“The key word for sustainability is collaboration.”

The talk began by commenting on the success stories of these companies, such as the case of L’Oréal, which has a factory in Burgos. “Little by little, we have established ourselves as a benchmark for sustainable industry,” he explained, stressing that “in 2015, we were the first L’Oréal factory to run on 100% renewable energy.”

“Aside from energy issues, another example of the sustainability of the plant is the good management of water through closed circuits.Currently, we only use tap water as a basic ingredient in our formulations or for drinking by our employees,” he emphasized.

Speaking of water, Francisco José Juan, Director of Sustainability and Innovation at Emasesa, explained one of the company’s latest initiatives: Digital Reservoirs. “We’re distributing sensors across the network to get knowledge and meter reading data,” he said, adding: “So we can see what’s going on in each household, which will lead to lower consumption.” Another case where this technology can be applied is to learn about abnormalities in water usage in each household.

Macarena González, Director of Andalusia at Axon Partners Group, recognized Andalusia’s talent in the technology and digitalization sector. “I started investing in this region in 2014, and I think the foundation was the talent,” he asserted, citing examples of some companies they have helped develop in recent years.

In the case of Scoubic CEO José María Gómez, he described the company as a “chimera”. “They come from the US to buy my car, and when I go to New York and see it full of my cars, I’m so proud of what I’ve done,” he revealed. “What we’re doing is building small electric cars and big-capital cars.” This means “cars are cheaper, the pay is the same, and delivery is faster.”

Regarding logistics, Cristina Baquero asserted that “our big challenge in decarbonization is Scope 3, which does not depend on us but starts from the first stage of the chain.” “With Burgos as an example, we are working on ways to transport these products in a more sustainable way, including by reducing air transport and using rail,” he stressed.

“When it comes to sustainability, collaboration is the key word and we need to rely on a variety of partners to forge new paths,” the L’Oréal executive added. In that sense, Vaquero asserts that thanks to these efforts, the company was able to reduce its carbon footprint by 16 million units last year, which he says is “a good starting point for achieving our goals.”

success story

Francisco José Juan continued his talk, explaining some of the work Emasesa has done in waste-to-energy production, saying, “We are a large, unknown energy producer.” “What we have to guarantee is that the people of Seville do not lack water,” he asserted.

Macarena González also provided an overview of the companies that Axon Partners Group is starting to invest in, in addition to the biotechnology sector, primarily focusing on decarbonization and technology companies. “We have a very great challenge ahead of us,” he declared.

In the case of Skubic, José María Gómez explained that 50% of its production is still produced at the Utrera plant. The group also has a factory in China to supply the Asian market, and also plans to set up a production plant in the United States for the American market.

The manager also explained that the company has grown at a rate of 100% since its inception, both in terms of billings and EBITDA. “Our vision is to achieve 1,000 jobs and production of 60,000 vehicles,” he said. “Growth is the key and we are on that path,” he stressed.

In this sense, Francisco José Juan warns, “Technology is very important to simplify operations and increase efficiency.” The executive explained that Emasesa has several projects underway where people are key.

José María Gómez agreed, concluding by stressing that Andalusia’s talent needs to get rid of its “postcode” complex and that this must be done with “belief, honor and respect”.