The Regional Minister of Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, highlighted the role of startups as a viable, innovative, and promising model for Galicia, and underscored the Xunta’s commitment to strengthening its support from all institutional levels.
Lorenzana visited the facilities of Vig-Sec Drone in Nigrán, a startup specializing in drone operational services, training for pilots requiring special skills, and developing software for managing operations supporting security and emergencies. During the visit, she emphasized that the Galician government is working closely with the private sector to realize projects that will transform Galician industry.
Vig-Sec Drone joined Business Factory Aero in 2023 to promote the Suit ACRE (Emergency Restricted Control Area) Suit through the acceleration program. This is an airspace management software that enables the simultaneous use of manned and unmanned aircraft in emergencies such as fires, natural disasters, or military interventions.
The company is currently participating in the sixth edition of BFAero, as part of its consolidation program.
The Regional Minister of Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, announced during the conference ‘Galicia’s strategic dialogue with the aerospace, security and defence sectors’, the Xunta’s intention to carry out the first call for proposals by the end of 2025, which will define which companies and technology centres will work together to promote this industry, as well as the investment programmes to be implemented over the next five years.
Lorenzana closed a meeting with companies and entities linked to these sectors, to whom he presented the strategy approved by the Xunta to open a process of strategic dialogue, with the aim of finding out first-hand the real needs in the short, medium and long term in order to adapt the support and investment instruments and thus obtain the best results to promote a security and defence industry in the Community that also includes the aerospace sector.
Industrial potential
The Regional Minister pointed out that the aim is to mobilise all of Galicia’s industrial and technological potential in the field of defence and dual application technologies and to generate a significant demand for products, systems and services, in line with the priorities set by Europe. ‘What the European Commission is asking of governments and administrations is that we work to generate a strong industrial base around the defence sector, which must be considered not as a productive expense but as a strategic investment,’ she said.
In this regard, he stressed that previous analyses carried out for the development of this strategy concluded that Galicia has a high capacity for the manufacture of 75% of the types of components and services required, ‘which gives an idea of the opportunities that our companies will have’, she said.
183M€ in five years
To this end, he specified that 183 million euros will be allocated over the next five years with the forecast of mobilising up to 900 million euros, and with the aim of attracting companies from other strategic areas such as the naval, automotive, metal or ICT to these segments of activity and to materialise new industrial investments.
In terms of financing, a Dual Technologies Investment Fund will be activated in XesGalicia (€40m) to support projects and, within the Igape’s Economic Office, a specific area of business advice will be created.
Lorenzana concluded by encouraging companies and knowledge centres to actively participate. ‘We believe that Galicia is really well positioned to be a target for attracting investment in this sector,’ he stressed.
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 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.
