The Diplomat
King Felipe VI warned yesterday in Palermo that Spain, Italy and Portugal need to promote innovation to acquire “greater prestige and a better position in the international arena” because “the reputation of a country depends largely on its ability to attract and retain talent and, from it, its ability and potential to innovate”.
Feljpe VI pronounced these words during his speech at the closing ceremony of the XVI COTEC Europe Meeting together with the presidents of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, and Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The annual event (organized by the Innovation Foundations of Italy, Portugal and Spain) was held at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo under the theme Innovation in Sustainable Finance and also featured the intervention of the European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, via videoconference. The King was accompanied by Pilar Llop, Minister of Justice.
The King’s presence in Palermo began on Monday, with a tour of the center of the Sicilian capital, accompanied by Mattarella (who was born precisely in this city almost 82 years ago) and Rebelo de Sousa, and continued early yesterday with a visit to the Cathedral of Monreale and the Cloister of Santa Maria la Nuova, one of the twelve monuments of Palermo that were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2015.
Afterwards, the three leaders moved to the Teatro Massimo to speak at the closing of the XVI COTEC Europe Meeting. During his speech, the King highlighted the “determined commitment” of Italy, Portugal and Spain to innovation and warned that the three countries that make up the COTEC alliance must demonstrate their “potential in the knowledge economy” because “the reputation of a country, of our countries, depends largely on its ability to attract and retain talent and, from it, its ability and potential to innovate.” “Therefore, to the extent that they are more innovative, they will achieve greater prestige and a better position in the international arena,” he added.
For his part, Sergio Mattarella warned of the need to act against “the consequences of climate change” and to “remedy inequalities” in the world. “The pandemic and renewed international tensions, starting with the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, have led to a slowdown in economies, with a contraction of spending capacity in all countries and especially in those with lower incomes,” he declared. For this reason, the Italian Presidency of the G20, which will take place in 2024, will promote “coordination with partner countries” in favor of “food security, climate, energy and investments in sustainable infrastructure, with particular reference to the African continent”.
At the same event, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa warned of the “dramatic reality” of climate change and assured that “climate action is inseparable from sustainable development.” “If the world does not change, Europe has an obligation to lead this battle,” added the Portuguese president. To face this “great challenge of the future”, he continued, it is necessary to “be more innovative”, an aspect in which, he admitted, Portugal is below the European average. For his part, Paolo Gentiloni affirmed that “investing in training and research is laying the foundations for sustainable growth”, because “the prosperity of the planet is at stake”.
After the closing of the COTEC Meeting, the three heads of state moved to the Palazzo dei Normanni where a lunch was offered by the President of the Italian Republic in honor of the King and the President of Portugal.
COTEC
The Foundation for Technological Innovation (COTEC) was created in 1990 at the initiative of King Juan Carlos with the aim of promoting innovation as an economic and social engine. The summit, which has been organized since 2005 in a different country each year, in rotational order, brings together the heads of state of Spain, Portugal and Italy, the three countries in which the Foundation (of which the King is Honorary President) is established, together with authorities, businessmen and relevant personalities from the field of research, development and innovation (R&D&I) in Europe.
Since 2017, each meeting has been dedicated to a monographic content. The latest meetings, held in Naples (2019), National Palace of Mafra, near Lisbon (2020), Malaga (2021) and Braga (2020), dealt with the themes of Intangible Economy, Public Administration 4.0, Work 4.0 and Culture and Innovation. Spain has hosted the event five times, the first four in Madrid (2006, 2009, 2012 and 2017) and the 2021 event in Malaga.
