ATIGA meets with the Xunta to discuss the new strategy for industrialising innovation in Galicia

Turning technological advances into new products, industrial activity and skilled employment. This was the central challenge driving the meeting held on 17 October between the leadership of the Intersectoral Technology Alliance of Galicia (ATIGA) and representatives of the Xunta de Galicia in Ferrol.

The meeting brought together the Minister for Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, and the director of IGAPE, Covadonga Toca, alongside the Mayor of Ferrol, José Manuel Rey Varela, and the Xunta’s territorial delegate, Martina Aneiros.

ATIGA was represented by Jesús Lago, president of the alliance and director general of AIMEN; Luis Pérez Freire, vice-president of ATIGA and director general of GRADIANT; Roberto C. Alonso, vice-president of ATIGA and secretary general of ANFACO-CYTMA; Antonio Pons, director general of CETIM; Luis Moreno, director general of CTAG; Carlos Calvo, director general of ITG; and Fernando Val, director general of ATIGA.

The meeting focused on the Xunta’s main lines of action on business innovation, with particular attention to the new Industrialise Innovation programme, one of the measures included in the first Galician Business Innovation Strategy.

A €66.5 million programme to bring innovation to industry

The minister announced that the Galician Government plans to allocate €66.5 million to the Industrialise Innovation programme, with the aim of driving the development of new technologies and supporting their subsequent industrialisation in Galicia.

The initiative is based on pre-commercial public procurement, an instrument that promotes the development of innovative solutions to address technological needs not yet met by the market. The Xunta intends to extend this model — already being applied in the defence and security sectors — to other strategic industrial sectors in the region. Lorenzana noted that technology centres are expected to play a leading role in this initiative, heading consortia capable of developing new products and technologies with real potential for industrialisation in Galicia.

The minister also announced that the budgetary planning for the coming years provides for over €400 million for business innovation, as part of a strategy aimed at generating greater added value, strengthening the industrial fabric and creating highly skilled jobs.