MAIN PI INSTRUMENTS IN SPAIN
The definition of the Instrument in this context generally refers to public and private bodies which, directly and through specific programmes, support Spanish industry, regardless of whether or not they are attached to the Ministry of Industry.
To summarise, the main public instruments currently involved in supporting industry are as follows:
To summarise, the main public instruments currently involved in supporting industry are as follows:
Research and Development Instruments.
These are fundamentally the Public Research Bodies, such as CSIC, CIEMAT, etc.; the Universities and the Technology Centres.
Public Procurement Instruments.
The most important of these is the Office for Innovative Procurement under the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI).
Tax Instruments to Support R&D&I.
Mainly tax deductions for certain business research, development and innovation activities.
Public Financial Instruments.
There are several, such as the ICO lines, Axis Risk Capital and the CDTI itself, with a long and effective track record of support for Spanish industry.
Instruments for the Promotion of Foreign Trade and Investment.
There are several instruments to support exports and investment abroad, such as CESCE, a company dedicated to insuring exports; ICEX, dedicated to promoting Spanish exports and investment abroad; COFIDES, a financial support organisation through loans and capital investments; the Network of Trade Advisors under the State Secretariat for Trade, which are based all over the world; and the Chambers of Commerce, which have a long tradition in Spain.
Industry Support Instruments.
Fundamentally, these are programmes in the form of incentives that are currently distributed among various bodies, such as the State Secretariat for Industry, the State Secretariat for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, and the General Secretariats for Research and Innovation, among others. The availability to Spain in 2021 of the first tranche of European Next Generation EU funds and their implementation in Spain through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) is an opportunity for the relaunch of Spanish industry.
Industry-oriented education and training instruments.
These are mainly the Polytechnic Schools and Vocational Training, both formal and continuing.
Public holdings in strategic companies.
The State holds some stakes in companies considered strategic through the Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales, such as Indra or Airbus, or directly, such as RENFE or AENA.
Participation in major international projects.
Spain's participation in the European Space Agency and Airbus is a benchmark for this type of project.
The Autonomous Communities, with varying degrees of intensity, also support their industrial enterprises with various industrial policy instruments.