Josep Piqué, at the Spain Builds event

Josep Piqué, CEO and Vice Chairman of OHL, has participated in the Spain Builds event, arranged by Marca España, which has gathered, amongst other personalities: Ana Pastor, Minister of Public Works; José Manuel García-Margallo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, Senior Commissioner of the Government for Marca España; María Mercedes de la Guardia de Corró, Ambassadress of Panama; and representatives of leading companies in Spain’s construction sector.

In his speech, OHL’s Vice Chairman pointed out the leadership of construction sector companies, which have launched infrastructure projects of reference in the five continents: “This huge achievement is everybody’s success: the public administration, enterprises, polytechnic universities and business schools in Spain, holding reference positions worldwide”. Consequently, he emphasized that “our work has been very relevant, and will continue this way in the future”.

In order to reach this point, OHL’s CEO explained that Spanish companies have taken on a thorough internationalization process and a “learning curve”. In this regard, Josep Piqué pointed out that both geopolitical and technological risks need to be taken into account. “It is essential for the construction sector to join the digital revolution in order to undertake the challenges of the XXI century”. Thus, he pointed out the incorporation of BIM (Building Information Modeling) in OHL’s construction projects, as well as the installation of sensors and the use of drones to monitor the performance of key parameters in works projects.

Furthermore, he pointed out that in a global market such as the one where Spanish construction companies operate, it is essential to have a balanced and well-diversified portfolio, by project size, geography and typology/specialization; “balanced projects help diversify and balance out any risks”. 

Josep Piqué in the Spain Builds event where the project to extend the Panama Canal was introduced.