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CASTILLA Y LEON
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GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY
Castile and Leon, historically the nucleus around which the modern Spanish state has been formed, is the largest region in Spain (94 193 square kilometres), occupying most of the central Meseta (over 98% of its area is at an altitude of over 600 m) and bounded to the west by Portugal. Its population is 2.487.646 inhabitants, with a density per square kilometre of 26, 65 inhabitants. The region is formed by nine province: Leon, Burgos, Salamanca, Palencia, Soria, Valladolid, Zamora, Segovia and Avila. |
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INFRASTRUCTURE
The region is easily accessible from Madrid and there are satisfactory connections with the Basque country and Galicia, but links with Portugal, Cantabria are more difficult. The motorway network has been increasing importantly (+124%) during the 1990's and in 2001, its length was 1 212 kilometres. The region has also railroads and airports, the most important of which is the Valladolid one that links the region with important cities in Europa. |
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ECONOMY
Agriculture remains a key sector in the production structure. Most of the cultivated area is devoted to cereals, especially barley, although maize and sunflowers are becoming more and more important. Wine production is also very widespread. The region's industry is highly concentrated, the main centres being located at Valladolid, Leon, Burgos. In the services sector, the main activities are in the distributive trades, administration, tourism and the financial sector. The region GDP is around 6% of the national one, with a per capita GDP of 15,8 (K EUR). |
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LABOUR MARKET
The employment rate reaches 44,1% (the male one is 58%, while the female one is 30%), with a current unemployment rate reaching 10,4%. The sectoral employment distribution is as follow: 59,9% in services, 12,28% in construction, 18,63% in other industry, 9,175 in agriculture. |
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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The total research and development spending in the region is 0,8% of its GDP, divided into public sector (0,37%), government (0,05%), university (0,31%) and private sector (0,42%). |
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DATA RELATED TO REGIONAL STRUCTURAL FUNDS MECHANISMS
The region belongs, referring to the period 2000-2006, to EU objective 1. |
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REGIONAL PROGRAMME OF INNOVATIVE ACTIONS (RPIA)
For the reference period 2000-2006, there was the Programme: “Knowledge-based regional economies and technological innovation” (total cost 4.230.000 euros). It aimed to stimulate demand for innovation, to create pole of excellence of digital contents, technology, to improve the capacity to define policies, and to create technical assistance. This Programme had four main actions:
- To consolidate and generalise the networks of co-operation resulting from
the previous Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS+) pilot project, and to extend
business innovation support services throughout the region - This action field
includes the internationalisation of research and development activities as well as
the extension and application of the innovation policy at small and medium-sized
enterprises in less innovative sectors and/or less dynamic zones to the three less
favoured provinces in Castilla y León.
- To create a critical mass of local innovation players to be linked into a
network- Funding is available for the consolidation of 2 innovation public-private
networks (INNORED and INTENEC).
- To promote the active participation and co-operation of the players
involved in the regional innovation system, as a mechanism for achieving a
system of excellence.
- To use the existing potential to articulate an 'excellence' technological pole
facilitating the development of innovative economic activities in leisure,
knowledge and culture.
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