"New Technologies Must Improve Efficiency Without Putting Creation or Intellectual Property at Risk"

Manuel González Moreno, unanimously elected president of the Federation of Spanish Publishers' Guilds (FGEE) and thereby of Liber 2026 — the great professional gathering for books in Spanish, to be held from September 29 to October 1 at Fira de Barcelona — reviews the sector's moment in an interview. According to González, Spanish publishing is in an optimal position: since 2020 sales have grown around 5% annually, recovering the 3 billion euros in turnover seen before the 2008 crisis, with a positive trade balance. On generative AI and new formats, he advocates leveraging technology to gain efficiency and reach readers in their preferred formats without endangering creation or intellectual property, demanding fair remuneration for creators and publishers. He highlights the potential of a language with more than 500 million native speakers and nearly 600 million total, with Ibero-America and Europe as priority markets and growing interest from Asia and Africa. He also credits schools and the public library network for making young people Spain's most avid readers. Liber 2026, in its 43rd edition, will structure its professional sessions into six blocks — Training, Innovation, Education, Audiobook, Sector and International — and repeat the Rights Salon, whose first edition far exceeded forecasts, alongside buyer programs backed by ICEX, the Ministry of Culture, the Generalitat and CEDRO.