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Press Dossier 2016

60 years of entrepreneurship and building the future

SENER Press Dossier 2016 . 3

Index

01 SENER, a private engineering and technology group Pg. 4 Major international projects Pg. 4 Excellence as a corporate culture Pg. 5 60 years of history Pg. 6

AppendixArticle: 60 years of entrepreneurshio and building the future.Interview: Enrique de Sendagorta, SENER’s founder and Honorary President, and Jorge Sendagorta, SENER President. Source: SENER Magazine Noticias 50

Corporate images and project pictures at www.sener-group.com

Pictures in the cover: Proba-3 Space mission, led by SENER © ESA/ Gemasolar solar

thermal plant, owned by Torresol Energy and developed by SENER / Artistic view of the Ryadh

metro, a SENER project / HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, designed with FORAN © BAE

Systems.

More info

SENER Corporate CommunicationOihana CasasP. (+34) 91 807 73 18M. (+34) 679 314 085e-mail: [email protected]

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4 . SENER Press Dossier 2016

SENER, a private engineering and technology group

In 2016, SENER is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a long track record of projects, international experience and a team comprised of thousands of professionals who are the co-creators of the innovations

that have marked its past and will shape its future. Founded in 1956, today is a private engineering and technology group which seeks to offer its clients state-of-the-art technological solutions and enjoys international prestige for its commitment to innovation, its quality and for its independence.

SENER employs almost 6,000 professionals and has offices in Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. Its operating income goes up to 1.305 billion Euros (2014 figures).

SENER provides innovative solutions and devotes an investment in R&D that reached 79 million Euros in 2014, representing 6% of the Group’s total incomes.

SENER accomplishes Engineering and Construction activities and has industrial holdings in companies working in the fields of Aeronautics and Energy and Environment.

In Engineering and Construction, SENER has become a benchmark engineering company at home and abroad in the sectors of Aerospace, Infrastructures and Transport, Power, Oil & Gas, and Marine.

In Aeronautics, SENER is present in consortiums such as ITP, the only Spanish company in the aeronautical engines and gas turbines industry, started by SENER in 1984, and where SENER is nowadays the major shareholder (53,125%), together with Rolls-Royce, which owns the remaining shareholding of 46.875%.

Lastly, through its Energy and Environment Area, SENER

has promoted different projects, in which it also has stock options and contributes with its own technology, in renewables energies and waste to energy, such as Torresol Energy, Zabalgarbi and Ecolube, in Spain, and the BRF plant in Brazil.

Among them it stands out Torresol Energy, a company for the promotion, technological development and construction, operation and maintenance of large solar thermal plants all over the world.

Major international projects With 60 years of history as a company, SENER has carried out some of the most ambitious projects developed in recent years worldwide.

In Aerospace, SENER is a supplier of equipment, systems integration and engineering services in Space and Astronomy, Defense and Aeronautics and Vehicles.

In the Space field, SENER provides engineering and production services in five areas of activity: electromechanical components and systems, navigation and attitude control systems (GNC/ AOCS), optical systems, microgravity and life and support systems, and astronomy. With almost 50 years of experience in the industry, SENER is a world leader with more than 270 units and systems delivered for satellites and space vehicles of NASA, ESA, JAXA and Roscosmos. Missions in which SENER has participated include the Hubble telescope, the Rosetta probe, Gaia, Meteosat Third Generation, SEOSAT/Ingenio, SMOS, Pleiades, Herschel and Planck, IXV, Proba-3 (as prime contractor of the complete mission), Euclid, Solar Orbiter and the Curiosity rover in Mars.

In Aeronautics and Vehicles, SENER has taken part in the Airbus A380 (being responsible for the belly fairing), the A350 XWB, A340/600 series and the best-selling A320.


SENER has also supplied the handling system for large parts for Embraer’s KC390.

In Infrastructures and Transport, SENER has been involved in the development of transport infrastructures, like railways and roads, airports and ports, water projects and coastal recuperation schemes, in Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Poland, Spain, UK and USA, among others.

SENER has extensive experience in projects for urban integration of high-speed lines, as well as railway terminals and stations. The participation of SENER in high-speed projects has been constant since 1991. Today, it is the Spanish private engineering firm with the most relevant experience in this field, having participated in very significant projects such as the high speed lines of Madrid-Valencia, Madrid-Zaragoza and Madrid-Barcelona, or in the cross-border section of the Figueres-Perpignan project between Spain and France, where SENER was in charge from engineering and system integration works to commissioning. It is also noteworthy to highlight the California high speed line or the Los Angeles Union Station, both in the USA.

Other examples in Infrastructures and Transport are the Toluca-Mexico City intercity train; the Sants-Sagrera tunnel in Barcelona; the Barcelona metro line 9; the Guadalajara (Mexico), Ryadh, Makkah and Doha (Saudi Arabia), Dubai (UAE), Mumbai (India), Bogota (Colombia), Hanoi (Vietnam), Panama (Panama) and Sao Paulo (Brazil) metros, the Abu Dhabi (UAE) light rail transit (LRT), as well as the Lusail (Qatar) and Kaohsiung (Taiwan) LRT; the Transmontana freeway in Portugal, the Mexico General Hospital; the Fonte Nova stadium in Bahia and the Corinthias soccer stadium for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

In Power, Oil & Gas, SENER is a leading player in the development of power plants, from the first nuclear energy stations to the combined cycle electricity generating stations and cogeneration, both in Spain and abroad. In the last years, SENER has carried out benchmark projects in Latin America in combined cycle plants and cogeneration plants in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. It stands out SENER’s presence in Mexico, with several turnkey projects such as Empalme I, Agua Prieta II, cogeneration plants for CYDSA and the TG8 Madero project in the Francisco I Madero refinery or the Alpek cogeneratoin plant.

In the development of thermosolar energy SENER has become a technology bench company worldwide, with its participation, to date, in more than 29 projects, among them Gemasolar and Valle 1 and 2.

Besides, SENER has a leading role in the field of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants, with projects such as SAGGAS

(Spain), Dunkirk (France), Gate terminal (The Netherlands), Zeebrugge (Belgium), and two compression stations for the Los Ramones gas pipeline in Mexico.

Lastly, in the field of oil and petrochemistry it stands out its presence in the design of the main Spanish refineries and key projects such as Lexan I and II plants or Ultem for General Electric Plastics in Cartagena. SENER has also developed projects in Mexico, in La Cangrejera petrochemical plant, in Uruguay, in the YPF and ANCAP refineries, and in Oman, with the recent contract for the modernization of two hydrocarbon plants for PDO.

In Marine, the highlight has been the development of the FORAN System, a CAD/CAM/CAE for design and production of all kinds of ships. This software, that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015, is used by shipyards in 40 countries. Currently, three British shipyards, BAE Submarines, BAE Surface Ships and Babcok Marine, are designing and building with FORAN the Queen Elisabeth class aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. FORAN has also been the chosen system for the submarines series Successor, which is the largest engineering project in Europe in the last decade.

Besides, in marine engineering SENER has carried out projects such as the reparation and modernization of the Icebreaker Almirante Irizar for the Argentinian Navy, the fishing stern trawler in China or the passenger ferry for POSCO PlanTEC, which is SENER’s first project in marine engineering developed in South Korea.

Furthermore, SENER has designed a Virtual Reality System for marine design and construction that allows the user to work on a 3D environment, a technology which has been applied, for instance, in two turnkey projects of a Virtual Reality room for Navantia.

Excellence as a corporate cultureThe culture of excellence practiced by the company is based on three main corporate values: a commitment to quality, innovation and independence.

Commitment to qualityQuality has been a priority objective for SENER ever since it was founded, and today it remains one of the pillars of its activity. This zeal helped the company become the first Spanish engineering group to be awarded an ISO 9001 certificate for a quality management system that covers all its activities and work centers. SENER has its own integrated management system for quality, environment and safety that has also been certified in accordance with


the international ISO 14001 (environmental management) and the OHSAS 18001 (health and safety at work) standards.

SENER has also received certification for its quality management system for specific applications such as the aeronautical EN 9100 and EN 9110 - for maintenance activities -, AQAP/PECAL 2110-2210 for Defense and the ISO 13485 for Healthcare Technology. The company has been certified in R&D by AENOR according to the Spanish standard UNE 166002.

Innovation: Ongoing investment in R&DSince its beginnings, SENER has been remarkable for presenting innovative projects with solutions which make a difference. This effort which is continuously recognized in different national awards. Among them we can highlight the Academiae Dilecta 2014 Award, from the Spanish Royal Engineering Academy; the recognition of SENER as Engineering Company of the Year by the international publication The European in 2013; the European Business Awards in the Innovation category in 2011; the Prince Felipe Award for Business Excellence in the category ‘Technological Innovation for Large Companies’ obtained in June 2008; the Best of European Business Award 2007 obtained by SENER Engineering Group in the category of Profitable Growth for Medium Sized Companies; and Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Innovation in 2006 presented by Ernst&Young, in collaboration with IESE business school and the Vocento & Fortis Group, to Jorge Sendagorta, SENER’s President.

In 2014, the founder and Honorary President of SENER, Enrique de Sendagorta Aramburu, has been awarded the Kingdom of Spain Entrepreneurial Career Award, presented by King Juan Carlos I. In 2011, he was also granted with the National Lifetime Innovation Award as part of the 2011 National Innovation and Design Awards, Spain’s highest honor for recognizing companies and professionals notable for their exemplary careers in the field of design and innovation.

Innovation is SENER’s most outstanding feature for two main reasons: SENER is, by vocation, a state-of-the-art technology company. This foundational spirit has impregnated its day to day work in all its production, commercial and development activities. Furthermore, the company’s matrixed organization is designed to facilitate collaboration between its different departments, each with particular expertise, experience and capabilities in a given technology. In this context, a very significant part of the innovations stems from the multidisciplinary character of the projects.

Thanks to this culture and methodology, it is not surprising that SENER is ahead of other companies when it comes to applying new solutions, developing new processes or simply entering new technological areas. Nowadays, SENER has numerous patents around the world, ranging from a satellite multimedia communications system for high

speed trains to a noise reducing pipe for static components in aeronautical engines and a robotic assistant for laparoscopic surgery, a mooring system for space vehicles, a central tower molten salt receiver for solar power plants, as well as numerous innovations for the thermosolar energy field and design techniques and analysis of virtual prototypes for the marine industry. SENER’s technological activity has also led it to participate in several European and national R&D programs including international projects such as the Eurofighter aircraft and the Ariane rocket.

IndependenceSENER is a private capital company and completely independent. This gives the company absolute freedom when it comes to decide how to develop its business and face up to new challenges in company policy as laid down by the Board. Independence allows SENER to guarantee the full completion of all its commitments and to offer maximum quality on all its projects. The company is not subject to outside interference and its reputation for good practice depends solely on its highly qualified team of professionals.

Almost 60 years of HistoryIn 1956 marine engineer Enrique de Sendagorta founded SENER, the first Spanish engineering company. The company started in Bilbao, where it focused on marine engineering projects that were technically innovative and could be adjusted to the needs of clients.

In 1960 José Manuel de Sendagorta, the brother of the founder, joined the company. With his arrival, SENER soon began to expand into other areas such as industrial and processing plants, maritime projects, the petrochemical sector and civil engineering. SENER opened its first office in Madrid with the main goal of expanding into the chemical and processing industries sectors.

In 1966 José Manuel Sendagorta helped land the company’s first international contract, winning a competition to design and build a rocket launch tower at Kiruna (Sweden) for ESRO, the forerunner of what is today the European Space Agency. This project, which was completed in 1967, came barely 11 years after the creation of the company and marked its debut in the aerospace sector, a field where SENER has remained ever since a benchmark in the industry.

In the sixties SENER unveiled the FORAN System, a CAD/CAM/CAE for design and production of all types of ships. Since then FORAN has become one of its most internationally recognized products. Today, it is installed in the majority of Spain’s shipyards and is one of the leading marine applications in the world: it is installed in shipyards


and technical offices across 40 countries.

During the 70s and up to the nuclear moratorium of 1982 SENER was deeply involved in nuclear plants, taking on several large-scale projects. After the moratorium started the company continued with development projects in the power sector, ranging from refining to combined cycle electrical plants, and from installations for the regasification of liquid gas to thermosolar energy, an area of activity that today is going flat out.

In 1985 SENER joined the European consortium working on the development of the EJ 200 engine for the multirole Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, began offering services in the telecommunications engineering field, and supported the establishment of ITP, the only Spanish company involved in aircraft engines and gas turbines.

In 1986 Jorge Sendagorta joined the management team at SENER. He began working closely with Enrique de Sendagorta on a process of institutionalizing the company and professionalizing its management, running in parallel with a generational changeover among the shareholders.

In 1986 SENER created the holding SENER Grupo de Ingeniería (the SENER Group), promoting and taking part in manufacturing and production businesses.

In 1991 SENER opened an office in Lisbon that later become the headquarters of its SENER Portugal Division.

In 1993, following the success of several infrastructure projects for the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, SENER opened its Catalonia Division in this city.

In 1996 SENER expanded its engineering activities to include the environmental sector.

In 2001 SENER set up a new business area focused on the design and mass production of Control and Actuation Systems (CAS) for the Defense, Aeronautics, Science and Healthcare Technology markets.

In 2002 the Sendagorta family and the SENER Group launched the SENER Foundation with the objective of rewarding and supporting academic excellence among engineering students, helping them by awarding grants to cover their studies and work.

In 2002 SENER inaugurated its SENER Argentina Division, with its headquarters in Buenos Aires.

In 2004 the company opened an Integration and Test Centre in Madrid, a high skills complex used for trialling production methods such as electronic assembly, the mechanical assembly of units and subunits, final integration, and testing for vibration, temperature and functionals. Mechanisms developed at SENER’s new Integration and Test Centre can

be used in aeronautics (flight control), space (satellites, space ships, and payload) and propulsion (engine nozzles, thrust vector controls), industrial (actuation mechanism for solar plants, for example) and electro-medicine products.In 2006 SENER launched its SENER Mexico Division, with the headquarters in Mexico City.

In 2006 SENER opened an office in Okayama, Japan.

In 2007 SENER inaugurated its SENER Poland Division, based in Warsaw.

In 2007 SENER acquired 40% of the Mexican engineering company III, S.A. de C.V.

In 2008 SENER launched, with Masdar, the joint venture Torresol Energy for the promotion of CSP plants all over the world.

In 2008 SENER opened offices in San Francisco (USA) and in Algiers (Algeria).

Also in 2008, SENER purchased 49 % of the Portuguese engineering company Engivia.

In 2009 SENER opened an office in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

In 2009 SENER took over the Instrumentation and Systems Division of the company NTE, S.A.

In 2010 SENER purchased 100 % of the Mexican engineering company III.

In 2011 SENER acquired the 100 % of the Portuguese company Engivia.

In 2011 SENER opened offices in Busan (South Corea).

In 2012 SENER opened an office in Shangai (China).

Also In 2012 SENER opened an office in Sao Paulo (Brasil).

In 2013 SENER acquired the 48% of the Brazilian company Setepla, specialized in civil engineering, and the 100% of the Brazilian company Exen, specialized in power generation and petrochemicals.

In 2013, SENER strengthened its presence in the marine sector in Asia, specifically in China, Japan and South Korea.

In 2014, SENER opened an office in Manchester, in the United Kingdom.

In 2015, SENER’s FORAN System, a CAD/CAM/CAE software for desing and production of all kinds of ships and offshore structures, celebrates its 50 years. Today, FORAN is in the state-of-the-


art of technology, installed in 40 countries and used in world-renowned programs

In 2015 SENER acquired 100% of Setepla and 100% of the Spanish company EIPSA, devoted to structural engineering in special structures.

In 2016 SENER celebrates its 60 annivesary with a long track record of projects, international experience and a team comprised of 6,000 professionals in offices worldwide.


Appendix

Reportaje / Article

“estos 60 años de historia son fruto del trabajo de casi

6.000 profesionales que siguen llevando a cabo proyectos

asombrosos y se perfilan como coautores de las innovaciones

que marcarán el futuro.

these past 60 years are the outcome of the work of almost

6,000 professionals who continue carrying out incredible

projects and have all contributed towards the innovations that

will shape the future. ”

SENER noticias diciembre / December 2015 5

60 años de emprendimiento y construcción de futuro

Sixty years of entrepreneurship and building the future

Mantener una empresa como referente de innovación en diversos

sectores de actividad no resulta sencillo, hacerlo a lo largo de una trayectoria de 60 años es, sin duda, loable. SENER cumple en 2016 su sesenta aniversario con ganas de seguir haciendo historia en un mundo globalizado y lleno de nuevos retos por afrontar. Ánimo no falta, ni tampoco talento. Recorremos los hitos principales de un viaje que comenzó en 1956 Enrique de Sendagorta, al que pronto se unió su hermano José Manuel, Manu, y del que son protagonistas hoy casi 6.000 profesionales que siguen llevando a cabo proyectos asombrosos. Todos ellos se perfilan como coautores de las innovaciones que marcarán el futuro a medio y largo plazo.

ingeniería MultiDiSciPlinar

Cuando, en la década de los cincuenta del siglo XX, el doctor ingeniero naval Enrique de Sendagorta se paraba a pen-sar en el porvenir, veía un país con casi todo por construir. Con apenas 30 años, era jefe de la Oficina Técnica de Buques de La Naval, una posición que le había dado una formación técnica muy sólida y un prestigio creciente. Había conocido Europa y había visto las industrias más avanzadas de Alemania, Inglaterra o Francia. A su puesto de trabajo acudían armadores, muchas veces en busca de consejo. Por aquel entonces, Enrique so-ñaba con una ingeniería independiente que pudiera aplicar en España los avan-ces que había visto en otros países e in-cluso anticipar soluciones a problemas que compartían los astilleros de todo el continente y, en general, las industrias de otros sectores incipientes.

Ese sueño tomó forma en 1956 bajo la marca SENER, primera ingeniería es-pañola fundada como tal. SENER nació con tres importantes premisas: ofrecer proyectos de calidad, anticiparse a los problemas de la industria con soluciones innovadoras y ser independiente y flexi-ble para adaptarse a las demandas del mercado. A pesar de la grave crisis eco-nómica que atravesaba España, pronto fue una oficina técnica naval reconocida por su buen hacer, que conseguía con-tratos e iba creciendo en personas, en su mayoría ingenieros recién salidos de las escuelas técnicas de Bilbao. En 1961, se incorporó a la cabeza de la empresa José Manuel de Sendagorta.

Manu Sendagorta, doctor ingeniero ae-ronáutico, tenía ya una sólida trayectoria

Arriba, primera oficina de seneR en Bilbao. Debajo, planta solar Gemasolar de torresol energy, desarrollada por seneR.

Above, first office of seneR in Bilbao. Below, Gemasolar plant, owned by torresol energy and developed by seneR.

José Manuel de sendagorta, cofundador de seneR.

José Manuel de sendagorta, co-founder of seneR.

Manu sendagorta (en el centro) y el resto del equipo de seneR en la torre de lanzamiento de Kiruna.

Manu sendagorta (in the center) and the rest of the seneR team at the Kiruna launch tower.

6 SENER noticias diciembre / December 2015

Reportaje / Article

profesional cuando se convirtió en director general de SENER. Muy pronto impulsó su diversificación, con la apertura hacia nuevos campos como el industrial para emprender diseños integrales de plantas de proceso, como refinerías y petroquími-cas, centrales nucleares, papeleras, etc., y el de las infraestructuras de transpor-te, con aportaciones como la autopista Bilbao-Behovia, el aeropuerto de Bilbao y su superpuerto, concebido por la genial e inquieta mente de Manu. Mientras, la em-presa seguía avanzando en el ámbito na-val con el desarrollo del Sistema FORAN, un software para diseño y construcción de buques y artefactos marinos que es en la actualidad, tras 50 años en continua rein-vención, líder tecnológico mundial del sec-tor. Manu también propició la incursión en el sector aeroespacial, con el proyecto de la torre de lanzamiento de Kiruna (Suecia) para la antigua ESRO, antecesora de la actual Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA), que SENER se adjudicó en competición internacional en 1967 y que fue el inicio de una actividad de gran proyección: hoy hay ya más de 270 equipos y sistemas de SENER en satélites y vehículos espaciales de NASA, ESA, JAXA y Roscosmos, y la empresa actúa como contratista principal de misiones completas.

En 1986 se incorporó al equipo directivo el actual presidente, Jorge Sendagorta, que asumió en primera persona el pro-yecto que, concebido por su tío Manu, condujo a la creación de ITP. Fue uno de los retos más destacados, por exitoso, de la historia de SENER y dio lugar a su estructuración como grupo empresa-rial. Con un 53,125 % del accionariado, SENER es hoy socio mayoritario de ITP, única empresa de motores de aviación que existe en España y novena del mundo por ventas, dentro del sector de motores y componentes aeronáuticos. Poco des-pués de alentar esta iniciativa industrial, SENER se embarcó en la promoción de otras empresas, dentro de las Energías Renovables, como Zabalgarbi o Torresol Energy, donde aplicaba sus propias pro-puestas tecnológicas. De este modo, el grupo SENER quedó estructurado en tres grandes áreas: Ingeniería y Construcción, Aeronáutica y Energía y Medio Ambiente.

el Proyecto internacional

SENER inició las primeras incursio-nes comerciales fuera de España en los años 60, con el Sistema FORAN, punta de lanza de su internacionaliza-ción, y, algo más tarde, en proyectos de

ingeniería en América Latina. Pero el verdadero impulso internacional sur-gió en la primera década de este siglo, cuando cobró fuerza la determinación de establecer divisiones en países en los que las perspectivas de desarrollo de infraestructuras, tanto civiles como industriales, auguraban buena sosteni-bilidad en el tiempo. Contar con divisio-nes locales no solo permitía estrechar la relación con el cliente sino que, además, enriquecía a SENER a partir de la inte-gración en su equipo de ingenieros del país donde, de hecho, se iba a implantar la actividad. Fue una decisión arriesgada, pero meditada y bien planificada, que llevó a la inauguración de delegaciones en Portugal, Argentina y México. Les si-guieron Japón, Polonia, Argelia, Estados Unidos, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Corea del Sur, China, Colombia, Chile, Brasil, India y el Reino Unido.

Fue un acierto, pues SENER supo ade-lantarse a los cambios del mercado con lo que, cuando en 2008 estalló la crisis económica, la empresa había sentado las bases para seguir creciendo fuera de España, donde el mercado interior estaba exhausto. De hecho, durante los años de la crisis, SENER ha continuado su expansión en nuevos territorios, con las divisiones antes mencionadas y con numerosos proyectos. Como muestra, México se configura hoy como el segun-do país en importancia para el grupo SENER por número de personas, con más de 1.000 profesionales que trabajan en su división de Ingeniería y Construc-ción y en una de las más importantes factorías de ITP en el mundo.

También en los inicios de la presente centuria, SENER dio un salto cualitativo incorporando progresivamente activi-dades de construcción y de producción industrial. Así, comenzó a responsabili-zarse de proyectos llave en mano, espe-cialmente de instalaciones industriales relacionadas con la energía. La plan-ta de tratamiento de residuos sólidos urbanos Zabalgarbi y la central solar termoeléctrica Gemasolar en España, las instalaciones de almacenamiento y

Motor del eurofighter, proyecto promovido por Manu sendagorta y que dio origen a ItP.

eurofighter engine, a project promoted by Manu sendagorta that lead to the creation of ItP.


regasificación como Gate terminal, en Holanda, o el complejo solar NOORo, en Marruecos, han moldeado a SENER como empresa constructora de primer nivel, siempre bajo la premisa de la dife-renciación tecnológica. Simultáneamen-te, SENER fue incorporando también mayores competencias y medios en la producción industrial, especialmente en el campo Aeroespacial, logrando la confianza de sus clientes para concebir y producir sistemas integrados de gran complejidad y alta calidad. Gracias a su carácter multidisciplinar, al alcance de muy pocos en el mundo, SENER puede hoy acometer con flexibilidad y garantía proyectos de ingeniería de una diversi-dad tecnológica extraordinaria.

conSoliDarSe Para el futuro

Hoy en día, gracias a su excepcional equi-po de profesionales, SENER puede com-petir en el mercado global en virtud de su habilidad para aportar innovaciones en múltiples campos de actividad. Esta es su característica más reconocida. Como su-cedía en los primeros años de proyectos navales, los clientes siguen acudiendo a SENER cuando se topan con problemas de ingeniería que requieren soluciones nuevas. Y SENER se enorgullece de apor-tar a sus clientes valor añadido, mejoran-do sus ideas originales con soluciones superiores, herederas del genio común que ideó FORAN o el espigón de Punta Lucero. En este sentido, existe una con-tinuidad en la forma de trabajar, que se transmite dentro de la casa y que se ci-menta en el respeto profesional, la liber-tad, la colaboración y el trabajo en equipo, el intercambio de ideas entre expertos de distintas disciplinas y, sobre todo, la con-fianza: pues solo afrontando retos y te-niendo fe en las propias capacidades pue-de un ingeniero crecer profesionalmente, desarrollar completamente su vocación de ingeniería, disfrutar con su trabajo y, como fruto de todo ello, alumbrar proyec-tos excepcionales llamados a mejorar la sociedad. Es un círculo virtuoso que ha proporcionado a SENER un crecimiento progresivo y meditado: SENER ofrece a sus personas metas ilusionantes, invitán-

doles a sumarse a retos técnicos en nue-vos ámbitos de actividad. Un modelo en el que la empresa y su comunidad de pro-fesionales se han “construido para durar”.

Con ese impulso compartido, la tec-nología de SENER ha viajado a Marte en misiones pioneras, se mide en líneas de alta velocidad en Estados Unidos, Reino Unido, Francia y España, lidera el merca-do de la energía solar termoeléctrica, es referente en diseño y construcción naval.

Esta evolución continua que afianza la superioridad tecnológica augura un futuro de oportunidades, pero requiere, por un lado, consolidar las fortalezas pro-pias, mientras se adaptan los procesos para salir airosos en las grandes ligas. Y, por otro, seguir alentando pasiones por perseguir sueños. En esa suerte de equi-librios, SENER podrá anticiparse sobre la base del conocimiento de la ingeniería y de su experiencia, como lo ha hecho en estos 60 años, para proyectarse con so-lidez. Este es el legado y también quiere ser el futuro de SENER.

Maintaining a company’s position as a benchmark for innovation

in various business sectors is no easy task easy, and doing so for 60 years is a laudable achievement. In 2016 SENER is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary with the determination to continue making history

in a globalized world that is full of new challenges. Neither enthusiasm nor talent is lacking. Let’s look back on the major milestones of a journey that began in 1956 with Enrique de Sendagorta, who was soon joined by his brother José Manuel (known to his colleges as “Manu”) and the nearly 6,000 professionals who continue to carry out incredible projects. They have all contributed towards the innovations that will shape the future in the medium- and long-term.

a MultiDiSciPlinary engineering coMPany

In the 1950’s, when the Doctor in Marine Engineering Enrique de Sendagorta stopped to think about the future, he saw a country with no shortage of things to build. At just 30 years old he was head of the Technical Ship Building Office of the company La Naval, a position that gave him solid technical training and a growing reputation. He traveled across Europe and observed the most advanced industries of Germany, England and France. In this position of Technical Office Head, ship owners turned to him, many in search of advice. So Enrique dreamed of an independent engineering company in Spain that could apply the developments he had seen in other countries and even

Cámara de vacío en el Centro de Integración y ensayos de seneR en Madrid (españa).

Vacuum chamber in seneR’s Integration and test Center in Madrid (spain)


Reportaje / Article

anticipate solutions to the problems of shipyards across the continent and the industries of other infant sectors in general.

This dream took shape in 1956 under the name of SENER, the first Spanish engineering company founded as such. SENER was born on the basis of three important premises: to create high-quality projects, to anticipate the industry’s problems with innovative solutions, and to be independent and flexible in order to adapt to the market’s demands. Despite the major financial crisis in Spain, SENER quickly became a technical marine office recognized for its excellent work. It procured contracts and expanded its workforce, which mostly consisted of recent engineering graduates from Bilbao’s technical colleges. In 1961, José Manuel de Sendagorta joined as Head of the company.

A Doctor of Aeronautical Engineering, Manu Sendagorta already had a solid professional track record when he became the Managing Director of SENER. He quickly pushed for the company’s diversification, opening SENER up to new areas such as industry, to undertake integrated designs for processing plants including refineries and petrochemical plants, nuclear plants, paper mills, etc., as well as transportation infrastructure, with contributions like the Bilbao-Behovia

highway, Bilbao airport and its superport, conceived by the brilliant and restless mind of Manu. Meanwhile, the company continued advancing in the marine sector and developing the FORAN System, a software for the design and construction of marine vessels and devices which, after 50 years of continuous reinvention, is currently the technological world leader in this sector. Manu also promoted the incursion into the aerospace sector, with the rocket launch tower project in Kiruna (Sweden) for the ESRO, predecessor of the current European Space Agency (ESA), which was awarded to SENER through an international tender in 1967 and which was the start of its high-profile activities. Today there are more than 270 SENER devices and systems in the satellites and space vehicles of NASA, ESA, JAXA and Roscosmos, and the company acts as prime contractor of complete missions.

In 1986 the current President, Jorge Sendagorta, was incorporated onto the management team. He personally took on the project conceived by his uncle Manu that lead to the creation of ITP. It was one of the most important and successful challenges in SENER’s history and set the basis of its current structure as a corporate group. With 53.125% of the stocks, SENER is today the majority shareholder of ITP, the only aircraft engine company in Spain and ninth in the world for sales within the

aeronautical engine and components sector. Shortly after undertaking this industrial initiative, SENER embarked on the promotion of other companies within the Renewable Energies sector, such as Zabalgarbi and Torresol Energy, where it applied its own technological approaches. This gave the SENER Group a structure based on three main areas: Engineering and Construction, Aeronautics and Energy and Environment.

the international Project

SENER began its first commercial incursions outside of Spain in the 60s, with the FORAN System, the takeoff point for its internationalization, and a little later with engineering projects in Latin America. But the real international momentum came in the first decade of the century, when there was heightened determination to establish divisions in countries where the prospects for infrastructure development, both civil and industrial, promised good sustainability over time. Relying on local divisions not only permitted a closer relationship with clients, it also enriched SENER by incorporating engineers from the country where the work was to be implemented onto its engineering team. It was a risky decision but one that was well thought-out and planned, and it led to the opening of divisions in Portugal, Argentina, and Mexico. Next came Japan,

Misión espacial Proba-3, liderada por seneR.

Proba-3 space mission, led by seneR.

Planta de almacenamiento y regasificación Gate terminal en Holanda.

Gate terminal regasification and storage plant in the netherlands.


Poland, Algeria, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, China, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, India and the United Kingdom.

It was a successful strategy because SENER was able to foresee market changes so, when the financial crisis erupted in 2008, the company had paved the way to continued growth outside of Spain, where the domestic market was dried up. In fact, during the crisis years, SENER continued to expand into new areas, with the aforementioned divisions and numerous projects. For example, Mexico is currently the second most important country for the SENER Group in terms of number of people, with more than 1,000 professionals working in the Engineering and Construction division and in one of the most important ITP factories in the world.

At the beginning of the current century, SENER also took a qualitative leap forwards, progressively incorporating construction and industrial production activities. Thus it began to undertake turnkey projects, especially for industrial facilities in the field of Energy. The Zabalgarbi municipal solid waste treatment plant and the Gemasolar thermosolar plant in Spain, the Gate terminal storage and regasification facilities in The Netherlands, and the NOORo solar complex in Morocco have established SENER as a first-rate

construction company, always under the premise of technological diversification. At the same time, SENER was also advancing in terms of capabilities and resources in the area of industrial production, especially in Aerospace, achieving the trust of its clients to design and produce very complex and high-quality integrated systems. Thanks to the fact that it is a multidisciplinary company like very few in the world, today SENER can undertake extraordinarily diverse engineering projects with flexibility and guaranteed performance.

conSoliDation for the future

Today, SENER can compete in the global market thanks to its exceptional team of professionals that give it the ability to innovate in many fields of activity – its most recognizable characteristic. As in its early years of marine projects, clients continue to come to SENER when faced with engineering problems that require innovative solutions. And SENER prides itself on providing added value to its clients, improving their original ideas with superior solutions that have inherited the genius that thought up FORAN, for example, or the Punta Lucero breakwater. In this sense, there is a continuity in working methods, which are transmitted inside the company and are founded on professional respect, freedom, collaboration and teamwork, the exchange of ideas between experts

of various disciplines, and, above all, trust. Only by facing challenges and believing in their own abilities can an engineer grow professionally, develop their skills to the full, enjoy their work, and, as a result of all this, conceive exceptional projects made to improve society. It is a virtuous circle that has given SENER progressive and well-planned growth, in which SENER offers its persons exciting goals, inviting them to join technical challenges in new areas of activity. This is a model that the company and its community of professionals have built to last.

With this shared drive, SENER technology has traveled to Mars on pioneering missions, it is found on high-speed train lines in the US, the UK, France, and Spain, it leads the market in thermosolar energy, and it is a benchmark in marine design and construction.

This continued evolution based on superior technology foreshadows a future of opportunities, but it also requires the company to consolidate its own strengths while adapting its processes to emerge victorious in the big leagues. And to continue encouraging people’s passion to follow their dreams. With this kind of balance, SENER can use its engineering knowledge and experience, as it has been doing these past 60 years, to forge a solid future. This is SENER’s legacy, and it will also be its future.

Portaviones HMs Queen elizabeth, diseñado con FoRAn.

HMs Queen elizabeth aircraft carrier designed with FoRAn.

Vista artística del metro de Riad (Arabia saudí).

Artistic view of the Ryadh metro in saudi Arabia.


mos todo el trabajo hasta el final, pues en ocasiones el astillero también nece-sitaba apoyo para gestionar compras o contratar a los proveedores adecuados para completar un proyecto. Así fuimos ganando clientes fieles.

¿Pueden hacer un breve balance de estos 60 años?

E.S.: Estos 60 años han sido un orgullo grandísimo. Para los tres presidentes, SENER ha sido lo más importante de nuestra vida. Mi hijo Jorge lleva 30 años al frente de SENER, mi hermano Manu pasó 25 años, y yo he estado toda mi vida vin-culado a SENER. Incluso cuando estuve formalmente fuera, seguía muy próximo.

Jorge Sendagorta: Sentimos un orgu-llo que es polifacético: por haber logra-do construir una empresa que cumple 60 años con éxito y crecimiento activo durante este tiempo. Por crear puestos de trabajo dignos y contribuir, así, al sos-tenimiento de muchas familias y al desa-rrollo profesional de muchos ingenieros con vocación. Por el servicio a la sociedad a través de la actividad de SENER, cuyos

fesionales para poder viajar y conseguir clientes. Después yo emprendí otros ca-minos de mi vida profesional y, en paralelo, entró Manu para ayudarme con SENER.

Hoy se ve perfectamente una con-tinuidad con las bases fundacionales. Nuestra idea siempre fue “construir SENER para que durara”, con esa con-fianza como punto capital y reforzando siempre su capacidad para abordar re-tos nuevos, pues era la única forma de crecer como empresa y diversificarnos. Además, desde el principio, en SENER se aportaban muchas ideas a los clientes, enriqueciendo sus propios planteamien-tos. Muchas veces empezábamos orien-tando y asesorando a los armadores con ideas muy preliminares y luego seguía-

Entrevista con el presidente de SENER, Jorge Sendagorta (en la foto, a la izquierda), y el fundador y presidente de Honor de SENER, Enrique de Sendagorta (a la derecha de la imagen).

Interview with SENER President, Jorge Sendagorta (in the picture, on the left) and SENER’s founder and Honorary President, Enrique de Sendagorta (on the right of the image).

Entrevista / Interview

¿Cómo fueron los primeros años de SENER?

Enrique de Sendagorta: SENER nació como una oficina de proyecto de buques con vocación de avanzar en el campo de la ingeniería. Empezamos a trabajar con la aspiración de hacer las cosas bien y fui-mos ganando clientes fieles gracias a un creciente prestigio por el conocimiento técnico de nuestra gente, por la calidad de las soluciones y del trabajo. Éramos flexibles para poder adaptarnos al mer-cado, que era pequeño y cambiante, y teníamos que abordar problemáticas distintas. Internamente, desde el principio trabajamos con la máxima confianza en las personas. No podía ser de otra mane-ra, teníamos que delegar en nuestros pro-

“nuestro mayor logro en estos 60 años es la propia Sener”

“our greatest achievement in the last sixty years is Sener itself”

según las oportunidades que se presen-ten... Hay que mantener unos principios claros para lograr un equilibrio entre todas las voluntades que confluyen en una empresa, los accionistas, los traba-jadores, los clientes, etc.

¿Cuáles son los principales valores de SENER?

J.S.: Los valores empiezan por el deseo de aportar juntos las mejores solucio-nes a los problemas técnico-económi-cos del entorno, lo que se conoce como la vocación del ingeniero, que está en la raíz de la actividad de SENER. Pero no queremos hacer esto de cualquier ma-nera, sino desde una casa habitada, en la que trabajemos en equipo, con con-fianza, en la que las personas se pue-dan sentir a gusto, donde tengamos las

puertas abiertas y abordemos los pro-blemas con transparencia y confianza, en la que busquemos a los mejores in-genieros para nuestros equipos, y don-de la iniciativa y la innovación sean par-tes integrantes. No nos conformamos con desarrollar soluciones rutinarias para llevar a cabo los sueños que han soñado otros, queremos soñar nues-tros propios sueños y, en ocasiones, soñar por terceros, en nombre de nues-tros clientes. A veces, incluso, proponer a otros negocios que no son el nuestro, pero a los que podemos aportar des-pués soluciones, como ocurrió con la

proyectos de ingeniería y construcción mejoran la vida de las personas. Por el accionariado familiar unido en torno a la empresa. Y por nuestra diversificación, generada con iniciativas innovadoras, centradas en resolver problemas con nue-vas soluciones más eficaces.

¿En su momento pensaron que SENER llegaría a convertirse en el gigante tecnológico que es a día de hoy?

J.S.: Nunca pensamos a tan largo pla-zo. Siempre te quedas en el corto plazo, como mucho los próximos 4 o 5 años. Así que no, no lo imaginábamos. Pero lo importante no es concebir un proyecto empresarial ambicioso, sino buscar con altura de miras la forma de mejorar lo que se está haciendo cada día. El creci-miento es el resultado de esa búsqueda por la mejora constante, al igual que el beneficio no se justifica como objetivo directo, sino que es también el resultado de hacer bien las cosas.

¿Qué hacemos ahora mejor que antes?

J.S.: Hemos logrado un avance notable. Los dos incidimos con determinación en la institucionalización de SENER, pues la enfermedad de Manu, a una edad muy temprana, demostró que esa era una debilidad de la empresa. Decidimos re-forzar la corporación con el desarrollo de un consejo profesional, sistemas de control de gestión, un protocolo familiar, hubo una profesionalización del equipo directivo basada en una meritocracia objetiva… Y hemos aprendido como in-genieros, pasando a ser también cons-tructores e industriales. Hemos llegado a campos nuevos porque hemos innova-do, por el propio progreso de la ciencia… La empresa debe fortalecerse continua-mente. Tenemos que ser cada vez mejo-res en casi todo.

E.S.: En cualquier caso, la continui-dad en el crecimiento se logra con elementos nucleares que debemos conservar, que son el trato limpio, la confianza, el construir para durar, la flexibilidad para abordar nuevos retos,

naviera Marítima del Norte, que SENER ayudó a crear y para la que proyectó después 35 buques.

¿Cómo se consigue retener un equipo profesional de tanto talento y cualifi-cación como el que tiene SENER?

J.S.: Es un círculo virtuoso: hay que aspirar a aportar soluciones, a hacer co-sas difíciles, pues limitarte a desarrollar la ingeniería que demandan los clientes te puede llevar a ser una empresa efi-caz, pero sin ideas. Son los sueños y las ideas propias los que te llevan a hacer cosas diferentes, como plantas solares termoeléctricas, líneas de alta velocidad, crear ITP… Nuestra capacidad de atraer a buenos ingenieros depende de ese ambiente interno de confianza, de trans-parencia, de casa habitada con las puer-tas abiertas, y, por otro lado, de poder ofrecer a nuestros profesionales nuevos retos para que conciban y desarrollen sueños ingenieriles más ambiciosos. Nuestras personas están orgullosas de trabajar en esos proyectos innovadores.

E.S.: La gente valiosa va donde la quie-ren. Manu decía “los cerebros son como los corazones, que van allí donde se les aprecia”. Desarrollar ese afecto mu-tuo entre la empresa y sus ingenieros es fundamental.

J.S.: Y SENER ha hecho un esfuerzo para ser deseable por esos ingenieros mejores, lo que pasa por ofrecerles retos técnicos importantes y un entorno de compañeros adecuado, donde se pue-den sentir personalmente cómodos y profesionalmente vibrantes.

¿Cuál es el mayor logro en la historia de SENER para cada uno de ustedes?

E.S.: El mayor éxito de SENER es la propia SENER, sus personas, sus pro-yectos.

J.S.: SENER y su huella, esto es, el con-junto de sus realizaciones de ingeniería y de las carreras profesionales que se han desarrollado en la casa. Es imposible

“nuestra idea siempre fue

“construir seneR para que durara”,

con la confianza en las personas como

punto capital.

the crux of our business strategy has

always been to trust in our people

and to build seneR to stand the test

of time.”




contribuciones de SENER al progreso. La innovación es igualmente responsa-bilidad de toda la empresa.

60 años no es nada… ¿qué depara el futuro para la compañía?

J.S.: Haciéndonos mejores, vendrá el futuro de SENER. Tenemos que mejorar constantemente, mirando el medio plazo, para asegurar ese futuro cada vez mejor. La huella tiene que quedar también en la satisfacción de las personas que hace-mos SENER, en el desarrollo de nuestra vocación como ingeniería, en nuestras relaciones con los compañeros y, por su-puesto, en nuestros proyectos, que con-tribuyen, gracias a sus soluciones mejo-res, al avance de la sociedad.

What were the early years of SENER like?

Enrique de Sendagorta: SENER started out as an office of people working on ship projects, with a desire to advance within the field of engineering. We began working with a view to doing things properly and we started to build a loyal client base thanks to our growing reputation with regards the technical knowledge of our workforce, as well as the quality of our solutions and work. We were flexible enough to adapt to the market, which was small and changing, and we had to face a variety of different issues. From the outset, we placed maximum confidence in our team members. It could not have worked any other way, we had to be able to delegate so we could travel and acquire clients. I then started to work on new business ventures when Manu came along to help me with SENER.

Today, the foundations on which the company was built are still intact. The crux of our business strategy has always been to trust in our people and to “build SENER to stand the test of time”, continuously pushing back new boundaries to grow and diversify. Furthermore, from the outset, SENER offered its clients a wealth of ideas to develop their own approaches.

J.S.: El primer programa de la Funda-ción obedece al deseo de que personas muy valiosas de países menos favore-cidos puedan acceder a una formación internacional y puedan desarrollarse en sus primeros años de trabajo en una in-geniería puntera. Es una idea filantrópi-ca, pero también esperamos recibir de estas personas que, en su integración en SENER, en la fase de su beca de tra-bajo, nos aporten nuevas perspectivas. Que nos enriquezcan con su cultura, no solo en ingeniería. Que nos ofrezcan puntos de vista diferentes, que siem-pre son beneficiosos para fomentar la innovación. Algunos se quedarán a trabajar en SENER, otros desarrollarán su profesión en sus países de origen, o en otros, de una forma satisfactoria y, quizás en algún momento colaborando con SENER.

¿Qué le sigue pidiendo SENER a sus personas?

J.S.: A la gente de SENER se le pide ilu-sión para concebir soluciones con altu-ra de miras, para ayudar a desarrollar nuestra vocación como ingenieros. Les pedimos sus sueños de un mundo mejor a través de la ingeniería y tam-bién que trabajemos todos como un equipo integrado. La vocación como ingeniería no es solo de los técnicos, es común a todas nuestras personas que sienten el orgullo de los proyectos y las

elegir un proyecto en concreto como lo-gro representativo, pues hay muchos y no son comparables entre sí.

SENER es una empresa familiar, ¿cuál es el vínculo de la familia con la em-presa y qué valores aporta?

E.S.: La familia ha sido un factor cla-ve para SENER, en primer lugar por-que, debido al afecto que siente ha-cia la empresa, ha sido un accionista que nunca ha presionado. Además, en SENER funciona la meritocracia y la fa-milia se atiene a ello. Hemos decidido, por ejemplo, que en el consejo no ten-gan una mayoría: está compuesto por cuatro familiares, cuatro independien-tes y dos ejecutivos.

J.S.: SENER y la familia tienen meca-nismos para que algunos Sendagorta que tengan suficiente mérito puedan involucrarse en el trabajo de la com-pañía. Y la siguiente generación ya está entrando a trabajar en SENER. En general, la familia siente un gran orgullo de SENER, de su historia y de sus logros, y su sentido de pertenen-cia al proyecto es muy fuerte. SENER es el patrimonio fundamental de la familia, y aun así nunca se han gene-rado tensiones.

En 2002, la familia Sendagorta y SENER crearon la Fundación SENER, ¿cuál es su finalidad?

E.S.: La Fundación se creó para promo-ver el desarrollo de personas con talen-to, con clara vocación en ingeniería, para posibilitar y resaltar sus contribuciones como ingenieros. Está viva, es flexible y tiene un objetivo más amplio que el proyecto principal de las becas, que fue su comienzo y sigue siendo la actividad más importante. Ya hay 45 personas que han sido becadas por la Fundación, que han obtenido esa doble formación, primero académica, en un centro de su elección que sea adecuado para desa-rrollar sus capacidades, y después pro-fesional, a través de una experiencia de trabajo en SENER.

“no nos conformamos con

desarrollar soluciones rutinarias

para llevar a cabo los sueños que

han soñado otros, queremos soñar

nuestros propios sueños.

We do not settle for developing routine

solutions to achieve the dreams of

others; we dream our own dreams.”


lives of people across the globe. For the company’s family ownership. And for our diversification based on innovative initiatives and centered around finding the most effective solutions for tackling problems.

Did you ever anticipate that SENER would be transformed into the technology giant that it is today?

J.S.: We never thought on such a long-term basis. You always think of the short-term results, the next four or five years at most. So no, we didn’t foresee it. However, the most important aspect of creating a successful company is not setting out an ambitious business plan, but continuously searching for ways to improve its current activity, from day to day. Growth is a result of this search for continuous improvement, in the same way that profit is not a direct objective, rather the result of doing a job well done.

What are we doing now that’s better than before?

J.S.: We have advanced remarkably. Both of us were determined to institutionalize SENER, because Manu’s illness at an early age highlighted a weakness in the business. We decided to strengthen the corporation with the development of a professional board, management control systems and a family protocol. We professionalized the management team based on an objective meritocracy... we also built up our engineering knowledge, becoming builders and industrialists over time. We have ventured out into new fields because we have continuously been innovating, along with science itself... the company must continuously strengthen itself. We have to improve consistently in almost all areas.

E.S.: Whatever the case may be, continuous growth is achieved by preserving core elements, such as fair treatment, trust, durability, and the flexibility to tackle new challenges, in accordance with the opportunities that arise. Clear principles must be set out to

We often began by providing guidance and advice to ship owners who had very preliminary business plans, and then continued to support them until the very end. Sometimes, shipyards also needed support to manage purchases or hire the right suppliers to complete a project. This is how we gained loyal clients.

Could you give a summary of the past sixty years?

E.S.: We are extremely proud of the last sixty years. SENER has been the most important thing in the lives of the three presidents. My son Jorge has spent thirty years at the helm of the company, my brother Manu spent twenty-five years, and I have dedicated my entire life to SENER. I remained closely involved with the company even when I was not officially working for it.

Jorge Sendagorta: We are proud for a myriad of reasons: for having built a business that has continued to be successful for sixty years, during which our company has seen significant growth. For having created respectable employment and, as a result, supporting a host of families and contributing to the professional development of many engineers. For service to the community due to our engineering and construction projects that improve the

achieve a balance between the various opinions and ideas that converge within a company: the shareholders, professionals, clients, etc.

What are SENER’s core values?

J.S.: Values begin with the desire to work together to offer the best solutions to the technical and economic problems within a certain field. This is the vocation of the engineer, and it forms the basis of SENER’s activity. But we do not want to do this any old way: we want to work within a living organization where we work as a team, with trust. We strive for a company in which people can feel at home, where our doors are always open and from where we can tackle problems with transparency and trust. We search for only the best engineers to form part of our teams, in which initiative and innovation are key aspects. We do not settle for developing routine solutions to achieve the dreams of others; we dream our own dreams and, at times, those of others, on behalf of our clients. Sometimes we even propose ideas for other, unaffiliated businesses, to which we can provide solutions, as was the case with the shipping company Marítima del Norte, which SENER helped to create and for which it designed 35 ships.

How does one successfully maintain a team of talented and qualified professionals, as SENER has done?

J.S.: It is a virtuous circle: one must aim to provide solutions, to carry out difficult tasks. Limiting oneself to developing the engineering work demanded by clients might lead to an effective business, but it may be lacking in ideas. Dreams and ideas

“el crecimiento, al igual que el

beneficio, es el resultado de hacer

las cosas bien.

Growth, as well as profit, is the

result of doing a job well done.”

Jorge sendagorta (izquierda/left), y/and enrique de sendagorta (derecha/right).



are what encourage people to do things differently, such as thermosolar plants, high-speed lines, the creation of ITP... Our ability to attract good engineers depends on the internal environment of trust, transparency and open doors, as well as the ability to offer new challenges to our professionals so that they can devise and execute more ambitious engineering dreams. Our people are proud to be involved in such innovative projects.

E.S.: Talented people go where they are wanted. Manu used to say “Brains are like hearts, they go where they are appreciated.” Developing this mutual respect between the company and its engineers is fundamental.

J.S.: And SENER has endeavored to be desirable for these top engineers, by offering them important technical challenges and an appropriate team environment, where they can feel personally comfortable and professionally vibrant.

What is the greatest achievement in the history of SENER for each of you?

E.S.: SENER’s greatest achievement is SENER itself, its team of people, its projects.

J.S.: SENER and its footprint, that is, its engineering accomplishments as a whole and the engineering careers developed in-house. It is impossible to choose a particular project as a representative achievement, as there are so many and they are not comparable.

SENER is a family business; what is the link between the family and the company, and what are its values?

E.S.: The family has been a key factor for SENER, firstly because, as a shareholder, it has never applied any pressure due to the affection it feels for the company Furthermore, SENER is based on meritocracy and the family adheres to this. We decided, for example, that the family wouldn’t hold a majority on the

board: it is composed of four families, two independent members and two executives.

J.S.: SENER and the family have some mechanisms in place so that some members of the Sendagorta family of sufficient merit can become involved in the work of the company. And the following generation is already being trained to work at SENER. In general, the family is very proud of SENER, of its history and its achievements, and their sense of belonging to the project is very strong. Although SENER is the family’s main asset, tensions have never arisen between members.

In 2002, SENER and the Sendagorta family created the SENER Foundation. What is its mission?

E.S.: The Foundation was established to promote the development of talented people, with a clear focus on engineering, to enable and enhance their contributions as engineers. It is alive, it is flexible and has objectives that reach beyond the main project of scholarships, on which it was based and which continue to be its most important activity. Forty-five people have already received scholarship grants from the Foundation. These individuals have benefited from dual training: firstly, academic, in a center of their choice that

is appropriate for developing their abilities, and secondly, career training, through work experience at SENER.

J.S.: The Foundation’s first program aims to provide talented individuals from disadvantaged countries with access to international training and the chance to begin their engineering careers within a leading firm. It is a philanthropic idea, but we also expect these individuals to bring us some fresh perspectives during the course of their scholarship and integration in SENER. We hope they can offer us cultural enrichment, as well as engineering expertise. The idea is to gain different points of view, which are always beneficial in fostering innovation. Some will stay with us to work at SENER, whilst others will develop their profession in their country of origin or in other countries, and, may, at some point, collaborate with us in the future.

What does SENER continue to ask of its workforce?

J.S.: The people working at SENER are encouraged to aim high when creating solutions, to help us develop our task as engineers. We ask them for their dreams of a better world through engineering, as well as the ability to work with us in an integrated team. Engineering as a vocation is not limited to the engineers: every person working with us should feel proud of SENER’s projects and contributions to progress and advancement. The company as a whole is responsible for innovation.

Sixty years is nothing... what does the future hold for the company?

J.S.: Improving ourselves will secure a future for SENER. In the medium-term, we must constantly improve to ensure a more prosperous future. Our legacy should also be seen in the satisfaction of the people that make up SENER, in the development of our vocation as an engineering company, in our relationships with colleagues, and, of course, in our projects, which, thanks to their improved solutions, contribute to the advancement of society.

enrique de sendagorta.

SENER’s 60th anniversary video: https://youtu.be/_zH3gFVVJbg

www.sener-group.com

SENER in the world

Engineering & Construction

Aeronautics - ITP

Energy & Environment

Torresol Energy

San Francisco, USA

Mesa, USA

Queretaro, MEXICO

, MEXICO

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Okayama, JAPAN

Busan, SOUTH KOREA

Malta

São Paulo, BRAZIL

Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA

Lisbon,PORTUGAL

Algiers, ALGERIA

Doha, QATAR

Shanghai,CHINA

Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL

Santiago de Chile, CHILE

Bogota, COLOMBIA

Warsaw, POLAND

West Sussex, UKLincoln, UK

York, UKLeicester, UK

Rugby, UKManchester, UK

Chengdu, Sichuan, CHINA

Hyderabad, INDIA

Los Angeles, USA

Mexico City

Madrid, SPAIN

Biskay, SPAIN

Barcelona, SPAIN

Valencia, SPAIN

Seville, SPAIN

Cadiz,SPAIN

Merida, SPAIN

Albacete, SPAIN

Singapore, REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE

press dossier 2016 - sener ingeniería y construcción€¦ · petrochemical plant, in uruguay, ......

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