Chairman / President of the Board, CIE Automotive, S.A.
Preguntas y respuestas Comida Coloquio con Antón Pradera, presidente de CIE Automotive
Deusto Business Alumni, celebró el martes 28 de mayo una Comida Coloquio con Anton Pradera, presidente de CIE Automotive, en colaboración con Deloitte en el Palacio Euskalduna. Bajo el título: CIE es un modelo de negocio donde el crecimiento fluye.
Le acompañaron en la mesa, Agustín Garmendia, presidente de Deusto Business Alumni, Pablo Múgica, socio director de Deloitte Zona Norte y Mikel Larreina, vicedecano de relaciones internacionales que moderó el debate. Un evento al que asistieron más de 180 personas responsables y directivos del entramado económico empresarial.
Transcript (9 segments)
H
Host0:00
Welcome. We are moving to the question and answer session with Anton. I thank Anton Pradera on behalf of the University of Deusto and Deusto Business School for coming. Also, thanks to Deloitte and Deusto Business Alumni for organizing this event. During Anton's talk, I was watching the audience and was surprised to see only two people checking their phones, which shows his talk was very engaging. We have three blocks of questions: about the country, 100 companies, and general aspects. Starting with the country, Anton recommended things for success in Euskadi. Questions include: Are we considered a smart territory? How can we change the culture to foster more entrepreneurs? Regarding major changes and competition, should we specialize or focus on new trends? And with many small companies, how can we improve, given the need for 100 multinationals?
A
Anton Pradera2:23
Well, in history, it's easy to say what needs to be done, and the hard part is doing it. If society clearly aims to have large companies without hesitation, it's easier because institutions and everyone will help. It's not just about authorities; society must move. I'm tired of differentiating between entrepreneurs and businessmen. The social aspect is important; ambitious projects shouldn't suffer from negative perceptions. We need to overcome this social problem. For sectors, many family businesses have developed well, but now may lack generosity or vision for larger projects. I encourage these families to integrate and collaborate, as together they can do better. Historically, some companies disliked competition, but we must forget that; we are all similar and can develop projects together. For those with family responsibilities, step forward, as global projects are exciting and essential for survival. Companies can't withstand many economic cycles; being global helps balance good and bad cycles.
H
Host5:27
I think I missed the first question, so I'll ask it again since it was too far.
A
Anton Pradera5:34
Regarding the smart territory, I'm not involved in public matters, so terms like that confuse me. However, all efforts to start channeling entrepreneurship are good and affect everyone, including universities. We often criticize the education system, but it's always improvable. I've seen universities starting to work better with industry on R&D, sharing projects. This is the first time I see this, and it's promising. I don't want to flatter Deusto, but we must advance by involving companies more with universities. Universities have their issues, but companies and society need them. This is where we start talking about a smart Euskadi, as our future will be defined by the four universities we have.
H
Host8:05
A second block of questions, perhaps from shareholders, about the new strategic plan 2020-2025. What are the main aspects to improve competitiveness? What are the limiting factors, financial or technological? And lastly, new corporate operations in which regions?
A
Anton Pradera8:43
The new 2025 plan is being developed; we have defined it as 'ambitious growth.' Regarding geographies, we have a big bet on India. We believe India will have 20 prodigious years of growth, similar to the US from 1880 to 1900. India is a great democracy with fewer problems than China, and from a legal standpoint, it's a country where we should be. We invest based on profitability; 'strategic' is a term we use occasionally. If we find more profitable investments elsewhere, we'll make them. But we believe great opportunities in the next few years are in India.
H
Host10:43
We have a third block of questions about global aspects. You mentioned autonomous and electric cars. When will we see autonomous cars on European roads? Is the reduction in car sales a prelude to a deep sector crisis? When will the electric car arrive? And how does the US-China trade war affect you?
A
Anton Pradera11:25
Autonomous driving depends on connectivity, especially 5G. Autonomous cars will come with 5G, as reaction time in milliseconds is crucial. With 3G, at 100 km/h, reaction time could move the car 10-12 meters, but with 5G, reduced to milliseconds, it moves only about 10 centimeters. So, autonomous driving awaits 5G. For the sector crisis, it's mainly about price; electric cars are more expensive due to batteries costing thousands of euros. The Chinese market is projected to recover by 2023, but the shift to electric is challenging. Regarding the US-China trade war, it doesn't directly affect us much because China doesn't export cars. The risk is if Europe becomes a target, affecting premium brands like Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. Our exposure to premium brands is low, so we'd be less affected.
H
Host17:59
Thank you very much. All questions received have been covered. We know you have to catch a flight, Anton. We can continue calmly, finishing our coffee and debating everything interesting we've heard.