Fernando Alarcón de la Lastra appointed President of the Andalucía Aerospace Cluster
The new President outlines a new phase focused on cluster growth, internationalisation, innovation, public–private collaboration, and the advancement of the Andalusian aerospace sector
The General Assembly of the Andalucía Aerospace Cluster has appointed Fernando Alarcón de la Lastra, CEO of Canagrosa, as the new president of the Andalucía Aerospace Cluster, marking a new stage at the helm of the cluster that represents the Andalusian aerospace sector.
Fernando takes over from Antonio Gómez-Guillamón, co-founder and CEO of Aertec Solutions, who has chaired the cluster since its founding. Under his leadership, Andalucía Aerospace has experienced a significant period of growth and consolidation, surpassing 100 member companies and strengthening its role as the representative of the Andalusian aerospace sector before national and international administrations and organizations.
During his remarks following the appointment, Alarcón de la Lastra thanked the outgoing president for his work over the past years and highlighted the cluster’s growth and consolidation, noting that Andalucía Aerospace is today “much more than a collection of companies; it is a community of talent, innovation, and shared effort”.
The new president takes office with a message focused on continuing the work already done and strengthening the cluster as a space for collaboration among companies, technology centers, and universities, as well as on expanding the business base and fostering new opportunities for collaboration within the sector.
Among the main lines of work for this new phase, Alarcón de la Lastra emphasized the importance of strengthening the working committees as spaces for generating knowledge and new projects, promoting the internationalization of companies in the sector, and continuing to prioritize innovation as one of the fundamental pillars of the aerospace sector, stating that “internationalization is not just an opportunity; it is a necessity for continued growth” and that “innovation is part of the aerospace sector’s DNA”.
He also highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration and institutional support for the sector’s growth, noting the need to continue advancing the Andalusian Aerospace Strategy, promote the availability of new industrial land, and strengthen the energy infrastructure necessary to facilitate the establishment and growth of new companies in the region.
In this context, the new president noted that the Andalusian aerospace sector is at a pivotal moment, marked by major challenges such as aviation sustainability, disruptive new technologies, the growth of the space sector, and the strengthening of the defense industry in Europe, challenges that also present significant opportunities for Andalusia and the companies in the cluster.
During his speech, Alarcón de la Lastra emphasized that people are the Andalusian aerospace sector’s greatest asset, noting that “the true value of the sector lies not only in the numbers or contracts, but in the people who, every day, make it possible for our companies to keep moving forward”.
Alarcón de la Lastra begins this new stage with a commitment to continue working toward a cluster that serves its member companies, fostering cooperation, innovation, internationalization, and growth within the Andalusian aerospace sector, thereby helping to strengthen its position both nationally and internationally.
Finally, he concluded his remarks with a message of continuity and collaboration within the cluster: “The legacy we have received drives us forward, and we will continue to build the future that lies ahead together. Because together, we fly higher”.
New Board of Directors for Andalucía Aerospace
In addition to the change in leadership, the General Assembly of Andalucía Aerospace also approved the formation of the cluster’s new Board of Directors, which will consist of Juan Manuel Montaño, CEO of Grupo Sevilla Control, as vice president; Antonio Zafra, Director of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Aertec Solutions, as treasurer; and José Avilés, Director of Human Resources at Rhenus Logistics, as secretary.
Joining as members are Juan González Blanch, Executive Director of Airgrup; Paz Gutiérrez, CEO of Grabysur; Joaquín Rodríguez, CEO of CATEC; Fernando Serrano, Head of Business Development at Titania; Manuel González, CEO of Aeroestructuras de Aciturri; David Núñez, Division Director of HI-Rel Semiconductor at Alter Technology TÜV NORD; Antonio Mena, VP ASP International at SATYS, and Jesús Estepa, Director of ATEXIS Spain.
The General Assembly and the presentation ceremony for the new Board of Directors were attended by numerous representatives from Andalusia’s aerospace industrial ecosystem, as well as from other other industries and the institutional sector. The event was opened by the president of the Confederation of Andalusian Business Leaders (CEA), Javier González de Lara, and closed by the Regional Minister for Universities, Research and Innovation of the Andalusian Regional Government, José Carlos Gómez Villamandos.
