catalizar

To catalyze — literally in chemistry (a substance that speeds up a reaction) and, very commonly, figuratively for something that triggers or accelerates a process or change: el escándalo catalizó la reforma (the scandal catalyzed the reform). The figurative sense is the one learners will meet most often, especially in political and business writing.

• El platino cataliza la reacción química. — Platinum catalyzes the chemical reaction.
• Su discurso catalizó el movimiento social. — His speech catalyzed the social movement.
• La crisis catalizó cambios que llevaban años posponiéndose. — The crisis catalyzed changes that had been postponed for years.

Learners often stick to the chemistry sense and miss how common the figurative 'trigger/accelerate' meaning is in everyday journalism and analysis — it's arguably the more frequent use in real texts.