Spain needs to fill over 4,000 positions in AI and data, with hiring expected to increase 15% by year-end, according to industry leaders at DES – Digital Enterprise Show 2025.
The event, held at FYCMA (Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga) in Málaga from 10-12 June, brought together HR professionals and academics to discuss the growing digital skills gap affecting European businesses.
Lucía Flecha, digital transformation and CIIO office director at Ferrovial, said the biggest shortage is in computer vision profiles. “In AI we are facing the challenge of good governance, and these specialists are not yet plentiful,” she mentioned.
The infrastructure company is grappling with high turnover rates averaging two and a half years. Flecha warned that all workers must upskill to adapt to generative AI and virtual agents.
Rosa Montero, human business partner digital at Airbus, emphasised the need for stronger industry-education partnerships. “The company-educational entity binomial should be essential, basic and constant,” she said.
Not just filling vacancies – creating an attractive ecosystem
Companies are shifting from filling vacancies to creating attractive ecosystems for talent, according to Vanessa Izquierdo, managing director of Sagardoy Business & Law School.
“We are facing a paradigm shift. The process has evolved so that companies are no longer just looking to fill vacancies, but to create an attractive ecosystem for future employees,” said Vanessa Izquierdo, managing director of Sagardoy Business & Law School.
Elisa López, a talent consultant, noted that Generation Z workers seek collaborative environments over traditional management hierarchies. “They don’t want to be middle managers. It’s not that they don’t want to lead, it’s that they are looking for collaborative and more adaptable environments”, he expressed.
About DES
DES – Digital Enterprise Show is now in its seventh edition and has become one of Europe’s largest professional events on “exponential technologies”. It is organised by Nebext in collaboration with Málaga City Council and the Andalusian Regional Government, addressing digital transformation solutions for large corporations, SMEs and European public administrations.
