Spanish industry: Contributes to supporting 70% of goods exports

According to the report, industry accounts for 16% of GDP, with the manufacturing sector playing a particularly important role. Although this figure is lower than the European average, its impact on the economy is undeniable, with 70% of Spain's exports being industrial in origin, from the automotive industry, chemicals to agricultural products.

Digitalization, sustainability and automation are reshaping production processes, ushering in a new industrial era that is more efficient, more connected and more responsible. However, this technological development has not been accompanied by corresponding profound changes in societal perceptions of the sector.

70% of industrial companies in Spain have implemented advanced Industry 4.0 technologies. This modernization has reshaped production processes in both large corporations and SMEs, improving efficiency and predicting potential problems. Likewise, artificial intelligence (AI) has been automating repetitive tasks, optimizing maintenance work and redesigning work. In fact, 42% of industry professionals already use generative AI tools in their daily work.

Creating stable and highly qualified jobs:

The industry directly employs nearly three million people with high levels of job security: nine out of 10 contracts are long-term and wages are 18% higher than the national average. Furthermore, more than half of the workers have technical or university training, which strengthens their skills profile.

Industry also leads private investment in innovation, accounting for 45% of R&D spending, with a third of these resources allocated to sustainable development and energy transition projects. Industry is positioned as a central player in the context of the major challenges of the future in terms of technological transition and climate.

The challenge of changing workforce generations:

Beyond economic pressures, the real challenge for Spanish industry lies in ensuring its continued existence. Only 12% of students opt for industrial training and a shortage of technical personnel has created more than 100,000 unfilled vacancies. In addition, today’s youth often associate industry with harsh environments and a preference for male workers, making it difficult to attract new professions.

Social awareness increases but recognition remains low:

Although most people are aware of the importance of industry to economic development, its presence in the public consciousness is still less significant than other sectors such as tourism. According to the report, only less than half of those surveyed have noticed the modernization of the industry over the past decade, especially among young people and those with higher education . However, 4 in 10 people admit that they are not fully informed about policies supporting industry, indicating a lack of communication within organizations.

Distance to Europe:

Spain allocates only about 0.4% of GDP in public spending to industry, compared with 0.8% in countries such as Germany. Furthermore, the contribution of Spanish industry to GDP, at 16%, is lower than the European average of 20.5%. This difference reflects the potential for improvement and the urgent need to strengthen industrial policy to compete more fairly in European markets.

The report concludes with the common aspiration of the majority of Spaniards to re-industrialize the country. 80% of Spaniards believe that industry should play a large part in the national economy and are also convinced that only in this way can strategic autonomy be guaranteed in an increasingly competitive global environment.

Source: Vietnam Trade Office in Spain

Tags: Spain

Source: https://moit.gov.vn/tin-tuc/thi-truong-nuoc-ngoai/nganh-cong-nghiep-cua-tay-ban-nha-gop-phan-ho-tro-70-kim-ngach-xuat-khau-hang-hoa.html