The Andalusian defense and space industry will have excellent opportunities in the new European Framework

Opportunities of the new common security and defense policies

An Andalusian delegation has brought to the European Commission and the European Defense Agency the challenges identified by Andalusian companies for the promotion of the European Defense Industry.

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The results of the working groups of the Andalusia Industrial Strategy related to the dual industries, defense and space, together with the long history of collaboration with the European Commission and European Defense Agency in the annual organization since 2015 of International symposiums on dual technologies has made it possible for the Junta de Andalucía have knowledge of the relevant Andalusian capabilities in the defense industry, the current policies and those that are being designed for the 2021-2027 framework, and the needs of this sector in Andalucía to fully participate in the important European commitment to strengthen common security and defense, and protect and develop the industrial autonomy derived from it.      

  

On October 9 and 10, an Andalusian delegation from the Ministry of Employment, Business and Trade, headed by the Director General of Industry, Energy and Mines, Natalia González , and the Director General of the Innovation and Development Agency of Andalusia (IDEA), Julio Coca , held a series of high-level meetings with representatives of DG GROW , the European Commission 's Directorate General responsible for EU policy on the single market, industry, entrepreneurship and small businesses, and with the European Defence Agency, responsible for supporting European defence cooperation projects and serving as a forum for European defence ministers.

 

defense industry

 

In the meeting with DG Grow , specifically with the Defence Unit led by Sylvia Kainz-Huber , who is also responsible for space policy, the significant opportunities that the European Defence Fund , endowed in the Common Financial Framework proposal with 13.000 billion euros to finance R&D and the acquisition of capabilities, can represent for the participation of SMEs were highlighted, as well as the interesting capacity of the IDEA Agency to support Andalusian companies through its advanced services and by taking advantage of the synergies with the funds it manages, such as the ERDF Andalusia Operational Programme of which it is an Intermediate Body.

 

Furthermore, the Andalusian delegation highlighted the importance that Andalusian companies are placing on the training of their professionals as a fundamental necessity for remaining competitive in such a globalized market subject to technological change. In this regard, the European Commission expressed its strong interest in collaborating with Andalusia , which already actively participates in the European Defence Capabilities Partnership , and in exploring the Erasmus+ framework for a project in this area.

 

Space industry in Andalusia

 

Another key point of the program for the Andalusian delegation was the positioning of Andalusia 's space industry . In this context, the sector's strengths were highlighted, including a significant, specialized, and highly internationalized business concentration, as well as the advanced infrastructure available in Andalusia for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and high-altitude platforms or pseudo-satellites (HAPs), such as CATEC , the ATLAS stratoport in Villacarrillo (Jaén) , and the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Huelva.

 

 

The Andalusian delegation highlighted the importance that Andalusian companies are giving to the training of their professionals as a basic need to be competitive in a market that is so globalized and subject to technological change.

 

 

 

In this regard, the European Commission responded with great interest, as the space sector is a key focus in the next framework, with €16.000 billion allocated for the 2021-2027 period. Preparatory work is currently underway to maximize the industrial potential of this sector, including capabilities mapping and the promotion of international cooperation structures, in which Andalusia has been invited to actively participate.

 

On October 10, the Andalusian delegation was received by the Director General of the European Defence Agency (EDA), Jorge Domecq, who is also from Andalusia . The EDA is responsible for supporting European defence cooperation projects and serves as a forum for European defence ministers. It is responsible for harmonizing the requirements for achieving operational capabilities among European defence ministries, as well as for research and innovation in the development of technological demonstrators. The EDA also works to strengthen the European defence industry and acts as a facilitator and intermediary between military stakeholders in Member States and EU policies that impact defence.

 

Equal conditions in the European market

 

Domecq , through its Andalusian representatives, learned about the challenges and needs of Andalusia's industrial base in order to actively participate in the initiatives outlined in the European Defence Fund and the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and to compete on equal footing in the future European defense market and the new investment cycle. For Andalusian companies, it is essential to develop a local supply chain and reduce their dependence on traditional powerhouses by diversifying and collaborating with other national and international companies and knowledge centers.

 

The Director General of the EDA endorsed the significant opportunity opening up for the European defense industry and, especially, for Andalusian capabilities. He encouraged the delegation to explore and make the most of all aspects of the ongoing programming process to position Andalusian companies.

 

During the meeting, the importance of collaboration between the IDEA Agency and the EDA from 2021 onwards was assessed , as well as the synergies between the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Defence Fund (EDF) , and the continuation of annual international activities on dual-use technologies in collaboration with the EDA and the Ministry of Defence.