The Economic Development Agency of La Rioja (ADER) is a public entity governed by private law, to which the powers of the Government of La Rioja have been delegated regarding economic promotion. Its high degree of autonomy in decision-making allows for the comprehensive execution of the necessary procedures related to business activities.
– The Economic Development Agency of La Rioja was created as an initiative of the Regional Government, what role does it play within the Community and what relationship does it have with the Executive?
ADER was established four years ago as a public entity governed by private law, to which the Government delegated its economic development responsibilities. Located within the Ministry of Finance and Economy, it nevertheless enjoys a high degree of autonomy and flexibility in its decision-making to fulfill its objective: to respond to the business needs of La Rioja. It is worth noting that it is the only entity, not only nationally but also in Europe, that assumes such a broad range of responsibilities. The Development Agency is characterized by its comprehensive and executive nature. It is comprehensive because, from the outset, we observed that when a company with a specific problem, such as an investment project, approached us seeking aid or collaboration, it found that we only provided a partial response. Other actions related to, for example, industry or the environment, were referred to the competent body in those areas. It is precisely for this reason that the decision was made to integrate all economic development responsibilities within ADER. In this way, the Governing Council brings together all the bodies that are indirectly related to economic promotion, so we find the Ministry of Finance and Economy; Ministry of Agriculture; Directorate of Environment; Directorate of Urban Planning; Directorate of Education; Secretariat of External Institutional Relations… The solutions that are proposed now are therefore comprehensive and committed from all areas of the Administration.
Regarding the executive nature, it also refers to the fact that the responses are immediate, without the need to refer the decisions adopted to other bodies, called horizontal, such as intervention, legal advice and treasury.
– ADER offers many and varied services to businesses: a business directory, special employment centers, employment assistance, training, innovation, promotion, etc. What are the priority projects at the moment?
In our early days, the Development Agency was characterized by offering support to businesses, thus becoming "partners" with these organizations. However, at ADER we wanted to go further, and in addition to being partners—not in terms of equity, of course—with companies, we decided to participate more actively and share risks with them. To this end, we designed a promotional policy based on what we call Competitive Programs. These programs focus on innovation, R&D, quality, design, the environment, and internationalization; in short, all those elements that guarantee the competitiveness of companies and that are often intangible. Because it is precisely here that the government plays a fundamental role.
The results obtained confirm that this policy of supporting the business network is satisfactory, so that La Rioja has positioned itself as the first Autonomous Community per capita in R&D investments as well as in ISO 9000 and 14000 Certifications.
From now on, our work will focus on offering value-added services. In this regard, we can mention the recent approval of the First Internationalization Plan for La Rioja, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and ICEX, through its regional office; the establishment of a Design Center; and programs to integrate R&D into companies, including the creation of an Innovation and Technology Transfer Center…
At ADER we also have expertise in training and employment with programs that allow companies to improve their competitiveness.
– What is the CENEO Program?
Innovation must be approached from a holistic perspective; that is, it involves creating the necessary tools so that businesses have a clear framework in which to innovate. In La Rioja, we have the R&D&I Plan with several lines of action. Among these programs is the Ceneo Network, a European-level network that facilitates technology transfer between companies. This means enabling the purchase or sale of technology or participation in joint technology projects.
ADER also launched another European project called INNOTENDER, which aimed to create technology-based companies, establishing the necessary mechanisms so that research projects that often remain mere theoretical proposals could materialize and develop at the company level.
Other programs focus on integrating R&D into companies. To this end, we support, among other things, the hiring of heads of innovation and development departments. We also have access to funding through programs of the Ministry of Science and Technology. And right now, we are immersed in a project that completes the entire cycle: the creation of an Innovation and Technology Transfer Center. This European-funded project will connect companies with international technology centers to address their technological needs. It will include a Patent and Trademark Service, a Center for New Technological Initiatives, and a business incubator to ensure the success of new businesses during their early years.
Another very important project is the creation in La Rioja of the National Center for New Technologies, the second in Spain, since until now there was only the one in Madrid, and in which large companies such as Telefónica, Repsol, Gas Natural, Siemens, Indra will be able to participate… although the capital will be mostly public.
As you can see, the Development Agency assumes a significant range of responsibilities, which includes many other actions that we can discuss on another occasion.
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