Public funding for Spanish industry targets innovation, sustainability and growth

Financing the European Industrial Renaissance: Spanish industry’s renewal

Since 2021, Spain has actively promoted the development of its national industry, guided by the principles outlined in the State Pact for Industry. This strategic framework sets a robust foundation for industrial reactivation, emphasising sustainability, digitalisation, innovation, human capital, business growth, financing, and energy efficiency.

Spain's industrial development strategy is built on three interconnected funding mechanisms: 

1. National support via the Fund to Support Productive Industrial Investment
2. Targeted European funding through the Strategic Projects for Recovery and Economic Transformation (PERTEs)
3. Broader assistance from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), which focus on research, energy efficiency, and skills development. 

Together, these initiatives form a comprehensive support system to boost industrial transformation and sustainability.

Prioritising industrial manufacturing investments

Consolidating key national value chains through strategic projects

A new industrial law, expected to start its parliamentary journey in January 2025, seeks to attract large-scale projects and streamline re-industrialisation processes, supported by significant financial and regulatory mechanisms. Along these lines, there is a push for Strategic Projects for Recovery and Economic Transformation - known as PERTEs - to become a permanent element of the national funding system, benefiting as many strategic industrial sectors as possible.

How will companies benefit?

The recognition of an industrial project as a strategic project will facilitate:

• Personalised mentoring and support during the processing of the project at the three administrative levels (national, regional and local)
  
• Access to public funding and synergies with other specific support programmes, as well as the granting of non-competitive aid
  
• Priority processing, reduction of processing times and declaration of their public works as being of general interest, as well as priority processing of patent and trademark applications
  
• Greater capacities for access and connection to electricity infrastructures, as well as in declarations of public utility and social interest, expropriation, prevalence over public utilities, and easements for transmission lines.
  

Who benefits: prioritised value chains

Through the current set of PERTEs aimed at the industrial sector, more than €8.6 billion have been committed so far of the almost €28 billion (in grants and loans) available between 2021 and 2026. Based on official data from October 2024, the most prominent PERTE funding for the industrial sector are:

Adding EU funding to the investment offer

In addition to PERTEs, which combine recovery funds and the national budget, additional funding sources will be accessible at both national and regional levels until 2030 through the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). These funds provide support for industries to undertake initiatives such as:

• Research and innovation activities in large enterprises: €708.9 million
• Contributing to green skills and jobs and the green economy: €697 million
• Supporting skills for smart specialisation and industrial transition: €256.7 million
• Energy efficiency in enterprises - deep renovation: €372.7 million
• Low carbon research and innovation processes, tech-transfer and cooperation: €171.8 million

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