Business Factory Aero (BFAero), the incubator and accelerator promoted by the Xunta de Galiciathrough the Galician Institute for Economic Promotion (IGAPE) and XesGalicia, has launched its 7th edition. The program promotes innovative services and technologies for the aeronautical, aerospace, and unmanned vehicle sectors, attracting new investments and strengthening Galicia’s business ecosystem.
BFAero’s Differentiating Features
The 7th edition of BFAero includes a series of key aspects that make it a unique accelerator within the aeronautical and aerospace sector. Its specialized focus, available resources, and global market connection set it apart from other similar initiatives, providing entrepreneurs with an ideal environment to develop and consolidate their projects.
Its main differentiating features are:
1. Aeronautical and aerospace vertical offering a tailored environment with mentors, resources, and project synergies.
2. Market-oriented approach, with projects designed to solve real problems in the sector, helping them achieve commercial viability.
3. A broad portfolio of advanced tools and resources that enable agile technological development.
4. Support from an open innovation ecosystem. Collaboration with public and private stakeholders in aerospace and unmanned vehicles fosters synergies between projects and institutions.
5. Support across the entire entrepreneurial cycle. BFAero offers three modalities—incubation, acceleration, and consolidation—covering every stage from ideation to business consolidation.
6. International reach. It receives projects from around the world and supports their internationalization, helping them access global markets.
7. Investment attraction. It brings projects closer to public and private investors who can provide development capabilities, collaboration opportunities, and access to new markets.
What Does the 7th Edition Offer?
BFAero provides participating projects with expert mentors in areas such as aeronautics, UAV regulations, intellectual property, business management, and marketing—transforming startups into innovative, viable, and scalable companies within the aeronautical and aerospace sector.
Participants benefit from a unique ecosystem that includes specialized training, expert advice, networking, investor access, and workspaces at the Pazo de Feiras in Lugo, near the Rozas airfield and the Rozas Aerospace Research Center (CIAR). Financial support is also available through grants, participatory loans, and potential equity investments, ensuring sustainable project growth.
The program also provides personalized, tailored guidance through technical and management tutoring, sector collaborations, visibility in media and social networks, and participation in events organized under the program.
Economic and Industrial Impact of Spain’s Best Accelerator
BFAero, named Spain’s best accelerator for the second consecutive year by the Funcas ranking, has shown strong economic and industrial impact in Galicia. Managed by the CEL Foundation (Iniciativas por Lugo), it has supported 58 projects since its launch in 2018, created 15 new technology companies, facilitated the relocation of 13 companies to Galicia, mobilized more than €9.2 million in investment, and helped generate over 230 qualified jobs. The 6th edition closed with a record 110 initiativessubmitted, 57% of which came from national and international entrepreneurs.
Galicia has established itself as one of Spain’s leading aerospace innovation hubs, with a dynamic ecosystem of more than 55 public and private entities—including anchor companies, universities, research centers, sector companies, and investors—working together to drive technological solutions that address industry and societal challenges.
Recently, the Regional Ministry of Economy and Industry launched the Strategic Initiative in Security, Defense, and Aerospace 2025–2030 in collaboration with the entire sector. Its aim is to strengthen Galicia’s current ecosystem and reinforce its production capabilities in this field. BFAero is aligned with this strategy, serving as a lever for the creation and acceleration of new companies.
Pathways and Financing
The program offers three pathways tailored to the maturity of each project:
Incubation: For early-stage projects without a validated value proposition, lasting up to 12 months.
Acceleration: For projects with a developed Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and initial sales, lasting 8 months.
Consolidation: For companies with defined products or services and real sales, aiming to scale their business, lasting up to 6 months.
In the Incubation phase, startups can access up to €40,000 in non-repayable funding through IGAPE. Acceleration projects may receive up to €60,000 in non-repayable funding from IGAPE, along with a participatory loan of up to €50,000, with the option of equity investment through XesGalicia, the Xunta de Galicia’s investment vehicle.
Consolidation-stage companies can access up to €30,000 in non-repayable funding from IGAPE. Additionally, in the context of a financing round, direct equity investment of up to €250,000 may be considered upon request.
Calendar and Phases
The 7th edition of BFAero follows a structured schedule with several key phases, beginning with the call for applications, open until October 30, 2025. Only applications submitted in accordance with the terms, within the deadline, through the appropriate channel, and with the full questionnaire completed will be considered.
Once the application period closes, the selection phase will begin, during which candidates will be evaluated, and the projects admitted to the program will be chosen.
The selected participants will then enter the onboarding phase, with one month to provide required documentation, sign the necessary agreements, and complete administrative formalities for joining BFAero. Once formalized, they will move on to the incubation, acceleration, and consolidation phases.
The director of the Igape, Covadonga Toca, together with the startups selected in the sixth edition of the Business Factory Aero (BFAero) and the driving companies, held a working meeting in the Cidade da Cultura that allowed to detect needs and open new avenues of collaboration.
In addition, during the meeting, representatives of the companies Airbus, Avincis, Telespazio y la UTE Aertec-Tecnobit that are part of the ecosystem, explained the challenges faced by the sector and the lines of innovation in which they focus their resources, with the aim of studying possible synergies with the startups.
Covadonga Toca presented the services of the Galician Economic Office, an agile and personalized point of contact that offers specialized technical attention, operational support and strategic accompaniment in an environment of proximity and trust, especially useful for highly innovative sectors such as aerospace.
Likewise, the director of Igape explained the main lines of support activated this year by the Institute, highlighting the programs aimed at startups, direct loans for strategic projects, support for digital transformation and new tools to promote the international expansion of Galician companies.
The day concluded with a networking space in which representatives of the startups were able to share their proposals and concerns with Igape managers and companies in the sector.
BFAero’s impact
The BFAero, best accelerator in Spain for the second consecutive year, has demonstrated in these years a strong economic as well as industrial impact in Galicia. Since its launch in 2018, it supported 46 projects, contributing to the creation of 11 new technology companies, mobilizing more than 7.5 million euros in investment, and facilitating the creation of more than 220 skilled jobs. The sixth edition closed the call with a record 110 registered initiatives, 57% of which came from national and international entrepreneurs.
The Startup Arena of the Mindtech Startup Event hosted the final of the innovation contest promoted by ASIME, in collaboration with the Xunta de Galicia, within the framework of the Mindtech industrial fair. In this edition, the Galician startup Kreios Space was recognized as the most disruptive startup of the event. The project, which is part of the accelerator Business Factory Aero (BFAero), was presented by Yago Recarey, Project Manager of the company.
Along with Kreios Space, other companies from the BFAero ecosystem also participated as finalists, Vig-Sec Drone, represented by its CEO, Rubén Gil Fontán, in the same category of “Most Disruptive Startup”, and AGUIA Analítica, with the intervention of Macarena Álvarez, head of business development, in the category of “Digital processes applied to industry”.
On the other hand, during the Mindtech Awards ceremony, also held during the fair, the company Centum, participant of the second edition of the Business Factory Aero, was awarded in the Innovation category. The jury recognized its advanced solutions in the field of engineering and aerospace industry, highlighting especially its disruptive approach, its proprietary methodology and its open innovation model.
Institutional support for innovative entrepreneurship
The director of Igape, Covadonga Toca, participated this morning in the opening of the Mindtech Startup Event, a meeting that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, tractor companies and institutional representatives in the framework of the Mindtech industrial fair in Vigo and in which she highlighted the importance of the connection between industry and entrepreneurship to boost the competitiveness of the Galician economy.
Toca Carús highlighted the collaboration between the Xunta de Galicia, through the Igape, and ASIME, an alliance that has been maintained since 2019 and that resulted in the consolidation of the Mindtech Startup Arena, an exhibition space that hosts accelerators, incubators and startups with high technological content.
The Mindtech Startup Event focuses in this edition on key issues for the growth of new technology companies: early stage financing, project scaling, entrepreneurial ecosystem and the finals of the startup competition in three categories: most disruptive project, innovation in energy and environmental systems, and digital processes applied to industry.
Comprehensive support for Galician startups
In this scenario, stressed Toca Carús, the Xunta reaffirms its commitment to innovative entrepreneurship with a set of support instruments ranging from the earliest stages to international expansion. Among them, the director of the Igape highlighted the line of aid endowed with 1.5 million euros to cover 100% of the costs of Galician startups in their early stages, with contributions of up to 20,000 euros per project.
These measures, he recalled, are complemented by the network of sectoral accelerators Business Factory -BFAuto, BFFood, BFAero, BF Clima Tech-, which this year will have new additions in the areas of health, sport and renewable energy. “This model of comprehensive support makes Galicia a particularly attractive territory for entrepreneurship,” said Toca, who insisted that “entrepreneurship is not only an economic strategy, but also a way to build community and future.”
Metallurgical industry and internationalization
The director of Igape also referred to the good moment of the Galician metallurgical sector, with more than 60,000 jobs in 2024, a growth of 3% and a productive occupation of more than 90%. This sector, she explained, is gaining weight in high-value areas such as defense, aeronautics and offshore wind power, which makes it necessary to strengthen the connection with the education system and attract new talent.
En paralelo, la internacionalización sigue siendo una de las grandes apuestas de la Xunta. En 2024, Galicia consiguió una cifra récord de exportaciones por valor de 31.019 millones de euros, con un crecimiento interanual del 12 % en marzo de 2025. Toca destacó que los productos exportados son de alto valor añadido —automoción, alimentación o biotecnología— y que los destinos se diversifican cada vez más.
The Regional Minister of Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, stated today that the Xunta’s industrial policy will position Galicia at the forefront of Europe in the security and defense sector, a sector that she described as “already a strategic priority at the European level.”
Lorenzana took part in the graduation ceremony of the 5th edition of the Business Factory Aero (BFAero) in Rozas, where she emphasized that the goal of the Galician Government is to continue this “advanced industrial policy that goes hand in hand with business, technology, and the talent we have in Galicia,” she noted.
She highlighted the role of the BFAero accelerator as a “strategic commitment” by the Galician Government to the aeronautical and aerospace sector, positioning Galicia as a leader in accelerating high-impact technological projects.
She recalled that just last May, the Xunta approved the Strategic Initiative for Aerospace, Security, and Defense of Galicia—the first of its kind—for the 2025–2030 period. This initiative will channel €183 million in direct public investment, aiming to mobilize €900 million in Galicia through collaboration with other public and private stakeholders.
During her speech, the Regional Minister again highlighted the importance of the BFAero accelerator, calling it “a strategic commitment” by the regional government to the aeronautical and aerospace sector, which now accounts for more than 1,600 direct jobs in Galicia, with a turnover of €132 million and “immense growth potential,” she said.
According to her, “since 2018, we have supported 46 projects, contributed to the creation of 11 new tech companies, mobilized over €7.5 million in investment, and enabled the development of 39 innovative solutions.” She added, “But the most valuable outcome has been the creation of more than 220 skilled jobs in Galicia, thanks to projects that combine R&D, business vision, and commitment to our region.”
In fact, the Regional Minister noted that BFAero has been named the best advanced accelerator in Spain for the second consecutive year—according to the ranking published by Funcas—which “solidifies Galicia’s position as a reference territory for the acceleration of high-impact technological projects.”
“That’s why we continue to support it, and just a few months ago, we signed the agreement that ensures BFAero’s continuity through 2027, with an additional €7.5 million in funding to support up to 123 new projects,” she emphasized.
Finally, María Jesús Lorenzana highlighted the role of the Rozas Airborne Research Center, “which is not only a symbol of what Galicia and the province of Lugo can offer, but also the epicenter of a strategy that has already attracted large-scale projects and brought visibility to Galician companies that have been able to grow and consolidate,” she said.
Para ofrecer las mejores experiencias, utilizamos tecnologías como las cookies para almacenar y/o acceder a la información del dispositivo. El consentimiento de estas tecnologías nos permitirá procesar datos como el comportamiento de navegación o las identificaciones únicas en este sitio. No consentir o retirar el consentimiento, puede afectar negativamente a ciertas características y funciones.
Funcional
Always active
El almacenamiento o acceso técnico es estrictamente necesario para el propósito legítimo de permitir el uso de un servicio específico explícitamente solicitado por el abonado o usuario, o con el único propósito de llevar a cabo la transmisión de una comunicación a través de una red de comunicaciones electrónicas.
Preferencias
El almacenamiento o acceso técnico es necesario para la finalidad legítima de almacenar preferencias no solicitadas por el abonado o usuario.
Estadísticas
El almacenamiento o acceso técnico que es utilizado exclusivamente con fines estadísticos.El almacenamiento o acceso técnico que se utiliza exclusivamente con fines estadísticos anónimos. Sin un requerimiento, el cumplimiento voluntario por parte de tu proveedor de servicios de Internet, o los registros adicionales de un tercero, la información almacenada o recuperada sólo para este propósito no se puede utilizar para identificarte.
Marketing
El almacenamiento o acceso técnico es necesario para crear perfiles de usuario para enviar publicidad, o para rastrear al usuario en una web o en varias web con fines de marketing similares.
