Technologies based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) are beginning to make their way into the railway sector. It comes at a time when the European Union is working both on technological transformation, with specific targets for 2030, and on achieving a cleaner, greener, and smarter mobility, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
A field where they have great potential for their development and where they will play an increasingly prominent role.
Therefore, its integration into the railway field not only represents an opportunity to increase operational efficiency, but it also promotes significant progress in terms of safety and efficiency. At the same time, speeding up the development and implementation of these innovative technologies requires responding to numerous challenges and analysing the evolution of the ongoing innovation projects based on this technology.
In this context, we started the year with the incorporation of four new members, bringing the total to 112 businesses and entities that, under the umbrella of our Association, represent all the sectors and subsectors of the industry value chain.
We also review the latest activities carried out by the Association in recent months and present our agenda for 2024. In terms of activities, it is worth highlighting the celebration, this year, of the InnoTrans fair from 24th to 27th September, where Mafex will once again coordinate the Spanish participation with the support of Icex, being the largest to date with more than 65 companies. In addition, we will celebrate a new edition of Rail Live! at the Palacio de Congresos (Convention Centre) in Zaragoza on 26th and 27th November. We hope to bring together more than 1,500 professionals in an important international event focused on networking and an intense congress programme.
Therefore, we will continue our journey to defend an industry that is a global benchmark with a strong international presence in more than 95 countries, and which generates 30,000 direct jobs in Spain with a railway turnover of more than 6.5 billion euros (more than 8% of industrial GDP). Undoubtedly, a key sector and a driving force, both for our economy and our country image.
The industry as a whole must now respond to the new challenges it faces, both present and future, with the capacity for innovation and commitment that characterises it. And working, as always, together to make the railway the backbone of sustainable mobility.
