The 7th La Rioja Automotive Night brought together leading experts such as José Luis Portela, CEO of Magtalent and professor at IE Business School, and Lars Hoffman, entrepreneur and specialist in electric mobility. Both shared their vision of the future of the sector in Spain and Europe, emphasising the need to adapt to change, in a relaxed and participatory atmosphere.

Last Thursday, the La Rioja automotive cluster held the 7th Automotive Night, an annual event sponsored by NetOn Power and the Government of La Rioja, through the Economic Development Agency (ADER). The event brought together the main entities and professionals in the sector, both regionally and nationally, consolidating its position as a benchmark event for the automotive industry on the national scene.

On a night when electric mobility took centre stage, the president of the cluster, Eduardo Ajamil, opened the event by highlighting the profound transformation that the automotive industry is undergoing, driven by electrification, excessive regulation and growing competitive pressure from countries such as China. He warned of the risks of relocation and loss of competitiveness if Europe does not strengthen its industrial autonomy with a clear and realistic strategy. He called for a policy that combines sustainability, innovation and technological leadership, and appealed to the shared responsibility of companies, administrations and professionals to turn the challenges facing the sector into opportunities for the future.

For the second consecutive year, and with the aim of bringing young talent closer to the automotive sector, academic excellence was recognised in the best university records in degrees closely linked to the industry. The winners were Iván Olagaray (Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry), Héctor Delgado (Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering), Mario Varea (Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering) and Sergio Ruiz (Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering), all students at the University of La Rioja.

The evening continued with the conferences ‘Geopolitics and electric cars: how to compete in this new scenario’, by José Luis Portela, CEO of Magtalent and professor at IE Business School, and ‘The electric vehicle in 2025: Why is it time to take the plunge?’, given by Lars Hoffmann, founder of Todos Eléctricos and specialist in electric mobility.

Then it was time for the surprises, with the announcement and presentation of the awards for the 5th edition of the AutoStartup Competition, recognising the winning proposals.

• 1st prize – Data Value Management, for the project ‘Artificial Intelligence for Waste Reduction’: €3,000
• 2nd prize – Flythings Technologies, for the project “Intelligent Quality Control System using Artificial Vision for Production Processes”: €1,000
• 3rd prize – REM Experience, for the project “Simulators and VR training to optimise technical training and increase industrial competitiveness”: €500.

Following the presentations and awards, Belinda León, Minister of Economy, Innovation, Business and Self-Employment for the Autonomous Community of La Rioja, closed the event by highlighting the role of all the agents who are driving the transformation of the automotive sector in La Rioja, and reaffirming the regional government’s commitment to addressing the main challenges facing the sector: reindustrialisation, smart mobility and decarbonisation.

The day ended with a cocktail reception in a relaxed atmosphere, which allowed attendees to share their impressions and promote networking in a context of closeness and collaboration.

The automotive sector in La Rioja is a strategic pillar of the regional economy, with more than 8,400 direct and indirect jobs and a turnover of more than €600 million, equivalent to around 8% of the region’s GDP.