- The Council of the Xunta has approved the Galician Government’s new roadmap for the aerospace sector, which, according to the President, represents an opportunity “for industries already consolidated in Galicia to diversify and strengthen their activity.”
- Boosting business growth, securing industrial investments in Galicia, strengthening the region’s production capacities and leading Spain’s new industrial policies in this field are among the key goals of the forthcoming strategy
- The initiative, with a budget of €183 million, will be based on three major investment programmes and 21 specific actions to be implemented over the next five years, taking advantage of Galicia’s remarkable capacity to produce 75% of the component types and services required by the sector
- This new tool commits the Galician Government to firm and long‑term support for industry, enabling it to develop technology, manufacture and market high‑value products and services, while harnessing its current strong position
Lugo, 12 May 2025
The President of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, announced that the first Galician Strategy for Aerospace, Security and Defence, approved today by the Council of the Xunta, will mobilise around €900 million by 2030 through public‑private collaboration and will allow “the creation or substantial transformation” of around one hundred companies.
As the President reminded, “over the coming years, security and defence needs will increase,” making this sector “a way for consolidated industries in Galicia — such as shipbuilding, automotive, logistics and metal — to diversify their activity.”
The Strategic Initiative approved today will be supported through the development of three major investment programmes and 21 specific actions, with a contribution from the Xunta amounting to €183 million.
This decision, addressed at the weekly meeting of the Galician Government, was based on a proposal from the Ministry of Economy and Industry to extend its industrial policy by launching a new and transformative Strategic Initiative for the 2025–2030 period. This ambitious roadmap is focused on business growth, attracting new industrial investment and creating highly skilled jobs within Galicia’s aerospace sector.
The strategy aims to transform the aerospace sector that the Xunta has been promoting since 2015, following the establishment of the Civil UAV project, and — as the Minister for Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana, stated — “represents an extraordinary opportunity to generate new economic activity and quality employment.”
In doing so, the Xunta takes a major step forward, pledging firm, stable and long‑term support so that the productive fabric of this and related industries can develop technology, manufacture and market high‑value products and services in Galicia, capitalising on the region’s existing capacities to produce 75% of the component types and services the sector requires.
Furthermore, the new initiative aligns with EU policies and plans, integrating Galicia into the growing opportunities offered by the defence and security sectors within the current geopolitical context, while reinforcing the region’s standing nationally and internationally.
Five objectives and three investment programmes
The new strategy sets out five main objectives for the next five years. The first is to boost the creation of new businesses and the growth of existing ones in aerospace, security and defence. Currently, Galicia has 115 operational centres dedicated to the sector, but this number could rise, with some 150 companies showing potential to join the industry.
The second objective seeks to encourage diversification among industries operating in this field, promoting cross‑sectoral transitions, while the third focuses on attracting new industrial investments that translate into production sites in Galicia.
The fourth objective is to strengthen Galicia’s territorial production capabilities through improved access to finance, infrastructure and skilled workers. The fifth aims to establish leadership in new national industrial policies, consolidating the Xunta’s role as an entrepreneurial government and an example of successful public‑private partnership — a key driver of economic growth and quality employment.
In addition, three investment programmes are set: the Ecosystem Programme, the Business Incorporation and Consolidation Programme, and a Dual Investment Programme.
The Ecosystem Programme seeks to build partnerships with strategic and technological partners through “Association Agreements” that promote joint growth of defence and non‑defence companies across their value chains. This mechanism was first established a decade ago under the previous Strategic Initiative (with current contracts involving Telespazio, Avincis, Airbus and the Aertec‑Tecnobit consortium) to foster public‑private collaboration in Galicia’s aerospace sector.
Under the new Strategic Initiative, four new agreements will be pursued with strategic partners and technology leaders capable of driving investment and innovation across Galicia’s ecosystem. This programme will also promote the creation of consortia — five are expected — to enable participation in major projects, with specific support either through the Economic Office of Igape or dedicated funding schemes. This first programme is endowed with €84 million.
The second pillar aims to seize opportunities in aerospace, security and defence by supporting new companies and consolidating existing ones, while allowing firms from other sectors to enter this field. With a budget of €34 million, it will provide financial backing for innovation, certification processes and other essential activities for industrial transformation, complemented by specialised advisory services delivered through a newly created unit in Igape’s Economic Office.
Finally, the Dual Investment Programme, endowed with €65 million, will include the creation of a dual‑technology investment fund for companies based in Galicia. This fund, with €40 million in resources and expected to attract comparable private investment, will focus on supporting the growth of Galician companies while preventing relocation or early‑stage sales of their technologies. It will also promote the acquisition of innovative solutions that enhance security, efficiency and effectiveness in the public services of the Xunta. The programme will be complemented by additional measures such as investment attraction, industrial land availability, innovation grants and other forms of support.
The Xunta de Galicia will soon launch a strategic dialogue with aerospace, security and defence industries to identify their needs and investment plans in the short, medium and long term — marking the starting point for the implementation of this new initiative.
