The Lucena City Council and the Association of Andalusian Refrigeration Manufacturers (AFAR) have received one of Iberdrola's Convive Awards, in the Transformative Entrepreneurship category. This recognition values the trajectory and role of the Lucena Industrial Cluster as a national benchmark in the manufacturing of heat pumps and air conditioning systems.
The award ceremony took place in Sigüenza (Guadalajara), during the third edition of these awards, which aim to highlight initiatives capable of generating economic and social development opportunities in rural areas, particularly those linked to the energy transition.
Representing Lucena's industrial fabric, the award was accepted by the Mayor of Lucena, Aurelio Fernández, and the second deputy mayor, Francis Aguilar, along with the president of AFAR, Joaquín Alberto Peñalver, and the association's manager, Jesús Muñoz.
The award particularly highlights Lucena's position as the Spanish epicenter for the manufacturing of heat pumps and air conditioning. This sector, with a six-decade history, employs approximately 3,200 qualified workers in the town and represents one of its main productive strengths.
Mayor Aurelio Fernández stated that “this award is a recognition of the work of many generations of entrepreneurs and workers who have made Lucena an industrial benchmark nationally”. He added that “the Lucena Industrial Cluster demonstrates the capacity of rural municipalities to generate employment, innovation, and opportunities, making industry a driving force for our territory's development”.
The Lucena City Council has emphasized the value of this recognition, which underscores the significance of Lucena's industry and the decades-long collaborative effort by companies, workers, and business organizations to establish the city as a national leader in the air conditioning and refrigeration sector.
