The president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, has announced the approval of the Galician Business Innovation Strategy, which has a budget of over €400 million and is set to run until 2028. The initiative aims to support the productive sector by integrating innovation into companies, which is essential for maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly global and technological landscape.
Under the title 'Galicia, factory of Innovation', this strategy marks the first time the region has a dedicated framework for innovation. It will coordinate and enhance existing support instruments while introducing new measures focused on industrialising innovation. Rueda stated, "This means facilitating the presence of technological ideas and innovations in industry, allowing them to reach the market."
María Jesús Lorenzana, the regional minister for Economy and Industry, emphasised the goal of transforming talent and knowledge into productive capacity, aiming for innovation to lead to local industrialisation and the creation of skilled jobs in Galicia.
The strategy comes in response to a significant growth in Galician business innovation, which has seen an exponential rise in recent years. Rueda highlighted that between 2018 and 2024, business spending on research and development (R&D) increased by 71%, reaching €510.5 million, while the number of employees engaged in these activities grew by 30%, totalling 6,285 individuals.
Four axes to drive innovation
The Galician Business Innovation Strategy is structured around four complementary axes: Activate, Enhance, Structure, and Mobilise, encompassing a total of 14 measures that cover the entire innovation process—from integrating capabilities into companies to developing and marketing technological solutions, fostering collaboration among ecosystem agents, and mobilising investment.
The first axis, Activate Innovation in Companies, has a budget of €47.4 million and aims to make innovation a regular part of businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This will be achieved through initiatives like Innocap Galicia, which supports the integration of qualified professionals into innovation projects, and Innova Mercado, which promotes the commercialisation of startup products.
The second axis, Enhance Innovation, is allocated €231.9 million and will include actions such as TIC-MAQ, aimed at developing proprietary technologies and advanced machinery, and Accelerator Galicia, a new instrument that combines grants and financing with the participation of Igape and Xes Galicia. Additionally, the initiative Industrialise Innovation, with a budget of €66.5 million, will launch next year to facilitate the validation, industrialisation, and market entry of strategic industrial projects.
The third axis, Structure and Connect (€9.4 million), will strengthen collaboration among companies, technological centres, and other ecosystem agents. Key programmes include MatchINN Galicia, which connects business needs with innovative solutions, and Business Wallet Galicia, designed to simplify administrative processes.
The final axis, Mobilise Investment (€113.1 million), aims to ensure that projects have the necessary resources for development. It will introduce tools like XesTransforma, which enhances the readiness of technological projects for investment, and the Venture Studio Fund, which aims to turn innovative ideas into viable initiatives.
The Galician Business Innovation Strategy also features a more personalised and proactive support model from Igape, enabling tailored assistance based on each company's situation, innovation maturity, and growth potential. This approach aims to help companies identify and leverage the most suitable resources at each stage of their development, thereby promoting the creation of innovative solutions in Galicia.
Among the targets set for 2028, Rueda highlighted ambitions to increase the number of innovative companies by 25%, surpass €1.5 billion in business innovation spending, employ over 4,200 individuals in internal innovation activities, and exceed 2,700 beneficiaries of public support instruments.
