INTERES Invest in Spain

Aeronautics

Andalusia is the only Spanish region which has always manufactured components for aircraft as well as assembling them. This business area has been at the forefront recently with its participation in programs such as the AIRBUS A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world, the new A400M military transport aircraft and the A350 project, which has various components manufactured and assembled in the region.

Agro-industry

For years Andalusia has been a global point of reference for intensive agriculture technology, cultivation under plastic and post production processing. Within this field, developments relating to genetic seed and plant engineering, integral water cycle technology for agricultural uses, cultivation using hydroponics and agricultural plastics and green housing equipment are all important. Agro-industry is the leading industrial sector in the region with more than 7,000 companies directly employing 54,000 people.

Biotechnology

The biotechnology sector, which was originally based on agriculture and livestock, has recently diversified into other fields such as health sciences, in which Andalusia is the leading Spanish region for stem cell research. Companies in this sector are dedicated to agricultural production (60%), health sciences and genetics (30%) and process improvements (10%).

Information and communication technologies (ICTs)

There are four areas of interest in the ICT sector which deserve special attention: wireless communications developed by global companies; industrial control and embedded systems developed by pioneering companies in the field; a cluster of companies which work with ICTs associated to aeronautics and defense; and finally companies dedicated to e-services such as e-democracy or e-health. Finally, there are 600 companies with 12,000 employees, three technology parks and three universities with sector specific courses.