From 2 to 4 September the 34th Digital Economy and Telecommunications Meeting was held in the city of Santander.
The Digitization of SMEs was one of the most eagerly awaited round tables, analyzing the needs and challenges small companies faced during lockdown, and sharing good practice adopted by companies in this new stage in which remote working and the digital channel will be one of the main sources of income for local businesses.
The panel, moderated by the vice-president of CEPYME, José Manuel de Riva, featured Enrique Martín, senior Business Development professional at Samsung, Ruth Díaz, director of Consumer Business at Amazon, Carles Ransanz, vice-president of Direct Sales and Enterprise Market at Sage España, and Pedro Vilches, general director of CGI. All the panellists agreed that the road to digitization for Spanish small and medium-sized companies has only just begun and that the main problems SMEs face are liquidity for digital adaptation projects and a much-needed cultural change.
On this point, Ruth Díaz agreed, insisting that “we have to think in the medium and long term, and for that it is important to solve the financing”. The Consumer Business director added her company’s support plans under the Amazon Despega programme, which aims to get 50,000 Spanish companies selling online. For this reason, all the speakers agreed on the need to rethink SMEs’ relationship with technology.
Meanwhile, Carme Artigas, secretary of state for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence, also stated at AMETIC’s 34th Digital Economy Congress that “the roadmap is clear and it demands commitment and unity. It is clear that rebuilding necessarily runs through the digital, creating a more digital, modern and fair model. We are 15 years behind Europe”.
Management thanks to digitization
In line with the digitization of companies, Juan Jesús Torres, secretary general for Digital Administration, underlined in his talk the commitment behind the great strides Spanish society has taken towards digitizing the paperwork and services the State provides and the present need for a modern state that processes the handling of information faster. Specifically, Torres pointed out that “the hybrid nature of this event shows the profound transformation society as a whole is undergoing”.
Juan Jesús Torres also highlighted the effort of the newly created General Secretariat of Public Administration that he leads, whose efforts have been directed along three lines in these pandemic times: continuing to provide services to citizens while maintaining cybersecurity, and creating applications, highlighting Radar COVID as an example. Juan Jesús Torres went on to explain that the road towards digitizing the Spanish Administration is “closely tied to European Union policy” and proposed setting up “an Innovation Laboratory to channel every innovative initiative within the Administration”.