Oscar Miguel, Director of CIDETEC Energy Storage, took part in the round table discussion about the technological solutions being developed by the automotive suppliers operating in our country, which took place within the framework of the 5th SERNAUTO Meeting 'Innovating for new mobility'. The meeting was held on 17 October in Madrid.

The table was presided over by José Esmorís, chairman of SERNAUTO's R&D&I Committee and R&D director at Cie Automotive, and was attended by the representatives of major component manufacturers: Oskar Goitia, Chairman of Mondragon International and Vice-Chairman of the Mondragon Corporation (Automotive Division), Vicente Sala, Head of the R&D&I Committee at Faurecia Interior Systems, Ignacio Naranjo, Chairman of Schaeffler Iberia's Automotive Division and Director of Schaeffler's Automotive Aftermarket Division for Southern Europe and Joan Miquel Torras, Chairman of Zanini Auto Grup.   

In his speech Oscar Miguel stressed the importance of research into batteries in a climate where the public sector increasingly demands electric vehicles. "It is essential to significantly reduce their cost, increase their useful life and improve their performance", he said, "and Europe has to be part of all these priority objectives because the battery value chain is very long. It is not necessary to become obsessed with particular elements, which will eventually be available, but there are other components, modules, management systems... where companies can become well positioned. In terms of scale, there is not a large volume at the moment and investments are difficult, but there are universities and research centres such as CIDETEC that are willing to assist in these developments." 

The main conclusion was that, only in an environment of cooperation, based on a number of cornerstones on which to develop the different strategies, but mainly R&D&I and public-private collaboration, will we be able to face the challenges ahead and transform them into opportunities for our industry.