Galicia’s Innovation Strategy to Mobilise Over €400 Million to Bring Innovation into Galician Industry

The Xunta de Galicia has approved the first Galician Business Innovation Strategy, an initiative that will mobilise more than €400 million by 2028. The objective is clear: to ensure that innovation does not remain confined to laboratories but reaches industry and generates skilled employment.

Under the slogan Galicia, a Factory of Innovation, the strategy brings together existing support instruments and introduces new measures aimed at businesses, particularly SMEs, and the various stakeholders within the innovation ecosystem.

The strategy, approved by the Xunta’s Council of Government on 19 October, identifies the industrialisation of innovation as one of its main priorities: moving from knowledge creation to validation, productive application and market uptake.

The initiative was presented in advance on Saturday, 17 October, in Ferrol by the Regional Minister for Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, during a working meeting with representatives of the six technology centres belonging to ATIGA. The meeting was also attended by the Director of Igape, Covadonga Toca, and included discussions on the new business innovation measures.

4 Strategic Pillars and 14 Measures to Boost Business Innovation

The Galician Business Innovation Strategy is structured around four pillars covering the entire innovation cycle: from a company’s decision to innovate through to securing funding to scale up its activities.

Activating Innovation in Businesses (€47.4 Million)

This pillar aims to foster a culture of innovation, particularly among SMEs, by attracting talent and developing specialised capabilities. It includes programmes such as Innocap Galicia, designed to support the recruitment of qualified professionals involved in innovation projects, and Innova Mercado, which seeks to promote the commercialisation of products developed by startups.

Strengthening Innovation (€231.9 Million)

This pillar receives the largest share of funding and focuses on developing proprietary technologies and facilitating their industrial application. It includes initiatives such as TIC-MAQ, focused on advanced technologies and machinery; Accelerator Galicia, which will combine grants and financing with the involvement of Igape and XesGalicia; and Industrialise Innovation.

Structuring and Connecting (€9.4 Million)

This pillar aims to strengthen cooperation between businesses, technology centres and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders. Key initiatives include MatchINN Galicia, designed to connect business needs with innovative solutions, and Business Wallet Galicia, aimed at simplifying administrative procedures for businesses.

Mobilising Investment (€113.1 Million)

This pillar seeks to provide the resources needed to develop and scale up technology projects. It includes instruments such as XesTransforma and the Venture Studio Fund, complemented by financing mechanisms provided by Igape and XesGalicia.

The strategy also introduces a personalised business support model, tailored to each company’s level of innovation maturity and growth potential.

Industrialise Innovation: €66.5 Million and a Leading Role for Galician Technology Centres

Industrialise Innovation: €66.5 Million and a Leading Role for Galician Technology Centres

One of the strategy’s main new initiatives is the Industrialise Innovation programme, which will have a budget of €66.5 million and is expected to launch in 2027.

This pre-commercial public procurement instrument will target strategic sectors of Galician industry. Its aim is to help technological developments undergo validation and industrialisation, ultimately becoming solutions with commercial applications.

A distinctive feature of the programme is the role assigned to technology centres, which will act as project promoters, reinforcing their position as intermediaries between research, technological capabilities and the needs of the productive sector.

Technology centres play a particularly important role in this area. Their understanding of both research and industrial processes enables them to bring practical solutions to companies that do not always have the internal resources required to develop them.

At ATIGA, we welcome the strategy’s explicit recognition of the role of technology centres and its commitment to collaboration between public administrations, businesses and our member organisations as an essential element in turning the strategy into tangible results.

Objectives for 2028: More Innovative Businesses, Investment and Skilled Employment

The strategy builds on positive developments in business R&D in Galicia. According to figures presented by the Xunta, between 2018 and 2024, business expenditure on R&D increased by 71%, reaching €510.5 million, while the number of business personnel engaged in these activities rose by 30%, to 6,285 people.

Building on this progress, the new roadmap sets four targets for 2028: increasing the number of innovative companies by 25%, exceeding €1.5 billion in business innovation expenditure, reaching more than 4,200 professionals engaged in in-house innovation activities, and exceeding 2,700 beneficiaries of public support instruments.

Beyond these indicators, the challenge will be to strengthen the links between knowledge, technology and industry so that growing innovation capabilities translate into greater competitiveness and new business opportunities.

In this process, Galician technology centres are expected to play a fundamental role, contributing scientific and technological capabilities, expertise in applied innovation and direct collaboration with businesses.

The new Galician Business Innovation Strategy therefore marks the beginning of a new phase in which industrialising innovation becomes a shared priority for strengthening Galicia’s productive sector and generating added value in the region.