The Technology Park of Andalusia held its board meeting today, where the actions and effects of COVID 19 on the PTA were analysed, while the figures for the end of the 2019 financial year presented during the state of alarm were recalled.
The Andalusian Minister of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University, Rogelio Velasco, who chaired the board meeting, said that “the priority of the Andalusian executive, in the current context of economic crisis, is to attract investment and facilitate the activity of our companies, which are those that generate employment. In this challenge, he focused on “science and technology parks, that have a fundamental weight as strategic, specialized places, which grow through the search for synergies with other companies and universities and internationalization”. Velasco defined the PTA as “a high quality environment in which SMEs, multinationals, research groups and technology centers coexist,” an ecosystem that, he said, has been “able to consolidate Malaga as an excellent destination for skilled workers and international companies.
In 2019, the Technology Park of Andalusia (PTA) got an increase of 2% over the previous year in the number of employees, with a total of 20,270 workers; in which 35% of the total employment of the PTA belongs to the 57 companies of foreign origin located in the PTA. By nationalities, the American and French companies are the main ones, followed by the companies form Germany, Holland and the United Kingdom.
The park is home to 639 companies. 639 companies. Likewise, the turnover of the companies in the PTA registered an increase with respect to the previous year of 4.3%, with a total accumulated turnover since the beginning of the PTA of 27,804 million euros.
By activity, the Information Technology sector (Electronics, Information Technology and Telecommunications) is again the main segment, representing 34% of the total number of companies.
PTA Investment
Last year, the private investment has quadrupled with respect to 2019, when investment reached 37 million euros. This figure consolidates the growth trend of private investment in the technopolis.
The total investment made in the Technology Park of Andalusia since it was created has reached 883 million. Within that investment, 79.5% (702 million) is due to private investment and 20.5% to public initiative (181.5 million).
PTA fights against Covid-19
During the board of directors, the measures carried out to make a “safer PTA” against COVID 19 were announced. Among them, a series of recommendations were made, with the aim of helping the companies in the park to continue with their activity and contribute to the economic development and employment in the region, during this period.
Since the beginning of the state of alarm, during the months of March and April, the activity of the park has been carried out in person by companies with an industrial and welfare profile, specifically by some 2,000 people from companies such as MADES, TDK, Cardivais, Ubago, Corporacion Altra or Montero Alimentación. The rest of the companies and employees of the PTA (around 90%) used the telework formula.
Presential activity in the park’s companies is gradually increasing until the end of the summer, reaching a figure of 30%; combined with teleworking developed mostly by software companies.
The evolution of the pandemic will condition the return of companies to the PTA in person, which will have to adapt to the measures established by the competent health authorities and which expect to return, for the most part, to their facilities at the beginning of September.
Other actions to highlight
The new Malaga TechPark Execs is a club composed by fifty business leaders of companies based ath the PTA. A new business forum for meeting and debate around a common objective: the Andalusian Technology Park as a driving force and reference for innovation and technological development in the region.
Last May the new PTA website was published, which contains the most relevant information about the park and its companies. The website presents a new definition of the park linked to the SDG’s, as well as a new menu improving its usability and focusing on the information most demanded by companies, professionals and workers in the park.
At present, the PTA is participating in several European projects, among which the “Recycling Business Models” initiative, which promotes the Circular Economy through through STP’s; and “TargetSME”, which aims to innovate SME’s throug innovative marketing tools. In addition to these projects, the European “E-Lead” programme aims to train high-tech leaders using the European Credit Transfer System for Vocational Education and Training and the European Qualifications framework.