Technology becomes key to guarantee supplies and defense

The planet faces challenges on many fronts. The climate crisis, the water crisis, energy security and defense are some. Technology and innovation are called upon to play a fundamental role in guaranteeing them, as was made clear at a panel discussion on critical infrastructures and technologies within the framework of the XXXVIII Meeting of the Cercle d’Economia.

From the need to promote technological development within European borders to reduce external dependence to make the most of available resources, not embracing technological progress can have a high cost, it has been warned.

“Without telecommunications and electrical facilities, there is no ecological transition. It does not allow digitizing progress”, has highlighted Beatriz Corredor, president of Redeia (Red Eléctrica). At the same time, the cybersecurity of the infrastructure is one of the greatest demands, as is access to materials to develop the energy transition that the continent longs for. “The European electrical system is the most powerful in the world. It connects from Lisbon to Kyiv, but the question is where do we get the materials to maintain it”.

Investment is also required to integrate new developments into the grid, such as the promotion of offshore wind. Corredor recalled that we are in the midst of the challenge of the energy transition. “Without the renewables of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe does not reach the decarbonisation objectives”, he said, calling for speeding up interconnections with the rest of the continent.

On the water side, the president of Agbar, Ángel Simón, could not avoid the water crisis. To avoid problems in the future, he urged innovation in the reuse of water. “Our great contribution is innovation, technology and knowledge. In Spain we are reusing 12% of urban water, we are a leading country”. The figure rises to 20% in the Barcelona metropolitan area or almost 100% in Murcia.

In addition, urban and agricultural consumption must be separated, “so that they do not enter into competition.” “Cities can be perfectly self-sufficient if we manage resources well and take advantage of reuse. Today with technology we should not have problems ”, she has pointed out. Of course, it is necessary to make decisions quickly so as not to waste more time, even with “a policy whose central axis is water.”

The last year’s surge in energy and the water crisis have shown how unexpected and violent emergencies can be. The war has been the third leg of concern. “It has shown that security is largely technology. And without security we have no civil society, nothing,” said Marc Murtra, president of Indra. “If we want to be able to make decisions, we have to have the technological capacity to generate that defense,” he stated.

The manager has reiterated the need to have defense technology within European borders to avoid dependencies. “Today there are no European countries that can respond in the entire field of defense -land, air, naval…-, which leads us to greater coordination.” “The defense supply chain, materials and industrial technological capacity must be in Europe”, because otherwise “very dangerous” situations arise, such as a blockade in Taiwan that leaves key components without access. “Either we are there and we understand the technology or we are not going to be able to decide about our future. There is a lack of real political will and resources, ”he warned”, he has warned.

The advancement of artificial intelligence is no stranger. With so many calls for precaution from European instances, “we focus on the potential problems of technology. We have to assume that this generates social changes,” he criticized. “If we want to advance technologically and we are more concerned about the downside, that has consequences.” In short, you can lose the global race.