Our country is a leader in the adoption of ICT’s in fields such as education, healthcare and justice; and we enjoy cutting-edge transport and telecommunications infrastructures, complemented by a wide-ranging network of science and technology parks and institutes of higher education. And of course, I should mention the many fiscal incentives for R&D&i, to boost investment not only in major corporations, but also in SMEs.
Lastly, I would like to highlight two aspects regarding this area that I also consider relevant here. The first is that the Spanish public is widely aware of the fact that no further development is possible without taking into account ICT as a basic tool. And the second is that in today's Spain, the younger generation of professionals are all “digital natives”, perfectly ready to take on top positions in innovative companies, as we are already seeing in many parts of the world. This is why I would like the entire industry to take a good look at the high qualifications of our young professionals, who constitute a magnificent specialised workforce.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to end here, expressing my conviction that the prestige of the GSMA Mobile World Congress, already recognised as the most important technology trade fair, will continue from strength to strength at this latest edition.
Thank you very much.