{"id":27080,"date":"2026-10-13T09:56:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T07:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/investinnavarra.com\/los-procesos-productivos-clave-para-que-la-automocion-europea-compita-con-china\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T09:58:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T07:58:35","slug":"production-processes-key-to-european-automotive-competitiveness-against-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/investinnavarra.com\/en\/production-processes-key-to-european-automotive-competitiveness-against-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Production processes key to European automotive competitiveness against China"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 200 professionals from industry, research and government gathered in Pamplona for the sixth Smart Green Mobility (SGM) forum. Organised by the technology centre NAITEC and the Government of Navarra, the forum examined how Chinese competition, tariffs, electrification and artificial intelligence are reshaping the mobility sector.<\/h3>\n

Held at the Baluarte Congress Centre and Auditorium of Navarra, the event highlighted the strategic weight of the automotive industry in Navarra\u2019s economy. Navarra has the highest share of industrial GDP of any Spanish region. Around a quarter of that industrial wealth is linked to the automotive sector, which generates 45 of every 100 euros the region exports.<\/p>\n

Collaboration to compete<\/h4>\n

Txus Pintor, Managing Director of NAITEC, opened the forum with a warning: \u201cChina is here; it is already in Europe.\u201d He called for anticipating change and for an electrification strategy that keeps production, jobs and wealth in Europe. To achieve this, he urged closer collaboration between technology centres, universities and companies, particularly on production processes.<\/p>\n

Juan Luis Garc\u00eda, Regional Minister for Universities, Innovation and Digital Transformation, stressed that \u201cno single organisation can drive a transformation of this scale on its own\u201d. He also underlined the need to strengthen Navarra\u2019s competitiveness, create quality jobs and advance the green and digital transitions.<\/p>\n

A new global landscape<\/h4>\n

Sergio Caballero, of Nebrija University, described the current period as an \u201cinterregnum\u201d of change. He warned that protectionist tariffs could backfire and accelerate electrification and the energy transition, and advised companies to focus on business diplomacy and sustainability.<\/p>\n

According to Jorge Ju\u00e1rez, Corporate Director of Innovation and Marketing at Antolin, China is redefining competitiveness in the sector: on top of quality, cost and industrial capacity, it has added \u201cthe speed to learn, develop and reach the market\u201d. He explained the company\u2019s approach of developing in China for China and supporting Chinese manufacturers as they expand internationally. He also described collaboration with NAITEC as key support for Antolin and other suppliers.<\/p>\n

Jaime Borrell, Business Development & Public Affairs Director at Alstom Spain and Portugal, explained that geopolitics and climate change are already shaping railway design. Alstom has hydrogen and battery trains in commercial service, and a team of more than 100 people working on AI, which is advancing fastest in maintenance and fault diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Artificial intelligence: from promise to the factory floor<\/h4>\n

The roundtable \u201cFrom the promise of Artificial Intelligence to industrial reality\u201d brought together three speakers:<\/p>\n