A few months ago, Cepyme-Aragón held a conference on Internationalization, which was attended by nearly 150 business owners. The First Technical Conference on Business Cooperation featured Miguel Ángel Lucía, Director of International Relations for the Confederation, who explained the characteristics, models, and advantages of transnational cooperation. Juan Carlos Trillo, Director General of Commerce for the Government of Aragón, also participated in the seminar, referring to the Aragón 2003 Coordinated Internationalization Plan.
Last January, this program was presented at the Auditorium and Conference Center in Zaragoza to showcase the numerous plans, entities, and government agencies that organize and advise on foreign trade. Attendees learned the details of programs such as the Eastern European Expansion Plan (PIPE 2000 EXPORTA), as well as financial aid and export insurance loans offered by institutions like the ICO and CESCE to support Aragonese businesses in expanding internationally.
During the event organized by Cepyme, Daniel González, head of the SME Directorate General at the Ministry of Economy, also spoke, showcasing the current instruments supporting international cooperation implemented by the Government. In this regard, the SME Self-Assessment Program stands out. This interactive tool, through a questionnaire covering seven key areas of organizational strategy, generates a report on the company's situation and its potential for expanding internationally and investing in other countries.
The French company Giraud Ibérica arrives in Aragon
The French multinational Giraud Ibérica, specializing in logistics, has decided to expand its presence in Aragon with the opening of a subsidiary in El Burgo de Ebro. However, this is not the first time the company has invested in Zaragoza, as it has already been transporting paper reels for the paper company SAICA for three years.
However, although Spain has become one of its main clients, it also has a significant presence in other countries such as Germany, Great Britain, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Russia, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Luxembourg.
Codorniu in Belver de Cinca
Another company investing in Aragon is Codorniu, which announced last January the opening of a factory in the Huesca town of Belver de Cinca. The new plant will market the Nuviana winery, in which €6,9 million has been invested and which has a planned expansion project for the period 2003-2006.
The Codorniu Group currently has eleven wineries located in La Rioja, Argentina, California, and now, Huesca.
Sixty million euros for business modernization
The SME Consolidation and Competitiveness Plan has already been allocated for the 2003 fiscal year. Last month, the Secretary of State for Energy, Industrial Development and SMEs, José Folgado, and the Director General of SME Policy, Isabel Barreiro, met to distribute the more than 60 million euros among the Autonomous Communities.
The SME Plan aims to modernize the Spanish business sector by providing aid and financing for projects that improve the production, marketing, and management processes of SMEs, incorporating information and communication technologies. The criteria for allocating funds contribute to territorial rebalancing, distributing 60% among the regions within Objective 1 areas.
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