- He notes that Unirisco’s work shows that investing in science is not only necessary but also profitable
- He highlights the forthcoming expansion of the network of business accelerators, which next year will add two new ones focused on health and wellbeing, and on renewable energies
- In 2026, the Xunta will allocate more than 47 million euros to business innovation.
Santiago de Compostela, 13 November 2025
The President of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, accompanied by the Regional Minister for Economy and Industry, Mª Jesús Lorenzana, today underlined the importance of investing in R&D&I—Galician research, development and innovation—and supporting innovative business initiatives to create new employment opportunities in the region.
In his address at the event marking the 25th anniversary of Unirisco, Rueda praised the pioneering spirit and the “vision and courage” of this organisation in embracing venture capital within the university sphere, demonstrating that investing in science and knowledge is not only necessary but also “profitable”.
The head of the Government stressed that Galicia is “on the right path” and pointed to the importance of helping to turn “an initial idea into a successful company”, relying on local talent, supporting it with resources and working with planning.
To this end, the Xunta has multiple ongoing support schemes, R&D&I plans, programmes and well-established tools. Among these, the President highlighted the Galicia Economic Office—which since its creation has handled more than 30,000 queries, 84% of them resolved on the spot—to “make things easier for those who wish to start a business”, as well as the network of Galician accelerators, through which more than 250 new companies have been created or financed and over 440 firms have received support, generating more than 1,400 skilled jobs.
In this regard, Rueda announced the future expansion of the network, which next year will include two new accelerators: one specialising in health and wellbeing, and the other in renewable energies.
With regard to business innovation, the head of the Galician Government emphasised that in 2026 the Xunta will allocate more than 47 million euros to initiatives such as “helping companies attract and bring back talent from abroad”.
Education and science
Galicia has climbed nine places in the European ranking of innovative regions, becoming the second Spanish region to show the greatest improvement.
Among the measures in support of education and science, the Xunta has been backing Unirisco’s organisation of the “Investing in Science Is Possible” conferences—a bridge between talent and business reality—which in recent editions have gathered more than 400 attendees, including researchers, investors, universities and technology centres.
