As has become customary, the event began with “The Social Minute,” an initiative within the ADEA Social program that gives a voice and visibility to various social associations and organizations. On this occasion, the featured organization was The Move Men, “a nonprofit association founded in Aragón with a nationwide presence,” explained ADEA president Fernando Rodrigo. During the event, the organization had the opportunity to present its work and introduce attendees to its main projects and initiatives. “They work to raise awareness of male cancer, particularly prostate cancer; promote prevention and drive research, bringing the conversation about men’s health to places where it had barely been heard.”
Rodrigo also introduced the meeting with a presentation of Suzana Curic that went beyond her professional career to give attendees a closer look at the more personal side of the managing director of Amazon Web Services.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, A KEY FACTOR IN BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS
During her address, Curic discussed the role artificial intelligence is taking on in the business environment and its ability to transform business models, optimize processes and generate new growth opportunities.
Against a backdrop of unprecedented technological acceleration, AWS’s managing director for Spain and Portugal focused on the convergence of different technological revolutions that are transforming the business landscape and on the strategic role Spain and Aragón can play in this new phase. “We are seeing a convergence of multiple revolutions taking place at the same time. What is truly extraordinary is that these technologies feed into and accelerate one another, advancing at a speed never seen before,” Curic said, highlighting the opportunity for Spain to become a strategic hub for this transformation, with Aragón at the center of this new technological revolution.
The guest analyzed the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence presents for the competitiveness and transformation of the business community. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
During the meeting, Curic highlighted the progress of artificial intelligence across Spain’s business community and its growing role as a competitiveness factor. In this regard, she emphasized the pace at which Spanish companies are adopting the technology. “The data is promising. Artificial intelligence adoption among Spanish companies has already reached 61%, an increase of 11 percentage points from the previous year, putting us seven points above the European average,” she said.
The speaker also underscored the importance of having three fundamental pillars to successfully address the challenges of digital transformation. To illustrate this, she used the metaphor of launching a rocket: “We need a solid structure, a navigation system that allows us to find the route and the propulsion needed to move forward. These are the three pillars, and if one fails, the rocket does not take off,” she explained.
ARAGÓN, AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE
Another central theme of the meeting was Aragón’s role in developing the digital economy, at a time when the region is gaining increasing importance as a destination for technology investments by major international companies. In this regard, Curic highlighted that the choice of Aragón responds to several strategic factors, most notably the availability of land and the region’s potential in renewable energy, two key elements for attracting and supporting the development of major technology projects.
In this context, the presence of AWS’s top executive in Spain and Portugal made it possible to focus on the opportunities this process represents for Aragón’s business community, both in terms of innovation and economic development and of strategic positioning. “Now is the time to make it in Aragón,” she said.
A FORUM FOR REFLECTION FOR ARAGÓN’S EXECUTIVES
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session in which Curic stressed that AWS “complies with all European legislation.” The discussion also explored Amazon’s presence in Aragón, construction projects currently underway and planned future investments. In her closing remarks, Curic emphasized the importance of taking advantage of the opportunities offered by digital transformation, regardless of the size of the organizations.
