The Digital Transformation Observatory ‘Digital Eye’ is an initiative launched by the University of Málaga and Málaga TechPark, which consolidates all the joint actions on technological innovation carried out by both entities.
Innovation and Training as Pillars of the Digital Transformation of Industry’ was the title of the seminar given by Pedro Mier, president of AMETIC, before the presentation of the 2023 seminar series.
The seminar was precededthe presentation of the Cybersecurity Cluster, an initiative of the local technology and innovation ecosystem which, with global projection, will be coordinated by the Digital Eye Observatory and Google, and which was attended by more than 40 companies with an interest in cybersecurity.
The Digital Transformation Observatory ‘Digital Eye,’ launched by the University of Málaga and Málaga TechPark, has held the first of its seminars led by the President of Ametic, Pedro Mier, entitled ‘Innovation and Training as Pillars of the Digital Transformation of Industry.’ During the same, Mier has discussed the search for new opportunities to exploit new markets and innovate in technologies, processes, products and services by technology companies.
In addition, the president of Ametic has shown that thanks to Digital Transformation, companies and non-technological industries are beginning to adopt new changes, which will mean looking for new ways of working and training employees.
He also talked about how companies in this sector lead the market and are characterised, compared to their competitors, by the continuous development of new technological tools to meet the needs of their customers; and how digital technologies have changed the way of connecting and creating value with customers.
During the event, the programme of conferences and seminars ‘Digital Wednesdays at the Green Lemon’ of the Digital Eye observatory, which will take place during the next year, was also announced, as well as the topics to be addressed in them.
The Seminar Plan for 2023 will take place on the third Wednesday of each month, in The Green Lemon space, and will cover both transversal and specialised topics. Thus, in January the theme will be Microelectronics; in February, the Digital Kit (national and regional grants); in March, 5G; in April, Artificial Intelligence; in May, Digital Transformation in the Aerospace Industry; in June, Cybersecurity; in July, Big Data; in September, Blockchain; in October, Cloud Computing; in November, Internet of Things and, in December, Digital Transformation in the Civil Service.
Cybersecurity Cluster
Before Pedro Mier’s seminar, the Cybersecurity Cluster, coordinated by the Observatorio Digital Eye and Google, was presented and launched.
In this way, the commitment of Málaga’s socio-economic environment to Cybersecurity, which dates back to the 1990s and which has not stopped growing favourably since then, both in the city and in the province, has become one of the most active Cybersecurity hubs at a national level. So much so, that in the list of the best universities in Spain ranked according to their research performance in Cybersecurity, the University of Málaga is in first place in Spain, 30th in Europe and 126th in the world according to Edurank: https://edurank.org/cs/cybersecurity/es/.
The director of Málaga TechPark, Felipe Romera, said of the cluster: ‘It is an initiative that arose after the pandemic and in parallel to the creation of the Málaga TechPark Execs Executives Club, where working groups were created and through which the Digital Transformation Observatory ‘Digital Eye’ was born, closely linked to digital transformation. One of the first actions, in addition to specialised customised training, is the constitution of the Málaga Cybersecurity Cluster.’
The Vice-Chancellor for Business, Territory and Digital Transformation of the University of Málaga, Francisco Javier López Muñoz, has stated, concerning the constitution of the cluster that has been proposed to start today, that ‘acting together cohesively will bring many more advantages to the cybersecurity sector in the city than carrying out individual and disconnected initiatives,’ and has emphasised the positioning of Málaga within the sector, emphasising the need for participation of all the companies present.
Bernardo Quintero, Security Engineering Director at Google, said: ‘We must be humble and aware that we are very small compared to other cybersecurity clusters such as Silicon Valley, Washington or Israel, but these initiatives have shown that the model works. We have common interests and finding that win-win line is the goal.’
Among the cluster’s objectives are:
- Encourage cooperation through joint actions that generate benefits.
- Promote the visibility and competitiveness of the members.
- Boost public-private collaboration with the Public administration in the field of cybersecurity.
- Raise awareness throughout the economic and social fabric of the critical importance of cybersecurity.
- Promote Málaga as a cybersecurity hub in Spain and internationally.
- Collaborate with the UMA and other entities for the training and generation of talent.
- Create initiatives to develop and strengthen the cybersecurity sector.
In this context, the collective development of the sector, which is organised in this way as a community, is fundamental to consolidating and maintaining the strengths that help the Málaga cybersecurity ecosystem to advance as a unique and differentiating element on the national and international scene.
The presentation of the Cybersecurity Cluster was attended by 60 representatives of 45 companies from different sectors but mainly focused on cybersecurity.
About Digital Eye
The Digital Eye Observatory, launched jointly by the University of Málaga and Málaga Tech Park, aims to help companies, organisations and institutions in the field of digital transformation. In this context, Digital Eye was created to integrate and concentrate efforts in this area, as well as carry out functions of dissemination, promotion, training, advice and technological innovation in this area, leading to better strategic positioning and decision-making by companies and institutions with implications in the sector.
The activities carried out by the Observatory will focus on four main objectives:
- To function as a meeting point to identify future trends, emerging technologies and their impact on the business fabric.
- To act as a core generator of valuable information for technological development.
- Act as a training point for continuous adaptation to the digital transition.
- Actively promote cutting-edge ideas and projects for technological development.