The president of the Spanish Maritime Cluster, Alejandro Aznar, delivered his entry speech at the Royal Academy of the Sea, an entity of which he is also its new president

The Spanish Institute of Engineering brought together the numeraries of the Royal Academy of the Sea, as well as various personalities from the maritime sector to welcome the new President of the Academy, Mr Alejandro Aznar, president of the CME. With Eduardo Serra Rexich, Vice President of the Royal Academy of the Sea, as master of ceremonies, Aznar delivered the speech "The Aznar family and its commitment to the maritime interests of Spain"in which he narrated the history of his family, always linked to the sea and, especially, to the Spanish merchant navy. In this regard, the president of the CME showed his intention to relaunch the merchant navy of our country, as his ancestors did.

Aznar highlighted the involvement of six generations, both in the private and public sphere of the sector, always following the same premise, to reconcile the interests of the different maritime actors in search of a common position for improvement and defence of them. Promotors of various business initiatives in northern Spain, members of the Aznar family unhesitated for a sector that was boosted by a promising future in Spain. Thus, they began their journey on the naval in 1830, dedicated themselves to the running of ships and, subsequently to the creation of maritime companies such as the Bilbaine Navigation Company or the Euskalduna Company, for the construction and repair of ships.

After a period of crisis, which urged the family to disband some of its businesses, in 1906 the Ibaizábal Company of Remolkers was created, followed by the birth of the Aznar or the Bilbaina Naviera; and its involvement in the associative landscape of the sector, intervening in some organizations aimed at the promotion and development of the naval. The beginning of Alejandro Aznar in the maritime segment took place in 1982, assuming the responsibility of the family companies and leading a new stage of growth and renewal. Like his ancestors, Aznar is involved in the struggle for the interests of the sector through his presidency in different organizations such as the Spanish Maritime Cluster, the Association of Spanish Ships (ANAVE), or the Association of Basque Ships.

Federico Esteve Jaculot, the Academy numerary and president of honor of the CME, highlighted the long business career of the Aznar family, as well as the merits accredited by Alejandro to represent the Royal Academy of the Sea, placing him as one of the most relevant personalities of the Spanish shipping sector of these years.

With his new appointment as President of the Royal Academy of the Sea, Aznar aims to bring together all the actors in the sector, in order to improve their competitiveness. "Assuming the presidency of the Royal Academy of the Sea, my challenge is to reactivate its mission, which is nothing more than to value the culture of the sea, restoring the maritime tradition of Spain. To that end, we are building links between this and the Royal Naval League, to pursue the same ends together. In short, to seek the collaboration of all the actors of the maritime world," said the president of the CME. "My commitment is to integrate and strengthen a single voice that can explain our complex world in the different spaces in which we move", Aznar clarified.