CIBITEC 2026: Real Industry, Strategic Autonomy, and Critical Raw Materials.

I attended CIBITEC 2026 on behalf of Leapman S.L, in a conference that left a very clear underlying idea: Europe cannot speak seriously about strategic autonomy if it does not reinforce its industrial base, its value chains, and its access to raw materials.

The energy transition, digitalization, automotive, food, industrialized construction, and metallurgy depend, ultimately, on a very concrete reality: materials, energy, factories, technology, and execution capability.

The conference began with the panel discussion on the industrialization of construction, moderated by Javier Alonso, CEO of Antana Arquitectura y Construcción, with the participation of Sergio Retamero, General Manager of Avintia Industrial; José Manuel Garcilópez, Director of Industrialized Construction at Saint-Gobain; Tatiana Moya, Procurement Director at Lignum Tech; and Miguel Ángel Santos, Residential Building Business Director at Molins.

The main message was that construction needs to move toward more industrialized models to gain productivity, schedule control, quality, and efficiency. Industrialization should not be seen only as a technological trend, but as a necessary response to structural problems in the sector: costs, lack of labor, execution uncertainty, and the need to build more and better.

The second panel addressed the strategic autonomy of food, moderated by Paloma Sánchez, Director of Competitiveness and Sustainability at FIAB. Participants included Tomás Pascual, President of Calidad Pascual; Luciano García Carrión, Vice President of García Carrión; and Jorge Durán, Commercial Director of Digital Industries at Siemens.

An especially relevant idea appeared in this session: even sectors seemingly far removed from mining depend on a solid industrial and material base. We are all depending on real mining, although many times we are not fully aware of it. It was also stressed that certain materials, such as copper, have a positive and necessary role in the industrial transition, and that even more questioned materials, such as plastic, must be analyzed from the perspective of use, life cycle, and the specific industrial context.

One of the most direct reflections was the link between sustainability and economic efficiency: sustainability is savings. This idea connects very well with business reality. Sustainability cannot be limited to regulatory compliance or corporate communication; it must translate into efficiency, consumption reduction, process optimization, competitiveness, and resilience.

After the coffee break, the conference entered one of its most relevant blocks: the automotive industry. The initial lecture was given by Joaquín Catalá, Deputy Director General for Management and Execution of Industrial Programs for Innovation and Digitalization at the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. Subsequently, the panel was moderated by José López-Tafall, Director General of ANFAC, and counted with the participation of Antonio González, Director of Institutional Relations at Stellantis Iberia; Edgar Costa, Head of Legal & GRC at PowerCo, Volkswagen Group; Alejandro Oliva, Business Development Director at Repsol; Íñigo Trasmonte, Head of Marketing & PR at BYD Spain; and Víctor Sánchez, Project Engineer and Technical Sales Manager at Bosch Manufacturing Solutions Spain.

In this block, it became clear that the electric vehicle is not just a debate about cars, but about complete industrial value chains. The battery can represent around 30% of the vehicle's value, which completely changes the discussion. If Europe does not master raw materials, cells, batteries, electronics, and manufacturing capacity, it will hardly be able to lead the transition toward the electric vehicle.

It was also pointed out that Europe does not currently dominate battery raw materials. This dependency conditions industrial deployment. In this context, PowerCo's project in Sagunto, linked to the Volkswagen Group, was highlighted as the first major battery project in Spain, with an approximate investment of 3 billion euros, the first battery planned for 2026, and production in 2027. It was also recalled that Asia-Pacific is years ahead in battery cells, which highlights the European urgency.

The participation of BYD, represented by Íñigo Trasmonte, left several important ideas. BYD's vertical integration appears as one of its great competitive advantages: it is not just about manufacturing vehicles, but about controlling technology, batteries, and the supply chain. Its goal is not simply to sell electric cars, but to lead the transition toward the electric vehicle globally. Its first European factory in Hungary was also mentioned, as well as the development of fast-charging infrastructures, with references to flash charging systems and power capacities of up to 1 MW.

However, the transition will not be immediate or linear. During the panel, it was pointed out that less than 15% of Europeans currently buy a 100% electric car. This data helps to understand why several technological solutions will continue to coexist for years: electric vehicles, hybrid engines, and renewable fuels.

The abatement cost was also addressed, pointing out that in certain cases it can be higher in some electric vehicles compared to solutions based on renewable fuels. This is a relevant idea because it forces an analysis of the energy transition not only from the final technology, but also from the perspective of cost, efficiency, available infrastructure, and the full cycle.

The final block was dedicated to materials and metallurgy. The panel was moderated by Carlos Martínez de Albornoz, Member of the Advisory Board of the Official Association of Industrial Engineers of Madrid, with the participation of Luis Peiró, General Manager of Cedinox; Clemente González, President of Alibérico; Esther Alonso, General Manager of Energy Transition and Sustainability at Atlantic Copper; and Víctor Ruiz, Rail Commercial Director at ArcelorMittal.

This panel connected directly with the debate on the Critical Raw Materials Act and European strategic autonomy. One of the central ideas was that Europe cannot afford to continue exporting scrap and strategic secondary materials if those materials are needed to feed its own industrial chains.

Furthermore: in accordance with the CRMA objectives, Europe should ban or severely restrict the export of scrap and critical secondary materials to ensure that they are recycled, processed, and reincorporated within the European economy.

It is not simply about recycling more. It is about recycling generating industrial capacity, employment, knowledge, and added value within Europe. If Europe exports secondary materials and later imports processed products, it will continue to depend on third parties and weaken its own industrial base.

An especially graphic comparison was raised during the panel: China has learned to produce, the United States dominates technology, and Europe tends to regulate. That phrase sums up the European dilemma very well. Regulation is necessary, but not sufficient. Strategic autonomy requires permits, investment, factories, mining, metallurgy, recycling, and real execution capacity.

Copper was one of the most relevant materials in the debate. There is copper and reserves for decades, but the problem is not just the existence of the resource. The real bottleneck is in the capacity to open new mines. In Europe, bringing a mine into production can take an average of around ten years. That reality clashes head-on with the urgency of the energy and digital transition.

Recycling was also discussed. Currently, around 30% of copper is recycled, with Europe aiming for much higher levels, close to 50%. In addition, electronic scrap was mentioned as a new goldmine, although still with a limited capacity. This point is important because it shows that recycling will be essential, but it will not completely replace the need for primary mining.

In the case of aluminum, the intervention of Clemente González, President of Alibérico, highlighted the industrial importance of this material. The industrial presence of Alibérico was emphasized, including its activity in Spain and references such as the Sabiñánigo factory. A key advantage of aluminum was also recalled: it can be recycled many times with very little energy. This makes it a strategic material for sectors such as automotive, aeronautics, construction, and advanced industry.

The conclusion of CIBITEC 2026 is clear: European strategic autonomy will not be achieved solely with goals, declarations, or regulation. Europe needs to produce more, process more, recycle more within its territory, and open the mining and industrial projects it needs to sustain the energy and digital transition.

European industry has capabilities, knowledge, and top-tier companies. But it also has a problem with speed, permits, financing, and industrial vision. We all know that in Europe a mine can take ten or fifteen years to open.

The question is simple: can we afford those timeframes?

CIBITEC 2026 left precisely that reflection. If Europe wants to lead the energy transition, electric automotive, digitalization, industrialized construction, and the food industry of the future, it must accept a basic reality: without raw materials, without mining, without metallurgy, and without complete value chains, strategic autonomy will remain more of an aspiration than a reality.

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