Madrid became this Monday, June 2, 2025, the epicenter of the debate on the challenges of the international environment and the necessary redefinition of business strategies. The Business Forum, held at the emblematic Santoña Palace, brought together prominent representatives of the business community and experts in foreign trade, in a meeting organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of Madrid and the Madrid City Council.
The opening of the day was carried out by Mr. Ángel Asensio, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid, and Mrs. Engracia Hidalgo, Delegate of the Government Area of Economy, Innovation and Finance of the Madrid City Council, who emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration in promoting the external projection of the region's companies.
Mr. Fernando BeltránThe Managing Partner of Financial Advisory at Grant Thornton Spain, delivered a keynote address focused on "The Challenges of the International Environment: Redefining Corporate Strategies." His presentation laid the groundwork for an in-depth analysis of how the uncertainty, the volatility and acceleration of change are shaping the new global economic paradigm. It was emphasized that understanding this context is not only a necessity, but a competitive advantage, and that the key lies in transforming challenges into opportunities for evolution.
In this context, Esther Calvo, representing the entities promoting the forum, highlighted the joint work of the City Council and the Chamber: "We have just come from a business forum on the challenges of the international environment, redefining the company's strategy, and this is part of an agreement that the Madrid City Council has with the Madrid Chamber of Commerce to help and support the internationalization of companies in the city of Madrid.". Calvo detailed the various services offered, from the "Strategic plan, with market information, international promotion, business missions, and personalized services", until the use of "Digital tools to help the company grow in international markets"He stressed that in an environment with multiple variables such as "Geopolitical tensions include Russia and Ukraine. How does all this affect the company? Israel, Gaza, the United States and China, Trump's tariffs, the trade war, the digital aspect, AI.", it is crucial that "The company must act quickly, because globalization is no longer an option, it is a necessity, and it must always be done with the best information so that the company minimizes its risks and is the best it can be."
First-person business experiences
The round table "Strategy, management and environmental risks", moderated by Mr. José Parejo, CEO and Founding Partner of Jose Parejo & Associates, offered practical insight through the experience of companies already successfully navigating international waters.
Gonzalo Mijangos, Advisor to the Board of Ramos STS, shared the history of his company, dedicated to personal protective equipment (PPE): "Our beginnings in exporting date back to 2004, where with a customer follow-up policy, we began to serve large multinational clients wherever they were."Mijangos recounted how, after initial success, they sought advice from the Chamber of Commerce, which led to the creation of branches in Poland, Morocco, and Portugal. Among the difficulties, he mentioned "Ensuring payments, collections, transport, Moroccan customs... and also a factor that often goes unnoticed, which is the human factor at the destination"He thanked the institutional support: "The institutions, the Chamber of Commerce for the longest time, and the City Council more recently. They have truly been an invaluable help."
For its part, Juan Martín Calero, Founder of PPG Studios, explained his motivation for exporting: "Our mission was to export the ideas, the work we do, because we saw that there was a very important business, which is already very consolidated in Spain, and the best way to grow was to export."He highlighted the crucial role of the Chamber of Commerce and the Madrid City Council in its foreign presence: "Thanks to the help of the Madrid City Council, we have managed to become more or less well established."Calero described the process as "very hard, very slow" and highlighted the importance of a physical presence in new markets, mentioning the collaboration with the Dominican Republic Chamber of Commerce for their establishment.
Finally, Adolfo García-Figueras, Chief Business Development Officer of Wiloc Technologies, whose company specializes in solutions for asset tracking, emphasized that "Internationalization is fundamental in the business we're in.". Its solutions are applied in industrial environments with a high concentration of labor, such as the oil & gas or water treatment plants, with a strong presence in "The Middle East, in the Emirates, in Qatar and also in Indonesia, in Asia, in Java"García-Figueras pointed out that internationalization implies "Basically, adapting to the environment from a cultural point of view, from a regulatory point of view, from the point of view of Incoterms or import and export terms of materials."
The forum concluded with a discussion space and networking, allowing attendees to exchange impressions and explore synergies in an environment conducive to strategic reflection on the future of the international BusinessThe day highlighted the need for companies to adopt a agile vision and resilient to transform global challenges into real solutions opportunities for growth and leadership.
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