Since the nineties there has been a search to incorporate and improve competition in the energy sector. Solutions have on occasions been very diverse both in Spain and in the rest of Europe, among which special mention should be made of the incorporation of free market competition, the incorporation of renewable sources of energy, and the major development of gas for the generation of electricity..

From the industrial point of view, energy is the key, whether as an input for or inducer of development.

For its part, oil continues to carry great weight in transport and the economy in general, and the consequences of dependency on this resource and the geopolitics of which it forms a part are aspects to be analysed.

In view of the new electricity framework, the recently-established Energy Chair plans to work on four thematic areas:

1. Energy and industry in terms of their aspects of competitiveness and industrial development.
2. Energy from the standpoint of the economy and markets.
3. Transport.
4. Geopolitics of energy.

The aim is thus to try and provide elements for debate that may enable solutions to be considered in order to help achieve economically-effective energy that is also environmentally sustainable and contributes towards competitive and industrial development.