Source: Xornal 21
Galicia is establishing itself as a leading hub for aerospace and defense technology. On Tuesday, María Jesús Lorenzana, the regional minister of Economy and Industry, highlighted the commitment being made to Galicia by the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (Catec)—Spain’s largest technology center in these fields—which she described as a testament to the current potential of these sectors in the region.
Accompanied by the Secretary General for Industry and Energy Development, Nicolás Vázquez, Lorenzana visited the center’s headquarters in Santiago de Compostela, where it has been working for years in conjunction with the Rozas Business Park (Castro de Rei) on flagship projects led by major companies such as Telespazio, Avincis, Airbus, Aertec-Tecnobit, and Indra. Galicia is, along with Andalusia and Madrid, one of the five locations where Catec operates throughout Spain.
“Since 2015, when we began work in Rozas on what was then the CUI (Civil UAVs Initiative), which has now evolved into the current Defense, Security, and Aerospace Strategy, Catec has been a key technology center, collaborating and partnering with other Galician companies that are providing world-class work, services, and technology on an international level,” Lorenzana noted.
As part of this strategy, which will mobilize 900 million euros, the regional minister announced that the regional government will soon unveil new partnership agreements involving technology centers, large companies, and Galician SMEs “to continue developing an economic sector that holds immense potential in Galicia.” This sector focuses on the development of dual-use technologies (which can be used in both commercial and defense applications) and may be of interest to companies in the automotive, shipbuilding, ICT, and other sectors. With this goal in mind, Lorenzana noted that the regional government maintains an open funding program for certifications, which allows companies from other sectors to obtain accreditation to participate in the defense market.