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His Majesty the King inaugurated the 28th National Congress on Family Businesses, which, under the theme “origin, destination,” focuses on the importance of the roots of family businesses and how to protect their legacy, without losing sight of the vision of the future that ensures their continuity and growth.
Don Felipe presided over the inauguration of the 28th National Congress on Family Businesses, held in Burgos from October 19 to 21, to address the challenges facing family businesses. The event is organized by the Family Business Institute and sponsored by Banco Santander and KPMG. It is attended by family business owners from all over Spain.
The 28th National Congress on Family Businesses began with the screening of a presentation video and successive speeches by the president of the Family Business Institute, the Minister of Industry and Tourism, and the President of the Regional Government of Castile and León.
To conclude the speeches, His Majesty the King emphasized in his remarks that “…the history of the family business is that of people committed to a life project that transcends the professional. At your origin are the values with which—and for which—you work and which are part of your identity…”
His Majesty the King was accompanied at this annual family business event by the President of the Regional Government of Castile and León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco; the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu; the Government Delegate in the Community of Castile and León, Nicanor Jorge Sen; the Mayor of Burgos, Cristina Ayala; the President of the Family Business Institute, Ignacio Rivera; and the leader of the opposition and president of the People’s Party, Alberto Nuñez Feijóo, among other authorities and personalities.
The 28th National Congress on Family Businesses brought together more than 650 attendees in Burgos, including entrepreneurs, executives, academics, and institutional representatives, to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing family businesses in Spain. Over the course of three days, key issues related to the competitiveness, sustainability, and generational continuity of this business model were addressed.
As every year, the National Congress on Family Businesses features a guest country. In this 28th edition, Spanish family businesses will be welcomed to Turkey, where family businesses represent nearly 80% of the private sector.
After the event, His Majesty the King met with the director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, who gave a presentation analyzing the global situation of energy markets and the strategic role that Spain and Türkiye play in them.
Family businesses represent 92.4% of companies in Spain, generate 70% of private employment, a total of more than 10.2 million workers, and account for 57.8% of private Gross Added Value. These figures highlight their importance not only as drivers of economic growth, but also as fundamental pillars of job creation and social cohesion and integration at the national level. The percentage of family businesses has grown 3.6 percentage points in the last 10 years, reaching 1.1 million companies.
The Family Business Institute is an independent, non-profit, national business organization that brings together around one hundred leading family businesses in their sectors in Spain. Since its founding in 1992, the Institute has been dedicated to defending the interests of family businesses, identifying best practices in corporate governance and management, and ensuring the training of future generations. The Family Business Institute has 18 affiliated Regional Family Business Associations, covering all of Spain’s autonomous communities. These associations are made up of 1,800 leading family businesses in the various sectors of activity in their region, which together represent the equivalent of 10% of the national GDP.
