Link Abertis Magazine N. 3 December 2010

INTERVIEW

P. 18

P. 36

P. 76

DECEMBER 2010 Nº03 - SECOND PERIOD

The challenge of sustainable progress

Infrastructures

art

research

culture

environment

road safety

fundacionabertis.org

abertis foundation

abertis

for a world that works.

for a world that works

THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPERATORS LIKE ABERTIS ARE TODAY, AND WILL BE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, CLEARLY MORE NUMEROUS AND, IN SOME CASES LARGER, THAN THEY HAVE BEEN IN THIS FIRST DECADE OF 21ST CENTURY

SALVADOR ALEMANY PRESIDENT OF ABERTIS

EDITORIAL

We made this concept our own some time ago, because it describes and

summarises so well the positive attitudes and abilities which lead us to overcome any negative factors and circumstances that may affect us. It describes our ability to continue to launch ourselves towards the future.

When I look back on 2010 and I think about what we’ve done, the path we have trodden, and the opportunities that lie ahead, I see a resilient business. I see that, in an environment that is –to a historic degree– complex and uncer-tain, abertis, basing itself on the diversity of its businesses and its business territories, has achieved sustained growth in revenues, margins and fi nal results, and the fact that this has been done from recurring cash flows generated by the activities of the assets we manage, is an indicator of how resilient our company is.

It is a solid business with strong founda-tions. A company that trusts its own reasoning. A company that trusts its strong teams to work together with its shareholders, governmental authorities, and with its customers. It constructs and identifi es those opportunities which give the business a path to follow and strong future prospects, and it provides creative and optimis-tic solutions. These solutions, starting from the perspective of fi nancial viability and effec-tiveness and effi ciency in executing and man-aging the projects which are necessary for the development of a global and competitive economy, that demands –today more than ever– infrastructures which connect areas at both the physical and virtual levels. The result of following this business model is the Group we all know, which has shown it can be effective in exciting the interest of new partners who, as in the case of CVC last August, have wished to join and share in the future of the abertis project. For its part, this project is also enriched with the experience, vision and knowledge of global markets which these new partners bring to it. The Group, therefore, is growing and expanding.

One idea we must focus on is that the opportunities for operators like abertis are today, and will be over the next few years, clearly more numerous and, in some cases larger, than they have been in this fi rst decade of 21st Century.

This statement, without prejudging the fi nal result, can be seen in: the Spanish Govern-ment’s announcement that it plans to grant management concessions for major airports such as Barajas and El Prat; the decision to imple-ment the Ecotaxe in the French road network (in accordance with the plans of the Eurovi-gnette directive); the ongoing initiatives in various states in the USA; and the new markets –such as Chile, (which is already a reality), and Brazil, China and India– which may experiece the birth and growth of public-private models in this second decade of the century.

This is abertis’ world. This is a world in which the global nature of the markets we work in is so signifi cant, and where we must be aware of determining geopolitical factors, as is indicated by the managing director of the ESADE Business School in her article. A world that is aware of the need for a sustainable relationship between infrastructures and their environments, as we are reminded by the environmentalist and mem-ber of the abertis foundation Scientifi c Board, Pere Torres. And a world that applies the cost-benefi t analysis criteria which assist the creation of objective decision-making models about which infrastructures must be prioritised and which give the largest return, in fi nancial terms, to their investors –whether public or private– and in terms of productivity and social usefulness for the whole country, as we are reminded in the interview with José Luis Feito, President of the European Toll-road Association.

Our Group has the capacity and ability –business and market portfolio, management team, personnel, shareholders, fi nancial position, size and focus– to consolidate itself as one of the top companies worldwide. All of us who participate in this project share a commitment to achieving this goal. ■

Resilience

DECEMBER 2010 ■ LINK abertis ■ 3

06OPINION

Eugenia Bieto

Managers for a global society

14REPORT

Visit to Chile

The visit by Salvador Alemany, the president

of abertis, to this Andean country

18 INTERVIEW

Michel de Rosen

“Our challenge is not to be the largest company in our

sector, but the best one”

22INTERVIEW

José Luis Feito

“One must choose those projects which contribute

most to the country’s growth”

26REPORT

Infrastructures

The abertis chair sponsors the Manual for the

Economic Evaluation of Transport Projects

28TEAM

Concession Economics

New Department in the abertis autopistas Spain Business Unit

32TRAVEL

Reims

City of kings and champagne

36REPORT

sanef

Reims southern bypass is fi nished six months

ahead of schedule

42NEWS

Mobility 42Together with the RACC,

abertis sponsors the 2009 Mobility Yearbook

Customer service 44abertis autopistas

sets up an interactive information system

Rest areas 46174 new places

specifi cally for lorry drivers on the AP-7

Smart cities 48abertis telecom and Indra develop

“smart cities” in Lleida and

Sant Cugat del Vallès

500+ stamp 52abertis telecom receives this award from the EFQM

Honos Prize 54abertis receives the Honos Prize for its commitment to

archaeological heritage

Preventative actions

for winter 55abertis toll roads are prepared for the cold

New toll road 56sanef opens the A-65 between Langon and

Pau in France

Appointment 57Francisco Reynés, appointed

to sanef’s Board of Directors

Appointment 57Josep Lluís Giménez Sevilla replaces José María Morera

as general manager of abertis autopistas

Logistics 58Gefco moves into Arasur

Belfast International 59

Queen Elizabeth II opens the new terminal

Sustainable progress: the role of infrastructures in the face of climate change

link abertis

SUMMARYNº03

4 ■ LINK abertis ■ DECEMBER 2010

08ENVIRONMENT

Electric vehicles 60saba installs 12 recharging

points in Barcelona

‘voluntaris’ 64abertis holds a Volunteer Day

for the second year running

Restoration 66

abertis autopistas, involved in restoring

L’Albi Castle as a museum

Eco-friendly driving 68abertis foundation presents

a study on driving and the environment

14

32

36

76 RESULTS

January-September 2010

Analysis of the Group’s assets

82BOARD OF DIRECTORSThree new directors

Javier de Jaime, José Antonio Torre de Silva

and Santiago Ramírez

82INTERIM DIVIDEND

Payment to shareholders

The dividend was paid on 21 October 2010

Investor’s link

link abertis is published by Abertis Infraestructuras, SAAv. del Parc Logístic, 12-20.

08040 Barcelona.Tel.: 93 230 50 00. Fax: 93 230 50 02.

EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: abertis Studies and Communication Corporate Direction.

EDITORIAL BOARD: Salvador Alemany, Francisco Reynés, Josep M. Vila,

Francisco José Aljaro, Josep Maria Coronas, Joan Rafel, Toni Brunet and Sergi Loughney.

CORPORATE IMAGE AND PRODUCTION:Erik Ribé and Bernat Ruiz.

CONTENT COORDINATOR: Alícia Cobeña.

WRITTEN BY: Elena Barrera, Alícia Cobeña, Gemma Gazulla,

Marc Gómez, Leticia Gonzálvez and Bernat Ruiz.CONTRIBUTORS: Christine Allard, Pilar Barbero, Carolina Bergantiños, Bob Bullock, Julio Cerezo,

Joan Fontanals, Marta Giner, Sagrario Huelin, Anna Morera, Astrid Noury, Vanessa O’Connor, Enric

Pérez, Mercedes Pérez-Cruz, Roser Prenafeta, Astrid Recoque, Marc Ribó, Albert Rossell, Beatriz Sanz,

abertis, abertis autopistas, abertis telecom, abertis logística, abertis airports,

abertis foundation and saba.PRODUCED BY:

Ediciones Reunidas, SA (Grupo Zeta).Revistas Corporativas Barcelona.

Consell de Cent, 425. 08009 Barcelona. Tel.: 93 227 94 16.

Manager: Òscar Voltas. Editorial coordinator: Nuria González. Chief writers: Toni Sarrià and

Olga Tarín. Lay-out: Mireia Vives, and Cristina Vilaplana. Edited by: Ares Rubio.

Legal deposit: B-16432-2010.abertis shareholder care line:

902 30 10 15.www.abertis.com

abertis accepts no responsibility for the opinion of its contributors in the articles published, nor does

it necessarily identify with their opinion.


22

18

58

7th abertis Prize 70

A study of traffic mobility in cities wins the Prize

71BRANDING

‘link autopistas’

New digital magazine

72IN BRIEF

Notes on what’s

new at abertis

Business schools are preparing themselves to be the vanguard of the future of management, by offering not only the very best education, but the opportunity to develop critical thought

Many readers probably don’t know that the world’s first business school

is little more than 130 years old. Wharton was founded as the world’s first business school in 1881, at the University of Pennsyl-vania, with the intention of making management into a profession. Given the number of centuries that world-renowned universities have been operating, we can conclude that the discipline of management and the training of managers is still very recent.

However, the effects of globalisation on the management function, the complexity of the current financial crisis, and the growing importance of social responsibility within companies, have made management training a key factor in the strategy of any major com-pany that wishes to operate internationally.

Essential pillarsThe leaders of large organisations who turn to business schools know that the technical abilities required in the past are no longer sufficient. For managers who are in leader-ship positions, what is now important is, for example, to have sufficient knowledge of geopolitics to be able to understand its effects on the economy, to have mastered strategic thinking about the complexity of a large organisation, and to have acquired emotional intelligence. Solid personal development and education in strong values also becomes vitally important.

We can therefore agree that, in the knowledge era, excellence at the highest educational levels and cutting-edge research must be essential pillars of any economy that aims to create new knowledge, anticipate the future and make international links at the highest levels.

Having a good educational system at the highest level should be a priority for our governing classes and social parties. This is the recognised by the World Economic Forum which publishes a yearly Global Competitive-

ness Report in which, by following a complex econometric model, it classifies world econ-omies based on 111 variables which are grouped into 12 areas. Of these variables, 11 refer to the quality of higher education.

Uncompleted tasksIn the general ranking, Spain has dropped 9 positions this year, to 42nd in the world. The Global Competitiveness Report emphasises some aspects in which Spain has uncom-pleted tasks, including the quality of the higher education system, maths and science

OPINION

BY

EUGENIA BIETO

Managers for a global society

Managing director of ESADE since September 2010.

Doctorate from the Ramon Llull University, ESADE-Universitat Ramon Llull. Degree in Business Science and Master’s degree in Company Management, ESADE. Degree in Company Management and Administration, ESADE-Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

She has been the director of ESADE’s Centre for Business Initiative, deputy director of the CIDEM for Geographical Balance Policies, and has held several posts in the IMPIVA for promoting the creation of new companies.

Author of, among other publications, Data on innovation in Spain. In Practical guide to innovation for SMEs (pages 15-27, 2005).

LinkESADE www.esade.es


education and collaboration between uni-versities and business for research and devel-opment. This information serves to under- line the importance of reconsidering our productive paradigm. This is the responsibil-ity of society in general, but specifically of our country’s principal educational institu-tions, the research community, and of inno-vation-orientated companies.

New research processesUniversities, in general, must carry out three fundamental functions: education, research and service to society. As a business school, we clearly understand that all those partici-pating in our programmes must receive the very best education in their respective disci-plines. However, at the same time, they must develop the capacity for critical thinking; they must be able to analyse a complex reality; they must be open to a global and diverse world; and they must develop into socially responsible citizens.

In addition to excellence in education, we must therefore also develop knowledge that can be applied to the management func-tion. Our country needs this. To achieve it,

the research activity must open up to new organisational designs which create links between the experts who are interested in a given scientific problem, and will include universities, research establishments, com-panies and civic groups. The final objective must be to collaboratively, transversally and globally generate new innovation processes which can be applied both in companies and in organisations.

I am firmly convinced that innovation needs the right mix of “culture broth” if it is to prosper. The essential ingredients are the three sides of the knowledge triangle: uni-versities, research and innovation in the busi-ness environment. However, reality has shown us that this triangle is still fragmented. Europe has great potential for inventing and creating new knowledge; however, at the same time, it shows great weaknesses when it comes to exploiting these in the market and transform-ing them into assets.

The future of managementAs business schools, we can contribute to bringing together this fragmented triangle. When confronted with the effects of globalisation, and the complexity of the financial crisis, we must be able to offer man-ager new and innovative management models. These management models will ensure that the managers’ education is prof-itable in terms of: knowing how to advance themselves and better understand the new financial model which is emerging; master- ing the management of diversity as a great future asset in large organisations; and understanding the key elements of the challenges which are global in scope, such as the energy deficit, social inequality and environmental impact.

I don’t know what the future of manage-ment will be over the next hundred years, but I am sure that whatever it is, it cannot be learned entirely within the four walls of a classroom. New technologies, the importance of constructing solid networks of managers, and the high cruising speed of the society in which we live, all require new and ongoing innovations. ESADE will commit to this. ■

IN ADDITION TO

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION,

WE MUST DEVELOP

KNOWLEDGE THAT

CAN BE APPLIED TO THE

MANAGEMENT FUNCTION,

OUR COUNTRY NEEDS IT

I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE

FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT

WILL BE OVER THE NEXT

HUNDRED YEARS, BUT I AM

SURE THAT WHATEVER IT

IS, IT CANNOT BE LEARNED

ENTIRELY WITHIN THE FOUR

WALLS OF A CLASSROOM


LinkWorld Economic Forum www.weforum.org

Infrastructure policies are often asso-ciated with a negative impact on the

environment. Human prosperity and well-being have always been linked to our ability to develop and use infrastructures, but how can these contribute to the development of a sustainable environment which, nowa- days, must take into account matters such as climate change?

During the second half of the 20th Cen-tury, an awareness of the possible impact of infrastructures on the environment began to

REPORT


Infrastructures: the challenge of sustainable progress

The environment

In the face of climate change, what measures are proposed to reduce the environmental impact of infrastructures? What role is abertis playing in this process? The biologist and environmentalist Pere Torres leads us through the debate on sustainable infrastructures, and gives us his vision of this and other questions TEXT AND PHOTOS abertis

be forged. Societies needed rapid progress, and social infrastructures were constructed with the aim of responding to society’s needs for prosperity, quality of life and ease of com-munication.

History has demonstrated that there are no civilisations without infrastructures, and there can therefore be no sustainable civilisations without them. This sustainable civilisation will need infrastructures with management and construction processes, functionality, and conceptions

which will be different, in some or many aspects, depending on the case, from those we know today.

Infrastructures as solution enginesIf one believes in sustainability, and that sus-tainability will make it possible for humanity to continue to develop, one must accept the existence of human tools that may make this possible, and these include infrastructures. These infrastructures must not only cause


The abertis group’s strategy includes actions aimed at minimising the impact of

infrastructures on biodiversity, and fostering the conservation

of natural spaces.

the public bodies. However, Pere Torres thinks that there can also be public-private partner-ships which work in the reverse way. That is to say, “Public bodies help companies to expand through their policies”. These may be brand policies, training policies or policies of investment in research and development. “This must be done in a coordinated manner, in collaboration with the production sectors, so that we don’t have research and education policies which are focussed on sectors that are not consolidated, (nor expected to be), in the country itself, while there is a strong production sector in other areas”.

At this point one could add a third area of partnership: that of liaising on the design of the future. Many companies, including abertis, have experts with a vision of the viability of certain possible developments, and better use should be made of their knowl-edge when designing infrastructure strategies, programmes and plans.

Responding to society’s needsWith respect to the negative impacts of infra-structures, another consideration to be taken into account is the poor design of some of them. Routes, layouts or sizing which are perhaps not justified, have a negative effect on the landscape, contaminate the ecosystem or are not sensitive to certain cultural values. Infrastructure policies must provide decision-making models that will allow new infra-structures to be defined and planned in a way

THE ALTERNATIVE

SOLUTIONS, IN THE LONG

TERM, EVENTUALLY

PROVIDE BENEFITS IN

TERMS OF MANAGEMENT,

MAINTENANCE AND

SAVINGS, DUE TO AVOIDING

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS

passes, major investments are often required at the start, in order to be able to mitigate any damage, and show profit in the future. According to Pere Torres, “The alternative solutions, in the long term, eventually provide benefits in terms of management, mainte-nance and savings, due to avoiding possible side effects”. An energy-efficient building will be more expensive to construct but will cost much less to maintain. This situation compels one to find sufficient financial resources over a short period of time, so that benefits and yields will be obtained in the long term. “The solution”, according to Pere Torres, “is to seek out public-private partnerships. That is to say, private companies absorb this concentrated investment over a few years, in exchange for income over longer periods”.

Public-private partnerships are usually understood to mean: private companies make investments which should really be made by

no harm to the environment, but must also provide solutions to existing damage. In this respect, the role of companies –to the extent that companies are also becoming aware of their responsibility to society– is key when considering common interests, and they should provide their knowledge, vision and experience of infrastructures, at both local and national levels.

How can one ensure that an infrastruc-ture, in terms of sustainability, can be part of the solution and not part of the problem? One of the factors to be taken into account when planning infrastructure construction is the current climate conditions –which are not necessarily those of the future.

In the opinion of Pere Torres, vice presi-dent of the Col·legi d’Ambientòlegs de Ca-talunya, “We are designing infrastructures which parameters that, due to climate change, may become obsolete. The impact of the different effects of climate change will affect existing infrastructures”. He continues, “It will be necessary to think about the most probable scenarios –and in some places this is already being done– in order to start adapt-ing, and planning for the capacity to respond to these new conditions”.

Different solutions, the same objectiveIn the fight against environmental problems, time is one of the enemies. To alleviate the negative effects which accumulate as time


To summarise, surfaces have been replanted with 2 million plants, 1,500 hectares have been treated and 500 hectares of wooded area have been created.

The C-32 and AP-7 toll roads exemplify these efforts. The former has over 400,000 trees, shrubs and other plants on a stretch which is only 36 kilometres long. These were planted, in part, with the assistance of school projects. The AP-7 not only has a service area in the Montseny, on the edge of its nature park, with 4 hectares of woods and a picnic zone, but also received the Environment Prize awarded by the Catalonia College of Road, Canal and Port Engineers, for an emblematic work which is environmentally friendly and a model for other toll roads. The waste water treatment plants in the AP-2 (Zaragoza-Mediterranean) service areas and the service areas at Montseny and La Jonquera on the AP-7 make good use of water resources by using them to water their green zones. Technical solutions which use solar energy have also been implemented for SOS posts, CCTV cameras and weather stations all along road network.

This year, sanef, a subsidiary of abertis in France, undertook similar actions when it announced an investment of 250 million Euros for improving the integration of its infrastructures into the environment (Paquet Vert). In exchange, sanef’s two concessions (sapn and sanef) have been extended for one year.

Measures to preserve biodiversityIt is abertis’ main lines of business, toll roads and telecommunications infrastructures, which undertake part of their activity in places close to natural spaces which are protected. It is for this reason that these business units take the measures necessary to reduce the impact these activities can have on biodiversity.

abertis autopistas is driven by a policy which takes into account the impact of its routes, as a result of which it has gone beyond construction designs imposed by the authorities –designs which have already undergone environmental studies– and taken additional actions to integrate its roads into the surrounding areas. These actions can be classified as follows:

Technical solutions: viaducts, tunnels, artificial tunnels, wildlife crossings and paths under the toll road for animals, low bird flight obstructions, etc.

Environmental treatment and reforestation: verges, cuttings and embankments.


INFRASTRUCTURE

POLICIES MUST PROVIDE

DECISION-MAKING MODELS

WHICH ALLOW NEW

INFRASTRUCTURES TO BE

DESIGNED WHICH WILL

AVOID NEGATIVE EFFECTS

which avoids and counteracts all these hand-icaps while providing valid solutions. Given that the culture of “no” has become wide-spread, this is not an easy undertaking.

According Pere Torres, “Society must be prepared to pay more for an infrastructure, so that the route is less straight, maybe partly buried, and has a whole set of additional components that will minimise the impact on the values that the people who live along it wish to preserve”. To summarise, the aim would be to design infrastructures that mitigate any effects which would cause deter-mined opposition from society while meet-ing its needs. Many of the problems arising from infrastructures are difficult to solve because the problem is complex: “We see the effect, but there are many and diverse causes, and they cannot all be treated as though there was a single cause. A few years ago, a term began to be used in this context, which is governance: this consists of designing a process which must not necessarily be slow, paralysing or excessively complicated, but has clear rules for designing infrastructures and taking decisions on them, a process in which many more sectors –including com-panies– feel they are involved and that their views are reflected”.

abertis’ contribution As part of its commitment to conserving the environment, the abertis group’s strategy includes actions aimed at minimising the

impact of infrastructures on biodiversity, and fostering the conservation of natural spaces. This is clearly demonstrated by the Gold Class award abertis received in the 2010 Sustain-ability Yearbook, prepared by the consultancy companies PricewaterhouseCoopers and Sustainable Asset Management (SAM), for its actions in the areas of sustainability and corporate responsibility. The purpose of this yearbook is to identify the companies with outstanding sustainability management. It analyses 58 industrial sectors and 1,200 companies of the 2,500 corporations which make up the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Markets Index.

Minimising infrastructure impactThe Kyoto Protocol of 1997, essentially based on agreements to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and the other gases causing global warming, was a first, timid step towards demonstrating that it was possible to make

Pere TorresA biologist and environmentalist, he is vice president of the Col·legi d’Ambientòlegs de Catalunya.

He is also a technical director of the Institut Cerdà, and a member of the Scientific Board of abertis foundation.

For most of his professional life, he has worked for the Generalitat of Catalonia, including posts as secretary of Inter-university Board of Catalonia, director general of Environmental Planning and general secretary of Regional Planning.

He has been the assistant director of the International Institute of Governability.

He has also worked frequently with Catalan universities on post-graduate education, on matters related to sustainability and land use. Additionally, he has been on the organising committees of several conferences and seminars, and, in 2003, was director of the 5th Catalonia Security Forum.

He has also been a member of boards of trustees, governor and directors of various organisations, including: Junta de Residus de la Generalitat, Agència Catalana de l’Aigua, Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya, Institut Català del Sol and Centre per a l’Empresa i el Medi Ambient.


Th e abertis group’s actions on toll roads improve the integration of those roads with the landscape.

progress in the fi ght against climate change. The strategy of reducing climate change has been the central plank the abertis group’s response to this challenge.

In 2009, with the aim of analysing and minimising the risks arising from the envi-ronmental impact of its airports, abertis

airports set up the Environmental Forum as a space in which the Group’s airports could share ideas. As a result of two meetings held in Barcelona and ongoing work via email, a common environmental management man-ual was prepared, in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard, for the airports to imple-ment, based on each one’s specifi c charac-teristics. Similarly, key environmental indica-tors were identifi ed for monitoring, and the impact of the new Carbon Reduction Com-mitment regulatory framework on the air-ports in the United Kingdom was analysed. tbi’s airports participated directly in this forum, as did representatives of: the techni-cal departments that implement environ-mental measures, the legal department and abertis’s social responsibility unit.

This forum has continued to operate during 2010, in order to ensure that good

environmental practices can be shared, risks can be centralised, and an environmental management system can be developed. All this will help minimise the long term impact arising from the airports’ activities on the environment in which they operate.

Th e OASIS projectFor some time, abertis autopistas has also been participating in the OASIS project (Operación de Autopistas Seguras, Inteli-gentes y Sostenibles-Safe, Intelligent and Sustainable Toll road Operations). This is a national project in which several business and academic organisations participate, and has the aim of defi ning the standards for the toll roads of the future. The principal areas it considers are safety, mobility, energy opti-misation, and the environment. In the latter area, there are three basic lines of study: improving the toll roads’ integration into the landscape, an understanding of the relation-ship with the surrounding environment, and managing vegetation in the toll road’s eco-system.

Sustainability and effi cient resource managementRight from the start, abertis has shown spe-cial sensitivity to environmental matters, not only in its foundation’s activities, but also in the Group’s business activities. Pere Torres insists that, “All that the companies who are leading in this area and are gradually incor-porating environmental consideration need, is more encouragement and greater recogni-tion of their work with the environment”. Last October, in another recent example, abertis telecom signed an agreement with the town halls of Sant Cugat and Lleida and

WHAT THE COMPANIES

WHO ARE LEADING IN

THIS AREA AND APPLYING

ENVIRONMENTAL

MEASURES NEED IS MORE

ENCOURAGEMENT AND

GREATER RECOGNITION

OF THEIR WORK

LinkCol·legi d’Ambientòlegs de Catalunya www.coamb.cat


the Indra Company, on the development of smart cities. Smart cities are a concept of future towns, based on the use of cutting-edge technologies to improve their inhabit-ants’ quality of life, make public services more efficient, increase environmental sustainabil-ity and improve the opportunities the city offers to both companies and individuals. This agreement between companies and town halls is a good example of public-private partnerships, since these two leading tech-nological companies, abertis and Indra, are making all their know-how available to these town halls.

Irreplaceable allysaba, the abertis group’s car park subsidiary, is also doing outstanding work in the tech-nological and environmental fields, such as setting up the recently announced pilot project of 12 electrical vehicle charging points in 4 car parks in Barcelona. The company’s other measures include improving waste storage installations, installing oil-water separators in rainwater drains, and installing “ecosaba” recycling points in its car parks.

Despite the abertis group’s efforts to make infrastructures compatible with sus-tainability, Pere Torres reminds us that, “It’s always possible to do more, because we are learning more every day. Each day we see new ways of ensuring that the objective of sustainability, which sometimes seems a bit abstract and conceptual, is drawing closer.” Infrastructures are an irreplaceable ally in progressing towards sustainability and, “Com-panies like abertis, as I understand it, must always be on the lookout, not only for major changes, but also for those small innovations that, when applied to their own activities, can provide significant benefits in terms of sustainability”. ■

REPORT


abertis

Salvador Alemany, who was awarded the title of 2010’s Universally Outstanding Businessman by the Cámara Oficial Española de Comercio in Chile, met some of the country’s leaders and important businessmen, and opened the abertis logistics park santiago TEXT AND PHOTOS abertis

Visit to Chile by the president of abertis

1

abertis in ChileThe abertis group has been in Chile since 1997. The Group has gradually consolidated its presence in the country, and currently has a workforce of over 750 employees. It has become one of the main infrastructure operators, with a presence in four sectors: toll roads –it manages the Elqui Concession Company, Rutas del Pacífico, gesa and Autopista Central, a combined total of around 500 kilometres; car parks –saba manages 15 establishments with a total of over 9,000 parking places; airports– it has a share in the company which manages the capital’s airport; and logistics parks -the first comprehensive logistics park in Santiago de Chile.


Last November, the president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, made a

business trip to Chile, which is a strategic country for the Group and in which four of its business units have a presence: toll roads, airports, car parks and logistics parks.

During his visit, Salvador Alemany was awarded the title of 2010’s Universally Out-standing Businessman by the Cámara Oficial Española de Comercio in Chile presents this award annually to two people from the busi-ness world –one Spanish and one Chilean. This year, the Chilean businessman Álvaro Saieh, who runs the Corp Group, Copesa and Supermercados Unimarc was the other recipient.

By making this award to Salvador Ale-many, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce recognised, “The drive and persistence shown by the president of abertis in business rela-tionships between Spain and Chile”.

On this trip, Salvador Alemany took the opportunity to see, at first hand, the operat-ing centres of two concessions: Rutas del Pacífico –which connects Santiago de Chile with Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, in which the Group has a 78% share– and Autopista Central, which is 50% owned by abertis.

Meetings with Chilean leaders and businessmenDuring the trip, the president of abertis took the opportunity to meet several members of the Chilean Government: Chile’s minister of Public Works, Hernán de Solmini- hac; the minister of Finance, Development and Reconstruction, Juan Andrés Fontai- ne; and the minister of Transport and Tele-communications, Felipe Morandé.

Salvador Alemany also met the assistant secretary of Public Works, Loreto Silva, and the mayor of Santiago –a city in which saba manages 12 car parks– Pablo Zalaquett.

He also attended a dinner with Herman Chadwick, the president of COPSA, which was also attended by Josep Martínez-Vila, abertis’ director general of Business and Operations, and the general manager of abertis Chile, Lluís Subirà.

As part of the visit, there was also an informal lunch with managers and execu-tives of abertis Chile, and a meeting with Spanish expat businessmen, in which the country’s economic situation was discussed, along with the condition of its infrastructure.

The opening of the abertis foundation’s local office in Chile was held in the Palacio

— 1 —The president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, during his speech at the ENADE forum. — 2 —Visit to the Rutas del Pacífico facilities.— 3 —Salvador Alemany collects his award as 2010’s Universally Outstanding Businessman from the Cámara Oficial Española de Comercio in Chile.

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Th e ENADE forumDuring his stay in Chile, Salvador Alemany took part in the ENADE (National Chilean Companies’ Meeting), a prestigious discussion forum, with over 1,600 participants, including the country’s politicians and important businessmen. Th is year, it coincided with the 200th anniversary of Chile’s independence. Salvador Alemany, who was the only non-Chilean speaker invited this year, gave a speech entitled Economic growth and development in a crisis context: the public-private opportunity.

de la Moneda, the Chilean Presidential Offi ces. Chile’s fi rst lady, Cecilia Morel de Piñera, pre-sented a plaque commemorating the dona-tion given by abertis to help repair damage caused by last February’s earthquake in the north of the country.

This is the second local office the foundation has opened outside Spain. In 2009, the first one was opened in Italy, and there are plans to open a third branch in France in 2011.

abertis logistics park santiago opens with 100% occupancyAs part of his visit, the president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, together with the Chilean under-secretary of Transport, Gloria Hutt Hesse, opened the abertis logisticspark

santiago, a logistics park set up by abertis

logística in Santiago de Chile.With the signing of four rental contracts,

abertis logisticspark santiago has begun to operate. Ceva Logistics Chile and APL Logis-tics have each rented 7,500 square metres, and Sony and Paccar have each rented 2,500 metres. With these four agreements, the whole of the park’s fi rst phase, some 20,000 square metres, has been rented, bringing it up to 100% occupancy.

Ceva Logistics and APL Logistics are both international logistics operators. From abertis

logisticspark santiago, Ceva Logistics will provide distribution and storage services for Natura, a leading Latin American perfume

and cosmetics company founded in Bra-zil, and APL will supply its clients in Chile. Sony will use the space it has rented for storing high technology products for the retail sec-tor, Paccar will use its for products related to the automotive sector.

First comprehensive logistics park abertis logistics park santiago is the fi rst comprehensive logistics park to set up in Santiago de Chile’s Metropolitan Region. The park has a total surface area of 63 hectares, and may eventually have 335,000 square metres of warehousing and 15,000 metres of ancillary services such as offi ces, petrol stations and restaurants. In its initial stage, abertis logisticspark santiago has generated around 250 jobs. The park has an outstanding location. Situated in the Puda-huel County, in the north-west of the Met-ropolitan Region, it forms part of the ENEA business park, a 1,000 hectare complex which includes offi ces, homes, green spaces and leisure areas, as well as zones for special projects and services.

abertis logistics park santiago is also directly accessed from the two most important toll roads in the Metropolitan Region, the Cos-tanera Norte and the Vespucio Express. It has direct access to Santiago de Chile Airport, which is just 2.2 kilometres away, and to the main access roads to the ports of Valparaíso and San Antonio, through which over 80% of the country’s imports and exports pass. ■

Meeting with the Chile’s minister of Public Works, Hernán de Solminihac.


Linksabertis logisticspark santiago www.abertislogistica.com/chile

abertis Chile www.abertis.cl

— 1 —The president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, with the under-secretary for Transport, Gloria Hut Hesse; the general manager of abertis logística, Manel Martínez; and the general manager of abertis Chile, Lluís Subirà.— 2 — The president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, during his meeting with Chile’s first lady, Cecilia Morel de Piñera, on his right.— 3 —Interview with the Chilean minister of the Economy, Juan Andrés Fontaine. — 4 —With the Chilean minister of Transport, Felipe Morandé.

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ProfileA graduate of the French HEC business school and France’s National School of Administration.

He joined Eutelsat in July 2009. He is not only the director general, but also a member of Hispasat’s Board of Directors.

Until 2008 he was the president and managing director of SGD, having held the same posts in the US Company ViroPharma from 2000 to 2008.

He was also managing director of Rhône-Poulenc Fibers and Polymers and Rhône-Poulenc Rorer.

He started his professional career in France, in the General Finance Inspectorate in the Ministry of the Economy.

INTERVIEW


In 2007, abertis strengthened its European business by the purchase of

32% of Eutelsat, which made it the compa-ny’s largest shareholder. With a fleet of 27 satellites in geostationary orbit, Eutelsat is a leader in Europe, since it has a 30% market share. It is also the third-largest operator worldwide, with a market share of 13%.■ ■ ■

What is your impression, after a year as director general of Eutelsat?There are two ways to answer that question: what this has meant for the company, and what it has meant for me.

It has been an outstanding year, in terms of both the improvement in the overall bal-ance sheet structure and the financial results, with growth in: sales volume, profitability, net results and the dividend offered to share-holders. This success is partly due to our high quality work over the last year. However, in this business, things change very slowly, and these results are, to a large extent, the result of several years’ work in the technical, sales and HR fields. These results are par-ticularly due to the fact that, for several years now –and especially since abertis and CDC/FSI have been our principal shareholders– Eutelsat has mainly worked on increasing and renewing fleet of satellites. This last year, Eutelsat has therefore been able to handle a significant increase in demand

Interview with the director general of Eutelsat

Michel de Rosen

from the video, broadband and even multi-use sectors.

During the year, new projects have been started, and we have continued with existing ones. Firstly, we have begun a strategic coop-eration with the state of Qatar, and together we have decided to purchase a satellite called EUROBIRD 2A, which we will finance and operate jointly. This year, Eutelsat also ordered two satellites, the W5A and the W6A, as part of our ongoing efforts to renew the fleet and increase our capacity.

In November 2009 we launched the W7. With 70 repeaters, this is currently the largest satellite Eutelsat has launched. It entered service in January 2010. This satellite principally communicates with the markets in Russia and Africa, and has very quickly acquired customers, which shows the dynamism of the markets on which we are focussed. The satellite was launched shortly after I was appointed director general. I therefore had nothing to do with it, but it was a good decision and a great success for Eutelsat.

Similarly, we have also prepared for the launch of the KA-SAT satellite. The launch of this satellite is planned for the 20th of December. It has a different architecture from our others, and will offer very competitive pricing for internet service providers. In fact, with a capacity of more than 7 Gbps, it will

«Our challenge is not to be the largest company in our sector, but the best one»The director general of Eutelsat explains the challenges the telecommunications sector will have to face in the coming decadesTEXT AND PHOTOS Eutelsat


equal the sum of the capacities of all the satellites in Eutelsat’s current fleet.

On a personal note, I have learned so much this year, from contact with my col-leagues in the company, our customers, our shareholders and the competition, and even from journalists. I have also been able to study the organisation of the company and make some modifications to it, creating an executive committee and a renewed steering committee. Lastly, in 2010 we have also started an in-depth study to deter-mine which direction we should take if the company is to continue to grow for the next 20 years.■ ■ ■

We respect to your previous profes-sional experience, what do you believe you have brought to Eutelsat?Before replying to that question, allow me

IN 2010 WE HAVE STARTED AN IN-DEPTH STUDY TO DETERMINE WHICH DIRECTION WE SHOULD TAKE FOR THE COMPANY TO CONTINUE TO GROW OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS

to return to what, from my perspective, are the defining characteristics of Eutelsat. Firstly, our company is international in terms of its own character and that of its custom-ers, shareholders and employees. Secondly, this is a company with a level of efficiency which is quite unique at an international level: Eutelsat, with only 640 employees in the whole world, has a presence in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. Their level of commitment, passion and expe-rience is exceptional. Eutelsat is also a com-pany that works for the long term: what happens today was decided on years ago, and what we do today will have its effect in a few years time.

I believe that what I have brought to this company is the ability to listen, to share and to mobilise us all. I have discovered that this is a company where the employees needed

THE FINANCIAL SLOWDOWN HAS HARDLY AFFECTED EUTELSAT AT ALL: THE RESULTS IN 2009 AND 2010 WERE VERY GOOD, AS THEY WERE IN 2008, WHICH WAS AN EXCELLENT YEAR

According to Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat must be the company which treats its customers best, with humility, consistency and care.


to talk about what they do and about their ideas for the company. To assist me in this project, I have listened to my predecessor, Giuliano Berretta –who is still the president of the board– since he has unrivalled experi-ence in the fields of space and satellites.■ ■ ■

How has the financial slowdown af-fected Eutelsat?Firstly, I should state that the financial slow-down has hardly affect Eutelsat at all: the results in 2009 and 2010 were very good, as they were in 2008, which was an excellent year. The main reason why we have not been affected by the difficult situation of the last two years is that our business is not very sensitive to the economic climate. Our main activity is video, which represents 70% of our sales volume. In this field, the transmission services we offer are a key requirement for broadcasters, but only represent a small per-centage of their overall costs.

Our contracts are almost always long-term ones, for 10 or even 15 years. Addi- tionally, these contracts are in no way pro-portional to our customers’ advertising income: when their income increases, they don’t pay us more, but if their income drops, they don’t pay us any less. To summarise, we are therefore not much affected by eco-nomic cycles.■ ■ ■

What are your objectives for Eutelsat in Eastern Europe?In Eutelsat, we often say that we are present in two continents. One of these is the con-tinent we call our first continent: Western Europe. This is the continent in which, his-torically, Eutelsat began its adventure. Then there is the second continent, made up of central and eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This continent is a more emergent market than the first one, which is more mature. We lead the markets in both these

few know that satellites are an essential link in the broadcast chain for television chan-nels, and are essential for extending access to broadband to more users, in addition to land-based networks. The first challenge consists in ensuring that what we do, and our contribution to humanity, is known and understood.

The second challenge consists of con-tinuing to organise our growth. As infrastruc-ture professionals, our duty is to create value for our shareholders. To be successful in this, we must strike a balance between the growth in our sales volume, the growth in our profit-

continents: we have 41% market share, and hope to maintain this. The decision to have a presence in this second continent, in which market growth is stronger than in Western Europe or North America, has shown itself to be profitable. Thanks to this decision, Eutelsat has grown faster this year than its two main competitors: Intelsat and SES.■ ■ ■

What forecasts do you have for 3D television? Are consumers’ expectations and those of the market growing in this area?It’s obvious that, when we’re talking about 3D, we must distinguish between two fields, or even three: 3D cinema –which came to the forefront this year because of Avatar; 3D events– such as the live transmission of the World Cup, an opera or a tennis tournament; and, lastly 3D television.

There is no doubt that 3D cinema is developing all the time. I also believe, like most observers, that 3D events will also continue to develop: as an opera lover, I find it wonderful to be able to go to the Metropolitan Opera, to Paris or to Lyon. These two fields will certainly experience a strong growth.

The third field, 3D television, will surely take longer to develop. The key to its success is the content, i.e. program-ming. We are therefore available to those television channels that wish to broadcast programmes in 3D: since August, we have hosted the Orange 3D channel on one of our satellites. So we are perfectly 3D-ready.

However, we are clearly seeing an acceleration in channels broadcasting in high definition. Almost 200 channels are already broadcasting through our satellites with that level of image quality. The fore-casts for HD, which takes up 2.5 times the bandwidth of a standard digital television channel, are very promising: the Eurocon-sult consultancy forecasts that 20% of satellite channels will be broadcasting in HD before 2019. However, from my per-spective, that forecast seems rather con-servative.■ ■ ■

What, in your opinion, are the future challenges? What is your vision? The first challenge is common to the whole of the satellite industry: most people don’t know what we do. The communications sat-ellite sector is very little known. People know about weather satellites and GPS, but very


The third challenge is, for me, a challenge of execution. In Eutelsat, we must, at all times, achieve operational excellence: tech-nical, commercial, human, financial, etc. This may seem obvious, but when we commit to customers for 15 years, excellence must be ongoing. Not even the image of a marathon is appropriate, since this a marathon which never stops. We know, today, that it will always continue.

Execution is also our customers’ obses-sion. Every day, we must be thinking about our customers, although this is not obvious in a company like ours: it can be tempting to think that it is the customers who need us. But we must always want to be the company which treats its customers best, with humil-ity, consistency and care.

Our challenge is not to be the biggest or the strongest, but to be the best. I’m con-vinced that if we are the best in terms of the service we offer our customers, we will also be the best in terms of how we treat our shareholders.■ ■ ■

What is your analysis and vision of the current state of the satellite industry? The satellite industry consists of several sec-tors. Eutelsat is a telecommunication satel-lite operator, and has no ambition, at the moment, or for the next 5 or 10 years, to enter the terrestrial observation satellite sector, nor the weather satellite sector. We believe we already have sufficient work in the video sector, the broadband internet sector, and in the area of government services.

The satellite industry brings together two specialist areas, which can cause some confusion. It includes satellite operators like us, but also satellite and launcher manufac-turers. My prognosis for the next few years is that the number of satellite and launcher manufacturers will increase.

This is good news for Eutelsat, since it means there will be more suppliers, and there-fore, more competition between them. Lastly, with respect to our own sector, and given the good prospects for growth, I believe that there will be more and more satellite opera-tors. New players are appearing: our Qatari friends, for example, with whom we are com-bining our space expertise.

To summarise, our markets are experi-encing vigorous growth. There is room for leaders such as Eutelsat and for smaller play-ers. There is nothing like the pressure of demand and competition for creating progress! ■

ability, and the cash flow we generate. At the same time, we know that we must invest, in order to generate growth. Over recent years, we have invested almost half of our sales volume in new satellites and launchers. There are very few industries which invest so much. We have managed to find a good balance: invest a lot, and, however, still be in a situa-tion to offer our shareholders a significant dividend. We must continue to preserve this balance between our desire to grow and invest and the financial discipline which allows us to treat our shareholders appropriately.

OUR MARKETS ARE EXPERIENCING STRONG AND DYNAMIC GROWTH. THERE IS ROOM FOR LEADERS SUCH AS EUTELSAT AND ALSO FOR SMALLER PLAYERS. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE PRESSURE OF DEMAND AND COMPETITION FOR CREATING PROGRESS!

José Luis Feito, who heads the Euro-pean Toll road Association (ASECAP)

and the Association of Spanish Motorway Tunnel Bridge and Toll road Concession Companies (ASETA), and therefore under-stands the needs and perspectives of Span-ish road infrastructures, analyses the sec-tor’s current situation. ■ ■ ■

Can we consider that the crisis has bottomed out? To what extent may the decoupling which did not occur at the start of the crisis be happening on the way out of it?What we can say is that the drop in GDP has bottomed out. However, until the economic growth is sufficient to reduce unemployment, the crisis will continue. Indeed, in this sense, some countries will come out of the crisis before others.■ ■ ■

In a context in which it seems that the recovery will be slow and uncertain, how can fiscal consolidation policies be combined with stimulus policies? This depends on the countries in question. There are countries, such as Spain, which have only one option: to reduce the public deficit, through savings, to levels which can be financed by local or international investors prepared to back our country.

■ ■ ■

Public investment in infrastructures is one of the anti-cyclic measures that most governments are adopting. Are all measures equally effective? No. Certainly, the productivity of investments in infrastructures is very different, and, in many cases, is below the cost of the infrastructures. The fundamental criterion for selecting invest-ments in infrastructures (provided that, as in Spain’s case, the social considerations of these investments are essentially adequately cov-ered) must be their productivity for the coun-try as a whole. In other words, it is necessary to focus on those projects which contribute most to the economic growth of the country as a whole (or of the region, in the case of investments by regional governments) after one has subtracted the cost of the infrastruc-ture from its contribution to the economy.■ ■ ■

Which funding instruments does the EU propose for developing the Trans- European Transport Network (TEN-T)? The review of the current TEN-T policy is, in my opinion, quite rational and takes into account the present economic situation: the intention is not to launch a major infrastruc-ture programme, but to focus on providing continuity to ongoing projects, attend to the principal bottlenecks, and promote better

«One must choose those projects which contribute most to the country’s growth»

INTERVIEW

Infrastructures

José Luis Feito

TEXT abertis | PHOTOS abertis/ASETA

The president of ASECAP, ASETA and the CEOE’s Economic and Financial Policy Commission reviews the aspects which will be key for the sector to progress in the future


ProfileHe has a degree in Busines s and Economic Science from the Madrid Complutense University and is a State Economic and Commercial expert.

He has been Spain’s ambassador to the OECD and has worked for the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of Spain and the Ministry of the Economy.

In the private sector, he has been on the board of several companies, including Spain Fund Inc and Ence, SA.

He is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Expansión (Recoletos Group), of the Advisory Board of Fundación Inverco, and a patron of the Fundación Ortega y Gasset.


THE CONCESSION MODEL BASED ON THE ‘VENTURE RISK’ PRINCIPLE REQUIRES FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITY TO ADAPT TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS


management of existing infrastructures by encouraging the Implementation of Trans-portation Systems (ITS).

Even so, the investment is considerable, and, according to the plans, the TEN-T projects will fundamentally be financed from the budg-ets of the member states, backed up by the EU’s financial instruments such as the Euro-pean Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund. In fact, the creation of Euro-pean funding framework to coordinate the use of these funds is being considered. Private contributions are still very limited, and this is not sensible for those projects with high pro-jected demand which would therefore be attractive to private initiative.■ ■ ■

To what extent can the lack of homog-enous legislation on concessions in Europe put a brake on the internation-alisation process for operators?The principles of non-discrimination and equality are two of the fundamental pillars on which the European Union is based. These principles must also be respected for our sec-tor, and it is therefore necessary to establish

IT’S NOT UNREASONABLE TO START TO ANALYSE THE MEASURES THAT CONCESSION COMPANIES CAN ADOPT TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON THEIR TOLL ROADS

a European framework for concessions which will open up the market and provide security for the investor. We must, however, be prudent in this respect, since, if legislation was estab-lished which was too restrictive, we could find ourselves in difficult situations: the concession model based on the principle of venture risk requires flexibility and agility in order to adapt itself to unforeseen situations which, if they were limited by very strict regulations, might jeopardise some concession contracts.■ ■ ■

How does ASECAP evaluate the effects of the Eurovignette directive, in those countries which are already applying it?

About ASECAPThe association was created in 1973, when representatives of French, Italian, Austrian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Norwegian concessionaries decided to meet regularly as part of a structured organisation, i.e. as a result of creating SECAP, the European Secretariat of Toll road Concession Companies. SECAP was created to be an ideal place for exchanging knowledge and experience on many matters related to road transport, for those companies working in the same sector.

At the start of the nineties, with the progressive implementation of the internal EU market and the development of European integration, the members of SECAP decided to create an association that would be able to interact with European institutions and speak with one voice on the requirements and positions of European toll road concession companies.

ASECAP officially became an association on the 8th of February 1993. It is made up of: ASFA (France), AISCAT (Italy), ASETA (Spain), ASFINAG (Austria), TEO (Greece), ASCAP (Portugal), NORVEGFINANS (Norway), NV Liefkenshoektunnel (Belguim), Sund & Baelt Holding A/S (Denmark), AKA (Hungary), DARS (Slovenia), HUKA (Croatia), PE Roads of Serbia (Serbia), M6 (United Kingdom), NV Westerscheldetunnel (Netherlands), Société Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc (Morocco), Collect GmbH (Germany), Autostrada Wielkopolska SA (Poland), KAPSCH TS (Czech Republic), Narodna dialnicna spolocnost (Slovak Republic) and Irish Tolling Industry Association (Ireland).


José Luis Feito considers that one should consider whether it is appropriate to change the “shadow” toll on certain highways into “soft” but explicit tolls.

LinksASECAP www.asecap.com

ASETAwww.aseta.es

José Luis Feito, the president of this European sectorial organisation, which was founded about thirty years ago, enumerates these challenges.

The opportunity of the current situation. “The principal challenge consists of knowing how to take advantage of the opportunity that the current economic situation presents us with. The crisis has clearly shown that the budgets of member states are not sufficient for the necessary investment in highways, and that the only way to maintain the rate of investment is through private initiative. In this context, we must be able to convince the decision-makers and public opinion that it is necessary to change to the pay-per-use model. Implementing explicit tolls is the most effective, just and sustainable system for starting new

infrastructures and even maintaining the existing ones”.

New technologies. “To go from the traditional concept of an infrastructure operator to the wider concept of a service provider: new technologies are giving us the opportunity to offer our customers new added-value services, and we must be able to implement that idea of an “intelligent” toll road, by increasing the use of ITS, and especially of cooperative systems”.

Sensitivity to environmental matters and accident rates. “All the above must be accomplished in a framework of the greatest respect for the environment and special sensitivity to the problem of road accident rates. We have advanced enormously in these areas, but there is still room for improvement”.

ASECAP’s principal challenges

The implementation of the Eurovignette direc-tive is the logical consequence that all coun-tries must accept in order to maintain their road network. In countries where it is already being applied, the result has been very positive: funds have been collected for improving the road network, the use of lorries has been ration-alised (by reducing the number of unladen trips) and thus improving the competitiveness of the transport sector, fleets have been updated with less polluting vehicles, and, on the other hand, no significant impact on the price of the transported goods has been observed. As we understand it, the Eurovignette model is perfectly compatible with the tradi-tional toll system in the toll road network, and this will be shown when the Ecotaxe is intro-duced in France. ■ ■ ■

What other measures would help gov-ernments to meet the cost of infrastruc-ture development and maintenance?With respect to revenue, the price of many public services, such as, for example, the price of high speed trains, is excessively subsidised, so that the variable costs of the network are

not covered. This means that the price of tickets for these trains does not even cover the cost of maintaining the infrastructure.

One can say the same, although to a lesser extent, about conventional train lines. In all these cases, it is obvious that prices must be brought closer to a level which would cover variable costs, so that running these lines does not lose so much public money. One should also think, as has been done in Portugal, about whether it is appropriate to change the “shadow” toll on certain highways into “soft” but explicit tolls to be paid by the road user. ■ ■ ■

What are ASECAP’s proposals for reduc-ing the environmental impact of trans-port on climate change?ASECAP has always encouraged toll road con-cession companies to be sensitive to environ-mental matters –from the conception and design phase of a toll road through to the operating phase. ASECAP has a permanent committee (COPER II) dedicated exclusively to environmental and road safety matters, which analyses all the possible actions the concession companies can take to improve

their commitment to the environment: waste management policies, water channelling, wildlife crossings, reforestation, landscape integration, etc.

In recent years, the word decarbonisation has become fashionable in Europe. The Trans-

port White Paper, currently being revised, will cover this in depth. ASECAP has always been in favour of using less-polluting vehicles, and has repeated advocated the imposition of a tariff for drivers who pollute. Going further with this idea, and seeing the surge in sales of electrical vehicles, it’s not unreasonable to start to analyse the measures concession companies can adopt to encourage the use of these vehicles on their toll roads. ■

This manual was presented in Madrid under the patronage of the Foundation

for Applied Economic Studies (FEDEA), with which abertis collaborates through the abertis chair of Transport and Infrastructure Economics. The director of the research group, professor Ginés de Rus of the University of Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, moderated a debate in which many professors and academics who are expert in cost-benefit analysis participated. The idea on which the meeting focussed is the increasing need, in the current situation of budget austerity, to find a method which facilitates the task of evaluating future infra-structure investments, and specifically, facilitates the evaluation of the projects included in the current Strategic Infrastructure and Transport Plan (PEIT), which aims to increase public-private partnerships. As emphasised in the opening speech of the event, given by Luis Espadas, sec-retary general of Budgets and Expenses in the Ministry of Economy and Taxation, the aim is to have the most flexible and transparent evaluation tools, in order to apply public resources more efficiently and effectively.

The cost-benefit methodThe seminar’s first session focussed on analys-ing national and international experience of evaluating transport projects, with special emphasis on the cases of the European Union and the United Kingdom.

“Is extending Malaga Airport a good investment? And what about the improvement to the Mudéjar toll road?”. The ‘Manual for the Economic Evaluation of Transport Projects’ attempts to answer these questions. This manual is the result of a research project which was financed by the Ministry of Development’s Centre for Public Works Studies and Experiments (CEDEX)

Infrastructures

Those present praised the excellent qualities of the cost benefit-method, which analyses the suitability of projects based economic criteria, but does not ignore other aspects, such as the social, regional and environmental effects.

According to the research group, all projects must pass through a basic initial filter which is a simple question: “Will we live better when this project has been completed?”. Starting from that point, the manual focuses on the cost-benefit analysis, which will validate those initiatives which provide more benefits than cost to society.

Of the principal problems of the system, the current separation between the authority that takes the decision to invest and the one which has to finance the investment was the problem which was emphasised. In this respect, the greatest criticism was made by Ángel Aparicio, of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, for whom the different authorities do not so much look at the technical or eco-nomic justification for the projects, but rather demand infrastructures that are the same as, or better than, those of their neighbours. This problem could, to a certain extent, be solved if autonomous and local administrations shared the responsibility.

Evaluating projectsThe evaluation method was then analysed in more depth. Given that it is difficult to extract

REPORT

TEXT AND PHOTOS abertis

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS CAN

ASSIST IN DISTINGUISHING

BETWEEN THE GOOD

PROJECTS WHICH PROVIDE

SOCIAL WELL-BEING,

AND THE ‘WHITE ELEPHANTS,’

WHICH ARE PROJECTS

CONSTRUCTED WITHOUT

ANALYSING WHETHER

THEY ARE SOCIALLY USEFUL


Economic and financial evaluation of infrastructure projects


Link‘Manual for the Economic Evaluation of Transport Projects’ www.evaluaciondeproyectos.es

The session emphasised the roles of the public bodies in the processes of planning, pri-oritising and regulating infrastructures; and the role of the private sector in providing finance and the ability to manage the infrastructures. In this respect, there was agreement on the idea of choosing pay-per-use schemas, which reduce the pressure on public administrations’ debt and deficits, at a time when governments’ fiscal expansion policies are very limited.

The manual, on the political agendaThe closing speech of the seminar was given by the secretary general of Infrastructures, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero, who emphasised

all the factors that indicate whether a project will be profitable or not, the manual measures the monetary value of a region’s well-being after an infrastructure investment has been made, and then subtracts the amount paid for that infrastructure. The cost benefit-analy-sis can therefore distinguish between the good projects –which provide social well-being at a cost which that society is prepared to pay– from the bad ones which are sometimes known as white elephants – infrastructures which were constructed “just because ...” without analysing whether or not they are socially useful.

On the second day of the conference, attention turned to the environmental aspects, which are also significant when evaluating the suitability of certain transport projects. The debate on the design of infrastructure institu-tions was covered by the panel on public-private partnerships. This round-table discussion involved Gustavo Nombela (Complutense University of Madrid), Juan Benavides (Univer-sity of the Andes), Germà Bel (University of Barcelona) and Toni Brunet, director Studies and Communication at abertis.

that it is indeed necessary to analyse, “What infrastructures are needed, how they are imple-mented and how they are financed”. According to the secretary general, public works in Spain have not been well-planned and their social and economic viability has not been analysed. She emphasised the need to analyse the oppor-tunity cost of spending, since it is important to know what is being given up in order for public works to be completed.

In conclusion, the research group insisted that the cost-benefit analysis for the economic evaluation of infrastructure projects, which is offered by the manual, should be on the agen-das of political authorities. Ginés de Rus con-cluded: “If we do not have an institutional framework that ensures that the technique is employed to useful ends, the methodology will be reduced to a bureaucratic procedure”. ■

THE RESEARCH GROUP

INSISTED THAT THE COST-

BENEFIT ANALYSIS OFFERED

BY THE MANUAL SHOULD BE

ON THE AGENDAS OF

POLITICAL AUTHORITIES

TEAM


Encouraging R&D&i activities and identifying new business opportunities

in the toll road management environment are some of the functions of Concession Economics, a recently-created Department and a key part of the working mechanism of abertis autopistas business unit.

Looking for and identifying new products and services, in order to obtain maximum profitability for existing toll road assets, is one of the missions of Concession Economics, a new Department that has been created after the restructuring of abertis autopistas Spain’s Business Unit

Innovation in the service of the customer

Concession Economics

Juan Rodríguez de la Rubia heads this Department. He is very clear as to his team’s missions: to get more performance from the company’s assets and to determine their value and future evolution in order to create new business opportunities. According to him, “It is necessary to look

beyond our everyday activity, in order to know how the market will evolve”. One fundamental task towards achieving these objectives is to maintain good relationships with administrative bodies, in order to be able to increase the value of current concessions.

TEXT abertis | PHOTOS David Campos


The Concession Economics Team. Bottom left, the director general of the department, Juan Rodríguez de la Rubia, with his secretary, Mariví García.

“One must also take into account the profitability of innovation projects, whether they are new investments, new products and services or innovations at an operating level”.

In order to achieve these objectives, this Department is supported by three units: Traffic and Studies, Business Management, and Financial Planning. One of the positive aspects of the new department is the fact that it increases the interrelationships between these three fields, and this trans-lates as a more dynamic work environment and greater information interchange with other areas. All this helps the Concession Economics department to offer a more glo-bal vision and, in turn, allows the role played by each of the units, within the whole organ-isation, to be recognised.

Ongoing projectsConcession Economics promotes R&D&i activities, in coordination with the various areas of activity, both within abertis autopistas

and in the entire abertis group. These activ-ities include: implementing charging points for electric vehicles at service areas, projects associated with ensuring that the electronic toll collection system is interoperable with

the systems in neighbouring countries, and implementing the future European Electronic Toll-collection Service. According to Juan Rodríguez de la Rubia, “Electronic toll-collec-tion interoperability will provide a better service to foreign customers, make traffic-flow on the toll roads better, and is also an ecological measure, especially in the case of heavy vehicles”. Another project that it is carrying out, in coordination with the various areas of abertis autopistas, is implement-ing secure lorry parks which incorporate services for lorry drivers. These are already being constructed at the Porta Barcelona and Montseny service areas on the AP-7.

Traffic study model for predicting demand The three units making up Concession Eco-nomics are involved, in one way or another, in developing all these projects. Traffic and Studies analyses and finds answers to all the questions that may arise concerning traffic, whether for preparing these projects, or for satisfying the whole organisation’s need for information. “Road safety is another impor-tant aspect to be analysed, in order to better understand the keys to accident rates on toll roads, and therefore be able to propose

Three unitsTraffic and Studies. Analyses the variables that affect road traffic.

Business Management. Its objective is to ensure the efficiency and profitability of the services already provided and in new lines business when they are started up.

Financial Planning. Studies those initiatives which will have a financial impact, in terms of profitability and creating value.

“THE OBJECTIVE IS

TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM

PROFITABILITY FROM

EXISTING ASSETS ON THE

TOLL ROAD, IN ADDITION

TO ITS CORE ACTIVITY”

improvements”, said Joan Altarriba, the head of the unit. He recognises that, “The current financial situation has led us to carry out stud-ies that are more in-depth, and help us to explain different phenomena”. The relation-ship between the traffic and macroeconomic variables has involved us in preparing a traffic prediction model which will better explain which are the fundamental variables involved in it. Additionally, the current uncertainty has forced us to make a study of the impacts of improvements planned for the non-toll road network, “In order to have an idea of what scenario we will be approaching in the next 10 years”, explained Joan Altarriba.

Traffic and Studies, like the other units, works with various external and internal contacts. Information about traffic is sensitive and vital for many fields of activity, both internal and external (administrative bodies, academics): “Our relationship administrative bodies is close and positive. Traffic is a vari-able that can be analysed from different points of view, so we must be very transpar-ent with administrative bodies”.

Identifying new initiatives and servicesWithin the new Department, Business Man-agement is the unit responsible for monitor-ing and managing the activity which produces the toll road business revenues which do not come directly from the toll, for example, the revenue from service areas and from selling and marketing the fibre optics cable service.

— 1 —The Traffic and Studies team. From left to right: Víctor Blanco, Joan Guzmán, Marta Jordi, Belén Díaz, Noemí Rezo, Isabel Marcilla and Joan Altarriba. — 2 —The Financial Planning team. From left to right: Anna Bonet, Mariona Godoy and Javier García del Valle. — 3 —From left to right: Josep Jové, Juan Rodríguez de la Rubia, Joan Altarriba and Anna Bonet. — 4 —The Business Management team. From left to right: José Luis Rodríguez, José García, Idoya Tobar, Marta Bertoli and Josep Jové.


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The role of this unit is related to looking for efficiency in providing and managing these other activities, in identifying new services to be offered, and, on occasion, in starting up new and independent lines of business which are not directly related to these. To sum-marise, as Josep Jové, head of the unit, explained, “The aim is to obtain maximum profitability from existing assets on the toll road, in addition to its core activity, and we are trying to develop new services that may provide ancillary revenues”.

Profitability and creating valueFinancial Planning is the third team making the Concession Economics Department. Its modus operandi is similar to that of the other two units in the Department.

As for Traffic and Studies, and in Business Management, the Planning unit is fed infor-mation by other departments (Traffic, Oper-ations, Technology, Customer Relations and Environment, etc). These provide the informa-tion required for preparing the planning and providing a long-term vision of the business’s evolution and cash generation.

This unit works collaborates closely in the joint development of the business plans for all the initiatives studied by Business Management (financial projections, return on investment, time scale for return on invest-ment, etc), and also on complaints and the agreements to be negotiated with adminis-trative bodies. Anna Bonet, the head of Finan-cial Planning, agrees with her colleagues that all projects involve collaboration at all levels, whether within the Management area itself, or with other areas of abertis autopistas. According to her, the unit makes an overall analysis of those initiatives which will have a financial impact, and offers the Manage-ment information on what these initiatives would imply, in terms of profitability and creating value, if they were implemented by abertis autopistas. ■

Business Management also coordinates and manages the R&D&i projects which abertis autopistas carries out in national and international consortia with other com-panies, in order to play a significant role in the evolution of the sector. As partners in these projects, “We sometimes find ourselves working with other companies in the Group (abertis telecom, sanef, Eutelsat, etc.),” said Josep Jové. These are projects subsidised by the European Union, the CDTI (entre for the Development of Industrial Technology) and other organisations.

The day-to-day work of this department is therefore intense, both in our relationship with the operators of the service areas (rene-gotiations, new investments, joint projects to be implemented), and in our relationships with other business units in the Group, such as abertis telecom, “With whom we are

working closely in the business of the fibre optics cable that runs along our toll roads and which is sold to communications oper-ators”. He added that, “Every time a new activity is launched, however big or small it is, it mobilises the whole organisation”, both for the day-to-day management of existing businesses and developing new ini-tiatives and services.

Linkabertis autopistas www.autopistas.com


WITH THE NEW

DEPARTMENT, THERE IS

A MORE DYNAMIC WORK

ENVIRONMENT AND

GREATER INFORMATION

INTERCHANGE

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3 4

TRAVEL

From time immemorial, it has been said that Reims is, for two reasons, a

city blessed by God: firstly, because for gen-erations this same deity legitimised the kings who were crowned there: secondly, because the deity also took special care over the land, to ensure that it was capable of giving birth to the wines which are so well known they need no introduction.

City of coronations It was in 498 when Clovis, King of the Franks, was baptised by Bishop Remigius, thus becoming the first Catholic sovereign in Western Europe. This event represented the founding of the French national, and as a result Reims was chosen for another 33 royal coronations, from Louis the Pious in 816 to Charles X in 1825.

But the history of Reims goes back more than two thousand years. According to legend, the city was founded by Remus, the brother of Romulus, the founder of Rome. It prospered

City of kings and champagne

ReimsSurrounded by vineyards, and with a network of 120 kilometres of cellars underground, the city known for coronations and champagne is a symbol of the essence of the French nation. This is especially true of its unique architectural icon: the Cathedral of Notre-Dame

TEXT David Revelles | PHOTOS Agencies / CDT Marne / Collection CRT


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during the Middle Ages from the textile trade with the North Sea and Baltic ports. Many events in history of Reims inextricably joined to the history of the whole of France. For exam-ple, in 1429, after raising the English Siege of Orleans, Joan of Arc escorted the dauphin who was to become Charles VII to Reims, where he was crowned in the cathedral.

Spirit of ResurgenceMany centuries later, the Great War left 80% of Reims completely destroyed, as its inhab-itants took refuge in the cellars from enemy artillery. Schools and hospitals were estab-lished underground, and a sort of subterra-nean life developed, which included concert and even operas –clear evidence of its inhab-itants’ spirit of resistance. Three decades later, at the end of World War II, Reims was once more the centre of the geopolitical map: in the early hours of the 7th of May1945, in one of the city’s schools, the Nazi surrender on all fronts was signed.

A city to discoverGreen areas. One thing that surprises the visitor is the great amount of green space that can be found in Reims, where these spaces alternate with elegant art-deco-style facades which inundate the city.

Art and good food. Reims is famous for its quality of life, which is not only reflected in the good restaurants and gastronomy of the region, but also in the way art is to be found everywhere, in all its embodiments. The summer, for example, is the best time for enjoying the city’s many concerts, and the son et lumiere shows centred on the cathedral. The centre of the city is full of welcoming cafes and good restaurants, where local specialities can be tasted.

Cultural visits. The Hôtel de Ville –or Town Hall– designed by Jean Bonhomme, is a wonderful example of the civic architecture of the 18th Century. The Place Royal, which was built a century later, contains singular buildings and a statue Louis XV by Pigalle. A visit to the Tau Museum is not to be missed, and neither is the museum in the former Jesuit College, with its planetarium and a famous astronomical clock. Other interesting museums are the Beaux Arts, the Pompelle Fort, the Museum of the Surrender and the Foujita Chapel.

— 1 — Statue of Joan of Arc in front of Notre-Dame. — 2 — Palais Tau. — 3 — Musée Hôtel Le Vergeur.


But if Reims and its people have one outstanding characteristic, it is the ability to recover, time after time, from the many wounds it has received throughout its history. After World War I, only six dozen houses of the city’s 14,000 were still habitable. Despite this, its inhabitants not only reconstructed their homes, but also the severely damaged cathedral and places such as Le Vergeur.

The Cathedral of Notre-DameIn addition to the intense history its streets have witnessed, Reims has unparalleled beauty to show the world. Located in the heart of the city, the two towers of Notre-Dame cathedral are visible above the roof-line. This is true symbol of Reims. In the First World War, it was viciously attacked by Germans, and reduced to what Blasco Ibáñez called, “A beautiful woman who had been sprinkled with burning corrosive liquid all over her face, hands and chest”. About four hundred shells hit the cathedral, but it was restored thanks to a large

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donation from John D. Rockefeller and money from the cellar and vineyard.

Everything about this cathedral is larger than life: the 81 metre height of its two tow-ers, the 38 height of its vaulted ceiling, its length –almost 150 metres– almost immeas-urable light, the many rose windows, and, above all, its 2,303 gothic sculptures (more than in any other gothic cathedral). Notre-Dame de Reims is not only one of the most important gothic structures in Europe, it is the oldest medieval cathedral for which the names of the architects: Jean d’Orbais, Jean Le Loup, Gaucher de Reims and Bernard de Soissons. The visitor will also be captivated by the modern blue stained glass window, created by the surrealist painter Marc Chagall. Despite its avant garde style, it blends in perfectly.

World HeritageNotre Dame was declared a World Heritage site by Unesco in 1991, and welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors a year. But, of course, it is not the city’s only jewel. Next to it is the Palais de Tau, which is also listed as World Heritage site. Its museum houses a fabulous treasury, which includes Charlemagne’s tal-isman. The building was transformed at the end of the 17th Century, but still has rooms which have maintained their medieval appearance.

The Romanesque-gothic basilica of Saint-Remi is equally attractive. This ancient abbey church dates from the 6th Century, when it was a small chapel dedicated to St Chris-topher. After it received the relics of Saint Remi, the church started to receive donations and visits from all over the country, and by the 9th Century, it had become one of the most richly endowed abbeys in France.

Wineries, vineyards and traditionBut if the cathedral is the architectural sym-bol of Reims, its wine is its most universally-recognised emblem, and another reason why Reims is visited by thousands of tourists every year. The Romans were the first to plant vine-yards in the Champagne region, having real-ised that the zone had unique conditions for viniculture: transitional oceanic climate, chalky sub-soil and sloping landscape.

Despite this, champagne did not truly exist until the 17th Century, when wine mak-ers started following the example of Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk, fermenting twice and blending crus and grape varieties. Given the close relationship between Reims and the monarchy, champagne became the wine of coronations, and the wine of kings. In the 19th Century, its popularity with the


How to get there Reims is in the north-east of France,

in Champagne-Ardenne region of the Marne departement. The city

is only 45 minutes from Paris by TGV, or an hour by car, and a little than

two hours from Luxembourg and Brussels.

Where to stayGran Hotel des Templiers

22, rue Templiers, 51100 Reimshotel.templiers.pagesperso-orange.fr

Neo-gothic 19th Century building. A monumental staircase leads up

to its 15 rooms and two suites. Rooms from 190 Euros.

Hotel Les Crayères64, Boulevard Henry Vasnier

www.lescrayeres.comAn elegant castle built at the start

of the 20th Century, surrounded by a large and beautiful garden.

Luxury in the purest classic French style, with an interior

designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon. From 350 Euros.

Where to eatAu Congrès

Grand Hôtel de l’Univers, 51100 Reims

Tel. +33 3 26 88 68 08 www.bombaron.com

Located in the heart of Reims, this is a gastronomic journey through the region’s cuisine,

wine and champagne, in an elegant setting.

L’Opera 4, rue de Thillois, 51100 Reims

Tel. +33 3 26 02 68 43 www.lopera.com

A restaurant with an outside terrace, on a pedestrian street

in the centre of the city. Cusine based on locally

sourced products and French specialities.

How to get around The best way to move around the

centre of the city is on foot or by public transport. If you prefer to use

a car to visit the outskirts, this is now easier than formerly, as a result of the renovated ring road.

To find out morewww.reims-tourism.com

VISITORS’GUIDE

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aristocratic elite grew, thanks not only to its past but also to the energy of the Champagne Houses, which made it the symbol of the spirit of France.

Nature excursionsChampagne is just two hours from Lille, an hour’s drive from Paris and 45 minutes by TGV. Visitors should not only go to Reims, the capital, but should take in the natural attractions, which range from the largest artificial lake in Europe –Lac du Der-Chantecoq, a paradise for migratory birds and nature lovers– to parks, canals, and the extensive network of pathways through the woods. Of the many and var-ied possible excursions, perhaps one of the best suggestions is to take a relaxing cruise and glide along the water of the River Marne.

— 1 — Champagne cellar. — 2 — Hôtel de Ville. — 3 — Visit to Epernay.— 4 — Vineyards around the Vernezay Windmill.

Epernay is the world capital of the “divine nectar”, where the avenue of champagne houses the most famous names in this world, including Mercier, Castellane and Moët-et-Chandon. Close to Fismes, there are 33 interesting Ro-manesque churches in the Ardre Valley, and also the vineyards of the Saint Thierry Massif. Around Vitro-le-François there are many very traditional villages where champagne is made, including one of the most beautiful in France, Saint-Amand-sur-Fion. The Argonne region still has many scars from World War I, especially in its dense woods. Its hundreds of small lakes and shady paths offer cyclists and walkers an infinite choice of routes.

The area produces 300 million bot-tles of champagne annually, and the inhabitants of Reims compare their 120 kilometres of cellars –which attract 300,000 visitors a year– with a giant gru-yere cheese. Most of the cellars are an-cient Gallo-roman limestone mines called crayères. Here, the bottled champagne is protected from high temperatures, and from light –which is its worst enemy. Vis-itors can take a tour of the villages and vineyards, the wineries and cooperatives, and the Vernezay Wine Museum, where they will discover the secrets of the region’s wines –wine which whisper all the fla-vour and history of Reims, the city of kings. ■

The new southern ring roadCompleted early. In operation since the 23rd of November, six months before the planned date, this new 14 kilometre section of the A4 was built by sanef concessionary, a subsidiary of abertis, and will considerable change traffic movements through the Reims urban area. The early completion has been welcomed by the inhabitants of Reims.

Substantial roadworks.In March 2008, machines were moved onto the site of the future toll road. For more than two and a half years, the work continued uninterrupted: in total, 21 bridges have been built, 2,000,000 cubic metres of excess material has been

buried, 475,000 square metres of road

surface has been laid, 3 toll areas have been constructed, and 20 kilometres of fibre optic

cable and 30 kilometres of

electrical cable have been laid. In addition

to this, there were works to modify the toll system between Montreuil-aux-Lions and Reims, most significantly the reconstruction of the Château-Thierry junction. These figures clearly show the scale of the works required to construct the 14 kilometres of a toll road which is intended to improve traffic flow, and facilitate traffic circulation for the inhabitants of Reims.

Teamwork. The toll road that sanef has constructed is the result of the dedication and hard work of the Group’s different teams and the partners who have worked with Dominique Demeilliers.4

1

3

Until now, the A4 crossed Reims through the centre, from east to west, and conges-

tion levels were high. Daily traffic –of between 70,000 and 80,000 vehicles– consisted of, on the one hand, very dense local traffic, and on the other hand, travellers passing through. The new A4 toll road now goes round the heart of the city, and so reduces traffic congestion.

Currently, only local drivers and customers needing to enter Reims, or the urban areas close by, use the old road. Passing traffic, of more than 26,000 vehicles a day, takes the bypass, and drivers benefit from the considerably improved conditions on this toll road, which was designed exclusively for them. In addition to the improve-ments in traffic flow and safety, the road’s open-ing has been a real benefit to the city.

Environmentally-friendly planning with consideration for local peopleIn order to integrate social and environmental aspects into the conception, construction and operation of these infrastructures, sanef held numerous meetings on the subject of the Reims bypass.

The importance of the environment has also played a decisive part, and since the project’s conception, sanef’s teams imple-mented sustainable development in very innovative ways.

“For sanef, each of the improvements is the result of exchanges with local opinion, and sanef is always prepared to hold a dialogue with interested parties”, said François Gauthey, managing director of sanef.

The excellent coordination between the teams from sanef and its partners resulted in the works being finished six months ahead of schedule. The bypass on the Paris-Strasbourg A4 toll road, which connects France to the east of Europe is a capital project for both Marne and sanef

The Reims southern bypass, a vital project

TOLL ROADS

REPORT

TEXT AND PHOTOS abertis / sanef


the environmental impact of both the works and the bypass. As a result, a series of measures have been taken to protect the phreatic layers, drinking water catchment areas and natural seepage from any risk of pollution.

Noise-reduction measuresIn 2006, acoustic studies were carried in order to define the protective and noise impact reduc-tion measures to be taken in compliance with current regulations and maximum noise levels (60 decibels during the day –i.e. between 06.00 and 22.00– and 55 decibels during the night –22.00 to 06.00). Although the conclusions of this study were that noise would at moderate levels, sanef promised local representatives that it would guarantee the lowest possible noise levels to those living close to the southern Reims bypass. The toll road has therefore been levelled as it passes the closest villages. Many embank-ments have been constructed, as well as noise reduction walls, in order to reduce possible visual or audible nuisance. Lastly, the paving

MORE THAN 26,000

VEHICLES A DAY TAKE

THE BYPASS, AND BENEFIT

FROM THE CONSIDERABLY

IMPROVED TRAFFIC

CONDITIONS ON THIS TOLL

ROAD, WHICH WAS DESIGNED

EXCLUSIVELY FOR THEM


The moment when the bypass was opened, on the 18th of November, in the presence of Pierre Chassigneux, the president of sanef; François Gauthey, managing director of sanef; and Josep Martínez Vila, managing director abertis’ Business and Operations; the prefect of the Champagne-Ardennes Region, Michel Guillot; the mayor of Reims, Adeline Hazan; and the president of the General Council, René Paul Savary.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE

ENVIRONMENT HAS PLAYED

A DECISIVE PART, AND SINCE

THE PROJECT’S CONCEPTION,

SANEF’S TEAMS HAVE

IMPLEMENTED SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT IN VERY

INNOVATIVE WAYS

The Reims southern bypass is no exception to this rule: the project has been studied and integrated into local life, and taking the long view has involved sanef in discussions with local interests and representatives of civic bodies. In total, there have been almost 80 meetings in the town halls of the municipalities affected by the bypass, with the aim of achieving the solution which would be most suitable for each one.

An eco-responsible bypassThe bypass also meets the highest environmen-tal standards: in order to ensure that the toll road is perfectly integrated into both the natu-ral spaces and populated areas, measures have been taken such as protecting water resources, noise management and landscaping.

Protecting water resourcesBefore starting the work, sanef carried out hydrological and hydraulic studies of the whole of the affected area, with the aim of limiting

material that was chosen for the road surface is of a type that muffles traffic noise.

Environmental landscapingSince the end of 2009, sanef has held numer-ous public meetings on the subject of integrat-ing the Reims southern bypass into the land-scape. This constructive dialogue, which has sometimes led to modifications to the initial design, has resulted in a landscape programme which meets both the needs of local inhabitants and the operational demands of the future toll road. A fundamental aspect of the design is to limit the visual impact of the toll road on the landscape as seen from villages close by, while at the same time giving drivers “windows” through which they can see the landscape. These windows are adapted to the climate and constructed in such a way as to facilitate the work of maintenance teams. A total of about three million Euros will be spent on landscap-ing and on planting 78,000 trees and other plants (cherry trees, common junipers, dog-woods, ash trees, maples, fig trees, etc.).


An “ecopolis” to house sanef’s teamssanef will complete the project by construct-ing an ecopolis or eco-city close to the A4/ A26 interchange, in the Ormes commune. This environmentally high-performance build-ing will be constructed with the framework of the Paquet Vert decided on by the French government at the start of the year. Work will begin in 2011 and will be completed in 2012.

The Thillois bridge Due to its geographical location at the western entry to Reims, this bridge symbolises the entry gate as a strong architectural concept: the arch, so the metal bridge is made up of two arches that support the deck of the bridge.

Another outstanding aspect of the project is that the Thillois Bridge has two functions, making it unique in France. With the agreement of the Marne general council, the bridge carries the RD 275 local road, the route of which has been moved slightly from its previous location. The bridge will also house the Thillois tollbooths:

Many embankments have been constructed, as well as noise

reduction walls, in order to reduce possible visual or

audible nuisance, and the paving material that has been

chosen for the road surface is of a type that reduces traffic noise.


Linksanef www.sanef.com

14kilometres long.

26.500vehicles/expected daily.

155 hectares of land acquired.

2,5 million cubic metres excavated.

245million Euros invested by sanef.

A LANDSCAPING PROGRAMME

HAS BEEN CREATED WHICH

MEETS THE NEEDS OF LOCAL

INHABITANTS AND THE

OPERATIONAL DEMANDS OF

THE FUTURE TOLL ROAD

the deck of the bridge will act as a roof and also support the lane signs.

Lastly, and as an affectionate wink at the Champagne region, the architects have deco-rated the meshes of the two arches with 6,000 round pieces of metal: when these decorative elements catch the light, they look like rising champagne bubbles.

An innovative opening ceremonyOn the 18th of November, the Reims southern bypass was officially opened by Pierre Chas-signeux, the president of sanef; François Gau-they, general manager of sanef; and Josep Martínez Vila, general manager of abertis’ Business and Operations, in the presence of Michel Guillot, prefect of the Champagne-Ardennes Region; Adeline Hazan, the mayor of de Reims; and René Paul Savary, the president of the General Council.

To symbolise the team spirit of the project, sanef’s employees, along with firemen and policemen, took part in a race along the 14 kilometres of the toll road. ■

Under the title ‘Prioritising infrastructure in times of crisis’, in September, the Fundació Cercle d’Infraestructures organised a seminar focussed on defining a policy for the strategic planning and prioritising of infrastructures

Strategic infrastructure planning

Cercle d’Infraestructures seminar

REPORT

TEXT abertis | PHOTOS Miquel González


In the current financial situation, defin-ing a funding model for infrastructures

which is based on efficiency and equity, and which makes suitable use of the funding capac-ity of the different public and private bodies, while establishing the system by which both users and public budgets contribute to this, is the focus of debate.

But, how can one go from a theoretical model we believe in to putting this model into practice? Salvador Alemany, the president of abertis, asked this question of the seminar Prioritising Infrastructures in Times of Crisis, which was organised by the Fundació Cercle d’Infraestructures, in collaboration with the abertis foundation and the Institut Cerdà. The experts who met in Castellet Castle reflected on the need to define a policy for strategic infrastructure planning.

Defining a harmonious funding model for infrastructures, is the key, according to the president of abertis: “All of us, as this sector’s stakeholders, must mobilise in order to define this model, and thus prevent possible future errors”. “Going from the model to putting it into practice with a definite horizon, would avoid many inefficient decisions”, he said, add-ing that “the solutions found now must be long term solutions”.

This change of model implies, in turn, a change of mentality, according to Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero, secretary of State for Infra-structures, who said that infrastructures should no longer be seen in terms of “sentiment and victim complex”, but rather a perspective should be adopted which is more realistic, “but which does not reject the role of infrastructures as unifying components and guarantors of equality of opportunities”.

More efficient and sustainable infrastructures“Efficiency is the best response to the crisis”, argued Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero. “A coun-try”, she added, “that wishes to be competitive and successful in the future, must consider the role of infrastructure planning policy as an engine for economic development which is sustainable in both environmental and finan-cial terms”.

The secretary of State for Infrastructures emphasised that the future of the transport system is more closely related to quality of service of service, efficiency and sustainability than to providing the country with more infra-structures. As a practical example, Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero used the Strategic Infrastruc-ture and Transport Plan (PEIT), approved by the Government in 2005. This document was intended to be a guide that would facilitate


The Cercle d’Infraestructures Headed by Pere Macias, this body aims to make society aware of the importance of infrastructures as an economic fact and a component of progress, which can be the backbone of a region and contribute to sustainability.

To this end, it organises seminars and debates, and carries out extensive educational activities, such as the Master of Infrastructure Management at the UPC. The abertis group is patron of this institution.

Salvador AlemanyPRESIDENT

OF ABERTIS

“Solutions that are suggested and considered now must be valid for the long term”.

Inmaculada Rodríguez-PiñeroSECRETARY

OF STATE FOR

INFRASTRUCTURES

“Efficiency is the best response to the crisis”.

Ángel SimónPRESIDENT

OF AGBAR

“Nothing can be constructed unless we know how it will then be managed”.

Pere MaciasPRESIDENT OF

THE CERCLE

D’INFRAESTRUCTURES

“A consensus must be sought on a basis that is intellectual, thoughtful and educational”.

Francesc RobustéPROFESSOR OF

TRANSPORT (UPC))

“The crisis has resulted in excess infrastructure capacity”.

Germà BelPROFESSOR OF

ECONOMICS (UB)

“The major challenge is management, not investment”.

medium and long term decision making. The revision of the PEIT, she indicated, includes criteria such as the requirement that all projects must include social and financial viability stud-ies covering the whole lifecycle of the infra-structure; the prioritisation of maintaining and improving existing infrastructures; and avoid-ing duplicating infrastructures in the same land corridor. By this latter criterion, a new infra-structure will only be commissioned when the use of existing ones has been optimised. Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero indicated that she was in favour of defining, through consen-sus, a clear investment horizon that would bring stability to the companies and other bodies involved in the sector, and she assured those present that, to this end, formulas for public-private partnerships would be promoted.

Management modelThe discussion however was not limited to the debate on investment. “The major challenge is management, not investment”, stated Germà Bel, professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona (UB). “The crisis has reduced demand, and as a result there is excess capac-ity in current infrastructures”, added Francesc Robusté, professor of Transport at the Poly-technic University of Catalonia (UPC) and director of the Transport Innovation Centre (CENIT). “Now is the time when good manage-ment can assist in rationalising investment”, he stated. Ángel Simón, president of Agbar, was of the same opinion: “We must go from infra-structure management to knowledge manage-ment. Nothing can be constructed unless we know how it will then be managed”.

According to Germà Bel, this model should start by defining the infrastructure’s obligation to be of service to the public. “In the end, its effect –and therefore, its prof-itability– will depend on it satisfying demand in the area for which it is planned”. The profes-sor of UB therefore said that financing works which are of service to the public was a prior-ity and a first step, even, before a cost-benefit analysis is made. “In the case of frastructures which are not considered to be of service to the public, their prioritisation must be based on their productivity and profitability”, stated the professor, who prefered funding through pay per use “in general”.

“For the model to function, a consensus must be sought on a basis that is intellectual, thoughtful and educational”, commented Pere Macias, president of the Cercle d’Infraestructures. “Viability studies, evaluation of plans and projects, and a posteriori evalu-ations”, he added, “must serve as tools to ensure that the planning is correct.” ■

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abertis took part in the presentation of the 2009 Mobility Yearbook, which is

published by the RACC Association, through its foundation. The event, which took place in Madrid, and was attended by several repre-sentatives of the communication media, was open opened the corporate direction of Institu-tional Relationships at abertis, Sergi Loughney.

Miquel Nadal, director of the Fundación RACC, and Germà Bel, professor Applied Eco-nomics at the University of Barcelona, announced the conclusions of the yearbook, now in its third year. This publication aims to consolidate its position as a major reference, and a practical tool for professions, experts, and everyone interested in information about mobility.

According to them, the text demonstrates that mobility indicators are closely linked to the evolution of the general economic situation. They highlighted how the world economic crisis has resulted in drops in volume of travel which are almost unprecedented, and dem-onstrate how extremely elastic mobility is, and how dependent on the growth of GDP.

Together with the RACC, abertis sponsors the ‘2009 Mobility Yearbook’

INFRASTRUCTURES

Together with the RACC, abertis sponsors the ‘2009 Mobility Yearbook’. A new edition of this reference publication, which is a practical tool for mobility professionals and expertsTEXT AND PHOTOS abertis

Slow recoveryAmong the yearbook’s conclusions, the fact that there is some recovery was emphasised. However, this recovery is much slower and less sustained than after previous crises. In general, in the last months of 2009, a significant recov-ery could already be observed in most of the mobility indicators analysed, although none have recovered to levels seen before the crisis.

Positive effectsDespite everything, this financial situation has been shown to some positive effects with respect to mobility, such as the reduction in polluting gases emitted by transport, and the acceleration in the drop of the road accident rate. In 2008 and 2009, the number of fatali-ties dropped by 25%, and the accident rate in Spain dropped to historic minimum.

New additionsAs with the previous editions, the 2009 Mobil-

ity Yearbook maintains its objective of combin-ing rigorous accuracy with presenting informa-tion. The first of these aspects has been


Principal data When the economy has been growing continuously, most of the mobility indicators analysed have grown. However, when economic activity has decreased, mobility indicators have also dropped, in fact, even more sharply. In general terms:

Th e ADT (Average Daily Traffi c) on toll roads has dropped by an average of about 15%, and this drop is particularly sharp for heavy goods vehicles.

Goods traffi c on major roads has dropped by close to 18%, domestic traffi c have dropped more than international goods traffi c.

Air traffi c has fallen by about 11%, in terms of both passengers and goods.

Fuel consumption had fallen by around 10% for all types of fuel –petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Car production has been reduced by almost 25%; registrations by 47%; and exports by 20%.

achieved by the fact that, in many cases, the country’s top academic experts contributed to it; and the second was achieved by ensuring that the style of the different contributions was suffi ciently readable and comprehensible to reach widest possible public.

The latest edition has two new additions. Firstly, improvements to the databases of indicators, which include current and histori-cal values. And secondly, an analysis of the mobility situation in 2009, which has been

included as a separate offprint, in order to provide the reader with a fi rst approximation to the general evolution of mobility in Spain throughout the last year.

Th e yearbook, available on the internet This publication can also be accessed on the internet, and includes the option of search-ing for statistical resources and historical data related to mobility. This database is continu-ously being updated and extended by the Fundación RACC’s team of archivists, and is open to new additions suggested by internet users. ■

A safe systemTh e yearbook argues for a safe system approach to road safety, as a way of reducing road accidents. Th is system is based on the idea that the design and maintenance of infrastructures can be improved in such a way as to encourage road users to drive more safely, and implement technological improvements related to accidents.

LinkResource search engine of the ‘2009 Mobility Yearbook’indicadores-movilidad.racc.es

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abertis autopistas has set up a cus-tomer service project based on inter-

active information points. The aim is to improve customer service and respond to the customer’s needs for real time informa-tion. As a pilot, three “totems” have been installed in at the Porta de Barcelona (AP-7, Barcelona), La Jonquera (AP-7, Gerona) and Altube (AP-68, Álava) service areas, and have been welcomed by customers. In October, two more points will be installed, at Vi-llacastín (AP-6, Segovia) and Sagunto (AP-7, Valencia).

Online serviceUsing a map of Europe, the customer can easily browse different applications and obtain online information as to the state of major roads, weather forecasts, and serv-ices available on each road, as well as safety advice.

The information points also offer the option finding out more about the various places of tourist interest the customer may

abertis autopistas sets up interactive information points

TOLL ROADS

The system provides information as to the state of the roads, weather forecasts, services available on toll roads, and gives safety adviceTEXT AND PHOTOS abertis

stop at during the journey or see when he arrives at his destination.

For added convenience, customers may download, via Bluetooth, mobile phone applications with the tourist information they are interested in. The totems are con-nected to a central computer which can intelligently adapt the content they provide to suit their location.

The new interactive information points also complement the route time system which is published on the toll road’s variable message boards, to show the probable time it will take to reach specific points. These message boards also give warnings on the current traffic situation.

Best customer service projectOne should emphasise that the abertis

autopistas interactive information point system was awarded the Total Media prize for the best customer attention project at the International Digital Signage Trade Fair held in Madrid’s IFEMA conference centre. ■

Customers can obtain the information they need by using a touch screen to browse different applications.


A complement to customer service informationThe interactive information points are an addition to other measures implemented by abertis autopistas with the aim of providing the most complete and detailed about the state of the road network –in real time– with the Infotráfico system.

The system is based on maps provided by Google Maps, and uses information on the status of the traffic, on any incidents which have occurred on the toll road network and on the service levels in the different sections of the network.

The system can display 19 webcams which show the status of the traffic in real time. acesa and aucat have implemented this system along the whole of the AP-7, and on the C-32, between Mataró and Palafolls and between Castelldefels and Sitges.

Linkabertis autopistas www.autopistas.es

Porta de Barcelona

(AP-7)

La Jonquera (AP-7)

Altube (AP-68)

Villacastín (AP-6)

Sagunto (AP-7)

Information points on the abertis autopistas road network.

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abertis autopistas will open the first rest areas specifically for lorry drivers

on the AP-7 toll road, in the second quarter of 2011. The Montseny area, with 118 places, and the Porta Barcelona area, with 56, will be the first ones to be operational. abertis

autopistas, which is driving this project, plans to extend this service to La Jonquera and Sagunto by the end of 2012.

These rest areas will have baths and showers, laundry services, Wi-Fi connections and public telephones. They will also have strong security measures, including security patrols, CCTV recording systems and loud-speaker systems, checks licence plate at access and lighting, among other services.

The managing director of abertis

autopistas, Josep Lluís Giménez, presented this initiative to a group of businessmen at the Gerona Chamber of Commerce last September.

The new installations are intended to bring an end the situation in which large numbers of lorries are parked in some of these zones at night, and to offer essential services to professional drivers without them needing to leave the toll road, while also ensuring the security of their loads.

Two more areas being studiedThe managing director of abertis autopistas, Josep Lluís Giménez, who presented this project to business people from the sector for the first time at the Gerona Chamber of Commerce, explained that, in addition to these two first rest zones (which, in fact, will be located on existing service areas), two more rest zones will be constructed in the medium term at La Jonquera (Alt Empordà) and Sagunto (Valencia). It is possible that, in the future, two more will be constructed, in Lleida and Zaragoza.

Security installations The areas which are now being constructed in Montseny and Porta Barcelona, at an esti-mated cost of 7 million Euros, will enclosed

abertis autopistas creates specific rest areas for lorry drivers

TOLL ROADS

The first rest areas are already being constructed on the AP-7 toll road, and are expected to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2011, providing a total of 174 places TEXT AND PHOTOS abertis


with a 3.5 metre high fence with components designed to prevent theft. There will be vibra-tion sensors all around the perimeter, and individualised access control for pedestrians. There will also be a check on the occupancy level, and information panels displaying the number of free spaces.

Inside this area, there will be a services building with relaxation rooms, a laundry, bathrooms and showers, internet connection and vending services. Outside the fence, the lorry drivers will also be able to use the serv-ice area’s own cafeteria and restaurant.

The new services will be created to prevent large numbers of lorries parking on the AP-7 toll road at night.

Linkabertis autopistas www.autopistas.com/abertisautopistas


InstallationsPersonal. Bathrooms showers, laundry services, Wi-Fi connections and public telephones.

Security. Licence plate checks on entering, lighting, security patrols, CCTV recording systems and loudspeaker systems.

Creating a network The managing director of abertis autopistas also emphasised that the widening of AP-7 toll road by adding a third lane will not only increase the capacity of the toll road, but also make it easier to offer this type of serv-ice to lorry drivers. The concession company’s intention is to create a network of these areas, three or four and half hours’ travelling time apart, to give lorry drivers a chance to rest, since current regulations require them to stop for a minimum of 45 minutes every four and a half hours. ■

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abertis telecom and Indra, two lead-ing European infrastructure and IT

companies, will collaborate with Town Halls of Lleida and Sant Cugat del Vallès in devel-oping and promoting smart city projects. Last October, the mayor of Lleida, Àngel Ros; the former mayor of Sant Cugat del Vallès, Lluís Recoder; and the presidents of the two companies, Salvador Alemany, of abertis

telecom, and Javier Monzón, of Indra, signed

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

abertis telecom and Indra will develop smart cities in Lleida and Sant Cugat del VallèsThe proposal also includes creating a Reference Centre in Catalonia for deploying solutions associated with smart city projectsTEXT abertis | PHOTOS Andrés Pardo

partnership agreements on this in Barcelona. Antoni Castells, the former councillor for Economy and Finance of the Generalitat of Catalonia, was present at the signing.

These agreements fall within the collaboration framework agreed by abertis and Indra for developing the concept of smart cities. This includes a study to create a Reference Centre in Catalonia for deploying and operating the solutions, technologies

From left to right: Lluís Recoder, former mayor of Sant Cugat del Vallès; Salvador Alemany, president of abertis; Antoni Castells, the former counsellor for Economy and Finance of the Generalitat of Catalonia; Javier Monzón, president of Indra; and Àngel Ros, mayor of Lleida.


and services associated with smart cities.The contracts signed cover collaboration

to prepare strategic plans for the cities of Lleida and Sant Cugat, identifying the projects and specifying the strategies that will convert these two municipalities into cities that fully reflect the smart city concept.

The objective: to improve the quality of lifeSmart cities are a concept of future towns, based on the intensive use of cutting-edge technologies to efficiently manage financial resources when planning, managing and oper-ating the various municipal services provided for the citizens, with the aim of improving their quality of life, making public services more efficient, increasing citizens’ participa-tion in public services, improving environ-mental sustainability and increasing the opportunities the city offers to both compa-nies and individuals.

Smart cities also imply that Local Gov-ernment will be more proactive, flexible, and

adaptable, and better able to respond to its citizens’ more complex needs.

Improving municipal services Specifically, the development of smart cities in Sant Cugat del Vallès and Lleida will make better use of municipal services, by carrying out projects such as: efficient irri-gation management in parks and gardens, based on weather conditions; remote meter reading; optimising rubbish collection and checking on how full containers are; lighting management through synchronising with hours of sunlight; and managing mobil-ity by controlling free parking areas and limiting parking time in loading and unload-ing zones.

Additionally, as a result of the informa-tion generated in the development of intel-ligent infrastructures, local citizens and com-panies will be able to access local government, create new businesses, improve individual decision-taking and customise services to their own needs.

Towards the city of the futureThe concept of smart cities aims to make the best possible use of the most cutting-edge information and communications technologies, in order to ensure the most efficient possible management of the services and resources (financial, energy, etc.) of a great city. The objective is to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants and increase the opportunities available to them.

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Linksabertis telecom www.abertistelecom.com

Indra www.indracompany.com

The keys of an agreement for the futureThe aim of Strategic Plan is to make these two cities benchmarks for the process of implementing and using new technologies, with a “framework of efficiency and financial savings” and improving local services by meeting four principal needs:

The need for telecommunication infrastructures and to improve the use and management of the existing networks owned by the municipality.

To identify those municipal services and projects which could be managed automatically and coordinated through an intensive use of ICT.

To prioritise projects and services, based on greater financial efficiency, analysing the financial return on the investment and operation of these technological systems with an operating horizon of 8 to 10 years and a timetable for their implementation.

Focussing on improving services, improving the ability to respond, increasing flexibility and meeting the needs and new demands of citizens.

The president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, signing the agreement.

Creating a Centre of Reference in Cataloniaabertis telecom and Indra’s proposal for joint action also includes creating a Centre of Reference in Catalonia to work in the field of smart cities and lead the development of the technical solutions required to intelli-gently manage the services that town halls offer to their citizens.

To this end, a first concrete action to design and implement a pilot project is now underway in Barcelona, in zone 22@, which will permit an evaluation of the applications and systems for smart city management. There are also other more partial or sectorial actions in this field in other parts of Catalonia.

The Sant Cugat Innovation PlanThis Town Hall has, for the second consecutive year, been shown to most transparent on Spain, according to the Transparency Inter-national NGO. It has also been recognised by


INTERVIEW | ÀLEX MESTRE

“A smart city will imply greater efficiency and savings”

Àlex Mestre, director of Strategic Marketing at abertis telecom. ■ ■ ■

What effect will the smart cities project have on the day-to-day life of the citizens of Sant Cugat and Lleida?The smart cities concept is very

broad, and we can find many

different fields to which it can be

applied and visions of what it

means. However, most agree

that a complete and integrated

management of resources,

infrastructures and services is

required to, on the one hand,

increase the operating efficiency

and financial savings of local

government, and, at the same time,

increase satisfaction levels of

citizens and companies while

improving their relationships with

the city and its environment.

It is therefore necessary to create

an environment in which

the local authorities are capable

of managing their citizens’

expectations. They must also plan,

understand, operate, and manage

the urban infrastructure,

in order to contribute, as the local

authority, to the city’s development.

In general terms, a smart city

must use technology as an ally

in achieving the best possible

management of resources

and services for citizens, such as

transport, traffic circulation,

emergencies, energy and the

environment. In this environment,

the Lleida and Sant Cugat Town

Halls will lead their own projects

and contribute their knowledge

of their own needs and resources.

■ ■ ■

In what way is abertis telecom collaborating with the smart cities?abertis telecom will contribute

its experience in, and knowledge of,

the design, deployment and

management of telecommunication

infrastructure, as well as of

operational improvements and

the provision of services over

critical infrastructures, so that this

experience is reflected in

the management model for

infrastructures that must support

the construction of smart cities.

We mustn’t forget that, on a day-to-

day basis, abertis telecom carries out

total and integrated management

of highly critical services, operations

and infrastructure, including very

varied services, and it manages them

based on the fundamental principles

of smart cities: efficiency, global

vision and very short response times.

■ ■ ■

Apart from the smart cities project, what other projects to deploy tech-nological solutions is abertis telecom planning to implement? In the audio-visual area, we plan to

tackle projects through which

we will consolidate the DTT offering

by adding services which will

maintain the competitiveness of the

terrestrial platform. We have already

provided broadcasters with the

technological system for pay DTT,

which is currently used by three

channels. Now it is the turn of new

services and formats, such as High

Definition (HDTV) for DTT and 3D DTT,

in which we have carried out the

first test at a European level.

The next stage is to define a hybrid

environment combining broadcasting

system (DTT) VoD (Video on Demand)

systems, in which televisions will be

connected to internet. In terms in

operators, we are developing projects

which will make it possible for

telecommunications operators to

share infrastructures, especially for

NGNs (Next Generation Networks). ■

the European Institute of Public Administra-tion for its good financial management.

The Sant Cugat del Vallès Town Hall is currently developing an ambitious innovation plan to provide the city with cutting-edge telecommunications infrastructures (fibre optics, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc.) and promote the use of new technologies by its inhabitants. The objective of this plan is to move towards the knowledge society and prepare the city to meet the challenge of the 21st Century.

The agreement to develop the smart city project in Sant Cugat del Vallès –which was signed by the Town Hall, abertis and Indra– is also part of the town’s innovation plan. Apply the smart concept to municipal services will help to drive the new city model which is being designed in Sant Cugat del Vallès.

This will be a new model, based on improving efficiency, optimising management of services and spending, energy saving and improving environmental sustainability. ■

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abertis telecom’s management sys-tem has been awarded the 500+

stamp of European excellence by the Club de Excelencia en Gestión, the Spanish repre-sentative of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). This body is a private, non-profit foundation that was created 22 years ago by a group of public and private organisations (among them, British Telecom, Nestlé, Philips, Renault and Volkswa-gen) with the aim of sharing management practices in order to improve business excel-

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

abertis telecom has been recognised for its management systemIn October, abertis telecom received the 500+ award from the EFQM Foundation. This is awarded to organisations which have achieved a high degree of excellence in managementTEXT AND PHOTOS abertis

lence. Based in Brussels, it currently has about 500 members.

Some of the Spanish companies that have been awarded the l 500+ Business Ex-cellence are Siemens, Banesto, Red Eléctrica and Cepsa.

Increasing the competitiveness of European industryThe EFQM’s recognition scheme is more than just a simple recognition. One of the objec-tives is that organisations should learn,


improve and achieve sustained success, by creating a management model based on best practice which, in turn, increases the com-petitiveness of European industry.

It also aims to provide a dynamic model which is updated through the practical and academic training provided by organisations from both inside and outside Europe, thus ensuring that the model is in line with the most up-to-date thinking about management.

The 500+ stamp recently awarded to abertis telecom has therefore been a con-sequence of a working model implemented over 11 years with commitment from the whole team.

Th e challenge of competitivenessOrganisations aspire to this distinction for two main reasons: the need to improve their management, and the desire to obtain both internal and external recognition of their management style.

Business organisations are currently confronted with challenges that ever more

LinkEFQM www.efqm.org

Much more than an awardTh e organisations whose excellence is acknowledged by the EFQM receive a series of recognitions:

Prestige, and trust of interest groups. Only organisations with truly excellent management, which fulfi l a series of demanding requirements are recognised.

Security and professionalism. Because the “enablers” and personnel who are involved, and interact with the organisations, are qualifi ed at the highest level.

diffi cult and competitive. Adopting a culture of Excellence in an organisation improves competitiveness and encourages continuous improvement of total and integrated man-agement. This stimulates employees’ wish to participate, excel and motivate, through a common language of excellence. ■

Customer Results

Leadership

People

Strategy

Partnerships and Resources

Processes, Products and

Services

People Results

Society Results

Key Results

■ MEMBER COMPANIES 42%

■ NON-MEMBER COMPANIES 58%

Organisations in the Ibex 35

Th is is based on nine criteria, of which fi ve are called “enablers”, and include all the organisation’s departments (what it does and how). Th e other four refl ect the results the organisation achieves. Th e logic of the model is based on the concept that achieving excellent results in the four management fi elds is related to leadership ability, the quality of corporate strategy, and how it is deployed through people, partners, resources and processes. Th e schema provides an analysis structure which allows a profound review to be made of the organisation’s management, and acts as a diagnostic tool -a tool for measuring continuous improvement. Th e eight fundamental concepts of excellence which are evaluated by the EFQM Foundation are shown above.

ENABLERS RESULTS

Taking Responsibility for a Sustainable Future

Developing Partnerships

Nurturing Creativity and

Innovation

Succeeding through People

Managing by Processes

Leading with Vision, Inspiration and Integrity

Adding Value for Customers

Achieving Balanced Results

•

•

•

•

•

••

• Th e EFQM model of excellence

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abertis receives the Honos Prize for its commitment to archaeological heritage

ABERTIS

The Catalan Institute of Classical Archeology (ICAC) has recognised the Group’s policy of protecting the archaeological heritage and encouraging on-site research and excavations

LinkInstitut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica www.icac.net


abertis has been awarded the first Honos Prize by the Catalan Institute

of Classical Archaeology (ICAC), in recognition of its policy of protecting archaeological heritage, encouraging in-site research and excavations, promoting studies and collabo-rating with universities and research institu-tions. Sergi Loughney, corporate director of Institutional Relations abertis and director of the abertis foundation, received the prize in an event at the International Symposium of L’Ager Tarraconensis. Paisatge, poblament,

cultura material i història, which took place in Tarragona on the 27th of September.

abertis autopistas is one of the spon-sors of the Ager Tarraconensis project, which studies the archaeological landscape of the Roman and Iberian eras in 16 municipalities on the right bank of the River Francolí. The Institute of Catalan Studies, the ICAC, the Rovira i Virgili University, the Tarragona Regional Government, the County Councils of Tarragonès, Baix Camp and Alt Camp, and 16 municipalities in these counties, also par-ticipated in this study.

Cultural heritage and sustainability Disseminating knowledge of our archaeo-logical heritage is an example of the com-mitment of abertis and its various business units to promote cultural accessibility and to collaborate in restoring the cultural herit-age. The aims are to recover assets that are potential tourist attractions while providing educational institutions with tools for teach-ing young people about their heritage and how to respect it. The abertis group is com-mitted to conserving the cultural heritage as an example of sustainability and an essential resource for the development of people, com-munities and the region. ■

the various aspects of the landscape, population and historical changes of ancient Tarraco.

Cella vinaria (Roman wine cellar) and Interpretive Centre on the Romanisation of Teià. Sponsored by abertis autopistas, the project includes the reconstruction of the Cella vinaria site at Veral de Vallmora de Teià (Maresme), where wine was produced in Roman times.

Horta Ferrerons. Part of the most recent excavations at this late Roman villa located at Premià de Mar (Maresme) has been financed by abertis autopistas.

Highlights of our activitiesEl Médol site. abertis is ensuring that this Roman quarry, which forms part of the Tarragona World Heritage (as declared by Unesco), is preserved.

Castellet Castle. Located in Castellet i la Gornal (Penedès), this castle is the home of abertis foundation. The Group decided to restore this Ibero-roman castle and put it to new use, and it now hosts scientific conferences, workshops, corporate meetings, community activities and guided tours.

‘Ager Tarraconensis’. abertis autopistas supports this study, which has produced a series of thematic and chronological maps, and several studies of


Linksabertis autopistas www.autopistas.com/ abertisautopistas

State Meteorological Agencywww.aemet.es

During the winter, when the weather is worst, significant resources are used

winter highway care in order to keep the toll road in perfect driving condition. The first phase in designed and preparing operating for win-ter highway care. These are protocols that set out the technical and human resources required, and the most efficient way to man-age them to handle bad weather, so that cus-tomers can travel completely safely.

Once the winter care plan has been defined, abertis autopistas presents it to the relevant local authority. In order to ensure that it functions correctly, any measure which is taken is coordinated with the General Direc-torate of Traffic, Civil Defence, Guardia Civil and any other bodies concerned in the man-agement of the highways.

abertis autopistas manages more than 1,500 kilometres of toll roads in Spain. It has six Centres of Operations which are staffed by

specialised personnel who monitor the opera-tion of the toll road network 24 hours a day, manage the highway care services and cus-tomer service and information on the road. In order to obtain the reliable real-time informa-tion necessary for decision-taking, the toll roads have advanced technological resources.

Preventive actions When ice or snow is forecast, the first measure taken is to apply preventative treatments (spreading grit and salt on the road to prevent ice forming). Routes are planned to provide more frequent treatment at critical points. When snow is forecast, the human and tech-nical resources are increased, and different action levels are instituted, depending on the amount of snow expected. The winter highway care teams clear the road surfaces, removing the snow, following pre-set routes which opti-mise the use of available resources. ■

abertis’ toll roads prepare for a winter

TOLL ROADS

abertis autopistas’ objective is offer its customers a safe and comfortable journey in the season when the weather is at its most dangerous conditionsTEXT AND PHOTOS abertis autopistas

Preventive technology Cameras. CCTV cameras located all along the toll road. Images are analysed in real time on CCTV.

Sensors. There are temperature and humidity sensors and weather stations located at key points along the road, which provide relevant information.

Weather forecast. Systems which provide reliable weather forecasts along the routes of the toll roads, with intensive monitoring at the most vulnerable points. This service rigorously monitors the forecasts issued the State Meteorological Agency and other bodies.

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THE TRAVELLING TIME

BETWEEN PAU

AND BORDEAUX WILL

BE APPROXIMATELY

AN HOUR AND HALF

The A’liénor consortium of which Eiff-age holds 65% and sanef (abertis’

French subsidiary) holds 35% has today opened the new A-65 toll road, also called the Autoroute de Gascogne, which is 150 kilo-metres long and connects Langon and Pau, in south-west France.

A’liénor designed and built the new infra-structure, at a cost of almost 1,200 million Euros. sanef –through sanef aquitaine– will manage the toll road for 60 years. Eiffage, for its part, completed the infrastructure construction project through its subsidiary, GIE A-65.

Safer and pleasanterThe construction works on the A-65 began in July 2008 and were completed four years after the concession contract was signed, and two and a half years after the start of the work. The old road linking Langon and Pau was known for its complex twisty route and the accidents that happened on it. With the new infrastructure, traffic conditions in this section will improve significantly in terms of both safety and comfort, with modern facilities adapted to the environment.

The A-65 toll road thus becomes an impor-tant backbone of the region, since it not only increases mobility but will also bring greater economic vitality which is estimated to be worth 120 million Euros a year to the region. The new road will also improve the north-south relationships in the area, make the Pyrenees more accessible and speed up communications between Pau, Aquitaine’s second city, and the capital, Bordeaux. The travelling time between Pau and Bordeaux will be approxi-mately an hour and half. This translates into a saving of 50 minutes for ordinary vehicles and 60 minutes for heavy goods vehicles.

In developing the A-65, more demanding standards have been met in terms of minimis-ing its environmental impact. These have included integrating the road into the land-scape, preserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable development of the areas through which the toll road runs. ■

TEXT AND PHOTOS sanef

sanef, abertis’ French subsidiary, and Eiffage open the A-65 toll road

TOLL ROADS

The A’liénor consortium, of which Eiffage holds 65% and sanef (abertis’ French subsidiary) holds 35%, has designed and build the new infrastructure

Langon

Mont-de-Marsan

PauFRANCE

SPAIN

A-65

ROUTE OF THE NEW A-65

A-63

A-64

A-62

Bordeaux


Josep Lluís Giménez Sevilla (Barce-lona, 1957) has been appointed as

the new managing director of abertis

autopistas, the unit that runs the abertis group’s toll road business in Spain. He replaces José Maria Morera, who is resigning from the post after a career in the group. He joined in 1987 as the managing director of iberpistas, of which he later became managing director.

Since 2007 he has led the process of reorganising the network of abertis con-cessionaires in Spain as a single Business Unit.

José María Morera will continue to be linked to the Group, performing tasks involv-ing contacts with the sector and with the various public administrations.

Josep Lluís Giménez, new managing director of abertis autopistas in Spain

TOLL ROADS

Formerly assistant general manager and director

Professional backgroundJosep Lluís Giménez Sevilla, who had been the assistant general manager and Business director of abertis autopistas, is an economist who holds degrees in General Management from the IESE and Finan- cial Management from the EADA. In 2001 he joined acesa as the manager of the South American Concessions Area, where he also became president of Grupo Con-cesionario del Oeste (gco) and the vice-president of Autopistas del Sol (Ausol), the companies running the toll roads into Bue-nos Aires (Argentina). Previously, from 1995 to 1999, he was the manager of the Oper-ations and Financial Area of Inmobiliaria Colonial, and was later the managing director of Q-Factory. ■


The managing director of abertis, Francisco Reynés, has been appoint-

ed a director of sanef, replacing Florentino Pérez. The appointment was approved by the Board of Directors of abertis’ French subsidiary yesterday.

In 2006, abertis took over the con-cessionaire sanef (Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l’Est de la France), after the French Government, in December 2005, awarded the tender for the privatisation of this company to the consortium Hold-ing d’Infrastructures de Transport (HIT), led by abertis with a 52.5% stake and in which Caisse de Dépôts, the insurance group AXA, the French investment fund Predica and FFP, a company controlled by the Peugeot family, also have a stake.

sanef joining the group meant that the toll road network managed by abertis

Francisco Reynés, new director of sanefThe Board of Directors of abertis’ French subsidiary approved the appointment, replacing Florentino Pérez


grew by 1,743 kilometres of toll roads in service in the north of France. sanef man-ages four of the seven toll roads provid-ing access to l’Ile de France (the Paris re-gion), as well as the road linking Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg with the north of France and the United Kingdom.

InvestmentsThis year, sanef has signed an agreement with the French Government by which it will invest euros 250 million over three years in projects aimed at improving both the integration of its infrastructures into the environment and the services it pro-vides to its customers. These investments form part of the agreement known as the Paquet Vert, which includes a one-year extension of sanef’s two concessions (sanef and sapn), until 2029. ■

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Araba Logística has signed an agree-ment with GEFCO, a major French

logistics group, for the rental of 3,951 square metres in Arasur (Álava). On this site, the company will install its first warehouse to support the three distribution plants on the Iberian Peninsula (Vigo, Madrid-Villaverde and Portugal-Mangualde). The initial contract will be for a year.

The rented area consists of two mod-ules, each of 1,882 square metres, and187 square metres of offices. GEFCO will install a parts collection storage and distribution area, designed to supply its suppliers, who are over 1,200 kilometres from the produc-tion plants.

This new warehouse is expected to create 12 new jobs and receive 10 lorries a day, principally coming from Eastern Europe. Complete transport units will then be prepared, in order to optimise direct links with the Vigo, Mangualde and Madrid platforms.

GEFCO Spain has around 5,000 custom-ers, and is responsible for 10% of the Group’s total business. This Spanish subsidiary of the logistics operator, which this year celebrated its 25th anniversary in Spain, had a turnover 281 million Euros in 2009.

Rental in the Parc LogísticThe Parc Logístic in the Zona Franca has signed a three-year contract with Vapores Suardíaz Mediterráneo for the rental of 2,031 square metre warehouse in this logistics park in Barcelona.

Vapores Suardíaz Mediterráneo belongs to the Suardíaz Group, which was established in 1944. The Group is involved in a wide range of activities, including freight transport, con-signment, commercial agents, customs management, warehousing and distribution and integral logistics. ■

Gefco rents 4,000 square metres in Arasur

LOGISTICS

In this park, the logistics operator will install its first warehouse to support the three distribution plants on the Iberian Peninsula

Details of some of the facilities at the Arasur logistics park in Álava.

Linkabertis logística www.abertislogistica.com



On the 22nd of October, Queen Eliz-abeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of

Edinburgh, opened the renovated terminal at Belfast International Airport, (which is managed by tbi), as part of an official visit to Northern Ireland.

During their visit to Belfast Interna-tional, the Queen and Prince Philip met around 70 of the airport’s employees who are responsible for ensuring the safety and correct operation of the boarding gates and runways.

The renovation of the terminal has created a more modern and spacious facil-ity for both passengers and staff alike. The glass facade allows greater use to be made of natural light and the inside has been remodelled to house more commercial outlets which now number 18. The new

design shortening the passenger journey from the Check-in Hall through to the secu-rity screening area.

Gold award from customersBelfast International Airport has been named Gold winner in the Best UK Airport category of the Holiday Extras Customers’ Awards 2010. During the summer of 2010, more than 24,000 HolidayExtras.com cus-tomers cast their votes in the second annual Holiday Extras Customers’ Awards.

Travellers rated their air travel experi-ence across 12 categories, voting for 112 airlines, 28 UK airports and hundreds of airport hotels, car parks and lounges. Other winners included Belfast International Air-port customer airlines Aer Lingus, easyJet, Jet2.com and Continental Airlines. ■

Queen Elizabeth II opens the new Belfast International terminal

AIRPORTS

The renovation of the terminal in Northern Ireland has created a more modern and spacious facility

LinkBelfast International Airport www.belfastairport.com

Moments of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, seen here with John Doran, the director of Belfast International Airport, when the new terminal was opened.


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TEXT abertis | PHOTOS saba

saba, the abertis Group’s car park sub-sidiary, is developing a number of

activities aimed at boosting both sustainabil-ity and technological advances in its car park network in Catalonia, in order to improve cus-tomer service and become more environmen-tally-friendly.

The company has installed a total of 12 electric vehicle charging points, at no extra cost to its customers, in 4 of its principal car parks in Barcelona. Of these, 8 are charging points for cars, and 4 are for motorbikes. The car parks

CAR PARKS

The abertis Group’s car park subsidiary has installed a total of 12 electric vehicle charging points, at no extra cost to its customers, in 4 car parks in Barcelona

saba deploys new technological improvements

equipped with this infrastructure are located in Rambla Catalunya (2 spaces), Diputació (2), Lluís Companys (4) and Cathedral (4 spaces for motorbikes).

In this initial pilot phase, the use of these points will not involve any extra cost for customers who charge up their electric vehi-cles, as they will only have to pay for their stay in the car park. The charging points also have differentiated blue signage with illumi-nated signs, making it easier to find them inside the car parks.


ecosaba green points This initiative is part of saba’s sustainability programme.

These are green selective rubbish collection points, with different waste container for paper, plastic and general refuse.

saba plans to extend this initiative in 2011. In fact, it is already running a pilot project in the Cathedral car park in Barcelona.

ecosaba green pointssaba is also implementing ecosaba areas in its car parks, which are selective green collec-tion points with different waste containers for paper, plastic and refuse.

A pilot test is currently being carried out in the Cathedral car park (Barcelona). The com-pany plans to continue progressively imple-menting the ecosaba areas in the saba car park network in Spain from 2011 onwards.

Providing improved customer serviceThis set of measures is part of saba’s policy of continuous improvement and is the result of the company’s interest in improving mobil-ity and the environment in those cities in which it has a presence, improving the quality of life of the citizens and meeting the needs of its customers.

Along the same lines, saba’s decisions to introduce new technology and improve quality of service are examples of its wish to provide its customers with the highest levels of convenience and comfort, whilst also provid-ing a more personalised, safe and faster service.

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the application of new technologies, and the concept of a car park as a fundamental com-ponent in ensuring access to towns and met-ropolitan areas –and improved traffic flow within them– are just some of the factors which define the company’s development. ■

As part of its commitment to implement-ing new technologies, there are luminous signs in saba’s car parks which indicate where there are free spaces. These are controlled by the Vehicle Guiding System which is designed to improve traffic flow inside car parks by prevent-ing unnecessary searching. Other innovations include: latest generation automatic charging systems; systems providing information on urban roads; and the Centralised Remote Man-agement Centre, an innovation by saba which provides centralised support to car park person-nel, and, as a result, better customer service.

saba is a benchmark in the car park sector, both for Spain and internationally. Innovation,

Linkssaba www.saba.es

Via-T www.viat.es


Car parks with Via-T technology

saba is progressively implementing the Via-T payment system throughout the whole of its network of car parks. This technology is being used in a total of 34 car parks in Catalonia. This system is currently used for 6% of the payments made in these car parks.

Extending the Via-T payment system

With this system, a customer no longer needs to use payment machine, he can just go straight to the exit marked “Via-T”. When he puts the ticket into the machine, the control recognises the vehicle and allows it leave.

CAR PARK TOWN

Pl. la Plana Badalona (Barcelona)

Catedral Barcelona

Diputació Barcelona

Gràcia I Barcelona

Gràcia II Barcelona

Gràcia III Barcelona

Hospital Clínic Barcelona

Hospital de Sant Pau Barcelona

Joan Güell Barcelona

Lluís Companys Barcelona

Pau Casals Barcelona

Pau Claris Barcelona

Pl. Catalunya (Barcelona) Barcelona

Pl. Urquinaona Barcelona

Rbla. de Catalunya Barcelona

Travessera 17 Barcelona

Travessera 43 Barcelona

Passeig de Mar Blanes (Girona)

Hospital de Sant Joan de Déu Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona)

El Garrigal Figueres (Girona)

Pl. Catalunya (Figueres) Figueres (Girona)

Berenguer i Carnicer Girona

Santa Caterina Girona

Can Xammar Mataró (Barcelona)

La Riera Mataró (Barcelona)

Pl. Santa Anna Mataró (Barcelona)

Pl. del Call Puigcerdà (Girona)

Dr. Robert (Sabadell) Sabadell (Barcelona)

Mercat Central Sabadell (Barcelona)

Pl. Dr. Robert (Satsa) Terrassa (Barcelona)

Pl. Vella (Satsa) Terrassa (Barcelona)

Raval de Montserrat (Satsa) Terrassa (Barcelona)

Vaporgran Terrassa (Barcelona)

Pl. Soler i Carbonell Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona)

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The work of the abertis group volun-teers –which had been going on qui-

etly for the whole of the year– culminated on the 2nd of December. The Volunteer Day, promoted by the abertis foundation, is when voluntaris, the Group’s volunteer programme, is most visible.

On this, the second Corporate Volunteer Day, the focus was on disability. Under the slogan Another way of doing things, activities took place, throughout the day, at abertis’ corporate headquarters in Barcelona, situated in the Parc Logístic de la Zona Franca. Employ-ees could buy products made at special work centres by disabled people. Textile products, ceramics, books, food and soaps, were just

‘voluntaris’: on the side of the disabled

ABERTIS FOUNDATION

Under the slogan ‘Another way of doing things’, abertis’ has organised the Volunteer Day for the second year running. Twenty abertis group workplaces in Spain and employees in Santiago de Chile joined in the activities

TEXT Albert Rossell | PHOTOS Josep Loaso

some of the articles sold by the eight organ-isations taking part in the fair: Fundación Privada Gaspar de Portolà, Teixidors, Fun-dación Auxilia, Gymm, CET El Pla, Centro Ocupacional Bogatell, Atam and Aprodisca.

The Volunteer Day was opened by the president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, and managing director, Francisco Reynés. Àngels Guiteras, president of the Mesa de Entidades del Tercer Sector de Cataluña, gave a lecture entitled The volunteer and future society; and Ramon Giró, director of the Fundación Seel-iger & Conde, lectured on Disability and

the World of Work: Myths and Realities. The volunteers gave a presentation on the Euro Solidario project, through which those

— 1 —Photo of the participants in the Fageda d’en Jordà walk. — 2 —The president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, at the presentation. — 3 —Workshop for understanding blindness and visualimpairment. —4 —Products made at special occupational centres.


employee who wish it, can donate one Euro a month of their salary to a charitable project.

The Association for Disability Awareness ran a workshop Live the experience! to allow employees to experience the difficulties which disabled people must overcome in their everyday lives.

At the iberpistas Operations and Con-trol Centre in San Rafael (Segovia), the Vol-unteer Day was held on the 3rd of December. José Antonio Juncá, who works with the Royal Accessibility Trust, gave a speech entitled Liv-

ing with different abilities: for an environment

which is accessible to everyone, José Antonio Matesanz, the director of the Apadefim Occu-pational Centre, gave a talk on Including

intellectually disabled people in the world

of work through occupational centres.

An exhibition of crafts and painting was also organised by APADEFIM-Fundación Per-sonas, and, in collaboration with Fundación ONCE, there was a workshop on understand blindness and visual impairment.

In Spain and ChileThroughout the week, clothing and food was collected at 20 abertis group workplaces in Spain, located in the Valencia Community,

CLOTHING AND FOOD

WAS COLLECTED

AT 20 ABERTIS GROUP

WORKPLACES IN

SPAIN AND BY

EMPLOYEES IN CHILE

Castile-Leon, Catalonia, the Basque Country, the Canary Isles, Andalusia, Madrid, Asturias, Galicia and Aragon. In San Rafael, there was also a collection of toys for disadvantaged children. It is also remarkable a first step towards internationalising the Volunteer Day, since Group’s employees in Chile also col-lected clothing and food.

The charity initiatives selectedTwo weeks earlier, the Group’s employees in Spain learned about the charities their col-leagues collaborated with, and voted for one of the 35 projects presented.

The social initiatives chosen were Med-

ical and welfare assistance for women from

Benares who suffer domestic violence and

social exclusion, run by the Flores del Ganges

Association, which was proposed by Ann de Groote, of abertis airports; Leisure after-

noons, run by the Association for People with

Intellectual Disabilities, proposed by Josep M. Maza, of abertis autopistas Spain; and Smiles for children in hospitals. Humour as

therapy, run by the Fundación Theodora, which Alba Rodríguez, of serviabertis works with. The most popular cultural project was Histories from a feminine perspective, a trav-

elling exhibition on the role of women, run by the Agima Association, proposed by Olga de Diego, of acesa. The environmental ini-tiative which received most support was Management and restoration of the habitat

of Iberian river crab in the Llobregat basin,

run by the Association for the Study and Protection of Native Fauna and Flora Autóctona, proposed by Montse Bertran, of abertis telecom. A total of 40,000 Euros will be shared between these projects.

The abertis volunteer project began almost two years ago, when some of the Group’s employees decided to join forces to encourage other colleagues to follow their example. The company supported this initiative and created communications sys-tems to coordinate their work, under the voluntaris corporate volunteer programme. ■

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The castle stood until the Civil War, when the armament store exploded and the castle was demolished.


In 1179, King Alfonso I of Aragon (“el Cast”) ceded a series of fortifications

to Guillem de Cervera. One was a defensive tower which at that time was called castrum

de Albio, and the current castle in the town of L’Albi, (Catalan County of Les Garrigues) was constructed around it. King Alfonso’s father, Ramon Berenguer IV, had conquered this area by defeating the Muslims, and it was now time repopulated and reorganise it.

Guillem de Cervera constructed the cas-tle, around the tower, in the Romanesque style. In 1336, his descendents began the construc-tion of a new Gothic palace on top of these military fortifications. This was not only a change of style, but also a change of function: from being barracks of the small military force, it became a seigniorial palace, lording it over, and controlling, the surrounding area. It was

SPONSORSHIP

The castle of L’AlbiCurrently being restored and reconstructed with the support of abertis autopistas, L’Albi Castle will be opened to the public as a museum and interpretive centre for historyTEXT abertis | PHOTOS Andrés Pardo

extended in the 16th Century, and, with later Baroque additions, became one of the largest and most sumptuous Renaissance palaces in Catalonia.

1835 brought ruin to the palace: in one of many skirmishes of the Ist Carlist War (1833-1840), the baron of L’Albi, a Carlist supporter, burned it down to prevent it falling into the hands of the liberals. The flames devoured furniture and other belongings, and brought down the roofs. A century later, in the middle of the Civil War (1936-1939), most of the structure was still standing, but was demolished when the munitions it was storing exploded.

Restoration and documentationThe ruins were abandoned until the 1970s, when the barons of L’Albi donated them to the Town Hall and groups of volunteers started


work on buttressing the remains to stop them deteriorating further. It was in the 80s and 90s that professional archaeologist first began to visit the site, in order to determine and docu-ment the remains.

In 2008, an ambitious archaeological project, to reveal the whole pre-1179 history of the castle, began: this site had been occupied since the Iron Age (8th-5th Centuries BC), as shown by a section of the walls dating from that time, and also by the discovery of many artefacts (which will be displayed in the museum, when it is completed).

With a view to this planned museum, and with the help of abertis autopistas, the first phase of consolidating and reconstructing the castle has been completed. Some zones on the exterior walls have a calcium aluminate cement-based concrete applied to them, and struts have been placed in existing walls and cellar vault, to join structures together and thus make them safe.

Phases of the reconstruction The first phase consisted of using stone to build up the tower over the dungeons, putting a roof over the remains of the old walls in the northern sector, reconstructing some arcades and rooms at the ground floor level, and com-pletely re-laying the cobblestone paving and

reconstructing the parapet of the well in the main patio. This first phase of the works was finished in early 2010, and work then contin-ued on: walkways for archaeological visits; floating floors in the cellar; bathrooms, light-ing and air-conditioning; consolidation of the walls on the south-west side; and “museumi-sation” to prepare the building for its public opening, and make it available for research.

L’Albi Castle is part of the Route of Lleida Castles, which is promoted by the Fundación Castells Culturals de Catalunya. The current president of this foundation is Carles II de Mon-toliu de Carrasco, the 32nd Baron of L’Albi. ■

LinksL’Albi Town Hall albi.ddl.net

Fundació Castells Culturals de Catalunya www.castellscatalunya.com

Its importance in Roman TimesIn several documents, L’Albi is referred to as one of the most important 2nd Century towns in Catalonia. Its importance arose as a result of its strategic position: the route followed by the AP-2 toll road today was used in Roman times to connect “imperial” Tarraco with Ilerda, (formerly the capital of the Ilergetes), which was later to become the city of Lleida. Its strategic location meant that it benefited as a staging post for trade between the interior and the coast, and from the many passing travellers.

The town’s nameThere is no general agreement on the origins of the town’s name: 12th Century documents refer to it as Albium. Some researchers claim that this name derives from the Latin word albeum (river bed). Others say that is derived from the Latin word albus (pale, white, albino), and still others believe it originates from the Arabic word al-alwi (high place). Given the area’s history and topography, all three of these are possibilities: the town is next to a river, the land around it is pale or whitish, and it is located on a hill which is topped by the castle.

The research consisted of a survey of 1,575 frequent drivers all around

Spain, in order to identify Spanish drivers’ habits and find out to what extent they have been informed about environmentally friendly driving and are aware its impor-tance.

According to the study data, more than half of drivers (56.1%) are personally con-cerned about efficient, environmentally friendly and economical driving, particularly those aged from 45 to 54, and are therefore willing to change their behaviour if shown how to do so. In fact, four out of five drivers think that they have not received enough information on environmentally friendly

and efficient driving. Most motor vehicle users (86.9%) believe that future drivers should be given information on environ-mentally friendly and efficient driving, and required to know more about it.

Variations determined by city sizeDrivers in cities with over 200,000 inhabit-ants admit that they take fewer measures to drive ecologically and efficiently, and this is accentuated significantly in Madrid and Barcelona. Paradoxically, it is the inhabitants of these two cities who say that their knowl-edge of environmental matters is good. In smaller towns, those surveyed said they drove in a more eco-friendly manner.

Environmentally friendly drivingABERTIS FOUNDATION

As part of European Mobility Week, the abertis foundation and FESVIAL (the Spanish Road Safety Foundation) presented the results of the study “Drivers and environmentally friendly and efficient driving”

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TEXT Albert Rosell | PHOTOS Josep Loaso

56.1%of drivers questioned are concerned about efficient, ecological and economic driving.


adopt other measures, such as regularly checking tyre pressure (79.9%) and start-ing the car without using the accelerator (77.2%). Although it is advisable to turn off the motor during long stops,18% of drivers to not do this.

Young driversThe research also reveals that 10.6% of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 never, or almost never, drive in high gear, start without using the accelerator (17%), use the air conditioning moderately (14.6%), regularly service the vehicle to prevent pollution (13.3%) or turn off the engine for long stops (28.9%).

When buying a vehicle, 37.6% of Spaniards take into account the level of exhaust emissions, especially women. However, this aspect is considered much less important than safety (56%), the price (54.2%) and fuel consumption (53.4%) is granted the same importance as the make (37.3%). Young people place a higher value of the car’s design and make. People between 35 and 64 place great importance of the level of pollution, whilst those over 64 are more concerned about the make. Savings (73.7%) and less pollution (56.9%) are seen as the principal advantages of eco-friendly driving. ■

Linksabertis foundation www.fundacionabertis.org

Fundación Española para la Seguridad Vial www.fesvial.es

Similarly, three out of four Spanish drivers say that they do take action to save fuel and reduce pollution. The ecological habit most often implemented is driving at a steady speed, and it is women who drive most steadily (87.7%) and avoid sud-den braking (87%), while men more often

10 rules for efficient driving1. Ensuring that tyre pressure and alignment are correct leads to lower consumption.

2. Changing the spark plugs, air filter and oil filter at the appropriate time can reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%.

3. A badly-tuned engine can increase consumption by 8 or 10%.

4. To not attach objects to the vehicle that will increase air resistance. For example, a luggage or ski rack increases fuel consumption by between 2 and 5%. And a fully-loaded luggage rack can increase it by almost 30%.

5. Keep the windows closed to prevent insects or other objects entering the vehicle. Since this also reduces turbulence, fuel consumption is reduced.

6. Start the vehicle without using the accelerator, and, if it is a diesel engine, wait a few moments before pulling off. Do not press the accelerator while stopped at traffic lights.

7. If you’re going to be waiting for three minutes or more, turn off the engine: this reduces consumption and pollution.

8. Use the gears correctly, especially in towns; remember that cars consume less fuel in high gear and low revs.

9. Drive at a suitable speed. Driving at 120 instead of 100 km/h can significantly increase fuel consumption.

10. Do not carry unnecessary objects or weight in the vehicle: 30 extra kilos can increase fuel consumption by more than 10%.

In smaller towns, drivers said they

drove in a more eco-friendly manner.

The 7th abertis Prize was the first for which two categories have been established: Doctoral thesis, and master’s degree disserta-tion or fi nal-year degree dissertation. The prize for this second category was awarded jointly ex aequo to the reports Pooling de concesiones

de infraestructuras de transporte en Project

Finance, by Juan Argote Caballero and Traffi c

stream macro and microanalysis in the AP-7

Turnpike, by Jordi Soriguera Farrés. A special mention was also given to the paper entitled Dynamic OD estimation in freeway paths using

traffic counts. Application to the E4-South

in Stockholm, by Manuel Valls Comamala.

Promoting researchThe abertis prize, created in 2003 and spon-sored by the abertis-UPC chair of Transport Infrastructures Management, is one of the company’s main initiatives for promoting research in this fi eld. The abertis-UPC chair, instituted in 2003 by abertis and UPC, of which Francesc Robusté is professor, aims to promote training and research in the fi eld of transport infrastructure management. ■

A research into traffi c mobility in cities wins the 7th abertis Prize A study of infrastructure concessions and an analysis of the fl ow of traffi c on the AP-7 toll road are the ‘ex aequo’ winners in the fi nal dissertation category

The thesis entitled Traffi c prediction

based on license plate scanning.

Observability and optimal location of traffi c

counters, by María Pilar Jiménez Gómez, has won the 7th abertis Prize –in the doctoral thesis category– on Transport Infrastructure Management, which is awarded annually by the abertis-UPC chair.

The winning study develops different mathematical models for reproducing traffi c conditions, using the licence plate scanner and proposing methods to optimise the location of scanning points. The fi nal aim is to provide solutions to mobility problems in cities.

María Pilar Jiménez was awarded the prize, which is worth euros10,000 and includes pub-lication of the paper, at a ceremony in the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) presided over by the vice-chancellor of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), Antoni Giró, the former Catalan Government councillor for Territorial Policy and Public Works Joaquim Nadal, and the Business and Operations general manager of abertis, Josep Martínez Vila.

ABERTIS-UPC CHAIR

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Linkabertis chair www.catedrasabertis.com

TEXT Albert Rossell | PHOTO Josep Loaso


VII abertis Prize photo family.


BRANDING

link autopistas is one of the new type of the abertis group corporate

publications. The aim of this magazine is to inform institutions, customers and society in general about toll road news, as well as offering interviews and suggestions for those planning journeys, advice and information of interest related to road safety, news of the motoring world, etc.

Audiovisual digital magazineThis is an advanced digital publication, which combines text, photos, video and audio to make reading it an engaging and fl uid ex-perience. As a result, tons of paper are saved and the use of new technologies is encour-aged. As the magazine is not sent by post, but by email, there is an indirect reduction in the

emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2.

This is one more of the actions that abertis

autopistas takes to promote sustainability and conserve the environment.

Like previous magazines, such as Tercer

Carril, the new magazine is quarterly. Addi-tionally, to refl ect the cultural reality of each and every one of the regions where abertis

autopistas has a presence, link autopistas is published in Spanish, Catalan and Basque. ■

This digital magazine is one of the actions that abertis autopistas is taking to promote sustainability, since it will save tons of paper because it is not sent by post

A new digital publication addressed to customers, institutions and society

‘link autopistas’


THIS IS AN ADVANCED

DIGITAL PUBLICATION,

WHICH COMBINES

TEXT, PHOTOS,

VIDEO AND AUDIO

Linksabertis autopistas www.abertisautopistas.com

link autopistas www.autopistas.com/linkautopistas/index_cas_num1.html

The president of abertis, Salvador Alemany, received the Medal of Hon-

our for Merit awarded by the Barcelona Local Police to those people and organisations whose relationship with them has been outstanding.

The mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, presented him with the medal in the Saló de Cent of Barcelona Town Hall, on the day dedicated to the patron saint of the Police Force. ■

Salvador Alemany is decorated by the Barcelona Local Police

ABERTIS

Miquel Roca receives the award from Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba.

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The Ministry of the Interior has awarded the Silver Road Safety Medal

of Merit to the abertis foundation in rec-ognition of its contribution to the improve-ment of road safety in Spain.

This was proposed by the Directorate General for Traffic. The first vice-president of the Government and Interior minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, presented the award to the president of the Foundation, Miquel Roca i Junyent, at a ceremony held at the Ministry’s headquarters on the 1st of December. ■

The abertis foundation is awarded the Medal of Merit for Road Safety by the Traffic Directorate

ABERTIS FOUNDATION

abertis is one of the companies that has signed an Accord aimed at improv-

ing mobile communications services and infrastructures, in which the Catalonia Gen-eralitat’s Public Administration and Govern-ance Department is taking the lea-ding role. This initiative brings together public and pri-vate endeavours to develop mobile com-munications infrastructures to cover the whole of the region. Its objective is to improve the quality of life of Catalonia’s people and the competitiveness of its companies. Josep Maria Coronas, the general secretary of abertis, signed the Accord committing the Group to this project, in an event held in the Palace of the Generalitat. ■

Accord with the Generalitat on communications infrastructures

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Jordi Hereu presents the medal to Salvador Alemany.

Last October, a team from Overon, in which abertis telecom is a share-

holder, covered the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners who were trapped in San José Mine in Copiapó, in northern Chile. At the entrance to the mine shaft, Overon provided live broad-casting, play out and editing services. From the morning of the 12th of October, it provided 64 services to over 18 television channels, including Fuji TV (Japan), Channel 7 (Australia), TVNZ (New Zealand), ARD (Germany), M6 (France), TVE, A3 and TV3. Overon was one of the four companies selected by the Chilean Government to install their equipment right

Overon’s coverage of ChileTELECOMMUNICATIONS

On the 25th of November, the 2010 Awards Jury of the Madrid College of

Road Engineers Prizes gave a Special Mention, in the Best Public Works category, to the AP-6 toll road widening. Third lane and third Guadarrama Tunnel between the Valle de los Caídos intersection and San Rafael.

The works, carried out by Castellana de Autopistas, part of the abertis group, was given the prize for the improvement to the access system from the Madrid Community to the northeast of Spain, as, with its system of three tunnels, one of which can flow in

Madrid engineers give abertis an award for the AP-6 widening project

TOLL ROADS

aumar donated 5,000 Euros to the Fundación Enrique Montoliu for the

Conservation of Mediterranean Flora and Fauna (FUNDEM), which will be used to purchase additional land in Vall de Gallinera (Alicante), where the natural and landscape are being protected. The donation was made in an event at which the local mayor, Fran-cesc Miquel Cortell, the general manager of aumar, Enrique Villalonga, and the pres-ident of FUNDEM, Enrique Montoliu, were present.

The donation was part of the savings that resulted from a paper consumption reduction campaign, in which it invited its customers to change from paper bills to electronic billing. This campaign was pro-moted by aumar as part of its commitment to, and responsibility towards, the environ-ment. This resulted in a double benefit for the environment, and the customer recei ved faster, more secure and more confiden-tial service. ■

Donation by aumar to a FUNDEM project

TOLL ROADS

both directions, it has substantially increased capacity, functionality and safety.

Esperanza Aguirre, the president of the Madrid Community, presided over the award ceremony, and José María Morera, the general manager of abertis autopistas Spain received the award. The College of Road Engi-neers also gave the 2010 Prize for the Out-standing Road Engineer to Florentino Pérez, the president of the ACS group and vice president of abertis, for his business achieve-ments and excellence, in addition to his pro-fessional record as a road engineer. ■

TV3’s Espai Terra has been awarded a prize in the Sustainability category at

the Science in Action International Fair in Santiago de Compostela. The award was for a television report on the restoration of the aquifer in the Tablas de Daimiel National Park, Ciudad Real. Espai Terra, which is sponsored by the abertis foundation, is broadcast every weekday afternoon. It covers matter relating to nature, respect for the environment and traditions linked to agriculture. The programme has an average audience of 260,000 and an audience share of 11.6%. ■

‘Espai Terra’ awarded a prize at the Science in Action Fair

ABERTIS FOUNDATION


at the entrance shaft of the mine, from where the miners who rescued emerged one by one. It had another outside unit operating in the Copiapó Hospital, where the miners were taken for medical attention. ■

José María Morera, general manager of abertis autopistas, receiving the award.

Jordi Graells, managing director of abertis Tollroads North America &

International, has been appointed senior vice-chairman of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). The appointment was made during the associa-tion’s 78th annual conference held in San Diego (California) from 12 to 15 September.

Jordi Graells, who is already on the IBTTA Executive Committee and Board of Directors, will hold this post in 2011. He is expected to be appointed as chairman of IBTTA next September, at the annual conference to be held in Berlin.

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is the global association of toll road operators and associ-ated industries. Founded in 1932, it provides a forum for sharing knowledge and ideas with the aim of promoting and improving the toll-fi nanced road transport infrastructure. IBTTA also has considerable infl uence on the devel-opment of turnpikes and concessions in the United States. The association is made up of turnpike, tunnel and bridge operators from 25 countries all around the world, and has its headquarters in Washington DC. ■

TOLL ROADS


The results of the 2010 Review con-firm that, for the fifth year run-

ning, abertis has retained its listing in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World) and also, on a European level, the DJSI Europe Index.

Once again, abertis has been given an above-average score in the three variables

abertis marked highly in the Dow Jones sustainability indexes

ENVIRONMENT

Jordi Graells, managing director of abertis Tollroads North America & International, is the new senior vice-chairman of IBTTA.

Jordi Graells, appointed as senior vice-chairman of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA)

ranked: economic, environmental and social. The company achieved top scores in the environmental information and climate change strategy categories, and signifi cantly improved its position in areas such as codes of conduct and operational eco-effi ciency. The DJSI World and DJSI Europe reviews became effective on 20 September 2010. ■

NE

WS

IN B

RIE

F

MARZO 2010 ■ LINK abertis ■ 73

INVESTOR’SINTERIM DIVIDEND 82

Results – January to September 2010

Another quarter’s growth for abertis

APPOINTMENTS 82

INVESTOR’SLINK

REVENUE BY SECTORS

ResultsJanuary-September 2010*

The Group has continued to grow this quarter, with net profit increasing by 4.2% in the first nine months of 2010, to reach a total of 561 million Euros

Most of abertis’ revenues come from the toll road sector, followed by the telecommunications sector.

■ TOLL ROADS 75%■ TELECOMMUNICATIONS 14%

■ AIRPORTS 7%■ CAR PARKS 4%

■ LOGISTICS 1%


abertis’ results for the first nine months of 2010, prepared under IFRS

criteria, and incorporating adjustments arising from the sector interpretation for conces-sionary businesses (IFRIC 12), confirm, for another quarter, the upward trend of the Group’s principal figures: revenue, EBITDA and net profits.

The keys aspects of January-September 2010 have been; the growth of traffic in the toll road network outside Spain; the ability to generate cash; the control of operating expenses, which only grew by 1.6%; the con-tainment of financial costs; the changes in perimeter; and the positive equity-accounted contribution of the companies, especially Eutelsat.

The first nine months have been distin-guished by the consolidation of the recovery in traffic levels on the toll roads in Chile and also on sanef’s toll roads in France. After nine consecutive quarters of reductions, the third quarter of 2010 was the first to show a small increase in traffic on the abertis network as a whole. The diversified businesses maintain their position in the Group, by contributing 25% of the revenue.

Operating revenueIn the first nine months of 2010, abertis’ operating revenues climbed to 3,097 million Euros, 5.5% more than for the same period in the previous year. sanef contributed 1,098 million Euros (35% of total revenue) to this figure. 50% of the abertis Group’s operating revenue came from outside Spain, principally from France, the United Kingdom and Chile.


REVENUE GENERATION

CONTRIBUTION BY SECTORS

Contribution by sectors January to September 2010 (M €) REVENUES EBITDAToll roads 2,332 1,645

Telecommunications 418 165

Airports 211 64

Car parks 114 45

Logistics 16 7


4.2%growth in abertis’ net profit: 561 million Euros.

3,097abertis had operating revenues of 3,097 million Euros (+5.5%).

(*)Summary of the results presented to the stock market regulator - the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV). The full version can be viewed at www.abertis.com, in the Investor Relations section, or may be requested by calling the Shareholders Office on 902 30 10 15.

service offering, which offset the effect of the analogue switch-off, completed in April.

The positive trends in the satellite sector continue. In the first nine months of 2010, Eutelsat’s equity-accounted contribution was 60 million Euros, and Hispasat’s was 20 million Euros.

abertis airports’ operating revenues reached 211 million Euros (+3%). The reduced level of activity at tbi’s airports, principally those in the United Kingdom –a drop of 5.6% in the number of passengers– is made up for by a 6.6% increase in revenue per passenger, the higher overall contribution from dca and the favourable changes in exchange rates.

saba showed operating revenue of 114 million Euros (+5%), with vehicle rotation of 41.7 million (+2.3%).

In logistic parks, there has been an increase of 10.9% in built area (to 533,350 square metres). The average occupancy of warehouses and offices is 63.1%, an increase of 3% in rented square metres compared with the end of the 2009 financial year. Operating revenue grew to 16 million Euros.

Key PointsAfter nine consecutive quarters of reductions, the third quarter of 2010 was the first to show a small increase in traffic on the Group’s toll road network as a whole. For the group as a whole, the reduction in traffic is slowing down, closing at -0.4% (-0.7% in the first quarter).

50% of the revenue and 47% of the EBITDA was generated outside Spain. 75% of the revenue comes from the toll road business, and the remaining 25% is shared between the telecommunications infrastructures business (14%), airports (7%), car parks (4%) and logistics parks (1%).

The strong cash generation rate was maintained: cash flow before investments and dividends grew by 7.4%, to 1,205 million Euros.

94% of the Group’s debt is long-term (92% in September 2009), and 86% is at fixed rates. The average cost is 4.5% (4.6% in September 2009).

In the toll road business, the operating revenues to June were 2,332 million Euros (+6%). The traffic on sanef’s toll roads in France grew by 1.8%. In Chile, Argentina and Puerto Rico traffic also grew, by 5%. In Spain, traffic dropped by 4,3% over the period.

abertis telecom achieved operating revenues of 418 million Euros (+7%). This increase reflects the deployment of increased DTT coverage, and the radio-communications

■ SPAIN 50%■ FRANCE 35%

■ OTHERS 6%■ CHILE 5%

■ UNITED KINGDOM 4%

50% OF THE REVENUE

AND 47% OF THE EBITDA

WAS GENERATED

OUTSIDE SPAIN

CASH FLOW BEFORE

INVESTMENT

AND DIVIDENDS

GREW BY 7.4%


Of the total revenue, 75% was gen-erated by the toll road business, while 14% corresponds to telecommunications infrastructures and 7% to airports. The car park sector contributed 4%, and the logistics parks 1%.

In this period, the gross operating result (EBITDA) was 1,916 million Euros (+4.6%) while the net operating result (EBIT) was 1,206 million Euros (+3%). The financial result for the period was -442 million Euros. In the period January-September 2010, the equity-accounted results made a contribution of 84 million Euros (+45%), basically from the holding in Eutelsat

(60 million). The abertis Group showed a net profit

of 561 million Euros (+4.2%) the first nine

months of 2010. In this period, abertis generated a cash-flow (before investments and dividend payments) of 1,205 million Euros (+7.4%).

abertis’ average workforce in this period was 12,507, 58% of which was out-side Spain.

Balance sheet and investmentsAs of 30 September, abertis had total assets of 25,035 million Euros and net equity of 5,146 million Euros. The Group invested a total of 430 million Euros during the period, of which 332 million (77%) was used for organic expansion and 98 million for operat-ing investment.

Expansion investment in toll roads (229 million Euros) included the investments

— 1 & 2 —abertis’ toll road business contributed revenues of 2,332 million Euros.— 3 —The factors contributing to the good performance of the telecommunications business included the DTT rollout and the increased coverage, in addition to the new radio-communications service contracts.

1

2

INCREASED OPERATING REVENUE

Increased operating revenue: Operating revenue: 3,097 million Euros (+5.5%) (M €)

Ebitda: 1,916 (+4.6%)

‘Cash-flow’: 1,205 (+7.4%)

Net profit: 561 (+4.2%)

Investments: 430


EBITDA (86%). The total traffic on the abertis toll road network up to the 30th of September 2010 reflects a stabilisa- tion of the Average Daily Traffic (ADT) at 23,426 vehicles (-0.4%).

During this period, the recovery of traf-fic levels in France was consolidated, with an ADT recorded in sanef’s network of 23,804 vehicles (+1.8%). Growth was also recorded on toll roads in Chile and Argen- tina: gco (Argentina) reached an ADT level of 71,716 vehicles, (+6.7), while for Chilean concessionaries the ADT was 64,462 vehicles (+3.2%) on the Autopista Central, 22,533 vehicles (+4.7%) on the Rutas del Pacífico and 4,920 vehicles (+4%) for Elqui.

Spain has seen a slowing down in traffic reduction, with an ADT of 23,277 vehicles for the period (-4.3%, compared to -8.1% for the same period in 2009 and com-pared to -4.8% for the first six months of the year).

On abertis’ toll roads in Spain, 34.3% of the transactions were made using the teletoll system. For acesa, teletoll usage accounted for 38.4% of the total transac-tions, while on sanef’s network in France, it was 35.4% (75.3% for heavy vehicles).

Telecommunications infrastructuresThe telecommunications business increased its contribution to the Group somewhat in comparison to the previous financial year, with operating revenue of 418 million Euros (+7%) and an EBITDA of 165 million Euros. This sector represents 14% of abertis’ total revenue and 9% of the EBITDA.

Factors contributing to this good per-formance included the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) rollout and the increased coverage (to 98% from 96% in September 2009), in addition to the new radio-com-munications service contracts, such as the emergency system for Navarre and the serv-ice for the General Directorate of the Mer-chant Marine, (which offset the effect of the analogue switch-off), and also the increase in satellite capacity.

AFTER NINE CONSECUTIVE

QUARTERS, THE THIRD

QUARTER OF 2010 WAS THE

FIRST WITH INCREASED

TRAFFIC ON THE TOLL ROAD

NETWORK AS A WHOLE

made by acesa (widening the AP-7 and C-32 toll roads) and by sanef (Reims southern ring road and extension of the A13 and capital investment in the A65); while the investment in telecommunications (68 mil-lion Euros) was related to the DTT rollout and the building of the Hispasat 1E and Ama-zonas III satellites by Hispasat.

Operating investments of 14 million Euros were made in airports, including improvements to Belfast International, Car-diff and Stockholm Skavsta.

In car parks, investments in expansion (20 million Euros) mainly went to the growth of saba in Spain (a new car park in Palma de Mallorca) and Italy, while in logistics parks, investments were made (13 million Euros) in constructing parks in Chile and Portugal.

Debt structureAs of the 30th of September 2010, abertis

had net debts of 14,337 million Euros. Of the total debt, 57% is secured on the com-pany’s own projects (i.e. non-recourse). 94% of the debt is long-term (92% in September 2009) and 86% is at fixed rates or fixed through hedging. The average cost of the debt is 4.5% (4.6% in the same period of the previous year) and the average maturity is 6.8 years.

Performance of the businesses: toll roadsIn the first nine months of the year, abertis’ toll road business contributed revenues of 2,332 million Euros (75% of the Group’s total revenues) and 1,645 million Euros to

20million Euros, Hispasat‘s contribution to the satellite business.

60million Euros, Eutelsat’s contribution.

3


3

In the satellite sector, Eutelsat’s equity-accounted contribution was 60 million Euros, while Hispasat’s contribution was 20 million Euros. The satellite business contributed a net positive effect (including the financial costs of the acquisitions) de 46 million Euros to abertis’ results.

AirportsIn the first nine months of 2010, the airports business had operating revenue of 211 million Euros (+3%),i.e. 7% of abertis’ total revenue, and an EBITDA of 64 million Euros (+1%), 3% of the total for the Group. In this period, the airports business recorded an increase in

SABA INCREASED ITS

OPERATING REVENUES

BY 5% DUE TO A

CHANGE IN THE SCOPE

OF THE CONSOLIDATION

PERIMETER AND

NEW CONTRACTS

revenues of 3% (despite tbi’s drop in business to 16.6 million passengers between January and September), thanks to a 6.6% increase in revenue per passenger and the higher over-all contribution from dca airports –which grew by 8.7%– and the favourable changes in exchange rates.

Car parksIn the first nine months of 2010, saba increased its operating revenues by 5% to 114 million Euros, basically due to a change in the scope of the consolidation perimeter and new management contracts. The car parks division contributed 4% of abertis’

— 1 —saba’s number of spaces has increased by 5.3%. - 2 -In logistic parks, there has been an increase of 10.9% in built area.— 3 —The airports business provides 3% of the Group’s revenue.

1

THE AIRPORTS

BUSINESS HAD

OPERATING REVENUE

OF 211 MILLION

EUROS (+3%)


BALANCE SHEET FOR 9 MONTHS OF 2010 (IFRIC 12) (Million €)

SEPT. 2010 DIC. 2009

Tangible fixed assets 2,156 2,184

Intangible fixed assets 16,908 17,022

Financial investments 4,456 4,413

Current assets 1,516 1,253

TOTAL ASSETS 25,035 24,873

Shareholder’s equity 5,416 5,334

Loans and bons 14,950 14,932

Other liabilities 4,669 4,607

TOTAL LIABILITIES 25,035 24,873

PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNTS FOR JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 2010 (IFRIC 12) (Million €)

SEPT SEPT VAR. 2010 2009

Operating revenue 3,097 2,935 5.5% 3,097 2,935 5.5%

Operating costs -1,181 -1,102 7% -1,181 -1,102 7%

Ebitda 1,916 1,833 4.6%Depreciation -710 -666 7% -710 -666 7%

Operating Profit 1,206 1,166 3% 1,206 1,166 3%Financial Result -442 -412 7% -442 -412 7%

Equity-accounted result 84 58 45% 84 58 45%

Pre-Tax Profit 848 812 4% 848 812 4%Company Tax -221 -220 -221 -220

Financial yr. profit/ loss 627 591 6% 627 591 6%Minority Interests -66 -53 -66 -53

Company shareholders’ profit 561 539 4.2% 561 539 4.2%

total revenues, and 2% of the EBITDA, at 45 million Euros (+12%).

saba manages a total of 130,778 park-ing spaces at sites in Spain, Italy, Chile, Portugal, France and Andorra. The number of spaces has increased by 5.3% compared with the same period in the previous year. Vehicle rotation grew by 2.3% to 41.7 million, and the number of pass holders increased to 34,168.

Logistic parksIn the first nine months of 2010, abertis

logística recorded operating revenues of 16 million Euros (-31%). This represents 1%

of abertis’ total revenues, and the unit con-tributed an EBITDA of 7 million Euros.

The revenues for this period are not com-parable with those of January-September 2009, due to changes in the consolidation of Areamed which, since the end of 2009, forms part of the Toll roads Unit. Without these changes, the drop in revenues would be 8%.

In logistic parks, there has been an increase of 10.9% in built area over this period (now 533,350 square metres). The average occupancy of warehouses and offices is 63.1%, an increase of 3% in rented square metres compared with the end of the 2009 financial year. ■

2


INVESTOR’SLINK

ABERTIS

Telephoneabertis’ Shareholders’ Office 902 30 10 15

Shareholders paid interim dividend

This dividend was paid on the 21st of October 2010, the ex-dividend date,

and was payable to those share holders who held company stock at close of market of the 20th of October.

The interim dividend payment is part of abertis’ well-known policy for pay- ing shareholders on the basis of an annual dividend plus this bonus issue. The

INTERIM DIVIDENDACCOUNTING YEAR 2010

EUROS

Gross amount per share 0,30000000

Withholding tax 19% 0,05700000

Net amount per share 0,24300000

total amount paid to abertis’ shareholder in 2010 –complementary dividend, bonus issue and interim dividend– is 5% than was paid out in 2009. ■

ABERTIS

Javier de Jaime, José Antonio Torre de Silva and Santiago Ramírez are the new members of the Group’s Board

In October, abertis’ Board of Directors agreed to the proposal made by its

Appointment and Salaries Committee, to appoint three co-opted directors: Javier de Jaime, José Antonio Torre de Silva and San-tiago Ramírez. The new directors, together with Florentino Pérez, Ángel García Altozano and Pablo Vallbona, will be proprietary direc-tors, representing Trebol Holdings, a company in which ACS and funds managed by CVC Capital Partners have stakes.

After this remodelling, the abertis Board of Directors, presided over by Salvador Ale-many, has four vice presidents: Isidre Fainé, Florentino Pérez, Carmen Godia and Javier de Jaime (who replaces Pablo Vallbona).

The Board also gave the green light to bringing Javier de Jaime and José Antonio Torre de Silva onto the Exectutive Commit-tee. This Committee is thus made up of Sal-vador Alemany, the four vice presidents of the Board, Francisco Reynés (the managing director), Marcelino Armenter and José Anto-nio Torre de Silva.

Approval was also given for Ricard For-nesa and Javier de Jaime to join the Appoint-ments and Salaries Committee, which is made up of Manuel Raventós (president), Ángel

García Altozano and Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez. At the same time as these appointments, Antonio García Ferrer, Javier Echenique and Julio Sacristán, who until now were directors, left the Board of Abertis Infraestructuras, SA. Additionally, Braulio Medel has resigned for personal reasons.

About the new directorsJavier de Jaime is a managing partner of CVC Capital Partners at a global level, and CEO of the company in Spain. He previously held various executive posts in 3i.

Santiago Ramírez is an industrial partner in CVC Capital Partners. He is also executive president of Lecta (Torraspapel) and Mivisa. His previous responsibilities include posts as executive president of Tudor, Exide Europe and BSN Glasspack.

José Antonio Torre de Silva managing director of CVC Capital Partners in Spain. He has held various posts in Cortefiel, Inalta, Mivisa, Colomer, Itevelesa and IDC. Before joining CVC, he worked for Paribas. ■

abertis’ Board of Directors appoints three new directors


Link Abertis Magazine N. 3 December 2010

Business

abertis world

creationpresident of

abertis toll roads

abertis foundation abertisfor

business model

business territories

solid business

imple resilient business