The President of Cantabria, María José Sáenz de Buruaga, noted that the new electronics area of SEG Automotive in Treto (Bárcena de Cicero) positions the Community of Cantabria as a «leader in cutting-edge technology», while consolidating the plant workforce, currently some 700 employees, and serving to further strengthen the industrial capacity of the region, especially in the eastern region of the Community.

Buruaga and the Minister of Industry, Jordi Hereu, inaugurated this new initiative, representing an investment of over 20 million euros, «the largest investment in the plant in many years», of which the Government of Cantabria contributed almost 3 million euros, largely through SODERCAN, with a further 9 million from the EU Next Generation fund, through the MOVES Singular Projects II program of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

Under the name IHI (In-House-Inverter), the project completes the «100% made in Treto» production of the 48V BRM hybrid alternator, including the inverter or electronic unit previously produced elsewhere and which will now also be manufactured in Cantabria. According to company forecasts, by 2025 the 3,000 square metre space, housed within the plant and constructed in less nine months, will employ some 50 highly qualified personnel.

For the President, today marks a «great victory against the threat of delocalisation and industrial decline», thanks to an initiative that creates added-value and gives competitive advantage through the “know-how” based in Treto which has a «very promising future».

For this reason, the first words in the opening ceremony were to thank SEG Automotive for their commitment to the region and to congratulate the company on an achievement that will be a source of pride for Cantabria and which will mark a «before and after» in the development of the plant.

Furthermore, the President noted that this project represents a prime example of the “firm commitment” of the Government to work hand in hand with private enterprise in the “sustainable reindustrialisation” of the Cantabria, taking advantage of the “dual green and digital transition”. It is also, she added, an example of the “change of course” initiated by Cantabria to open the doors to investment and innovation, to create employment, attract talent and generate prosperity.

María José Sáenz de Buruaga reiterated her commitment and that of her government in continuing to support SEG as it has in the past through R&D+i projects in the automotive sector, agreements for direct support in developing the inverter, the ‘Talent and Employment’ and ‘Investigo’ programs, or the latest line of SODERCAN subsidies for large-scale projects to boost competitiveness, among other initiatives.

Accompanying the head of the Cantabrian government and the minister in the inauguration of the new facilities was the president of the CEOE-CEPYME in Spain, Antonio Garamendi; the Minister of Industry and SODERCAN president, Eduardo Arasti; the Government representative, Eugenia Gómez de Diego; the mayor of Bárcena de Cicero, Gumersindo Ranero; the CEO of SEG Automotive, Ferdinando Sorrentino, and the director of the Treto plant, Iñaki Calvo, among others.

The project

The project, first launched by SEG Automotive Treto in 2019, represents an important step forward in terms of technology and expertise for the Cantabrian plant, refitted to manufacture not only hardware but also software for 48V BRM alternators.

The model, installed in hybrid cars from leading manufacturers, offers fuel savings of up to one to two litres per 100 kilometres, depending on the model. It can also serve as an electric motor in light electric vehicles such as motorcycles or bicycles a sector in which the company is also active.

The bulk of the investment is earmarked to prepare the plant to manufacture inverters. The new facility will include laboratories and some 50 high-precision machines that require strict temperature controls, cleanliness and safety protocols.

SEG Automotive, a manufacturer of components for the mobility industry, is present in 14 countries around the world. The Treto plant principally manufactures alternators for internal combustion engines and 48V machines for self-charging or mild hybrid vehicles.

FUENTE: OFICINA DE COMUNICACIÓN GOBIERNO DE CANTABRIA