- The director of Igape, Covadonga Toca, participated today in the Innovation in Industry Day held at the Casa das Máquinas in Santiago, as part of the eleventh edition of Maker Faire Galicia
- She highlights the consolidation of Galicia as one of the most innovative regions in Spain, with 388 technological and innovative companies and a growth of 26% compared to the previous year
- She values a Galician innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that combines talent, sustainability and digitalisation, supported by the network of accelerators and the Economic Office of Galicia
Santiago de Compostela, 31 October 2025
The director of Igape, Covadonga Toca, took part today in the Innovation in Industry Day, held at the Casa das Máquinas in Santiago as part of the eleventh edition of Maker Faire Galicia, an event that has established itself as the most important maker fair in southern Europe. At the event, Toca emphasised the role of innovation, creativity and technology as “the best tools to advance towards a more competitive, sustainable industry committed to people.”
The director highlighted that Galicia is making steady progress in innovation, rising in position on the 2025 Regional Innovation Scoreboard of the European Commission, with a 16.7% improvement in its performance since 2020, above the Spanish and European averages. She stressed that this progress is the result of collective effort among administrations, universities and companies, which are placing innovation at the heart of Galicia’s economic development.
She also highlighted the strong push for innovative entrepreneurship, with an increasingly solid and dynamic ecosystem. Galicia already has 388 technological and innovative companies, 26% more than the previous year, of which 229 are startups. These companies generate skilled employment and investment, demonstrating that Galicia has the talent, collaboration and capacity to turn ideas into solutions with real impact.
In this context, Toca Carús recalled that the Ministry of Economy and Industry, through Igape, supports this effort with specific programmes such as the sectoral accelerators BFAuto, BFAero, BFFood, BFClimaTech and BFSport, joined by ViaGalicia – in collaboration with the Vigo Free Trade Zone – and new accelerators in health and renewable energies to be launched before the end of the year.
Additionally, Igape recently launched a new call for aid to support the initial expenses of innovative projects, while the Economic Office of Galicia offers support and guidance to entrepreneurs and companies. “We have a solid and coordinated model that supports projects from the idea to internationalisation,” she said.
Artificial intelligence, the engine of the new industry
The director of Igape highlighted the role of artificial intelligence as the engine of the new industry, a technology that is already a reality capable of redefining processes and creating new opportunities. According to the Cotec Foundation, the use of AI in companies has grown significantly, also improving their productivity levels. Toca emphasised that Galicia is prepared to take advantage of this opportunity, thanks to the work of technological centres, universities and an increasingly digital and competitive business fabric, and highlighted that the community has the talent and resources necessary to lead a smarter, sustainable and human industry.
