The CREA Project (Economic Growth and Employment in Andalusia), promoted by Unicaja and the Junta de Andalucía, in collaboration with the Harvard University Growth Lab and the consulting firm Oliver Wyman, has fostered the creation of a working group focused specifically on green growth.
Under this scheme, a round table was organized which was opened by Isidro Rubiales, CEO of Unicaja, and closed by the Regional Minister of Employment, Enterprise and Self-Employment of the Junta de Andalucía, Rocío Blanco. The event was attended by almost a hundred representatives of the business and institutional world.
In his presentation, Isidro Rubiales pointed out that “Andalusia is a well-fertilized field for the implementation of direct initiatives linked to the green economy, with a huge export potential if accompanied by the development of the necessary infrastructures”. He added that “the CREA Project aims to identify the capabilities of the Andalusian autonomous community to exploit its potential and improve its competitive position”.
During her speech, the regional minister stressed that encouraging 'green growth' is an “environmental imperative” and that moving towards a sustainable economy is an extraordinary opportunity to promote innovation and the development of new business models. She also defended the leading position of Andalusia in this framework, “for its wide availability of renewable energy sources, a strong industrial base and a proactive administration”, before ensuring that the CREA Project “will boost the development of this region” and will serve to build a “better Andalusia for the next generations”.
The debate, moderated by María José (Pepa) Chiarri, Sustainability and Climate partner for Spain and Portugal at Oliver Wyman, was attended by Olivia Pilar Infantes, Regulatory Affairs & Subsidies director CEPSA; Francisco Leal, founding partner of Ly Company; Marcos Martín, CEO of Hidralia; Rafael Sánchez, general manager in Andalusia, Extremadura, Ceuta and Melilla of Endesa, and Ricardo Hausmann, director of Harvard's Growth Lab, who previously gave a presentation on green growth strategies.
Among the topics discussed at the round table were renewable energy, green hydrogen, circular economy, water management, technology export and decarbonization.
According to Pepa Chiarri, “sustainable growth is fundamental to building a resilient and prosperous future. By adopting responsible practices, we not only protect the environment, but also boost the local economy. With its wealth of natural resources and commitment to renewable energy, Andalusia has a lot of potential for growth”.
For his part, Ricardo Hausmann stressed that “a world that seeks to decarbonize will need specific goods and services, and Andalusia can become a key supplier, which will mean that the more the world wants to decarbonize, the more exports, growth and employment generation will increase in Andalusia”.
The CREA Project, presented last July, is an innovative and pioneering initiative in Europe, under a scheme of public-private collaboration and the participation of academia, which seeks, as its main objective, to promote sustained and sustainable economic growth in the region. Thus, the Junta de Andalucía, Unicaja and its research company Analistas Económicos de Andalucía, Harvard University and the strategic consulting firm Oliver Wyman have joined forces to analyze Andalusia's potential capabilities in the current and future economic scenario, in order to provide a diagnosis that will enable a roadmap to be drawn up with a view to achieving a better positioning of the Autonomous Community on the new map of European regions. The first results are expected to be presented before the end of the year.
This project has a threefold objective: (i) to identify opportunities for improving the performance of the Andalusian economy, (ii) to analyze the potential of the different industries with a focus on sustained and sustainable economic growth and the creation of quality jobs, and (iii) to calculate the financing and investment needs to address the necessary transformations. The results of these analyses will be compiled in a series of reports that will include concrete actions.
To carry out these analyses, the CREA Project works with economic and employment microdata from Andalusia, complemented by interviews with experts and other qualitative sources. To date, more than 60 data sources have been analyzed and more than 100 interviews have been scheduled, to be carried out over the next two weeks, with the aim of gathering information from different companies and institutions to contextualize the data collected. The methodology used is based on the theory of economic complexity, developed by Professor Ricardo Hausmann, one of the academic directors of the project, as well as advanced schemes for calculating financing needs applied by Oliver Wyman.
About Unicaja
Unicaja is one of the main banks in the Spanish financial system and a listed company in the Ibex 35, with a solid base of four million customers. In fact, it is a reference entity in six autonomous communities, its regions of origin (Andalusia, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León and Extremadura), in addition to being present in other markets such as Madrid, Ceuta and Melilla, where it maintains a traditional presence.
It is characterized by its universal banking and sustainable business model focused on retail business, under a prudent management of its commercial strategy and risk profile, socially responsible, which places quality, innovation and digital transformation as a priority, and incorporates technology to improve customer service and the efficiency of the entity.
About the Regional Ministry of Employment, Enterprise and Self-Employment
The Regional Ministry of Employment, Enterprise and Self-Employment of the Junta de Andalucía, in accordance with the provisions of the Decree of the President 10/2022, of 25 July, has been assigned the autonomous powers of coordination and promotion of the Andalusian Employment Service, with special attention to labor guidance and intermediation, as well as labor relations, both individual and collective; the prevention of labor risks, health and safety at work; the policies favoring equal treatment and opportunities in the labor field; the functional competences over the Labor and Social Security Inspection in employment matters; the vocational training for employment; the encouragement and promotion of self-employment; the social economy; the promotion of the capabilities of the Andalusian companies and the incentive policies for employment, and the competences related to commerce and craftsmanship.
It also relies on the Andalusian Labor Market Permanent Prospection System (Argos Observatory), of the Andalusian Employment Service, for the analysis and study of the behavior of the Andalusian labor market.
About Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman, a Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC) company, is a management consulting firm that combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise to help clients optimize their business, improve operations and accelerate performance. Marsh McLennan is a global leader in risk, strategy and people, advising clients in 130 countries through four businesses: Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer and Oliver Wyman. With annual revenues of $23,000 million and more than 85,000 colleagues, Marsh McLennan helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective.
For further information, visit oliverwyman.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X
About the Harvard University Growth Lab
The Growth Lab (GL) is a research group at Harvard University based at the John F. Kennedy School of Government (HKS). The Growth Lab is a leader in developing knowledge about economic growth and the policies that can help foster sustainable and inclusive growth processes. It has a multidisciplinary team of more than 40 faculty, researchers and associates, and is led by Professor Ricardo Hausmann. In addition to its academic research, the GL conducts collaborative research activities with local actors in order to understand the particularities of growth processes in each context, identify and address the main constraints to growth, and contribute to catalyzing productive opportunities. For more information: https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/ or follow us on X @HarvardGrwthLab.
About Analistas Económicos de Andalucía
Analistas Económicos de Andalucía, a research company of Grupo Unicaja, aims to promote and develop socioeconomic research. Through studies, analysis and activities, it aims to promote a better understanding of the reality of the Andalusian Autonomous Community and its evolution in the national and international context.
