King Felipe handed out prizes for Young Entrepreneurs in the Santander Bank Auditorium in Madrid on Wednesday, 15 December.
His Majesty arrived at the facility, where he was welcomed by a group of authorities that included the Minister for Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, the Mayor of Madrid, the President of the Spanish Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs and the President of the Spanish Confederation of Entrepreneurial Organisations.
The ceremony began with words from the President of Santander Bank Group and the two confederal presidents mentioned above.
Authorities then went on stage to hand out prizes in seven categories: Globalisation, Social Engagement and Sustainability, Innovation, Hosting, Autonomous Entrepreneur, Generational Relay, Latin American Entrepreneur.
King Felipe, Minister Calviño and the President of the Spanish Confederation of Associations of Young Entrepreneurs then got on stage to hand out the big prize: the XVIII NationalYoung Entrepreneur Award, which went to Carlos Canet, owner of Family Cash.
His Majesty spoke after the recipient and the minister to highlight the importance of youth in the business world to keep it competitive and innovating, as well as remarking on the paramount idea of collaboration between public and private businesses.
The event ended with a meeting that the monarch held with everyone present.
The National Young Entrepreneur Award was founded in 1989, and since then, it has aimed to reward business owners under 41 that have created a strong and competitive enterprise that has also generated employment and contributed to the wealth of the country.
This edition of the awards was also celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Spanish Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs Associations, which is why the awards were honoured by the presence of His Majesty.
This year, in particular, the focus was on businesses that have managed to lend a helping hand through the pandemic, whether on the social scene or on the research sector.
