Speaking to a group of business leaders, politicians and institutions under the heading “SEAT – vision of the future for the automotive industry”, Dr. Rabe identified three of the major priorities currently being dealt with by carmakers: car connectivity, enhanced active and passive safety measures and reducing CO2emissions.

‘between 2006 and 2014 SEAT lowered CO2 emissions by 21%, partly due to innovations such as engine optimisation, improved aerodynamics and by producing more lightweight vehicles,’ commented Dr. Rabe.

He went on to say that the company already sells vehicles fuelled by compressed natural gas (Leon TGI and Mii Ecofuel – not sold in UK) and it possesses the technological know-how to promote electric vehicles as soon as market conditions are favourable.

SEAT’s Technical Center, based at the Martorell site, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. ‘SEAT is the largest industrial investor in R&D in Spain and having these facilities makes us fully prepared to address the challenges of the car of the future,’ said Dr. Rabe. In the last five years, SEAT has invested more than €1400m in R&D.

 At the forum, SEAT executive committee president Jürgen Stackmann highlighted last year’s performance figures by announcing that the Martorell plant closed 2014 with a total of 442,677 vehicles produced, an increase of 13.5% (52, 629 vehicles) over 2013.

‘Thanks to the increase in production, last year we hired more than 800 temporary workers and since January, 350 of those workers have signed permanent contracts,’ said Stackmann. ‘We are looking forward to 2015 with optimism. We are going to open more than 100 dealerships, 90% of them in Europe, and our objective is to consolidate the sales growth of the last two years.’

Also present at the round table was Miguel Sebastián, former Spanish minister for industry, tourism and commerce, who contributed with his vision for the future of the automotive industry by pointing out the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure ongoing investments in innovation.