One of the most unusual features of the automotive industry is the lack of recognition. A whole range of people and organizations are working non-stop just to make the European automotive industry more competitive. And yet neither the authorities or society in general tend to reward work done in an industry that, in terms of management, quality, technology, jobs, taxes and so on, is of vital importance to today’s economy.

In the Basque Country, we are making a modest contribution towards changing the trend. For the last three years, the ACICAE Automotive Awards have acknowledged time, effort and industriousness that otherwise almost always remain anonymous. In previous editions, awards have gone to individuals like Xabier Etxeberria, Operational System Director at GKN Driveline Driveshafts and José María Aldekoa, former Director of the Mondragón Automotive Division, and firms like Mercedes Benz Vitoria, TRW, Microdeco and GUREAK. Not forgetting, of course, the key role of the media: trade magazines like AutoRevista and publishing houses like Grupo Vocento have also been singled out for recognition. And in just a few days we’ll know who’s taken the latest awards.