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CANTABRIA
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GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY
Cantabria is a Region located in northern Spain covering an area of 5,400 km2. Neighbouring regions are Asturias to the west, the Basque Country to the east and Castilla-Leon to the south. The Cantabrian Sea defines the limit to the north. The region has a population of approximately 575.000 inhabitants, with greater demographic concentration and economic activity in the region’s coastal area. The city of Santander, the regional capital, is home to about 1/3 of the total population.
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INFRASTRUCTURES
Road infrastructures are structured on two axes, one running from east to west along the coast which gives direct, uninterrupted motorway access to the rest of Europe; and the other from north to south connecting up with other Spanish cities. Concerning railway communications, Cantabria has a main line to the south, connecting the region with the rest of Spain, and another main line running from east to west, which quickly joins up with high-speed European networks. This network will be extended in the near future in order to include a High-Speed Railway Network (AVE) that will improve communication with other important Spanish cities.
The port of Santander, with a great potential for natural growth, offers its clients a wide and competitive range of infrastructures and services (more than 5,000 m2 of docks, over 500.000 m2 of warehousing facilities, special terminals for bulk cargo, solid and liquid, ro-ro, etc). Santander airport has regular connections to other Spanish cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia, Tenerife) and to other European cities as well (London, Rome, Dublin, Frankfurt, Milan). |
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ECONOMY
Over the last years Cantabria has experienced remarkable economic growth, exceeding the averages for Spain and the EU-15. As a result the region left behind the objective 1 status to become an objective 2 status and is now a “competitiveness and employment region”. The regional GDP reached 13.400 million euros in 2007, with a GDP per capita of 23.400 euros. The regional GDP is distributed among primary sector (2,87%), construction (12,63%), industry (16,70%), energy (2,05%) and services (55,36%). The distribution of the workforce shows a similar pattern. The industrial manufacturing sectors represented in the regional economy are automotive components, metalworking, chemicals, energy, cement and building materials, plastics, tobacco, food and fish processing. The business community is dominated by small and medium sized enterprises (SME), although there are some larger companies employing more than 500 people. The University of Cantabria, the Science and Technology Park, the Technology Centres, the Biotech and Hydrologic Institutes and the deep concern of the Regional Government towards R+D+I are creating a suitable environment to give Cantabria a place in the knowledge economy.
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LABOUR MARKET
Since 1999 Cantabria has had an overall positive labour market performance creating over 80.000 new jobs as activity and employment rates have risen significantly and unemployment rates have fallen from over 16 to 8%. The region has one of the lowest labour costs per effective hour in Spain and also has a positive industrial relations climate thanks to the Social Pact signed between the Regional Government, the Association of Employers and the Trade Unions. Cantabria is also above the Spanish average in terms of the share of the work force which has either university or secondary education qualifications. Concerning quality of labour, long – term contracts have increased in the same period: In 2000 only 5% of new contracts were long term contracts, opposed to 11% in 2007. Unfortunately and as a result of the current global crisis and economic recession the reality of the labour market today is not as good as described herein.
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DATA RELATED TO REGIONAL STRUCTURAL FUNDS MECHANISMS
The current ERDF Operational Programme (2007-2013) is structured in three major axes:
A. KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, INNOVATION AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
A.1) Research, technology development and innovation
RTDI activities in research centres
RTDI infrastructures
Technology transfers and support for RTDI in the private sector
RTDI investments in business sector
Advanced services for SMEs
A.2) Internationalization of SMEs
Export promotion and support for investments in foreign markets
A.3) Information society
Services and applications for SMEs and citizens
B. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Quality of water resources
Waste management
C.SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
All these strategies and actions are implemented through a number of initiatives and programmes whose responsibility is shared by the different actors of the Regional Innovation System. The first axe receives approximately 80% of the total budget. The EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND (ESF) is co-financing some regional initiatives on employment, training and welfare, while the EAGF focuses on re-conversion of agricultural activities.
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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The Regional Government of Cantabria assumed that the future of the region demanded a clear cooperation in the field of RTDI among the economic sectors, university, social agents and politicians.
This is why the Cantabria Government launched the I RTDI Regional Plan (2006-2010) as a joint and coordinated action of all the Regional Ministries and intended to be the tool to integrate and support all the initiatives guided to give Cantabria a place in the knowledge economy.
Strategic objectives of the Plan are:
Regional dimension: clear bet of the government for Science and technology as the key elements for a sustainable development in Cantabria
Integration and participation of all actors in the regional innovation system
Special support to those scientific and technological areas with a major role to be played by Cantabria in the future (setting up priorities)
Increasing private and public human capital in RTDI activities
Improving the quality of the scientific research carried out in the region
Fostering the implication of the private sector
Promoting a culture of entrepreneurship and hence the creation of new technology based enterprises This strategy is implemented
This strategy is implemented through a number of programmes/actions addressing the different issues: Human resources, Equipment and infrastructures, Mobilization and cooperation, scientific research, Modernization of the business sector, Creation of new technology based companies and diffusion of a scientific, technological and innovative spirit.
Below is a description of the major players in the Cantabria Regional Innovation System:
University of Cantabria: established in 1972, it is a reference in the fields of teaching and research. Its budget for 2007 exceeded EUR 100 million and it is among the first Spanish universities in terms of R&D.
Institute for Training & Research (IFIMAV): It was set up in 2002 to specialize in training and research in biomedicine and it integrates the health institutions of Cantabria.
IFIMAV combines clinic research, basic research, biotechnology, etc.
GRUPO SODERCAN (Regional Development Group): It is the key player in the coordination of the research and innovation system. It provides technical, financial and economic support for RTDI projects in the industry through a wide range of programmes and specialized services. It is also entrusted with promoting and executing the RTDI Regional Plan, as well as to promote the Information Society and the e-Administration.
Science and Technology Park (PCTCAN): Creating a high quality science and technology environment capable of attracting and/or developing technology-based companies and institutions, facilitating the transfer of knowledge from university and research centres to the business community and facilitating the cooperation between players.
Cantabria Technology Centre (CTC): The Centre specializes in structural design, systems engineering, applied research in chemistry and materials and finally in the improvement of industrial processes. Technology assessment and technology watch would complete the services rendered by CTC.
Others: Research Institutes (biotech, hydraulic, etc) and the regional Chamber of Commerce, with its unit for the transfer of technology between companies, are other relevant actors of the Regional Innovation System.
As for the RTDI indicators, in 2006 Cantabria was reported as one of the three Spanish regions with the highest increase in RTDI activities.
According to INE data (Spanish Institute for Statistics) the regional GERD (expenditure in R&D as a percentage of the GDP) has moved from 0,45% in 2005 to 0,89% in 2007.
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REGIONAL PROGRAMME OF INNOVATIVE ACTIONS (RPIA)
Two major milestones in innovation policy in Cantabria were the development of the RIS-Regional Innovation Strategy in 1999-2001 and the I Regional Programme of Innovative Actions (2002-2004), named IMPULSO. These two initiatives helped identified the innovation barriers in the region and the actions to address those problems. By the end of 2005 the European Commission approved the II Regional Programme for Innovative Actions submitted by Cantabria, with a budget of 3,12 million euros.
This II RPIA was named ESTER. This new RPIA involved two pilot experiences in two strategic sectors: Magnesium casting technology for the automotive ancillary industry and biotechnology applied to the food processing and environmental industries. Both sectors have benchmark infrastructures in Cantabria.
The Programme was completed by other actions aimed at supporting innovation and new developments in regional companies, promoting interregional cooperation at EU level and providing experience for new innovation support policies. ESTER finished on December 31st, 2008.
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