The Transforma España initiative was launched by the everis Foundation and supported by one hundred persons: country's business leader, experts and entrepreneurs. It was presented yesterday to His Majesty the King of Spain in a private audience at Palacio de la Zarzuela. This document, which highlights the seriousness of the current economic crisis, its causes and consequences, proposes a variety of solutions and actions in all areas of the system to be implemented in the following years to generate a real change.
The president of the everis Foundation, Eduardo Serra, together with the former Secretary-General of CCOO, José María Fidalgo, the scientist Eduard Punset, the president of Merck, Laura González-Molero, the President of E-Diagnostic, Santiago Torres, everis partner responsible for innovation area, Marc Alba, presented this initiative on behalf of all who have supported it.
The paper discusses the need to address urgent, structural and systemic changes as the trend of loss of absolute and relative positioning in all relevant indicators of the country is worrying for the future of the Spanish and their role in the world. As Marc Alba, project coordinator from the everis Foundation, stated: "The current model of Spain is exhausted. It requires an urgent and systemic change. We are all part of the problem and part of the solution. The citizen's role is vital in this transformation".
The initiative stresses the need to develop measures to improve the competitiveness of enterprises, increasing their added value through innovation, entrepreneurship and improving sophistication and technological content. In this vein, the president of E-Diagnostic, Santiago Torres said that there must be "a broad consensus in areas such as energy, science, education or innovation. We must define the architecture for the next 30 or 40 years".
Reforming the education system
The document is also committed to the incorporation of potential and talent into the Spanish society, especially among young people. To make it possible, it is absolutely necessary a deep change in our educational system. It must turn to the search and pursuit of excellence, so requirements as and selection criteria should be given priority.
This change will have to implement action aimed at increasing the support and the effectiveness of innovation and entrepreneurship. In summary and conclusion, the educational system in Spain has to be able to get all the potential from our kids to create a real market for talent able to compete in global markets.
In this sense, the scientist Eduard Punset, stated: "Talent is the most urgent reform. The report highlights that we are not in a global crisis, but local. Those who took part in the Transicion period, we lived the international opening. It seems that we have forgotten about it today. We must move towards a global government and economy, not just European. We are expecting a revolution in education. The system that created job for my generation is not able to create jobs for the young people today".
The citizen, transformational focal point
Finally, the initiative places the citizen at the heart of our society. This place has been occupied by politicians for a long time. The report considers necessary to establish long-term policies.
Thus, the president of the pharmaceutical company Merck, Laura González-Molero, stated: "It is essential to achieve individual and group responsibility to transform the country. So far we have worked in an isolated way and we need to learn urgently how to work all together. We must find a new identity for Spain to increase the competitiveness of the country".
Former Secretary-General of CCOO, José María Fidalgo, who has also endorsed this document, agrees with this assessment and highlighted the need to act quickly. "Both for the diagnosis and prognosis, we must look forward and outward. Civil society has to assume a new role. We cannot delegate permanently in institutional powers".
In conclusion, the president of the everis Foundation, Eduardo Serra, emphasizes the main objective of the initiative: "The civil society wants to hear your voice, but not to replace anyone, not unions or politicians. We would like to combine all our efforts on other initiatives, incorporating more people".