Global Mobility Call urges French businesses to join the sustainable mobility movement

After its international presentation at COP26 in Glasgow, Global Mobility Call arrived in France today to engage with leading companies involved in the development of safe, inclusive, connected and sustainable mobility. The presentation of IFEMA MADRID’s new flagship project took place at the Spanish Embassy in Paris.   

Global Mobility Call is aimed at becoming the world's most important event for sustainable mobility in the context of the economic and social recovery following the pandemic. In Madrid on 14-16 June 2022, Global Mobility Call will bring together the leaders all across all sectors involved in the development of sustainable mobility policies and business initiatives.

Global Mobility Call will build on the momentum offered by the NextGenerationEU recovery plan, the largest stimulus package ever seen in Europe, as well as the European Green Deal, the roadmap to make Europe the first carbon- neutral continent by 2050.   

Business and institutional leaders attended the presentation, hosted by the Spanish Embassy and convened by IFEMA MADRID and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in France. Victorio Redondo Baldrich, Spanish Ambassador to France, gave opening remarks and Jose Vicente de los Mozos, Chairman of the Executive Committee of IFEMA MADRID, presented the Global Mobility Call’s vision.

A round table entitled “Sustainable Mobility: imperative and opportunity” took place with the participation of Professor Carlos Moreno from Sorbonne University; Enrique Martinez, CEO of Fnac Darty; Patrice Lafargue, President of Groupe IDEC, and Vincent Cuvillier, CEO of Cellnex Telecom France; and Christine Allard, Director of Communications and Institutional Relations at Groupe Sanef.

They gave their views on the current mobility scenarios and the most immediate initiatives that need to be activated urgently, grasping the momentum and the European institutional support towards in achieving the 2030 Agenda objectives of an ecological transition.  

The Spanish ambassador to France emphasized "the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the field of mobility, such as through this new Global Mobility Call project, to take the lead in the recovery within the European context, with a view towards a green economy that will generate a significant development of projects, in addition to promoting the modernisation and digitisation of the mobility ecosystem, and to impacting economies by generating resources and employment".  

The Chairman of the Executive Committee of IFEMA MADRID, José Vicente de los Mozos, said that "Global Mobility Call represents a step forward in the international projection of IFEMA MADRID and shows the strong commitment not only by the institution but also by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda of the Government of Spain, the main sponsor of the event, with the support from the Regional Government of Madrid, the City Government and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to boost business cooperation towards a green recovery, promoting sustainable, digital and inclusive mobility. We evolve in the context of the imminent recovery after the global crisis caused by the pandemic, with countless business opportunities in the field of sustainable mobility with the support of the European aid to the ecological transition.”  

For their part, participants in the round table highlighted the need for events such as the Global Mobility Call to promote collaboration among actors across all sectors. 

Enrique Martinez, Managing Director of Fnac Darty said: "There are many challenges for the next ten years, and strong investments will be needed. Parcel delivery is a huge challenge, and we will inform consumers of the emissions generated by their deliveries, so that they can make informed choices". 

Christine Allard, Director of Communication and Institutional Relations of the Sanef Group said: “Electric mobility is a big change for a motorway company like ours. We are in the process of equipping all our service areas with fast charging stations. (...) Today, one out of every two motorway service areas are equipped, and our commitment is that by the end of next year all service areas will be equipped”.

Denis Mougeot, Development Director, IDEC Energy, said: "We are changing our traditional activities and we are asking ourselves what we can do with our buildings which are artificialising the land, to produce energy on that land. We can electrify locally with energy produced on site". 

Vincent Cuvillier, CEO of Cellnex Telecom Group France said "Everyone needs to have access to connectivity, and everyone needs to know how to use it. Digital inclusion is very important. The second issue is the amount of energy we use to power connectivity, and this needs to be addressed by reducing consumption, for example by unplugging connected devices when they are not in use".

The presentation of Global Mobility Call in France comes on the heels of the global launch in Madrid earlier this year with the participation of the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sanchez, and after the presentation in Glasgow (UK) during COP26, one month ago. Following Paris, other presentations will take place at business fora in Berlin, London and Lisbon in the coming months, with the goal of sharing the Global Mobility Call’s vision and objectives with key international audiences.  

Global Mobility Call will be a must-attend event for the European sustainable mobility leaders and their global partners who are driving the green recovery while seeking new alliances to export their vision, innovation and know-how worldwide. Global Mobility Call will focus on business initiatives in all countries and across all sectors, initiatives that are transforming the mobility ecosystem through innovation, decarbonisation and inclusion. Global Mobility Call It will promote alliances between businesses and institutions, to jointly seek synergies and opportunities for the innovation and development that have the greatest positive impact on society and the environment.    

Photo caption: From left to right, Patrice Lafargue, President of the IDEC Group; Enrique Martínez, Managing Director of Fnac Darty; José Vicente de los Mozos, President of the Executive Committee of IFEMA MADRID; Vicente Redondo Baldrich, Spanish Ambassador to France; Christine Allard, Director of Communications and International Relations of the Sanef Group; Carlos Moreno, Professor at the Sorbonne University; Arnaud Ardoin, A Smart TV, and Vincent Cuvillier, Managing Director of the Cellnex Telecom Group France.

About Global Mobility Call (GMC) 

Organised by IFEMA MADRID and Smobhub, with the sponsorship and support of the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA), Global Mobility Call (GMC) was created as a strategic event to position Spain as the international hub for sustainable mobility, in a decisive context of post-pandemic recovery and in an environment of business development and investment opportunities fostered by the NextGenerationEU funds, the largest stimulus package ever seen in Europe, as well as the European Green Deal, the roadmap to make Europe the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050. With a global vision, GMC will bring together leaders from all sectors to share their vision for the development of sustainable mobility policies and business initiatives at the Madrid Exhibition Centre from 14-16 June 2022. The combined exhibition and congress format will feature the participation of major companies, corporations and multinationals, as well as leading speakers and institutions around the thematic blocks of Tech, Data & Innovation; New Urban Planning; Economic Development & Regulation; Sustainable Transportation; and Future Society.   

About IFEMA MADRID

IFEMA MADRID is the leading trade fair operator in Spain and one of Europe’s largest. Over more than forty years, it has hosted more than 2,100 trade fairs, congresses and events, with 760,000 participating companies and 100 million visitors. Its business directly impacts the Madrid Region (€5,104 million in 2019) and creates nearly 40,000 jobs in the region.