The 16th Ibero-American Business Meeting is set to be held on 3 and 4 November at the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid, under the theme "Ibero-America facing the challenges of the global economy: strengthening public-private collaboration." This event is part of the XXX Ibero-American Summit and will address key economic challenges facing Ibero-America, with particular emphasis on competitiveness, regional economic integration, innovation and artificial intelligence, energy transition, investment and financing, as well as institutional strengthening.
The presentation of the event took place at the headquarters of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) and featured several prominent figures, including CEOE and CEIB President Antonio Garamendi, Ibero-American Secretary General Andrés Allamand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares, and Secretary of State for Trade Amparo López Senovilla. They all highlighted the importance of enhancing collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive progress in the region.
“We wanted the private sector to contribute its vision and become more involved. Since 2016, it has played an increasingly representative role in the Summits, demonstrating that business organisations can effectively follow up on mandates from political summits through various forums, such as Mipymes or digital transition,” stated Garamendi.
Amparo López Senovilla emphasised that “in an increasingly complex international context, integration and alliances are part of the solution. The challenge now is to incorporate more added value, accelerate technological adoption, and increase productivity. To achieve this, we need more trade, more investment, better infrastructure, and more talent, supported by a public-private collaboration capable of transforming opportunities into sustainable growth.”
Regarding the connection between the Business Meeting and the Summit, Secretary General Andrés Allamand noted the ongoing work by countries on artificial intelligence, which will be solidified with the approval of the Ibero-American Alliance for Artificial Intelligence at the Summit. “We want the Ibero-American Alliance for Artificial Intelligence to include governments, businesses, universities, and financial entities,” he said.
Minister Albares concluded by stating that “Ibero-America is, and must continue to be, a key player in the new international landscape, something we can only achieve if we act united and with a distinct voice for Ibero-America in the world.”
In this 16th edition, as in previous ones, business representatives and heads of state and government from Ibero-America will engage in public dialogue, sharing recommendations and proposals arising from the working sessions to strengthen competitiveness, investment, and regional cooperation.
In recent years, the Business Meeting, organised by CEOE, CEIB, and SEGIB, has reinforced its role as a meeting point for businesses, governments, international organisations, financial institutions, universities, and other key players in the region's economic development, expanding both its reach and its capacity to generate proposals and consensus.
The Ibero-American Business Meetings have been part of the Summit process since 2005 and have established themselves as the main platform for private sector participation in the Ibero-American context. Over more than two decades, they have contributed to incorporating the business perspective into discussions on growth, investment, employment, productivity, and regional integration.
