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The Asociación de Parques Científicos y Tecnológicos de España (APTE) has presented at its second annual General Assembly held in Avilés (Asturias), the activity statistics of the companies and entities of its 51 members scientific and technological parks, highlighting a growth in all indicators compared to the previous year, and has announced the new members of its Executive Committee and its new delegated commissions
One of the highlights of 2023 was the considerable increase in the turnover of the companies and entities in the parks, which rose to 28,917 million euros, 15% more than in 2022. There has also been a notable investment in Research and Development (R&D), reaching 1,701 million euros, an 11% more compared to the previous year, reflecting robust economic activity.
In 2023, the number of companies and entities located in APTE’s scientific and technological parks reached 5,908, marking a growth of 2% over the previous year, and showing an indicative of the attraction and retention of innovative entities within these ecosystems.
Employment also reflects a positive trend, with a total of 161,435 people working in the parks, increasing by 7% compared to the previous year. Within employment, the number of people engaged in R&D tasks was 38,656, representing a growth of 13% compared to 2022. These data show not only the increase in the number of jobs, but also a greater concentration of talent specialised in innovation and technological development.
Another relevant fact is the increase in the number of companies run by women, which reached 803, representing 17% of the total number of companies in the parks, according to data provided by 43 of them. In addition, 1,159 companies have equality plans, representing 22% of the total, according to data from 37 parks.
Sectoral diversity is another strength of the scientific and technological parks. The information, computing and telecommunications sectors account for 25% of activity, followed by engineering, consultancy and advisory services with 18%, and medicine and health with 9%.
These figures reflect the dynamism and importance of scientific and technological parks in Spain’s business and innovation fabric, acting as a catalyst for innovation and contributing to the country’s economic and social development.
Executive Committee and delegated commissions
APTE has also taken the opportunity to announce the new members of its Executive Committee and the new delegated commissions of the association.
The Executive Committee will be made up of 14 members from 9 autonomous communities:
- Felipe Romera Lubias (Málaga TechPark): president.
- Itziar Epalza Urkiaga (Parque Tecnológico de Euskadi): first vice-president.
- Sonia Verde Martínez (Parque Tecnológico de Asturias): treasurer.
- Amaya Ascensión Bernarás Iturrioz (Parque Tecnológico de Euskadi – Gipuzkoa): secretary.
- Josep Miquel Piqué Huerta (La Salle Technova Barcelona): vice-president.
- Francisco Mora Más (Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación): vice-president.
- Luis Pérez Díaz (Parque Científico y Tecnológico Cartuja): vice-president.
- Javier Taibo Gallego (Parque Tecnolóxico de Galicia – Tecnópole): vice-president.
- María Josefa Padrón León (Fundación Canaria Parque Científico Tecnológico de la Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria): vice-president.
- Javier González Benito (Parque Científico de la Universidad de Salamanca): vice-president.
- Augusto Cobos Pérez (ICECYL. Parques Tecnológicos de Castilla y León): vice-president.
- Juan Antonio Bertolín Olmos (Espaitec. Parc Científic i Tecnològic de la Universitat Jaume I de Castelló): vice-president.
- María Terrades Palomar (Parc Científic de Barcelona): vice-president.
- Virgilio Díaz Gómez (Centro de Innovación en Emprendimiento e Inteligencia Artificial (C3N-IA) – Parque Científico de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid – Leganés Tecnológico): vice-president.
For their part, the delegated commissions will be aligned with the most relevant issues and with the greatest impact on the management of their member parks. The new committees will be the following:
- Governance, lobby and impact projects Committee: chaired by Luis Pérez Díaz and vice-chaired by Sonia Verde Martínez.
- Value-added services for innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems Committee: chaired by Josep Miquel Piqué Huerta.
- Communication Committee: chaired by Itziar Epalza Urkiaga.
- Talent Committee: chaired by Juan Antonio Bertolín Olmos.
The Directorio de APTE 2024 provides a detailed overview of these ecosystems and their contributions to the economy and society.