Ignacio Galán: ‘Engineers will be key to driving the electrification of the economy and solving the climate crisis’

The chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, has written an opinion piece published by Time magazine in which he highlights the success of engineers around the world and points out how important these professionals will be as the world tries to drive the electrification of the economy and solve the climate crisis. 

Galán says he was inspired to become an engineer by his great-grandfather, a pioneer of hydroelectric power in Spain, and others who have helped bring Iberdrola to the forefront of the energy transition. 

He points out that the world is facing a shortage of young people with STEM and engineering skills, and highlights research from Iberdrola showing that nearly 8 out of 10 business leaders believe that green skills will be the main driving force behind the energy transition. 

To solve the problem, Galán believes that governments, educational institutions and industry leaders must work together. He points, for example, to the work of Neoenergia, Iberdrola's subsidiary in Brazil, where more than a thousand women have been trained at its School of Electricians. 

The Chairman also mentions new digital platforms such as Global Green Employment or New Career Networks, which are part of the Reskilling 4 Employment initiative of the European Round Table of Industry and which are also helping to address the shortage of professionals. 

To conclude, Galán recalled his recent speech at the University of Comillas in Madrid, where he received an honorary doctorate. There he spoke of how important it will be to educate a new generation of engineers and celebrate their achievements, in order to inspire even more to enter the industry. They will be fundamental to tomorrow's cleaner and fairer society. 

The full article can be read on Time magazine's website, as part of the Time 100 Voices section, which features ideas and perspectives from the world's most influential people: The world needs more engineers to meet clean energy goals | TIME