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Velasco pointed out that employment is up 9.32% and that next month the Rosalind building will be completed and the process will start the construction of two more buildings, with an investment of almost €10 million.
Málaga TechPark (PTA) closed 2021 with an increase in turnover of 10.5% over the previous year, exceeding €2,300 million; and with an increase of 9.32% in employment, reaching 22,238 workers (1,895 more employees). In addition, last year there were 624 companies based in the park, of which 62 were foreign entities from 19 different countries. These are the most relevant data that have been released today at the board of directors, chaired by the Minister of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities, Rogelio Velasco.
At the meeting, Velasco assured that “the results of 2021 show the good progress and the good work done in the technopolis, which faces a key year for its expansion in 2022”. “This balance is the best way to continue attracting new firms and projects”, he added.
Last year, important firms such as the Spanish companies Hispasec and Konecta and the foreign companies Westermo (Sweden), Talan (France), Hicron (Poland), RedZinc (Ireland) and Darwin (United Kingdom) joined the park.
According to the balance sheet and to the analysis by sector, the ICT segment (Electronics, Information, Computing and Telecommunications) is consolidated as the most important, representing 34% of all companies, 60% of employment and 49% of global turnover. It is followed by Engineering, Consultancy and Advice, with 13% of employment.
The total investment made in Málaga TechPark in 2021 amounted to €15.5 million, of which six million (39%) were from public funds, a five-fold increase on 2020, while private initiative contributed €9.5 million (61%).
In terms of R&D, the resources of the companies and institutions installed in the Andalusia Technology Park allocated to this purpose amounted to almost €95 million, which represents an increase of 6.83% with respect to 2020. Similarly, the number of employees dedicated to research and development increased by 7.03%. There has also been an increase in the injection of public aid to R&D, specifically it was 26.57% higher, with a final result of €6,516 million.
In terms of occupancy rate, the site reached 95.3% of the buildable area in 2021, an increase of 3.3% over the previous year.
Relevant actions in progress
The Minister for Economic Transformation highlighted the most relevant actions being carried out at the PTA which, in his opinion, allow “Málaga TechPark to consolidate its position as a technological and innovative hub”. In this context, he referred to the constitution of the Ricardo Valle de Innovación Foundation (Innova IRV) at the beginning of this year, which will make a decisive contribution to the transformation of the productive fabric of Andalusia and Málaga into a new intelligent, sustainable and innovative model. In this regard, Rogelio Velasco pointed out that, with the incorporation of the park to Innova IRV as a collaborator, “the strategic alliance already initiated will be strengthened to continue advancing in the promotion of R&D&I projects and the promotion of business cooperation in the field of technology and innovation”.
In addition to this initiative, next month Málaga TechPark will complete the construction of the Rosalind building, aimed at the installation of new companies on the site. This will be complemented by the start of the process to build another two, with an expected investment of almost ten million, aimed at continuing to house innovative firms.
With regard to actions promoted by the private initiative based in technopolis, the project being developed by the German multinational Dekra with the new global hub of digital technologies stands out. This is a new Dekra Digital team dedicated to digital platforms and software development, in which some 100 professionals will work. Also relevant is the process in which the Ariteas Group is immersed, which involves the construction of two buildings, one of which will be ready in May, and which will provide the park with high quality offices and industrial buildings to host business projects related to Industry 4.0.
This year will also see the start of a project aimed at the workers of technopolis, which comes from the LAR Group and Primonial, with a planned investment of €12 million. This is a pioneering project in Spain, which will provide housing solutions for users of the park, with a building that integrates common spaces and community services. And to provide coverage for the entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout Spain, Caixabank will open a new DayOne centre in Málaga TechPark, its division specialising in technology companies and their investors, which will help connect talent and capital.
#eCityMálaga
In 2021, the #eCityMálaga project was also launched at the PTA, together with Málaga City Council and Endesa and with the support of the Regional Government. This initiative aims to promote a smart city model at the forefront of innovation in renewable energy, sustainable transport, efficient building, open data and digital infrastructure. By the end of the year, this action had attracted the support of 90 public and private entities, including companies, universities, associations and foundations.
On the other hand, last year Málaga TechPark took over the coordination of the Ibero-American Network of Science and Technology Parks, together with the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the driving force behind the initiative.