Manlleu, Dolors Altarriba
A hundred people from different areas participated this Thursday in the first session of the Economic and Social Forum, the participation tool that should serve the consistory for the improvement of the city’s economy. The day counted on two talks that inaugurated it. The first was given by Xavier Ferràs, dean of the Faculty of Economics of UVic, who spoke on “Innovation: a pending challenge in Osona and Catalonia”. The data that was released in the room, filled to overflow, clearly showed that the whole country, Spain, is in the queue for innovation and development, and although it started with an optimistic tone the most frightening was at the end, when he found that To be at the level of Israel – the first of the ranking – needs in Spain 130 years, 108 to be like Finland, 60 to be like Germany or 25 to be like Euskadi. And is that this part of Spain “is the only one that has maintained a dignified position in recent years and there they connect, as in a microclimate, knowledge with the company.”
Ferràs added that Catalonia is a scientific power “that is published a lot, as much as Israel, but then this is not transferred to the industry”. Nor does it help, he said, “the little investment from the administration and the obstacles to carry it out that suffer the companies”.
Low self-esteem, one of the points to fight
It emerged in the three working groups: trade, industry and primary sector
With a punctuality worthy of admiration, 2/4 of 2 of Thursday, the first tables of work of the FES were closed ii they began to explain the conclusions. The low self-esteem that the Manlleans have in general is one of the elements that floated in the room. In the same space but separated, there were between 20 and 30 people in three tables: trade, services and leisure, agriculture and livestock and industry. There were voluntarily representatives of these sectors, who then explain the conclusions they had reached and presented the proposals that came to them and which EL 9 NUEVO will publish in the Monday edition along with those to be announced on Friday .
The forum continues this Friday morning with the meeting of three more working tables: the new economy, culture, sports and tourism, and the social table. Before, there will be a conference by Xavier Rubio, technician of Social and Solidarity Economy Commissioner of the Barcelona City Council. He will talk about “The new economy as motor of local development”. The event will be closed by the Secretary General of Labor, Social Affairs and Families, Josep Ginesta, and the Mayor, Alex Garrido.
Eloi Montcada: “I change the title, I will tell you” Towards the energy transition “
The second talk that opened the forum on Thursday was entitled “The energy efficiency action plan, an opportunity for strategic planning, an opportunity for strategic planning for Manlleu.” But Eloi Moncada, Lavola’s consultant, decided that he would call it “The Energy Transition” because, he said, “it’s the way to get to the point and that’s what we have to do.There are no energy resources for everyone, Energy is expensive and climate change is a fact. ” For him, this energy change is a clear “business opportunity” and can be done “uniting efforts.” He put as an example how a wine company made the change to see that it could take advantage of the pruning remains of the vineyards as energy. “It was necessary to seek the complicity of the administration of his people, the president of the cooperative of which he is a part and an entrepreneur who does gardening with a social insertion company,” explained Moncada, but “among all was achieved in Two years to create jobs, improve the environment and an economic solution for the entrepreneur. ”
The head of Lavola also spoke of figures. At Manlleu every year, 40 million euros are spent on energy. To reduce it, he said, we must work together administration, citizenship and company.
