20000303-Internet business will be in the billions by 2003

"Technology is never bad. It is man who can misuse it". So said today at the University of Navarra, José María Berenguer, professor of the School of Economics and Business Sciences of that center, and curator of the forum on digital Economics to be held in Pamplona on 2 and 3 March. Berenguer has presented, together with the Dean of this School, Luis Ravina, the III Forum of Entrepreneurs and Students.

"Technology, used well, will serve to favor relationships, to improve business, so that many people have opportunities and work. You only have to look at the number of initiatives that have been born after the Internet...", he continued.

When asked whether Spanish companies are knowing how to adapt to the demands of the digital Economics , Professor Berenguer replied that "there is still a long way to go. Spanish companies, like those in other countries, are only now learning to face these challenges. They have not yet had much time and, as the shift to digital technology is so accelerated, not even scholars, universities or construction companies can systematize the knowledge".

"That is why," he continued, "it is difficult to know whether a business has got into a good project of e-commerce and whether it is doing well or badly. What is certain is that in countries like the US, where this digital culture is more advanced, the e-commerce is developing very well. However, the overall outlook is extremely positive: there is a hotbed of companies emerging and many more to come. By 2003, the business figures for e-commerce are already in the billions. But we have to recognize that we are in a start-up phase.

The forum "La Economics digital" will be held at the University of Navarra on March 2 and 3. The meeting will be attended by experts such as Francisco Román (director general of Microsoft Ibérica), Víctor Izquierdo (Deputy Director general of Information Industries of the Ministry of Industry and Energy), María Jesús Prieto (general director of the Madritel Foundation), Nemesio Fernández-Cuesta (president of Prensa Española) and Julio Yepes (director of Corporate Computing of BBVA).

On Friday, March 3, the forum sessions were attended by Fernando Francés (partner-director general manager of DMR Consulting Group in Spain), Juan Soto (president and CEO of Hewlett Packard in Spain), Miguel Ángel Yuste (manager of e-business for the government and services sectors of Price Waterhouse Coopers) and Elisa Robles (general manager of Industries and Information Technologies of the Ministry of Industry and Energy).