OHL attends the European Forum for Science, Technology and Innovation, Transfiere

Manuel Villén, Innovation and Sustainability director for the OHL Group, has participated in the third edition of the European Forum for Science, Technology and Innovation, Transfiere, which was held in Malaga to bring the business world closer to universities and entrepreneurs.

Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre and the Andalucian regional government council member for Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment, José Sánchez Maldonado spoke during the Transfiere Forum. The forum likewise welcomed the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, Carmen Vela, General Director of Innovation and Competitiveness at the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, María Luisa Castaño Marín, Subsecretary for Industry, Energy and Tourism at the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, Enrique Hernández Bento, the Chairman of the Andalucian Confederation of Entrepreneurs, Javier González de Lara, and European Institute of Innovation and Technology director José Manuel Leceta García.

The Transfiere Forum, whose honorary chairman for this edition has been HRH Prince Felipe de Borbón, is a multisectoral conference for Spanish innovation. This 2014 meeting has brought together 1,800 participants, 375 companies and institutions from Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Finland and Latin America, and 253 research groups from 52 universities.

Within the framework of this third edition of the Transfiere Forum, a breakfast was organized by Expansión and the Malaga city government with the participation of Manuel Villén. The OHL Group Innovation and Sustainability Director referred to how innovative public purchasing could favor R&D+i development in the construction sector. He gave examples such as the project for Equipping and Improving the Outer Dock and Outer Harbor at San Andres (Malaga), whose technical specifications contained salient positives such as technical and esthetic improvements. In this regard, the Malaga Port Authority was awarded with the National Innovation Award in 2011 for this project because of the application of the Cubipod, a new element in the construction of the main sloped dike stratum developed by SATO, subsidiary of the OHL Group specialized in port infrastructures.

“Reception with HRH the Prince of Asturias

As the chairman of honor in this third edition of the Transfiere Forum, HRH Felipe de Borbón, Prince of Asturias received an audience with the organizing committee of this European Forum for Science Technology and Innovation to learn of the progress and results obtained in this pioneering meeting to converge technology in Spain. The Innovation and Sustainability director attended this reception.