Manuel del Val, Managing Director at Green Mowers (Civil Engineer)

Burgos, September 8, 2025.-   As a multinational leader, I see three macro forces reshaping operating models in 2025: the path of European rates, the recalibration of global trade, and the codification of AI governance.

First, monetary conditions in the euro area have turned from restrictive to cautiously supportive. After multiple cuts since 2024, the ECB held rates steady in July 2025 with inflation around the 2% target, signalling a data-dependent stance into autumn. This environment eases financing costs yet still rewards discipline in capital allocation and pricing power. For portfolio decisions, I prioritize shorter payback projects, variable-cost capacity, and FX-aware pricing, given a stronger euro and uneven demand across member states. 

Second, trade dynamics remain volatile. The IMF’s 2025 outlook points to modest global growth, recently nudged to ~3.0%, with risks tilted to the downside from tariffs and policy uncertainty. WTO updates now expect goods trade to expand ~0.9% in 2025—partly a one-off effect as U.S. importers front-loaded purchases ahead of higher tariffs—before slowing into 2026. For operating models, this argues for “glocal” supply networks: dual-sourcing, near-shore buffers, and cross-border S&OP that can flex to demand and policy shocks. 

Third, AI governance is moving from principle to practice. The EU AI Act entered into force in 2024 with phased application: prohibitions and AI literacy duties from Feb 2025; obligations for general-purpose AI models and governance rules from Aug 2025; and full applicability by Aug 2026, with extended timelines for certain high-risk, embedded systems. This changes how we deploy copilots, automate decisions, and share data across borders. I am aligning product roadmaps and vendor contracts to these milestones, building model inventories, impact assessments, and human-in-the-loop controls. 

In parallel, sustainability policy keeps tightening trade-related compliance. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism remains in a transitional reporting phase through end-2025, with full financial adjustments to follow. I treat CBAM data as a strategic asset—integrating emissions factors into sourcing, pricing, and customer proposals—to defend margins and accelerate decarbonization. 

My management priorities for the next 12 months are clear: 

(1) Preserve optionality in supply chains. 

(2) Design pricing and hedging that reflect policy and FX regimes.

(3) Operationalize AI safely at scale under EU timelines. 

(4) Make carbon and compliance data “first-class citizens” in decision systems.