04 & 05 November 2025
Halls 1, 2, 4 & 6, IFEMA, Madrid
05 & 06 November 2025
Halls 8 & 10, IFEMA, Madrid
04 & 05 November 2025
Halls 1, 2, 4 & 6, IFEMA, Madrid
05 & 06 November 2025
Halls 8 & 10, IFEMA, Madrid
EWe interviewed David Valle Rodríguez, General Director of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Community of Madrid, who leaves us a message for the industry, he tells us first hand how he thinks the economic recovery of our industry will be, if he believes the situation has accelerated the industry 4.0 approach process, and what events like MetalMadrid can do to speed recovery.
“I’ve been a customer of the MetalMadrid trade fair since its second edition and have been a great showcase for the high level of technology, production, and sales of industry in the Community of Madrid, both in traditional and high-tech sectors, with companies with many years of experience alongside newly established startups.”
How do you see the current situation of our industry and how do you think the economic recovery will be?
Spanish and Madrid-based industry are currently facing an enormous transformation process in an increasingly demanding and competitive world, in which, as we have just experienced, disruptive changes are emerging, requiring a great capacity for adaptation.
The globalization model that has characterized recent years, with very low production costs but long logistics chains, over which it is difficult to maintain control, is very likely to undergo a profound transformation as a consequence of the health crisis we have experienced.
There is great concern in our country and in the countries around us about the direction this transformation will take, but I dare to suggest some of the main drivers that will guide the new productive and economic model: safety, energy and environmental sustainability, social commitment, technology, and speed. The consequence will be a global transformation of productive models, and I am convinced that Madrid’s industry and economy are capable of successfully facing it.
“I want to thank MetalMadrid for the opportunity for growth and development it represents for the industry in Madrid and throughout Spain.”
What message would you convey to all companies in the industrial sector right now?
Industry in general, and Madrid’s industry in particular, has been characterized by its high level of resilience, its ability to overcome challenges and adapt, with a high level of innovation, high levels of exports, and employment stability above other economic sectors.
Although we are in a difficult situation, I am convinced that industry, and as part of it, entrepreneurs, managers, and workers, will be able to turn this crisis into an opportunity. The Community of Madrid will be at their side to support them, and a good example of this is the Industrial Plan, a document that advocates for a more competitive, technologically advanced, and environmentally friendly production model. It has a total budget of €585 million to develop 36 instruments and three flagship initiatives, and which has been agreed upon with social stakeholders. This plan will be an important tool to help Madrid’s companies become even more competitive.
“I want to highlight the high level of quality, services, and solutions offered by the fair.”
The traditional concept of industry has changed a lot in the era of new technologies. Do you think that thanks to the state of emergency, companies have come closer to becoming Industry 4.0?
The traditional concept of industry has changed, but the fundamental principle remains the same: being able to meet customer needs with higher levels of quality, greater speed, lower costs, and with the least impact on society. The digital transformation of companies is a very powerful tool for achieving these goals and, thus, becoming more competitive. Companies that fail to recognize this reality will have more difficulty adapting to the future and surviving. In this regard, it is worth highlighting the aid approved by the Governing Council of the Community of Madrid on April 22nd for the Industry 4.0 program, which, with a budget of €4 million, aims to facilitate the digital transformation of industrial SMEs in the region during 2020.
MetalMadrid 2019, the leading industrial innovation fair, opened. What did you think of the event? Do you consider these types of events necessary for the acceleration and recovery of our industry?
I have been familiar with and, as a client, have visited the MetalMadrid trade fair since its second edition. I would like to emphasize, first, that this fair is an excellent showcase of the high technological, productive, and commercial level of industry in the Community of Madrid, both in traditional and high-tech sectors, with companies with many years of experience alongside newly established companies. Second, I would like to highlight the high level of quality, services, and solutions offered by the fair. Companies come to a trade fair, on the one hand, to find solutions to their equipment and technology needs, and on the other, to offer their proposals. My visits to the fair were as a potential client, and I would like to say that I found solutions for what I was looking for. I would like to thank MetalMadrid for the opportunity for growth and development it represents for the industry in Madrid and throughout Spain.
