Security makes the world go round. Behind the video surveillance cameras, the equipment to detect dangerous elements, the intelligent systems that warn of a fire, or those tools that ensure the well-being of employees, there is an entire industry that moves thousands of euros annually and that has managed to weather the economic ups and downs of recent years. “It is a sector that is silently there to make everything else work and that is necessary for the growth of a country,” says María Valcarce, director of Sicur, the international exhibition for everything that has to do with protection, which will be held from February 27 to March 1 at Ifema Madrid. Sicur – the longest running of the fairs organized by the consortium made up of the Community of Madrid, the Madrid City Council, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Montemadrid Foundation – has has been evolving over the years in accordance with technological development and new security needs. Currently, the fair focuses on exposing the latest developments in three of its most important aspects: security (responsible for preventing malicious acts), safety against fires and emergencies, and safety at work (everything that has to do with with the care of the employee). Added to this is a program of activities on cybersecurity. “Fairs are always a reflection of reality. And Sicur is the home of all these activities, the common meeting point where they meet every two years and where the entire value chain of the sector is collected,» explains the representative of Ifema Madrid. This edition will be attended by 654 companies, from from thirty countries. “Almost 25% are international,” highlights Valcarce. “We expect around 40,000 professionals to attend the fair, which, by the way, is the most important in Iberia and has a fundamental bridge with the countries of Latin America,” she highlights. An example of this is the presence at Ifema Madrid of the organizers of the international security fair ESS+ (promoted by Sicur), which will be held in Bogotá, Colombia, next summer. The ESS+ team will serve all companies that want to exhibit their products in the Latin American city. “We trust that Sicur 2024 will continue to contribute to highlighting the vital role that private security plays in the protection of society, promoting the recognition of our sector and strengthening its image,” say sources from the Professional Association of Private Security Services Companies (Aproser). According to this association, in recent years, marked by covid-19, geopolitical tensions, problems in supply chains and increased prices, have impacted its billing, which has remained at the same levels as 2008. .“Our most recent economic report indicates that the year 2022 concluded with an increase of 4.3% in year-on-year turnover, reaching 4,622 million euros. By 2023, projections suggest that the sector will maintain a positive trajectory, anticipating an approximate growth of 5% in the industry's global turnover,” say Aproser experts. “It is important to mention that these forecasts are conditioned by the current situation of uncertainty, derived from both the national political and economic context and the impact of the war conflicts that persist,” argue the specialists of this association that counts some 1,570 companies operating nationwide. , with a total of 89,000 professionals. “We have spent years in which our sector and our economy in general have been put to the test,” adds Adrián Gómez, president of the Sicur Organizing Committee and also president of the Spanish Association of Fire Protection Societies (Tecnifuego). But despite Despite the bumps in the road, companies in this sector are in good health. “They have known how to adapt to the times and have continued investing in improvements, technologies, training and developing the business,” underlines Gómez. “The figures confirm its recovery. During 2023, total turnover has increased by almost 10%, reaching 2,953 million euros. This is especially favorable data, since the figures prior to the health crisis have been exceeded,” says the representative of the union with 900 companies that employ around 18,000 people in the country. The common factor between the companies that participate in Sicur, says Valcarce, is that they all come with some innovation or technological development. “We have made, thanks to a jury, a compilation of the 26 novelties that stand out the most in this edition,” he says. In occupational safety, for example, gloves that integrate a viricide in their coating or boots with spray technology stand out, which allows them to be 45% lighter than PVC boots. Also noteworthy are the monitoring equipment that measures respirable crystalline silica in real time or the amount of asbestos in the environment, as well as the staircase with an audible first step, in order to warn that the user has reached the bottom and can pass. from the ladder to the ground.
Road rescues
In the field of fire and emergency protection, automatic stabilization tools for road rescues and portable fire extinguishing systems will be exhibited. In the field of security against malicious acts, some solutions equipped with artificial intelligence for the detection of dangerous elements in x-ray devices will be announced, as well as virtual assistants for intercom based on algorithms. “With this gallery we seek to highlight the innovations that the sector has developed in the last two years,” says Valcarce. In addition, the fair will have a new section: Exo Corner, a space in which the emergence of exoskeletons in occupational health and safety will be addressed, and which has been developed in collaboration with the Institute of Biomechanics (IBV).“ Our industry, like a good technological industry, is constantly changing, adapting to new systems and products,” comments from the Spanish Association of Security Companies (AES), an organization that brings together some 1,600 firms. Companies in this activity (dedicated to physical security and electronic surveillance) are experiencing a shortage of security guards, engineers and technicians who are experts in the field, despite the fact that their role in society is relevant. “In all scenarios of tension and crisis, private security provides transcendental value… without it, the country would be led to absolute chaos,” AES highlights. Follow all the information on Economy and Business on Facebook and xor in our weekly newsletter
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