The Ministry of Knowledge will announce in September the XIV Alas Awards for the Internationalization of Andalusian Companies

Candidacies can be submitted from September 4 to October 19

The awards organized by Extenda are awarded in the Export Initiation modalities; International Ecommerce; Exporting Company; Foreign Implementation and International Trajectory.

La Ministry of Knowledge, Research and University will call on September 4th the XIV Alas Awards for the Internationalization of the Andalusian Company 2018, to recognize the work of companies in the community's foreign sector that, with their work in the international markets, strengthen the Andalusian economy and contribute to generating wealth and employment.

Companies that want to apply for these awards will have a period from September 4 to October 19 to present their applications. The Wings Awards are granted in five modalities: Initiation to Export; International Ecommerce; Exporting Company; Foreign Implementation and International Trajectory.

Andalucía lives the best moment of its modern history in foreign trade, as the second largest exporting community of Spain. With the last known data, Andalucía has exported as much in the first five months of 2018 as in all of 2009 – only 10 years before –, reaching 14.289 million euros, 3,8% more year-on-year, with a surplus of 819 million euros. Data that reinforces those of 2017, which closed as the best year in history, with 30.913 million, 15,3% more than in 2016, and in which the second consecutive trade surplus of the 10st century was recorded. Figures never before recorded, which are far above national growth and that of the main advanced economies and which confirm the best decade in history, with the export bill having doubled for the first time in less than 114 years, with 2009% more exported between 2017 and XNUMX.

This export invoice is converted to Andalucía each year in wealth, with double the contribution to the regional GDP than a decade ago, to reach 19,2%; in the creation of export companies and in the generation of employment in the foreign sector. In the last year, 1.044 new export companies were added, 229 regular exporters and 38.173 jobs linked to exports, to reach a total of Andalucía of 381.859 jobs, 21.871 exporting companies and 5.040 regular exporters.

With these data, it is more necessary than ever to recognize and set an example before the entire society of the work carried out by companies active abroad and their professionals, true protagonists of the greatest change experienced by society. Andalusian economy so far this century. A work that not only results in the growth of their own business projects, but also serves as an example for the incorporation of new companies to internationalization and the construction of a sustainable development model for the future.

Andalusia is experiencing the best moment in its modern history in foreign trade, as the second largest exporting community in Spain

Five types of prizes

In its 14th edition, the Alas Awards will be awarded in five modalities:

Initiation to Export, for companies that begin their international activity.

Exporting Company, which recognizes firms with consolidated foreign sales that are opening markets.

Implantation abroad, for companies with international investment.

International Ecommerce, for companies that systematically and plannedly use electronic commerce or 'ecommerce' in the development of their foreign activity, with technology as the method and purpose of marketing.

International Career, is divided into two categories, one for companies and the other for institutions or people that have consolidated their presence and recognition in international markets, having also contributed to making Andalusia known to the world.

The Wings Awards They lack financial resources and their organization develops them extend, with the special collaboration of the Territorial Delegations of Knowledge and Employment of the Junta de Andalucía in the eight provinces.

Provincial and regional phases and juries

The development of Wings Awards It consists of a deadline for the presentation and selection of candidatures; election of provincial finalists and election of winners in their different modalities. Juries (provincial and regional), prestigious companies, media and business representatives from all provinces, as well as the Administration itself, actively participate in its development.

The candidatures that are presented to the modalities of 'Initiation into Exporting', 'Exporting Company' and 'Foreign Implementation' They will access a first provincial phase, in which their respective territorial juries will be able to designate a finalist for each province in each of these three modalities.

In a second phase, the main jury, equally participatory and chaired by the Minister of Economy and Knowledge, Lina Gálvez, in her capacity as president of extend, will designate the winners for each modality, choosing among the provincial finalists of the three mentioned categories.

In the case of the category of 'International Ecommerce', the main jury will decide the winner directly among all the applications that have been submitted throughout Andalucía. Furthermore, it is up to this main jury to award the two prizes in the 'International Career' category, choosing from among the candidates proposed by its own members, both for the company category, as well as for the institution or person category.

Bases and registration of candidatures

Starting next September 4, companies that want to participate in the Alas Awards will be able to download the complete rules and the registration bulletin on the Extenda website and on the Extenda blog. Alas Awards of the professional network 2.0 of internationalization. Applications for participation in the first four categories (Initiation into Exporting, Exporting Company, Implantation Abroad and International Ecommerce) may be submitted until October 19.

The Wings Awards They lack financial support, although each edition they gain the prestige granted by the entity of the companies that obtain them. Some of the latest editions have been: Grupo Alvic; Aoife Solutions; Torrent Olives; Premium; Taller; Ghenova Engineering; Alhóndiga La Unión; Seabery Solutions; And & Or; Medina Group; Genera Mobile Solutions; Xtraice; Agro Seville; Antonio Leyva; Acesur; Cunext Cooper; Cosentino; Núñez de Prado; Sierra Nevada Fish Farm; Hydral; Bronpi Heating. Also for two editions, the trajectory, as relevant entities in foreign trade, of the Association of Marble Entrepreneurs of Andalusia (AEMA) and the Andalusian Council of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Andalusia have been recognized.